231112 AOC Sunday Report

Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide Communion

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity United States Marine Corps Birthday

Veterans Day -105^th Anniversary of the End of the Great War – Sunday Report

248^th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps

No better

friend, no

worse enemy

On 10 November 1775, Captain Samuel Nicholas formed two battalions of Continental Marines at Tun’s Tavern in Philadelphia as naval infantry in accordance with a resolution of the Continental Congress. They were to “be able to serve to advantage by sea when required” and “that they be distinguished by the names of the first & second battalions of American Marines.”

No better friend: someone who will kill to protect you; someone who will give their life for you; someone who will be right there in your times of trouble and, thinking of you and your problems, will sacrifice so that you might get through your problem.

No worst enemy: someone who will not hesitate to destroy you even if that means destroying himself in the process; someone who will chase you down to the ends of the earth to extract revenge; someone who will cause you blood and tears and smile when it happens.

With a Marine as your friend, you have a person who will kill to protect you. With a Marine as your enemy, you have a person who will kill you. Pretty simple, huh?

The concept comes from the epitaph of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, famous general and legendary dictator of ancient Rome:

“No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full.”

Happy 248^th Birthday, USMC!

Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Saturday 11 November 2023, was Veterans Day. It is the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month. Is not the first Monday or Friday in anything, it is not an occasion to sleep in or barbeque. It was originally Armistice Day, the day the Great War (World War I) ended. The armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month ending the War to End all Wars which took the lives of about 20 million people. We remembered that day until World War II, a war which took the lives of about 70 million people, not including the 25 million killed by the Soviets internally. In total, almost 100 million people lost their lives during the period of this war.

Our country has chosen this day, Armistice Day, to honor those who have served our country. This is not the same as Memorial Day, the last weekend in May, during which we honor those who have given their lives for our country.

On this day, we honor those who have and do serve our country: men and women who have stepped forward when their country called; some even before the call. We honor those who have put their country before themselves and families.

Sometimes we forget the sacrifices made by the families. It is one thing to be in combat, forward deployed or on TDY at Christmas. It is another to have your son, daughter, husband or wife gone.

We can both tell you from personal experience that it is a lot easier to go to war than to send someone to war.

It is easy to think the country is going to hell, in or out of the proverbial hand basket and it may well be. Yet, so far we have young people who step forward and fill the breech in the line. How long we know not, but still they come forward. While they come we are safe. When they stop, we fall. Do not fail them.

Bishop LTC Hap and Captain Dru Arnold, USAF Retired

Semper Fly!

From our Warrior-Poet Bishop

Shadows of War

From Danang’s rocky shoreline

To Saigon’s seamy bars,

The soldier stood his watches

And fought his dreaded wars.

In Mekong’s fertile paddies,

And An Khe’s highland lairs

Our best men suffered horrors

Beneath the fading stars.

“Point man, move with caution!”

The trail with traps are sown,

And every man a target

As known to God alone.

The ‘tunnel rat’ courageous

Seeks out the Viet Cong,

And risks his life for others

As others carried on.

The soldier wakes ere daybreak

To meet the chopper flight,

Survives another mission

To sleep another night.

In Monsoon’s dampened mildew

He makes his bed in camp,

Or else in jungle darkness –

He dares not light his lamp.

He dreams of home and family,

As his DEROS day draws near.

If God allows, he makes it,

Comes home to threats and jeers.

Sit back, you sorry traitor

Who smears a hero’s name.

Renounce your blessed legacy

And claim betrayals shame.

The purchase of our freedom

Is paid by blood and sweat,

And the soldier stands e’er ready

To meet the tyrants threat.

He bears his service proudly

Without remorse or blame

He is his country’s pride and hope

And history’s fair acclaim.

by Jerry Ogles (Nov 2022)

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

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 some great ones to share. On to the On Point quotes –

I have no money or price in my hand, no worthiness to recommend me: and I need none, for he saves freely for his own name’s sake.

John Newton

Slave Ship Captain and Anglican Minister

Author of Amazing Grace

You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.

Ayn Rand

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:5

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

John 7:24

Then out spake brave Horatius,

The Captain of the Gate:

To every man upon this earth

Death cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better

Than facing fearful odds,

For the ashes of his fathers,

And the temples of his gods

Thomas B. Macaulay

19^th century British historian and politician

Lays of Ancient Rome ,1842

When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.

Edmund Burke

18^th century English statesman

In a representative republic, people do not get what they want. They get what they vote for.

Selwyn Duke

20^th and 21^st century American journalist

So, let us consider these words from the Collect: ‘…knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee’ We acknowledge God has brought us together as one in Him through His Son Jesus Christ, who if we are together is indeed our Lord. We ask God to give us His Help to follow those who have gone before us in following His Will in the manner in which we live our lives, that we might in the end benefit from His Grace and come to heavenly happiness in eternity with them in His Love. This seems like a tall order that we might follow a very hard steep and winding trail for a reward we don’t get until we die. This does not mean you are bulletproof, it means you are evil-proof and, equally important you are accountable for your actions for all eternity. Like Christ in the Wilderness, if you understand what the Devil is offering, you find it far easier to reject his temptations. Why? Because you realize what he offers is of no real value. Then, we think about real meaning of coming together in one fellowship and communion. This is a point often misunderstood by those whose Scriptural knowledge is a bit short and whose priorities are out of sync with Scripture… God calls us to rally around His Colors, His Standard, not ours. We are not to join others, but to join Him. Thus, if we join Him, we will be with others who have also joined Him. We cannot be in fellowship and communion with those who are not following His Colors.

Bp Jack Arnold

21^st Century Anglican Orthodox Bishop

sermon on the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, 1 Nov 20

He that is blessed with a good wife is as happy as if he were [a ruler] upon a throne. A bad wife is no better than an incurable disease, besides that she makes [her husband] ashamed.

Matthew Henry

17^th and 18^th century English pastor and author

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 Anglican Church, being founded on the principal of one nation, one church, holds patriotism and true love of country in great regard. It is quite interesting the majority of the Founding Fathers were members of the Church of England and transferred their national church identity to what became the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States. Like Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer, they saw the need for a national church. Not a captive arm of the government, but a link to God for the people of the nation.

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 the minister or in the case of Morning or Evening Prayer without a minister by the senior member present.

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 the Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity can be found on Page 222-223:

The Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

The Collect.

GOD, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be ready, we beseech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle for today came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians beginning at the Seventeenth Verse of the Third Chapter. Writing to the church in Philippia, Paul asks them to watch whom they follow, For many walk, of whom I have told you often, … that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. He reminds us of our ultimate goal, of that which for us should have the principal place in our minds, For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed unto the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.

RETHREN, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed unto the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.

The Holy Gospel came from the Twenty-Second Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew beginning at the Fifteenth Verse. Like many people today, the Pharisees took much comfort in the fact that they followed The Law to The Letter. Not looking to what the law was trying to get them to do and to think, but rather following The Law to The Letter. Jesus presented a threat to their very existence, because he asked the people to do what God willed, not to simply cook their food a certain way, or turn down an invitation to a luau because they served roast pig and drank Bud. Being good followers of The Law to The Letter, they sought to trip Him up. …they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? Having for so long lived The Law to The Letter, believing The Kingdom of God would be of this world, they could not see the obvious response. They were absolutely floored when Jesus said, Shew me the tribute money. With no thought of the answer, they brought unto him a penny. Jesus asked them, Whose is this image and superscription? Again playing the straight man, walking into the trap they had set for themselves, they answered, Caesar’s. Driving his point straight into their hearts, he told them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

This ended the encounter, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

HEN went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

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.

Captain Jerry Ogles and I served together in the Eighth Infantry Division in West Germany in the early 1970. Given this is the day after Veterans Day, I have substituted an earlier picture of our Warrior Poet Bishop. Bp Hap Arnold, LTC USAF Retired.

This is a link to what Bishop Ogles calls a mini-sermon and what we refer to as a standard length sermon. I have looked at it and I really like it. It is different than his sermon below:

https://youtu.be/SslnZe2AoYc

Sermon Notes

Whose Image?

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

12 November 2023, Anno Domini

The Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

The Collect.

God, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be ready we beseech thee to hear the devout prayers of the Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Collect points out, rightly so, that God is the source and Author of all godliness (surprise!). He is, indeed, always ready to hear the prayers of the Church that are asked out of a righteous faith. He will answer according to His own will and not our own. If the prayers coincide with His will to grant our petitions, He will grant those petitions.

The Holy Gospel

Matt 22:15-22

HEN went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

The Image and Superscription of God.

In the United States Mint is an instrument resembling a hand, which is filled with blank pieces of metal, and carries them to a die which stamps them one by one with a clear and beautiful impress, and thus changes them into coins which bear the mark and authorization of the government. Most generally speaking, the metal is of little use without that seal. It is the seal that makes them of value.

So it is that every good thing comes to us with the image of God upon it, and the superscription of His love. There is nothing good in our lives but is thus marked as from heaven, and demands that we return our tributes of love to Him. Being made in His image and likeness, our lives should reflect the authenticity of that seal. American coinage is the only in the world that has consistently appealed to the trust of God in its mintage. In God We Trust! In America, we the people are Caesar. We set our rulers up, and we take them down by our exercise of the franchise. We can blame no one for the ungodliness of our rulers…. but ourselves. We will always get precisely the kind of ruler we deserve!

In the passages that both precede and follow this text today, the Jewish rulers use The Sadduccees and the Pharisees to attempt to catch the Lord in His Words. Now, we see that they use the Herodians. Bear in mind that these three groups are natural enemies one to another; yet, they recognize in Jesus a greater threat to their opulent lifestyles than they see in each other – so, they overlook their differences and band together against Jesus. The Sadduccees rejected the doctrine of the resurrection. The Pharisees believed that doctrine with strings attached. The Herodians were hated by both for their compromise with Rome and the competition they represented in fleecing the people for their own benefit. We have the same three groups is almost every church in America today – those who doubt the resurrection, those who accept it but add strings (usually related to finances) to the fact, and the Herodians who compromise with governmental social policies and the immorality of abortion.

We read how those wicked men of the Pharisees conspire with their mortal enemies, the Herodians, to entangle Christ in His words and ministry. Strange how enemies can unite against One they consider of greater threat. They fear that One who speaks truth cannot be bested by those whose works are fleshly.

They fear their little positions of authority and seek to murder Him to whom ALL truth and authority belongs. It is a deaf EAR they turn to the Gospel of Christ. They only seek something of which to charge Him or of which to complain. They have witnessed more of His miracles of healing, restoration to life, and acts of mercy than most of His own disciples, yet, they fail to believe – WHY?

It is because they refuse to believe!

Such contentious ones have not the Mind and love of Christ in their hearts. True love and mercy are not divisible. That Love of Christ which we have received is authenticated by that same love and compassion we show to one another. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (Phil 2:5)

Where the love of Christ is, there can be no division. Christ is not divided against Himself! His Mind is also constant – the same yesterday, today, and forever.

They cunningly say to Jesus: Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

Like good politicians, these men will use deception, or even flattery, to ensnare a good man.

We pay tribute today in the form of taxes. Taxes are essential to provide those limited government services necessary to ensure defense, order and a suitable environment for trade. It is something we owe Caesar if we are to live within the borders of his dominion. If Christ insists that we pay tribute to Caesar, He will have lost the support of the people. But if He says that we should NOT, He incurs the wrath of Rome.

So how does Christ respond to these scoundrels? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

Christ never hesitated to call a spade a spade. He was not very politically correct was He?

He then says: 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? In Rome, Caesar money, inscribed with his image, was the coin of the realm. But are we not citizens of another kingdom.? Do we not bear a dual citizenship? Though we must remain IN the world, we are not to be part and party to it.

Ships are wonderful vessels constructed for the purpose of bearing great burdens of merchandise across the sea. They are, in fact, made to be in the sea. As long as they travel in the sea, all is well. But when the sea gets into the ship, tragedy stands at the door. Ships are like the church. The Church is made to season the world and to be a sweet savor to it; but when the world gets into the Church, it will lose its savor.

21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

We owe Caesar the obedience common to government righteously administered, but the Law of God always trumps the Law of Caesar. (see Ps 118:8 & Acts 5:29)

22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way The Words of God confuse the learned and the deceitful. In His mouth there is no deceit nor shadow of turning.

Are we citizens of God’s Kingdom? Are we stamped with His image of ownership and authority?

What must we render unto God to receive that title of coinage of the realm? All of our selves – our being and our daily currency should reflect His Image just as the coin of the nation represents the image and authority of that nation.

When men know you, may they also know Christ through you. I pray that the stamp of Christ is apparent upon all who are within range of my voice today.

Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold

Anglican Orthodox Church of the United States

Diocese of the West

Church of the Faithful Centurion – Descanso, California

Bp Jack brings the Propers together today and can be viewed on video HERE -> https://youtu.be/BdcXa0UGczo

The Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

The Collect.

Consider these words from the Collect:

… hear the devout prayers of the Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain …

The Collect once again asks God to hear our prayers. The Church is the body of believers, not a building, not a semi-political group. Many people think the Church is just a building when that is not the case at all. When the Collect refers to the church, it refers to the body of believers that are following God. And the Collect specifies the devout prayers; that is prayers for those ideas, actions and the like that follow God’s Plan for His People. It goes on to ask that He would grant those things we ask for faithfully, that is in accordance with His Will or Plan.

He is always there, always ready, to hear our sincere prayers: He may answer those things which are good for the Church and the world for which we ask and from His Grace we may receive those things which are good for us. The part that is left unspoken is that once we receive His Advice through the Holy Spirit we have to be willing to take action. And we may not necessarily know on our own what is good for the church, but that is where the Holy Spirit will come in and guide us to what is good for the church. We must listen to what He says and then ultimately act upon what He tells us to do. We can pray all the day long but if we don’t listen to Him and then act upon what He says, those prayers will ultimately be for naught. Action and diction together shows our beliefs and where our hearts truly lie. Diction without action is not much of a belief at all.

In the Epistle, Paul tells us, as well as the Philippians, to follow God and not be dependent on man, as so many in this country are now. The problem is many, who claim they are followers of Christ, don’t walk the walk, they are selfish and only think of themselves. We need to ensure we are not following these peoples’ imperfect example and instead do our best to follow Christ’s perfect example. We will never match His Perfect example, but we will never get anywhere if we don’t at least do our best. There are too many people around the world who think and act in this manner. They have no desire to help others, and in fact have a desire to tear others down rather than lend them a helping hand. This is not in congruence with Christ’s teachings and the Summary of the Law. He warns them will lead them onto a path of doom and destruction. We can see that being played out in our country now with an uprising of violent behavior and tendencies and the general degeneracy in the population.

This is clear proof to me we cannot succeed in a positive manner without God’s help and influence in our lives. If more people would realize this, our country would be in a far better state than it is now. Let us pray that people would wake up and realize this.

Whereas if people would love their neighbor as themselves, it would lead them on a path to prosperity and eternal life. In times of trial and tribulation, we are not to worry, but rather lean on Our Lord. It may be very difficult but it can be done through the help of the Holy Spirit. We must realize our true and final citizenship is in heaven, for which we look to Our Saviour. If we are on the side of righteousness, of the Lord, of godliness, then who are we to fear?

Nobody; save a respectful fear of Our God.

We will not bow before the forces of darkness; but rather stand tall, equipped with the armor of light, the shield of truth, and the helmet of faith. We will give those in authority the respect they are due but we will not be dependent upon them for our every need and whim. This is why those who seek to create a larger government are working on supplanting God’s authority over us. For if God is the authority, as He is; man has no power to determine what is right and what is wrong. Man is not responsible for his own power. This is why those who are seeking to enlarge their power over the people in this country must first destroy the Church. The good news is that Paul says in the end, these people’s efforts will be in vain and they will be destroyed, as much as they are attempting to destroy us here on Earth. We can be cheered up in these depressing times, knowing we are on the winning side for eternity. We are to turn to God; if we are to be dependent on anything, it must be God upon whom we are dependent, and not Man. Being dependent on man only leads to eternal death for us, but being dependent on God leads to eternal life for us.

Which brings us to the point of the Gospel, in which Christ tells the Pharisees of how they are to deal with the problem of tribute to Caesar. They have no love for the Roman Government, as we have very little love for the swamp dwellers in our own Government. However, Christ reminds them to separate their hatred of the government, and do the right thing. Again, as many things in the Gospel, this is easier said than done, but it is something that must be done all the same. As we must give God His due (our worship and prayer), we must give the government their due (taxes, etc.), but this does not mean we treat the government as demi-gods, to put it one way, as politicians often think of themselves. The government has to earn our respect, not the other way around, which too often it and the members in it forget this simple fact.

We have to realize God has granted the government their authority to govern, but not to supplant Him. God cannot be replaced by man. If Man tries to replace God, they will fail and they will ultimately no longer have God’s blessing upon their authority. It His authority is where the government gets their authority, and will always be; whether they choose to recognize that or not, is up to them. That is what we pray for when we pray for the President, that he would recognize God’s authority and align his leadership with that of God’s will. The statists in this country believe the false lie that man can govern man without assistance from God or God’s authority. Governments which do not recognize this fact are in the end, doomed to fail. The history books are filled with pages of failed governments, all failed because they refused to recognize God’s rightful place as the source of their legal authority.

Jesus’ point is we give them what they are owed, no more and no less. The Pharisees were trying to trick Christ to say that you must honor one or the other, when you can do both. We should be serving God and not man; that does not mean that we do not have to pay our dues to the government that rules us. It is only through God’s grace that he allows government to rule over man. The government we have was established with the recognition it serves at His pleasure. Its Declaration of Independence establishes people have rights endued them by their Creator, not the government. It is with the authority of the people the government serves. It must exist to serve the people and God. It is not to be a self-licking ice cream cone. Jesus told us to feed the poor people, not create laws that take money from other people ostensibly for that purpose, of which he commanded us to do.

The Collect, Epistle and Gospel tie together, laying out, detailing and reinforcing the same message, ultimately. We have to respect the authorities that govern us, no matter how we disagree or dislike them, and conduct ourselves like Christians. However, that does not mean that we replace the rule of God with the rule of Man. Man’s laws should merely be a restatement of God’s laws, not to replace God’s laws.

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 the Missionary Diocese of South America.

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

Reflections on the Propers
12 November 2023, AD

Philippians 3:17-21 • Matthew 22:15-22

The Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

The Collect.

Lord. Amen.

Isn’t it interesting what powerful messaging comes from so few verses? In just eight verses we learn several valuable lessons about Christian faith and how it pertains to everyday living.

Jesus knew these two rival groups of Jewish intelligentsia suddenly joined forces to try and trip up Jesus. 15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians. First, they came at him with flattering words. They spoke of his truthfulness and that he taught the truth of God. Then they pointed out he didn’t care what men thought about his teachings and he didn’t cotton to any person’s position in society. …., saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

We do know Jesus teaches the Truth of God and he is not a respecter of anyone’s station in life.

We are all the same in his eyes. Sinners in need of a Savior. …for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…

Notice Jesus is not fooled by their flattery. Jesus knew the wickedness of their hearts and even called them out; …why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites..?

Now that Jesus has given them warning that he knows their motives, he then does the most marvelous job putting them in their place, not as a cruel lesson, but one filled with wisdom and simplicity.

By using an object lesson, Jesus emphasizes the truth of his nature. Throughout Jesus earthly ministry he would use simple object lessons [parables] to teach the truth. He would use ideas and everyday activities to teach profound truth, the TRUTH of the WORD.

When he asks for a coin he asks them to describe what is on it. Notice how he says it. …Whose is this image and superscription? There is no doubt as to who’s image is going to be found on the coin. All Caesars made sure that their image and a patron god or goddess was impressed on the coins of the realm. 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. Then Jesus clinches the lesson. This is what we are to do living in a sin filled world.

We are to give to Caesar those things which are his and we are to give to God those things which are His.

Notice that this is not about separation of church and state, quite the contrary, it is about being part of the society in which we live.

We are to taught that the Christian religion is no enemy of civil government. We are in fact not to live separately from the world. We are living in the world, but should not be part of the world. We give what is required to the world {taxes, following regulations, the ethical law of the land, etc. }, but also understand that Christ is, and will be, the wonder, not only of his friends, but of his enemies.

Jesus’ rebuke of the intelligentsia by use of a simple illustration lets us know who is on our side is far greater than all who are against us.

And in spite of such a great lesson we will still see these folks walk away in their disbelief.

22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

They may admire Jesus wisdom, but will not be guided by it; they marvel at his power, but will not submit to it. Of course this will be to their detriment and eventual destruction.

So out of this object lesson what do we as Christians need to understand?

Even in his simplest nature, Christ is greater than we are.
His wisdom is above anything we could contemplate.
We must follow his lessons and apply them to our everyday living as Christ-followers, ie. Christians.

Let us pray:

ETERNAL God, our heavenly Father, who alone makest men to be of one mind in a house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and unruly people; We bless thy holy Name, that it hath pleased thee to appease the seditious tumults which have been lately raised up amongst us; most humbly beseeching thee to grant to all of us grace, that we may henceforth obediently walk in thy holy commandments; and, leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for these thy mercies towards us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LMIGHTY God, who hast created man in thine own image; Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil, and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice among men and nations, to the glory of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LORD Jesus Christ, who saidst unto thine Apostles, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; Regard not our sins, but the faith of thy Church; and grant to it that peace and unity which is according to thy will, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

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

✟

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon

The Steel Minister is back from his quadruple bypass surgery on 6 July 2023!

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.

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

In today’s Gospel, our Lord was put upon by Pharisees who tried to coax him into making a seditious comment against the authority of Rome saying, Master… we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? This tactic is what my father called “damning with faint praise”. If they had really believed any of what they had said, they would have become his disciples as well. Instead, they sought trick him into making some pronouncement which they could, in turn, use as the basis for his arrest by the Roman authorities. Knowing their thoughts, our Lord simply responded to their query with the now famous remark of, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s (v.21). Such was not the answer they had hoped to hear. John the Baptist had once referred to them a generation of vipers (Matthew 3:6-7). They troubled the people of God then, and their successors are with us today, engaging in the same sort of behavior, but this time within the very body of the Church.

As people regenerate in Christ, we are commanded to resist the Devil and his earthly minions (John 8:44; James 4:7). And, on that account, we ought to be well aware that we are a part of a great spiritual war which has been ongoing since before the world began. While our Lord has won for us the victory at the cross, there still remain many battles for us to fight. So, before going into combat, all good soldiers of Christ need a lesson in enemy

identification.

It should be understood in the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry, he advised his hearers to possess a level of righteousness which exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). Later on in Matthew 23:2-3) our Lord described their true nature saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

Let us now examine each group mentioned along with their modern counterparts.

The scribes were those who knew the Scriptures and could interpret them. In our time, such would correspond to those well-heeled seminarian scholars and clergy of the modernist camp who believe only their understanding of the scriptures is correct. They often hold such views in spite of the actual truth which is found within the Holy Bible, and they do not mind twisting the words of Scripture to suit their pet positions (II Peter 3:15-16). Over the past century and a half, these modern-day scribes have, among other things, developed new bible translations in which they have crafted the sacred into something that possesses but a hint of the divine as opposed to the pungent odor of heretical apostasy contained therein. Their editorial license clearly violated the very words of our Lord who said, For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Revelation 22:18-19). Rev Matthew Henry once noted, “This sanction is like a flaming sword, to guard the canon of the scripture from profane hands. Such a fence as this God set about the law and the whole Old Testament and now in the most solemn manner about the whole Bible, assuring us that it is a book of the most sacred nature, divine authority, and of lasting importance.” But for the devil’s pawns, there are no boundaries which they have not crossed in their twisting of God’s word written.

The Pharisees were those Jews who outwardly observed the law but did not do so from the heart. This led our Lord to condemn their externalism in religion as the leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:6). When we speak of Pharisees in today’s world we are referring to anyone who says one thing about the Christian life but does not live it. The contemporary Pharisee will show up for church on Sunday. He may even teach Sunday school or sing in the choir. Modern Pharisees may be active in church leadership by serving on boards and vestries, or even in the office of a deacon, priest or bishop. Nevertheless, their hearts are not truly turned toward God. Even though they know the Scriptures, they do not apply them in their own lives. Our Lord’s admonition in Matthew 23:3 still rings true, … but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

The Sadducees were a party of the Jews who expressed skepticism of the supernatural and taught only the Pentateuch should be observed. In our world, such persons would be the equivalent of those who operate within the confines of the church and enjoy its benefits all the while denying the truth of God’s power. These modern skeptics can be found in both the clergy and the laity. Their apostasy ranges from simple denial of certain acts or occurrences as found within the Bible to a blanket rejection of all that is supernatural. They mock God in their supposed worship of him all the while denying God has any real power in their lives. They believe that the church is supposed to serve the social needs of its members as well as advance a social gospel, as opposed to the biblical gospel of our Lord.

The Herodians were worldly Jews who supported King Herod and his father. They did so on account of the temporal benefits which they procured by being favorites of the caesars. In today’s world, they may or may not be connected with the religious order of the church. Nevertheless, they are found amongst the faithful much as tares are found among the wheat. They have no time for the spiritual (Matthew 13:38) as they are only interested in worldly pursuits (Matthew 22:16-21 and Mark 3:6) which they have attempted— in some cases successfully— to incorporate within their churches. Rev EM Bounds once observed in his important work A Guide to Spiritual Warfare that we should not be surprised Satan would use his elite cadre of modern-day Herodians against the body of Christ. They will, via hypocritical Christian education, treat with skepticism the word of God so as to encourage Christians to satisfy their passions through a twisting of God’s word where they are in essence, calling good evil and evil good. And finally, they will engage in spiritual grand larceny, wherein the Devil is permitted to snatch from men’s minds any truth of Christ that had been superficially received via a watering down of biblical truth.

Our Lord knew what we were up against when he advised us to beware of false prophets who are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). He also warned us of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees on account of their destructive doctrines and traditions which ended up corrupting the Christian faith (Matthew 16:6). And he warned us concerning the scribes whose outward dress and demeanor afforded them prominence and access to power over the property of others <<<. The apostles also cautioned us to be watchful for those who are enemies of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:17-19) as they would seek to convert as many as they are able through philosophy and vain deceit by inducing them to follow the traditions of men and the rudiments of this world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8). And they further warned against those who would attempt lead away true believers into the error of the wicked and away from their steadfastness in Christ (II Peter 3:17).

In sum, we have thus been warned so when we are confronted with these modern-day versions of the scribes and Pharisees et al, we will be prepared to face them and have an answer for the faith that is within us. The apostle John observed in Revelation 3:17 what the members of the Laodicean church will say about themselves: I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Think on that verse for a moment. Those members of apostate /Laodicean Christianity have been influenced by the modern-day scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians to believe that all is well with them. They have not been taught the truth of God’s word written concerning their need for repentance. And such is largely on account of the fact that they have been schooled to accept a false universalism. For them, no biblically proscribed behavior is truly abominable as they are merely personal lifestyle choices which must be respected and accepted within the church. Ergo, any criticism of a personal lifestyle choice will be considered mean-spirited and offensive. Note the words of our Lord concerning the religious and cultural elites (Matthew 23:4), For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. And in the same chapter at verse 13 we read, But woe onto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. And, finally in verse 16, he calls them …blind guides. Of truth, they have been blinded by Satan as Paul noted in II Corinthians 4:3-4, But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel should shine unto them.

Our duty as regenerated believers in Christ Jesus is to proclaim the gospel truth to all who will listen. We can do nothing with the apostates around us much as our Lord made no attempt to do anything about the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians apart from rebuking them. We can and should witness to them as the occasion permits, but we are not to pursue them apart from repentance on their part (II Timothy 2:24-26) for to do so would be as our Lord said, casting your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). And so beware of these folk who hold the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18), who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof, from such turn away (II Timothy 3:5). The sad picture of our Lord’s place in the apostate/Laodicean church is found in Revelation 3:20 wherein he said, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Let that not be said of us. So then let us earnestly contend for the faith by rejecting all false doctrine and teaching and by avoiding the unequal yoke with those who feign to be true and faithful Christians but live in disobedience to the Christian ethos (II Corinthians 6:14-18).

Let us pray:

ATHER, assist us in our efforts to daily resist the wiles of our adversary, and maintain ourselves as faithful servants unto thee: unashamed of our walk and work; for this we ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a blessed week,

Bryan+

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sermon

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

Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity

Ephesians 5:15-21

Part 3, Walking in God’s Wisdom

Today’s sermon is part three of a series I began on the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. I interrupted it last Sunday to preach about the issues and ideas that led to the great Reformation of the Church that began in the 1500s. Today, I return to the series and the passage of Scripture that is its subject, Ephesians 5:15-21. I want to talk about walking in God’s wisdom.

Ancient Greece was famous for its philosophers, and the philosophers were famous for trying to answer the big questions of life. What is beauty? What is goodness? What is happiness? And, of course, the biggest question of all, what is God like? They believed the answers to these questions define human existence and show the way to happiness. They called the consideration of these questions “philosophy,” a combination of the word phileo, meaning love, and sophia, meaning wisdom. So the Philosophers sought to love wisdom, which they believed would enable them to live wisely, which would enable them to live well. From this, we see the philosophers were concerned about something much deeper than what we call happiness today. They were concerned about a deep seated understanding of, and contentment in, life. They wanted more than pleasure, more than fun, more than comfort, and more than enjoyment. They wanted, let’s call it, the real life.

The Greeks were not the only people to wonder what real life is and how to find it. That quest has been common to all people throughout the world and throughout time. Thus, all cultures have had people who’s primary vocation was to seek wisdom, and share their findings with the people. The far east had Confucius and Buddha. The pharaoh called the magicians of Egypt to interpret his dreams, and the eastern sages who followed the star to Bethlehem, were magi, or wise men. American natives had their medicine men, African tribes had their shamans, and pagan Europe had its druids and legends which tried to make sense of the world, and point the way to the real life. These people were the prophets and priests and poets and philosophers of their cultures. They were the wise ones.

In my own opinion, the world’s philosophers give two basic answers to what it means to have the real life. I call them despair and hope.

The first answer says, happiness is an illusion, and finding it is not possible. That’s why I call it despair. I suggest the existence of three schools of thought, or expressions of the philosophy of despair. I am going to call them by Greek philosophical names, and real philosophers would tell me I am misusing those names, but I am not trying to define the Greek philosophies which went by those names. I am borrowing the names to make a point about common views of life.

The first expression says real happiness is not possible because life is meaningless. It comes from nothing and ends in nothing, but that doesn’t matter, because enjoyment and pleasure are possible. So don’t try to understand life, just have fun while you can. Seek pleasure. Live it up while you are able. Eat, drink, and be merry. That’s the best you can do. Let’s call these people, epicureans.

A second expression, agreeing that real life, or happiness, is impossible, also seeks to enjoy what can be enjoyed while we are able. In that sense it is similar to the epicurians., What makes it different is the assertion that the sorrows of life, the reality of death, and the total meaninglessness of life cannot be eluded or masked by pleasure. Sorrow and suffering intrude even into life’s pleasures, and decrease their joy. So, those in this school say, accept reality, accept life’s sorrows, and do the best you can with life. Let’s call these people stoics.

The third expression says, since real happiness is impossible, the pursuit of happiness is the source of unhappiness. In other words, we make ourselves unhappy trying to make ourselves happy. This is because our appetite for pleasure is never satisfied. We always want more. One piece of pie makes us want another. One week of vacation makes us want two weeks. Christmas season makes us want it to be Christmas all year. Thus, rather than indulging our desires for pleasure, suppress them. The more they are suppressed, the less influence they will have over us, and the less we will feel unhappy. Let’s call this school asceticism.

What is the general view in western culture today? I would say it leans heavily toward the epicurean school. It used to go under the name of self-fulfillment. It turned into doing your own thing in the 1960s. I don’t know what they are calling it today, but I call it mass confusion. It tells us happiness consists of acquiring the things, attitudes, and life-styles that are authentic to us, and true to ourselves. That will make us happy. This usually turns into the pursuit of money, and the things money can buy.

The second answer to the question of finding real life, or, let’s call it happiness, is the one I call hope. Hope says happiness, is real and attainable. Some of its expressions claim the sorrows of life are mere illusions, and if we just get in touch with the power of the cosmos, or nature, or God, we will rise above them. But most believe in the reality of life’s problems, and assert that real happiness is attainable in spite of them.

Taoism, for example, is the belief that there is a way to live in harmony with the universe, nature, others, and yourself. This way can be found, and cultivated within yourself, through practices like meditation, thinking good thoughts, and doing good things. It does not deny the troubles of life; it asserts that we can have happiness in spite of them.

Most religions are hopeful. And, even apart from religion, many believe we can have inner peace and world peace if we just adopt one or more self-help philosophies, or get rid of our inhibitions and let each person be his own, authentic self. I remember when transcendental meditation was the growing fad in America. Just cross your legs and go “oooom.” Let your mind go blank. That will help you reach inner peace, or self understanding, or self-actualisation.

These are just a few of the world’s answers to the ancient philosophers’ questions, but there is another. The Bible answers every question the philosophers ask. The Bible addresses both of these schools of thought. It tells us of despair, and it tells us of hope. The Bible books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes are placed together in the Old Testament because they deal with the big questions I mentioned earlier. Theologians often call these books Wisdom Literature. But the entire Bible is Wisdom Literature. The Bible is The Book of Wisdom. The book of Ephesians is all about wisdom, especially verses15-21 of chapter five. Paul, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, wrote Ephesians to primarily Gentile Christians who were steeped in pagan religion and Greek philosophy. And he intentionally used the Greek philosophers’ word for wisdom, sophia, to contrast the Greek attempts to find wisdom, with the wisdom of God as given in the Bible “See then that ye walk circumspectly,” he wrote, “not as fools, but as wise,” sophia. Walk wisely. Be wise about where you step, and where your steps take you, where you go. Be careful about the road you take, and the path you walk. Choose them wisely, and be sure they will take you to the correct destination. The opposite of wisdom is foolishness. Walk… not as fools, (15), be not unwise (17). The passage contrasts the ways of wisdom and the ways of foolishness. It is as though God is showing us the way of wisdom, and saying, “this is how wise people live,” and, “this is how foolish people live.”

In a previous sermon, I tried to emphasise what Paul meant by “redeeming the time.” Wise people redeem the time. The words literally mean something like “buy time,” but they are used in a symbolic sense, the way we say, “save time.” We all know we can’t save time. It passes regardless of what we do with it. But we can use it wisely. Redeeming time means to use time wisely. Use your time in a way that profits you in this life, and in eternity. It carries the meaning of making good use of your opportunities. But, more than this, it means to look for opportunities, and even create opportunities to do good things. Create opportunities to work, rest, pray, worship, study (not just read) the Bible, expose yourself to the influence of Godly people, and put the Bible into practice in your daily life.

Today, let’s look at verse 17. “Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Foolishness and understanding the will of the Lord are opposites, like negative and positive. And in this case, opposites definitely do not attract. Wise people, understand the will of the Lord. The will of the Lord is wisdom.

I am sure that, as I talk about wisdom, your minds turn to verses like, “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps 90:12), and “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10). To me, one of the most illuminating verses on wisdom is John 1:1, “in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” You have heard many sermons about the Greek word, logos which means “word,” so you already know it carries a deep meaning referring to the wisdom of God. Jesus of Nazareth was that logos who became flesh, and brought the message of God’s love and salvation and way of life to us. In other words, He is the wisdom of God who came to be our teacher in the school of God’s wisdom. He communicated the wisdom of God to the disciples, and commissioned them to become His Apostles, and take His wisdom to the ends of the earth. We usually call that wisdom, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Gospel is found in the Bible. That is why Paul, facing immanent execution in Rome, in a letter to Timothy, his “own son in the faith,” wrote of “the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation (2 Tim 3:15).” Those precious words are followed with these:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

It is my belief that the philosophers and wise men of the world, have really been trying to find and teach one thing. All of their books and libraries, schools and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, are attempts to find, explain, and put into practice what God expresses so well in the Hebrew word, shalom. Shalom is the word Jesus probably used in the upper room when He said, “Peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth give I unto you.” It is probably the word Christ used when He appeared in the upper room after His resurrection, and again when He appeared there a second time to show Himself to Thomas, “Peace be unto you.” Yes, I know the New Testament was written in Greek, and Jesus knew Greek, but, speaking to Jewish people He spoke in Aramaic for normal conversation, and Hebrew when quoting scripture, and since shalom has long been the traditional Jewish greeting, I believe He used that word on these occasions. Shalom means to have a sense of wholeness, concord, and tranquility as the result of knowing God, and living according to the way of life given in the Bible.

I think shalom is expressed in the blessedness of those who delight in the law of the Lord, who are like trees planted by rivers of water in Psalm 1. I think we see shalom in the words of Psalm 19,

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

I also believe shalom is the real life the philosophers and wise men, and everyday people have been seeking from the beginning. I believe every time I have mentioned real life and real happiness in this sermon, it could be better said in the word shalom. Shalom was what Adam and Eve wanted. The reason they sinned was because they thought they could find a better shalom, and make a better shalom on their own than the one God had given to them. So they set out to improve paradise. They set out to make shalom more shalom. Unfortunately, they looked for it in the wrong ways and in the wrong places. We all see the results. Professing ourselves wise, we have become fools (Rom. 1:22). Seeking shalom, we have created sheol.

Real shalom is only found in real wisdom, and the only source of real wisdom is God. Would you like to be wise? Would you like to know about beauty, truth, goodness, contentment? Would you like to know how to live the good life, the real life, the truly happy life? Would you like to have peace, even in times of trouble? Would you like to walk as wise instead of unwise? Here is the way: “understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Bishop Elect Yves Méra of France

I really hope you will read this sermon by Bishop-Elect Yves Méra of France. It is well written and while a very easy read, it will give you a lot to think about. He is truly an outstanding writer.

The Gospel

Matthew 22:15-22

HEN went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

The Sermon – God or Caesar?

HEN went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

The Pharisees hide in the shadows to plot against Jesus, for they prefer darkness to light: 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:9-12)

… 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians. The Pharisees are courageous, but not so foolhardy as to present themselves before Our Lord Jesus Christ. Sensing the risk they might run in confronting Christ, they send their second-knives to Him, thinking that He will not distrust them. And who are the Herodians? These are the followers of King Herod, set up by the Romans to control Judea. In 1940-43, they would have been called collaborators, always ready to denounce the Resistance, the enemies of the occupier. Here, the Herodians are sent by the Pharisees who otherwise hate them, in the hope that they will not hesitate to report to the Roman authorities any incident or statement questioning the Roman occupation.

This little company comes to Jesus … saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. They try to lull Jesus’ vigilance to sleep, by running the polishing brush over his back. Their opening statement commits Jesus to naivety, inviting Him to disregard the party to which they belong. They who lie incessantly, like their satanic master, now urge Jesus to tell them the truth. But Jesus is Christ, and they pretend to be ignorant of Him. They pretend, because if they did not know that Jesus is Christ, the Messiah promised to Abraham and all his descendants, why would they seek to entrap Him as a pretext for condemnation and execution by the Romans? Simply, their hearts are not ready to welcome their Messiah, because their pride has turned their hearts of flesh into hearts of stone. However, it can be believed that the Pharisees are afraid of weakening in their pride, since they hide and send minions instead of themselves.

And these underlings are charged with a seemingly banal commission, but more serious than it seems, in fact. They come to ask Jesus a tricky question. This question is found in Matthew’s Gospel text: 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? The wording is bizarre for indeed, paying the tax is a legal obligation, even if it is the Roman occupier. But then they ask Jesus if the Law of Moses allows us to pay taxes to a foreign power. Let us read Jeremiah 12:6-7: 6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee. 7 I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. Yes, God handed over His chosen people to the Roman enemies of Israel, because they did not listen to His prophets and mistreated them. Since the days of Jeremiah, they have not changed.

And here’s the catch: The question is closed and only admits YES or NO as an answer. Is Jesus going to put the Law of Moses—the Law of God—above Roman law, or not? If he does so by answering NO, then his account is done: He places Himself on the side of the Resistance to the occupier, and he may be handed over to the Roman judge who will condemn Him for rebellion. The Herodians stand there, watching over. And if Jesus answers YES, then He becomes a collaborator with the foreign occupier, the enemy of God and of the Jewish people, His people, the people He came to save from their sins by giving His life for them. He would then lose all authority over the people He loves, and His apostles would abandon Him to His fate after rejecting Him, and His story would have ended there.

Let us read Jesus’ answer: 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? With His first answer, Jesus turns the tables by answering their burning question with another, even more burning question for them! He unmasks them from the outset, and does not hesitate insulting them as they deserve by calling them hypocrites. Not all anger is reprehensible unless it lasts. Jesus is seized with holy anger here in reaction to their unworthiness, for, unlike the Roman soldiers who will nail him onto a cross, they know very well what they are doing. They suspect that Jesus has miraculous divine power and that He is at least a prophet, at least equal to all the prophets who preceded Him and whom the Israelites all slaughtered. In Matthew 23:29-35, Jesus reminds the Pharisees very explicitly: 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. And not only does Christ insult them, as if to prepare them for His official answer to their trick question, but He proves them to be hypocrites by making them say what they should not have said.

Now comes Jesus’ second question: Shew me the tribute money. A tribute is a tax levied by a foreign power – in this case, the Romans. In fact, the Romans did not bother with complicated exchange rates; they demanded the tribute be paid to them in Roman imperial coinage. However, the Pharisees, who boasted here and there of their ritual purity, considered Roman coinage to be impure since it bore the image of Caesar – an idol – and made all who touched it impure. But the curiosity of Jesus’ enemies leads them to sin: … And they brought unto him a penny. Notice Jesus does not ask “give me a penny and I will show you something”; He only asks to see a Roman denarius. He doesn’t touch it, even with the tip of his finger. Naively, the disciples of the Pharisees take one out of their purse, which connotes them as collaborators with the Romans and unclean! They are caught in their own trap! Red-handed!

Jesus now has the upper hand over His opponents, and He leads the discussion to His advantage, by successive stages, by asking one question after another; this is His third question: 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? This is not a tendentious interpretation, but a simple observation, in the presence of witnesses. 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Horror, hell and damnation! Here they are, caught at fault, and in flagrante delicto! It would have been smarter to say to Jesus, “We don’t know.”. But they had no excuse like the blind Bartimaeus, whom Christ healed on the road to Jericho. They were not blind, and the thing was only too obvious; it could no longer be hidden: this Roman denarius was to burn their hands, like a foretaste of Hell! And for good measure, the truth comes out of their own mouths, for before God it is impossible to lie: He knows all, sees all, hears all. Before Christ, they confess, as we confess our sins every night before our Lord, asking Him to forgive us, and promising to make every effort not to do them again.

Then he said unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and those that are God’s. In archaeological excavations in Egypt, terracotta bowls have been found, engraved with primitive Hebrew letters. These are bowls used by the Hebrews during the four centuries when they were slaves of the Pharaohs. Each one had its bowl marked with its name, like the Breton earthenware bowls from Quimper, even today. Note the Hebrews were not illiterate—and from the time of Moses, all the boys read a passage from the Torah for their Bar Mitzvah—and so they were able to recognize their name, inscribed on a bowl. The same goes for herds of cattle and sheep: all were marked with a sign specific to their owner.

By the way: Whose brand do you wear? Christ’s, through baptism, or the Adversary’s? (Revelation 7:2-3): Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, holding the seal of the living God, and he cried aloud to the four angels who had commanded to harm the earth and the sea, [and said] unto them, Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees; until we have marked the servants of our God on their foreheads … Do you wonder why at baptism the baptized person is marked with the sign of the cross on his forehead? It’s just an application of God’s Word, even though not all churches do it. On the other hand, those who have the mark of the beast have received it willingly (Revelation 13:16): … all, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, took a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; But further on, I read … a malignant and dangerous ulcer attacked men who had the mark of the beast, and those who worshipped its image (Revelation 16:2); But the beast was taken, and with it the false prophet who had done before it the wonders by which he had deceived those who had the mark of the beast, and who had worshipped his image; and they were both cast alive into the lake burning with fire and brimstone (Revelation 19:20) Admit it, it’s enough to shudder… It is better to fear God than the devil! The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding says King Solomon (Proverbs 9:10)

But let’s go back to our text from Matthew’s Gospel: Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. The reasonable simplicity of Jesus’ frank and direct response expounding verifiable and verified truth surprises the twisted minds that wanted to twist Christ and set a death trap before Him. Frankness and clarity are not in their habits, to the point that they do not dare answering. They are bamboozled into their own trap. Indeed, if they answer for themselves, they risk the same fate that they wanted Jesus Christ to suffer: death, that is. Let us remember that they are only envoys of the Pharisees. They don’t master all their science. They would therefore rather be silent than make their case worse, and return to their masters, to consult with them as to the right answer to give Christ. The Pharisees must have been sorry that they did not have the courage to go themselves; no doubt they would have had more repartee than their disciples. But the time for Christ to die on the cross had not yet arrived.

Therefore, 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. In the absence of clear instructions as to how they should react in such a situation, they abandon the battlefield and the struggle, like Satan after the Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness: 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Matthew 4:10-11)

My friends, we who have been sealed with the seal of the Lord at our baptism and educated in the Bible, we do know how to respond to Satan with God’s Word. We answer him, like Jesus Himself: Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”

Is that how you do it?

Bishop Elect Yves Méra

AOC France

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

Laurie, daughter of Jim and Mary Lou Flanagan has post-Covid lung damage, dizziness, falling, blacking out and loss of time relation. Please pray that they find a cure for these problems for Laurie.

Sandra (63) and her two grandchildren. Sandra and her daughter live in New York and recently got Covid requiring hospitalization and ventilators in ICU. Sandra’s daughter died in ICU and Sandra pulled through and is now home. She is coping with traumatic grief, as she did not get to see or get to be near her daughter in her time of need, confusion on how to proceed on providing for and protecting her and her grandchildren who are teenagers. Please pray for the Lord’s comfort in

Bill Hall is still having difficulty breathing and with his ability to move about.

Donald and his family. Donald has Covid, is medically sedated, and has been on a ventilator for a number of days. He makes a little progress and then experiences a setback. This had been a rollercoaster pattern now for a while. Please pray that our Heavenly Father will restore him to health and He will meet the emotional and financial needs of the family at this time. Donald has a wife and four children.

Travel

No known travel this week.

Birthdays

Jerry Ogles celebrated his 80^th birthday on 3 June 2023.

Anniversary

Dru and Hap Arnold celebrated their 36^th wedding anniversary on 21 February 2023.

Departed

Elizabeth Pressey, of St. George’s. passed away on 15 October 2023. Elizabeth was an amazing and good Christian woman. Please pray for her husband of 68 years, Bishop David Pressey and their son, Edward Pressey. The family thanks you for your prayers over the years.

Debbie of Mooresville, NC, passed away on 9 August 2023, after a long hard fought battle with breast cancer and a short hospital stay. Please give thanks for her time here on earth. Pray for comfort and strength for her husband Charles and daughters Mackenzie and Macrae as they adjust to her temporary separation. May they allow God to carry their sorrow until they meet again.

Immediate Prayer Please

Ditte has been suffering from cancer; she decided to forego surgery and attempt to slow the spread by chemotherapy. She needs our continued prayer, however, today she learned her eldest son had died. Please pray for this family.

Debi Romano Gunther is set for a mammary biopsy on 27 November 2023, at 1100. She is understandably concerned. Please pray for peace of mind for her as she waits the procedure and results, for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her to pay attention and do their very best and for a good result.

Myanmar (Burma) We solicit your prayers for the Church and people of Myanmar (Burma). The Rev. Titus has sent this note:

We face a big flood in Bago where I am living now. It has been 2 days and many people in my area moved to another area where the water cannot reach. We are safe by grace` but some houses of my members are going to sink very soon if the rain is not stopped. In the pictures` the houses are in the midst of water damage and there is a house of my member in this place. They cannot go to anywhere to purchase their foods. So dear Bishop and friends` you all are kindly requested to pray for me and my Church members in Myanmar. Thank you all

Billie Broome a stroke survivor who has had femur, knee and hip surgery, spent a month in the hospital, now she has blood clots and severe swelling in her foot which became infected. She is improving slightly and asks that you give thanks for the improvement and pray for complete recovery. Please pray for peace of mind for Billie, her husband Richard and family. They are all strong Christians, but somewhat prone to worry.

Mr. Kim, father of Minki, one of Bishop Jerry’s congregation members, has been diagnosed with Colorectal cancer. He is i beginning radiation/chemo treatment prior to surgery. Please pray for peace of mind for him and his family and for guidance for the medical team treating him.

Mark George has been diagnosed with cancer of the throat and will be at Kirkland Clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, to determine further treatment on 27 July 2023.

Viera Djurcik, mother of Bishop Igor Djurcik from Serbia, had her left leg amputated above the knee as the result of gangrene. The surgery was successful, but she has a long road ahead for recovery. Please give thank for successful surgery and pray for complete and rapid recovery for Viera and for peace of mind for her and her family.

Tricia Marie underwent abdominal surgery on 28 June 2023; she gives thanks it was apparently successful and asks you to pray with here for a full and rapid recovery, for peace of mind for her and her family. She gives thanks for an apparently successful coil surgery to seal off an aneurysm at the base of her skull on 12 January 2023. She has seemingly recovered from the stroke of December 2021. She still headaches which had been bothering her for months since she got the Moderna vaccine. She has had almost no real sleep or rest for months. She fell on stairs and while apparently broke nothing, is very sore and scared herself. She has gotten some relief from the headache from a Botox injection series, may that continue. Please give thanks for the successful surgery and pray for relief from the headache, nausea and pain and rest for her, for guidance for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her and a full and rapid recovery, for peace of mind for her and her family.

Bryan Dabney, AOC Minister, had quadruple bypass surgery on 6 July 2023. He is home and seems to be doing well. He is beginning physical therapy and cardiac rehabilitation. Please give thanks for the apparently successful surgery and pray for a full and complete recovery. Continue to comfort Brian, his wife Lisa, and son Thomas as they deal with his recovery.

Natalie Oslin Lohrenz is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, she is about 1/3 of the way through the regimen. She is tolerating the poison pretty well, but asks your prayers for it to work and the toleration to continue.

Josh Morley, son of Bishop Charles Morley, has had another grand mal seizure and is back in the hospital. Joshua and Bishop Morley are distraught, as they cannot determine the cause for his seizure. They are hoping to change doctors and find a cause and cure for Joshua. Bishop Morley says Joshua is healthy in every way but for having these seizures.

John May had a heart attack on 13 May 2023, he received a single stent. After three days he was released from the hospital to recover at home. Please pray for peace of mind for John, his wife Jenny and children Joshua and Cayenne, as well as the rest of her family. Pray also for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him that they might pay attention and do their very best; and for a good outcome.

David McMillan recently suffered a stroke. Please pray for guidance for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him and for peace of mind for David and his family.

Alicia, her husband, Andrew, and their two young daughters. Alicia has Susac’s Disease and narcolepsy. She has not been able to work and is having a difficult time even functioning. Please pray for her, her family, and those that attend her. May heavenly wisdom fill the doctors that they may treat Alicia and serve as God’s instruments to restore her to health.

Harry Brooks, Major USMC – GA ANG Retired – just finished a round of chemotherapy, which he barely survived and had his cancerous bladder in March 2023. Please pray for guidance for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him and for peace of mind for Harry and his family and for a good result.

Major Tom Connell, a good friend of Hap Arnold, had surgery on 25 February 2022, for abdominal cancer to remove a tumor. Spots have now appeared on his liver and he is restarting chemotherapy in January 2023. Tom asks you join him in praying for him to tolerate the treatment. Tom is a good guy and a faithful Christian; he is grateful for weathering this storm to date and the comfort God provided to him and his family.

Bob Apple just found out he has cancer and is beginning treatment. Please pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him that they might pay attention, do their very best and be open to God’s guidance; pray also for peace of mind for Bob.

Deanna Sampson started to treat for cataracts and found she had an irregular heartbeat, then breast cancer with precluded the operation. She had apparently successful surgery for the cancer and has undergone radiation treatment, she is waiting to see what comes next. A strong Christian with an incredible attitude, she could nonetheless use your prayers.

Henry Johnson (age 3) suffers from a rare form of epilepsy. Please join his parents in praying a treatment regimen can be found to treat his condition.

Tricia Marie gives thanks for an apparently successful coil surgery to seal off an aneurysm at the base of her skull on 12 January 2023. She has seemingly recovered from the stroke of December 2021. She still headaches which had been bothering her for months since she got the Moderna vaccine. She has had almost no real sleep or rest for months. She fell on stairs and while apparently broke nothing, is very sore and scared herself. She has gotten some relief from the headache from a Botox injection series, may that continue. Please give thanks for the successful surgery and pray for relief from the headache, nausea and pain and rest for her, for guidance for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her and a full and rapid recovery, for peace of mind for her and her family.

Shamu is totally exhausted, but in relatively good spirits. Shamu has a terrible headache, is in a lot of pain; feels like she has been stabbed, totally exhausted and weak, but her faith is incredibly strong. They have found a mass in her upper abdomen which must be investigated. She asks you pray for guidance for the medical people helping her. After 36 surgeries, she is quite very weak, but strong in her trust in our Lord as she goes through this difficult time. She needs your prayer. Please.

Tommy Cook is beset by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Congestive Heart failure. It seems there is little that can be done except fight a delaying action against the aggressive pair. At present it seems like the only avenue open is a heart lung transplant and little chance of that. He asks you pray for guidance for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him and the miracle of a full and rapid recovery, for peace of mind for him and his family. He is a very strong Christian and has no concern for himself, but for his wife, children and mother.

Johnie Ratcliff is having breathing issues.

Brady on the way to enter the armed forces in Virginia Beach, got in a horrible tragic car accident that required surgery to restructure his foot, and back surgery to relieve pressure on his spine and repair the breaks. Please pray for his parents, and that he, unsure of what his future will hold, will understand the Lord Jesus Christ holds his future and He will not fail nor forsake him.

David Connis has Stage Four colon cancer, he can no longer do chemotherapy and has switched to immunotherapy in the hope of surviving to participate in an experimental program in December. Please pray for strength and guidance for him and his nine year old daughter, as well as what we consider a good outcome.

John Crawford, of Tennessee, is in ICU for treatment of pancreatitis. Please pray for guidance for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him and for peace of mind for John and his family and for a good result.

Lori Barnett had a large mass in her abdomen surgically removed which turned out to be cancerous. She has begun chemotherapy. Please pray for the cessation of pain and discomfort for her and for her to tolerate the chemotherapy.

George Johnson, MD, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma[1]. From Dr. George Hardin Johnson, I need all my friends and prayer warriors to pray for me, that the new chemo pill (meds) that the doctor ordered will be use mightily by the Lord Jesus to heal my body. Pray that there will be no side effects and my body can handle the meds. Thanks and God bless you all for your prayers in the mighty name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. We know God is in full control and we are trusting in Him to give George a complete healing!

Margie Johnson (wife of Dr. George Johnson) is very ill and need of healing. Please pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her that they might pay attention, do their very best and be open to God’s guidance. Pray also for comfort and strength for her and her husband George.

Greg was in an explosive work accident leading to burns over 65% of his body. He is in the hospital and will be for months. Also pray for his mother, who recently lost her husband and now is overseeing her son’s care; she is disabled and in a wheel chair.

Lauralee Meade has tested positive for Covid 19; she is only moderately concerned as she has no symptoms. She asks you pray she stay that way and test negative so she can visit her mother. Please pray also for a complete remission of her cancer. Pray also Lauralee will maintain her great attitude and trust in God.

Inga, the wife of Tore, requests prayer for her husband in Norway. He is awaiting surgery for a heart valve and kidney transplants. He is nearing surgery. Please pray for trust in the Lord for her, her husband and family and friends who are so very worried about him. Pray also for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating him that they might be open to God’s guidance for treatment, pay attention and do their very best to help him. Pray for a good outcome.

Angela Walker has Covid and has been hospitalized and currently is in the ICU doing poorly. Please pray for trust in the Lord for her, her husband, two young children and family and friends who are so very worried about her. Pray also for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her that they might be open to God’s guidance for treatment, pay attention and do their very best to help her. Pray for a good outcome.

Rhonda, a close friend of Angie Colgrove, has Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer[2]. Please pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her that they might be open to God’s guidance, pay attention and do their very be Please pray for peace of mind and trust in God for Rhonda and her family.

Elizabeth Pressey, wife of AOC Bishop Dave Pressey, is seriously ill. Please pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her that they might be open to God’s guidance, pay attention and do their very be Please pray for peace of mind and trust in God for Elisabeth, Dave, their son Eddie and family.

Zephaniah Leguman – the Iron Bishop of the Pacific – has been diagnosed with a serious eye affliction that could lead to blindness. It presently stop deteriorating and seems to be improving. Please give thanks for this positive movement and pray the condition will continue to abate.

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

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.

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.

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

Sandy has be diagnosed with malignant lung cancer. She has COPD and therefore not a candidate for surgery. Her only medical option is for Chemo and Radiation according to her Drs.: Sandy is a Christian who believes in the healing power of prayer. Sandy has been a friend of Mary Lou Flanagan since high school as well as going to college together.

John Thomas, of Malaysia, a long time friend of Bishop Jerry, a persevering servant of the Lord for many years. His health has begun to fade in his present age of 79. Please pray the Lord will extend a merciful hand to John, and his devoted wife Gina, in working out His perfect will for both.

Joey Angelica is a recovering addict with liver cancer and diabetes, he lost his job during the plandemic, then found out he has liver cancer. He is a very strong Christian, he and his friend Vicki ask that you pray for his recovery and continued trust in God.

Michael Baran – End stage congestive heart failure. 20 March 20 at 10:56 AM To all my friends and family I had to go to the hospital in Rochester NY where I had my implant mechanical heart assist pump placed in my abdomen. I have end stage heart failure. On Wednesday I had to go to the hospital I was in need of a wheelchair I was very weak and I needed to have someone push me because I got short of breath, and I was so weak, I needed assistance to get up out of the wheelchair. I had to do a walk test and I had to have help to stand up my blood pressure was so low. I fell back In to the wheel chair. I tried to walk after they got me up and was able to use the hand rail and walk about a hundred feet there were two aids behind me I had to stop and nearly collapsed. They kept me from going down. After all the tests were done the Nurse practitioner reviewed over the results. I had one valve replaced about 6 months ago. But now the other 3 are leaking, there is not much they can do for me.

Yesterday I prayed that if God didn’t need me here. to take me home. I long to be free of this old body and to see my Lord, my family and friends that have gone on to their rewards, to be with them evermore. I told the Lord if he needs me here then he needs to renew my strength so that I can walk.

I woke up this morning and felt good. I got up to go to the bathroom and to my surprise I did not struggle to stand up!!! I actually walked to the bathroom without a walker. I am back in bed crying as I write this to you as the Holy Spirit brought to my mind Isaiah 40:31 ..Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength and shall soar on wings like eagles they will run and not grow weary they shall walk and not faint.

I have been unable to walk more than 100 ft or so, for the last six months in the last two weeks my oxygen saturation was as low as 74 and unable to walk without a walker. have a lift chair-recliner in the TV room. I am now able to get up without it.!!!

My God is an awesome God he has heard my prayers and has indeed strengthened me.!!!

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.

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.

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 li Please remember him in prayer in the days and weeks ahead. Pray he will put his worry on God’s shoulders so he might be at peace and 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

Jim and Pam Lanno – After Jim was recovering from a heart attack, he noticed something was off. Soon came the diagnosis of ALS along with dementia. He is in his early 60s. Pam is learning the role of care taker and overwhelmed and fearful at times. Both are good Christians and love the Lord with all their hearts. Pray for God’s Comfort and Guidance for both and all caretakers who assist.

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

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

Melissa Morgan, a young woman in her thirties just found out she has ovarian cancer. Pray with Melissa, her family and friends 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 Melissa, her family and friends in this worrisome time.

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.

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.

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.

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

Sandra Zimmerman was diagnosed with triple positive Stage 2 breast cancer. She had a mammogram done last year at 40 years old and it was clear. This July they found two suspicious lumps, there was follow up with another mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy, bloodwork, MRI, more bloodwork, and PET scan. Sandra’s most pressing concern is how she will take care of her baby Sophie as she goes through chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation along with a cocktail of pills. It’s going to be a year long journey, she asks your prayer to stay strong and fight this battle!

Madisun Hanks (20) 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.

Hilda Hanks has developed diabetes, which resulted in the need for eye surgery and has difficulty with the added stress in her life. Pray for the doctors, nurses and technicians treating her 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 Hilda and Madisun.

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 be Pray 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.

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 Marathon 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.

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 has lost her site completely, broke her tibia and has returned home for family care following hospitalization and rehab. Please pray that the family learn how to care for her at home as with blindness she is too frightened being in a Long term care facility. Evelyn is 96 years old.

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.

Healing and Patience

Angie Colgrove has various problems and challenges, physical, mental, and spiritual. She asks you pray for guidance for her and those treating her, as well as for her family.

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.

Thanksgiving and Continued Healing

Jennifer, wife of Bishop Jose Antonio Rios, had surgery 27 May 2023 and appears to be recovering well. Please give thank and pray for a full return to health.

Don Fultz fell in response to a house on fire across the street and broke his hip. He is had surgery and spent time in the Cardiac Care Unit in response to a heart arrythmia apparently due to the anesthesia. That was resolved and Don returned home to complete his recovery and is doing well. He and his family thank you for your prayers. Please continue praying for a complete recovery.

Barbara (Paulette Ratcliff’s) sister, has battled stomach cancer through removal of tumor and chemotherapy but the tumor returned at 7 centimeters. She had apparently successful surgery on Friday 24 June 2022. Please give thanks for the successful surgery and for a full and rapid recovery and for full remission of the cancer. Pray also for peace of mind for Barbara, her children, her sisters and brothers.

Deborah Drucilla, sister of Bishop Jerry, was hospitalized with a number of issues including blood clot in her liver. She is now home. Please give thanks for a good result so far and a full and rapid recovery, for peace of mind for her and her family.

Wendy Hinman, one of Hap Arnold’s backseaters from the Air Force and a great Christian of much faith, had successful double bypass surgery on 14 March 2022 to replace two stents which failed. He ended up with a lung blood clot and back in the hospital. He is back home again. Please give thanks for the successful surgery and for continued healing and for peace of mind. He is depressed and beset by thoughts he does not want to confront.

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).

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.

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

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.

Guidance

Zachary is seems to be on his way away from the darkside; please pray he will continue towards our Lord and good citizenship.

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 heart 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 Christ. Mitten does not believe and does not seem to care. Please pray Mitten will see the light.

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

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

Solomon Islands

Please pray for Bishop Zephaniah, the AOC and all the peoples of the Solomon Islands who are experiencing civil unrest as a result of the government switching their alliance from Taiwan to Communist China.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/solomon-islands-leader-blames-foreign-powers-unrest-australian-forces-arrive-n1284619

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.

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

We are generally doing good, except that all boundary checkpoint out were tightened again due to the DELTA VARIANT entered the city. On the other side, our members in Tulodan are now experiencing famine due to the effect of the recent continues heavy rains during the month of July to early August which completely destroyed their vegetable plantation.

Bishop Anthony Pangsiw

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.

Columbiq

I am writing to request your prayers for Colombia, my country. At this moment frightful things are happening, a great diabolical shadow is cast over this nation.

The Constitutional Court in a tyrannical way has decriminalized the crime of abortion in Colombia, even up to six months. This is an illegitimate process, the court is legislating, something that is not within the competence of the judges, on the other hand the issue of abortion was a cause judged in 2006, which is why it should not be judged again in 2022. But socialist groups, international elites, social engineers and feminist groups have not given up on the issue. They want to traffic in death.

The candidate of the extreme left Gustavo Petro is close to become the president of Colombia, this is a man who in his youth was a guerrilla criminal, a vile and despicable man who has always served the interests of drug trafficking, he was an advisor to Chavez who implanted Communism in Venezuela, his second home is Communist Cuba.

The same court approved the movement of Gustavo Petro called: la Colombia Humana, it gave him the status of a political party, with this, he has the possibility of getting to introduce at least 15 congressmen, basically he is close to kidnapping all the powers, he already has the judicial power in his pocket, he only lacks the executive and the legislative. We are close to the precipice, we trust in a miracle of God.

We hope you support us with your prayers, I will ask the brothers to pray unceasingly so that in his mercy we will be saved from these perverse men. God bless you and keep you in all things.

Your servant in Christ,

Bishop José Antonio Rios

Armed Forces & Contractors

Dustin (USAF – Stateside), SGT 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), Ethan (US Army Airborne – Southwest Asia) Sarah Schumacher (US Army Kuwait), Lourie DeBoer (NTPS Patuxent River, Maryland)

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

David Barnes, husband of our headquarters church accountant (Joyce) had successful heart ablation surgery Wednesday, 18 October 2023. Please give thanks for the good result and pray for a full and rapid recovery.

Kai Mandella gives thanks for his recovery from Covid.

Hap gives thanks for his recovery from Covid.

Tricia gives thanks for her recovery from Covid.

Shamu gives thanks for recovery from Covid.

Rev Yves Mera and his wife give thanks for recovery from Covid.

Rev Eddie Pressey from St. George’s Anglican Church of Ventura gives thanks for recovery from Covid.

Bishop David Pressey from St. George’s Anglican Church of Ventura gives thanks for recovery from Covid.

Lynn and Katie Hall give thanks for recovery from Covid.

Amy Jamieson gives thanks for recovery from Covid.

Hope and Ralph DeLong give thanks for recovery from Covid.

Coming Up – The near future, as well as Next Sunday

19 November 2023 – Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity Sunday – 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

26 November 2023 – Sunday Next Before Advent – 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

3 December 2023 – First Sunday in Advent– Morning Prayer – Service start time 1000 (10:00 am); welcome or gathering songs before the service at 0945 (9:45 am); Time 1000 (10:00 am); Location – 10603 Burrell Way, Descanso, CA

[1] Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Healthy plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs. In multiple myeloma, cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells. While there is no cure for multiple myeloma, the cancer can be managed successfully in many patients for years; the average life expectancy is 4 years. However, some people beat the odds and live 10 to 20 years or more. The most common cause of death related to multiple myeloma is infection, with pneumonia being the most common fatal infection. Other common causes of death are bleeding (from low platelet counts), complications of bone fractures, kidney failure, and blood clots in the lungs.

[2] The average 5-year survival rate for women with non-metastatic invasive breast cancer is 91%. The average 10-year survival rate for women with invasive breast cancer is 84%. If the invasive cancer is located only in the breast, the 5-year survival rate of women with breast cancer is 99%

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