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Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Hymns of the Church – Hymn 534 – Thy Kingdom Come, O Lord – 28 February 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)


 

            This is an idealistic hymn written by a Unitarian minister, Frederick Lucian Hosmer (1840-1929). In many Unitarian hymns, as in this one, an appeal is made for the salvation of the whole world and to the brotherhood of man and Fatherhood of God in a sense of common salvation. There is no general salvation. Salvation is an act of the grace of God working by faith in the hearts of His people. Though it would be a most glorious event to have all nations become one in Christ, that cannot happen under the present world and political economy. God’s elect are separate from the world, and must remain so. Only when Christ returns and the Kingdoms of this world are One in Him can such a sentiment be realized. However, there are many beautiful sentiments of spiritual value expressed in the hymn. The tune is INVITATION by Frederick C. Maker, 1905. This hymn is number 534 in the 1940 Church Hymnal.

 

Thy Kingdom Come, O Lord, Wide-Circling as The Sun

 

Thy Kingdom come, O Lord,

Wide-circling as the sun;

Fulfill of old Thy word,

And make the nations one,

One in the bond of peace,

The service glad and free

Of truth and righteousness,

Of love and equity.

 

Speed, speed the longed-for time

Foretold by raptured seers,

The prophecy sublime,

The hope of all the years,

Till rise at last, to span

Its firm foundations broad,

The commonwealth of man, The city of our God.    Amen. 

 

1 Thy Kingdom come, O Lord, Wide-circling as the sun; Fulfill thy word, And make the nations one, One in the bond of peace, The service glad and free Of truth and righteousness, Of love and equity. The Coming of the Kingdom of God is a prayer prayed in Anglican Churches, and many other Reformed churches, each worship service, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done . . . . ‘ On His return, every eye shall behold Him. God’s promise of salvation first appears in the biblical text in the 3rd chapter of Genesis (after the Fall of Adam): “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” There is a further symbolic reference to the Redeemer in the same chapter, veiled in words that only the believer can grasp: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Imagine the pain of God in having to take the life of a beautiful and innocent creature to provide skins to cover the Nakedness (sins) of Adam. It is a picture of a far greater sacrifice some thousands of years later when His own ‘Only Begotten Son’ would be that Lamb without blemish “sacrificed from before the foundation of the world!” Though we may hear peace, peace, heralded from many quarters, there will be no peace until the Lord comes and sets all things right in judgment. The author asks, “Fulfill of old Thy word.” And how old is the Word of God – His was the first Word uttered in all time and eternity. His Word is the Ancient Landmark, and the Rock that cannot be moved.

 

2 Speed, speed the longed-for time Foretold by raptured seers, The prophecy sublime, The hope of all the years, Till rise at last, to span Its firm foundations broad, The commonwealth of man,. The city of our God. As in Adam and the Law, we are cursed (last word of Old Testament Malachi 4:6), we are made sons and daughters by the unmerited grace of God.  The last words of the New Testament are: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” We should also pray in hope of the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But He will come at precisely the right time of the Father’s choosing. All prophecy is fulfilled in Christ. In fact, the Law AND the prophets are made complete in Him. He is the Word from everlasting to everlasting. The commonwealth of man will become the Kingdom of God writ large! The city of our God will not be the muds-baked streets of that city of blood we know as Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem and City of God which shall descend as a Bride adorned for her Husband – the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Amen. If a hymn is worth its salt as a hymn of worship or praise, it should end with ‘AMEN,’ because it would be biblically and doctrinally worthy. The classical hymns reinforce doctrine and remind us of the mystery and beauty of God’s Holy word. We know its words to be true if we have known the word these hymns express; therefore, we say AMEN!

Sunday, February 26, 2023

AOC Sunday Report – First Sunday in Lent

Happy First Sunday in Lent!

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

Before we get started, I'd like to direct your attention to a couple of significant quotes:

On Lent

If a man will but fast from his sins, he may eat what he pleases.

Robert E. Lee

American General and Patriot

 

On Lent

The best way for most of us is to fast from our sins and to eat what is good for us.

Robert E. Lee

American General and Patriot

 

We have a great sermon today from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack, and Bryan.  Each is different, each is great.  Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon can be viewed on video here -> https://youtu.be/h_NNvx8cK30

 

Today’s Collect recalls Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness and asks that God give us the strength to focus our being to allow us to follow His Will.  Paul writes to the people of Corinth asking them to come togetther to further God’s Plan and not theirs.  In the Gospel Matthew relates the story of Jesus’ temptation by the Devil. There is more to it than you might think.  There is much more to this story than meets the eye.  Great stuff and it all comes together, listen or read to understand how. 


There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, please start with The Flanagan Family, Deanna, Tricia, Shamu and work out from there.


South America

Jennifer, wife of Bishop Jose Rios, the AOC Bishop in Columbia has been very active in children's welfare.  Her monthly report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE.  I beg you to read the report, for our Marines is mostly pictures.  You know we never ask for money, we try to fund everything ourselves.  This is an exception.  If you have any spare funds, you can send them to the Worldwide HQ and they will be sent to Jennifer.  No overhead, just good work.


Anglican Orthodox Church

POB 128

Statesville NC 28687


Anything will help.


There is an amazing week ahead, you may need help to see it clearly, I know I do.  Well, there is that Third God Guy, The Holy Ghost, standing by and ready to assist.


Have an EPIC week.


Godspeed,


Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

First Sunday in Lent – Exhortation - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon – With Video


Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video here -> https://youtu.be/h_NNvx8cK30

 

Today’s Collect recalls Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness and asks that God give us the strength to focus our being to allow us to follow His Will.  Paul writes to the people of Corinth asking them to come togetther to further God’s Plan and not theirs.  In the Gospel Matthew relates the story of Jesus’ temptation by the Devil.  There is more to it than you might think.  There is much more to this story than meets the eye.  Great stuff and it all comes together, listen or read to understand how.


THE EXHORTATIONS.

¶         At the time of the Celebration of the Communion, after the prayer for the whole state of Christ’s Church, the Priest may say this Exhortation. And Note, That the Exhortation shall be said on the First Sunday in Advent, the First Sunday in Lent, and Trinity Sunday. 

 

D

EARLY beloved in the Lord, ye who mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, must consider how Saint Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; so is the danger great, if we receive the same unworthily. Judge therefore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent  you truly for your sins past; have a lively and stedfast faith  in Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men; so shall ye be meet partakers of those holy mysteries. And above all things ye must give most humble and hearty thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, both God and man; who did humble himself, even to the death upon the Cross, for us, miserable sinners, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death; that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. And to the end that we should always remember the exceeding great love of our Master, and only Saviour, Jesus Christ, thus dying for us, and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained for us; he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless com- fort. To him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, let us give, as we are most bounden, continual thanks; sub- mitting ourselves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Amen. 


The Propers for today are found on Page 125-127, with the Collect first:

 

The First Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

 

And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:

 

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.

 

The Epistle for today came from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, the Sixth Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.  In what at first appears to be an incomprehensible single sentence, Paul asks us to be worthy of the grace that God has given us.  He tells the people when they needed him, he was there.  They need to be there for those around them.  They must not frustrate God’s work by showing up late, or not at all.  Those around us are watching our actions in the time of testing.  We have been given eternal salvation by Jesus’ sacrifice, the understanding of the Gospel by the Holy Ghost.  We are at this time dying here on earth, yet progressing towards eternal life in the next world, in Jesus’ world with His help. While we may never be wealthy here on earth, our actions can make our fellow Christians wealthy in spirit beyond measure.  

 

If you claim to be a Christian, you know what is right.  If you are a Christian, you do what is right, you don’t take a vote to see what the right course of action might be.  Right does not change with public opinion and we must do the right thing.  It is our actions that count, in good times or bad.  We are Christ’s ambassadors to this world, unfortunately we do not have diplomatic immunity.

 

W

E then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain; (for he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation;) giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

 

This morning’s Holy Gospel came from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the Fourth Chapter, beginning at the First Verse. This portion of the Gospel tells the story of the temptation of Christ. In many respects, it shows how little the devil understands of Christ, and through Him, of us. If you understand how little the devil really offers you and how much Christ offers, the temptation is ever so much less.  The devil is often referred to as the deceiver or dissimulator.  His forte is deception, he seems one thing, is another.  Offers what he has no intention or ability to deliver.  Ignores the inevitable result of accepting his proffered help or inside track.

 

He clearly knows Jesus is the Son of God.  There is no doubt in his mind.  So, having understood that, consider what he offers Jesus in temptation.  

 

Remember, Jesus has fasted 40 days OF HIS OWN CHOICE; he who has no real power asks Jesus to turn stone into bread to show His Power.  This to the Son of He who delivered manna daily to the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years.  

 

Cast thyself down and let angels catch thee; this to He who walked on water.

 

Up to the mountain lookout – Here is it all yours if you worship me.  This to He who as it says in Psalm 95:

 

In his hand are all the corners of the earth; * and the strength of the hills is his also.

 

The sea is his, and he made it; * and his hands prepared the dry land.

 

O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before

the Lord our Maker.

 

For he is the Lord our God; * and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

 

The devil promised Jesus nothing that was his to give, nothing that would help Jesus in the real world beyond the Shadowlands.  He never does.  The devil is all about shortcuts.  Remember, if the shortcut was the best way, it would not be a shortcut

 

Like the temptation of Jesus, the devil never delivers what we need, only what we may want short term.  Remember as little as the devil understands of Christ, so he understands little of us.  He will never offer you real help.  Remember that and the temptation is ever so much less.

 

This morning’s Gospel comes from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, starting at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter. This portion of the Gospel tells the story of the temptation of Christ.  In many respects, it shows how little the devil understands of Christ, and through Him, of us.  If you understand how little the devil really offers you and how much Christ offers, the temptation is ever so much less.

 

T

HEN was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

 

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

You can view Rev Jack's sermon on video RIGHT HERE!


 

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory …

 

In the Collect, we ask God to help us change our natural evil tendencies so we can live life here His way and honor His wishes so we can be truly happy.  This is the basic message behind most of the collects because it is truth. Without His help, we end up with what we want, not what we need. And what we want is not always good for us, but what we need is always good for us. We are asking for God’s help to differentiate between our wants and needs.  Lent is the time in which we focus on fighting our sinful selves and working with the Holy Ghost to reconcile us with what God wants for us. What we want is not the same as what we need. Lent is the time in which we focus on separating our wants from needs and concentrating on what our needs truly are. We are asking him to help us fight our human nature and follow His divine nature, we are attempting to replace our nature with that of God’s. It is a long and difficult road we must travel, doing this, but we are going to be much happier in the long run if we at least do our best. Do or do not, there is no try, Yoda is quoted as saying, and I find it applicable here and in my own life. We have to act, not just say we are going to act, but we must physically perform ACTIONS!

                                 

Want and Need; two words, used interchangeably in both our speech and thought that do not mean the same thing.  Think about that!

 

Following the thought of the Collect, Paul asks us to be worthy of the grace God has given us.  He tells the people when they needed him, He was there.  Following his example, we need to be there for those around us.  We must not frustrate God’s work by showing up late, or not at all. It all goes back to Jesus’ saying, No man can serve two masters. We have to choose who we are going to serve God or Satan/Mammon and then once we have chosen to serve God, we need to do our best to be there for Him and His People. Action and not just dictions alone are needed to serve God. 

 

Our actions will reflect whom we truly serve,  God or the Forces of Satan. Which side will you serve? You in the end have to choose one side or another. Pick the winning side now, which is the Forces of God, and you will have a rich everlasting life. Where our treasure is, our heart will be there also to quote Jesus. So let us make sure our treasure is heaven and not on earth where moth and rust corrupt and thieves break through and steal. If our treasure is in heaven, there it is incorruptible and thieves do not steak. The key to winning this battle for souls is to never ever ever give up and to trust in God and Dread Naught.  It may get gloomy and depressing sometimes but as long as we turn back to God and His Scriptures and the Church for comfort than all will be well with our souls. And also remembering when we are finished running the race here on Earth so to speak, we will get to spend eternity with God, Jesus and our family who have gone before, it makes bearing the trials and the tribulations of this world a lot easier.

 

When the Devil attempted to tempt Christ, he showed how little he knows of Him.  If we emulate our Lord, it shows how little the Devil will be able to tempt us with his deceit. Jesus provides us with the perfect template to resist Satan and his wiles. Do not even entertain them for a fraction of a second, and just tell Satan to Get Thee Hence!  If we follow Him we will be able to withstand any temptation that arises as our Lord showed for us in the desert 2,000 years ago. 

 

Consider how little the Devil really offers you and how much Christ offers, the temptation is ever so much less.  The Devil is often referred to as the Deceiver or Dissimulator.  His forte is deception; he seems to be one thing, but is another.  He offers what he has no intention or ability to deliver. He actually has zero ability to deliver on his large promises, he has no right to give away what is not his! 

 

The Devil clearly knows Jesus is the Son of God.  There is no doubt in his mind.  So, having understood that, consider what he offers Jesus in temptation.  

 

Remember, Jesus has fasted 40 days OF HIS OWN CHOICE; now comes the devil daring Him to show His Power by turning the stone into bread.  This to the Son of He who delivered manna daily to the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years.  

 

Cast thyself down and let angels catch thee; this to He who walked on water.

 

Up to the mountain lookout – Here is it all yours if you worship me.  This to He, who as it says in Psalm 95:

 

I

N his hand are all the corners of the earth; * and the strength of the hills is his also.

 

The sea is his, and he made it; * and his hands prepared the dry land.

 

O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

 

For he is the Lord our God; * and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

 

The devil promised Jesus nothing that was his to give, nothing that would help Jesus in the real world beyond the Shadowlands.  He never does.  The devil is all about shortcuts.  Remember, if the shortcut was the best way, it would not be a shortcut. The devil will not help us at all in the long run, if you look at things from the eternal perspective. That is what we need to keep in mind every time he tempts us.  We have to remember that what the devil offers us will pale in comparison to what God has to offer us and that the way of the devil will cause us more pain here on Earth and a lot more pain after we leave Earth. If we keep that in mind, it makes it ever so much easier to fight off the Devil and his temptaitons.

 

The temptation of Jesus is no different than the Devil’s attempt to tempt us!  The Devil never delivers what we need, only what we, in our imperfection, want. This is wher knowing the difference between what is a want and a need for us will assist. If we recognize that his temptations are preying on our desire for our wants, we can shut down the temptation by focusing on what we need. He can’t understand what we really need, he only knows what we want. This is an advantage we have over him. We understand what we truly need; if we remember it, then holding off against the temptations is easier. Remember as little as the Devil understands of Christ, the same way, as we are in God, so he understands little of us.  He will never offer you real help.  Remember that and the temptation is ever so much less.

 

Or, as my grandfather said, “Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole”

 

There is but one way to heaven.

 

That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.

 

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

Sermon Notes - First Sunday in Lent - It is Written - Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide - 26 February 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

The First Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

 


And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:

 

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.

 

The Holy Gospel

Matt 4:1-11

 

T

HEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

 

            The Collect for today aptly points out the cardinal principle of Lent – a time to abstain from the material blessings to which we have become so accustomed in order to focus on that Passover sacrifice which Christ made of us on Good Friday. A staff officer to General Robert E. Lee once asked, “General, how oft ought a man to fast from eating?” to which General Lee responded, “If a man will but fast from his sins, he may eat what he pleases.” Simple enough, but who is able to keep that fast from sins? The Collect reveals not only that we should fast from time to time, but also it informs that our fast is personal and not public. Holiness is a personal quality and not one of which we should boast. Once we begin to boast to others of what we forego during fast, we have lost whatever blessing God would grant and have opted for the reward of a good opinion from our fellows. I urge each of us to read the Gospel for Morning Prayer today from Matthew 6:1-16 for a deeper understanding of Christ’s counsel on fasting and the means by which we are to keep our fast secret as we do our personal prayers. In this way, we will avoid the sin of the Pharisee in boasting of his better worth than the publican at the Temple.

 

            Today’s text is about temptation and how to overcome it. I will begin by relating, as an illustration, an old tale my father gave me in a book entitled, Hall Caine, in Proem to the Bondman. It was long ago that I read the legend, but it has remained vividly branded upon my memory.

 

            There is an old-world legend, probably from Northumbria in Britain, which tells of a man who believed himself to be plagued and pursued by a troll. His fields had been burned, his barn unroofed, his cattle destroyed, his lands blasted, and his firstborn tragically slain. So he lay in wait for the monster where it lived in the chasm near his house, and in the darkness of night he spotted the culprit. With a loud cry he rushed upon it and gripped it about the waist, and it turned upon him and held him by the shoulder. Long he wrestled with it, reeling, staggering, falling, and rising again; but at length a flood of strength came to him and he overthrew it and stood over it, covering it in his shadow, conquering it, with his back across his thigh and his right hand grasping tightly its throat. Then he drew his knife to kill it, and it was then that a ray of moonlight shown through a parting of the clouds, opening an alley of light about it, and he saw its face – and, lo, the face of the troll was his own!

 

            The point of this story is that, most often, the greatest devil that besets us is deep within our own souls. We cannot conquer that old self that destroys our health and ravishes our wealth, but the Lord Jesus Christ can, and WILL, if we but place our faith and trust in His able Hands.

 

            So now is the time to enter upon the Lenten Season with earnestness. Is it a time of sorrow and remorse? Yes, it is such a time. But it is also a time of deep love and joy that you are so much loved that a Personage so great as the only Begotten Son of God loves you so much as to die such a horrible and humiliating death for you. As the Epistle for today reads: “….behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation;) giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Cor 6:2b-10) Do we even imagine what riches are made available to us through the privileges merited for us by Christ?

 

            Being covenanted as infants into the Kingdom of Heaven through Baptism, many of us may not recall that work of grace performed on our behalf; however, did we not seal those promises and that grace at the time of our Confirmation? In the years of our lives before Confirmation (or even adult baptism) did we not grow in, as did Jesus from twelve years of age, wisdom and favor with God? And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:52)

 

            In today’s Gospel according to Saint Matthew IV: 1-11 are cardinal truths that should aid us in keeping a Christian witness as well as in overcoming temptation.

 

1.     We must remember that Christ was forever sinless though subject to temptation just as you or I. Could Jesus have sinned? Of course, Jesus COULD have sinned, had He succumbed to temptation, else there could have been NO temptation to sin. But Jesus did not sin, though tempted in every way as you and I are tempted. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Heb 4:15) So how did Christ OVERCOME temptation? This we shall learn from today’s text. If you have read it thoughtfully, you will already have discovered the Approach Christ took to temptation.

2.     We should note, secondly, that, though Christ was forever without sin, His ministry did not begin until the moment of His Baptism in Jordan Waters.  Following John’s Baptism of Christ, confirmed and attested by the Voice of God and the Holy Ghost, there was a great CHANGE in the direction of His life. This was the point in time that the ministry of Christ began in earnest. The Holy Trinity, it will be acknowledged, was present at the Baptism of Christ just as with your own. Baptism and confirmation in the Gospel of Christ should result in a change of our behaviors. Has it happened in your life?

3.     We must, thirdly, observe that the same Holy Spirit that witnessed the Baptism and glorious recognition of God of Christ was the same which drove Christ into the wilderness (a place of private fasting). Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil The day that we agreed, with our eyes open, to follow Christ was a wonderful day in our lives and one which was worthy of celebration, was it not? At that hour, did not the Holy Spirit attest to us in our heart of the greatness of our calling in Christ? But, that same Spirit will, at times, drive us into the Wilderness of our Christian walk. Like Job, we shall undergo want and testing. If we falter not, we shall overcome to the joy of the angels in Heaven.

4.     Can we agree that the Wilderness of life can be a place of great want. When our souls and our flesh are in great want, we are made our weakest. When is it that Satan considers the moment most opportune to tempt us? At our moments of weakness. So he tempted Christ when He was in want of bread and water. You will note that Satan did not approach Christ at the beginning, or at the middle of His forty days and nights, but at the end of that period when Christ would have been most susceptible to temptation. So Satan deals with us. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungredAnd when the tempter came to him…..” Satan knows you. He watches day and night. He knows your moments of weakness, and he strikes at those moments whether it be moments of great loneliness, sickness, financial loss, or even success and opulence. He cannot read your heart as does God, but he has witnessed your actions. He will always come to you in the Wilderness as well as on the high mountain.

5.     Fifthly, we must note Satan loves to initiate his temptation with a question. “Yea, hath God said…” (Gen 3:1) Absolute truths have never been Satan’s strongholds, but if he can only create doubt and question, then he knows he is on fertile ground to turn our hearts from righteousness. As Satan approaches Christ, he opens his deleterious argument with a cunning question: “If thou be the Son of God.” There was no question in Satan’s mind as to whom he was speaking, but the “if” is uttered to tempt the pride of Jesus. “IF” you are the Son of God, PROVE IT! Pride is the devil’s axe handle. So Satan loves to create doubt and question. When you have served God faithfully, and the storms of life descend, and thunder booms down from Heaven in response to your prayers, do you not wonder, “Does God really care for me? If so, why do I suffer, as did Job, these terrors?” When you ask the question, you are simply falling for Satan’s trap.

6.     Please observe with me how Christ handles the temptation of Satan: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Christ is literally famished for hunger. Bread would be such a delight at this moment, but not at the terrible cost Satan would exact. So Christ is tempted three times during this confrontation. What is the common thread that runs through all three responses of Christ? IT IS WRITTENWhen this nine-tailed fox confronts you with a question, where can you find the answer for his question? In God’s Word – IT IS WRITTEN! This was the response of Christ in all three temptations of the Adversary. When men and society tempt us to compromise on lifestyles and values, where do we find the answer for our retort? The Bible!  It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. No we do not live by bread alone, but the Bread of Heaven! We cannot pick and choose which counsel of God to obey. We must obey ALL of God’s counsel! We live “…by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Any questions Mr. High Churchman? Any questions, Higher Critics? Any questions, revisers of God’s Word (NIV, NASB, ESV, TEB, etc)? But couldn’t we accommodate those two men who wish to be in a “meaningful relationship?” What saith God’s Holy Word throughout both Old and New Testament – it is an abomination before the Lord! So what of abortion for the sake of saving a young unwed mother a lot of grief? What of God’s counsel against adultery, or murder? Shall we obey God or man?

7.     It must be known by the people of God that Satan not only twists Scripture, but also quotes it accurately at times with a twisted meaning. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Please note the correct quote of Psalm 91:11-12.  How many devils have we in the pulpit today doing the devil’s service by misapplication of Scripture via the name-it-and-claim-it so-called gospel? In this particular instance, Satan is tempting, not only Christ, but God the Father as well. Have you ever tempted God”  “O, Lord, if you are truly there, please give me this one desire of my heart.” Does this prayer not tempt God to prove Himself. If we pray in such a manner, it is likely God will, indeed, prove Himself; but in a way that we would rather He not do.  Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Even the Son of God did not tempt the Father, and neither should we!

8.     In the next passages, in the final temptation, we learn that Satan will promise ANYTHING – even that which he is unable to deliver – to cause us to sin. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. If we lose our souls to the devil, does it even matter if we inherit the kingdoms of this world, and even if Satan cannot deliver them? For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul(Matt 16:26) There is no quicker, or surer, way to lose your soul than to bend the knee to Satan. With the loss of soul goes all other possessions (including kingdoms). 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve

9.     What did we learn from this last temptation of Christ is the Wilderness Fast? Even good friends, such as the disciple Peter, may act and speak the devil’s part. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matthew 16:23) Our very best friends are capable of tempting us as Satan does. Whether spoken by friend or foe, we must rebuke the devil’s temptations with the Word of God. We learn also from this last temptation that the Christian is sanctified, by and by, by the Word of God. He grows stronger in the face of temptation. The devil values his time highly for he is anxious to find other souls to lead astray.  If we constantly rebuke him with the Word of God, he will finally give up this moment of temptation and come to us less often to tempt us. . 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. The devil will leave off tempting those who stand staunchly by the Word of God. Then what? God will comfort us in the joy of our faith.

So we have learned from Christ today that there is a time given over for private (wilderness) fasting. The Wilderness is just as much of God as is the Green Pastures. We learn further that the devil will always come to us in our times of stress and need. We learned that he loves to cause doubt and question in our hearts. We learned that we are defenseless before Satan unless we resort to that mighty Sword of the Lord – His Word. And finally we learned that every time we resist temptation, we grow stronger – so much so that each succeeding temptation becomes less of temptation to us, and the devil will tempt us less as a result. 

 

How about you, friends, are you very often tempted, or have you discovered that temptations come less often when you rebuke the devil to his face with God’s Word?

Friday, February 24, 2023

Cleansing the Outward Vessel – 24 February 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

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OW do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.  (Luke 11:39)

 

            Pride of appearance is important, but it can also be deceptive. A physician wears the attire of the clinic, a construction worker that of the work site, and the soldier the uniform of his branch. But if an enemy wears that uniform, he may be shot as a spy.  We all should dress according to our purpose. Not only should our dress suit our purpose, but it should also serve as a badge of respect for the feelings of others. When I see the sloven and unkempt attire of the streets of America, I feel that such is disrespectful to the dignity of others. One of our most successful battle commanders of the Second World War was General George S. Patton, Jr. He was a stickler for proper military dress. His opinion was a soldier would behave much more like a professional if he dressed as such. But there still must be a real soldier under that outward appearance, and his constant drills and field exercises proved the metal of the soldier.

 

            The Scribes and Pharisees of our Lord’s day were quite adept at wearing apparel that sought the favor and respect of others – a respect which they did not deserve, and a favor which was not warranted. They professed to keep the law of Moses but paid little heed to keeping the Law of and Commandments of God. They were impersonating the character of their office in dress and behavior, and they did so with a lack of love.

 

            I would not wish to drink tea from the cup of a Pharisee who washed the outer vessel but neglected to clean the more important inner portion. But that is not the heart of our Lord’s condemnation of them. It goes far deeper than simple vessels of service – it refers to the condition of the heart as opposed to the disposition of public appearance. They were, essentially, wolves in sheep’s clothing. Nothing has changed from that day to this. We still have pulpit wonders parading about in $2,000.00 suits and Rolex watches who have little sympathy for the poor and who shear the same for more profit.

 

            It is not surprising that one of the first actions of the Lord at the beginning of His ministry was to clear the Temple of money-changers and those who sold merchandise. (John 2:12) One of His last actions at the Temple was to likewise cleanse if of the moneychangers and merchandisers. (Matthew 21:12) Our Lord laid a heavy condemnation on the profit-driven church. He would find our modern churches in worse state of affairs in that regard than even the Temple of His day.

 

            We read the Lord’s emphasis on cleaning the inner vessel before the outer more than once. Let us examine one salient example from the Psalms:  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) What does purging with hyssop and washing whiter than snow have to do with the matter?

 

            Hyssop was used as a purgative to cleanse the alimentary canal in our Lord’s time of ministry. The point is this: The Lord cleanses the inward man before the outward appearance. Hyssop cleanses the inward man just as the Word of God cleanses the heart. 

 

            “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow!” Once we are cleansed on the inside, we present an outward appearance that reflects that inward cleansing. Our outward behavior and character become perfect in the eyes of the Lord who has washed away all our sins in forgiveness. What can be whiter than snow? The heart that God has washed of all sin.

 

            At the center of every snowflake is a tiny impurity of dust or smoke. In order for the moisture in the upper atmosphere to coalesce as crystal flakes, it must have that impurity as its base. So, every snowflake has that tiny speck of impurity at its heart. But the sinner washed by God does not even have that tiny speck of guilt remaining for God has cast his sins as far away as the east from the west which my father would have called, ‘a right smart distance.’

 

            The life of a true Christian is like a sterling silver tableware. Regardless the years of use, it will bear its nature in appearance for it is silver through and through. The phony professor of Christ is like the silver-plated tableware whose true counterfeit nature is revealed over time as the silver plate wears thin to reveal the lesser base metal.