260503 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Fourth Sunday after EASTER
May 3, 2026
Sunday Report
Fourth Sunday after Easter
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 174-175.
The Collect for the Fourth Sunday after Easter.
O ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epistle for the Fourth Sunday after Easter. I St. Peter ii. 11.
EVERY good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday after Easter. St. John xvi. 16.
JESUS said unto his disciples, Now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
On Point –
This phrase is one of the most commonly of all used in air, sea, and land. It means we have an urgent emergency. It means we have a problem that needs addressing with immediate dispatch. Having flown military aircraft for more than thirty years, I have had occasion to use this phrase several times over land, and once over the Sea of Japan. It was used by many airmen of the past and even by the radioman of the great RMS Titanic after striking an iceberg in the cold North Atlantic waters.
Please note its simplicity. It is short and easily understood by the one to whom it is addressed. That is precisely what a prayer should be. It is not an expression to be embellished either with haughty words or grand oratory. Perhaps the simplest and shortest prayer of the Holy Bible received an immediate and complete answer: “Lord Save Me!” “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” Matthew 14:29-30
This old world, and even our own nation, founded on Christian principles, badly needs to utter a May Day call to our Father in Heaven, “Lord, save Me!”
This is not intended as a communal prayer, though it could be as well; but it is always, at least, a personal prayer of immediate and profound importance addressed to God petitioning for salvation - for whom? For ME! Let us follow the example for prayer given by our Lord Jesus Christ “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking; Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Matthew 6:6-8
Our Lord then gives us a model prayer which seeks little more than our daily bread, but praises our Father in Heaven chiefly.
We, too, are in dire danger of perishing - both individually and as a nation lest we have appealed to Heaven by means of our MAY DAY prayer.
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
Wednesday Evening Devotion; The Finger of God
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-finger-of-god-by-bishop-ogles.html
You Tube: https://youtu.be/Tywm9JMCPgM?si=n4kw5IBjpMmTLu6N
Article XII of the 39 Articles of Religion
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/04/iframe-width560-height315-srchttpswww_25.html
You tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAj7WUjkhHo
Article XIII of the 39 Articles of Religion
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/04/iframe-width560-height315-srchttpswww_26.html
You tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HUet7_7qpY
Article 14: Of Works of Supererogation
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/04/article-xiv-of-thirty-nine-articles-of.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgoxMka89g
Article 15 of Christ Alone without Sin.
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/04/article-xv-this-is-simply-stated-and.html
You Tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfCcAQxBCOY
ARTICLE XVI - Of Sin after Baptism.
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/04/xvi-of-sin-after-baptism_29.html
You Tube: https://youtu.be/L9mCqIuAd-k
Article 17 Of Predestination and Election.
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/04/blog-post_81.html
You tube: K8aXFz-d
Article 18: Video Devotion of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the name of Christ.
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/05/blog-post_1.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr4e6b_qz4s
Fourth Sunday after Easter Sermon Summary: Light of the World
You Tube: https://youtu.be/cNcT23zkFUY
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican
Church - Diocese of the Midwest
Anglican Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Holy Communion Fourth Sunday after Easter
The Epistle. St James 1:17-21 ; The Gospel. St. John 16:5-15
O ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymns #491, {143},367
Is God in control?
Do you believe in coincidence or do you believe that God is in control? I would like you to ponder something today. Meditate on the Word of God that we find selected for this particular Sunday, the Fourth Sunday after Easter. At first glance you see a familiar theme. God has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Salvation. He has sent him to bring us back to God the Father. All the prophecies concerning the Messiah are provable by the Old and New Testament proclamations about the first and second Advent of Christ the Redeemer.
Now I would like you to reflect on these two passages in light of the most recent events that have happened here in the United States in the last six to eight months. Civil disobedience is a Constitutional right, the right to redress, peaceful assembly, righting wrongs in a civil and lawful manner, not I repeat not in the manner that has unfolded in the last few months.
What is the difference you ask? Truth. “...of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.” What would be the description of these first fruit creatures? They would be
a.) swift to hear,
b.) slow to speak,
c.) slow to wrath.
Why was this important? “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Chaos, stirring up people with false information, causing multiple “crisis” around the nation and for that matter around the globe: all fit into the contrast of Christians v non-Christians. And just in case we didn’t get the point, James makes it clear what divides a believer from a non-believer. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
The total lack of Christian ethics, morality and witness is evident in the civil disobedience that has swept the nation lately. There has been no personal responsibility taken for the destruction and chaos that has been promulgated in the name of some vague reading of the Constitution. Destruction and confusion was not the intent of the writers of that document, a right to redress, a right to seek correction to wrongs, but not to destroy in the name of stated rights. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
In our Epistle and Gospel readings today we find the answer to why this chaos is happening today.
The Problem
First, the faith once delivered has been side-tracked, watered down or not taught any more, this has been most detrimental to believer and non-believer, because it causes uncertainty and unrest. This problem can be laid directly at the feet of the modern church. Or should we call it the post-modern church? Because that church doesn’t want to offend, it doesn’t want to drive away potential monies given by the membership, there is no hard preaching done any more.
Second, the concept of sin and its destructive nature to humans is no longer being preached in many of our churches today; the average church member has no idea why there is so much evil going on in the world around them. Many books and articles have been penned that try to address the reason for “bad things happening to good people”, and yet they have for the most part missed the mark. “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” We all have the stain of Adam, the sin that the first couple introduced into the world; we are all under that curse. But unless we are taught that this is so, we will go about our lives in total ignorance of what is wrong in our lives.
The promised Holy Spirit, the Comforter that Christ Jesus told his followers was coming after Christ ascended into heaven, would be the guiding force to teach us right from wrong. The completed Bible would be the written record and guide for all future believers, from now until He returns again.
Ok, so why isn’t it working? This teaching of right from wrong is not being done in our churches today. BECAUSE the churches have left the Truth and have gone after the World; abandoning the faith once given to it so many centuries ago. The church has sought popularity and acceptance as a badge of success and in doing so the church has allowed the world to go to Hell and in many cases faithful members sitting in those pews week after week. They are not being told the Truth.
Great stuff! Ok, what do we do as a faithful remnant?
The Solution
First and foremost we must come back to God. We must confess our sins and seek forgiveness for the same. We must stop living like the world. We must stop trying to win popularity contests with the world. The prize is worthless. It is dung. It will only keep the unbeliever from knowing the way to Salvation.
Second. We must recognize that God has given us all the tools in the ‘tool box of life’ to show the world who is the Only Way to God the Father; that of course being Jesus Christ the Lord. We have the whole Word of God revealed to us; it is in that great resource, the Bible. And so we must read, digest and inwardly apply the Word to our lives and our souls. God’s Word will not return void. He has given us this great resource; we still have the liberty in this nation to study and use the Bible in our daily walk with Him.
Third. Pray. Yes we must pray for those who have asked for prayer; whether it is for healing, solace, comfort or any other spiritual and even physical need, we must pray. We must pray for each other. Ask God to guide and direct our lives. And we pray for those who may not ask us to pray for them, but who need the Savior and his gift of Salvation. We must pray for those in authority, {St. Paul admonished us to do so} at all levels, local, state and national; all need our prayers to govern and do their duty as proscribed by the Judeo-Christian legal system that we currently live under.
Do you want confirmation on this topic that I have addressed today? Reread the two passages of scripture, the one from St. James and the one from St. John. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in discernment and understanding, ask for guidance and most especially ask for strength to help you in this very massive struggle that is gripping the nation. The struggle is for the very soul of our great nation.
We are very close to seeing all of our freedoms taken from us in the name of civil defense or “social justice.” Pray that God will shed His light on these United States and that the nation will repent and turn from her wicked ways and come back to God.
May God have mercy on our Nation.
Let us pray:
O GOD we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their days and in the old time before them. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honor. Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
From our enemies defend us O Christ. Graciously look upon our afflictions. With pity behold the sorrows of our hearts. Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people. Favorably with mercy hear our prayers. O Son of David have mercy upon us. Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us O Christ. Graciously hear us O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ. Minister, O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us; As we do put our trust in thee. Amen
May God be with you this coming week in all thing you do and say; that it may be for the honor and glory of His Name. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Beloved go in Peace. Amen
Christ alone during Eastertide:
Roy
Jack Arnold
Bishop of the Diocese of the West – AOC
USA
Education and Training
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
Bp Jack brings the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because as is always the case there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Sunday.
Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message of action as we continue to celebrate Jesus’ delivery of the promise of life eternal with Him in our life to come. Easter, perhaps better referred to as the Day of the Resurrection is when the promise of eternal life is delivered.
Let’s start by reading the Collect for today:
The Fourth Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.
O ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We are in the Easter Season which consists of Easter and the following four Sundays, through Rogation Sunday. This is a time we should work on centering our lives on the central figure in our religion, Jesus Christ.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found…
The very first phrase is critical to understanding the world and our place in it. We want to follow our own hearts, that is the unruly wills and affections of sinful men, which will lead us not to heaven but to hell if left unchecked. These unruly wills and affections of ours are what have caused the problems in the world. We find that people wrongfully blame God for the problems that are ongoing in this world, when it really is humanity and our sinful hearts that are to blame for one hundred percent of the problems. The solution to all our problems is relatively simple that we need to turn to God, who alone can order our unruly wills and affections. We will find due to our sinful nature that we will over the course of our lives stray from the path more than a few times, however, when we find ourselves in this position, we need to turn back to God and allow His Guidance to enter into our hearts, souls and minds. He is the only one that can help us get our messy lives back on track. The sooner that we realize this, the sooner we can improve our lives immeasurably.
In order to get back on the path towards righteousness, we have to internalize His commands into our hearts through listening and then through repetition, action. Like any other skill, repetition is key in order to get better with this. This is the only way we can follow His Commandments and show the World we follow Him. For all of the above to happen we have to let God into our hearts, souls, minds and bodies and let His Directions carry us through life. In order to be true believers, we have to actualize our stated beliefs. Actions show that we don’t just talk the talk, but that we walk the walk as well. This means we have to live out our Christian Faith and not just talk about it. This is easier said than done, but it is something that we must do our best to do as much as it lies within us. God can and will help us do this, but only if we let him into our hearts.
Our life will be better when we follow His directions and if we will allow God to rule us and desire His help, we will be able to attain the state of happiness we will then deserve. It may not be what seems to be easy at the time, but we have to trust that God knows that He is doing and that He knows what truly is good for us. It is like when we were younger and we wanted to do what we wanted to do instead of what our parents would have us do. We quickly found that if we did what we wanted to do, it would not be as helpful to us in the longer run than if we did what our parents wanted for us. God is our spiritual parent in this matter. So let us put aside the things we want to do in favor of what God wants for us.
Many people think that God forbids things for us, because He does not want us to have fun. Nothing can be further from the truth. He forbids things harmful for our spiritual well being, and allows us to have clean spiritual, joyous things in our life to develop our spiritual well being. As our Creator, God knows very well what is good and what is not good for us. We need to keep this in mind everytime we are tempted to think that he does not want us to have fun. We need to realize that is definitely not the case. He wants us to have fun, but to have fun in a responsible manner that will not harm us physically, mentally or spiritually.
We need God’s help (this is one of the places the Holy Ghost comes in) to be able to want for ourselves that which He Wants for us. Because clearly we are not capable of doing this on our own without His Help. The Collect asks us to allow God into our hearts to bend our will towards His Will and His Wants. If we can desire what He Wants, our ability to follow His Instructions will be much enhanced. And not only will they be much enhanced, but the more we follow His Instructions, the easier it will be for us to continue on that straight and narrow path towards heaven. It is like practicing any sort of learned skill, the more you practice at it the better you will get. Of course, we will never be fully perfect at it, but as long as we keep doing our best to get as close as we can to perfection, that is all that matters.
We are God’s creatures, first among all His Creation with all the privileges (which we like) and all the responsibility (which we are not so keen on) which come with that status. All good comes from God, who is always with us; always the same; a true bearing in world in a constant state of flux. While the world may change, the Word will never change, no matter what happens in the world today. His Word is a refreshing constant, in this world where nothing ever seems certain. The Ways of the World go to and fro, in a constant state of flux. However, God’s Word always stays the same; its meaning never changes, as God never changes. As God is truth, which by its nature cannot change, so should we never change in our beliefs towards Him.
So, how can we hear?
When Jesus got ready to leave this world for His, He told the disciples He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to keep them in Him and to help them understand what they had so far been unable to truly grasp. Unless we allow the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts, we will never understand that which is from God. This is an important concept with messages that are not from God being bombarded across the world through principalities and powers of this world. Only the Holy Ghost can help us remain grounded within the truth. We need the Holy Ghost to enter into us that we might be able to hear the Word of God, and more important than just hearing the Word, we need the Holy Ghost to be able to act upon the Word. We must allow the Holy Ghost to enter in to our hearts and souls so we can understand what God has for us. It is that simple. Open your heart, pray for God to send Him into that open heart.
For with the Holy Ghost’s help, you can hear, understand and act on The Word.
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
The Rev. Don
Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville NC
Fourth Sunday after Easter
“Christ our Great High Priest”
Hebrews 4:14-5:10
This morning, I am going to speak about Jesus as our “Great High Priest.” Although the term High priest may not be so common today, it was a term very well known by the Jewish readers of the book of Hebrew. There were many Jews who had converted to Christianity at the time but were now facing persecution or pressure to convert back to Judaism. Though they were expatriates from their homeland, far from Jerusalem, they still felt bound by ties of nostalgia to the sacrificial system that still functioned in the glorious golden second Temple built by Herod the Great. Therefore, the High priest in Jerusalem still felt like some kind of Patriarch to them. The letters to the Hebrews were written primarily to this Jewish audience to try to win back their hearts to Christianity.
So the author of Hebrews writes to them about Jesus as the “great high priest” starting in verse 14. Indeed, Hebrews is the only book of the Bible that develops this part of Jesus’s ministry. The writer had hinted at Jesus as high priest previously in chapter 2, verse 17 with reference as “a merciful and faithful high priest” and “the apostle and high priest of our profession” in chapter 3, verse 1. Now he begins to develop this same theme in more earnest. In verse 14, the writer names “Jesus as the son of God” and begins to point out how he functions as high priest even more fully and completely than any earthly high priest. He says we have a high priest that has “passed into the heavens.” Jesus had not just gone into the symbolic presence of God in the temple as the earthly high priests did, but he has gone into the real presence of God, not just through the veil, but through the heavens.
In light of this, the readers are exhorted to “hold fast our profession”. Here the writer is telling us that we should adhere strongly to our faith and the confession we have made in Jesus Christ.
We confess our faith every Sunday morning prayer service when we recite the Apostle Creed which begins with the words: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord:”
St. Paul called on Timothy to recall his own public confession as an encouragement to “Lay hold of the eternal life” in 1 Tim. 6: 12 where he tells him: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”
While the writer strongly affirms Jesus divinity (i.e., Heb. 1; 1-4), now he begins to emphasize the importance of Jesus Humanity in verse 15. He says “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” What the writer is saying here is that Jesus is sympathetic to our human suffering. Why can Jesus be sympathetic? Because he has shared the weaknesses of human nature. He knows what it is like to be tempted. The Gospels give us two glimpses into this temptation. Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness by Satan (Matt. 4:1-11) and in the Garden of Gethsemane. There He was in anguish as He struggled to do the will of God. The point is that Jesus’s experience was both like ours and unlike our own. He faced temptations just like us, in a far greater number than any man. Yet he did not fall to these temptations and was without sin.
After laying the foundation of Jesus as a High priest, the writer now exhorts us in verse 16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Here we are encouraged to approach the throne. This is the exact opposite of the image of the throne room of an absolute Near Eastern Monarch. No one could approach the king unless he was invited for fear of death. Esther took a risk in coming before her husband, king Xerxes, without being first being summoned (Est. 4:11-16).
The exhortation of the writer of Hebrews here is a stark contrast to that of the Eastern Monarch custom. We who are sinful, by nature as well as by deed, are invited to approach the throne of the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords.
How should we approach with fear? No, we should approach with boldness because it is not a throne of judgement for us, but a throne where grace is dispensed freely. So what can we expect when we come? The writer describes the blessings of this throne in a three-fold expression: mercy, grace, and help in time of need. If you’re in trouble don’t hesitate to come to Jesus’s throne in prayer. Through Him, you’ll find a sympathetic ear, divine pardon for your sins, and timely aid whatever your trouble may be. So why wait? The great High Priest who is King is calling you to approach his generous throne so he can give you his mercy and grace.
Next, the author gives us the importance of the qualifications for a High Priest in the first 4 passages of chapter 5. He tells us that a High Priest must be chosen from among men to represent them before God. He must be able to sympathize with the weakness of other human beings. And he must be chosen by God. Let us look at these qualifications in order of importance:
1. Chosen by God: Our scripture reading says: (Heb. 5:4) “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.”
In Exodus 28:1 we can read about Aaron’s appointment: “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother; and his son’s with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office”.
All high priests are called to their office by God. No true high priest is either self-appointed or appointed by men. They must be appointed by God. The method of God’s calling was according to law. God declared that the high priest must be from the tribe of Levi, the family of Aaron. The office must pass from father to son, from generation to generation.
Jesus as our only high priest, also needed a divine appointment. Our gospel reading says in Heb. 5:5 “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my son, today have I begotten thee.” We see here that Christ was appointed as high priest by the oath of God. This creates a problem. Christ’s appointment is not according to Old Testament law. He was not from the tribe of Levi, from among the descendants of Aaron. Instead, he was from the tribe of Judah, family of David. How then could Christ be a valid high priest?
This problem is solved for us in the next verse of our scripture reading: (Heb. 5:6) “As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” The author takes this directly from (PS 110:4) which reads: “The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” This is a royal psalm.
Two significant points are made about the One who is to sit at God’s right hand. First, the order of Melchizedek is declared to be an eternal order. Second, this announcement is sealed with God’s oath. Neither of these affirmations applied to the Aaronic order of priesthood. So, Christ is a valid high priest not according to law. Rather, He is a valid high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Who is Melchizedek? He was a priest mentioned in the bible who lived at the time of Abraham. We first meet him in Genesis 14:18-20. Abraham was on his way home after rescuing Lot and his family who had been captured during the battle of the kings. He was met by Melchizedek who gave them bread and wine and blessed Abraham who in return gave him one tenth of his spoils. (Heb. 7:1-3)
What do we know about Melchizedek? His name means “king of righteousness.” We are told that he is a king of Salem, which means ‘king of peace.” We are told further that he is a priest forever of God most High; without father or mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest forever” (Gen. 14:18; Heb. 7:1-3).
Jesus as high priest is also king of righteousness. In addition, He is the king of peace. He too is a priest forever. We are speaking here of his divine nature, without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life.
Jesus was also appointed as high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Think of what this means: Let us look at Heb. 7:25 “Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come into God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Our high priest lives forever. Therefore our high priest is always there for us as our intermediary and peace maker with God.
A second important qualification of a high priest is to be sympathetic. Our Scripture reading says: (Heb. 5:2-3) “who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.” (2) “And by reason hereof he ought as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.” (3)
A high priest must show sympathy for the sins of the people. Knowing his own weakness he deals gently with those who are ignorant (not knowledgeable) and are going astray. He must not be indifferent and harsh. Jesus as a human suffered abuse and rejection just like us. As mentioned previously, he was also subjected to the weaknesses and temptations that we are, so he can personally relate to our struggles. More than one person, going through hard times, says “No one understands. No one knows what it is like.” A grieving couple say this as they stand by the grave of their child. A widower says this as she struggles to cope without a spouse. But Jesus understands. We have a high priest in heaven who does sympathize, who does understand, and who does know. He knows our weaknesses and understands our struggles.
Lastly, the high priest must be chosen from man and represent us before God. Our scripture reading says: (Heb. 5:1) “Every high priest taken from among men and is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.”
A high priest represents the people before God. As representative of the people, the high priest must be taken from “among men.” Look at Aaron; He represented the people of Israel before God. He was able to do this because he was both a man and an Israelite.
One of the most important functions of a Jewish priest was to make intercession to God for the sins of their people by offering the many sacrifices that the law required. A high priest was selected among the priests, and he entered into the most Holy of lace once a year on the day of Atonement to place the blood of the sacrifice on the ark of the Covenant (Heb 9:7). By these daily and yearly sacrifices, the sins of the people were temporarily covered until the Messiah came to take away their sins.
Christ Jesus, as our only high priest, also represents us before God. Let’s look at what Hebrew 2:17 tells us: “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” As High priest, says our Scripture reading, He was made “perfect.” He was perfect in our place. He kept the law we could never keep. He practiced the obedience we could never practice. He showed the love and mercy we could never show. Not only that, but He also suffered in our place. On the cross, as high priest he took our shame and our guilt. He suffered God’s wrath against our sins. As high priest, He was our representative. He took our place and “became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” He made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, by the shedding of his blood and death on the cross.
As we go to the communion table this morning, let us always remember Christ as our only “Great High Priest” and the sacrifices that he made for us. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen
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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!
Fourth Sunday after Easter
In our Old Testament lesson from Job (19:25-27), we find God’s plan for a resurrection to life. For I now that my redeemer liveth, and the he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. This passage is also found in our prayer book on page 324 under The Order for the Burial of the Dead. The rubrics tell us that the minister will meet the body at the church door or at the grave and going before it shall say those words along with, I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die...We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Every mortal faces the inevitability of death. It has also pained human beings throughout the ages with a dread of being separated from this life because this is all we know. Secular historians and modernist bible critics have often postulated that the development of “religion” stemmed from man’s attempts to explain, or come to terms with, those realities which were beyond his capabilities to perform or control. Without a doubt, the reality of death has played a significant role in that cause. Certainly men can kill, and have done so quite frequently. And, from time to time, individuals have taken their own lives. But in the natural course of things, people are as in the dark about their passing from this life as they are about their birth into the same. And like our birth, our death to this life is also a powerless moment for each of us because death reveals our greatest weakness. Consider the banner quote of one website which says, “On a long enough time line the survival rate for everyone drops to zero” and every person since Adam is aware of the truth that statement. Those who once lived know about Death first hand, whereas the living know of its work via the passing of family and friends. Death is unavoidable. The ancients of the Classical World had a epitaph which summed up the matter at hand: “As you are, I once was. As I am, so you shall be.” Ergo, our passing from this life is not a matter of IF but WHEN.
And death threatens mankind in a way little else can. Look at your daily activities and count the ways you may become fearful for your life or that of another. Everything from another person sneaking up behind you and scaring you “to death”, or when you experience a “close call” such as a near-miss with another vehicle on the highway, or getting so sick that, as the old folks would say, you were “at death’s door”, are figures of speech to be sure; but they nevertheless, have a basis in fact from times past. So even the best of Christians will have such anxious moments as those mentioned.
Now you might think that the unregenerate would be doubly fearful regarding their passing from this life. After all, they have no Saviour on which to lean for comfort, and no Redeemer who has paid the price for their lives. Still a fair number will attempt to shut such out of their minds. They may use pagan mysticism. They’ll just say the right words or the proper chants and bingo, there they are in whatever state of mind they wish. Some may even embrace a form of Christianity while avoiding the requirements for godly living. And, as part of their “religion”, they may entertain a belief that in God’s “justice-love” for all people he will save them in spite of their bad behavior. That’s nice, and that’s PC. You can just live as you wish and there will be no consequences of an everlasting nature. Nevertheless, I have searched the scriptures in vain to find any reference which would support such a belief system for clearly, it is a fantasy— or rather a phantasy— that will lead them into the greatest nightmare of all: a nightmare from which they will never awaken.
On the other hand, I have found numerous passages that communicate the polar opposite of their wishful thinking. Many have heard the words of St. John 3:16, 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. “Oh yes” the unregenerate will say, “there is the proof text for our position.” They may even offer up the next verse which says, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. “Enough said?” But consider verse 18 which says, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The colonial preacher, Jonathan Edwards once noted that, “God has laid himself under no obligation, by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell [for] one moment. God certainly has made no promises either of eternal life, or of any deliverance or preservation from eternal death, but what are contained in the covenant of grace, the promises are given in Christ... But surely they have no interest in the promises of the covenant of grace who are not the children of the covenant, who do not believe in any of the promises, and have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant. So that, whatever some have imagined and pretended about the promises made to natural men’s earnest seeking and knocking, it is plain and manifest, that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.”
In short, the unregenerate “have no refuge, nothing to take hold of, all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and unconvenanted, unobligated forbearance of an incensed God.” To quote a modern wit, the unregenerated should, “Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.” And, to tell the truth, I suspect that very many of them have a sneaking suspicion that there is the God of the Bible who is waiting on them and that makes them edgy and fearful, but not enough to turn them unto him and be saved.
As Christians, we understand that our heavenly Father knows well our fear of death and dying and that is why he inspired several writers of Holy Scripture to include passages such our Old Testament lesson from Job. God wants us to be comforted knowing that as his servants we will be redeemed from this body of sin and death. As St. Paul said, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death (Romans 7:24)? to which the Holy Ghost gave him to reply, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord... (Romans 7:25) for, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1). Jesus Christ is our redeemer kinsman who shed his blood that we might live. He is the one that Job was talking about in our lesson today. Only God the Son was made flesh and walked among us. And only he can save us from our sins and give us everlasting life.
Ideally, every Christian ought to heed God’s word written for it tells us that death has no terrors for the regenerated soul in Christ. The apostle Paul noted that if we are absent the body, we are present with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:1-10). The body will indeed be reduced to dust but our souls will live on with the Lord until that day, as Job so noted, when we will be given a new body that will last for eternity. We will once more stand on the earth and see God the Redeemer with our own eyes and know then the truth of the scriptures which we heard today for we will be the living examples of it.
Let us close with a word from the great English pastor, Charles H. Spurgeon who said, “Death is... a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones already dwell. The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home— a moment will bring us there... When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven.” Only in Jesus Christ is there redemption from death, hell and the grave. Only in Jesus Christ are we freed from our sins via his atoning work on Calvary’s cross. Only in Jesus Christ is there hope of salvation. Our redemption will not be accomplished by simply saying prayers from the prayer book or whatever liturgy one is accustomed to saying without thought and without having faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour. No, we must make that commitment to God in Christ’s name believing his word as set forth within the pages of Scripture.
And on that account, if you have not already done so, I encourage you to embrace the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. Accept his free gift to you by confessing that he is Lord of all your life. Confess your sins to the Father in his name, and then live as a redeemed and blessed child of God and inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. If you will do that, a glorious future awaits you for God is willing that none be lost.
Let us pray,
Most gracious and loving God, aid our witness to the unregenerate, that they too might believe and live a life renewed by thy good Spirit; and on that account, they might be joined with all thy saints in thy coming kingdom through a true and abiding faith in thine only begotten Son; for these things we ask in his most precious name. Amen.
Have a blessed week!
Bryan+
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian.
The Fourth Sunday after Easter
Christian Living proceeds from Christian faith and vice versa
“The Christian Life Gives Us Christian Living” (James 1:17)
The Collect.
O ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. St. James i. 17.
EVERY good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Somehow there is a lot of confusion about the Christian life. Some think that going to church is being a Christian, and that is all that is needed. (One of the reformed Confessions says that without membership in the Visible Church you do not go to heaven----hmmm, worth a debate perhaps) That is certainly important to go to church and join with fellow Christians and make up what we call the body of Christ here on earth. We know that our Christian lives were begun by God Himself. “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” 1:18 This is important for us to ever remember. We did not create our Christian lives. We should be humbled because it is God who did that.
James writes his letter to the scattered believers who were living in a world that was not so friendly to them. They were experiencing “trials” 1:2 (literally surrounded by trials. It is the same word used in the Lord’s Prayer, “and lead us not into temptation.”)
Somehow there are those of us who have forgotten that our Christian life must have fruit in it. It must show itself in the world, not just the Church. Of course the Church is the body of Christ and here we grow and mature as we learn and read the Word together, and are nurtured by the Sacraments of Christ. (Unfortunately, many so-called Churches today are not followers of Christ if they do not believe the Scriptures to be God's inerrant Word)
What is James talking about? “Be ye doers of the word, and not only hearers.” 1:22 The language is “ Make sure that you are doers of the word” The hearers was used of those who were regular in “listening to lectures, but who never became real disciples.” ‘James’, by Tasker. I suppose we could say we are talking about holiness. I remember the verse in Hebrews that says it pointedly: “Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)
In our church we are fortunate to have a clear understanding of the teaching of the Scriptures as expressed in the Standards of the Scriptures and the 39 articles (Look at Article 21, 22 of Justification and Sanctification) which are also helpful. The Scots Catechism also says it as well. It has certainly helped me in my understanding. Q. 35 Shorter Catechism. “What is Sanctification? A. It is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.” “Reformation and sanctification differ, says, Dr. Hodge, as clean clothes differ from a clean heart.” The Shorter Catechism, Alexander Whyte. We have a responsibility to act out of our new hearts to show in our lives the light given to us in Christ. (note for those of this reading who are questioning why I quote such reformed people, you may want to consider these confessions of faith as they have much in common with the 39 articles of religion in our own Prayer Book)
We do not want to be like the person James talks about who looks in the mirror, sees what he looks like, and forgets. Do not forget James says! Look into the perfect law of liberty and know it is there for our good and well-being. 1:25 James lists things that are important. He mentions to bridle the tongue. If we do not do this our religion is vain, James says. It is enough to profess certain things and then go away and do other things that are not pure.
This is the heart of our faith. “Religion pure and undefiled before God. v. 27” We would think that would be doctrine, big churches, happy people, fancy pews, you can add to the list. Instead James says it is not enough to give money and not get personally involved. Pure religion is “to visit “as God did in the person of Jesus. He did not do it by proxy. He sent His only Son in the person of the eternal divine Son of God to be born of a virgin and be tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.
Visit who? Our religion is not to be in just words but in deeds of mercy and forgiveness. “…Visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” 1:27Again, we are not just about daily holiness in living the Christian life, but that is where our relationship with Christ begins. Donald Maclean, of the Free Church of Scotland said it this way:” We are not .to wonder at God’s command: ‘Be ye holy for I am holy.’ Heaven is a place of absolute holiness. In God’s presence there is fullness of joy and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore. All those who by grace are privileged to be admitted into that presence must also be perfectly holy.” “Banner of Truth Magazine” November 1997. Of course, we know that in this life this is not possible but we must work at it.
In our places of worship, whether at Morning Prayer or Holy Communion, we have chosen to gather as His visible Church, (the body of Christ). We are His hands and His voice to those who struggle whatever their race, religion or creed. We are gathered to ask God to hear, share and practice daily His wisdom from the Scriptures as His ministers to do His will in this community and its surrounding communities.
What brethren are the needs? I would say we should look first to ourselves and our spiritual holiness, our pure religion. I like what Julian of Norwich prayed for (1343-1413), “I conceived a great desire to receive three wounds in my life. They were the wounds of a true contrition; the wound of loving compassion ; and the wound of longing with my will for God.” in Devotional Classics by Foster.
Then James wants us to look at our lives. What are we doing? Lastly, what is the church here doing? Who should we talk to about what we think should be done? I would start with our own relationship to Christ and then as we come together and are strengthened by the Church and the Sacraments we practice holiness and love for others. No one is to be excluded and no one I must say is excluded from the commandment to keep His commandments as well. We must be doers of the Word.
“Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22)
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:
Yves Mera: Temporal Vascular Accident – pray for services and treatment guidance
Betty Davis: stroke, hospitalization and praying for complete recovery
Deborah Johns – out of ICU, still in hospital – heart issues – pray for heart strength & strong blood oxygen levels
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
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
David Williams – serious cardiac issues – pray for David and wife Sherie for coping with changes
Jack Williams – had to enter long term care due to vascular dementia – pray for wife Karen
Audrey Beebe – For the Family who are mourning her passing.
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
David – needing Hip transplant
Bobby Bryan – cancer and cardiac issues
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
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 – Praise the Lord – she rented her house and traveling mercies to return to NC
Dave – COPD – breathing issues – getting used to using oxygen – shortness of breath
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, Myra Cox, Faye Miller,
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