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, many from Rev
Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, some from Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson, but
overall mostly from Bryan. He
always has a few great ones to share. On to the On Point quotes –
On
The Fall
The doctrine of the Fall (both of man and of
some “gods,” “eldils” or “angels”) is the only satisfactory explanation. Evil
begins, in a universe where all was good, from free will, which was permitted
because it makes possible the greatest good of all. The corruption of the first
sinner consists not in choosing some evil thing (there are no evil things for
him to choose) but in preferring a lesser good (himself) before a greater
(God). The Fall is, in fact, Pride. The possibility of this wrong preference is
inherent in the v. fact of having, or being, a self at all. But though freedom
is real it is not infinite. Every choice reduces a little one’s freedom to
choose the next time. There therefore comes a time when the creature is fully
built, irrevocably attached either to God or to itself. This irrevocableness is
what we call Heaven or Hell. Every conscious agent is finally committed in the
long run: i.e., it rises above freedom into willed, but henceforth unalterable,
union with God, or else sinks below freedom into the black fire of
self-imprisonment. That is why the universe (as even the physicists now admit)
has a real history, a fifth act with a finale in which the good characters
“live happily ever after” and the bad ones are cast out. At least that is how I
see it.
Jack
Lewis
The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume
II
"Liberty regards religion, or Christianity, as its companion in
all its battles and its triumphs, as the cradle of its infancy and the divine
source of its claims. It considers religion as the safeguard of morality, and
morality as the best security of law and the surest pledge of the duration of
freedom. Religion in America takes no direct part in the government of society,
but it must be regarded as the first of their political institutions; for if it
does not impart a taste for freedom, it facilitates the use of it."
Alexis
De Tocqueville
Society expected each man to
aspire constantly to Chivalric Behavior; in return, they gave him an honorable
place in the union of men . . .
Arno Borst
Medieval
Worlds
The institution of chivalry
forms one of the most remarkable features in the history of the Middle Ages.
Horatio Alger
More than a code of manners
in war and love, Chivalry was a moral system, governing the whole of noble life
. . .
Barbara W. Tuchman
A
Distant Mirror
An armed society is a polite
society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.
Robert A. Heinlein
It is better to hear the
rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5
Behold, the days come,
saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of
grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all
the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of
Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall
plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and
eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no
more be pulled out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy
God.
Amos 9:13-15
Immediately after the
tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not
give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the power of the
heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see
the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
St. Matthew 24:29-30
Be ye therefore ready
also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
St. Luke 12:40
Every man’s work shall
be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by
fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
I Corinthians 3:13
And he said unto me, It
is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Revelation 21:6
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.
Charles H. Spurgeon
19th century
English pastor and author
(Morning and Evening, p.
222)
Government is the great
fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody
else.
Frederic Bastiat
19th century French economist
and author
The exercise of force
without the restraint of law is terror. Clarence Carson– 20th century American historian.
The very word
"secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a
people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths
and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive
and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers,
which are cited to justify it.
John F. Kennedy
20th century American
president
Propers
The propers for the Twenty-Third
Sunday after Trinity can be found on Page 222-223:
The
Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
|
O
|
GOD, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be
ready, we beseech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant
that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came
from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians beginning at the Seventeenth Verse
of the Third Chapter. Writing to
the church in Philippia, Paul asks them to watch whom they follow, “For many
walk, of whom I have told you often, … that they are the enemies of the cross
of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory
is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” He reminds us of our ultimate goal, of that which for us
should have the principal place in our minds, “For our citizenship is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who
shall change the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed unto the body
of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all
things unto himself.”
|
B
|
rethren, be followers together of me, and mark them
which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have
told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose
glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our citizenship is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who
shall change the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed unto the body
of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all
things unto himself.
Hap Arnold read the Holy Gospel which came from the
Twenty-Second Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the
Fifteenth Verse. Like many people
today, the Pharisees took much comfort in the fact that they followed The Law
to The Letter. Not looking to what
the law was trying to get them to do and to think, but rather following The Law
to The Letter. Jesus presented a
threat to their very existence, because he asked the people to do what God
willed, not to simply cook their food a certain way, or turn down an invitation
to a luau because they served roast pig and drank Bud. Being good followers of The Law to The
Letter, they sought to trip Him up.
“…they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying,
‘Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth,
neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell
us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or
not?” Having for so long lived The
Law to The Letter, believing The Kingdom of God would be of this world, they
could not see the obvious response.
They were absolutely floored when Jesus said, “Shew me the tribute
money.” With no thought of the
answer, “they brought unto him a penny.”
Jesus asked them, “Whose is this image and superscription?” Again playing the straight man, walking
into the trap they had set for themselves, they answered, “Caesar’s.” Driving his point straight into their
hearts, he told them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
This ended the encounter, “they marvelled, and left
him, and went their way.”
|
T
|
hen went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they
might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with
the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way
of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the
person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give
tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why
tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto
him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto
Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their
way.
Sermon –
Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and
Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
The
Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
|
O
|
God, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be
ready we beseech thee to hear
the devout prayers of they Church; and grant that those things which we ask
faithfully we may obtain; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect says Our God is the
author of all perfection; we ask him to be ready, to hear our sincere prayers:
He may answer those things which are good for the Church and the world that we
ask and that from His Grace we may receive those things which are good for us.
In the Epistle, St. Paul tells
the Philippians to follow God and not be dependent on man, as so many in this
country are now. The problem he explains with many, who claim they are
followers of Christ, but don’t walk the walk, is they are selfish and only
think of themselves. He warns them will lead them onto a path of doom and
destruction. And also, he talks
about how the enemies of Christ glory in our shame, but this will be their
undoing in the end also. We are
not to worry, but rather lean on Our Lord, even in these times of trials and
tribulations, some of which we have yet to face. We realize that our
citizenship is in heaven, from which we look to Our Saviour. If we are on the
side of righteousness, of the Lord, of godliness, then who are we to fear?
Nobody; save a respectful fear of
Our God.
We will not bow before the forces
of darkness, but rather stand tall, equipped with the armor of light, the
shield of truth, and the helmet of faith. We will give those in authority the
respect that they are due as tradition, but we will not be dependent upon them
for our every need and whim. We are to turn to God, if we are to be dependant
on anything, it must be God upon whom we are dependant, and not Man. Being
dependant on man only leads to eternal death for us, but being dependant on God
leads to eternal life for us. So must we put our trust in God as our Eternal
Navigator, our Guide throughout the rocky path of life. Returning to him when we
are lost, he will always guide us back to the straight and narrow path.
Which brings us to the point of
the Gospel, in which Christ tells the Pharisees of how they are to deal with
the problem of tribute to Caesar. They have no love for the Roman Government,
as we have very little love for ours, I might confess at this moment in time.
However, Christ reminds them to separate their hatred of the government, and
due the right thing. As we must give God his due (our prayers), we must give
the government their due (taxes, etc.), but this does not mean that we treat
the government as demi-gods, to put it one way, like politicians often think of
themselves. But rather that, we
give them what they are owed, no more and no less. The Pharisees were trying to trick Christ to say that you
must honor one or the other, when you can do both. We should be serving God and not man, however, that does not
mean that we do not have to pay our dues to the government that rules us. It is
only through God’s grace that he allows government to rule over man. The
government we have was established with recognition that it serves at His
pleasure. Its constitution establishes that people have rights endued them by
their Creator, not the government. It is with the authority of the people that
the government serves. It must exist to serve the people and God. It is not to
be a self-licking ice cream cone. Jesus told us to feed the poor people, not
create laws that took money from other people to do that purpose, of which he
commanded us to do.
The Collect, Epistle and Gospel
tie together, laying out, detailing and reinforcing the same message,
ultimately. We have to respect the
authorities that govern us, no matter how we disagree or dislike them, and
conduct ourselves like Christians. However, that does not mean that we replace
the rule of God with the rule of Man. Man’s laws should merely be a restatement
of God’s laws, not to replace God’s laws.
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
Twenty-Third
Sunday after Trinity
3 November
2013, Anno Domini
The
Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
|
O
|
God, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be
ready we beseech thee to hear
the devout prayers of they Church; and grant that those things which we ask
faithfully we may obtain; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The
Epistle
Philippians 3: 17-21
|
B
|
rethren, be followers together of me, and mark them
which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have
told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose
glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our citizenship is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who
shall change the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed unto the body
of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all
things unto himself.
The Gospel. St. Matthew xxii. 15
|
T
|
hen went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they
might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with
the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way
of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the
person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give
tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money.
And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto
him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore
unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are
God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him,
and went their way.
The Collect
prays that we ask out of faith that such petitions might be granted. But is it
possible to ask out of greed or jealousy as did the Pharisees and Herodians in
our Gospel today. Whether they knew it or not, their prayers of deception
were made to God (God the Son). The Herodians were those who supported the
Roman puppet king, Herod. But the Pharisees were vehemently opposed to Roman
rule. How could these two be allied against Christ. I believe it is because
both considered Christ a greater threat to the Roman rule (Herodians), or the
religious life (Pharisees) of Israel. Both wanted, above all else to preserve
their power over the people. But Christ came as the great Liberator. This, they
could not bear - and neither can the larger religious institutions, or
governmental powers, tolerate Christ today.
As our
Epistle so well points out, we have our citizenship in heaven, not in the dirty
and political premises of this world. Our motives should never be centered on
material prosperity, but spiritual enlightenment.
We read how
those wicked men of the Pharisees conspire with their mortal enemies, the
Herodians, to entangle Christ in His words and ministry.
Strange how
enemies can unite against One they consider of greater threat. They fear that
One who speaks truth cannot be bested by those whose works are fleshly.
They
fear their little positions of authority and seek to murder Him to whom ALL
truth and authority belongs.
It is a deaf EAR
they turn to the Gospel of Christ. They only seek something of which to charge
Him or of which to complain. They have witnessed more of His miracles of
healing, restoration to life, and acts of mercy than most of His own disciples,
yet, they fail to believe – WHY?
It is because
they refuse to believe!
Such contentious
ones have not the Mind and love of Christ in their hearts.
True love and
mercy are not divisible. That Love of Christ which we have received is
authenticated by that same love and compassion we show to one another.
Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5)
Where the
love of Christ is, there can be no division. Christ is not divided against
Himself! His Mind is also constant – the same yesterday, today, and forever.
They
cunningly say to Jesus: Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest
the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest
not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful
to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
Like good
politicians, these men will use deception, or even flattery, to ensnare a
good man.
We pay
tribute today in the form of taxes. Taxes are essential to provide those
limited government services necessary to ensure defense, order and a suitable
environment for trade. It is something we owe Caesar if we are to live
within the borders of his dominion.
If Christ
insists that we pay tribute to Caesar, He will have lost the support of the
people. But if He says that we should NOT, He incurs the wrath of Rome.
So how does
Christ respond to these scoundrels?
But
Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why
tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Christ never
hesitated to call a spade a spade.
He was not
very politically correct was He?
He then says:
19 Shew me the tribute money.
And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? In Rome, Caesar money, inscribed with his image,
was the coin of the realm. But are we not citizens of another kingdom.? Do we
not bear a dual citizenship? Though we must remain IN the world, we are not to
be part and party to it.
Ships are
wonderful vessels constructed for the purpose of bearing great burdens of
merchandise across the sea. They are, in fact, made to be in the sea. As long
as they travel in the sea, all is well. But when the sea gets into the ship,
tragedy stands at the door. Ships are like the church. The Church is made to
season the world and to be a sweet savor to it; but when the world gets into
the Church, it will lose its savor.
21 They
say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things
that are God's.
The image and
superscription of God: The Christian disciple is as silver, purified seven
times by the Refiner. He assume the image and likeness of His Lord. The silver
coin, once tamped by the authority of government, assumes the value that the
authority assigns by his stamp. So, too, does the Christian assume the
authority to teach the Word to all who will listen. The authoirity does not
reside in the coin, or in the disciple, but the authorizing power.
American
coinage is the only in the world that has consistently appealed to the trust of
God in its mintage. In God We Trust! In America, we the people
are Caesar.
We set our
rulers up, and we take them down by our exercise of the franchise. We can blame
no one for the ungodliness of our rulers…. but ourselves. We will always get
precisely the kind of ruler we deserve!
22 When
they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way The Words of God confuse the learned and the
deceitful. In His mouth there is no deceit nor shadow of turning.
Are we
citizens of God’s Kingdom?
Are we
stamped with His image of ownership and authority?
What must we
render unto God to receive that title of coinage of the realm? All of our
selves – our being and our daily currency should reflect His Image just as the
coin of the nation represents the image and authority of that nation.
When men know
you, may they also know Christ through you. I pray that the stamp of Christ is
apparent upon all who are within range of my voice today.
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.
Twenty-Third Sunday after
Trinity
In today’s Holy Gospel
lesson today (St. Matthew 22:15-22), our Lord was put upon by the Pharisees who tried
to coax him into making a seditious comment against the authority of Rome
saying, Master... we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in
truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of
men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto
Caesar, or not? This tactic is called damning with faint praise. If they had
really believed any of what they had said, they would have become disciples as
well. Instead, they sought trick him into making some pronouncement which they
could, in turn, use as the basis for his arrest by the Roman authorities.
Knowing their thoughts,
he simply responded to their query with the now famous remark of, Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things
that are God’s (St. Matthew 22:15-21). Such was not the answer they had hoped
to hear. John the Baptist had once referred to them a generation of vipers (St.
Matthew 3:6-7). They troubled the people of God then, and their successors are
with us today, engaging in the same sort of behavior, but this time within the
very body of the Church. As regenerate people in Christ, we are to resist them
and their master, the Devil (St. John 8:44; St. James 4:7). We are involved in
a great spiritual war that has been in progress for millennia. While our Lord
has won for us the victory at the cross, there still remain many battles for us
to fight as Christian soldiers. So, before going into combat, all good soldiers
need a lesson in enemy identification.
Throughout his earthly
ministry, our Lord had to deal with a cadre of so-to- speak “righteous men”
called the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and the Herodians. Said men were not
interested in seeking the truth of God as per his word written. They were only
concerned with that portion which had been edited and revised to suit their
understanding.
As to their
righteousness, our Lord advised his listeners in St. Matthew’s gospel, to
possess a level of such which exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees
(5:20). Later on in that gospel account (23:2-3), our Lord described their true
nature saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their
works: for they say, and do not.
It should be understood
that in the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry the scribes were those who knew
the Scriptures and could interpret them. In our time, such would correspond to
those well-heeled seminarian scholars and clergy of the modernist camp who
believe that only their understandings of the Scriptures are correct. They
often hold such views in spite of the actual truth which is found within the
Holy Bible, and they do not mind twisting the words of Scripture to suit their
pet positions (II St. Peter 3:15-16).
Over the past century
and a half, these modern-day scribes have developed new translations of the
Bible which have clouded men’s minds as they have crafted the sacred into
something that possesses but a hint of the divine as opposed to the pungent
odor of heretical apostasy contained therein. Their godless editing has clearly
violated the very words of our Lord who said, For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And
if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this book (Revelation 22:18-19).
The Rev. Matthew Henry
once noted concerning the previous passage, “This sanction is like a flaming
sword, to guard the canon of the scripture from profane hands. Such a fence as
this God set about the law and the whole Old Testament and now in the most
solemn manner about the whole Bible, assuring us that it is a book of the most
sacred nature, divine authority, and of lasting importance.” But to the devil’s
pawns, no godly boundary will be held inviolate. Thus ever have we had among us
those wicked scribes who would misrepresent the word of God much as their
father, Satan, did unto Eve in the Garden as well as those who sought to
denigrate our Lord and his message.
The Pharisees were those
Jews who outwardly observed the law but did not do so from the heart. This led
our Lord to condemn their externalism in religion as the leaven of the
Pharisees (St. Matthew 16:6). When we speak of Pharisees in today’s world we
are referring to anyone who says one thing about the Christian life but does
not live it. The contemporary Pharisee will show up for church on Sunday. He or
she may even teach Sunday school or sing in the choir. They may be active in
church leadership, serving on boards and vestries or even in the office of a
deacon, priest or bishop. Nevertheless, their hearts are not truly turned
toward God. Even though they know the Scriptures, they do not apply them in
their own lives. Our Lord’s admonition in St. Matthew 23:3 still rings true,
... but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
The Sadducees were a
party of the Jews who expressed skepticism of the supernatural and taught that
only the Pentateuch should be observed. In our world, such persons would be the
equivalent of those in the church who operate within its confines and enjoy its
benefits, all the while denying the truth of God’s power. These modern skeptics
are found in both the clergy and the laity. Their apostasy ranges from simple
denial of certain acts or occurrences as found in the Bible, to a blanket
rejection of all that is supernatural. They make a mock of God in their
supposed worship of him all the while denying that God has any real power in
their lives. They believe that the church is supposed to serve the social needs
of its members as well as advance a social gospel, as opposed to the biblical
gospel of our Lord.
The Herodians were
worldly Jews who supported King Herod and his father because of all the
temporal benefits they had procured from being favorites of the caesars. In
today’s world, they may or may not be connected with the religious order of the
church. They are found amongst the faithful much as tares are found among the
wheat. They have no time for the spiritual (St. Matthew 13:38). They are only
interested in worldly pursuits (St. Matthew 22:16-21 and St. Mark 3:6) which
they try to incorporate into the life of the church .
E.M. Bounds once
observed in his important work Spiritual Warfare (which I will paraphrase) that
we should not be surprised that Satan would mobilize against believing
Christians and faithful churches using his elite cadre of modern- day
Herodians. And those churches that fall under their influence will face the
distinct possibility of spiritual ruin on account of , 1) activities such as
greed for gain: wherein the people are trained to be “money-getters and
money-keepers;” 2) hypocritical Christian education: wherein the Word of God is
treated with skepticism and Christian faith is diminished thereby; 3) luring
with lusts: wherein Christians are tempted to satisfy their passions through a
twisting of God’s word so that they call good evil and evil good; and 4)
spiritual grand larceny: where the Devil is permitted to snatch from men’s minds
any truth of Christ which had been superficially received due to a watering
down of biblical truth.
Our Lord knew that we
would face these pawns of the wicked one when he advised us to beware of:
1) false prophets: who
are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing (St. Matthew 7:15);
2) the leaven of the
Pharisees and Sadducees: which is their destructive doctrines and traditions
that have corrupted the Christian faith (St. Matthew 16:6);
3) the scribes: whose
outward dress and demeanor afforded them prominence and access to power over
the property of others (St. Luke 20:46).
The apostles also warned
us to watch out for:
1) those who are enemies
of the cross of Christ: who are of the flesh and mind earthly things (Philippians
3:17-19);
2) those who are out to
convert as many as they can through human philosophy and vain deceit: inducing
them to follow the traditions of men and the rudiments of this world, and not
after Christ (Colossians 2:8); and
3) those who will
attempt lead away true believers into the error of the wicked and from their
steadfastness in Christ (II St. Peter 3:17).
And so, when we are
confronted with these modern-day versions of the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees
and Herodians, we should resist them using those weapons which God has provided
us in his word written. We have been supplied for our protection the armor of
truth and righteousness, the grieves and boots of the gospel of peace, the
shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is
the very word of God. Our armor is bolstered by our fervent prayers and
supplications in the Holy Ghost and our perseverance in the faith (Ephesians
6:10-18).
As St. Jude once advised us, ...ye should earnestly contend for the faith which
was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in
unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ (St. Jude 3b-4).
Unfortunately, a cursory
survey of mainline Christianity will reveal that there is little interest in
following the apostle’s advice. There has been no real effort by any of those
churches to return to the truth of God’s word. Quite the contrary, there has
been an astronomical red-shift away from biblical Christianity. We are thus
witnessing the truth of St. Paul’s prophetic pronouncement in II Thessalonians
wherein he penned the following: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day [the return of the Lord] shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed... (2:3).
This falling away is a
reference to the period of apostasy that will precede the second coming of our
Lord. And such is confirmed by our Lord when he said, ... Nevertheless when the
Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (St. Luke 18:8b). Matthew
Henry noted concerning that verse, “The question implies a strong negation. NO,
he will not find [faith on the earth]... When Christ comes, he will find but
little faith in comparison with what one might expect. He will find but few
good people. Many will have a form and fashion of godliness, but few who will
possess a faith that is sincere and honest. In particular, he will find few who
will have faith concerning his coming.”
The apostle St. John
observed in Revelation 3:17 what the members of the Laodicean church will say,
I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not
that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Think on
that verse for a moment. Those denominations of apostate /Laodicean
Christianity have been influenced by the modern-day scribes, Pharisees,
Sadducees and Herodians to believe that all is well with them. They have not
been taught the truth of God’s word written concerning their need for
repentance. And such is largely on account of the fact that they have been
schooled to accept a false universalism. For them, no biblically proscribed
behavior is truly abominable as they are merely personal lifestyle choices
which must be respected and accepted within the body of the church. You cannot
say then that a personal choice with regard to a particular lifestyle is, after
all, sinful because that would be mean-spirited and offensive.
Note the words of our
Lord concerning the religious and cultural elites (St.
Matthew 23:4),
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s
shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
And in the same chapter at verse 13 we read, But woe onto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye
neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
And, finally in verse 16, he calls them ...blind guides. Of truth, they have
been blinded by Satan as St. Paul noted in II Corinthians 4:3, 4, But if our
gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel should shine unto them.
Our duty as regenerated
believers in Christ Jesus is to proclaim the gospel truth to all who are about
us as God gives us leave to do. We can do nothing with the apostates around us
much as our Lord made no attempt to do anything about the scribes, Pharisees,
Sadducees and Herodians apart from rebuking them. We can and should witness to
them as the occasion permits, but we are not to pursue them apart from a divine
turning of themselves (II St. Timothy 2:24-26). That would be as our
Lord said, casting your pearls before swine (St. Matthew 7:6). And so beware of these
folk who hold the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18), who have a form of
godliness but deny the power thereof, from such turn away (II St.
Timothy 3:5).
The sad picture of our Lord’s place in the apostate/Laodicean church is found
in Revelation 3:20a wherein he said, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Let
that not be said of us in this church, therefore let us earnestly contend for
the faith by rejecting all false doctrine and teaching and by avoiding the
unequal yoke with those who feign to be true and faithful Christians but live
in disobedience to the Christian ethos (II Corinthians 6:14-18).
Let us pray:
|
F
|
ather, assist us in our daily
efforts to resist the wiles of our adversary and maintain ourselves as faithful
servants unto thee: unashamed of our walk and work; and grant that we might not
fall prey to those who use the name of Christ as a mask all the while denying
him before men; and this we ask in the name of him who is truly our Saviour,
Redeemer and friend, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week, Bryan+
Retirement
DATE: 31
October 2013 (Reformation Day)
TO: Friends
and Family The Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
SUBJECT: Retirement
of Mrs. Paulette Ratcliff
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. (Matt 25:21)
It falls my lot today, as your Bishop, to
announce the bittersweet news of the retirement of a most devoted, loyal, and
fervent servant of the Lord from the National Staff of our Church – Mrs.
Paulette Ratcliff. Today will mark the end of many long years of service during
which Paulette worked for wages far below that for which she was accustomed
before her previous retirement as Secretary to the CEO of Blue Cross/Blue
Shield of Michigan. Her labors were of love and not compensation of any sort.
In that respect, she followed in the footsteps of her blessed mother, Mrs.
Betty Thomas, who likewise contributed long hours of labor to the National
Office of the AOC free gratis.
As all of you who receive the periodical photo
journals of the AOC will attest, Paulette's work is unsurpassed for technical,
and more importantly, spiritual, merit. Such a friend, sister, and professional
as Paulette cannot be replaced. She has endeared herself into the hearts of all
who are associated with the AOC.
The scripture verse appended below the subject
line above seems a bit too final to ascribe to Paulette, for she continues, and
ever will continue, in the service of the Lord. The burning lights of love
cannot be extinguished by any change of lamp stand, and Paulette will continue
to burn brightly that Light of Jesus wherever she may be found in future years.
We love Paulette and will miss her daily smile and help, but she will not go
far away. We will yet see her at church gatherings, along with our good friend,
Johnie (Paulette's devoted husband) over coming years.
I have been personally assured by Paulette that
she will be available to lend her support and counsel for any extraordinary
challenges which the Church may face in future years.
Thank you, Sister Paulette Ratcliff, for
continuing to be the friend and sister with whom God has so graciously blessed
us in the AOC.
In Christ,
Jerry L. Ogles
Presiding Bishop & Metropolitan
The Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
The
Doctrine Of Baptism - Bishop James Parker Dees – Founding Bishop
- AOC
The doctrines of
baptism, baptismal regeneration, infant baptism, and related subjects are one
of the divisive factors between many good Christian people who otherwise would
be much closer together. Our
doctrine of baptism is one that we think is biblical and meaningful and true
and, when participated in in faith, is productive of spiritual regeneration.
We recognize that probably there are some people in some churches who
hold to the concept that going through the outward form of baptism is
sufficient to procure one's soul's salvation eternally. We do not. We believe unequivocally in the biblical doctrine of salvation
which is given by the grace of God as we receive His Holy Spirit which He gives
to us on account of our faith in Him and in His dear Son, Christ our Lord. Jesus' blood shed on the cross for our
redemption effects the regeneration of the natural man from the fallen world
into the realm of the Kingdom of God .
Our Lord said, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the
Kingdom of God ," and "Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God ." We hold fast to this and to the great
Pauline and Augustinian and Lutheran doctrine of salvation by faith alone,
justification sola fide. The
outward act of baptism does not procure one's regeneration and justification,
but it is an outward evidence of the faith resident in the inner man which is
acceptable with God, and which God is pleased to bless with His Spirit which
brings with it regeneration.
In the Old Testament, circumcision was the sign of the covenantal union
between God and His people. By virtue
of the parents' faith, their male children were circumcised at the age of eight
days. It is obvious that at this
age the child was unable to express any faith, and thus, they were included in
the covenant mercies of God by virtue of the parents' faith. Under the new covenant, baptism
represents this union. A great
number of the early Christians came from a Jewish background. It is inconceivable that there would
not have been considerable turmoil if the sign of the new covenant relationship
had excluded the youngest and very special members of their families. The fact
that there is no record of contention regarding this issue is evidence by its
absence that early Christian baptism included infants.
In addition, there are several incidents in the New Testament in which
we are told that an individual was baptized along with his whole house. Cornelius, the Philippian jailor, and
Lydia are examples. It is a
reasonable assumption that children were included in the household. There are also scriptural examples of
divine intervention in the lives of children on the basis of the faith of their
parents; the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman, the nobleman's son, and the
lunatic son being examples.
On Pentecost at the end of his sermon, St. Peter said, "Repent, and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to
your children" (Acts
2:38,39).
If we believe in the value or efficacy of intercessory prayer in other
circumstances, there is no logical reason to exclude it in the case of infant
baptism. We believe that God hears
and answers the prayers of Christian parents by giving His Holy Spirit in a
special way to the child who is baptized.
It is then the obligation of the parents and godparents to bring up the
child in a Christian context with a view toward coming to Christ through
faith. The child must later accept
or ratify this faith for himself, and he indicates this outwardly at confirmation
when he takes upon himself the promises made on his behalf at his baptism.
The Church in
North Korea - Angela Lu
Persecution - Freedom in the world’s darkest corner
As Western believers pray for the persecuted church,
North Korean Christians pray for their ‘free’ brothers and sisters to realize
God is all they need |
One of the first things Eric Foley, the co-founder of
Seoul USA, learned about the North Korean underground church is that it is not
a group to be pitied. About 10 years ago Foley asked a member of the
underground church how he could pray for them. He recalls the North Korean’s
response, “You, pray for us? We pray for you … because South Korean and
American churches believe challenges in the Christian faith are solved by
money, freedom, and politics. It’s only when all you have is God do you
realize God is all you need.”
Foley estimates about 100,000 Christians live in
North Korea, with about a third of them in concentration camps. Unlike the
Chinese underground church, North Korean Christians can’t risk gathering
together because spies are everywhere. Instead, they worship in their own
household or in the common areas, like while walking down the road out of
earshot.
As North Korea fell under Communist rule after World
War II, Christians realized they would soon face intense persecution. Some
escaped to South Korea, where they could worship freely, but those who stayed
chose four foundational pillars of Christianity they could pass on to future
generations: theology through the Apostle’s Creed, prayer through the Lord’s
Prayer, ethics through the Ten Commandments, and worship through the Lord’s
supper. At least one of these elements is present in each of the North Korean
underground churches.
No comments:
Post a Comment