Who are we?

The center of the Traditional Anglican Communion; adhering to the Holy Bible (KJV) in all matters of Faith and Doctrine, a strict reliance on the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, The two Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, the Two Creeds, and the Homilies and formularies of the Reformation Church of England.

Verse of the Day

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Devotion for Saturday after Ascension 19 May 2012 Anno Domini



13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. (2 Thess 2:13-17)
The Collect

Ascension Day

G
RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

 ¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

     Have we considered being thankful for ALL that comes into our lives? We often consider the death of a five-year old child to be a great loss and tragedy, but have we considered that all life is a gift of love – that even five years of the gift is nonetheless a gift? God grants us every breath and heartbeat. Each moment is simply another gift. When He withdraws continuing His gift, are we at a net loss? For the life that God withdraws from His child in this life, God adds that life to the beauty of Heaven. Moses looked with forlorn hope from atop Mt Nebo into the Promised Land, but God would not allow Moses to enter therein after his struggling with the obstinate Hebrews for forty years in the Wilderness. Poor, sad, Moses! God took Moses on Nebo. So did Moses not go into that Land of Promise? Think again! The next time Moses is presented in Scripture, He is with Jesus Christ and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. That which is lost to the Children of God in this sorry world is multiplied exponentially in the next.  How may we come to be thankful for all things? Consider the meaning of the word and its etymology:
     "Our English word, thankful, is related to its Anglo-Saxon derivation, to thinkful. To be thankful is to be thoughtful or mindful of a benefit received. A transient thought is too mean for a standing mercy. How many beautiful examples have we of the memorials the saints of old preserved of god's goodness: like Jacob's Pillar (Gen 35:14), Joshua's twelve stones at Gilgal (Joshua 4), the stone Ebenezer (1 Sam 7:12), or David's Sword (1 Sam 21:9)."  Dr. Bowes.
     13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. When did God chose you, my friend? From the very beginning! That which makes us chosen is the sanctifying grace of the Spirit of God and the belief in the truth of Jesus Christ. We are not merely INCLINED to give thanks for the grace of God in saving us, or at sundry times; but we are rather BOUND to give thanks and at all times! Perhaps we might understand and appreciate the grace of God more powerfully if we consider the preceding verses to today's text: And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess 2:10-12) Those who do not LOVE the truth of God will not receive the benefits of salvation offered in Christ. Because they love not the truth, God will give them their way and will enable them to be even more deceived than their foolish hearts can afford. We see this strong delusion in a great many of our mainline churches today – perhaps the great majority of them.  The deluded ones will have no excuse whatsoever for their damnation when they stand before God. Having rejected the truth, they will have swallowed an ocean of Satan's lies.
     14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. In rejecting truth, it is the glory of Christ upon which we trample. We are called by means of the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached by His true ministers. When we come to the Throne of Grace, we receive not only a salvation unto life, but share in that glory which belongs to the Bishop of our Souls – the Lord Jesus Christ!
      15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. The military command, Stand Fast, means to "hold your ground." The command has often been given at a critical juncture of battle when the lines begin to sway in face of the enemies onslaught. The Christian is not to have second thoughts spurred by fear in the face of the enemy, but is to hold his position and not be intimidated by the formidable force of the enemy at his front. As the enemy hurls lies and propaganda against the Gospel Truth – often even by means of the traitor in our ranks – we are not to be swayed in our faith, but hold to that which is true and which we have known from god's immutable Word. We learned in Basic Training (Bible School) that Satan never sleeps nor forsakes the battle. He never takes leave, nor goes on vacation.  He observes all of our daylight deployments and comes in the cover of darkness to flank our lines, or penetrate our defenses. We need not wonder IF he will come – only at what point his next attack shall occur.
     16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is also our Father. What an unmerited grace! He LOVES us more than any earthly father, though willing, is able to do. God our Father gives us comfort in consoling us in all moments of hurt or doubt. When we know that the night is near past and the dawning of day is approaching, we can take hope in coming light. With God, the Light is ALWAYS coming and increasing for us. He does all things for us through an indomitable grace.
     17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. The means by which we may comfort our hearts is through the knowledge of the truth. When our hearts are comforted in knowing that we are Christ's, and He is ours, we are emboldened to declare the truth of God's Word. In knowing and declaring God's Word, the goodness of our living works shall follow as the night the day. Are you mindful of God's love, of His graciousness to you, of His unrelenting love through all perils and strifes? It is far easier to practice good works if we do so out of a good conscience. What is the condition of your conscience toward God today?