Verse of the Day

Sunday, March 23, 2014

The Third Sunday in Lent

A house divided against a house falleth.
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 –

Two wars necessitated vast curtailments of liberty, and we have grown, though grumblingly, accustomed to our chains. The increasing complexity and precariousness of our economic life have forced Government to take over many spheres of activity once left to choice or chance. Our intellectuals have surrendered first to the slave-philosophy of Hegel, then to Marx, finally to the linguistic analysts.

As a result, classical political theory, with its Stoical, Christian, and juristic key-conceptions (natural law, the value of the individual, the rights of man), has died. The modern State exists not to protect our rights but to do us good or make us good — anyway, to do something to us or to make us something. Hence the new name ‘leaders’ for those who were once ‘rulers’. We are less their subjects than their wards, pupils, or domestic animals. There is nothing left of which we can say to them, ‘Mind your own business.’ Our whole lives are their business.

I write ‘they’ because it seems childish not to recognize that actual government is and always must be oligarchical. Our effective masters must be more than one and fewer than all. But the oligarchs begin to regard us in a new way.
C. S. Lewis
Willing Slaves of the Welfare State
The Observer July 20, 1958

The world and our country is changing; the key to all this is as General Dwight D. Eisenhower said late on the evening before D-Day, “It is not that God is on our side; it is that we are on God’s side.”  We must make this our personal statement and that of the AOC.

Have you ever noticed how statists are constantly “reforming” their own handiwork? Education reform. Health-care reform. Welfare reform. Tax reform. The very fact they’re always busy ”reforming” is an implicit admission that they didn’t get it right the first 50 times.
Lawrence W Reed

TO MARY WILLIS SHELBURNE: On disagreeable, nasty people; and on avoiding obsessing about their bullying.
10 March 1954

I am sorry things are not better. I am very puzzled by people like your Committee Secretary, people who are just nasty. I find it easier to understand the great crimes, for the raw material of them exists in us all; the mere disagreeableness which seems to spring from no recognisable passion is mysterious. (Like the total stranger in a train of whom I once asked ‘Do you know when we get to Liverpool’ and who replied ‘I’m not paid to answer your questions: ask the guard’). I have found it more among boys than anyone else. That makes me think it really comes from inner insecurity—a dim sense that one is Nobody, a strong determination to be Somebody, and a belief that this can be achieved by arrogance. Probably you, who can’t hit back, come in for a good deal of resentful arrogance aroused by others on whom she doesn’t vent it, because they can. (A bully in an Elizabethan play, having been sat on by a man he dare not fight, says ‘I’ll go home and beat all my servants’). But I mustn’t encourage you to go on thinking about her: that, after all, is almost the greatest evil nasty people can do us—to become an obsession, to haunt our minds. A brief prayer for them, and then away to other subjects, is the thing, if one can only stick to it. I hope the other job will materialise. . . .

I too had mumps after I was grown up. I didn’t mind it as long as I had the temperature: but when one came to convalescence and a convalescent appetite and even thinking of food started the salivation and the pain—ugh! I never realised ‘the disobedience in our members’ so clearly before [Romans 7:23]. Verily ‘He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it, hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart’ (or in his glands) [Matthew 5:28].

I shall wait anxiously for all your news, always praying not only for a happy issue but that you may be supported in all interim anxieties.
Jack Lewis
The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III

Right and Wrong are not a matter to vote on or calculate the monetary cost thereof
Caspian [said], “I want to know why you have permitted this abominable and unnatural traffic in slaves to grow up here, contrary to the ancient custom and usage of our dominions.”

“Necessary, unavoidable,” said his Sufficiency. “An essential part of the economic development of the islands, I assure you. Our present burst of prosperity depends on it.”

 “What need have you of slaves?”

 “For export, your Majesty. Sell ’em to Calormen mostly; and we have other markets. We are a great center of the trade.”

 “In other words,” said Caspian, “you don’t need them. Tell me what purpose they serve except to put money into the pockets of such as Pug?”

 “Your Majesty’s tender years,” said Gumpas, with what was meant to be a fatherly smile, “hardly make it possible that you should understand the economic problem involved. I have statistics, I have graphs, I have—”

 “Tender as my years may be,” said Caspian, “I believe I understand the slave trade from within quite as well as your Sufficiency. And I do not see that it brings into the islands meat or bread or beer or wine or timber or cabbages or books or instruments of music or horses or armor or anything else worth having. But whether it does or not, it must be stopped.”

 “But that would be putting the clock back,” gasped the governor. “Have you no idea of progress, of development?”

 “I have seen them both in an egg,” said Caspian. “We call it ‘Going Bad’ in Narnia. This trade must stop.”
CS Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

In the cold, dark winter of our souls, God sent Light and warmth to us in the Person of His Beloved Son, Jesus, knowing full well that His Son would be murdered by the keepers of the vineyard. How could God send His Beloved as a ransom for the miserable and stubborn creatures that rebelled time and again against his Sovereignty? There is only one explanation— unmerited Love and Grace!
Jerry L. Ogles
Presiding Bishop 20th and 21st century Anglican Orthodox Church World Wide

The illusion of international law is pervasive. It tells us that the world does not have to work the way that it really does if only we hold hands, think good thoughts and pledge to wage war no more. Its advocates pretend to be sober and sensible, but they might as well be counterculture hippies trying to levitate the Pentagon. There is no exit strategy from reality. The moral high ground is no substitute for battleships and peace doesn’t come from pieces of paper, but from weapons and men willing to use them.
Daniel Greenfield
21st century American commentator
(The End of International Law, 3-16-2014)

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
II St. Timothy 3:1

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
II St. Peter 1:16
Propers
Each Sunday there are Propers: special prayers and readings from the Bible.  There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding. 

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

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

The Propers for today are found on Page 128-130, with the Collect first:

The Third Sunday in Lent.
The Collect.
W

E beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.
The Collect.

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

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

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came from the Fifth Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse. He echoes the  advice of St. James in his general epistle to be Christians, not just claim to be followers of Christ, when James wrote, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

B
E ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Hap Arnold read this morning’s Gospel which comes from the Eleventh Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke beginning at the Fourteenth Verse.

J
ESUS was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

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. 

Consider these words from the Collect:

… look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies …

In the Collect, we ask God look in to our hearts, see our desire to be His children and defend us against evil.

Today’s Epistle and Gospel share the same theme.  You must walk the talk.  

Thus, when Paul tell us to live our lives as we represent our desires to God, he tells us to make our actions match our stated desires.  Actions! Not just Dictions, but Actions! There can be a distinct difference between the two.

Think about the Gospel.

It is very important to be unified in our worship and maintain mutual support; a team always beats individuals.  That is not to take away from individuality, but rather to note that we need to remember whose side we are on and work together with our teammates.

There are two phrases particularly worth remembering, “a house divided against a house falleth” and “He that is not with me is against me.”  Middle ground exists, but it is quicksand.  Any feeling of safety there is illusory.  We must take sides.  And, we cannot keep with those who oppose the side we choose.  It is the natural part of the history of the Bible. We have to choose to follow God, as there is no other reasonable option which will give us the result following God will result in. We must decide who we will follow. One man cannot serve two masters, also fits here I find. We cannot say we love and serve one side, but serve another truly. We have to choose which one we are going to love or serve, God or mammon (things of this earth/Satan).  We cannot be wishy-washy here, we must take a stand and declare it unto the world, and let them know that we are not for their ways, but we are against their ways. We have to make it crystal clear in our actions, to tie it into the theme of acting. We have to let our faith shine in word and in deed to make it count. We do not have true faith if we do not act upon the words that we speak on our lips, of believing in Christ and His Father.

Christ himself came not to unite the world, but to divide it, father against son. He came to divide, that is that we would choose the opposite side of the world, which for them is mammon, and our side is that of God and righteousness. He came to light up the world that was for Him, and that which was against Him, to identify friend from foe.

You must keep constant vigilance against backsliding, for a fallen Christian is in worse shape than one who was never exposed to The Word.  The Epistle and Gospel both talk about the curious dichotomy; you are saved by faith, your faith alone saves you, not what you do; yet if you have faith, you must act on that faith. 

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and repent of the sins of your former life, you are forgiven of your sins.  But, you must understand, this is not a signal to keep on sinning and keep on saying you repent.  You must truly change a new leaf and start on the new course of life with Christ, and not slip back into the old man. You must receive the Word, hear it, and act upon it and spread it joyously to others, in order for your faith to have any meaning at all. Otherwise we will have been for the worse than if we never had heard the Good News. It is not a gift to selfishly lock up, but to share and give to others. That is the true joy of the Good News. It is most certainly more blessed to give than to receive in this case.

You must grasp that your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your savior and your repentance is the beginning of your life as a New Man in Jesus. 

Will you slip?  Without doubt.  But, when you do, will you again repent and continue to do your best to follow the Word of God, the Light and the Truth?  Indeed, if you are a Christian that is what you must do.  We will always slip up in our lives, that is in our fallen nature. But we have to get up and get back on track, using the Holy Gospel to guide us like the instruments in an aircraft.  We cannot trust our feeling, but only our instruments (God’s gift of Holy Scripture).  You are called to believe and act on those beliefs to the best of your ability.  If you do not, then prepared as you were for life, you will so be prepared for the pit.  As you read Luke, remember the second half of the Book of Luke is The ACTS of the Apostles, not thoughts, wishes, prayers or meditations.

For, “blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

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
Third Sunday in Lent
23 March 2014, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

The Third Sunday in Lent.
The Collect.
W

E beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.
The Collect.

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

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

Gospel of St Luke 11:14-27

J
ESUS was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Christ presents to our hearts, minds, and eyes a very stark lesson on the power of sin, darkness and death.

14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

A person is possessed of a devil, or evil spirit. This person has all his faculties of speech and communication, but the presence of an invited and evil guest into his heart has deprived him of the ability to use his God-given powers to speak and to communicate. It happened 2,000 years ago, and it has been happening in all intervening times to include the modern day.

Note the wonder of the people at the restoration to health of the formerly possessed person. The world is always surprised and misinterprets the works of God.

When we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we are strengthened against the Arch Enemy of our Souls – the Devil!

Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

However, when we have a divided heart to admit even a small and cherished sin to remain in our hearts, it will grow and take possession of the whole organ.

Allowed sin always masters a man in time. The man may loathe his master, yet he obeys him; he may fear his master, yet still he does his hateful bidding.

Light always overcomes darkness because light is a positive value. Darkness has no real force. It is the absence of virtue – of righteousness. Even a tiny candle will dispel a roomful of darkness.  But we must light the candle!

God has given us His Word to light our way and illumine our dark hearts.

Ps 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

The modern church seeks signs and wonders! They must have always some present wonder and presumed miraculous sign to legitimize their faith, but what saith Christ?

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 2  He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

We have been provided enough evidence for our faith and more in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – a well-documented historical event of history.

The doubters accused Christ of using the power of Beelzebub to cast out devils.

What does this term, BEELZEBUB, mean? Lord of the flies – another word for DEVIL.

When a dead body, or even excrement, is exposed to the light of day, flies cover it and lay their eggs thereon. Later, maggots appear on the dead.

These unbelieving and wicked observers accuse Christ of bringing a lower form of life from filth. But Christ never resurrected maggots, but totally restored and healthy human beings. His power was the Creative Power that created man in the first occasion in Eden.

BEELZEBUB:
The Lord of the Flies” is a book by British novelist William Golding and, for some reason, is required reading in most American schools.

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a sordid tale about a group of kids who are stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes.

The story is set during the Atomic War and plenty of references are made to the fact. However, the real key to the story lies in the role of Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies. Beelzebub has a central role in the story as he represents the Beast, or evil, that dwells within all humans.

The Beast cannot be hunted and since it dwells within all humans, humans are all guilty because mankind is sick.

The destruction of mankind is a point that Golding makes apparent often in this novel. He establishes early on that Beelzebub is a force within all humans that drives them to destroy and maim. (a perfect description of Satan as well as the sinful nature in all men and women born upon this earth)

Simon, a loner who knows that the evil in every man’s heart can only be fought by reason and virtue is murdered sadistically by all the others.

This book is an unhealthy book for one primary reason:

It ignores the God Equation and offers a human, rather than a spiritual, remedy.

17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

Christ knows our hearts. He sees our nakedness always. Nothing is hidden from Him –even our thoughts and motives are revealed as a book written.
Christ says: “…..a house divided against a house falleth”

If you ask the average historian who said this, they would tell you, Abraham Lincoln; but, today few realize that Lincoln was simply paraphrasing the Bible.

It is ridiculous to allege that good can result from the spirit of evil.

19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

I was once involved with a local Korean minister who desperately wanted to acquire a new building for the church, but he did not want to inform the people of the plan. He knew, since they were paying for the building, that they might object to the cost. I advised him to inform the people and conduct prayer services to determine the Will of the Lord in the matter and to enlist the support of the people.

He became upset with me and later told a mutual friend: “That brother Jerry is good man, but He too much Bible!”

No one has ever, before, or after, paid me such an unintended compliment.

When you launch out courageously into the deep waters of God’s Word, there will always be the nay-sayers who gather to condemn you and impute false motive to your seeking. But, just as Father Noah did, keep building the Ark of Hope and Faith.

20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

Compare with Luke 9:49-50
 49. And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. (Luke 9:49-50)

If a Roman Catholic minister stands and condemns homosexual marriage and abortion of innocents, will we today stone him for being a Roman Catholic?

This might be Christ’s response to the book, Lord of the Flies -

24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

We are unable to clean and garnish our own hearts. This is the work of God, through His Word, and the working of the Holy Spirit.

If we renounce our sin of lust and greed, and remove them from our repertoire of sins, soon a greater and more wicked bag of sins will inhabit the place left vacant.

God’s Word, being Light, is necessary to dispel the darkness from our hearts. We are unable of our own strength and merit.

The book which I mentioned, obviates this principle and would leave men more destitute of virtue than before the attempted amendment.

If we have not yet surrendered our souls, unconditionally, to Christ, we are set for a  fall to a lower point than before our feeble resolution to better ourselves.

Human reason is not the answer. We need God in our lives. We need His Word in our hearts. We need the old heart regime to be filled with goodness – not simply devoid of evil.

A vacuum always draws on the environment. It always seeks to be filled. If we presumably empty our hearts of evil, we cannot keep them empty. Something will force its way in and occupy by force our Soul’s bastion. But if Christ resides there, there will be no room for the devil.

     27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Christ is not interested in elevating our human image – He seeks to alter it completely – to restore it to His own intents and purposes evidenced in the Garden at Eden.

Hearing and knowing God’s Word is not enough for as James has said:

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:19-20)

Saving Faith will always be reflected in our daily lives – the things we say and do, the manner in which we love and respond to those in great distress.

Remember that the Love of Christ was not simply a fondness, but a sacrificial, compassionate love that always expressed itself in action. When He saw, He had compassion.

Let us do likewise.
       
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor - St. Paul's Anglican Church - Anglican Orthodox Church
Bishop Roy is pastor of the biggest AOC parish West of the Mississippi and is in charge of the Diocese of the MidAmerica. 

Third Sunday in Lent
23 March 2014

There was no sermon from Bishop Roy as Bishop Jerry is visiting to attend an open house for Roy’s parish and he delivered the sermon.

But, there is something to be done here; Bishop Roy asks that each of you pray for St. Paul's Anglican Church in Moberly, Missouri to reach in to their community and deliver the gospel to those in whose lives it is missing, to help the injured and become a beacon for the Gospel not only in their area, but to the ends of the world that all might come to know Christ.  They realize that is a tall request; but if you don’t aim high, you fall short.
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:

Savouring Christ
Psalm 34, Zechariah 1:1-17, Mark 8:27-9:1
Third Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2014

Thou savourest not the things that be of God.”  How those words must have stung Peter.  He had left status and prosperity to sleep on the ground, go hungry, and eventually die on a cross for Jesus.  I can almost hear Peter thinking, “I have sacrificed everything for You, and You say I savour not the things of God?  What more do I have to do?  What more can I give?  If I savour not the things of God, no one does.  If I savour not the things of God, then savouring the things of God is impossible.”  But Peter lived two thousand years ago.  He lived in another era, and another culture. Why should we care about him or what he savoured?  Because if Peter, who sacrificed so much and knew so much about God, savourest not the things of God, maybe it is possible for people today to think we are following God, and yet savour not the things of God.  Maybe it is possible for people today, maybe even some of us, to know the Bible, know theology, have all the right answers about religion, and yet savour not the things of God.  And, maybe it is possible that some of us do savour the things of God, but want to excel in it still more. So today let’s talk about savouring Christ.

The first things we can say is that to savour Christ is to delight in Christ.  Every cook knows about savoury.  It’s a spice, native to Europe and highly valued for seasoning foods.  People once liked savoury so much they used its name to describe any food that smelled or tasted good.  They even used it to describe people, as in, unsavoury character.  So to savour something is to find great pleasure in it.  It is to delight in it, and place great value on it.  To savour Christ, then, is to find our pleasure in Him, delight in Him, and place great value on Him.  He Himself tells us just what this means. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

That word, “mind” is especially relevant to this subject because to savour Christ is to be of like mind with Him.  The word Jesus used in Mark 8:33 is the same word Paul used in 2 Corinthians 13:11, which says, “be of one mind.”  So Christ is talking here about being in agreement with Christ. That’s where Peter had problems.  Peter thought he was following General Jesus, not Saviour Jesus.  When Jesus told him about the cross, Peter said, “You can’t die on a cross, General.  You’re going to lead the war that makes Israel a world empire.”  Peter’s mind was at odds with the mind of Christ.  And don’t we often have the same problem?  Don’t we also imagine things about Christ, and accept them as Gospel truth?  There have been several movements among theologians to re-write the Bible.  The people involved simply remove the words of Scripture they don’t like, and re-edit the Bible to present a Jesus more in accord with their views of what they think He should have been and should have said and done.  One of these groups was called the Jesus Seminar and consisted of people with doctor’s degrees from all the right schools, who held high level seminars in which they told each other how intelligent they were and how much better they knew Jesus than Paul and John and Peter knew Him.  But you don’t have to be a theologian or go to their seminars to re-make Jesus.  You can do that at home, with no theology degree, and little knowledge of the Bible.  In fact, the less you know about the Bible and the real Jesus, the easier it is to make up your own Jesus.

So how do we become like minded with Christ?  We must accept Him as He is, not as we want Him to be.  We have to accept Jesus as He is revealed in the Bible.  If you want to grow in Christ, and excel still more in savouring Christ, seek Him in the Bible.  Let the Bible dwell in you richly.  Feed on the milk of the word, and on its strong meat.  Then you will know Christ as He really is, and knowing Him as He really is, you cannot help savouring Him.

To savour Christ we must focus on Christ.  Peter was focused on Peter.  He wanted Israel to be free of the Romans.  He wanted peace in his homeland.  He wanted the Jews to be able to keep what they earned, rather than pay heavy, heavy taxes to the Romans.  Don’t we sometimes make the same mistake?  Aren’t we often so focused on our desires that even when we call upon God it is to convince Him to give us the things we want?  I’m not talking about the prayer of faith that lays our needs before God and trusts Him to provide for us.  That kind of prayer is God focused.  I am talking about being so focused on our needs God becomes more of a magic genie than our Lord and God.  That kind of prayer is entirely self-oriented.  It is actually not prayer at all.  And in this busy world, so many things demand our attention that we hardly have time for God.  At least, that is what we tell ourselves.  The words, “Be still, and know that I am God,” seem to speak to a special need of our era.  1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have the mind of Christ.  It is right here in this book, the Holy Bible.  Let those who would savour Christ savour His word.

To savour Christ is to be inclined towards Him.  This is something like focusing on Christ, and yet it is different.  It means we are going to focus on Christ and we are going to incline our hearts and minds and lives in His direction so that our course of life is to move toward Him.  When I was a child people often used the word “inclined” to indicate the direction of their thoughts.  “I’m inclined to agree with you,” was a common phrase.  That’s the way I’m using it now.  I’m saying we need to incline ourselves to agree with Jesus.  We need to incline ourselves to move toward Him.  We often ask God to incline Himself toward us.  ‘Incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words,” we say with David in Psalm 17:6.  Let us also say what he wrote in Psalm 119:112, “I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statues alway, even unto the end.”  Then we will savour Christ.”
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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.

Third Sunday in Lent

In his first epistle to the church at Corinth, St. Paul penned the following: I thank my God always... for the grace... which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him... so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord... (1:4-8). It should be understood that those who are indwelt by the Spirit of God have been given spiritual gifts which God in his infinite wisdom saw fit to endow them with for their work in his service. It should be further understood, that all who are filled with the Holy Ghost have been regenerated and become new creatures in Christ. And as new creatures in Christ, they will seek to do his will through the keeping of God’s commandments.

In our gospel lesson (St. Luke 11) we read where a woman called out to our Lord saying, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked (v.27), to which our Lord replied, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it (v.28). The clearest presentation of God’s expectation for us is found in Exodus 20:1-17, for there we find the Ten Commandments. These were written in stone by the very finger of God himself (Exodus 31:18). And even though the commandments are recited as part of our service of the Lord’s Supper; still, it is fitting that in this season of Lent that the church should hear an exposition of the Ten Commandments for the edification of all.

As Christians, we have been commanded to, love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deuteronomy 6:5). When we speak of loving God, we first have to recognize the reality of God. The First Commandment sets forth his existence. He alone is God, and we are to have no other gods before him. That has more to it than meets the eye. Some will claim that God exists, but then they create other gods such as their jobs, lifestyles, philosophies of life, sports teams, etc. And therein lies the problem because anything which one puts ahead of God becomes their true god. In keeping this commandment, we must not only accept that God is, we must accept his word written. If one has other things that are more influential— which command greater respect and allegiance— then such a person is in violation of this commandment.

The Second Commandment prohibits the making and worshiping of graven images. While similar in tone to the previous commandment, it nevertheless condemns the formulation of any image of the divine for the purposes of worship. Remember what the children of Israel did with the golden calf (Exodus 32:1-6). They credited that idol with their deliverance out of the hands of pharaoh. And very many Christians, past and present, have broken this commandment as well. Even a cursory reading of this commandment makes it clear that any statue, icon, image or impression which is held up and revered, is just as much an idol as those produced by pagan humanity for their worship. These are hard words for many because they cling to a man-made tradition that originated shortly after the creation of the Christian Church. Said tradition requires its adherents to worship, venerate and adore those artifices of human construction so named above as if they possessed some divine nature worthy of adoration. The devil loves to subvert the word of God with the word of man acting in the place of God and represented as being from God.

The Third Commandment condemns the use of God’s name in a vain or frivolous manner. God desires for us to call upon his name in our public worship of him and in our private devotions to him. But what he will not tolerate are the ways his name has been trashed in our public discourse. Have you noticed that there is hardly a movie or tv production today that does not violate this commandment? In fact, it is a rare event indeed to attend a public gathering and not hear someone uttering a curse which includes the name of God. If we love our heavenly Father, why then would we misuse his name and make it into a curse against others? How is our love for him, who gave his only begotten Son to be crucified on our behalf, revealed in that sort of behavior? Job’s wife wanted him to curse God and die for well they knew that such was worthy of death. But Job did not sin with his lips against God (Job 2:9-10). And if we have been regenerated by the Holy Ghost, we will heed this commandment and not take the name of our God in vain.

The Fourth Commandment calls on each of us to keep holy the sabbath day. God desires that we should pause and reflect on the good which he has done for us. It is not a day to fulfill our lusts and worldly pursuits. Unfortunately, that is not what a growing number of people do today. Ambrose Bierce once penned in his profane dictionary the way the unregenerate treated this commandment when he quipped: “Work not on sabbath days at all, but go to see the teams play ball.” How does such behavior honor God and increase our fellowship with him? If we are truly born-again, we will honor God by being present in his house on the Christian sabbath to worship him, and afterwards, to rest and consider all that he has done for us. Have you been clothed, fed, and sheltered, then give thanks to God because it all came from him. Keep his day holy.
The Fifth Commandment calls on each of us to honor our parents and includes the promise: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. God expects us to honor him as our heavenly Father, and as he has appointed our parents over us, we are to honor them as well. Godly obedience requires us to be respectful and honorable souls at all times remembering to whom we are accountable. Willing obedience is rewarded of God with long life and good health.

The literal rendering of the Sixth Commandment is: Thou shalt do no murder which prohibits the taking of human life without just cause. God made this clear to Noah when he said, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man (Genesis 9:6). Murder may take many forms. Abortion is the systematic murder of the unborn in the womb. The womb is the place where new life is formed and sustained. Abortion makes this place of life’s beginning to be the foyer of a tomb rather than the entry way to a productive life. Likewise, suicide, or self-murder, is, in some cases, beyond the sanction of God. Murder in every case, therefore, is man playing God, for only God alone decides the time of our birth and our death. The regenerate person will respect the lives of others and will not take human life without a reasonable and proper justification. One may take the life of another in necessary self-defense, or in defense of others, or while participating in a just war against tyranny or aggression, or while acting in the capacity of authorized officer of the state in executing its lawful acts (Romans 13:1-10). We should bear in mind that even contemplating the death of an enemy is a violation of this commandment because murder first begins in the heart before it ever comes to pass in reality (St. Matthew 15:19).

The Seventh Commandment condemns all extramarital relationships and behaviors. God created the institution of marriage, and this commandment protects the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4). Further, it was given to protect the family and especially the children who are supposed to be the products of a godly union before him. The wails and cries of those who, in our time, have been affected by the dissolution of marriages, as well as those who were born outside the bonds of marriage into fragmented households, must be deafening in heaven. And God, long ago, condemned adultery and fornication precisely because of the misery that they inflict on all involved. God did not create marriage and the family to have them destroyed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. The family is supposed to be a place of refuge from the ills of this world; but it cannot be so when the specter of adultery looms large there.

The Eighth Commandment is simple enough: Thou shalt not steal. God gave us the concept of private property rights with this commandment. We are to work for the things we have and respect the right of others to have their things as well. St. Paul wrote on this subject saying, Let him who stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth (Ephesians 4:28). Theft impoverishes not only the victim but the soul of the victimizer. Success in thieving contributes to more thieving. Where does the thief get his mandate to steal? Is it not of himself and his darkened heart? Is it not on account of the whispered hiss of the serpent and father of lies telling the thief he will not be found out? Most thieves are eventually ruined by their own vain understanding of things. Just as with any other malefactor, the thief will be ensnared by his own mischief and trapped by his own compulsion. And ultimately, whether caught in this life or not, all thieves will have to face the final judge who will cast them into perdition should they come to him, after death, in unrepentance.

The Ninth Commandment condemns bearing a false witness against your neighbor. Matthew Henry once said of this commandment that it “forbids speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating...devising and designing to deceive our neighbor [and to unjustly prejudice his reputation].” Such persons as the busybody, the tale-bearer, the whisperer of ill deeds without warrant fall under the rubric of this commandment . The Scriptures say that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire. God is deadly serious about the bearing of a false witness for it stirs up strife to no good purpose (Proverbs 6:16-19; Revelation 21:8). God desires for men to be at peace with one another. Bearing a false witness does not in any manner contribute to the attaining of that state of peace amongst men.

The Tenth Commandment: Thou shalt not covet means that we ought not desire the goods, or the spouse, or the reputation etc. of another so much so that we would break any of the other commandments to acquire what our eyes have seen, or our heart desired which belonged to another. Has not God given to all as he pleases? Did you ask and not receive of the LORD so then you decided to take from others, first in your heart and then in word and deed? Look at what you have and then ask, would you like it if others did the same to you? Reflect first before you lust after another’s goods or possessions or relationships. God would rather us come to him and seek that which is good than to suffer us to act as David did regarding Bath-sheba, or Ahab concerning Naboth’s vineyard, or Cain in his jealousy toward Abel his brother. In Leviticus 19:18, God commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves which goes hand in hand with latter portion of the Ten Commandments. When our Lord was asked which was the great commandment of the law, he responded saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (St. Matthew 22:37-40). Coveting puts greed in our hearts and that inordinate desire will never be sated as the Devil will come and tempt us with such again and again and again until we are destroyed. If we truly love God, we will avoid the deception of covetousness.

The Ten Commandments are benchmarks which our Lord has set before us that we might know his pure and perfect will. We who have been regenerated by the Holy Ghost know that apart from his assistance, we could not hope to keep them. They are perfection and we are imperfection. They are absolute and we are ambivalent. They are ethereal and we are earthly. God has set his standard before us to teach us of our need for Christ (Galatians 3:24). And our Lord Jesus Christ expects us to abide by them, not of our own efforts; but through the power of the Holy Ghost the Comforter whom he has sent to guide us into all truth.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us keep to these commandments and when we falter in them to confess our sins to God in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. For we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (I St. John 2:1-2). Do this and live.

Let us pray,

F
ather, we beseech thee to assist us in the keeping of these thy Ten Commandments as well as all other aspects of thy moral law which we as Christians are expected to obey; for this we ask in the name of him who kept thy law and became sin for us, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Have a blessed week, Bryan+

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