Worldwide Communion
Tenth Sunday after Trinity
August 9, 2026
Sunday Report
Tenth 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 203-202.
The Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity.
LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epistle for Tenth Sunday after Trinity. 1 Corinthians. xii. 1.
CONCERNING spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The Gospel for Ninth Sunday after Trinity. St. Luke. xix. 41.
AND when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple.
On Point: Divine Guidance
"And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought." Mark 8:23
That was a very gentle thing to do. Let us look very closely at the picture — Jesus is leading a poor blind man along the street. What thoughts does it start in our minds?
The blind man represents each one of us in our sinful state, in the midst of a world of beauty — but seeing nothing; groping in the gloom, unable to find the way alone; doomed to perish forever in the darkness — unless someone takes us by the hand and leads us.
As Jesus came to this man in his blindness — so He comes to each one of His people, taking us by the hand and be our guide, to lead us, through the gloom and the dangers — home to eternal glory. We can never stumble in the darkness — if He leads us.
The blind man entrusting himself to be led by this stranger, without fear or questioning, and quietly and confidingly going with Him — is a picture of what true faith in Christ always does. It is in this way, that we are to commit ourselves to Christ. It is not enough to lay our sins on Him; we must entrust our whole life to His wise and loving guidance. We can never find the way ourselves in this world's intricate paths — but we may entrust ourselves with unquestioning confidence, to Christ's leading.
Ther Transfiguration of Jesus Christ – Aug. 6th
The Collect
O GOD, who on the mount didst reveal to chosen witnesses thine only-begotten Son wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistering;
Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may be permitted to behold the King in his beauty, who with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Epistle. 2 St. Peter i. 13.
I THINK it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
The Gospel. St. Luke ix. 28.
AND it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jeru-salem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
1928 Common Book of Prayer
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
Video Sermon Summary: Ninth Sunday after Trinity
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/08/youtube-video-player.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEcFiz_mlwo
Video Devotion: Transfiguration Day
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/08/youtube-video-player_01223518090.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T31dDU2MZhs
Video Poem Devotion: The Return to Old Scenes
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/08/youtube-video-player_0179669815.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z2JqnhGOBc&t=6s
Solus Christus - Part Two
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” (John 6:32-33) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:47-51)
Bread of Heaven and Bread of Life! That sums up the gift of Christ in salvation to us; and not only salvation, but a joyful and victory-filled life in Him as we consume, and digest, that Bread of Heaven. The wilderness church subsisted on Manna from Heaven, too, but it was a bodily sustenance that Manna provided. It was their diet alone just as Christ is our Bread alone! When there was no other source of food in the Wilderness, God sent them Manna from Heaven that typified that better Manna that was to come. For the Lord’s elect, there is no other spiritual nourishment than that of our Lord Jesus Christ that can grant life eternal. He alone can save. He alone died for the remission of our sins. He alone rose from the grave and up to His Father in Heaven to intercede on our behalf – alone!
Not only did the Manna typify our Lord, but also that great Rock on the Mountain of the Lord (Horeb) which cleft for us to provide the Water essential for life in a dry and barren land. Jesus Christ was cleft for us on the cross by the Centurion’s spear. The Mountain of God at Horeb symbolized mercy in granting water to the people. It stands just before Mount Sinai (also called the Mountain of God). Horeb represents mercy whereas Sinai represented the Law. Horeb came before Sinai, therefore mercy trumps Law.
Since there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood (see Hebrews 9:22), the Children of Israel had no hope of surviving the last curse in Egypt without the blood of the lamb to cover their dwellings. That lamb symbolizes the Lamb of God, sacrificed for us before the Foundation of the world. (see Revelation 13:8). That first Passover in Goshen shadows that great Passover which Jesus became for us. (see 1 Corinthians 5:7)
Despite the helpless predicament of Israel, penned in the marshes of the Red Sea with the Sea on the east and Pharaoh’s pursuing army on the West, God both followed and led the Children to victory across the dry bed of the Sea. His Pillar of Cloud by Day and fire by Night was alone their protection. “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” (Exodus 14:19-20) The intelligence officer of Pharaoh’s army must have been a real idiot not to be impressed by the powerful force that had thus far protected Israel. How could Pharaoh, knowing of all that God had done to preserve Israel, believe that His Mighty Hand would fail in the bed of the sea! He pursued with his multitudinous army. That great Power that preserved Israel was the same which spelled doom for Egypt: “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of
Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.” (Exodus 14:24-28)
The absurdity of Israel’s doubt that God would preserve them under every challenge is, to us, immeasurable, but, remember we are looking back on the accomplished event. They were forced to proceed on faith in the Lord alone! No man had ever witnessed or even imagined such miracles up to that time. Neither could the disciples imagine the events of the crucifixion and resurrection though they had been told by the Lord.
A NEAR PERFECT PICTURE OF CHRIST:
“And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” (Numbers 21:4-9)
You may wonder how the serpent is a type of Christ – it is not precisely so. The serpent represents the sins of each of us that Christ took upon Himself on the cross. But the serpent (the very thing that represented the sins of Israel) being nailed to a pole does foreshadow the crucifixion of Christ on the cross in remission of our own sin. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15) We are all bitten by that old Serpent of the Garden and infected with deadly sin. Looking to the crucified Christ on the cross as our Savior, Redeemer, and Lord, we too are healed of the deadly wage of sin which is death.
As promised to Abraham, and all who believed the Promise made to Abraham, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:4-7) It is important to note that all who are the elect of Christ are sons and daughters. This gives lie to the NIV, ESV, and others that make the deceptive translation of John 3:16 to read, “one and only son” instead of “Only Begotten Son.” Christ is the natural offspring and very substance of the Father whereas we are sons and daughters by adoption.
On the lonely, moonlit hills overlooking tiny Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago, the great Angel and his cohorts appeared to lonely shepherds “. . . keeping watch over their flocks by night.” (Luke 2:8) The Angel did not appear in the halls of power in Jerusalem, but rather to these simple shepherds. The Promised Seed of all time and eternity had been born of Mary in the small hamlet mentioned below. The sleepy village itself was oblivious to the epochal event as are many today. But no such marvelous thing had ever happened in Bethlehem, or any other place on earth, to compare with that which had occurred on that wintry night. God does not ask for a resume before He calls a soul to His heart. He does not single out the wealthy, the prominent, or the strong; but men of simple hearts and humble disposition. He neither excludes the rich and powerful – but these usually are less likely to recognize their depravity and need for Christ - much like the rich young ruler.
Though our Lord came to us as a gentle Baby at Bethlehem, and traversed the land healing, teaching and resurrecting the dead; He shall come again with Power and Great Glory to judge the world. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31)
At that moment, there will be “no loving the sinner and hating the sin.” The character of all will be sealed at that split-second of time. He comes with Great Power for no reason. He will wield that power against the wicked who have not only denied Him, but persecuted those who believe. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.” (Revelations 19:11-18)
I realize that these two chapters on Solus Christus fall far short of the beauty and glory necessary to adequately expound upon the glory of Christ Alone. But the Holy Bible does, indeed, possess that exposition in full beauty and truth. My only hope for success of this booklet is that it will inspire a curiosity in the heart of the reader to diligently study, learn and digest the beauty available through the pages of the Book of Books.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church -Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Morning Prayer – Tenth Sunday after trinity
Psalm: 15, 46; First lesson: Isaiah 44:1-8, 21-23; Second lesson: Romans 12:1 – 9
LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymns # 562, 578, 609
Holiness
The overarching theme of our scripture is holiness.
1.Who can live with the Lord? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
2.Why is the Lord holy? Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. God is exalted in all the earth, He is the creator of all, therefore He is holy.
3.What hope do we have in the Lord? The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Even in times of chaos and tumult, God is our safety, our refuge, He protects us from all spiritual damage.
Early church Fathers understood, especially from the writings of Leviticus and Deuteronomy that man had a severe flaw, a fatal flaw; he was filled with sin from his birth and needed outside help to overcome that sin. This condition is known as total depravity.
The psalmist wrote many times about the good man who avoided or fled evil (sin) and in this way was worshiping the Lord. Many passages of both Old and New Testament writings speak of the overall sinfulness of man. So how do we get out of this ?
The simple outline found in Psalm 15 guides us to seek holiness, to seek the Lord, to live at peace with our neighbors, and in doing these things he will not be shaken.
A. Be blameless and do what is right. Walk according to the precepts we learn from the Ten Commandments. By reading and understanding how the Lord worked amongst a wicked people gives us the examples of how we should conduct ourselves in our daily lives. The very Word of God is our guide in these most uncertain times. We should always study the Word and apply it to our daily journey through this hell scape created by the evil one. Satan will always try to foul us up and create uncertainty in our lives; go to the Word, go to the Lord, seek Him always.
B. Speak the truth and do not slander others. You don’t have to say anything about someone else, their behavior will reveal what character flaws and possible evil that they may exhibit. You don’t have to report, their lives will do all the talking. That is what is implied by this passage, in that if you speak the truth and do not slander others, you will reveal your Lord in your actions.
C. Avoid evil. Now you may despise a vile man, one who purposely seeks out evil and does evil to others, but this despising is to keep you away from that influence, not to drag you down to his level. And at the same time as you despise one who is vile, you should also honor won who fears or has great respect for the Lord God Almighty. This one who fears and honors the Lord, keeping his oath even if it hurts, they are the one to look up to, because they are doing the right thing.
D. Be generous. Interesting, this instruction is all about money, or funds. The person, who fears the Lord, lends his money without usury. Usury, a misunderstood word. It means that you can lend money without charging too much interest, not interest free. In the middle ages the interpretation was that no interest could be changed for lending money, if you were a Christian. So monarchs and the church went to the Jewish population and borrowed money, because the Jews could charge interest. But we are getting off track here, back to the outline. The other side of this good man, one who feared the Lord, did not do usury and even more importantly, did not take bribes to “bear false witness against the innocent”.
What is the benefit of doing all this that David wrote in Psalm 15? “He who doeth these things will never be moved.” The very sure foundation of our Lord God, our creator, our help, our sure way in the wilderness, He will keep us from being moved.
Bridges falling down, mine disasters, drought, floods, terror threats on a daily basis, all these things can move an ordinary person. But a person at peace, a person who is in love and concord with his neighbor, a person who is honest, a person who is kind, a person who stays away from evil and yet does what is right, he will not be moved. All these terrible things can happen, they will continue until Jesus comes again in His Glory to claim his Kingdom, but in the meantime, we can stand up and not be shaken if we follow the simple outline of Psalm 15.
I leave you with a quote from our other Psalter reading, Ps 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
Let us pray:
O LORD our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be ministered unto, but to minister; We beseech thee to bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of their fellow men. Endue them with wisdom, patience, and courage, that they may strengthen the weak and raise up those who fall; and, being inspired by thy love, may worthily minister in thy Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the sake of him who laid down his life for us, the same thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; We beseech thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
IN Christ alone during Trinity
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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 Tenth Sunday after Trinity:
In our epistle lesson for today (Romans 12:6; and see also I Corinthians 12:11) the apostle Paul informs us that our spiritual gifts are to be used for edifying those within the body of Christ, while serving as a beacon to those without that they too might be motivated to enter into the fold of Christ. Additionally, in his first epistle to the Corinthian church (12:4-11) the apostle reminded us that: ... there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit... dividing to every man severally as he will. And St. Peter was given of the Holy Ghost to write on this same subject (I St. Peter 4:10) that: As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. The Rev. Matthew Henry also penned the following which is apropos, “...that whatever gift, ordinary or extraordinary, whatever power, ability, or capacity of doing good is given to us, we should minister or do service with the same one to another. The talents we are entrusted with are our Lord’s goods... It is required in a steward that he be found faithful.”
Consider also the variety of spiritual gifts which the Holy Ghost imparts to believers as noted in I Corinthians 12. We have, the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge, (v.8); faith, and the gifts of healing; (v.9); the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues (v.10). It is not uncommon for some Christians to have more than one of these gifts. Yet regardless of the number they have received, the purpose of these gifts is in the furtherance of the gospel of truth in this sin darkened world. The Rev. Matthew Henry carefully examined each one, so let us look at them in the light of his study.
The word of wisdom refers to “a knowledge of the mysteries of the gospel and [the] ability to explain them, an exact understanding of the design, nature, and doctrines of the Christian faith.” St. Stephen was given to proclaim the truth of Christ Jesus to the temple authorities who were cut to the heart (Acts 7:54) on account of the words which the Holy Ghost gave to him. It does not take a seminary-trained leader to receive such from God. The Holy Spirit puts a zeal for the study of God’s word into select believers for the express purpose of teaching others.
The word of knowledge has to do with the “knowledge of mysteries wrapped up in the prophecies, types, and histories of the Old Testament. Others say [it is] a readiness to give advice and counsel in perplexed cases.” While this gift is similar to the previous one, there is a difference in application. This one seems to focus on the gathering or receiving of knowledge as well as its delivery to others. In order to be wise in the faith, one must possess a knowledge of it. The third is faith which refers to “the faith of miracles, or... in divine power and promise by which they were enabled to trust God in any emergency, go on in the way of their duty, and acknowledge and profess the truths of Christ [regardless of] the difficulty or danger.” This is the one gift which all born-again Christians must have because without faith we cannot come to that saving understanding of Christ. We must believe that God can work miracles, that he can exercise his divine sovereignty in matters related to this world because he is the Creator and Maker of all things both visible and invisible. St. Paul noted in Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. To quote Matthew Henry another time with regard to this passage: “Faith demonstrates to the eye of the mind the reality of those things that cannot be discerned by the eye of the body.” To be a Christian— a true and faithful Christian— you must have the gift of faith.
The fourth, the gifts of healing has to do with “the healing of the sick, either by laying on of hands, anointing with oil, or with a word.” St. James noted in his epistle: Is there any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he hath committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. How often this gift has been misused and in turn been made a mock of by “worldlings” who have witnessed the hocus pocus show of charlatans who pass themselves off as servants of the Most High. They promise healing to broad gatherings and then because no one is healed the unbelieving critics heap ridicule on all believers. Yes, healing is possible. We know that because we have faith in God’s word written wherein it says healings can be had. But all has to conform to God’s plan and purpose. There were many righteous people in the Bible who were never healed of their ailments. But this does not disqualify the gift of healing, rendering it fraudulent. We ought to follow the directions as found in St. James’ epistle, then leave the rest to God in the firm belief that God can heal if he so wills to do.
The fifth, the working of miracles refers to “the efficacies of powers, such as raising the dead, restoring the blind to sight, giving speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, and use of limbs to the lame.” We know that at any time, God can do these sorts of things for it is part and parcel of his sovereign authority in all areas of life and death. If he should so empower one or more members of the church to carry out such works, then those who are so empowered ought to exercise that gift with much reverence and humility: not for gain or for fulfilling the desires of flesh, but for the glory of God.
The sixth is prophecy and is described as “the ability to foretell future events... or to explain scripture...” Prophesying remains a controversial subject. Still, nothing in any prophecy offered by one supposedly under the influence of the Holy Ghost will be at variance with Scripture. This will require discernment on the part of the one uttering the prophecy, as well as on the part of the listener. God calls his own in different ways and we must not discount any prophetic communication without first being Bereans in our studies of the word. But study we must, for if we will not, we may end up being taken in by one the Devil’s minions.
The seventh is the discerning of spirits which refers to “the power to distinguish between true and false prophets, or to discern the real and internal qualifications of any person for an office, or to discover the inward workings of the mind by the Holy Ghost...” St. Peter was given this in his dealing with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) and with Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:5-25).
The eighth and ninth, which are divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues must be exercised together. While the gospel does contain elements that are enigmatic; nevertheless, its presentation is to be plainly spoken and in a language that all can understand. If the use of tongues is carried out otherwise, the words of God will be rendered of no effect. Ergo, those who do not speak the language being uttered must have an interpreter present to translate. While certain charismatics will use Acts 2:1-11 as the proof text for their practice of speaking in tongues, such is clearly not in line with what took place at Pentecost as there were people from different countries present in Jerusalem to worship, and they each heard the wonderful words of God in their native languages.
Therefore, speaking in an unknown tongue has been and remains largely for the benefit of the unregenerate whom God is calling to himself. That is why St. Paul in I Corinthians 14:1-40 set the specific requirements for speaking in tongues. Matthew Henry once noted that, “The Christian religion is a sober and reasonable thing in itself... and should not be made to look wild or senseless. Those [who do so] disgrace their religion and vilify their own character who do anything that has this aspect... Religious exercises in Christian assemblies should be such as are fit to edify the faithful, and convince, affect, and convert unbelievers. The ministry was not instituted to make ostentation of gifts and parts, but to save souls.” If we are not about that last point, then all else is show and spectacle. We must remember that these gifts were designed to render glory to God. Therefore a proper exercise of these gifts will be to our eternal good. Likewise, we should be cautious in our assumptions of these gifts, especially if we are doing so without godly permission. God will not bless our presumed efforts, and we will find that our exercise of them will be for naught on that day when we will have to give an account to our Lord Jesus Christ regarding their use (St. Matthew 25:14-30). St. Paul’s admonition to the Galatians (6:7) still stands: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap... Let us therefore live in obedience to his word written in all things.
Let us pray,
Father, impart to us a proper knowledge of those spiritual gifts which thou hast given unto us, and then assist us as we utilize them in thy service; for this we ask in the name of him who is giver of every good and perfect gift, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week!
Bryan+
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Transfiguration Marks of the Christian Life Prayer
Transfiguration Sunday – Luke 9:28-36.
This festival of the Church is in all of the Gospels except for John. Our Lord had been saying things to the disciples and then it says in Luke 9, "And ...about eight days after these sayings He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray..."
He had fed the crowd---the miracle of feeding the 5,000. Then he asked the disciples, "Whom say ye that I am?" After Peter got it right, "The Christ of God" He told them, "22The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:22-23)
Then He took them up to the mountain. Have you ever been on top of a mountain? You can get a picture of the whole area. There is a place near my old home in Monterey, CA called Jack's peak, that you can drive up to. It allows you to see the whole Monterey Bay, the Naval Postgraduate School, and even Pebble Beach.
On this Church Festival of the Transfiguration let us go to the mountain to pray with our Lord. We live in a time of hurry and hurry up and wait. It is a time of ignorance of the spiritual truths that we must know if we are to live in this world. We cannot get them from a lot of people. We can get them from the Church, the Bible and of course of our own prayers and prayer time as we focus on what God is asking of us.
We may want to add this as one of the Marks of a Christian, now we have 7. Loyalty, Freedom, Generosity, Patience, Courage and Humility. I would add reflection on God's ways....prayer, meditation and letting God talk to us. So often we tell God what we want, but forget to ask Him, what does He want?
"The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in." C.S. Lewis in sermonillustrations.com
It is possible to live our lives without God but they are not lives that are either pleasing to Him or lives that will lead us to our home in heaven. How often do we pray? Do we pray at all? Prayer slows us down to be able to hear what God is saying to us. Jesus took His disciples up to the mountain to pray.
I. Know the Reality of His presence:
He took them up to the mount. He doesn't leave us by ourselves. Romans 8 gives us the comfort that He does foreknow all things, and He calls us to know that if we love God all things work together for good in our lives, even the disappointments and the heartaches. "…He called, and whom He called, them He also justified, them He also glorified." (Romans 8:30).
The call of God comes to us, and He takes us for His own, justifying us by the blood of His Son. If we have truly responded in faith to that call, then we are assured of His presence.
This is two sides of a coin. If we are those whom the Lord has called, then we will respond in faith. It is God's call, but we respond. John 6:37- "and him who cometh to Me I will on no wise cast out." Matthew 11:28-"Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
What is going on in our lives right now? Can we leave what we are doing to get a greater vision of what is really going on in God's will and Word for us? Someday it will all make sense to us. Along the road we need to know that He does not leave us.
II. Let us be reassured of the beauty of His person.
Luke 9:29, "And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistering" Matthew 17:2 "And was transfigured (metamorpho- changed) before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was as white as the light." He is God's Son. "…This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Hear ye Him." (Matthew 17:5)
Peter said in 2 Peter 1:16 "…but [We] were eyewitnesses of His majesty" and as we have Peter's confession Mt 16 :16, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" reaffirmed in our lives, we too have a rock that God builds into His Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Whom say ye that I am?... Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God! (Matthew 16:15-16)
The Collect
for day encourages us to draw away to know this beauty in our torn world,"
O GOD, who on the mount didst reveal to chosen witnesses thine only-begotten
Son wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistering; Mercifully grant
that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may be permitted
to behold the King in His beauty..."
III. Lastly, let us be reassured of the nearness of His message
Matthew 17:6 "And when the disciples heard it ( the voice of God out of the cloud...), they fell on their face, and were sore afraid." What did Jesus then do? VS 7 says "And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid."
What are you struggling with right now? We as Christians have problems too. Can you imagine how would feel if Jesus touched you? We build up walls to not let people in ...sometimes for good reasons, yet Jesus touches us as our Protector and Lord, and says, " It will be o.k. I am here! Arise , and do not be afraid." And this is a new beginning for us.
Conclusion: Christians are human. They need God's direction and Holy Spirit every day. As we go on this spiritual journey together, we are not going alone. On this mountaintop today, we see Jesus only. He is here. He is the eternal Son of the living God. As Peter said, "we have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."
One of the
marks of a Christian is that He, or she listens to God in prayer. As C S Lewis
reminded us,
The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush
at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it
all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view,
letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in."
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
David D. Mc Millan , Pastor, & Chaplain (Major) US Army, ret.
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:
Donny Clark – hospitalized for stroke – Anne – overseeing his care
Kathy – new tests regarding her eye and the ability to keep one or both – severe anxiety
Baby Baelin – heat surgery was successful they have closed the surgical site and Baelin is still on the ventilator, pray that she may be able to breathe on her own.
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
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, Joyce, Camella, Charlie, Dennis, Beverly and Howard
Points to Ponder:
Mercy Trumps Law
Bishop Jerry Ogles
