Worldwide Communion
Second Sunday in Lent
March 1, 2026 – Sunday Report
Second 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 127-128.
The Collect for Second Sunday in Lent.
ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help
ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls;
that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and
from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; 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 Second Sunday in Lent. I Thessalonians iv. 1.
WE beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have fore-warned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
The Gospel for the Second Sunday in Lent. St. Matthew xv. 21.
JESUS went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But she answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour
On Point
Napoleon’s Faith. (Pearls from Many Seas, 1899)
‘‘I know men, and I tell you that Jesus is not a man. The religion of Christ is a mystery which subsists by its own force, and proceeds from a mind which is not a human mind. We find in it a marked individuality, which originated a train of words and actions unknown before. Jesus is not a philosopher, for His proofs are miracles, and from the first His disciples adored Him. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires; but on what foundation did we rest the creatures of our genius? Upon force. But Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth to become food for worms. Such isthe fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is proclaimed, loved, adored, and is still existing over the whole earth!” Then, turning to Gen. Bertrand, the emperor added: ‘‘If you do not perceive that Jesus Christ is God, I did wrong in appointing you a general.”
NOTE: I pray that his faith, at the last, was unto salvation. (J. Ogles)
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:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg
Wednesday Meditation: The Spiritual Caste in the Church
Bishop’s Blog link: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/02/youtube-video-player_25.html
You tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni-xiSZOExM
Sermon Summary for 2nd Sunday in Lent
“And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away.”(Matthew 15:23)
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen.”
THE PRAYER OF COLLECT
ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All three of our textual references today - the collect, Epistle, and Gospel - relate to the sins of the flesh. Of course, the treasures of the heart should be of finer metal than the allurements to which the flesh is subject and often victim.
The Collect admits to the complete weakness of the flesh to order its ways, and even thoughts; so, we pray for Divine providence for our bodies, and the defense of Divine grace for our mortal souls. It is wicked conduct that destroys the body and wicked thoughts the soul. Our only help to remedy the righteous incompetence of these two is the Lord Himself. When He makes His dwelling place in the heart, such thoughts have no space to occupy. But we must insure that the portals thereof are always open to our Lord and His Holy Spirit.
Paul, in his epistle, expresses the importance of this moral subject of flesh over spirit. In his opening line, he points out the necessity to pray in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some may believe that they can go above the head of the Lord Jesus Christ and go directly to the Father in prayer; however, no man comes to God the Father except through Christ the Son. I have found it necessary to resign my position as Chaplain of two prominent military organizations because they asked me not to pray in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is no casual manner and must be made plain and clear to our youth as well as fellow adults.
Paul reminds us that we must never be lax in the pursuit of holiness. Holiness, like manna, must be sought every rising of the sun. The weeds of sin grow naturally, but fruits of the Spirit must be cultivated, watered and nurtured. The same is true of a holy living.
Another important feature revealed in the epistle is the nature of sensual sins. Sensual sins are sins against ourselves, but not limited in their deleterious effect to us alone, but to all who love and care for us. In counseling a young girl Bible student, I counseled her to keep her body clean and pure. She answered, “but isn’t that a matter between me and God alone?” I explained that no sin is ever simply between the sinner and God alone, but all who know us, or are influenced by our example. Surely, it is a paramount matter between us and God, but do not forget that our sins hurt our friends, families, and acquaintances.
The Gospel of St Matthew 15 reinforces the harmful aspects of carnal sins. In the preceding verses of our text for today, our Lord is teaching concerning the nature of fleshly sins as reflected in the issuance from the heart. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” (Matthew 15:19-20) The sins of the flesh originate in the heart.
Now Jesus has traveled to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. As He walked among the people, a Canaanite woman calls out to Him: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.” (Matthew 15:22) This woman was a gentile and Christ had come for the lost sheep of the House of Israel - to the Jew first, and then the gentile. But the deciding issue in any relationship to the Father is that of faith. It is not a racial issue, but those who have believed in the Promised Seed of Abraham are the children indeed. It is likely that this woman had no concept of that fact, yet her faith and perseverance in prayer made up the gap.
Please note, as almost always was the case - the disciples tried to silence this desperate woman. But the desperate sinner, seeking resolution, cannot be silenced. She persisted in her petition even when Christ informed her of His mission to the lost of the House of Israel. It did not phase her in her seeking mercy for her daughter.
Jesus makes a rather awkward response to her appeal: “It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.” (Matthew 15:26) The sting of this ‘presumed’ rebuke is softened when we consider the tenderness of its meaning. The term used for dog was ‘puppy.’ The puppy is a family pet that begs food from the table. Even the crumbs from the table of the Lord is sufficient for every hungering soul.
Because of her enormous faith, this woman was not discouraged from pressing her appeal. Her daughter, according to Mark 7:25, was possessed of an ‘unclean spirit.’ Her devil was one of the flesh. The woman made her case boldly, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.” The woman was aware of who Jesus was, but she boldly and respectfully pressed her point. Her faith proved to be of such greatness as to be commended by the Lord. It must have been and embarrassing revelation to the disciples who had sought to silence her at the first.
I have often wondered if I, too, have been guilty of discouraging some poor soul from coming to Christ. I have the advantage of knowing Him as my Lord and Savior, but the poor sinner by the wayside makes his appeal from far less absolute understanding as the Bible believer possesses. Why not encourage them to come to Christ for their answers and not silence them from the inquiry. Too often, those closest to Christ are an impediment to others who seek His face.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
†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
Holy Communion
The Epistle:1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; The Gospel:Matthew 15:21-28
ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 acknow-ledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymns # 311, 368, 562
Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
“Have mercy on me, O Lord...”
Why was this Canaanite woman so persistent? What would motivate her to be so forward, especially a woman, a Gentile woman, speaking to a Jewish man?
The mores and customs of the time included a very strict protocol pertaining to any communications between men and women. And to take it a step further, two people of two diametrically opposed cultures; that was definitely forbidden by local custom. What she was doing was unheard of, and yet she persevered with her petition to the Lord. A mother, seeking the best for her child, went to extreme lengths to get something done for her daughter.
It is obvious that Jesus reputation for healing the sick, casting out demons, healing the blind, and crippled had preceded him in this area that was mostly pagan territory. This mother was not going to be sent away, without getting some type of results or answer.
When Jesus initially ignores her and her request. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word.
But his disciples want him to send her away. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. Obviously Jesus silence was not working, she continued to cry and seek relief for her daughter. Jesus tells her that he is there for the lost sheep of Israel. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
So what does she do? She does what many in Israel did not do... Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. Wow, such a different approach from those who had followed Jesus and still did not believe on him. Here is a Gentile woman, knowing that Jesus must be divine, worshiped him. And yet as the Lord explains to her what he is doing; But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. She persists. And she said. Truth Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
And we then see what the Lord does for her persistent faith and worship: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Now to repeat the questions that were asked at the beginning of this study. “Why was this Canaanite woman so persistent?”
1. Do we have that kind of faith? Are we willing to continue in prayer and worship to the Lord, when we don’t seem to get an answer? The Canaanite woman’s persistence was motivated by a mother knowing what was needed for her daughter’s health. She understood that this man she called Lord, could heal her daughter as she perceived his divine power. Jesus answers her...o woman, great is thy faith... Is our faith as great as hers?
“What would motivate her to be so forward, especially a woman, a Gentile woman, speaking to a Jewish man?”
2. What does it take for us to have the faith that this woman had? She knew that Jesus was just, even when he told her he wasn’t there to help those outside the covenant. And yet she continues by saying even the dogs under the master’s table got something to eat. There are so many aspects of this brief encounter that cover the range of God’s love for his creation. Those created in his image. Jesus foreshadows the universal salvation that will be to all, no matter what tribe they belong to, or what original covenant was bound, God’s love will be revealed to all in that fateful week in Jerusalem not too many weeks later. (See John 3:16)
The lesson of the Gospel passage points to the mercy of the Lord and the faith of a simple mother seeking the best for her child. The affliction the demon was doing to the young girl is not spelled out, suffice it to say, the demon possession was enough to cause a mother to find a cure. A mother willing to cross cultural boundaries, to seek what seemed to be impossible, to both petition and offer praise to a foreign deity, and yet after all was recorded, she was successful in her faithful quest.
As we come closer to the great day of Resurrection, the Easter Day, the day of victory over death and hopelessness, let us ever be mindful of what Jesus did on the Cross, in the tomb, and on that first day of the week. Let us reread the second collect for this day:
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 acknow-ledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray:
O Most loving Father, who wilest us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of thee, and to cast all our care on thee, who carest for us: Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hid from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which thou hast manifested unto us in thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast created man in thine own image; Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil, and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice among men and nations, to the glory of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
+ Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
Sermon - Bishop Jack Arnold
Anglican Orthodox Church of the United States
Diocese of the West - Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California
Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message of action as we enter into the time of Lent, a season of preparation. Let us start by reading today’s Collect:
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The Second Sunday in Lent
The
Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who seest
that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in
our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all
adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may
assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul …
In the Collect, we acknowledge to God that we cannot direct our own lives; if we listen to our own selves we are without guidance. Consider the airplane flying, it orders its movements according to Polaris, the Pole Star of True North. If a pilot flies guided by his “inner self” he soon knows only where he is: at the controls, and little else. Like the pilot who needs to know where the True North is so he can orient himself, we need God’s guidance to move towards our goal of eternal life with Him. While flying my aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions or IMC, I have to rely on the aircraft instruments as our bodily senses lie to us about our aircrafts true altitude. We are much like a pilot in IMC or that we have no idea of what is out there spiritually unless we look at our instruments that God has given us, that of Holy Scripture. The first step we must take to get onto the road towards that narrow uphill trail is that we must make a conscious choice to allow the Holy Ghost into our hearts and allow Him to direct and guide us in our actions and to avoid things that are hurtful to our progress on the narrow and uphill trail towards heaven.
Paul tells us of similar themes when he tells us to keep our bodies under control of our minds and our minds to be guided by God only, He helps move us on course. He tells us to avoid the things that can sabotage our journey towards God and can physically hurt both our souls and body. These things he lists out are things that would derail us from walking that straight and narrow up hill path, if we engaged in those activities. We must seek to not do them and to instead remain on the course line that the Holy Spirit has outlined for us. This ties in very well with the collect’s request for God to keep us outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls. It links the theme of both spiritual and physical moderation extremely well. If we stay away from the things that would derail us, we will find our journey on the narrow uphill trail to be much easier than if we didn’t stay away from those things. The Holy Ghost will help us avoid those negative activities and moderate our spiritual and physical lives if we will allow Him in and listen to His Guidance.
Being honest with others and especially ourselves is one of the most important things we can do. If we are not honest with ourselves to start, how can we be honest with others? The worst person to lie to is yourself after all. If we are to be living our faith, we need to show it in our actions and not just in our words. Whenever we act we need to consider if that action would show that we are indeed believers, or like many, those who vainly profess to believe with their lips but their actions show otherwise. We must strive to act and show that we do indeed have faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost.
Keeping evil thoughts under control can be a difficult task, but we do not have to face it alone, we have the Holy Ghost in our lives and other Christians and friends that support us and guide us, that can help us battle evil thoughts. This is not a battle that we should be fighting alone, but with support from the Holy Ghost and our Christians and other friends. This proves that Christianity is not a solitary religion but a social one. We need the help of our fellow believers if we are to succeed at the race of Life. Of course we need to be willing to talk to our good friends within the Church about our problems and evil thoughts and listen to their advice, and more importantly to the Holy Ghost’s advice to combat these evil thoughts and drive away the temptations of the devil. Christianity did not flourish because its followers were hermits, it flourished because its followers evangelized the religion throughout the known world. It is an active religion and it requires its followers to actively participate in it by spreading the Good news. It would never have spread as far as it did if it was a hermetic religion. Keeping our thoughts under control can be almost impossible at times but with the help of the Holy Spirit it is not impossible at all.
Matthew gives us a fine example of faith that demonstrates how we must be guided by faith in our Lord. The woman who cries unto Jesus is a Gentile, just like us. Just like us she longs for His Mercy. In her case, she asks only for the mercy rejected by others, the crumbs of the Master’s Table[1]. This is the essence of our faith, we are not worthy to dine at His Table, no more than dogs are meet to dine at our table. Yet, what is left over is more than enough for us. And we are content with that, knowing what miserable creatures we are. And, even more important, even knowing what miserable creatures we are, Jesus offers to share His Table with us. This woman had just as much faith in Jesus as the Faithful Centurion. She had faith that He would share His Mercy with her and heal her Daughter. She was rewarded for her faith by Him healing her daughter. God provides us these examples to show us just how important faith truly is in our spiritual and physical lives.
He is not content for us to grovel for His crumbs. If He offers His love for us, should we not love Him back, by acting upon our faith? If you truly believe, you are compelled to act upon the faith you have. Action is the key cornerstone of the Christian faith. Jesus after all laid down His life for ours on the cross that we might have eternal life, the ultimate example of action. If He did that for us, it would be behoove us to act upon our Faith and follow His Example of helping others and leading them to God.
It is also important to understand if one loves God, He still has the exact same amount of love available for any other person or group. His love is infinite, even if it wasn’t, love multiplies in use! We do not have to worry about God running out of love at all. There is more than enough to go around!
We must recognize how poorly we do with our own guidance, accept His Guidance, stay on course and accept the fruits of that action. We need to understand that you will make mistakes multiple times in your life, but what counts is that you turn back to God and do your best not to make that same mistake again.
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
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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 Second Sunday in Lent:
In our epistle lesson (I Thessalonians 4:1-8), the apostle Paul counseled believers with these words: ... we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God... For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. …And such is in conformity with our Lord’s warning that, not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (St. Matthew 7:21). If one lives to satisfy his fleshly desires, then such a one is not right with God and cannot receive the inheritance he would give to any person who would be obedient to his word and commandment.
Hear also the words of St. Paul from I Corinthians 6:9-10 wherein he warned, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom o f God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. What clearer picture do you need to understand what God wants? Our heavenly Father has an inheritance prepared for every faithful Christian that is beyond our comprehension in beauty and joy. Consider an earlier passage from I Corinthians: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen , nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (2:9). This inheritance was won for us by our Lord Jesus Christ who paid for our admission in his own blood. As the apostle Paul noted in I Corinthians 6:20, For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. Nevertheless, the unregenerate have been convinced by the evil one to hold onto their godless predispositions. As I penned in another sermon, their “faith” is nothing more than a modern version of Gnosticism. As one Christian historian has observed: “[The Gnostics] interpreted the Scriptures in an allegorical manner, making every statement mean whatever the interpreter saw fit.” The same is true today. Modern Gnostics employ a cherry-picking technique where they hold to selected Bible tenets apart from their intended meanings as found in Scripture. They claim the name of Christ all the while framing their principles in the form of, having everything the way they want it. And such includes the world; the church; their relationships; and of course, their understanding of morality. So it is not at all surprising to the observant Christian that much of what loosely passes for modern “religion” is derived in some degree from Classical Gnosticism.
Given the current state of affairs regarding the Christian Church, what should the faithful be doing to ensure their godly inheritance? Well to begin with, we should heed the warning of St. Paul who said: Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers... (II Corinthians 6:14). The unequal yoke exists because the Devil desires supremacy and not mere equality with God. No regenerate person will find safety or comfort for his soul amongst those who have rejected the Godhead. If you find yourself in such a fellowship then you ought to forthwith get yourself hence. As the apostle Paul noted further in II Corinthians 6:17, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. This is not a suggestion. It is a command.
Secondly, we must beware of false prophets and false teachers who are inwardly ravening wolves (St. Matthew 7:15). A good rule of thumb is that all false ministers are Satan’s messengers. If you have any questions about a minister’s faith, listen to how he treats the Bible. Those who doubt God’s word written have no business preaching God’s word written.
Thirdly, we must avoid the sins of the flesh (I Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:3-7). The apostle Paul noted in his epistle to the Romans that those, who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them (1:32) are in conformity with Leonardo da Vinci’s observation: “He who does not oppose evil... commands that it be done.” So, one does not have to commit a particular sin to be guilty of it. One need only approve of those who commit the same. God will judge your tolerance for evil as an acceptance of evil.
Fourthly, we must put on the whole armor of God and stand ready for battle against the forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:10-18). There is a great spiritual war going on around us and we all must choose a side. If you choose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will face persecution and tribulation, nevertheless you will triumph with our Lord at his coming and receive the gift of everlasting life in his kingdom. Donning the whole armor of God will protect you in this fight. And as a faithful Christian you can expect from our adversary no negotiation, and no pity. You cannot placate God, and you certainly cannot placate the Devil except to purchase a momentary pleasure which will result in an eternity of heartache and misery (Revelation 20:11-15).
Finally, we must attempt to rescue those who have fallen into pit of false religion by contending for the faith through our witness on our Lord’s behalf (St. Jude 3). We can do this by praying for and beseeching God to give them repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (II St. Timothy 2:26). We are thus expected to reach into the fire and pull as many out as we can (St. Jude 22-23). To aid us in this cause, we must ask the LORD for an in-filling of the Holy Ghost, for only through his presence within and around us will we be enabled to truly serve our Lord in his harvest. Remember, to paraphrase Charles Spurgeon, it is Christ who saves us from our sins and not in our sins. Therefore, seek his forgiveness daily and encourage others to do likewise.
Time is short as the day of Christ is at hand and we need to be instant in season, out of season. We need to reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (II St. Timothy 4:2). So be in prayer and read your bibles and do not hesitate to ask God for assistance. We have friends and loved-ones who are in danger and need to be warned. We cannot quit now regardless of how late it is for only the Father knows the day and the hour of our Lord’s return. We should not be about condemnation but about reclamation. Yes, we must warn the unregenerate about the terror of the Lord (II Corinthians 5:11), but the central message to them ought to be about being made right with God and following his path to the inheritance he has for us. Therefore, be Bereans (Acts 17:10-11); be watchful (St. Luke 21:36); be ready (St. Matthew 24:44); and be armored (Ephesians 6:10). If we will keep the commandments of our Lord, we will be blessed and our works will have value in his sight. Only by keeping his word and commandments will we be made fit to receive the blessings he has for us in his eternal kingdom.
Let us pray,
Holy Father, pour upon us thy most holy Spirit, that we might be enabled to rescue as many as we can of those who have been ensnared by the false religions which Satan has established to cloud men’s minds; and these things we ask in the name of thine only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a Blessed Week,
Bryan+
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon today from the Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter's AOC,
Statesville, NC.
Second Sunday in Lent – Holy Communion
Sermon Matthew 15:21-28
After Jesus’s confrontation with the Pharisees and Scribes about unwashed hands, we are told that He departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. This was an area along the coast line of the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel. The people that lived there were Gentiles. They did not follow the Jewish religion of Israel. Majority of them practiced Paganism. Jesus is evidently headed to this area with the hope of getting some rest from the demands of his ministry. However, we are told that he is immediately recognized by an unknown woman of Canaan who throws herself at his feet pleading mercy for his help. The healing of this Canaanite woman’s daughter stands out as Jesus’ only known miracle on behalf of a Gentile in Gentile territory. The account of this miracle is also recorded in the Gospel of Mark 7:24-30. Matthew calls her “a woman of Canaan,” meaning of course the ancient land of Canaan, signifying she was of Semitic stock but was not Jewish. Mark accurately calls her a Syro-Phoenician after her country of Phoenicia, which belong to Syria and was on the northern frontier of Palestine, about three days’ journey by foot from Jerusalem.
By culture and language this woman was Greek, by religion a pagan, by position in her community a nobody. Yet as we see in this miracle with Christ these differences meant absolutely nothing.
Have you ever wondered what gets the attention of the Lord? What gets him excited? This morning’s Gospel passage reveals the answer to that question. God is excited about faith. If you want to get through to God, faith is the way to do it. Your relationship with God is largely determined by your faith.
When you come to Him, you must believe that He exists and that He is exactly who He has revealed Himself to be in the Scriptures. You must also believe that He will respond to you when you earnestly seek Him.
Without this kind of faith, you cannot please God just as St. Paul tells us in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
The bible has much to say about faith. Faith is described in numerous ways: as little faith, weak faith, strong faith, bold faith and many other kinds. But only two individuals in the Bible are described as having “great faith,” and surprisingly both of those individuals are Gentiles. One is the Canaanite woman described in our Gospel reading and the other is the Roman Centurion found in the eighth chapter of Matthew.
So what does Jesus mean when He says this woman’s faith is great? Is it great because it is stronger, more mature or more sincere than others? I don’t think so! I believe it is because of the obstacles that she had to overcome to display it!
Let us take a look at how her faith was tested and the difficulties she faced in pleading her case before Jesus.
In v. 21, we are told this Canaanite woman came out of the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. The people from this area were despised by the Jews. Not only for their ethnic background but their vile religious practices. We are told in Deut. 7-2, when Joshua led the people of Israel into Canaan, He was told by God to totally destroy these people. So here we have a woman, a descendant of a cursed people who practiced paganism, coming to Jesus for help. So the woman had two strikes against her at the very start.
However, we are told in V. 22, this did not deter her when we are told the Canaanite woman cried unto Him saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is vexed with a devil.”
In St. Mark’s account we are told that the woman had heard of Jesus and that she came and fell at his feet. (Mark 7:25) Notice that the title the woman uses “Jesus the son of David…” this is referring to him as the Messiah, the promised seed of David. God had promised that the Messiah would be a physical descendant of the great King David. So this woman must have known the prophecies about the coming Messiah. She must have known something of those promises, and it gave her faith. Also she must have heard about Jesus ministry, his healings, his miracles, and his acts of mercy.
That empowered her now to come forward with her request. “Cried” speaks of one ‘crying out, shouting after another.” She was praying fervently!
She was crying out and pleading for mercy for her young daughter who was suffering…being vexed (tormented) by the devil…St. Mark says she had “an unclean spirit” Mark 7:25. Suffering can either drive us to despair or drive us to our Lord. One of the benefits or blessings of suffering, strange as it may seem, is that it can lead us to seek the Lord and his mercy. When life is going smoothly and all is well, we might forget about the Lord and take his blessings for granted. But when suffering comes, and we have no one else to turn to, nowhere else to go—that’s what it may take to get our eyes fixed on the Lord. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can certainly praise God and give him thanks when all is going well. But when trouble does come, God tells us what to do in Psalm 50:15 “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
This is what the Canaanite woman did when she came crying to Jesus and asking for his mercy.
However, let’s look at Jesus response or lack of response in v. 23 “But He answered her not a word”. Isn’t that surprising? That is not what we would have expected. Nowhere in the Gospels do we find Jesus turning away from need as He did from this woman’s. Sometimes we don’t always get our prayers answered or we don’t get the answer we are looking for. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways, and maybe he has a better plan than the one we have in mind.
His lack of response to the Canaanite women seems to be a test of her faith. He wants the woman to exercise her faith a little bit more.
And maybe he wants to teach his disciples, too. As they seem to be somewhat cold hearted to her.
They didn’t understand what Jesus wanted to do. So they say to Him, “Send her away; for she crieth after us.” As followers of Christ, we must be careful not to push people away from Him. Salvation is open to everyone not just a privileged few! This is not walking in the ways of Jesus. At first, it may seem Jesus is going along with this line of thinking. But then Jesus replies in v. 24; “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The reply given by Jesus is true. In his earthy ministry, Jesus the Messiah was sent primarily to the house of Israel, that is, to the Jews. For God had made a covenant with Israel, and Jesus was sent to fulfill it. Long ago God had promised to bless the descendants of Abraham, and now Jesus was keeping that promise.
To the Jews first! Jesus was making it clear to the woman that he’s not going to change the focus of his ministry away from this promise and shift it to the Gentiles at this time. At the same time, he is keeping the door open and trying to draw upon the woman’s faith and love.
In spite of this seeming rebuke, the Canaanite woman persists. She perseveres. As we are told in v. 25 “She came and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me.” The woman is persistent in her faith out of the motherly love for her daughter. She knew that only Jesus could cleanse her daughter from the devil…he was her only hope! But again, Jesus puts another obstacle in her way, when He replies in v. 26, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs.” The Gentiles were commonly referred to by the Jews as “dogs”, as a term of disrespect. They were considered unclean. However, this is not the definition of dog that Jesus is using in this reply. Instead, he uses a Greek word, kunarion that can be translated as “little pet dogs or puppies.” This was an affectionate term, used for dogs that were allowed to live in the house and were personally taken care. What Jesus was saying to the woman was it would be reckless of Him at this time, to take his attention away from the house of Israel (Jews) and give it to the Gentiles. It would be like a father taking bread from his children and giving it to their pet dogs. And the woman picks up on what Jesus was saying to her. Then she replies in V. 27, “And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”
The woman’s response displayed great humility. She admits she is not worthy nor did she deserve help. She admitted that she and her people were outsiders-dogs and therefore had no claim to the child’s portion.
She did not ask that the children of Israel be deprived of any part of their rightful portion, but indicated that she had confidence that Jesus’s heart was big enough to include even the most humble of his creatures. She was only looking for a crumb to fall her way just as a puppy does!
The woman came, not claiming anything as her right, but simply throwing herself on the Lords’ mercy. This Canaanite woman did not give up when obstacles were placed in her way. She was not deterred by Jesus’ initial silence, when he did not answer her word. She was not deterred by the comment of the disciples, “send her away.” She was not deterred by Jesus’s comment about being sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Nor by his remark about the dogs eating the bread of the children. The woman simply does not give up. She was persistent in her asking. Her faith overcomes all of these obstacles.
And as we are told in v. 28, her faith was rewarded when Jesus replies “O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” The healing of this Canaanite woman’s demoniac daughter was a demonstration of the instantaneous power of God. No waiting had been necessary. It also was a demonstration of how the presence of Jesus could be felt even at a distance. He did not go in person to the girl, but healed her without ever seeing her.
In closing, the woman had “great faith” because she endured the tests given to her. She did not collapse, quit, give up or faint because of the obstacles presented to her. She pressed on until the Lord granted her request.
Although, our obstacles in life may be different, we should always remember the Canaanite Women for her humility and perseverance which showed her great faith. And always remember that Jesus is always there regardless of our need.
Just as Jesus tells us in his sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Second Sunday in Lent
Lenten actions on holy living --- why we should do this in this season of 40 days till Easter?
2nd Sunday in Lent - I Thessalonians 4
The letter to the Thessalonians is a letter written about 51 AD. Here is what it is about: "the majority of the people in the Thessalonian church had been converted from idolatry. In this letter Paul wanted to express his joy at their steadfastness, encourage them in the midst of suffering, instruct them in the way of holiness, and correct misconceptions about the Lord's return." The Matthew Henry Bible
Today we are jumping in right in the middle of chapter
4. Our first point is about authority. This was the problem in Thessalonica.
Leon Morris (a wonderful English Anglican) in his comments on this letter said,
"the Jewish opponents of the Christian way were maintaining a campaign in
which a principal element seems to have been a slander of St. Paul." Note
what is said in the first few verses of the chapter about this:"
"…1We beseech you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, even as
you have received from us, how it behooves you to walk and to please God, that
you would abound more, 2for you know what injunctions we gave you
through the Lord Jesus...." Received in this instance means to receive
near literally as to assume an office, received or learned… Injunctions are: instructions or commandments
(a mandate, a charge , a command) "3For this is the will of
God even your sanctification."
The office of Apostle does not exist today. The Apostle was one who spoke as did a prophet. He spoke a "thus saith the Lord." Their words are recorded in written form in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
In other words, there is great confusion today about authority. The Apostles and prophets were directly inspired by the Holy Spirit to give us His Word. Don't gloss over what the Apostle Peter has to say below:
2 Peter 1:21 (King James Version) - "21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
This is where we must start in understanding our growth in holiness. The holiness that he will now talk about comes directly from God's will of what it means to be holy. We have to identify things and behavior in our lives that are not helpful as we practice ungodliness. Our culture has by and large departed from belief in God's Commandments. We know this. If we know It, then we can change our own behavior that will make God our priority, and not the authority of lies and deceit that so often captures our minds. Thank God He has delivered us from these things finally in our hearts. We should see where in Lent we can conform more to Him and not to worldly direction.
Point 2 Each one of us who profess Christ need to apply this, "…3to abstain from fornication: 4to each of you to know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor" This is “to win mastery over in holiness and honor" literally. He says as well, "…5even as the Gentiles which know not God." There is a difference here in the behavior and the call of the Christian.
The Christian life is not only knowledge but purity in actions, speech, conduct and thought. What a high calling we have. What a special message for our Lenten walk to hear this today again from this letter of the Apostle.
⦁ "How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one
meets real thing, it is irresistible. "
C. S. Lewis, in Letters to an American Lady.
Lastly, Point 3, the admonition is given to us to strictly pay attention to this as, the one rejecting (this) disregards not man but God who also gave His Holy Spirit to us. (See Thessalonians 4:8) This is a positive Christian message. If we wish to please God and to do His will we will strive to gain mastery over our conduct and to do what He desires. The world does not have this motive for their lives. As Christians, we are called to believe what God wills for us, and to also believe that it is the road to happiness here and in the life to come.
I heard a message recently on the TV that exalted the "magisterium" of the Roman Church. The Church has no authority above the Scriptures and what is said there. A council of a Church may err as it says in our Articles of Religion p. 607 in Article 20. Article 19 says the Church may err. Here the Church of Rome is being quoted as "have erred", p. 606. I note other churches mentioned of Jerusalem that have erred.
It may be good to remember what the Church is as well, "The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men (here we include all, men being all men, which means women as well as members of the Church, not ordained as men we have to mention but faithful as workers and members of the Church in their own way and gifts as God has ordained) in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance..." Article 19
A further note is that many are members of Churches that have rejected the teaching of much of the Scriptures.It has to be remembered that beautiful music and a well-ordered liturgy can be deceiving. What does the Church teach and believe? Repentance in Lent is so important. Churches that reject the teaching of the Scriptures need to hear this. Changes can be made that will glorify God and His ordinances. Just because a Church is small does not mean it is not faithful.
Today's prayer for the day or Collect sums up our problem and its solution:
ALMIGHTY GOD, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 – Extreme fatigue and exhaustion
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
Bobby Bryan – cancer and cardiac issues
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Kamil Nasir – Chemotherapy – he is having a difficult time
Dennis Potrikus - fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab
Richard Bailey – Went to be with the Lord, please pray for his family and friends.
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.
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, Marianne, Donna-chemotherapy, Alicia-caregiver, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer, Toni – remission
praise God, Donna - cancer, Malou –
cancer, Archie- CHF, Eloise, Janice, Dakota, Katie, Bobby, Marilee, Myra Cox, Faye Miller,
On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places. Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson – England
Points to Ponder: About Lent
Hear me, O LORD; for thy
lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender
mercies. And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me
speedily.
Psalm 69:16-17
For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive your trespasses. But if ye
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.
St. Matthew 6:14-15
Those who have mercy with God must
show mercy to their brethren.
The Rev. Matthew Henry
It ought always to be remembered
that there are two distinct things which the Lord Jesus Christ does for every
sinner whom he undertakes to save. He washes him from his sins in his own blood
and gives him a free pardon— this is justification. He puts the Holy Spirit
into his heart and makes him an entirely new man— this is regeneration. The two
thing are both absolutely necessary to salvation. The change of heart is as
necessary as the pardon; and the pardon is as necessary as the change. Without
the pardon we have no right or title to heaven. Without the change we should
not be meet and ready to enjoy heaven, even if we got there. The two things are
never separate. They are never found apart. Every justified man is also a
regenerate man, and every regenerate man is also a justified man.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle
As a Christian you have to live in
the midst of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry “Woe is
me.” Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what he
did not pray for you need not desire... Therefore, “stand fast in the faith,
and quit you like men, be strong.
The Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon
The ultimate test of a moral
society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.
The Rev. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
About Psalm 22
So why do we consider Psalm 22 so appropriate for BOTH Lent and Easter? It is because the first 21 verses of Psalm 22 are about our Lord’s suffering and passion on the cross. Beginning at verse 22, the remainder of the Psalm is about His glorious victory over death and hell.
This
Psalm is a Psalm of David, but David speaks the very words of Christ as do all
prophets of the Lord. The title of the Psalm gives evidence of its direct
application to Christ – “To the chief
Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.” Aijeleth Shatar,
in Hebrew, means Hind of the Morning, which Christ was also called. The Hebrew,
tlya 'ayeleth, = Hind and rxX Shachar = Morning, or dawn. The description by Robert Hawker in Poor Man’s
Commentary: “Is not Christ discoverable in the very title of this
Psalm? For who is the Hind of the Morning but Jesus? Aijeleth Shahar means Hind
of the Morning, and so is rendered in the margin of our old Bibles. Sweet
thought! Jesus was so from the everlasting morning, when set up from
everlasting. And when in time, was he not hunted and slaughtered by the dogs
spoken of in this Psalm?” - “Make
haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart (hind)
upon the mountains of spices.” (Song
of Solomon 8:14)
Bishop Jerry Ogles, Lenten Devotional, Psalms 22 & 23, pg.
6-7
