150823 AOC Sunday Report

 

Anglican Orthodox Church

Worldwide Communion

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Sunday Report

 

 

 

Today we celebrated the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity Sunday. 

 

On Point

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, many from Rev Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, some from Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson, but overall mostly from Bryan.  He always has some great ones to share.  On to the On Point quotes –

 

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple; but only God can count the apples in a seed.

Bishop Beaver

 

Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men.

John Adams

Thoughts on Government, 1776

 

A true story about a church pastor and a cat – or not true – you decide

The pastor had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc.

 

The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

 

That’s what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke.

 

The tree went ‘boing!’ and the kitten instantly sailed through the air – out of sight.

 

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they’d seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed, ‘Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping,’ and went on about his business.

 

A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?’

 

She replied, ‘You won’t believe this,’ and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, ‘Well, if God gives you a cat, I’ll let you keep it.’

 

She told the pastor, ‘I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won’t believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her.’

 

Never underestimate the Power of God and His unique sense of humor.

Dwight Nelson via Bishop Beaver

 

Don’t start down that path

It is of great importance to set a resolution, not to be shaken, never to tell an untruth. There is no vice so mean, so pitiful, so contemptible; and he who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and a third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good disposition.

Thomas Jefferson

1785

On Time

[The demon Screwtape[1] writes:] The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which our Enemy has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present—either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.

 

Our business is to get them away from the eternal, and from the Present. With this in view, we sometimes tempt a human (say a widow or a scholar) to live in the Past. But this is of limited value, for they have some real knowledge of the past and it has a determinate nature and, to that extent, resembles eternity. It is far better to make them live in the Future. Biological necessity makes all their passions point in that direction already, so that thought about the Future inflames hope and fear. Also, it is unknown to them, so that in making them think about it we make them think of unrealities. In a word, the Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time—for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.

Jack Lewis

The Screwtape Letters

 

The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

Deuteronomy 28:9

 

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

Psalm 54:4

 

Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Isaiah 13:6

 

But 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.

St. Matthew 6:6

 

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.

St. Luke 9:56

 

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

I St. Timothy 1:12

 

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…

St. James 1:5

Propers

Each Sunday there are Propers: 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 1540s 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 saints 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 on Page 206-207, with the Collect first:

 

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen

 

The Epistle came from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, the Third Chapter beginning at the Fourth Verse.  Paul reminds  us through the Grace of God we can be able ministers of the new testament, on our own we can be in the end no good.  If we are able to completely follow the Law, with good intent, we can through that please God, but inasmuch as that is impossible we fall short.  The letter of the Law, which cannot be complied with is death.  But following the spirit of the Law gives life.  That is Jesus’ message, for in the Law is death and in the spirit life.  For if there is glory in administering the Law, how much more glory is there in the spirit of the Law, which is Jesus’ message?

 

s

Uch trust have we through Christ to God-ward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

 

Today’s Holy Gospel started in the Seventh Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark, beginning at the Thirty-First Verse. Jesus came in to the coast of Decapolis[2].   The people brought unto him a deaf mute.  Jesus examined the man, put his fingers in his ears, touched his tongue and said “Ephphatha”[3], that is, “Be opened.”  What Jesus did here for the deaf mute physically is what he does for each of us spiritually.  Through Jesus, we hear the Word of God and are given the ability to speak it.  Conversely, there are none so deaf as those who will not hear and none so blind as those who will not see.  It is up to each of us to choose if we will remain blind, deaf and dumb or open our eyes to see, hear and speak the Word of God.  When we receive the gift of sight, hearing and speech we embark on a new life of freedom.

 

J

esus, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

 

 

 

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, wherein we ask God who is … more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask …

 

For the first time in a long time, this collect acknowledges that we are continually pray to God, asking Him for what WE want.  Yet, how oft do we listen to Him when He responds?  If we will listen to Him and DO what He asks, He will give us more than we have need of, more than we ask for, more than we can even desire.  Yet, it requires us to listen to Him, then ACT on what we are told.  When we ask His forgiveness, when He gives it, we need to accept it and live it; if we live in the past, we never will benefit. We have to accept it in the present. The present is the only realm of time in which we have complete control of our actions and thoughts and can influence people around us. The past has already happened, we cannot change the past. The future has not yet happened, but can only be influenced through the present. So that brings us to the present, which is the most important part of time, where we can act directly for Him. We have to remember that the only time in which we can influence our action with the help of the Holy Ghost is within the present. We are never in tomorrow, and we are never in the past, but we are always within the present. Then let us accept His forgiveness now, not tomorrow, not yesterday, but today.

 

God gives us guidance through the Holy Ghost, if we will but accept it.  He gives us the power to act in the spirit of The Law.  The Law or actually 613 little laws turned out to be in of itself a death sentence.  The Jews could or would not comply with the 613 Mosaic Laws, which brought them death.

 

The Jews only cared about following the Law, not about the spirit of the Law which was intended. Following the letter of the Law does not save an individual, following the spirit of the Law is the more important matter. If you follow in the spirit of the Law, you are following what the Law was meant for. Jesus is the ultimate embodiment of the Law. As the embodiement of the Law, He gave us the important bits of the law, when He gave us the summary of The Law, which through Him would bring life, everlasting life and happiness here on earth:

 

T

HOU shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

 

Only two laws to comply with, which though simpler, are harder:

 

  1. Love God

  2. Love your neighbor like yourself

 

Think about it, if you do those two things, you will find you need no other real moral guidance.  If you understand the Big Picture, you know what to do on your part of the Little Picture to make your world line up with His World.  Just like the sight picture on a rifle, lining up the sights with the target. We want our sights to line up with His Picture. We want our sight picture to be the same as His. The problem is just like the Jews, we cannot perfectly follow those either. Because we come from the same common ancestor, Adam, we have the curse of free will. We often exercise this free will poorly, rather than in the way God intended it, which is to focus on Him.  But we can at least do our very best to follow those directions and change course whenever we aren’t. 

 

 

In the Gospel, Jesus helped a deaf man with an impediment of speech. We are like that deaf man, who cannot seemingly hear God’s commands, or won’t. We have a speech impediment in that we often utter incorrect or outright sinful words in our day to day lives. We are asking for Him to heal us of both spiritual impediments. Without His help, we cannot be cleared of our spiritual deafness and uncleanliness.

 

Only Christ can purify our hearts, souls and minds. However, before He can do that, we have to make the conscious effort to let Him into our hearts. He does not enter into hearts where He is not wanted. Only with that continual, conscious effort, can He dwell within our hearts and save us. It is through His faith, His sacrifice we are saved, but we must show that we are with Him, by acting for Him. This is a continuous process that will go on for the rest of our earthly lives.

 

Doing our best is all that God asks of us, not just saying we are doing our best when we aren’t.  But, happily for us, Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf accounts us as just before God.  So, now that we know that, who do we tell about it?  Do we let people know, or do we hide our allegiance to the Lord?   If you hide your allegiance, you really have none. But we must be open about our allegiance and share the Good News with others, that they in time may come to seek the joys of His Kingdom. They may not understand right away, but the seed of the Lord may germinate and grow within them, so that within due course they may understand the Word and come to seek Him. A seed does not instantly become a large sycamore tree, it takes years of watering and good sunshine for the plant to grow into the large tree. It is the same with us, it takes years of good spiritual food and drink (The Holy Scripture and the Holy Ghost) and of being with fellow believers who are learning along with you to grow spiritually.

 

The Holy Ghost is a large part of our spiritual lives. Without Him, we could not be considered one of Christ’s sheep. We have to let Him into our hearts and lead a transforming and a renewal of our minds. Without His help, we cannot adequately follow Him. In other words, we are doomed without the help of the Holy Ghost, which will give us His guidance and advice in conducting our church lives, our professional lives and our personal lives.

 

When Jesus opened the ears and mouth of the deaf mute, He did for him what the Holy Ghost will do for us, if we will but let Him open first our ears to hear, then our mouths to testify, communicate and direct.  We must lead people to God, not try to push them.  Thus, we need to strive, each of us, to follow God more closely that we can pull on the lead rope.  Leading requires being in front of the people you are attempting to lead, having them follow your example towards an objective.  Study Jesus’ life, He is a perfect example of a leader.  We cannot ever be perfect, but we can strive for that perfection in our actions.

 

Action counts.  For by their actions ye shall know them. 

 

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 Dennis Campbell’s Sermon

Bishop Dennis is a brilliant speaker.  He is able to take biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me.  Oft he provides the text of his sermons and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:

 

Does It Matter If I Sin[4]?

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

August 23, 2015

 

God willing, the sermons for the next few weeks will attempt to answer some of the questions people have been asking me recently. Last Sunday I addressed the question, what does it mean to be under grace and not under law? This Sunday I want to address the question, does it matter if I sin?

 

It seems to me that there are several types of people who ask this question. First is people who are either open unbelievers, or have some form of Christian belief, and want to go to Heaven, but don’t want to give up their sin.  In fact, they don’t really want Heaven either.  They would rather live forever on earth, and they want life to be one long party of sensual self-indulgence.  Second is those who want to be good people, and who believe some or all of the basic Biblical doctrines, but, are lukewarm about God. Especially, they are lukewarm toward the Bible,  prayer, the sacraments, the Church, and public worship.  Instead of being diligent about these means of grace, they seldom make them part of their lives. They do not love and pursue them  with the kind of devotion we see taught in the books of the the New Testament.

 

Third  is people who are seriously trying to live Godly, righteous, and sober lives to the glory of God.  These people do make diligent use of the means of grace.  In fact, they weave prayer, the Bible, and the Church and its services into the fabric of their lives.  God is the foundation upon which their lives are built.  God the framework that shapes and supports all of life.  There is a sense of holiness about these people, but they seem not to notice it, and they seldom talk about their good works.  They prefer to talk about the of greatness of God and the wideness of His mercy.  They are deeply aware of their sins.  They know the truth of the words of our confession, “We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we have offended against thy holy law, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us.”  But they also truly  mean it when they ask God to grant them true repentance and His Holy Spirit, “that those things may please Him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our lives may pure and holy.”

 

It is not difficult to know about the spiritual condition of the first type of people.  Jesus said if we love Him we will keep His commandments, but these people don’t like His commandments.  John said, “these things I write unto you, that ye sin not.” But they live for for sin.  Jesus said the most important commandment is, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, but these people don’t love God at all, at least, not in the Biblical sense.  They may have some emotional attachment to the idea of God, and their idea even be fairly accurate.  But the only one they love with all their heart, soul, and mind is themselves.  I fear for these people.  Jesus said that on the day of judgement many people will tell Him what they have done in His name, all the good works they did in life, but He will say, “I never knew you.”  Jesus is saying something like, I never knew you as a disciple.  I never knew you as a member of My flock.    When My people struggled to build and support the Church, you were not there to help. When My people fought the good fight, you were not on the battlefield.  When My people stood against the beasts and the anti-christs, you did not stand with them.  When they endured the jeers and taunts and persecutions of the ungodly, you were not among them.  How, then, can you claim to be among them now? “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” 

 

Does it matter if these people sin?  In one sense yes.  Their sin is an offence to God and a shame to them.  But will it affect their eternal destiny?  Not really.  They are already lost and dead in trespasses and sins.  They cannot become more lost, or more dead.  The only thing that can affect their eternal destiny is conversion.

 

It is not so easy to discern the condition of the second type of people.  They are the good, moral people, who believe in God, and in the Christian faith, but they don’t seem to be trying to grow in Christ.  There is a lukewarmness about them.  They are George Bailey Christians.  George Bailey is the central figure in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  He is a good man, and the basics of Christian morality guide his life.  He goes to Church; he even prays sometimes.  But the idea of growing close to God and loving God above all else does not seem to be the goal of his life.

 

It is often difficult to determine whether a person is in this category, or in the true believer category. The difficulty is due to the fact that true believers sometimes fall into periods of doubt and sin. During these times they may neglect the means of grace and the Church. To us they appear to have abandoned the faith. And in fact, as far as the visible Church is concerned, they have. And yet, they may still be God’s elect, and He may still bring them back by His grace.  The great Biblical example of this is Job.  Job was crushed by the attacks of the devil.  The flawed advice of his friends was useless to him.  He accused God of being unjust and cruel.  He was angry at God.  We could even say he hated God, and he seems to have continued in this condition for years.  Yet God did not leave him there.  God brought him back.  The reality is that we don’t know the spiritual condition of this type of people.  We don’t know whether they are saved or lost.   We only know they are in God’s hands.

 

But the question for today is, does it matter if these people sin?  The answer is yes, it matters a lot.  It matters because it indicates the direction of their lives.  John wrote, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 Jn. 1:5,6).  Their sin may be showing they are like the people in the days of Isaiah, when God said, “these people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” (Is. 29:13).  Did you catch that last phrase?  Their fear toward God, that is, their understanding of Him, and the way they “worship” and “serve God are taught by the precepts of men.  This means they  get them from other people, or they make it up instead of getting it from the Bible.  That is a critical test of where a person is spiritually.

 

It is easy to discern the spiritual condition of the third type of people.  They are the true believers.  They are not necessarily great heroes of the faith.  They are more than likely average, everyday people who go to work, and pay their bills, love their families, go to Church, and live quiet, Godly lives, all because they love God.  These are the people who truly repent and unfeignedly believe the Gospel.  These are the people who have given their hearts to God as their God and their Saviour.  I like the way this idea is expressed in Greek and Hebrew.  These languages don’t say, “my God,” or, “my Saviour.”  They say, “God of me,” and Saviour of me.”  The difference between my God, and God of me is profound.

 

Does it matter if these people sin?  I suppose that depends on what you mean by “matter.”  If you are asking if their sin is an affront to God.  Or, if you are asking if their sin hurts other people, or affects their spiritual well-being while they live in this world, the answer is yes.  I believe  one day, Judgement Day, God will force us to look back over our lives, and we will see the damage our sins caused to us and to others.  We will see the many opportunities for doing good we passed over, and how deeply selfish we were, and how deeply entrenched in sin our lives really were. We will see how these things caused sorrows and robbed us of joy, and crushed our spirits.  Does it matter if I sin?  In this sense, yes, it matters.

 

If you are asking if a true believer’s sin causes you to lose your salvation, or diminishes your portion in Heaven, then the answer is “no.”  I think this is one of the biggest concerns of Christian people.  They want to know if they can ever become lost again,  Can they lose their salvation?  Can they fall from grace?  The answer is, no.  I could multiply verses and passages of the Bible that prove this point, but I will simply give two, short passages.  The first is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  The second is John’s Gospel, chapter 10, verses 27-30.  “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

 

Ultimately your salvation depends on God, not you. It depends on His power to hold on to you, not your power to hold on to Him.  If Christ died for your sins, and there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ, and if all of your offences are fully and forever forgiven, then the sins that you commit will not prevent you from going to Heaven.  This is not a license to sin.  Some people think, “I’m saved, therefore I can sin as much as I want because I’ll never go to hell.”  Such people are in the first group I talked about today.  They are not in the third group.  So there is no license to sin.  There is a promise that your sins, all of them, past, present, and future are forgiven.

+Dennis Campbell

Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia

Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church

Powhatan, Virginia

www.HolyTrinityAnglicanOrthodoxChurch.org

www.lifeinthescriptures.blogspot.com

 

Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor – St. Paul’s Anglican Church – Anglican Orthodox Church

Bishop Roy is pastor of the biggest AOC parish West of the Mississippi and is in charge of the Diocese of the Epiphany. 

 

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

23 August 2015, Anno Domini

Psalm 139 • Genesis 41:1a, 8, 14-40 • Colossians 3:22-4:6

 

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen

 

Colossians 3:22-4:6

 

22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

4

 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

 

There is so many concepts packed into our New Testament lesson this morning.  We are looking at servanthood, vocation, mission, and purpose.

 

Servanthood

What do I mean by this term?  If we look at the work ethic of most areas of employment, whether private or public, we see a severe lack of service to the job. How often do we find that something has been done half way or in a slipshod manner, no pride is taken in getting the job done well, on time, or correct?   Why does this seem to be happening?  If we remove God from the workplace, a supreme being who sees all, then the worker can do anything they want.  We see this trend coming into modern Western society over the last 200 years. With the advent of the Darwinian or Marx/Engel concept of humanity, there is no heaven, there is no supreme being to judge or notice our daily labors, it is all about today. If you remove God from society then you will have an “anything goes” attitude about life.  ‘I don’t have to worry about my behavior, because there will be no consequences for such behavior.’  Gone is the idea that you work for the Glory of God, not for the master/employer. The idea of doing a good job because it reflects upon the Lord seems to have taken a back seat.  Workers just want to be compensated, level or quality of production is not a key to that compensation.

 

I saw this attitude in schools. The twenty-eight years of experience in public schools showed me a student body that was less interested in learning for the reward of learning but instead learned for the reward of a high mark. The average student didn’t seem to look at the skill of learning new concepts or techniques rather the question came up regularly.. “what is in it for me, or will I get a grade for this or how much is this worth?”   Very seldom was there any idea of ‘…do it heartily, as to the Lord…’ .  

 

Even in the secular-progressive school systems, the idea of learning for the sheer pleasure of obtaining a new skill or concept, rather there/is the emphasis on how this will translate into earning power or job advancement.   

 

Vocation

What do we mean by vocation?  Is it possible to seek a profession that will aid in the advancement of the Kingdom of God rather than the advancement of the individual who undertakes that profession?  Now understand there is no prohibition towards wealth in the Bible.

 

The warning is against the abuse or misuse of that wealth or placing that wealth in the way of worshiping the Lord. That is not the issue here. What I mean is the idea of doing a job because it serves the Lord. Learning a skill or profession that will reflect ones belief in the Creator, rather than just help that individual earn a living.  I think we have lost the concept of vocation in Western civilization.

 

Mission

Closely connected to vocation is the idea or concept of mission.  Some could argue that they are one in the same.  Not necessarily. Let us look at the concept of mission. Defining mission as ‘reaching your community for Christ’, we can see that pertains to where ever one lives. You do not have to travel to far off countries to find a mission in life. Everyday is a day on the mission field.  This is why it is important to do your job well and without complaint. If you look around, there are many folk who are complaining about their work, grousing about the boss, the job, the workplace..all the while happily cashing the pay check at the end of the pay period.  What is wrong with that?  The non-believer looks at a professed Christian who behaves this way and thinks, why bother with Christ?  They behave like everyone else, what is the point of this belief system if it is just like the world I live in?   Remember, non-believers are watching everything we do, we are constantly on display.  ‘…not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.’    A believer should be doing their job to please God.  So our mission is to do whatever we do heartily as to the Lord and not unto man.  This will as a side effect cause the non-believer to see that we are different from everyone else, we do reflect the Lord in all we do and say.

 

Purpose

Now what is our purpose? It is actually twofold.  We do our best for the Lord because we will be rewarded. God has promised us the inheritance of the Kingdom. We are given citizenship in the Kingdom when we accept the Lord Jesus as our savior. When we accept the gift that God sent us, His only Begotten Son, who died for our sins, died in our place, died to make us free from the bondage of Hell; it is then that we receive that inheritance.  The second part has already been stated. It is our mission to lead others to Christ through our daily behavior in the work-a-day world that all of us are involved in, even those of us who are no longer working for pay.  Ok, now what do I mean by that?  All of us, in all of our daily activity, reflect the Lord. We need to guard against anything that would reflect in a negative way upon the Lord.  Yes, we sin daily.

 

That is why we should pray the Lord’s Prayer. It daily reminds us to ask for forgiveness as well as purpose, mission, vocation and even servanthood.   Think about it.  It all comes together in that simple prayer.

 

O

UR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

This week that is coming let us go and do likewise.

 

Let us pray:

 

O

 Lord, accept our intercessions for all mankind. Let the light of thy Gospel shine upon all nations; and may as many as have received it, live as becomes it. Be gracious unto thy Church; and grant that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may serve thee faithfully. Bless all in authority over us; and so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands, that they may punish wickedness and vice, and maintain thy true religion and virtue. Send down thy blessings, temporal and spiritual, upon all our relations, friends, and neighbors. Reward all who have done us good, and pardon all those who have done or wish us evil, and give them repentance and better minds. Be merciful to all who are in any trouble; and do thou, the God of pity, administer to them according to their several necessities; for his sake who went about doing good, thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

A

lmighty and everlasting God, we implore thy grace and protection for the ensuing day. Keep us temperate in our meats and drinks, and diligent in our several callings. Grant us patience under any afflictions thou shalt see fit to lay on us, and minds always contented with our present condition. Give us grace to be just and upright in, all our dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all men, according to our abilities and opportunities. Direct us in all our ways, and prosper the works of our hands in the business of our several stations. Defend us from all dangers and adversities; and be graciously pleased to take us, and all things belonging to us, under thy fatherly care and protection. These things, and whatever else thou shalt see necessary and convenient to us, we humbly beg, through the merits and mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen

 

And now in this week to come Lord, bless us, guide us, protect us in the same.

 

T

HE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

 

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon

We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon.  If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the truth and live the truth.    This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

 

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

 

In our epistle lesson (II Corinthians 3:4-9), the apostle Paul spoke of the nature of the Law as that which killeth. As regenerate people, we know that God gave the Law for the purpose of revealing sin. Now some might ask: “Is not the Law good?” Hear now the words of St. Paul (I St. Timothy 1:8) But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners… And he also stated in his epistle to the Romans (7:12), Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good. The Law came from him who is good beyond our understanding of that word which speaks volumes about the personage who gave it. And because the LORD is perfect, he therefore expects us to be perfect also. Therein lies the problem before us as we are handicapped by original sin and are unable to meet God’s expectation of perfection.

 

The Bible teaches us that we are by nature sinful beings with no capacity to justify ourselves in God’s eyes. St. Paul shattered our illusion of righteousness apart from God’s grace when he penned, For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God…(Galatians 3:10-11). And St. James noted in his epistle that, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (2:10). To quote again St. Paul from I St. Timothy 1:8, …the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners… And so, when we read the words of the Law, we are confronted with the knowledge of sin. The Bible tells us that in our awareness of sin, we also are confronted with our inability to offer God any thing that might mitigate our condition in his sight.

 

Still, there are those who believe that they can fix the issue via works. Really? Think you can keep the whole law? Think again! Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort are tv and radio personalities who occasionally go around the country looking for those who claim to be “good” people without Christ. Once they have found such a person, they will ask their subject if they keep the commandments of God even if they do not embrace Christ to which many fall into their logical trap by stating that they do. Afterwards, either Ray or Kirk will challenge their subject with several of the commandments, and then follow up their subject’s affirmative reply by supplying them with the words of our Lord on each one quoted. Usually, they will then admit that they did not keep the whole law at all. Our Lord reminded us in St. Matthew 15 that we can manufacture rules which have some similarity to God’s, but only in our arrogance will we say that we keep them and that they are in agreement with God’s word.

 

The apostle Paul noted that the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ (Galatians 3:24). Our good and gracious God did not intend for his elect to perish, and so he sent the Holy Ghost to guide us into his path of life. As the apostle Paul proclaimed: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit… So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness… For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God… The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, and if children then heirs… (Romans 8:2-17). And so the Spirit of the living God points all who truly seek after him to his Christ. For it was by his sacrifice of himself once and for all time, that we have received his gift of redemption from the Law of sin and death. As a result, we, by a simple and earnest confession in his name, are forever relieved of those particular sins and trespasses.

 

Consider our gospel lesson for today, our Lord healed one who was deaf and dumb. Such was not done for sport, but for the purpose of revealing his redemptive and healing power. God came in the flesh that he might redeem us in toto. For in his kingdom, we will have a bodily existence as well as a spiritual one. The healing of him who was deaf and dumb illustrates this desire of God that his elect be made whole and perfect much as Adam and Eve had been prior to their fall from grace.

 

My friends, there is only one way to ever know the love of God and become a recipient of his grace. Only those who truly believe on his only begotten Son will have this work of God done for them. Accept God’s free gift of grace and afterwards live in obedience to his will. May it please our good and gracious God to extend to each of you the knowledge of his redemption by means of the Holy Ghost. That you might turn unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and be made whole.

 

Let us pray,

 

F

ather, give us hearts that seek thee and lips which speak of thee before men; that with our hearts being so inclined toward your will we might love thee better, and that with our lips we might be effective witnesses for thee so that others might hear and be saved; all this we ask in the name of him who came to heal, redeem and save, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Have a blessed week, Bryan+

After Church Hospitality

We would like some pictures of your after service gatherings.  Come on! Help out!

 

People in our Prayers – http://faithfulcenturionprayerteam.blogspot.com/

Why? Prayer is an extremely important activity.

It is not that God knows not our needs, for He surely does. Yet, Jesus commanded us to ask God for those same needs. In addition to the obvious of asking God for help, offering thanksgiving and the like, prayer helps us focus our thoughts on how we might do God’s work.

 

The Prayer Team of the Anglican Orthodox Church was established to help our members and fellow Christians pray for those in need and to give thanks as well for the blessings we have been granted.

 

Who can be on the list? Do I have to be a member of the Anglican Orthodox Church to be prayed for?

No! The only qualification to be on the list is that you want our prayer team to pray for you. We are Christians and are happy to pray for you, no matter who you are. If you want help from God, you are our kind of people.

 

What is the commitment from the prayer team?

Each member of the team will pray for the desired outcome at last once per day.

 

How do I get myself or someone else on the prayer list?

You can email one of the prayer team leaders: Jack – jack@faithfulcenturion.org or Dru – dru@ faithfulcenturion.org, or call the office at (619) 659-3608 or fill out a prayer card at your church.

 

What should I ask for?

Depends on what you want. Some people merely want God to be asked to heal their ills and be mentioned by their first name, others want a specific outcome and / or have more of their personal information known to the team. Ask for what you want. It is your desire and need for prayer the team is attempting to meet. For typical examples, see the list below.

 

Updating the Team

If you are on our prayer list, or if you have submitted a person that you have asked us to pray for, please update one of the team members or Hap in person, by telephone or email. It helps to be able to pray specifically for these individuals including their specific needs; plus if they get better, it is nice to give thanks!

 

Please note that on the yellow (maybe green or orange if you get an old one) cards at church, you can ask that those to be prayed for have their names disseminated to the prayer team. Those names will be said in church and appear here. Or, you can ask that their names and purpose be kept confidential, then only Hap will know to pray for them.

 

Prayer List Notice – If you have someone on the prayer list and their needs have changed, please let us know.  We’d like to update our prayers to reflect the need and most important to give thanks!

 

Travel

Losana and Mereani are traveling from Labasa, Fiji Islands to Suva for several days. They have people there they will evangelize with. Pray their visit will bring  others to the cross.

Move

The Thomas Family is now in Okinawa for a second short tour.  Please pray for this new assignment to go well for Kurt and for Mary and the kids to make new friends.

 

Departed

Kathy, Don Patton’s sister, passed away the morning of 19 August 2015, after a long hard battle with cancer.  Please help her family adjust to the temporary separation that they might let God carry their sadness, fear and worry.

 

Susan Morley passed away the evening of 1 August 2015, after three weeks in a coma due to an aneurism, then a recovery, then after about ten days she gave up the ghost. Please give thanks for her time here on earth, for a safe passing and for comfort and strength for her family, in particular her husband Charles[5], as they adjust to the temporary separation that they might let God carry their sadness, fear and worry.

 

Nearing the end of their time here on earth

Charles has tonsil cancer; his treatment was stopped in June 2015.  The tumor was too large and prevented surgery. Charles is unable to ingest nutrition and he is in a great deal of pain Please pray for him as he prepares to go home to be with his family who have gone before him. Please pray for comfort, understanding, strength and guidance for Phil and his family who will of necessity remain behind.

 

Phil was taken off life support on 2 April 2015. Please pray for him as he prepares to go home to be with his family who have gone before him. Please pray for comfort, understanding, strength and guidance for Phil and his family who will of necessity remain behind.

 

Maggie is nearing the end of her time here on earth. Please pray for Maggie and her husband Dub as she prepares to go home to be with her family who have gone before her.  Pray for the faith of her family to build and the transition to be good.

 

Alan is a victim of metastasized colon cancer already destroying his liver. His youngest sister has put aside her hard-earned career to care for her brother in these days on earth. Please pray for him as he prepares to go home to be with his family who have gone before him. Please pray for comfort, understanding, strength and guidance for Alan and his family who will of necessity remain behind.

 

Saundra is in ICU with congestive heart failure after a heart operation.  She is aged and frail.  Saundra is near the end of her time here on earth.  Please pray for comfort, understanding, strength and guidance for Saundra and her family who will of necessity remain behind.  Pray for the love of God to stay foremost in their hearts.

 

Polly is in hospice care with dementia and spinal stenosis.  Please pray for her as she prepares to go home to be with her family who have gone before her.  Pray for the faith of her family to build and the transition to be good. 

 

In need of a miracle or understanding of God’s Plan

Dick has a metastasized Merkle Cell carcinoma just under his sternum carcinoma for which all treatment has been exhausted.  His faith in the Lord is great and he is ready to be with Him.  Pray he will be encouraged to not give up until it is his time to go and that his time here on earth with his family will be good.

 

Janet has had a blood borne cancer for several years.  Her faith in the Lord is great and he is ready to be with Him.  Pray she will be encouraged to not give up until it is her time to go.

 

Holly has had Colon Cancer, Breast Cancer and now it is in her spine. Please pray for guidance for the medical personnel treating Holly, for a miraculous remission; that Holly’s remaining time here on earth might be good.  Help Holly and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.  Pray for strength and courage for Holly.

 

Tim was on a kidney transplant list and started dialysis and was taken off the transplant list for a heart problem that required stents, while putting in stents a leaking valve was found. A port was put in and something happened and it has to be redone. In several days he will have a valve replaced, after heart surgery and recover he will go back on the transplant list. Please remember him in prayer in the days and weeks ahead.  Pray he will put his worry on God’s shoulders so he might be at peace and rest.  Pray for those treating him that they might pay attention and do their best.

 

Marilyn has been diagnosed with non-operable pancreatic cancer. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that Marilyn’s remaining time here on earth might be good.  Help Marilyn and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.

 

June found she has a recurrence of colon cancer, which is now Stage Four, that is it has spread.  Please pray for a miraculous remission; that June’s remaining time here on earth might be good.  Help June and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.

 

Cindy has been diagnosed with an aggressive malignant brain tumor. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that Cindy’s remaining time here on earth might be good.  Help Cindy and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.

 

Leon McKay suffered a stroke a few weeks back that has left him unable to speak and while undergoing evaluation the doctors also found he has a very aggressive cancer. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that Leon’s remaining time here on earth might be good.  Help Leon and his family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

 

Rev. Thomas Brooks is not improving and being kept alive by artificial machines. Please pray for a miraculous recovery and if that not be God’s Will, a rapid passing to home. Help Thomas’ family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry

 

Ronnie has kidney cancer that has spread and the surgeons are very concerned. Please pray the medical team to formulate a successful treatment plan and for a miraculous remission; that Ronnie’s remaining time here on earth might be good.  Help Ronnie and family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

 

Levi was cancer free for 4 years and just discovered he has kidney cancer. Levi has a great deal of faith and said whether he is healed or God takes him home he will be fine. Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best and for a good outcome.  Pray also that Levi and family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.  In particular, please pray for pain relief; Levi is 22 years old.

 

Ray Daley is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and served his country during the Korean War era. Ray is taking chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Meanwhile his son Trevor is in the hospital in a coma and seems to have lost the will to live.

 

Pat has been under treatment for colon cancer for sometime.  He has had major complications the last few days and your prayers will be appreciated by family and friends.

 

Dorothy had pneumonia, on checking her lungs they found tumors which permeated the lung area.  Further investigation found a primary site in the colon, with the lung being secondary.  It would appear there is no viable treatment at this time.  Please pray for a miraculous remission; that her remaining time here on earth might be good.  Help Dorothy and her family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

 

Becky has fourth stage metastasized lung cancer and is not doing well with chemotherapy treatments.  Please pray for Becky and her husband as they are together during this difficult time in their lives.

 

Jane has fourth stage cancer and is not doing well.  Please pray for Jane and her family as they are together during this difficult time in their lives.

 

Colleen has been battling pancreatic cancer over the last year and it has now spread to one of her lungs.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

 

Christine has cancer of the colon, which spread to her liver; she is receiving chemotherapy and is having difficulty eating.  Please pray for the medical team treating her to pay attention and do their very best; pray also for confidence in our Lord for Christine and her family.

 

Todd and Kenny have both been fighting osteocarcinoma for over five years and have been told their time here on earth is nearing its end, absent a miracle from God.  Both are ready to go home and leave the pain, but would like to stay.  Please pray for them and their families.

 

Homebound or Infirm

Emma Lee is in a Nursing Home and while moving her she was dropped and her femur was broken. She was operated on and her femur was repaired and she is in rehab.  She is not responding well and your prayers will be appreciated.

 

James is on oxygen all the time, this is bothersome to him and terrifying as well.  Please pray for James to put his worry, his bother and his terror on the Lord.  Pray for strength and guidance for James and his family.  They suggest this verse, “I am thine, save me, for I have sought thy precepts.”

 

Joan has had serious medical problems that have kept her confined. Please pray her health will remain stable.

 

Norma, Sara’s mother is in a state of deteriorating health, both physically and mentally, with both dementia and Alzheimer’s.  She is slowly drifting away, though she still recognizes Sara and prayer gives her a sense of peace.  Please pray for both Sara and her mother to put their cares and worries on God’s shoulders so they can deal with the many problems involved.

 

Surgery

Shamu had successful surgery on 7 July 2015, for a disruptive colon.  The colon has been removed, she gives thank for the surgical team being open to guidance, paying close attention and doing their very best.  She is back in the hospital for an additional surgery to to a site infection.  She is in great need of God’s Help for healing. Pray the surgical team will be open to guidance, pay close attention and do their very best.  Please pray now for Shamu to trust in God, let Him carry her worry.  Pray she will recover to the point her internals may be rebuilt.

 

Marcia has had a biospy of a mass in her breast which indicated a tumor that must be removed. Pray the surgical team will be open to guidance, pay close attention and do their very best.  Pray for peace of mind and trust in God for Marcia and her family.

 

Edware is having his fourth back surgery (in the last four years) Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best and for a good outcome.  Pray also that Edware and his family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

 

Jeff has been undergoing surgery, chemo and radiation since October for pancreatitis and Pancreatic cancer. Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best and for a good outcome.  Pray also that Jeff, his wife and family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

 

Albert had a pacemaker installed recently. He will require surgery soon for a leaking heart valve and has just been told he has esophageal cancer. Pray he will turn to God and come to know Him on a more personal basis as the days go by.

 

Jane underwent heart valve repair surgery on 3 July 2014. Please pray for full recovery.  Pray also Jane and her family to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

 

Mario has early-diagnosed prostate cancer and had surgery. Pray for complete remission and that Mario and his family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

 

Eddie has upcoming bladder surgery.  Please pray for the surgical team to pay attention and to their best and for a good outcome.  Pray also that Eddie and family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders.

 

Testing and Treatment

Pricilla has intestinal issue causing a great deal of pain; she is not responding to medications. Pricilla had a serious operation not long ago and perhaps things in the past are causing the present complications. Pray Jesus will be close to her and his healing will replenish her body.  Please pray for continued guidance for the medical team and patience and trust in God for Pricilla and her family.  Pray also for a full recovery for her.

 

Barbara had a cataract operation and which found Macular Degeneration. Her other eye is dimming and shadows have come up. Pray doctors will discover the problems and healing will come and her eyesight will improve.

 

Melanie Zimmers had an angiogram on 10 August 2015, which turned out clear, but there are problems.  Her heart’s has only a 20% ejection fraction, with no symptoms.  They hope medications can get the fraction to above 45 percent or mechanical changes will have to be made.  Please pray for continued guidance for the medical team and patience and trust in God for Melanie and her family, particularly her husband Mike.  Pray also for a full recovery for her.

 

Helen was admitted from her doctor’s office 15 July 2015, as the result of a blood test, to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital with an extremely high white blood count. She and her husband are very active in the ministry of their church and are asking for believers to pray for them and their family, as they are facing  very serious problems in the days to come.  Please pray for guidance for the medical team and patience and trust in God for Helen and her family.  Pray also for a full recovery for her.

 

Cynthia Olufson (Melanie Zimmer’s sister) had an infection in the Harrington rods put in her back 25 years ago.   It appears antibiotics are doing the job, she is still concerned about the rods needing to come out.  Please pray for continued guidance for the medical team and patience and trust in God for Cynthia and her family, particularly Melanie.  Pray also for a full recovery for her.

 

Vickie has been falling and passing out and hurt herself. Pray the medical team treating her will find out the problem and bring it to an end.

 

John Thornell, Colonel, USMC Retired Pilot is recovering from a heart related event which began on Tuesday 19 May 2015, when he noted some chest pain while playing golf.  He skipped lunch and went home for a nap.  About 0100 the next day, fully recognizable chest pain developed, four aspirin, one EMT battle (in which the losers apparently got the rights to bring John to the wrong place), one full on back from zero paddle battle,  two surgeries and three stents later, John is in ICU wanting out, but because his blood pressure is so low (he is a runner, turns out it is just like it was a month ago) they don’t want to let him out.  Please give thanks for all this coming together so John is still with his family here on earth.  Pray for continued guidance for the medical team and patience and trust in God for John, his wife Linda and kids Skyler and Remi.  Pray also for a full recovery for him.

 

Steve Thornell is undergoing cancer treatment at University of California Irvine, please pray for continued guidance for the medical team and patience and trust in God for Steve and his family.  Pray also for a full recovery for him.

 

Red Thornell has mass in his neck, which appears likely to be cancerous.  He has had a biopsy on 22 May 2015 and expects the results after a PET scan on Tuesday 26 May 2015.  While there is an infection, his temperature is now normal; he is not for he sleeps 19-20 hours a day.  Please pray for trust in our Lord for Red and his wonderful wife Vickie as they try to get through this nightmare.

 

Elma has been suffering with headaches for a long time.  Doctors have not been able to discover the reason for them. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Elma and her family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people caring for her that they might find the best treatment method to banish the headaches completely.

 

Corissa has been diagnosed with a blockage.  As soon as the Physicians determine the exact problems they expect Major Surgery will proceed.

 

Barbara Apple was more or less bedridden after a fall.  She was hospitalized in great pain and had been transferred to a skilled nursing facility where they hope to be able to control the pain level.  Pray for inspiration for those caring for her that they might find the appropriate treatment.  Please pray for Barbara to put her trust in the Lord, look to Him for strength and for her to gain energy so she does not lose the mobility she has; pray for a full and rapid recovery.  Please pray also for her husband Bob who is taking care of her that he might be comforted and strengthened in this time of stress.

 

Bob Apple was at the hospital picking up his wife Barbara to bring her to the skilled nursing facility when he experienced chest pain.  Barbara’s release from the hospital was delayed until Bob underwent an angiogram and had his medication adjusted.   Please pray for comfort and strength for Bob and his continued healing.

 

Deborah has had a stroke, she is doing much better and out of the hospital. She has a problem with anemia and is taking supplements for that. Pray our Lord will be close to her and her family. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Deborah and her family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people caring for her that they might find the best treatment method to allow her to heal completely.

 

Rev. Steve Boardman has been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Pray that Jesus will be close and comfort his family and members of his congregation.

 

Hang So Ryu has cancer. Please pray for medical team contemplating and evaluating the treatment that they might be guided to the correct choice and do their very best. Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for him and his family, as well as physical strength.

 

Olivia, age7, has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lymphoma. The prognosis is good at this time, please pray for medical team contemplating and evaluating the treatment that they might be guided to the correct choice and do their very best. Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for Olivia and her family, as well as physical strength.

 

Paul has been hospitalized recently several times because of persistent high fevers. He is being tested and checked by physicians and seems to have a slight scoliosis, a node and Schuermann’s disease.  Please pray it will be discovered how to treat these problems and healing will begin so he will be inspired to continue his education.

 

Carol Anne needs God’s comfort and healthy test results as she is anxiously undergoing tests related to previous hysterectomy and experiencing symptoms in the surrounding area.

 

Jennifer has some lumps on the right side of her neck; they have grown and multiplied. In the last few months she has been having problems swallowing. Jennifer has an appointment with specialist in several weeks to try and discover what it is. She is having a great deal of anxiety as she waits for her Doctors appointment and will appreciate your prayer for anxiety and health.

 

Rick has heart problems.  Please pray for guidance for the medical people treating him that they might pay attention, do their very best and make the right recommendations regarding treatment.  Pray for help for Rick and his wife Wanda to keep their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

 

Clay has melanoma.  Please pray for guidance for the medical people treating him that they might pay attention, do their very best and make the right recommendations regarding treatment.  Pray for help for Rick and his wife Pam to keep their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.

 

Atina has been diagnosed with skin cancer, which turned out to be a melanoma. A routine CT scan found a 9mm (3/8 inch) lesion in her left lung.  The melanoma appears to be spreading; they need to remove the offending tissue and test the sample.  Pray for guidance for the medical people treating her that they might pay attention, do their very best and make the right recommendations regarding treatment.   Atina’s faith is being tested, she has difficulty in praying and accepting the outcome, she wants what she wants and is perplexed about her faith in Jesus.  Pray for help for Atina to keep her trust in the Lord and let Him carry her worry.

 

Evelyn has been diagnosed with bone cancer.  Pray for guidance for the medical people treating her that they might pay attention, do their very best and make the right recommendations regarding treatment.  Pray for help for Evelyn to keep her trust in the Lord and let Him carry her worry.

 

Stacy has Multiple Sclerosis and was hospitalized for what turned out to be food poisoning.  Pray for trust in God for Stacy and Chris as they deal with Stacy’s illness.

 

Liz Strauch had a pineal cyst, which in the end responded well to a surgical draining last year.  Since November 2013, similar symptoms have returned.  A CT Scan turned up what is thought to be either a new cyst or an enlarged pineal gland.  More testing, including an EEG is in the works.  She can no longer work. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Liz and her family, in particular her husband Ken and sons Caleb and Nathan; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment and allow Liz to heal completely.

 

Faye is in the hospital because she is weak has been receiving blood transfusions. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Faye and her family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment and allow Faye to heal completely.

 

Tom has heart and kidney problems. Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Tom and his family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment and allow Tom to heal completely.

 

Harold has had a severe stroke.   He is now home, but his family is looking for a rehabilitation facility to help him recuperate.  Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Harold and his family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people caring for him that they might find the best treatment method to allow Harold to heal completely.

 

Joe has had a preliminary ALS diagnosis. Pray the final diagnosis will something that will allow him to continue taking care of his devoted young family.  Pray for strength, courage and understanding for Joe and his family; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment.

 

Mark Wilson’s breathing seems to be under control at present, he is getting oxygen, which is a huge blessing for which he is grateful.  Pray for God’s guidance for the doctors and medical people treating him that they might figure out a way to treat him that will work and not adversely affect other parts of his body, particularly his oxygenation levels, kidney and liver function.  Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Mark, as well as for his family.

 

Preston is reacting poorly to recent neck surgery and now has problems with his liver count; Physicians feel that dialysis will help. There may be a blockage in the bowel and an operation might be necessary.  Please pray for the medical team to pay attention and to their best to determine how to help Preston and for a good outcome.  Pray also that Preston and family will be able to put their worry on God’s shoulders while Preston does his best to facilitate a return to good health.

 

Erica has a non-malignant Brain Tumor which cannot be surgically removed due to the size and location.  They are going to attempt chemotherapy. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Erica, as well as for her family, and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment.

 

Brenda is in the hospital because of bleeding on her brain. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Brenda, as well as for her family, and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment.

 

Mackenzie is a young girl with leukemia. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Mackenzie, as well as for her family, and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find the best course of treatment.

 

Mack has had diabetes most of his adult life. Circulation in his legs is very bad and doctors are considering amputation. Please pray his medication will help and he will not face amputation. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Mack and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment.

 

Michael has been diagnosed with lung cancer recently after making it through gastro intestinal cancer last year. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Michael and his wife Gayle; as well as for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment.

 

Ken Strauch has been tired and is anemic, he had a colonoscopy which found a pair of polyps which were removed and are being tested.  Just for good measure they found he has a hiatal hernia with ulcers, basically part of his stomach is pushed up into his esophagus and is bleeding from there.  Sounds like there may be surgery involved. Please pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Ken and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that they might find the best course of treatment.

 

Adriano is in the hospital due to high sugar and high blood pressure. He is very weak and will appreciate your prayers.

 

Heather recently found out she has cancer.  Please pray for peace of mind for her and for the medical team treating her will be guided to the right solution.

 

Jim has had an aneurism and blood clots. Pray that healing will come.

 

Georgia has liver and pancreatic cancer. The doctors are evaluating whether to do surgery and how to tackle the disease. Georgia is a faithful Christian and appreciates your prayers. Pray for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find out the source of the problem and best course of treatment.  Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for Georgia and her family.

 

Lana’s doctor found something on her lymph nodes and ovaries. Pray for God’s guidance for the medical people treating her that they might find out the source of the problem and best course of treatment.  Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for Lana and her family.

 

 

Healing

Amelia Perez had a small stroke on 11 July 2015 and drove herself to the emergency room, she was admitted for three days, had her carotid artery opened up and is recovering.  Amelia’s faith and spirit are strong.  Please give thanks for the progress so far, for her continued and full recovery and her faith to continue to support her.  Pray also for her family who are still quite worried for her.

 

Jon has Stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma  There is good news in that he is in remission; however the chemotherapyis producing neuropathy in  his legs so that it is a challenge for him to get around. Please pray that he will be as comfortable as possible; he has been a Marathoner runner so this is especially difficult.

 

Margaret, from California, fell and broke her on 7 July 2015, while visiting her daughter in Arizona. She will stay in Arizona for the rehabilitation and return to her home when able. Furthermore, Margaret is in good spirits; however she will be away from her church family which is important to her for an extended period of time.

 

Ashley broke her wrist. Pray for full and complete healing of her wrist and patience and trust in God while it heals.

 

Cindyis very ill, she is young and has children, she and her family need your prayers that they might stay close to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as she heals.

 

Diana, age 15, broke her leg while in school and now has a cast on. Pray she will adjust and be healed soon

 

Bernie Coogan had a stroke near Christmas time.  He is undergoing physical and speech therapy at a rehab facility where his wife works.  Bernie is doing pretty well, his speech is a bit slurred, but his mind is clear.  He is still Bernie.  Bernie, his wife JoAnn and their family would appreciate your prayers for a full and rapid recovery as they maintain full trust in the Lord.

 

Amy has melanoma in her lungs, liver and kidneys; they have found a treatment for her that has a high success rate however the side effects are debilitating. Please pray she will be able to tolerate the side effects and the treatment is successful.  Amy has full trust in the Lord, but would still appreciate your prayers.

 

Debbie is just beginning chemotherapy for cancer of the lymph nodes.  Prayer she will be able to tolerate the therapy acceptably and remain strong as she remembers the Lord is with her at all times.

 

 

Liz had a massive stroke at age thirty-seven. The prognosis is good but she has a long road ahead. .  Please pray for guidance for those treating her, for trust in our Lord for Liz and her family, for healing.

 

Ebick is suffering from a severe ulcer but the Doctors cannot give her the proper dosage of the medicine due to her six month pregnancy.  Please pray doctors will find an alternative avenue for treatment or that God will provide.

 

Stan is going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer. He is elderly and the treatments are tiring him.  Please pray for his wife Marvelene as they do this together.

 

Meg recently found out she had heart problems causing low blood oxygen levels, loss of focus resulting in an emergency room crisis. As a result of the symptoms she made errors on the job that caused her to lose her job. She is grateful for the excellent medical care she has received and optimistic, feeling with God’s intervention in her life her health may be reversed and a new job will become available.

 

Donald is in the hospital and had his leg amputated on 14 April 2014. Pray he will adjust and healing will begin.

 

Lucius Dabney (father of Rev Bryan Dabney) is now at home recovering from an infection.  Please pray for a complete healing of the infection and return to health.

 

David has many concussions and unable to go to school, read books, watch TV and has headaches and migraines. He has trouble sleeping and his family will appreciate your prayers for this 10 year old young man.

 

Gladys has breast cancer and has had a lumpectomy. She needs to take a year off of her work to have chemo treatments.

 

Alwin Jack has had a stroke and recently has had a relapse.  Please pray for those who treat Alwin that they might chose the best possible treatment and pray for peace of mind for Alwin during the recovery phase.

 

Carolyn has Multiple Sclerosis with complications. Pray Carolyn and her children will be close to our Lord Jesus Christ as they and family members help to ease the problems.

 

Jeong was in an auto accident and sustained a serious back injury.  Please pray for a full and rapid recovery.

 

Gil Garcia is back in the Long Beach VA Hospital.  It is quite a trip for Mary, so please pray that he will recover fully and quickly.  Pray for strength for Gil and his wife Mary as they deal with the stresses of Gil’s paraplegia and the general aging process.

 

Mary Garcia had surgery, she is home, but not healing as well as she hoped.  Please pray for her continued healing.

 

Bill had malignant growth removed from a lip last month and seems to be experiencing a re-growth of the cancer.  He asks your prayer for the medical team treating him and for peace of mind for himself.

 

Hank has osteoporosis, which has caused him a great deal of pain and inconvenience in the past few years. Pray for his healing and that his medical bills will be met.

 

Evelyn is an elderly woman who has had problems with her eyes and is now blind. It appears some sight will return shortly, pray for that to happen!

 

Joanne has begun kidney dialysis as a result of kidney failure due to extensive chemotherapy. Additionally she cares for an adopted drug addicted baby who is now nine years old.  Please pray for her to keep her faith, to let the Lord carry her worry and concern and to give her strength.  Pray also for those treating her that they might pay attention and do their best.

 

Mr. N. Anand is in the hospital and is seriously ill. He is being encouraged to pray for repentance of his sins and to depend upon our dependable God for a cure and recovery of his health. Pray that he will be a strong witness for Christ.

 

Jacob has been going through some dental procedures and has some pain and aggravation with the numbness. Please pray for comfort and strength for him, as well as for guidance for the medical team treating him that they might pay attention and do their best.

 

Bud and his wife for their continued welfare and enthusiasm.  Bud has been advised of an aneurism in his heart of a size not mandating immediate surgery.  This comes at a time when he has sole care of his wife who recently broke two vertebrae and thereafter sustained pneumonia.

 

Virginia has Sinus and Allergy problems giving her severe problems.  Pray that the Doctor will discover why it continues and find a cure.

 

Steve Thornell had a brain aneurysm, which was found before it burst.  He is home from the hospital and working hard on recovery. He lacks energy from seven days in the hospital.  His doctor told him he has to make serious life changes. One of the two main arteries in the back of the head is now completely closed.  He must take blood thinners, he has thick blood and recent chemotherapy made it worse.  Steve has always operated at 110 percent, he needs help to slow down.   Please pray for trust in the Lord and a full and rapid recovery.  Pray for peace of mind for Steve and his family.

 

Arlen is receiving treatment for lung cancer and recently experienced a ruptured colon during treatment. She is alone in Oregon but does have a friend who has traveled a great distance to be at her side. Please pray for guidance for the medical team treating her and for strength and trust for Arlen.

 

Oscar discovered some time ago he had blood clots in his leg and lung.  He has been treated for them and has not been cured. He now will be facing surgery.  Please keep him in your prayers.

 

Angela had an ischemic stroke (clot).Please pray for guidance for the medical team treating her and for strength and trust for Angela. Please pray also that she and her family might put their worries on our Lord’s back so she can work hard towards recovery.

 

Nora had a stroke mid February 2013. Please pray for guidance for the medical team treating her and for strength and trust for Nora. Please pray also that she and her family might put their worries on our Lord’s back so she can work hard towards recovery.

 

Linda has been hospitalized for several days with a gastrointestinal problem.  Please pray for guidance for the medical team treating her and for strength and trust for Linda.

 

Dester is suffering from unknown skin and diseases.  Please guide the medical team treating him to find out what the problem is and cure it.  Pray also for Dester to trust in the Lord.

 

Lee has Arterial Fibrillation, sheis doing much better and she and her family thank you for your prayers. Her pain level is high and some medications have bad side effects. Please continue her in Prayer in the weeks ahead as she heals.

 

Nell recently adopted two children and has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

 

Mary Lou has been suffering with seizures. She was in the hospital with a 24 hour monitor and is being sent home from the hospital with two medications and orders to return in 2 months for another MRI to review whatever is going on in her brain.  Please pray for guidance for the medical people treating her, as well as peace of mind and trust in God for her and her family.

 

Kathleen has spent the last two weeks in the hospital.  She has been diagnosed with colitis, shingles and possibly colon cancer. Pray she will be comfortable and begin to heal.

 

Rachel has Mitochondrial Myopathy.  This is a hereditary disease of the muscles and they do not have a cure for it. Part of her pain is her family does not believe she is indeed ill, as she appears to be just fine. Please pray her family will learn the truth and be supportive of her; pray also the medical people treating her will find the right measures to minimize the disease.  Most particularly pray for Rachel’s trust in God.

 

Nicolas is in the hospital with serious symptoms of a heart disorder. Please pray for peace of mind for him and guidance for the medical team looking for the cause and cure.

 

Juanita is a young girl who was in a coma because of a blood disease.  She has not come out and is gaining strength. They are awaiting results from blood samples.  Her family thanks you for your prayers and asks that you continue.

 

George had foot surgery.  Please give thanks for the surgery and pray for a full and rapid recovery.

 

Nellie is in the emergency room of a hospital in a great deal of pain.  Please pray for peace of mind for her and guidance for the medical team looking for the cause and cure.

 

Lauralee Meade underwent a lumpectomy on Friday after Thanksgiving.  A further anomaly has been discovered and she had additional preventative radiation treatment.  Please pray for a complete remission of the cancer.  Pray also Lauralee will maintain her great attitude and trust in God.

 

Bill, Sara’s husband, had a third abdominal surgery on 22 November 2011, to remove a tumor.  Bill is doing better keeping the doctor’s instructions, for which we are all grateful, including taking chemotherapy once a day for one more year.  He has decreased the consumption of alcohol and eating at least mostly properly.  Please pray for help for him to continue do all this.  Please pray also that Bill might turn his heart outward to help those around him, as well as live a long and healthy life to the honor and glory of God.  Pray also for peace of mind for Bill and his wife Sara.

 

Kay Denton (Mrs. Kay) has had another chest infection, perhaps viral, this one is pretty bad.  Please pray for her full and rapid recovery and for her ability to breathe to return quickly.  Please pray for continued peace of mind for Mrs. Kay and her family.  Give thanks for her trust in the Lord and her positive attitude.

 

Matt Alcantara, age 16, came back with ZERO SCANS again in August 2014!  Matt has Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), a very rare and often lethal form of cancer with limited treatment options.  This is a disease that is about 90 percent fatal in a couple of years.  He has no hip joint on one side, but he walks and swims!  Courage?  Guts? You bet! Please also give thanks for the great faith of Matt and his entire family.  Their faith and trust is a wonderful example for each and every one of us.  But, now is not the time to stop praying.  Actually, it never is the time to stop praying!

 

Judith Clingwall is afflicted with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  She is currently in Laurel Place, an extended care facility in Surrey, British Columbia.  Judith’s condition has worsened recently. Please pray for her to take an active part in her own life, for her strength, peace of mind, trust in God and remission of the disease so she might return home to her family.  Pray also for strength for her husband Martin as he deals with all the problems and stress of Judith’s situation.

 

Vince (age 15), reoccurrence of Osteosarcoma, recent testing found a nickel sized tumor in his lungs.  The doctors are consulting with a specialist in Houston.  Please pray for guidance for the medical team and for peace of mind for Vince and his family.

 

Healing and Patience

Diane spent a month in the hospital because of an inability to breath., due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) apparently from chronic bronchitis. She is home, still very weak and learning to live with this progressive disease. Pray she will let the Lord help her be calm in her new circumstances and that healing will come.

 

Kym (43) has various hip problems which seems to be related to osteoarthritis.  And, her mother Ruth is in the early stages of dementia.  Pray for guidance for those treating both of them, as well as patience and trust in the Lord for both of them.

 

Christopher has had problems with his leg for some time.  Now he has to have it casted and it will stay that way for what to him seems an interminable time.  Pray for patience and peace of mind for this young man who has much he wants to do.

 

James for the Lord’s healing of health issues and give a remedy for many personal challenges at the moment

 

Thanksgiving and Continued Healing

Mary had a cataract operation early the morning of Tuesday 16 June 2015, which went well.  Please give thanks for the surgical team being open to guidance, paying close attention and doing their very best; give thanks for the great result and pray for continued healing.

 

Sandy Patton had an ovarian cyst removed on 9 June 2015.  Surgery went well, on pathological testing there was no sign of cancer.  After a day, she went home and is resting and recovering! Please give thanks for the great result and for the surgical team being open to guidance, paying close attention and doing their very best.  Pray for continued recovery and peace of mind and trust in God for Sandy and her family.

 

Herb McCormick (1st Sergeant, USA Retired and dear friend of Bishop Jerry) had throat cancer surgery on 12 May 2015 at Emory Hospital, Atlanta.  At 86, it was major surgery with little hope of survival.  Herb survived the surgery, which went very very well and is now gaining strength rapidly, having gained 15 needed pounds since the surgery.  Please give thanks for good outcome and pray for a full recovery.

 

Peggy had very successful surgery for a torn Rotator Cuff on 30 April 2015.  Please give thanks for the medical team paying attention and doing their best and for a good outcome.  Pray also that Peggy and her family will be able to let God help them as she recovers. Peggy and her family thank you for your prayers.

 

Carolyn, (Charlie McCormack’s mom) was hospitalized with a blood clot in her arm, she is back home and doing well.  Please pray the clot will continue to abate without damage to her system.  Give her trust in the Lord and peace of mind for her and Charlie, too.

 

Daisy Lee is recovering from necrotizing fasciitis, which manifested on 30 January 2015, causing the loss of her right arm and her left hand, as well as parts of both feet. This is very very hard, but Daisy has kept her faith.  As she becomes more well, less in people’s thoughts and prayers it will be a lot tougher for her.  Please pray for strength for her and her family and friends as time moves on.  Her family is thankful for all the support they have received during these past couple weeks and hopes all will continue to pray for Daisy’s speedy recovery.

 

Pray for peace of mind and trust in God for Daisy’s family, her husband and children Tiffany and Chris. 

 

Michael Lenahan known to all as Bullet was hospitalized on 18 March 2015, and had a stent placed in a cardio artery.   All went well and he is recovering nicely.  Please give thanks for the great result and pray for a complete and rapid recovery for Bullet.

 

Janet Jessup had a stroke on 3 July 2014 and heart problems that were causing huge issues for her.  They seem to have gotten her stabilized and she is going home from the hospital.  Please join the entire family in giving thanks for this wonderful development. Please pray for those treating her to find the appropriate treatment and for trust in God and peace of mind for Janet and her family, in particular her husband of 43 years, Rev Roger Jessup, retired minister of Saint Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Orthodox Church.

 

Arch Crittenden has Multiple Myeloma (cancer cells in bone marrow); without this treatment life expectancy is one to two years.  The treatment has apparently been effective.  Arch and his lovely wife Kathy ask that you pray for their trust in God to remain strong and for a good outcome.

 

Sam had surgery on his entire large intestine that had become infected. At the time of the operation he was just hours away from a complete organ shutdown. He had had turmoil in his life over the years. Sam is now in the ICU and his Minister visited him and explained to him God had given him another chance for him to make things right with his Lord. Pray for his good health and his spiritual life with Jesus.

 

Marv Rogge had successful heart valve replacement surgery on or about 20 December 2014.  Other than a desire to chew his food way too much, Marv is doing great, up and about.   Please join Marv, his lovely wife Marian and the rest of the family in giving thanks to God for the great result.  Pray for a full and complete recovery.

 

Ian had surgery to remove excess skin rendered a nuisance by controlled lost of 200 pounds.  Please give thanks for the successful result and for those treating him to have paid attention and done their very best on the lengthy surgery, taking the best possible care of him.  Please pray for his continued recovery and strength for his Mother who will be in charge of his after care.

 

Jenniffer had surgery for breast cancer on 15 October 2014, which seemingly went well; please give thanks for that.  She has had other complications which preclude her from making a full recovery in particular, the reconstructive surgery seems to have gravely affected her back muscles and nerves, resulting in both very limited mobility and extreme pain,  the drugs are making her terribly sick; please pray those will be overcome.  Pray for help for Jenniffer to keep her trust in the Lord and let Him carry her worry and concern as she recovers.  Please pray also for strength and courage for her family as they try their best to help her.

 

Mary Thornell has been battling colon cancer for three years now, she is currently treating at the City of Hope.  Things seem to be going well, the numbers seem headed in the right direction. Please pray for guidance for those treating her, as well as strength, guidance and peace of mind for Mary and her husband Jim, as well as daughter Janice and son Jimmy, as she undergoes treatment. 

 

Jim Thornell (Jet) seems to have recovered from the five stomach ulcers and now is dealing with blocked coronary arteries and taking care of Mary. Please give thanks for the great result and also for the strength, guidance and peace of mind our Lord gave Jet and his wife Mary, as well as daughter Janice and son Jimmy, as he underwent treatment.

 

Elma is suffering from cancer.  She was taken home from the hospital on the advice of her Doctor.  We were asked to pray that Elma’s remaining time here on earth might be good and that Elma and family might put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their worry.   Since then, Elma’s Bishop told us a great Miracle of the Lord is working over Elma.  Doctors sent her home to die, but now she seems to be doing all right.  On behalf of her, thank you for all of your prayers. Please continue praying for her complete healing.

 

Dennis has heart problems; now the medical people treating him discovered a large mass on his liver which turned out to be a cyst!  Please give thanks for this great development and pray for peace of mind and trust in the Lord for Dennis and for God’s guidance for the medical people treating him that the contemplated surgery might go well.

 

Dwight had major oral surgery, for which he gives thanks.  He is recovering slowly and asks your prayers to speed the process.

 

Mike is a veteran who has served his country when she called. Please pray he will open his heart to God so He can make Mike’s crooked road straight and pull him towards the summit rather than to the pit.

 

Dick’s left arm was amputated after treating for Merkel Cell carcinoma over a year ago. He has met with the oncologist’s and reviewed the CAT scan. Good News! The tumor has been reduced in size—it was down to one half the size that it was in September and there was no indication of a new tumor in the chest area. Dick wanted the Prayer Partners to know and join him in thankfulness to our Lord. Please join Dick and his family in giving thanks to Our Lord Jesus Christ for his recovery as well as for their trust in God.

 

Carol Stone, the sweet wife of Mike Stone, recovered far better than expected from a severe brain bleed, but fell recently and broke her hip.  She still requires 24 hour care, which Mike provides with little help.

 

Business

Mark’s business is in difficulty.  He works in a shrinking field, of which he is one of the country’s true masters, but there is little work available.  He asks that you pray that he can find a way to survive in his industry, which he loves and needs his talents.  Pray he can find new sources of business and new ways of doing things, perhaps someone to partner with to better use his talents.  Pray also for those who work for and with him that they might do their best to help.

 

Financial Guidance and Employment

Anne is unemployed and just interviewed for a position.  Please pray she will be employed, if not at this position then that this interview will lead to better prospects.  Pray for her ot be encouraged and strengthened by the Holy Ghost.

 

Doug recently became unemployed from his job of 18 years. He has been applying for jobs, but unable to get one at this time.  His wife is working; this is not enough for the family. Please pray he will find employment with a firm that will be able to use his considerable skill and hard work to benefit both the firm and the family.

 

Catherine and Lewis are at a low ebb due to a struggle for employment. Your fervent prayers will be appreciated.

 

Lori is considering a potential change in her employment.  Please pray for God’s guidance in considering all aspect of her potential work.

 

Sara is concerned about the future with her company.  She would appreciate prayers for her continued employment and that her firm might find more and better ways to use her considerable skills.

 

Financial Guidance and Healing

Clark is in need of salvation; for God’s Will to be done in his life. Pray his family will be blessed with the financial miracles that come from doing His Will.

 

Timothy and Sharon had their home foreclosed the morning of 15 April 2014.  They are experiencing spiritual, emotional and financial crisis at the current time. Please pray for God’s guidance as to how they might handle the financial difficulties in which they have found themselves and more importantly have them draw closer to God and each other.

 

Linda, Rick, Christian and Sawyer are a family experiencing spiritual, emotional and financial crisis at the current time. Please pray for God’s guidance as to how they might handle the financial difficulties in which they have found themselves and more importantly have them draw closer to God and each other.

 

David and Lorna are having financial problems.  They are trying to find a smaller home which may be more affordable.  Lorna has had an ongoing battle with brain cancer, her trips back and forth to the hospital have drained their finances to the point they sometimes struggle to have enough food in the house.  Pleaser pray for Lorna’s healing and guidance on how they might handle the financial difficulties in which they have found themselves.

 

God’s Strength and Peace of Soul

Tommy Dunning is facing his first Christmas following the death of his only son to cancer.  Please pray he can concentrate his heart on what he had and will have in his son through God.

 

Guidance

Paul recently had his large toe amputated due to diabetes and is having a difficult recovery filled with fear about dying. He recently accepted Jesus as his savior and his family Rosie and Brenda are very grateful. Pray for strength for both Rosie and Brenda who are staying by his side through it all encouraging him on. 

 

Steve is addicted to alcohol, pain pills and gambling. Pray for wisdom, courage and strength to stick with treatment and follow God’s plan for his life

 

Eli has some mental issues and has lost his way.  He was admitted to the hospital for psychological evaluation to get a proper diagnosis and medications and has been discharged.  He has yet to come to grips with the demons chasing him.  Pray he will return to the Lord and his family.  Eli’s brother Carl has gotten little to no support from the family, he being the one to get Eli into treatment.  Daughter Katie seems to be the least helpful.  Pray they will ask God to send the Holy Ghost in to straighten things out and they will listen when He speaks to them.  The family has been open to the Prince of Darkness and needs help.

 

Debbie has family problems that must be dealt with and she asks God’s guidance in making the correct decisions and how to stand.

 

Edward (45) had the opportunity to meet with a Christian during the conversation she discovered Edward had some background about God but thought He was not relevant to this day.  Edward asked many questions about the Bible and was surprised at the answers and continued to ask questions. They both went their separate ways and the Christian told Edward that she would pray for him. Will you join in prayer for Edward, please?

 

Michael and his Family ask your prayers for wisdom as they are under trial and affliction to follow the law of the land and yet honor God in so doing.

 

Flora is in remission with cancer, but has high blood pressure and fatigue. Flora’s Mother recently died and this has caused added stress.  Please pray that she will be able to let God carry her worry and sorrow so she can do the things she needs to do.

 

Elizabeth and Gunner need your prayers for their general well being.   Pray that they might see the Light of the Lord and let Him guide their lives.  Pray they might open their hearts not only to the Lord, but to each other to become one in Him and happiness.

 

Eli has lost his way both spiritually and mentally, please pray for him and his parents Ed and Barb, who are having great struggles seeing their son, go through these afflictions having brought up in a Christian home.  Please pray his parents can find a way to help Eli.

 

Mitten has a Christian talking to him about Christ. Mitten does not believe and does not seem to care.  Please pray Mitten will see the light.

 

Kristen, Rickey and their two children ask you to pray for grace, wisdom and understanding as they attempt to cope with infidelity, separation and possibly divorce as a result of backsliding from the Lord into the World.

 

Aaron has a problem seeing is where his life should be leading him.  Please pray that he can listen to his father Paul and those around him who want him to work hard and obtain a real education now rather than just coast towards oblivion.

 

Helene and her family ask your prayers for them as they deal with the loss of Alan, husband and father.

 

Stephanie seems to be very deeply into post partum depression after her baby was born prematurely.  Please pray for her Mother in Law who is going a great distance to help Stephanie and her new Grandson.  Pray that Stephanie will be able to direct her attention outward, rather than inward.

 

William is an elderly man living with his Son and Daughter in-law. William is causing trouble in the family because of his demanding ways and continually using bad language. The family is at wit’s end to know how to handle him and will appreciate your guidance and prayers.

 

Caitlin is in the grip of the Prince of Darkness; she thinks there is escape from reality in drugs.  The saddest part is that reality is not as she sees it.  Her family is despairing as they can do nothing to help her and ask that you pray for the Holy Ghost to enter into heart and show her the need for change before it is too late.

 

Nathaniel is in spiritual turmoil.  His family and friends will appreciate it if you will keep him in your prayers for him to find the root of his trouble and accept God’s help to heal his heart.

 

Sam and her two children that have been living in a shelter and are to lose their place there.  Please pray a place will be found they can stay in and recover.

 

Please pray Darlene will surrender her life to Christ.

 

Norrie is facing daily exams in the weeks ahead.  Pray for calmness and concentration and to do the best possible.

 

Jonathan is addicted to drugs.  He is now in jail awaiting trial. His parents and friends will appreciate it if you will keep him in your prayers for him to find the root of his trouble and accept God’s help to heal addiction.

 

Beth is suffering from ungodly treatment in her marriage.  Please pray God will guide her in her behavior, actions and thoughts that she might be able to lead her husband to God so her marriage might prosper to the benefit of them.

 

Jeanette has had many members of her family die from diabetes and several are near death now. Jeanette does not know the Lord and is despondent and perplexed about her family and herself.  Please pray she can open her heart to allow the Holy Ghost in to bring her knowledge and understanding.

 

Dr. Elizabeth Raj is teaching a biblical approach to the psychological problems facing many in our society today. She is battling against the growing influence of worldly psychology adopted by the churches themselves. Elizabeth constantly stresses answers are found between the covers of that precious Book, the Holy Bible.  Please pray for encouragement, strength, fortitude and courage for her.

 

Abigail is a teenager who has behavior problems.  She feels she is in an area of mental darkness.  Please pray that she might look to God for help and not within herself.

 

Sara asks that you pray for guidance for her as she deals with the stresses of her family and life.  Pray that she can separate those things which she can affect from those things which she cannot and give her grace to accept that she cannot do everything and can only change those things within her control.  She asks for God’s help for her business so that she might remain gainfully employed while keeping up with the needs of her mother and husband and healing her own problems.

 

Jacquie to open her heart to God and accept His Love and Grace.

 

Hap asks you to pray he might be able to trust God will help him make the right decisions at the right time and not to worry uselessly, to change those things he can change, accept those things he cannot change, sleep well to be able to do the correct things with a clear head and that he will open his heart to the Holy Ghost so that His Light can penetrate into the far corners of his heart and eradicate the darkness lingering there.

 

School Challenges

Destiny, Blake and Janet

 

Anglican Orthodox Church

Kenya

The Anglican Orthodox Church is making plans for establishment of a presence in Kissi, Kenya.  There are six parishes, a total of 161 members, 68 adults, 93 children with two ministers:

 

  • ·       Raphael Ondara
  • ·       Johnson  Otara
  • ·          

Please pray for the church there and guidance for the people involved.

 

India

Nepal has experienced a 8.3 earth quake and it has reached India where we have members of The Anglican Orthodox Church. Please pray now and continue your prayers as they experience the many problems

 

Indonesia

Please pray for the Lord’s will regarding the establishment of an AOC church in Indonesia.

 

Pakistan

We are reminded that one of the founding principles of the Anglican Church is its national churches.  While not a theological principle, it is nonetheless one of the critical elements of our way;  we join Bishop Jacob in celebrating the independence of Pakistan:

 

Dear Bishop Ogles & AOC family,

 

Greetings from Pakistan. On 14th August we are celebrating Independence Day.  The Government of Pakistan officially celebrate August 11 as Minority Day. This year on 11th August the President of Pakistan arranged a very nice function to mark Minority Day in President’s House. It was my honor that the President of Pakistan extended an invitation to attend this function. It was first time I as Bishop of Anglican Orthodox Church of Pakistan attended the function. There were two hundred guests from all over Pakistan who attended this function. Later a very good dinner was served.Thanks God that the Lord provided this chance to witness and represent AOC in very high level. May the name of our Lord be glorified.

 

In Christ’s alone,

+Ernest Jacob

Bishop of AOC Pakistan 

 

The forces of evil are strong in Pakistan.  The force of God stronger.  Pray for our Christian family there.

 

Pakistan is affected by heavy rains and flood.  Some of our members who live near canals or creeks also affected. Last Saturday flood water came into the St. Paul Anglican Orthodox Church building located at Jamrud in Khyber Agency called tribal area. Jamrud is 15 miles away from my home town Peshawar. The church building was filled with water and damaged the carpet. We do not have benches in this church and people sit on the floor during church service.  Last year we replaced old carpet with new one and this year flood damaged the new carpet again. Due to this incident the Sunday Service could not be held.  Please pray for our priest Rev. Razzaq and members who are working hard to clean up the church building and let it dry so that they can have service on Sunday. Some houses located near this building also damaged due to rains.  Please pray for these dear members who are facing this hardship.

In Christ’s alone,

Bishop Ernest Jacob

The Anglican Orthodox Church of Pakistan

 

Serbia

Rev. Igor Djurcik leader of Anglican Orthodox Church in Serbia asks us to pray for his students. He has excellent young people in Belgrade who are having services and classes on the Bible.

 

Philippines

Please pray a Minister will be found who would like to serve in Tabuk, in the Philippine Islands.  The Anglican Orthodox Church has an established Church there and in the surrounding areas and need a Shepherd to lead the flock.

 

Diocese of the Epiphany

Saint Paul’s, Moberly, Missouri would like your prayers that the Holy Ghost might enter more fully into their hearts so that they might be more effective in spreading the Word of God.

 

Atlanta

Bishop Jerry was in Atlanta, preaching at a church who has in attendance many members of another church founded in 1887 that has closed.  Many of those are older, in their late 70s and early 80s.  Please pray they will see this is a parish where they can be one with other believers.  Please pray the Holy Ghost might enter more fully into their hearts so that they might see their way to come together.

 

Diocese of Virginia

Saint Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Orthodox Church is under a lot of stress.  We all are, but they need even more prayer.  Rev Roger Jessup, their wonderful minister, had to retire as he was so pressed by the duties of a primary care giver, in addition to all the worries of this world.  Pray for trust in God for each member of the parish and for them to find economic relief.

 

Armed Forces & Contractors


Dustin (Middle East)., Kristyna Thomas (Army – Camp Walker – Taegu / Daegu, ROK), Airman Donny Patton (USAF – Hulbert Field, Florida), Jordan Brown (USMC – Fleet Marine Force – Pacific), Trevor Jennings (USAF – KC-10 Boom Operator – New Jersey), Trevor Di Marco (USN – Whidbey Island, EF-18 Pilot), Kurt Thomas (USN – Camp Foster, Okinawa), Ethan (US Army Airborne – Southwest Asia)

 

For Our Country

Our country has lost its way.  Over half the people that vote, voted for a government that promises them things it cannot deliver in return for their souls which it can, will and does take.  Our foreign policy backs the rise of Islam, we turn our backs on those who would follow God and arm those who murder them.  Pray God will raise up a leader from among the people who can turn the country’s course 180° and attempt to come back to God.  Pray the people will recognize that they are headed down a smooth wide road into the pit, a road that will get smoother and smoother, steeper and steeper until the only possible way is down.  Down, into the depths of the pit.  Pray people will recognize there is:

 

  • ·       One True and Triune God who is goodness in and of Himself
  • ·       All religions are not equal
  • ·       All ways of life are not equal;
  • ·       The Bible holds the Key to Life;
  • ·       All rights come from God, not the State;
  • ·       Good;
  • ·       Bad;
  • ·       Evil;
  • ·       Right;
  • ·       Wrong;
  • ·       Allah is the Devil;
  • ·       Abortion is no more than sacrifice of children to Baal.

 

Pray this recognition will not come too late.  Pray we will, each of us, do our duty to God, Country and Family, putting His Honor above all.

 

Persecuted

The Islamist group (ISIS) just took over Quaragosh, the biggest Christian city in Iraq; 164 men, women and children were beheaded.  People ask where is God?  The real question is where are the people to enforce God’s will.  Pray the people of the world will see Allah for who he is, the Devil.  Pray for those who remain behind that they might find a way to safety.

 

Around the world, Christians are under attack, not only in the Muslim world, but from Hindus and others in India.  Also, they are under continual attack in the name of “Separation of Church and State” in the western world, as it becomes actively atheist or pro-devil buddy.  Please pray for God’s guidance and protection for all persecuted Christians and those around them.

 

Education

Thomas Dabney is attending Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, to finish his Bachelor’s Degree.  Please pray for Thomas to focus on education and do his very best at school.

 

Various Special Requests

Nicholas will enter the Georgia Police Academy on Monday 29 June 2015, to begin his training and certification process as a Police Officer.  Pray for strength, courage and persistence for him.

 

This is a horrible time for the people of India, Christians in particular; they are having problems with Hunger, Bank Closings, Transportation and Schools not functioning.  Pray for the Leaders and Members of our Church in Eluru Andhra Pradesh. Pray their basic needs will be met and God will be close to them in this time of need.

 

We ask that you pray, please ask God that the Holy Ghost might give you insight into how you might make the lives of your friends and family better.  Remember helping others is not just those who you don’t know!

 

Thanksgiving

Aleyda had surgery on 7 August 2015 for difficult and painful kidney stones.  All went well and she is home.  Please join her in thanking God for the great result.

 

The near future, as well as Next Sunday

 

30 August 2015 – Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity – Morning Prayer – Service start time 1000 (10:00 am); welcome or gathering songs before the service at 0945 (9:45 am); Time 1000 (10:00 am); Location – 10603 Burrell Way, Descanso, CA

 

6 September 2015 – Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity – Holy Communion – Service start time 1000 (10:00 am); welcome or gathering songs before the service at 0945 (9:45 am); Time 1000 (10:00 am); Location – 10603 Burrell Way, Descanso, CA

 

13 September 2015 – Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity – Morning Prayer – Service start time 1000 (10:00 am); welcome or gathering songs before the service at 0945 (9:45 am); Time 1000 (10:00 am); Location – 10603 Burrell Way, Descanso, CA

 



[1]Remember, Screwtape is one of the Devil’s minions, a supervisor at that, so when he advises his student what to do, it is the polar opposite of what God wants.  In his case, God is The Enemy!, the patient? That is YOU!

[2] Decapolis – ten cities=deka, ten, and polis, a city, a district on the east and south-east of the Sea of Galilee containing “ten cities, ” which were chiefly inhabited by Greeks. It included a portion of Bashan and Gilead, and is mentioned three times in the New Testament (Matt. 4: 25; Mark 5: 20; 7: 31). These cities were Scythopolis, i. e., “city of the Scythians”, (ancient Bethshean, the only one of the ten cities on the west of Jordan), Hippos, Gadara, Pella (to which the Christians fled just before the destruction of Jerusalem), Philadelphia (ancient Rabbath-ammon), Gerasa, Dion, Canatha, Raphana, and Damascus. When the Romans conquered Syria (B. C. 65) they rebuilt, and endowed with certain privileges, these “ten cities, ” and the province connected with them they called “Decapolis. “

[3]Ephphatha the Greek form of a Syro-Chaldaic or Aramaic word, meaning “Be opened”, uttered by Christ when healing the man who was deaf and dumb (Mark 7: 34). It is one of the characteristics of Mark that he uses the very Aramaic words which fell from our Lord’s lips. (See 3: 17; 5: 41; 7: 11; 14: 36; 15: 34. )

[4] Executive Summary – YES, it matters.

[5]Charles is an AOC Bishop and has been a constant companion and caregiver for Susan.

By |2015-08-26T00:49:56+00:00August 26th, 2015|AOC Sunday Report|Comments Off on 150823 AOC Sunday Report

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