A Certain Man – 31 March 2023, Anno Domini

 

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 CERTAIN man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. (Luke 20:9)

 

Our Lord often spoke in parables that were simple and common examples of life which also reflected great spiritual truth. The depth of meaning of these parables escaped the understanding of those whose learning and sophistication caused them to consider themselves better than all others. But the simple folk of the land were able to receive the unblemished truth behind the broader shadows of spiritual meaning. Such is the Parable of the Owner of the Vineyard referenced today by our Lord in the Temple at Jerusalem.

 

Let us understand that this certain man, at the outset, represents God the Father. The world is His and all that is in it. But He has set aside a certain portion of that world for His called-out elect to His Vineyard which He has planted as an example of His Church. Though He walked with Adam in the Garden, He withdrew to a far country after Adam’s Fall from grace. The first son of Adam (Cain) was a murderer, and the second son (Abel) was a prophet. Cain murdered his brother out of a selfish and covetous spirit. Our Lord reveals this plainly earlier in another chapter of Luke: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. (Luke 11:50-51)

 

So, God established Israel – the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – as His vineyard to walk in His ways and be a beacon of light to the world. He sent prophet after prophet to His Vineyard (Israel) to plead with His people to return to following His Commandments and Laws, but they despised His servants, the prophets, and treated them with disrespect. Some they tortured and beat, and others they killed outright and cast them out from among them. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

 

God set limits on the boundary of His Vineyard by establishing righteous Law for them to follow, but they added grievous burdens not in accord with these laws and disregarded others of His Commandments. He sent prophets to correct their ways such as Jeremiah and Isaiah, and they heeded them not and even persecuted them. None of this behavior came as a surprise to the Lord for He knew of their response to His voice from before the foundation of the world – even Adam’s Fall was a matter of foreknowledge of the Father. He had made provision for man’s ungodly self-will from before the foundation of the world in His foreknowledge. His only Begotten Son had been foreordained to be a Lamb of Sacrifice for the sins of those who were called and chosen according to His purpose.

 

So, in the fullness of time, God sent His Son to the Vineyard to claim His own. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but one which had been decided in the Council of Heaven in eternity past. Nor was the hateful response to His Son surprising to the Lord. Israel was not true to the faith in the Promise made to Father Abraham. The religion of greater national Israel had become a man-made religion. But there remained a remnant of true Israel who believed that promise and remained faithful. The false prophets of Israel, composed of priests, Pharisees, and Scribes, murdered the beloved Son of the Father outside the gates of the city: So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? The false usurpers of the Vineyard could not brook even the Son of the Owner to come and take of His own. So, they crucified Him outside the city. 

 

The circumstances of the Parable presented a completely ethical, moral, and spiritual premise for harsh judgment against those who defrauded the Owner of the Vineyard. When Christ revealed the punishment of such unbelievers, they perceived, quite correctly, that He referred to them and their hatred for the Son of God. 

 

What was their response? And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. The realization of their guilt was a great anguish to them, but the sense of guilt is not the same as repentance – their grievous sin remains today. The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? (Luke 20:17)  Our hearts must be broken at the realization of our sins and result in repentance. If not, we perish in our sins. Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. A child could understand these things – do you?

 

The Costly Robe – 30 March 2023, Anno Domini

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NTO Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

 (Genesis 3:21)

 

            In his introduction to my devotion yesterday, Rev Hap Arnold alluded in reference to the skins covering Adam and Eve after their Fall in Eden, as to the import thereof. He did so to evoke a deeper thought in the meaning it clearly represents symbolically. In the above text, God has just provided a first glimpse of his plan of salvation to Eve: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15) The Seed to which God makes reference is His only Begotten Son thousands of years hence. So the covering of the nakedness of Adam and Eve was supplied by the first death on earth – that of an innocent animal (whom God loved) such as a lamb.

 

            The animal whose life God required as a sacrifice to cover the nakedness (sin) of Adam and Eve was a foreshadow of the Lamb of God to be sacrificed for all sin and not simply that one occasion of disobedience by our ancient progenitors; however, the blood of animals in sacrifice offered only a temporary cleansing from sin. The only sacrifice that would profit for eternal life was that of the Lamb of God which those animal sacrifices were symbolic of. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7) The kind of cleansing that the blood of Christ cleanses begins in the heart and appears after in the outward form. Hyssop was used as a respiratory cure and as a laxative digestive system. It cleansed the inside intestinal tract first, and then the washing of the outer vessel to become whiter than snow.

 

The garment God made for our first parents represents a covering for their sins and ours, too. We all stand naked before God, but in the last day, we will not stand ashamed if we have received Him. Therefore, He has purchased a white Robe of Righteousness for us. That is what the skins of Genesis 3:21 symbolize. Once our inner being is cleansed by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we shall appear clean and above reproach by the world. 

 

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:25-26) The sprinkling of the water of baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.  First, the inner cleansing, then the outward form.

 

            The most descriptive example of that robe of covering for our filthy sins is that given in Luke 15:32 of the Prodigal Son. The boy never ceased to be a son of his father, however, he went into a far country and spent all his inheritance. Though the father knew that his son was living in sin and want, he never sent for him. Once we have known God, and departed, we must repent ere we return in His grace and favor. When the young man came to himself, he realized the great loss and error of his ways. He returned to his father who saw him from afar and ran to him, and hugged him and demanded that the best robe be brought an put on him, and a ring for his finger, and shoes for his feet. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet (Luke 15:20-22)

 

            What do you believe that BEST Robe represented? It was that Robe of Righteousness purchased by our Lord as a covering for our sins (nakedness); and that is what the skins that the Lord took to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve represented. It was a prophetic symbol. We all stand naked in our sins lest we have that Robe of imputed Righteousness provided by our Lord Jesus Christ by His crucifixion and resurrection.

 

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 PUT on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

(Job 29:14)

 

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UT we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. 8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:6-8)

Naked and Afraid – 29 March 2023, Anno Domini

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ND the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (Genesis 3:9-10)

 

            The Fall of Man in Adam is one of the greatest apparent tragedies of Holy Scripture; however, God was neither surprised nor dismayed at Adam’s knowing disobedience to His single Commandment concerning partaking of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In is providential foreknowledge, God knew the two progenitors of our race could not overcome the temptation of the Serpent. 

 

            The moment Eve partook, and gave Adam, both died immediately in the spiritual sense, and gradually in the physical. They had no prior knowledge of sin, but now the great burden of guilt overwhelmed them. They discovered that they were naked and were very afraid. 

 

            The couple at first attempted to hide their nakedness from God by sewing fig leaves together to cover their nakedness, but their works of self-redemption profited nothing in the penetrating eyes of the Lord. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (vv 6 & 7) Man has always sought the wisdom that would make them equal, or above, God Almighty, but those efforts always end in ruination.

 

            Nakedness has become something well received in our modern society. Our children are subjected to it on the various media sources, and it seems that it has led to every kind of perverse behavior. Though public nakedness always merits the disfavor of God, nakedness itself is representative of all sin that cannot be concealed from the searching eyes of God. 

 

            The feeble works of Adam and Eve to cover their sins by the labor of their hands proved totally unfruitful. So today, good works cannot cover our sins – it is only the blood-stained Robe of Righteous purchased by our Lord Jesus Christ that can cover the filth of our sins.

 

            Knowing the enormity of their disobedience, Adam and Eve, knowing they were now naked before the Lord tried to hide their sin by covering their nakedness. Such efforts have been the object of almost all major religions – only the Gospel of Christ offers forgiveness and redemption apart from good works. Only the Gospel of Christ offers a substitute for the condemnation of sin. 

 

            That one whose sins are so grievous and habitual that he can no longer sense the error of his ways is much like that sinner whose sins have seared his conscience as a hot iron sears a wound. Paul describes those sinners in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. 

 

            The knowledge of our sins instill the fear of judgment in the hearts of those whose hearts are still malleable to faith, love, and truth. Just as Adam and Eve were fearful and ashamed of their nakedness, so is the sinner whose heart is being drawn to the Mercy Seat of God. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10) But that fear is the mechanism by which we are drawn to repentance and salvation in Christ. The fear of damnation does not remain as a mortal fear, rather the fear becomes one of dread in dishonoring the Name of the One who died for you. It is no longer the fear of a brutal judgment to death, but one of a fear to dishonor or bring shame on the Heavenly Father and His only Begotten Son who purchased your adoption into the family of God by a precious sacrifice at Golgotha.

 

            We are all naked before the Lord, but now, in Christ, we are given a covering Robe of Righteousness that is imputed to us by way of our Lord Jesus Christ and the purchase He made for us.

Hymn 68 – Alone Thou Goest Forth O Lord – 29 March 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

 

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N that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. (Matthew 26:55-56)

 

This is an ancient hymn composed by Peter Abelard (1079-1142) especially for the seasons of Passion, or Palm, Sunday. It is intended as an evening hymn most suited for Evening Service on Good Friday. The tune for the hymn in the 1940 Hymnal (#68) is Bangor by William Tan’sur.

 

Alone Thou Goest Forth, O Lord

 

Alone thou goest forth, O Lord,

in sacrifice to die;

is this thy sorrow naught to us

who pass unheeding by?

 

Our sins, not thine, thou bearest, Lord;

make us thy sorrow feel,

till through our pity and our shame

love answers love’s appeal.

 

This is earth’s darkest hour,

but thou dost light and life restore;

then let all praise be given thee

who livest evermore!

 

Give us compassion for thee, Lord,

that, as we share this hour,

thy cross may bring us to thy joy

and resurrection power. 

 

Alone thou goest forth, O Lord, in sacrifice to die; is this thy sorrow naught to us who pass unheeding by? The depth of meaning and beauty of just the first line of this hymn is beyond the scope of a short devotional – and even volumes of commentary “Alone thou goest forth, O Lord.” All His disciples deserted Him at His betrayal into the hands of the Jewish brigands. Even Peter, the bold fisherman, lost all courage as he was separated from Christ. It must have been so that our Lord would go forth alone as the Pascal Lamb of those of faith. No other could satisfy our sin debt but Christ. Only His going forth as the Passover Sacrifice could satisfy the Law and Prophets, and the wrath of the Father against sin. Regardless of the multitudes around Him at the cross, He died alone – the loneliest death in all time and eternity. He died between Heaven and earth as He hung on the cross between two thieves, and He was the first of the three to expire. (see John 19:31-34) His death, too, was unique in that it represented the death of all in trespasses and sins (He bore our sins on the cross), but also, His later resurrection would insure the resurrection of the faithful as well on the Last Day according to the discretion of the Father.

 

Our sins, not thine, thou bearest, Lord; make us thy sorrow feel, till through our pity and our shame love answers love’s appeal. I have often described the love of God as an echo. He loved us first so that we may respond as an echo to that divine love. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) His compassion for us exceeds every value we could ever imagine, but that compassion He has for us requires a corresponding response evoked by faith and love. It is only by His grace that we can know Him and respond in like manner to His love and sacrifice for us. As we do so, the wells of compassion burst the boundaries of selfish consideration and open the floodgates of unrestrained devotion – not only for God – but all His creatures.

 

This is earth’s darkest hour, but thou dost light and life restore; then let all praise be given thee who livest evermore! Yes, the darkness covered the land from the sixth to the ninth hour (12 noon until 3 PM). There was fear and trembling as the greatest and most inconceivable sacrifice was made for us on the cross. The darkness was both spiritual and physical, but the spiritual darkness persisted until the third day following when the Tomb of the Garden was discovered to be empty and the Savior risen. In this life, too, our darkest hour may precede the greatest awakening to love and truth with the burst of restored life promised in the Resurrection.

 

Give us compassion for thee, Lord, that, as we share this hour, thy cross may bring us to thy joy and resurrection power. Herein lies the mystery and joy of the ages – the very moment our blind eyes are opened by the Holy Ghost to our nakedness and grave need for forgiveness and salvation, and not only that, but to the realization that God has called us to repentance and the gift of eternal life through His blessed only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Before we can fully appreciate that sacrifice on the cross, we must at least recognize a glimmer of that suffering through our common compassion for His own suffering. That great event of suffering and death was substitutionary for us. It was we who should have paid the price the sinless Savior paid for us.

AOC Sunday Report – Fifth Sunday in Lent - Passion Sunday

 

Happy Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly called Passion Sunday!  Want to find out why and what that means?  Download the AOC Sunday Report RIGHT HERE and the first part will tell you!

We have excellent sermon today from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Rev Jack. Each is very very good and each is just quite a bit different. I am confident you will enjoy them.  Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon can be viewed on video HERE -> https://youtu.be/eyRSxeR-yhc

Today’s Collect acknowledges to God we acknowledge without God’s great goodness and divine intervention, we cannot be preserved in either body or soul.   In the Epistle, Paul discusses the failure of the sacrifices of the old covenant and the difference with the new.  The Gospel is another example of the Jews (in this case Pharisees) being very conversant in The Law with absolutely no grasp of its meaning.  In the Gospel, Jesus explained to the Pharisees before Abraham had even been conceived, He was. In fact, Jesus was the one who created this Earth, so He has been around since before the beginning of the planet. The Pharisees could or would not grasp in their heads Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God. They chose to try to destroy His ministry rather than follow Him. He was interfering with their comfortable way of living and deceiving the Jewish people. He was a threat to their system. They would not understand His Message, so they opted to try to destroy Him instead. Great stuff and it all comes together, listen or read to understand how. 

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, today is not the exception.  Please start with Tricia, Marty, Shamu, Laurie and work out from there.

There is a lot going on this week, some of it good some of it bad. The world is awful hard to decode, and understand if you don't have some help from God. If you need help, and we all do, look to Him for help in the form of the Third God Guy the Holy Ghost.

Have an EPIC week.

Godspeed,

Hap
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
United States of America

Fifth Sunday in Lent - Passion Sunday - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon – With Video

Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE -> https://youtu.be/eyRSxeR-yhc.

Today’s Collect acknowledges to God we acknowledge without God’s great goodness and divine intervention, we cannot be preserved in either body or soul.   In the Epistle, Paul discusses the failure of the sacrifices of the old covenant and the difference with the new.  The Gospel is another example of the Jews (in this case Pharisees) being very conversant in The Law with absolutely no grasp of its meaning.  In the Gospel, Jesus explained to the Pharisees before Abraham had even been conceived, He was. In fact, Jesus was the one who created this Earth, so He has been around since before the beginning of the planet. The Pharisees could or would not grasp in their heads Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God. They chose to try to destroy His ministry rather than follow Him. He was interfering with their comfortable way of living and deceiving the Jewish people. He was a threat to their system. They would not understand His Message, so they opted to try to destroy Him instead. Great stuff and it all comes together, listen or read to understand how. 

The Propers for today are found on Page 132-133, with the Collect first:

 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly called

Passion Sunday.

The Collect.

 

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E beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:

 

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

 

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LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.

 

The Epistle for today came from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, starting at the Eleventh Verse of the Ninth Chapter.   Paul summarizes both the symbolism and the substance of the Lord’s sacrifice on our behalf.  Paul opens the secret of the One Perfect Sacrifice, One Time, for All Time and All Mankind.  Paul is clearly appealing to the sense of the Jews when he asks them if the blood of goats will set aside or atone for sin, how much more can be done by the Perfect Sacrifice made on our behalf?

 

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HRIST being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

 

This morning’s Gospel comes from the Gospel of Saint John, starting at the Forty-Sixth Verse of the Eighth Chapter and tells the story of Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees in the temple.  Like much of John it is filled with deep explanation of Jesus and His purpose here. 

 

Knowing them looking to find the worst in Him, Jesus asked, “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?”  In a point central to Christianity, he went on, “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”  When we hear the term Jews here, we should hear the world in general, for He spoke to all who would not hear.  When they would not hear, He pointed out He sought not glory or praise from them, but only from the Father whom in reality they knew not.  Here He offers the singular benefit of Christianity, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”  This concept being foreign to them, they asked if He thought He was greater than Abraham.  That brought the crowning touch, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day.”  Knowing He was only in his early 30s, they could not grasp how he could have seen Abraham.

 

In a demonstration of the non-linearity of God’s time, He said, “Before Abraham was, I am.[1]”  As might be expected, this offended the Keepers of The Law.

 

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ESUS said, Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words:  ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

 

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[1] This response was similar to God’s answer to Moses’ question, “Who do I tell them sent me?”

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

You can view Rev Jack's sermon on video RIGHT HERE!

https://youtu.be/eyRSxeR-yhc

 

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

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… thy people; … by thy great goodness … may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul …

 

In the Collect, we acknowledge without God’s great goodness and divine intervention, we cannot be preserved in either body or soul.  This is a constant truth through ought the Bible, the New Testament in particular.  Without God’s great goodness we simply cannot be preserved. What does asking for God’s great goodness mean for us? It means when we ask we might be governed and thus preserved by His great goodness, we are in effect asking for His Guidance for us, so we can be preserved in both body and soul. We acknowledge God is the ultimate good and is the source of all truth, and we need His Help if we are to succeed. This concept is constant throughout all the collects. It is constant because it is the truth. We can only follow the narrow uphill path towards heaven with His Goodness and His Guidance.  As always, if we are left to our own devices and desires, we are lost.  Guided means we need to ask, then listen to what He Tells us, then actually follow those instructions.  

 

For those who are not perfect[1], following instructions can be hard at times but it must be done nevertheless. And I have found this holds true in all aspects of live not just our spiritual aspect. However, in all areas without His Guidance we are truly doomed. We must look to Him for the guidance we need to get through the spiritual and physical turmoils of this life. We must trust in Him and not in our own fallible guidance. We on our own volition cannot drive the narrow up hill path towards heaven safely, we must rely on the Holy Ghost as the perfect infallible lead car that we follow for that guidance. The Holy Ghost will always give us perfect directions, however it is on us to act on and follow those directions.

 

Further to this thought, if we are looking to Him for guidance, we then need look to Him for safety.  Safety meaning only the safety of our soul, our eternal life. It does not mean safety from dangers to the body here on Earth. Our bodies are still able to be physically harmed, but our souls are safe from eternal damnation, that is what safety truly means. It also does not mean we are to put ourselves at risk recklessly, but it means we are to have confidence that if we die while doing actions for Him, we are ensured that our souls will be safe and headed towards heaven.

 

However in order to get into heaven one must be perfect. But as we all know as Saint Paul says, all fall short. So how do we get in then? This is quite the accounting dlemma. How do you account us, who are very imperfect creatures as purified and perfect creatures? There is an easy solution for this and that is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Our only means of being accounted as perfect when we come before God is to rely on the sacrifice and intermediary priesthood of His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to account us as perfect before God on that final day. Christ has replaced the intermediary priesthood of the Jews with himself, our one and only High Intermediary Priest.  Your AOC ministers, while officially titled as priests, are not intermediary priests! The day of the intermediary priests have come and gone for us with the Old Testament in the past. We need only Christ, there are no middle men between us and Jesus.  He is our Savior, our Leader, our Teacher, our Master, our Example! 

 

Christ came to succeed the Old Covenant marked by sacrifices of innocent animals; killing off animals in an effort to atone for our sins really did not do the job.  However as we have stated before, the Old Covenant was a needed step before the New Covenant could occur. It was a way to prepare people for Christ’s coming. They would not have understood His Message otherwise without it. Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection highlighted that His Ministry was all about action. If we truly are believers of Him, we will ACT upon His Word and not just say it. There is truth to the saying that action speak louder than words. 

 

In the Gospel, Jesus explained to the Pharisees before Abraham had even been conceived, He was. In fact, Jesus was the one who created this Earth, so He has been around since before the beginning of the planet. The Pharisees could or would not grasp in their heads Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God. They chose to try to destroy His ministry rather than follow Him.  He was interfering with their comfortable way of living and deceiving the Jewish people. He was a threat to their system. They would not understand His Message, so they opted to try to destroy Him instead. Note the word try. Try as hard as they might, the Pharisees could not interfere with Jesus’s ultimate action for us, his Death and Resurrection upon the cross. Even with the truth of who He was laid bare in front of them, they still chose not to believe. Time and time again we see them confronted with the truth Jesus offers and they always choose to reject it rather than embrace the truth.

 

This is a very common pattern with God’s enemies. Their names and appearances my change, but their inner hearts and souls have not changed over the eons. Their hearts have been blinded by their love of their selves, pride and greed. They cannot see the simple truths we see as followers of God. They look down upon us and think we are the ignorant ones, when reality is the other way around. 

 

They cannot, or will not, see that the priceless gift Jesus came to offer us. Jesus came to save our souls and give us eternal life, eternal life starting right then.  Not just for the Jews and Israel, but the whole wide world, Jew, Gentile, Greek and all others.  Jesus brought salvation and life to the entire world.  That was not what the Pharisees were looking so hard for with their magnifying glasses as they examined Torah and The Law.  They were looking for what would be only a temporary power, power on this physical plane. This pales in comparison to safety and happiness forever, for all eternity.  Pharisees were not big picture people, and as Calvin told Hobbes, We big picture people rarely become historians or Pharisees, I might add.   The Pharisees were very obviously not big picture people; they misinterpreted the prophecies of the Messiah. Regardless, even though some people chose to misunderstand the prophecies, He came and He made that one sacrifice, at one time, for all mankind, for all time. 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[2].

 

Who is Jesus?  Our Savior?  Indeed.  But, more He has been since before the beginning of the world, for He is One with I Am.

 

Through His Actions, we are saved.

 

Do ye likewise:

 

ACT

 

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

---

[1] All of us, that is.

[2] If the text of this sentence seems familiar, it is John 3.16, probably the most widely quoted text of the Bible.

Fifth Sunday in Lent - Passion Sunday - Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide - 26 March 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly called

Passion Sunday.

The Collect.

 

W

E beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:

 

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.

 

The Gospel

John 8:46-59

 

W

HICH  of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.  51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

The Sermon 

     God speaks to His own, and His own hear His Voice. If we are born of God, we shall surely enjoy His counsel and comfort. When God’s Word is proclaimed with power and conviction, no argument can stand against it. Since the enemies of God cannot brook the preaching of the Word, and cannot refute it, the weapon of choice is to attack the messenger. Their great problem in attacking Christ is not only the fact that He is the Messenger, but also the Message. How often have we seen their futile attempts to trap Him in His Words redound to their detriment? Even the Church has often struggle with faith. The Church of the modern era no longer struggles with faith – they have lost it! Can it be true that those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ shall never see death? If we believe God, we will believe all that He has told us. Every material entity in a material world must fade away and die, but those who are born of the Spirit in Christ have spirits that shall never perish in death or Hell. What is it that makes a man own a reputation of character and strength? It is not his own bragging of himself for reputations are established by more than mere words – it is the testimony of others who know the man and his life that establishes strong reputation and character. Christ did not testify of Himself because His Father in Heaven had already given, and was giving, a Holy Testimony and Revelation of His Son. When we are under God’s care and protection, the most violent of criminals cannot lay hand on us without the Father’s permit.

 

          46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? Has any man present brought charges against Christ? How often did they tempt Him to make a misstep, but He always turned the tables on clerical rascals every bit as greedy in nature and egregious in false teaching as those modern day wonders who populate pulpits across America in our own day. Even when He proved to them their error, they never turned from it. To be honest, they could not turn, for they were of their children the devil.

 

         47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. I never heard the counsel of another father and mother in my own home though it was given in every home in my neighborhood. I heard only the counsel of my own God-given parents.  If we are sheep of our Special Shepherd, we may even hear the mumblings of other shepherds with other flocks, but is the Voice of our own shepherd that we hear and follow. It is a fact that wolves will not hear the gentle commands of the Good Shepherd. It is not their intent to hear, but to tear and destroy the sheep. They do not hear and follow because it is not in their nature to hear and follow.

 

         48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Since Christ has truly identified these culprits as not true members of the family of God, they return to their old, trite argument of bloodlines. They call Christ a Samaritan (which they do not consider members of Israel). Suddenly, just by merely speaking words of reason and logic – and doing or saying nothing vile – Christ is labelled as having a devil! Need I remind you that rulers of the Jews have committed blasphemy and, this, not the first time?

 

         49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. Christ has accused these men of nothing that is not an absolute of the Holy Scriptures. Since Christ honors the Word of God the Father, and these men do not, which of the two have a devil? The Pharisees and Jews refuted, in custom, tradition, and action, the Word of God. They dishonor God thereby and even so His Son.

 

         50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Christ came to redeem and not to judge. The judgment has already been made by God’s Holy Word. It is by the standard of that Word that men are judged. If we are IN Christ, we are not under the terms of the Law and condemnation. But these men were far from the gates of the Holy City of God. Their deeds would judge them by that perfect standard of the Law.

 

         51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. This solution is too simple – too plain bread – for the sophisticated oracles of Judaism. How short a stride from hate and condemnation to freedom and liberty in Christ, but East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet: 

 

OH, East is East, and West is West,

and never the twain shall meet,

Till Earth and Sky stand presently 

at God’s great Judgment Seat;

                                                 Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)          

 

         52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. They are actually accusing Jesus of denying that Abraham followed God. They know that there is a grave in Machpelah that contains the bones of Abraham. Their dim wits, lighted by darkness only, cannot comprehend (or refuse to) the words of Christ. All they know and understand is the “here and now”. An eternal Heaven escapes their imagination. They may make allusions to that Heaven, just as false professor of our own time do, but they do not believe that any “educated” marvel could ever seriously believe it.

 

        53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? They know DEATH, but they do not know LIFE! Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Their scale-covered eyes do not see because they have dwelt in darkness so very long that they are blinded by Light.

 

        54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: How can men know intimately a great King and not recognize His sons and daughters? It is actually impossible. The King sends His Son to greet those who claim His sovereignty. He forewarns them of His son’s Coming. He has written to them of it, spoken of it to them by the prophets whom they killed, and now the genuine Article stands before them and they know it not – or DO they?

 

         55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. It is likely that the Jews have a head knowledge of God, but they have changed His character and description from that which He claims to be, to one which suits their own passions. When we know God of a truth we cannot disavow His sayings as the Chart and Compass of our lives.

 

        56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Quite often we fail to remember that Abraham was a Christian like unto the true Christian of this day.  His view of Christ was ALL of faith. He looked forward, in faith, to the Coming Redeemer in Christ. He was preached the Gospel and he believed the Gospel. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Gal 3:6-8) It was not the Stones of Sinai, or of Moses, that saves, but the Grace of God in Christ Jesus.

 

        57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? God is the God of the living and not the dead. Of course, Jesus has seen Abraham. As a matter of fact, grasp this: He saw Abraham before Abraham saw himself.

 

        58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Yes, He was before Abraham, He was before Adam, He was before the worlds (which He made) were cast into orbit by the artful Finger of God. He was before Gabriel and all created angels. Don’t we recall that He was before the beginning of all things? There was never a time when Christ was not in the Eternal Presence – I AM!

 

        59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Ah, yes, the Ancien’ Regime! Destroy all opposition – if not by words, then, by all means, with stones. Though truth may lie trampled beneath the iron heel of hate,  it cannot be destroyed. Like the Spirit Itself, Truth shall arise time and again after the futile attempts of the ungodly to silence it. But, alas, it was not the appointed time of Christ to offer Himself. Though they would have stoned Him, He wonderfully passed through them, out of the Temple, under cover of Light. So may we all be protected from the wiles of the devil!

 

            It is a great comfort to realize that our Lord is Eternally Present with His people, and He passes by unobserved by those who reject Him. Do you know the Presence of Christ in your heart today?