AOC One

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Fifth 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/u19_I0fjt_Q

In the Collect, we ask that the events of this world might follow God’s governance or will. Why? Because in those places where it does, we find happiness and joy. It is that simple, it means more, reflect on that. The point Saint Peter makes in this morning’s Epistle is that it is easy for us to be sinful creatures and not do good. It is much harder to resist that sin and to do good, but yet that is what God calls us to do. In the Gospel, when Simon Peter finally listened and acted according to Jesus’s instructions, wonderful things happened. So too will they happen for us when we finally actually listen to what God wants and do it instead of doing what we want. It all comes together. Having trouble visualizing that? Read or listen to Rev Jack’s sermon.

The Propers for today are found on Page 195-196, with the Collect first:

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

RANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle came from the Third Chapter of the First Epistle of Saint Peter beginning at the Eighth Verse. Peter tells to be of one mind, have compassion and pity for each other, to be courteous, to give good to all our brethren, to return good for evil, to seek peace, to do good, not just talk good. Peter tells us to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. To put ourselves in others’ places, understand when they fall short and make good things happen.

E ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.

Today’s Holy Gospel started in the Fifth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke beginning at the First Verse. This is one of the classic stories of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus had gone down to Lake Gennesaret to pray and then speak to the people. As they pressed in on him, he asked Simon Peter to use his boat as a speaking platform. Speaking from a small boat near the beach is almost like speaking in an amphitheatre. When he finished talking to the people, he told Simon Peter to go out and set his nets. Simon pointed out they had fished all night with no result, but at His word, he would set his net. The net gathered an incredible catch that Simon Peter and his friends could not board. At that point, it was clear to Simon Peter he was in the presence of one far greater than himself. He fell to his knees, saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Then Jesus said, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” From then on Simon Peter followed Jesus.

Do not misunderstand, every day Jesus speaks to you telling you what to do. It is your choice, you can listen like Simon Peter, or you can ignore Jesus. He has the pony for the lottery. He wants to give it to you, all you have to do is accept. While He is a bit more subtle than a Drill Instructor, the question is the same, “Can you hear me?”

There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.

T came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: and so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

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/u19_I0fjt_Q

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

Consider these words from the Collect:

… the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness …

1. We follow God’s Will for us, we do what is good for us, individually and as a people or a country. It is hard work, but easier than we imagined; we prosper when all goes well. It was all our doing, we are happy because we were so smart.

2. We ignore God’s instructions, doing what we want to do, not what we are supposed to do. It turns out to be way harder than we thought possible, in the end everything turns to weasel spit. It was not our fault, it is God’s fault, He is punishing us.

As long as we are imperfect creatures with free will, humanity will not change. The key word in this phrase is will. The will of humanity is set towards embracing sin and running away from God. But there is the possibility that through the Holy Ghost, we as individuals can change and with enough individuals changing, the whole of humanity of change. Humanity would be better off if we fully embraced the principles found in the Gospel. However, there is a big obstacle to this: human nature. By our own nature, we are naturally resistant to embracing any kinds of change and most especially change from doing what we want to doing what God wants. We have to understand doing what God wants will be better for us in the long run than doing what we want.

This is a difficult concept for us to grasp without the help of the Holy Ghost. But it is not so hard once we let the Holy Ghost into our hearts. But the key here is that we have to let the Holy Ghost into our hearts. We have to exercise our free will properly in order to do this and recognize that without the Holy Ghost in our hearts, we are hopelessly lost. But with the Holy Ghost in our hearts, we will be back on the path towards righteousness and heaven.

If you think about it, all of our problems can be solved by doing what God asks! Conversely all of our problems seem to stem from not doing what God asks. It is that simple. Don’t try to get out of doing what God wants to do what you want, and don’t look for loopholes. Don’t be a Pharisee! Consider when Jesus told Simon Peter to go out and set his nets. Simon was tired, he was hungry, he had fished all night with no result. After making excuses, he decided to do what he was told! There is a lesson there, instead of making excuses why things are the way they are, why not be quiet and do God’s will instead? It will have a lot better result, that is for sure!

That is what happened to Simon Peter; that is what will happen to you, if you will but listen and act. Listening and then acting are the key principles of this Gospel, we must listen to what He says, and then ACT upon it. It is not good enough to just listen and go on your merry way and not ACT upon it. We must have actions in order to show that our faith has any meaning at all.

Without actions, our faith would be a very shallow one. It is very easy to talk the talk, but can we walk the walk too? People watching will notice if our words are backed up by our actions. Without actions our faith is meaningless. There has to be actions in order to show that we truly indeed have faith and are not just faking our faith. As the verse from the Book of Matthew goes, wherever our treasure is, our heart will be there also. So if we do treasure Jesus and His teachings, our heart will be fixed there also and our actions will reflect that. Same to somebody whose heart is in earthly things or mammon, their heart will be fixed upon those things and their actions will reflect that.

The point Saint Peter makes in this mornings Epistle is that it is easy for us to be sinful creatures and not do good. It is much harder to resist that sin and to do good, but yet that is what God calls us to do. The Holy Spirit will give us that strength to resist the sin and to good and to overcome obstacles and feelings, but only if we let it. He points out that those who love life and want to do good will refrain from doing bad and evil things to our fellow humans. God is open to those who do good and He is against those who are evil. God will open his ears to us, but we have to also open our ears to what He asks us to do. Action and not just diction are what counts in the end. That phrase is what St. Peter’s Epistle boils down to and it is also a shared theme with this mornings Gospel. When Simon Peter finally listened and acted according to Jesus’s instructions, wonderful things happened. So too will they happen for us when we finally actually listen to what God wants and do it instead of doing what we want.

We will find that our life will improve significantly once we start doing what God wants us to do instead of what we want to do. We will find things become better for us in a lot of aspects of our life thanks to doing what God wants. People who do not have the Holy Ghost in their hearts may not be able to see this, but us with the Holy Ghost in our hearts will be able to see it once we apply God’s principles into action. We can make things better for us and those around us by doing what God wants us to do. Our communities will become a better place the more we start to do what God wants instead of what we want to do. A lot of the problems in this world are caused by people doing what they want to do instead of what God wants us to do.

Do not misunderstand, every day Jesus speaks to you telling you what to do. It is your choice, you can listen like Simon Peter or you can ignore Jesus. He has the pony for the lottery. He wants to give it to you, all you have to do is accept. While He is a bit more subtle than a Drill Instructor, the question is the same, “Can you hear me?” The problem with us is that we just do not want to hear. That is why we need the Holy Ghost to open up our ears, that we might hear and obey. We need to tell ourselves that listening to Jesus and the Holy Ghost will produce better results for us in the short and long term than if we ignore them. We have to remind ourselves that our eternal life starts right now and not when we die, so we might as well get on following Jesus and the Holy Ghost’s instructions.

There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.

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

Sermon Notes - Fifth Sunday after Trinity - Why follow Christ? - Anglican Orthodox Church Communion Worldwide - 9 July 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

The Collect

This prayer was composed at a time when the vicious enemies – Huns, Vandals, Goths - were at the gates of Rome; therefore, its expressions were made from hearts totally aware of their dependence upon the mercy of God. As a product of the Gregorian Sacramentary, the prayer concerns the Reformation Doctrine of the First Use of the Law. (Barbee & Zahl) The First Use of the Law is a restraining force in the world against all wickedness. Without a moral restraint, the world would become so completely wicked that life could not exist. The Second Use of the Law, not addressed here, is the function of the Law as a mirror to our imperfections in the face of the Law – a school teacher which demands a greater perfection than we are ever able to attain, but must strive for.

Why do we have “wars and rumors of war” in all quarters of the world? We see a contrast of beliefs that are diametrically opposed to one another abroad in the world today. The three major beliefs are Christianity, atheism, and Islam. You may discount the second (atheism) for it is a feigned belief . Every atheist knows, as does every other human being, that there is a God. But the atheist is in denial due to the dire ramifications the existence of God has for his demented soul. But Islam is a different story. Even more demented than the atheist, the Muslim believes that his god is Allah, and that Allah desires the wholesale slaughter, by the cruelest means, of all who will not bow the knee to his wicked rule. I believe that Satan himself would devise such a religion if he had the time – and he presently does have the time. Having lived in Iran BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER the Islamic Revolution there, I feel that I have some credibility to advance an informed assessment on the evils of Islam. I will not, here, go into the heart-sickening details. But I can say with certainty that faith, professed at the point of the sword, is no faith at all.

Our Prayer of Collect today reminds that there does exist the possibility of a peaceable kingdom, but that Kingdom must find its governance in a Holy God and not a false one. The peace of God is a peace that cannot be comprehended through the designs and opinions of man: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7) Such a peace cannot be possessed by a people who are nominal Christians, but only by those who have taken on the Mind of Christ. His Mind does not vindictively pursue those who are ignorant of Him, but seeks them out in love to open their eyes to the Light that scatters the darkness and ennobles the soul.

This Prayer asks for a grant from the proper source – the Lord! GRANT, O Lord. You may beg alms from a pauper all you please, but your need will never be granted because the pauper has no means by which your prayer may be granted. If we have great need, with no means of satisfying within our own means, we must go to the One who has the resources to grant our request. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. ……. call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalms 50:10, 11, 15)

Our petition is not an ultimatum for we have no grounds to demand anything of the Most High King. GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee. Standing in the need of favors which we are powerless to acquire of our own volition, we approach the Throne of Grace as children begging for the mercy and favor of a loving Father. There is a different approach to that Throne being deceitfully preached from the sensational pulpits of America today that claims we can DEMAND anything of God and He is bound to grant the demand. What an evil and foolish lie. The very definition of a King is that He is Sovereign on His Throne. He may grant grace, or withhold mercy, to whom He pleases and for reasons that are His alone. But I can assure you of this one point: anything besought of God that is in accord with His own Will to grant, shall be granted. So, if we have taken on the Mind of Christ, our requests shall be uttered out of that Mind. But if we harbor some hidden wickedness in our hearts, God will not hear our petitions. We dare not get angry with God if He does not hear our prayers. We may not blame His Holy ears for being unhearing. When our prayers are not heard, we need to look within, not seeking excuses without: If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (Psalm 66:18)

Should we ask our prayers to be granted out of selfish desires? The model prayer our Lord taught us to pray has no such selfish interest at heart except that we receive only our daily bread. We also pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God’s will be done “on earth as it is in Heaven.” Is this truly the desire of our hearts? It certainly should be for, if God’s will is done, it will be done by His people and for His purposes. There will be no abuse of little children, no murders or theft, no cruel wars, no rape or adultery – for the Will of God prohibits any slight wickedness. And so we pray “. . . that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance. All who disobey the Sovereign of a Kingdom are rebels to His authority. His rule is not borne by an iron yoke, but a light and easy to bear yoke of love. But the children of the devil cannot abide such a yoke, for love and obedience thereto are alien to their hearts which are full of evil imaginations. One only needs to consider the beheadings and brutal treatment of innocents in the Middle East to pray that such evil never invades our own shores and borders. I fear that we are, by our own presnt wickedness as a nation, inviting the same into our very parlors.

What is the objective of the God-governed peace for which we plead? “….that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness.” Please note that one of the benefits of a Godly governance is joy. We not only seek to serve God in quiet obedience, but even joyfully do so. Unbelievably so, there are far greater numbers of Christians being martyred today than in any previous period of the history of the world. Can we fathom that? As God’s Word becomes more generally known, evil also abounds the more – for Satan knows his days are numbered and his death throes are horrendous. If we are one with Jesus Christ, He will be One with us. When we go seeking for mercy of the Father, we had best take His only Begotten Son along with us to plead our cause, and it shall be granted assuredly. Godly quietness is not peace at all cost, but a Godly peace – a peace that acknowledges love, mercy, and grace to be grants of God to us, and to our fellows.

The Gospel

Luke 5:1-11

ND it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, ²And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing theirnets. ³ And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. ⁴Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.⁵And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. ⁶And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. ⁷And they beckoned unto theirpartners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. ⁸When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ⁹For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: ¹⁰And so wasalso James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.¹¹And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11)

The Sermon

Jesus stands by the lake of Gennesaret and is urged by the people to speak to them the Word of God. Every Word that Jesus spoke was the Word of God for Christ is God also. And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret

Why would so many people follow every move of Christ and seek to hear Him?

1. Christ did not differentiate between Prince and Pauper. He treated all men alike with respect and dignity as human beings only.

2. Though Christ, was sinless, He was kind to all sinners except the hypocrites (Pharisees and Sadduccees).

3. He cared most for those who were oppressed and poor.

4. He recognized the needs of men and women.

5. Jesus taught the pure Word and not the diffused and diluted Word taught in many churches of our day.

And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing theirnets. ³ And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

These two ships had finished the day’s work. The fisherman were washing their nets which suggests that they had caught no bounty of fish else they would have first taken the fish to the market before they spoiled.

Christ decides to make a separation of Himself from the people during His preaching. This is a concern to every minister. We, too, must separate ourselves, not only from the world when we preach, but even from our own selfish desires. So Jesus makes a distance from the people to better assess them and conduct His teaching. The boat He commandeers to accomplish this belongs to Simon Peter.

And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Jesus was the Teacher. The people were the students. Jesus sat down to teach because He taught with Authority. The people, as students, stood to receive the Word eagerly.

He spoke from the waters to the land. Just as the refreshing showers of blessing are drawn up from the sea into the air masses and move landward, so were the Words of Truth dispensed from the very Water of Life.

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

Christ was never guilty of any lapse in courtesy or failure to reciprocate a favor. He had used Simon’s ship, now He will recompense Simon therefor.

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Again, proof that all the labors of the day had failed to get any fish. The sea may not give up its bounty to man, but it certainly will give up its bounty to its Maker. In fact, the day will come when all the dead even who have perished in the sea will come up out of the sea and even from Hell itself! Rev 20:13 - And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. The Creator of all Creation exercises power over it.

Though Simon doubts of the result, he will nevertheless let down the net at the command of Christ. To Simon, this is a waste of time. That which makes no sense to man makes an abundance of sense to God.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. ⁷ And they beckoned unto theirpartners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

Please note that this was no ordinary fishing expedition. These fishermen had never caught so many fish as to sink their boats. Look at how profusely Christ repays those who are gracious and who obey His Word even when they doubt the result somewhat. We, too, must obey the Word of God even if we cannot imagine any benefit to ourselves.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ⁹ For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

We are not worthy to be in God’s presence; however, He has allowed us to come to Him. Our being in the presence of God requires reverence, unlike the screaming and shouting we observe in many churches. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that areabout him. (Psalm 89:7)

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: ²⁹ For our God isa consuming fire. (Heb 12:28-29)

The miraculous catch of fish was adequate proof to Simon of who Christ was coupled with all else he had witnessed. He knew himself to be unworthy of Christ. Do we so recognize that we are not worthy either – that it is simply by God’s grace that we are made worthy.

So were the other two called apostles: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.

If they believed catching such a tremendous number of fish was exceptional, Christ will further make them fishers of men so that their nets will be overloaded - And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

1. Fisherman are persistent in their labors.

2. They know WHERE to fish, and for how long.

3. They know what will attract fish to their nets.

4. They know the TIME to fish.

5. These fish were taken alive just as men must be taken alive. Once dead, they are of no account to God or the Church.

This is a progressive call to Peter, James, and John.

The First Call

Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; ³⁶ And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! ³⁷ And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye?They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? ³⁹ He saith unto them, Come and see.They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹ He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:35-42)

The Second Call

Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. ¹⁹ And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.²⁰ And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. ²¹ And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. ²² And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. (Matt 4:18-22)

The Third Call

We see a progressive role being established here:

1. A stone

2. Fishers of men

3. Not only fishing for men, but catching them in abundance.

Each of us has been called of Christ to a mission with a specific role. Are we still at the point of loitering by the sea, working to convert souls, or have we arrived at the point where our efforts are so credible that men will follow?

Saturday, July 8, 2023

An Honest Wage – 7 July 2023, Anno Domini

OR when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:20-23)

It is considered an honorable thing for a man or woman to demand an honest wage, but is that what satisfies the heart and soul? We demand our ‘just deserts’ but do we really want our ‘just deserts? There are different categories of wages. One category would be that wage mutually agreed upon and paid to a laborer for his services. That would be considered a fair wage. There is a splendid example of this wage given by our Lord Jesus Christ: 1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? (Matt 20:1-14)

This wage was not subject to union bargaining, but was subject to the individual agreements made to the laborers. Envy caused many to complain because those who came last to the vineyard were paid an identical wage as those who had worked all day; still, the principle held that all received at least that for which they had bargained. We all want a fair shake when it comes to wages.

But there is a second wage that we may hope to avoid, and we certainly can do so by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. That wage is the well-deserved DEATH of every sinner – and we all are sinners.

The wage of Adam in the Garden was to enjoy the daily Communion with the Lord in keeping the Garden in Paradise, but Adam preferred another wage of which he had been warned beforehand by the Lord – that wage was one of death based on his willful disobedience of God. God will brook no sin in His Presence, and without the Presence of God in our lives, there remains only death – for He is LIFE! The moment Adam partook of the forbidden fruit in defiance of God’s Commandment, he died spiritually. Not only did he become a spiritually dead man walking, but his bodily flesh began to slowly die and age. Adam received his bargained-for wage of Death. Having the sin-tainted blood of Adam coursing through our veins, we, too, have inherited that sin-nature of Adam – all of us! God prepared a way to be forgiven and restored by way of the sacrifice of His only Begotten Son – a decision made in the Councils of Heaven in the eternity past long before the worlds were made.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Through the redemption made available by the grace and mercy of God, we may once again have daily Communion with the Lord and walk with Him in every venue of our lives. Though our bodies perish and return to the dust of the earth, our spirits are enabled, through Christ, to flourish in an eternity of joyful bliss with Him.

HEREFORE by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:20-23)

Friday, July 7, 2023

Long Journey out of Sodom – 6 July 2023, Anno Domini

ND Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben–ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. (Genesis 19:30-38)

The account given of Lot and his descendants in Scripture may seem a bit baffling. Lot compromised his entire family by choosing the plain over against Sodom when given the choice by Abraham. He endured the sinful community of abject sinners until forced out by angelic powers. He had sex with his two daughters while in a drunken stupor. Yes, we read from the 2^nd Epistle of Peter Lot was a righteous man. How came he to be righteous? Lot did, indeed, depart from among the gross sinners of Sodom even if by force of Heaven; but so does every sinner depart from his sinful ways by force of Heaven. And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:7-8)

It is the calling and election of God brought us out from the fiery furnace of our own little ‘sodoms.’ David was a man after God’s own heart, but David committed many egregious sins of which he later repented and was forgiven. Still, those sins of David left scars not amended by his repentance. Abraham lied and also sinned in failing to believe all that God had told him concerning the promised Seed. Yet, Abraham is deemed righteous in the eyes of the Lord though his failure of faith resulted in grave animosities between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. Sin always leaves scars even when forgiven. We hurt those we love by our sins. Sins are never a personal matter. Our sins are not only between us and God, but also affect those around us often in terrible ways.

The two daughters of Lot bore two sons to him – Moab (father of Moabites), and Ben-Ammi (father of the Ammonites). Their descendants inhabited the lands of Ammon and Moab – both of which were cursed to extinction. But God did not entirely forget Lot and his sons. He prepared as means whereby Lot’s descendants could be incorporated into the family of God. That path would not emerge until decades later when Naomi and her husband went down into Moab as a result of a famine in Bethlehem-Judah. Though Naomi and Elimelech may have been wrong to leave the land of their father’s and go into a godless country, it was yet in God’s will as a means to reunite the descendants of Lot to the House of Israel.

Having many misfortunes befall, including the loss of her husband and two sons, Naomi resolved to return to Bethlehem-Judah. Her two daughters petitioned to go with her, however, only one (Ruth) fulfilled that resolution. In response to Naomi’s insistence that she return to Moab, Ruth made this greatest of all professions of love: And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. So Ruth (a type of the Church and Bride of Christ) returned with Naomi to Bethlehem-Judah. You may read the account in the Book of Ruth which is an early parable of the Church and of Christ (pictured in Boaz). But how does this bring the descendants of Lot back into the fold of God’s people?

Ruth later was wed to Boaz – a descendant of the prostitute Rachab of Jericho; and Ruth, a descendant of Lot’s eldest daughter by way of incest. Yet, Ruth became the great grandmother of King David and into the royal and spiritual line of our Lord Jesus Christ some thirteen centuries hence. We read these wonderful truths in the genealogical records of the legal descent of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel of St. Matthew: And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias . . . (Matthew 1:5-6)

The Providential Hand of God is powerful to accomplish His will in the calling of all His elect to the Throne of Grace and Mercy no matter the depth of despair in which we find ourselves.

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Nimrod, a man after Satan’s own heart – 5 July 2023, Anno Domini

ND Cush begat Nimrod[1]: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (Genesis 10:8-10)

Many men feel the greatest when they find themselves in the company of a large multitude. Such a multitude seems to move with one emotion and mind. This is particularly true if there is no arm of restraint to bind them to any moral or social code. Many innocent persons have fallen victim to such hordes of unthinking men resulting in the extrajudicial lynchings of which we may read in the historic record. The mob may act with one mind as emotion draws them together in unity of purpose – a purpose that is always without justice, but compelling of the mindless hordes whose mental processes conform to the will of the whole.

Such is often the attraction of large cities to the criminally minded. One criminal face among a million is harder to find than one in a crowd of one hundred.

Thomas Jefferson famously remarked, “When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.” It is my opinion our American model has already excelled Europe for crime and corruption. When the members of a Republic fail to exercise their individual privilege and responsibilities of keeping their leaders in check, they get precisely the government they deserve. One 21 year-old lass named Sophie (White Rose) Scholl of Germany stood up alone against the tyranny of Adolf Hitler and was guillotined for her courageous stand. She wrote: “Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized nation as allowing itself to be “governed without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instincts.”

Nimrod, King of Shinar, was a man who could mold the minds of multitudes to his overbearing will and purpose. His followers were obviously wooed to follow him in any direction he chose to take them. He was the son of Cush, grandson of Ham and great grandson of Noah. He rose from the region of Mesopotamia and founded Babel – where the current ruins of Babylonia may be found in modern-day Iraq.

Nimrod knew only one law: his own law. He was motivated, like Lucifer, with an over overriding pride and ambition. He was bold and charismatic. He believed he could gather about him all the peoples of the world and mold them into a kingdom that would challenge the Gates of Heaven. He would become like God. Nimrod was the first to propose a one-world government against the model of nations that the Lord God later instituted at Babel.

Nimrod undertook to build a tower that would reach to the heavens. I do not believe Nimrod truly believed that his tower would reach to heaven, but he would convince his mindless followers of the possibility and thusly continue to control there destinies as his own. We see these designs in our modern-day politicians who seek to establish a one-world government in which every citizens will is controlled by the one at the top of the pile.

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-4) Just as Lucifer had visioned himself to reign in the stead of God, so Nimrod, and all one-worlders wish to rule without the interference of the nuisances of God’s Moral Code and Laws. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)

The earth has no dearth of such ambitions and cruel powers who endure sleepless nights in their plot to undermine moral society and establish their own heads as the mind and will of all the people. It is the Word of God that sets us free and grants our liberties in Christ. Cain was the first murderer, Abel was the first man to see death because of his brother, and the first city builder and one-worlder was Nimrod. But there are plenty today who yearn to take the place of Nimrod. A word to the wise is sufficient!

[1] In the Old Testament, Nimrod was a descendant of Noah and was described as "a mighty hunter." Calling an excellent hunter a nimrod comes directly from this Biblical source — and so does the word's "inept person" definition. In addition to his legendary skill with a bow and arrow, the Bible’s Nimrod is also associated with the disastrous attempt to build the Tower of Babel, a fiasco essentially caused by a bunch of nimrods.