Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
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Seventh Sunday after Trinity
Sunday Report
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The Seventh Sunday after Trinity – July 14, 2024
SEVENTH Sunday after Trinity Propers:
The propers are 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 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found on Page 195-196, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity
LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity. The Epistle. Romans vi. 19.
I SPEAK after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gospel for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel.
St . Mark viii. 1.
IN those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
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, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places.
Points to Ponder:
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Isaiah 60:1
To a hypocrite – all whose religion lies in his tongue— nothing is more dreadful than that God searches the heart.
The Rev. Matthew Henry– 17th and 18th century English pastor and author
[Let] us learn not to put implicit confidence in any man’s opinion, merely because of his office as a minister. Peter was one of the very chiefest apostles, and yet he could err. This is a point on which men have continually gone astray. It is the rock on which the early church struck. Men soon took up the saying, ‘Do nothing contrary to the mind of the bishop!’ But what are bishops, priests, and deacons? What are the best of ministers but men— dust, ashes, and clay— men of like passions with ourselves, men exposed to temptations, men liable to weaknesses and infirmities? What saith the Scripture, Who is Paul and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
(I Corinthians 3:5). Bishops have often driven the truth into the wilderness and decreed that to be true which was false. The greatest errors have been begun by ministers… It is absurd to suppose that ordained men cannot go wrong. We should follow them so far as they teach according to the Bible, but no further.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle– 19th century Anglican bishop and author (Knots Untied, p. 385).
We are in hot haste to set the world right and to order all affairs; the Lord hath the leisure of conscious power and unerring wisdom, and it will be well for us to learn to wait.
The Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon– 19th century English pastor and author.
Though our Lord came to us as a gentle Baby at Bethlehem, and traversed the land healing, teaching and resurrecting the dead; He shall come again with Power and Great Glory to judge the world. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31)
Bishop Jerry L. Ogles, The Five Solas of the Reformed Faith, pg. 40
Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
The Burden of Issac Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yHs-afFA5c
J.C. Ryles Sermon for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity: Narrated by Bishop Jerry L. Ogles)
PRAYER OF COLLECT for Seventh Sunday after TRINITY
“Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.” (Psalms 112:6-7)
The Collect
LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The opening of the Collect (using Gelasius translation) formerly used the honorific: “O Lord of Host” as its introductory opening; however, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer referenced the Lord as described in James: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
This Collect asks four things of God which we are incapable of doing ourselves:
1) “Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name”;
2) “increase in us true religion”;
3) “nourish us with all goodness”; and,
4) “keep us”.
We can neither receive, nor retain, the love of God’s name without the efficacious working of the Holy Spirit therein. We are helpless to supply a thing of which we can claim no ownership. The love that permeates our hearts is from the overflowing Fountain and Source of Love which is in God through Jesus Christ. Like our bodies, we cannot add a single inch to the stature of our spirits and souls. All of the increase we enjoy in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding comes from that same Source from which the Love of God overflows. Our nourishment is forever from God if it is wholesome and good. We daily partake of the Bread of Heaven given by that Giver of all good things found in the Word of God which is preserved for us as a gift to all who believe. Who is our Keeper? Why, it is the Lord Himself. He is our Good Shepherd to keep us in the good way. He is the Rock of our Salvation to keep us from drifting. He is the Ark into which we flee for salvation in the day of ruin. And He is much more…so much more that we cannot mention all in the scope of a short devotion. Since He is the Word in total, He is also the Author and Giver of Life itself, and the Preserver of Life in Love.
“Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.”
(Psalm 112:6) The righteous of the Lord are steady as a well-steered ocean vessel on the seas of life. The Captain knows well the course, and His Compass is true to the North Throne of God. Those who are everlastingly ‘remembered’ by God cannot be moved from that faith and grace which has saved them, and preserved them.
“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.” (Psalm 112:7) The immovable North Star has long been used by seafaring vessels as a constant reference and guide across the vast oceans. The navigation of the vessel is based on clear vision and physical sight; but there is a means by which the soul of the Christian may be guided in both light and darkness by means of an indwelling compass of the heart. That compass is the Holy Ghost. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)
I hope you will remember the immortal lines of a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins, titled GOD KNOWS:
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
As an illustration of the unseen change in the character of the heart of a Christian when they have received Christ as Lord, I took a metal rod of thirty-six inch length and oriented it to magnetic north. I also deviated the point to align with the magnetic axis of the earth at the thirty degree parallel. I struck the rod sharply with a hammer. The rod became sufficiently magnetized to attract the needle of the compass to a far greater extent than previous to being so stricken. The object was to demonstrate that there is a fundamental change in the nature of the heart when God comes in through faith and the grace of Christ. Though it is composed of the same cell tissue, it has a different nature following such an experience. I also took metals of various elements and scattered on a table. Those made of iron were attracted immediately to a strong magnet I swung over the table. Those metals of copper and lead remained unmoved. God recognizes His own nature in the natures of the hearts that have been ‘magnetized’ by His Love.
A sailing vessel may be many hundreds of tons. It may carry a large cargo and take on a great draught of water. Its sails are extremely important for they provide the vessel with the means of movement based on prevailing winds. When errors in navigation are discovered, the sails, like our motivations, can be adjusted to correct to a right course. The ship’s structure is also vitally important. It must be made of sturdy materials and its design commensurate to cutting through the blasts and billows of the storm.
But there is one device on the ship that is of far greater importance than the quality of canvas comprising the sails, or the species of timber defining its hull. That device is the magnetic compass. Though the captain of the vessel may use a sextant under clear skies for navigation, it is worthless under a cloudy sky. But the magnetic compass performs under every condition of weather or light. It may temporarily deviate when attracted by a large mass of metal on a passing ship, or by the electrifying impulses of the lightning from a storm, but it will always move back to magnetic north. That magnetic compass is so very similar to our Conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit, with which God has equipped us. It may be attracted temporarily to the passing things of this world; or it may deviate from true course briefly in the storms of life; but it will always return to its true reading and point the way to safe harbor of the soul.
When our hearts are fixed and trusting in the Lord, we may waver at moments of temptation. But that will only be a rare and temporary deviation. Our hearts, as did David’s and Peter’s, return to the true course of our love and safety in Christ. A heart whose foundation is that Rock of Christ is stayed and immovable. It may shake with the blast of ill winds against its walls, but it is fixed in place and cannot be moved.
Do you have such a heart, reader?
Sermon Notes for Seventh Sunday after Trinity
The Collect
Seventh Sunday after Trinity
LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect for today rightly acknowledges that the Lord is the “Author and Giver of all good things” – including LOVE. The prayer appeals for a grafting into our hearts a love for “Thy Name” as well as a natural practice of “true religion” – not that false and apostate religion that passes for Christianity in most mainline churches. The term ‘Graft’ is used because the love of God and true religion do not naturally exist in our hearts, but must be imparted by Grace, through faith, by Him who is an Author of Love and the Finisher of our faith who ‘grafted our names by the point of a nail’ into His hands, feet and side at Calvary. Whatever good is imparted to our hearts must be constantly nourished by His Word and Love.
The Gospel for Holy Communion for this Sunday:
“1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.” (Mark 8:1-9)
I have often preached from this text and find new meaning in each reading. The mystical power, and practical application, of god’s Word is truly amazing to human reasoning and logic. In this case of the feeding of 4,000 our Lord was to the gentile peoples of Decapolis as opposed to the feeding of the 5,000 of the Hebrew peoples. It demonstrates the love of God for people of all flocks which feed upon His hills and valleys.
The text from mark today follows in every important detail the same event described in the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chap 15, verses 29-39. Each Gospel sheds a variant of beauty to the occasion. The setting is both serene and majestic – a mountain overlooking the pristine waters of Galilee. The crowds have flocked to hear Jesus, far more hungry for the Word of God than for the physical bread required to nourish their own bodies. The miracle of Jesus in feeding so many souls from meager crumbs is preview for that Last supper which He served the night of His betrayal. It is to be observed that these thousands of soul-hungry souls represent our own souls if we have thirsted for that matchless grace and love of Christ. This is the second such miraculous feeding of the multitudes. In this act are represented two perspectives: 1) that of the crowd (you and me); and 2) the perspective of our Lord in dealing with the multitudes.
Though I have preached from this text many times, the Word of God lends itself to variant colors of brilliant light when held up to the sun, as a diamond with many facets, and turned about to view those complementary colors of stark gold, blue, green, and blue – each represented a single component of that white light of the Sun of Righteousness.
Let us first observe the nature of the MULTITUDES that followed Christ:
1) The hunger was great in those days to hear the Word: “In those days the multitude being very great.” Why is it not so in our own day? Those attending churches that adhere to the Word of God have dwindled significantly due to the self-righteous nature of modern man. They come in dozens to worship in true reverence today rather than by the thousands in those days in which travel was difficult.
2) These thousands did not come to satisfy the physical, but spiritual, senses: “they have now been with me three days.” It is a great accomplishment in our day to hear a minister preach longer than 20 or 25 minutes, but an even greater accomplishment to witness worshippers willing to sit through a sermon that is as long as the Holy Ghost would have it to be. These multitudes came to hear the Word until it was finished being spoken. They did not mind their physical needs during the preaching of the Word.
3) Their sustenance was not physical, but spiritual: “have nothing to eat.” There is no record of any glances often at their watches, or running to and fro for water or other nourishment. They were fixed on the Lord, and nothing else mattered in their hearts.
4) Though they were actually famished for bread, they had not murmured or complained of it: “. . if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way.” The soul is always satisfied when coming into the Presence of the Lord, but faints in His absence. In our partaking of the Supper of the Lord, do our hearts not burn in our breast when the meaning of the elements of Bread and Wine are contemplated?
5) Many of the multitudes did not take a casual stroll to hear Jesus. Most had traveled from far villages and lands to hear the Words of Jesus. How far, friend, did you travel to hear this Word, and how far are you willing to travel if necessary? “. . for divers of them came from far.” How far will we go in questioning the power of God? “From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” A mere man cannot satisfy, but a man who is the Son of God can, indeed, feed all who are hungry.
6) The multitudes came not only to hear the Word, but to obey it as well: “. . he commanded the people to sit down on the ground.” They obeyed not even knowing what to expect later. Is our own obedience so prompt and unquestioning? After standing to hear the Gospel for three days, why would they now sit upon the ground? They didn’t know the reason, but they obeyed any way.
7) The multitudes were filled both spiritually and, now, physically, at the hearing of the Word. “So they did eat, and were filled.” We are always filled when it is the Lord that feeds us: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) I will add that the Bread which came down from Heaven is also the Word (from beginning to end). (John 1:1) Do we hunger and thirst for that Bread (Word) daily, or do we presume ourselves well-fed upon the bread of our own unworthiness?
Today we live in abject luxury and opulence compared to the people of Jesus’ day, yet we have no time to drive a few minutes to Church on the Lord’s Day, or to take 15 minutes only from our leisure to read into the depths of the Sea of God’s Word. Shameful! We need not traverse desert and mountain to hear Christ – His Word is conveniently at our finger tips. We cannot even sit patiently in worship until the Holy Spirit has spoken His Word to us. We are a people in a hurry to go nowhere. We dare not deprive our souls of any desire compared to our duties to God. We ask for short, simple sermons, fast food style worship services, and a prompt release to go about our worldly pursuits. We are not like those people who hungered for the Word of god, traveled great distances by foot to hear it, lingered for three days without food, and left filled with both the Bread of Heaven and the bread of sustenance. Those who came at personal effort went away filled, and so will we if we approach worship in the right disposition of mind, body, and soul.
We will now examine the manner in which our Lord viewed the multitudes:
1) Jesus recognized the need of the multitudes. He not only resolves to satisfy their needs, but also allows his disciples (you and I) to assist in satisfying His works of Mercy and compassion: “In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him.” Jesus takes note of our personal needs, and points out to us the needs of others.
2) Jesus has COMPASSION on those who have grave needs. Compassion is not sympathy only, but the kind of sympathy that evokes ACTION to satisfy. Compassion means to feel the pain of the sufferer as that one one’s own pain, and to take action to remedy the need or pain. Jesus ALWAYS had compassion on the sick, the crippled, the blind and deaf. And He demonstrated His greatest compassion for the sinner in His last act of mercy at Calvary in dying in our stead. “. . . because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.”
3) Jesus asks us to serve Him with whatever resources we have, and those resources will always be enough. “And he asked them, How many loaves have ye?” Truly, there were scarce resources, in the eyes of man, to suffice; but God needs only our small resources combined with a mighty faith in Him. “…And they said, Seven.”
4) “6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.” Jesus asks us to rest in Him when He works because it is only by His works, and not our own, that we are benefitted. Moreover, though He was God in the flesh, He still gave thanks to His Father for every blessing. He also allows His people to participate in serving others the Bread of Heaven and of life. He allows His ministers to serve as servants to the people. Jesus not only used the small supply of bread, but added variety to the feast by multiply the few small fish that were there. “7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.”
5) Jesus ALWAYS provides a full meal. “8 So they did eat, and were filled:” All of the thousands present were filled and satisfied. Numbers matter not to the Lord, it is abiding faith that He expects of us.
6) Jesus does not desire that we waste aught of any blessings He showers upon us. “and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.” They did not leave the scraps in the field, but took up all that remained and, interestingly, that which remained was many times the amount with which they began. God takes the meager mites of the widow woman and multiplies those thousands and millions of times.
7) It would be such a joy to fest with the Lord always, but there is also a component of service that must be satisfied by the disciple. Not only are we fed, we must seek others to be fed as well. “9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.” We must leave the mountain of our daily feats and go into the valleys and meadows to spread the good news of the mercy and grace of the Lord.
Were we not present in that mountainside multitude to be fed by the Lord? Have not the multitudes of Christians since that time fed of the same Bread and drank of the same Cup? Have we become more like that Bread of Heaven by consuming it through God’s Word….so much so that we, too, have compassion on the multitudes and are moved to take action? These are questions no other man can answer for us. It is directed to the heart of every Christian.
The sequel to that text above follows in the subsequent verses of Mark 8: “Mark 8:10-21 (KJV) “And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. 11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. 13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?”
There is a more detailed explanation from Matthew on the principle which Christ was imparting: “5And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” Matthew 16:5-12 (KJV)
Our Lord is describing a condition of the Jewish Church of His day as well as one that is disappointing present in to great a number in our Church today – false ministers who preach for money and power. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the big-time preachers of their day who constantly led the people to bear burdens that they would not touch with their little finger. It was illustrated in the leaven. Leaven represents sin and false doctrine. That is why we use unleavened
bread in our Holy Communion Service.
Our Lord gives us a stark example of the modern apostasy of the Church in Matthew 13:33 – “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” As we have pointed out before, anytime the Word of God in prophecy uses womanhood as an example, He is referring to some kind of religious establishment such as the woman that rides the beast (Rev 17:3), or the woman “clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet” of Rev. 12. The modern Church has so diluted the Word of God with the leavening of the own making that it is no longer the Word of God. The woman of Matthew 13:33 represents the modern Church which has added Leaven to the Word which represents false doctrine.
Beware, my brothers and sisters, of these shysters who will say or do anything so long as the crowd throws them coins of the realm.
Yves M. Méra
Presiding Bishop – AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.
SERMON for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity –
Romans 6:19-23; Mark 8:1-9a
GOD’S GENEROSITY
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
For the second time, Our Lord Jesus Christ multiplies the loaves of bread to the crowd of those who listen to Him, as they retreated to a deserted place, away from the world and from the cares and worries of daily life. The crowd represents the Church gathered to hear the Sunday sermon. This crowd feeds on the Word of Christ, and Christ gives them His spiritual food in abundance. Joining the gesture to the Word, he blessed the crowd by praying the Father to multiply the loaves and fishes, so as to satisfy everyone. Note the movement: Christ takes the loaves, gives thanks, breaks them for sharing, and gives them to His disciples to distribute to the crowd (Mark 8:6). He distributes widely, and each is fed individually, as the morning rain or dew waters the earth, and each different plant receives a share of it for its own growth.
In the same way, we read in Matthew 13:3-8: “… a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” Each type of soil, like each individual, receives the same seed, distributed equally to all. The Sower does not measure his effort nor the seed. He does not count the seeds he casts. He sows in abundance, generously, and it is up to each person to make the most of it, according to his needs. But because of Adam’s sin, which is also ours, there are those who do not hear because they are deaf, those who do not listen because they are distracted, those who do not understand because the devil prevents them from doing so, and those who forget it all because they are distracted or preoccupied with something else. Christ explains this in verses 18 to 23 of Matthew 13: “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
It is in the first place to listen to Jesus’ preaching that the crowd gathers around our Lord Christ. At that time, the crowd was prepared by the prophetic preaching of John the Baptist, also in a lonely place (Luke 7:24 & 26-27): “And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?” … “But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”
At that time, the crowd was looking for the prophetic Word: every Word from God, whether that Word came from John the Baptist or from God Himself, through the mouth of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Today, the crowd seems to no longer seek this Word of God and is deserting the churches. However, they read the Bible, the best-selling book in the world. Unfortunately, most modern editions of the Bible are incomplete or erroneous, because Satan has interfered in the procedure, “… then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart…” (Matthew 13:19). No longer understanding God’s Word, for lack of a clear and accessible explanation, the crowd turns away from Christ’s Church, which Christ’s mission is to deliver His divine Word to all nations, from generation to generation. Sunday after Sunday, impostors take to the pulpits asking for money in order to fill their pockets and live comfortably on the backs of the faithful who are ultimately less well provided for and work harder than them, and these same godless preachers allow themselves to lecture others, without applying to themselves the burdens they enforce on others.
Christ’s preaching to the crowd is different: Christ speaks of His Father, the Holy Spirit, and Himself as the unique begotten Son of God. These three are THE great absentee from contemporary moralizing sermons. Now the crowd needs bread and fish. They have a vital need for solid spiritual nourishment. They need to know the meaning of life, and the reality of life after death. It was these things that drew the crowd to Jesus. No one asked Him for money or material benefits, only for the teaching of the truth.
Because of failing to teach this truth from the pulpit, contemporary crowds have died of spiritual starvation, as a plant deprived of water dries up, withers, dies, and eventually goes to destruction. Do not think that this need for spiritual nourishment has disappeared: it is only diverted to the spiritualist lies and esoteric fables of occultism. In Italy as in France, it is estimated that people give fortune tellers three times more money than to Christian Churches… (2 Timothy 4:3-4): “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” The crowds want to know the truth. They want to know their future, and this future is written in black and white in the Bible published according to the Received Text, approved by the undivided historical Church and used by all Protestant Reformers: Christ will return to judge the world! (John 12:48-50): “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” This Word is in the Bible and nowhere else.
And it is in their turn in obedience to God the Son that the Apostles distribute the bread of the divine Word to the crowd of the faithful (Mark 8:6): “And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.” God generously gives His Word and His bread: From the 7 loaves, he fed 4000 people and gathered 7 baskets full of leftovers (Mark 8:8-9): “So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.”
Why does Jesus send them away? First, He does not send them back in the same state as they were when they first came to Him: they leave instructed and nourished by the Word of God, and with bread and fish. They are like clocks that leave the watchmaker’s, serviced and wound up, fit for service and capable of marking the hours, striking a bell in praise of the Father, and pointing the right direction with their hands, as compasses do. As the hands of a clock at noon unite pointing together to the direction of the sky, the crowd will bear witness by repeating the preaching they heard and applying it in ordinary life.
Indeed, Jesus cares about the world. He came into the world on a mission, as the messenger of the Father, to save the lost sinners whom God wanted to spare even before He founded the world. Jesus is not a visiting alien, nor a lost tourist, but the One by whom the world was made (John 3:17-18a): “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned…”
But believing in Jesus Christ falls not without consequences. Faith brings about a change in behavior and thinking, in the depths of our hearts. We are then born again, enlightened by the spiritual Truth and open to the reality of the Kingdom of God that is promised to us. And God keeps all His promises! Faith then results in love, praise, prayer, adoration, and action in the world. We become influencers! This is why Jesus sends the crowd away, blessing them, as the Church does at the end of every service: There is work waiting for us, outside the Church, in the world. We bear witness out of charity to lost souls: even the reprobate have a right to know what awaits them. And the hope of eternal life gives us the strength to live in conformity with the Word of God that we nourish ourselves with daily by reading the Bible, the whole Bible… (John 6:68b-69): “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are present and speak to us in the Bible. Everything we need to know is revealed in there. If God had asked us to bathe 7 times in the river Seine like Naaman the Syrian in the Jordan river, we would have been right to hesitate because it is polluted. Even those who shouted from rooftops that they would swim in the Seine for the opening of the Paris Olympic Games prefer to give up, in the end. But God asks us only one easy thing: to read or listen to the Word of God. However, this is too easy and not rewarding enough for the proud. Too bad for them! However, we will have warned them that treasures are hidden between the pages of the Holy Scriptures, reserved for the humble who entrust themselves to God for their future. In the Bible, God ” speaks “… in the manner of men…” as Paul writes to the Romans (Romans 6:19); His Word is therefore accessible to us, understandable. We have no excuses. And His Word is just necessary for us to “yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” (same verse). (Romans 6:22): “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” This promise is found nowhere else but in the Bible.
And Paul ends his discourse with this astonishing sentence (Romans 6:23): “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
It would take several theological treatises to draw from this one verse all that Paul wants to reveal to us:
- Sin is not without consequences. And we will all die because we are all sinners. We have no reason to boast or believe ourselves superior to others. We cannot redeem ourselves, either by our good works, or even by our prayers. Our redemption is merited by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross alone.
- God gives generously, freely. He gives us eternal life: He puts no limits on it. If we think that God’s grace is limited, it is because we put our own human limitations on it. Verily, God’s gift is unlimited. His generosity is beyond our understanding. Is this a reason to reject it? Certainly not! Simple politeness requires that we accept what God gives us and thank Him in word and deed.
- God’s gift – eternal life – is brought to us by Jesus Christ, who, like an Amazon delivery man, knocks at the door of our heart with His own Heart (Revelation 3:20-22): “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” We cannot even imagine the generosity of the Father and the Son. It is something completely beyond us.
- God’s gift is His only begotten Son, delivered up to the torture of the cross, suffering the punishment we had deserved, in our place. And it is by identifying ourselves with Christ, and by conforming ourselves to His Will, which is first and foremost the Will of the Father, that we are incorporated into His body, which is His Church, His beloved bride, to the point that He sacrificed Himself for her, for each one of us. Our salvation is in Christ (Ephesians 2:8): “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”
(Revelation 19:1): “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God” And we are this crowd, we the ones who believe. Amen.
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC
Vicksburg, Mississippi – Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
Seventh Sunday after Trinity
In our gospel lesson, our Lord reminded the disciples that he had called them and ordained them to, go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you (St. John 15:16). And every true and faithful gospel minister has also received his calling to serve in the various fields of ministry. We are— or should be aware— that many have taken up the mantle of preaching without his calling. Nevertheless, without the approval of our Lord Jesus Christ— without him actually putting such a duty upon their hearts to accept such a calling— they will bear no good and lasting fruit neither will they receive a crown for bringing others into God’s true religion because they were serving themselves albeit for pride, for personal gain or what have you (I Thessalonians 2:19-20). Ergo, if we are to serve and do so effectively, we must be called of the Lord and that calling must be made sure via our teaching and preaching in his name.
Now there are many callings in this life and on account of such, it would seem that just anybody who chose to preach and teach would be welcomed. After all, if you believe you have the capacity to engage in some craft or trade, shouldn’t you pursue it? But God’s ways are different than those of mortal men (Isaiah 55:8).
He has set standards for the men who would lead his people. He has sought only those who will be obedient to his word and commandment just as he did for the Old Testament saints (I St. Timothy 3:1-16). He is not like the government which used to (and may do again) draft men into military service with a letter which opened with the salutation, “Greetings from your president”. Our Lord did not use such compulsion in his calling of the disciples. He did not twist their arms. He did not threaten them. He merely called them to come and follow him, and they came, even the one who would later betray him.
If we have been called of the Lord into the ministry, there are several expectations we must fulfil. We are expected to preach and teach the whole counsel of God to our congregations. We are expected to encourage the faint of heart and uplift the down-trodden. We are expected to keep to those doctrines which are found within the pages of scripture. We are also to foster unity among the faithful. In Romans 12:16, the apostle Paul called on Christians to, Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. We must not allow our egos to dominate others and so bruise the hearts of our fellows in Christ who may not have the same capacities or gifts. And since we are all members of the body of Christ it follows that none should suffer ridicule because they do not exercise a particular gift or talent within the church. How easy it is to receive the gifts of God and then to lose our sense of purpose for their use. We should always be mindful that though we have a gift, it is ours to share with the other members of the body. We are therefore called to uplift and edify our fellows. If we are tearing down, or using our gift in a way it was not intended to be used, then we will impair our witness and alienate those of the faith around us.
The devil has sought over the millennia to destroy the fellowship of Christians, and he will make full use of every flaw in our character to accomplish that purpose. The Rev. E. M. Bounds once observed, “Satan sows the tares in the wheat, the bad among the good, bad thoughts among good thoughts. All kinds of evil seed are sown by him in the harvest fields of earth. He is always trying to make the good bad and the bad worse. He filled the mind of Judas, and he inflamed and hurried him on to his infamous purpose. He filled Peter with an arrogant pride that tried to inject human views into the purpose of Christ…” We should also understand that ministers in true service to our Lord will use the Holy Bible as their guide for faith and practice. They will eschew those persons or groups which have made revisions— both redactions and extensions— to the divine Word. Does not Scripture expressly forbid such ?
Matthew Henry noted that Revelation 22:18-19 is “A most solemn sanction, condemning and cursing all who should dare to corrupt or change the word of God… [It] is a flaming sword, to guard the canon of Scripture from profane hands. Such a fence as this God set about the law (Deuteronomy 4:2) and the whole Old Testament (Malachi 4:4), 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.”
The imaginations of wicked should not be accepted by the body of Christ and those men who have truly been called of Christ will heed the warning which our Lord gave us in the Olivet Discourse when he said, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many (St. Matthew 24:4-5). That’s our challenge as faithful Christians, and it has grown rather large given the increasing number of apostate churches and ministers. The apostle Paul warned the Thessalonians in his second epistle to, be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed… (2:2-3).The true and faithful minister of Christ will warn his congregants that they will face temptation, tribulation, and deception of every sort, and he will encourage them that they hold fast to sound words. He will advise them to cling to the Saviour who has their souls in his hands so that no matter what happens in this life, they are guaranteed a place in his coming kingdom. And they ought to watch for the Lord’s coming even as they labor and soldier on until he comes. For only then will they be permitted to lay aside the working tools of this life and receive the mantle of everlasting life and joy in our Lord’s kingdom.
So we have learned that ministers— true ministers of Christ— will act in faith and keep to the strait gate and narrow way of Christ as set forth in Scripture. They will be assets to their churches. They will exercise their authority in a manner befitting a servant of our Lord. May God grant to all who serve in his church peace in all believing and that they will continue in the faith and work to which they have been called in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Let us pray,
Father give us that sense of your calling, that we might do the work you would have us to do, and live as you would have us to live; for this we ask in the name of our Saviour and thine only begotten Son, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC
located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon of the Feeding of Four Thousand today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville, NC.
Seventh Sunday after Trinity
Mark 8:1-9:
In the Gospel text this morning, St. Mark gives us an account of another great miracle by Jesus, the feeding of the 4,000 with only 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. You will find a parallel account of this miracle in Matthew 15: 32-39 with a little more detail. Jesus had performed a previous similar miracle in feeding the 5,000 which was recorded by all four Gospel writers. Although, there were some similarities in these two feedings, keep in mind they were two separate historical events and significant differences are evident. Let us compare the two miracles:
Feeding of the 5,000:
- 5,000 men plus women and children……up to 10,000 people fed.
- 5 loaves and 2 fish
- One day in the wilderness
- Spring time, North-east of Sea of Galilee near Bethsaida.
- One prayer
- Majority of people were Jewish
Feeding of the 4,000:
- 4,000 men per St. Mark, plus women and children per St. Matthew.
- 7 loaves and a few small fish
- 3 days in the wilderness
- No mention of time of year/ South East of the Sea of Galilee
- 7 basket full of leftovers
- Two prayers
- Majority of people were Gentiles
Some modern day skeptics and even Bible Scholars have questioned whether there were actually 2 feedings. Sure there are similarities but as pointed out there are significant differences also.
Further and most decisively, Jesus clearly refers to these two separate feedings in Mark 8:19-20 and Matthew 16:9-10.
So why did Matthew and Mark include two miracles of the same kind? If Jesus had already fed 5,000 people, what is really added to the Gospel story by including a second feeding of a smaller number? It seems kind of odd. The answer is the feeding of the 4,000 is important because of where it took place. The feeding of the 5,000 took place near Bethsaida, North east of the Sea of Galilee (close to the sea). In contrast, the feeding of the 4,000 took place south east of the Sea of Galilee in the region around Decapolis (Mark 7:31). This is important because the first region was Jewish (feeding of 5,000 plus) and the second region was Gentile (feeding of 4,000 plus). There may have been a few Jews in the crowd on this day but the overwhelming majority were Gentiles who lived in the region of Decapolis.
There are also some numerical clues in the text which also point to this distinction (numbers in bible are rarely accidental).
- Feeding of the 5,000
In this miracle, Jesus takes five loaves and feeds five thousand, which is reminiscent of the Jewish law (First five books of Old Testament). Not only that, but when everyone had finished eating, twelve baskets of left-overs were collected, which was probably alluding to the twelve tribes of Israel and certainly the twelve disciples.
Feeding of the 4,000
In this second miracle, seven loaves are used and seven baskets of left overs were collected after everyone had finished eating.
The number seven often symbolizes completion and perfection in the bible.
Genesis tells us God created the heavens and the Earth and all life in six days and rested on the 7th day. God told Joshua to march his army around Jericho 7 times on the 7th day with 7 priests playing trumpets and giving out a big shout and the walls of Jericho would fall down. (Josh 6:14-20)
In the feeding of the 4,000 , Jesus wants us to see his love and compassion for Gentiles as well as Jews. Yes, He is the long expected Jewish Messiah but He is also the savior of the world (John 3:16).
If you were asked to come up with just a few words to describe the character of Jesus, what would they be? One of the key words that would describe Jesus must be compassionate. Jesus was continually showing a living compassion for people around Him. The lifestyle of Jesus was one of compassion. It was part of who He was and part of the mission He came to complete. Jesus lived out His compassion in practical ways that made a difference in the lives of people. Jesus showd his compassion to people who needed it and when they needed it the most.
One of the great examples of the compassion of Jesus is in the feeding of the 4,000. He looked out from the mountain top and saw a very great multitude that had been with Him for 3 days with nothing to eat. So what was Jesus doing for 3 days with this crowd? He was healing all that came to Him and teaching them the word of God.
Matthew’s account of this miracle in 15: 30-31 says “And a great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus feet, and He healed them (30). Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: they glorified the God of Israel. “ (31)
The crowd was more esteemed with the miracles and the words of Christ than their necessary food. But not Jesus, he had spiritually fed them and now He must physically feed them also.
So He calls his disciples to Him and said, verse 2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have been with me for 3 days, and have nothing to eat. “ verse 3: “And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way, for divers of them came from a far”. And verse 4: “And His disciples answered Him, from whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? Verse 5: “And He asked them, how many loaves have ye? And they said seven.” And verse 6: “ And He commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and He took the seven loaves, and gave thanks’ and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. “Verse 7: “ And they had a few small fishes and He blessed, and commanded to set them also before them”. Verse 8: “ So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up the broken meat that was left was seven baskets.” Verse 9: “ And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and He sent them away”.
So what lessons can we learn from this miracle.
- Compassion of Jesus: Definition of compassion is having a deep awareness of the suffering of another, couple with the desire to relieve it. Jesus not only said He had compassion on the multitude, but He also acted on that compassion. Whenever, you see the word compassion associated with Jesus it is always followed by action. The reality is that compassion without action is worthless because nothing happens and nothing changes. Jesus knew that the great majority of the crowd following him were just curiosity seekers and most of them would probably never become His disciples. Yet, when He saw them hungry and destitute, He had pity on them, and fed them. Jesus did not pick and choose who would get His compassion.
He reached out to all who needed Him. Jesus would not allow their needs to go unmet and He would not allow them to walk away without caring for them. Yes, Jesus has a special love, beyond doubt, for his own believing people. But He also has a general love of compassion even for the unbelievers and the evil. St. Paul tells us in Ephesian 3:19 : “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. “ As Christians we should strive to live our lives after the pattern of Christ. We should love our neighbors as ourself…second greatest commandment. We should show our love and compassion for others…even our enemies. The Jewish religious teachers during Jesus time taught that you should hate your enemies. There is no bible verse that explicitly states “hate your enemy”. The Pharisees may have misapplied some of the Old Testament passages about hatred for God’s enemies (Psalm 139:19-22; 140:9-11). However, Jesus in his sermon on the mount clarifies this in Matt. 5: 43-44: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. (43) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (44)” It may not always be easy sometimes to love your enemy. But let’s remember the words of St. Paul in Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Also, how “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
Also, let’s remember the words of St. Paul regarding Charity (love), In Cor. 13: 1-3 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal(1)” “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”
(2) “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” (3)
- Being thankful for God’s blessings: As Christians, we should always be thankful for God’s blessings, especially before each meal.
Why do we begin with food? Because food is the primary symbol of God’s goodness. If one is not thankful for food, then that person is not a thankful person. Here in the record of His feeding the 4,000 Jeus is recorded as giving thanks 2 times in two verses. First He thanks God for the 7 loaves of bread in verse 6, and then He takes the few small fish in verse 7 and blesses them. This is the only miracle Jesus performed where He expresses His thanks twice for the same meal. In the feeding of the 5,000, He only gave thanks once. Jesus was a thank ful person, and even though in His deity He was creator of all food, in His humanity He was thankful for food.
- A lesson of humility: Plain, humble common food was provided. Perhaps we should not concentrate our efforts on elaborate provisions, but be grateful for meeting the basic needs of life.
Our desires should be plain and simple…to do the will of the one who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who for the hope set before Him endured the cross. Psalms 37:4 says: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
- God will provide all of our needs. Jesus took 7 small loaves of bread and a few small fish, and miraculously multiplied them and fed a multitude of 4,000 plus. Mark tells us everyone was full and there were still 7 baskets of left overs.
All during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, God provided food for the Israelities. They compained they had no bread…God sent them Manna from Heaven. (Ex 16:14-15) They complained they had no meat…God sent Quails from the sea to their camps. (Ex 16:13) They complained they had no water…God showd Moses how to extract water from the rocks. (Ex 17:5-6) The only time the Israelites did not get fed is when they went against God’s commandments. In John 6:35 Jesus says: “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
Rev Stephen Cooper Church of the Redeemer Fairbanks, Alaska
We are fortunate to receive a sermon from Rev Cooper in Fairbanks Alaska. The head of our northernmost church, Stephen is a brilliant and inspiring speaker. I wish we had video of him rather than just audio; but I am confident you will enjoy this. This sermon is for last week. Please take the time to listen to it.
Seventh Sunday after Trinity:
Please click on link below to listen to
the sermon by the Rev. Stephen Cooper:
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Tom, Craig, Jack & Dru Arnold, Jacobs USA Travel, Roberto & Bianca, Phylis, Dotty, Sue, Sandra, Madison & Hilda, Steve, Josh Morley
Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Angie, Doug, Clark, Linda, Genie
Prayer Needed:
Steve Ciccarelli – July 22nd- 9 AM Cervical fusion surgery C5-C7
James – Recovery from surgery for bleeding ulcer
Brenda (Hospice) and her Son, Tim – for peaceful time now
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms – Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Brenda – long term Laryngitis – help speaking again
Danny – cancer that has spread to her brain stem with no cure and her family (The Bermans)
Praise Reports for Answered Prayer:
Bishop Ernest Jacob and wife Eileen, arrived safely in Dallas Texas, pray for a wonderful visit with their family and the safely onto the next city, St. Louis, MO.
Thank you
