Voice from the Cross (Part 4) – 30 September 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

 

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FTER this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:28-30)

 

            The above three simple verses from the Gospel of St. John denote the most astounding and earth-shaking events in all time and eternity. The three verses are profoundly significant, but the last three words of our Lord are the most historically and spiritually extraordinary in all the annals of time. Not only was the gravity of that singular expression of enormous importance for the present state of mankind, but the repercussions it would have on the destiny of the souls of man – past and future – were the most incredible of any event that had ever happened before. It was a shocking event for mankind, but an event predestined by the Father in the Councils of Heaven before the worlds were made. There are no surprises for an omniscient God.

 

            A few years ago, I wrote a devotion describing how the cross, were it possible, divided eternity past and eternity future. Of course, neither eternity past nor future could not be measured in any parts, but that very moment of the Words of Christ on the Cross established the only moment in that span of eternity measurable in an instant of time. One meaning of crux is the critical turning point in an argument. In Latin, crux means cross. The word, excruciating (meaning pain as from the cross), comes from that word for cross. The Cross of our Lord was the decisive point in the salvation plan of God. He was the Pascal Lamb of God symbolized in the lamb whose blood was spread over the lintels and doorposts of Israel in Goshen of Egypt. He was symbolized in the well-beloved only son of Abraham whose sacrificial blood was spared by the bullock whose head was caught in the thorn-bush just as the crown of thorns graced the head of our Lord on the cross – the only crown that should have been ours.

 

            Christ was manifestly aware that all His work of redemption had finally come to fulfillment after hours of inexorable suffering on the cross. All things were accomplished. What all things? Not only was time and eternity split in terms of BEFORE and AFTER (BC – Before Christ, and AD – Anno Domini or AFTER His Dominion, but mankind itself would be divided between two distinct families – the redeemed and the reprobate lost. He was, and is, the Word as defined in John 1:1-5. The Word is a two-edged sword that cuts both ways – to either convict those whose hearts have been made alive by the Holy Ghost, or else to condemn those who reject that Holy Sacrifice at Calvary.

 

            51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. (Matt 27:51-52) The very moment of the surrender of the Spirit by the Lord of Glory, there was a tremendous shaking of the ground so that even rocks were split open, and graves of many saints opened. But far more significant than this was the Veil of the Temple being torn top to bottom. No longer would there be a High Priest of the Jews to make intercession for the people behind the Veil. The Way (our Lord Jesus Christ) was made our High Priest with no Veil separating our approach to the Holy of Holies – God the Father. It was torn top to bottom because salvation begins on High and not on earth by men. It was the very hour of the sacrifice in the Temple of the pascal lamb – while the true Lamb of God was sacrificed without the gate of Jerusalem. 

 

            Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. (Matt 27:54) Not only was there a political pronouncement of innocence before the crucifixion, but a political pronouncement of His identity as the Son of God following the event.

 

            The assurance of salvation and forgiveness of sins was assured at Calvary, and the promise of the Resurrection of the redeemed occurred three days later in a borrowed tomb in a nearby garden spot. Because our Lord reposed in a borrowed tomb, He assured all who have taken up their crosses and followed Him will also be blessed with a ‘borrowed tomb.’ As Paul did, we each die daily by placing the welfare and joy of others above our own in professing Christ as Lord.

Voice from the Cross (Part 3) – 29 September 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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OW from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?  (Matthew 27:45-46)

 

            The Light of the World, our Lord Jesus Christ, was eclipsed on the cross from the noon hour until His surrendering the Spirit at 3 PM. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  The Light of Life was grown dim by our horrible sins Jesus bore on the cross on our behalf. The Father in Heaven could no longer countenance the suffering of His only Begotten Son and turned His face away as the Sun grew dark, and that darkness covered all the land. There is record of comments of ridicule, mocking, and revilements during this latter stage of our Lord’s suffering.  Perhaps, deep in their hearts, the Jewish rulers felt the stinging rage of condemnation for the enormity of their sin; yet, they never repented of those egregious sins. They knew who He was from earlier days, yet they could not permit themselves to admit it else they would forfeit their standing as the religious leaders of the people and all the comforts, pride, and emoluments that entailed.

 

            Interestingly, our Lord never spoke in any arcane tongue, but only in languages popular at the time. Here He speaks in His native Aramaic: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? or, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus had never known anything but the most tender expressions of love from His Father, but the Father cannot countenance sin – our sins that Jesus bore on the cross – and looked away. Forsaken by all His disciples was a hard reality for the King of Love to bear, but being seemingly abandoned by the Father was a bridge too far. His human pain was unbearable, but even more so was the spiritual pain of that moment when all pity seemed forlorn for one who knew only kindness and love. Jesus repeats the opening line of the Messianic 22^nd Psalm describing in detail in its first 21 verses His suffering on the cross, 1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1)

 

            This utterance at the ninth hour was made at the climax of His sacrifice on the cross just prior to His surrendering the Spirit of Life. All of the sins of the world suddenly burst upon His soul as that excruciating pain of the cross came to full fruition. It was the only expression of manhood that He uttered on the cross – all others were expressed for the benefit of others.

 

            His weary eyes were almost blinded by the blood flowing down His brow from the crown of one inch thorns. The flesh of His hands and feet were torn by the cruel nails. His strong and manly body was physical exhausted by the loss of blood and lack of breath created by the suspension of His body on the cross. His arms were likely forced out of socket by the thud of the cross into the hole prepared at the beginning of crucifixion just as Psalm 22 describes. All these realities came crashing down on His soul as the moment of climactic suffering was realized. He looked over the landscape of Mount Moriah and the Temple that truly was a physical picture of Himself. Then He looked down upon the women who had stood by the cross throughout and saw His dear mother, whose heart would soon be pierced by the same lance that pierced her Son. 25 ¶Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

 

            Even at that moment of such distress, the heart of Jesus went out in love for His mother and the beloved disciple, John.

 

            All provisions and promises having been fulfilled to the letter, our Lord readied Himself for the final completion of His ministry on earth. (To be covered in Part 4 next).

 

Voice from the Cross (Part 2) – 27 September 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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ND one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39-43)

 

            There were two men of profoundly different dispositions that were hanged on both the right and left sides of our Lord. These two were guilty beyond doubt of some terrible crime that warranted crucifixion. However, our Lord Jesus Christ received the terrible sentence of being crucified following a pronouncement of innocence by His judge (Pontius Pilate) and in conformity to the prophecy of some 700 years prior: “. . . . .he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”  (Isaiah 53:12) He bore our sins on the cross as well as the sins of the who asked the Lord to remember him. Christ hung between heaven and earth to bridge the gap between the world of sin and divine forgiveness. The one thief on the cross represented those who came face-to-face with the Lord and refused to accept Him, and the other who represents all whose hearts were touched by grace and mercy to know Him intimately.

 

            Being nailed to the cross, the redeemed thief could do nothing to save himself. He was nailed to the cross destined for Hell and as good as dead but would leave the cross with a warrant for Heaven. He was a man who was living while yet dead as pointed out in Ephesians: “1 And you hath he quickened (made alive) , who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Eph 2:1-5)

 

Something moved in the heart of the thief, even under such horrible pain of the cross, to cause that one to recognize Christ as His Savior and Redeemer – and that something was the Holy Spirit that will always point the sinner to Christ and speak life into the dead sinner’s heart. This state of being dead in trespasses and sin, and being unable to do a single work of righteousness to merit salvation, is a strange and incomprehensible notion to those who use the human mind to adjudicate reason and logic. It is just as unbelievable that One could stand without the tomb of Lazarus at Bethany and command the dead to come forth. There was no act on the part of the dead Lazarus to rise, and there was only the word on the part of the Lord to bring him forth, but come forth Lazarus did in the fulness of life.

 

We all deserve the cross, but that penalty has been paid for those for whom “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

 

Please note that there was no delay in the grant of salvation to the one thief. Once He recognized Christ for who He was, the matter was eternally settled. There was not a long-drawn-out process, but an immediate assurance: “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” The thief apparently knew little of Christ except the few words spoken from the cross; yet, those words were powerful to draw the man to a saving knowledge of who He was. That morning the thief had woken up in Hell but that night had made his bed in Paradise.

 

It must amaze every heart to realize that, even in the midst of such awful suffering, the Lord would be gracious to the sinner on the cross. Every soul who has been granted the same unmerited  salvation will be pleased to know that the one thief was not the only one on the Mind of Christ at Golgotha – “15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven (literally CUT as with the points of the nails)  thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:14-16) His thoughts were of you then, and of you today, and of you into eternity future!

Hymns of the Church – Hymn 258 –Christ is the World’s True Light – 4 October 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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HEN spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.        (John 8:12)

 

            This hymn, though of fairly recent origin, remains faithful to the exposition of true doctrine and biblical teaching. There are a number of biblical metaphors of great beauty herein. The hymn was written in 1931 by George Wallace Briggs to JS Bach’s Kinkart. The hymn tune provided in the 1940 Hymnal is by Percy E.B. Coller entitled St. Joan  - after the author’s wife. Of the two tunes, that of Bach’s Kinkart is my favorite for dignity and spiritual depth.

 

Christ is the World’s True Light

by George Wallace Briggs

Christ is the world's true light,

Its Captain of salvation,

The Day-star clear and bright

Of every man and nation;

New life, new hope awakes,

Where'er men own his sway;

Freedom her bondage breaks,

And night is turned to day.

 

In Christ all races meet,

Their ancient feuds forgetting,

The whole round world complete,

From sunrise to its setting:

When Christ is throned as Lord,

Men shall forsake their fear,

To ploughshare bear the sword,

To pruning-hook the spear.

 

One Lord, in one great Name

Unite us all who own thee;

Cast out our pride and shame

That hinder to enthrone thee;

The world has waited long,

Has travailed long in pain;

To heal its ancient wrong,

Come, Prince of Peace, and reign. Amen.

1. Christ is the world's true light, Its Captain of salvation, The Day-star clear and bright  Of every man and nation; New life, new hope awakes, Where'er men own his sway; Freedom her bondage breaks, And night is turned to day. As should be the rule for all music fit for worship, this hymn combines depth of meaning, biblical truth, and metered sequences with the musical score that matches the reverence and beauty of the words. In Christ, we find the meeting point of all nations, tribes and tongues. It is a mission-oriented hymn that takes advantage of numerous types and metaphors in its context. Yes, Christ is the only true Light of the World that is never extinguished of eclipsed except by those hearts that allow material lust to come between. He is the Day Star, or Sun of our life’s joy. (2 Peter 1:19) and our Sun of Righteous which shall “arise with healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2) Just as our Sun casts its beams on every sea and continent, so does that Day Star shine upon every people to reveal the Way of Righteousness and to expose sin and wickedness. Light reveals truth even in the dark night, and truth overcomes error. The end is Liberty for the soul. 

2. In Christ all races meet, Their ancient feuds forgetting,The whole round world complete, From sunrise to its setting: When Christ is throned as Lord, Men shall forsake their fear, To ploughshare bear the sword, To pruning-hook the spear. Those who love the Lord and His righteousness find safe lodging in Him as their Ark in time of trouble. They are IN Christ just as Christ is IN them. All in Christ are One with Him as He is One with the Father. There is no division of race, nationality, or language in Christ for He is not divided against Himself. When we observe the world political system pitting race against race, and class against class, we can know this is not of the Lord but of the ancient Serpent of the Garden. There is no fear in love. (see Gospel of John 17:20-23) It should be noted, as well, that Christ is not only our Day Star, but also our Bright and Morning Star from sunset twilight to the dawning of the splendor of the Sunrise. (see Revelations 22:16) He is that Light of Hope to guide our feet through the darkness of the night of this world until that Day Star arises.

 

 

3. One Lord, in one great Name Unite us all who own thee; Cast out our pride and shame That hinder to enthrone thee; The world has waited long, Has travailed long in pain; To heal its ancient wrong, Come, Prince of Peace, and reign. Amen. The AMEN at the end of this hymn symbolizes the nature of all true hymns that can be rendered as prayers. All classic hymns end with AMEN. “One Great Name!” There are no names in Hell. The only names which endure are those recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but all fall under that Name above every other Name – the Lord Jesus Christ! How great that Name? “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.”   (Phil 2:9-11) All those souls who are the elect of God shall fear no shame or rejection on the Last Day. The elect shall witness the destruction of all the earth and heavenly bodies at the last. The Ark of our Salvation (our Lord Jesus Christ) shall provide security from the ruin. “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.”    (Psalm 102:25-26)

 

 

AOC Sunday Report - Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

 

Happy Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity!

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

We have wonderful sermons from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Rev Jack!  Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE.

The Collect asks God for the continuation of His help to preserve the church. It makes it clear that without His help it is impossible for the church to survive.  In Paul's Epistle, he knows that we need to be rooted and grounded in Christ that we might be able to comprehend His love. That with His love, all things are possible, without it nothing will come of our efforts.  The Gospel is the story of the widow of Nain and resurrection of her son. There is so much more to that story than the simple resurrection of a boy.

We always have a lot of people on our prayer list, today is no exception. We asked that you start with Shamu, Tricia, Jim, Laurie and work out from there.

There is a great week ahead, if you are having a hard time, finding it, you might consider turning to God for help. He has his Third God Guy standing by at all times to give you a hand up.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America.

Sermon Notes. • Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity • Arise • Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide • 2 October 2022, Anno Domini

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

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 LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

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ND it came to pass the day after, that Jesus went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.  (Luke 7:11-17)

 

            How often have we been at the point of complete and total heartbreak when suddenly

our prayers are answered in a far greater way than we could have thought to ask? Love being the one power that is stronger than death (for all love is of God), why are we surprised at the miracles of love that we observe in our own daily lives? Why will a mother sacrifice her last breath of her life for her child? Why do men go off to war against the enemies of their homeland without a sigh or a word of regret in risking their lives to defend it?

 

            Does God yet work such wonderful miracles as we have read about on that day He visited Nain? A young man is dead and within minutes of being buried. Is there hope for such a one? His mother has only this one son. She is a widow who has transferred all of her love and dependence from the deceased father upon this one special child for whom her very life is ransom. But he is now dead and she is left all alone! Though crowds gather about her, none have that familiar and loyal heart that beat in the breast of her deceased son, nor the dedicated love that heart devoted to his mother, for he is dead!

 

            I can only imagine the pain and anguish of that forlorn heart of the woman of Nain that day. She would perform her last duty to a son that she had held dear to her bosom from the day of his birth. As she walked along behind the bier, she was dazed with misery and blinded by hot tears of devastation and wonder.” “Can it be that he is truly dead – that I shall no longer hear his voice responding to my calls to supper?” “Is it finally true that I am now left alone against the world since the darling of my heart has departed?” A million questions swirled through her troubled mind as she trudged along a path blurred by the tears of her misery.

 

            And what of the dead son? What are his thoughts? Well, he has no thoughts at all because the dead know nothing at all. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. (Eccl 9:4-6)

 

            The world is populated by dead people who parade about as the living, and by the living who have been made alive from death.  Do we not remember that we were all dead in trespasses and sin before Christ called our name and made is alive in Him? (Ephesians 2:1) We knew nothing. We had no power at all to save ourselves or to even think of our great need. We were, spiritually, just as the young man lying on a bier at Nain that day. Did that young man know of Christ? did he desire to have Christ come and make him alive? No, he did not think any of these thoughts. Remember, he was dead as dead can be, and so were we before Christ chose us as His own and made the life blood of His eternal love flow though our hearts. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you (John 15:16)

 

¹¹ And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. ¹² Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

 

Now I pose the question that begs our deep thought: who are the dead? The dead: Those who reject Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who have no forgiveness for their sins…those for whom there has been no redemption for sins. That includes all the world which dwells in utter darkness.

 

The dead hear not. Who stopped their ears? Not God. Not even Satan. They themselves have chosen to be dumb to the reality of God. Their spirits lie in the same repose of that of Lazarus in the Tomb at Bethany before the penetrating voice of Christ called his name and commanded him to come forth.

 

This son of the widow is dead, but death cannot exist in the presence of the Fountain of Life. Jesus knows the importance of a son or daughter to a widow. The boy is all his mother has just as He, Himself, is the only Begotten of the Father.

 

As the procession proceeds from the gate of the city, there may have been little notice paid to the Master of Life who is approaching. ¹³ And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

 

Strange that a Perfect Stranger (and Jesus was both perfect and a stranger to the procession at Nain), should come forward with such a comment – weep not! How could she help weeping over her great loss. Christ speaks today and few listen or know Him.

Jesus never desires our sorrow, but our joy in life.  He neither wants us to ‘fear’ or to ‘weep’. Fear not, I am with thee always, even unto the end of the world. Or “Hagar, why weepest thou?” The desire of Christ is always for our extreme joy in Him. And Christ knows there is no real joy, or life, apart from that which He offers. He sends no one to Hell. The lost, due to their rejection of Him, send themselves to Hell.

 

¹⁴ And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. When God is at work, we had best stand still and see the marvelous works that His hands perform. Stillness is a vanishing quality in a world bent on technology and pragmatism.  As God said to Job in Job 37:14 “Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God”  Or  Psalms 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

So those who bore the body remained motionless while God  worked. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

 

Though the ears of the Rabbi’s maiden were closed in the lock of death, the young girl heard the voice of Christ. Though Lazarus lay long dead in a stone cold tomb, the voice of Christ, his Friend, penetrated the bars of death and were heard in newness of life. So with this young man.

 

And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. With Christ, death is always in the past tense! He was dead! No longer was he dead because he had heard and responded to the voice of Christ. He sat up and began to speak. Once you have heard the voice of Christ whisper in your ear a personal message, you cannot fail to speak out. You do not keep it a secret. When you are suddenly made alive in Christ, how is it possible to conceal one’s joy?

 

It may be that you have yet to be made alive, unless you have heard that Voice. When were you dead, and have you been called to life? Have you listened? Did you respond by unashamedly speaking out? We were ALL dead prior to responding in faith to the grace of Christ. All lost. All dead.

 

Have you considered yourself righteous in your own right? (Romans 23:10-12) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God  ALL? Does that include you and me? Yes, ALL

 

What is the condemnation to those who sin such as you and I have done? Rom 6: ²⁰ For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. ²¹ What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. ²² But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 

What remedy is there for all of us who are born under the condemnation  of sin? Rom10: ⁸ But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; ⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

 

Christ is the great Creator and Giver of Life. Death will not exist in His presence. So we must insure our salvation that we may be present with him. But, how? Know that the wages of sin is death. Admit that we are dreadful sinners and cannot save ourselves through any good works. Repent of our sins and turn away from the desires of the flesh. Receive Christ as you Lord and Savior – not simply Savior, but Lord of your life as well.

 

How many of us present today have taken a ‘dry’ shower, or a ‘dry’ swim, or walked in a ‘dry’ rain?

 

Is it possible to get into the water, or to come into contact with a fountain of water, and remain dry?

 

            There is a River of Life which makes all alive who bathe therein and drink from its fountain:

 

¹³ Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: ¹⁴ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:13)

 

When we are IN Christ, all our sins are covered by His blood. When we are IN the River of Life, we are wet with that water of life all over. We are baptized in newness of life. Your eternal destiny depends upon which choice you make at the crossroads of life – will you be fearful and unbelieving? Or will you partake of the Tree of Life and Fountain of Living Waters?

 

Rev 21:6 ⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. ⁶ And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. ⁸ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

 

            Simple response – John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

 

Have you, too, believed unto salvation? 2 Cor 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 

 

It will not be tomorrow, or next week, month, or year. The time is NOW! How do you stand, Reader, in regard to your soul?

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon– With Video

Rev Jack brings the Propers together today.    His sermon is below the propers and can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE.

The Collect asks God for the continuation of Hhis help to preserve the church. It makes it clear that without His help it is impossible for the church to survive.  Enclosed a pistol, he knows that we need to be rooted and grounded in Christ. We might be able to comprehend his love. That with His love, all things are possible, without it nothing will come of our efforts.  The Gospel is the story of the widow of Nain and resurrection of her son. There is so much more to that story than the simple resurrection of a boy. 

The Propers for today are found on Page 212-213, with the Collect first:

 

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Today’s Epistle came from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, the Third Chapter beginning at the Thirteenth Verse.  Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, prays that the people might “be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”   More simply put, Paul asks that we open our hearts to God and to Christ, that they might work in our hearts the miracle of love.

 

I

 DESIRE that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

Today’s Holy Gospel started in the Seventh Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning at the Eleventh Verse.  Jesus was going into the city of Nain with his disciples and many followers.  “When he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.”  In those days, a widow with only one son had little, a widow with no son was in deep trouble.  Taking compassion on her and also the opportunity to make His power evident, He came to the bier, and touch it said, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.”  The young man arose and began to speak; whereupon Jesus brought him to his mother.  Not surprisingly, news of this event was spread “forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.”  Like the young man, we are dead to eternity until we hear the command “… Arise.”  If we hear and act on that command, we have eternal life, just like the young man, it starts right then!

 

A

ND it came to pass the day after, that Jesus went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

Rev Jack's sermon can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE.

Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction.

 

Consider the words of the Collect, “…let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness …”

 

When the Collect talks about the church, just like last week, it is not talking about buildings; it is talking about us.   Each of us; all of us and together.  We need God’s help (pity) to keep the group of us together following His Will, for without His Help (Holy Ghost) we are doomed to utter failure.  We can see this in the church today. The collect says we need His pity to cleanse our church of error and keep it on the straight and narrow. For without the cleansing effect of His pity and help of the Holy Ghost, error creeps in and corrupts the Church.  The reason for this is our human nature will corrupt our efforts here on Earth unless we allow the Holy Ghost to step in and stop the corruption. Without His Help, it is impossible for us to do anything good for God here on earth. Without His Help, we will be going from the narrow uphill path onto the widened slowly sloping downhill path towards the Pit.

 

We can see this today with many churches leaving the established doctrine of 2 millennia to try to be cool and attract more people. Their efforts are in vein as we are called to be separated from this world and not a part of it, to be holy. They are becoming un-holy and it shows in their more paganistic doctrines. We are called to not to join forces with this world but to be set a side from it. You can barely distinguish some of these churches doctrines from what more worldly or other religions believe and they can hardly be considered a Christian church.  The Episcopal Church is a leading example from this with their paganistic doctrines overriding that of the Gospel and the Scirpture. They cannot be truly called a Christian church anymore sadly. God is about quality of believers and not about quantity! These churches covet quantity over quality and are willing do compromise on non comprisable beliefs in order to do so. They gain the world but they lose their souls to do so. It does not sound like a good trade off to me.

 

The problem for many people is Heaven is at the end of a hard and narrow uphill trail; the easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.  That seemingly easy way leads to The Pit. This easy downhill trail snares a lot of people and there will be sadly some that never realize this. It can ensare anybody so we have to be on our guard lest we start down that path ourselves. This proves the truth of this collect, that without His help, we are doomed. With His help, we are set for success for evermore.  He offers; do we accept?

 

Saint Paul points out if we will open our hearts to God, He will send the Holy Ghost to fill our hearts with Love, Courage, Inspiration, Tenacity and Confidence, all of the good traits that will help our character development. Once the Holy Ghost enters into us, we will know the full dimensions of Christ, the height, width and depth of His love for us, and this fullness will fill us to our content, and we will want to spread that Good News and Love of Him to others.  Without the Holy Ghost, we are doomed. But with the Holy Ghost acting in us, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish for Him. We have to recognize this and make the decision to allow Him into our hearts. The key is that we have to make that decision. God can’t make that decision for us, only we can. It is up to us to open our hearts to Him and allow Him in. Only then can we get all those positive character traits mentioned earlier.

 

Allowing His love for us to enter into our hearts is part of the Good News. The Good News is that He died for us so we might have eternal life, a happier life here and a happier life after our life here.  But the key is we have to first open our hearts to God. We cannot have any of these positive characteristics if we do not allow Him in. We have to be humble and realize we cannot get through life without these characteristics, which means we cannot have a good and successful life without His Help. 

 

He offers all of these things for our benefit, so we will be successful for Him. We have to accept this offer by opening our hearts to Him.  One of my favorite cartoon strips Calvin and Hobbes, oft has great moral lessons.   Calvin’s dad so very often reminds Calvin that doing one’s duty in the face of adversity builds character.  It also strengths the soul building trust in God.  If we will open our hearts to Him, our ears will hear the command “… Arise.”  When we rise, we rise with the confidence of immortals and can conquer any obstacle. We will have died in our old sinful ways and be resurrected like our Lord in a new spirit and a new birth of everlasting freedom. But, without an open heart, our ears will never hear the command directed to our soul, “… Arise.”  We will be dead to eternity. There are none so deaf as those who will not hear. 

 

All Jesus asks is that we follow Him.  That is all follow Him.  But, words mean something; the word follow is very important.  We have to trust God is like a perfect CFI^[1] and if we follow his instructions at the right time, we will keep ourselves from physical and spiritual harm. Like the CFI he is here to keep us from mentally and spiritually harming ourselves. If we will listen to His instructions, we will keep our mental and spiritual selves intact and be a lot happier for it. 

 

We need recognize who has the ability, the power, the perfection in leadership and have that trust to say, "You lead; I'll follow." I believe that is what Jesus expects from us in regard to our entire life. We may get out of position or even go lost wingman on the odd occasion, but he expects us to Our very best to follow His lead and stay in position.  Hard to do if your eye is not padlocked on Him.

 

As ministers of our Lord, we have a similar responsibility to those who would follow us here on earth.  And we have to work even harder, for created by a perfect God, we are imperfect creatures with free will.  A problematic combination.  We have to strive to do better than most as we are in a position where people will be watching our actions more carefully than other people. We must strive for a correct attitude, heading, stability and predictability in our path so we can be followed towards that final destination marking a successful mission. We must always be checking our navigational instruments of the Holy Scriptures and our navigator, the Holy Ghost, to ensure we are on the right heading. We have to be willing to act for Him to show that we truly do have faith and not just say that we have faith. It is a lot easier to say than do, that is for sure. 

 

When Saint Luke relates the story of the Widow of Nain, it is more than just a simple miracle.  

 

In those days, a widow with only one son had little, a widow with no son was in deep trouble.  Jesus took compassion on her and also took the opportunity to make His power evident.  He came to the bier, and touched it saying, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.”  The young man arose and began to speak; whereupon Jesus brought him to his mother.  Not surprisingly, news of this event was spread “forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.”  Like the young man, we are dead to eternity until we hear the command “… Arise.”  If we hear and act on that command, we have eternal life, just like the young man, it starts right then! Eternal life doesn't start when you take your last breath, it starts when you take your first breath! Think through your life like it will be eternity and plan your actions accordingly.

 

Also, please take note Jesus ACTED.  He did not just tell the widow He was sorry, so very sorry; He actually did what He could to help her.  He can do more than we can, but we can do more than we do and we can certainly do more than just talk.  Words are very nice, but do not mean a whole lot unless they are backed by actions.

 

If we truly have faith, then we must follow Jesus’s example and live our life like He lived His, with action! We must have good actions that will follow with that faith. If we only speak with our lips and do not have good actions, then we do not have any faith. However, if we do truly have faith, then we will speak the right things and do the right things.

 

Action, not diction, is what counts in the end.

 

Heaven is at the end of a hard and narrow uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

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^[1] Certified Flight Instructor