A Dreadful Mountain of Trouble - 31 December 2020, Anno Domini

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S it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:4-6)

 

Mountains are a fascinating land feature. They are sometimes mysterious and brooding, and, at other times, placid and of great physical beauty. If there was a large mountain to which your attention was regularly drawn as a child, that mountain exists pure and serene in your memory as if burnt there with a hot iron. There was such a mountain in my youth – Fort Mountain. Unless the fog was very heavy, or the clouds very low, I could see that mountain every day of my young life. There was such a mountain that held a stronghold in the memory of my mother. She used to sing about that mountain . . .  ‘Where the Mountains of Mourn sweep down to the sea.’ It reminded her of her far away home filled with happy memories and devoid of sorrowful ones. 

 

There are a variety of mountains mentioned in the Scriptures – the Mountains of the Lord (most often Horeb and Sinai); the Mountains of Moriah whereupon which Isaac was to be offered and the Temple was later built; Mt. Pisgah and Nebo from which Moses took a longing look at the Promised Land beyond Jordan Waters; and, the most important of all – Mount Calvary upon which our Lord and Redeemer purchased our salvation with His life’s blood. Looking back on Mt. Calvary is not nearly as sorrowful as looking up that ascent from the perspective of our Lord. 

 

Wicked men are sometimes referred to as great mountains: 10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: 13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, 14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up.   (Isaiah 2:10-14) These men are wicked as a result of inordinate pride.

 

The Kingdom of our Lord is also made reference to as a great Mountain that will fill the whole earth! As the Lord revealed through Daniel to the king: 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. The Kingdom of God will defeat the emerging, manmade global world order and fill the whole earth with righteous governance! The Great Mountain of God will bring this to pass.

 

Remember those two mountains of the Lord I mentioned earlier above – Sinai and Horeb? Horeb was the Mountain of Mercy at which Moses saw the Burning Bush and the same at which the mercy of God was showered on the Children of Israel whose thirst was satisfied from the cleft Rock (Christ is that Rock of Horeb). (see 1 Corinthians 10:4) That Mountain of the Lord (Horeb) was the Mount of Mercy represented by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

The other Mountain was Sinai – the mountain of law and judgment. Both mountains are Mountains of the Lord and of equal importance. Without the Law being satisfied for us at Mt. Calvary by Christ, we would yet be without the imputed righteousness of the Lord. Without the Mountain of Mercy (Horeb) that satisfaction could not have been made.

 

As we are descending the slopes of a mountain of sorrow, death, and uncertainty represented by this past year of 2020 AD, remember that the mountains are subject to the Lord and His commands. We may not know what lies ahead on the next mountain looming ahead in the year 2021, but it is enough to know the Lord will bring us over that mountain as well. He is with us, and He will make every mountain low as He raises our Ebenezer – our Stone of Help – in all coming years until He comes again in the clouds of glory.

 

Even a Child - 30 December 2020, Anno Domini

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ETTER is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. * 14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. 15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.  (Ecclesiastes 4:13-15)

 

AT the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  (Matthew 18:1-6)

 

             The simplicity of the Gospel far exceeds, I fundamental understanding and meaningful insight, the academic and rhetorical debates of the theologians of our day. There are a number of internet groups that are devoted to theological discussion. If you thirst for empty pontifical discourse, then you may satiate that thirst by joining in those endless arguments describing exactly the moment and point of growth that an “anthill becomes a mountain.” There are no winners in the argument – each participant goes away that believing his opinion is superior to those of the others including, perhaps, even the Word of God itself. The only salient rule of these forums is that no one convinces another of his error! The arrogance of theologians who so parse the Word of God as to render it meaningless, or even contrary to its clearly stated proclamation, is mind-boggling! Some of these glory-hounds love to be called by the title, ‘father.’ If you point out the admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ against such titles, (see Matt 23:9) you are branded a theological maverick and publican.

 

            Perhaps the greatest scientific mind of our age has stated this simple principle: “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.”  (Albert Einstein). I have often challenged the readers of my devotions to conduct a little survey that involves only one question: “Do you believe in God?” – but the question is to be asked, not of an adult, but of a five-year-old child. I believe you will get an affirmative answer from more than 95% of the subjects. I have yet to find one negative response from that test group. 

 

            What happens to the faith of a child when years are added to adulthood? It must have to do with some learned behavior since the very definition of learning results in a change of behavior – mental or physical. What did our ancient mother, Eve, learn from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? I can conjecture that the learning was heavily weighted on the side of Evil. She partook out of pride for she shunned the counsel of God, her Maker, and opted to make her own decision based on the pride generated by her talk with the Serpent. 

 

            This leads us to the source and fountainhead of all sin – PRIDE! The great Serpent of Eden – Satan – was a mighty angel until his pride overruled his soul. He was cast out of Heaven owing to inordinate and ungodly pride. “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelations 12:7-8)

 

            It should be pointed out that there are two levels of pride – the pride of man in himself, and the pride a Christian takes in the power and glory of God. The latter is outlined in Psalms 34:1-7 – “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his all his trouble.”  The only pride that is righteous is that which the Elect of God take in their Maker. Any self-pride is sin and results in the proliferation of other sins.

 

            Of self-pride, the Word of God says: “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19 The last phrase herein reminds me of those exalted theologians who can never come to agreement on the simple meaning of the Holy Bible.

 

         Children, by simple and humble faith, come to an excellent understanding of the Person of Christ simply by the inherent nature which has not cooled from their recently granted spirit from the Lord. I believe in the sentiments expressed in one of the greatest English poems ever written - Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood by William Wordsworth (1750-1850):

 

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;

The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,

          Hath had elsewhere its setting

               And cometh from afar;

          Not in entire forgetfulness,

          And not in utter nakedness,

But trailing clouds of glory do we come 

               From God, who is our home:

Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

 

            There may be some question regarding the doctrinal soundness of this poetic verse, but there is no error in the sentiment expressed, for it fully describes the innocence of the child to which our Lord made abundant reference.

 

            Between the ages of five and fifteen, many influences act upon the soul, spirit and mind of the child. Many of his doubts concerning faith in God are learned from his teachers – either at home, in public school or even in churches. But when the formerly unbelieving adult is drawn to faith in Christ by the grace of God, he actually begins to grow younger in spirit. What is the spirit of man that belongs to Christ compared to the Eternity Future which he is blessed to enjoy!

 

            I love children because my Lord loves children. Most of my personal preaching, outside my duties as a cleric in the Anglican Orthodox Communion, has been to little children and young people from elementary to college levels. I have learned much about faith from these precious souls. They do not devise intricate questions about whether or not God created the world – they simply know and accept the fact from a natural innocence. They willingly accept the literal truths of Scripture without conjecture. In dealing with these young souls, my own soul has grown stronger in faith and younger in spiritual stamina.

 

            We hear much of egregious sins against the innocent children of our day – sex trafficking, perverse abuses in the home, disorderly living, etc. These are to be despised by the Christian professor. But there is more general child abuse that takes place in most homes across America every day – the failure to teach proper behavior, biblical truth and principles, and the dangers of sinful living. Though not the greatest in degree, certainly these latter failures of parents are greatest in general practice.

 

            I believe every reader above the age of sixty years will recall the early education taught to children in public schools. From the first day of Primary (Elementary) School, we were taught to pledge allegiance to Old Glory, recite the Lord’s Prayer, read and memorize a Psalm, and sing a single verse of My country ‘tis of Thee. My character was not damaged by these experiences. In fact, they reinforced those principles I had learned at hearthside. But in a time when evil is called good, and good is called evil, the evidence of immoral and ungodly raising is overly apparent in the fruit of the forbidden trees. Perhaps you may find this condition well illustrated in a book entitled, Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton. It reveals the snobbish and prideful society of New York City of the 1920s. Pride ruled in the hearts of the social elite who cared little for the pains of the common people. 

 

            What are the things in which YOU take pride, self or God?

Hymns of the Church – A Virgin Most Pure– 29 December 2020, Anno Domini

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HEREFORE the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

 

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ND it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  (Luke 2:1-7)

 

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OW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matthew 2:1-2)

 

This carol, taking from The Oxford Book of Carols, is of unusual scope in that it covers the biblical period from Advent to Epiphany. Like most older English carols and hymns, it is intended to open the eyes of the hearer to the wonderful truths and doctrines of the Gospel. The hymn is first recorded in 1734 and later published in Some Ancient Christmas Carols in 1822 by Davies Gilbert. The identity of the author is lost in antiquity – perhaps written before the founding of the worlds by the Author of all Truth. It is most often sung in acapella to a variety of old English chants and tunes.

 

A Virgin Most Pure

 

A virgin most pure, as the prophets did tell,

Hath brought forth a Savior, as it hath befell,

To be our Redeemer, from death, hell and sin,

Which Adam’s transgression has wrappéd us in.

Refrain:

Rejoice and be merry, set sorrow aside,

Christ Jesus, our Savior, was born on this tide.

 

In Bethlehem city in Judah it was

Where Joseph and Mary together did pass,

And there to be taxéd, with many one more,

For Caesar commanded the same should be so. 

[Refrain]

 

But when they had entered the city so fair,

A number of people so mighty was there

That Joseph and Mary, whose substance was small,

Could procure in the inn no lodging at all. 

[Refrain]

 

Then were they constrained in a stable to lie,

Where oxen and asses they used to tie;

Their lodging so simple, they held it no scorn,

But against the next morning our Savior was born. 

[Refrain]

 

The King of glory to this world being brought,

Small store of fine linen to wrap Him was sought;

When Mary had swaddled her young Son so sweet,

Within an ox manger she laid Him to sleep. 

[Refrain]

 

Then God sent an angel from heaven so high

To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie,

And charged them no longer in sorrow to stay,

Because that our Savior was born on this day. 

[Refrain]

 

Then presently after the shepherds did spy

A number of angels appear in the sky,

Who joyfully talkéd and sweetly did sing,

"To God be all glory, our heavenly King." 

[Refrain]

 

1 A virgin most pure, as the prophets did tell, Hath brought forth a Savior, as it hath befell, To be our Redeemer, from death, hell and sin, Which Adam’s transgression has wrappéd us in. As the reader will observe, the carol goes even before Advent to the Prophets of old. It should be noted that the Son of God was born of a young virgin and not of a young woman as some modern English translations try to aver in clouding the biblical account of the manner in which our Lord would be born. It introduces – not only the Christ Child as the babe of Bethlehem – but also as the Redeemer spoken of by poor old Job. (Job 19:25) We are also informed of the purpose of His coming in redeeming us from the blood disease of sin inherited from our primitive parents at Eden.

 

            2 In Bethlehem city in Judah it was Where Joseph and Mary together did pass, And there to be taxéd, with many one more, For Caesar commanded the same should be so. The account of Joseph and Mary in their travel to Bethlehem as related in our principle account from Luke 2. My first speaking experience was to recite the first twelve verses of Luke, chapter 2 at Calvary Church in Dalton, Georgia. I was scared out of my wits and choked on the 5^th verse. I was seven years old, but I have not failed in reciting those verses since. It was a significant emotional event I shall never forget. We note that not only did the heavens deign to set forth a sign of the birth of Christ, but even the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, was compelled to make the prophecy complete in his ruling that Joseph must return to Bethlehem to be registered. This carol is especially profitable in teaching the children of the Church the Gospel account of Christmas.

 

            3 But when they had entered the city so fair, A number of people so mighty was there That Joseph and Mary, whose substance was small, Could procure in the inn no lodging at all. No room in the Inn for our Lord! Is there room in the world today for our Lord Jesus Christ? Perhaps not in the main thoroughfares, but certainly in the hearts of the meek and lowly and in the hearts of those who are compelled to diligently seek Him.

 

            4 Then were they constrained in a stable to lie, Where oxen and asses they used to tie; Their lodging so simple, they held it no scorn, But against the next morning our Savior was born. I am humbled to realize that the humble beasts of the field had the greater blessing to be the first witnesses of the birth of our Lord. Little lambs destined to be offered as Pascal sacrifices at the Temple scampered about the manger in awe of that time-splitting mystery.

 

            5 The King of glory to this world being brought, Small store of fine linen to wrap Him was sought; When Mary had swaddled her young Son so sweet, Within an ox manger she laid Him to sleep. The purpose of the manger was to feed the beasts of the field. A crude bed for the Incarnate Word of God upon which the Elect would feed in time. Are we better than those beasts? Not unless we have fed upon the Word of 
God as they the provender of hay.

 

            6 Then God sent an angel from heaven so high To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie, And charged them no longer in sorrow to stay, Because that our Savior was born on this day. Who were the first men outside the stable to witness the birth of our Lord – was it kings or princes; priests or scribes; wealthy men of prominence? NO! it was poor Jewish shepherds “keeping watch over their flocks by night.” The news came from the High Court of Heaven via the Angel of the Lord and a Heavenly Host – first to the Jew, and then to the Gentile, as we have read in the coming of the Wise Men of the East.

 

            7 Then presently after the shepherds did spy. A number of angels appear in the sky, Who joyfully talkéd and sweetly did sing, "To God be all glory, our heavenly King." Even the Wise Men diverted their attention from the Star as they drew near to Jerusalem (assuming the Child would be born in the King’s Palace). But our Lord did not come according to the presumptions of men, but by a Heavenly Decree sounded by a Heavenly Clarion from the Ramparts of Glory. We might learn an important lesson from those lowly shepherds. “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:16-18)  Once the Word was given, they hurried to the scene of the stable. Once it was made known to them with of the glorious occasion, they again wasted no time in sharing the Good News – just as we are bound to do. One more point: when the shepherds shared the news of the birth of our Lord, although they were not men of any consequence to the public, all those who heard the testimony of the shepherds wondered at their witness. When the Light of 
Christ enters the heart of the believer, suddenly, he has credibility and authority to speak profound truth as we see exemplified here.

 

Do you enjoy such authority as a believer?

Saint John - Apostle and Evangelist superseding the First Sunday after Christmas

 

Today we recall Saint John - Apostle and Evangelist, superseding the First Sunday after Christmas!

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

We have very interesting sermons from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  I am confident you will find each of them interesting and informative.  I read each of them, after all, I do edit them.  I enjoyed Jack's, but perhaps that is because I heard him deliver it.  Anyway, I really like them all.  The guys do a great job every week, we are so lucky they are on our side!

I know there are always a lot of people asking for prayers, this is no exception.  If you would take the time to pray for a few each day, it would be appreciated.    Think about Shamu who has had 27 abdominal surgeries and is now in John Hopkins Hospital with a bacterial infection in her blood.  They do not know the source of the infection, they think it might be in her heart.  She was set for an echo cardiogram on Boxing Day, 26 December 2020, but that fell through due to lack of staff.  In the mean time she is on a couple of very strong intravenous antibiotics.   Shamu is totally exhausted and weak, but her faith and spirit is incredibly strong.  She asks you pray for guidance for the medical people who are helping her as well as better food (so she is still Shamu).  Right now, she is quite very weak, but strong in her trust in our Lord as she goes through this difficult time.  She needs your prayer.  Please.

So, start with Shamu, Bob, Tricia, Whitney, Jim and work out from there.  Don't forget to pray for our various countries under siege not only from Covid, but our own governments.

By next week, we will be in a whole new year, if you look to God and His Third God Guy for help, you will be able to find the week our Lord and Savior has left for us.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California
United States of America

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

Sermon - Rev Jack Arnold
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

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

 

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist.

[December 27.]

The Collect.

 

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ERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

The Christmas Collect is found on Page 96:

 

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birthday of Christ,

commonly called Christmas Day.

[December 25.]

The Collect.

 

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LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

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

 

As is oft the case, today’s propers all tie together to reinforce a point and build our understanding of what God wants and expects from each of us.  Consider these words from the Collect where we ask God to “…cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting…”  As is almost always the case, we are asking God to help us by lighting up our lives and that of the Church that we might hear and understand the words left by Saint John so to grow closer to what God wants us to be here and our eternal life.  There is a great reason for this.  John was the longest lived of the disciples, he lived probably to about age 90!  The Books of John are the most theologically filled books of the Bible.  John explains so much of what we need to know.

 

In his First General Epistle John tells us he is passing on what he has seen and heard from Jesus with his own eyes and ears.  It is not a secondhand account, it is not what someone told him.  He saw it, he saw it all.  He wants us to know what happened with Jesus, how He rose from the dead as a very practical demonstration of our life eternal with Him.   John also wants us to know that if we claim fellowship with Jesus, then we will need believe on Him, which means doing our pitiful best to follow Him. If we truly do this, He will then account us as perfect at our accounting.  Anyone who thinks they can “work” their way into Heaven is deceiving themselves.  Good works alone do not get us into heaven. We need faith, but if we have faith, then we will produce those good works.  If you truly believe on our Lord and in our God, you will be unable not to do what you are supposed to do.  Odd, that. 

 

God will give us the guidance we need to do His Work on Earth. We have to do our part and accept and act upon that guidance. Without the acceptance and letting the Holy Ghost in, we cannot do His Work here. So, we have to train our hearts souls and minds to believe on Him and listen and act upon His Guidance.

 

When we look at the Gospel, we see John making an excellent point; words mean something, thus in our study of the Word the translation is important.  If we are going to trust in the written word, we need to make certain it is indeed The Word.  This could lead us to an entire discussion of the various translations of the Bible and why it is so important to use a translation based on the Received Text and why we use the King James or Authorized Version.  Luckily, today is not the day for that!  

 

John, who oft refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, asks who will betray Jesus?  Jesus does not answer.  Peter asks what shall become of John? Jesus answered, I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?  That is where the listening stopped.  He went on to say, Follow thou me.  No one noticed that.  The word then spread that John would not die, but live until Jesus returned to earth.   Of course, as John pointed out, He did not say that.  What Jesus in effect said was, It is none of your business what happens to John, your job is to follow Me!  Likewise, we need to keep this in mind, our job is not to worry about what others do or do not do, our job is to do what we are supposed to do. It is definitely relevant to us, who naturally are inclined to put our noses in other people’s business. Jesus’s point is we need to let people handle their own business and we just need to worry about ourselves and doing our best to follow Him.  Hard to do, that.  But it is what we are supposed to do nevertheless; focus on what we are supposed to do and not what others are supposed to do. 

 

This section of John’s Gospel closes with an interesting line that makes you wish he had been a bit more prolific in his writings, And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.   Still considering the difficulty in getting words into print in those days, we are grateful for what we have. What we do have is sufficient for our knowledge as we journey on the narrow, winding uphill trail towards heaven.

 

The entire New Testament is a consistent call to belief in our Lord and action on that belief.  Here at Christmastide, at this very joyous time we need to remember Jesus came into this world with the certain knowledge of precisely how He would leave, yet He came anyway that we might have life eternal.

 

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 - Saint John the Apostle - superseding the First Sunday after Christmas - Saint Andrew’s Anglican Orthodox Church - 27 December 2020, Anno Domini

 

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist.

[December 27.]

The Collect.

 

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ERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

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HIS spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. (John 21:18-25)

 

            Who is your favorite Apostle, and is it appropriate to claim a favorite among the twelve? I believe it is both appropriate and a spiritually valid approbation. Jesus held a special love for John, the Apostle; and so I believe we can do so as well. After all, the name, John, means 'favored one of God.' If you read carefully the four Gospels, we must admit that John has a greater reference to love than all of the others, though all stress the love of God and our fellows.

 

            The historical record suggests John was the only Apostle to be spared a martyr's death having lived well into his nineties and written the final book of the Bible from exile on Patmos Island in advanced age. This will introduce us to the biblical text provided in the lectionary for today - St. John 21:19-25.

 

The Venue

            The venue for the text is beside the blue waters of Galilee (Sea of Tiberius) which held many fond memories for the Apostles - the fish with the golden coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:27); the scene of the immoderate storm while Jesus slept (Matthew 823-27): the same Sea upon which Jesus walked and bade Peter walk also (Matthew 14:25-32); the shores by which Jesus found Simon Peter and Andrew casting nets into the sea; and many other happy occasions. God gives us happy memories to make our hearts light and joyful on stormy and dark days. But the present occasion under discussion is the most joyful of all.

 

The Occasion

            It was an all-night fishing expedition that yielded not a single catch. With their Lord being crucified, Peter decided it was time to return to his old living as a fisherman - and, indeed, it was; but not of the smelly fish of the sea, but rather the smelly fish of sinners. In past times, these men - Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, and others, had lived upon the generous support of those who followed Jesus. Now, in their mind, all of that was over, it was time to return to their old ways. How many Christians come to know Christ, are changed profoundly thereby, but later lapse into their old carnal selves after some dramatic setback in life?

 

The Moment

            Our Lord has just informed Peter, in this placid meeting and breakfast by the Sea of Galilee (following the resurrection), what manner of death he would endure as a martyr for Christ. "18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not." Before we came to know Christ, we, too, did as we pleased. Our wills were in bondage to the devil; but when we come to Christ, we forsake the old wine and walk a new life of love and sacrifice. The weather will not always be fair and calm. Taking up our cross daily (St. Luke 9:23) to follow Christ means to follow him - not only TO the cross, but ON it and beyond. We die to self, surrender our wills to Him so that His Will is now OUR will; and dying to self by means of that cross we have taken up, we live for Him in that resurrection unto eternal life emphatically demonstrated at the Garden Tomb that beautiful Easter Morning. Thusly, our will becomes FREE.

 

The Lessons

            There are far more lessons than the brief length of the text would suggest! 

 

Lesson One

The disciple of Christ is not to concern himself with the calling of others - that is God's prerogative. We have enough challenge on our hands in seeing to our own calling. The church organist is not to concern himself (or herself) with the calling of the Lay Reader, and the Lay Reader is not to concern himself with the nature of calling of the Altar Guild. Whatever our own calling in Christ (and we are all called as surely as day follows night), it is sufficient to occupy our souls and spirits in performing that calling. After Jesus informed Peter of the manner of his martyrdom, He told Peter, "Follow Me!" In other words, do not follow John or any others besides me - only ME! That will always be enough, for our Lord always leads in the right way, for He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6)

 

Lesson Two

Do not harbor jealousy or envy for fellow servants of our Lord. Instead, edify all of the Body of Christ. If you cannot utter a word of encouragement to a fellow soul, at least do not utter a word of discouragement. The world has already provided an abundance of discouragement. The House of God is not a place to be discouraged, disparaged, or disappointed. It is always possible to offer a word of kindness and love to the most obscure (to us, but not to God) among us. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

 

Lesson Three

Two doctrinal points of the Gospel are mentioned in the text. The first, that each Christian must follow Christ alone as commanded. His Way is always the right way and untainted by petty jealousies. Like Peter, Christ admonishes each of us to abide by this doctrine. The second doctrine presented is that of perfect contentment with one's calling. Jesus bore a special love for the apostle who lay his head on His breast at the Last Supper. John presumes nothing - he only answers in echo to that love of Christ. John does not ponder the plight of Peter. He only accepts whatever the will of Christ may hold for himself. (see Philippians 4:11)

 

Lesson Four

The Christian life not only follows Christ in the manner of living, but also in the manner of death. We may bear a strong testimony of Christ even in the manner of our death as will Peter. We live in Christ and, if so, we shall also die in Christ (as Christ himself says, we will fall asleep). A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once. It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.  William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar. Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  (Mark 8:34-37)

 

Lesson Five

Obey Christ in the instant without lingering doubts. What is the first thing Peter does when Jesus commands him to "Follow me" in verse 19? He immediately takes his eyes off of Christ and looks upon John with envy. We all are guilty of that human frailty. To deny this fact is to add guilt to guilt. We follow Jesus Christ, which is the incarnate Word of God, implicitly! There are too many today who look upon the ministers as the perfect role model while they should be, instead, looking upon the Word which they teach (if you are fortunate today to find one that preaches that Word). St. John the Apostle would be first to counsel you to follow and imitate Christ, not himself! The Saints of God did not die in our stead on the cross. They were men of carnal minds and souls like unto our own until touched by the Holy Fire of God. The light and fire they share or reveal is evidence of a Source for Fire and Light - our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are all saints.

 

Lesson Six

Stop looking back. If I look back on the dreadful old self I was before Christ, I may utterly despair the Love of Christ could ever forgive such a one as I. The past is full of our own misdoings, but the future is full of the hope of Christ. Keep looking to Christ else you, like Peter, may sink into the briny foam. As our dear Lord has declared: No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.  (Luke 9:62)When the plowman looks back over his shoulder at the puny evidence of his own past works, the rows in front will not be straight either. "=Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.  (Isaiah 26:3-4)

 

Question

Is your mind, spirit, and soul stayed upon Christ, or are you distracted by the specters of the past and present?  Is your love governed by that effulgent Fountain of Life in Christ? Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matt 22:37)

 

Do you?

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist - Propers with explanation - Rev Jack's Sermon

The Propers are found on Page 101-102, with the Collect first:

 

There are three Collects today:

 

1.     One for the Feast Day

2.     One for the scheduled Sunday

3.     One for the season

 

However, Christmas and The First Sunday after Christmas are exactly the same, thus really only two!

 

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist.

[December 27.]

The Collect.

 

M

ERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

The Christmas Collect is found on Page 96:

 

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birthday of Christ,

commonly called Christmas Day.

[December 25.]

The Collect.

 

 

A

LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

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

 

The Epistle for this morning comes from the First General Epistle of Saint John, the First Chapter, beginning at the First Verse:

 

The Epistle.

(1 St. John 1:1)

 

T

HAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

 

This morning’s Holy Gospel comes from the Gospel according to Saint John, the Twenty-First Chapter, beginning at the Nineteenth Verse:

 

The Gospel.

(St. John 21:19)

 

J

ESUS saith unto Peter, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. 

Sermon - Rev Jack Arnold

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

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

 

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist.

[December 27.]

The Collect.

 

M

ERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

The Christmas Collect is found on Page 96:

 

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birthday of Christ,

commonly called Christmas Day.

[December 25.]

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

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

 

As is oft the case, today’s propers all tie together to reinforce a point and build our understanding of what God wants and expects from each of us.  Consider these words from the Collect where we ask God to “…cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting…”  As is almost always the case, we are asking God to help us by lighting up our lives and that of the Church that we might hear and understand the words left by Saint John so to grow closer to what God wants us to be here and our eternal life.  There is a great reason for this.  John was the longest lived of the disciples, he lived probably to about age 90!  The Book of John is the single most theologically filled books of the Bible.  John explains so much of what we need to know.

 

In his First General Epistle John tells us he is passing on what he has seen and heard from Jesus with his own eyes and ears.  It is not a secondhand account, it is not what someone told him.  He saw it, he saw it all.  He wants us to know what happened with Jesus, how He rose from the dead as a very practical demonstration of our life eternal with Him.   John also wants us to know that if we claim fellowship with Jesus, then we will need believe on Him, which means doing our pitiful best to follow Him. If we truly do this, He will then account us as perfect at our accounting.  Anyone who thinks they can “work” their way into Heaven is deceiving themselves.  We cannot do good works alone to get into heaven. We need faith, but if we have faith, then we will produce those good works.  If you truly believe on our Lord and in our God, you will be unable not to do what you are supposed to do.  Odd, that. 

 

God will give us the guidance we need to do His Work on Earth. We have to do our part and accept and act upon that guidance. Without the acceptance and letting the Holy Ghost in, we cannot do His Work here. So we have to train our hearts souls and minds to believe on Him and listen and act upon His Guidance.

 

When we look at the Gospel, we see John making an excellent point; words mean something, thus in our study of the Word, the translation is important.  If we are going to trust in the written word, we need to make certain it is indeed The Word.  This could lead us to an entire discussion of the various translations of the Bible and why it is so important to use a translation based on the Received Text and why we use the King James or Authorized Version.  Luckily, today is not the day for that! 

 

John, who oft refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, asks who will betray Jesus?  Jesus does not answer.  Peter asks what shall become of the traitor? Jesus answered, I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?.  That is where the listening stopped.  He went on to say, Follow thou me.  No one noticed that.  The word then spread the traitor, Judas Iscariot, would not die but live until Jesus returned to earth.   Of course, as John pointed out, He did not say that.  What Jesus in effect said was, It is none of your business what happens to Judas, your job is to follow Me!  Likewise, we need to keep this in mind, our job is not to worry about what others do or do not do, our job is to do what we are supposed to do. It is definitely relevant to us, who naturally are inclined to put our noses in other people’s business. Jesus’s point is we need to let people handle their own business and we just need to worry about ourselves and doing our best to follow Him.  Hard to do, that.  But it is what we are supposed to do nevertheless; focus on what we are supposed to do and not what others are supposed to do. 

 

This section of John’s Gospel closes with an interesting line that makes you wish he had been a bit more prolific in his writings, And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.   Still considering the difficulty in getting words into print in those days, we are grateful for what we have. What we do have is sufficient for our knowledge as we journey on the narrow, winding uphill trail towards heaven.

 

The entire New Testament is a consistent call to belief in our Lord and action on that belief.  Here at Christmastide, at this very joyous time we need to remember Jesus came into this world with the certain knowledge of precisely how He would leave, yet He came anyway that we might have life eternal.

 

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