The New Commandment – 29 November 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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 NEW commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  (John 13:34-35) 

 

            A serious Bible scholar could not help observing a subtle shift in perspective in the Gospels and Epistles of the Apostle John from the three previous Gospels. All that John records of the life of Christ is directly associated with the compelling power of LOVE. In John’s Gospel we find the most powerful and Messianic verse in all the Bible – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) It is for this reason John is referred to as the Apostle of LOVE by most commentators. This does not detract from the love of all the other apostles, it is simply John was the youngest of the twelve and most impressionable with the love and compassion embodied by the Lord toward the sick, lame, and sinners. 

 

It was John whose head lay upon the breast of our Lord at the Last Supper. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Even though John is the writer of this Gospel, he never mentions his own name; however, we know for a fact this verse refers to the youthful John. The Lord did not love the others less, but He doubtless held a particular love for John as a Father for His child.

 

I have heard ministers teach Jesus gave a new commandment when He was asked by an expert in the law, of which Pharisees were very fond, asked Him a question, trying to trick Him, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38  This is the first and great commandment. 39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40).  Thus, He provided the Summary of the Law we hear at Holy Communion service.  The Pharisees made their earthly living by providing guidance on how to get around the 613 Mosaic Laws with as little inconvenience as possible.  They were astounded when Jesus boiled the intent of those laws down to two sentences.  They were much more comfortable getting around laws than complying with ones that might inconvenience them.  You see, these two are not new Commandments, but are found in the Old Testament the first of which may be found at Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, & 30:6. The Second may be found at Leviticus 19:18 in addition to many other parts of the New Testament. So, what is the New Commandment? It is given in the introductory verse. 

 

This is the most powerful of all the Commandments and the most often violated. How much should the Christian love his brother Christian? He should love him/her as much as Christ loved us and gave His life for us. What does this give evidence of? It proclaims that we are true disciples of Christ! In actually, even this Commandment is not new. It was understood from the Law and Prophets of old, but Christ renders the Commandment in clear command for us to obey. 

 

One can scarcely make a decision to love another with no reason or cause. The reason and cause come from the Holy Spirit working in our inward parts and ameliorating ill will and contempt for others that may reside there. Seasoned by the Word of God, and watered plentifully by our Love for Him, we cannot help but become an overflowing fountain of love for our fellow believers – even unto death. St. Valentine gave himself up to the lions at the Coliseum in order to spare the lives of his fellow disciples. The history of the Church is replete with such examples. 

 

In his Epistle, John writes: ⁷ Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. ⁸ Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. ⁹ He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. ¹⁰ He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹ But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:7-11)

 

            Love gives us the ability to obey God and His Commandments without strict compulsion but rather out of a heart-felt desire to please Him in all things. Love is the most important aspect of the Bible for it points directly to the Creator – God is love (1 John 4:8) The only love we can give others comes from God who gave to us. We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

 

When we love others, we become lovable. So be it!

Under God – 27 November 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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LESSED is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)

 

            I have had good friends and men of strong faith suggest that there are no Christian nations, nor ever has been such upon the face of the earth. I can understand their angst and frustration with the state of the world as we view it today, but I do not believe such a pessimistic view is credible or consistent with biblical truth. Just as there is no perfect Christian, there is no perfect Christian nation, but the character of a nation is defined by the collective character and beliefs of her citizens. 

 

            There is little doubt that the United States of America has been blessed to greater measure than any other in the annals of history. No other nation has been so favored by God in both battle and in the gift of Liberty and Justice. The Hand of Providence was overwhelmingly obvious in our founding as a nation and in the conduct of civil affairs from our inception. The greater the trust and faith in God of a nation's people, the greater the blessings of divine beneficence. We have been a Christian nation[1] - shall we return to that distinction?

 

            If there is no Christian nation, what does the leading text from Psalm 33:12 mean? It refers not only to the nation as a whole but to the individual faith of her people.

 

            The leadership of a nation also reflects the character, or lack thereof, of her people. But nations are also blessed by Godly leadership. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”  (Prov 29:2) In a free society, the people generally choose rulers whose values reflect their own. When the rule of law has been corrupted and a people of valor fail to stand up to reform it, then despotism is at the gates of the nation.

 

            When men loudly proclaim that ‘nothing has changed” in our society –perversions have always existed at the present level, that disrespect for authority has never waxed less than today, that hedonism has always lived in the hearts of our people – then you will know that the Serpent of the Garden still speaks lies! We have descended in America into a morass of wickedness in which good is called evil, and evil is called good. There are subjects today that are discussed openly that would have resulted in prison time in my younger day. America has forgotten our Source of power. It does not lie in our collective power and goodness as a people, but upon our trust and reliance upon God Almighty to be the Sovereign of our souls and the Author of our Liberty. 

 

            Good King Josiah ruled in Israel at a time when Hilkiah found the Book of the Law given by Moses in the Temple. He gave the Book to Shaphan to read it to the King. “Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.” (2 Chronicles 34:18-19) The King was much repentant at the hearing of the Law of the Lord and how far from it his people had fallen from observing it. He told his scribes, “Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book. “ (2 Chron 34:21) The Lord had mercy on the nation for the duration of the rule of Josiah because he walked in the ways of the Lord after King David had done. Judah was spared the destruction it deserved for the duration of Josiah’s rule.

 

            On another occasion, commander of the Assyrian army – Rabshakkeh under King Sennacharib – entered Samaria and took her cities and broke down the walls of Lachish, and ravaged her inhabitants. He then approached Jerusalem and threatened their trust in the Lord claiming the Lord had no power to save. King Hezekiah, a righteous king, repented in sackcloth and sent to Isaiah for a word from the Lord. We know the rest of the story. The Lord sent word to King Hezekiah that He would send a blast upon the Assyrian Army besieging Jerusalem, put a ring in Rabshakkeh’s nose, and draw him back to Assyria by the very way he had come. Next day, the men looked from the walls of Jerusalem as observed the Assyrian army dead upon the field.

 

            God considers offenses against His own people to be an offense against His Divine Dignity and will intercede on the part of His people. Are we, today, the kind of people that we were two hundred years ago, one hundred years ago, or even fifty years ago? Does our trust in God justify His intercession on our behalf as He has done from our ancient founding as a nation among the nations of the earth? Time will tell. We MUST repent.

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[1] In Turkey on 6 April 2009, then President of the United States of America Barack Hussien Obama remarked, “I’ve said before that one of the great strengths of the United States is – although as I mentioned we have a very large Christian population – we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”

AOC Sunday Report - First Sunday in Advent

 

Happy First Sunday in Advent.  What is Advent?  Read the AOC Sunday Report RIGHT HERE or read below.

We have great sermons from Bishop Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  They are really good this week.  If you prefer, Rev Jack's is available on video RIGHT HERE.

There are always a lot of people who desire your prayer, there has not been and never will bean exception.  Please start with Jim, Shamu, Laurie and Lori and work out from there.

Day before yesterday was Thanksgiving Day, as we recall this past Thanksgiving time, we need to remember to be thankful in all things, not necessarily for all things.

 

Remember when the pilgrims had their first Thanksgiving, over half of them had died due to disease and mishap in the previous year. And yet, they were thankful to their God.

What is the “Liturgical Year”?

Liturgy based Christian churches who consider themselves catholic, or universal, use a Christian Calendar which has a pre-set annual cycle of liturgical seasons which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read. 

 

Distinct liturgical colors are used in connection with different seasons of the liturgical year. The dates of the festivals vary somewhat between the Western (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Protestant) churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, though the sequence and logic is the same. 

 

The dates of many feasts vary from year to year (Moveable Feasts) due to the variation in the date of Easter, and all other dates follow from that. The extent to which the fasts and festivals are celebrated also varies between churches; in general Protestant churches observe far fewer of them than Catholic and Orthodox churches, and in particular are less likely to celebrate feasts of the Virgin Mary and the Saints.

 

The liturgical cycle divides the year into a series of seasons, each with their own mood, theological emphases, and modes of prayer, which can be signified by different ways of decorating churches, vestments for clergy, scriptural readings, themes for preaching and even different traditions and practices often observed personally or in the home. 

 

In churches that follow the liturgical year, the scripture passages for each Sunday (and even each day of the year in the Anglican tradition) are specified by a list called a lectionary.  Anglicans and Lutherans have traditionally followed the lectionary since the days of the Protestant Reformation.  Since the 1960s, the adoption and use of lectionaries in other Protestant churches (Methodist, Reformed, United, etc.) increased. This has led to a greater awareness of the Christian year among Protestants in the later decades of the 20^thcentury, especially among mainline denominations.

 

Biblical calendars are based on the cycle of the new moon. The year is from the first new moon on or after the spring equinox to the next new moon on or after the spring equinox, rather than an arbitrary starting point like the modern calendar. 

 

Western Christian liturgical calendars are based on the cycle of the Roman or Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, including Lutheran, Anglican, and Protestant calendars since this cycle pre-dates the Reformation. 

 

Generally, the liturgical seasons in western Christianity are:

 

• Advent
• Christmas
• Green Season (Time after Epiphany)
• Lent
• Easter
• Green Season (Time after Trinity)

 

Advent from the Latin adventus, "arrival" or "coming", the first season of the liturgical year begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Historically observed as a "fast", its purpose focuses on preparation for the coming Christ.

 

Although often conceived as awaiting the coming of the Christ-child at Christmas it also points towards the final coming of Christ.

 

This period is marked by the Advent Wreath, a garland of evergreens with four candles. Traditionally, the wreath is made of four candles in a circle of evergreens. Three candles are violet and the fourth is rose. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent.  Although the main symbolism of the advent wreath is simply marking the progression of time, the church attaches themes to each candle, most often 'hope', 'faith', 'joy', and 'love'. Color: Violet or Blue. On the third Sunday of Advent, also called Gaudete Sunday, Rose/Pink is used.

 

Historically, the primary sanctuary color of Advent is Purple. This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Purple is still used in Catholic churches. The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus’ birth and death. The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion. The purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world, of the "Word made flesh" and dwelling among us, is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus’ life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection. 

 

To reflect this emphasis, originally Advent was a time of penitence and fasting, much as the Season of Lent and so shared the color of Lent. In the four weeks of Advent the third Sunday came to be a time of rejoicing that the fasting was almost over (in some traditions it is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice").   The shift from the purple of the Season to pink or rose for the third Sunday Advent candles reflected this lessening emphasis on penitence as attention turned more to celebration of the season.   Churches other than Anglican have changed colors and emphasis on the whole wreath, we remain true to tradition.  Maybe we are just slow learners or not so open to change for change’ sake.

 

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival. " The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture reading for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life. In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live "between the times" and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. So, as the church celebrates God’s entry into history in the Incarnation, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which "all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption", it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself. "

There is an EPIC week ahead, if you do not see it, open your heart and let the Holy Ghost guide you.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

First Sunday in Advent

Rev Jack's sermon is available on video RIGHT HERE!

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because, as is always the case, there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Sunday. 

 

The First Sunday in Advent

The Collect.

 

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LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

 

Today’s Collect, like almost all of them, starts out asking God’s Grace, His Help, His 

intervention to allow us to turn our backs on evil and our own desires that we might make His Desire our desire. This theme is constant through ought most of the collects for the simple reason that it is truth.  And it is the truth that without God’s intervention in our lives through the help of the Holy Ghost we are doomed to fail. If you will understand how short we fall in our “natural” desire, you will understand to cast off the works of darkness and don the armour of light, we must turn to Christ, who came to visit us, born in a simple and humble inn in Bethlehem.  As His manner of birth, we must be humble as well, not boastful and proud like the rich^[1], but meek and lowly, to embrace light and cast off the works of darkness.  We have to let go of our pride in order to be humble and be able to cast off the works of darkness. Though He came in a rather humble manner, He shall return in a glorious and majestic manner, a rather stark contrast to His original incarnation, leaving no doubt who has come to lead us.   

 

The whole point of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel is that we must embrace light and reject the darkness. We do this by allowing the Holy Ghost into our hearts, to shine the light in our hearts and expel the darkness. It is like the light Galadriel gave Frodo in Lord of the Rings, a light to shine in the darkest of times and places and will cleanse our hearts of the inner darkness and will send the darkness scattering like insects. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we cleanse ourselves of that inner darkness and allow pure light to come in and drive it out. We cannot do it ourselves, but we need His Help and Guidance in order to do so.

 

This brings us straight to the Epistle. Paul tells us we need to live the life we aspire to.  He wastes little time on the don’ts which the Jews were famous for getting around, but goes right to the dos; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. By going through the dos, Paul is saying we need to let in the light and allow the Holy Spirit to expel the darkness. We cannot hope to accomplish any of the dos if we do not have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Following God requires us to reject the dark and cling to the light. 

 

Paul cautions us to not borrow for what we do not need that we might owe others nothing but our love.  To know the difference between want and need.  This sound advice is sorely needed in this country these days.  If we do, we are ensuring that we will not have a worldly obligation to any who might hold that over us to influence our path away from that Christ set out for us. We ideally owe no man anything but that of our love.  Paul asks us to love our neighbors, by love he means to take care for them as we would for ourselves or our own close relations.  Not necessarily to “give” them money, but to help them to attain self-sufficiency that they might prosper both in soul and body. 

 

This takes us right into the key theme of the Gospel.  We must not be for God in speech only, but in deed.  The Collect and Epistle and Gospel’s key theme is action. Acting to remain in the light rather than the darkness is the overall message. When Jesus came into this world, He came knowing the true purpose of His coming, He came knowing how He would leave, He came knowing the cost at which our souls would be accounted as perfect. He knew what He had to do to save our souls for eternity.  His whole ministry, including his death and resurrection, can be best summed up in one word; action. He consistently backed up His Message with actions and not just diction. This is a pattern for us to follow as believers; we are called not just to say good words, but back those good words up with actions. Jesus expects us to not just say we believe Him, but to actually believe Him and the best way to accomplish that is through our actions.

 

Contrast this to those who are like the Pharisees, who have not kept the Word of God in their hearts, though they may shallowly profess it with their lips. It is action, not diction, that counts! It is easy to profess it with your lips, it is harder to put your words into practice. That will show the world where your heart truly lies.

 

We must not be like them.  We must put on the great Armour of Light and so reject our former lives of sin and vanity. We must switch from our old selfish lives to a new unselfish, Christ filled life.  It is something we always struggle with, but God never gives up on us. We can be comforted by the assurance He will never give up on us. We just have to never give up on Him and do our very best to follow what He says. As long as we repent from our sin and turn back to God in our private prayers and devotions, he will wipe our slate clean. I know I have a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow path, so I am glad He left the Scriptures to guide us.

 

Through following His Word and Instructions, we shall be given a greater reward than anything existent on the Earth; past, present or future, that gift of immortal life, life for all eternity, that will outlast this physical world. We have to utilize our full complement of weaponry with the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit as our main weapons to which we fight this battle for souls. We must never never ever give up but keep going. Even when it seems hard, we must press on for all will be worth it in the end.

 

Make no mistake, we are engaged in a World War with the Prince of Air, the Prince of This World, for the souls of men, starting with our own, a World War which has been going on since the beginning of time. But we know the ending is in our favor for certain, for the Book of Revelation tells us so.

 

As individuals we may not experience victory here on earth. We may struggle with problems in this world and our own, our whole lifespan on this planet. We may not see and savor that victory here on earth; but we know in the end He will be victorious as we know the Savior.  We will win, for we are on His Side.

 

Cast off the dull worn robes of darkness, which lack luster, give no warmth, protect not from heat or cold and put on the shining glorious armour of light.  So kitted up, we walk in light, not in darkness where we may stumble and fall.   Unlike moths, for us light is life, not the destruction of darkness.

 

Come, put on the Armor of Light and go forth to destroy that last enemy, death!

 

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

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^[1] It is not that worldly wealth is, in and of itself, bad, but rather the attitude it can bring, one of self-worth beyond that which is correct.  Wealth often brings to us a “better than thou” attitude, which soon turns to “Holier than thou.”  The kind of thing that was referred to when Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”  Mark 10.25

First Sunday in Advent - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon

Today, the propers for today can be found on Page 90-92:

 

The First Sunday in Advent

The Collect.

 

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LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

 

The Epistle for today comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans, starting at the Eighth Verse of the Thirteenth Chapter.  Paul tells us to be self sufficient, but love and care for one another, do not commit adultery, do not murder, steal or lie.  But more than that, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”  For, if you love your neighbor, you will do no ill to him.  “Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”  We need to do this today, because the time of “our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”  We hear often “The end of the world is near.”  And it may well be.  But for each of us, this world’s end comes when we leave for the next.  Have we treated our fellow beings as Jesus commanded us in God’s name?  Because in the answer to that is hidden the key to our next life.

 

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WE no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

 

Today’s Holy Gospel came from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, the Twenty-First Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.  It is the story of Palm Sunday when Jesus came triumphant into Jerusalem.  Jesus sent “two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”  This was done that the prophecy of years gone past might be fulfilled of a triumphant entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem.  The people expecting a Prince of this World, “spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest, And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”   Rather than assuming the crown of this world, “Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”^[1]

 

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HEN they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

 

THE EXHORTATIONS.

¶   At the time of the Celebration of the Communion, after the prayer for the whole state of Christ’s Church, the Priest may say this Exhortation. And Note, That the Exhortation shall be said on the First Sunday in Advent, the First Sunday in Lent, and Trinity Sunday.

 

D

EARLY beloved in the Lord, ye who mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, must consider how Saint Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; so is the danger great, if we receive the same unworthily. Judge therefore your- selves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent  you truly for your sins past; have a lively and stedfast faith  in Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men; so shall ye be meet partakers of those holy mysteries. And above all things ye must give most humble and hearty thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, both God and man; who did humble himself, even to the death upon the Cross, for us, miserable sinners, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death; that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. And to the end that we should always remember the exceeding great love of our Master, and only Saviour, Jesus Christ, thus dying for us, and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained for us; he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless com- fort. To him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, let us give, as we are most bounden, continual thanks; submitting ourselves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Amen. 

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^[1] Sometimes quoted as a reason for the church not to have rummage sales, the sellers were thrown out as they were cheating the people, selling the one legged sparrow in the morning as a “perfect specimen of an unblemished dove” without fault for a sacrifice, then reselling the same sparrow in the afternoon.  They were indeed making the temple a den of thieves rather than a place of worship.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because, as is always the case, there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Sunday. 

 

The First Sunday in Advent

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

 

Today’s Collect, like almost all of them, starts out asking God’s Grace, His Help, His

intervention to allow us to turn our backs on evil and our own desires that we might make His Desire our desire. This theme is constant through ought most of the collects for the simple reason that it is truth.  And it is the truth that without God’s intervention in our lives through the help of the Holy Ghost we are doomed to fail. If you will understand how short we fall in our “natural” desire, you will understand to cast off the works of darkness and don the armour of light, we must turn to Christ, who came to visit us, born in a simple and humble inn in Bethlehem.  As His manner of birth, we must be humble as well, not boastful and proud like the rich^[1], but meek and lowly, to embrace light and cast off the works of darkness.  We have to let go of our pride in order to be humble and be able to cast off the works of darkness. Though He came in a rather humble manner, He shall return in a glorious and majestic manner, a rather stark contrast to His original incarnation, leaving no doubt who has come to lead us.   

 

The whole point of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel is that we must embrace light and reject the darkness. We do this by allowing the Holy Ghost into our hearts, to shine the light in our hearts and expel the darkness. It is like the light Galadriel gave Frodo in Lord of the Rings, a light to shine in the darkest of times and places and will cleanse our hearts of the inner darkness and will send the darkness scattering like insects. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we cleanse ourselves of that inner darkness and allow pure light to come in and drive it out. We cannot do it ourselves, but we need His Help and Guidance in order to do so.

 

This brings us straight to the Epistle. Paul tells us we need to live the life we aspire to.  He wastes little time on the don’ts which the Jews were famous for getting around, but goes right to the dos; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. By going through the dos, Paul is saying we need to let in the light and allow the Holy Spirit to expel the darkness. We cannot hope to accomplish any of the dos if we do not have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Following God requires us to reject the dark and cling to the light. 

 

Paul cautions us to not borrow for what we do not need that we might owe others nothing but our love.  To know the difference between want and need.  This sound advice is sorely needed in this country these days.  If we do, we are ensuring that we will not have a worldly obligation to any who might hold that over us to influence our path away from that Christ set out for us. We ideally owe no man anything but that of our love.  Paul asks us to love our neighbors, by love he means to take care for them as we would for ourselves or our own close relations.  Not necessarily to “give” them money, but to help them to attain self-sufficiency that they might prosper both in soul and body. 

 

This takes us right into the key theme of the Gospel.  We must not be for God in speech only, but in deed.  The Collect and Epistle and Gospel’s key theme is action. Acting to remain in the light rather than the darkness is the overall message. When Jesus came into this world, He came knowing the true purpose of His coming, He came knowing how He would leave, He came knowing the cost at which our souls would be accounted as perfect. He knew what He had to do to save our souls for eternity.  His whole ministry, including his death and resurrection, can be best summed up in one word; action. He consistently backed up His Message with actions and not just diction. This is a pattern for us to follow as believers; we are called not just to say good words, but back those good words up with actions. Jesus expects us to not just say we believe Him, but to actually believe Him and the best way to accomplish that is through our actions.

 

Contrast this to those who are like the Pharisees, who have not kept the Word of God in their hearts, though they may shallowly profess it with their lips. It is action, not diction, that counts! It is easy to profess it with your lips, it is harder to put your words into practice. That will show the world where your heart truly lies.

 

We must not be like them.  We must put on the great Armour of Light and so reject our former lives of sin and vanity. We must switch from our old selfish lives to a new unselfish, Christ filled life.  It is something we always struggle with, but God never gives up on us. We can be comforted by the assurance He will never give up on us. We just have to never give up on Him and do our very best to follow what He says. As long as we repent from our sin and turn back to God in our private prayers and devotions, he will wipe our slate clean. I know I have a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow path, so I am glad He left the Scriptures to guide us.

 

Through following His Word and Instructions, we shall be given a greater reward than anything existent on the Earth; past, present or future, that gift of immortal life, life for all eternity, that will outlast this physical world. We have to utilize our full complement of weaponry with the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit as our main weapons to which we fight this battle for souls. We must never never ever give up but keep going. Even when it seems hard, we must press on for all will be worth it in the end.

 

Make no mistake, we are engaged in a World War with the Prince of Air, the Prince of This World, for the souls of men, starting with our own, a World War which has been going on since the beginning of time. But we know the ending is in our favor for certain, for the Book of Revelation tells us so.

 

As individuals we may not experience victory here on earth. We may struggle with problems in this world and our own, our whole lifespan on this planet. We may not see and savor that victory here on earth; but we know in the end He will be victorious as we know the Savior.  We will win, for we are on His Side.

 

Cast off the dull worn robes of darkness, which lack luster, give no warmth, protect not from heat or cold and put on the shining glorious armour of light.  So kitted up, we walk in light, not in darkness where we may stumble and fall.   Unlike moths, for us light is life, not the destruction of darkness.

 

Come, put on the Armor of Light and go forth to destroy that last enemy, death!

 

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

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^[1] It is not that worldly wealth is, in and of itself, bad, but rather the attitude it can bring, one of self-worth beyond that which is correct.  Wealth often brings to us a “better than thou” attitude, which soon turns to “Holier than thou.”  The kind of thing that was referred to when Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”  Mark 10.25