First Sunday in Advent

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Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because as is always the case there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Sunday.

The First Sunday in Advent

The Collect.

A

LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

Today’s Collect, like almost all of them, starts out asking God’s Grace, His Help, His intervention to allow us to turn our backs on evil and our own desires that we might make His Desire our desire.  If you will understand how much we fall short in our “natural” desire, you will understand that to cast off the works of darkness and don the armour of light, we must turn to Christ, who came to visit us, born in a simple and humble inn in Bethlehem.  As His manner of birth, we must be humble as well, not boastful and proud like the rich[1], but meek and lowly, to embrace light and cast off the works of darkness.  Though He came in a rather humble manner, He shall return in a glorious and majestic manner, a rather stark contrast to His original incarnation, leaving no doubt who has come to lead us.

We must embrace the lightness and reject the darkness. We do this by allowing the Holy Ghost into our hearts, to shine the light in our hearts and expel the darkness. Only then can we truly don the armor of light. We need to train our brains and minds and souls in this way, so that we can act for Christ. We have been called to do these things, as sons and daughters of God, but only with a conscious effort on our part to accept Him and more importantly to listen to Him, can we do these things. To do these things we have to live it.

This point brings us straight to the Epistle. Paul tells us that we need to live the life we aspire to.  He cautions us to not borrow for what we do not need that we might owe others nothing but our love.  That way we will not have a worldly obligation to any who might hold that over us to influence our path away from that Christ set out for us. We ideally owe no man anything but that of our love.  Paul asks us to love our neighbors, by love he means to take care for them as we would for ourselves or our own close relations.  Not necessarily to “give” them money, but to help them in self-sufficiency that they might prosper both in soul and body. 

This takes us right into the Gospel according to Saint Matthew.  We must not be for God in speech only, but in deed.  When Jesus came into this world, He came knowing the true purpose of His coming, He came knowing how He would leave, He came knowing the cost at which our souls would be accounted at perfect.  The story of Palm Sunday is the same as that of the Nativity.   For on Palm Sunday, there was joy in the crowd at the arrival of the Savior, much as there was in the stable at the arrival of the Child Jesus.  Yet, many in the very same crowd who cried “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday were there early on Good Friday.  For what did they cry then?

“Crucify Him, Crucify Him!”

Pilate asked for them to cry for mercy, they cried for vengeance on their Lord and Savior!

A swift 180° turn from “Hosanna to the Son of David.”  How quick are men to turn upon that of a good thing. As Charles Spurgeon said "It is an astounding thing and a proof of human depravity that men do not themselves seek salvation. They even deny the necessity of it and would sooner run away than be partakers of it."  This is due to our natural inclination to choose the fruit of death rather than the bread of life, which comes from the Baker of Life, Jesus Christ.

I was reading Genesis 40 a while back with my parents and it struck me how the tale of the baker and the butler of the Pharaoh, with each with three days to their eventual fates, was a parallel to Christ.  Why the two had differing fates is not clear in Scripture, but for certain Christ is the Baker of Life, and who in three days arose from the dead to have conquered death. The Bread of Life is Christ’s sacrifice for us, and every time we partake of it in Holy Communion and listening to the Gospel and the Epistle, we must always remember the cost of our freedom from death. Also with the cost comes conditions, namely that we profess Christ as Our Saviour and to put Him first in our lives, love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves. We have heard this before in the Summary of the Law. This is what the Law of God condenses down to, and this is what all our laws that we set forth must be based upon, for there is no other rational or foundational base so great and solid as Christ. He must be the Chief Cornerstone in our lives, if our lives are to have any meaning. There are those who He is not chief in, and they are those who may vainly profess His name with their lips, but not in their actions. This is a great sorrow for them. They have not kept the Word of God in their hearts, though they may shallowly profess it with their lips. It is action and not diction that counts!

We must not be like them.  We must put on the great Armour of Light and to reject our former lives of sin and vanity. We must switch from our old selfish lives to a new unselfish, Christ filled life.  It is something we always struggle with, but God never gives up on us. We can be comforted by the assurance He will never give up on us. We just have to never give up on Him and do our very best to follow what He says. As long as we repent from our sin and turn back to God in our private prayers and devotion, he will wipe our slate clean. I know I have a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow path, so I am glad He left the Scriptures to guide us.

Through following His Word and Instructions, we shall be given a greater reward than anything existent on the Earth; past, present or future, that gift of immortal life, life for all eternity, that will outlast this physical world. To don the armour of light is not merely putting it on, you have to utilize it, and utilize the helmet, the buckler and sword (Scriptures and Christ’s teachings).  You need the whole complement of weaponry to go into combat with the Prince of Darkness in this fallen world. And you not only need the complement of weaponry, but we need to train with these weapons. The best way is to be reading Scriptures regularly and discussing the meaning of it with your fellow believers. This way you can ingrain the Scriptures in your heart and be ready to do battle with those who follow the Prince of this World.

Make no mistake, we are engaged in a World War with the Prince of Air, the Prince of this world for the souls of men, starting with our own, a World War which has been going on since the beginning of time. But we know the ending is in our favor for certain, for the Book of Revelations tells us so.

As individuals we may not experience victory here on earth. We may struggle with problems in this world and our own, our whole lifespan on this planet. We may not see and savor that victory here on earth; but we know in the end He will be victorious as we know the Savior.  We will win, for we are on His Side.

Cast off the dull worn robes of darkness, which lack luster, give no warmth, protect not from the heat, and put on the shining glorious armour of light.  So kitted up, we walk in light, not in darkness where we may stumble and fall.   Unlike moths, for us light is life, not the destruction of darkness.

Come, put on the Armor of Light and go forth to destroy that last enemy, death!

Heaven is at the end of an 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] It is not that worldly wealth is, in and of itself, bad, but rather the attitude it can bring, one of self-worth beyond that which is correct.  Wealth often brings to us a “better than thou” attitude, which soon turns to “Holier than thou.”  The kind of thing that was referred to when Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”  Mark 10.25

An Ancient Promise of Christmas - 26 November 2016, Anno Domini

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            The title of this devotion may mislead you into believing that this is a story of Mary and Joseph, of the three Magi, and of the shepherds “keeping watch over their flocks by night;” and though the story bears a direct link to that grand event, it is based in a period far removed in years – around 2000 BC!

            The Ancient Christmas Promise begins with a childless woman being told by an Angel of God that she will bear a child – even though the woman was barren! When she objects such a feat would be impossible, just as did the Virgin Mary, the Angel asks, Is any thing too hard for the LORD?  (Gen 18:14) This answer is so very much like the answer the Angel Gabriel gave to Mary when she, too, questioned the possibility of a virgin bearing a child: For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37)

            Of course, you have discovered I am speaking Sarah, Abraham’s wife. But the fullness of God’s purpose in providing an example and shadow of His only Begotten Son in the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac is beyond question. In fact, it is confirmed by our Lord Jesus Christ!

            When we consider the fullness of intrigue and scintillating ‘coincidences’ of the two accounts, we are drawn into wondrous awe of God’s perfect hand and operation in history. We have now endured two thousand years from the time of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ at Bethlehem. Looking back over that misty period of history, the books are literally filled with wars, diseases, plagues, and other catastrophes. But we see sprinkled across those same annals of history the testimonies of great men and women of God who served to awaken the Church to the clarion call of God to obedience and faith. Some were great military and political leaders who staunched the spread of Islam into Europe and Russia. Some were exiled from a wealthy and powerful church for simply preaching the truth. Others were burned at the stake rather than to recant that truth of the Gospels.

            But let us travel back to the beginning of that two thousand-year-period since the coming of Christ. How could such a momentous event occur while men slept? Why were we not alerted to His Coming which served to divide all Eternity in two parts – Before, and After? Well, we WERE so informed of the coming event in amazing abundance. Not only did the prophets tell us outright, but we have amazing examples from the Law and the Prophets (of which Jesus remarked) as our Lamp of Understanding. We have the prophetic example of our ancient parents in Eden when sin was discovered in their rebellious hearts: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  (Gen 3:15) This is a direct prophecy of the role of the coming Messiah in Christ. But more than words, God gave us a real, visible example for the necessity of a Redeemer. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Gen 3:21) When I behold the natural beauty of the living creatures God has made, I am bewildered that man could so thoughtlessly disregard the commandment to have dominion over them in kindness and in love for that which God has made.

            But Adam’s sin resulted in the first death of a living creature that God had created to be a joy to man on earth. But more, the sin of Adam has resulted in EVERY death upon the earth since. Imagine the compassionate heart of God being compelled by love of men to take the life of a beautiful and innocent animal to provide cover for the sin and nakedness of Adam and Eve! Please consider with deep sensitivity the sorrow God felt in taking that life, and more, how it reflected the sacrifice of another beloved Life near and dear to the Father at Calvary’s brooding brow! The first man, Adam, was a ‘living’ soul; but the last Adam was a ‘quickening spirit” (Life Giver).  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.  (1 Cor 15:22-23) Christ is the first man of the New Creation having redeemed us with His own blood.

            As time endured through the ages, man became so vile and depraved that God saw every imagination of his heart was of evil. In His foreordained will and knowledge, God is never surprised at the rebellious nature innate to the heart of man. But He uses history itself to teach us of our own total dependence upon Him. God sent the Deluge to destroy all living upon the face of the earth except for those eight souls, and creatures, aboard the Ark of Noah. Now man will come to know that he cannot be ruled by his private desires – he requires law for his own wellbeing.

            Enter a pagan fellow of Ur of the Chaldees named Abram. Abram did not prepare in any seminary to be accounted worthy of the calling of God. He may have never even considered the God called Yahweh. But when God called Abram to leave house and home in Ur and travel to an unknown place, Abram followed, just as did Andrew, Peter, James, John, and Matthew without uttering a question or an objection. That, my friends, is the calling of God – not of MAN! Abram, like the rest of us, was not a perfect man; and he often suffered for his shortcomings. But Abram believed God and was persistent in that faith. He was quite easily induced by Sarah to have a child by way of an ungodly union with Hagar. The fruit of that union of convenience (Ishmael) has led to a singular INCONVENIENCE for modern civilization by way of the Moslem horde. But God had promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations – so many as the sand of the sea. Abraham, by faith, believed that Promise without the slightest doubt. Why? Because it was the Word of God to Abraham! Would it not give great peace and blessing to the modern Christian if he so believed God as did Abraham?

            Well, God often comes to us as a breeze upon silken curtains. As Abraham was sitting in his tent door one day upon the Plains of Mamre, Three Angels appeared walking out of the desert wilderness. The drama of the moment may not arise to that of the very well-rehearsed smoke and mirrors of a Joel Osteen ‘celebration’ but the difference was its authenticity. Abraham recognized these Three as divine, else he would never have knelt before them. 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. (Gen 18:1-3) Please note the Lord did not feel it necessary to introduce Himself to Abraham since a devout and Godly man will recognize the Lord when he hears His voice, as well as know the false voices of the wicked.

            Among other important matters, one of the Angels made the Promise of a child for Sarah. Sarah is 90 years old. It is physically impossible for a 90 year-old woman to conceive and bear a child. Sarah KNEW this as well. She laughed at such a preposterous proposition. But the Angel reprimanded her. A miraculous conception was promised to Sarah just as it was to Mary. The child that Sarah would have (Isaac) would be the example of that Promised Seed of Abraham. The manner of conception is not stated in Scripture, but needless to say, the child was given as promised, and Isaac became the pride and joy of Father Abraham. He was the only begotten child of Abraham because he was the only legitimately granted child of Abraham. Years passed and the lad grew both in stature and in the love and admiration of the father.

            When Isaac grew to be a young boy of perhaps twelve years age, a strange and seemingly tragic event occurred. God spoke to Abraham and said: Abraham, 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) How sorrowful these words may have sounded on the ears of a father who was obsessed with love for his son. But, remember, Abraham trusted God. The command of God in this case must have sounded very similar to that first time Abraham had heard the voice of God in Ur. Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. (Gen 12:1) What had been Abram’s response in that olden day? So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him. (Gen 12:4)  What is Abraham’s response now that he is told to sacrifice his only son? 3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Gen 22:3) One of the amazing characteristics of Abraham was his unquestioning faith and obedience to the Lord.

            As Abraham traveled three days on the journey, he lifted up his eyes and saw Mount Moriah. Abraham instantly knew this was the place. It was the same mount upon which the Temple at Jerusalem stands and the same upon which – two thousand years later – our Lord was sacrificed. You know already the rest of the story: 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? (Gen 22:6-7) Just as our Lord bore on His shoulders the wood for His sacrifice, so did Isaac (being a type and figure of Christ) bear the wood for his sacrifice on his shoulders. To his child-like and heart-breaking inquiry, Abraham replied: My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.  (Gen 22:8) Yes, indeed! God certainly would provide Himself to be the Lamb of sacrifice. You can only get the depth of this meaning in the Received Text Bibles. The new marvels of deception will not render it. So God would not require the sacrifice of any man’s son for sin, but only His own only Begotten and Beloved Son.

            That event was two thousand years BEFORE Christ. We live in the age two thousand years AFTER. Time has mirrored itself in a marvelous way to our generation. God is calling His own Abrahams today.

Will you hear?

Can you see the Christmas story acted out two thousand years before the actual event?

The Living Word - 25 November 2016, Anno Domini

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1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1-4)

            We have heard much of the Word of God and what it means. When the Roman Proconsul, Pontius Pilate, declared, “Behold the Man!” he was not referring to any man in the multitudes gathered – he made reference to only One Man – the Lord Jesus Christ! When the Holy Scriptures make reference to the Word, to which word does it make reference? The bible scholar will know that that reference means the WHOLE Word of God as presented in Holy Writ – to every SINGLE Word. This directly refutes the so-called ‘dynamic equivalence’ of the higher critics and the editors of the new bible versions such as the NIV, ESV, NRSV, etc. So the WORD incorporates every utterance, phrase, jot, and tittle of the Holy Bible!

            But the allusion to the Word has an even greater meaning than alphabetical symbols printed on a sheet of paper. It makes direct reference to that Great Personage of which those printed words symbolically represent – Our Lord. He is the Word Incarnate. 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.  (1 John 1:1-4)

            The Apostles knew our Lord in the First Person sense. They walked with Him, talked with Him, dined with Him, and even touched Him because He was the Word in the flesh. Thomas touched Him out of doubt. The lepers, whom no one would touch, were touched by Him. The dead little daughter of Jairus awoke from the sleep of death with the Lord holding her tiny hand. He was both fully God, and fully man. But His blood was not infected with the sin of Adam. He had none of Adam’s blood coursing through His veins since God was His Father.

            Being both Alpha and Omega, He is the Beginning and the End – and, incidentally, He is all things in between. A powerful reference is made to this eternity of past, present, and future begins in the first verse of Genesis and is the final word of Revelations. 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen 1:1) The Hebrew word for God used here is ‘Elohim’ which means a plurality of ONE! The English vocabulary have no such exceptional word possessing singularity and plurality in the same sense. The Triune God was present and active in the Creation; but it was the WORD that was the Executive Power of Creation: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4) This references the Lord Jesus Christ – 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

            From the above texts, we see that Christ was the very Beginning, not only at Creation, but in Eternity Past. The Written Word is a perfect picture of the physical manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see Him in every book, chapter, line and word of Scripture.

            But do not forget the Omega-character of Christ in the End of all things. To be sure, we are given the Alpha and Omega nature of Christ so our minds, being imperfect in understanding, can envision a beginning and an end; but there is neither beginning nor end to Christ. Remember, He is the Great PRESENT - the great I AM! But as an example of the scope of life given this earthly life and world, we must consider an end in the course of events before the Last Trump shall sound.

            Do you remember the last Word of the Holy Bible? 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.  (Rev 22:20-21) How routinely we conclude our prayers with that ‘AMEN!

            Why do we conclude our prayers with ‘Amen?’ This word comes down to us from the Hebrew worship service of the people proclaiming AMEN after the readings and prayers. The purpose of the practice was the same as it is in the Anglican form of communal prayers which end with the people proclaiming ‘Amen!’ It is in this way that we make the prayers our own in confirming our faith in them. A Hebrew word that is closely related is the word ‘Amam’ with means I believe. The word originally meant verily or faithful. Amen implies that we have absolute trust and faith in that which has been stated. It is said to be the most used word in the English language. (see Strong’s)

            But the greater meaning of AMEN is simply another Name for our Lord Jesus Christ. Of all things certain, there is One ABSOLUTE – the Lord Jesus Christ! 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith THE AMEN, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. (Rev 3:14) Being the End of the dispensation of all time, He is also the Beginning of all Eternity in the Eternity of the Presence. Since our mortal minds cannot comprehend Eternity, God must give us simple references with which we might grasp a shadow of the reality.

            Unlike the American Constitution which has been amended many times and whose interpretation varies with the compromising opinions of the judges, the Word of God does not change. Every single Word we are told will be preserved. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matt 5:18) We are told, by those who despise the freedoms its original authors safe-guarded therein, is a so-called ‘living’ Constitution. That means its meaning is growing and changing. But when God refers to His Word as living, He means just the opposite. It draws an exact image of our Lord Jesus Christ who, like the Father, is unchanging. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  (Heb 13:8) He shares that same nature with His Father: For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Mal 3:6)

            The Word of God is a Living Word because it is organic. It begets life to the believer. It does not change, but it changes US! All of the words of men dissipate as the vapors of the desert morning because they are INORGANIC – or non-living words. But God Word is full of the Bread and Water of Life! 13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. 14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Prov 13:13-14) That Fountain of Life is our Lord and His Waters gush forth in such abundance that the human heart cannot contain them – it is overflowing. Those overflowing waters are the joys of truth we share with others. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. (John 5:24-27)

           The Word is Immortal and cannot die. Therefore, if His Word ABIDES in our hearts, neither can we die! Jesus castigated the Scribes and Pharisees – the prominent preachers of His day, with these words: 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5:37-40)

            I have often heard it said a good and loving God could never send a creature of His making to hell. They say this to insist that all shall be saved without regard to sin or faith. How wrong they are! It is true that God sends no one to Hell for we send ourselves to that place if we are bound for it. God lovingly invites all to abide with Him whose sins are covered by the blood of His Son, but He will not open the gates of His Paradise to those who harden their hearts through the rejection of His only Begotten Son. None of us would invite any into our homes who would hate our son or daughter and who are already guilty of their murder. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.   And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.  (John 12:44-50)

Thanksgiving Day 2016

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Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

Office of the Presiding Bishop

PO Box 128

Statesville, N.C. 28687

Phone (704) 873-8365 

email:    usa@anglicanorthodoxchurch.org

website: www.aocinternational.org

24 November 2016, Anno Domini

Thanksgiving Day

2016

I do recommend and assign Thursday ... next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.

George Washington

1789

Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. (Luke 17:14-18)

           How short our memories regarding blessings and yet enduring are those of misfortune (usually resulting from our own shortcomings). As a nation and people who have enjoyed an abundance of blessings from God for two hundred and forty years, we may have begun to take those blessings for granted. If we do, we do so at our own detriment for God does not lightly esteem the blessings He bestows. We offend the Sovereignty of God when we become ungrateful for both personal and national blessings. So why does a nation forget, or lightly esteem, the blessings of God upon them and the nation? Perhaps we have ceased to regard the sanctity of life itself. We have become a nation who, through international organs which we control, have become the foremost purveyors of abortion, pornography, and immoral living.

                Our low regard for the sanctity of life and even common courtesy may arise from a lowered view of Christian principles of living and, in the end, God Himself. The Great Commandment has two parts that are really interdependent in nature. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  (Matt 22:37-38).  At first blush it seems easy enough to love God. There is so little outward evidence upon which to weigh that love; however, the second part of this Commandment does, indeed, provide a means of outward measure for the love of our fellow neighbor.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matt 22:39-40) Are we wise and good stewards of the resources which God has placed at our disposal? Do we turn a blind eye to the suffering of others for whom we have the means of being Good Samaritans? Loving a neighbor as ourselves is not really a greater commandment than the first, just more outwardly obvious in its application, or lack thereof.

            One point is certain: if we do not love God, we cannot love our neighbor truly, or even KNOW true love. Conversely, if we fail to love our neighbor, this, in itself, is evidence that we do not really love God. Our Lord abbreviated the Great Commandment in these Words: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12) And what gage did Jesus provide us to measure that degree of love? Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

            The great shame of modern America, and her churches, is that we have forgotten to love and honor God first. Were we to do so, our love and common respect for one another would be established anew. Common courtesy, polite manners, decency in dress, and commendable conversation are outgrowths of that love of God and our fellow citizens. Civil conduct is based on the inner compass of the heart.

            America may have a short space in which to appease the offended Sovereign. May we begin to accomplish that feat through prayer, love, thanksgiving, and charity this Thanksgiving Day and throughout the years ahead.

May your Thanksgiving this year be joyful, prayerful, and faithful to the God of all Mercies,

In Christ Alone,

Jerry L. Ogles

Presiding Bishop