Sovereign of Nations - 4 July 2023, Anno Domini (the 247th year of American Independence)

4 July 2023, Anno Domini (the 247^th year of American Independence)

 

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N thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. 2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.  3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.  (Psalm 31:1-3)

 

Sovereign of Nations

 

            The date is 4 July 1949 – Independence Day! A small boy of six years age was eagerly waving his American Flag with his mother and older sister as they awaited the passing of the colors in the Independence Day parade in Dalton, Georgia. As the crowds thronged the streets in anticipation of the event, the band could be heard far down the avenue signaling the coming march of World War II veterans of the Army, Navy, Marines, and Army Air Corps. Dual victories of World War II had been won by these members of the Last Great Generation in both theaters – the European and Pacific Theaters of Operation. Pride and patriotism filled the hearts of almost all Americans in those halcyon days of innocence and love of country. It would have been unthinkable for anyone to disrespect the flag under which these gallant heroes fought and any attempt to burn it would definitely have resulted in a most unpleasant outcome for the perpetrator.

 

            As the colors emerged in view, the boy was overcome with a profound pride in his country and for his father who had served in the War in Europe. The colors passed and then came column after column of uniformed soldiers clad in their impressive uniforms with medals gleaming. After a time, he saw his own father come marching along at the head of his platoon in perfect step with the Stars and Stripes Forever. The boy simply could not stand still. He jerked loose from his mother’s grasp and ran along side the column yelling his lungs off, That is my daddy!  That boy was me. I shall never forget the pride I had in America at that time, and that pride was reinforced in the public school as we daily recited the Pledge of Allegiance, a selected Psalm, and one verse of My Country Tis of Thee.

 

            Something very unfortunate has happened to America since those days. Thirteen years after that parade, the nine black-robed justices of the US Supreme Court ruled something practiced in schools since our founding (prayer in schools) was no longer Constitutional. Of course, that was an exact denial of the 1^st Amendment of the Constitution. Not long after, even the Bible was no longer permitted, nor the posting of the Ten Commandments. Within a decade, it was found unconstitutional to deny the right to murder a baby in its mother’s womb.

 

            What has been the result of these depraved actions of the court (and of society at large)? Our youth have become fat and lazy – many addicted to drugs for lack of motivation. They have become selfish and self-centered. It is not their fault, but it is the fault of good Christian Americans who stood by in silence as the pillars of our American Republic were being subverted by an ideology foreign to that of our Founding Fathers and the Great Sovereign of Nations that guided their hearts and hands.

 

            The leading text to this message from Psalm 31:1-3 was the passage upon which President Chester A. Arthur held his finger as he was sworn in as President of the United States in 1881. It was, for a time, customary for Presidents to choose a particular verse from Scripture that would define their approach to authority. President Dwight D. Eisenhower placed his finger on Psalm 33:12 at his swearing in ceremony in 1957: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.  There are many other examples of this policy until the modern era. I believe Eisenhower was the last to lay his finger on a particular verse at swearing in. Perhaps that Scriptural testimony should begin the presidency of every man elected to the office in future times when America stands alone as the only possible redemption in liberty of peoples around the world. I present the words of a pioneer pastor, educator and geographer, and father of Samuel Morse (inventor of the telegraph and Morse Code) – Jedidiah Morse:

 

            To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys. In proportion as the genuine effects of Christianity are diminished in any nation, either through unbelief or of the corruption of doctrine, or the neglect of its institutions; in the same proportion will the people of that nation recede from the blessings of genuine freedom, and approximate the miseries of complete despotism. I hold this to be a truth confirmed by experience. If so, it follows, that all efforts made to destroy the foundations of our Holy religion, ultimately tend to the subversion also of our political freedom and happiness. Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican form of government, and all the blessings which flow from them, must follow with them. 

 

            May each of us have a very Happy Independence Day with renewed vigor and commitment to return this nation to its proper foundations in Christ our Redeemer, Lord, and King.

 

For,

 

Anglican Orthodox Church

 

JERRY L. OGLES

Presiding Bishop

 

JLO:pma

 

 

One Nation, Under God will result in Liberty and Justice for all

 

The Anglican Church, being founded on the principal of one nation, one church, holds patriotism and true love of country in great regard.  It is quite interesting the majority of the Founding Fathers were members of the Church of England and transferred their national church identity to what became the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States.  Like Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer, they saw the need for a national church.  Not a captive arm of the government, but a link to God for the people of the nation.

 

We hold our Independence Day dear to our hearts and it is one of our religious feasts or holidays.  A proper Red Letter Day!

 

The Independence Day Propers are found on Page 263-264.

 

Independence Day.

[July 4.]

The Collect.

 

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 ETERNAL God, through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Epistle comes from the Tenth Chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy beginning at the Seventeenth Verse: 

 

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HE LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: he doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen..

 

Today’s Gospel started in the Fifth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew beginning at the Forty-Third Verse: 

 

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ESUS said, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

AOC Sunday Report – Fourth Sunday after Trinity

  

Happy Fourth Sunday after Trinity!

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

We have excellent sermons this morning from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan. This is Bryan's last sermon for a week or so as he undergoes heart bypass surgery on Wednesday.  Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video HERE -> https://youtu.be/u6yD81f95qk 

The Collect admits we desperately need God’s Help, yet paradoxically, God can only help us if we put our trust in Him; we can never be strong, nor set aside to Him, if we do not let Him be our leader. No one except God can be their own leader, no one.  In the Epistle, Paul builds on this, telling us walking God’s path, though it may seem hard at the time, is nothing compared to the reward we receive in heaven for following God’s will.   In the Gospel, Luke presents a simple message, yet one that is often misunderstood, with majestic language which brings the message to a point of incredible sharpness. We are to be a guide to others to Christ, yet we cannot help others until our own problems are on the way to “solvation”, that is being solved through the salvation offered by Christ. It all comes together.  Having trouble visualizing that? Read or listen to Rev Jack’s sermon.

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, this is no exception. Start with Bryan Dabney, pray for his family to have peace of mind as they approach Bryan's surgery on Wednesday. Pray also for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him, that they might pay attention, and do their very very best. Pray also for a good outcome.  Pray also for Tricia, Shamu and Laurie and work outward from there.

Today is our pleasure to pass on Jennifer Rios' report from Columbia on their work with the children in Columbia in South America.  DOWNLOAD HERE.  As you know, we seldom ask for money, the fact we never ask for money for us; but in this case, if you have any spare change, you might send it to the Worldwide office in Statesville to pass on to Jennifer's operation. It is an amazing thing that she is doing with so little resources.

AOC National Office

PO Box 128

Statesville, NC 28687-0128

As we look at the week ahead of us, sometimes it is hard to see good coming. Right now with the celebration of our independence coming up this week in the United States, I at least have a tendency to think of what is going wrong. That's where we all need help. Me more than pretty much everybody else maybe. Open your heart to the Holy Ghost and ask God to show you the right path.

Have an EPIC week!

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

Sermon Notes - Fourth Sunday after Trinity - Can the blind lead the blind? - Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide - 2 July 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

Fourth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

 

O

 GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Collect

       O GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee. We see, not only in this prayer, but in scripture itself, a thing condemned by the world but practiced by God. God profiles and discriminates in his dealings with His people. Those who do not trust in God may not claim the privilege of His protection. He seeks those who have the faith to trust in Him under any and all circumstances of life. Remember that there are only two families and classes among all the people of the earth - past, present, and future - the family of God, and the family of the Prince of Darkness. There is NO MIDDLE GROUND! Trust is all important. We all tend to place our trust in SOMETHING - our friends, our job, our wealth, or our own hand. But trust misplaced is trust abandoned. 

 

        Trust is so important to God that He places it in the very center verse of Holy Scripture:  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:9) The national motto of our United States is In God we Trust. We consider it of such importance that we place it on every coin minted by our government. Sadly, the motto is dead without the real trust that should back both our money and our motto.

        When the storms and billows build upon the seas of your life, you may take courage in the Psalmists words of encouragement and strength: If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139:9-10) 

 

        If we have made our election in Christ sure, we may rely upon the promises found in Isaiah: Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isaiah 43:1-2) . . . without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Apart from God there is NOTHING! There was only a void where the earth now stands, and even the void was created by the Word of God. There is NO LIFE apart from His loving provision. So there can be NO STRENGTH apart from God. He is the PRIME MOVER and SUSTAINER of all things. And can there be holiness apart from God. None whatsoever, for there are none righteous - no not ONE! There can be no holy thought, no holy ground, apart from a Holy God to provide it.

        

Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy  God's mercy is as abundant as a gushing fountain. We can never reach a point when we believe we have had enough. It continually flows forth and bathes us in its resplendent waters of light. If we magnify our Lord, He will magnify His mercies upon us. . . . that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. 

 

        Do we not pray to get through the fires of life un-scorched? In the burning building, as in the world of smoke and mirrors, we desperately seek the way that leads to safety. We may grope and stumble until the fires consume us because we have no Guide in the fires. But we do have a strong Guide and Ruler who is our King and Sovereign. His eyes are forever on His own. He will go through the fires with us, sheltering us with His wings, and bring us, unscathed, to safety. But we must keep our hand, and our trust, in Him during the danger. Those things of the world may cause us to break hold of Christ and wonder into places that lead us to perish. Can we cast aside the false glitter and dim lights of this world and keep our focus fixed on that Light that never fails. If we are able to persevere to the last, we shall be saved to enjoy the splendor of Heaven. How can our saving mercies be granted on behalf of One who has already gained the Kingdom of His Father? How is Christ profited by our grant of mercy? Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. The very dying desire of Christ was that we might be saved. His ordeal of torture and earth was all for us. He purchased our salvation with His atoning death if we will only place our trust in that mighty Salvation! It is for the sake of His Son that God the Father will admit us into His Heaven as pure and righteous sons of God. Have you placed your absolute trust in Him, Friend?

 

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ND he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?    (Luke 6:39)

 

            One of God’s greatest gifts to mankind is the gift of sight. He has created our ability to see by His first act of Creation – the blessing of LIGHT. “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:2-3 But the gift of vision is not limited to physical vision – there is a greater vision, by far, that is spiritual. This latter vision is often enhanced when a believer is deprived of his physical sight. We all remember Fanny Crosby who wrote thousands of hymns many of which alluded to seeing her Savior ‘face to face.’

 

            In developing my expositional sermons, I often attempt to extrude the fullness of each verse of the text in question; however, this text today from the Gospel of St. Luke 6:36-42 is so packed with truth and beauty that I have elected to expound upon the single verse that forms the text for this sermon.

 

Just as the physical eye can reveal marvelous beauty in God’s Creation, so can the spiritual reveal even greater beauty in that which exists beyond the physical Creation in the realms of our Triune God beyond the Gates of Splendor. In as attempt to explain this beauty, John the Revelator falls short of adequate human vocabulary to describe it. 

 

            There are often threats and dangers in life that actually reveal a hidden beauty that results by the passing of such threats: 

 

Through the darkness of the midnight the observer often catches the radiance of a stream of light. It is a meteor. And what is a meteor? From the vast depths of space, flying with tremendous force, come fragments, perhaps of exploded planets, hurtling through space, and ready to strike with tremendous force, as sometimes they have done, destroying anything that stood in their way, and burying themselves deeply in the soil. These meteorites, coming within the limits of the atmosphere, and driven with such terrific speed, are ignited by friction, flash out their brightness amid the gloom of night, and in most instances, unless they are very large, they are entirely consumed before they reach the earth. So, the meteorite becomes a meteor; and the stone flying through the atmosphere, instead of smiting the earth illuminates the sky. And there are troubles, and trials, and dangers which seem sometimes to threaten to crush us, and destroy us, which only light up the heavens with new glory and flash brightness on our pilgrim way. 

 

The blind eyes of the spirit, however, are far more egregious than those of the physical body. The Light of God is an invisible beam to such blind eyes. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23) In the case cited above by our Lord Jesus Christ, it is that ‘spiritual blindness to which He makes reference.

 

Now we consider the audience to whom Christ addresses our selected verse today: in its most profound application, He was addressing the religious leaders of the day whose pretentions of righteousness were based on false and judgmental claims. In a broader application, His counsel applies to us all. We have all been blind to truth. The more we learn and study the dark mysteries of biblical truth, the greater becomes our vision to distinguish truth from the false. In the reverent study of God’s Word, we are assuming a greater garment of the Mind of God and His Will for our lives. Knowing truth, we can readily discern error and falsehood – a decidedly critical characteristic in a day in which evil is called good, and good is called evil. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” We see examples of this ‘Woe’ at every turn – in society, in politics, in education, and, regrettable, even in the churches of America. In mainline churches of America, the very abominable sins to which the Scriptures make certain reference are being embraced from the pulpits as being Holy. 

 

“14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to the mountains.” (Mark 13:14) May I suggest we already see that abomination of Leviticus 18:22 standing in the pulpits and Holy places of American churches – ‘Blind leaders of the blind!’ Have we completely disregarded Holy Scripture as our rule and compass of life? I am afraid that American churches have already fallen into the ditch along with their congregations who blindly follow.

 

When we encounter Christians who have been deceived by their false prophets and phony churches, what should be our reaction? If we have studied the word of God in love and reverence, and understood His clear will to expose error wherever it raises its ugly tentacles, we must let the blind use our spiritual eyes to expose the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

Each day of our lives is composed of alternating periods of light and darkness. This is a natural blessing in the physical world that allows daily light for labor, and nocturnal shadows for rest and sleep. But the spiritual world in which we, as believers, must fervently desire to abide is forever illuminated by the Light of Christ. We may, from time to time, experience moments of spiritual darkness, however, we must no linger in such periods. If we do, our spiritual eyes will slowly lose their appreciation for the light and we will become as dwellers of the dark world of the lost. 

 

While a young boy, my father took me to a very special natural wonder near Sweetwater, Tennessee, the Lost Sea. After a descent of two or three hundred feet beneath the surface, we arrived at a very large underground body of water. This was the Lost Sea which had been kept in smothering darkness for centuries, and perhaps, millennia. 

The Lost Sea is America’s largest underground lake and Registered National Landmark. Upon boarding a small glass-bottomed vessel, we were escorted out over the deep of the Sea whose depth has never been able of fathoming. The Sea is teeming with fish that follow the vessel as it navigates the waters. But these fish are quite strange. They are snow white in color and are all blind – not because they have no eyes, but because their scales have grown over the globes of their eyes. The position of the eyes are clearly observed from the bulge the scales form over the eyes. Trout and bass are easily identified in this condition. 

 

            Since there has been no sunlight on those waters for eons of time, the fish have lost their color and luster. The scales have grown over their eyes because they have lived too long in darkness. They have no need of vision in a dark place.

 

            I believe those blind fish illustrate the condition of a nation that has known God but, owing to an extended period of darkness, have lost their ability to see. I am afraid our beloved America is thus illustrated. We have allowed the darkness of false teaching and wicked indoctrination to blind our eyes so that we can not longer discern light = we are blinded to truth and reason.

 

            If those fish could be removed from the Lost Sea and taken to the surface, I do not know if they could ever again be made to see by the skills of the surgeon; however, spiritual blindness is capable of restoration to sight by the resplendent light of the Holy Spirit. I pray, this coming Independence Day, that the Godly vision of America as set forth by her providentially guided Founding Fathers can again be restored by the grace and mercy of an omnipotent Father to a nation bearing the fruits of His blessings.

 

For Our Country.                                                                    BCP 36

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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 of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video HERE -> https://youtu.be/u6yD81f95qk

 

The Collect admits we desperately need God’s Help, yet paradoxically, God can only help us if we put our trust in Him; we can never be strong, nor set aside to Him, if we do not let Him be our leader. No one except God can be their own leader, no one.  In the Epistle, Paul builds on this, telling us walking God’s path, though it may seem hard at the time, is nothing compared to the reward we receive in heaven for following God’s will.   In the Gospel, Luke presents a simple message, yet one that is often misunderstood, with majestic language which brings the message to a point of incredible sharpness. We are to be a guide to others to Christ, yet we cannot help others until our own problems are on the way to “solvation”, that is being solved through the salvation offered by Christ. It all comes together.  Having trouble visualizing that?  Read or listen to Rev Jack’s sermon.

The Propers for today are found on Page 194-194, with the Collect first:

 

Fourth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

 

O

 GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Epistle came from the Eight Chapter of St. Paul‘s Letter to the Romans, beginning at the Eighteenth Verse. Paul tells us that walking God’s path, though it may seem hard at the time, is nothing compared to the reward we receive in heaven for following God’s will.  God gave us free will, which if we exercise it properly, that is the will to overcome temptation.  What at first seems like a constrained way of living, once actually lived is really perfect freedom.  If we overcome temptation to do what we want and do what God wants, we will receive the gift of eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  For until Christ, there was no delivery from the pain of worldly existence; through Christ there is redemption of our souls and our resulting bodily resurrection.

 

I

RECKON that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

 

The Holy Gospel came from the Sixth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning at the Thirty-Sixth Verse. This is a simple message, yet often misunderstood, with majestic language that brings the message to a point of incredible sharpness.  “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give and it shall be given unto you… …Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”  “… why beholdest thou the mote that is in the brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  …How canst thou say to thy brother, Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest no the beam that is in thine own eye?”  This is often quoted, but the following sentence is left out, “Cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the more that is in thy brother’s eye.”  

 

Only when we first take care of our own spiritual health, look to our own relationship to God and evaluate and improve how we follow His Word, we will be able to effectively spread the Word of His love for us.

 

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E ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

 

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on videoHERE -> https://youtu.be/u6yD81f95qk

 

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

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal…

 

We desperately need God’s Help, yet paradoxically, God can only help us if we put our trust in Him; we can never be strong, nor set aside to Him, if we do not let Him be our leader.  No one except God can be their own leader, no one.  Each of us, no matter our position, must have an immutable directional reference or we become hopelessly lost.  For navigation, we have a magnetic compass or better yet the Pole Star, Polaris, which will tell us True North so we can keep headed in the right direction.  People have died of starvation in a closely wooded area less than a mile across because they became lost while following their own sense of direction.  By definition, they were always less than 3,000 feet from safety, yet they died after many days.  So it is with our spirits. 

 

This message is a constant theme in most of the collects, as it is a pretty common theme for us that we are totally lost without God’s guidance. Like Peter, if we are separated from Christ, then we too shall become lost. But, if we have the Holy Ghost, we are not separated from God and Christ and will thus become stronger. So, if we have the Holy Ghost in our heart, he will both strengthen us and help us to holy, that is set aside. He can also help us be merciful to other people. We just need to listen to what the Holy Ghost says and act upon it.  

 

It is a simple truth that we cannot be our own leaders. We need a leader that is infallible and perfect and we do not meet those requirements.  If we try to become our own leaders, it will not work. But fortunately for us, we have God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost.  if we will follow Their Lead, we will pass through this world in good order and go on to the next in eternal happiness. This is a very common theme within Scripture, do what God asks, be happy; don’t do what God asks, don’t be happy. This has been a constant truth from the beginning and will be true all the way through the end of time. If we can internalize this message and truly take it to heart, we will be a much happier people as a result.

 

We should not consider what man thinks of us. In the end it will matter less what man thinks of us than what God thinks of us. We need to be concerned with what God thinks of us.  If we follow Him, then those who really matter will like us for who we are and how we conduct ourselves while following God and those who don’t are of no concern. Do what is right, avoid what is wrong and you will be happy are the basic principles of the Christian faith.

 

Paul builds on this, telling us walking God’s path, though it may seem hard at the time, is nothing compared to the reward we receive in heaven for following God’s will. We may undergo tremendous suffering here on Earth, but in the end it will all be worth it. We shall receive eternal life and happiness. This is certainly a lot better deal than going to the Pit! 

 

This concept ties in also with the collect saying that we need to focus not on things temporal, but things eternal. Meaning we need to look at ourselves and our actions with the long long term view with the goal of getting to heaven for eternity. We must reflect on our actions and how they can affect not just us in the short term but also us in the long term. It is very easy to get wrapped up in matters of this Earth but we must realize that Earth is only temporary. And it must also be remembered eternal life doesn’t just start when you die and leave this Earth for Heaven, it starts right now. The Collect is asking for God to help us make our way through this temporal universe to His Realm, the ultimate eternal universe of Heaven. We need His help to guide us through all of life’s trials and temptations 

 

In the end, our reward will outweigh all of our struggles, if we will but keep our eye on the true prize.  Our struggles here on Earth in the eternal view will not be as big as what our eternal reward will be, if we but stay the course that God has set for us. God gave us free will, which if we exercise it properly, that is the will to overcome temptation.  We just have to let the Holy Ghost into our hearts and focus on never ever giving up! And remembering Paul’s message to us whenever we are tempted to give up!

 

What at first seems like a constrained way of living, once actually lived is really perfect freedom. It only seems constrained, because we cannot conceive how following His Word will allow us true freedom.  If we overcome temptation to do what we want and do what God wants, we will receive the gift of eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

Luke presents a simple message, yet one that is often misunderstood, with majestic language which brings the message to a point of incredible sharpness.  We are to be a guide to others to Christ, yet we cannot help others until our own problems are on the way to “solvation”, that is being solved through the salvation offered by Christ.  We need to follow Him, before we ask others to follow us.  After all, if we are not going in the right direction, what positive value is there in others following us?  We can’t very well lead people to Christ if we ourselves are not on the road to Christ. So let us first make sure we ourselves are on the road to Christ before we work on guiding others to Him. .

 

We do not want to be leading others towards The Pit, rather, we want to be sure we are on the right path before we guide others along the path. We must not lead others astray by our actions and judge unrighteously, but judge with righteous judgment through the Holy Ghost and on the solid foundations of Holy Scripture. 

 

When he said use righteous judgement, he was talking about judging people’s behavior by the standards of Scripture, not condemnation. He was talking about using the Scriptures as the standard for judging individual’s behavior. He does not mean us to condemn others. People today get the concept of righteous judgement confused with God’s judgment of somebody’s eternal destination. They get this confused as they do not have the Holy Spirit within them to differentiate between those two concepts. That is for God to decide and not for us to decide. We must trust in God’s superior and perfect judgement. This is connected with the parable of the mote. Often times when we are tempted to condemn somebody, we often ignore our own failures and focus on theirs. Let us get our act together first, before we help others. So, how can we, imperfect as we are, be honest with ourselves?  The answer is easy, hard to implement, but easy!  The Holy Ghost!  Let Him into your heart and do what you are told.  Simple, yet hard to do.  

 

Speaking of doing, what we do to others is a good measure of how we follow God’s Will and Direction.  We are expected to treat others as we would be treated. Remember the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have done unto you. How you treat others says a lot about your spiritual and moral character. Our real earthly fortune, as well as are eternal lives, are a reflection of our commitment to God.

 

We are so ready to condemn the performance of others when our own is even worse.  It is common within all of us, especially me particularly. As Paul tells us, “all fall short.”  The operative word here is ALL.  If we look to condemn and repair our own spiritual lives before condemning others, we will be better suited to help them.  Our beam before their mote.

 

For only when we have taken care of our own spiritual health by looking to God for help to evaluate and improve how we follow His Word, we will be able to effectively spread the Word of His love for us.

 

And that is our job, to improve ourselves to effectively spread His Word by example; our action, not our diction, is the measure.

 

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

In My Name – 29 June 2023, Anno Domini

  

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HEREFORE God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:9-11)

 

            There are many different names, or titles, in both the Old and New Testaments for our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God sacrificed from before the foundations of the world for us. 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. (1 Peter 1:19-20 - see also Revelations 13:8) His sacrifice was decided long before the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden for God knew of man’s failure to live up to the righteousness of God – even in keeping only one Commandment.

 

            When the lad, Isaac, inquired of his father of the lamb for the burnt offering, Abraham responded, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. God would be Himself the lamb in the form of His only Begotten Son. The term here is Hebrew is Jehovah-Jireh, meaning God will provide. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh (God will provide). (Genesis 22:14)

 

There is one name of the Lord Jesus Christ I love above all others. It is found in Isaiah 7:10 – The Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Emmanuel means God with us. What a wonderful name and what a wonderful promise it conveys! 6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6 - see also Deuteronomy 31:8, vHebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20, etc.) No matter the storms and billows, Christ is always with us on the tumultuous seas of life. Our fears are unfounded with our trust in Him.

 

The Christian lives a life of victorious faith with the trust He places in his Redeemer and Savior. But it is such a seal of future promise that, regardless the ridicule and persecution we experience from the unbelievingvworld, there is coming a day when all – good and bad – will acknowledge His Lordship – some to eternal bliss,and others to eternal damnation:  . . .  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

            A few years ago, I served as post chaplain to a veteran’s organization. There came a day when new post officers were to be recognized by the state leadership. The State Commander handed me a written prayer and directed that I read it verbatim. It omitted the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I learned later this was consistent with the published Chaplain’s Book of the organization – no mention of the Lord Jesus Christ whose Providence guided our Founders in establishing us a nation among the nations of the earth as well as a burning Beacon Light for all other nations for its provision of Liberty. I had to resign rather than suffer such offense to my Lord and Savior. 

 

            We are counseled to pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ since He is our only intercessor with the Father. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16)

 

            What does it mean to pray in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ? It means, as Christians, we are commissioned to act upon the authority of God’s Word. We have assumed His will for our lives and rejected our old self-will (so-called free will).  Therefore, all that we pray for, in His Name, will be according to His will for us. Do we not pray in the Lord’s Prayer, Thy will be done? All our prayers should include that distinction – it is not OUR will we seek, but His, in satisfaction of our petitions. 

 

            The only valid actions of a police officer must conform to the laws of his municipal authority. The same is true of military personnel. We are all subject to both secular and spiritual authority. If God is our Father, we will pray for those things He is inclined to grant through His Son, Jesus Christ. But the claims of all others outside the limits of the Kingdom of Heaven are directed to the Prince of the Air and the ruler of this world – the devil.

The Patience of Job – 28 June 2023, Anno Domini

 

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 H that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. (Job 19:23-27)

 

            Job was a man of the ancient days who had everything a man could desire; a wife, and seven sons, and three daughters; 7,000 sheep; 3,000 camels; 500 oxen; 500 she asses; and a great household that numbered him as the greatest man of the east. He loved God and hatred evil. Job had no great need for much patience for he had all the world had to offer. While it is true that Job hated the devil, it was also true the devil despised Job and his Communion with the Lord.

 

            One day, God gave Satan the power to take away from Job all his wealth and all his family. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.  And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:6-8) Satan was incensed that Job loved the Lord fully. Just as the Serpent had beguiled Eve, Satan wanted to destroy Job and make an example of him of hypocrisy. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:12)

 

            So, Satan took the beloved sons and daughters of Job in death, and the many head of livestock was taken, and Job was left with nothing. How did Job respond to this hurtful experience? hen Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (Job 1:20-22)

 

            Job had never needed the gift of patience in the past, but now he was forced to draw upon the well-springs of faith for the patience needed to endure such pain and sorrow. Patience is a product of faith.

 

            Having failed in this first attempt to destroy Job and to cause him to curse his Lord God, Satan made subsequent appeal to the Lord to allow him to hurt Job’s body. This request the Lord granted. But Job’s wife, like Eve, tempted Job to doubt the divine purposes of God. So, Satan afflicted Job with boils of sores from head to foot so that Job went out and sat on an ash-pile and scrubbed himself with a potsherd. 

 

            In spite of the counsel of his three friends, as well as their condemnation, Job’s faith held steady, and he exercised the well-known example of patience that his faith engendered. In hardship, as well, as in plenty, our patience is a measure of our faith – not the other way around. It takes a tremendous faith to endure financial ruin and loss of loved ones, but our faith instills an unworldly ability to sustain our patience to continue in our walk with the Lord. In his misery, and, yes, saints are afflicted just as was Job with misery, Job made his enduring profession of faith in Christ (his Redeemer): For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. Though Job may have questioned why this great sorrow befell him, he never denied God. He knew that whatever misery this life may offer, there is a greater joy and bliss to be had in the coming of his Redeemer some 1,500 years hence. It was this profound faith that bore Job up and produced the patience for which he is known.

 

            In the end, Job was victorious over the devil and prospered under the blessings of God. In the end, Job received exactly twice the losses he had suffered with the first assaults of Satan – except sons and daughters. Why was this? I believe it was because Job still had the first sons and daughters in waiting beyond the Gates of Splendor which would give him twice the number of sons and daughters as well as livestock. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters.

 

            One lesson we gleaned from Job’s faith and patience is to remember to account, not only our treasures on earth, but those that are on deposit in Heaven awaiting our coming.