200524 AOC Sunday Report

Anglican Orthodox Church
Worldwide Communion
Ascension Day
and
The Sunday after Ascension Day
Memorial Day
Sunday Report
Ascension Day

On Ascension Day, we had three members present for the service. Ascension Day commemorates the return to heaven, the ascending of our Lord. This is a day filled with joy, one where we get to recall fulfillment of promises.

The Ascension Day service always brings a lot of happiness and fun, being one of those days.

If you did not make it, resolve to come next year. The parish will buy your dinner afterwards if it is your first time to the service .

The Ascension Day Propers

The Collect
G
RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

For the Epistle. Acts i. 1.
T
HE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The Gospel. St. Luke xxiv. 49.
J
ESUS said, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

The Sunday after Ascension Day

Today was the Sunday after Ascension Day.

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, but overall mostly from Bryan. He always has a few great ones to share. On to the On Point quotes –

Live for ever?
“No thanks,” said Digory, “I don’t know that I care much about living on and on after everyone I know is dead. I’d rather live an ordinary time and die and go to Heaven.”
Jack Lewis
The Magician’s Nephew

As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Proverbs 11:19

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Isaiah 6:8

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Matthew 24:35

They that are whole need not a physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 5:31-32

Of truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Acts 10:34-35

There are two phrases particularly worth remembering, ‘a house divided against a house falleth’ and ‘He that is not with me is against me.’ Middle ground exists, but it is quicksand. Eventually one has to choose a side… The only rational side to take is that of God, that side that will lead us to eternal life not that of eternal death… there is no other reasonable option… Christ himself came not to unite the world, but to divide it… In Matthew 10:32-34 he says ‘Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.’ He is saying here that he has not come to unite the World— for the World is not on our side— but to clearly divide the world to show who is with God and who is against God. For as earlier explained, one man cannot serve two masters. And also the saying of where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. In this life by reading through Scripture we can easily tell who is for Him and who is against Him. It is simple, [those] who [hold] to the principles of Scripture [are] for Him. [Those] who do not hold to them are not…
Jack Arnold
21st century Anglican Orthodox minister

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 5:32

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 8:36

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
I Corinthians 13:11

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one.
I John 5:7-8

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 179-180, with the Collect first:

The Sunday after Ascension Day.
The Collect.

O
GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us un-to the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Collect for Ascension Day, found on Page 177, is also read due to the rubric:

The Collect for The Ascension Day.
The Collect.

G
RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

This morning’s Epistle is written in the Fourth Chapter of the First Epistle of Saint Peter beginning at the Seventh Verse. Peter reminds us of the shortness of our lives, the eternity of the next world and implores us to live as if we were eternal now, not wait until we die. For then, eternity will be a bit late.

T
HE end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Today’s Holy Gospel came from the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John beginning at the Twenty-Sixth Verse. The Gospel talks about the origin of the Holy Ghost and the reason for which He is being sent. It also foretells the enmity that Christians will find from those of this world who do not share their understanding of God and His Will:

W
HEN the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes. Today is one of those Sundays. Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
Sunday after Ascension Day
Woman at the Well
24 May 2020, Anno Domini

The Sunday after Ascension Day.
The Collect.

The Collect for Sunday after Ascension follows logically the observance of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is perfectly timely and natural that we, having observed our Lord ascend, should now desire the promised comforter – I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:18) This word ‘leave means, in the Greek, to divorce or to sever all legal connection. Christ will not disown His people even if He has departed to a High Station. Many of our friends may forget who we are if they advance to high political or social office, but not our Lord Jesus Christ. His very Ascension was for our benefit. We have been left with a close and intimate intercessor who will ALWAYS testify of Christ to us and point always to His benefits.
T
HE woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. (John 4:31-38)

The stronger part of today’s lectionary text is not in complete context, so I have added the introductory verses for further clarification. The Bread and Water of the Lord is sourced at a far more exalted Fountain than our wells and tables of earth. Even earlier in this passage from John 4, the Lord asked the woman to give Him water. This was not only intended to establish a friendly rapport, but to introduce a mild covenant.

In the custom of the East, to partake of the courtesy of a drink from the enemy, the recipient cannot be treated otherwise than as an honored guest.

Sometimes, I want to revisit that old well of my grandmother’s in Dawnville, Georgia, to taste that cool refreshing water. It is not simply the water that I desire, but the simpler and more innocent days that existed in that country then. I am not alone in this sentiment. We see that David experienced the same: “14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. (2 Sam 23:14-17)

In our Gospel text today, we find our Lord Jesus Christ resting by such a well of water that is still common in the Middle East. Every adobe village has a well outside the gate where the women gather at sundown to draw water, either by a bucket let down into the well, or else walk down a corridor to an open stream that has been dug out for them. I have witnessed these women many times sauntering around those wells with animated talk (and most likely, gossip).

In the prelude to today’s text, we find that it was no accident that our Lord met this woman of less that stellar repute at Jacob’s Well. In fact, it had been decided in eternity past that He would have this appointment in Samaria: “And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.” John 4:4-5 (KJV) The Lord had a reason for making this more tiresome journey through the rough country of Samaria, and that reason was for this Woman at the Well, and the many villagers who came to believe on Him through her testimony and their own personal witness to His teaching. He searches out diamonds among the rough, unhewn stones of the world. The great Christian professor and author, Dr. James Stalker of Scotland, illustrates fittingly the woman who met our Lord at the Well that day in Imago Christi:

Discovery of the African Diamond Mines. — “I have heard that one of the diamond fields of South Africa was discovered in this wise. A traveler, one day, entered the valley and drew near to a settler’s door, at which a boy was amusing himself by throwing stones. One of these stones fell at the stranger’s feet, who picked it up, and was in the act of laughingly returning it, when something flashed from it which stopped his hand and made his heart beat fast. It was a diamond. The child was playing with it as a common stone; the peasant’s foot had spurned it; the cart wheel had crushed it, till the man who knew saw it and recognized its value. ” The story often comes to my mind when I am thinking of the soul. Was it not the same careless treatment the soul was receiving when Jesus arrived in the world and discovered that soul. In every child of Adam whom He called He perceived the diamond. The rags of the beggar could not hide it from His eyes nor the black skin of the savage, nor even the crimes of the evil doer.”

There are several spiritually significant points to our Lord’s resting by Jacob’s Well outside Sychar. The first is the request the Lord made of the woman: “Give me to drink.” vs 4:7 The woman was astonished at this request from a stranger of the Jews. Why? It is because the Jews considered the Samaritan’s to be a fallen race of people and unclean. No self-respecting Jew would drink from a dipper from which Samaritans drank. There is something else significant about our Lord’s request for water: He did not need to request such a favor as He could have spoken the water into existence as He had spoken the water in the jars to be changed into wine at Cana of Galilee; but the Lord knows that we learn by all our senses. Experiential learning may often trump that which comes by way of hearing only. He gives us a hand in serving, and He does not judge our persons by race or reputation. His mission is to change souls from lost to found as much as to change water into wine.

There were several astonishing truths that the Lord taught the woman in the brief encounter by the Well.

1. That He was the promised Messiah; “I am He who am speaking to thee.”
2. That He was Himself God: By revealing to the Samaritan woman the hidden secrets of her conscience, He manifested His omniscience.
3. That He is full of grace and truth: The living water which Jesus gives is His divine doctrine and grace – not the water to be found 80 feet below the ground in that well at Sychar. His doctrine and grace give supernatural and eternal life to the soul, which, without grace, is dead and in a state of mortal sin. The human soul thirsts for truth and happiness, and our Lord satisfies this thirst by His doctrine and grace.
4. That His Love abounds to sinners: In spite of His exhaustive travels, He took time to linger by Jacob’s Well to save the soul of a woman of whom even her own people had little regard.
5. That the coming to terms with the Lord of a single sinner may lead to the salvation of multitudes.
6. That the world will be surprised at our love and concern for fallen man: “And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?”John 4:27 (KJV) She was not, in the mind of the disciples, a woman worthy of the Master’s company. Little did they realize that neither were they, or any others.

The disciples prevailed upon the Lord to eat, but He surprised them yet again: “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” The wisdom of God does not make sense to the world. We seldom can comprehend the beauty that transcends the divine laws and principles of Heaven. Do you remember when you were very young that you became so engrossed in playing games outdoors with your friends that you literally forgot to eat. Mom would come to the door more than once and call you to the supper table – and with each call, her voice grew more emphatic. What was this meat that the Lord had to eat which the disciples knew not of? It was that joy of the Shepherd who searches out His lost sheep (it was His even if lost) and returns rejoicing. That was the bread of the Lord upon which His soul and Spirit thrived!

The poor disciples were bewildered at His saying. “Who gave the Lord bread to eat?” they wondered. “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” My wife often calls me in late afternoon to ask me to come home for dinner; however, I may be in the midst of writing something that I value more than my dinner concerning the truth of some biblical truth. I do not want to lose the joy of the moment until I get all reduced to writing. That does not come close to the bread for which our Lord craved; but it is as close as this mortal can come to understanding it.

We think of harvests to come in each due season. Sure, there must be ground breaking, planting, weeding, watering, etc.; however, every season with God is harvest season. The tassels of the fruit-laden wheat is forever white and bowed down for reaping. The work of the harvester is never done while seed-time and harvest remain. Paul counsels us “1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim 4:1-4)

I am somewhat taken aback by Paul’s counsel above, for it seems that we have already come upon that day when the church itself will no longer abide sound doctrine, that teachers and preachers are sought out who will satisfy the itching ears of many for a ‘different and worldly’ Gospel. Maybe so, but not as long as there remain thousands of faithful to the Lord in the land, we might conduct ourselves as courageously as the naval gunners aboard the Battleship Bismarck whose crew continued firing their naval cannons into the sky as that great vessel began to list and go under the cold waters of the North Atlantic.

In what season of your Christian walk are you, my friend? You will note that, though Christ was resting beside the Well, His heart was active to reach the woman’s heart to reveal His Person; and is every season a time of harvest and refreshing, or perhaps a time of sharing as we rest beside the Wells of Living Water.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold – Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.

Once again the propers for this week come together very well, their focus is narrow, thus powerful.

Consider these words from the Collect:

… leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before …

In some ways, today is no different than the very First Sunday after the Ascension. Jesus has ascended in to heaven, we are alone and physically separated from God who gives us the strength we need to do His Will. Like Peter and the cock who crew thrice, the further we are from God, the weaker we are. Thus, we are looking towards Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Ghost. We ask for God’s help we might have the true belief, courage, knowledge and strength to follow Jesus to heaven for all eternity. That help is on the way in the form of the Holy Ghost. On the othe rhand, it is different today than two thousand years ago. We actually have the real presence of the Holy Ghost, here and now. He does not ebb and flow with the liturgical year; where would we be if He did?

The end of the earth and this world may come at any time, indeed for 313,000 people each day, their time here is up. Thus, in a very real sense as Saint Peter put it, “The end of all things is at hand…” We need to be mindful of the fact that at any time, the world may well end for each of us. With that in mind, how are we to act? We should act as if it was our last day on earth and do our jobs with smiles on our faces knowing our eternal destination is secure as long as we do our best to follow Him.

That is a question we all must ask more often and not only ask it, but answer it. The answer comes with the help of the Holy Ghost, who could only come once Jesus left. That is one of the reasons Jesus ascended into heaven. He left so the Holy Ghost could come down and dwell amongst us and in us to provide us with the guidance we need to follow God.

We have to wait and hear what the Holy Ghost has to say before we act. Then once that Holy Spirit has given the answer, we must act upon the answer. This is a continuous cycle and we must always prioritize our work to be for God, our Country, Family, friends and co-workers in that order and things will fall in line. Along these lines, we must strive to work hard, take care of those who cannot and be good stewards of the considerable grace God has given us. This does not just refer to spending MONEY, but rather to giving of our time and effort to bring the Gifts of God to others. We are called not to hoard love, but to spread it throughout our travels. For as love is of God, then it follows there is an infinite supply of love. In fact, love multiplies with use, so there is more than infinite amount of love out there.

For as Saint Peter says in his Epistle this morning, charity (love) truly does cover a multitude of sins. So, when we do things for others, the driving force behind our actions should be that of charity, or love, for our fellow human beings and not any self-seeking motivation. Charity will cover for our multitude of sins, but we need to be thinking how we can help others. It is the greatest of gifts God and the Holy Ghost gives to us; a gift we find ourselves needing to use more often. The Holy Ghost is key in giving us the desirable thoughts and attributes that we need to carry out His Plan on Earth. He also helps us deal with our less desirable thoughts and attributes and helps us deal with very difficult people and situations. Turning to the Holy Spirit in those very stressful times will reduce the burden on your heart and shift it from you to God, giving you the clarity you need to act for Him, to be able to act in an effective and Christ like manner.

The Gospel’s take away is without the Holy Ghost’s presence in our hearts, the needed action on our part is impossible.. The Holy Ghost is that portion of God who can enter our hearts bringing the needed spiritual resources to help us win the spiritual battle here on Earth. Those who will not have Him in their hearts can never understand God and His Will. That is why they cannot understand or fathom the plan He has for us. They cannot understand why we follow God and Christ. They do not believe; therefore, they cannot have Him in their hearts, and therefore they will not understand.

The end of time is nearer each day than the day before, of that we can be certain. But there is a certainty we have in this uncertainly world, the unfailing love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus and the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives, if we let Him in, and the inerrant Holy Scriptures to guide us throughout the rest of our lives. With this knowledge of an unchanging standard, we can stand fast by this standard and be content knowing we are following the One True Triune God, and though we may physically suffer a while, it is nothing to enjoying eternity with God.

The current world climate, even in this country, is less hospitable than in centuries to Christians. There is a reason for this which only God understands and not us. God has a plan for all of this. In time, we will realize what the plan is. But for now, we are unaware of His plan in the greater scheme of things. But what it is doing is solidifying the faith of true believers around the globe, forming the Army of Light together, ready to battle against the malicious forces of Satan. We cannot make this journey alone. We must have the close and continuous presence of God. That presence is the Holy Ghost. That is why He is here.

Pray for His continual presence in your heart.

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

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 as well as Central and South America.

Sunday after the Ascension
O Lord, why are you mindful of man?
24 May2020
Psalm 8 • Isaiah 4:2-6 • Hebrews 4:14-5:10

The Sunday after Ascension Day.
The Collect.

The Collect for The Ascension Day.
The Collect.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

This Sunday after the Ascension, we read a series of scripture that sets up praise and recognition of our Lord. In the overall picture, we see a “out of this world” and in this world creator, God the Father. He must be worshiped. David opens this psalm with an ascription of praise. He recognizes God as being above all and describes ths glory as being even above the glory of the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

This same creator, the God of the universe, uses what we would consider the weakest and the least powerful to confound those who oppose God. This aside, if you would, gives us a sense of God’s humor and his total control of all things, when He uses the weakest to confound the strong. This is also a foreshadowing of Christ coming to earth as an infant, Immanuel, God with us, who came as a babe and left after thirty some years an adult who would also confound man, most especially those who thought they were the most learned of the day. Interesting in the sense that those with the education felt that they were the ‘adults’ of society, all others were children and babies. When Jesus came along, a fellow who should be working with his hands, and will teach and preach with such power, this would confound the “enemy, the avenger” of the time. The scribes, Pharisee, Sadducee would all be confounded by him, simply because they would not or could not listen to him, since he was not an “adult their society”. Now David is writing about the visible heavens as we see in verse three of this psalm.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

David looks to creation and asks this question of the Creator. Why do you even care about man, why do you even think about him?

Of course, he is being a good Hebrew lawyer, he is asking a question to answer a question, which we see answered in the following verses.

David is just astounded, after looking at the heavens, the stars in their patterns, the moon in its cycle, all this ‘work of your fingers’, and then he asks that question; why are you mindful of him (man), and why do you care about the son of man?

Remember, this is the fellow who spent many nights and days out with the flocks. He watched the seasons come and go, he saw the stars, planets, and the moon go the 28 day cycle from full to full moon; all this observed from his little place on this earth. He was very aware of how insignificant he was as compared to the great creation that was God’s.

Now notice if you would, how David ends this meditation. He shows how God has given a certain power to his primer creation.

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

He first points out our order in creation, that we are just under the angels as far as creation, but even more amazing than that, God has crowned us with glory and honor. This glory and honor as expressed by the next two verses in this psalm. This part of creation is to be for our use, we are to get the most out of it, the animals are to be our tools and for our use. In a very real sense this is the glory and honor bestowed upon us, by God our Creator and Heavenly Father.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

David will end his meditation by coming back to the original theme, the praise of God and the recognition that He is Lord over all. Our lesson from this psalm should go with us this week, we should see that we are the part of a whole, we are created to worship God, he has given us the power over parts of his creation, we are to be good stewards of this power. As we contemplate the event that we celebrate during this part of the church calendar, Ascension Day, we need to put all of this into perspective. And above all we are to understand that God is to be worshiped and that it is our obligation to be part of that worship.

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Let us pray: Remembering those who have served our nation, many having given their all to defend the same.

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LMIGHTY God, the strong Tower and Refuge of thy people; We entreat thy favor upon the officers and all who are enlisted in the service of defense of our country, upon land, and on the water, and in the air. Ever spare them from being ordered into a war of aggression or oppression. Use them if need be, as thine instrument in the defense of our national life and liberty. But restrain, we beseech thee the greed and wrath of man, that wars may cease in all the earth. Deepen in the hearts of our defenders the spirit of peace; and for his sake, may they ever love and serve the Prince of Peace, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

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LMIGHTY God, Lord of heaven and earth, in whom we live, and move, and have our being; who dost cause thy sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendest rain both upon the just and the unjust; We beseech thee at this time favourably to behold thy people who call upon thee, and send thy blessing down from heaven to give us a fruitful season; that, our hearts being continually filled with thy goodness, we may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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GOD, our heavenly Father, who didst manifest thy love by sending thine only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him; Pour thy Spirit upon thy Church, that it may fulfil his command to preach the Gospel to every creature; send forth, we beseech thee, labourers into thine harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and all Israel shall be saved through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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LMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; We beseech thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot, ask, vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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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.
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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, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

Sunday after the Ascension

In John’s gospel (3:16-18), our Lord drew a distinction between those who would believe on him as the Son of God and those who would not. His words express the exclusivity of the Christian religion when he said, He that believeth on him (the Christ) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (v.18).

Think for a moment on the aforementioned passage of Scripture. For many centuries, Christians have embraced the doctrine that Christ is God and co-eternal with the Father. They also believe based upon Scripture that the Holy Ghost is a personage which when considered along with the Father and the Son is part and parcel of the Godhead or Trinity. True enough, other religions may worship one god, but their understanding of such is not in line with the Christian understanding of who God is and his plan and purpose in the ages.

Consider the First Commandment, I am the LORD thy God… Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2-3). Consider also Isaiah 45:22 wherein the prophet was given to write: … for I am God, and there is none else. Needless to say, the Devil has stirred up within the church those who would change church doctrine so as to render the faith more a choice among choices. And hand in hand with Satan are his minions— the modernists— who have rejected the exclusive nature of God, and have further sought to eliminate the use of both the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds on account of their rather straightforward description of who God is.

Sadly, many Christians are blissfully unaware of the great deception being pushed on them. We have before us several generations of souls who were never taught that since the Bible came to be, Satan has continually challenged its veracity as God’s true and inspired word. So we should not be surprised to find that the Devil’s minions have sown the tares of higher criticism amongst the wheat of sound bible doctrine so that the unwary and sleepy-eyed Christian will come to regard the Bible as merely a set of words whose meanings can be shaped to fit any mold they choose. Through their corrupted bible versions, as well as through their offices within their respective churches, these false teachers have feigned an appearance of faith in our Lord, all the while denying him.

We would do well to remember the warning Paul gave to the Ephesian elders when he said, Take heed, therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears (Acts 20:28-31). And in response to that warning, born-again churchmen have— over the centuries— spoken out against the efforts of the evil one and his agents to sow confusion and uncertainty within the body of Christ.

Bible-believing Christians understand God spoke to the patriarchs and prophets as well as the apostles of our Lord. After all, God’s word contains specific messages on a variety of issues, and were given for the edification of all who would accept them. Those who have been regenerated by the power of the Holy Ghost will not treat God’s word as a mere human construct. And, in that light they will seek out godly teachers and ministers who hold to those doctrines and tenets of the Christian faith as communicated within the pages of Scripture. And sound doctrine matters for how else can we truly know Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God? How would we know him as the way, the truth and the life? How could we ever embrace for our eternal good the exclusive nature of the Christian faith without learning from our Lord that, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6)? How would we know what he meant when he said, I am the door (John 10:9)? How could we truly accept him as our Good Shepherd (St. John 10:11) if he is but a deity among many others? How could we distinguish between the bad seed of Satan and the good seed of the children of kingdom (Matthew 13:37-43)?

Many of you are no doubt aware that the editors of the new bible versions omitted the names of Jesus and Christ on numerous occasions as opposed to where those names appear in the Authorized and earlier English bibles. They also removed the last two words from Mark 2:17 wherein our Lord said, … I came not to call the righteous but sinners [to repentance]. Repentance is a principal element of salvation for without there is no remission of sin. And our Lord informed the disciples concerning the importance of repentance when he said, Thus it is written, and thus it behoove Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations… (Luke 24:46-47). But modernists and progressives want a bible version that permits them to revel in their apostate natures without feeling uncomfortable or sinful. They want a religion that mirrors that of Cain: who expected God to accept whatever he offered him in sacrifice (Genesis 4:5). They want God on their terms, and not on his. While God has left mortals free to join whatever denomination they choose or adopt any bible translation they find appealing; there is however nothing in their choices that can compel God to accept them into the body of Christ if they— and the church they belong to— will not be obedient to his word and commandment. To paraphrase a modern Bible scholar, “God did not give us his bible to be edited by us. He gave us his word that we might be edited by it.”

Let us close with the following verses from Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ (2:14-17). False professors will not heed the apostle’s warning because they do not believe in the Christ of Scripture— the only Saviour— who is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, as our Lord spoke in our gospel lesson today, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18). So let us then have faith and believe upon that name which is above every name. And let us also accept his word written as found within the pages of Scripture and teach others as God gives us leave to do.

Let us pray,

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ATHER, keep us from all false doctrine, heresy and schism, as well as from all deception by our adversary; for this we ask in the name of him who is thine only begotten Son and our only Saviour, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week, Bryan+

Memorial Day

Bishop’s Letter for Memorial Day Observance 25 May 2020, Anno Domini (in the 244th year of our Declaration of Independence)

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ND I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. (Psalm 119:45)

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HE Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

In honored repose lie the bodies of our thousands of military men and women who have died in the cause of freedom and liberty. The shedding of blood has forever been the purchase of liberty for the blood of a principled citizenry is required to fertilize that Tree of Liberty in order that its fruits may be made a blessing to a people and nation.

There is no true liberty apart from a steadfast faith and reliance by the people upon God for those rights enumerated in our ancient National Landmark – the Declaration of Independence. Even more ancient, and the Well-Spring of Trust of that Declaration, is those truths and guarantees manifested in the Holy Scriptures and purchased by the Blood of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, on a mount outside the gates of Jerusalem. The memorial of His death is observed by the Church on Good Friday, and closely following is the Memorial of His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. He purchased the kind of freedom for us of which no potentate can rightfully deprive us. Our Lord needs no grave marker for He could not be kept in the grave; however, our honored dead repose simply structured cemeteries from the Pacific Theater to Europe and many other locales around the world. Their markers need no embellishing comments – these died for our freedom, and we must remember the cost of that freedom we enjoy today. But if we forget the blood-costs of the lives of our patriotic defenders, that freedom becomes common and we unworthy to benefit from it.

Visiting the American Military Cemetery at Honiara, Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands), I was struck by the simplicity of the scene. The grounds are not so meticulously maintained as those associated with National Cemeteries at home. Perhaps this is due to a lack of exposure – I was the only person there on my visit. Several US Marine graves were also scattered in fields beyond the grounds with few, if any, markers to designate them as a military cemetery – but the markers all proclaimed in simple language that here lies a warrior who died in defence of a priceless gift of Liberty from God to us. Memorials are important. The memorial statuary of our nation proclaims WHO we are, and from WHENCE we have come. To demolish these would be a desecration on our National Escutcheon.

The Liberty Bell, at the time of our Declaration, echoed that proclamation of liberty from the ancient text: . . .proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof. (Leviticus 25:10b)

A Godly people cannot be enslaved, for God will not allow it. But a nation who forgets her rights and responsibilities under the Banner of Freedom is not entitled to live free and will lose whatever freedoms were purchased by the sacrifice of better men and women.

My prayer is that God will not only continue to raise up men and women willing to bear the full measure of the cost of Liberty, but also a people of the national character to honor, support and show gratitude for such heroes.
The Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide Communion

Jerry L. Ogles, DD, Presiding Bishop
Master Aviator, US Army

Memorial Day

Monday is Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those members of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice, without whose sacrifice we would not be free. This is not a day to thank a veteran, probably it is the only day of the year that it is not the day for that. All veterans heard the country’s call and answered. They were not those who would not hear. But, those of us here today are the fortunate ones, for whatever reason we made it back. In my case after 30 years and two weeks of military service with the Navy and Air Force, thirty percent of the people I flew with did not make it back one way or the other. They are the ones we remember today, they paid the entire bill for our freedom. Well, maybe not all the cost.

When we think of Memorial Day, we remember the young men and women who since the beginning of this great nation answered the call of freedom when our country was in peril, rode into battle and did not return. We honor those who lost their lives in training, transit and combat. But, we often forget the families they left behind; mothers, fathers, wives and husbands, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. Each of them bore a portion of freedom’s terrible cost. This cost is not a one shot deal. Those who remain behind pay every day of their time left here on earth. The cost of freedom is high, very high. It is just cheaper than not being free. But, it is payable on demand.

If you want to know what freedom costs, ask our Presiding Bishop. Jerry Ogles’ younger brother Kenneth Wayne Ogles joined the National Guard at age 17 and immediately transferred to the active Army’s First Cavalry Division. He wanted to make a difference, to do his duty to God and Country and protect the innocent people of South Vietnam. Ken was killed in action on 16 February 1967, in the Ia Drang Valley, in the Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam, with the First Platoon of C Company, the First Battalion of the 8th Cavalry, First Cavalry Division at the age of 19. There is not a day that has gone by in the intervening 52 years in which Jerry and his family did not measure the cost of freedom. Remember Kenneth the next time someone wants you to give a little freedom for the promise of safety or comfort.

I do not know how many ways to say it, but FREEDOM IS NOT FREE; it is the most costly commodity on this earth, except for not being free. That costs more.

Memorial Days .
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LMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

It seems to me Memorial Day is one of the saddest days of our year. This is not because of the cost to our country, in particular the families who remain behind, though that cost is huge. The reason the day so sad is that the people have absolutely no feeling for the cost of the freedom they value so little today.

Our country is free today because when our freedom has been threatened by those who would overturn our way of life, patriots stepped forward to take action against our country’s foes. They put their lives on the line that we might be free. Tomorrow on Memorial Day, we remember those whose lives were given, whose families paid the price for our freedom today. They did not give their lives for anything but freedom. If you ascribe their motives to other motives, you do so at your own peril.

Hundreds of thousands have given their future and the futures of their families’ for ours. Charge your glass, raise it high. Drink to them. Give thanks to God for their patriotism and steadfast courage.

A final note to each of you veterans reading this report, each of you stepped forward when the country called. You heard the call others could not.

We are the lucky ones, we are here. We must never forget the cost of freedom, dearly paid by those who have gone before us.

To my fellow veterans, I thank each of you for stepping forward and I am grateful you are all here with me to remember.

Rev LTC Hap Arnold, CA ANG USAF Retired
Command Pilot, USAF

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 our happy duty 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!

Corona Virus
With most of the world on some form of restriction, we ask you pray for the governments be guided into appropriate reaction and scientists find cures and vaccines and that the virus pass each of us by.

Birthdays
Amy Jamieson celebrated her 44th birthday on 22 February 2020.

Departed
Bill Gossell, Major General USMC Retired, passed away on 4 May 2020, after a stroke the previous day. A confident Christian, pioneering Maine helicopter pilot and one of the most kind and thoughtful men on this earth leaves behind his wife Marge and sons Robert and Steven and grandson William, please pray for comfort and strength for them.

Jesse Sutton passed away on 30 April 2020, after a long battle with the changes brought on by a failed hip. Please pray for his family left behind.

Doug Lambert passed away on 17 April 2020, after a hard fought battle with Congestive Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Please pray for his daughter Lauren and those family and friends who remain behind.

Immediate Prayer Please
Jerry Ogles, our Worldwide Presiding Bishop, has asked you pray that he might be relieved of much night-time pain resulting from rheumatoid arthritis. He never thinks of himself and in fact his request said “I am otherwise very healthy and I hate to ask for prayer when so many are suffering serious maladies, but soreness in my hands cause difficulty in typing my correspondence and loss of sleep at night.” I have known him since the mid-1970s, and in all those years he has never asked for anything, so I beg you to pray for relief from pain for him. I appreciate your kind help.

Zephaniah Leguman – the Iron Bishop of the Pacific – has been diagnosed with a serious eye affliction that could lead to blindness. Your fervent prayers are requested to plead the mercy of the Lord is forestalling this advancing condition and leave our friend with the ability to continue the commendable work he has been led by the Lord to perform among the Islands of the Pacific. We have known Zephaniah for many years; he is a man of great spiritual fortitude and foresight. We need his services in those beautiful Islands of the Coral Sea.

Gary Anderson of Enterprise has been hospitalized with unknown illness. He requests prayer for diagnosis and healing.

Jim Flanagan has diabetes and back problems; he was stuck in bed on oxygen all the time and developed a bed sore which became infected. He has undergone two surgeries and was recovering, there is still infection, but it appears to be subsiding. He developed what may be a bladder infection and has been re-hospitalized. Please pray the medical people treating him will pay attention, do their very best and be open to God’s guidance. Pray also the ‘insurance’ people will pay what they are supposed to and not turn their hearts against Jim. Please pray for James and his lovely wife Mary Lou to put their worry on God’s back and do what must be done.

Corrie Marsh, daughter of Ida Benson, is facing serious medical procedures in coming days. Please pray for trust in God for Corrie and her family and for the doctors, nurses and technicians to pay attention and do their very best, as well as to be open to God’s guidance.

Tricia had a reoccurrence of a viral pericarditis, it is seemingly resolving, but it was followed by tachycardia and difficulty breathing. She now has a Staphylococcus Aureus ear infection which seems to be resistant to the drugs she had been given but does not seem to be related to the pericarditis. Please pray for peace of mind and soul for Tricia, as well as for the doctors, nurses and technicians to pay attention and do their very best, as well as to be open to God’s guidance. Please pray also she will be open to seeking appropriate medical treatment.

Bill Scrivner underwent surgery on 9 December 2019 after radiation and chemotherapy for esophageal cancer. The tumor had kept him from eating. All this on top of pre-existing significant back pain. He does not like to leave his home, this makes his life far less enjoyable than it otherwise be. Please pray he will look outward so he can stay connected with his family who care deeply for him. He claims to have trust in the Lord, pray he will act on that trust.

Hope DeLong has what appears to be viral myocardial myopathy which advanced to cause temporary congestive heart failure. She has been hospitalized and released; hopefully she is in the recovery stage. Please pray for a full and rapid recovery for Hope and that she is able to continue with the cessation of smoking and for peace of mind for her and her husband Ralph.

Shamu had her 26th abdominal surgery on 21 December 2019, at John Hopkins to attempt reconstruction of her lower intestinal tract. She has very much pain and is very concerned. Right now she is quite discouraged. Pray for her to cast off the discouragement and continue her trust in our Lord as she goes through this difficult time. She is sad and needs your prayer. Please.

Cyrus has blood cancer and is very very ill. Please pray the doctors treating him will pay attention and do their very best. Pray also for comfort and peace for Cyrus and his family; pray that if it not be that he will recover that he past restfully to home.

Kurt Thomas has apparent had a minor heart attack to his rebuilt heart. Please pray for peace of mind for him and his family as they wait and continued prayer that his body not reject his transplanted heart parts. Pray also for Kurt to accept what he cannot do at present and concentrate on what he can do. This is a very foreign situation for this Christian warrior. He needs God’s help to adapt and prosper.

Bob Reisor has had his last radiation treatment. Please pray for the cancer be driven from him. He is positive, but concerned. Pray he and his family will be drawn closer to our Lord.

Janine Alvarado’s daughter has what appears to be terminal cancer, she is in much pain, in and out of the hospital. She asks that you pray for a miraculous recovery for her daughter and if that not be God’s will, a safe passing home. She asks you pray also for peace of mind and strength for both of them.

LTC Jay Houston a very confident Christian, particular friend and one of Hap’s favorite WSOs has major lung issues that have been going on for some time. Pray also for peace of mind for Jay and his family, as well as a favorable result.

Evelyn, an 88 year young woman is losing her eyesight to glaucoma. Please pray for God to guide those treating her and for her to let God carry her worry.

Chelsea Brown has need of God’s strength and guidance for her, her daughter Lauren and those around her. Her life has been in turmoil for the past two years. Chelsea was in an accident which left her without the use of her right arm for almost two years, though after two surgeries it is back, her daughter has had three sets of lung blood clots, dropped out of college and lost her job and car due to another accident. Things are very bad for them. Please pray that God will give them the direction and strength they need and the government officials in Raleigh will see clear to provide housing.

Jill was on life support; her family members traveled a great distance to see her and returned home safely. Jill’s condition improved to critical, but needs your prayers to continue her recovery.

Samson Hendrik has prostate cancer and his kidneys are not working. Pray our Lord Jesus Christ will be close to him and his family of friends during this illness.

In need of a miracle or understanding of God’s Plan
Neal has heart problems and is very weak, he also has COPD, kidney problems, his potassium is too high, he came back from the point of death. He is now home and permanently on oxygen. He is doing well, for that he and his family are grateful and ask your thanksgiving prayers. More importantly, please pray Neal will accept salvation through our Lord and Savior.

Paul is in hospice and ready to meet His Lord. Please pray for Paul as he prepares to go home to be with his family who have gone before him. Pray for the faith of his family to build and the transition to be good.

Dot is an elderly woman with liver cancer. Please pray for Dot 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.

Mrs. Tiffany (90) has chosen to refuse extraordinary care as it will not gain much earthly time. The Tiffanys have been together for a long, long, long time. Pray for Mrs. Tiffany and her husband as together they begin this Journey to be with their Lord.

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.

Ron had a Heart Attack, at the hospital he found out he also has Kidney Cancer. He is a man of faith and is in need of prayer for his health and that the Lord will provide strength for his family.

Kathy Cox Merritt has been receiving Chemo and 12 November 2016, had bowel resection surgery and was given a very bad prognosis. Kathy just retired as an RN in Orthopedics at a local hospital; sometimes a little medical knowledge can be dangerous to the patient but she remains positive. Please pray for Kathy’s healing and peace and comfort for her and her family, both spiritually and physical

Krysti is off life support and able to talk, please give thanks for the good news. She is still unable to feel her legs. When that comes back she will go to a rehabilitation facility. Krysti has used drugs, has high blood pressure, is diabetic and has organ failure. Her families are with her and will appreciate your prayers.

Pat has metastatic osteosarcoma; there is little that can be done. Please pray for a miraculous remission; that Pat’s remaining time here on earth might be good. Help Pat and family put their trust in the Lord and let Him carry their sadness, fear, worry and terror.

Amy has been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma and has cancer all over her body, and in one of her kidneys which are no longer functioning. Amy and her family have asked for prayer to stop the growth and to aid the family financially with the medical bills. At present she has to have surgery every two months to place stents. Pray Jesus will be close to all.

Gemma Dillinger has been treating for breast cancer for over a year now, after surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, she is reaching the limit of her tolerance with no end in sight. Please pray for her to gain strength and ground on the cancer. Help her to continue with her faith in our Lord, she is not afraid to go home, but wants to make sure it is time. Pray she will be encouraged to not give up until it is her time to go and that her time here on earth with her family will be good.

Janet has had a blood borne cancer for several years. Her faith in the Lord is great and she 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 liPlease 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 re 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 hon 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.

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 some time. 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.

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.

Homebound or Infirm
Loretta Walker is aging and losing some of her mental acuity, and thus independence, she is also plagued by diabetes and loves sweets. She is understandably vexed with this. She and her family ask you to pray God will help keep her mind and body together and that she not be mean or bait those who care most for her.

John has Alzheimer’s pray he will call on God to help him as he deals with this.

Steve, brother in law of Paul Martin, appears to have early onset dementia. Steve had teenage children and is very concerned for them. Please pray for the disease to stall or abate and for peace of mind for Steve and his family.

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

Surgery
Marcia has had a biopsy 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 be 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.

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.

Testing and Treatment
April and her husband ask you prayers for the Lord to guide them and lead them both to the correct medical care; and that the family may receive comfort in the process.

Josh has two little children and just discovered he has a rare form of Cancer. Please keep him and his family in your prayers in the days ahead.

Ross an elderly gentleman has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Ross has had good health until now, your prayers at this time will be appreciated by his family and friends.

Carman was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Pray for her family as they continue to help her get the proper care. Pray with Carman, her family and friends that the physicians treating her will be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for continued trust in the Lord for Carman, her family and friends in this worrisome time.

Tina just found out she has cancer on her left kidney. Please pray for guidance for the people treating her and for trust in our Lord for Tina and her family.

Martha is now home after testing and she does not have cancer, but she does have bad kidneys and is adjusting and getting ideas to work with that. Please pray for guidance for the people treating her and for trust in our Lord for her.

Spencer has been diagnosed with Autism. Please pray for guidance for the people treating him and for trust in our Lord for him and his mother Lorna.

Michael has cancer of the blood and is starting chemotherapy. Please pray for the physicians treating him to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Michael.

Clay has a large gallstone; he is in poor health and not currently a surgical candidate. Please pray for the physicians treating him to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Clay.

Jim Sevier has been in the hospital for heart related troubles. Please pray with Jim and his family the physicians treating him will be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Jim and his family in this worrisome time.

Claude has been falling and he does not know why. Pray doctors will discover what the problem is and he can continue without any more difficulties.

Gretchen has been diagnosed with severe osteoporosis and is now being treated with exercise, nutrition and vitamins. Please pray with Gretchen and her family the physicians treating her will be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Gretchen and her family in this worrisome time.

Pete has not been well and is back in the hospital with another stroke. Please pray for the physicians treating him to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for Pete and his family in this worrisome time.

Mary Lee has bleeding into her stomach and they cannot find the sources. Mary Lee is in CCU and her husband Maurice is not eating until she returns home for is so upset. Please pray for the physicians treating her to be guided in their assessment and treatment plan, for a full and speedy recovery to good health and for trust in the Lord for her, Maurice, as well as the rest of the family in this worrisome time.

Glenn Porter, MAJ USMC Retired, has Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis, which causes him to be unable to get enough oxygen into his system without supplemental oxygen all the time. The only real treatment is a lung transplant, without a transplant he has between two to five years here on earth. Please pray for him to continue in his faith and for a set of lungs to become available.

Pat has an aneurism of the brain, pray she will make the right decision on how to treat this problem and it will be healed.

Dan is very sick with cancer and is starting an experimental treatment. This treatment will take Dan away from their family business and put even more stress on him and his family. Please pray for Dan’s wife who is meeting with Steve who plans to keep the family business going while Dan is ill. Pray for Steve as he has many new responsibilities.

Timothy has brain cancer. He had surgery and is waiting for the pathology report to find out what kind of chemo he will need. Please pray for continued guidance for the medical team treating Timothy and patience and trust in God for Timothy and his family. Pray also for a full recovery for Timothy.

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.

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.

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 be Pray also for peace of mind and trust in God for him and his family, as well as physical strength.

Olivia, age 7, 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 be 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.

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.

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.

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 is having surgery on 30 September 2016 to repair a hole in his aorta bleeding into the abdomen which caused stroke like symptoms.

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.

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.

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.

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
Gloria just found out she has stage one breast cancer. She loves the lord and has a positive attitude toward healing. They are doing a lumpectomy on 27 August 2019.

Jim Simmons’ Hodgkin’s disease has returned after 24 years. He hopes to get through this as he did before. Jim would appreciate your prayers for the medical team treating him; please pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him to pay attention, to be open to God’s guidance and do their very best. Pray for trust in our Lord and peace of mind for Jim and his family.

Vladia had a right knee replacement which went well; she has had a full recovery and has had her other knee replace and soon will be running like never before. She thankful for the prayer support.

Madisun Hanks (15) has Tourette’s Syndrome and suffers from horrible migraine headaches. There are various very high risk treatments which provide some relief. None of them are close and none are easy. Madisun is truly one of the most inspiring young ladies we have ever come across, her attitude and actions are almost unbelievable. No one should have to go through what she does, but she makes it through and performs incredibly when others just get by. Please pray for Madisun, her mom Hilda who guides her through all this and those treating her.

Linda recently had a basal cell carcinoma removed and she is doing well, 15 years with Multiple Myeloma is doing great. She is continuing bimonthly chemo and this keeps her going strong, she is grateful for all prayers.

Chris Hill (close friend of Jon Weston) suffered a brain aneurysm and needs your prayers. He came out of a coma he had been in since the week before Christmas 2016. He is now in a stepdown facility. Every day is a new day to him; his memory seems to have been damaged to a point where it is not recovering so far. Pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him to pay attention, to be open to God’s guidance and do their very bePray for trust in our Lord and peace of mind for Chris and his family.

Rev Bill had a stroke. Pray he will stay comfortable and Jesus will be close by, please pray for a full and rapid recovery.

Dennis will begin chemotherapy for an active cancer spot on his spine on 17 September 2015. Please pray for a good result and tolerance of the treatment for him.

Vickie has been bothered with Migraines and all that go with the headaches. Please pray for relief from the pain for Vickie.

Jon has Stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma. There is good news in that he is in remission; however the chemotherapy is producing neuropathy in his legs so 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.

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.

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.

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

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 choose 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.

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.

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.

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, she is 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.

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.

Kay Denton (Mrs. Kay) was able to get a hip replacement in spite of her heart and kidney problems and is recovering remarkably! Please give thanks for this great event and result! 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.

Healing and Patience
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
Bruce Arnold has an enlarged heart. Please pray for guidance for the medical team treating him that they might find a complete solution to his heart problems. Pray for peace of mind for Bruce, his wife Milly and his children Megan, Kikki and Bruce, Jr.

Bill had surgery November 2016 for a kidney tumor; he is one kidney short, but recovering very well for the present. It appears the cancer has spread to another spot. Please pray for Bill as he undergoes chemotherapy and perhaps other treatment. Pray Bill and his family will stay strong in their faith and draw the strength they need from our Lord.

Cindy (81) had an operation to remove a cancerous growth in her stomach which was successful. She is now home, but in a bit of pain. Please give thanks for the good result, pray for full and complete healing and remission of the cancer, as well as cessation of the pain; pray also for continued faith for Cindy and her husband Les (91).

Ruby broke her hip on 10 December 2015, surgery was successful. Please give thanks for the successful surgery and pray for her full and rapid recovery.

Terry was undergoing radiation treatment for cancer, which he had to stop to amputate his leg below the knee due to diabetes. The surgery was successful, he has been fitted with a prosthetic leg and foot. He is in good spirits and positive about the remainder of his treatment. Please join Terry and his family in giving thanks for the successful surgery and continue to pray for his return to radiation treatment and then to chemotherapy, ask God to give Terry, his wife and seven year old son trust in him for peace of mind and heart, as well.

Janet Jessup had a stroke and heart problems were causing huge issues for her. They seem to have gotten her stabilized and she is home. 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 45 years, Rev Roger Jessup, retired minister of Saint Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Orthodox Church.

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.

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.

Elma is suffering from cancer. She was taken home from the hospital on the advice of her Doctor. We were asked to pray Elma’s remaining time here on earth might be good and 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.

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.

Financial Guidance and Employment
Matt was made redundant after many years in a job. Please pray he will look through his considerable talents and find a set that will match a new position at a more honorable company quickly.

Kona is applying for a job in the hospital. Pray our Lord will find the right position for her and she will glorify Him in the work.

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.

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

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.

God’s Strength and Peace of Soul
Charlie McCormack asks your prayer the Holy Ghost might fill his heart with light and drive the darkness far away.

Guidance
Jackie and her son Tommy, Jackie 10 years free of substance use returned to substance use while pregnant with Tommy who was born free of substances. Tommy has been removed from her and place with Grandparents. Pray for the Grandparents strength and courage to raise Tommy in a Godly way and for Jackie to return to the Lord and give up substance use and become a responsible Mother.

Zachary is having huge problems growing up. He has let the wrong people guide his life and thinks he is the smartest person in the world. He cannot or will not see the destructive power of drugs and lies in his life. Pray his parents Lee and Shamu will come to see what course of action they can take to help Zachary and safeguard his brother and sister. Please pray for God’s guidance for all of them and in particular for Zachary to open his heart to God and his parents help.

Linda is slowly converting her children through her great loving attitude and Love of the Lord.

Judy seemingly does not want to allow the Holy Ghost into her heart so she might come to know our Lord and Savior, despite the efforts of her family. Please pray for her to open her heat and for her family to be at peace with their efforts.

Barbara has been recovering from cancer for the last three years. Pray for her husband Bill who has come down with a mental illness that may have been caused by much stress the last few years. Barbara and Bill will appreciate your prayers.

Larry is very weak and has periods of confusion and depression. Larry has been in the hospital and recently moved to a rehab. Please keep him in prayer as he begins to gain strength in the days ahead.

Thomas recently learned as the result of a parole violation he will not be allowed to return to society for the remainder of his life. He is despairing and fearful of his inability to cope with this new news and God’s plan for his life. Please pray he will be able to work with God to live with the choices he has made and go forward.

Cam has gotten into some of the issues being with the wrong crowds, too much dinking and making the wrong decisions. Pray he will ask God to send the Holy Ghost in to straighten things out and he will listen when He speaks to him.

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 has yet to come to grips with the demons chasing him. He has returned to his family living in a cottage on his parents’ property in Hawaii so that they can keep him on his meds. He is doing much better, but he still needs prayer to follow his medication schedule. His parents are so thankful for all of the prayers as they have felt the Holy Spirit’s power in handling Eli during his dark periods.

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 she will be able to let God carry her worry and sorrow so she can do the things she must do.

Mitten has a Christian talking to him about Chri 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.

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

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.

Sam and her two children 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.

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.

Sara asks that you pray for guidance for her as she deals with the stresses of life. Pray 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 to keep up with the needs of her husband and healing her own problems.

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

School Challenges
Destiny, Blake and Janet

Anglican Orthodox Church
Diocese of Central and South America
Rev Miguel Madera was received into the Anglican Orthodox Church on 13 August 2018, with the AOC mission of San Augustin de Canterbury, La Plata, Argentina.

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

Pakistan
General and Ongoing – The forces of evil are strong in Pakistan. The force of God stronger. Pray for our Christian family there.
Ernest Jacob
Presiding Bishop Pakistan
Congo
Jimmy is a missionary in the Congo. There has been violent unrest in this country and also a water shortage. Please pray people will find water to drink and Jimmy will be a means of helping others to find the Lord.

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.

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 (USAF – Stateside), Kristyna and Luis Aviles (Army – Schofield Barracks, HI), Airman Donny Patton (USAF – Hulbert Field, Florida), Jordan Brown (USMC – Recruiter – Iowa City, Iowa), Trevor Jennings (USAF – KC-10 Boom Operator – McGuire AFB, NJ), Trevor Di Marco (USN – Whidbey Island, EF-18 Pilot), Kurt Thomas (USN – Headquarters, Virginia), Mitchell Thomas (USMC – Camp Pendleton, California) Ethan (US Army Airborne – Southwest Asia)

Employment
Much of our country is out of work, please pray the governments will be guided to intelligent action, not reaction. Pray in particular for Matt Jamieson to find a suitable position after just having found one only to be shut out due to recent events.

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
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.

Thanksgiving
Bryan Alford has been declared free of cancer at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, even though he was Stage Four at beginning of treatment. He acknowledges all praise belongs to God and those who held him up in prayer.
The near future, as well as Next Sunday

31 May 2020 – Pentecost, commonly called Whisunday – 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

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