AOC Two

The Propers for today are found on Page 200-203, with the Collect first:   The Ninth Sunday after Trinity.   The Collect.   G RANT  to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.   The Epistle came from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, the Tenth Chapter beginning at the First Verse.  Paul reminds us we have a common past, regardless of our actual lineage.  Spiritually, we are descended from the Jews of the Exodus.  Their God is our God, their actions were directed by our God, the same God.  He was a Trinity then as He is today.  Their reality it our reality, whether we choose to understand or accept it. Our forefathers drank of “the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”  Those who have gone before provide examples, both

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity.   The Collect.   G RANT  to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.   The Collect for the 9 th  Sunday after Trinity is that which expresses the “whole doctrine of grace.” The strength of the Collect was slightly reduced by the 1662 revisers in the phrase,  we cannot do any thing that is good without thee  from the original of Cranmer’s  which CANNOT BE without thee!  While it is true that we cannot do anything good without God, it is more importantly true that we cannot do anything at all without Him for, without Him, we could not exist. The Collect petitions for a grant of benefit. As is customary of all Godly prayers, nothing of personal and material benefit is sought, but only that which is pleasing to God.             It is important to bear in mind that

H E  came unto his own, and his own received him not.  12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth .    ( John 1:11-14)               The globalists of our day, and since Babel, have wrestled with the idea of a Savior apart from political government. An old heretical philosophy persists that the only manner in which the globalist, one-world objectives can be accomplished is by the elimination of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They can abide the worship of some nebulous God who exercises no sovereign power, but Jesus Christ is one who keeps getting in the way. He is the Stone which the builders of globalist government must reject. If they could, they would r

  T HEN  the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.   29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head , and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him .       ( Matthew 27:27-31)                 For every rose, there must be a thorn; and likewise for every crown of the righteous. Our Lord counseled His disciples to take up their cross daily and follow Him.    And he said to them all,   If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me .   Luke 9:23)   This counsel of our Lord sticks in the craw, like the gnats of the Pha

    A NOTHER  parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:   25   But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.   26   But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.   27   So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares ?  28   He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ?  29   But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.   30   Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn .   (Matthew 13:24-30)                 In the Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, there are many

B Y   reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.  10   But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;  11   Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?  12   There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.  13   Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.      (Job 35:9-13)                This is a Gospel song written by Luther Bridges (1884-1948) The author wrote the lyrics shortly after a terrible family tragedy. While a student at Asbury College in Kentucky Luther met and fell in love with Sarah Vetch. The couple were married and had three sons. Once while preaching at a service near his wife’s parent’s home in Kentucky, at which there were many professions of faith, Luther received a call informing him that his wife and three sons were burned in the fire that destroyed her parents

  N EITHER  pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word ;  21   That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me .  22    And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one :  23   I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me .   (John 17:20-23)               Our lives are not our own, but belong to God. In fact, they never were our sole position - even our physical bodies are on loan from the grave. Our next breath and heartbeat are borrowed from on High from the Giver of Life. The life of man is as a vapor which ascends from the kettle, rises only a short distance and fades away.  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeare