Epiphany - 6 January 2024, Anno Domini

 The Epiphany, 

or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles

[January 6.]

The Collect.

O

 GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

What a long title for a simple thought.  The Epiphany is the title of the feast recalling the arrival of the Magi to pay homage to the Lord Jesus.  Epiphany means revealing or becoming aware.  Our Lord was revealed first to the Hebrews through the shepherds; the first gentiles (non-Hebrews) to whom He was first revealed were the Magi or Wise Men who came from afar to pay Him honor.

 

Epiphany is a fixed day, it is always the Sixth of January, twelve or thirteen days after Christmas Day, depending on how you count.

 

Through the leading of the star, the wise men from Persia (modern day Iran) were led to seek the Christ Child. This was the “revealing” of Christ to the Gentiles, and the first such event. Though Jesus mainly ministered to the Jews of Israel, it is important to note He ministered to the Roman governor and the Faithful Centurion (from which our parish gets its name) both of whom were Gentiles.

 

Though the Apostles in the early church did not think ministering to the Gentiles was worthy, through the actions of Saint Paul, The Word began spreading to the Gentiles. Paul says in his Epistle the time has come for us spread the Good News to the Gentiles, and bring our gifts (talents) to His Service (as our talents truly are on loan from God) and use them accordingly to further His purpose on this planet.

 

Paul was charged by God to bring The Word to all, not just the Jews. The time was now ripe to expand past the original target market (the Jews), and to spread it to all. He said that he wished to explain the mysteries (The Word) of God to all, including the Gentiles, that they might see and hear The Word.

 

When Herod tries to entice the wisemen to find the Christ child and report His whereabouts to him so that he could as he claimed “that I will come and will worship him.”, the wisemen realize like most modern leaders of the world today, his words were duplicitous in nature. “I will come and worship him” translated to he would come and murder Christ, as he did the Holy Innocents, while Christ was in Egypt.

 

The wisemen, however, fortunately, were warned in a dream, after visiting the Christ child, by God, of Herod’s true intentions, and went home a different way, that they would avoid a confrontation with Herod.  They brought him frankincense, incense and myrrh. In a way, they did what Paul talked about and brought Him “gifts” for His Service. Now we do not know if these gifts were ever used in Christ’s life. But, like present time gift giving, it is not necessarily the gifts that are important. It is the thought and the meaning behind the giving of gifts that mean the most.

 

Now in this troubled time, we must be ready to bring our talents to Him, to use for His Glory and to Spread His Word. In this time, we must spread The Word and without ceasing praise Him and His Majesty. In order to institute a turnaround of the moral decay, we must first act. If we do not act, how can we expect to stem the tide of the moral decay. We must act with steadfast purpose.

 

This may require some courage on our behalf, as we will be mocked and perhaps in this troubled time, may come a day, where we like the apostles are thrown in jail. However scary this time may be for spreading His Word, no matter how hostile it is, we must do it anyway. We must be like the men who brought freedom to this land, who defended our country when its freedom was threatened in all its wars from the War of Independence, through to the present.  Do what needs to be done; then, if ever, count the cost.  Proper action under very fearful circumstances, doing what must be done.

 

We must step forward into this hostile world, and charge forward against the fire of the hostile media and people, whose hearts have been turned to stone. We must charge against them, using The Word as our defense and our offense against Satan. The greatest defense is the best offense. And we truly have both in The Word of God. We must remember that God wants everybody to follow Him, not just certain ethnic groups (like the Jews), and we must concentrate on spreading His Word, through bringing our Gifts and Talents to His Service.

 

He comes!

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

 

The Victory that overcometh the World – 5 January 2024, Anno Domini

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HOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?  (1 John 5:1-5)

 

          The Apostle John once more emphasizes love as the identifying mark of the Christian believer. Some may insist that it is not love, but rather obedience to the Law of God that is the salient characteristic, but that overlooks the weakness of man to obey and keep the Law by means of mere self-discipline and perseverance. But such an object defies the nature of man and his need of a Redeemer. It is not by our good works that we are saved, but rather by our love of God and His children that enables obedience to that Law resulting in good works.

 

            It is natural for a parent to show a deference to those who love their own sons and daughters. The principle holds even more true with our Father in Heaven. Those who love and esteem His Son above all others will be accepted by our Father in Heaven. All the Elect of God are brothers and sisters in Christ. How could we love our Lord Jesus Christ and not love those of His brothers and sisters in the faith?

 

            One great principle affirmed in this Epistle reveals the Triune nature of the Almighty God. We find It in Verse Seven of this chapter: 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (1 John 5:7) This verse the Triunity of God in all places – above and below; however, there are a number of pulpit dandies that cannot abide this fact and try to disprove that this verse should be included in the text. They boast of their school-learned knowledge of Hebrew and Greek and place themselves above the great theologians of the past whose knowledge and understanding of biblical language far exceeds their paltry two-year course of study. 

 

But that is not the crux of the matter: the main point to consider is the fact that these wonders of worldly religion are using specious and error-laden textual evidence to support their claims – not the Received Text used by the great Reformers of the Continent and of Europe. Lancelott Andrewes, the theologian who headed the translation team of the King James Bible, is noted to have been fluent in eighteen different languages and conversant in twenty-one. Moreover, the Reformers possessed a sound faith in God lacking in the profit-laden churches of our day. In fact, they were willing to defend every Word of the Bible with their lives. How many modern theologians and ministers are likewise willing? Let us leave the inspired text as is:

 

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (Vs 6-8) What could possibly motivate modern revisionists to desire so badly to depart from the same text used by the Reformers? I will leave that point for the Lord to decide on the Day of Judgment. Verse Nine that follows reveals the decision: 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

 

John makes reference to an important feature of our prayers: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (Vs 14-15)  Suppose we ask something that is in conflict with the Lord’s Will? We will not receive the answer we seek. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3), and, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:   (Psalm 66:18) But based upon all that God has revealed concerning His dealings with us, and us to Him, LOVE is the key factor of remaining in the pure Will of god, for God is LOVE. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love .   (1 John 4:8 ()

How can we love God? – 4 January 2024, Anno Domini

 

Could we with ink the ocean fill,[1]

and were the skies of parchment made;

were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,

and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;

to write the love of God above

would drain the ocean dry;

nor could the scroll contain the whole,

though stretched from sky to sky.

 

            There is no earthly yardstick by which we can measure that infinite love that descends from God in Heaven:  17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  (Eph 3:16-19)

 

The greatest possible concept we can have of that love is the Incarnation of God’s only Begotten Son who condescended to be born in a world of cold hatred for His Father, and ours, to suffer the same outrageous fortune of which humankind is heir from Adam until today.

 

            The nature of God as the eternal Fountain of Love should loom as huge in our minds as His nature as a Creator who showers that love on His Creation. Our love for God, and for our neighbors, is a measure of who we are as Christians. We take great umbrage at the least offenses of others while viewing our own greater offenses with the vision of a mole. 

 

            As I have often written in the past, and will continue in the future, by the grace of God, our love is not our own making or possession – it is merely a reflection of that love with which God has loved us first. It is an echo in the same manner in which we of faith are all reflections of the Light of God which is Truth. It is the Truth of God that sets us free from the bondage of sin and death.   . . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.   (John 8:32)  We are obligated to share the Love of God in the same way we are responsible to propagate the truth of the Gospel to the world. 

 

A

ND this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 

(1 John 4:21)

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[1] This is the third verse of a hymn, The love of God, attributed to Frederick M. Lehman:  https://hymnary.org/text/the_love_of_god_is_greater_far

  

By the Spirit which He hath given us – 3 January 2024, Anno Domini

 

A

ND this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:23-24)

 

            Reading the lectionary text for today (1 John 3:13-24), the commandment to love one another is re-emphasized by Saint John – the Apostle of Love. He cradles the requirement in terms of ‘loving the brethren’ which reveals a distinction in the manner of love we should demonstrate to our fellow Christian and the world at large. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (v14) Here, assuredly, John is referring to those to whom we may refer as legitimately brothers in the faith, the Church.

 

            One hundred and fifty-two years ago, the famous American poet, John Greenleaf Whittier, wrote an engaging hymn entitled, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, extolling the virtue of love toward all mankind as brothers upon the earth. His poem makes no distinction as to degree or kind of brotherhood, and that reveals, to me, a great shortcoming. For the Christian believer, all mankind are not brothers in the sense of familial identity. Only a fellow Christian can be accounted a true brother in the Christian sense. 

 

            While it is true that God is Father of all living, He is such a Father only in the limited sense as Maker of all living. There is a distinction between the Christian family and the families that belong to the world alone.

 

There are only two families on earth – the elect of God, and the families who, through either rejection or lack of sincere faith, have answered the call to the Mercy Seat oof Christ.  I do not believe God commands us to love in the same measure those who hate Him and His moral suasion codified in His Law. Jesus said to His brethren, when they suggested He face the risk of going up to the feast in Jerusalem, The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. (John 7:7)  The Christian is commanded to exercise a special love for the brethren, but a general spirit of love toward the lost. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15-17)

 

            Those of unbelief, especially those who have knowingly rejected Christ, are of the world and not of the ‘brethren’ described by John; but even those who have not known Christ deserve our love in the possibility of conversion. Such egregious and willful sin as we recently witnessed from Hamas in Israel is an offense to God and should be to us. The modern adage of ‘love the sinner but hate the sin’ is a sterile expression beyond the possibility of any to practice toward such murderous miscreants. Their behavior is an expression of open rebellion to God and His laws and are hateful toward our Father in Heaven. As Jehu counseled Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. 

 

            So, what are the boundaries of love expected of the Christian? Are we not commanded to love our enemies? Certainly, we are so commanded; however, we are not commanded to love the enemies of God. The Word of God must be preached to all the world, but that Word is the divider between the elect and the rebellious sinner. It is a two-edged sword that cuts two ways – the first, to convict of sin and to restore; the second, to condemn of sin.

 

            The general love of God is spread abroad in His Creation, and we should all love the creatures of His making including the unsaved; but to love those whose actions demonstrate a merciless hatred of God are not to receive our love in the same manner and means of our love for the Brethren. Love requires a willingness to comfort and assist, but we are not able to comfort and assist those whose actions defy God openly and with malicious intent.

 

            In the end, the wrath of God shall be released upon all who have lived in defiance of His Law and Will. When our Lord returns at the last sound of the Trumpet, He will execute harsh judgment against all who have lived a life of sin and rejection of the Father’s only Begotten Son, Jesus. It will be profitable to us if we have not been complicit in those sins. Even a murderer may repent and turn from His wicked ways, but those whose consciences are seared as with a hot iron remain reprobates before the eyes of a Just and loving Father. If God has given us that Spirit, we shall love all God loves, but disdain those things which He hates.

Hymns of the Church – O Thou Who a Star Didst Guide – 2 January 2024, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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HEN they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. (Matthew 2:9)

 

This hymn is found in an older Anglican Hymnal that does not bear a date of publication, but offers this selection as an appropriate Epiphany hymn which it definitely is. The hymn writer was a prolific author of studies in theology and writer of hymns and poetry – John Mason Neale (1818-1866) It is representative of the faithful follower guided by the Light of Christ. The most popular tune for this hymn is Dalehurst by Arthur Coffman (1874). Though the author, Neale, wrote many of the most beautiful hymns, unfortunately, he was an adherent of the Oxford Movement (along with John Henry Newman) that cast a shadow over much of his theological studies.

 

O Thou Who a Star Didst Guide

 

O Thou Who by a star didst guide

The wise men on their way,

Until it came and stood beside

The place where Jesus lay. 

 

Although by stars Thou dost not lead

Thy servants now below,

Thy Holy Spirit, when they need,

Will show them how to go. 

 

As yet we know Thee but in part;

But still we trust Thy Word,

That blessèd are the pure in heart,

For they shall see the Lord. 

 

O Savior, give us then Thy grace

To make us pure in heart,

That we may see Thee face to face

Hereafter, as Thou art.

 

O Thou Who by a star didst guide The wise men on their way, Until it came and stood beside The place where Jesus lay. Why were the Magi particularly privileged to see the Star of Bethlehem. They were scholars of the studies of heavenly bodies, and they had also studied the Hebrew prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah heralded by the appearance of a Star. God opened the eyes of these earnest inquirers to truth that escaped the observation of the casual or disinterested parties. The Magi likely came from the high desert of Persia around Esfahan. To the west were the towering snow-capped Zagross Mountain range over which they must pass. The journey was a tiring, long and hazardous ordeal taking several months; but these persevering scholars never forsook the goal which they had undertaken. They had less light to guide them then than we have today. Should we not be at least as persevering as they in following the Light of Christ?

 

            Although by stars Thou dost not lead Thy servants now below, Thy Holy Spirit, when they need, Will show them how to go. God chose the wise men for their ardent search for truth of His coming Son Though they lacked the depth of knowledge we have available to us through the fulness of the Gospel, they pursued what light was available – a brilliant Star of a darkened sky. We still follow the Star to Christ as He has become our very Daystar and Sun of Righteousness. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19) and But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:2) Just as the Star pointed to Bethlehem and Christ, so does the Holy Ghost point us to Christ.

 

            As yet we know Thee but in part; But still we trust Thy Word, That blessèd are the pure in heart, For they shall see the Lord. The Jewish Shepherds were first to visit the Christ Child, and then the Magi (gentiles – to the Jew first, and then to the Gentiles (see Romans 1:16, 2:10-11) These were men of humble hearts and able to bear the beauty of holiness. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8) The Magi possessed a tiny bit of the truth, yet they staked their unfailing faith on that tine treasure of faith. Can we do less. If we lack faith, we may cry out to the Lord as the father of the boy tortured by demons – Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mark 9:24)

 

            O Savior, give us then Thy grace To make us pure in heart, That we may see Thee face to face Hereafter, as Thou art. We are graceless without the impartation of the grace of Christ usward. We then become vessels of grace to convey that Christian grace to others and also back to God. Vessels are merely transporters of the essence and not the owners of grace. His grace is sufficient, however, for all who seek him diligently and love His Word. Follow the light that we have been given – even if not stellar – for God will bear us to His Son if we forsake not that Light.

Circumcision of Christ – a Devotion for 1 January 2024, Anno Domini

The Circumcision of Christ.

 

[January 1.]

 

The Collect.

A

LMIGHTY God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Today we recall the circumcision of Jesus in accordance with Jewish tradition, eight days (according to the Semitic and southern European calculation of intervals of days) after his birth, the occasion on which the child was formally given his name.  The circumcision of Jesus has traditionally been seen, as explained in the popular 14^th century work The Golden Legend, as the first time the blood of Christ was shed, and thus the beginning of the process of the redemption of man, and a demonstration Christ was fully human and of his obedience to Biblical law[1]. No longer celebrated by many churches, including the Roman and TEC, it is still the Eighth Day.  That has not changed and so we celebrate the event as it is referred to in scripture, thus should it be recalled.

 

Our Lord and Savior is God, yet He is under The Law. How can this be one might ask? If He is God could He just choose not to obey His Own Laws if He so desires? Not all those 613 laws were those called Moral, that is to say the Ten Commandments, but there are those which are moral and there are also laws of God or physics.   To answer the question posed earlier, God, the Ultimate Being, is subject to the laws He made.  

 

While He can, and does on the very special occasion, disregard them such as when the shadow went backwards, for the most part He, too, is subject to The Laws[2].  Why?  Because they were made for the general good of this world.  They establish the moral code we are to follow if we are to be good citizens of His Kingdom. We see what happens when people do not follow the Laws God set out for us to live by. 

 

If we stop living by The Laws, then we are no better than the animals of this world, who live by no such Laws whatsoever. Then, there is no benefit, no reason, for us to follow Christ if we do not live by the laws He has set before us. That is the whole reason to have the Laws, to rein in our evil desires and make us a holy and wholesome people. Without the Laws, we would be not wholesome and vicious and vile individuals. You can see what would happen as you see the forces of Evil attempting to destroy and discredit Christianity all across the globe. The results of their infiltration in various governments are resulting in less people following the Law and thus less people being wholesome and good and instead being encouraged to pursue their own desires at the cost of their soul and eternal life.

 

If we think do not need to follow these laws, then how could we claim to be following Him? We follow Him because He is the embodiment of all that is good and pleasing, unlike the world, which seems to be the embodiment of pure evil and sickness.  They are revolted by God because as they are born of the darkness and not having accepted His Son and His Grace, they cannot bear to look upon the brightness of God. Moses not being able to look upon God without a veil was also an allegory to this simple fact. If we remain in the darkness, we cannot bear to look upon Him, the Living Light.  So, we need to let the Holy Ghost enter into our hearts.

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[1] The act of circumcision is often used in Scripture as an allegory for The Law, that is the system of the 613 laws referred to as Mosaic Laws under which Jews operated since the time of Moses.

[2] Yet, do not misapprehend, we know but little of His Laws and the laws of the universe as He made them.  Our grasp of the space time continuum is little beyond that possessed by those at Moses time.  He is, was and always will be.  We live in the present, remember the past and prepare for what will be, the best we can.

AOC Sunday Report - First Sunday after Christmas

Happy First Sunday after Christmas!

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

We have excellent sermons today from Bishops Jerry, Roy, Jack and Dennis, as well as from Rev Bryan. Each one of these is quite different and very good. I'm confident you will enjoy them.  Bishop Jack brings the propers together.  His sermon can be viewed on video HERE -> https://youtu.be/b84T6HfiBCY.  Bishop Jack’s sermon looks at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message as we look for our place in this world. At this Christmastide, we have been concentrating on the joy of the Christ’s coming to earth; rightly so!  But, in our liturgical calendar, the days go on.  At this Christmastide, it is not surprising to find “To take our nature upon him”, is a key phrase of the Collect, preceding “To be born of a pure virgin”, meaning He could not have been born from anyone else but Mary, who was at the time a pure virgin (this is before the birth of James, Jesus’ biological half-brother.  As Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, we are not to be servants or slaves of God, but His own children.  As we came upon this midnight clear, the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is here for us.  Will we accept it?  Follow Him, accept His Grace and all will be good forever.

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, today is not and never will be the exception.  Please start with Harper, Shamu, Tricia, Laurie, Ditte and Mr. Kim, work out from there.

There is an interesting week ahead, many people have a day or two a vacation, that is nice if you make use of it at least. Might I suggest if you don't see an interesting week coming up you need to refocus your life on what is important. You might think very hard about where your heart is.

I remain yours, in Christ, 

Hap Arnold
Bishop Coadjutor
Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide