AOC Two

T HOU  art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek .   (Psalm 110:4)                 We have the perfect example of the High Priest given in Genesis 14 of a mysterious figure named Melchizedek to whom even Abraham paid tithes and offerings, and who blessed Abraham. We are told in Hebrews 7 Melchizedek was greater even than Abraham:  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;  2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;  3  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.  4  Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even t...

A ND   Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.   (Luke 4:1)   F OR   as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God .   (Romans 8:14)                 There are a very many Christian professors who prefer to be led by their own sinful spirit than by that of the Spirit of God. If the opportunity arises, or If I feel like it, I will attend to my responsibilities in the Church or community. It does not take a nuclear physicist to realize that such an attitude does not arise from the prompting of the Holy Spirit but rather from the spirit of fallen man. In a word, we are lazy creature and too often do only the minimum required to dispel the critic.               As we learn from the introductory text, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit in all th...

  T HEN   Jesus said unto them,   Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees .  . . . .  11   How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees ?  12   Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees .   ( Matthew 16:6, 11, 12)               With few exceptions, Leaven in the Bible refers to sin or false doctrine. It is for this reason that unleavened bread is served at Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Hebrew mother would sweep and garnish her home to eradicate the smallest speck of leaven before Passover. There were times that leaven would be used in sacrifice, but NEVER during the Passover or Feast. Leavened bread was only used sparingly...

W HAT  man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?   5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing .  6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost .  7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance .       (Luke 15:4-7)               The measured worth of a single soul cannot be overestimated in the economy of God. Had there been only ONE soul to redeem, our LORD’s fervor would not have been diminished in that soul’s redemption.              ...

   Happy Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity!   The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded  RIGHT HERE ! There are exceptional sermons today from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  Each is quite different, each is great.  Rev Jack's is available on video  RIGHT HERE . There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, there is never an exception.  Please start with Jim, Lorie and Laurie, Shamu and work out from there. There is a bright and shining week ahead, if you are having difficulty finding it, open your heart to that Third God Guy, the Holy Ghost.  He makes it easy to find the wonder. Have a wonderful week! Hap Church of the Faithful Centurion Descanso, California United States of America

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.   The Collect.   L ORD,  we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent [1]  and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen .   A ND  it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.  2  And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.  3  And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying,  Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?   4  And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;  5  And answered them, saying,  Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?   6  And they could not answer him again to these things.    7  And he put forth a parable to those whic...

Rev Jack's sermon can be viewed on video  RIGHT HERE ! Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction. Consider the words of the Collect, “… thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works …”   The first thing to consider when you look at today’s Collect is a word: prevent.  Prevent is a word that has many meanings, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of them.  In this case the word prevent means  to go before .  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!   So, we ask God that His Grace, His Love, His Power, His He...

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.   The Collect.   L ORD,  we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent [1]  and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen .   F OR  precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:  11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.  12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.  13  But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken .  (Isaiah 28:10-13)               Today’s Collect reminds me of a...

   The Propers for today are found on Page 214-215, with the Collect first:   The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.   The Collect.   L ORD,  we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent [1]  and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen .   The Epistle for today came from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter.  Once again, Paul calls us to a new life, different from our old life.  A life in which we act in a manner worthy of the better life to which we have been called by Christ and for which He gave His life.  Paul, of all people, knows the importance of setting aside your old life, as Saul did, so that as Paul he asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last.  He reminds us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, ...