Mary Slessor of Calabar – 22 March 2022

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E strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  (Deuteronomy 31:5-6)

 

In the days in which heroes and heroines have lived, their names may have been the center of dialogue in every household. How sadly strange that men and women of great spiritual presence and self-sacrifice are so easily forgotten with the passage of time. We would be better served if we continued to honor such persons as Sir Francis Drake, Joan of Ark, Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther, Cranmer, Washington, Lee, and Livingston. Our youth would profit even more than we by their examples.

 

In the 19^th century, the African continent was steeped in the darkness of superstition, slavery, sorcery, cannibalism and internecine warfare between villages and regions. God had people in the darkest corners of that continent who needed to know that they belonged to Him. So, he prepared a vessel to go among the people, live as they lived, eat the food they ate, and to suffer all of the deprivations they suffered. It seems amazing that God would select a faraway city called Aberdeen from which to draw that vessel, but He did!

 

            In 1848, a beautiful baby girl was born to Robert and Mary Slessor – a working-class family of Aberdeen. The child had unusually fair skin and brilliantly red hair. Her name was Mary Slessor, second child of seven born to the Slessors. Mary had two brothers – one studying for the ministry, and another studying at law. When the brother aspiring to become a missionary in Africa died of a tragic accident, his brother resolved to take his place; yet he died also soon after with a fever. Finally, both mother and father of Mary also died and Mary found herself the breadwinner at age fourteen for herself and her sisters. She worked as a factory jute worker, and finally as a street girl. Though her mother, a devout Presbyterian, had taught her about our Lord Jesus Christ, Mary fell from a Christian influence in her life.  But God had already made preparations for that eventuality by raising up an elderly lady who invited the girls of the street to attend her regular Bible studies. Mary became an avid Bible scholar and resolved to give her life and labors to the Lord.

 

            She applied to the Church for posting to Africa as a missionary, but in those days, Africa was considered too dangerous to send women missionaries. After the death of the renowned missionary, Dr. David Livingston, in 1874, Mary redoubled her efforts to go to Africa. The Church finally relented and posted her to a missionary hospital (now Mary Slessor Hospital) in Nigeria as a nurse in 1876. But God had lit a burning flame in Mary’s heart to go to the lost of Africa and to teach them the beauty of God’s redeeming love. She eventually left the hospital and went into the darkest jungles of the Congo where no male missionary had ever come out alive.

 

            Instead of the usual fare of killing and eating, the natives of the first village were intrigued by the color and fineness of Mary’s red hair. They allowed her to remain in the village. She lived among them as one of them. She learned their language and shared their diet. Eventually, she was able to lead the village chief to Christ. After this success, many followed. Hundreds fell in line to receive and live the Gospel at Mary’s teaching. But Mary was a white woman all alone among the many tribal groups of the Congo. She needed workers to harvest the fields white/black for harvest. This too was foreseen by the providence of God.

 

            Mary discovered a dark superstition of the locals that involved twins born to a native woman. Twins were considered taboo and bad luck for the village; so, when twins were born, they were taken into the wild and left to die by being eaten by ants or wild animals. When twins were thus taken into the bush to be abandoned, Mary followed. When the party left the twins, Mary would secretly bring them back to her little cottage and raise them as her own. The chief learned of this and was outraged, but Mary’s patience and persistence won out. She eventually raised many such children as her own. When her recurrent malaria rendered her unable to go on long walks, these children would push or carry Mary on a cart. Eventually, they became her missionary workers, too. This was another provision God made for His people of Africa. Mary had become famous throughout Europe and America for her service in Africa. But she chose to remain there with ‘her people.’

 

            Finally, in January 1915, Mary took sick with an unrelenting fever and died. Her body was sent down river to Duke Town where her body, casket draped with the Union Jack, was given a state funeral with honors. The drums beat from village to village in that part of Africa pounding out the poignant message: “Come, Come, Come to the big village! Everybody’s mother is dead.” On her deathbed, Mary was heard by Jane (one of her adopted children) to say in the Efik tongue, “O Abasi, sana mi yok.” Or, in English, “O God, release me.” 

 

As the day dawned on 15^th January of 1915, Mary Slessor closed her eyes in the jungles of Africa only to open them to the brilliant Sunrise of Heaven – everybody’s mother was finally home. She is buried in Westminster Abbey, but her heart is in Africa.

The Angel of Marye's Heights – 23 March 2022

 

 

Richard Rowland Kirkland, known as "The Angel of Marye's Heights", (August 1843 – 20 September 1863)

 

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ET brotherly love continue. 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Heb 13:1-2)

 

The history and traditions of our country are rich in examples of great heroism and patriotism. These great examples are mirrored at every turn in our country's national experience. One such example comes to us from a period of great suffering and sadness as our nation underwent the tortuous ordeal of War...a war that pitted brother against brother and father against son - the great War Between the States.

 

Richard Kirkland was a young South Carolina Confederate volunteer of 18 years of age at the beginning of the War. He fought in most of the major battles early in the War from First Manassas to Fredricksburg and, later, Chickamauga.

 

Serving under Colonel Kershaw at Fredricksburg, Sergeant Richard Kirkland found himself a member of Company G of the South Carolina Regiment of Kershaw's Brigade. The Union Army of the Potomac under the inept command of General Ambrose Burnsides had crossed the Rappahanock River and was massed before the Virginia city of Fredricksburg. That city, having refused surrender by its mayor, was destroyed by the heavy Union guns which thundered against its defenseless buildings.

 

The company of which Kirkland was a member was assigned a defense position along the base of a large and prominent hill called Marye's Heights. Marye's Heights was a formidable tactical position as the artillery of Confederate General Jackson's Army commanded favorable purview of the entire battle area.

 

There was a stone wall of solid construction which skirted the base of Marye's Heights, and it was behind this wall that Kirkland and his fellow soldiers sought cover from the overwhelming numbers of arms which were wielded by the numerically superior Union Army.

 

Burnside, ambitious and reckless, ordered wave after wave of blue clad soldiers against this bulwark of defense. The Confederate marksmen behind the wall had little trouble in repulsing these assaults with hundreds and thousands of Union casualties left behind to die or otherwise fend for themselves. 

 

On the afternoon of 13 December 1862, the open fields before Marye's Heights were littered with untold numbers of dead, dying and seriously wounded Union soldiers. The cries of their anguish were relentless.  Kirkland was a compassionate soul who could not long endure these sad cries for water and mercy. He sought permission from Col. Kershaw to cross the wall and provide water to these poor souls. Kershaw was reluctant, but acceded to the young man's request despite his firm opinion he would be shot the moment he raised his head above the wall.

 

Kirkland gathered as many canteens of water as he could carry and bounded over the wall. To all his comrade's amazement, the Union lines drawn up opposite the field did not open fire. Kirkland raced to the first soldier who lay freezing in the cold December weather and gave him water to drink and then threw his coat over him. He then raced to the next, and the next, and the next, giving life-saving water to these desperate victims of the cruelty of war. He perhaps gave aid and comfort to more than one hundred Union wounded that day and was revered by Union and Confederate alike for his great courage and compassion.

 

Following this great demonstration of humanity, Kirkland became known to both sides as the Angel of Marye's Heights. He was later killed at Chickamauga where the Union Army suffered another resounding defeat.

 

Later, when the Union Army of General Sherman approached the home of Richard Kirkland in South Carolina, even this ruthless General remembered the Angel of Marye's Heights and gave order that his home be spared from pillage and burning.

 

Angels come in all forms and personalities. Kirkland was angel to a great number of his enemies. 

 

Whose angel are you?

Jerry Ogles

An Enduring Masterpiece – 21 March 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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OW when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. (Matthew 26:20-25)

 

In da Vinci’s Last Supper, Christ is the central figure via ‘point-perspective.’ All the lines on the floor, ceiling and wall converge to a point of meeting in infinity directly behind the heart of Christ. If extended outward, they construct an infinite plane whose center is the heart of Christ. Christ Himself is depicted with His left hand reaching, palm upward, to receive the Bread of Life; but the right hand of action is extended palm down toward the inevitable cup of the wrath of God in sin. He would prefer (as we all would do) to live and forego this terrible death, but, nonetheless, He reaches to grasp the Cup of His Suffering. Can you see His Beauty and Strength of Love in this, my friend? I do not know if we ever shall be able to fully comprehend this one thing.

 

Who would dare claim that the work of da Vinci was not touched by divine inspiration? He was seven years in painting the Last Supper mural on the walls of the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy. This art piece went a step further than all previous works of art in several categories. For example, this painting captures, not only da Vinci’s best sense of the scene in the Upper Room, but also an instant in time – the moment that Jesus said, One of you shall betray me! (John 13:21) The shock and surprise on the faces of the Apostles is remarkable. They wondered Is it I? demonstrating man knows not his own heart, but God does!

 

Furthermore, da Vinci employed a new technique called Point Perspective. All lines on the floor and ceiling converge to a point in Eternity just behind the Mind of Christ. Due to this perspective, all eyes (as da Vinci intended) cannot help being drawn directly to Christ at first glance. How many artists of our day are capable of such thought and meaning? Instead, in our day, devolution of beauty is the object instead of evolution of it. Degeneracy is the goal, and not the beauty of God’s Creation. Satan is very busy in every field of art, isn’t he?

 

            The life of every Christian should be like the Last Supper Painting of Da Vinci. All the lines of our lives – our thoughts, our actions, our words, even habits of dress and conduct – should converge in the heart of Christ. Though we value the gift of life with which the Lord has graced us; and though we would prefer not the cup of persecution and tribulation that are the marks of the Christian life, we must, nonetheless, receive the same cup of sacrifice from which the Lord drank and that He resolved to receive at that Last Supper. 

 

            Our hearts should be under a constant self-examination and recommitment to our Lord. Is it I? Have I betrayed my Lord in the testimony revealed by every avenue of my life? Is it I? Have I denied the Lord by, not only my outward exclamation, but my silence in speaking out on His behalf and for His glory? Is it I? Have I been ashamed to admit my faith in Him before friends or strangers. Our silence of faith will sound with the thunder of a cannon at the last judgment. 

 

            Perhaps, like the one who received the sop at the last supper, you have claimed to be a disciple of Christ. You may have walked with Him from Galilee to Tyre – from Samaria to Jerusalem. You may have witnessed the power of faith, but never received the Redeemer, Savior and Lord as the Throne of your heart. It is one thing to be found in a church of believers but yet be one completely devoid of faith and belief. You may be as the Scribes and Pharisees – a hypocrite which, in the Greek, means a play-actor. 

 

            Beware that you are not a spiritual liberal at the last day: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (Matthew 25:32-34)

What a Friend – 20 March 2022, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

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 MAN that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother  (Proverbs 18:2)

 

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HIS is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. (John 15:12-17)

 

            What a Friend We Have in Jesus, is one of the simplest, but most beautiful, of all hymns of the latter day's hymnology. It is about the Lord Jesus Christ as the greatest Friend any could be blessed to have. The introductory text from the Gospel of St. John clearly defines the impulse that moved in the heart of the composer, Joseph Scriven (1819-1886) – LOVE! Joseph was an especial friend to widows and orphans and labored in providing them with wood for the hearth which he chopped and delivered himself. His story deserves some explanation to grasp the full nature of his heart in writing this hymn. 

 

            Joseph Scriven was born in Bainbridge County Down in Ireland to wealthy parents in 1819. He graduated from Trinity College in Dublin (1842) and was engaged to be married to the lady who held sway over his heart in 1843. The night before the wedding, his beautiful fiancée was riding along the River Bann to meet Joseph. Her horse shied at some unexpected rush of birds and she was thrown into the edge water of the river, knocked unconscious, and drowned in less than a foot of water. This tragedy had an overwhelming effect on Joseph. He could no longer abide the beautiful rolling hills and green mountains of Ireland. He departed Ireland, heartbroken, for Canada where he tutored students, preached and labored for the poor who could not afford wood for heat. He settled in Port Hope, Canada, where he was known as the Good Samaritan of Port Hope (owing to his charitable work for widows and orphans). 

 

            Scriven’s mother became seriously ill in Ireland in 1855. Scriven sat down and wrote a poem for her which was a manner of prayer for her in praising Jesus, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Charles Crozat Converse read the poem as published in an Irish periodical and wrote the tune to the hymn, by which it is sung, in 1868 (CONVERSE). The hymn was first credited to the famous hymn-writer, Horatius Bonar, but Bonar denied having written it. Later, the original poem was found in the estate of Scriven’s mother and he was finally given credit for his work in 1880. The hymn has retained the exact wording as written by Scriven.

 

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear

And what a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer

 

Oh, what peace we often forfeit

Oh, what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer

 

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged

Take it to the Lord in prayer

 

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness

Take it to the Lord in prayer

 

            In 1857, Scriven again was engaged to be married to the daughter of a sea captain, but this lady, too, died suddenly of pneumonia. Scriven continued his work of preaching and charity until his death in 1886 – broken-hearted, but trusting in His best Friend. The following are published articles about Scriven:

 

            A tall obelisk was built upon his grave with the words from the song and the following inscription:

 

This monument was erected to the memory of Joseph Scriven, B.A., by lovers of his hymn, which is engraved hereon, and is his best memorial. Born at Seapatrick, Co. Down, Ireland, 10 Sept.1819, emigrated to Canada 1844. Entered into rest at Bewdley, Rice Lake, 10 August 1886, and buried here. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

 

A plaque can be found on the Port Hope-Peterborough Highway with the following inscription:

 

Four miles north, in the family Pengelley Cemetery, lies the philanthropist and author of this great masterpiece, written at Port Hope, 1857. The composer of the music, Charles C. Converse, was a well-educated versatile and successful Christian, whose talents ranged from law to professional music. Under the pen name of Karl Reden, he wrote numerous scholarly articles on many subjects. Though he was an excellent musician and composer with many of his works performed by the leading American orchestras and choirs of his day, his life is best remembered for this simple music so well suited to Scriven's text.

 

            Easter is a fitting time to consider the depth of love the best Friend men and women of faith have ever had in our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

When the morning begins to dawn toward the first day of the week (Easter Sunday) and it is yet dark, let us walk with Mary Magdalene to the open Tomb and find it empty for us, too. Joseph Scriven did so, and countless multitudes of others whom we shall meet on Resurrection Day at the last Trump – that final Easter Day of Rejoicing! 

AOC Sunday Report - Third Sunday in Lent

 

Happy Third Sunday in Lent! 

The AOC Sunday Report is available RIGHT HERE!

Today we have excellent sermons from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Brian.  Rev Jack's sermon can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE.

There are always a lot of people needing your prayer, today is no exception.  Please start with Shamu, whose old port site is infected, Tricia, who is plagued by headaches on top of her stroke, for Jim who has so much difficulty recovering his mobility, for Mrs. Kay, whose knee is keeping her from mobility, and work out from there.

There is a lot of evil in the world, there always has been, the Prince of this World is always on the lookout for a new home.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, see the good, identify and reject the bad.

Speaking of good, there is a lot of that in the week ahead.  Look for it.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

The Third Sunday in Lent

Rev Jack's sermon can be viewed 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:

 

… look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies …

 

In the Collect, we ask God look in to our hearts, and see our desire to be His children and defend us against evil.  That also means we are looking for His Help which comes in the form of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will assist us in the process of changing of our hearts to actually have “hearty desires” to do His Will and to be “humble servants”, not our usual and customary self-centered selves.  Quite a combination of thoughts in a small bit of verbiage!  It is amazing how much we can put in a short sentence if we use words to their best advantage! If we will be follow Him, He will defend us in all assaults of our enemies. ^[1]  If we will not accept His Help, He will not force it on us.  Back to that old, “Thy will be done.”  The question arises once again, from whose mouth does it proceed, ours or God’s? 

 

Today’s Epistle and Gospel share the same theme. This theme is centered around action. In order to be a Christian, you have to act as a Christian and not just say we are. Jesus’s whole ministry could be summed up in one word, action. Jesus set the ultimate example for us to follow for action.  Saying we are Christians and actually being Christians are two different states of being. It is quite easy to say we are Christians, it is quite another to act like we are. Acting like Christians is a lot harder than just saying we are but it is something we must strive to do if we are to be more like Christ.

 

In his Epistle, Paul tells us in order to live out our faith, we need to make our actions match our stated desires, very much in line with the thought above. Actions! Not just Dictions, but Actions! He points out that our actions have to be in line with that of Scripture and that of Christ’s teachings in order for them to have any meaning. He warns us against acting like many in this world do with unclean thoughts and actions. He says that those folks have no inheritance in the kingdom of God, so let us strive not to be like them. We should be doing our best to emulate Christ’s example as much as we are able.

 

There are too many people who claim to be Christian, yet do not actually act on the principles of Christ and follow His Instructions. They do not truly understand what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is called to a life of action and not just diction. To be Christian, we have to actually follow those said principles. The key word here is following or acting. Action is the central theme of the Christian faith, which was first shown with Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection. He came to act for us, not just to talk or meditate; His great plan involved action, though it was painful, it was His action which released us from the wages of sin. We have to follow His Example that He set for us and live our lives in a manner that reflects we believe the Gospel.

 

Think about the Gospel.

 

It is very important to be unified in our worship and maintain mutual support; a team always beats individuals.  That is not to take away from individuality, but rather to note we need to remember whose side we are on and work together with our teammate. If we are not working together, then we are not truly united under Christ’s banner. And if we are not truly united, then we will not get anywhere in spreading the Gospel for all to hear, learn and understand.

 

We might have individual personality differences, but as long as we all believe on Christ and His Death and Resurrection and Gospel, then those differences we might have with others are minor and not worth arguing or fighting over. We must cast aside our personal feelings about the minor differences and focus on how we can work together with our fellow Christians to further His Mission here on Earth. 

 

In light of this, there are two phrases particularly worth remembering, “a house divided against a house falleth” and “He that is not with me is against me.”  Middle ground exists, but it is quicksand.  Eventually one has to choose a side.  Everybody has to make that choice sooner or later. It is very clear to us what side we should choose. The only rational side to take is that of God, the side that will lead us to eternal life not that of eternal death.

 

And, we cannot keep with the opposition.  It is the natural part of the history of the Bible and of life. We have to choose to follow God, as there is no other reasonable option, which will give us the result following God will result in. We must decide who we will follow. We do not have true faith if we do not act upon the words that our lips speak, of believing in Christ and His Father.

 

Christ himself came not to unite the world, but to divide it, father against son.  In Matthew 10:32-34 He says “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” He is saying here He has not come to unite the World, for the World is not on our side. But to clearly divide the world to show who is with God and who is against God.  He came to highlight who is for Him and who is against Him.

 

For as earlier explained, one man cannot serve two masters. And also the saying of where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. In this life by reading through Scripture we can easily tell who is for Him and who is against Him. It is simple, who holds to the principles of Scripture is for Him. They who do not hold to them are not with Him. 

 

You must keep constant vigilance against backsliding, for a fallen Christian is in worse shape than one who was never exposed to The Word. In order to maintain the constant vigilance you have to always act upon your faith. The Epistle and Gospel both talk about the curious dichotomy; you are saved by faith, Jesus’s faith, and your faith alone saves you, not what you do; yet if you have faith, you must act on that faith. To maintain your Christian course, you must truly turn a new leaf, and not slip back into the old man. This is one of the most difficult challenges as a Christian, but with the help of the Holy Ghost, we each can do it. 

 

You must receive the Word, hear it, and act upon it and spread it joyously to others, in order for your faith to have any meaning at all. Otherwise we will have been for the worse than if we never had heard the Good News. It is not a gift to selfishly lock up, but to share and give to others. That is the true joy of the Good News. It is most certainly more blessed to give than to receive in this case.

 

You must grasp your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your savior and your repentance is the beginning of your life as a New Man in Jesus.  

 

Will you slip?  Without doubt.  But, when you do, will you again repent and continue to do your best to follow the Word of God, the Light and the Truth?  All that matters is you get up and do your best not to do what you did to slip. Life is a continuous learning process. Indeed, if you are a Christian that is what you must do.  We will always slip up in our lives, that is in our fallen nature. But we have to get up and get back on track, using the Holy Gospel to guide us like the instruments in an aircraft.  We cannot trust our feeling, but only our instruments (God’s gift of Holy Scripture).  You are called to believe and act on those beliefs to the best of your ability.  If you do not, then prepared as you were for life, you will so be prepared for the pit.  As you read Luke, remember the second half of the Book of Luke is The ACTS of the Apostles, not thoughts, wishes, prayers or meditations. 

 

For, “blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”

 

ACT

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

---

^[1] A Collect for Peace – 1928 Book of Common Prayer Page 17

The Third Sunday in Lent - Propers with explanation – Rev Jack’s Sermon

The Propers for today are found on Page 128-130, with the Collect first:

 

The Third Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

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E beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:

 

The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.

The Collect.

 

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LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.

 

The Epistle for today came from the Fifth Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse. He echoes the  advice of St. James in his general epistle to be Christians, not just claim to be followers of Christ, when James wrote, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

 

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E ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

 

This morning’s Gospel comes from the Eleventh Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke beginning at the Fourteenth Verse. 

 

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ESUS was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

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:

 

… look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies …

 

In the Collect, we ask God look in to our hearts, and see our desire to be His children and defend us against evil.  That also means we are looking for His Help which comes in the form of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will assist us in the process of changing of our hearts to actually have “hearty desires” to do His Will and to be “humble servants”, not our usual and customary self-centered selves.  Quite a combination of thoughts in a small bit of verbiage!  It is amazing how much we can put in a short sentence if we use words to their best advantage! If we will be follow Him, He will defend us in all assaults of our enemies. ^[1]  If we will not accept His Help, He will not force it on us.  Back to that old, “Thy will be done.”  The question arises once again, from whose mouth does it proceed, ours or God’s? 

 

Today’s Epistle and Gospel share the same theme. This theme is centered around action. In order to be a Christian, you have to act as a Christian and not just say we are. Jesus’s whole ministry could be summed up in one word, action. Jesus set the ultimate example for us to follow for action.  Saying we are Christians and actually being Christians are two different states of being. It is quite easy to say we are Christians, it is quite another to act like we are. Acting like Christians is a lot harder than just saying we are but it is something we must strive to do if we are to be more like Christ.

 

In his Epistle, Paul tells us in order to live out our faith, we need to make our actions match our stated desires, very much in line with the thought above. Actions! Not just Dictions, but Actions! He points out that our actions have to be in line with that of Scripture and that of Christ’s teachings in order for them to have any meaning. He warns us against acting like many in this world do with unclean thoughts and actions. He says that those folks have no inheritance in the kingdom of God, so let us strive not to be like them. We should be doing our best to emulate Christ’s example as much as we are able.

 

There are too many people who claim to be Christian, yet do not actually act on the principles of Christ and follow His Instructions. They do not truly understand what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is called to a life of action and not just diction. To be Christian, we have to actually follow those said principles. The key word here is following or acting. Action is the central theme of the Christian faith, which was first shown with Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection. He came to act for us, not just to talk or meditate; His great plan involved action, though it was painful, it was His action which released us from the wages of sin. We have to follow His Example that He set for us and live our lives in a manner that reflects we believe the Gospel.

 

Think about the Gospel.

 

It is very important to be unified in our worship and maintain mutual support; a team always beats individuals.  That is not to take away from individuality, but rather to note we need to remember whose side we are on and work together with our teammate. If we are not working together, then we are not truly united under Christ’s banner. And if we are not truly united, then we will not get anywhere in spreading the Gospel for all to hear, learn and understand.

 

We might have individual personality differences, but as long as we all believe on Christ and His Death and Resurrection and Gospel, then those differences we might have with others are minor and not worth arguing or fighting over. We must cast aside our personal feelings about the minor differences and focus on how we can work together with our fellow Christians to further His Mission here on Earth. 

 

In light of this, there are two phrases particularly worth remembering, “a house divided against a house falleth” and “He that is not with me is against me.”  Middle ground exists, but it is quicksand.  Eventually one has to choose a side.  Everybody has to make that choice sooner or later. It is very clear to us what side we should choose. The only rational side to take is that of God, the side that will lead us to eternal life not that of eternal death.

 

And, we cannot keep with the opposition.  It is the natural part of the history of the Bible and of life. We have to choose to follow God, as there is no other reasonable option, which will give us the result following God will result in. We must decide who we will follow. We do not have true faith if we do not act upon the words that our lips speak, of believing in Christ and His Father.

 

Christ himself came not to unite the world, but to divide it, father against son.  In Matthew 10:32-34 He says “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” He is saying here He has not come to unite the World, for the World is not on our side. But to clearly divide the world to show who is with God and who is against God.  He came to highlight who is for Him and who is against Him.

 

For as earlier explained, one man cannot serve two masters. And also the saying of where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. In this life by reading through Scripture we can easily tell who is for Him and who is against Him. It is simple, who holds to the principles of Scripture is for Him. They who do not hold to them are not with Him. 

 

You must keep constant vigilance against backsliding, for a fallen Christian is in worse shape than one who was never exposed to The Word. In order to maintain the constant vigilance you have to always act upon your faith. The Epistle and Gospel both talk about the curious dichotomy; you are saved by faith, Jesus’s faith, and your faith alone saves you, not what you do; yet if you have faith, you must act on that faith. To maintain your Christian course, you must truly turn a new leaf, and not slip back into the old man. This is one of the most difficult challenges as a Christian, but with the help of the Holy Ghost, we each can do it. 

 

You must receive the Word, hear it, and act upon it and spread it joyously to others, in order for your faith to have any meaning at all. Otherwise we will have been for the worse than if we never had heard the Good News. It is not a gift to selfishly lock up, but to share and give to others. That is the true joy of the Good News. It is most certainly more blessed to give than to receive in this case.

 

You must grasp your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your savior and your repentance is the beginning of your life as a New Man in Jesus.  

 

Will you slip?  Without doubt.  But, when you do, will you again repent and continue to do your best to follow the Word of God, the Light and the Truth?  All that matters is you get up and do your best not to do what you did to slip. Life is a continuous learning process. Indeed, if you are a Christian that is what you must do.  We will always slip up in our lives, that is in our fallen nature. But we have to get up and get back on track, using the Holy Gospel to guide us like the instruments in an aircraft.  We cannot trust our feeling, but only our instruments (God’s gift of Holy Scripture).  You are called to believe and act on those beliefs to the best of your ability.  If you do not, then prepared as you were for life, you will so be prepared for the pit.  As you read Luke, remember the second half of the Book of Luke is The ACTS of the Apostles, not thoughts, wishes, prayers or meditations. 

 

For, “blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”

 

ACT

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

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^[1] A Collect for Peace – 1928 Book of Common Prayer Page 17