Anglican Orthodox
Church sm
Worldwide Communion
Second Sunday in Lent
March 8, 2026 – Sunday Report
Third Sunday in Lent
The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single
thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of
England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop
of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday.
The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various
Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading
from one of the Holy Gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect
is said by the minister
as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated
reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel,
which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers
in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read
instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks
the titles are in red, are special days. Most
of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early
saint’s instrumental in the development of the church,
others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day
is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or
Lent. The Propers for today are found in the
Book of Common Prayer page 128-130.
The Collect for Third Sunday in Lent.
WE
beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble
servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence
against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect
for Ash Wednesday
ALMIGHTY 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
Epistle for Third Sunday in Lent. Ephesians v. 1.
BE ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in
love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all
uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh
saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not
convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger,
nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the
fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving
what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of
those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved
are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and
Christ shall give thee light.
The Gospel for the Third Sunday in Lent. St. Luke xi. 14.
JESUS was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to
pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But
some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the
devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he,
knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan
also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say
that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out
devils, by whom do your sons cast them out?
therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God
cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong
man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than
he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour
wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against
me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is
gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding
none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he
cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him
seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell
there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to
pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her
voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps
which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the
word of God, and keep it.
On Point
What Is Actual Sin? (Pasche, F.E.)
"Out of the heart
proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies." Matt.
15:19
Our nature
even at rest is sinful. But it is never at rest. It has thoughts and desires,
suggestions and purposes; and these motions and acts of the soul are sin.
Actual sin is
everything whereby evil is committed or good omitted, against God’s Law. When
you slander your neighbor, you commit evil and sin; if you do not defend him
when slandered, you omit good and therefore sin. “ To him that knoweth to do
good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Many people say that they harm no
one. But the question will also be asked of them, “What good have you done ?”
The fig-tree had harmed no one, yet it was cursed by Christ because it had done
no good. Not only every tree bearing no fruit shall be hewn down and cast into
the fire, but also every tree that bringeth forth no good fruit.
There are
sins of the heart, of the eye, of the tongue, and sips of action.
Do not try to
persuade yourself that your sin is only a little sin. There are no little sins.
Every sin is a great sin. Even when the believer sins involuntarily, it is a
grievous sin in the sight of God; but as his faith clings to God’s forgiving
grace, his sin is at once forgiven by the all-sufficient merits of Christ. But
if he sins voluntarily, however, with a set purpose, against the warning of
his conscience, he falls from faith, and his sin is unforgiven, whether great
or small. All our little omissions are great sins. And to the un believer
every sin is an unforgiven sin. Even his seeming virtues are sins because he
does not believe and trust in God and does not love and fear Him. “Without
faith it is impossible to please God.”
“Whatsoever
is not of faith is sin.” Do not despise sins because they seem small. How
difficult is it for you to renounce the one which is your darling sin! Take
heed of this one sin, especially if it is a secret sin! Every sin entails
guilt.
Prayer.
O Lord, almighty God and
heavenly. Father, I pray Thee, as Thy dear child, graciously preserve me to my
last breath in Thy saving Word and enlighten my heart with Thy Holy Spirit that
I may know what is good or evil. All sin that I have knowingly committed, also
my secret faults, I ask Thee in mercy to forget. Also help me, dear Father, by
Thy grace, to begin a new life well- pleasing to Thee and to the benefit of my
soul. I commend myself to Thy divine protection and fatherly blessing. Give me
peace through Jesus Christ, my only Helper, and comfort me by the true
Comforter, the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop
Metropolitan AOC Worldwide We are fortunate
to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the
Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under
ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Bishop Ogles
Blog:
https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com
Bishop Ogles
You Tube Channel
that is free to subscribe: all of his videos at:
Monday Meditation: The
Thief on the Cross
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/03/youtube-video-player.html
You tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQtKrxuX3Oc
Friday Evening Prayer Study: Raising of
Lazarus
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/03/youtube-video-player_6.html
You Tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A56Il0E0UkQ
Saturday Night Bible
Study: The Only Begotten Son
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/03/youtube-video-player_7.html
You Tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz6DrsWuvBg
†Jerry Ogles
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's
Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican
Orthodox Church
Suffragan
Bishop of the AOC
Morning
Prayer
Psalm 27; First lesson: Amos 5:4-15; Second
lesson: Galatians 5:16-24
WE
beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble
servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence
against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
“Salvation comes from the Lord, not the world.”
The Lord uses the least likely vessels to deliver his
message. In our first lesson reading, from the book of Amos, a minor
prophet, we find pure gold.
Amos is an interesting person. He was a shepherd, but
in a real sense, a livestock dealer. He seemed to be a dealer of wool, sheep,
and lambs. He also seemed to be in the fresh fruit trade, he was a fig
dealer. So it seems he did travel quite a bit and seemed to have a pretty
extensive knowledge of business. And yet he also seemed to be a blunt
speaker. It appears that he did not suffer fools. So into this world of
business, a man is called of God to deliver a message to a stubborn and unjust
people. They were abusing each other, stealing lands, putting folk into
slavery, doing financial misdoings to their neighbors. They were breaking
at least three of the ten commandments, all to gain an upper hand over their
neighbors. Here comes Amos.
Amos is warning all the Hebrew people that their
behavior was going to be rewarded with good things. In fact, because they
were dealing in some pretty disagreeable activities with each other, causing
social injustice, there were going to be consequences.
11Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor,
and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but
ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall
not drink wine of them. 12For I know your manifold transgressions
and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn
aside the poor in the gate from their right. 13Therefore the prudent
shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. He also warns of doing
evil things to others, especially those who live around you...ie your
neighbors. 7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off
righteousness in the earth, (Amos 5:11-13…7)
Amos warns the people to not seek secular or worldly
security, because they will all come to naught, they will pass away and be no
more. He repeatedly told them to seek the LORD. And in seeking the LORD they
would live. In both verse four and six, he implores the house of Israel to seek
the Lord. 4For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek
ye me, and ye shall live: 5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into
Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
and Bethel shall come to nought. 6Seek the LORD, and ye shall live;
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be
none to quench it in Bethel. (Amos 5:4-6)
Don’t seek the secular, seek the Creator. He even
brings to the point of the creator of the heavens, he who made Orion and the
Pleiades, he who created Light and Darkness, the sea...with the declaration:
“The LORD is his name”. 8Seek him that maketh the seven stars and
Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day
dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out
upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
Amos now rounds out the warning with
what has become a rarity in today’s world, doing what is right, especially in
the sight of the Lord. He rebuked the house of Israel for not seeking
good. He was essentially referring to the decalogue when he emphasizes hating
evil, speaking good of your neighbor, not carrying false witness and love the
good. We see civility. We see what should be in day to day living.
The idea of the Golden Rule. And as you notice embedded in these verses [14-15]
the promise of life. Good and seeking good are to be desired. Evil and avoiding
evil are to be desired. “14seek
good, and not evil, that ye may live: and sl the LORD, the God of hosts, shall
be with you...” (Amos 5:14) Beloved, it couldn’t be any simpler. We are to
seek good, avoid evil, be just to our neighbors, honor God, worship God....
“...it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant
of Joseph. (Amos 5:15) {the continuing church, us}
Let us pray:
1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2When
the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell. 3Though an host should encamp against me, my
heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be
confident. 4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek
after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to
behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 5For in
the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his
tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6And
now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore
will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing
praises unto the LORD. 7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have
mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8When thou saidst, Seek ye my
face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9Hide
not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my
help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10When
my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. 11Teach
me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12Deliver
me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up
against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13I had fainted, unless
I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14Wait
on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I
say, on the LORD.
+ Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
Rev Bryan Dabney
of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi
We are fortunate
to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon.
If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth,
espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend
it to your careful reading.
Sermon Text
for the Third Sunday in Lent:
In our gospel lesson (St. Luke 11) we read where a
woman called out to our Lord saying, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and
the paps which thou hast sucked (v.27), to which our Lord replied, Yea
rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it (v.28). The
clearest presentation of God’s expectation for us is found in Exodus 20:1-17,
for there we find the Ten Commandments. These were written in stone by the very
finger of God himself (Exodus 31:18). And even though the commandments are recited
as part of our service of the Lord’s Supper; still, it is fitting in this
season of Lent that the church should hear an exposition of the Ten
Commandments for the edification of all.
The First Commandment sets forth the existence of God.
We Christians have been commanded to, love the LORD thy God with all thine
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deuteronomy 6:5).
When we speak of loving God, we must first recognize that he alone is God. And
there is more to that than meets the eye. Some will claim that God exists, but
then they create other deities such as their jobs, lifestyles, philosophies of
life, sports teams, etc. which they worship and revere. If one has other things
that are more influential— which command greater respect and allegiance than
God himself— then such a person is in violation of this commandment.
The Second Commandment prohibits the making and
worshiping of graven images. While similar in tone to the previous commandment,
it nevertheless condemns the formulation of any image of the divine for the
purposes of worship. Remember what the children of Israel did with the golden
calf (Exodus 32:1-6). They credited that idol with their deliverance out of the
hands of pharaoh. And very many Christians, past and present, have broken this
commandment as well. Even a cursory reading of this commandment makes it clear
that any statue, icon, image or impression which is held up and revered, is
just as much an idol as those produced by pagan humanity for their worship.
These are hard words for many because they cling to a man-made tradition that
originated shortly after the creation of the Christian Church. Said tradition
requires its adherents to worship, venerate and adore artifices of human
construction as if they possessed some element of the divine. The devil loves
to subvert the word of God with the word of man acting in the place of God and
represented as being from God.
The Third Commandment condemns the use of God’s name
in a vain or frivolous manner. God desires for us to call upon his name in both
our public and private devotions. But what he will not tolerate are the ways
his name has been trashed in our public discourse. Have you noticed that there
is hardly a movie or tv production today that does not violate this
commandment? In fact, it is a rare event indeed to attend a public gathering,
or some presentation on the internet, and not hear someone uttering a curse which
includes the name of God. If we love our heavenly Father, why then would we
misuse his name and make it into a curse against others? How is our love for
him who gave his only begotten Son to be crucified on our behalf revealed in
that sort of behavior? Job’s wife wanted him to curse God and die for well they
knew that such was worthy of death. But Job did not sin with his lips against
God (Job 2:9-10) and neither should an regenerate Christian.
The Fourth Commandment calls us to keep holy the
sabbath day. God desires that we should pause and reflect on the good which he
has done for us. It is not a day to fulfill our lusts and worldly pursuits.
Unfortunately, that is not what a growing number of people do today. Ambrose
Bierce once penned in his profane dictionary the way the unregenerate treated
this commandment when he quipped: “Work not on sabbath days at all, but go to
see the teams play ball.” How does such behavior honor God and increase our
fellowship with him? If we are truly born-again, we will honor God by being
present in his house on the Christian sabbath to worship him, and afterwards,
to rest and consider all that he has done for us. Have you been clothed, fed,
and sheltered? Then give thanks to God because it all came from him. Keep his
day holy.
The Fifth Commandment calls us to honor our parents
and includes the promise: that thy days may be long upon the land which the
LORD thy God giveth thee. God expects us to honor him as our heavenly
Father, and as he has appointed our parents over us, we are to honor them as
well. Godly obedience requires us to be respectful and honorable souls at all
times remembering to whom we are accountable. Willing obedience is rewarded of
God with long life and good health.
The literal rendering of the Sixth Commandment is: Thou
shalt do no murder which prohibits the taking of human life without just
cause. God made this clear to Noah when he said, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood,
by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man
(Genesis 9:6). Murder may take many forms. Abortion is the systematic murder of
the unborn in the womb. The womb is the place where new life is formed and
sustained. Abortion makes this place of life’s beginning the foyer of a tomb
rather than the entry way to a productive life. Likewise, suicide, or
self-murder, is, in some cases, beyond the sanction of God. Murder in every
case, therefore, is man playing God, for only God alone decides the time of our
birth and our death. The regenerate person will respect the lives of others and
will not take human life without a reasonable and proper justification. One may
take the life of another in necessary self-defense, or in defense of others, or
while participating in a just war against tyranny or aggression, or while
acting in the capacity of authorized officer of the state in executing any just
and lawful act (Romans 13:1-10). We should bear in mind that even contemplating
the death of an enemy is a violation of this commandment because murder first
begins in the heart before it ever comes to pass in reality (St. Matthew
15:19).
The Seventh Commandment condemns all extramarital
relationships and behaviors. God created the institution of marriage, and this
commandment protects the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4). Further, it was given to
protect the family and especially the children who are supposed to be the
products of a godly union before him. The wails and cries of those who, in our
time, have been affected by the dissolution of marriages, as well as those who
were born outside the bonds of marriage into fragmented households, must be
deafening in heaven. And God, long ago, condemned adultery and fornication
precisely because of the misery that they inflict on all involved. God did not
create marriage and the family to have them destroyed by the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eye and the pride of life. The family is supposed to be a place
of refuge from the ills of this world; but it cannot be so when the specter of
adultery looms large there.
The Eighth Commandment is simple enough: Thou shalt
not steal. God gave us the concept of private property rights with this
commandment. We are to work for the things we have and respect the right of
others to have their things as well. St. Paul wrote on this subject saying, Let
him who stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands
the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth
(Ephesians 4:28). Theft impoverishes not only the victim but the soul of the
victimizer. Success in thieving contributes to more thieving. Where does the
thief get his mandate to steal? Is it not of himself and his darkened heart? Is
it not on account of the whispered hiss of the serpent and father of lies
telling the thief he will not be found out? Most thieves are eventually ruined
by their own vain understanding of things. Just as with any other malefactor,
the thief will be ensnared by his own mischief and trapped by his own compulsion.
And ultimately, whether caught in this life or not, all thieves will have to
face the final judge who will cast them into perdition should they come to him
in unrepentance.
The Ninth Commandment condemns bearing a false witness
against your neighbor. Matthew Henry once said of this commandment that it
“forbids speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating...devising and
designing to deceive our neighbor [and to unjustly prejudice his reputation].”
Such persons as the busybody, the tale-bearer, the whisperer of ill deeds
without warrant fall under the rubric of this commandment . The Scriptures say
that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire. God is deadly serious
about the bearing of a false witness for it stirs up strife to no good purpose
(Proverbs 6:16-19; Revelation 21:8). God desires for men to be at peace with
one another. Bearing a false witness does not in any manner contribute to the
attaining of that state of peace amongst men.
The Tenth Commandment: Thou shalt not covet means that
we ought not desire any thing that belongs to someone else so much so that we
would break any of the other commandments to acquire it. Has not God given to
all as he pleases? Did you ask and not receive of the LORD so then you decided
to take from others: first in your heart and then by word or deed? Look at what
you have and then ask yourself if you would like it if others did the same to
you? Reflect first before you lust after another’s goods or possessions or
relationships. God would rather us come to him and seek that which is good than
to suffer us to act as David did regarding Bath-sheba, or Ahab concerning
Naboth’s vineyard, or Cain in his jealousy toward Abel his brother. In
Leviticus 19:18, God commanded us to love
our neighbor as ourselves which goes hand in hand with latter portion of
the Ten Commandments. When our Lord was asked which was the great commandment
of the law, he responded saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets
(St. Matthew 22:37-40). Coveting puts greed in our hearts and that inordinate
desire will never be sated as the Devil will come and tempt us with such again
and again and again until we are destroyed. If we truly love God, we will avoid
the deception of covetousness.
The Ten Commandments are benchmarks which our Lord has
set before us that we might know his pure and perfect will. We who have been
regenerated by the Holy Ghost know that apart from his assistance, we could not
hope to keep them. They are perfection and we are imperfection. They are
absolute and we are ambivalent. They are ethereal and we are earthly. God has
set his standard before us to teach us of our need for Christ (Galatians 3:24).
And our Lord Jesus Christ expects us to abide by them, not by our own efforts,
but through the power of the Holy Ghost the Comforter whom he has sent to guide
us into all truth.
Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us keep
these commandments. Nevertheless know that when we falter in them, we ought to
confess our sins to God in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and receive his
pardon. For, as the Bible tells us, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for
ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (I St. John 2:1-2). Do
this and live.
Let us pray,
Father, we beseech thee to assist us in the keeping of
these thy Ten Commandments as well as all other aspects of thy moral law; and
this we ask in the name of him who kept thy law and became sin for us, even
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a
Blessed Week,
Bryan+
Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We
are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Third Sunday in Lent
Luke 11:14-28
The Will of God is....?
Jesus
was casting out a demon /devil but even this action was questioned by the
religious leaders of the church of that day, the Pharisees. They were so
incensed by Jesus that they said , …he casts out devils through Beelzubub,
the chief of the devils." (Luke 11:15) Jesus challenges the religious
leaders of then and as well as today, "BUT
if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is
come upon you." (Luke
11:20) Jesus challenges us to know God's will and do it as well.
A woman in the crowd lifted up her voice, "and said unto Him ( Jesus),
Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28But
he said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear
the Word of God, and keep it." (Luke 11:28) We too as a
Church should not adore people or movements. We listen to the Word as the
beginning for the Will of God for the Word is God's inspired, without error and
our way in this life and the life to come.
The Church can err;
General Councils can err ( Article 19 in 39 Articles pb page 606), but
the Word of our endures forever. Isaiah 40:8: "The grass withereth, the
flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
When
God speaks to us we could be like the people in Jeremiah 5: "11For
the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously
against me saith the LORD. 12They have belied ( lied
about) the Lord...and said...evil shall not come..." (Jeremiah
5:11-12) God speaks to such churches and prophets who do not believe His Word,
"Wherefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Because ye speak this word,
Behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it
shall devour them." (Jeremiah 5:14)
We wish to be like the people that Jesus said were blessed---those that hear
the Word of God and keep it, not those who say God is not truthful when He has
spoken already. In Mark 3 we read words about how Jesus spoke to His family and
doing God's will. His mother and His brethren were seeking Him 3:34 and he
said, "…34Behold my mother and
my brethren! 35For whosoever shall do the will of God , the same is
my brother, and my sister, and mother." (Mark 3:34-35)
The important thing is doing the will of God. In all of our lives, that should
be first. It is easy to get this reversed, and there are people that will help
us do that unknowingly often. The world has its own ideas of what we
should be doing. Our world today will let us have our religion, but
that should not interfere with what others wish to do. The world rushes on
and does not take the necessary time to listen to God. Mark Twain said God
allows wars so we can learn geography. That is often true of our lives. We sin
and land up on a ground we should not be on. God has claimed us for His,
and He rescues us despite our wicked ways.
We live in such a society
that keeps saying to us to be happy we must have more and more and do more what
entertains us. Observing the Lord's Day is out of vogue for example. I was
speaking to someone this week about how we have gone from bad to worse with
Sunday observance.
The Scotsman, Eric Liddell was portrayed in a movie that was very popular
several years ago, "Chariots of Fire." He ran in the 1924 Olympics,
but refused to run on Sunday because he wished to observe the
Lord's Day. He still ran on Saturday and won a gold medal. People
respected him for his strong commitment to his faith. Later he became a
missionary to China.
If we were to go through the Bible we would find this a constant theme
throughout, " doing the will of God." It would be helpful for
example to start with the faith Hall of Fame, Hebrews 11. Noah was such
an example in 11:7: He "moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving
of his house." It was not easy I imagine to do all of this when
others looked upon him as a crazy person. But Noah was a "just
man and walked with God." Gen 6:9
We should be asking, "How can I know God's will?" That is the best
question we can ask and the fact that we are asking it at all is wonderful.
There are some things we cannot know. God had His plan which we do not know, i.e.
the future.
He
has revealed to us how to live. Deut 29:29 is a good vs. about this, "The
secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of
this law." (Sometimes we hear this called the secretive will of God or
secret and the one we know is the preceptive or revealed will of God)
If you are struggling with the will of God now for your life, I would say,
start with what you know. For example, we know we are to believe in God
and in His Son to have eternal life. Then we are to live in this world so
that we may grow more and more like Jesus.
Too many people are
neglecting the revealed will of God because they are thinking that they want to
know more. There are some things we will not know and never know. But
God is not leading us astray if we acknowledge Him and let Him direct our paths.
(See Proverbs 3:5-6)
ST Ignatius asked that we imagine ourselves on "our own
deathbed, looking back at the decision(s) we are now trying to make. What path
do you wish you had chosen? Another way of doing this is to imagine how
your own obituary will appear someday and what you hope it will say."
in Hearing With the Hear- A Gentle Guide to Discerning God's Will for
Your Life, by Farrington.
We could spend many hours talking about doing the will of God. Each of us
despite our age have a living relationship with God that should be growing
every day as we read the Scriptures, listen to the Word preached on the
Lord's Day services, receive the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
gratefully.
Jesus followed the
will of God all the way to the Cross. And He said in those famous words in
the Garden, "…Not my will, but thine be
done." (Luke 22:42) This is the way of true life and happiness.
"…Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear
the word of God, and keep it." (Luke 11:28)
David D. Mc Millan,
Pastor, & Chaplain (Major) US Army, ret.
AOC
Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to
the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for
future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with
remove in the subject line.
Prayer Needed:
Brannon – hospitalized due to chronic unknow source of muscle spasms – 3 year old
Rency
– 2 year old suffering from RETTS Syndrome
Joseph
Broddie – recurring throat cancer
Jim – Praise the Lord – Changes are occurring
Judy Fauble –
end stage Alzheimers – pray for Judy and family
Jack Williams – had to enter long term care due to vascular dementia – pray for wife
Karen
Audrey Beebe
- who fell and broke her hip. Other health issues also. Please pray for her
recovery.
Colby Landry - cancer. Please pray for his wife, Leah and
their family at this time of trial.
Persecuted Christians - subject to persecution and imprisonment for
their faith.
Bobby Bryan -
suffering with cancer and cardiac issues.
For an increase in the true faith in Jesus Christ here and across
the globe.
David – Hip Bursitis- Spurs
Bobby Bryan –
cancer and cardiac issues
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Kamil Nasir – He went to be with the Lord March 2, 2026, please pray for his
wife Ambreen and son, Kundan Lall
Dennis Potrikus - fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab
Donna – ongoing radiation and Chemotherapy. Pray for successful remission
Roy – Bulging disc – upcoming surgery
Michelle – metastasized lung cancer – treatment ongoing – 50% positive remission
Sue – trying to sell her house in
Texas to get settled in NC. -traveling mercies – back to Texas
Extended Issues need
continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations,
breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing
depression to settle in.
Malcom Allred – Cancer
Treatment
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu-health issues, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia,AOC USA, AOC Missions - Myanmar,
Harper-IBS, Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –
multiple myeloma, Donna-chemotherapy,
Alicia-caregiver, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer, Donna - cancer, Malou –
cancer,
Archie- CHF, Eloise, Janice, Dakota, Katie, Bobby, Marilee, Myra Cox, Faye Miller,
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