Thanksgiving Day and Sunday next before Advent

This letter from Bishop Jerry is so important and critical that you read it, that we have put it first.  If you read nothing else, read this.  We have seen what happens when we ignore God in our country.  If we want happiness, we need to follow His Will, His Directions, His Commands.  It matters not if you believe in Him.  He believes in you, thus you exist.  If we want our country to survive and prosper, we need to do what He wants us to do.  We cannot depend on others to do His Will, we must start, each of us, and NOW.  Please read this.

Thanksgiving 2012

Letter to the Anglican Orthodox Church from Bishop Jerry L. Ogles

 16. Rejoice evermore. 17. Pray without ceasing. 18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

For Our Country

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LMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

            You may consider this prayer to be an unusual one for the Thanksgiving Season, but this moment in history calls for a far greater reliance upon God than at any time since the War Between the States.  We have today rulers in high positions of government who demonstrate a flagrant disregard for our Christian heritage and whose lives reflect an utter contempt for all biblical morality. We have, for the first time in history, a President who has proclaimed that America is no longer a Christian nation and who has sanctioned days of prayer at the capital for Islamic groups and shunned the long-standing National Day of Prayer that has borne the recognition of our Presidents from George Washington to George Bush. We have large populations of states demanding to be allowed to secede from that Union which was perpetuated by a bloody Civil War.

            We easily may become dismayed at the blink and hard future which confronts America today. Those who desire ‘free stuff'’ now seemingly outnumber those who produce ‘stuff.’ We have witnessed the infantile attitude of voters who will vote for a President based on the acquisition of a ‘free phone.’ Such an attitude is a symptom and not the cause of ungodly leadership. We in America have precisely the leadership we deserve to have in our day, and we will certainly pay the consequences from the choices we have made as voters and as citizens. God does render judgment on nations for the decisions they make and the rulers they elevate to high office. You may recall that ancient Israel had God to be their King ever before they had the ruthless Saul. But they had demanded a king to rule over them just like “all the other nations.”  Samuel warned of the consequences, yet they demanded a king. God told Samuel to give them what they wanted, and the result was endless wars, taxes, and depravity. Do we feel that we are exempt from that judgment of God that will surely fall upon our nation?

            So what remains for thankfulness in the American people, particularly those who have laid their claim in Christ? First of all, we must be thankful that God has been pleased to bless and favor our nation over a period of two hundred and thirty-six years with the greatest grant of freedom and liberty of any nation heretofore existent upon this world. He has favored our arms in battle, and our commerce at home. Secondly, we may be thankful that the foreign enemy has never taken a drink from the Ohio River, and that we have lived in peace and security in our homeland from our birth as a nation. Thirdly, we may be thankful that we still have many committed Christians with the courage to stand up against oppression and against the public slide into the abyss. Fourthly, we may be thankful that God has allowed us an opportunity to repent and turn from our wicked ways even though that opportunity has not been honored. Fifthly, and this will offend the hearts of many, we must thank God that He is able to bring a chastising judgment against our nation, that has turned from Him, that will hopefully restore our moral sense and faith in Him.

            As we read in Habakkuk, that prophet was offended in conscience at the evil and wickedness of his people, so much so that he prayed for God’s judgment. Are we offended when God is clearly offended? We should be! If the judgment of God, though harsh and painful to millions, will result in an awakening of our people from their moral slumber, I pray that God send it sooner than later. God heard the petitions of Habakkuk and DID, indeed, bring a fiery judgment against ancient Israel. I only pray that the judgment will not be final as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah (whose filthy and sensual sins stung the nostrils of God too long). I pray that God will send His judgment as a chastisement and not a final end. I know that God has never, in the history of the world, failed to bring judgment against nations who have been privileged to enjoy His favor, and then turned away.

            So this Thanksgiving, I pray God will send whatever judgment He intends to call us back to the God of our early Founding. I am thankful today for past favors, and I am thankful already for the future judgment God will surely send upon the heads of a rebellious people.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

            I pray this will not be the last Thanksgiving of a free and moral people, that God will restore our hearts and minds to His Son Jesus, and that the light from the walls of Lachish shall not be quenched in all the world. Amen

Jerry L. Ogles

Thanksgiving Day

Thursday brought us Thanksgiving Day; a day known primarily for the excess consumption of food in the company of all available family members.  Sometimes we forget the origin of the thanksgiving in Thanksgiving Day.  While we are, or certainly should be, grateful to God every day for the wonderful world, country and family He has given us, this is the day our country has set aside to give thanks to God.  Not thanks in general, but thanks to God.  If you look at other countries and other times, you cannot be but thankful to God we live here and now.  The list of things to be thankful to God is endless.  If nothing else, give thanks you are here now and able to praise Him.   Here is the start of our family list of things for which we are fortunate and give thanks for:

·      God's love for us;

·      Our great country;

·      Our families;

·      Our military who protect our freedom at great cost to themselves and their families;

·      Our friends (that would be each of you)

·      Our health;

·      Our earthly great fortune;

Surely your list is similar.

The propers for Thanksgiving Day are found on pages 265-266:

Thanksgiving Day

The Collect.

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 MOST merciful Father, who hast blessed the labours of the husbandman in the returns of the fruits of the earth; We give thee humble and hearty thanks for this thy bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness to us, that our land may still yield her increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for Thanksgiving Day, which uses one of our favorite phrases  “superfluity of naughtiness” and comes from the Epistle of St. James, the First Chapter, beginning at the Sixteenth Verse.  James counsels us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”  God is the perfect source of good.  What is good is of God.  Through His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, we have been given instructions on how to act.  Many of us have listened and claim to be followers of Christ.  But James warns us, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man be-holding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”  With so much about us, we need ask, what is it to do the work of the Lord?  The answer is simple, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Being able to fluently and glibly talk the talk is meaningless, if you will not walk the walk.  You have to fulfill with your body the promises you made with your mouth.

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o not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man be-holding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Hap Arnold read the Thanksgiving Day Holy Gospel which came from the Sixth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew beginning at the Twenty-Fifth Verse.  Jesus tell us to “Trust in God and Dread Naught”.  He reminds us that by worrying, none of us can add even one cubit, or one second for that matter, to the span of our life here on earth.  In a very graphic example He points out that not even the raiment of Solomon, the most glorious of all kings, could approach the beauty of a lily, who toiled not at all. Do as God asks, put your faith in Him and all you need will come to you.  Understand, this means doing as He asks, not just sitting by and watching the world go by.  Note the words of James in the Epistle.

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esus said, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? And why are ye anxious for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Sermon – Rev Hap Arnold – Time and Action

The Collect acknowledges in effect God hast blessed the efforts of the workers as shown by the things they produce from the natural resources God provided and that we give thanks for this great harvest of useful things, food and others, and that we pray God will continue to guide us and help us so we can stay prosperous and happy to show how great He is and for our own comfort, by the way.

In his Epistle, James tells us all good is of God and if we are of God, we will act of God.  Saint Matthew reminds us we should not worry about how things will be or what we will do.  Just do what we are supposed to now.  For yesterday will never come again and tomorrow will never get here.  If we do not act today, then it will not be done.

Our country is in trouble.  More than it has ever been before.  With the exception of the Civil War, in the past our threats have been external.  We were able to come together around a common core and eliminate the threat.  Today, our enemy is among us and attempting to divert people from our common core values.

Make no mistake, this has been a Judeo-Christian country since it was first inhabited.  From the beginning, people came here to worship in freedom, the greater part of them serious Christians, almost all nominal Christians owing their heart’s allegiance to our Lord.  But, almost all in the end feeling their world would be best served with freedom of religion.  None looked for freedom from religion.  Even the very few agnostics valued the Christian religion as the only one suited for a Republic.

Christians are exhorted to pray hard, love hard, work hard and yes, play hard.  We are not to be slothful in any thing, but moderate in all things.  To be respectful, conservative and happy.  We are not to be a burden on others, if possible. “…if any would not work, neither should he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3)

But, what do we find today?  People being exhorted to do what feels good, to take it easy, to accept the handouts instead of working.  To be slothful, disrespectful, immoral and illiterate.  All this by our government and its minions.

What is the result?

Record

• ·     Our country’s respect level at its lowest since 1776;
• ·      Increased crime;
• ·      Inflation;
• ·      Poverty;
• ·      Unemployment;
• ·      Suicides;
•     Illegitimate Births;
• ·      Cohabitation And Serial Habitation;
• ·      Unhappiness!

So, what is the cure?  Follow God’s instructions.

What can you do?

Act on those right next to you.  Spread the Gospel to the person next to you.  It is your job!  It is God’s commandment.  Start with yourself and work outward.

Accept nothing less that your best from you.  Maintain a positive attitude, encourage your family to maintain a positive attitude.  Attend church, so you can be around people with the right ideas at least once a week.  Work with members of your church to stabilize their lives.  Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.  Remember, we all die.  There are none so poor as cannot purchase a noble death.  Act like today is your last day.  Do what must be done.  Accept nothing less from yourself.  Encourage your friends and family.

God gave us a job to do.  We must not fail.  The country may survive, it may not.  That is not our concern.   I took an oath of office well over forty years ago agreeing “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”  Now is not the time to stop.

The oath of office I took lays out our job pretty clearly.  We must do what we can to insure our country is here for the future.  That means bring people around to the side of God.  We need to be on His Side.  God is never on our side, He expect us to come to His Side.  The country’s problems all stem from a failure to follow His Directions.  So, one person at a time, we need to bring people over to His Side.  Start with you and work outward.  If one out of a hundred of us had brought one person to His Side, things would be different soon.

Start today!  Read Scripture every day.  Figure out what at least one verse means.  It will take a while, but you have the rest of your life to complete your study.  Figure out what God wants you to do and do it.  Try to pay your own way everywhere.  If someone must owe, let others owe you.  Do your part.  Be part of the economic solution, not the problem.  Remember, debt is not your friend.  Be vigilant in protecting your civil rights.  Do not surrender civil rights for temporary and illusory security.  Take the time to talk to others and try to help them understand how much more freedom and hard work can bring compared to “free things” from a plantation government.  Support free enterprise and this country.  Remember you are free because of the blood shed on your behalf by those who have gone to war to protect you.  Do not give up the freedom they died for.

Do not despair!  All is not lost.  And, if it were lost, there would still be no room for despair, rather one last charge. There is a lot to be done.  Go forth and do His Work.

This is a great country because it has always been on God’s Side. 

Let it stay that way!

Sunday next before Advent

commonly called

Stir Up Sunday

Today was the Sunday before Advent which is often referred to as Stir Up Sunday after the beginning of the Collect and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.   Weather here was a fall very light Santa Ana condition.  Sunrise was 54°F, rising to 73°F by the end of church under those bright blue skies with almost no wind.  The beautiful weather brought the usual 3 people to worship.

There was no music today as everyone has been sick all week and barely recovered to get out of bed this morning.  Rev Deacon Jack just plain did not feel up to playing and frankly, we did not feel up to singing.  We might point out that by the grace of God, we have been sick in sequence so there has been some available to feed the animals all week!

Stir Up Sunday

Stir Up Sunday is an informal term in the Anglican Church for the last Sunday before the season of Advent. The term comes from the opening words of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer:

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STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Through an association of ideas, the day subsequently became connected, especially in England, with the preparation of Christmas puddings in readiness for Christmas. Also,  though with no real religious significance, Stir Up Sunday is located just the right time of the year to make the fruit cakes, Christmas Puddings and the like to be consumed on Christmas.   In many English culture homes, the afternoon of Stir Up Sunday is dedicated to measuring, stirring and cooking the Christmas Pudding!

The Christmas pudding is an important part of the Christmas Day celebrations in the UK.  Christmas pudding is a round, rich and heavy pudding made from fruit, eggs, sugar, breadcrumbs, suet, spices, and alcohol such as brandy or rum. Many families have their favorite pudding recipe, which is often passed down through generations of family members.

Stir-up Sunday is traditionally the day for making your Christmas pudding; giving it a month to mature before eating it on Christmas day. Stir-up Sunday is on the 20th November this year.

According to tradition, everyone in the family (especially the children) takes a turn to stir the pudding and makes a wish while stirring. Traditionally, the pudding should be stirred from east to west in honour of the three Kings who travelled from the East to see Jesus; and it should also have 13 ingredients to represent Christ and his disciples.

It used to be common for people to put a coin in their Christmas pudding. This was supposed to bring wealth in the coming year to the person who found it.

Christmas puddings are popular in the UK, but many people now buy their puddings from their local supermarket.

In the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 and later, this collect is listed for "The Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Trinity", with accompanying rubric specifying that this collect "shall always be used upon the Sunday next before Advent". This reinforced the significance of this day as forming part of the preparation for the season of Advent. The rubric is necessary because the last Sunday before Advent does not always fall on the twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity: Trinity Sunday is a moveable feast and the Advent season is fixed, so the number of weeks in between varies from year to year. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer solves this dilemma by marking only 24 Sundays after Trinity and setting this Sunday apart as “Next before Advent.”

Propers

The propers for the Sunday next before Advent can be found on Page 225-226:

The Sunday next before Advent

The Collect.

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TIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came from the Book of Jeremiah, the Twenty-Third Chapter, beginning at the Fifth Verse.   Foretelling the arrival of Jesus, Jeremiah prophesied, “I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  He prophesied the New Covenant, moving reference of the Lord from Egypt to Israel and the return to one people of those driven out of their homeland across the world.

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EHOLD, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Hap Arnold read the Holy Gospel for today which came from the  Gospel according to Saint John, the Sixth Chapter, beginning at the  Fifth Verse.  John relates one of the feeding the masses in the wilderness events.  This event occurring long before there was a Thanksgiving Day, seems very appropriate for the weekend and also forshadows the arrival of the Christ at Christmas coming to feed our spiritual needs in the wilderness of this world.

With five thousand men with them looking for food in the wilderness, “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down…”  Reminding us that if the Son of God gave thanks to God for His food, so ought we, “Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, ‘This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.’”

Compare to saving our souls and feeding the inner hunger we have for God’s love, feeding a mere 5,000 men is child’s play, but then Jesus said we should accept God and His love through Him as the children do.  So perhaps it really is child’s play.

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HEN Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

Sermon – Rev Deacon Jack Arnold – Time and Action

The Sunday next before Advent

The Collect.

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TIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today’s sermon tied the Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.

As is oft the case, today’s propers are all tied together.  As is usual, they call for action not just thoughts.  In fact the collect is among the most direct, asking God to stir our hearts that we might ACT in a manner which will result in good things!  Jeremiah prophesies the coming of Jesus out of the branch of David that He might unite God’s people as one under a New Covenant.  Christ is the key piece to the puzzle of the Old Testament Prophecies. John tells us Jesus not only comes to fill our hunger, literal in that if we follow Him we will do much better here on earth than if we do not, and figurative only He can fill the hunger in our hearts for God.

Certainly on this Thanksgiving weekend, we have much to be thankful for, including a Saviour who loves us deeply, despite our doubts and worries about ourselves, and our frail, sinful selves, enough to die for us, to redeem us of the foul condition known as Sin and Death. 

Interestingly, He tells the disciples to “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”  It seems to me that he is talking about the sheep that He tends to, He wishes to “gather up the fragments that remain”, meaning the people that are apart from His flock, that “nothing be lost”, meaning that their souls may not be lost for eternity. Think about that and take what it is offered before it is no longer on the menu! And be thankful for All His Blessings in our lives, for our friends and our family that He has placed in our lives. 

As they say, actions speak louder than words, but coupled with well meaning words and actions, we can do many marvelous things in the lives of people around us, through His Spirit and Word and we will help to fill people’s spiritual hunger, through acting through His Word, in thought, word and deed.

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

Sunday next before Advent

25 November 2012, Anno Domini

The Sunday next before Advent

The Collect.

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TIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sermon Notes for Sunday Next before Advent Season 25 November 2012 Anno Domini

5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. (John 6:4-14)

            What a wonderful Season of the Church Year is Advent. All good things in the lives of men – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Apostles, and us – begins with the Coming of Christ, both spiritually and physically, to us. Having longed to see the fulfillment of God's promises in the Seed of Promise, Abraham hoped in the Gospel of Christ and was blessed to see His Coming. Christ comes to us that we may be enabled to come to Him. We see this truth enacted in today's Gospel sermon text. Those who hunger for Christ will find Him if even on the mountain heights of the Galilean coasts. Those who hunger for Christ will 1) discover (through the Word and Spirit) where He may be found; 2) they will leave the place where that are presently (sin and error) and GO to Him; 3) they will not give thought of what the morrow may bring, but trust in Him to provide their every need; and, 4) they shall be fed with the Bread of Heaven.

            When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him This is most prophetic of that company of souls that will come, over the expanse of centuries and millennia, to Him in faith and trust.  They shall come seeking that Bread of Life which will satisfy eternally and not temporarily. They shall, on the day of God's own choosing – and not that of greedy spiritual speculators – come to meet Him in the air, and not a mountain, on His glorious Second Coming. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thess 4:16-17)

            Christ often challenges the faith of His chosen vessels just as He tests that of Philip. Knowing the mind of Philip in His spiritual growth, Jesus asks: Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?  A lesser prophet than Christ once asked the same question of God in the Wilderness: Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. (Num 11:13) It is certain that Christ wants us to know that a greater prophet than Moses stands before us. Without the presence and power of Christ, the world is in constant worry about this matter sustenance. Shall we have bread to eat and raiment to wear? Of course, the world takes the matter a step further: How can we enjoy the most opulent of cuisine and the most fashionable and elegant raiment – delicacies and raiment that will set us apart from the common people and that will exalt us in our pride? The starving child on the backstreets of Calcutta does not wish for delicacies, but only a morsel of bread to appease his gnawing hunger. It is so because the starving child knows not of delicacies or of elegant silken robes, but only his desperate NEED. So the sinner (rich or poor), when he comes face-to-face with his depravity, can recognize no righteousness at all in his feeble works, but starves for the Redemption made available in Christ. Rather than the bread of wheat, he starves for the Bread of Heaven. This Bread cannot be bought with money, so Christ gives Philip a thought to nourish his soul.

            Philip's mind has not progressed to that perfection of understanding, as yet, that might be expected from so close a disciple! Clearly, under the terms of the world, a small fortune would be required to buy sufficient bread to feed so many. There were many more than five thousand present for there were five thousand men alone, plus women and children. Has Philip forgotten that He who provides food and lodging for the sparrows of the field is in his presence? Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. Two hundred pennyworth of bread would cost two hundred days of wages - And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard (Matt 20:2) And even at such an expense, there would certainly be no leftovers for each would only "take a little." All of our labors and wages from our birth until now will not purchase a single morsel of that Bread from Heaven. The combined wealth of the world would not do so. It is a gift of pure Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

            There was one disciple among the lot who accepted that there was a mystery in the Person of Christ that enabled Him to provide plenty from little of nothing. He knew not the manner in which might do it, but he nonetheless believed that the mystery would be realized even in a meager amount. God takes our talents and multiplies them when we are willing to share them. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? What are five barley loaves among a multitude so great, yet, Andrew suspected that Christ would use even a small amount to supply a great need – and He did! Now, we must recognize the innocence of youth in this circumstance. The little lad had labored to bring his two fishes and five loaves over a great distance and even up the slopes of the mountain. Were he a mature man of wisdom, he probably would have refused to share so little claiming that it would not suffice so many hungers and, moreover, he had the foresight to bring them for himself and it would be consumed by him. But the little child has a heart that is closer to the Kingdom of Heaven and has not grown calloused by the world. The child willingly shared his small treat with the Lord. Though we have little, if we share what we have, the Lord will multiply the gift an hundredfold, or more!

            And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. The rubrics of the Prayer Book indicate when we are to kneel, stand, or sit, and we must comply with each and every rubric of the Prayer Book if we are able. The Lord expects all things to be done in good order and, here, He is about to feed the multitudes with His Bread. The Bread of the Prayer Book is the Sermon delivered from the Lectionary appointed for the day. So the people sit to hear the Word preached. It is the means by which faith is received and increased. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Contrary to the Romanist approach, preaching takes precedence over every other act of worship including Communion for, without the Word, Communion is meaningless. So Christ asks that the men be seated to receive His blessing of Bread. When men receive from the Lord, they do not stand in their own power as if they contribute to His miracle. "Stop your labors, have a seat, and see the works of the Lord!"

            The Lord will always comfort our needs in green pastures - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (Psalms 23:2) Now there was much grass in the place (vv 10), So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Obedience before the Lord comes most surely when men realize their need. These men were hungry and were expectant that Jesus could, indeed, feed them. They obeyed Him.

            And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks Here, Jesus gives us the perfect example to follow in returning thanks for the blessings of Heaven. He never failed to thank His Father in Heaven for every blessing of food and drink. Do we do so, Friends? "….he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would." Please observe a stark lesson here for us. We do not serve ourselves at the Communion Rail, but kneel reverently (according to the Prayer Book form of worship – and the Holy Bible) to be served the Cup and the Bread. We do not innovate and do according to what seems right in our own eyes, but serve according to the good order required. The Lord allows His servants to have a hand in assisting in His important work. They serve the bread, but the Bread is given by Christ – it is not their own. We, as ministers, preach the Word, but the Word is His and not OURS! Note also, that each person on the grassy slopes received as much as they wanted of the bread and fish. The cupboard of the Lord has no bottom of blessings. There will always be more than enough to satisfy our hunger. We must return to the Bread Table daily for our "Daily Bread."

            When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Notice that all were FILLED! You never come to the Lord hungry and go away hungry. He fills you with the desperate need of your heart. Another important lesson in this verse is the one of stewardship. We are to be good a faithful stewards in the economy of resources with which God has blessed us. We are to use His blessings of talents we receive in satisfying the hunger of those God has placed in our hands (parents included) but we are to waste nothing! When we travel field and forest to gather souls for Christ, our efforts do not end at the early confession of faith – we must continue to teach and nourish the soul in the Word so that the convert will grow strong spiritual bones and muscles. We must not lose a single flower from the bouquet….that nothing be lost!

            Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Let us count the balance sheet of the Lord here: there were a mere five loaves at the start. Now the remnants taken up fill TWELVE BASKETS! Do you believe this is too amazing? Do you believe that the Creation of the stars in the expanse of space too amazing, or the earth with all of its wondrous beauty too amazing, or billions of people – all with different faces and features – amazing? What is so amazing that the Word which created all that has been created could multiply a few morsels of bread into such an immense supply? He is able to likewise multiply the smallest mite of the widow's heart when given out of her need to Christ! He is able to multiply that love scattered abroad from that heart brimming over with the love of God so that the residue is always of plenty.

            What is the result of receiving the blessed Bread of Heaven? How should our hearts respond to so mighty a miracle as salvation, forgiveness, grace, and faith? Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. Faith is confirmed from pillar to post when we have tasted the Bread of Heaven. The multitude recognized that Christ was a prophet of even greater miraculous power and virtue than Moses – their greatest prophet beforehand. The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken (Deut 18:15) Christ is, indeed, that Prophet! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men…… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4,14) Friend, believest thou this?

AMEN

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sermon

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

God Our Righteous Branch

Psalm 39, Jeremiah 21:5-8, John 6:1-14

Sunday next before Advent

November 25, 2012

Last Thursday we observed a day of prayer and thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth. Today we have gathered to ask God to help us bear fruit for Him. The fruit we want to bear is the fruit of good works, which includes both our outward actions and the inward attitude of our heart, which the Bible calls love. Our recent readings in Deuteronomy have encouraged this, reminding us to keep God's Law because we love Him with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our might (Dt. 6:5).

We learn about the fruit of good works in the Bible, which, as the wise men who wrote the Westminster Confession rightly said, teaches what we are to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of us. The wise men who wrote our Book of Common Prayer Book devised a plan of Bible reading and worship that centers on that belief and duty. The first half of the plan teaches what we are to believe concerning God; the second half teaches what duty God requires of us. Following this plan takes us through the Bible in an orderly and systematic manner which builds within us a store house of Biblical faith and practice. It is essential to keep what we are to believe and do constantly before us. Neglect of them will cause worship to decline into entertainment, preaching to decline into motivational talks, sermons to decline into sentimental stories or self-help sessions, and the Christian life to decline into mere moralisms and feelings.

Starting next Sunday we return to what we are to believe concerning God. We will read again of the promise of the Saviour, of His birth, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. We will be reminded again of His miracles, message, and Nature. That means this Sunday, today, we have come to the end of this year's emphasis on our duty to God. It is very proper that we do so with a serious exhortation to love and obey God. Our table of Psalms and Lessons for the Christian Year, often called the Lectionary, has intentionally had us reading Deuteronomy at this time, and it was no coincidence that the reading for last Monday evening began at Deuteronomy 10:12, "what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" What an excellent summary of our duty to God.

Yet, already we are turning our eyes toward the emphasis of what are to believe concerning God. Jeremiah 23:5 speaks of the Righteous Branch and King of the line of David, who shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and justice upon the earth. His name shall be "The Lord Our Righteousness." We know Him as Jesus. He will gather His people, and they will dwell together in their own land. We are His people. Our own land is the Church; the Body and Kingdom of God. Ultimately, our own land is our dwelling in God in Heaven forever.

Feeding the five-thousand is a direct revelation of the deity and mercy of Christ. It reveals that He is the prophet, the Messiah, the One Moses said would come from God into the world as we read in Friday's reading in Deuteronomy 18:18, and again this morning in John 6:5-14.

Psalm 39 is particularly appropriate for today. We don't know when this Psalm was written. It may have been after David's sins regarding Bathsheba. It may have been after his decision to number the people of Israel. But whenever it was written it expresses David's desire to change his life, turn away from sin, and start doing a better job of keeping the commandments of God. He says, "I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not in my tongue. I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle." A bridle is based on the idea that if you control a horse's head, you control the horse. That's why James 3:1-3 says to bridle the tongue is to bridle the whole body. So David is saying he is going to put his head into a spiritual bridle in order to control himself, that he "offend not." His intention is to do right. His intention is to keep the commandments of God. His intention is to love God with his entire being, and to love his neighbor as himself. Especially he will control himself in the presence of the unGodly, so he will not give them an opportunity to blaspheme because of his sin.

But as David determined to do better he also became conscious of something that is very applicable to us as we emphasise our own duty towards God: David became unbearably conscious of what verse 9 calls "all mine offenses."

Since June 3rd we have been looking at what God requires of us, and every time we have done so, these words should have pierced our hearts like a sword; "all mine offenses." We have heard the word of God; we have known what we ought to be doing; and, like David we have said, "I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not." We have confessed our sins, repented of our sins, and attempted to throw them away like filthy garments. And, like David's, our good intentions melted away in the heat of temptation or difficulty. God have mercy. It seems the more we try to do right, the more we become aware of "all mine offenses." Truly if we had to earn our own way to Heaven by the fruit of our good works, we would never make it. Thanks be to God, we don't have to. Thanks be to God our sins are forgiven because Christ died for them. Thanks be to God we do not have to stand before Him in the filthy rags of our own good works, for Christ Himself has dressed us in His own unblemished righteousness. Thanks be to God He Himself works in our lives to take heed to our ways, to transform our hearts and strengthen our souls to become more and more willing and able to love and obey Him. He alone, can "Deliver me from all mine offenses" (Ps. 39:9), and He alone can stir up our wills to bring forth the fruit of good works. There is mercy with the Lord. He will deliver us from all our offences. And He will continue to strengthen us to do more of righteousness and less of sin, until we reach that land where all sin is banished from us, and we will live in perfect righteousness and peace with God., forever.

S

TIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+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.

In our Old Testament lesson we read, Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them (Ecclesiastes 12:1). These are sobering words to the faithful and damning words to the unregenerate. If one is born again of the Holy Ghost, one will have a heart for God— a desire which seeks to please our heavenly Father— while for the ungodly, there is only the urge to seek after the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life (I St. John 2:16).

In our gospel lesson, our Lord said that, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (St. John 5:24). The operative phrase is found at the beginning of that passage— He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me— for if one both hears the words of Christ and believes on the Father who sent him then such a one shall have eternal life and avoid perdition. When we combine our lessons we find that it is best to come to the Godhead early in life. To do otherwise will likely result in a person being made castaway— lost to God in this life as well as in the next.

Sadly, that is not how the contemporary versions of the Laodicean church view the matter. They do not teach such things because their master is not the humble carpenter of Nazareth, but the fallen angel known as Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12): the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4) and the father of lies (St. John 8:44). The Devil has sought from the beginning to turn mankind against his Creator, all the while diverting their worship to himself (St. Luke 4:5-7). Witness the words of St. Paul who wrote in his epistle to the Romans in chapter 1, Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful: but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools (v.21)... who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen (v.25).

In the parable of the Sower (St. Matthew 13:18-23), our Lord warned of the Devil’s power to remove the seed of the word which has been sown by our Lord into hearts of men. And so it follows that those who attend an apostate church will face an assault by the Wicked One designed to diminish and disparage the true gospel of salvation.

Like the godless revolutions of the past and present, Satan will seek to tear down the existing godly order only to build up his novus ordo seclorum which includes his ersatz gospel. This false testimony may contain a thin veneer of the one true gospel: one that has been redacted to a mere figment of the same. And given the current state of affairs within Laodicean Christianity, it begs the question: “How can a person remember his Creator if he or she has not been accurately informed about him?” Logically speaking, such cannot happen. Godly instruction should include a proper understanding of the Godhead. Sound Bible doctrine teaches us that God is real; that his word and commandments ought to be observed and respected; that we must believe on his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins, and that only a true and abiding faith in him will lead us to eternal life in his coming kingdom. And we are to watch for his coming again when he will bring an end to the rebellion of the Devil and all who follow him, and will afterwards restore that which had been lost following the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.

If one accepts those things previously listed, then it should be understood that teaching folk the tenets of the one true God is crucial to the success of the faith. Likewise, it should be understood that Satan is ever ready to counter such teachings via his army of false ministers and false doctrines. These include their attendant practices— which may seem innocuous— such as the use of sacred journeys, the breathing and exercise techniques of pagan practitioners, as well as those activities and beliefs which God has clearly stated are abominable. The Bible tells us that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God (I Corinthians 10:20a).You cannot be counted with the saints of the most high God if you are in the camp of the enemy and paganism is a product of the Wicked One. “There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.”

Just look about us at the various synagogues of Satan masking as temples of the living God. They are run by hirelings and not true shepherds of Christ. They teach a false gospel taken from edited bibles: developed by redactors of the truth of Christ rather than proclaimers of his glory. And like their bible editors, many of them deny the deity of Christ, his resurrection and his coming again. They teach a soothing, abridged Christianity that contains no judgment, and no perdition. Through their doctrinal abridgements and revisions, they have changed the truth of God into a lie.

God has clearly stated that there will be judgment, and that hell and the lake of fire are the ultimate end for all who are living in disobedience to his word written. Often we— who hold to the orthodox teachings of Christianity— are chided for being judgmental, strident, and of course, exclusive in our faith. But what does the Bible tell us? It tells us in rather straightforward language that God does indeed have an exclusive understanding regarding who enters his kingdom. Consider the First Commandment: I am the LORD thy God...Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2-3). Such is self-explanatory.

God’s exclusivity also applies to behaviors. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their abominable deeds (Genesis 19:1-25). As St. Jude warned us in his epistle: I will therefore put you in remembrance though ye once knew this, how... even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (vv. 5-7).

And God commanded Moses to slay the idolaters of the children of Israel at Baal-peor (Numbers 25:1-9). These are not isolated passages illustrating an exception rather than the rule. God hatest all workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5b). Why? Because he has expressed his will for mankind in his law as set forth in his word written.

Occasionally, you may hear some carnal Christian remark that “We are not under the law but under grace.” True enough, we are under grace but does that make the law of no effect? Not at all. While it is true that we no longer are under the ceremonial aspects of the law, we are obliged to keep the moral aspects and these are affirmed within the epistles in the New Testament (see Article VII, p. 604 in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer).

So then what was the purpose of the Law of Moses? St. Paul answered that question in his epistle to the Galatians wherein he wrote, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster (3:24-25). The law was given to reveal the infirmity of our human nature under original sin. We cannot do anything of our own selves to remedy this condition and that is why we are in need of a Saviour.

And that is the orthodox understanding of grace versus the law. You and I cannot work ourselves into God’s good graces. We must accept that we are sinners doomed to an eternal separation from the Godhead. Ergo, the only course of action for us is to embrace the atoning work of our Lord. Christianity— real, orthodox, authentic Christianity— is exclusive. You cannot expect God to accept you into his eternal kingdom if you have lived a life marred by the abominable, the sinful and the wicked and never confessed to him the error of such a life. That’s a “fool’s errand,” but modernist Christianity teaches just that. It is called “Universalism” and it will be the undoing of many. How does their doctrine match up with what our Lord said? As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (St. Matthew 13:40-42).

How does their teaching agree with the plan of salvation as found in Scripture? Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house...And he... was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And...he... rejoiced, believing in God with all his house (Acts 16:30-34).

And finally, how does their teaching compare with the Great Commission?

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (St. Matthew 28:19-20).

We have been commanded to obey the teachings of our Lord. That was true for the early church which— for some the three centuries following the ascension of our Lord— busied itself rooting our heresy and proclaiming the truth of our Lord to the world. We must therefore do likewise. We must study the scriptures and learn from them. We must daily petition God to assist us as we labor in his harvest. If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, Redeemer and Friend, then we ought to live in obedience to his will as found within the pages of Scripture.

So do indeed remember thy Creator by being doers of his word and not hearers only and avoid Satan’s false religion which will only lead you away from him who truly loves us and seeks our eternal good.

Let us pray,

H

oly and gracious God, fill us with thy most holy Spirit, that we might better serve thee and keep to that strait gate and narrow way which leads unto everlasting life; for this we ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a blessed week,

Bryan+