Anglican Orthodox
Church sm
Worldwide Communion
Tenth Sunday after Trinity
August 9, 2026
Sunday Report
Tenth Sunday after Trinty
The propers
are special prayers and readings
from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single
thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of
England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop
of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning
and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday.
The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various
Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading
from one of the Holy Gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect
is said by the minister
as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated
reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel,
which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers
in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read
instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks
the titles are in red, are special days. Most
of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early
saint’s instrumental in the development of the church,
others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day
is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or
Lent. The Propers for today are found in the
Book of Common Prayer page 203-202.
The Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity.
LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy
humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask
such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epistle for Tenth Sunday after Trinity. 1 Corinthians. xii. 1.
CONCERNING spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you
ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols,
even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking
by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus
is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh
all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the
word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another
the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to
another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of
tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that
one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The Gospel for Ninth Sunday after Trinity. St. Luke. xix. 41.
AND when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things
which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days
shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and
compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even
with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee
one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and
them that bought; saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of
prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple.
"And he
took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had
spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought."
Mark 8:23
That was a very
gentle thing to do. Let us look very closely at the picture — Jesus is leading
a poor blind man along the street. What thoughts does it start in our minds?
The blind man
represents each one of us in our sinful state, in the midst of a world of
beauty — but seeing nothing; groping in the gloom, unable to find the way
alone; doomed to perish forever in the darkness — unless someone takes us by
the hand and leads us.
As Jesus came to
this man in his blindness — so He comes to each one of His people, taking us by
the hand and be our guide, to lead us, through the gloom and the dangers — home
to eternal glory. We can never stumble in the darkness — if He leads us.
The blind man entrusting
himself to be led by this stranger, without fear or questioning, and quietly
and confidingly going with Him — is a picture of what true faith in Christ
always does. It is in this way, that we are to commit ourselves to Christ. It
is not enough to lay our sins on Him; we must entrust our whole life to His
wise and loving guidance. We can never find the way ourselves in this world's
intricate paths — but we may entrust ourselves with unquestioning confidence,
to Christ's leading.
Ther Transfiguration of Jesus Christ – Aug. 6th
The Collect
O GOD, who on
the mount didst reveal to chosen witnesses thine only-begotten Son wonderfully
transfigured, in raiment white and glistering;
Mercifully
grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may be
permitted to behold the King in his beauty, who with thee, O Father, and thee,
O Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Epistle. 2 St. Peter i. 13.
I THINK it
meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in
remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as
our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be
able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have
not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For
he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice
to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him
in the holy mount.
The Gospel. St. Luke ix. 28.
AND it came
to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and
James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of
his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And,
behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: who appeared
in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jeru-salem.
But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were
awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to
pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for
us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for
Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there
came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the
cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son:
hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it
close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
1928 Common Book of Prayer
Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop
Metropolitan AOC Worldwide
We are fortunate
to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the
Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under
ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Bishop Ogles
Blog:
https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com
Bishop Ogles
You Tube Channel
that is free to subscribe: all of his videos at:
Video
Sermon Summary: Ninth Sunday after Trinity
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/08/youtube-video-player.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEcFiz_mlwo
Video Devotion:
Transfiguration Day
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/08/youtube-video-player_01223518090.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T31dDU2MZhs
Video Poem Devotion: The Return to Old Scenes
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/08/youtube-video-player_0179669815.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z2JqnhGOBc&t=6s
Solus Christus - Part
Two
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my
Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth
life unto the world.” (John 6:32-33) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me
hath everlasting life.
I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in
the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down
from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the
living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he
shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will
give for the life of the world.”
(John 6:47-51)
Bread of Heaven and Bread of Life! That sums up
the gift of Christ in salvation to us; and not only salvation, but a joyful and
victory-filled life in Him as we consume, and digest, that Bread of Heaven. The
wilderness church subsisted on Manna from Heaven, too, but it was a bodily
sustenance that Manna provided. It was their diet alone just as Christ
is our Bread alone! When there was no other source of food in the
Wilderness, God sent them Manna from Heaven that typified that better Manna
that was to come. For the Lord’s elect, there is no other spiritual nourishment
than that of our Lord Jesus Christ that can grant life eternal. He alone
can save. He alone died for the remission of our sins. He alone
rose from the grave and up to His Father in Heaven to intercede on our behalf –
alone!
Not only did the Manna typify our Lord, but also
that great Rock on the Mountain of the Lord (Horeb) which cleft for us to
provide the Water essential for life in a dry and barren land. Jesus Christ was
cleft for us on the cross by the Centurion’s spear. The Mountain of God at
Horeb symbolized mercy in granting water to the people. It stands just before
Mount Sinai (also called the Mountain of God). Horeb represents mercy whereas
Sinai represented the Law. Horeb came before Sinai, therefore mercy
trumps Law.
Since there is no remission of sin without the
shedding of blood (see Hebrews 9:22), the Children of Israel had no hope of
surviving the last curse in Egypt without the blood of the lamb to cover their
dwellings. That lamb symbolizes the Lamb of God, sacrificed for us before the
Foundation of the world. (see Revelation 13:8). That first Passover in Goshen
shadows that great Passover which Jesus became for us. (see 1 Corinthians 5:7)
Despite the helpless predicament of Israel, penned in
the marshes of the Red Sea with the Sea on the east and Pharaoh’s pursuing army
on the West, God both followed and led the Children to victory across the dry
bed of the Sea. His Pillar of Cloud by Day and fire by Night was alone
their protection. “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of
Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from
before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of
the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them,
but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other
all the night.” (Exodus 14:19-20)
The intelligence officer of Pharaoh’s army must have been a real idiot
not to be impressed by the powerful force that had thus far protected Israel.
How could Pharaoh, knowing of all that God had done to preserve Israel, believe
that His Mighty Hand would fail in the bed of the sea! He pursued with his
multitudinous army. That great Power that preserved Israel was the same which
spelled doom for Egypt: “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the
LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of
the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their
chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let
us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the
Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the
sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots,
and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea,
and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the
Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of
the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the
horsemen, and all the host of
Pharaoh that
came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.” (Exodus 14:24-28)
The absurdity of Israel’s doubt that God would
preserve them under every challenge is, to us, immeasurable, but, remember we
are looking back on the accomplished event. They were forced to proceed on
faith in the Lord alone! No man
had ever witnessed or even imagined such miracles up to that time. Neither
could the disciples imagine the events of the crucifixion and resurrection
though they had been told by the Lord.
A NEAR
PERFECT PICTURE OF CHRIST:
“And they
journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of
Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye
brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread,
neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And
the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and
much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said,
We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray
unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the
people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set
it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when
he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and
put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man,
when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” (Numbers 21:4-9)
You may wonder how the serpent is a type of Christ –
it is not precisely so. The serpent represents the sins of each of us that
Christ took upon Himself on the cross. But the serpent (the very thing that
represented the sins of Israel) being nailed to a pole does foreshadow the
crucifixion of Christ on the cross in remission of our own sin. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life.” (John 3:14-15) We are all bitten by that old
Serpent of the Garden and infected with deadly sin. Looking to the crucified
Christ on the cross as our Savior, Redeemer, and Lord, we too are healed of the
deadly wage of sin which is death.
As promised to Abraham, and all who believed the
Promise made to Abraham, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God
sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them
that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;
and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:4-7) It is
important to note that all who are the elect of Christ are sons and daughters.
This gives lie to the NIV, ESV, and others that make the deceptive translation
of John 3:16 to read, “one and only son” instead of “Only Begotten Son.”
Christ is the natural offspring and very substance of the Father whereas we are
sons and daughters by adoption.
On the lonely, moonlit hills overlooking tiny
Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago, the great Angel and his cohorts appeared
to lonely shepherds “. . . keeping watch over their flocks by night.”
(Luke 2:8) The Angel did not appear in the halls of power in Jerusalem, but
rather to these simple shepherds. The Promised Seed of all time and eternity
had been born of Mary in the small hamlet mentioned below. The sleepy village
itself was oblivious to the epochal event as are many today. But no such
marvelous thing had ever happened in Bethlehem, or any other place on earth, to
compare with that which had occurred on that wintry night. God does not ask for
a resume before He calls a soul to His heart. He does not single out the
wealthy, the prominent, or the strong; but men of simple hearts and humble
disposition. He neither excludes the rich and powerful – but these usually are
less likely to recognize their depravity and need for Christ - much like the
rich young ruler.
Though our Lord came to us as
a gentle Baby at Bethlehem, and traversed the land healing, teaching and
resurrecting the dead; He shall come again with Power and Great Glory to judge
the world. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the
sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other.” (Matthew
24:29-31)
At that moment, there will be “no loving the
sinner and hating the sin.” The character of all will be sealed at that
split-second of time. He comes with Great Power for no reason. He will wield
that power against the wicked who have not only denied Him, but persecuted
those who believe. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and
he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth
judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head
were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called
The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon
white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his
mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on
his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an
angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the
fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto
the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the
flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of
them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small
and great.” (Revelations 19:11-18)
I realize that these two chapters on Solus
Christus fall far short of the beauty and glory necessary to adequately
expound upon the glory of Christ Alone. But the Holy Bible does, indeed,
possess that exposition in full beauty and truth. My only hope for success of
this booklet is that it will inspire a curiosity in the heart of the reader to
diligently study, learn and digest the beauty available through the pages of
the Book of Books.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's
Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest
Anglican Orthodox Church -Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Morning Prayer – Tenth Sunday after trinity
Psalm:
15, 46; First lesson: Isaiah 44:1-8, 21-23; Second lesson:
Romans 12:1 – 9
LET thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy
humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask
such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymns # 562, 578, 609
Holiness
The overarching theme of our scripture is
holiness.
1.Who can live with the
Lord? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and
speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor
doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
2.Why is the Lord holy? Be still, and
know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in
the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. God is
exalted in all the earth, He is the creator of all, therefore He is holy.
3.What hope do we have in the Lord?
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the
works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. God is our
refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Even in times of chaos and
tumult, God is our safety, our refuge, He protects us from all spiritual
damage.
Early church Fathers understood,
especially from the writings of Leviticus and Deuteronomy that man had a severe
flaw, a fatal flaw; he was filled with sin from his birth and needed outside
help to overcome that sin. This condition is known as total depravity.
The psalmist wrote many times about the
good man who avoided or fled evil (sin) and in this way was worshiping the
Lord. Many passages of both Old and New Testament writings speak of the
overall sinfulness of man. So how do we get out of this ?
The simple outline found in Psalm 15
guides us to seek holiness, to seek the Lord, to live at peace with our
neighbors, and in doing these things he will not be shaken.
A. Be blameless and do what is right. Walk
according to the precepts we learn from the Ten Commandments. By reading
and understanding how the Lord worked amongst a wicked people gives us the
examples of how we should conduct ourselves in our daily lives. The very Word
of God is our guide in these most uncertain times. We should always study the
Word and apply it to our daily journey through this hell scape created by the
evil one. Satan will always try to foul us up and create uncertainty in our
lives; go to the Word, go to the Lord, seek Him always.
B. Speak the truth and do not slander
others. You don’t have to say anything about someone else, their behavior
will reveal what character flaws and possible evil that they may exhibit. You
don’t have to report, their lives will do all the talking. That is what is
implied by this passage, in that if you speak the truth and do not slander
others, you will reveal your Lord in your actions.
C. Avoid evil. Now you may despise a
vile man, one who purposely seeks out evil and does evil to others, but this
despising is to keep you away from that influence, not to drag you down to his
level. And at the same time as you despise one who is vile, you should
also honor won who fears or has great respect for the Lord God
Almighty. This one who fears and honors the Lord, keeping his oath even if
it hurts, they are the one to look up to, because they are doing the right
thing.
D.
Be generous. Interesting, this instruction is all about money, or
funds. The person, who fears the Lord, lends his money without
usury. Usury, a misunderstood word. It means that you can lend money
without charging too much interest, not interest free. In the middle ages
the interpretation was that no interest could be changed for lending money, if
you were a Christian. So monarchs and the church went to the Jewish population
and borrowed money, because the Jews could charge interest. But we are
getting off track here, back to the outline. The other side of this good
man, one who feared the Lord, did not do usury and even more importantly, did
not take bribes to “bear false witness against the innocent”.
What is the benefit of doing all
this that David wrote in Psalm 15? “He who doeth these things will
never be moved.” The very sure foundation of our Lord God, our
creator, our help, our sure way in the wilderness, He will keep us from being moved.
Bridges falling down, mine
disasters, drought, floods, terror threats on a daily basis, all these things
can move an ordinary person. But a person at peace, a person who is in
love and concord with his neighbor, a person who is honest, a person who is
kind, a person who stays away from evil and yet does what is right, he will not
be moved. All these terrible things can happen, they will continue until
Jesus comes again in His Glory to claim his Kingdom, but in the meantime, we
can stand up and not be shaken if we follow the simple outline of Psalm 15.
I leave you with a quote from our
other Psalter reading, Ps 46:10
“Be
still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the
nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
Let
us pray:
O
LORD our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be ministered unto, but
to minister; We beseech thee to bless all who, following in his steps, give
themselves to the service of their fellow men. Endue them with wisdom,
patience, and courage, that they may strengthen the weak and raise up those who
fall; and, being inspired by thy love, may worthily minister in thy Name to the
suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the sake of him who laid down his
life for us, the same thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom,
who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; We
beseech thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things which
for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask,
vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
IN Christ alone during Trinity
+Roy
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi
We are always grateful to get these wonderful sermons
from Rev. Bryan, they keep us on our toes!
Sermon Text for Tenth Sunday after Trinity:
In our epistle lesson for today (Romans 12:6; and see
also I Corinthians 12:11) the apostle Paul informs us that our spiritual gifts
are to be used for edifying those within the body of Christ, while serving as a
beacon to those without that they too might be motivated to enter into the fold
of Christ. Additionally, in his first epistle to the Corinthian church
(12:4-11) the apostle reminded us that: ... there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...
dividing to every man severally as he will. And St. Peter was given of the
Holy Ghost to write on this same subject (I St. Peter 4:10) that: As every
man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God. The Rev. Matthew Henry also penned
the following which is apropos, “...that whatever gift, ordinary or
extraordinary, whatever power, ability, or capacity of doing good is given to
us, we should minister or do service with the same one to another. The talents
we are entrusted with are our Lord’s goods... It is required in a steward that
he be found faithful.”
Consider also the variety of spiritual gifts which the
Holy Ghost imparts to believers as noted in I Corinthians 12. We have, the
word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge, (v.8); faith, and the gifts of
healing; (v.9); the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits,
divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues (v.10). It is
not uncommon for some Christians to have more than one of these gifts. Yet
regardless of the number they have received, the purpose of these gifts is in
the furtherance of the gospel of truth in this sin darkened world. The Rev.
Matthew Henry carefully examined each one, so let us look at them in the light
of his study.
The word of wisdom refers to “a knowledge of
the mysteries of the gospel and [the] ability to explain them, an exact
understanding of the design, nature, and doctrines of the Christian faith.” St.
Stephen was given to proclaim the truth of Christ Jesus to the temple
authorities who were cut to the heart (Acts 7:54) on account of the words which
the Holy Ghost gave to him. It does not take a seminary-trained leader to
receive such from God. The Holy Spirit puts a zeal for the study of God’s word
into select believers for the express purpose of teaching others.
The word of knowledge has to do with the
“knowledge of mysteries wrapped up in the prophecies, types, and histories of
the Old Testament. Others say [it is] a readiness to give advice and counsel in
perplexed cases.” While this gift is similar to the previous one, there is a
difference in application. This one seems to focus on the gathering or
receiving of knowledge as well as its delivery to others. In order to be wise
in the faith, one must possess a knowledge of it. The third is faith which
refers to “the faith of miracles, or... in divine power and promise by which
they were enabled to trust God in any emergency, go on in the way of their
duty, and acknowledge and profess the truths of Christ [regardless of] the
difficulty or danger.” This is the one gift which all born-again Christians must
have because without faith we cannot come to that saving understanding of Christ.
We must believe that God can work miracles, that he can exercise his divine
sovereignty in matters related to this world because he is the Creator and Maker
of all things both visible and invisible. St. Paul noted in Hebrews 11:1, Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. To
quote Matthew Henry another time with regard to this passage: “Faith demonstrates
to the eye of the mind the reality of those things that cannot be discerned by
the eye of the body.” To be a Christian— a true and faithful Christian— you
must have the gift of faith.
The fourth, the gifts of healing has to do with
“the healing of the sick, either by laying on of hands, anointing with oil, or
with a word.” St. James noted in his epistle: Is there any sick among you?
let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall
save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he hath committed sins,
they shall be forgiven him. How often this gift has been misused and in
turn been made a mock of by “worldlings” who have witnessed the hocus pocus
show of charlatans who pass themselves off as servants of the Most High. They
promise healing to broad gatherings and then because no one is healed the unbelieving
critics heap ridicule on all believers. Yes, healing is possible. We know that
because we have faith in God’s word written wherein it says healings can be
had. But all has to conform to God’s plan and purpose. There were many righteous
people in the Bible who were never healed of their ailments. But this does not
disqualify the gift of healing, rendering it fraudulent. We ought to follow the
directions as found in St. James’ epistle, then leave the rest to God in the
firm belief that God can heal if he so wills to do.
The fifth, the working of miracles refers to
“the efficacies of powers, such as raising the dead, restoring the blind to
sight, giving speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, and use of limbs to the
lame.” We know that at any time, God can do these sorts of things for it is
part and parcel of his sovereign authority in all areas of life and death. If
he should so empower one or more members of the church to carry out such works,
then those who are so empowered ought to exercise that gift with much reverence
and humility: not for gain or for fulfilling the desires of flesh, but for the
glory of God.
The sixth is prophecy and is described as “the
ability to foretell future events... or to explain scripture...” Prophesying
remains a controversial subject. Still, nothing in any prophecy offered by one
supposedly under the influence of the Holy Ghost will be at variance with
Scripture. This will require discernment on the part of the one uttering the
prophecy, as well as on the part of the listener. God calls his own in
different ways and we must not discount any prophetic communication without
first being Bereans in our studies of the word. But study we must, for if we
will not, we may end up being taken in by one the Devil’s minions.
The seventh is the discerning of spirits which
refers to “the power to distinguish between true and false prophets, or to
discern the real and internal qualifications of any person for an office, or to
discover the inward workings of the mind by the Holy Ghost...” St. Peter was
given this in his dealing with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) and with
Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:5-25).
The eighth and ninth, which are divers kinds of
tongues, and the interpretation of tongues must be exercised
together. While the gospel does contain elements that are enigmatic;
nevertheless, its presentation is to be plainly spoken and in a language that
all can understand. If the use of tongues is carried out otherwise, the words
of God will be rendered of no effect. Ergo, those who do not speak the language
being uttered must have an interpreter present to translate. While certain
charismatics will use Acts 2:1-11 as the proof text for their practice of
speaking in tongues, such is clearly not in line with what took place at Pentecost
as there were people from different countries present in Jerusalem to worship,
and they each heard the wonderful words of God in their native languages.
Therefore, speaking in an unknown tongue has been and
remains largely for the benefit of the unregenerate whom God is calling to
himself. That is why St. Paul in I Corinthians 14:1-40 set the specific
requirements for speaking in tongues. Matthew Henry once noted that, “The
Christian religion is a sober and reasonable thing in itself... and should not
be made to look wild or senseless. Those [who do so] disgrace their religion
and vilify their own character who do anything that has this aspect...
Religious exercises in Christian assemblies should be such as are fit to edify
the faithful, and convince, affect, and convert unbelievers. The ministry was
not instituted to make ostentation of gifts and parts, but to save souls.” If
we are not about that last point, then all else is show and spectacle. We must
remember that these gifts were designed to render glory to God. Therefore a
proper exercise of these gifts will be to our eternal good. Likewise, we should
be cautious in our assumptions of these gifts, especially if we are doing so
without godly permission. God will not bless our presumed efforts, and we will
find that our exercise of them will be for naught on that day when we will have
to give an account to our Lord Jesus Christ regarding their use (St. Matthew
25:14-30). St. Paul’s admonition to the Galatians (6:7) still stands: Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap...
Let us therefore live in obedience to his word written in all things.
Let us pray,
Father, impart to us a proper knowledge of those
spiritual gifts which thou hast given unto us, and then assist us as we utilize
them in thy service; for this we ask in the name of him who is giver of every
good and perfect gift, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week!
Bryan+
Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We
are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Transfiguration Marks of the Christian Life Prayer
Transfiguration Sunday – Luke 9:28-36.
This festival
of the Church is in all of the Gospels except for John. Our Lord had been
saying things to the disciples and then it says in Luke 9, "And ...about
eight days after these sayings He took Peter and John and James, and went up
into a mountain to pray..."
He had fed
the crowd---the miracle of feeding the 5,000. Then he asked the disciples,
"Whom say ye that I am?"
After Peter got it right, "The Christ of God" He told them,
"22The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected
of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the
third day. 23If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow me." (Luke 9:22-23)
Then He took
them up to the mountain. Have you ever been on top of a mountain? You can get a
picture of the whole area. There is a place near my old home in Monterey, CA
called Jack's peak, that you can drive up to. It allows you to see the whole
Monterey Bay, the Naval Postgraduate School, and even Pebble Beach.
On this
Church Festival of the Transfiguration let us go to the mountain to pray with
our Lord. We live in a time of hurry and hurry up and wait. It is a time of
ignorance of the spiritual truths that we must know if we are to live in this
world. We cannot get them from a lot of people. We can get them from the
Church, the Bible and of course of our own prayers and prayer time as we focus
on what God is asking of us.
We may want
to add this as one of the Marks of a Christian, now we have 7. Loyalty,
Freedom, Generosity, Patience, Courage and Humility. I would add reflection on
God's ways....prayer, meditation and letting God talk to us. So often we tell
God what we want, but forget to ask Him, what does He want?
"The
moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at
you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it
all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view,
letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in." C.S.
Lewis in sermonillustrations.com
It is
possible to live our lives without God but they are not lives that are either
pleasing to Him or lives that will lead us to our home in heaven. How often do
we pray? Do we pray at all? Prayer slows us down to be able to hear what God is
saying to us. Jesus took His disciples up to the mountain to pray.
I. Know
the Reality of His presence:
He took them
up to the mount. He doesn't leave us by ourselves. Romans 8 gives us the
comfort that He does foreknow all things, and He calls us to know that if we
love God all things work together for good in our lives, even the
disappointments and the heartaches. "…He called, and whom He called,
them He also justified, them He also glorified." (Romans 8:30).
The call of
God comes to us, and He takes us for His own, justifying us by the blood of His
Son. If we have truly responded in faith to that call, then we are assured of
His presence.
This is two
sides of a coin. If we are those whom the Lord has called, then we will respond
in faith. It is God's call, but we respond. John 6:37- "and him who cometh to Me I will on no wise cast out."
Matthew 11:28-"Come unto Me, all ye who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
What is going
on in our lives right now? Can we leave what we are doing to get a greater
vision of what is really going on in God's will and Word for us? Someday it
will all make sense to us. Along the road we need to know that He does not
leave us.
II. Let us be
reassured of the beauty of His person.
Luke 9:29,
"And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His
raiment was white and glistering" Matthew 17:2 "And was
transfigured (metamorpho- changed) before them: and His face did shine
as the sun, and His raiment was as white as the light." He is God's
Son. "…This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Hear ye Him."
(Matthew 17:5)
Peter said in 2 Peter 1:16 "…but [We] were
eyewitnesses of His majesty" and as we have Peter's confession Mt 16
:16, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God"
reaffirmed in our lives, we too have a rock that God builds into His Church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Whom
say ye that I am?... Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God! (Matthew 16:15-16)
The Collect
for day encourages us to draw away to know this beauty in our torn world,"
O GOD, who on the mount didst reveal to chosen witnesses thine only-begotten
Son wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistering; Mercifully grant
that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may be permitted
to behold the King in His beauty..."
III. Lastly,
let us be reassured of the nearness of His message
Matthew 17:6
"And when the disciples heard it ( the voice of God out of the
cloud...), they fell on their face, and were sore afraid." What did
Jesus then do? VS 7 says "And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid."
What are you
struggling with right now? We as Christians have problems too. Can you imagine
how would feel if Jesus touched you? We build up walls to not let people in
...sometimes for good reasons, yet Jesus touches us as our Protector and Lord,
and says, " It will be o.k. I am here! Arise , and do not be afraid."
And this is a new beginning for us.
Conclusion:
Christians are human. They need God's direction and Holy Spirit every day. As
we go on this spiritual journey together, we are not going alone. On this
mountaintop today, we see Jesus only. He is here. He is the eternal Son of the
living God. As Peter said, "we have the prophetic word made more sure,
which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day
dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."
One of the
marks of a Christian is that He, or she listens to God in prayer. As C S Lewis
reminded us,
The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush
at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it
all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view,
letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in."
In the Name
of the Father, and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
David D. Mc
Millan , Pastor, &
Chaplain (Major) US Army, ret.
AOC
Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and
those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and
updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed
from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Prayer
Needed:
Donny Clark –
hospitalized for stroke – Anne – overseeing his
care
Kathy – new tests regarding her eye and the ability to keep one or both – severe
anxiety
Baby Baelin –
heat surgery was successful they have closed the
surgical site and Baelin is still on the ventilator, pray that she may be able
to breathe on her own.
Donny – hospitalized due to multiple strokes and inability to speak, pray for David and Anne, family who are helping
him in recovery
Betty Davis:
stroke, hospitalization and praying for complete
recovery
Deborah Johns
– heart issues – pray for heart strength &
strong blood oxygen levels for surgery
Ben Hancock –
treatment for colon cancer
Rev.
Geordie: needs prayer
for medical issues
Debbie
Grimes: colon cancer – surgery
Man, who is a
friend of many – Brain Cancer
Bobby
Effinger – recovery from heart surgery
and ongoing heart issues
Joseph
Broddie – recurring throat cancer
David
Williams – serious cardiac issues – pray for David and wife
Sherie for coping with changes
Colby Landry – cancer. Please pray for his wife, Leah and their family at this time of
trial.
Persecuted Christians – subject to persecution and imprisonment for
their faith.
Bobby Bryan –
suffering with cancer and cardiac issues.
For an increase in the true faith in Jesus Christ here and across
the globe.
USA – Leaders,
citizens, military, first responders – President Trump & all Cabinet
Members Safety
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Dave – COPD – new diagnosis of Diabetes type 2 – learning curve
Mary Lou – strength for downsizing life-long home and moving
Extended Issues need
continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms – Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations,
breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing
depression to settle in.
Malcom Allred – Cancer
Treatment
Keep Praying for the following:
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