High Priest - a Devotion for 26 September 2021, Anno Domini

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HOU art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.  (Psalm 110:4)

 

 

            We have the perfect example of the High Priest given in Genesis 14 of a mysterious figure named Melchizedek to whom even Abraham paid tithes and offerings, and who blessed Abraham. We are told in Hebrews 7 Melchizedek was greater even than Abraham: For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.  (Heb 7:1-7) This High Priest was compared to the Son of God – he had neither beginning nor end. He was a High Priest that abideth forever.

 

            The central theme of this devotion is not about Melchizedek, but about the Personage whom Melchizedek represented as a forerunner thereof – our Lord Jesus Christ. He has become our High Priest forever. In the days of the Temple, the High Priest interceded for the people before the Most Holy in the Temple. He offered, first, intercession for his own sins; and then the sins of the people. But our Lord as High Priest intercedes directly with the Father on our behalf and is guiltless Himself of any sin. In many ways, the character of Melchizedek mirrors that of the Lord so much many theologians believe him to be the Pre-Incarnate Christ.

 

            You will recall that the then-High Priest of Israel, Caiaphas, spoke unwittingly and yet prophetically (because he WAS High Priest) of our Lord before the Passion of Christ. After the raising of Lazarus at Bethany, the Jewish rulers were distraught to find an answer to their dilemma. It was obvious to them that only the Messiah could have done the miracles that Jesus did; however, they did not wish for a Messiah who would take their power and place: “49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” (John 11:49-52)

 

            It is also noteworthy that our Lord was accused of vile sins and blasphemy before the High Priest, Caiaphas. One who was blameless stood before one who sinned overtly before His very face: “65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.” (Matt 26:64-65) Why was the renting of his garment a sin for the high priest? Read, “10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;”   (Lev 21:10) Of course, Caiaphas was guilty of far greater sins than simply renting his garment. He was complicit in the pitched lies of a trial before which even Pilate pronounced Jesus innocent. He would have better rent his heart rather than his garment.

 

            The Lord Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, commissions and appoints subordinate duties to his priests and ministers. If a man is not called of God to preach, he can in no wise do the work of the Lord. An officer in the military is not a self-made officer – he must be commissioned by Presidential authority. The same is true of the priest or minister in the church.

If I feel like it - a Devotion for 29 September 2021, Anno Domini

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ND Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.  (Luke 4:1)

 

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OR as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  (Romans 8:14)

 

 

            There are a very many Christian professors who prefer to be led by their own sinful spirit than by that of the Spirit of God. If the opportunity arises, or If I feel like it, I will attend to my responsibilities in the Church or community. It does not take a nuclear physicist to realize that such an attitude does not arise from the prompting of the Holy Spirit but rather from the spirit of fallen man. In a word, we are lazy creature and too often do only the minimum required to dispel the critic.

 

            As we learn from the introductory text, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit in all that He did. Though imperfect creatures as we are, we, too, must be ‘led by the Spirit (of God)’ if we are to keep our souls away from temptation as well as perform those duties that are common to the Christian believer. It is our faith that is the fuel for our impetus to act.  Those of us who have no oil in our lamps will be forever trailing behind those who do, and we may miss out on the blessings that are made available to the faithful in Christ.

 

            A physical body needs fuel to move about and to act. That fuel is the physical foods that we consume. A spiritual body needs fuel as well to persevere under sunshine and storm. That fuel comes from a special fuel called the Word of God. It is our Bread that came down from Heaven personified by the Lord Jesus Christ. Too many believe that they can, after confessing Christ as Lord, lay back on their laurels and allow the Holy Spirit to guide them in the ways of truth. That is a great error. Though we have churches that call themselves Holy Spirit churches, not a single one of them so-called are Holy Spirit Churches. How do I know? Because the Holy Spirit will never speak of Himself. It is His role to guide us into all truth by means of the Word of God and to remind us of all things in that Word pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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OWBEIT when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.   15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:13-15)

 

            The object of every sermon, every testimonial, if led by the Holy Spirit, is to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ and reveal His glorious personage to yearning eyes and ears – and every sermon, if inspired of God, will do that very thing. Remember the disparaging men of the Road to Emmaus who were fearful of the events of the crucifixion. As they journeyed and lamented those sorrowful events, a stranger (to them) approached who expounded all the Law and the Prophets concerning the Himself (Lord Jesus Christ). Those two could not be led by the Spirit because they had not sufficiently gleaned truth of which the Spirit could bring to their remembrance.

 

            Each of us have varying degrees of self-will, and that self-will never motivates to goodness. But in the surrender of that self-will in taking upon ourselves the Will of God, our tendency to act when we feel like it is transformed into the will of the Lord to act with conviction and immediate dispatch to perform our good works that are dictated by the Holy Spirit. The result of such inspiration is that our good works do not belong to us, but are the works of the Father working in and through our members. Such labors are light and without effort if dictated by the Holy Spirit and, in so doing, Christ has become our Sabbath Rest in the same sense as He has become our Passover a Sabbath of seven days in seven instead of a Sabbath of one day in seven. Our all is dedicated to the Lord for His good pleasure and guidance. The truly committed Christian could say, with Dr. David Livingstone:

 

            ‘I’d rather be in the heart of Africa in the will of God than on the Throne of England out of the will of God.’  Of course, Dr. Livingstone was truly a Living Stone among the cherished gems of the Lord.

Beware the Leaven - a Devotion for 28 September 2021, Anno Domini

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HEN Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. . . . . 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.  (Matthew 16:6, 11, 12)

 

            With few exceptions, Leaven in the Bible refers to sin or false doctrine. It is for this reason that unleavened bread is served at Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Hebrew mother would sweep and garnish her home to eradicate the smallest speck of leaven before Passover. There were times that leaven would be used in sacrifice, but NEVER during the Passover or Feast. Leavened bread was only used sparingly for such feasts as the peace offering, but never with the more solemn meat offerings to include Passover. This is the case because the lighter feasts were intended for man’s enjoyment. The meat offerings or sin and for the propitiation thereof must NEVER contain Leaven. 

 

            When Jesus satisfied all the claims of the Law, it certainly obeyed that command of God in the Last Supper by eating unleavened bread at the table. It is for this reason that we use unleavened bread – usually a small wafer – for the Bread of the Communion which is literally the Passover. The Passover is directly related to Easter Sunday in the Church calendar. In fact, Passover is a more accurate term than Easter since we celebrate the Passion of the Lamb of God in covering our sins so that the Angel of Death will Passover us as well as the Children that grave night in Goshen of Egypt.

 

            Jesus uses the term in a related manner to indicate the wickedness of the great preachers of His day – the Pharisees and other Jewish rulers. Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. When the disciples misinterpreted this remark, our Lord went on to explain His meaning: How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Leaven causes the bread to be puffed up larger than its natural size – very much like false pride! Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

 

            There are, I believe, a greater number of preachers of false doctrine abroad in the Church today than bona fide preachers of the Gospel. Quite often (perhaps not always) the larger the church, the greater the error and false doctrine being preached. I believe this is due to the fact that the common society today characteristically seek, with itching ears, those words that make them feel good instead of those which condemn of sin. Easy-believism has proliferated in formerly doctrinally sound churches. Those that have gone off the deep end of doctrine preach that the sinner can come as he is, and REMAIN as he is. No change expected nor required. If faith in God and a reliance on His sovereign commands do not change the sinner from sinner to righteousness, then God’s Word would be rendered sterile (which it is not). Substituting false doctrine in lieu of true doctrine is symbolically likened to using leavened bread instead of unleavened bread in the Holy Communion Service. Unleavened bread is simple and easy to prepare. If we consider it too great an inconvenience to use the same unleavened bread as our Lord at the Communion, we indeed lake the fervency that should typify a Christian believer. 

 

            You may not regard the symbols of the Communion to be important, but our Lord placed great importance on the symbol which represented the real and actual. He is the Good Shepherd – a symbol of His love and care of His people. He is the Bright and Morning Star – a symbol of His watching over us through our dark night’s pilgrimage upon earth. He is the Lamb of God sacrificed before the foundation of the world. And He is the Door by which we enter into the favor and grace of God. If such symbolism is regarded in such esteem by our Lord, why would we use lesser signs and symbols in our worship of Him. Since the Bread represents His Body, don’t you believe that it should not contain leaven that represents sin?

The Value of One - a Devotion for 27 September 2021, Anno Domini

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HAT man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.      (Luke 15:4-7)

 

            The measured worth of a single soul cannot be overestimated in the economy of God. Had there been only ONE soul to redeem, our LORD’s fervor would not have been diminished in that soul’s redemption. 

 

            In Biblical numerology, the number, ONE, is of profound importance. To begin with, there is only ONE God who exists in the Trinity of Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Each in their individual expressions are ONE – one in purpose and one with the other members of the Triune Godhead. Jesus Christ in ONE with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is the ONE who did for our redemption. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. That ONE who rose from the dead is our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6) From these verses it is easy to discern the importance that God places upon the numeral, ONE! 

 

            ONE symbolizes the unity of the righteous with the Will of the Godhead. If we are true to our faith, we are ONE with God in all ways – ONE with the Lord, ONE with the Spirit, and One with the Father. We are made ONE in unity of purpose, faith, worship, and belief because we have surrendered our self-wills and taken upon us His Holy will.

 

            Does the Shepherd harbor an inordinate love for the one sheep to the exclusion of the others? Not at all, but He most is concerned for the ONE that has gone astray. A father and mother must love each child with equal fervor, but if one child goes unexpectedly missing from the home, that child occupies the greatest focus of love and concern at that moment. The parents do not divide love between the children, but love all alike.

 

            One point worth emphasizing – the shepherd does not desert the ninety and nine in the wilderness. He leaves them secure in the fold and goes out into the dark mountains seeking the lost lamb. That lamb bleats just as the wayward Christian prays when separated from His Lord.

 

            Our Lord did not die for the masses, but for the individuals who are led to receive Him as Lord and Savior, even the one lamb. We all will face the Lord Jesus Christ at the close of time – but we do so one at a time. Just as the Woman taken in Adultery, we are left alone with Christ face-to-face. Our Accusers will not be present – in the Adversary of our Souls (the Devil) will already have been cast into the lake of fire. Please note the sequence of events at the last day: 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10-15)

 

            Our Lord died ALONE on the cross just as we must come alone before Him at the last day. Remember the testimony of Caiaphas, the High Priest, concerning the ONE to be sacrificed for the people of God: 47¶Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.  (John 11:47-52)

 

Are you ONE?

AOC Sunday Report - Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

  

Happy Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity!   The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

There are exceptional sermons today from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  Each is quite different, each is great.  Rev Jack's is available on video RIGHT HERE.

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, there is never an exception.  Please start with Jim, Lorie and Laurie, Shamu and work out from there.

There is a bright and shining week ahead, if you are having difficulty finding it, open your heart to that Third God Guy, the Holy Ghost.  He makes it easy to find the wonder.

Have a wonderful week!

Hap
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
United States of America

Sermon Notes - Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity - Saint Andrew’s Anglican Orthodox Church - 26 September 2021, Anno Domini

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

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ORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent[1] and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

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ND it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. ² And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. ³ And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? ⁴ And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; ⁵ And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? ⁶ And they could not answer him again to these things.   ⁷ And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, ⁸ When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; ⁹ And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. ¹⁰ But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. ¹¹ For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.   (Luke 14:1-11)

 

It was the Sabbath Day.

 

 

Jesus has been invited to the house of a prominent Pharisee one of the chief of them, we are told. 

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And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

 

Many other of the Pharisees were doubtless there for they watched him. How greatly would they have benefitted if they had watched Him to learn instead of to find fault. 

 

Why was Jesus invited by one of those who hated Him and was constantly trying to destroy Him? They had invited Jesus to dinner with the intention of catching Him in an act of disobedience of the Sabbath – it was a ‘set up’ in the popular vernacular.

 

Why do you suppose Jesus accepted the invitation?  Jesus was no recluse – He came to help all who would hear Him.  He loved to be in social gatherings where men would listen – ALL men…even Pharisees; and he knew that He would reveal truth even to unbelievers.

 

And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

 

The cunning mind of the Pharisee bypassed no opportunity in providing a means of entrapment for Christ. Seemingly, just by coincidence, a man with a grave and serious malady is present – a man who probably had not been invited had it not fit comfortably in the plans of the Pharisees to present Jesus with a temptation.

 

These men are ruthless. They will use even the kindness and compassion of Jesus to try and condemn Him.

 

They have seated the man with the dropsy (congestive heart failure) in a place BEFORE Jesus. They know that He loves to heal and to do good regardless the occasion, but today is the Sabbath! They will use this as an occasion to condemn Christ of violating the Sabbath by doing healing works on this day.

 

But Jesus knows the heart of men, and He knows the evil thoughts of the hearts of those who sit watching Him.

 

And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

 

Jesus sets the circumstances to turn the tables on these miscreants. The question restated might read: ‘Is it ever unlawful to do good?’  Did God provide man with the day of rest for the purpose of omitting even deeds of kindness?

 

The Pharisees and priests of Jesus day had added so many cumbersome proscriptions to the Sabbath observance and every other aspect of the law, that men could not bear them without misery – just the opposite of what God had intended.

 

Jesus was continually tempted in every way that we are tempted, but Jesus never gave into temptation except in certain cases. 

 

What were those cases? When tempted to do good, as in the present case, Christ could not resist the temptation to act out of His compassion to heal and to comfort. This was not a temptation to sin, but a temptation by sinful men of Christ to do good. He always did!

 

You and I are tempted, on the other hand, to do bad things not pleasing to God. But in every temptation to do evil is found an opportunity to, instead, do good. Jesus sets the example for us in every case.

 

Because they have set their trap, the Pharisees do not respond to the pointed question of Christ: And they held their peace.  Men will most often speak out when they can condemn or hurt, but will less often speak out on the part of righteousness. Political correctness restrains them from speaking righteousness but tends always to wickedness.

 

So Jesus poses the simple question which they decline to answer so as not to give away their plot. How many clergy, as well as laity, remain silent on issues of great importance?  I have observed the silence, even on discussion groups of the church, remain stony silent on matters on which they should have strong opinion. The silence of those is like a scream in the night.

 

Those who are legalist often forget that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) 

 

The failure to accept the Sabbath in the manner and purpose for which it was given nullifies its benefits. The Christian Sabbath is not a once per week observance but a daily one. Christ has given us an Eternal Sabbath (Rest).

 

And he took him, and healed him, and let him go.  The whole will of Christ was to heal the man and not to make a spectacle of him. So Jesus, instead of having the man remain standing by for show, releases him to go his way. How different from the Pharisees who heartlessly brought the man to tempt Christ.

 

And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

 

Had they forgotten the counsel of Proverbs 12:11 -  A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. 

 

An ox or a donkey were precious to men who depended on them to produce income. If one of the Pharisees own precious animals fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, he would certainly have rescued the animal, if not out of kindness, then out of greed.

 

He thus shuts them. Up to this startling alternative: ‘Not to do good, when it is in the power of our hand to do it, is to do evil; not to save life, when we can, is to kill.’

 

And they could not answer him again to these things.   ⁷ And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 

 

Righteous words will shut the mouth of the wicked. 

 

Jesus is an observer of men and women. He watched as the poor widow cast her all into the Temple treasury, and He has observed here how the guests of the Pharisee came into the room and chose the best seats and provisions.  They sought to have their seating lend them honor when they should have allowed their honor to determine their seating. They lacked humility and were filled with false pride.

 

So, Jesus tells them a story (Parable) to which they can relate in common life:

 

When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

 

All of the counsels of Christ are full of spiritual and uplifting truths. This short Parable is no exception.

 

Jesus begins the story with a delicate allusion to a type of gathering that would be different from that of his present host of whom He has been invited. The venue is a wedding feast, but still a feast so that the same principle will apply.

 

When we are invited to a special event, do not exalt your importance by finding the highest place, or most visible place, to stand or sit.  We will inevitably to be embarrassed by our presumptive pride when we are told, curtly, to move and surrender your place to one having greater honor than you. The only place left at that time will be the place of least honor – the lowest room. And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

 

He has given an example of how not to behave, but He does not leave us in doubt as to how we should behave: But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 

 

Notice the host refers to the man who is humble and takes the very lowest place of honor as Friend. He did not refer to the man who took the highest place as Friend. Men despise false pride and arrogance in others.  If we humble ourselves, men will always elevate us in esteem. But greater is the reward in Heaven!

 

A college professor once hosted a tea for his graduating students.  When they all presented themselves at his home, the professor had all the cups, in the right number, assembled on the table. The cups were all of different kinds. One was of stone, one of crystal, one of clay, and some were shaped curiously different from any before seen.  When the professor invited the students to take a cup, the first took the crystal, the next the glass, the next the stone, the next the clay, and so forth.

 

As the professor watched them drink their tea that he had poured for them, he observed that they had each chosen the best cup at the table; but the purpose of a tea was not the kind of cup one drank from, but the tea which the cup contained. The quality of the tea is not changed by the quality of the cup which contains it. So with our worthiness before God. It is not some superficial position or appearance that is important, but what is inside.

 

What of you and me? Do we honor Christ in all good works during our eternal Sabbath Rest in Him?

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[1]                Prevent is a word that has many uses, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of them.  In this case the word prevent means to go before.  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

  

Rev Jack's sermon can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE!

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction.

Consider the words of the Collect, “… thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works …”

 

The first thing to consider when you look at today’s Collect is a word: prevent.  Prevent is a word that has many meanings, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of them.  In this case the word prevent means to go before.  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!

 

So, we ask God that His Grace, His Love, His Power, His Help may go before and after us to protect us and guide us that we might desire to do what He wants us to do.  Pretty much a re-wording of a lot of the Collects.  Why would that be?  Pretty simple, our biggest failing is we are wont to do what we want!  We are creatures with free will and are not wont to exercise it for God or good. Imperfect creatures with free will is a very dangerous combination.  We need His Help to go before and after us to guide us through life, doing what we need to do, not necessarily what we want to do. One of the harder lessons from Scriptures is that what we need to do is not usually as fun as what we want to do, but it is better for us in the end. More importantly, what we need to do is aligned with what God wants for us. So, we require His help if we are to do the things we need to do.  

 

We tend to sometimes think we know ourselves better, however that is simply false. God designed and built each and every one of us. Do we truly think we know more than our Creator? That is the foolishness of our natural inclination talking.  If we stop to think, we realize, with the help of the Holy Ghost, God truly knows what is best for us and it will be a lot better for us if we listen to him.  If we follow what He wants for us, we are guaranteed to have good results in the long run. It does not mean we will not suffer in the short term; however it means if we follow God's will for us, then we will come out ahead in the end, in our eternal life. In the end will it be our will that is followed or God’s will? 

 

As a matter of course, we will make mischief and or trouble, some of us more than others. God is the ever patient father who has to gently warn us and allow us to experience the consequences of our inclination to sin, in order to learn not to do it. This is His form of correction. He seldom corrects us directly, but allows us to be corrected by our consequences of our bad decisions. If we never got to experience the natural results of our mistakes, we would never learn. When bad things happen as a result of our doing, it is not His fault that's it happened, but our fault for not having done what we were supposed to do because it was “too difficult.” 

 

The other part of the collect talks about asking God to make us be continually given to do good works. This means to put His Will into our heart and give us a desire to continually do good works for others, by given, the collect means to put a desire into our hearts to do God’s Will here on Earth and part of doing His Will on Earth is performing good actions, otherwise known as good works.  If we are followers of Christ, as a matter of course, we will perform such good works as those of which we are capable. However, we cannot perform these good works of our own accord; we need His guiding spirit, so we ask Him to shine and come into our hearts and help us have the mindset to do those good works for Him. 

 

Through consequences of our sinful actions, we know that we shouldn’t do it again.  We know, often very clearly, what we want; God knows, always very clearly, what we need.  There is almost always a distinct difference between what we want and what we need. God knows what we want is usually not good for us. But what we need is always good for us. 

 

But we do not often know what God wants for us, so we have to first pray to Him to find out what He wants, then the most critical step of the communications is we have to listen to what He says and once we listen, then act upon what He says.  He is there, like the rubrics to guide us along our paths in our daily life. So, we need to ask God every day, every time, for help to do our duty. Every day, every time, He will answer our questions, we just need to open our hearts, souls, minds and ears to Him, and after hearing His Answer, act upon it

 

So, what does Paul tell us in his letter to us? He is callings to a new life, different from our old life.  He is calling us to reform and to turn a new leaf so to speak. We shed our old clothes, as it were, like reptiles shedding their old skin and put on the brand new armor of light, new helmet, new boots, new everything. We throw off the manner in which we acted before, brashly and sinfully, and put on a new cloak, that of righteousness. A life in which we act in a manner worthy of the better life to which we have been called by Christ and for which He gave His life. We are to act in accordance with the new way, to desist from sinning and to do good things for people and for Him. The part about ceasing and desisting from sin is one of the most difficult aspects of putting aside one’s old life. But, it can be done. If Paul can do it, so can we. 

 

This is made possible by the Holy Ghost, who is our lifeline to God our Father. Paul, of all people, knows the importance of setting aside your old life, as Saul did; as Paul he asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last.  He even changed his name to reflect his state as a new man under Our Lord’s leadership. He reminds us, There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List.  It is not a I’ll Get a Round To It List, or What I Don’t Want to Do List.  What is more important than God? It is all about prioritization, putting God ahead of your wants and desires. 

 

When Luke relates the parable of the feast, it is more than just a seating diagram. I liken it to the tale of the publican and the Pharisee. When Christ talks about the man who exalts himself and sits too high at the wedding and thus must be abased, that would be the Pharisee. When Christ then talks about the man who sits low, and is raised to the higher station, I think of the publican, who smote his breast and would not even raise up his eyes to heaven. We have to be the publican in our dealings with not only God, but all people, rather than our natural tendency of being the Pharisee. We should not be one of those selfish individuals who always causes grief for others because he is blind to his own faults and only thinks of himself. Again, as with the ceasing from sin, this is one of the harder things we have to do. But it must be done, no matter how we feel about it. So, let us turn to our Lord to help with it, because He alone can help us. He can only help us if we are truly willing with our hearts, souls and minds. We have to be willing to act and do actions, and not just say it.  

 

It is very possible to do the good deeds and have fun doing them. The time we spent in worship with the other ministers and their wives at the AOC Conventions in the past proves this. Doing good things for other people and being with other believers gives me some of the greatest happiness I have ever felt. This comes from the Holy Ghost, from being inspired by Him, around other believers. Wherever two or three or gathered, Christ is there also. It is a wonderful feeling wherever He is.

 

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

---

[1]                 Prevent is a word that has many uses, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of them.  In this case the word prevent means to go before.  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!

[2]                 “you all”, normally pronounced “ya’ll”, is clear proof Paul was from the South.

Trinity 17 Collect - a Devotion for 26 September 2021, Anno Domini

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

L

ORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent[1] and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

F

OR precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:10-13)

 

            Today’s Collect reminds me of a fundamental principle of learning – there are others, but this one is applicable to today’s Collect. That principle is repetition aids retention. It was one of those laws with which I became intimately familiar and one which I employed to great effect in my career in the training and education of military aviators. A maneuver often repeated will be remembered easily. A certain rule of meteorology, or of aerodynamics, often repeated and tested, will be retained over the lifetime of the military pilot. The Bible itself is a monument to this principle. We see the same principles of salvation, redemption, sanctification, etc., featured in multi-faceted accounts throughout the Holy Bible, and much to our profit. The same is true of the Collects which are, themselves, based on scriptural truths.

 

            I once read of an event in the ministry of the great Charles Spurgeon in England. Mr. Spurgeon had given the exact SAME sermon four Sundays in a row. Frustrated and a bit indignant, one of the congregants asked him if he was aware that he had given the same sermon four Sundays running. “Yes, I am aware of it,” responded Spurgeon. “But why the same sermon four times?” asked the congregant. “That is simple to explain,” replied Spurgeon. “When you begin to heed the sermon, I will go on to the next.”

 

            LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us It is a mighty comfort to know that God’s grace not only follows in the wake of our service as the people of God, but even PRECEDES (another meaning of prevent) the Elect in his/her daily walk. We do not worry about walking down a darkened path upon which the Lord has set our foot, because we KNOW that He is ever both BEHIND and BEFORE us. He is our Advance Force and our Rear Guard. He is as the Pillar of Cloud by Day, and Pillar of Fire by Night, to both lead and follow His people in the Wilderness journey of this world. If God places our feet on a path, we must go the distance in faith no matter the utter desolation along the way. I am reminded of a quote by the scientist, Robert Jastrow (an agnostic at best) who ironically wrote in his book, God and the Astronomers: “For the scientist who has lived by faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

 

            “…..and make us continually to be given to all good works.” How can we be “given to good works?”  It must have become a feature of our changed nature at the moment of conversion, and the sanctification that is to follow that conversion. It is the empowering genius of the Holy Spirit. Certainly, our salvation is none of our own doing, but the pure and whole work of grace; yet, the evidence of our salvation is the good works and purity of life that follows the soul’s salvation.

 

            Our revered and martyred Archbishop Cranmer translated this Collect from the Sacramentary of Gregory. The Latin word from which he translated the word ‘continually’ is uigiter. This Latin word means  “like an overflowing stream.” The grace granted to us to be called the sons and daughters of God is that same ceaseless grace that enables and directs our paths in righteous living. It is a sanctifying grace that continually refines our souls as the Refiners Fire. It never ceases, never becomes inadequate – but is ALWAYS profuse and wonderful in abundance. Lord, give us that grace that inspired the early church to stand against a world of ignorance and superstition. Is the world so different today from that of the first century Romans?

 

            An army in the field needs certain provision. It needs, first of all, a logistical train that follows in its path. But even more important: it needs a leader to go before. Alexander the Great has said, “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” The Captain of the Corps sets the standard in courage, resourcefulness, perseverance, and conduct. We have the resources of heaven upon which to call for our supply and logistical base, and we have the Lord Jesus Christ as the Captain of our souls who has already scouted out, mapped, and led the way to the field of battle. 

---

[1]                Prevent is a word that has many uses, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of them.  In this case the word prevent means to go before.  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon

The Propers for today are found on Page 214-215, with the Collect first:

 

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

L

ORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent[1] and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Epistle for today came from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter.  Once again, Paul calls us to a new life, different from our old life.  A life in which we act in a manner worthy of the better life to which we have been called by Christ and for which He gave His life.  Paul, of all people, knows the importance of setting aside your old life, as Saul did, so that as Paul he asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last.  He reminds us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List.   What is more important than God?

 

I

 THEREFORE, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, for-bearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all[2].

 

Today’s Holy Gospel came from the Gospel of Saint Luke, the Fourteenth Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.  The Gospel starts out reminding us the Law was designed to be flexible.  The goal is to do God’s will, not to “follow the letter of the law” as the Pharisees were so keen on.  They brought before Him a man in need of healing as they sat to eat on the Sabbath Day.  They watched to see what He would do.  Putting the monkey on their back, He asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day?”  Wishing to  be in a position to criticize rather than answer, “they held their peace.”  He healed the man, then asked them, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath Day?”  They would not respond; for the answer was obvious.

 

Then “He put forth a parable to those” who had been invited to dine with him, after He had seen them joust for the seats of honor.  “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  Do we put God first and let others raise us up, or do we put ourselves first and let others put us down?

 

I

T came came to pass, as Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction.

 

Consider the words of the Collect, “… thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works …”

 

The first thing to consider when you look at today’s Collect is a word: prevent.  Prevent is a word that has many meanings, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of them.  In this case the word prevent means to go before.  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!

 

So, we ask God that His Grace, His Love, His Power, His Help may go before and after us to protect us and guide us that we might desire to do what He wants us to do.  Pretty much a re-wording of a lot of the Collects.  Why would that be?  Pretty simple, our biggest failing is we are wont to do what we want!  We are creatures with free will and are not wont to exercise it for God or good. Imperfect creatures with free will is a very dangerous combination.  We need His Help to go before and after us to guide us through life, doing what we need to do, not necessarily what we want to do. One of the harder lessons from Scriptures is that what we need to do is not usually as fun as what we want to do, but it is better for us in the end. More importantly, what we need to do is aligned with what God wants for us. So, we require His help if we are to do the things we need to do.  

 

We tend to sometimes think we know ourselves better, however that is simply false. God designed and built each and every one of us. Do we truly think we know more than our Creator? That is the foolishness of our natural inclination talking.  If we stop to think, we realize, with the help of the Holy Ghost, God truly knows what is best for us and it will be a lot better for us if we listen to him.  If we follow what He wants for us, we are guaranteed to have good results in the long run. It does not mean we will not suffer in the short term; however it means if we follow God's will for us, then we will come out ahead in the end, in our eternal life. In the end will it be our will that is followed or God’s will? 

 

As a matter of course, we will make mischief and or trouble, some of us more than others. God is the ever patient father who has to gently warn us and allow us to experience the consequences of our inclination to sin, in order to learn not to do it. This is His form of correction. He seldom corrects us directly, but allows us to be corrected by our consequences of our bad decisions. If we never got to experience the natural results of our mistakes, we would never learn. When bad things happen as a result of our doing, it is not His fault that's it happened, but our fault for not having done what we were supposed to do because it was “too difficult.” 

 

The other part of the collect talks about asking God to make us be continually given to do good works. This means to put His Will into our heart and give us a desire to continually do good works for others, by given, the collect means to put a desire into our hearts to do God’s Will here on Earth and part of doing His Will on Earth is performing good actions, otherwise known as good works.  If we are followers of Christ, as a matter of course, we will perform such good works as those of which we are capable. However, we cannot perform these good works of our own accord; we need His guiding spirit, so we ask Him to shine and come into our hearts and help us have the mindset to do those good works for Him. 

 

Through consequences of our sinful actions, we know that we shouldn’t do it again.  We know, often very clearly, what we want; God knows, always very clearly, what we need.  There is almost always a distinct difference between what we want and what we need. God knows what we want is usually not good for us. But what we need is always good for us. 

 

But we do not often know what God wants for us, so we have to first pray to Him to find out what He wants, then the most critical step of the communications is we have to listen to what He says and once we listen, then act upon what He says.  He is there, like the rubrics to guide us along our paths in our daily life. So, we need to ask God every day, every time, for help to do our duty. Every day, every time, He will answer our questions, we just need to open our hearts, souls, minds and ears to Him, and after hearing His Answer, act upon it

 

So, what does Paul tell us in his letter to us? He is callings to a new life, different from our old life.  He is calling us to reform and to turn a new leaf so to speak. We shed our old clothes, as it were, like reptiles shedding their old skin and put on the brand new armor of light, new helmet, new boots, new everything. We throw off the manner in which we acted before, brashly and sinfully, and put on a new cloak, that of righteousness. A life in which we act in a manner worthy of the better life to which we have been called by Christ and for which He gave His life. We are to act in accordance with the new way, to desist from sinning and to do good things for people and for Him. The part about ceasing and desisting from sin is one of the most difficult aspects of putting aside one’s old life. But, it can be done. If Paul can do it, so can we. 

 

This is made possible by the Holy Ghost, who is our lifeline to God our Father. Paul, of all people, knows the importance of setting aside your old life, as Saul did; as Paul he asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last.  He even changed his name to reflect his state as a new man under Our Lord’s leadership. He reminds us, There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List.  It is not a I’ll Get a Round To It List, or What I Don’t Want to Do List.  What is more important than God? It is all about prioritization, putting God ahead of your wants and desires. 

 

When Luke relates the parable of the feast, it is more than just a seating diagram. I liken it to the tale of the publican and the Pharisee. When Christ talks about the man who exalts himself and sits too high at the wedding and thus must be abased, that would be the Pharisee. When Christ then talks about the man who sits low, and is raised to the higher station, I think of the publican, who smote his breast and would not even raise up his eyes to heaven. We have to be the publican in our dealings with not only God, but all people, rather than our natural tendency of being the Pharisee. We should not be one of those selfish individuals who always causes grief for others because he is blind to his own faults and only thinks of himself. Again, as with the ceasing from sin, this is one of the harder things we have to do. But it must be done, no matter how we feel about it. So, let us turn to our Lord to help with it, because He alone can help us. He can only help us if we are truly willing with our hearts, souls and minds. We have to be willing to act and do actions, and not just say it.  

 

It is very possible to do the good deeds and have fun doing them. The time we spent in worship with the other ministers and their wives at the AOC Conventions in the past proves this. Doing good things for other people and being with other believers gives me some of the greatest happiness I have ever felt. This comes from the Holy Ghost, from being inspired by Him, around other believers. Wherever two or three or gathered, Christ is there also. It is a wonderful feeling wherever He is.

 

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

---

[1]                 Prevent is a word that has many uses, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of them.  In this case the word prevent means to go before.  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!

[2]                 “you all”, normally pronounced “ya’ll”, is clear proof Paul was from the South.