Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

  

Rev Jack's sermon is available on video RIGHT HERE.

 

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion, Descanso, California

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

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… keep thy Church and household continually in thy true religion; that they who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power …

 

In the Collect, we are asking God to keep His People (that is US) in line with His Wishes, not our own, so we might be defended by Him.  We cannot expect Him to defend us from the slings and arrows of this world if we will not line up behind Him.  This is a pretty simple concept, but one that escapes so many.   We find God being blamed by people who do what they want, not what He wants them to do. 

 

The truth of the matter is that the blame rather lies within us. We are the cause of all our problem due to our inherent sinful fallen nature.  We are asking for His Help and intervention in our lives, that we might be cured of this dreadful sickness known as Sin. It is not a surprise a lot of Jesus's miracles were healing of various long suffering people with sickness. In a way, they are allegorical, in that He heals us of our sins, as He healed them of their physical sickness. His miracles shows us He will heal our terminal condition known as Sin, if we will but let Him into our heart. The key word here is let into our hearts. We have to be ready, willing and able to receive Him into our hearts that we might have a transformation of our hearts, souls and minds.

 

Paul reminds us that God wants us to treat others as we would be treated; having “a heart of compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another…” Paul says these are qualities we must have if we are truly the elect (chosen) of God. These qualities all follow the summary of the law that Jesus gave us, Love God and Love your neighbor as thyself. If we do not have these qualities, how can we be called the chosen of God?

 

Our ultimate example to follow is that of Jesus. He forgave us, stood in our place, accounted us (who are guilty of capital crimes) as perfect.  Yet, we want to hold a grudge against someone for leaving us alone a few minutes too long.  How is that right?

 

In addition to being forgiving, we are to be sharing of His Word and joyful while doing it!  Let us think about Psalm 100, the Jubilate Deo:

 

O

 BE joyful in the Lord, all ye lands: * serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. 

Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; * we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; * be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. 

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting; * and his truth endureth from generation to generation. 

 

Does this psalm not give a lot of insight into how we are to live our lives?

 

We learn from this psalm that we are to be a joyful people giving thanks to the Lord always. We have to always remember that it is He that created us and not us, we are not self-made men. We are God created men and it would do us well to always remember that. 

 

Paul calls for us to let the Peace of God that passes all understanding, enter into our hearts to transform our hearts, souls and minds becoming the men and women of Christ that God would have us be. We have to of our own free will choose this for ourselves. God is not going to choose it for us. He will not force us to take this action. We have to take action and let Him into our hearts. 

 

So, what if we choose not to live our lives God’s Way, but rather our way? The Gospel covers this very subject.  Did you ever notice that weeds normally flourish far above the crop plants?  While they oft succeed in growing taller and quicker, they are not useful.  A wise farmer will let them abide in the field and separate them out at the harvest. God is that wise farmer, who will sift us out before His judgment seat. He knows that there will be folks who may not be receptive right now but will have major events that will change their perspective. If they were cut out of the field before then, the would not make it to heaven for sure. God knows there will be folks like this, that is why He patiently waits for them. The weeds are an allegory to the people who choose not to follow God’s way. They may seem to flourish in the short run, but in the long run they will not prosper. Let this be a lesson for us, lest we might have some misplaced envy of these folks. In the end we will be the happier for choosing to follow God. This is what Jesus is referring to in the Gospel. God is that farmer who will patiently wait until the end days to make that final determination. 

 

Let us not wait for that final determination to note we were on the wrong course all along.  So, while we still have time, let us repent and turn back to Him and give thanks for His mercy! Jesus reminds us that our lives here on earth can be that way.  Those who follow the Prince of this World oft soar in earthly riches far above us, but when their time here is done, their destination is not the same as ours. In the end we shall be soaring high above them in Heaven, while they will be in the Pit.

 

Follow God’s will and you will do well enough in earthly riches, which are transient in nature, but we will have for …ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.  (St. Matt. vi. 19, 20)

 

It is our actions here that count, what we do in response to the eternal life Jesus has given us.  Will we throw it away or use it wisely?

 

Error is error, wrong is not right.  But, a person’s final destination is up to God, not us. It is not upon us to decide the final destination for people. That is God’s job. But our job is to be good ambassadors for Him, guiding and leading people to Him and not away from Him. 

 

During the journey of life through the time space continuum, we need to do our best to keep ourselves and those around us moving towards God, not away from Him.  The direction is always clear, sometimes we just do not want to read the signs. So, let us trust and turn to God, our infallible navigator, if we will but listen to Him and act upon his instructions we shall navigate through every storm and trial in our lives with the least pain.

 

If we understand we are less than perfect, actually far less than imperfect, we have a good start.  We need God in our lives to give us direction.  We need His guidance to direct our ACTION.

 

Read the Bible, find out what He wants you to do, then Do It.  What can you do today to carry out His Will?  There are a multitude of things you can DO to carry out His Will, but the question is, “Will you?”

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

Does Christ offend you? – 5 February 2022, Anno Domini

 

 

M

ANY therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. (John 6:60-71)

 

     We live in a day in which folks are overly cautious not to offend anyone even if it means offending those who stand on biblical principles. In the name of political correctness, those who have historically sought to silence the voices of the righteous are gaining a wide audience. It is, of course, a shallow sham for there is an ideology behind that approach that is as old as the Serpent of the Garden. The example we have today is of the disciples themselves being ‘offended’ at the Words of Christ.

 

     Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? That is, when they heard Jesus say that He is the Bread of Life that comes down from Heaven indicating His Deity. They did not confront Jesus openly but murmured among themselves. Every time the Church takes on a grand enterprise, you can count on many murmurers to begin finding private fault behind the backs of those who are doing all of the work. These men would believe in miraculous healing and other wonders that only God could perform, but not the very Person of Christ. Many churches today are as the seven women in Isaiah 4 – And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. (Isaiah 4:1) These churches do not want to eat the Bread of Heaven but they wish to eat their own decaying bread. they do not desire the Robe of Righteousness which Christ offers, but their own rags of filth; but they desire only to be called by His Name (nominal Christians) so that they may gain favor of men and respectability.

 

     When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. Please note that Christ tells us that it is His very Words (plural) are spirit at giving life. This means that every Word of Christ is priceless. Unlike the corrupt translations of the Bible that suggest verbal equivalence (the big idea), it is the very individual words that give life. He says, What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend…… Jesus already knew those who were faithful believers and those who were not. Some would NOT see Him ascend up for they would turn away, unable to accept the truth of the Gospel. It is the Spirit of God that gives life (quickened). A human body without the spirit is a dead body. Have you noticed the walking dead among us? They have no life because they have not the Spirit of God to quicken them. They are the dead who remain in trespasses and sins. (Eph 2:1-3)

 

     For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. Do you honestly believe that Christ could not know the hearts of men other than only those standing by at this moment? He knows you heart and mine now – He knows the hearts and minds of all who are born into this world. He also knew that there stood one among them who would do more than simply walk away. That man, Judas, would actually remain among them seeking the most opportune moment to betray Christ and make a profit in the process. Though the works of evil are never in accordance with the will of God, He will use this evil traitor to bring about His redemption of mankind.  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matt 18:7) Woe unto Judas for it were better for him than that he was ever born. This should dispel the old heretical argument that Judas had no choice in his evil betrayal.

 

     And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  Are you the first and only Christian whoever came of his own volition to Christ, or were you drawn by the Holy Ghost? ‘NO MAN pretty much covers the gamut, doesn’t it? Even many of those faithless disciples standing by with their heels turned to go had come to Christ; they were not drawn by the Holy Ghost but for other diverse reasons. You may make a show of coming to Christ, but you cannot come when your heart is left behind. Only those blessed to be granted the privilege by the Father can come to the Son.

 

     From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Suppose we decided to have a great patriotic war. We send out the heralds pleading for heroes to join the ranks. They come in droves seeking the shiny buttoned uniforms, flashy epaulets, glistening sabers, and glossy boots. They appear such fine specimens of soldiery, but when the clarion call to battle sounds forth, the greater number of these ninety-day wonders head for the nearest cover. They were soldiers in name only. So are those who flock to Christ and His Church in fair weather and head for cover at the first sign of trials and tribulations. It is one thing to look like a soldier and quite another to perform like a soldier. What a sad conclusion to these faithless disciples: …and walked no more with him! Down the shadows of time and eternity, these disciples never again will walk with the Lord. Their fate was decided on a dime!

 

     Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? I believe Christ stands in the midst of every compromising circumstance peering deeply into your heart and mine and asks the same question: ‘Will you be bold for Christ, or will you, too, go away?’ When the angry mobs of political correctness and social decadence scream, ‘Enough, away with Christ!’  where have you stood and where do you stand today. Has Christmas become Winter Break; Easter – Spring Break; or Thanksgiving – Turkey Day for you. Have you abided the offenses? Or have you stood bold in redressing every offense against Christ?

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

 

The Propers for today are found on Page 115-118, with the Collect first:

 

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany.

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy Church and household continually in thy true religion; that they who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

The Epistle for today came from the Third Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians beginning at the Twelfth Verse: 

 

P

UT on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

 

The Holy Gospel for this morning came from the Thirteenth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew beginning at the Twenty-Fourth Verse. 

 

T

HE kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

 

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion, Descanso, California

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

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… keep thy Church and household continually in thy true religion; that they who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power …

 

In the Collect, we are asking God to keep His People (that is US) in line with His Wishes, not our own, so we might be defended by Him.  We cannot expect Him to defend us from the slings and arrows of this world if we will not line up behind Him.  This is a pretty simple concept, but one that escapes so many.   We find God being blamed by people who do what they want, not what He wants them to do. 

 

The truth of the matter is that the blame rather lies within us. We are the cause of all our problem due to our inherent sinful fallen nature.  We are asking for His Help and intervention in our lives, that we might be cured of this dreadful sickness known as Sin. It is not a surprise a lot of Jesus's miracles were healing of various long suffering people with sickness. In a way, they are allegorical, in that He heals us of our sins, as He healed them of their physical sickness. His miracles shows us He will heal our terminal condition known as Sin, if we will but let Him into our heart. The key word here is let into our hearts. We have to be ready, willing and able to receive Him into our hearts that we might have a transformation of our hearts, souls and minds.

 

Paul reminds us that God wants us to treat others as we would be treated; having “a heart of compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another…” Paul says these are qualities we must have if we are truly the elect (chosen) of God. These qualities all follow the summary of the law that Jesus gave us, Love God and Love your neighbor as thyself. If we do not have these qualities, how can we be called the chosen of God?

 

Our ultimate example to follow is that of Jesus. He forgave us, stood in our place, accounted us (who are guilty of capital crimes) as perfect.  Yet, we want to hold a grudge against someone for leaving us alone a few minutes too long.  How is that right?

 

In addition to being forgiving, we are to be sharing of His Word and joyful while doing it!  Let us think about Psalm 100, the Jubilate Deo:

 

O

 BE joyful in the Lord, all ye lands: * serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. 

Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; * we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; * be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. 

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting; * and his truth endureth from generation to generation. 

 

Does this psalm not give a lot of insight into how we are to live our lives?

 

We learn from this psalm that we are to be a joyful people giving thanks to the Lord always. We have to always remember that it is He that created us and not us, we are not self-made men. We are God created men and it would do us well to always remember that. 

 

Paul calls for us to let the Peace of God that passes all understanding, enter into our hearts to transform our hearts, souls and minds becoming the men and women of Christ that God would have us be. We have to of our own free will choose this for ourselves. God is not going to choose it for us. He will not force us to take this action. We have to take action and let Him into our hearts. 

 

So, what if we choose not to live our lives God’s Way, but rather our way? The Gospel covers this very subject.  Did you ever notice that weeds normally flourish far above the crop plants?  While they oft succeed in growing taller and quicker, they are not useful.  A wise farmer will let them abide in the field and separate them out at the harvest. God is that wise farmer, who will sift us out before His judgment seat. He knows that there will be folks who may not be receptive right now but will have major events that will change their perspective. If they were cut out of the field before then, the would not make it to heaven for sure. God knows there will be folks like this, that is why He patiently waits for them. The weeds are an allegory to the people who choose not to follow God’s way. They may seem to flourish in the short run, but in the long run they will not prosper. Let this be a lesson for us, lest we might have some misplaced envy of these folks. In the end we will be the happier for choosing to follow God. This is what Jesus is referring to in the Gospel. God is that farmer who will patiently wait until the end days to make that final determination. 

 

Let us not wait for that final determination to note we were on the wrong course all along.  So, while we still have time, let us repent and turn back to Him and give thanks for His mercy! Jesus reminds us that our lives here on earth can be that way.  Those who follow the Prince of this World oft soar in earthly riches far above us, but when their time here is done, their destination is not the same as ours. In the end we shall be soaring high above them in Heaven, while they will be in the Pit.

 

Follow God’s will and you will do well enough in earthly riches, which are transient in nature, but we will have for …ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.  (St. Matt. vi. 19, 20)

 

It is our actions here that count, what we do in response to the eternal life Jesus has given us.  Will we throw it away or use it wisely?

 

Error is error, wrong is not right.  But, a person’s final destination is up to God, not us. It is not upon us to decide the final destination for people. That is God’s job. But our job is to be good ambassadors for Him, guiding and leading people to Him and not away from Him. 

 

During the journey of life through the time space continuum, we need to do our best to keep ourselves and those around us moving towards God, not away from Him.  The direction is always clear, sometimes we just do not want to read the signs. So, let us trust and turn to God, our infallible navigator, if we will but listen to Him and act upon his instructions we shall navigate through every storm and trial in our lives with the least pain.

 

If we understand we are less than perfect, actually far less than imperfect, we have a good start.  We need God in our lives to give us direction.  We need His guidance to direct our ACTION.

 

Read the Bible, find out what He wants you to do, then Do It.  What can you do today to carry out His Will?  There are a multitude of things you can DO to carry out His Will, but the question is, “Will you?”

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

Christ stopped at Eboli – 4 February 2022, Anno Domini

A

ND Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

 

            The title of this devotion may seem strange to some; however, it is taken from the cover of a book by the same title written by Carlo Levi (1947)[1] describing his exile in a little known hamlet of a remote province Lucania in southern Italy where he spent his young years for defying the fascism of Benito Mussolini. This province in southern Italy is quite desolate and not very well known by even the people of Italy. It is remotely secluded among the white and mountainous clay remains of a formerly forested landscape. It is the story of the authors experiences and observations of the village of Gagliano, a settlement where the rough and unsurfaced road from Eboli ends – a resort of people of such doleful insignificance and moral depravity that, in the author’s eyes, even Christ would not visit. In fact, the people of Gagliano were so hopeless as to claim that ‘Christ stopped at Eboli.’

 

            Levi describes with depressing objectivity the plight of these people. He sees clearly beneath the surface the pains and hurt of a people who have been the outcasts of society and of civil concourse for centuries – even the Romans bypassed this region. His descriptions move the heart with pity for the people, but Levi never offers a solution to their forlorn hopes. He makes many allusions to the Christian observances in other districts but never applies them to the people of Gagliano. I loved reading the story on cold winter days while living in the high desert of Iran for many villages there were of like circumstance – villages such as Najaf-Abad, Varzaneh, Delijon, etc. Life in these villages is as primitive as the years before Christ. Their dark and Christless religion is testimony of their depravity.

 

            Though I enjoyed the book, the author was remiss in identifying the problems but avoiding any mention of solution. Of course, every reader of this devotion will immediately recognize the only truly uplifting answer that would offer an efficacious solution to that grinding poverty and depression of Gagliano – the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! In this, the author is wrong to point out the need and not the solution!

 

            Christ stops at no manmade or artificial boundary. Such boundaries of man are porous walls to the Gospel which penetrates every barrier and is made available to every shade and shadow of mankind. Christ did not hesitate to make His journey to the hell-bound village of Sychar and changed its character into one of hope and Christian promise. He did not stop at the Phoenicia or the shores of the Mediterranean, but His Word and Gospel spread like a raging fire to Asia Minor, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and even through the dreaded walls of the Iron Curtain.

 

            The Gospel of Jesus Christ is very much like an ever-flowing River of Life. Though its force may be dammed by manmade political considerations, its waters continue to flow until even the dam is overwhelmed by the relentlessly cascading and abundant flood of waters. And the barriers that fail to resist this River’s surge are not only geographical but spiritual as well. 

 

            Steeped in guilt and sorrow, the Woman at Sychar’s Well was lifted from her depression of sin and hopelessness to the very heights of the Mountain of God by the faith she found in Christ. Likewise, the Syrophoenician widow whose daughter was made whole at the hand of our Lord found no barrier of race or nativity to the healing arts of the Great Physician. (Mark 7:24-30) Religious barriers as well fall in ruins before the shore batteries of the Lord as revealed in the night visitor, Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee who found faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and never again sought Him under cover of darkness, but openly and in defiance of the threats of the Jewish rulers. 

 

            There is hope for the villagers of Gagliano just as there was for Sychar. The Gospel of Christ can make new the battered walls of that village and the primitive instincts of the residents thereof. But, firstly, the people need to hear the Word preached, believe and repent, and then find hope that has lain dead for all these centuries on her weather-worn streets and by-ways. Christ did not stop at Eboli, and neither has He stopped at the borders of any forsaken land. Our Lord loudly proclaims, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?    (John 11:25-26) That faith must be exercised while life remains and not after the last curtain.

---

[1] https://smile.amazon.com/Christ-Stopped-Eboli-Story-Classics/dp/0374530092/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W62AY1UZKKBE&keywords=Christ+stopped+at+Eboli&qid=1644109133&sprefix=christ+stopped+at+eboli+%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1

First Born – 3 February 2022, Anno Domini

 

A

LSO I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.     (Psalm 89:27-29)

 

G

IVING thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence    (Col 1:12-18)

 

            I have written before of the order of descent of the first and second-born child. In the biblical and cultural context of Israel, the distinction between the firstborn, and succeeding children born to a father, are profound. Adam was the first man – not born, but created. He is the federal head of all creatures of the flesh. By the sin of Adam came death upon all living. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the second Adam (man) by whom all who are born into life eternal are begotten by means of adoption into the family of God. We will discuss that point more later.

 

            Eve gave birth first to Cain – a man of sin – and then righteous Abel. By legal right, the blessing favors the firstborn, but in the realm of the spiritual, we find the second son to be the one favored by God. Abraham had two sons – the firstborn was Ishmael, the second-born, Isaac. Ishmael was not the child of promise. He was born contrary to the promise of God and, therefore, discounted as an heir of the promise. Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  (Gen 22:2)

 

Isaac had two sons – Esau and Jacob. Esau was carnal and irreverent. He traded his birthright away lightly for a bowl of red porridge. Jacob was the one upon whom the blessing of the father fell. The Old Testament Church provided the line of descent for the promises of God through the second son: 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matt 22:31-32)Interesting precision in this statement But as touching the resurrection. We of faith, in our first estate under the fallen blood of Adam, perish; but when born anew in Christ, we are new creatures in the adoption and election of God. 

 

            Now, as stated earlier, let us examine the second man, Adam. This was the Son of righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. 44 There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.  (1 Cor 15:44-49)

 

            We are born into this world with the likeness of our fleshly father, Adam. We are born anew into the spiritual likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord, like Isaac (born miraculously by the Promise of God), was raised as the firstborn of God the Father in the resurrection. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)This refers to the Lord as the firstborn of all who inherit eternal life in Christ, not the first man, Adam, by whom many remain lost to the tender mercies of God. (see also Colossians 1:12-23, Hebrews 12:23, & Revelations 1:5 for further distinction). We all of faith have been reborn into newness of life as the adopted of the Lord. 

 

The Glass Mirror – 2 February 2022, Anno Domini

 

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OR now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.     (1 Cor 13:12)

 

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UT we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.     (2 Cor 3:18)

 

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UT be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.  (James 1:22-25)

 

            How often do we sneak a peek in the mirrors of our home to be sure that our outward appearance is proper for meeting the daily venue of friends and strangers? In the tale of Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, the evil Queen, jealous of her beauty, would look into her magic mirror with the entreaty, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who in this land is the fairest of them all?  The mirror would always respond, You, my Queen, are fairest of all. Whether intended or not, this fairy tale is an illustration of the Church under Law versus the Church under Grace. The evil Queen, in her outward beauty, is much like the Pharisaic religion that our Lord encountered compared to the true Church under Grace depicted by Snow White whose beauty was not simply superficial, but sincerity of the heart. 

 

The day came when the evil Queen looked in that mirror with her query and got an answer she could not abide: You, my Queen, are the fairest here, it is true; But Little Snow White is still a thousand times fairer than you. This statement aroused murderous jealousy in the heart of the old Queen much like that exhibited by the Jewish rulers toward Christ and His Church. Those who were trying to justify themselves under the terms of the law, and works of what they considered righteousness, were painted sepulchres of dead men’s bones decorated as gleaming white without and full of darkness and death within.

 

We need a looking glass that reveals more than the outward appearance to our mind’s eye. Almost every home in America is equipped with such a looking glass. It is the Holy Bible. The more we look into that glass the less darkly is the vision reflected, but we need to focus on that glass with unrelenting concentration. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) Like an amateur artist concentrating on a masterpiece he is copying, every tiny detail is important. The whole of the work is consumed in awe and admiration. The same is true of the Christian believer looking into the Word of God. The greater measure of it with which we fill our hearts, the more we will reflect the image presented therein.

 

When I peer into that Looking Glass of God’s Word, I see two images – one of myself, and the other of Christ. I see myself in Cain when my hate and jealousy is aroused for another. I see myself in Esau who traded off his inheritance in God to satisfy a temporary and worldly hunger. I see myself in Lot when I choose the attractions of the world over those of the Kingdom of God. I see myself in David when I attempt to cover one sin by another of greater gravity. I see myself in Judas when I betray the Lord by my selling Him out for the benefits of social acceptance or politics. For that image I see of myself in Scripture, there is no hope of salvation. But when I see the Woman taken in adultery, or the Woman at the Well, or Saul on the Damascus Road, I see an altogether different image. I see the Lord Jesus Christ and His grace and mercy. I see redeeming forgiveness and salvation for that other image. I see Barabbas set free from the prison of the soul and grieving Peter beholding the risen Savior on the shores of Galilee. I see a crude wooden cross on the brow of Calvary and the One who knew no sin dying with the burdens of my own sin there.

 

The more steadfastly I behold Christ’s image, contrasted with my own failures and insufficiency, the more like Him does that image of myself appear. In the process of sanctification through the Word, the two images begin to merge together until, at last on the Last Day, we all of faith shall be like unto Him that died for us. We feed on Christ through His Word. We hide His Word in our hearts that, through our love and His grace, we might not sin against God.

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - Rev Stephen Cooper's Sermon

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

Sermon – Reverend Stephen Cooper - Faith

Fairbanks, Alaska

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

 

The Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany.

The Collect.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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