Worldwide Communion
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
August 2, 2026
Sunday Report
Ninth Sunday after Trinty
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 200-202.
The Collect for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity.
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epistle for Ninth Sunday after Trinity. 1 Corinthians. x. 1.
BRETHREN, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he stand-eth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
The Gospel for Ninth Sunday after Trinity. St. Luke. xv. 11.
JESUS said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
On Point: The Lamb
“While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:22-23
One of the oldest sermon illustrations regarding the death of children involves a couple who were so distraught over the death of a little girl they took a period abroad in order to process their grief. One day, walking through the fields, the two noticed a shepherd leading his flock. There was a brook there, but the sheep seemed too frightened to hop across it. Taking a lamb in his arms, the shepherd jumped over the stream and placed it about fifty yards on the other side.
Presently it began bleating for its mother. The mother, hearing the call, raised her head and bolted toward the brook, leaping over it with no problem. The other sheep followed, and soon the entire flock was on the other side.
"Now, I understand," said the wife, watching from a distance. "The Lord has taken my lamb that I myself may meet her on the other side"
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
Tuesday Hymn Devotion: The Stranger of Galilee
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/07/youtube-video-player_0279346958.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT7BdRUdbwE
Wednesday Evening Food for Thought: Video Devotional:
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/07/youtube-video-player_0926167436.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3uz0O_TNPo
Friday Evening Video Devotional: False Pillars of Religion
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/07/family-altar-july-31.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsLqkwKVkVU&t=4s
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:5-11)
A friend of mine has a small sign on the wall of his study that reads, “He who has many things, and has Christ, has no more than he who has Christ alone.” How true. What would the believer take in exchange for the benefits of Christ in his life and for his salvation? I think no true believer would exchange Christ for all the wealth and kingdoms of this world, though the world does tempt the marginal believers to make that exchange.
To Abraham, God made the Promise of a Seed that would redeem the elect. Those Spiritual descendants of Abraham (those only who believed the Promise regardless of blood line) were accounted saved by the Grace of the Lord through faith in Him. Many did not believe the Promise but insisted on salvation by works – a doctrine that condemns and never saves. But Abraham, by faith, looked forward with eagerness to the fulfillment of that promise. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:8-13)
God tested
the faith of Abraham by demanding that his only beloved son (one and only
legitimate son of Sarah) be offered as a sacrifice (for sin) on Mt. Moriah (the
same upon which our Lord was sacrificed almost 2,000 years later). At the foot
of the mountain, Isaac asked of his father a heart-breaking question:
“. . . Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?” (Genesis 22:7) This question must have pained his father beyond
measure; however, Abraham’s answer echoes throughout all time and eternity: “.
. . My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:” (Genesis
22:8) Disregard the deliberate dissimulation of modern Bible versions such as
the NIV, ESV, and NASB in rewording and redirecting this phrase away from the
Christ to whom it directly points. God will not provide a Lamb for the
burnt offering – God will provide Himself to be the Lamb for a burnt
offering. Abraham uttered the remark in unknowing faith, because he knew
that God is always righteous and would somehow fulfill his promise to multiply
the seed of Abraham through Isaac. This was an explicit confirmation of the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as Redeemer.
But the promise of a Savior was made even before that Promise made to Abraham. In fact, it was made to our primitive parents, Adam and Eve, way back in the Garden at Eden. It was not only a spoken Promise, but a demonstrated one as well. “And I will put enmity between thee (the Serpent, Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed (those who belong to Satan) and her seed (those who belong to Christ); it (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall bruise (crush the power of Satan) thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (as occurred when the heel of Christ was nailed to the Cross at Calvary).” (Genesis 3:15) That is a veiled reference to the victorious Christ. It could not have been made more comprehensible to the primitive understanding of the two in the Garden. This was the spoken word of Promise to Adam and Eve. But what of the physical demonstration of that Promise?
You will recall that until the sin of Adam and Eve, there was no death in Paradise; and afterward, the Tree of Life and Paradise were themselves removed to Heaven. (see Revelations 2: 7 and 22:2). So there was but one occasion of death in God’s Paradise; but what was it? “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21) Please observe that the only death in Eden was of an innocent animal which God sorrowfully killed to cover the sin of Adam and Eve. God loved everything that He had made, and it undoubtedly pained the Lord to take the life of an innocent animal. Uppermost in the Mind of God was what the death of that innocent animal represented in the omniscient Mind of God! It represented His dearly beloved and only Begotten Son which had been decreed to be sacrificed as a Lamb without blemish in the Eternity that was before Creation. As the Baptist proclaimed from Jordan Waters, “. . . Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21) Like our primitive parents in Eden, we need a covering for our sins (nakedness before God). That covering is the blood-bought Robe of Righteousness that Christ offers to all whom He calls and chooses as the Elect of God.
Man is a land-borne creature. His mind is weak and his resolutions are never sure. He cannot see with his physical eyes the glorious prospects of Heaven. His imagination of the Divine is clouded with the mundane desires and offerings of a physical Universe. But Christ came to offer sight to the blind and light to those who have sat in darkness so that their spiritual eyes can grasp a glimpse of that beauty and magnificent grandeur that lies just beyond the frontiers of man’s imagination. “ The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)
Down through the shadows and whispers of time, God has provided an increasingly vivid understanding of that one and only Personage who would suffer the humiliation and pains of a tortuous death in our stead. When one considers all of these revelations God provided the ancient prophets, it is all the more astounding that the greater part of Israel failed to see that promise fulfilled in Christ. But, when the few who received and accepted that Promise from Abraham down to the first Christmas, it seems more a matter of intentional obstinence than of fair reason and spiritual insight that others could not see. The miracles of preservation to Israel in Goshen of old Egypt boggles the mind; however, memory is apparently short. The miracle of the First Passover should have instilled an unfailing faith from that moment until now – but the people forgot God only days, or weeks, later. God even provided great the Pillar of Cloud by Day, and Fire by Night - which was Christ the Lord – to guide and protect His people both in the Wilderness and in the Red Sea Crossing. When they complained, He gave them a miraculous provision of Manna daily.
We see that God placed beautiful pictures throughout the Old Testament of His Beloved Son. The Song of Solomon is an exquisite representation of Christ and His Church. The Book of Ruth – the eighth Book of the Bible (eight signifies new beginnings such as the eight souls saved from the Deluge) – is strategically positioned between the day when the Law of God reigned supreme in Israel (the time of the Judges), and the advent of human rule through Israel’s Kings (1 Samuel). This book, too, is a glorious painting of the love Christ has for His people and Church – even those who have not a drop of Hebrew blood (Ruth – the Moabitess). In fact, the recorded lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ came down from Boaz and Ruth (Matthew 1:5), and through Rahab (the Canaanite), the prostitute of Jericho (ibid). Ruth is a Garden of Grace betwixt the severity of the Law and the excesses of the Kings of Israel.
The Wilderness Tabernacle, in its furniture and fixtures, represented the attributes of our Lord. It possessed a resplendent interior décor, but a very plain and unattractive appearance without having goat hair as a covering. The beauty of Christ was never in His physical appearance as the Son of Man, but the magnificent beauty concealed within a heart that was larger than the Universe itself.
.jpg)
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 – Ninth Sunday after trinity
The Epistle: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13; The Gospel: St. Luke 15:11–32
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
hymns # 450, 402, 229 [red book]
Examples
How is it that we learn from examples? We can and do learn from bad experiences, a bad taste, a burnt finger, a bad smell, so how do we learn from examples?
In our passage from the first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul is admonishing a rather randy group of believers to shape up and learn from other’s experiences. Paul gives the people of Corinth several examples of bad behavior as modeled by the ancestors of these believers, those who left Egypt with Moses.
The city of Corinth was located on the isthmus that would one day have a small canal built near it. This area was a thriving seaport with ALL the sport, vice, corruption, and resident evil humans could put together in one area. Corinth was well known for its’ vices.
So when Paul was writing to a group of Jewish believers who had settled in that city, he used examples from their past, he pointed to the forefathers and what mistakes they had done; and then just to make it clear, Paul also wrote about the consequences of this behavior. Remember Jesus gave us many examples during his three and a half years on earth, we know them as parables. The are stories filled with examples, what to do right, how to avoid the pitfalls of life, and more especially, how to live a Christian life.
Paul gives us three specific examples of those in the desert, three examples that we should also avoid.
1] We should avoid idolatry. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Remember, at one time in the Old Testament, throwing your first born child into a fiery furnace to appease Molech was considered the norm by societies that surrounded the Hebrew people. Thanks to Christian influence we have gotten away from child sacrifices.
Today that means putting too much affection into something or someone that can keep you from your primary affection, worship of the Lord. Jobs, hobbies, sports, friends, parties, all things that can get in the way and take your eyes off of Jesus. The above mentions activities are ok, as long as they do not become the central focus of your life, don’t let them come between you and your God; in other words, don’t let them become your idol.
2] Do not commit sexual immorality. “Well some things are no longer considered immoral today as they were 50 years ago” Ah yes, the age of relativity, the beginning of post modern thought. If it is prohibited by both the Old and New Testament, it would be considered immoral. If we leave the social, psychology, and humanist ideals on the shelf, they are not the determinants for what the Bible says is still considered immoral. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Today we have too many people who think that maybe rules about marriage are passe and all sexual activities outside of marriage is ok, no holds barred. The only problem is God’s Word tells us to not go that way. We are to either be chaste in our singleness or faithful to one spouse. That one spouse is supposed to be of the opposite gender. Remember, when God instituted the family in the Garden, it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
3] The last example Paul give the Corinthians is grumbling. Yikes, that covers a large group of us. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
I know that when something isn’t happening fast enough for me, I tend to grumble. Why do you suppose grumbling was singled out? For one thing, it calls into question God’s ability to provide for us, IN HIS TIME, NOT OURS. Also, we show our ingratitude towards our Creator, by not accepting what he has given us, He knows what we need and don’t need. And I think probably the most important reason grumbling was included in the list of examples.....it causes others to stumble. When we hear someone grumble about things, especially about God’s work, it can cause us to lose hope. It can cause us to be downhearted, it isn’t a good thing, sort of a slow poison, that causes others to stop enjoying the blessings of the Lord.
But just in case you were totally discouraged by the three examples, Paul leaves us with a wonderful promise, “13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Wow, what a wonderful promise. Now when we pray together the Lord’s Prayer, let us take to heart the phrase’...lead us not into temptation....but deliver us from evil’.
Let us take this message to heart, let us avoid evil in any form, let us cling to the Lord, let us put our trust in Him, He that is able to keep us from harm and lifts us up from temptation.
Let us pray
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being; We, thy needy creatures, render thee our humble praises, for thy preservation of us from the beginning of our lives to this day, and especially for having delivered us from the dangers of the past night. For these thy mercies, we bless and magnify thy glorious Name; humbly beseeching thee to accept this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; for his sake who lay down in the grave, and rose again for us, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
O GOD, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly; Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of Wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
IN Christ alone during Trinity
+Roy
.jpg)
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi
We are always grateful to get these wonderful sermons from Rev. Bryan, they keep us on our toes!
Sermon Text for Ninth Sunday after Trinity:
In our epistle lesson for today from II Corinthians 9 the apostle Paul observed that, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (vv. 6-7). God has called on each of us to give of our substance and wherewithal to provide for our church bodies and to take care of those that are in need particularly those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). In verse 24 of Proverbs 11 we find godly generosity described as, There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. True and faithful Christians— whether they have been blessed with a lot or a little— will give of their substance because they desire to please God. On the other hand, if a person withholds when he or she possesses the ability to give, their lack of charity will result in a curse rather than a blessing. Notice the qualifying expression: more than is meet. What this means is that one is keeping back from God what he could contribute without material injury to himself and his family. In a word, he is being “stingy.”
In the parable of the rich fool (St. Luke 12:16-21) our Lord warned of just such an estate. The man was described as being rich as he possessed more than enough goods to live on comfortably, but he still desired even more. He did not consider that God had made it possible for him to possess all that he had. And indeed, God does give people the ability to acquire and accumulate wealth. The problem comes when those who have been so blessed will not attribute to God his due. They will not thank him, neither will they recognize their duty to open their hand to others who are in need. They will withhold their gains simply to ingratiate themselves before men. What pridefulness. What arrogance. Notice in verses 20 and 21 how Jesus closed the parable of the rich fool: But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Returning to Proverbs 11, we find in verse 25 the curious use of the word liberal. The passage states that, the liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered himself. Now this word has nothing whatsoever to do with its use in our political parlance. Liberals in our world are persons who believe in a progressive ideology which, to a greater or lesser degree, empowers government to take from the productive by force or fraud and give it to those who are identified by the government as “eligible recipients” of that largess. On the other hand, the use of this word in Scripture refers to any person who has within himself a generous nature and readily gives of his own substance to assist those in need. In the Old Testament sense, it referred to providing assistance to a fellow Israelite. In the New Testament, it refers to helping anyone who is in need, but more particularly one who is a fellow in Christ. And God sees our giving and rewards us with his understanding of sufficiency on our behalf. When you do for others, God will do for you. It is not a proverbial tit for tat. Still, it opens the door to God’s “showers of blessings” if one will from the heart give to those of his servants who are in need. While we may not always recognize the things that God is doing on our behalf, the refrain of an old hymn will point us in the right direction: “Count your blessings, Name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done.”
And whether you realize it or not there is a further distinction between the modern liberal and those who are considered as such by Scripture. The modern liberal favor “compulsory compassion”, while the biblical liberal is one who makes the decision on a personal level to give without the government telling him how much. In truth, compulsory compassion is nothing more than compassion under duress. It does not matter what sort of forced extraction process is used, the result will be the same as you are being robbed of your substance without your consent and without any consideration for your needs or that of your family. Needless to say, you will not feel any less revulsion in being violated “for a good cause” whether it be a thief or robber, or a rapacious government.
But God has never been interested in forcing people to give in spite of their situations. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were to give a tithe of the things they grew on the land and of their flocks and herds. And if they gave as they were supposed to, God promised to multiply their produce. Understand then that God is not like the secular rulers and governments of our world which have sought to squeeze as much wealth as they can from their citizens and subjects. No, God calls on each of us to give out of love for him and for our fellows. He calls on us to give willingly as he is willing to give when we ask of him to satisfy our needs. And God is interested in our commercial affairs as well. Returning to Proverbs 11 we read in verse 26: He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. To assist us with this verse, let us turn to Amos 8:4-7. The prophet was given to pen these words against the wicked of that day who, swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances of deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat? The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. Clearly, God will call into account those who as merchants are guilty of overcharging for their goods and services and who hope to receive a bonus by fraud. Long ago God commanded the Israelites to, do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights... shall ye have... (Leviticus 19:35-36). When people, businesses or governments engage in greedy, malicious and fraudulent behaviors, God will judge those responsible and call them into account for such actions. Revolutions have been fomented on precisely such grounds. The people’s curse can be very harsh when they come to themselves and see just how much they have lost to those who masked their predations with hypocrisy and deception.
And that brings us to another verse from Proverbs 11. Verse 27 states, he that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. When men seek after God, they will find him ready to receive, redeem and reward them. God has loved mankind with an everlasting love. Why did he go to all the trouble to reach out to humanity across the ages if he did not love us? Why would he go to the lengths that he has done as recorded in both testaments of the Bible? But if we will not diligently seek after him, then we will fall into the Devil’s camp and be lost. The misery of our rejection will be upon our own heads should we turn from his gracious offering which he has made in Christ Jesus to save us from our sins. Part of our diligent seeking after God requires us to avoid trusting in our wealth or in things more than trusting in God. In I St. Timothy 6:17-19, the apostle Paul called on the youthful Timothy to, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in the uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy: that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. And we find support again in Proverbs 11, for in verse 28 we read, he that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. The Bible in several places reminds us that the righteous man will flourish. Those who are godly and possess wealth reveal who they are by their fruits. They will willing give as God puts it upon their hearts to do so. And they will rejoice in their giving to help others because they know that God will not leave them if they were to fall.
So then let us also seek godly wisdom and bear fruit of the same in our daily lives. Every thing we do ought be governed by the expression, “Will what I wish to do be acceptable to my heavenly Father? God says that, Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner (Proverbs 11:31). God remembers our thoughts, our words and our deeds. Don’t keep anything back as if you were hiding such from him because you cannot. We will err from time to time as that is part of our nature. But when we err, we ought to confess it to God the Father in the name of his only begotten Son and be forgiven of that error. In that light, if you have erred in withholding, ask God for
guidance that you might give to assist your church or those of the faith that are in need. And give not because you feel compelled, but out of gratitude to him who loved us before we ever loved him. Give because God will bless you now and ever after. From the time my son was a small child, my wife and I have given him gifts at Christmastime, his birthday and at other times as well. We did so not because he gave us anything of tangible value but because he was our child and we loved him and he us. God looks on each of us as his children and every day that we have life, food, raiment, shelter, jobs, you name it, he has given to us pressed down and overflowing. We cannot give him anything that approximates what he has done for us. And all God really wants from us is our love for our Lord once said, If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Do you love God? Do you love his Christ? Are you willing to receive his most holy Spirit? God’s love is ready and waiting. All we must do is accept it by accepting Jesus Christ and then live as he has commanded. Giving to God involves more than money, it involves our whole being. Commit yourselves to Christ’s will today, and be not bound by the lusts of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Let us pray,
O most holy God, who has loved us more than we could ever in this life understand, give us hearts that will bend to your will and love the things that you love while avoiding those things that you hate; for this we ask in the name of your Son and our Lord and Saviour, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week!
Bryan+
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville NC
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon: John 8: 1-11 The Adulteress Woman
In today’s Gospel text, we have probably one of the most known passages in the bible. It is unique to the Gospel of St John only. There is nothing quite like it in the whole range of the four Gospels. It is a story about confrontation, deceitfulness, sin, compassion and forgiveness. Let us take a look at the text in more detail this morning,
Time line/ Background / setting information:
It is about six months before Jesus goes to the cross. The Jewish leaders are still trying to convict Jesus of some crime. It is the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is held in Jerusalem. There are still large crowds of local country people who want to hear Jesus. After a night stay in Mount of Olives, Jesus returns to Jerusalem early in the morning to teach in the temple court yards. And all of the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them. This sets the scene for verse 3. The scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman caught in the act of Adultery and abruptly interrupts Jesus’s teaching in the temple court yards in the midst of this large crowd of people listening to Him. (3a) – And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. This woman was brought before the Lord accused of adultery. We know nothing about her. Whether she was married, single or betrothed. We have no way of knowing if this was her first offence or if she had committed this crime many times before without being caught. It really doesn’t affect the seriousness of her situation. The fact is she was accused of adultery and now her sin was exposed for the Lord and all to see.
The sinful life she lived in private had become very public. Why did they have to expose her publicly? There was no need to do this. And there was no reason to bring her to Jesus. Obviously, they weren’t simply seeking to punish her but had other motives. As we see later, they were just using the woman as a pawn in the scheme to trap Jesus!
We may not be guilty of committing adultery, but we have all been guilty of committing sin. God does not judge or categorize sin as we do. In His eyes, all sin is serious and creates division because of His holiness and our guilt.
We may even think that we are getting by, that no one knows or sees, but God sees and He knows. Rest assured that our sins will not go unexposed. Eventually they will be brought to light and we will have to face them. Num.32:23b – “and be sure your sin will find you out”.
In verse (4) “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.” Here they call Him Master whom but the day before they called Him deceiver, in hopes with flatteries to have ensnared Him, as those in Luke 20:20. (MH comments) The evidence was irrefutable. She had been caught in the very act. There was no doubt that she was guilty.
Our sin may never have been witnessed by others. We maybe had never committed anything that was noticed by the world, but yet we were guilty and condemned before God. The evidence was there and there was no way to deny or refute it! St. Paul tells us Rom.3:10 “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.” Then in Rom.3:23 St. Paul says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Then in verse (5) we are told “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” The law of Moses declared that this woman should be put to death for her crime. She had committed deeds worthy of death. She was guilty; the evidence was there, and now her accusers cried out for her punishment to be swift and severe.
According to Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse, according to the Law, Moses commanded, that they (both man and woman) should be put to death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22), but not that they should be stoned, unless the adulteress was espoused, not married, or was a priest’s daughter (Deu. 22:21) The crucial question next is where is the man? Adultery by definition requires two people, a man and a woman. It is probably unlikely the man escaped but the woman didn’t? Supposedly, they were caught in the act! Sounds strange. Is it a set-up? Did they pay someone to entice this woman into adultery?
Clearly these religious leaders show no compassion or sympathy for the accused. They dragged her in, before the Lord, demanding that justice be carried out for her alleged crime. These Scribes and Pharisees were religious leaders but were not godly. They didn’t possess compassion for the lost and wayward. Have we not met those who can’t see their own short comings because they are so consumed with the sin and failures of others? In fact, we may have been guilty of a condemning spirit ourselves.
Verse (6a) “This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.” These Jewish religion leaders didn’t care about any justice for this woman, she was just being used as a pawn in a larger scheme of deception and rebellion. They felt they had placed Jesus in a position to which He could not defend himself. If He condemned her, He would have been viewed as One without compassion, not the Friend of sinners. If He let her go, He would have been accused of disobeying the Law of Moses. So how did Jesus respond to the accusations of these Scribes and Pharisees? He ignored them.
In verse (6b) we are told, “But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.” These accusers wanted an immediate answer but Jesus did not give them the satisfaction of their desire. He simply ignored them and wrote in the dirt twice. We have no idea what He wrote. The word for “write” is used only here in the New Testament and can mean something like “doodle” or it can mean to make a list.
Some Bible scholars say he was just doodling and using a delay tactic, other say He was writing the 10 commandments. Probably the most logical answer came from Matthew Henry comments: “Some Greek copies here read, He wrote on the ground, enos hekastou uton tas hamartias-the sins of every one of them; (the accusers). “What ever He wrote, it must have been on the conscious of the accusers along with the words Jesus said.
Jesus ignored their critical, proud, self-righteous attitude for a while, but He didn’t ignore it for long.
He confronts them in verse (7) “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” This does not mean as some allege that these individuals had to be sinless to judge and stone this woman. It rather means that they could not be guilty of this particular sin. Here is what Matthew Henry said: “If there be any of you who is without sin, without sin of this nature, that has not some time or other been guilty of fornication or adultery, let him cast the first stone at her.”
Then in verse 8 we are told: “And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.” In verse 9a we are told “And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last.” They had brought a woman in, supposing that she might be put to death, but Jesus turned the tables on them. He forced them to consider the sin in their own lives. Can you imagine the scene? Just moments before there were cries for judgment. I’m sure that the accusers had made quite a scene.
Now upon the rebuke of Jesus there was an eerie silence, only the sound of stones hitting the ground and men walking shamefully away. In verses 9b,10 we are told “and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” (10) “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?” Then in verse 11a “She said, No man, Lord.” verse 11b “And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
The accusers had left, one by one, leaving only the accused and the Lord. There the woman faced the One who had the authority to forgive or condemn her. She stood face to face with the One she must reckon with. She was not worthy of His compassion, but Jesus stood there offering grace to one who was worthy of death.
The Scribes and Pharisees had left and now she faced the moment of truth. The charges had been revealed and the evidence presented. Her accusers were not morally worthy to convict and stone her, but Jesus was. He could have condemn her for her sin, but He extended pardon rather than divine punishment. Jesus forgave her sin and cleansed her of all unrighteousness.
She could have run away after all of her accusers departed, but she didn’t! She knew she was guilty but she put her faith in Jesus.
Clearly, she had dealt with the shame of her sin being made public. She had sought the mercy of the Lord and He had given grace and mercy. Jesus didn’t say she was not guilty or didn’t deserve punishment. Moreover, in the absence of all witnesses or accusers, there was no case before Him. Let her then depart as one whose guilt was “not proven” even though she was guilty, and let her “sin no more.”
Some critics may say that Jesus was soft on his position on the 7th commandment (thou shall not commit Adultery) in this passage.
However, if you read his sermon on the Mount, you get a different perspective. Mathew 5:28 which he said “But I say to you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
It was also Jesus that has spoken more strongly than any about the sanctity of the marriage relation. (Matt 19:5) He simply refused to be a judge and pronounce condemnation on a guilty person to satisfy his enemies. He didn’t come into this world to condemn but to save. Jesus tells us in St. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Then in St. John 3:17, He says “For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but the world through Him might be saved.”.
We too were all guilty before the Lord, condemned and worthy of death, but He made a way for all to be saved. We can be forgiven and cleansed in His precious blood. This is why He died on the cross for our sins.
The woman’s account was marked “paid in full.” The slate was wiped clean; her sins were no longer remembered against her. She was offered a second chance, a new life in Christ. St Paul tells us in 2nd Cor 5;17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”
Upon departing Jesus charged her to go, and “sin no more”. She had been delivered from her sin and she was expected to live a life that honored the Lord. She was expected to seek the righteousness of God.
She was to no longer willfully seek sin. Her life was to reflect the One who had forgiven her. That is what we refer to as sanctification. We are to live a life that honors the Lord. Our lives are to be a reflection of our Savior. The only way that we can accomplish that is through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. May we ever seek to avoid sin and exalt our Lord.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
The Rev. Don Fultz+
Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a devotional from Rev. David McMillian who has recovered from Hip Replacement surgery, Thanks be to God! And his hard word.
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
Through this week I have been enlightened from the Evening readings from Acts. It is something that we need to think about as well. When we are put in front of the truth about Jesus Christ, how do we react? The characters in this account in Acts 26 have interest. They even think they will see something Jesus does for their entertainment. Acts 26 is the text.
"26For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
There are many almost times in our lives and in also in our acquaintances and friends/families. When we see the facts about Jesus and the testimony of others in the Scriptures, what is our response?
1. The Apostle clearly explains to the rulers what happened to him and the facts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Acts 26. We too have others who have witnessed to the facts and history of the death and resurrection of Christ.
"13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
It may be we attended church and heard the message of a release from our sins and faith in Jesus Christ. We were confused perhaps and did not know that the faith we possess saves us, not our good deeds or our relationship to others who are moral people. This is what happened to me many years ago. I had never really heard a clear and simple message of the good news. Somehow in the days of my life, it was unclear. Until a good witness talked to me personally after a service it was not clear ( actually of interest it was a Navy Chaplain who happened to be a Reformed Episcopal presbyter). Then sometime later after reflection and anguish I came to a point of belief in the Christ of the Scriptures. I said I was going to throw the Bible out the window or believe it. This was when I attended college and lived in the Academy dorms. Obviously, I said I would read and see if it made sense. It did.
2. The beautiful result of faith is that our eyes are opened, (we) turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that (we) may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Christ)"
"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6
We are now in the hands of God and have forgiveness of our sins.
What we have just said is the meat of the gospel, or the good news of God's love and mercy toward us when we were under the power of Satan. Who in our circle needs this? Who is our state of country needs this? I have been praying especially for the leadership of our country especially when I hear things that do not add up for protecting and serving our people. No one in leadership is perfect in their words or actions. They need our support and help. The best thing we can do for them is call on God to assist and lead. Our President needs this.
3. Who among us needs a loving touch of our compassion as we listen to their situations? King Agrippa had an opportunity to respond. He had heard the prophets. Confronted by the Apostle in clear language of the appearance of Jesus to Him the Apostle prayed that even the King would turn from his own strivings and inadequacies to the Light who is Jesus Christ."Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian," said the King to Paul.
As I mentioned earlier many around us are in the same situation. They have not yielded to the God who made them in His image. We know that and try in our own way to give them encouragement to be persuaded in becoming a Christian. Almost does not make it, does it?
Almost does not achieve the objective that is to know God forever in this life and the life to come.
Who do you know that is almost? Almost a Christian is not a Christian. Unless we have yielded our minds and hearts to God in His Son Jesus Christ, we will not have the forgiveness of sins and the light we need to go on our way in this life that we may glorify God.
The Rev. David McMillan
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:
Joyce – Surgery July 29 @ 2pm – successful – keep praying for complete recovery
Charlie Carlisle – recovering at home now following various elements
Donny Clark – hospitalized for stroke – Anne – overseeing his care
Beverly Tatum – Fall, injured shoulder, Howard Tatum – cancer Treatment, caretaking
Kathy – surgeries successful, results benign, please keep praying for full recovery – severe anxiety
Chelsea – baby Baelin was born last week and having heart surgery Tuesday August 4th – please keep praying (Baby heart issues, will need 3 surgeries right after birth, finance problems, pray for Zach – Chelea’s husband
Donny – hospitalized due to multiple strokes and inability to speak, pray for David and Anne, family who are helping him in recovery
Betty Davis: stroke, hospitalization and praying for complete recovery
Deborah Johns – heart issues – pray for heart strength & strong blood oxygen levels for surgery
Ben Hancock – treatment for colon cancer
Rev. Geordie: needs prayer for medical issues
Debbie Grimes: colon cancer – surgery
Man, who is a friend of many – Brain Cancer
Bobby Effinger – recovery from heart surgery and ongoing heart issues
Joseph Broddie – recurring throat cancer
David Williams – serious cardiac issues – pray for David and wife Sherie for coping with changes
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.
USA – Leaders, citizens, military, first responders – President Trump & all Cabinet Members Safety
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Dennis Potrikus – fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab
Dave – COPD – new diagnosis of Diabetes type 2 – learning curve
Mary Lou – strength for downsizing life-long home and moving
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, Harper-IBS,
Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –multiple myeloma,
Alicia-caregiver, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer, Malou –
cancer, Janice, Katie, Bobby, Myra Cox, Faye, Miller, Diane, Alice, Yves
Mera, Lucile, Ryan, Steven, Rency, Jack & Karen, David, Brannon, Kristen, Donna, Camella
Points to Ponder:
Mercy Trumps Law
Bishop Jerry Ogles
