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
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+
