Verse of the Day

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The First Sunday after The Epiphany



The Propers are found on Page 109-111 with the Collect first:

The First Sunday after The Epiphany.
The Collect.

O
 LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ
to the Gentiles.
[January 6.]
The Collect.
O
 GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came from the Twelfth Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans beginning at the First Verse. Paul asks not only those long gone Romans, but us, as well, to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  He tells us our home is in heaven.  Life here is not the end, rather the stepping off point, either to heaven or hell.  Thus were are “not conformed to this world: but to be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that we ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Some of us may be better than others, but all fall short of the minimum standard.  Through Christ we attain eternal life.  In the meantime, each of us should not “think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”  Each of us has a place in the church, a reason to be and job to do.  “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

I
 BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Hap Arnold read the Gospel for today which came from the Second Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke beginning at the Forty-First Verse.  It tells the story of when Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem after the Passover Feast in his twelfth year.  When they were done, the family group, for they likely traveled with their extended family for safety, left together.  After the first day’s travel they stopped for the night and could not find Jesus.  So, fearing the worst, they headed back at night for Jerusalem.  Braving robbers and worse, they made their way back.   After looking for three days, they went to the temple, where lo, they found him.  He was among the learned men “both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.”  His parents were amazed and confounded.  He asked them why they worried and why they did not understand that he was about his Father’s business.  It is noteworthy that Jesus at twelve was able to “hold his own” with the learned scholars of Judah.  He was able to out reason those who lived to dissect the Law.  “A little child shall lead them,” Isaiah 11:1-10

N
OW his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

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

Consider these words from the Collect:

…grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same…

As imperfect creatures with free will, we will never figure out what we should be doing, let alone do it, on our own.  That was the part of the reason God sent the Holy Ghost; that we might listen to Him and understand.  Not just understand The Word that had been spoken to us through Jesus and the Scriptures, but to understand what we should do, hence the prayer to figure out what we need to do, then give us the power or strength to do what we are supposed to do.  To do it, not just think or talk about doing it. We need to act, using the Scriptures as our Holy Handbook for our actions within our lives. He did not mean for us to simply read it only, but to digest it and use what we learned.

After all isn’t that what the school system was supposedly put in place for? University, the words comprise it are “Una Veritas”, meaning “One Truth”, as it was supposed to be a place of Godly learning, where one would learn the “One Truth”. The school system was intended that we might have Godly children growing up in the faith, therefore strengthening them as men/women of great moral character. If we put back the Scriptures in our schools and held the kids to the standards of those Scriptures, then we would find ourselves on a moral higher ground.

The first thing tsunami watchers would tell people, is at the first sign of a tsunami approaching, go to higher ground. Therefore, I would like apply that same principle to our lives. At the first sign of any sort of evil, temptation or sin, that we headed to the higher ground that God lives on and seek him out, rather than wait for the wave of evil to envelop us.

We are asking God to help us know what we should do and then help us to do it right.  Seems pretty simple.  That is the root of almost all our problems. It is harder to do what is right than what seems easy to us.  First, even if we ask God what He wants us to do, “There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.”  Then, if we hear what He wants us to do, and hear it correctly, we often find it “too hard.”  Do you recall this quote from GK Chesterton:

·      “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”


So once we find out what God wants, we often rationalize our way around it.  Think about the 613 Mosaic laws and the Pharisees who made a good living telling people how to comply with them to the letter and still do just what they wanted to do.  So, then even if we find out what God wants and decide to actually do it instead of avoid it, we are faced with the often huge problem of where do we get the strength to accomplish this task.  The answer is circular, from God.  He never asks us to do anything we cannot do good enough for Him if we rely on Him.  Never.  End of that discussion.

Now, once you have managed to get this far, you gain the power needed to become one of Paul’s New Men, a person who has accepted God’s Grace, turning to God and relying on Him for guidance, strength, courage and perseverance. To do that, we need to turn outward.  Not think of ourselves, but of God and our fellow Christians.  Speaking of that, one of the tools God gives us to get things done is a Team, that Team is fellow Christians.  So, we need to work together as a Team.  Think not of your glory, but that of God.  President Reagan had a sign on his desk which read:

“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.”

Paul tells us not to concentrate on our status, position or grandeur, but to see what we can do to help.  Just like our body would not function if all parts were brains, neither will Christ’s Team function if everyone is concerned about their position.

When we look at the Gospel today, aside from the historical function telling us that Jesus was in the temple bringing the light of the gospel to the rabbis, I am reminded there are other lessons.  It is not that we want to micromanage your life, but keep your friends and family informed of what you are doing and where you are going.   Jesus’ earthly parents risked life and limb going back up the road to Jerusalem at night.  But, that was their duty as parents.  A duty which must have been done, no matter the cost.

Duty –
God • Honor • Country • Family

But, back to the Gospel and the parents arrival at the temple, where lo, they found him.  He was among the learned men “both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.”  His parents were amazed and confounded.  He asked them why they worried and why they did not understand that he was about his Father’s business.  It is noteworthy to see Jesus at twelve was able to “hold his own” with the learned scholars of Judah.  He was able to out reason those who lived to dissect the Law.  “A little child shall lead them,” Isaiah 11:1-10

He comes!
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
First Sunday after The Epiphany
13 January 2013, Anno Domini

The First Sunday after The Epiphany.
The Collect.

O
 LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ
to the Gentiles.
[January 6.]
The Collect.
O
 GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave

            Have you ever been very close to Christ and suddenly, through your complacency and neglect, found that you are separated, by a vast expanse, from your Lord? Is it even possible for one who is intimate with Christ to become separated? Have you omitted the Daily Bread that sustains you? I am afraid that it is the most common occurrence rather than the exceptional one.  Peter once became separated from Christ in the Garden at Gethsemane and lost all courage during the separation. The circumstances may even, at times, be reversed. For example: the men on the road to Emmaus believed that they had been forever separated from Christ while he walked at their very side. Separation from Christ, either actual or perceived, is a failure of faith.
            We learn in today's Gospel text that even the mother, and supposed father (for God was His true Father), of Jesus became separated from their son for three days or more:
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:41-52)
            There are a few salient points brought out in this text that are worthy of emulation or note:
1)      Jesus attended to his religious responsibilities in going up to Jerusalem every Passover. His parents even set the example for Jesus had He needed an example. It is very important that the young children of the church sit with their parents during worship rather than being separated to a period of silly play-church. When children observe their parents doing their Christian duty, a powerful impression is made – and a lasting one. Jesus and His parents observe the good order, reverence, and customs of the established feasts.
2)      Note the relationship of Mary and Joseph to Jesus. In the KJV (Received Text) they are referred to as Joseph and His MOTHER. In the modern versions, BOTH are called His parents which blur the distinction of Christ as Son of God!  I.e. ESV, NIV & New American Standard Version:  His parents did not know it .
3)      Jesus was a model of obedience and discretion, therefore Joseph and His mother Mary were taken by surprise that He did not follow the company back to Nazareth. Jesus was ALWAYS obedient to them, but now a higher obedience was required. It was an isolated instance of His Father's desire to expose His only Begotten Son before the Temple elders and doctors. Though Jesus was an obedient child to Joseph and Mary, the time would come when He must obey the Higher Law of His Father. I am disgusted at clergy who advise their charges to obey the secular law when that law contradicts the Higher Law of God.
4)      Joseph and Mary were accustomed to the ordinary expectation that Jesus would follow them. They were wrong. When religious liturgy of practice becomes too ordinary, we may become complacent in its observance. We may have studied so very industriously for many years from God's Holy Word, and then decide, "Ah, I have studied enough. I can take a sabbatical from studying the Daily Bread of Life. But now, you are in danger of being separated from Christ. Is it worth the risk?
5)      Joseph and Mary sought for Christ among their kinfolk and acquaintances. Need I remind you that no kinfolk, no acquaintance, nor even any ministers, bear any monopoly on Christ. We gain no spiritual favor with God owing to our faith of our family. No one can "bring Christ to us." We must find Him ourselves. We can show the Chart and Compass to our friends, but they must take the tools in hand to seek His face personally.
6)      Christ has an engaging manner of teaching. He hears our inquiries and claims, and then He asks us questions that none other can conceive to ask. He is an excellent listener, and His inquiries fathom the depths of the heart of men and women.
7)      46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple. There were courageous and loving women who also sought Christ after three days, and found Him in the Temple of His Resurrected Body. If we earnestly seek Him, we shall find Him.
8)      All men were forever astonished at the words of Christ – even His mortal enemies. How often did He put the Pharisees, rulers, and Scribes to shame with His excellent and deliberative teaching.
9)      I am sorry to say that I believe Mary's memory of the great Angel Gabriel's counsel to her while she was yet a virgin may have lost some of its meaning and luster in her memory. She refers to Joseph as His father even though she knows full well that he is not, or perhaps she merely did so to appease social pressures. She was most often absent during the teaching and preaching of Christ. It may be that Mary did not come to full realization of who her Son was until after the resurrection.
10)  Mary feels offended by the presumed one-time failure of Jesus to obediently follow them. One thing Mary did that was right when she learned of her separation from Jesus – she sought Him sorrowing. Every soul that finds itself separated from Jesus must seek Him, not in the pride of familiarity, but sorrowing.
11)  One great reason that we need Christ, not only as redeemer and Savior, is that we do not know God the Father well. He does! 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. The reason for Jesus' lingering behind in the Temple was as clear as the Sun to Jesus, but Mary and Jesus could not have discerned the cause. They failed to understand His explanation, but our failure to understand all that Christ has spoken to us is no reason to reject His saving invitation.
12)  Though He would become the Savior of His people and the Light of the World, Jesus was an obedient Son and remained subject to His mother and to Joseph. I pray that young people today would be subject to their parents even if their parents are only a carpenter and a keeper at home! Even if the child aspires to some high calling, he should never exalt himself above his parents. If Jesus was subject to Joseph and His Mother, how much more should we be? 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. There was something mysterious about this occasion to Mary. She did not fully understand, nonetheless, she kept all in her heart.
13)  Jesus continued to grow. When we cease to grow and learn, then we cease to live. His wisdom, too, increased with his physical stature, and He grew in favor and knowledge of God His Father. If we take our eyes off Christ, we may lose Him or be separated from Him for a time. Better to be staid on Christ constantly, than to be constantly returning from our human endeavors to seek Him out anew.
CONCLUSION:  It would seem that this incident in the life of Christ, points us to our own responsibilities, in coming of age, to come to Christ! Twelve years old is a traditional and fitting age for a young person to be confirmed into the Church and to begin to grow more vibrantly into greater stature and wisdom. It represents the midline of youth when a fork in the road begins to appear in the distance – a fork which will begin to lead him more directly to the government of God in his life or, au contraire, further away if the wrong path is chosen.  Jesus dutifully was brought to the Temple on the eighth day following His birth to be circumcised (a custom that parallels baptism in the New Testament economy). And when of a knowing age (twelve years) He again comes to the Temple to be examined by the doctors thereof. This is fairly consistent with the Church practice of Confirmation at a knowing age.
If we continue faithfully and prayerfully in following after Christ, we shall not lose Him.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 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:

Grace Given Unto Us
Psalm 23, Romans 12:1-5, Luke 2:41-52
First Sunday after Epiphany
January 13, 2013
                                                  
The Epistle for this First Sunday after Epiphany is the first four verses of Romans 12.  In that passage, Paul wrote many astounding words, among them are those found in verse 3, "through the grace given unto me."  I want to talk about grace today.  I often speak of this building as a house of grace.  I mean there is a sense in which this place is different from others.  Here people have sought and found grace for more than a hundred and sixty years.  There is a sense of connection about this place, a sense of being connected with many others, past and present, as we read the same Bible pray the same Prayers, sing the same hymns, and receive the same grace.  We are all one in the grace of God; "one body in Christ, and every one members of one another."  In a sense this building is a symbol of God's grace, and I rejoice that a body of believers worships here, because if this building doesn't house a living, worshiping congregation, it ceases to be a house of grace and becomes a mausoleum.
When I say this is a house of grace I mean something wonderful and mysterious happens when we meet here.  God touches us here.  He makes us to lie down in green pastures and leadeth us beside still waters.  He restores our souls and leads us in the paths of righteousness.  He prepares a table before us and anoints us with oil.  He fills our souls with such abundance we are like cups running over with grace.
There is grace in the things we do here.  God draws us into Himself by them, and God imparts Himself to us in them.  There is grace in the Prayers.  The more we understand the Bible, the more the Prayers express our hearts to God, and the more they lead us into Him.  In the Prayers we lie down in the green pastures of God and drink His still waters.  There is grace in reading, hearing, and preaching the Bible.  Let us call them the ministry of the Word, and let us know that it is different from other readings and hearings.  To read the Bible is to enter the presence of God; to "hear" it is to let God's presence enter us.  To read the Bible is to let God lead us to the green pastures and still waters.  To "hear" it, that is, to receive it into our hearts with faith, is to feed on the green pasture and drink the still waters of God.  The sermon serves the feast God has prepared for us.  It points us to the pastures and waters of God.  The preacher, by God's authority and command, invites us to eat and drink of God's grace.  Thus, the Prayers and the ministry of the Word  are means by which the Living God imparts His grace to us.
I know these are rather vague statements.  They contain much imagery and very little concrete definitions.  But even the Bible uses more imagery than definitions here, and I think it is because these things are too big to be reduced to concrete terms.  Someone said, "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, everything else is math."  Everything else may be math, but God is not, nor are the workings of His Spirit imparting grace to His people.  He, and His ways, are, in a very real sense, beyond comprehension and unexplainable.  He Himself is a great mystery, not because He hides from us or keeps secrets from us, but because He is beyond our ability to comprehend.  And so, we must be content with the little that we can understand, and be content to know Him as Mystery.  Thanks be to God, we can understand something about Him, and the Bible tells us who He is, and what we owe to Him as our God, and how to find and continue in peace with God through the cross of Christ.  The Bible draws us into Him and imparts Him to us in a spiritual transaction that is as inexplicable and mysterious as God Himself.
There is grace in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  It is truly a Table prepared for us in the presence of our enemies, for we come to it in the midst of a great spiritual war against spiritual wickedness in high places, and against our own weaknesses and temptations.  Even the most valiant soldiers need rest sometimes, and our presence in this house of grace and at this feast of grace is our respite from the battle.  Here, for a while, we are in green pastures and beside still waters.
There is a sense in which the grace given to us in the Sacrament is even more mysterious than that given in the Prayers, worship, and ministry of the Word.  We can understand that reading and hearing the Bible shapes our thoughts and attitudes, for we see that we are shaped by the music, movies, and books we allow into our lives.  What child has not wanted to be like his cartoon or movie hero?  We can understand how the Prayers can shape our lives.  We see that saying and meaning them with understanding gives form to our faith and our petitions.  But how does eating a communion wafer dipped in wine put God in us and us in God?  No wonder that, after receiving the bread and wine, we thank God for these "holy mysteries."
And yet, there is something we do know about this Sacrament.  We know the bread portrays the body of Christ dying on the cross.  The bread our Lord broke when He instituted this Sacrament was something like a dense, wheat cracker, large enough to be broken into twelve pieces.  "This is My body," He said as He broke it and gave the pieces to the disciples.  "This is My blood,' He said as He poured the wine out of its container and gave it to them.  Thus, the Communion graphically portrays the crucifixion of our Lord.
Eating the bread and drinking the wine are expressions of our faith.  In these acts we state that we believe in Christ in Biblical faith.  We remember Christ's death. We intentionally open ourselves to Him to receive all the benefits of His death. We signify our belief that, somehow God is bringing us more fully into Himself, and imparting Himself more fully to us in this Sacrament.  We are receiving grace.
Grace is in this place, because God is in us and in the things we do in this place.  In them we come to God's throne of grace.  In them God calms our fears and teaches us to trust Him.  In them He heals the wounds caused by sin, and strengthens us in holiness and faith. He imparts His healing presence to us, and He draws us into Himself.
Father of all mercies, whose nature is love and whose throne is grace.  We beseech Thee, and believe that Thou wilt, impart Thy grace unto us, through Christ our Lord, Amen.
--
+Dennis Campbell

Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia
Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan, Virginia
www.HolyTrinityAnglicanOrthodoxChurch.org

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.

Sermon for the First Sunday after the Epiphany

In our gospel lesson today we are given the only story of our Lord as a youth approaching manhood (St. Luke 2:41-52). To the unbeliever and the skeptic, the Bible’s silence on our Lord’s time beyond infancy and before he began his earthly ministry presents them with an open door to unwholesome speculation, while those who have been regenerated in Christ respect the reticence of God in Scripture. Forasmuch as we walk by faith and not by sight, we trust in God’s word, and we also respect his silence (II Corinthians 5:7).

While the Bible communicates the plan and purposes of God; it tells us only those things which he, in his infinite wisdom, would have us know. Even so, we are not supposed to engage in frivolous speculation concerning those matters not covered by Scripture. It should be understood that God does not keep us from knowledge of his failings because he cannot fail. And God does not keep us from the knowledge of his Son’s sins because Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. For this cause came the only begotten Son of God into the world, that he might bear our reproach and carry our sins upon the cross. Ergo, without a perfect and sinless life in toto, our Lord’s sacrifice would be worth nothing (see Hebrews 4:14-16).

Another aspect of our lesson today which the critics and skeptics love to harp on has to do with our Lord’s treatment of his parents and their apparent quizzical response to his reply to them (vv. 48-50). Consider the facts from our lesson. Our Lord had gone with his parents to Jerusalem to observe the passover feast, something they had done every year (v.41). His parents then made preparations to leave after the feast had been observed, and thinking he was among their relatives and friends, they departed for Nazareth. Now, when they found him not among their fellows, they returned to the city and found him in the Temple among the learned scholars of the day both hearing them and asking them questions (vv.44-46). His mother chided him because he had caused both her and Joseph to worry over his whereabouts. His response is telling: How is it that ye sought me? wist [know] ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?(v.49). Notice also that his mother and Joseph did not understand what he had said (v.50) which has led the critic and the skeptic to pounce upon the divinity of our Lord. They claim he was only a man and that his sinless nature could not be because he had not kept the commandment of Honor thy father and thy mother (Exodus 20:12).

Rubbish! Jesus Christ did not dishonor his earthly parents through his honoring of his Father. The Scriptures plainly tell us that his mother and Joseph did not understand what he had said to them. They knew who he was. One would have to omit the opening chapters of both St. Matthew’s gospel and that of St. Luke to believe such to be the case. The very next verse states forthrightly that And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. They (like many others) would hear Christ’s words and not directly grasp their meaning, much as Christians down through the ages have at one time or another held an insufficient understanding as to God’s word.

And such is certainly the case for the critics and skeptics of today. They so lost in Lucifer’s understanding of the word that they cannot see the truth of God’s word written. For if the Devil’s veil of deception ever be removed, such would inevitably lead them to accept Jesus Christ’s bona fides as the only begotten Son of God and the Saviour of their souls. But the forces of darkness have worked diligently to make the very words of Scripture of no effect. Over the millennia, the Devil has sought to twist God’s word so that those who would hear it will fail to understand and heed it (St. Matthew 13:18-23). It should be clear enough to the faithful Christian that critics and skeptics will come and go, but God’s word will stand forever (I St. Peter 1:25). We may not always grasp the meaning of every passage ; nevertheless, our faith in God’s word ought not be diminished on account of our ignorance. St. Paul advised us to, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II St. Timothy 2:15).

We have not been called to worship one such as ourselves, but the very personage of God made flesh, full of grace and truth ( St. John 1:14). We have not been called to faith in a myth, saga, or legend, but to that one and only name under heaven by which men must be saved (Acts 4:12). We have not been called to a weekly remembrance of a dead man, but that of the living Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God the Father (St. Mark 16:19). We have not been called to study a book of magic, or of conjuring, but to inwardly digest the very words of God which he spoke unto the patriarchs, prophets and apostles who are now members of that great cloud of witnesses which are about us and are cheering us on to victory in Jesus Christ (II St. Peter 1:15-21; Hebrews 12:1).

There remain many things in God’s word that are veiled in mystery. Still, God is faithful to perform the promises he has made to the whole body of the saints in times past. As we are living in these last days, we ought to be looking up and praying for the coming of him who suffered so that we might obtain the gracious favor of God through faith in his blood. So that when we are summoned before his judgment seat, we might hear these words: well done thou good and faithful servant and be received into his eternal kingdom as saints of light. Therefore, let us heed the answer our Lord gave to his earthly parents, wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? for that is what all true Christians will do.

Let us pray,

O
 God who sent thine only begotten Son into the world, that all who would believe on him might be saved; grant us grace to follow his good example, serving in his harvest and occupying until he comes again; for this we ask in his name, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week,
Bryan+

Rev Rick Reid of Saint Peter’s Sunday Sermon
In a new addition to the Sunday Report, we are happy to have a sermon from Reverend Rick Reid, minister of Saint Peter’s, whose congregation is right at the Worldwide Headquarters of the Anglican Orthodox Church.  Rev Rick has all the resources and challenges right at hand.  This sermon is not in the usual expository style common to the Sunday Report and the AOC, but I think you will enjoy it.
THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHRIST
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.
This sermon is dedicated to Mary Fowler. During our adult Christian education class she mentioned that she thought that ministers should preach on the fact that Jesus was human as well as God. I happen to agree with Mary.
We read in John chapter 4 vs. 4-6"And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, (Sa-Car) near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour."   (John 4:4-6)
"Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey," brings out the reality of His true human nature. Jesus was just as truly. man.. as He was truly.. God!
Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well." He sat on the well weary, hungry, thirsty, and tired in His human nature. In His Godhead there is no weariness and no hungering and thirsting. This denotes His genuine human nature. He had many trials, and He had the exercise of His faith, and by faith He obeyed the Father in His genuine human nature.
Many ministers throughout the generations have not preached the fact that Jesus is indeed very God and very man, even though throughout scripture we read that it was very important to Jesus, ….who men and women believed Him to be.
St. Matthew (MAT 16:13-14) tells us, "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I… the Son of man? And they said, ..Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets."Then Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was…. "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
It was necessary that he partake in our human nature to be able to be our substitute. If He were not truly man, with a body and a soul, capable of suffering in His body and capable of suffering in His soul, He could not have been our substitute to bear the punishment we deserved.
If He were not truly God, He would not have been the perfect sacrificial lamb that taketh away the sins of the world, so it was essential for Him to be God as well as man.
In over-stressing the divine nature of Jesus, .we are in danger of overlooking the reality of His true human nature.
It is so important for you and me to fully understand the gospel of salvation, so that we rightly understand the human nature of the Son of God. Our blessed Saviour was perfect. He was without sin, yet He was a man! He had a body and a soul. He had the same senses that you and I have. He would become hungry and thirsty. He became tired. He wept, He slept. He awoke. He was born a little child. He was subject unto His parents. He grew into a man. He slept as a man, yet He commanded the waves and they obeyed Him. When He was in that very human nature, He was also very God at the same time.
We see what a precious Saviour our Lord is when we begin to realize that He was truly man, so He could intimately relate to our every weakness.
The Lord Jesus Christ has been here on this earth He has walked in this vale of tears. He has been persecuted. He has been confronted; He has had the powers of hell come against Him. He has been tempted with every temptation that you and I could ever be tempted with in His human nature.
How beautiful it is that He can relate to our weaknesses. He has had a human nature that became hungry, that became tired, that had all the weaknesses and frailties of our human nature.
The book of Hebrews tells us: He can relate so intimately to our every trial because of His human nature. "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,…. to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,….. he is able to succor them that are tempted." (HEB 2:17-18)
If we destroy the aspect of His human nature in our teaching, see how we lose the intimacy of the relationship that we have with Christ.
Another reason it is so necessary that you and I understand His human nature is so that we will get a better understanding of what He suffered for us.
We see His suffering, and we understand His true human nature: He was capable of feeling pain, being discouraged, and becoming weary. We see all the trials and all the insults and humiliation that were heaped and endured by Him.
 We start to understand what it is that He suffered, because we understand His true human nature, and in the things that we suffer (even though they are so minor by comparison to what He suffered), …we understand the price He paid. Jesus said in Luke 22:28: "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations." In other words: You are those who have stayed with me in my trials.
We get a better feel for His suffering because we know what we suffer when we are mocked, when we are scorned, and when we are put out of people’s company for His name’s sake. We get a feel for the price He paid for our redemption.
He comes before the Father to intercede on our behalf. He can do this with such an intimate knowledge of…. what that temptation was… where you and I have failed… because He has felt the power of that temptation in His human nature.
Again we read in Hebrews….."Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God; let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (HEB 4:14-16)
Now we see why it is so important that we understand the human nature of Jesus. It is through our Saviour’s human nature that we are able to come into a family relationship with both Him and His Father.
 What a privilege it is that we have a High Priest that understands our weaknesses and infirmities. He understands the power of sin, and He can intercede for us and plead our case before the Father.
Much of the Gospel of Christ is summed up in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. principle taught in EPH 5:1-2. This is outstanding when we learn to understand it.
 "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children." Do you know what it means when the gospel tells us to be a follower of God? That word follower, in the original Greek, means "an imitator" of God.
How are we called upon to be imitators of God?
Now Verse 2. "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us…. that way when we walk in love, …..we are imitating Christ.,….. and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by letting bitterness dwell in your heart. Don’t let anger, malice and evil-speaking be in your heart. That grieves the Holy Spirit. Be kind one to another, tenderhearted in the Spirit of Christ.
 We read in Romans 8:9: If you have not the Spirit of Christ, you’re not one of His.  
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
When we fix our eyes on Christ as the one and only source of satisfaction, the only source of rest, Christ becomes our only source of complete satisfaction.
Our blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has who has felt our human weaknesses, has called to us as we become weary in our wilderness journey to:
MAT 11:28-30. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."We all understand what it is to be so weary that we are longing for rest. But He said, "Come unto me…and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." Be my imitator. Learn from me. Learn from my example.
 In His weary condition, He went and sat "thus on the well." You and I must come unto Him "and learn  from Him; for …He is meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
He says to come and learn that Spirit of Christ. Learn to walk in the footsteps in which He has walked. "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Amen
Beware of Translations
No all translations of the Bible are equal.  We use the King James or Authorized Version (KJV or AV) for a reason.  It is a superb translation from the received text.  There are some other versions such as the New International Version (NIV) or the English Standard Version (ESV) which have intentional mis-statements to change the Word. 

But there are others, some of which are paraphrase rather than literal translations, that give a new and deeper understanding of God and His patience with us.  Take for example this portion of Genesis passed on by the ever lovely Mary Lou Flanagan:

7 "And God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the earth".  
8 Then He made the earth round... and He laughed and laughed and laughed!

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