Dew Point – 1 February 2022, Anno Domini

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Y doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD.   (Deut 32:2-3)

 

     This devotion is a continuation of our devotion of two days ago on the Dew Point that is a reflection on the Word of God.

Let us examine some distinct ways in which DEW can be compared to God’s Word:

 

1.     BOTH WORK BEYOND THE SIGHT OF MAN: The dew falls invisibly and so gradually that its coming cannot be discerned by the eye of man. Likewise, the Word of God works invisibly in the heart beyond the notice of other men, or even the owner of the heart in which it is working.

 

2.     CONFIRMATION OF TRUTH: Gideon was given confirmation of God’s Counsel by the dews on, and off, the sheepskin. God gives us silent, but sure, confirmation of His Word by way of the Holy Ghost and His Counsel.

 

3.     PRESENCE OF HOPE: There was not an abundance of rain in Israel and the surrounding region, but morning dew is evidence of a presence of moisture. That moisture is evidenced on the green foliage of the morning and gives hope of blessing to come. If the air contains moisture enough for dew formation, it likely contains moisture enough for the condensation of moisture in the clouds of the upper atmosphere in due course. Job finally gained assurance that he would not perish in an untimely death, but rather in his own bed a natural death: 18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. 19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. (Job 29:18-19)

 

4.     DEW REPRESENTS HEALTH AND LONG LIFE: 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalm 110:3) Just as dew forms in the morning calm, so life is extended in a settled and calm living.

 

5.     RECONCILIATION: Terrible famine and flood may come at the evocation of the wrath of God; but His graceful benediction follows as the dew upon the meadows: 12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. (Prov 19:12)

 

6.     DEW IS LIKE GODLY WISDOM:  19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. (Prov 3:19-20)

 

7.     PRESENCE OF DEW AT MORNING ILLUSTRATES THE PROMISE OF THE RESURRECTION: 19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Isaiah 26:19) Christ arose while the Dew was still on the Roses and so shall all of the elect of Christ! The illustration is extended to all of Israel or all of the Household of God: 4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. 5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. 7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:4-7)

 

8.     DEW ILLUSTRATES DIVINE GUIDANCE: 12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. (Zech 8:12) Dew rarely forms in famine. Its presence is a sign of life-giving water; and Christ is the Water of Life.

 

9.     SALT, LIGHT, AND DEW OF GOD’S REMNANT PEOPLE: Our Lord said His people are the salt of the earth and the Light of the world. Salt makes food taste palatable. But it must be used sparingly. It must also remain in circulation else it will clog up in the shaker. It preserves and heals. It makes thirsty for the Water of Life. Light disinfects and rids the society about us of sin and wickedness. And DEW is that soothing moisture that does not drown but makes alive in its gentle formation just as the Presence of the Comforter (or Holy Ghost) sheds His love abroad in the hearts of God’s people. 7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. (Micah 5:7)

 

Just as the DEW forms silently and imperceptibly, so do the effects of God’s Word build faith and hope in the heart of the awakening sinner. To scream and belabor the sinner with God’s Word is not like dew but like a smothering flood. Gentle words, and a gentle life, will convict sooner than threats and harangues. Then, first comes, the dew of planting; and, secondly then, follows the nourishing and soaking rains of God’s grace upon a dry and thirsty ground.

Dew Point – 31 January 2022, Anno Domini

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Y doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD.   (Deut 32:2-3)

 

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ND in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. (Ex 16:13-15)

 

Dew Point definition: the atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form.

 

What causes dew to form in nature? Warm air is capable of holding more moisture than colder air. Overnight, the ambient temperature of the air drops. When it reaches a certain temperature, commensurate with its moisture content, the moisture will begin to fall out of the air to form rain or dew. Scientists refer to that point as the Dew-Point. But in the case of dew, there are no droplets of water that fall from the air, rather the moisture distills on the flora of the earth. This generally happens in early morning when the air is at its coolest point, and the flora as well has cooled. The dew silently forms on the leaves of green plants or petals of roses and other flowers. No one can see it forming, it just gradually appears as a vapor forms above a morning pond.

 

Because of her love of gardening, my mother’s favorite hymn was, I Come to the Garden Alone. Truly, in most cases, the dew was still on the roses at that early hour of her rising. Dew is water taken from the air; and our Friend, Jesus Christ – the Fountain of Life - is present when all is still and our hearts serene.

 

Dew does not fall with the clash of thunder and lightning. In fact, dew does not fall at all – it rather forms silently and imperceptibly upon the foliage and flowers of the garden of the soul. God often covers His blessings and presence with the mystery of the natural dews, or of clouds, or of Temple Veils just as He did the Manna.

 

I have previously written devotions of the forming of the Dew, so I will try to cover ground less traveled in those previous devotions concerning Dew and the mystery of its forming. I refer to the formation of dew as a mystery, though we understand its scientific operations because it forms without our notice.  It distills silently, invisibly and imperceptibly. The beauty of this mystery is best described in that great old classic hymn, O Worship the King:

 

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;

It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

 

One of the heavenly qualities of dew is its time of forming – most often at the morning hour. It heralds a new beginning. My father used to say that each believer is given a clean, white sheet of paper each morning. Throughout the day, we make smudges and disfigurations on that paper; but, next morning, the paper is made clean by God and we proceed anew. That describes to me the beauty of the morning sunrise and the accompanying dews. 

 

God’s Word tells us: “5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.” (Gen 2:5-6).  I believe this to be the only conclusion that can be drawn from this passage. That mist was the heavy primordial dews of Eden.

 

Dew is an amazing and wonderful gift of God to life. In a subsequent devotion, we will discuss how the silent coming of the DEW can be compared to the Word of God.

AOC Sunday Report - Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

 

Happy Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany!  The AOC Sunday Report can be found RIGHT HERE.

There are great sermons today from Bishops Jerry and Royals, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  They are different, but you will enjoy each.  Rev Jack's can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE.

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer.  The AOC lost a member today when Pastor William Siraj was murdered and  Reverend Patrick Naeem badly injured in a machinegun attack in Pakistan 30 January 2022, a constant reminder of the forces in this world arrayed against Christ.  Please pray for them and their families.  Pray also for Tricia, Shamim, Jim, Laurie and Lori, work out from there.

There is a super week ahead, you need God's help to see it.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost and gain VISION.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Rev Jack's sermon can be found on video RIGHT HERE!

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion, Descanso, California

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

 

 Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations …

 

In the Collect, we acknowledge that God knows the dangers, toils and snares with which we must contend, which so often keep us from the upright acknowledgement and defense of that which is true and correct.   With these infirmities, our only hope is that certain hope of His help to support us, not to get out of the problems, but to make our way through them to His Glory. The Collect acknowledges that our sinful nature makes it so we cannot always stand upright, but with God’s help, he can help right us and face those dangers, trials and temptations we will face for the rest of our natural lives here on Earth. We just have to let Him into our hearts, and guide us. And by guiding us, we have to act upon what He tells us. He will not force us to act, we have to act upon His Word with our free will.

 

Paul points out in his epistle that as we are all here on Earth, earthly rulers are subject to God and His Rules and they ultimately need to defer to Him for their authority, not look to themselves for that authority. Their authority derives from God not from man.  He points out that whosoever rejects the powers or the knowledge that the powers they are given come from God are rejecting/resisting God himself. In this day in age that is become more and more common in the leadership of countries nationwide. We can even see it in the Governors of California and New York who are actively trying to get legislation passed that is in effect rejecting God and His Principles. Paul says that the rulers that abuse their power will receive condemnation.  They are not called to bow and serve the wicked doers of this world but of God and they will in the end face consequences for not doing so.

 

Of course, to paraphrase Solomon, this is nothing new. Man has always sought to supplant God as the ultimate authority on earth. We see that with the Tower of Babel among other cautionary tales. It is a tale that is as old as time. Man is naturally incline to turn away from God and not towards Him and this is the reason why power corrupts so many. This is the whole basis behind both communism and National Socialism.  There are slight differences between both mainly the means of production, but the end result is very similar in both.  They both seek to supplant God and His Authority here on earth, and make the State a non-God based church on earth, where instead of worshiping God, they worship man, basically worshipping Satan instead.

 

Paul says if we are doing good then we need not be afraid of the power from God that is on loan to the rulers who are ministers of God in a way. The only people who need be afraid of them are evildoers, who the ruler is appointed to use the sword to bring before God for justice. However, if the rulers that be are not punishing evil doers put people who are good doers, then we know they are not worthy of the power that God has bestowed upon them. Again, this is becoming more and more apparent across the globe. We are not in the business of condemning people’s souls to one eternal destination or the other, that is God’s job. But, Paul points out that we can arrange for the meeting to happen, when people violate God’s most sovereign laws.

 

Paul goes on to say that through the authority invested by them in God, people need to pay the rulers tribute, to which it is due, the customs to custom, fear to fear, honor to honor. It goes very much hand in hand with what Jesus said on the subject “Render unto Caesar’s which is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.” There is respect which ought to be paid to the rightful people who are the representatives of God ruling the people. That respect ends however, when those representatives reject God’s authority and are no longer worthy of the respect.

 

This also goes back to the honor thy father and thy mother concept. As long as they are doing their best to raise you up in a Christian way and showing by example to follow Christ to get to heaven, then they are worthy of that honor. But if they are doing the opposite, then they are not worthy of the honor.  It is still worth behaving in a Christian manner to both unfaithful rulers and parents, but realize they become unworthy of that honor when they reject God and His Authority.

 

Christianity is not a solitary religion, one all about the individual, though it certainly depends on individuals as part of the Team lead by Christ to carry it out.  God has given each of us varying talents and varying capabilities.  We must each of us do that for the Church that which we do better than others and respect those who we work with.  No power comes from God, rather special responsibilities, leaders who lead with His Will in mind must be accorded the respect they are due by virtue of their position.  They must also lead with His Will in mind, for a leader following the ways of this world and the Prince of Darkness is not worthy of respect or followership.  We must put faith in those to whom faith is due.

 

Faith and action, is what Christianity is all about. Christ’s actions upon the cross the solid base that our faith is based upon.  His death and resurrection is the key principle behind Christianity. Actions are a crucial element of our faith. Christ’s faith accounts us as perfect before God because of His Actions.  The centurion of this week’s Gospel is a symbol of faith and what appears to be inaction is his action.  He is also the person for whom our parish draws its name.  The centurion was the basic leader symbol of the Roman Empire.  A group of eight to ten soldiers was led by a Contubern.  Ten Contubernium formed a Centuria, which was led by a Centurion.  Six to ten of these formed a Cohort, also led by a Centurion.  He was an important man, able to reward or punish at will.  He knew power and how to wield it.

 

When the Centurion came to Jesus, he knew who He was and His Power.  When the Centurion told Jesus of his servant’s illness, the Centurion knew all Jesus had to do was will the wellness and it was done.

 

There was no question in his mind, the Centurion knew Jesus. His action was the seeming inaction of acknowledging his unworthiness and telling Jesus, “I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

 

We are all unworthy.  The best of us is not worthy that He should come under our roof; yet we know if He will speak The Word only, our souls shall be healed and all will be accounted well before God.  That is all He asks, “Let Me speak The Word only.”

 

There is but one way to heaven.

 

That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.

 

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

They Murmured - 30 January 2022, Anno Domini

 

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HE Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father (see  John 6:41-59)

 

      Have we not known the old military maxim, Familiarity breeds contempt?  Such contempt for our neighbors who receive high honors is not only expressed by acquaintances and friends, but even find expression from among those of one’s very family. We find that even the brothers of Jesus resented His renown: Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him.  (John 7:2-5)  

 

     There are four brothers listed in Matthew 13:55 (James, Joses, Simon, and Judas). This alone makes the argument of the Romans regarding the Immaculate Conception quite fallacious. And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?  (Matthew 13:56). Even the Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims translation contains these verses! One salient point jumps out at us in this text at the very beginning: We must see Jesus Christ, not simply in bodily form as all doubters of that day saw Him, but with spiritual eyes to view Him as Lord and Savior. Our spiritual eyes should be just as adapt at seeing His Person as those of the ancients.  Those Jews of His day doubted when He told them that He came down from Heaven.  His miracles gave evidence of His divinity (and they wanted to see His miracles) but did not desire to believe that He came from Heaven. To know Him for the Lord that He truly is will result in a metamorphic change from death to life. Just as the unsightly cocoon transforms into a beautiful butterfly, so will the life of man change from a hopeless despair to light and hope in Christ.

 

     The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?  When men lack spines to speak, they murmur against a greater presence.  They made an eternal error in making a false presumption – that Christ was the son of Joseph.  The same great error is even being engineered into modern translations to create doubt as to the Divinity of Christ. See how the Received Text states the case of Joseph: And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. (Luke 2:33 [KJV]); now contrast this verse to the deceit of the same in the NIV: The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.  Did you note that the KJV did not refer to Christ as the son of Joseph, but the NIV did make that erroneous designation?  Little eyes, be careful what you read……..Jesus is not the son of Joseph but the Son of God.

 

     Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. Are you one to murmur? Or do you let speak in simple truth: But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matt 5:37) I have heard men murmur to themselves even against God. To whom do such men address their murmurings? No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: I will remind you here that you did not choose Christ, but Christ chose YOU in the first place!  (John 15:16) The sinner, of his own volition, cannot come to Christ and be saved. This does not mean that men and women who strongly desire to come to Christ for salvation are barred from coming, but it does mean that the very desire to come to Christ is born of the conviction of the Holy Ghost working to draw that person to Christ. When we are drawn to, and accepted by, Christ, then we shall have life in the Eternity hereafter: …..and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

     Are you a murmerer, or a believer who acts?

Sermon Notes - The One who touches us - Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany - 30 January 2022, Anno Domini (in the Year of Our Lord)

The Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany.

The Collect.

 

O

 GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Gospel

(Matthew 8:1-13)

 

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HEN he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

 

Two separate kinds of physical afflictions are addressed here (leprosy and the palsy), and two different expressions of faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ has just delivered the most comprehensive and beautifully meaningful sermon in all of recorded time. He has spoken from the mountain top the pure Words of righteousness, but now He descends to the level at which most of His people live and labor, rejoice and suffer, are pained and comforted. Like every word of Scripture, these verses, too, show us yet another marvelous aspect of the nature of Christ and His magnanimity. 

 

“When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.” Christ most often resorted to the mountain to both pray and teach. Prayer is always addressed to Heaven. Teaching of the Gospel is also performed from a higher perspective than the common speech. But after our prayers and preaching, we must always descend to the common problems of life and learn to await God’s answer to our prayers and apply the preaching of the Gospel to the practical and routine circumstances of everyday life. The air on the mountaintop may be clear and pristine, but when we go down to the valleys, we encounter the unpleasant odors of human failure and hurt.

 

“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Please note the manner in which the leper approaches Christ. The leper CAME to where Christ was. We cannot bring Christ DOWN to our place of sin and debauchery – we must rise up and go to Him for our salvation and needs.  Secondly, we cannot approach Christ with impudence and irreverence – we must first worship Him in our prayers before stating our petitions. The leper came and WORSHIPPED Jesus! This is represented by the ‘Hallowed be thy Name’ phrase in the Lord’s Prayer. 

 

“Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” The leper does not overtly ask anything of Christ but presumes upon His know compassion and grace. It was widely known of Christ that He willed all who came to Him to be made whole. The leper simply states the obvious fact and, in his statement, the leper anticipates the answer. 

 

“Lord, if thou wilt…not truly IF, for Christ DID always will that lepers be made clean thereby unraveling the dirty works of Satan to harm and to hurt. “…….thou canst make me clean!” This is a simple statement of fact. There was no doubt in the mind of the leper that, if Christ willed, He could make the leper clean; but there was also no doubt in the leper’s mind that Jesus did, indeed, will that he be made clean. This is the essence of faith and hope.

 

Before proceeding further, let’s go back and review the nature of leprosy in its similitude to sin:

 

1.     Sin, like leprosy, renders its victim helpless of improving his condition. It will inevitably lead to final death.

 

2.     Sin, like leprosy, separates one from the pure and clean. The sinner is unfit for heaven and the society of pure and holy company. 

 

3.     Sin, like leprosy, is infectious by intimate contact. The people with whom we associate have critical impact on our hope of righteousness. 

 

4.     Sin is constitutional. The outward expressions and manifestations are but the effects of a disease which permeates the whole system. 

 

5.     The tendency to sin, like the tendency to leprosy, is hereditary. Our Federal head, the Common father in Adam, contracted this disease through disobedience in the Garden. His propensity to sin has become a part of our human condition through inheritance. 

 

6.     Sin, like leprosy, is deceitful in its working. It may not be visibly represented in the beautiful child of leprous parents, but as time advances, the beautiful child will slowly begin to incur the signs and debilities of the disease. 

 

7.     Sin, like leprosy, knows not geographic barriers. 

 

8.     Leprosy, at the time of Christ, was incurable by man. So is sin today. 

 

9.     Sin, like leprosy, does not bring immediate pain and death. 

 

The moment Adam tasted the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he immediately BEGAN to die. In fact, his fate was sealed at that point. (Suggestive Illustrations of the Gospel, Peloubet, 1894)

 

The leper is characterized by deformity and a sickening odor. His features are possessed of open sores and rotting flesh. Most of us would be repelled at the very sight of a leper. This will make the following action of Christ even more amazing and noteworthy:

 

“And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him.” This seems a simple act at first reading, but, Reader, please remember that no healthy human being has touched this poor, wretched leper in a great deal of time since he first contracted leprosy. Many of them suffer as much from a despondency of love as from the adverse physical effects of the disease. How pitiful they are and lonely! But Jesus was the first and only man present who would deign to TOUCH this leper. Any touch at all for the leper would seem a compassionate caress.      

 

 Jesus touched him! He will touch us as well if we go forth to Him. And then, “I will; be thou clean.” Immediately the powers of heaven began to pulse through the lepers veins vanquishing every sign and vestige of leprosy. How long did the healing take? Does the word ‘immediately’ suggest an answer? “And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” The healing occurred, not in graduated steps or interludes of minutes, but, rather, IMMEDIATELY!

 

“And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” Though we may be healed in the sight of God and forgiven our sins, there yet remains a responsibility on our part to make our healing known to those with whom we associate along life’s road. So we also comply with all provisions of law in making that healing known. In counseling the leper to “tell no man” Jesus demonstrates the impossibility of maintaining such a marvelous grace private. Imagine the reaction of family and friends when they see their loved one has been restored. Have you been silent about the forgiveness and healing you have been granted by Christ at your salvation?

 

“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” Now comes to Jesus a Gentile in the profession of arms, and one of some authority, being a Centurion. Being a Captain of War, this man was accustomed to respect and a proud countenance. But the heart of this Centurion betrays a loving and loyal heart beneath a perhaps warlike appearance. This Centurion is willing to subdue his pride and forego his standing to come begging before Christ – not for himself even – but for his servant. This suggests a noble and compassionate soul whose character seems at contrast to his profession and calling. Jesus did not distinguish between races and social standings among men.

 

“And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” There were many demands put on Jesus’ time, but He always found time to respond to a need. Without hesitation, Christ immediately responded that he would go to where the servant was and heal him. 

 

“The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth.” This is one of the greatest statements of faith in all of the Holy Bible! The Centurion realizes that the authority and power of Christ is knows no geographic limitations. He does not limit the power of Christ to heal by the physical presence of the Lord. If Christ will only speak the word, the Centurion knows that will suffice. 

 

“When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” It is a smear on the reputation of the church that many greater acts of faith occur outside its walls than INSIDE those stone walls. The Centurion, who lacked the advantage of any prior knowledge of the law and prophets, demonstrated greater faith than those who did have that advantage.

 

“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” Christ here bears out an important truth. The accident of birth is not a bar to enjoyment of the blessings of Israel. Men and women shall come from the four corners of the earth and shall enjoy the privileges of a Godly heritage. This was spoken to the comfort of the Centurion as well as for our own.

 

“And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” It was no small miracle to heal a man who may have been miles away by a simple utterance – but Christ did so. The servant, miles away, was instantly healed. This exemplifies the principle that we ought to pray for those we love.  The Centurion was not afraid to ask Christ for so great a favor. The story reminds me of a king of  Lyda who surrender to the great King Cyrus, when besieged, to save his city from certain  destruction. When King Cyrus asked the deposed king what favor he would like in return for his surrender, the king responded, “Ten thousand talents of silver!” A courtier of King Cyrus rebuked the deposed king for being so presumptuous in asking such a large gift, but King Cyrus scolded his courtier and said, “If I am as great a King as this fellow’s request suggests, then he has had the boldness to express his high regard for my greatness by asking a gift commiserate to it!” 

 

Is anything too great for God?

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon

 

The Propers for today are found on Page 114-115, with the Collect first:

 

The Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany.

The Collect.

 

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 GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Epistle for today came from the Thirteenth Chapter of Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans beginning at the First Verse: 

 

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ET every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

 

The Holy Gospel for today came from the Eighth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew beginning at the First Verse. 

 

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HEN he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion, Descanso, California

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

 

 Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations …

 

In the Collect, we acknowledge that God knows the dangers, toils and snares with which we must contend, which so often keep us from the upright acknowledgement and defense of that which is true and correct.   With these infirmities, our only hope is that certain hope of His help to support us, not to get out of the problems, but to make our way through them to His Glory. The Collect acknowledges that our sinful nature makes it so we cannot always stand upright, but with God’s help, he can help right us and face those dangers, trials and temptations we will face for the rest of our natural lives here on Earth. We just have to let Him into our hearts, and guide us. And by guiding us, we have to act upon what He tells us. He will not force us to act, we have to act upon His Word with our free will.

 

Paul points out in his epistle that as we are all here on Earth, earthly rulers are subject to God and His Rules and they ultimately need to defer to Him for their authority, not look to themselves for that authority. Their authority derives from God not from man.  He points out that whosoever rejects the powers or the knowledge that the powers they are given come from God are rejecting/resisting God himself. In this day in age that is become more and more common in the leadership of countries nationwide. We can even see it in the Governors of California and New York who are actively trying to get legislation passed that is in effect rejecting God and His Principles. Paul says that the rulers that abuse their power will receive condemnation.  They are not called to bow and serve the wicked doers of this world but of God and they will in the end face consequences for not doing so.

 

Of course, to paraphrase Solomon, this is nothing new. Man has always sought to supplant God as the ultimate authority on earth. We see that with the Tower of Babel among other cautionary tales. It is a tale that is as old as time. Man is naturally incline to turn away from God and not towards Him and this is the reason why power corrupts so many. This is the whole basis behind both communism and National Socialism.  There are slight differences between both mainly the means of production, but the end result is very similar in both.  They both seek to supplant God and His Authority here on earth, and make the State a non-God based church on earth, where instead of worshiping God, they worship man, basically worshipping Satan instead.

 

Paul says if we are doing good then we need not be afraid of the power from God that is on loan to the rulers who are ministers of God in a way. The only people who need be afraid of them are evildoers, who the ruler is appointed to use the sword to bring before God for justice. However, if the rulers that be are not punishing evil doers put people who are good doers, then we know they are not worthy of the power that God has bestowed upon them. Again, this is becoming more and more apparent across the globe. We are not in the business of condemning people’s souls to one eternal destination or the other, that is God’s job. But, Paul points out that we can arrange for the meeting to happen, when people violate God’s most sovereign laws.

 

Paul goes on to say that through the authority invested by them in God, people need to pay the rulers tribute, to which it is due, the customs to custom, fear to fear, honor to honor. It goes very much hand in hand with what Jesus said on the subject “Render unto Caesar’s which is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.” There is respect which ought to be paid to the rightful people who are the representatives of God ruling the people. That respect ends however, when those representatives reject God’s authority and are no longer worthy of the respect.

 

This also goes back to the honor thy father and thy mother concept. As long as they are doing their best to raise you up in a Christian way and showing by example to follow Christ to get to heaven, then they are worthy of that honor. But if they are doing the opposite, then they are not worthy of the honor.  It is still worth behaving in a Christian manner to both unfaithful rulers and parents, but realize they become unworthy of that honor when they reject God and His Authority.

 

Christianity is not a solitary religion, one all about the individual, though it certainly depends on individuals as part of the Team lead by Christ to carry it out.  God has given each of us varying talents and varying capabilities.  We must each of us do that for the Church that which we do better than others and respect those who we work with.  No power comes from God, rather special responsibilities, leaders who lead with His Will in mind must be accorded the respect they are due by virtue of their position.  They must also lead with His Will in mind, for a leader following the ways of this world and the Prince of Darkness is not worthy of respect or followership.  We must put faith in those to whom faith is due.

 

Faith and action, is what Christianity is all about. Christ’s actions upon the cross the solid base that our faith is based upon.  His death and resurrection is the key principle behind Christianity. Actions are a crucial element of our faith. Christ’s faith accounts us as perfect before God because of His Actions.  The centurion of this week’s Gospel is a symbol of faith and what appears to be inaction is his action.  He is also the person for whom our parish draws its name.  The centurion was the basic leader symbol of the Roman Empire.  A group of eight to ten soldiers was led by a Contubern.  Ten Contubernium formed a Centuria, which was led by a Centurion.  Six to ten of these formed a Cohort, also led by a Centurion.  He was an important man, able to reward or punish at will.  He knew power and how to wield it.

 

When the Centurion came to Jesus, he knew who He was and His Power.  When the Centurion told Jesus of his servant’s illness, the Centurion knew all Jesus had to do was will the wellness and it was done.

 

There was no question in his mind, the Centurion knew Jesus. His action was the seeming inaction of acknowledging his unworthiness and telling Jesus, “I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

 

We are all unworthy.  The best of us is not worthy that He should come under our roof; yet we know if He will speak The Word only, our souls shall be healed and all will be accounted well before God.  That is all He asks, “Let Me speak The Word only.”

 

There is but one way to heaven.

 

That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.

 

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