AOC News  

 We are pleased to announce that the Anglican Orthodox Communion has been received as a Consultative Member of the International Council of Christian Churches at their Convention in Nairobi last month. Bishop José Rios of the Church of Colombia (AOC) was on hand to accept the award on our behalf.

We are grateful for the past efforts of the late Bishop James Flanagan of Philadelphia in coordinating our application process over the past years.

 HIS MAJESTY'S NATURE:

 Featured Sermon for Today - by the Rev. Bryan Dabney (Mississippi)

Sermon Text for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity:

In our gospel lesson for today, our Lord rebuked those who trusted in

themselves that they were righteous, and despised others (St. Luke 18:9). In his

parable of the Pharisee and the publican, our Lord made plain God’s disdain for

those who lack humility in the presence of God. The particulars of this parable are

these: two men entered the temple to pray. The former was a Pharisee and the

latter was a publican, or tax collector. The Pharisee stood before God and recited a

litany of supposed good things he had done for the LORD; while the latter stood

afar off, having judged himself a sinner, and smote his chest as he sought God’s

pardon. Our Lord then closed the parable with his appraisal of these men and

identified the publican as having left the temple justified because he had humbled

himself before God while the Pharisee had not.

Article XII of our Articles of Religion states in part: “. . .that good works,

which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification, cannot put away our

sins, and endure the severity of God’s judgment. . . “ And Article XIV states:

“Voluntary works besides over and above, God’s commandments ... cannot be

taught without arrogancy ... for by them men do declare, that they do more for

[God’s] sake than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly ‘when

ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.’ “

Our Lord was often chided by the scribes and Pharisees for his teachings

because they conflicted with their understanding of God’s word written. These

gatekeepers of the truth had insulated themselves from the very thing they were

supposed to protect and espouse before men, and they did so via the traditions of

their fathers (see St. Matthew 23:1-39). Proverbs 16:5 states, Every one that is

proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD. Also Proverbs 20:6 says, Most

men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

And again in Proverbs 22:4 we learn that, By humility and fear of the LORD are

riches, and honour, and life. And our Lord said (St. Matthew 18:4), Whosoever

therefore will humble himself ... the same is the greatest in the in the kingdom of

heaven. And where was their humility? Clearly, they had none.

Today, we find that the plague of pharisaism has infected many souls who

claim to follow our Lord. These modernists may come to church thinking that

simple participation is enough. They may even offer up to God their so-to-speak

“accomplishments” never once realizing that all their works are as filthy rags

(Isaiah 64:6).

By contrast, the proper Bible Christian when presented with such thoughts

of self-sufficiency and self-aggrandizement will fall to his or her knees in humble

reverence acknowledging the very God who made such wealth possible. Sadly, the

numbers of those who might be termed “proper Bible Christians” are dwindling

daily.

Many Christians today hold that entertainment is more important than

humbleness in the presence of the Almighty. Truth be told, their worship is more

an elevation of themselves. So it should not be surprising that they are too busy

taking care of themselves to give God what he desires most: their undivided

attention. The Devil’s plan all along has been to utilize man’s senses to lure as

many souls as he can from a wholesome and true worship of the Godhead into a

state of sensuality and carnality. Just as God is not honored in the worship of any

pagan deity, so he is not honored by worship practices that do not give him all

glory, laud and honor he rightly deserves.

Without a doubt, the aforementioned points will have a direct impact on the

modern-day churchgoer’s understanding of the Christian doctrine. How can they

know the truth of the gospel when it is being withheld by ministers whose primary

purpose has been to lure the unsuspecting into their slaughterhouses of falsehood

and deceit? Their capacity for godly discernment has been rendered of no effect

and making them little different from the Pharisee who stood up and extolled

himself before God.

Juxtaposed to the Pharisee in our parable for today was the publican. He

sought and received forgiveness because he humbled himself before the LORD. It

is only when we come before God’s throne of grace pleading with him to take

away our sins that we are made fit to experience his love for us. As with the father

in the parable of the Prodigal Son, so will our heavenly Father graciously receive

and pardon all who come to him if, and only if, they come with a heart seeking his

forgiveness in the name of Christ. For only those who truly seek after God will be

made right with him through private confession and amendment of life. Only those

who offer him the true sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart will be forgiven.

Only those who worship him in spirit and in truth and without pretension or

assumption will have their prayers received and their worship accepted.

And so two men entered the temple to pray. The Pharisee came with pride,

while the publican came in humility and regret for his past actions. The Pharisee

came and extolled himself, while the publican came downtrodden and abased

himself before God. The Pharisee sought to justify himself, while the publican

sought justification. The Pharisee treated God as if he had done him a favor, while

the publican sought God’s favor through his act of self-judgment.

It is my prayer that each of you will seek a closer walk with the Godhead.

That you will ask the LORD to forgive you of your sins and trespasses. That you

will come before his throne of grace seeking his pardon with humble and contrite

hearts. There is no reason to lay before him in pridefulness those things we have

done in his service . So let us draw near desiring his forgiveness, and then seek his

guidance. Only afterward, are we to stand and rejoice for we know that he is just

and faithful to cleanse us in the name of his only begotten Son. May our good and

gracious God be pleased to send his most holy Spirit to comfort, guide and keep

you in Christ Jesus this day and forever more.

Let us pray,

Father, grant to us grace sufficient to bring ourselves: our souls and bodies,

into humble submission to thy will and pleasure; that we might have a more

perfect fellowship with thee in this life as well as for the life to come; for this we

ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week,

Bryan+

 Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) –KJV 

 

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  2 Tim 3:14-17 

 

            Yesterday, we discussed Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) as a pillar of the Great English and Continental Reformation. We will later discuss Sola Christus, Sola Fide (Faith), and Sola Deo Gloria (Glory of God) in succession; however, without Scripture Alone, none of the others are possible. But in a sense, each is both independent values, and also essentially interdependent. Without Christ, the Word (Scripture) is no longer the Word; without faith, Grace is meaningless; Without Grace, it is not possible to know and glorify God; but the Scriptures serve as a foundation stone of Faith, of Grace, of knowledge of Christ, and of the glorious nature of God.  Without that Foundation, we would remain in darkness. It is by the agency of the Word of God whereby the Holy Ghost operates in our inner being to bring to our remembrance all things written of Christ in that Word.

            The reader is reminded that this is not intended to be an in depth study of the extensive meaning of Holy Scripture, but rather a devotional summary to quicken the heart and open spiritual ears to understanding. Let us begin by an examination of how the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion frames the importance of Scripture:

VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.

“Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.”

 

NOTE: Interestingly, this Article adds an important Caveat at the end of Article VI: “All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account them Canonical.” To which Scripture do you believe this makes reference? Beyond doubt, it references the only Scriptural evidence received and used by the Reformers – the Textus Receptus (Received Text) upon which all of the major Reformation Bibles were based. The Geneva Bible and the King James (Authorized Version) are examples of Received Text Bibles. The are based on that manuscript evidence as commonly received by the Reformers. Dr. Theodore Letis, in his extensive studies on the subject, refers to these as the Ecclesiastical Text. 

 

            The Word of God is actually an exact painting of Christ written in textual form. “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4  It should be observed that the Word of God is Eternal having existed from before the Foundation of the World. It might be said that there is far more of the Word of God for us to discover beyond Jordan’s Stormy Banks since all of the mysteries of Creation and Eternity Past comprise the fullness of our Lord’s Personage. As St. Paul saith: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12   The written Word supplies all of our needs for salvation and faith; however, the Personification of that Word in Christ will be fully revealed when we awake with His likeness and behold Him face-to-face! “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalms 17:15

            Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Word written and existing from Eternity Past: “ I am Alpha...” [ the beginning of all things];  “...and Omega, the beginning and the ending,” [Christ is the consummation of all things], “saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Rev 1:8   He changes not being the same yesterday, today, and forever – the Great I AM! His Word is Holy, and the only Holy resource we can access in this world in a physical and intellectual sense. It is not the whole cloth only that is Holy, but every single Word written as received in the ancient manuscripts which God has promised to preserve forever: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt 5:18   Even the tiny punctuation marks shall be preserved!

            “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” Psalms 12:6-7    Please note that the very “words” are pure – not some dynamic equivalence as the corrupt new versions aver. Note also that God has declared His intention to PRESERVE every word forever and ever. You would not get that impression from reading the NIV, NASB, ESV, etc. of that are based on the corrupt manuscript and textual evidence. They omit entire verses and change meaning of significant other verses. 

Unlike the Received Text (based on 95% of all manuscript evidence which, incidentally agrees with each other at every remunerable point); the NuText (or Westcott & Hort) are comprised of only 5% of the manuscript evidence, and, significantly, do not agree even with each other in many points. How could intelligent scholars place a greater reliance on this faulty evidence? I believe it is because they DESIRE a Bible with which they can get along with the world in using. But we are not commanded to “get along with the world” but to obey God and His inerrant Word. In the Received Text, our Lord is identified by name in most passages that refer to Him; however, the new versions omit His Name and supplant it with the ambiguous pronoun, “he.”

            Why do men tamper with God’s Word and the Person that it represents? It is because, in the big scheme of One world Government and Religion, the Lord Jesus Christ keeps getting in the way. He is not INCLUSIVE, but rather EXCLUSIVE. There is only ONE WAY, and that is Christ – not Mohammad; not Allah; not Buddha; and not Moon Sun Myung. It will not be possible to fulfill the world’s ardent dream of a One World Order (Tower of Babel) as long as the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ holds sway in the hearts and minds of large numbers of people. So that Name, and His Lordship, must be extinguished by hook or by crook. All of the major denominations have fallen obediently in line with this deceitful strategy.

            But holding in our possession the inerrant, infallible Word of God is not enough. It must be eaten and digested in whole. It is food for our souls and nourishment for our spirits. It must be read a studied more intently than a love letter exchanged between young lovers. It is the meat of the Christian believer.

“ Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.(Psalm 119:18).   I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. (Psalm 138:2)  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Tim. 3:14-17) 

All of my commentary that surrounds the Scripture texts above are simply filler material; but the very Words of God are your Compass, Chart, and Light of Navigation. They are the Crux, Fountainhead, and Essence upon which we build our faith and lives. Our mortar is made with unwashed hands, but the Stone Blocks of Holy Scripture are built with the very Hands of God.

There is one significant verse that is located in the very heart of God’s Word – the very center verse of the Bible – which reads: “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Psalms 118:8   This counsel is reinforced in the New Testament: “...We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29    It is well to remember that this counsel applies to every situation of life – our homes, our professions, our schools, our politics, and most especially, our church. We do not shed our Christian robes at the door of political office or even the voting booth. We will be wise to remember that it is God’s Holy Word that guides us and not some copyrighted and for-profit-work of the devious minds of men such as the new versions are sorrowful examples. 

“ And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl 12:12-14             

            The watch word is this: Scripture Alone – nothing added, and nothing taken away! “ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Rev 22:18-19  

 THE FAMILY ALTAR 

August 16.

"For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good

thing-; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that

which is good I find not." Rom. 7:18.

When God's Holy Spirit has by means of the Gospel brought

us to believe in Jesus as our personal Savior, we then and there

have received the forgiveness of all our sins. But though our sins

are forgiven, we still often feel tempted in our heart by all kinds

of sin and evil lust against which we must continually fight and

pray. That often fills us with doubt and fear, whether our faith

is the true faith and we shall really be saved. But far from filling

us with fear, this fight in our heart against sin should fill us with

joy and gratitude to God ; for it is the unmistakable evidence that

God's Holy Spirit is at work in us, sanctifying and saving us in

the way ordained by God's infallible Word. No saint ever reached

heaven without having to fight against sin. Even Paul, the greatest

among the apostles of Christ, confesses that warfare in our text.

He knew nothing of it while he was still a self-righteous Pharisee ;

but as soon as he was converted to Christ, the fight in him against

sin began, and it continued all his life, as we gather from his

epistles. So let us take comfort and remember what Luther writes

of all truly converted Christians : "All the saints will have to sing

this little tune in the Lord's Prayer : 'Forgive us our trespasses !'

The others, who know no limit to their holiness, understand noth-

ing at all of this ; and hence saving grace is not preached for them,

because they hold the kingdom of Christ to be of such a nature

that in it there is no sin whatever, everything must be so pure

and clean as if the very doves had selected it; and demand such

a Christian who has no more sin and is holy, yea, like Christ

Himself. No ; far from it ! But he is a Christian who is a sinner

and aware of his sin, which displeases him sorely and grieves him

to the heart that he still feels sin. He is no Christian who neither

has nor feels any sin whatever, and if you find such a one, he is

an un-Christian, an anti-Christian, and no Christian at all." The

more we feel our sin, the more will it drive us to seek our right-

eousness alone in our blessed Savior.

A clean heart create in me,

Which in Thee, O God, believeth,

And at the iniquity

Of my sins sincerely grieveth;

And when hours of woe betide me,

In the wounds of Jesus hide me.