Verse of the Day

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Pentecost which is commonly called Whitsunday and the time of Whitsuntide



The octave (8 days) following Whitsunday. In the Book of Common Prayer, the Monday and Tuesday after Whitsunday are Red Letter days, so called because days provided with a proper Collect (prayer), Epistle, and Gospel were marked in the calendar in red ink. "Whitsuntide" (formerly also spelled "Whitsontide") or "Whitsun Week" is derived from Middle English whitsonday, from Old English hwita sunnandæg, "White Sunday", in reference to the white ceremonial robes formally worn on this day.
Whitsunday marks the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the 50th day after Easter. It ranks, after Easter, as the second festival of the Church. In the West, the Vigil of Pentecost soon became a secondary date for baptisms, with a ceremony resembling the Paschal Vigil Service. (Pentecost is the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which falls on the 50th day after Passover.) As the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles on this day (Acts 2: 1), the name was applied to the Christian feast celebrating this event, popularly called "Whitsunday".

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 –

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Ephesians 5:28

Death is... a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones already dwell. The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home— a moment will bring us there... When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven.
Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon
19th century English theologian and author
(Morning and Evening, p. 222).

The world comes in through many doors, and it comes in many forms. Yet at whatever door and in whatever form it comes, the world is always the Devil’s servant.
Rev. E. M. Bounds
19th and 20th century American theologian and author
(Guide to Spiritual Warfare, p. 74)

We are at present working discreetly with all our might to wrest this mysterious force called sovereignty out of the clutches of the local nation states of the world.
Dr. Arnold Toynbee
20th century English historian and globalist.



The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.
Ronald Wilson Reagan
20th century American president.

The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a grand scale.
Thomas Jefferson
18thcentury American patriot and president.

Propers
The Propers for today are found on Page 180-182, with the Collect first:

Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday.
The Collect.

O
 GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end.  Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout Whitsun Week.

Dru Arnold read this morning’s Epistle, which written in the Second Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles beginning at the First  Verse, which consisted primarily of a listing of all the countries and regions surrounding Jerusalem, or at least the hardest to pronounce ones, and a description of the actions of the Apostles when the Holy Ghost came upon them.  But, you will also notice that the coming of the Holy Ghost demonstrated the universality of The Word, for when they spoke in tongues, The Word spoke to each in their own language.  The Word was not some stranger’s language, but their very own!

W
HEN the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Hap Arnold read today’s Gospel which was written in the Fourteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the Fifteenth Verse:

J
ESUS said unto his disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.

Sermon – Reverend Deacon Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly  contained in the forewords above. 

Consider these words from the Collect:

sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort  …

When Jesus left on Ascension Day, we lost a teacher here on earth.  We still have Him as Redeemer and Savior; but what to do for understanding?  In response to His departure, God sent us the Holy Ghost.

Who is this Holy Ghost?

We worship the One True God, a triune God, that is Three in One; Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  Most people have no trouble understanding the concept of God the Father, Christians seem to get God the Son, but many seem to have a bit of difficulty with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost has been there since the beginning.  He breathed life into the world, yet His actions seemed to be sporadic until Pentecost.

Well, today is Pentecost, the time one normally thinks of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Breath of God, the Comforter.  When people do think of Him, they oft think of the actions described in the words of Saint Luke in the Acts of the Apostles.  The dancing and speaking in tongues.  All that happened so we might understand that with the help of the Holy Ghost we might bring the Word to all mankind.  The Word of God is a universal language.  When the disciples spoke in tongues, the people around them heard the Word in their own language, not an odd combination of sounds that no one understood.  The disciples spoke and were heard by those around them in their own language, not Klingon.  It is not for us to speak in tongues without study; that was a one shot deal.  It was designed to show us that we could, with hard work and persistence bring the Gospel to the world in the language of the people. Which is what the purpose of God sending the Holy Ghost was for, was for us to bring the light of Christ into the world for all to see and believe upon. The Holy Ghost allows us to spread His Word amongst all the people in the world and to convince them and let them believe. It opens our eyes to what is good for us and what is not good for us, so that we know what to believe and what not to believe.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that He would be leaving, but the Father would send a facilitator; one who whose presence, if we let Him into our hearts, would let us understand His Word with those self same hearts.  The Comforter would bring the Love of God into our hearts to let us feel His Love.  He will help us understand that we are striving to be one with God, with Jesus and with the Holy Ghost.  Our love can be demonstrated by our actions.  Which are only possible if we allow the Holy Ghost into our hearts and believe and Act upon our faith! For if we love Jesus, we will do as He asked.

If you think about it, you will recall that the second half of the Book of Luke is titled The Acts of the Apostles.  It is not the thoughts, the beliefs, the feelings, the meditations, the inner feelings or any other touchy feely, it is the ACTS.  If you believe, act on those beliefs.

We need the help of the Holy Ghost to learn what we are to do, how we are to do it and most of all to do it.  Action, not just diction.

Pray for His continual presence in your heart.

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
Pentecost – commonly called Whitsunday
in Old English - White Sunnendaeg
Seventh Sunday after Easter
19 May 2013, Anno Domini

Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday.
The Collect.

O
 GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end.  Amen.

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:1-11)

            Our Collect today makes reference to the Holy Spirit as a Light and a Teacher. It is the same Light and Teacher which Christ was to us in His earthly ministry. It is the same because it is not in God’s nature to to present us with contradictory teachings. All that the Holy spirit reveals to us is simply that which Jesus Christ has also revealed so clearly in His Word. The ministry of Christ was limited to the physical grounds of Judea, Samaria, Galilee and the adjacent environs. However, Christ promised to send to us an encourager and a Comforter to be with us always and to open our eyes to the deep mysteries of God as revealed BY and IN His Word.

            The Holy Ghost will not speak a new or different Gospel, but opens our hearts and minds to the Gospel already preached – and lived – by our Lord Jesus Christ. You will remember that Christ did not preach a Gospel message that varied from that of His Father. When Philip inquired of Jesus to be shown the Father, Jesus responded: 9 Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:9-10) Jesus did not bring an INDIVIDUAL message, but that message dictated by the One, Triune God which includes the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

            Now our Lord has sent to His people the Holy Spirit as a Comforter to open our eyes in the teaching of all that those teachings of the Father which Christ taught, and now which the Holy Ghost teaches. The Holy Ghost is the Compass and Light of God for our hearts. The Holy Ghost does not speak of Himself, but of all that Christ taught us. We have been promised a Presence of God to be always with us.

One of the names of our Lord is Immanuel which means “God with us.” (Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14)  But in fulfillment of the promises and mighty works of God, our Lord must have returned to the Father when His works of salvation were completed. So He promised to send us another Comforter whose spiritual & physical jurisdiction would know no geographical limits. That Comforter is the Holy Ghost.

 As we read the Word of God, our loving Teacher stands over our shoulder to open the meaning and truth to us as a bright Light shedding its beams upon our page. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:25-26) The Holy Ghost is One with Christ just as Christ is One with the Father – and, in fact, all are One in Purpose, in Truth, in will, and in works.

As I interviewed our pretty little Confirmand yesterday, Maria Bella Rodriguez, I felt the Holy Spirit was with us and was reflected in the sincerity and  sweetness of her responses. Bella, in Spanish, means beautiful. Well, Bella is beautiful not only in her features, but in her heart.

Whitsunday (Wit Sunday) is the seventh Sunday after Easter and coincides with the Jewish Day of Pentecost. Pentecost followed fifty days after Passover. As Christ is OUR Passover, we observe Wit-Sunday as our day of Pentecost. Pentecost was the day of the giving of another Teach – the Law – to Moses on Mt Sinai. So Wit-Sunday is for us the Day of the giving of another Teacher to us which is the spirit of Love and Truth. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:24-29)

            So, are we no longer bound by the Commandments and Law of God? Certainly, we are, but in a different sense. We are now bound by love to keep the Commandments of God as written on our hearts and not on Tables of Stone.

It is the day of fulfillment of the promise of Christ to send us the Comforter – the day of the Coming of the Holy Ghost in His eternal Presence with to the people of God. As Christ suffered death by defeating the same, so does the Holy Ghost bring the so that the Resurrection presence of Christ is with us always in the presence of His Holy Spirit.

After the Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ, there returned a feeling of forlorn loneliness in the hearts of the disciples. They were deeply gratified by the merits of eternal life which Christ had made available through His earthly works, but what now? He was no longer a constant companion to them. God seemed, once again, far away.

As we read in the second chapter of the Book of Acts today, the disciples were gathered expectantly in the Upper Room of the Lord’s Supper awaiting the fulfillment of a Mystery and a Promise made known to them by Jesus.

Whatever they expected could not be explained, but they knew now that whatsoever Christ ever said, there was deep and abiding truth in it for them.

If someone had asked, “For what purpose do you wait here this day?” they would not have reason to give except that the Lord has told us to await this day. When they had gathered for the Last Supper with Jesus, there was a calm serenity that pervaded the room, but today, there was even a touch of disorderly confusion. There were men there from all over the known world. They had come to know of Christ and were, too, His disciples. But they all spoke in different languages that caused the gathering to appear almost chaotic as each chatted to his fellow countryman in a language which most others could not understand. So there was a continual buzz of confusion. Yet, they waited. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

-         It should be noted that, in spite of the language barrier, all were gathered in One Accord. Their minds were at One with Christ, and therefore with each other. Though they were confused by a lack of understanding of each other’s language, yet they agreed in truth. The Holy Spirit of God will not abide division. When the Church does not await and listen for the Voice of the Holy Spirit, He will not come. He waits without.

Suddenly, as they waited, there came a strange and peculiar sound from Heaven. It sounded very much like a mighty Wind – and it was! It was the Wind of God in the form of the Holy Ghost. The coming of the Holy ghost was not in any sense partial or piecemeal – it filled the entire Upper Room. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. It should also be noted that when God is working, men are at rest. These men were seated awaiting the Bread and Manna of Heaven just as the 5,000 seated on the mountain slope overlooking the Galilean Sea when Christ miraculous fed them an abundance from a pittance of provision.

There may have even been some dismay and fearful expectation as the Holy Ghost descended. When Christ walks by our side on our Road to Emmaus, we often do not recognize Him. We may even be fearful of His presence as was the disciples that stormy night on the Sea when they saw Christ walking on the waters.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. These cloven tongues were not actual fire, but appeared like fire over their heads. It was an intense and beautiful moment. Their hearts could no longer sit in silence, and they overflowed with the love of God and His truth. The experience was profound and defied description.

What was the result of this sudden outburst of the Holy Ghost?

Herein lies the miracle of tongues as expressed on the Day of Pentecost: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Not only did all speak in other tongues, but, miraculously, they could ALL understand each other. At first, these men were confused at a lack of understanding. Now, they are confused at the miraculous GIFT of understanding.

It was the reverse of confusion and misunderstanding that occurred at the Tower of Babel. These men were not ‘babbling’ (derivative term from the name Babel) but were speaking in a language that ALL understood in his own tongue. This was an Apostolic gift that was given for the benefit of the early church and the broad propagation of the Gospel over the known world. Would we not immediately recognize such an experience to be a miracle in our own times? Any lost sinner can stand up and utter ridiculous babblings among the congregation, but how can you say ‘AMEN’ to that which has no meaning? God is not the Author of confusion: For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Cor 14:33)

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. Now this is evidence of the miraculous power of God, is it not? If someone stands speaking in a babbling tongue that no one understands, where is the proof of the miraculous power of God?

Paul tells us: O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. (1 Tim 6:20-21) and later, he says: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness (2 Tim 2:15-16) Friends, despite the yeoman efforts some false professor make to deceive us on tongues, nothing could be clearer in God’s Word than this admonition against confusion.

Please observe how wonderfully was this legitimate employment of the miracle of tongues received by the believers: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness (2 Tim 2:15-16)

            I once read from the memoirs of the martyred John Stam who was beheaded by the Chinese Communist for his faith and preaching of Christ: A minister of some renown was invited to speak at the Chinese church. He was on his first visit to China and knew not a single word of Chinese language. When he arose, he began speaking in so-called tongues. It did not seem like any language at all to the listener, but only confused their understanding. Suddenly, an old Chinese elder of the church arose and stormed out of the church. One of Stam’s co-workers chased out after the faithful old elder to determine his angst.  The old chinaman responded, “That man was cursing God in the Chinese language.”

            Let me encourage every one of us here today to adhere to the known and revealed truth of God as attested by the Holy Ghost. He will not add to God’s Word, or detract therefrom, but will open up to our hearts and souls the mysteries revealed in the Word of all that Jesus taught us.

Roy Morales-Kuhn, Pastor - Covenant of Grace Anglican Chapel - Anglican Orthodox Church, USA Sermon for Pentecost (Whitsunday)

Psalms 18:1-20
O.T. Joel 2:28 -32
N.T. Rom. 8:1-11

              “...And I will show wonders...”

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

This Sunday is the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit of God. In the earliest days of the church as believers began to come to the Lord and follow his Word, the traditions came along that would give title to the other name for this Sunday. Whitsunday or White-Sunday was so named for the white cloaks new believers wore after Easter. The tradition was new believers spent an entire year learning about their faith, then on Easter Sunday they were baptized into the faith and in celebration they continued wearing their baptism clothing until the Fifth Sunday after Easter or Pentecost Sunday. So the name Whitsunday was in recognition of the newest believers joining Christ church militant. This Sunday was also the day that tradition has set aside as the closest to the event known as the Pentecost or the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ.   This outpouring of the Holy Spirit had been foretold several times in the Old Testament.  The passage we read from Joel is one of the more vivid expressions of this event.  All during Christ’s ministry he told his disciples that God the Father would provide a comforter, one who would come after Jesus left, one who would guide and keep the believers until Christ came again in his glory.

On this Sunday let us meditate on the meaning of the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

1. God will never leave us.  He promised to be with us to our end or the end of the ages, which ever came first.  He will be here to guide us and to comfort us in all our ways.  We must always cling to that belief.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  This give us the understanding that we can’t leave him.  If we are truly his, then we can’t lose our salvation by walking away, because his promise to never leave us.

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit..

2. As this passage from Joel points out, he would and did pour out his Spirit on those waiting in Jerusalem.  The Holy Spirit now comes upon a person and calls them to repentance, calls them to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  All who are able to be blessed.  By including the servants, both male and female, God is telling us that no one is to be left out.  We get the clarification of who is included in the last verse, v.32 Another interesting note in the last couple of words...and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.... What does that mean ? There will always be a small number of believers in the sense of the whole of civilization. Today the estimate of those calling themselves Christian in the world or at least identifying themselves as Christian is about 1 billion. Of that number you could take say 25% of those who truly follow Christ. Now before you despair, there has always been a “remnant”. Look at how many really followed Moses. How many really followed the words of the various prophets? How many really followed Jesus when he walked this earth? We must ever understand that when one calls on the name of the Lord they shall be delivered. They shall be saved, those who call upon the name of the Lord. Even small in numbers can do mighty works for the Lord. We have God the Father, we have God the Son, we have God the Holy Spirit. Nothing can prevail against the Almighty, nothing. Be of good cheer, if God is for us, who can be against us?

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come

Verses 30 and 31 reference the final day, when Jesus comes back in his Glory.  With many references to this great event, there is one main detail missing.  “No man knows the hour or the day of my coming”   Jesus was answering his disciples, who were asking him when the day was that Jesus would come to his kingdom.  Jesus gave the indications, he gave some of the signs, but he did not give a specific day or date.  We do know, as we were told in the first chapter of Acts, that Jesus who ascended into heaven would in like wise so return to earth.  But we are not to sit around pining for his return, we are to be busy about the Lord’s work because we do not know our time or season.  So we should be diligent about reaching others for Christ, because our time is short on this earth.  We are only here for a season.

Let us pray,

L
ord Heavenly Father, lead us into your light, illumine our spirit with your Holy Spirit, that in your divine example, through the precious work of Jesus Christ, we also may follow in the same. Guide us, direct us, give us strength every day as we seek to do thy work here in our place.  Lord give us peace, the peace that passes understanding, be with us this week as we go out to the field which are white to harvest.  These things we ask for the honor and Glory of your Son Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirt ever, one God, world without end.   Amen

M
ay the Peace of God, that passes all understanding, be given unto you. Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.   Amen
 
For the Armed Services,

O
 LORD God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, coastguardsmen and contractors of our country; Support them in the day of battle, and in the time of peace keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach.  Preserve all who serve therein from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy; that they may be a safeguard unto the United States of America, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions; that the inhabitants of our land may in peace and quietness serve thee our God, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sermon
Bishop Dennis is a brilliant speaker.  He is able to take biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me.  Oft he provides the text of his sermons and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:

Whitsuntide
Psalm 145 Joel 2:28, Romans 8:1-11
May 19, 2013

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.
 Fifty days after the resurrection of Christ, something amazing happened.  Not that the resurrection wasn't amazing enough.  Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman cross.  He literally died there.  And when you consider that He was God in the flesh, that's somewhat amazing in itself.  Yet, three days later, He was alive again.  He rose from the dead.  Amazing. The ascension of Christ was equally amazing.  This "Man" who had died and risen from the grave, physically and bodily began to float, steadily rising higher and higher into the sky until He disappeared into the clouds.  I can't imagine the fear and shock felt by those eleven men who witnessed the ascension.  Remember that at this point they still did not understand who Jesus is.  Just moments before His ascension they had asked Him if He was  ready to restore the kingdom to Israel., meaning was He going to drive out the Romans and give the land back to the Jews?  It was as though they were saying, since Jesus had gotten this crucifixion and resurrection out of His system, would He now do something important, and give the land of Israel back to the Jews?  But instead of leading an attack on Rome, Jesus simply left the earth.  He simply floated away.  Amazing.  But even after the ascension, something amazing happened.  The Holy Spirit came to the Apostles and enabled them to miraculously speak in ways that were understood by people of many different languages.  And what they spoke was not what today passes for speaking in tongues, nor was it a private "prayer language," they proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is easy to miss the real significance of this event, because so many people nowadays  proclaim an erroneous view of it.  In fact, whole denominations have formed around the mistaken idea that the main event here is speaking in tongues.  But the main event is not speaking in tongues.  The main even is the inauguration of the New Age, the age of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the Bible, the New Age is often called  the "last days" or the"end times"   But it important that we realise that the phrase "last days" does not refer to the final few days  before the end. It is not a numerical term, it is a positional term.  It describes the place or position of our time in the plan of God.  "Last days" means we are in the last era, the last age.  And this era could end today, or it could last several more thousand, or even million, years.    Understand this and you will save yourself much wasted time trying to decide if this is the day Jesus is coming back, and if this event or that event it the "sign" that His return, or the "rapture" is near.
Since the Reformation, certain groups have taken Peter's quote of Joel 2 as a numerical term, meaning they thought it referred to the very last few days before the end of the world, return of Christ, or "rapture." But again I stress that "last days" refers to an era, not a number.  It refers to the last era of the plan of God, prior to the time when God will fully and finally  "gather together in one all things in Christ" (Eph. 1:10).  Since the Reformation the number of groups and people interpreting the last days as a numerical phrase has multiplied, and it is because of the multitude of these groups and people, and the way their views have been popularised in movies and books and sermons, that  the real meaning of the day of Pentecost has been obscured.  Their views have so influenced the popular understanding of Pentecost that most people do not even know about the real meaning of Pentecost and the last days. So, I repeat my earlier statement, that the real significance of the day of Pentecost is that it is the beginning of the New Era of the Gospel of Christ, and the "last days" are that era.
The new era is the age in which the promises of the Old Testament are beginning to be fulfilled.  The Old Testament gave us sacrifices and dietary laws and a physical, political entity named Israel, and these things symbolically represented the coming of Christ.  His sacrifice on the cross would accomplish what no animal sacrifice could accomplish.  He would be the Priest of His people in a way no human priest could ever be.  He would be the King of His people in a way no human king could ever be.  And the revelation of His Kingdom would be accomplished through direct proclamation rather than through signs and symbols.  And His Kingdom would include people from all races and nationalities and languages, not just people from Israel.  The day of Pentecost is the sign that that day has arrived.  The Saviour has come and has given His life as the ransom for sin.  Now forgiveness of sin and life in His Kingdom are offered to all who believe and receive it.  The power of sin is breaking, and those who are in Christ are called and enabled to live free of the things that kill the soul and ruin lives, free to live in unity and harmony with God and one another.
In other words, the last days are the era of the Gospel.  The meaning of Pentecost is not that you can or should speak in tongues.  Tongues were just a sign that the new era has begun.  They were/are not the point, nor were/are they to be sought.  To make tongues the point is to make personal experience the meaning of Christianity.  It is to force Christianity into the realm of subjective feelings and emotions and mystical experiences.  None of these things have any relationship or resemblance to Biblical Christian faith.  This is why I oppose what I call "contemporaryism" in church.  Contemporaryism isn't just an attempt to dispense with the ancient liturgies and hymns in order to connect with people through music and worship styles they like.  Contemporayism is an attempt to  subectivise worship and the faith. Contemporaryism reduces worship to happy-clappy experiences, and reduces faith to feeling good about God.  But the Good news of Jesus Christ is not that you can get a good feeling at church.  It is that God is with us.  He has paid the price of our sins and offers us a chance to live the way He created us to live, a constructive and meaningful life lived in harmony with Him and one another, now and forever.
And now, the Gospel that was once almost hidden by the animal sacrifices and symbolism of the Old Testament, is openly and clearly proclaimed.  That is what the Holy Spirit was doing on the day of Pentecost.  The Apostles, so confused about the nature and work of Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit, were suddenly able to understand who Jesus is.  His teaching suddenly made sense to them.  His crucifixion made sense to them, as did His resurrection and ascension.  Suddenly they knew He was everything the Old Testament promised.  That is what the Holy Spirit does today, He enables us to believe the Gospel of Christ.
But the Apostles also proclaimed the Gospel, and that is also the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  He proclaims this Gospel of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament signs and symbols have passed away now.  The clear and clarion call goes out to all, "Believe [have faith] on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."  
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+Dennis Campbell

Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia
Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan, Virginia

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.


Whitsunday


Today we celebrate the coming of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples of our Lord. Our church calendar commemorates this solemn and extraordinary event which is also referred to as Whitsunday, or Whitsuntide for the first three days of the week on which Pentecost falls during the year. The name Whitsunday comes to us from the Old English word for the color white. This was on account of the white robes which were worn by recently baptized persons. Pentecost was and remains a Jewish festival which falls fifty days after Passover and memorializes our LORD’s giving of the Law to Moses. For Christians, it is the birthday of the church when God gave the gift of his Spirit to the apostles. Ever after, the Holy Spirit of God would come to all who have truly accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Now let us consider the details of that latter event. Our Lord instructed the disciples, prior to his ascension, not to depart from Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:4-8). St. Luke, the author of both the gospel which bears his name and the Book of Acts, was very meticulous in his recording of the events which occurred in the life of Christ and those of the early apostles. While no gospel writer recorded every single event, or every aspect of the events about which they wrote; they, nevertheless, gave us what the Holy Spirit of God urged them to write on his behalf. Notice that the eleven disciples observed the ascension of Christ Jesus and heard the witness of the angels present (Acts 1:11) who informed them that as Jesus had so ascended, in like manner he would return. And such affirmed in their minds that Jesus is of God and that all which he had told them would come to pass. Their eyewitness testimony and their willingness to die rather than to deny that witness is an integral part of the Christian ethos as noted in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. No one who bears the name of Christ can be his and deny his ascension into heaven as the apostles witnessed and the Scriptures have recorded.
After the ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were found continually in the temple praising and blessing God (St. Luke 24:52- 53). They gathered themselves together with other believers and were in prayer and supplication. They also at the urging of the Holy Spirit, selected another disciple from among the brethren who was named Matthias.
Ten days later, on the Feast of Pentecost, God sent to them the Holy Ghost as Christ had promised. The Spirit of God came to them with a rushing wind as in Genesis 1:2 and was then followed by the cloven tongues as of fire that sat upon each of them. As the Rev. Matthew Henry once observed, “These tongues were cloven (divided) to signify that God would divide unto all nations the knowledge of his grace. The tongues were divided, yet they (the disciples) still continued all of one accord, for there may be a sincere unity of affections where yet there is a diversity of expression.” They were, after all, preaching the same message just in different languages.
Across the globe, there are myriads of Christians who make up the body of Christ. They may speak different languages and have differing orders of worship, but if they are in Christ, they will possess the Holy Spirit of God. They will thus honor and adore the Godhead through their reverent worship, teaching, preaching and living of his word and commandment. And such will be plainly visible to any fellow Christian. While Anglican Orthodox Christians will differ in our worship from those of the other denominations of the Christian faith; still, if we are all holding to the essentials of the faith, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, eternally linked to him and to one another by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
Back in Genesis 11:1-9, the LORD had broken the ethnic and linguistic unity of mankind in order to restrain the operations of evil in the world. While in Acts 2:1-11, he began the process of reunifying mankind under the auspices of the Holy Ghost. Through the third person of the Trinity, he would build a spiritual unity amongst the various peoples, kindreds and tongues who not being able to identify with others different from themselves apart from the Holy Spirit, might have that unity by means of God’s Spirit in Jesus Christ. For after the Holy Ghost had come upon the disciples, they spoke in the languages of the multitude of visitors who had come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. As St. Luke noted in Acts 2:5, there were in Jerusalem devout Jews from every corner of the known world and they each heard the gospel in their own language. This powerful message in Scripture was a display of God’s power to make his proclamations known unto all the world beginning first in Jerusalem (St. Luke 24: 47). God ‘s word cannot be restrained nor can it be rendered unfruitful. God’s plan and purpose has been to redeem that which was lost and the gift of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost was an important milestone in that regard.
Now consider what we as Christians receive in God’s gift of the Holy Ghost to us. First of all, we are regenerated. God makes us alive in Christ Jesus. St. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:1-10 that he has quickened us, that is, to make us alive spiritually through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Secondly, he anoints us through the Spirit (I St. John 2:20-27). For it is by this anointing that we have grace sufficient to do those things which God would have us do in his service. Thirdly, if we are of Christ then we have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is not a work of ourselves, nor of man, but of God. In Acts 2:17, St. Peter recounted what the LORD had said through the prophet Joel (2:28-29), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. While we Christians are commanded to observe the sacrament of Holy Baptism, it is after all God who furnishes his Spirit, not at our behest, but upon his own accord, will and purpose. That is why we believe, agreeable to the Nicene Creed, in one baptism for the remission of sins which is of the Holy Ghost. And lastly, the Holy Ghost guides us into all truth (St. John 16:13), empowers our witness (Micah 3:8), and sanctifies us in our walk and work (II Thessalonians 2:13-14).
So at Pentecost, the church received the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is a gift of inestimable value and one which is confined to God’s chosen and elect saints who have been known of him before the foundations of the world were laid. It should be a source of great comfort and blessing to have the Holy Ghost indwell each of us. And we should be in prayer to God that he would illuminate more and more of mankind that they too might receive this most wonderful gift to their eternal good.
Let us pray,
F
ather, extend thy most holy Spirit to those around us who are mired in the darkness of a life without Christ; that they too might come to know him and be numbered with thy saints in glory; and this we ask in the name of him who promised to not leave us comfortless in this world, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week, Bryan+
Solomon Islands Update
Did you wonder if the Mite Box and other offerings collected went anywhere in particular?  They did, indeed!

The first relief check from offerings sent to the national office was wired to Bishop Zephaniah who in turn gave it to Deacon Wilson Menoia of Santa Cruz Island on 23 February 2013.

There is even more great news, on 19 May 2013, Deacon Wilson Menoia will be ordained a priest at his home in Bambir Village, Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands by Bishop Zephaniah.  At that time another offering check from the relief donations will be given to  the newly ordained Reverend Wilson.

This will be an ongoing effort and the National Office[1] will continue to update us with pictures and news about the relief effort for the Santa Cruz Island congregation upon the return of Bishop Zephaniah to Honiara, Solomon Islands which is the home of the national Anglican Orthodox office of the Solomon Islands.


[1] The National Office is really the World Headquarters, we just don’t want their heads to explode!

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