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

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity 238th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps - Veterans Day - 51st Birthday of the Anglican Orthodox Church

James Parker Dees
First Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church

Today we celebrated the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity; it is also the Fifty-First Birthday of the Anglican Orthodox Church.  While our numbers are small in the United States, we have churches in 26 separate countries around the world acting as a guiding hand, safe handhold and refuge in an ever down spiraling world from a small Worldwide Headquarters in Statesville, North Carolina.  The stability of the AOC is due to the vision of James Parker Dees, the founding clergyman of the AOC.  His vision continues under the command of Jerry Ogles, the current Presiding Bishop who just came back from a trip to the former Yugoslavia where he established an Anglican Orthodox Church of Macedonia, as well as an Anglican Orthodox Church of Serbia complete with ministers, deacons and congregations.   See the article on Founders Day later in this report.
239th Birthday of the
United States Marine Corps
No better friend, no worse enemy



On 10 November 1775, Captain Samuel Nicholas formed two battalions of Continental Marines at Tun’s Tavern in Philadelphia as naval infantry in accordance with a resolution of the Continental Congress.  They were to "be able to serve to advantage by sea when required" and "that they be distinguished by the names of the first & second battalions of American Marines."

No better friend: someone who will kill to protect you; someone who will give their life for you; someone who will be right there in your times of trouble and, thinking of you and your problems, will sacrifice so that you might get through your problem.

No worst enemy: someone who will not hesitate to destroy you even if that means destroying himself in the process; someone who will chase you down to the ends of the earth to extract revenge; someone who will cause you blood and tears and smile when it happens.

With a Marine as your friend, you have a person who will kill to protect you. With a Marine as your enemy, you have a person who will kill you. Pretty simple, huh?

The concept comes from the epitaph of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, famous general and legendary dictator of ancient Rome:

"No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full."

Happy 239th Birthday, USMC!

Veterans Day – Guest Editorial
Tuesday 11 November 2014, was, is Veterans Day.  The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month.  Is not the first Monday in anything, it is not an occasion to sleep in or barbeque.  It was originally Armistice Day, the day the Great War (World War I) ended.  The armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month ending the War to End all Wars which took the lives of about 20 million people.  We remembered that day until World War II, a war which took the lives of about 70 million people, not including the 25 million killed by the Soviets internally.  In total, almost 100 million people lost their lives during the period of this war.

Our country has chosen this day, Armistice Day, to honor those who have served our country.  This is not the same as Memorial Day, the last weekend in May, during which we honor those who have given their lives for our country.

On this day, we honor those who have and do serve our country: men and women who have stepped forward when their country called; some even before the call.  We honor those who have put their country before themselves and families.

Sometimes we forget the sacrifices made by the families.  It is one thing to be in combat, forward deployed or on TDY at Christmas.  It is another to have your son, daughter, husband or wife gone.

We can both tell you from personal experience that it is a lot easier to go to war than to send someone to war.

It is easy to think the country is going to hell, in or out of the proverbial hand basket and it may well be.  Yet, so far we have young people who step forward and fill the breech in the line.  How long we know not, but still they come forward.  While they come we are safe.  When they stop, we fall.

Rev LTC Hap and Captain Dru Arnold, USAF Retired
Founders Day
16 November 1963- 2014

James Parker Dees, a Bishop of Vision and Courage – (1915-1990) Few would have suspected a member of the New York Opera Company would become a bishop who would wage war against a corrupt and arrogant branch of the Church of England[1] – the Episcopal Church. But Bishop James Parker Dees was just such a fellow. Bishop Dees was ordained in 1949 following his graduation from Virginia Theological Seminary. After serving charges in Beaufort and Statesville (to include serving as rector of an all-black church in Statesville), Rev Dees became disillusioned with the unbiblical teachings of the Episcopal Church. He strongly objected to the teaching of men such as Bishop Pike who was in obvious disregard of the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion and the Holy Bible itself. Realizing Pike’s actions were egregious enough to warrant his being brought up on charges before the Church Court, he filed charges under the Church Canons. Though the charges were unquestionably factual, the Church took no measures against Pike. Other issues involving infidelity to Holy Writ, a lowered view of the marriage covenant and intensifying liberal tendencies drove Dees to separate from ECUSA in 1963 and form the Anglican Orthodox Church.

Clergy who assured Dees of their support and loyalty deserted him. He was consecrated a bishop by Bishop Wasyl Sawyna of the Holy Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church of North and South America, assisted by Bishop Orlando Jacques Woodward of Old Catholic succession, on 15 March 1964.

Clergymen from the local Episcopal churches demonstrated, day and night, on the sidewalk in front of his home with placards and loudspeakers. Dees, never wavered in his conviction and determination to preserve the faith of the Reformation. He insisted on strict conformity to the Received Text versions of the Holy Bible, the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion and traditional Book of Common Prayer as the arbiter of all truth and doctrine. Expending much of his personal and family savings to sustain the church, Bishop Dees was successful in maintaining a Remnant of the true Gospel among the purveyors of heresy and apostasy. The church grew, under his wise oversight, to include more than twenty foreign national churches. Dees founded the Orthodox Anglican Church to act as an ecclesiastical umbrella for these foreign churches, but still remaining an organ the Anglican Orthodox Church. He never slumbered nor rested in his zeal to serve God and to build His Church.

Bishop Dees underwent non-life-threatening surgery in December of 1990, but died a few days later as a result of complications of pneumonia. He died on Christmas Day, five days short of his seventy fifth birthday.

Like the Reformers of old, Bishop Dees discovered the modern church had become corrupt and heretical. It needed reforming, and Bishop James Parker Dees was that Reformer of our Modern times. We shall ever be thankful to God for such men!

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity

On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from?  The answer is from the people who uttered them.  But, how did you find them?  Oh, that.  Some from Bishop Jerry, many from Rev Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, some from Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson, but overall mostly from Bryan.  He always has some great ones to share.  On to the On Point quotes –

Do not blame Caesar (or fill in a substitute name), blame the people of Rome (USA) who have so enthusiastically acclaimed and adored him and rejoiced in their loss of freedom and danced in his path and given him triumphal processions. Blame the people who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of the “new wonderful good society” which shall now be Rome’s, interpreted to mean "more money, more ease, more security, and more living fatly at the expense of the industrious".
Marcus Tullius Cicero

It would tire the hands of an angel to write down all the pardons God bestows upon true penitent believers.
William Bates

Do you think that you deserve forgiveness? If you do, you are not a Christian.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

There is in the nature of sovereign power an impatience of control that disposes those who are invested with the exercise of it, to look with an evil eye upon all external attempts to restrain or direct its operations.[2]
Alexander Hamilton
Federalist No. 15, 1787

Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
Psalm 94:12-13

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Ecclesiastes 10:12

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
St. Matthew 5:9

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching...
St. Luke 12:37

... A man is “without Christ: when the Holy Spirit’s work cannot be seen in his life. Who can avoid seeing... that myriads of professing Christians know nothing of inward conversion of heart? They will tell you that they believe the Christian religion; they go to their places of worship with tolerable regularity; they think it a proper thing to be married and buried with all the ceremonies of the church; they would be much offended if their Christianity were doubted. But where is the Holy Ghost to be seen in their lives? What are their hearts and affections set upon? Whose is the image and superscription that stands out in their tastes, and habits, and ways? Alas there can only be one reply! They know nothing experimentally of the renewing, sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost. They are yet dead to God. And of all such, only one account can be given. They are “without Christ.”
JC Ryle
19th century Anglican bishop and author
(Holiness, pp. 319-320)

They are foolish who give their enemy the means of destroying them.
Aesop
6th century BC Greek philosopher and author
(The Trees and the Ax)

Goodness
It has sometimes been asked whether God commands certain things because they are right, or whether certain things are right because God commands them. . . . I emphatically embrace the first alternative. The second might lead to the abominable conclusion . . . that charity is good only because God arbitrarily commanded it—that He might equally well have commanded us to hate Him and one another and that hatred would then have been right. I believe, on the contrary, that “they err who think that of the will of God to do this or that there is no reason besides His will.” God’s will is determined by His wisdom which always perceives, and His goodness which always embraces, the intrinsically good. But when we have said that God commands things only because they are good, we must add that one of the things intrinsically good is that rational creatures should freely surrender themselves to their Creator in obedience. The content of our obedience—the thing we are commanded to do—will always be something intrinsically good, something we ought to do even if (by an impossible supposition) God had not commanded it. But in addition to the content, the mere obeying is also intrinsically good, for, in obeying, a rational creature consciously enacts its creaturely role, reverses the act by which we fell, treads Adam’s dance backward, and returns.
Jack Lewis
Problem of Pain

Reward
If you run now, without a moment’s rest, you will still be in time to warn King Lune.”

Shasta’s heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one. But all he said out loud was:

“Where is the King?”
Jack Lewis
The Horse and His Boy

Prudence
…practical common sense, taking the trouble to think out what you are doing and what is likely to come of it. Nowadays most people hardly think of Prudence as one of the ‘virtues’. In fact, because Christ said we could only get into His world by being like children, many Christians have the idea that, provided you are ‘good’, it does not matter being a fool. But that is a misunderstanding. In the first place, most children show plenty of ‘prudence’ about doing the things they are really interested in, and think them out quite sensibly. In the second place, as St Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence: on the contrary. He told us to be not only ‘as harmless as doves’, but also ‘as wise as serpents’. He wants a child’s heart, but a grown-up’s head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job, and in first-class fighting trim. The fact that you are giving money to a charity does not mean that you need not try to find out whether that charity is a fraud or not. The fact that what you are thinking about is God Himself (for example, when you are praying) does not mean that you can be content with the same babyish ideas which you had when you were a five-year-old. It is, of course, quite true that God will not love you any the less, or have less use for you, if you happen to have been born with a very second-rate brain. He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants every one to use what sense they have.
Jack Lewis
Mere Christianity

Propers
The propers for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity can be found on Page 220-222:

The Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity
The Collect.


L
ORD we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Epistle for today came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians beginning at the Third Verse of the First Chapter.  Writing to the church in Philippia, Paul sends his greetings letting them know he has been praying for them constantly.  He tells them that the good work God has begun in them will surely continue until Christ returns to them.  Paul tells them he prays that they will find more and more joy in following the will of God.  Continually reminding people of the joy of being born a new person, Paul prays that their “love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”

I
 thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

The Holy Gospel came from the Twenty-Eighth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the Twenty-First Verse.  On the subject of confession, repentance and forgiveness, knowing the rabbis had ordained forgiving one’s transgressors three times Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”  Knowing Jesus as he did, Peter no doubt expected Jesus to say more times than three, but 490 may have been somewhat more than he expected.  In one of the more important stories in the Bible concerning God’s forgiveness of us and our obligation to forgive others, Jesus went on to liken the kingdom of heaven to a king, who was balancing his accounts.  He found a servant who owed him, in today’s terms, a million dollars.  The man had no money, but promised to pay and begged for mercy rather than have himself and his family sold into slavery as the law allowed to repay the debt.  The king forgave him the debt and set him free.  Upon release, the man being reminded of his debts, began to attempt to collect from those who owed him.  The first debtor he came across owed him $10.00 and had it not.  The one who had been forgiven cast the $10.00 debtor into prison.  The king found out and bye, bye.

The quote is - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Not – Do unto others before they do unto you.

P
eter said unto Jesus, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is one of those Sundays.  Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity
16 November 2014, Anno Domini

The Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity
The Collect.


L
ORD we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

T
hen came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
(Matt 18:21-35)

Peace of mind is one of the fruits of forgiveness. Even when we are sure in our minds that we have been irreparably wronged, there is a sore spot in our hearts that says, FORGIVE.

            The wrong done you will not result in the loss of an arm, or of one’s life. Go to that person who has wronged you. He is hurting more than you are. Frankly forgive him in the same way Christ forgives you. But how does God forgives us our sins.

A tree grows and produces fruit because of the outward benefit the leaves provide through the process of photosynthesis to the inward tree, just as the inner tree gives grow the to the leaves. If we take away the leaves, the inner tree will die. Forgiveness is the leaves of the tree of our hearts.
Peter seems to be the spokesmen of choice for the disciples. He is fearless in being open and frank. One of the others most likely planted the question in Peter’s mind – most likely Judas – the least forgiving of all. So Peter frames the question in a manner consistent with the Law of Moses. He feels that seven times is a large number, but Christ gives him an answer that is intended to indicate that, like love, there should be no bottom to our forgiveness.

There are three stages of forgiveness consistent with the manner in which God forgives:

1   When a brother, not one of the world, offends me, I should forgive that person in the silent chambers of my heart , but not yet openly.  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Eph 4:32) The bitterness of unforgiving spirit is then taken from our own hearts.

2   I do not inform him of my forgiveness for him since that would not be consistent with the manner in which God forgives. I  must go to him, in love, and rebuke him for his offense. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.   (Luke 17:3)

3   Immediately upon the friend’s apology, you must inform him that he is forgiven. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.  (Luke 17:4) 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (Matt 5:22-24) There are reasons for righteous anger and indignation. It spurs us to action to remedy a wicked circumstance such as rape, murder, molesting little children, etc. We now have the parable of the Kingdom involving a King. That King is God the Father. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.  

In the days of this accounting, the amount of ten thousand talents was an enormous amount – more than $20,000,000.  The King in this story represents God. The debtor  – you and me. Without the remission of our debts (sins) we are sold off into slavery and bondage to Satan. In fact, we sell ourselves out to that merciless master.

We may deem it a simple thing for a great King to forgive even an enormous debt, and feel that we are justified in demanding the last cent owed us by a poor man; but though God is a great King, He has a great Heart and is willing to forgive. It was no simple thing for Him to forgive our sins and remit them. It cost Him the life-blood of His only Begotten Son!

A minister was discussing forgiveness with some school boys one day. One of the boys was incensed that his friend had struck him on the playground. The minister asked, “Jimmy, do you think, in view of the Scripture passage we just read on forgiveness, that you could find it in your heart to forgive another boy who hurt you, or struck you, on the playground?” Jimmy responded, “Y-e-e-s-s, Sir, I suppose I could,” and then added, “I could if he was bigger than me!” Well God is bigger than all of us. But He desires that we love others as a measure of our love for Him.          

The debtor in the parable pleads for patience. Apparently, the King has long exercised patience with this man, and there is no more time for it. God’s Spirit will not always strive with man. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh (Gen 6:3) God cannot renew an unwilling spirit to reconcile that spirit to His own Spirit of Righteousness. Those whose hearts are not full of love and forgiveness do not belong to God.

        28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.            

See how this unworthy servant has received such a mighty forgiveness, and at enormous cost (as you and me through the blood of Christ) – yet cannot forgive even a small debt (100 pence or three months average wage at the time) of a fellow servant of less means. He will sell him into bondage! This is not God-like. This is not Christ-like! This is very much like the devil that deceived Eve.           

You may have had a dear friend spite you in a small matter, but the resentment has built in your heart – it has grown beyond the proportions of a normal Mustard Tree and taken over your whole heart. You are weary day by day and avoid even looking into your dear friends eyes. He is hurt by your behavior, but who suffers more: the offender, or the victim. Seeds of wrath in the heart bare trees of hatred and misery.

We have all fallen so very short of the righteousness of God that it is completely beyond our sight, but Christ gives us the means to assume that righteousness of His own. He forgives our sins, washes us clean, and is ever ready to renew our hearts when we repent of every offense. He suffered intensely for you and me. Can we not overlook the smallest infraction by a friend?           

The criminal has no rest of conscience in constantly contemplating his being discovered. Many would find greater joy in confessing their faults and paying debt than in whiling away in constant fear. The sinner suffers no such dilemma. The King stands at the ready to forgive promptly and completely every sin confessed, and those unthought of sins unconfessed. We need only remove the shroud of false pride and bitterness, empty our hearts of hate, and come to Him seeking forgiveness in repentance. There is no cost to the sinner for such a benefit for the cost has already been paid by the King’s Son.

If you have resentment and hate in your heart growing from unforgiven offences, open you heart to the Dipper of Love in God’s Hand and forgive all. Then you may have rest to your souls. Amen.

Sermon - Rev Jack Arnold
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California
Todays sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction and are all tied together.  Consider these words from the Collect:

… keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name …

In the Collect we ask the Lord to keep His household (that would be us) in continual godliness (that is to keep Him as our leader and follow Him), so that with His Help we can have as smooth a path as practical and serve Him in happiness.

Saint Paul follows this same thought in his Epistle when he thanks the Philippians for their fellowship and talks about how they in the bond through Christ have strengthened his faith as a result which enabled him to continue doing his good works for the Lord. In this same way our friends in the AOC, strengthen our faith as we tell others about the good news of our Lord and the faith in which we all share.  The more we love the Lord, the more it will show through in our actions and our judgment. So let us keep loving the Lord, so our actions and judgment will align His!

Which brings us to the point of the Gospel, in which Christ tells Peter about forgiveness and how we must be ever patient with our fellow humans, and if they are repentant grant them that forgiveness, no matter how many times they might err and vex us.  It doesn’t matter if we want to or not, if they are repentant then we must forgive them, regardless of how we want to do otherwise. If they are truly sorry for their sins, then God will forgive them, so must we forgive.  For if we hold the evil of non-forgiveness in our hearts, it is to our own detriment.  We can only forgive those sins against us, for those that are against God, only God can forgive.  When one sins against a fellow creature, they sin against God also.  When we say we forgive them, we are not forgiving them ourselves only, but informing them God has forgiven them for their sins.   Remember, we can forgive them for personal trespasses against us, but through God’s power, only He can grant absolution of our sins, not us.  I do not remember Christ telling Peter humans have the power to forgive sins, like the Roman Catholics claim they have, but rather that God must forgive sins, but we can tell others that God has forgiven them. It is more of an announcement of God’s forgiveness, then the actual act. God has done the actual acting of forgiveness, but it falls upon us to tell people about it.

The parable illustrates what happens to those who are forgiven, but yet turn around and do not forgive their neighbor (in this case, a debtee) for their sins and have thus abused their forgiveness from Our Lord, and will find himself in a very poor spot in the life hereafter. Let us not be like that fellow, but let us forgive our neighbor, if he is truly sorry and willing to repent and start the friendship, and turning a new leaf so to speak.

If God has been so good to forgive us, why should we not inform others God has forgiven them of any sins against Him or us for that matter? It would be truly selfish not to do so and to go against what He has commanded us to do, in spreading the Word to all nations. The lessons today speak of the power of Our Lord in forgiveness and how we must remember our bond with our fellow Christians in Christ, especially in times of great sorrow or trouble and use that to strengthen us in our day to day lives. We must always remember there are others in our heavenly family who are struggling along with us, stuck together with the mighty ultimate, stronger than Gorilla Glue, glue of Jesus Christ and God the Father. With the help of the Holy Ghost and our bond with Christ,  we shall not fail.

The Collect’s prayer the Collect, Epistle and Gospel tie together, laying out, detailing and reinforcing the same message, ultimately.  We have to be willing to forgive others, tell them about God’s forgiveness, and not turn around and commit the grave error of not forgiving others as God has forgiven us for our sins. We have to act more like God everyday, though we are not perfect. If we try our utmost best, then that is all we can do.

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

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sermon
Bishop Dennis is a brilliant speaker.  He is able to take biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me.  Oft he provides the text of his sermons and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:

God and Godliness
Psalm 32, Philippians 1:3-11, Matthew 18:21-35
Twenty -second Sunday after Trinity
November 16, 2014

G
rant, O Lord, that by thy holy Word, read and preached in this place, and by thy Holy Spirit grafting it inwardly in the heart, the hearers thereof may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and may have power and strength to fulfill the same.
                 
It has been said truly the longest journey begins with the first step.  Sometimes we look at the spiritual journey to which God has called us, and, seeing it is long and difficult and filled with dangers, we shrink back from it, afraid to make such a commitment or to devote ourselves to such a seemingly impossible task.  In such times we need to remind ourselves that we cannot accomplish the entire journey in one mighty leap.  We must take it one step at a time.  Put one foot in front of the other, and keep on walking until we reach our Heavenly home.
                 
It is also true that each step is a new beginning.  It is a new chance to put one foot in front of the other, or to stop, quit, or turn back.  Everyone knows we cannot reach our destination by quitting.  Only those who continue the journey will reach the goal.
                 
This is more true in spiritual things than in any other sphere of life.  A writer may never achieve the goal of writing a great masterpiece, yet still have some measure of success.  An architect may never achieve the goal of designing a great cathedral, yet still plan useful buildings for homes and businesses and churches.  But in spiritual things there is no such thing as partial success.  We either continue in Christ to the end, or we do not.  We either follow our Lord to Heaven, or we allow the devil to take us to hell.  Thus we come to the point we are trying to draw from this morning's Scripture readings; continue in Godliness.
                 
Philippians 1 commends the Church at Philippi for their fellowship in the Gospel.  This fellowship is much deeper than simply believing the same doctrines and enjoying one another's company.  It is a common participation in a way of life  It is consciously and intentionally uniting together in Christ.  It is sharing life together as the people of God and body of Christ.  It is intentionally allowing their fellow Christians to become a part of their lives, and intentionally becoming a part of the lives of other Christians.  It is also having a compassionate and active concern for one another, similar to that which Christ has for them.  One of the sad misunderstandings of contemporary evangelicalism is its neglect of the communal aspect of the faith.  It has emphasised personal autonomy and personal salvation and personal relationships with God so much that the Church has been reduced to a voluntary association which we are free to take or leave according to our own convenience or preferences in music or style.  In such thinking, the Biblical teaching of oneness in Christ is in danger of being reduced to a mere metaphor, or a spiritualised reference to the invisible Church.
                 
According to scripture, the visible Church is a connected Church, and the individual Christian is a connected Christian.  The Church does not consist of autonomous Christians in independent churches associating with one another by choice.  It is one body, the Body of Christ in which individual congregations and Christians are members of the organic whole.
                 
Paul urges the Philippians to "abound yet more and more... till the day of Christ."  He is telling them to continue in Godliness.  They have made good start, but a good start is nothing unless they continue in Godliness.
                 
Matthew 18 shows an important aspect of continuing in Godliness.  We are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us.  Forgiveness means to wipe the record clean of offences, and to treat others as though they have committed no offenses against you, and, as though there is nothing in their mannerisms that is offensive to you.  Matthew 18 also shows us how to deal with serious offences and breeches of fellowship, and I urge everyone to read and practice our Lord's teaching there.
                 
I think it is important to remember that Christ was talking about our relationships within the Church.  He was talking to Jews who were fellow members of the people of God.  This does not mean we don't have to forgive unbelievers.  But the Lord's concern here is the preservation of unity and harmony within the Church.  Nor does forgiveness mean we are to allow ourselves to be assaulted with false doctrine and practice within the local church or denomination.  If such things exist in our fellowship, we must make a serious, loving attempt to remedy them.  If such attempts fail, we have no choice but to remove ourselves from them.
                 
The main point here, today, is that we do not allow offences against us to prevent us from continuing in Godliness.  We forgive offenses, and continue to place one foot in front of the other in the journey of faith.
                 
There is no doubt about the difficulty of this.  We grow weary of fighting the same battles and temptations over and over.  We are saddened by the unGodliness in our nation and world, and, of course, in ourselves.  We grow tired of the burdens we carry, and when we see another problem coming toward us, we are tempted to move away like a horse that doesn't want to be ridden.
                 
But it is not only the burdens and trials  of life that tempt us to give up on God.  It is more than even offenses committed against us by other Christians.  The weight of our own sins, and the consequences of them in our daily lives deprives us of our joy in Christ, and tempts us to quit, rather than continue in Godliness.  Psalm 32 addresses this.  Written by David after his sin with Bathsheba, David recognises that he has brought most of his problems upon himself.  That is probably true of most of us.  We follow our own desires, either unconcerned about the will of God, or convincing ourselves our sins will have no great effect on our lives and relationships, and in doing so we pile hot coals upon our heads.  A person who habitually drives in a careless fashion will eventually lose the right to drive, one way or another.  A person who refuses to do his job will find himself unemployed.  A person who neglects the means of grace will, at best, find that the passing years bring him no closer to God, and may even find that his faith was a pretense all of those years, and now it is completely dead.  As St. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:7, "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
                 
I want to quickly address two other points of this Psalm. First, now is the time to devote yourself to continuing in Godliness.  Now is the time to start putting one foot in front of the other and keep on walking until you reach Heaven.  This is accomplished by recognising and turning away from sin, and trusting in Christ.  It is accomplished by diligence in prayer, worship, Scripture, Church, and obedience in the everyday things of life.  These are the steps on the journey of faith.  Doing these things is the way we put one foot in front of the other and follow Jesus.  I think we are sometimes like Naaman in that we want God to ask us to go on some great mission and undertake some great quest for Him.  Instead He tells us to go home and care for our families, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, cook the meals, earn a living, go to Church, read the Bible, pray, and love one another.  These are the small steps of daily continuing in Godliness.
                 
The second point is, God will help you.  In the first 8 verses of Psalm 32, David is speaking to God.  Here David repents of his sin and commits his way unto God again.  But in verse 9 God speaks to David.  God says, "I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will guide thee with mine eye."  God is promising to help David.  He is promising to teach David what He needs to know about living a life that is happy and fulfilling and avoids some the pits into which David has recently fallen.  He makes the same promise to you.  Most of all, He promises to show David how to continue to walk with God.  Or, as I have put it in this sermon, God is teaching David, and us, how to continue in Godliness.  And all the means of grace I talk about so often, are the means by which God teaches and guides you in Godliness, now in this life.  They lead you into the gladness and joy expressed in Psalm 32:12.  That's a wonderful verse, but I think verse 11 is the great conclusion of the Psalm, and an appropriate closing to the sermon; "whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side."
                 

Father of all mercies, keep us in continual Godliness, through Christ our Lord. Amen.      

+Dennis Campbell
Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia
Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan, Virginia

Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor - St. Paul's Anglican Church - Anglican Orthodox Church
Bishop Roy is pastor of the biggest AOC parish West of the Mississippi and is in charge of the Diocese of the Epiphany. 

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity
Foundation Day
16 November 2014

Let us pray:

A
lmighty and ever living God, we yield unto Thee most high praise and hearty thanks, for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in our founding bishop, James Parker Dees of Thy Church in America and throughout the world, who has given unto us Thy holy Word in a language understood of the People, together with a rich heritage of civil and religious freedom, and the blessings of Apostolic faith, order, fellowship and worship, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

As an interesting point, the second Psalm reading for this date in Morning Prayer includes the five part aspect that David brought forth in the psalm. God is his judge, his strength, his guide, his joy and his hope.

When we look at the latter days of our founding bishop’s ministry, we see a similar concept coming into view.  Bp J.P. Dees would in his life and ministry show that he like David relied upon God for these five aspects of his walk with God. 

Bishop Dees did not care that his contemporaries and erstwhile compatriots had abandoned him when he stepped out to follow God not man.  God was his judge.  The good bishop relied upon God to be his strength(when all others seemed to abandon him), his guide when no one of his conviction seemed to come to his side and go with him.   And we know most certainly, that God was bishop Dees hope and joy. 

Our first bishop turned to God in hope, he turned to God in joy, for he knew that it did not come from those who mocked him, those who scorned him, those who left him for fear of their own reputations.

For the rest of this study I am going to turn to that classic Bible scholar, Matthew Henry and his commentary on Psalm 43.

Psalm 43
King James Version (KJV)

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udge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

David here makes application to God, by faith and prayer, as his judge, his strength, his guide, his joy, his hope, with suitable affections and expressions.

1.     As his Judge, his righteous Judge, who he knew would judge him, and who (being conscious of his own integrity) he knew would judge for him (Ps. 43:1): Judge me, O God! and plead my cause. There were those that impeached him; against them he is defendant, and from their courts, where he stood unjustly convicted and condemned, he appeals to the court of heaven, the supreme judicature, praying to have their judgment given against him reversed and his innocency cleared. There were those that had injured him; against them he is plaintiff, and exhibits his complaint to him who is the avenger of wrong, praying for justice for himself and upon them. 

2.     As his strength, his all-sufficient strength; so he eyes God (Ps. 43:2): “Thou art the God of my strength, my God, my strength, from whom all my strength is derived, in whom I strengthen myself, who hast often strengthened me, and without whom I am weak as water and utterly unable either to do or suffer any thing for thee.” David now went mourning, destitute of spiritual joys, yet he found God to be the God of his strength. If we cannot comfort ourselves in God, we may stay ourselves upon him, and may have spiritual supports when we want spiritual delights. David here pleads this with God: “Thou art the God on whom I depend as my strength; why then dost thou cast me off?” This was a mistake; for God never cast off any that trusted in him, whatever melancholy apprehensions they may have had of their own state. “Thou art the God of my strength; why then is my enemy too strong for me, and why go I mourning because of his oppressive power?” It is hard to reconcile the mighty force of the church’s enemies with the almighty power of the church’s God; but the day will reconcile them when all his enemies shall become his footstool.

3.     As his guide, his faithful guide (Ps. 43:3): Lead me, bring me to thy holy hill. He prays, 1. That God by his providence would bring him back from his banishment, and open a way for him again to the free enjoyment of the privileges of God’s sanctuary. His heart is upon the holy hill and the tabernacles, not upon his family-comforts, his court-preferments, or his diversions; he could bear the want of these, but he is impatient to see God’s tabernacles again; nothing so amiable in his eyes as those; thither he would gladly be brought back. In order to this he prays, “Send out thy light and thy truth; let me have this as a fruit of thy favour, which is light, and the performance of thy promise, which is truth.” We need desire no more to make us happy than the good that flows from God’s favour and is included in his promise. That mercy, that truth, is enough, is all; and, when we see these in God’s providences, we see ourselves under a very safe conduct.

4.     As his joy, his exceeding joy. If God guide him to his tabernacles, if he restore him to his former liberties, he knows very well what he has to do: Then will I go unto the altar of God, Ps. 43:4. He will get as near as he can unto God, his exceeding joy.  The nearer we come, the closer we cleave, to God, the better. 2. Those that come to the altar of God must see to it that therein they come unto God, and draw near to him with the heart, with a true heart: we come in vain to holy ordinances if we do not in them come to the holy God. 3. Those that come unto God must come to him as their exceeding joy, not only as their future bliss, but as their present joy, and that not a common, but an exceeding joy, far exceeding all the joys of sense and time. The phrase, in the original, is very emphatic—unto God the gladness of my joy, or of my triumph. Whatever we rejoice or triumph in God must be the joy of it; all our joy in it must terminate in him, and must pass through the gift to the giver. 4. When we come to God as our exceeding joy our comforts in him must be the matter of our praises to him as God, and our God: Upon the harp will I praise thee, O God! my God. David excelled at the harp (, and with that in which he excelled he would praise God; for God is to be praised with the best we have; it is fit he should be, for he is the best.

5.     As his hope, his never-failing hope, Ps. 43:5. Here, as before, David quarrels with himself for his dejections and despondencies, and owns he did ill to yield to them, and that he had no reason to do so: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? He then quiets himself in the believing expectation he had of giving glory to God (Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him) and of enjoying glory with God: He is the health of my countenance and my God. That is what we cannot too much insist upon, for it is what we must live and die by.
From Matthew Henry Commentary on the Holy Bible

A Prayer for the Anglican Orthodox Church
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ord our heavenly Father, look down from heaven, we pray, on thy holy church, and especially on our Anglican Orthodox Church. Fill it with thy Holy Spirit of peace, power, wisdom, and goodness, and make it strong in will to do thy will. Keep it from all danger, evil and error, and defend it from all of its enemies. Bring into its fold thy countless children who are wandering today as sheep without a shepherd, that they may be fed with the Living Bread and nourished with the Water of life. Move the hearts of thy people to give to it generously of their bounty as Thou hast given to them, that it may flourish for thy Name’s sake, witnessing to the glory of thy Son our blessed Saviour, and fulfilling its mission of training sound men for its ministry and spreading the mission of training sound men for its ministry and spreading the good news of reconciliation to all mankind, that thy kingdom come and thy will be done through all the earth: all of which we ask in the Name of thy dear Son our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon.  If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the truth and live the truth.    This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity

Consider, if you will, the message of St. Paul in the epistle wherein he admonished young Timothy to, Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us (II St. Timothy 1:13-14). It is a message to every minister who has been called and sent forth since that time. Holding fast, or keeping to those doctrines which have been set down within the pages of Scripture ought to be of paramount importance to every Christian pastor. Keeping the word within and proclaiming it to others is what a true and faithful minister of the gospel will do. Because he has been called of God via the Holy Ghost to preach the word to others, so he has been given of that same Spirit the deposit of the word.

In another epistle, the apostle noted that, But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal (I Corinthians 12:7). Matthew Henry noted that, “Whatever gifts God confers on any man, he confers them that he may do good with them... The outward gifts of his bounty are to be used for his glory and employed in doing good to others. No man has them merely for himself. They are a trust put into his hands to profit all; and the more he profits others with them, the more abundantly will they turn to his account in the end. [These] gifts are bestowed not for show; but for service... not to magnify those who have them, but to edify others.”

Look back at the life of Moses. He was given spiritual gifts to lead the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt to liberty in the Promised Land. Look at Joshua’s life and leadership. He too was filled with the Spirit as he led Israelites across the Jordan River to victory after victory over the numerically superior forces of the Canaanites.

Look at the life of Ruth, whose tribal roots were set aside by her love for her mother-in-law. In her love and devotion for Naomi, she embraced the LORD and found favor in his eyes. She later became the wife of Boaz whose descendant was King David, son of Jesse.

Look at the life of Daniel. He and his friends faced many challenges as members of Nebuchadnezzar’s court. In spite of those things, he survived and prospered via the power of the Holy Ghost and all because he was faithful to God’s word written.

Consider also the apostles of our Lord who proclaimed the good news of our Lord across the known world. And because of their teaching and preaching, the gospel of truth was made available to us. All of the above sought to follow God’s commandments and thus became a blessing to others. The gospel minister ought to do likewise.

Now it should be woefully apparent not all ministers today adhere to the sound words of Scripture. These false shepherds hold to an image of our Lord which is the antithesis of that found within the pages of the Bible. They preach a false gospel and a de-natured Christ. Oh, they will admit that Jesus was a good teacher whose words we ought follow as a philosopher, but not as the only begotten Son of God. They are unable to preach a convincing sermon on the resurrection of our Lord because many do not believe that it was a real event and hence, there will be no resurrection of the dead in Christ. (Truth be told, a road- kill sermon is likely the only one you could get them to honestly preach regarding the resurrection. Not much spiritual comfort there.) If there is divinity in their understanding of Jesus, it’s the longevity of his words of caring and compassion, but not about those things of the supernatural such as his coming kingdom and, goodness no, not about judgment, hell and everlasting damnation for those who have rejected his offering of free grace. They believe that God will show his love to all persons unconditionally, regardless of their belief or behavior. And with that in mind, they will not preach or teach anything that would dissuade or denigrate a wayward soul to turn from his or her wickedness and live.

But all of this is academic as the sound words— sound doctrines— of Scripture do not support modernist position. They may worm and squirm around the passages that call them out as frauds, but they cannot confront them directly without being crushed by them. That is why they will avoid them if they can, or brush them off as irrelevant if they must consider them at all.

But true gospel preaching will include the love of God for us through his free gift of salvation in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It will include the need for confession as well as obedience. It will also include the admonition that God’s wrath will fall upon all who would resist his word and commandment.

Sound words are found in the presentation of God’s law. It convicts us in our hearts and humbles us before a righteous and holy God. At that point the apostle asked, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death (Romans 7:24)? He then supplied the answer: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:25). There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). We have hope in our Lord Jesus Christ that as he has overcome death and is at the right hand of the Father, so too will we also overcome death and rise to life eternal in his kingdom.

But there can be no admission into God’s kingdom without the blood of Christ being upon those who desire to enter therein, and for that to happen a person must accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. It is more than a mere belief in God, or in some philosophical understanding of Jesus as a good teacher. It means accepting him for who he is as God’s only begotten Son. It means accepting the virgin birth, his miracles, his commandments, his suffering and death on the cross, his descent into the earth, his glorious resurrection and ascension, and his coming again to establish his kingdom which will have no end.

The New Ager, the errant, the deviant, the mocker, the doubter, and the patent refusenik of the gospel message has no capacity to accept Christ Jesus. They are natural rather than holy. They are infidels rather than of the true faith. They are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. They are covetous, boasters, blasphemers, without natural affection, possessing a form of godliness but in denial concerning its real power in their lives (II St. Timothy 3:1-5).

Those who would hold fast to the form of sound words will do as God has commanded. They will receive with joy the gospel of our Lord. They will be justified and sanctified in the faith. They will love God with all their hearts and souls. They will seek to become more Christ-like every day. Holding fast the truth of God’s word written means also seeking to add to the kingdom such as will come in and be saved via the hearing of the word. The true minister of the gospel will not hesitate to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ before others. May our most gracious heavenly Father bless each of you with true repentance, amendment of life and the grace and consolation of his most holy Spirit. That with his indwelling, you will go from strength to strength, working in that field of endeavor which he has called you. So then, my brethren, hold fast to the sound words which he has given you and be thankful.

Let us pray,

F
ather, assist us as we hold fast to that which you have given us in thy word written and help us to administer the same to others; for this we ask in the name of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week, Bryan+



[1] Now all branches still associated with the Canterbury Communion are corrupt, but it was no so in 1963.  But, as they say,  a fish rots from the head!
[2] Quite interesting given that Hamilton was a leading proponent of what was then thought to be excessively big government!