260322 AOC Sunday Report

 

 

Anglican Orthodox Church _sm

Worldwide Communion

Fifth Sunday in Lent

PASSION SUNDAY

March 22, 2026 – Sunday Report

 

Third Sunday in Lent

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 132-133.

 

The Collect for Passion Sunday in Lent.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 The Collect for Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY 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

 Epistle for Passion Sunday in Lent. Hebrews ix. 11.

CHRIST being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

The Gospel for the Passion Sunday in Lent. St. John viii. 46.

JESUS said, Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus  answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

 

On Point – Jesus Christ - True God, True Man

"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." John 1:14.

Whenever we direct our attention to Jesus, we behold a true, natural man. Prophets and apostles describe Him as a man. The Scriptures expressly call Him man. Eighty-four times He is called “the Son of Man” in the New Testament. The Son of God did not assume merely a human form, but a human nature. He does not only seem to be a man, He really is a man, like all other men. “He was in the likeness of men,” He was like unto us all; He was made our Brother. There was only one thing in which He was not like unto us all: He was without sin.

What humiliation of the eternal Son of God thus to descend to us sinners! What a humiliation of the great God in heaven to abstain from the use of His almighty power, to become man, and even to be a servant of sinful mankind! It was a most wonderful condescension on the part of the eternal Son of God that He should act the part of a man on this earth, that He who is the omnipotent Creator should become a creature and live as a creature!

But it was not for pastime that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world in the form of a servant and had Him be­ come man and humble Himself. There was a purpose to it, and that purpose was that He should show obedience to His heavenly Father, do His heavenly Father’s will with regard to everything for which He had sent Him into this world, and that He should lead a life of suffering, which was to terminate in the death on the cross, — and all this for our sakes. He kept for us the Law • of God, which we have not kept, and by His suffering and death on the cross He bore the punishment which we have deserved for our sins. He humbled Himself to redeem us sinful creatures and to rescue us from eternal’ perdition. “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him!”

Prayer.

O Lord God, heavenly Father, we give Thee thanks that of Thy great goodness and mercy Thou didst suffer Thine only- begotten Son to become incarnate and to redeem us from sin and everlasting death, and we beseech Thee, enlighten our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit that we may evermore with a true heart thank Thee for this Thy grace and comfort ourselves with it in the hours of tribulation and temptation; through the same Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 Thou, the Spring of all my comfort, 
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee, 
Whom in heaven but Thee? 
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry, 
While on others Thou art calling, 
Do not pass me by.

 

 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:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg

 

 Sermon Summary for the 4^th Sunday in Lent

 Bishop’s blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/03/youtube-video-player_16.html

 You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyJ_jwzUl1w

 

 

The First Miracle of Jesus: Bishop Jerry Ogles

 Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/03/youtube-video-player_19.html

 You Tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4jI6yS2lvU

 

 

    Friday Night Bible Study: Are Ye Able?

 Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/03/youtube-video-player_20.html

 You tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Xt_03RjBk&t=18s

 

Saturday Evening Devotional Video: The White Stone

 Bishop’s Blog Link: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/03/youtube-video-player_21.html

 You Tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8oA6iE3Xe8

 †Jerry Ogles

 

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

 Psalm 40:1-16; First lesson: Jeremiah 14:7-21; Second lesson: John 10:17-38

 WE beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

                                                    Hymns  # 408, 156, 218

 “Not hiding in plain sight”

 As we examine the second lesson set aside for today, let’s look at some rather human responses to what seems obvious to us in the 21st century. Again, as I have mentioned over the years, we can be very condescending when we read of the events and happenings that the early followers of Christ experienced. We have the FULL gospel, they didn’t. We see the whole story as presented, they didn’t. But just because we have that advantage should not make us be smug.

 Human nature, polluted by a fallen nature, blinds even a modern reader of the Word. The ‘father of lies,’ Satan, uses all manner of chaos, confusion, fear, and uncertainty to sow doubt in the minds of the unbeliever. Many ‘thoughtful’ questions are raised by those educated to doubt certain truth and to question anything that requires faith; unless it is faith in a secular system. These secular systems that cannot be proven without a healthy dose of faith in them, abound in the post-modern world, within which we live.   

In our gospel reading from John chapter ten, we learn about folks who have witnessed the many miracles and signs that reveal the divinity of Christ Jesus. And yet...there is doubt. ¹⁹There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings; One group of Jewish observers claim that Jesus is of the devil.  “²⁰And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?” Another group is not so sure, they don’t come out and fully endorse Christ’s divinity, but they come close.  “²¹Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?”

 This account reveals that it is winter in Jerusalem. Jesus goes to the temple during the Feast of Dedication also known as Hanukkah. He is surrounded by a crowd who want to know for certain if Jesus is the one who is coming to free Israel from Roman occupation. This most likely caused by the Hanukkah celebration, that being the successful rebellion against the Assyrians. ²⁴Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. ²⁵Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

 Here again we see the influence of the ‘father of lies’, Satan blinds them to the evidence that has been unfolding during the three and a half years of Christ earthly ministry. Now is where we see the true identity of believers to be revealed. Jesus explains that there is a very real reason these doubters do not understand. They are not of the flock that God has set aside for salvation. This is a difficult lesson, and yet Jesus very clearly outlines the facts: ²⁶But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰I and my Father are one.

 The identification certificate, if you think of it that way, is Christ’s sheep, those who are to be with him, will hear his voice and they know his voice and they follow him (his voice). The next concept, which destroys those who claim Christ’s sheep can be lost; i.e. lose their salvation, is demonstrated by the surety of eternal life AND not being subject to being removed from that eternal life. 

And then in order to cement the whole idea together, Jesus said that he and God the Father are one. That last statement provoked the crowd to take up stones to kill Jesus on the spot. ³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? ³³The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

 Now Jesus begins to deflate the crowd that is ready to stone him. He uses the Word of God, the written scripture, to prove to these unbelievers, who he said he is.  Remember he did the same thing when Satan tempted him in the wilderness after the forty days. Jesus used scripture to answer each temptation of Satan, and what happened next?  Satan left Jesus alone for the time being.

 Now in this case, Jesus answers the sceptics when they say he blasphemed God by claiming he was God, again, here comes scripture to answer the unbelief. ³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? {I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.  Ps 82:6} ³⁵If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; ³⁶Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? ³⁷If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. ³⁸But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. And so Jesus concludes his explanation of his mission and divinity by focusing on the works that have been done by him because of the Father. He forces them to believe the works, even if they don’t believe him, then tying it all up with the affirmation of who he is: “that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.” (John 14:11)

 Now let us return to the original thought, ‘not hiding in plain sight.’  John 10: verses 17 & 18 give us a verification of Christ’s divinity. We know for certain after the Great Resurrection, that Christ Jesus was, is, and in eternity the One who was sent to redeem his own. Remember, over 500 people witnessed Jesus alive after his resurrection. That alone should be a certification of Christ’s word and deed. ¹⁷Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. ¹⁸No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

 As we conclude the final days of Lent let us redeem the time. Let us be in the Word, study, inwardly digest the same, and apply the lessons we glean from His Word to our daily lives.

 May the Lord richly bless you in the coming week.

 Let us pray: O God, our heavenly Father, who didst manifest Thy love by sending Thine only begotten Son into the world that all may live through Him: Pour Thy Spirit upon Thy Church that it may fulfil His command to preach the Gospel to every creature; send forth, we beseech Thee, laborers into Thy harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations and hasten the time when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and all Israel shall be saved; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 HEAVENLY Father, we beseech Thee to help us in the personal influence, both conscious and. unconscious, which we exert from day to day, May we be a hindrance to no one either by word or example, but by the purity, gentleness and unselfishness of our lives. may' we lead many to serve their fellow-men and glorify Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. 

 THE Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, this night and evermore. Amen.

                                                                                 + Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn

 Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

We are always happy to get the instruction and devotions that Bp Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:

 

The Church of Hats and Sticks

     Coming out of Morning Prayer on Sunday last I heard a visitor to our congregation quip to the friend who had brought him, "If he's a real bishop (referring to me), where's his hat?" He had come for the first time and had never attended an Episcopal service. I learned in a subsequent conversation with the man that he had heard something about the "Anglican" churches and their theological squabbles but had always imagined church services to be rather like what most Americans have come to regard as "Catholic lite" i.e. similar to (if not identical with) the Catholic Mass when picturing contemporary church services. He was rather disappointed by the lack of ceremonial and liturgical pomp. His vision of an Anglican bishop more closely resembled an Isle of Lewis chess piece than an Elizabethan prelate.

     I realized the time had come to say something about Anglicanism as it is commonly apprehended. What do the unchurched think when they hear the name 'Anglican?' What do Episcopalians think about their own Church and their own clergy? What, exactly, do Anglicans believe - and do all Anglicans share the same faith? American schoolchildren are taught that some of the first settlers to arrive from England were members of the Church of England - which we assumed were "Anglicans" although the term had not yet been invented. But in 1789, the Protestant Episcopal Church began and its members became known as 'Episcopalians.' Then, of a sudden in the latter part of the twentieth century, almost three hundred years later, Anglicans appeared in America. In Canada, English and Irish churchmen had always been "Anglicans" - not Episcopalians - but now we were to understand American Anglicans were something different, in some unspecified way more 'conservative' than the liberal Protestant Episcopalians. So 'Anglican' changed from being a geographical distinctive to the quasi-theological term. And the world accepted this without question. It would appear the 49th parallel no longer allowed the term 'Anglican' to be synonymous with 'Episcopalian.'

     By the latter portion of the twentieth century, things had become so ungodly in the American Church that some conservatives fancied forming a new denomination but disagreed on the name. They chose the only other adjective that would identify the new Church historically - and that was "Anglican." Americans were no familiar with the term but it did differentiate the conservatives from the apostate Episcopalians. Problem was, the new adjective was theologically meaningless.

     By the early twentieth century, the identity of American Episcopalians was fairly fixed. While not particularly conservative, the Church was regarded as clearly orthodox within the spectrum of American Protestantism. It was certainly not to be confused with American Catholicism, as its identity was firmly Protestant by public approbation. Within a relatively short period of time that image of the PECUSA - now neutered to "the Episcopal Church" - has completely changed. Not long ago, the PECUSA issued tracts to be distributed to local parishes discouraging intermarriage with Roman Catholics. Most people both inside and outside the Church have now come to regard it as "the Catholic Church but without the Pope." Higher Criticism, Anglo-Catholicism, Ecumenism, and the Charismatic Movement have all served to undermine forever the historic, orthodox, Protestant identity of the American Church.

     Contemporary Anglican bishops of all theological stripes, liberal and conservative, are commonly pictured wearing a mitre and carrying a crozier or pastoral staff. This has been the accepted image of the bishop from the Middle Ages to the Protestant Reformation. For about four hundred years, Protestant bishops went without headgear, apart from top hats worn as street attire during the Victorian era, along with frock coats and gaiters. Others have written far more eloquently on the history of episcopal haberdashery, including an American historian's claim that Samuel Seabury wore a mitre made of beaver fur. American bishops did not wear mitres until the early twentieth century, and then were regarded as eccentrics and severely mocked. The national magazine The Living Church has reprinted a curious photograph of American bishops wearing copes, mitres, and chasubles for the first time in the early twentieth century. Some of them are dressed as Eastern Orthodox bishops and some are wearing their outfits incorrectly - and are duly criticized for their excesses.

     Mitres and croziers have also been engrandized in size and scope. The humble mitre of heraldic use has been replaced by hugely tall and elaborately decorated attuperances, accompanied by what were originally intended to resemble a humble shepherd's crook but now have been bejeweled and enhanced to appear more like 5G microwave antennae. The ubiquitous black chimere worn by Anglican bishops and archbishops for hundreds of years has been replaced with scarlet, and is often accompanied by a red biretta with a pom-pom and/or a scarlet skullcap, ala the Romish zuchetto. Visually, therefore, an Anglican bishop in this attire will be liturgically indistinguishable from a Roman prelate. This is by intent, a purposeful retreat from tradition, designed to change not only the outward appearance but the power structure of traditional Anglicanism.

     Anglicans are no longer divided by matters of theology, or churchmanship, or adherence to a common confession such as the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. Today, allegiance to a particular bishop, or group of bishops, defines the tenor of one's Anglican faith, liberal or conservative. Bible, Articles, and Prayer Book no longer form the foundation of faith or practice - but in the majority, acceptance or rejection of homosexuality seems to be the barometer by which orthodoxy is determined. One new group, the largest gaggle of bishops to form an association (not a Church, Communion, or 'jurisdiction' mind you!) opposes the episcopate of the Archbishop of Canterbury but at the same time boasts female bishops and lesser clergy, and recognizes female bishops in other parts of the Anglican "Communion." While seemingly united in opposition to the ordination (and presumably marriage) of homosexuals, the group is divided on the matter of the ordination of women. It presents itself as representing the true face of Anglicanism world-wide but excludes all groups other than itself, even if those groups represent the very "traditional" and "conservative" beliefs they espouse.

     Problem is, these neo-conservatives do not require subscription to any historic Anglican confession. Most have been educated in liberal seminaries or colleges wherein Higher Criticism of Holy Scripture has been the norm. Hence, while claiming to be "Bible-believing" or "Scripture based" these have no roots in Biblical inerrancy or authority. While claiming adherence to the Articles of Religion, they promote Roman sacramental theology and liturgical practices that ape those of Rome. While claiming adherence to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, multifarious books and liturgies are in use, the 1662 Book having been edited to allow for female clergy. Traditional Anglicans (and Continuing Episcopalians) made a tremendous mistake by promoting the 1928 Prayer Book as a remedy to the Church's ills, much as current 'conservatives' err in their singular opposition to homosexuality. It was THE BIBLE that was being removed from Episcopal churches - from seminaries, from pulpits, from Sunday Schools. Remember that some of the greatest heretics of the day cut their theological teeth on the 1928 BCP - men like John Shelby Spong, James Pike, Urban T. Holmes, et al.  Oh, they could quote the Bible backwards and forwards - and the Prayer Book as well. They just didn't believe the CONTENTS of those holy books. Any bad actor may wear a convincing costume - Anglicans have traded haberdashery for TRUTH.

     There is little point in complaining about what has already become commonplace but that does not mean we remain silent about these aberrations and inconsistencies. Orthodox Anglicans must again define themselves in the face of these amendations - as the Reformers did in distinguishing themselves from Roman foppery and superstition - so that future generations will know what Anglicanism truly is, and use that true identity as a means of spreading the true Gospel of the Reformed Protestant Faith. We do not seek to preserve traditional, classical Anglicanism like keeping a worn, old sweater because it is familiar and comfortable - but because it is the finest means the Lord has provided to add souls to His Kingdom. When Bishop Stephen King urged bishops to "take mitres off their stationery and pt them back on their heads where they belong" he was making a power play, not an evangelical appeal. The mitre has been and remains a symbol of ecclesiastical power - but no guarantee of God's Truth.

     Hats and sticks may look intriguing but they are better found on a high school theatrical stage. They will not bring a single soul to the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. "Lex orandi, LEX VIDENDI.... lex credendi."

Respectfully submitted,

+CEM

Sermon - Bishop Jack Arnold
Anglican Orthodox Church of the United States
Diocese of the West
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

 The Fifth Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

W

WE  beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Consider these words from the Collect:

… thy people; … by thy great goodness … may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul …

In the Collect, we acknowledge without God’s great goodness and divine intervention, we cannot be preserved in either body or soul.  This is a constant truth through ought the Bible, the New Testament in particular.  Without God’s great goodness we simply cannot be preserved. What does asking for God’s great goodness mean for us? It means when we ask we might be governed and thus preserved by His great goodness, we are in effect asking for His Guidance for us, so we can be preserved in both body and soul. After all, what good is it if our body has been preserved, but our soul is still headed towards the Pit? We acknowledge God is the ultimate good and is the source of all truth, and we need His Help if we are to succeed. This is very common theme found in the collects for the simple reason that it is truth.

 For those who are not perfect[1], following instructions can be hard at times but it must be done nevertheless. And I have found this holds true in all aspects of our lives not just our spiritual aspect. We will find that if we choose to ignore God’s instructions, that our lives will become immeasurably more difficult than it has to be. However, if we choose to follow God’s instructions, our lives will still be difficult at times, but in the end, we will reap the benefits of following God’s instructions, instead of reaping the consequences that we would receive if we choose to follow our natural inclination to ignore God’s instructions. In short, we must look to Him for guidance if we are to keep climbing that narrow up hill trail towards heaven, for there are many distractions that seek to pull us off that trail towards the wide smooth downhill boulevard towards the pit.

Further to this thought, if we are looking to Him for guidance, then it follows that we then need look to Him for safety.  Safety meaning only the safety of our soul, our eternal life. It does not mean safety from dangers to the body here on Earth. Our bodies are still able to be physically harmed, but our souls are safe from eternal damnation, that is what safety truly means. It is a truly more important concept of safety than just that of mere physical safety. It is the assurance that if something was to happen to our physical bodies, that our souls will be untouched and safe from the hands of Satan and that we will be safe in the loving arms of God our heavenly Father.

 However in order to get into heaven one must be perfect. But as we all know as Saint Paul says, all fall short. So how do we get in then? This is quite the accounting dilemma. How do you account us, who are very imperfect creatures as purified and perfect creatures? There is an easy solution for this and that is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Our only means of being accounted as perfect when we come before God is to rely on the sacrifice and intermediary priesthood of His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to account us as perfect before God on that final day. Christ has replaced the intermediary priesthood of the Jews with himself, our one and only High Intermediary Priest.  Your AOC ministers, while officially titled as priests, are not intermediary priests! The day of the intermediary priests have come and gone for us with the Old Testament in the past. We need only Christ, there are no middle men between us and Jesus.  He is our Savior, our Leader, our Teacher, our Master, our Example! That is one of the many differences between us and the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church believes we are not good enough to have no middle men and they insert their own middle men of the saints and Mary, which has no basis in scripture. We need no middlemen, we only need our Leader Jesus Christ!

 Christ came to succeed the Old Covenant marked by sacrifices of innocent animals; killing off animals in an effort to atone for our sins really did not do the job. However the Old Covenant had to come first before the New Covenant could appear. God needed to prepare the hearts of the people to accept Jesus, so that is why we had the Old Covenant. Without it, the people could not have accepted Jesus and the Holy Ghost into their hearts.

In the Gospel, Jesus explained to the Pharisees before Abraham had even been conceived, He was. In fact, Jesus was the one who created this Earth, so He has been around since before the beginning of the planet. The Pharisees could or would not grasp in their heads Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God. They chose to try to destroy His ministry rather than follow Him.  He was interfering with their comfortable way of living and deceiving the Jewish people. He was a threat to their system. They refused to acknowledge Jesus’s true identity and instead conspired to destroy Him. However, all they managed to do instead was hasten the destruction of their way of living. They could not stop the rise of Christianity, as hard as they tried.

 This is a very common pattern with God’s enemies. Their names and appearances my change, but their inner hearts and souls have not changed over the eons. As Solomon so wisely pointed out, there truly is nothing new under the sun in that regard. Their hearts have been blinded by their love of their selves, pride and greed. They cannot see the simple truths we see as followers of God. They do not have the Holy Ghost within them so they cannot understand what we understand. They look down upon us and think we are the ignorant ones, when reality is the other way around.

 They cannot, or will not, see that the priceless gift Jesus came to offer us. Jesus came to save our souls and give us eternal life, eternal life starting right then.  Not just for the Jews and Israel, but the whole wide world, Jew, Gentile, Greek and all others.  Jesus brought salvation and life to the entire world.  That was not what the Pharisees were looking so hard for with their magnifying glasses as they examined Torah and The Law.  They were looking for what would be only a temporary power, power on this physical plane. This pales in comparison to safety and happiness forever, for all eternity.  Pharisees were not big picture people, and as Calvin told Hobbes, We big picture people rarely become historians or Pharisees, I might add.   The Pharisees were very obviously not big picture people; they misinterpreted the prophecies of the Messiah. Regardless, even though some people chose to misunderstand the prophecies, He came and He made that one sacrifice, at one time, for all mankind, for all time. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life[2].

 Who is Jesus?  Our Savior?  Indeed.  But, more He has been since before the beginning of the world, for He is One with I Am. Through His Actions, we are saved. Do ye likewise:

ACT

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

Bishop Jack Arnold

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi   

Fifth Sunday in Lent

In our lesson from the prophet Jeremiah (14:7-21) we heard the words of God concerning the people of Judah and Jerusalem. In verses 7-9 we heard the prayer of the prophet for his people. He spoke as one who loved God and who loved his brethren and who was thus standing in the gap for them.

Yet, God had an answer to his pleas that no doubt grieved the prophet when he responded saying: Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt-offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by famine, and by the pestilence. (vv.10-12).

It is passages such as these that have driven the unregenerate to howl in outrage as they view said verses as confirmation of their flawed understanding of Scripture. They believe that there is a dichotomy of the divine which might be explained in this way: that the God of the Old Testament is a vengeful and angry deity who somehow softens up to become the merciful and loving deity of the New. And so, on account of this division, we should focus more on those newer accounts of God and not as much on the misrepresentation of him in the older writings. Additionally, if you press them too hard about the conflicting natures of God, some will tell you that the Bible is, after all, only a story and like all stories it can be altered or reinterpreted to fit with the times and conditions of every age.

The problem with that line of reasoning can be found in our lesson from Jeremiah 14:13-16. Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. (v.13). The false prophets were spreading messages which were in opposition to the expressed word of God. Even today, we see the same sort of behavior being demonstrated by the unregenerate. God has set forth in his word those behaviors and beliefs which are unacceptable only to have whole denominations either approve of them or tolerate them in their midst. They have opened their doors to hedonists and reprobates not to convert them that they might turn from their wickedness and live. No, they have done such so that they might be perceived as tolerant, inclusive and open-minded. Consider the words of the apostle Paul to Titus. In chapter 3 (10-11), the apostle warned: A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. And in his first epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle commanded concerning those who were within the body of Christ but were living in opposition to God’s word: Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (5:13). These verses make no allowance for the acceptance of evil within the body of Christ.

Returning to Jeremiah 14, the LORD denied the credibility of those errant prophets when he said: ...The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart (v.14). Notice that by allusion God equates the messages of the lying prophets with the father of lies via his use of the word divination. Dr. Merrill Unger once noted that, “The relation existing between divination and magic is similar to the relation between prophecy and miracle. Divination and prophecy imply special knowledge, magic and miracle special power. In prophecy and miracle the knowledge and power are divine. In divination and magic they are demonic.” In short, if God did not say it, then the message came from the only other source of supernatural power in this world— the Devil.

And God’s judgment for the prophets and the people who believed their messages would be severe. Consider the words of God to Jeremiah (14:15-16): Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

No doubt these words were meant as a warning for believers and unbelievers alike. For believers, we understand that we must follow God’s word written if we are to enjoy the promises he has made to us as found in holy writ. For the unbelievers, well, I ask you to consider Matthew Henry’s warning: “Those that will not yield to the judgments of God’s mouth shall be crushed by the judgments of his hands.” You cannot put words in God’s mouth and not expect them to come back to you in anything other than judgment.

Now the skeptic and the modernist will say these passages have no bearing on us today as that is part of their false dichotomy of scripture. As St. Paul has written in the Book of Hebrews (13:8): Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. God does not change (Malachi 3:6). There is no dichotomy — no yin and yang— light and dark— good and evil— or what have you. Yes, God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost nevertheless he is still one God in three persons. So if God is and always has been, then the words which he has spoken are eternal and apply to all persons in every age.

And with that in mind, we ought to heed Jeremiah’s warning to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. If our society, our civilization, continues down its current path, you can be sure that there will be a judgment coming and it will fall the hardest upon those who feign a belief in the Godhead just as what befell the children of Israel in Jeremiah’s day.

And as the prophet was commanded not to pray for the wicked of his day, so we ought not pray for God’s peace and blessings on behalf of those who have rejected him. However, we ought to pray that such persons will see the error of their ways and turn their hearts to God seeking his forgiveness in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May our blessed Lord and God fill you with his Spirit and inspire you to keep his word and commandment as we walk through this time of our earthly pilgrimage in his service.

Let us pray,

O holy and gracious God, we ask that you would open the hearts of wicked to the truth of your word written, that they might turn and seek your pardon for their sins and trespasses; for this we ask in the name of him who came to set us free from sin and death, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bryan+

Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama

We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian.

Fifth Sunday in Lent – Passion Sunday

 

Hosea 6:1-6; Epistle: Hebrews 10:1-25; Gospel:  St. John 10:17-38 
(Readings are taken from the Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer readings 1928 BCP)

"I Give Them Eternal Life & They Shall Never Perish"

   In the near East there is told the story of a traveler who was traveling with a guide, and came across a shepherd and his sheep. The man showed him the fold into which the sheep were led at night. It had four walls with a way in.  "That is where they go at night?" " Yes, said the shepherd, and when they are in there, they are perfectly safe."  "But (said the traveler), but there is no door."  "I am the door said the shepherd."  He was speaking from the arab shepherd's standpoint. The traveler said, "What do you mean by the door?" Then said the shepherd. "When the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in that open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door." G Campbell Morgan, The Gospel of John

This is the sacrifice the Shepherd makes for us too.  He places His body on the Cross for us. Today we remember the Passion (Suffering & Sacrifice) of our Lord.

1."Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. ¹⁸No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again…." (John 10:17-18) Verse 10:18 says Jesus has authority to lay down His life. The divine nature of Christ is seen here. vs. 30 "I and my Father are one."

Hymn "Ah Holy Jesus" reminds us of our guilt and His Sacrifice: "Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? Alas my treason, Jesus hath undone thee. Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; I crucified thee"

2. "²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, they follow me, ²⁸and I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand." (John10:27-28)

When I was in North Dakota and pastored a small Reformed Presbyterian Church, I drove the small school bus and picked up the kids. One of my kids was from a Lutheran family. He was about 8. I got the word that he and his father were riding in the pasture, and the horse drug the boy. He must have fallen.....He cried out, "father. help me." Too late. These were the words from John, I used at the joint Service with the Lutheran pastor who I played tennis with as well. There were over 500 people at the Memorial. I can still see him getting on the school bus.

John 10:29 makes it clear. "My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." This quote got me. Below: 

" If there is no silence beyond and within the many words of doctrine, there is no religion, only a religious ideology.  For religion goes beyond words and actions, and attains to the ultimate Truth only in silence and love."  Thomas Merton  

3.  Lastly I conclude with the Hebrews 10:19-25: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹And having an high priest over the house of God; ²²Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) ²⁴And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ²⁵Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

On this Passion Sunday, we are kept and blessed by being part of His family. So let us be faithful in belief, doctrine and in what we do to love and not leave off meeting together as the writer to the Hebrews exhorts us. 

"Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee, I do adore Thee, and will ever pray thee, think on thy pity and thy love unswerving, Not my deserving." 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:

Man, who it a friend of many – Brain Cancer

Bobby Effinger – recovery from heart surgery and ongoing heart issues

Steven – recovering from surgery on scar tissue compressing his Spinal Accessory Nerve

Brannon – hospitalized due to chronic unknow source of muscle spasms – 3 year old

Rency – 2 year old suffering from RETTS Syndrome

Joseph Broddie – recurring throat cancer

Judy Fauble – end stage Alzheimers – pray for Judy and family

Jack Williams – had to enter long term care due to vascular dementia – pray for wife Karen

Audrey Beebe - who fell and broke her hip. Other health issues also. Please pray for her recovery.

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.

David – Hip Bursitis- Spurs

Bobby Bryan – cancer and cardiac issues

Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain

Kamil Nasir – He went to be with the Lord March 2, 2026, please pray for his wife Ambreen and son, Kundan Lall

Dennis Potrikus - fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab

Donna – ongoing radiation and Chemotherapy. Pray for successful remission

Roy – Bulging disc – upcoming surgery

Michelle – metastasized lung cancer – treatment ongoing – 50% positive remission

Sue – trying to sell her house in Texas to get settled in NC. -traveling mercies – back to Texas

 

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:

Shamu-health issues, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, AOC USA, AOC Missions - Myanmar,
Harper-IBS, Jim Sevier- God’s Peace, Linda – multiple myeloma, Donna-chemotherapy,
Alicia-caregiver, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall – cancer, Donna  - cancer, Malou – cancer,
Archie- CHF, Eloise, Janice, Dakota, Katie, Bobby, Marilee, Myra Cox, Faye Miller,

                                      Points to Ponder:

Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places.              Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson – England (right)

 

Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest.

3 John 5

 

And this also we wish, even your perfection.
2 Corinthians 13:9

 

In all the little things of life, Thyself, Lord, may I see;
In little and in great alike, Reveal Thy love to me.

So shall my undivided life to thee, my God, be given;
And all this earthly course below Be one dear path to heaven.

Horatio Bonar

 

In order to mould thee into entire conformity to His will, He must have thee pliable in His hands, and this pliability is more quickly reached by yielding in the little things than even by the greater. Thy one great desire is to follow Him fully; canst thou not say then a continual “yes” to all His sweet commands, whether small or great, and trust Him to lead thee by the shortest road to thy fullest blessedness?

H. W. Smith

 

With meekness, humility, and diligence, apply yourself to the duties of your condition. They are the seemingly little things which make no noise that do the business.

Henry More

 

 For right is right, since God is God, and right the day must win;To doubt would be disloyalty, to Falter would be sin.
Fredrick William Farber

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[1] All of us, that is.

[2] If the text of this sentence seems familiar, it is John 3.16, probably the most widely

quoted text of the Bible.