Verse of the Day

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Trinity Sunday - Memorial Day



Trinity Joke[1]
Jesus said, “Whom do men say that I am?”

And his disciples answered and said, “Some say you are John the Baptist returned from the dead; others say Elias or other of the old prophets.”

And Jesus answered and said, “But whom do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Logos[2], existing in the Father as His rationality and then, by an act of His will, being generated, in consideration of the various functions by which God is related to his creation, but only on the fact that Scripture speaks of a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Spirit, each member of the Trinity being coequal with every other member, and each acting inseparably with and interpenetrating every other member, with only an economic subordination within God, but causing no division which would make the substance no longer simple."

And Jesus answering, saith, "Say what?"[3]

Memorial Day

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those members of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice, without whose sacrifice we would not be free.

Memorial Days[4].
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

Memorial Day is one of the saddest days of our year.  Not because of the cost, though the cost is huge.  The reason the day so sad is that the people have absolutely no feeling for the cost of the freedom they value so little today. 

Our country is free today because when our freedom has been threatened by those who would overturn our way of life, patriots stepped forward to take action against our country’s foes.  They put their lives on the line that we might be free.  Tomorrow on Memorial Day, we remember those whose lives were given, whose families paid the price for our freedom today.  They did not give their lives for anything but freedom.  If you ascribe their motives to other motives, you do so at your own peril.

Hundreds of thousands have given their future for ours.  Charge your glass, raise it high.  Drink to them.  Give thanks to God for their patriotism and steadfast courage.

A final note to each of you veterans reading this report, each of you stepped forward when the country called.  You heard the call others could not. 

We are the lucky ones, we are here.  We must never forget the cost of freedom, dearly paid by those who have gone before us.

I thank each of you for stepping forward and I am grateful you are all here with me to remember.

Bishop’s Letter for Memorial Day Observance
 27 May 2013, Anno Domini (in the 237th year of our Declaration of Independence)

1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, 2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: 5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? 7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. (Josh 4:1-7)

Last Spring, I had the honor and privilege to visit the World War II Memorial overlooking the placid Sound of Guadacanal in the Solomon Islands.  The day was one of lush Spring life and pristine skies. But Guadacanal was not always such a peaceful place. It was once a place of where the thunder of heavy Naval and air bombardments occurred  in the Fall of 1942 and continued to early winter of 1943. Huge, lumbering battleships, loaded with the ordnance of war, fought desperately one of the greatest Naval engagements in our history. Beneath the now-peaceful waters of Guadacanal Sound lie, in watery graves, scores of both American and Japanese battleships – so many that the locals refer to Guadacanal as “Iron Bottom Sound.” U.S. Marine and Army ground forces fought costly battles in taking Henderson Airfield from the Japanese. It is a bit disappointing to observe how poorly maintained are the memorials and graves of the American and Allied Forces on Guadacanal compared to the smart Japanese memorial only a few hundred yards away.

What great and compelling purpose brought young American and Allied soldiers, airmen,  and sailors to this distant island in the Pacific. The bedrock of their cause was freedom and liberty. It would have been incomprehensible to suffer the enemy’s assault on American soil without immediate and overwhelming reprisal. The American man-at-arms has always been devoted to the preservation and defense of freedom everywhere his boot touches the soil.

Considering the stone statues, brass grave markers and white crosses at the Memorial at Guadacanal, my mind wandered to the heights of Arlington, of Flanders, of Colleville-sur-Mer (Omaha Beach), Aisne-Marne (France), the Ardennes & Henri-Chapel (Belgium), of Gettysburg, Golden Gate, and more than one hundred and forty other National Military Cemetaries in the continental United States; one is prompted to wonder “What mean ye by these stones?” What heroic and gallant souls are represented by these markers. These are mostly men of youth who were just coming into their manhood. They rallied to the colors of a grateful nation under attack from powers that knew nothing of freedom and liberty – only merciless power and oppression. Almost to a soul, these were men who worshipped our God in the beauty of holiness. Such were the men and women who defined what America was - all the way to their cross-marked graves on national and foreign fields. These men are the noble and upright ghosts of America Past. How did we ever produce men of such valor and courage? How will we ever deserve the liberty and security that their sacrifice purchased for us?

It is clearly a biblical imperative that we remember the heroes of our nation, and pay due honor and respect to such heroes. And how shall we do that? By emulating their characters and loving the principles of God and Country which they so handsomely represented.

As we have collectively forgotten the price of freedom, the shadows of fear and oppression have appeared on the far shores of the Beautiful Land for which these men bled and died. Shall we allow that specter to grow? Or shall we turn again to the God of our Fathers and seek His face in repentance and prayer?  Shall the flag of our nation be found, in future years, covered in the sands and dust of time – not proudly waving, but discarded as a worthless rag? Remember the courageous words of Patrick Henry: Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? And he closed his comments thusly: The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!  (Patrick Henry - March 23, 1775)

            Make no mistake, fellow Christians and Americans, we are engaged in a war today just as threatening to our freedoms as that war of sword and cannon of 1776. The ammunition employed by the enemy is lies, propaganda, and youthful indoctrination.  But in the arsenal of the Christian patriot are the shore batteries and impenetrable ramparts of truth – and the Author of all Truth.

            Let us remember with reverence, this Memorial Day, those heroic young souls who purchased our liberty at such great cost. But let us also resolve, this day, to be just as ardent in the maintenance of that Liberty as these gallant men were in their unqualified defense of it.

From Rev Geordie in the UK for Memorial Day via Bishop Jerry
Thank you, Rev Geordie. We in America mourn the death (by brutal animals of the Islamic persuasion) of a British patriot - Lee Rigby. We can know that in a corner of Heaven there is a part that shall ever remain British.
We forgive you for the War of Independence!
We are sorry for being such poor tourists in 1812!
We are glad you were over there 6 April 1917
We are glad you supported us in WW2.
We have been comrades in arms in Korea and Iraq
And we stand together for freedom and democracy in Afghanistan
God bless America and it's heroes past, present and to come.
From Geordie+

On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from?  The answer is from the people who uttered them.  But, how did you find them?  Oh, that.  Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, but mostly from Bryan.  He always has a few great ones to share.  So, on to the On Point quotes –

All that God has said is plain. The pagan deities delivered their oracles out of dens and caverns, with a low and hollow voice, and in ambiguous expressions... but God delivered his law from the top of mount Sinai, distinct, audible, and intelligible.
Rev. Matthew Henry
17th and 18th century English pastor and author

To tell us, as some do... that the early churches were a model of perfection and purity is absurd. Even in apostolic days, it appears there were abundant errors both in doctrine and practice. To us... that clergymen ought never to handle controversial subjects and never to warn their people against erroneous views is senseless and unreasonable... Surely the dumb dog, and the sleeping shepherd are the best allies of the wolf, the thief, and the robber... Does anyone ask me, What is the best safeguard against false doctrine? I answer... The Bible... regularly read... prayed over... studied.
Rev JC Ryle
19th century Anglican bishop and author
(Knots Untied, pp.366-367)

All things are safe in Jehovah’s hands; what we entrust to the Lord will be secure, both now and in that day of days towards which we are hastening.
Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon
19th century English pastor and author
(Morning and Evening, p. 481)
All Israel’s woe may be traced to her defection from Jehovah and her complicity in pagan practices.
Dr. Merrill F. Unger
20th  century American theologian and scholar
(Biblical Demonology, p. 108).

Those nations whose faith and institutions are centered on God shall never suffer the ravages of war and desolation. How shall our own nation fare as we cast aside, day by day, every vestige of that abiding faith that made us a most cherished nation among the nations of the earth? If America can be saved, that salvation shall not occur through political measures. It is the common heart of America that must be turned back to her God and Benefactor. If America can now be retrieved from sure ruin, it must happen one heart at a time.
Jerry L. Ogles
20th and 21st century Anglican Orthodox Presiding Bishop.

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.
John Adams
Founding Father and Second President of the United States.

Propers
Each Sunday there are Propers: special prayers and readings from the Bible.  There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding. 

The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament.  The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the church service is read by an ordained minister.

The propers are the same each year, except if a Red Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off.  Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days.  Most of the Red Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saints instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events.  Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent.

The Propers for today are found on Page 186-188, with the Collect first:

Trinity Sunday.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.


Dru Arnold read this morning’s Epistle, which was written in the Fourth Chapter of the Revelation of Saint John the Divine beginning at the First Verse.  John attempts to show us the majesty and glory of heaven using words.  The picture he paints is intended to be awe inspiring and seems to meet that goal handily:

A
FTER this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first was like a lion, and the second like a calf, and the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

Hap Arnold read today’s Gospel which came from the Third Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the First Verse:

T
HERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Sermon – Reverend Deacon Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Today’s sermon was on the basic concept of the Triune God, that is the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and how they were introduced to us through time and the Bible in particular. Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

Consider these words from the Collect:

acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity

In the Collect, we acknowledge that there is a Triune God, that is three aspects of God; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.  A Triune God, that is Three in One, not three separate Gods or godlets, but a single being with three aspects.  How does this work?

The honest answer is – WE DON’T KNOW.  We just have been told there are three and They are ONE.  We know how parts of the thing work, but not all.  Like secrets, we don’t really have a need to know, so we have not been told.  We know that God the Father sent The Son to be our Savior.  We know that the Holy Ghost breathed life into the world, and brings comfort and understanding.  We know that God is I AM.  We know They all have always been and always will be.  A lot we don’t know, but we can certainly be kept busy with what we do know.  That must be enough for the here and now. We must be content with what we read in the Gospel, all the other stuff we wonder about Him is just extraneous details, like how many angels are dancing on the head of a pin! We must put aside the thoughts of what God is, and just understand that He is I AM, and that there is God, there is the Son, and there is the Holy Ghost and they all work together in their own way to be the one God of our faith. There is a reason for this even though we don’t know it, but it works out, so we do not have to wonder how it works, we just continue believing and acting!

But, what of later?  If we have eternal life, we have it now and later.  What comes later?  Heaven.  What is heaven?  John attempts to tell us.  He attempts to show us the majesty and glory of heaven using words.  The picture he paints is intended to be awe inspiring and seems to meet that goal handily.  The main thing we can be certain of is that we will not be disappointed.  We speculate as to will this or that be in heaven?  When we get there the answer will manifest itself and you will have no regrets.  In heaven there is no disappointment.  Heaven is the real world, where things are bright, not dull and dark as though looking through a glass. Rest assured, we will see for ourselves what it is like one day, all we need to know is that it is a really wonderful place that we should be aiming to go to when we die, through our belief and actions here on earth working together!

So, how do we get to the real world from these Shadowlands?  There is but one way, the Einbahnstraße.

Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our sins.[5]

Do not be fooled by “fair”, there is only one way into heaven.  That door is at the end of a long and narrow trail, steeply inclined upward with many seemingly beautiful and interesting branches leading downward into the pit.  Doing good is good, so to speak, doing good without God is not good enough.  Only being accounted perfect will get you up the path and in the door.

We need help!  Lots of help.  The first thing we need in our hearts is a new heart, a new and contrite heart.  That is really hard, in fact, it is so hard it cannot be done by ourselves.  We need something.  A new start.

We must be born of the spirit!  What spirit? 

The Holy Ghost.  We must accept that we in and of ourselves will never be perfect.  No one gets in to heaven unless they are accounted as perfect.  We will never be perfect in and of ourselves.  Should we quit trying?  Not, we are commanded to follow our Christ.  Will we fail?  Without question.  What is the solution?  To believe and follow the Christ.  To open our hearts to the Holy Ghost that we might believe in full and accept the help from the Christ that our imperfection needs to be His followers.

To follow God, we need Christ as our leader and the Holy Ghost as our compass. In short, we need all members of the Trinity’s influence in our lives if we are to arrive in the real world, that of Heaven.

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.

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

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is one of those Sundays.  Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
Trinity Sunday
26 May 2013, Anno Domini

Trinity Sunday.
The Collect.

A
LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.

T
HERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  (John 3:1-15)

Who was Nicodemus?

There are many facets of the answer to that question. First of all, Nicodemus was a man of wealth. He was, too,  a member of the powerful ruling Sanhedrin. He was a curious man who came to satisfy that curiosity under cover of darkness. These are some of the things that Nicodemus WAS. That which Nicodemus WAS before his encounter with Christ, and that which he BECAME afterward are poles apart. It may not be stretching reality to say that Nicodemus WAS precisely what you and I WERE; and what Nicodemus BECAME is precisely what you and I ARE in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Word of God is a great mirror exposing our rags of filth (sin & poverty) and the great mercy and grace which has lifted us up before God adorned in the White Robe of Righteousness provided by Christ. We must recognize that the politically conscious Nicodemus was the same person as you and me before we came out of our darkness and into His Light. We all have approached Christ from the dark nights of our souls. The Creation of God began in darkness way back in the beginning of Genesis, but ended in brilliant light. The same holds true for our spiritual rebirth (creation).

Nicodemus was obviously a man proud of his station, but he also had a tender place in his heart for truth and justice. He yearned to know truth. He was a seeker of truth, and a seeker of God. This characteristic his timidity in coming to Christ. A wealthy and powerful Pharisee would deign to approach a humble carpenter of Galilee for enlightenment - and Nicodemus came at night for that Light. He surely discovered that Light in Christ. Some men of lesser metal and courage may have slipped away that night unchanged by the Brilliant Light that emanated from Christ, but not the good man, Nicodemus. Nicodemus was unlike the rich young ruler of Matthew 19 and Luke 18 who, having heard the cost of the cross, left sorrowful because he placed riches above the salvation of God. Nicodemus was fundamentally changed by Christ. In making us into His new Creation, Christ performs the miracle of the spiritual Creation in a manner not unlike His genius employed in the physical Creation. By observing the beauty of a sunrise or sunset,  we witness the miracle of transformation: One looks at the sunset glories of the sky, the clouds shining in many radiant colors as if a thousand rainbows had been scattered in fragments along the horizon; and it seems as if there were the very gate of heaven; he looks at the snowflakes so pure, so beautiful, and he asks, Whence came these? They came from the salt waters of the sea: they came from muddy reptile-haunted marsh and fen; they came from road –side pools. They were raised to the sky by the sun, and are now glorified by his rays.(Rev. F.N. Peloubet, D.D.)

Can you not see yourself in the person of the night visitor, Nicodemus? Have you often held your peace when a subject of vital spiritual importance is raised - preferring to hide your faith from a scowling crowd? Have you spoken our boldly, as Stephen, in the face of threatening persecution? Or have you withered as a dying flower before those who inquire if you were not one of those disciples of Jesus as did Peter?

The rich young ruler went away from Christ unchanged, but not the noble Nicodemus. He was changed forever and never again came to Christ at night. He was forthwith open in his defense of Christ and growing in his courage.

Nicodemus is mentioned at three places in the Gospel of St John. The first mention is in the present text for today. The second appears in John 7:45-51 - 45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 53 And every man went unto his own house. (John 7:45-53) The Pharisees had been foiled in their plot to catch Christ in His own Words. Instead, their emissaries had been solidly stumped by the divine wisdom of our Lord. As they sought a means to arrest Jesus, Nicodemus had the temerity to speak out in defense of the Lord and was publicly rebuked.

It is noteworthy that each time the name of Nicodemus is mentioned after this first night-time rendezvous, the following stipulation is made: (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) This stipulation is made to contrast the behavior of Nicodemus in being an open advocate for Christ when he was a night-stalker in the present text. We are all changed once we come face-to-face with Christ! The last reference to Nicodemus has him coming openly, in the face of the Jewish rulers, to claim the body of Christ along with Joseph of Arimathaea. Please observe the courage required and the lack of any hesitancy whatsoever on the part of Nicodemus: 38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. (John 19:38-42) Here again, we see the qualification in the text - which at the first came to Jesus by night. God is a great economist of Words. He never tells us anything needlessly. He tells us repeatedly that Nicodemus is the one who stands publicly for God when he at first came by night.

Are we a Nicodemus type of Christian, or are we a Rich, Young Ruler type? Do we stand firm and publicly on our convictions and testimony, or do we slink away at the threat of lost revenue?

Tradition has it that Nicodemus was martyred in the 1st century. That would have been only a few years after the death and resurrection of Christ.

The man who came at night (as we all do), never again sought Christ in any way other than publicly and courageously. Have you done so, and do you ALWAYS do so?

Nicodemus was treated to some of the most beautiful symbolism and metaphor of the Bible. He was a man of learning and high intellect. Even though he could not understand all that Christ told him at first, he pout those words of Christ in his heart and meditated on these things. As a result, Nicodemus had a growing faith and not a diminishing faith. The Holy Ghost, described to Nicodemus by Christ as being like the Wind, soothed and comforted Nicodemus in his doubts and nurtured and fertilized his understanding. Nicodemus never forgot that night-time encountered, and neither should we.

The Word of God possesses a mysterious and unseen power to change, fundamentally, our characters and our hearts. The children of Israel could little understand the efficacy of beholding the lifted up serpent in the Wilderness; but they heeded the counsel of Moses and looked to that brazen serpent when bitten by the fiery serpent - and lived. That brazen serpent of the wilderness was a meager type of the Christ who, when men look to Him, they shall be healed of the most deadly of diseases - sin! Will you heed the Words of Scripture today and look to Christ for every need?

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon.  If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the truth and live the truth.    This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.


Trinity Sunday


Imagine that you were present when Nicodemus approached our Lord about his teachings. He likely came to our Lord in secret that he might have his undivided attention, free from the chorus of his fellow scribes and Pharisees who were ever ready to criticize our Lord for one thing or another. Nicodemus came with an earnest desire to understand those truths of God which our Lord had openly expressed. He saw in Jesus of Nazareth something that he had not seen in other would-be prophets. Consider the following comment, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him (St. John 3:2).

Nicodemus no doubt possessed a personal expectation about what he would hear from him though the gospel account does not tell us. Nevertheless, we can be sure that whatever it was, our Lord’s response was not what this erudite man had in mind. He was not prepared for his message: Ye must be born again. Clearly Nicodemus did not understand that being born again was not a second birth in the natural sense, but was spiritual in character. Our Lord said, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

St. Paul noted in his first epistle to the Corinthians (2:14), But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know they because they are spiritually discerned. This goes hand in hand with God’s just sentence of Adam and Eve because they had violated his command: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:17).

There are two types of death which have afflicted us as descendants of our first parents, the one being the physical death of the body, and the other being the spiritual death of our souls. In such a state, what can we do? The answer is, We can do nothing of our own selves to mitigate or set aside this fallen condition. Our only hope rests in our turning unto the Saviour who died that we might have eternal life through his shed blood. And that is where the preaching of the gospel comes in as the apostle Paul once noted, so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
Now it ought to be apparent to anyone with even a basic knowledge of Scripture, that not every person will have the capacity to hear and receive the gospel. Our Lord explained in the parable of the sower that there must be good ground for his word to take root in, grow and finally bear fruit. It is that last part which is crucial for if we do not bear fruit in our Lord’s service, then we are wicked and slothful servants worthy only to be bound up like tares and cast into the fire (St. Matthew 13:1-23). Still, in order for those to hear, St. Paul observed, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things (Romans 10:14-16)!

Here we have a great mystery before us. For there is something in our makeup that knows we need a Saviour, and it is that which prompts us to call out to God for his salvation. Do we call out to God for salvation because the Holy Ghost came beforehand to impress upon us our need for God’s saving grace? Or, do we call out to God in response to his open invitation to receive his free gift of grace in the name of his only begotten Son? Do we therefore come to God of our own volition, or do we come because he has compelled us in some manner? Are we invited to come to Christ, or, are we stiff-armed? These are important questions and not so easily answered as one might think.

St. Paul reminded the Romans that, The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (vv.18-20). There is no excuse that will cover the unregenerate in their denial of the existence of God. Though the natural man cannot perceive the things of the Spirit of God, he is nonetheless accountable to God for not seeing them because they are plainly in front of him. Unregenerate man, as the apostle noted, holds the truth in unrighteousness not in ignorance.

Christians should know that in all things regardless of circumstance, God is sovereign in his calling and in our living. He is sovereign in our affirmation of him, or in our negation of him. We should understand from Scripture that God desires obedience and not sacrifice. He desires for all men to repent and to believe (I St. Timothy 2:1-4), and to that end he has given us the gift of faith which comes from the hearing of his word (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:17). So in a manner of speaking, he has given to us the impetus to seek after him per the hearing of the gospel though many do not follow through for whatever reason. Many of the Jews in the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry did not understand his message largely because they refused to believe on him as the Messiah. Our Lord reminded them that, Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life... I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive (St. John 5:40,43). As Matthew Henry once noted concerning the first passage, “Their estrangement from Christ was the fault of their wills. The only reason why sinners die [spiritually and eternally] is because they will not come to Christ for life and happiness; it is not because they cannot, but because they will not.”

Nicodemus did not understand what our Lord had said to him because his training and studies had not focused on the principal reason for the Messiah’s coming: to free humanity from the eternal effects of original sin. His training did not take into account the dead spiritual nature of mankind. In such a state, human beings possess no capacity to save themselves from the effects of original sin. Unregenerated mortals cannot work their way back to God because there is nothing they can offer God in exchange for their lives (Psalm 49:7-8). While Nicodemus and his fellow scholars of Judaism were praying for the coming of the Messiah, they were looking for an earthly deliverer: someone who would drive the Romans out of Jerusalem and the land of Israel for good. What he and the other scholars did not understand was that God’s plan of salvation is not merely a temporal or transitory event. No, godly salvation is everlasting. It is timeless in its operation, and is eternally transforming because it changes the lost sinner into a new person (Ephesians 4:24). It makes of all who have crucified the flesh in the name of Jesus Christ a citizen of the New Jerusalem. And all who have accepted God’s free gift have had their names inscribed in Lamb’s book of life. That is what God has in mind regarding our salvation. But to obtain this gift, we must repent and turn unto to him in the name of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. If we are sincere in our request, a just and holy God will hear and grant us the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us into to all truth. He will convince of our sins and show us the way to God via Christ Jesus.

There are, however, those who would use Christianity as a mask. They have not the Spirit of God, neither have they asked to receive it. They will attend church and participate in various church-related activities, all the while never understanding that they must be born again in the Spirit if they are to be saved. Baptism by itself does not bring about salvation. Taking the Holy Communion by itself does not produce salvation. A person is not saved by making a public profession of faith apart from the workings of the Holy Spirit. It is well-stated in Scripture that apart from a regenerated nature in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost, no flesh can be saved. That is why our Lord said to Nicodemus, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

The Scriptures speak of God separating mankind out into two distinct groups that are metaphorically explained in the parables of the wheat and tares (St. Matthew 13:24-30), and the good fish and bad fish (St. Matthew 13:47-50). Our Lord said, He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God (St. John 8:47). His meaning is clear: there are those who will receive the Spirit of God and there are those who will not. That which empowers those who have received the gift of faith also urges them to seek after the things of God and to do his will in their lives. Likewise, the inverse is true. St. Paul said (Romans 8: 5-17), For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit . . . so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you . . . the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God . . .

Let us close with a passage from St. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians (2:5), Even when we were dead in sins, hath [he] quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved). May God grant to you that quickening of your spirits that you will seek to better know and love him through the atoning work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Let us pray,
G
ood and gracious God, grant us the filling of the Holy Ghost, that we being indwelt by the same would know the certainty of our salvation; and that our lives would hereafter reflect thy gift of grace; all of which we ask in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Have a blessed week, Bryan+
Solomon Islands Update
The following letter is from our Bishop Legumana of the Solomon Islands. He has planted a new church on the outer Santa Cruz Island of the Solomon chain:

Dear Bishop Jerry and Betty,

A report on the successful Ordination of Rev Wilson Menoia to the Order of Priesthood in AOC 19 May 2013, at Bimbir Village Santa Cruz

Our mission to ordain Rev Wilson Menoia to the Order of Priests in our church (AOC) at Bimbir Village Santa Cruz, was very successful despite some disturbances by some leaders and members of COM of the same village.

We have to build a tent Church House outside Bimbir for the Ordination. They are planning to build their church house on the same spot and on the same land.

They will then move to build their houses around their church as a new village which is to be wholly an AOC village. This is to be free from continuous disturbances in the future life and activities of the church.

On Pentecost Sunday 19th May 2013 we have ordained Rev Wilson Menoia to the Priesthood as well as 3 children received confirmation

Then my wife and her secretary Lilian Vahia also had meetings with the women and selected her office bearers as well as admitted 8 women as new members of the AOC Women Fellowship group of the Church.

Attendance during the Ordination of Rev Wilson was quite a large congregation in comparison to some of our AOC villages in Isabel. Communicants (those receiving communion) was more than one hundred; not counting the children.

My assessment of this AOC Community at Santa Cruz will spread quite quickly in the years to come. I hope for a bigger church or a Diocese for that matter from Santa Cruz in the future. Rev Wilson Menoia and his wife are very capable to make this happen.

Finally and above all, on behalf of myself, my wife Serah, Lilian Vahia and Rev Richard Sopamana as a group who went to this mission wishes to thank you and Betty, Standing Committee and those who supported this mission financially have indeed made this very successful.

Indeed Santa Cruz can be more tough and challenging than just going down to Isabel by sea.

We returned safely from Santa Cruz on Tuesday (21/05/13) afternoon and at this point in time iam working on the photos and other reports for your further informations.

May the Lord bless us all in our common endeavors for His Church.  To Him be the Glory for ever and ever.

AOC Friday Quote Digest
Themes: : Quotes Of Interest ----Ministry Minute. Commentary on Sunday's Gospel-
Quotes Of Interest
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Four things support the world,
1.     The learning of the wise,
2.     The justice of the great,
3.     The prayers of the good
4.     The valor of the brave.
Anon
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Benjamin Harrison
I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it.

Woodrow Wilson, 1914 
On this Memorial Day, it is right for us to remember the living and the dead for whom the call of their country has meant much pain and sacrifice.

George Bush, 2005
Looking across this field, we see the scale of heroism and sacrifice. All who are buried here understood their duty. All stood to protect America. And all carried with them memories of a family that they hoped to keep safe by their sacrifice.

Woodrow Wilson, 1914
Therefore this peculiar thing comes about, that we can stand here and praise the memory of these soldiers in the interest of peace. They set us the example of self-sacrifice, which if followed in peace will make it unnecessary that men should follow war any more.

George Bush, 1992
Whether we observe the occasion through public ceremony or through private prayer, Memorial Day leaves few hearts unmoved. Each of the patriots whom we remember on this day was first a beloved son or daughter, a brother or sister, or a spouse, friend, and neighbor.

Richard Nixon, 1974
This Memorial Day should remind us of the greatness that past generations of Americans achieved from Valley Forge to Vietnam, and it should inspire us with the determination to keep America great and free by keeping America safe and strong in our own time, a time of unique destiny and opportunity for our Nation.

Woodrow Wilson, 1914 
They, and we, are the legacies of an unbroken chain of proud men and women who served their country with honor, who waged war so that we might know peace, who braved hardship so that we might know opportunity, who paid the ultimate price so that we might know freedom.

Herbert Hoover, 1931
It was the transcendent fortitude and steadfastness of these men who in adversity and in suffering through the darkest hour of our history held faithful to an ideal. Here men endured that a nation might live.

Herbert Hoover, 1931
An ideal is an unselfish aspiration. Its purpose is the general welfare not only of this but of future generations. It is a thing of the spirit. It is a generous and humane desire that all men may share equally in a common good. Our ideals are the cement, which binds human society.
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The doctrine of the Trinity is basic to the Christian religion. It is no exaggeration to assert that the whole of Christianity stands or falls with it.
R. B. Kuiper
The doctrine of the Trinity is the differentiating doctrine of the Christian faith.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
"Cold prayers always freeze before they reach heaven."
Thomas Brooks
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Commentary on Sunday's Reading John 3:1-15
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Ver. 1. A ruler of the Jews] Either a chieftain of the Pharisees, as he was, Luk 14:1; or one of the Sanhedrim, one of the 70 seniors, whose learning hung in their light, 1Co 2:8. Yet was neither learned Nathanael, nor Nicodemus, a master of Israel, excluded from Christ’s discipline (saith Joan. De Turrecremata), lest if he had admitted simple men only, it might have been thought they were deceived through their simplicity.
{a} Ne is solos simplices vocasset, credi possit quod fuissent ex simplicitate decepti.
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Ver. 2. We know] But will not know. Hence they became sinners against the Holy Ghost, Mat 12:23, &c. The devil that commits this sin every day, is full of objective knowledge, and thence hath his name. {a}
No man can do these miracles] Those magicians of Egypt, Jannes and Jambres, did but cast a mist, and beguile the sight of Pharaoh and his followers. How Tyndale hindered the magician of Antwerp, that he could not do his feats, see Acts and Monuments, fol. 985.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Ver. 3. Except a man be born again] E supernis, Out of heaven, Erasm. Except a man be first unmade (as St Peter expounds our Saviour) and newly made up again, .. 1Pe 2:24; except the whole frame of the old conversation be dissolved, and a better erected, there is no heaven to be had. Heaven is too hot to hold unregenerate persons; no such dirty dog ever trampled on that golden pavement, it is an undefiled inheritance, 2Pe 1:3.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Ver. 4. How can a man, &c.] He understands no more of the doctrine of regeneration (though he could not but have often read of it in Ezekiel, and elsewhere) than a common cow herd doth the darkest precepts of astronomy, 1Co 2:14. All this is gibberish to him. Water ariseth no higher than the spring whence it came; so the natural man can ascend no higher than nature.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Ver. 5. Be born of water, and the Holy Ghost] That is, of the Holy Ghost working like water, cooling, cleansing, &c. In allusion, belike, to that first washing of a newly born babe from his blood, Eze 16:4. Or else to those Levitical washings, and not without some reference to Nicodemus and his fellow Pharisees, who placed a great part of their piety in external washings, as do also the Mahometans at this day. Every time they ease nature (saith one that had been among them) they wash those parts, little regarding who stands by. If a dog chance to touch their hands, they wash presently; before prayer they wash both face and hands, sometimes the head and privates, &c.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Ver. 6. That which is born of the flesh, &c.] Whole man is in evil, and whole evil in man. Quintilian saw not this, and therefore said, that it is more marvel that one man sinneth than that all men should live honestly; sin is so much against man’s nature. Many also of the most dangerous opinions of Popery (as justification by works, state of perfection, merit, supererogation, &c.) spring from hence; that they have slight conceits of concupiscence, as a condition of nature. Yet some of them (as Michael Bains, professor at Lovain, &c.) are sound in this point.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Ver. 7. Marvel not, &c.] viz. Through unbelief, for otherwise it is a just wonder, far beyond that of a natural birth, which, but that it is so ordinary, would surely seem a miracle; Miracula assiduitate vilescunt.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Ver. 8. The wind bloweth, &c.] Libero et vago impetu. Watch, therefore, the gales of grace; we cannot purchase this wind (as sailors in Norway are said to do) for any money. This hawk, when flown, will not easily be brought to hand again.
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Ver. 15. That whosoever believeth] Faith is the soul’s hand ( fidei mendica manus, saith Luther); foot, whereby we come to Christ; mouth ( hic credere est edere, saith Austin); wing, whereby we soar up and fetch Christ into the heart, Joh 6:35-36.
John Trapp's Complete Commentary in 5 Vols. Selected by Rev.GMG


[1] Courtesy of the Rev. Munachi Ezeogu
[2] The Gospel of John identifies the Logos, through which all things are made, as divine (theos), and further identifies Jesus as the incarnation of the Logos. As the Logos, Jesus Christ is God in self-revelation (Light) and redemption (Life). He is God to the extent that he can be present to man and knowable to man. The Logos is God,[Jn 1:1] ... Yet the Logos is in some sense distinguishable from God, for "the Logos was with God."[Jn 1:1] God and the Logos are not two beings, and yet they are also not simply identical. ... The Logos is God active in creation, revelation, and redemption. – Frank Stagg
[3] Did you ever wonder what difference the translation makes?  Consider while "the Word was God" is by far the most common English translation, non-Trinitarian groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses (in the New World Translation and their edition of the Emphatic Diaglott and Unitarians (in Thomas Belsham's modification of William Newcome's version) translate "the Word was a god."
[4] From the Book of Common Prayer page 42
[5] 1 St. John ii. 1, 2 and Book of Common Prayer, page 76