3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.

 6 Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.

 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.

 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah.

 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah.

 11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

 12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.

 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.

 14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud.

 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob.

 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Matthew Is Telling Us The WHOLE Bible Is About Jesus PERIOD!!!!!!! 

He Says It Right Off The Bat

A picture is worth a Thousand Pages

Transfiguration Sunday

 The Transfiguration Our LORD Jesus Christ or Seeing HIS Kingdom

Video Introduction: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3LMt7BOeuz/?igsh=bGs4dm92d3ZuODFn

Mt 16:28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

(NAS95)

In 2000, I had the opportunity to go to a National Bible Conference, that actually exposed exactly why we need to Focus on Scripture and NOT Theological Gurus, as the Stage was Divided into Three Camps of “Experts” The Preterist, The Non-Preterist, and the Neutral Camp (in Simple Terms Second Coming Happened, Second Coming Is Still To come, And the Not Sure).

It Was all based on the verse Mt 16:28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

(NAS95), and sadly what these Gurus seemed to miss in their “Scholarship” was in each account (Matthew 16, Mark 9, and Luke 9) it is first announced before Jesus Transfiguration, and though repeated, it is also told to Peter, James and John NOT to tell anyone about what they saw until the LORD’S Ascension.

Hopefully you already picked up that there can NEVER be three camps of Experts on one subject, and yet the world tosses around the title expert to easily.

I also have noted, that these “experts” are Biblical Strugglers, and it is true, that Unless the HOLY SPIRIT opens eyes, you cannot understand what seems very clear.

The Conference was a disaster, and showed these Authors struggled with the Foundational truth of the Bible, and yet Seminaries continue to force their Students to read 80% of these Authors Books an 20% of the Bible, then wonder why these young men and woman are lost?

I would Humbly suggest, the Transfiguration IS the Appearance Jesus is Talking about, and that Peter, James and John are these witnesses.

Let’s run to worship

Call to Worship

Ps 122:1 ¶ <<A Song of Ascents, of David.>> I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

(NAS95)

Processional

When Morning Gilds The Sky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owcu9p89XfY

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York (Service Streamed Live Sunday’s at 11:00AM on Facebook)

Passing of the Peace of Christ

May The Peace Of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You

Please Take A Minute To Pass The Peace Of Christ On Facebook

Hymn

Just As I am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3PBtPZKC8k

The Episcopal Cathedral Church Of St Peter & St. Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

First Reading

2Sa 12:1 ¶ Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, "There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

 2 "The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

 3 "But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him.

 4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

 5 Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.

 6 "He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion."

 7 Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.

 8 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!

 9 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

 10 'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'

 11 "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.

 12 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'"

 13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.

 14 "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die."

 15 ¶ So Nathan went to his house. Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.

 16 David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.

 17 The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.

 18 Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!"

 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

 20 So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate.

 21 Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food."

 22 He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.'

 23 "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

 24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him

This The Word Of The LORD

Response: Thanks Be To GOD

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
  Maker of heaven and earth:

  And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
  Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
  Born of the Virgin Mary,
  Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
  Was crucified, dead, and buried:
  He descended into hell;
  The third day he rose again from the dead;
  He ascended into heaven,
  And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
  From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

  I believe in the Holy Ghost;
  The Holy Catholic Church; (this is the Holy World Wide Church of Jesus Christ and not singled out to the Roman Catholic Church)
  The Communion of Saints;
  The Forgiveness of sins;
  The Resurrection of the body,
  And the Life everlasting.
  Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kmskQGUIlc

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington, Mr. Ron Bechtle Organist

Hymn

Shine Jesus Shine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4hXJ9ax2FY

Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, England

Second Reading

Mt 16:28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Mt 17:1 ¶ Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

 4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"

 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.

 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid."

 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

 10 And His disciples asked Him, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

 11 And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."

 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

 14 ¶ When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying,

 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

 16 "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him."

 17 And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."

 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?"

 20 And He *said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

 21 "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

 22 ¶ And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men;

 23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day." And they were deeply grieved.

 24 ¶ When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?"

 25 He *said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?"

 26 When Peter said, "From strangers," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are exempt.

 27 "However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me."

(NAS95)

The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response: All Glory To YOU LORD Christ

The Transfiguration, What Is Happening Here?

1 Moses, and Elijah

2 The FATHER Speaks from the Cloud

3 some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom

1 Moses, and Elijah

What struck my while teaching Sunday School, and this lesson, was that Peter knew Elijah and Moses by appearance and Name, and yet the narrative NEVER suggest and introduction, as in Jesus saying, Now Peter James and John, I would like you to meet Moses and Elijah.

As I would say to the Sunday School Class, Peter NEVER played in the backyard with Moses & Elijah and yet knew them by appearance and Name!

It goes to the point, will we know each other in Heaven and as King David said of His first born son f Bathsheba upon His death, 23 "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

We notice here that David is aware that His son will not come back to Him here, but is assured that He will go to His son, and not as strangers.

This helps us to firmly say when a believer passes from this life, that we WILL meet again, and will know each other in Heaven!

So, in deed Peter really knows it’s Moses and Elijah, and what do we know of Moses???

Yes, Moses died and WAS Buried by the LORD, and yet Lives, and is KNOWABLE!!!!

We also know in this passage, that Elijah and John The Baptist (Who comes in the Spirit Of Elijah) are Two completely different people as Peter, James & John, KNOW John The Baptist.

2 The FATHER Speaks from the Cloud

Please don’t overlook this point as it also is a Foundational understanding of how we know what PERSON Of The TRINITY is Present, in what event.

The Reason we know the LORD Walking in the Garden Of Eden in the Cool of the Morning after the fall of Adam & Eve, is indeed Christ HIMSELF, as HE Is the PERSON of the TRINITY able to go face to face with Sinful Mankind, as the FATHER must veil HIS Glory in the Cloud, See Moses cleft of the Rock, See this account we are talking about, and yet Christ alone can interact with sinful man face to face.

We see this countless times in Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges I will use just one of the Judges Examples here to show THE ANGEL Of The LORD (Christ) appearance, and yes Manoah sure knows it!

Judges 13:21 Now the angel of the LORD did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD.

 22 So Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die, for we have seen God."

 23 But his wife said to him, "If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time."

It is the unique PERSON of Christ who is able to have face to face encounters and leave Mankind alive after such an interaction, and yet we know full well the FATHER as here in Exodus and our Lesson Text shows who must veil HIS Glory.   Ex 33:18 Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!"

 19 And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."

 20 But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"

 21 Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

 22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.

 23 "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."

(NAS95)

Note, this IS the same CLOUD the FATHER Speaks from!!

3 some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom

So, what about this line, and why the Conference Confusion among “Experts”?

Well, I simply think it’s because the Bible has taken second, and yes third place in importance in Denominations, and Seminaries.

We have become keen on assigning our colleagues latest Book on some Biblical Topic, while in the pay back world they “Kindly” assign ours as these drives sales.

But, It Is NOT, the Bible, and these Men and their books ARE NOT Inspired Scripture, and yet they are the vast majority of the assigned work, and if we are actually listening, the sources quoted by Novice Pastors.

Don’t believe me, my Wife and I use to attend a Popular and famous PCA Church in New York, and the Novice Pastors would say in puzzling Humor, “A Blank, Pastor has to quote CS Lewis at least once in His Sermon”.

Well, there is ZERO, Nothing Funny about that, and brings us bluntly to the point here!

I believe the reason for the Disastrous Conference in 2000, was due to the Miss training of these experts who the HOLY SPIRIT had kept their eyes shut to this Biblical Truth of the Transfiguration!

Mt 16:28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Mt 17:1 ¶ Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

What more would they need to experience???

But you see, unless the HOLY SPIRIT opens our eyes to the Inspired word, we will get Theologians arguing over points that are actually, and yet Blind to “Experts”

So, YES the Transfiguration Of Jesus is indeed the fulfillment of this promise. 

In Christ alone Pastor Paul

The Feast Of Our LORD

1st Corinthians 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

Hymn

All Glory Laud And Honor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1XFQEc9BDs

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington, Mr. Ron Bechtle Organist

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth And Love & Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN!

Recessional

Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjBleDVU3dA

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York (Service Streamed Live Sunday’s at 11:00AM on Facebook)

Fruit Of Regeneration 

Blasphemy Against The HOLY SPIRIT Will Not Be Forgiven, Why?

Video Introduction

Call to Worship

Ps 122:1 ¶ <<A Song of Ascents, of David.>> I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

(NAS95)

Processional

Alleluia, Sing To Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcD8r3UOMrM

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York (Service Streamed Live Sunday’s at 11:00AM on Facebook)

Passing of the Peace of Christ

May The Peace Of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You

Please Take A Minute To Pass The Peace Of Christ On Facebook

Hymn

Just As I am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3PBtPZKC8k

The Episcopal Cathedral Church Of St Peter & St. Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

First Reading

Ephesians 2:1-10

1 ¶ And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

 4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

And

Leviticus 21:1-8

1 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,

 2 except for his relatives who are nearest to him, his mother and his father and his son and his daughter and his brother,

 3 also for his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.

 4 'He shall not defile himself as a relative by marriage among his people, and so profane himself.

 5 'They shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh.

 6 'They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to the LORD, the food of their God; so they shall be holy.

 7 'They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God.

 8 'You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy.

This Is The Word Of The LORD

Response: Thanks Be To GOD!

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church; (this is the Holy World Wide Church of Jesus Christ and not singled out to the Roman Catholic Church)
The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kmskQGUIlc

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington, Mr. Ron Bechtle Organist

Second Reading

Luke 12:1-12

1 ¶ In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

 2 "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

 3 "Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

 4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

 5 "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

 6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

 7 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

 8 "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.

 9 "But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

 10 "And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

 11 "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.

 12 "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response All Glory To YOU LORD Christ

Lesson

Fruit Of Regeneration Part 1

Blasphemy Against The HOLY SPIRIT Will Not Be Forgiven, Why?

This really was to be a 1 part Message on how we view the LORD’S Prayer, and yet my devotions this week opened the door, praise be to YOU FATHER, SON, & HOLY SPIRIT for your leading me to this passage this week, as it will clarify next weeks Message.

We will not be doing the usual 3 point message, as I sometimes do, we are just going to talk, and mostly allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves.

I was doing my morning devotion and as I am going through the Gospel of Luke Chapter 12, I thought this point Jesus makes about “Blasphemy Against The HOLY SPIRIT Will Not Be Forgiven” (see verse 10).

I wonder if you as I too asked, ever wondered, why?

Well, I believe in my heart, it is because a Fruit of Regeneration is to Never be able to do such a thing, as we truly all start out naturally Dead in our Trespasses and Sins, FOR REAL!

As such, We must be brought to REAL Spiritual Life, and that IS ONLY through the Regeneration by who?

Real question.

Yes, Our Salvation is a True TRIUNE Salvation, By the Preordained Will of the FATHER, through the Complete Redemption by the SON, and by the True Regeneration of our Dead Soul by the HOLY SPIRIT, Thus making it impossible for us awaken to possibly Blaspheme the ONE who Brought us to Life, Indwells Us, Teaches Us , and Protects & Guides us illuminating Scripture to us.

So, I do believe Jesus is clearly referring to those who have never been awaken and for that matter NEVER will, and remember Church, Synagogue, and Mosque, HE is talking to the religious Leadership, and suggesting pretty clearly that they are a troubled hypocritic group, as many are prone today.

But here really is the Great News and truly by mercy & grace, once the HOLY SPIRIT Awakens You, You will be unable to Blaspheme HIM, as HE Indwell You, and guides your steps for the rest of Your Life.

In Christ Alone

Pastor Paul

Hymn Rejoyce The LORD Is KING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy5jpayriEQ

Second Presbyterian Church, Memphis, Tennessee Mr. Samuel Metzger Organist

The Feast Of Our LORD

1st Corinthians 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

Hymn

All Glory Laud And Honor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1XFQEc9BDs

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington, Mr. Ron Bechtle Organist

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth And Love & Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN!

Recessional

Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjBleDVU3dA

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York (Service Streamed Live Sunday’s at 11:00AM on Facebook)

The Good Samaritan

Call To Worship

Psalm 95:1 ¶ O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

Processional

Praise to the LORD The Almighty The King Of Creation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXhxbEjfxxc

Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May The Peace Of Christ Be With You

Response By All: And Also With You

Take A Moment To Pass The Peace Of Christ

Hymn

I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrTZklB-JVk

The College Choir of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

First Reading

Psalm 51:1 ¶ <<For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.>> Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.

 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.

 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

 7 ¶ Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.

 14 ¶ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.

 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

 18 By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.

 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD

Hymn

The Olde 100th All People That On Earth Do Dwell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1dQ8t03mE

Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church;

The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kmskQGUIlc

Organist Dr. Kristina Rizzatto

Second Reading  & Lesson The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37 ¶ And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

 26 And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?"

 27 And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

 28 And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."

 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

 30 Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.

 31 "And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

 32 "Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

 33 "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,

34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

 35 "On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.'

 36 "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"

 37 And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

This is the Holy Gospel of Our LORD Jesus Christ

ALL: All Glory to YOU LORD Christ!

The Good Samaritan
We will look at 4 points today
1st What lens do we need to read this and for that matter the entire Bible?
2nd The Good Samaritan as the original Audience would have heard it
3rd What made the particular players in Jesus Parable so important?
4th How do we live this parable today as a Church of Jesus Christ and what cautions are there

2Sa 9:1 ¶ Then David said, "Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "I am your servant."
3 The king said, "Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet."
4 So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar."
5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6 Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!"
7 David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly."
8 Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?"
9 ¶ Then the king called Saul's servant Ziba and said to him, "All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson.
10 "You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master's grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Ruth and the treatment of the Widows by Boaz
Mt 23:14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

1st What lenses do we need to read this and for that matter the entire Bible?
Romans 3:9-11 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
Hebrew 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
A: We See the Bible clearer only when we see our depravity clearer
B: The Bible gives us NO wiggle room we have been saved by Grace and God given faith, not of ourselves
C: how does this help us read the Good Samaritan, for that you need to keep listening

2nd The Good Samaritan as the original Audience would have heard it
2Sa 9:1 ¶ Then David said, "Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "I am your servant."
3 The king said, "Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet."
4 So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar."
5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6 Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!"
7 David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly."
8 Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?"
9 ¶ Then the king called Saul's servant Ziba and said to him, "All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson.
10 "You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master's grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Ruth and the treatment of the Widows by Boaz
Mt 23:14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

A: This is the foundational aspect of reading a text that dates back thousands of years, and yet by the Power of GOD fully applies today.
B: You may have heard correctly that Samaritans and Jews HATED each other and you would be right
But do you know why?
This dates back to the division of the Kingdom into 10 Northern tribes, and 2 Southern Tribes
Can you name the two Southern tribes; one is where the name Jews comes from?
Judah & Benjamin
There would be two Kings ruling over a very soon to be divided Israel the one who would be succeeding Solomon is Rehoboam who chooses to disregard the Elders of Israel and listen to his friends & Jeroboam, who would become the Northern Tribes King.
It is Jeroboam to keep from being killed and prevent the Northern Tribes from attempting to worship in Jerusalem who sets up an entire Priesthood, and built two alters one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. NOT on the Council of the LORD, but of his own doing and for his own protection.
Don’t miss the fact that in 1Ki 11:30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces.
31 He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes
Is Promised the 10 part of the Kingdom, but does NOT seek the LORD who gives it to him!
Jeroboam double downs of Aaron’s Golden calf by making two of them, and Jeroboam was promised the Kingdom from GOD!!
These two Alters are on either point of the Northern Kingdom, and right in the center is, I am sure you have guessed Samaria!
So what was one of the main reason the Jews & Samaritans hated each other?
Denominations in the Church of Christ do this even to this day.
The woman at the Well will tell us “John 4:20 "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."’
Because THEY DON’T do it right!
Backdraft scene “You’re doing it all wrong Brian!”
But what does this have to do with the Parable, you might ask?
Plenty
It tells us that these two camps have nothing to do with each other, and when Jesus gets to the hero in the story their Hair should be standing on their heads!!!

3rd What made the particular players in Jesus Parable so important?
Now that we have some background lets dig a little deeper, and in fairness expose perhaps the stinging meaning of the Parable.
First we see a Lawyer testing Jesus, in that day as today considered wrongly far smarter than that Carpenters kid.
Sadly we make this same mistake today, forgetting in their fields of expertise each are equally as smart.
But in this reading, Luke writes this was to test this uneducated one.
Next and I have heard Pastors for years tell us that this is as if a Muslim, stopped to help the Jewish man, or as in the Cabbage Patch Bible has told it a Black man in the separatist South stops to help a White man after the Pastor, and Elder drove by afraid they would be late for Church, of course you can fill in the blank with the enemy that comes to your mind and have them have compassion, and they are all on the surface correct, but in Jesus parables, there are always stories in the Stories as much as this understanding is true it does not drive home the point, and I fear misses the most critical target.
Why is it that Jesus picked the Priest & the Levite?
The Priest was heading up to Jerusalem, and what do we know from the Samaritan woman was done by the Jews in Jerusalem?
That is right, it is where the Jews say the Sacrifices & Worship were only to be done, so this priest is more than likely NOT going up on any small occasion as we remember that Zacharias was chosen by lot to Luke 1:9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Let us give credit to Dr. Frank Fowler of Trinity Methodist Church as being the first I ever heard point this out.
The Priest is heading to Jerusalem, and just might have been given this high honor as Zacharias had been given.
Next Jesus gives us a Levite, they were important to the Temple, as only Priest and Temple workers came from the tribe of Levi.
So we see the set up the robbers beat the traveler, whom we assume is a Jew as he was traveling down from Jerusalem , a drop of 3,700 feet! to say Jericho.
He is left for dead.
Along comes the Priest
Along Comes the Levite
Both of these men know the Law backward and forward, they have avoided a Leviticus 15:7 & Numbers 19:11 encounter their whole lives, They can quote it 15:7’s 'Also whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. & Numbers 19:11’s“'The one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven days.”
So when they come upon this man left for dead on this dessert road, they know what to do, pass him buy, as they can ill afford to be unclean when they get to Jerusalem!
So along comes our hero the Samaritan and what does this pig do?
The crowd waits to hear Jesus say something like “Finishes this Jews off!!” or "Checks to see if the robbers took the last penny after all this guy is a Samaritan “yuk!!”
Jesus turns the story on its ear, and the crowd gasps as HE tells them, The rejected Samaritan is the one who shows compassion on him, and at great expense to himself sees to the beaten man’s rescue and complete healing.

Dr. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church asked;
Who do you see yourself as in the Story?
If you are like me the Good Samaritan!
Dr. Keller was clear, as we are the one beaten and left for dead!!!
I believe he is again right, and viewing the rejected Samaritan as Christ the rejected who restores us at great personal us at great personal expense, is a Great picture, but what I love about most of Jesus Parables is that we can see ourselves as all the Characters.
But I still think Jesus is driving at something even deeper, and it will be our caution for the Church today.
You notice Jesus didn’t pick the Janitor, or the Investment Banker, as they could possibly be excused for not being aware of Numbers 19:11.
No Jesus picks people well versed in the law to be in this story, but why?

4th How do we live this parable as a Church of Jesus Christ
Let’s put those glasses on I spoke about at the beginning.
Why didn’t the Priest & Levite render help? This is a real question
That’s right, they might become unclean!
What’s ironic?
What does Romans 3:10 remind us about us & the Priest & Levite?
They nor WE could EVER BE Clean!!
Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned and fallen short of the GLORY of GOD, or In other words, ALL ARE UNCLEAN, and corpses, as it tells us we can NEVER BE CLEAN PERIOD!
It must be crystal clear that the Law was written to expose us as unclean!
The Priest & Levite in the story sadly thought of themselves as clean, and this is the danger for the Church today as we interact with other denominations who yes we believe don’t have what we see as a correct understanding, those of other faiths who hate us.
Paul tells us in 2Co 10:17 But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD.
We are to have Compassion, but this is also important but not Capitulation.
In Hebrews 13 the writer in a bit of Comedy suggest we go outside to the Camp to meet of Savior, Jesus Christ.
But why do suggest this comedy?
It was Jesus the only truly qualified to live in the Camp, so it was HE who went outside the camp to rescue we unclean.
This should be a freeing message that allows us to see that is the LORD can redeem us, HE sure can redeem anyone.
I also changes the way we pray, as we can now pray for salvation to come to all, ISIS included.
So to understand the Good Samaritan, one really needs to
1st see ourselves as unclean
2nd realized we can insert the Church for the Priest & Levite
3rd understand that Jesus can be either the rejected Samaritan who rescues us, or the one rejected by HIS own people beaten & left for dead, and excepted by the Samaritan.
I also wonder if Jesus is also pointing to the fruit of the regenerated heart, as the Samaritan does this work of compassion as just something you do?
May the LORD allow us in Christ to show HIS compassion throughout are week, and may we run back to fellowship knowing we have no enemies, only those to be prayed for, and loved.
One very final thought, this message does NOT mean we don’t try to wipe ISIS from the face of the Earth, it only means the Prayers of LORD’s People in pleading for their conversion is still the most powerful weapon on Earth.

The LORD’S Feast

1Co 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

How Deep The FATHER’S Love For Us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyBy9ovKr38

Stonebriar Sanctuary Choir

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gloria Patri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mcTpR6vvsM

Myers Park Methodist Church, Charolette, North Carlonia

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who By HIS Mercy Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ.

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN!!

Recessional

Oh Worship The KING

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQBqQS9qyn4

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York

What’s So Unique About The Ethiopian Eunuch?

This Title as many of the Titles I use should get our minds to search Scripture and reflect on just why the Eunuch is so important to this lesson, and for that matter even mentioned in the Bible in General.

We would be able to debate just how can the Eunuch could be come the Father of the Ethiopian Church as He has been made unclean through castration and the Law is clear!

As we will discuss however the Eunuch as with the Lepers and Ruth the Moabite are absolutely KEY to understand the Biblical Narrative and our understanding of this Narrative suggests whether we actually understand the Bible.

Don’t get depressed the Majority of our Pastors don’t get this as they still in the application point suggest we can correct ourselves.

We will see that the point of the Law of GOD was to declare us ALL Unclean and indeed dead in our trespass and sin, it is Jesus Christ ALONE who is Clean and HE washers we The Unclean and Unredeemable.

I know you will enjoy the Lesson, it’s one of my Favorites and I thoroughly Enjoyed Writing it.

Now Let’s Run To Worship

Call To Worship

Psalm  18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Processional

Sing Praise To GOD Who Reigns Above

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGFZACpd5r0

Vintage Coral Presbyterian Church Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You!!

Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ

Hymn

Rejoice The LORD Is KING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-3sAw-QELQ

Second Presbyterian Church Memphis, Tennessee

First Reading

Deuteronomy 23

1 ¶ "No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

 2 "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

 3 "No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD,

 4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

 5 "Nevertheless, the LORD your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the LORD your God loves you.

 6 "You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

 7 "You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land.

 8 "The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.

 9 ¶ "When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself from every evil thing.

 10 "If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not reenter the camp.

 11 "But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp.

 12 "You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there,

 13 and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement.

 14 "Since the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you.

 15 ¶ "You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

 16 "He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him.

 17 "None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a cult prostitute.

 18 "You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of the LORD your God for any votive offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God.

 19 "You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest.

 20 "You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess.

 21 "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you.

 22 "However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you.

 23 "You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.

 24 "When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket.

 25 "When you enter your neighbor's standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor's standing grain.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD

Hymn

Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSPm5_bOeHI

Congregation at Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed Read By All

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church;

The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow: Tune All Creatures of Our God and King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3zXtUBKqVI

Second Reading And Lesson: What’s So Unique About The Ethiopian Eunuch?

Acts 6:2-5, Acts 8:4-12, 26-40, Acts 28:8

Ac 6:2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.

 3 "Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

 4 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

 5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

Acts 8:4¶ Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.

 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.

 6 The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.

 7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

 8 So there was much rejoicing in that city.

 9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;

 10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, "This man is what is called the Great Power of God."

 11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.

 12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

Ac 8:26 ¶ But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

 27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship,

 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."

 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

 31 And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.

 33 "IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH."

 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?"

 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"

 37 And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.

 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

Ac 21:8 ¶ On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD

Lesson: What’s So Unique About The Ethiopian Eunuch?

Understanding the Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch one of the First singular Baptisms recorded in the New Testament is key to understanding the Bible in general, and as we will see clearly IS a Camel Through the Eye Needle moment.

We will first dispel the notion that the Phillip who Baptizes the is possibly one of the Apostles, as this Phillip is clearly identified as one of the seven in both Chapter 6, and Chapter 21 as we previously read.

Why did we have to identify who this Phillip is?

Well it seems there are Scholars who have to debate everything who will suggest this Phillip was not the same as one of the first Deacons or as one wrote “He was no longer performing the duties of a Deacon when He (Phillip) was Baptizing and evangelizing, even though Luke clearly tells us in Chapter 21 the Phillip is one of the 7 and an Evangelist.

Next is a brief background

Apostles proper. His name stands in the fifth place in the three lists (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:14-19; Luke 6:13-16) after the two pairs of brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John. The Fourth Gospel records three episodes concerning Philip which occurred during the epoch of the public teaching of the Saviour:

• Before the miraculous feeding of the multitude, Christ turns towards Philip with the question: "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" to which the Apostle answers: "Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little" (vi, 5-7).

• When some heathens in Jerusalem came to Philip and expressed their desire to see Jesus, Philip reported the fact to Andrew and then both brought the news to the Saviour (xii, 21-23).

• When Philip, after Christ had spoken to His Apostles of knowing and seeing the Father, said to Him: "Lord, shew us the Father, and it is enough for us", he received the answer: "He that seeth me, seeth the Father also" (xiv, 8-9).

These three episodes furnish a consistent character-sketch of Philip as a naïve, somewhat shy, sober-minded man. No additional characteristics are given in the Gospels or the Acts although he is mentioned in the latter work (1:13) as belonging to the Apostolic College.

The second-century tradition concerning him is uncertain, inasmuch as a similar tradition is recorded concerning Philip the Deacon and Evangelist — a phenomenon which must be the result of confusion caused by the existence of the two Philips. In his letter to St. Victor, written about 189-98, bishop Polycrates of Ephesus mentions among the "great lights", whom the Lord will seek on the "last day", "Philip, one of the Twelve Apostles, who is buried in Hieropolis with his two daughters, who grew old as virgins", and a third daughter, who "led a life in the Holy Ghost and rests in Ephesus." On the other hand, according to the Dialogue of Caius, directed against a Montanist named Proclus, the latter declared that "there were four prophetesses, the daughters of Philip, at Hieropolis in Asia where their and their father's grave is still situated." The Acts (21:8-9) does indeed mention four prophetesses, the daughters of the deacon and "Evangelist" Philip, as then living in Caesarea with their father, and Eusebius who gives the above-mentioned excerpts (Church History III.32), refers Proclus' statement to these latter. The statement of Bishop Polycrates carries in itself more authority, but it is extraordinary that three virgin daughters of the Apostle Philip (two buried in Hieropolis) should be mentioned, and that the deacon Philip should also have four daughters, said to have been buried in Hieropolis. Here also perhaps we must suppose a confusion of the two Philips to have taken place, although it is difficult to decide which of the two, the Apostle or the deacon, was buried in Hieropolis. Many modern historians believe that it was the deacon; it is, however, possible that the Apostle was buried there and that the deacon also lived and worked there and was there buried with three of his daughters and that the latter were afterwards erroneously regarded as the children of the Apostle. The apocryphal "Acts of Philip," which are, however purely legendary and a tissue of fables, also refer Philip's death to Hieropolis. The remains of the Philip who was interred in Hieropolis were later translated (as those of the Apostle) to Constantinople and thence to the church of the Dodici Apostoli in Rome. The feast of the Apostle is celebrated in the Roman Church on 1 May (together with that of James the Younger), and in the Greek Church on 14 November. [Editor's Note: The feast is now celebrated on 3 May in the Roman Church.]

Let’s walk through 4 Questions and all are as I said true Keys to understanding the Full Story of the Bible.

1: What is the background of this encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch?

2: What is the Biblical standing of a Eunuch?

3: Knowing this how could he possibly be the first Baptized singular encounter of the New Testament?

4: How does this bring us to the proper understanding of the Law & Grace, and just how Christ really sees us?

1: What is the background of this encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch?

1st instead of assuming that we all know what the roll of a Eunuch is, let’s still explore it as it has a bearing on what our point will be.

A Eunuch in that culture was more than likely not a voluntary position ( I am pretty sure today it would not be voluntary) Eunuchs would probably be servants or slaves who, because of their function, had been castrated, usually in order to make them reliable servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence.[3] Seemingly lowly domestic functions—such as making the ruler's bed, bathing him, cutting his hair, carrying him in his litter, or even relaying messages—could in theory give a eunuch "the ruler's ear" and impart de facto power on the formally humble but trusted servant. Similar instances are reflected in the humble origins and etymology of many high offices (e.g., chancellor originally denoted a servant guarding the entrance to an official's study). Eunuchs supposedly did not generally have loyalties to the military, the aristocracy, nor to a family of their own (having neither offspring nor in-laws, at the very least), and were thus seen as more trustworthy and less interested in establishing a private 'dynasty'. Because their condition usually lowered their social status, they could also be easily replaced or killed without repercussion. In cultures that had both harems and eunuchs, eunuchs were sometimes used as harem servants (compare the female odalisque) or seraglio guards.[citation needed ]

Wikipedia

This is obvious but IT IS IMPOSSIBLE for Him to Father Children, please remember this point.

The Eunuch was going to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning.

He is traveling by chariot 1,590 miles to go from the capital of Ethiopia to Jerusalem

With the average Chariot able to travel up to 144 miles a day (source Bob Wiengarterner who use to drive one) This is about an 11 to 12 day trip one way, meaning that the Queen had such confidence in him as to allow him to go away for one month.

This Summer Robin & I traveled by air conditioned car to Texas 1275 Miles and I don’t need to tell you this is a commitment,  this obviously suggests the Eunuch has a strong GOD given burning desire to know about this GOD.

But why is this background so important and I am contending it is.

2: What is the Biblical standing of a Eunuch?

We need to look at the Standing Biblically of a Eunuch

DEUTERONOMY 23 “No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

What is the law telling us?

Plenty as it is very possible this Eunuch might have been turned away at the Temple in Jerusalem.

It is also telling us that this Eunuch can NEVER be CLEAN AGAIN of his own doing period, even though his condition was most likely brought on by others!!!

Imagine you & I going about our own daily routine, We go to Church EVERY SUNDAY, sing God’s praises. Then one day a group of Government Soldiers comes into our Church Building, takes 1/3 of the males  (I am one of these)out of the building in handcuffs , and tells us the Government is making slaves of us, and part of that condition is we are to become Eunuchs!

From the moment the procedure is done WE CAN NEVER AGAIN by the Law become “Clean”.

The Law is crystal clear the Eunuch can never enter the Assembly of the Lord!!

But wait you say He did not do this to himself, why is God punishing HIM????

Why is this fair???

How about the others that law states are unclean who were just born that way??

The Law gives No wiggle room and you are going to hear me quote this over and over

De 6:24 "So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.

 25 "It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us.

De 11:32 and you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am setting before you today.

Nu 15:40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.

 41 "I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God."

(NAS95)

Le 11:45 'For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.'"

 Le 19:2 "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

 Buy now I hoping we are all scratching our heads wondering how the Eunuch can even be in this Acts 8 passage, as it is Impossible for him to be CLEAN!

Yet Phillip is transported to and from this Eunuch by the hand of the LORD HIMSELF.

Yes to as well as Phillip was able to catch up on foot to a chariot!

HAS GOD Forgotten His own Law?????

Certainly not

3: Knowing this how could he possibly be the first Baptized singular encounter of the New Testament?

As we just said this is impossible, and yes according to the Law of GOD, and GOD is NOT kidding the Eunuch IS DOOMED!

But how then is his Baptism one of the first Acts of the Church????

Well we need to first explore what it means to be Clean and Remind ourselves of what the Apostles who we sometimes think of as dull, but in the next passage we find were thunder struck when it became clear to them

Matthew 19:23 ¶ And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  24 "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?"

 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

The Sunday School class I taught on Hebrews knows what I am about to say, but to them I can only say I personally need to hear this over and over again

The Lord in a sense of humor moment includes this passage in Hebrews

Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.

 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

 Why is it humor???

Well the real reason we meet Jesus outside the Camp was because it is where we are!

Romans 3’s None Righteous no not one, and  All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God is what Thunder struck the Apostles, as They grasped None of us can be saved!!!

So let me get this right Wallace, are you saying NO one can be saved??????

Well of our own doing YES!!

4: How does this bring us to the proper understanding of the Law & Grace, and just how Christ really sees us?

The whole point is actually clear, We meet Jesus outside the Camp, because NONE of us were qualified to live inside of it.

The Eunuch was blessed to have something on the outside, physical, to show him he was unclean.

The Apostles came to this conclusion and as we already read they were STUNNED when it dawned on them.

The Law and again this will be a constant theme is God’s Holy standard and it is impossible for us to meet, and with absolutely NO wiggle room what are we to do??

Jesus gives this away when he says with you it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Salvation is not in us nor has it ever been, or ever will be.

The point of the Eunuch being one of the 1st individual Baptisms in the New Testament is meant to cause us to be stunned as well, but it also is meant to encourage us greatly.

You will hear me speak on this again and again, Jesus came to save Sinners, and we are all sinners.

As we go through the some of these passages of Jesus and the Unclean, I hope we see that the Leven (or Yeast) of the Pharisees is still the danger that the Church faces today as it did then, and we will see this over and over as we fight the thought that we are righteous.

But can’t we see the fruit of good works and following the law in the Church?

We sure can but this is a Gift solely of God and a proof of regeneration.

For God it was possible to save the most Impossible, Me, and as we look in the mirror we can insert all of our names, as with God Jesus tells us ALL things are possible.

I told you to keep the fact that the Eunuch could not physically Father Children in the back of your mind.

I want to close by reading from Abba Selama – First Bishop of Ethiopia

  Introduction of Christianity into Ethiopia

The introduction of Christianity into Ethiopia took place in the beginning of the first century A.D. 34 just about four months after the death and resurrection of Christ when St. Philip baptized the Ethiopian Eunuch when he was returning from the Passover feast in Jerusalem as it is narrated in the Acts of the Apostles 8:26-39. The history of Saint Philip the Apostle baptizing the Ethiopian Eunuch is of great significance. The Eunuch was a man of high rank in Ethiopia, the finance minister of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. Upon his return he preached the doctrine of Christ among his countrymen. He was the first to bring the news, although he was not called an Apostle as he deserved. Eusebius speaks of him as the first fruit of the faithful in the whole world. Further at that time Saint Mathew the Apostle preached the Gospel to the Ethiopians he won some converts to the new doctrine and then left the country. (Yesehaq, 13)
The Eunuch baptized Queen Candace in the first century A.D and since then Ethiopia has been ruled and governed by Christians. Western historians and writers state that Ezana who reigned in Ethiopia about A.D. 320-356 was the first African King who became Christian and made Christianity the official religion of his empire. This is purosely done to make it seem that Rome was first and this would make Ethiopia Christendom’s second state after Constantine declared Rome a Christian state, but this is not so. The declaration of the doctrine of Christ by King Ezana in the fourth century was not done as a new introduction to the people but was done by the Emperor to prove himself as the true Christian leader of the nation and to make Christianity more effective throughout the nation.

The Ethiopian Eunuch had millions of Christian off spring, and from one as Good as Dead (I know you heard that before)

Abba Selama – First Bishop of Ethiopia

abbayesehaq.com/nwhistory_eunuch.htm

As we think over the story of own salvation, I hope we remember that the Holy Spirit wakes the soul of one who was Dead, and breaths in Life in Christ Jesus of Lord, by the will of the Father.

I saved for last a caution, that my Wife and I attended a service Last Sunday (7/3/2012) in NYC and the person taught on James Chapter 1.

As he rambled I could see the people in the Congregation putting their note pads away and one just started rubbing his head as if to say make this end, and the Person told us how to act, and what we must do?

The message was just awful and miss the fact that we understand the letter of James in light of the James 1:1 ¶ James, a SLAVE of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

It is the amazing transformation of James the 1/2 Brother of Jesus HIMSELF from one who wanted Jesus Committed, to fully Committed to Jesus as a SLAVE (the true Greek word used).

The verse this “seminary” train speaker omitted is the Key to the entire Letter and why His message was doomed from the start. Though he did do the multiple Greek word tap dance that we were cautioned only glazes the congregations eyes over and Sunday had its effect perfectly.

I beg you to read your Bible daily as it really is you defense against Preachers who don’t have a clue as we witnessed across this Country and yes again last Sunday.

One sad tip these bad speakers have been from the same two Seminaries and make one wonder of the kind of Bible training they are truly receiving.

Hymn

In Christ Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gax8GL7EViE

Royal Albert Hall London, England

The LORD’S Feast

Not All The Blood Of Beast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glSj3c9Ue8w

Faith Presbyterian Church Tacoma, Washington

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN

Recessional

Crown HIM With Many Crowns  (One of my favorites)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-oubDZaIU

St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York City, New York 

The Baptism Of Jesus Christ

We have looked at that portion of Jesus Life where we were reminded that not only was HE Born of the Virgin Mary, Grew Up just like you and I, Went with HIS Family to and from Jerusalem yearly as HE had to live a Life just like we do, and NOT Sin.

Today’s Lesson Jesus will be baptized by his earthly older cousin, (6 months) John the Baptist in the Jordon River, and will begin HIS Earthly Ministry, it will set the World of the Synagogue part of our existence on its head, and actually set Jesus on HIS preordained collision course with the Cross, Burial, and Resurrection.

We must not discount Jesus’s humble, and poor earthly family and upbringing as being an important ingredient too in this collision> We will discuss that as we enter Lent at the beginning of March (2022)

Hope you enjoy the lesson

In Christ alone

Pastor Paul

Call to Worship

Ps 122:1 ¶ <<A Song of Ascents, of David.>> I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

(NAS95)

Processional

When Morning Gilds The Sky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owcu9p89XfY

St. Bartholomew’s New York City, New York

(Please forgive the YouTube Propaganda Ad, The Processional is beautiful)

Passing of the Peace of Christ

May The Peace Of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You

Please Take A Minute To Pass The Peace Of Christ On Facebook

Hymn

Just As I am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3PBtPZKC8k

Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D. C.

First Reading

Genesis 17:9-16

9 God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

 10 "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.

 11 "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.

 12 "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants.

 13 "A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

 14 "But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."

 15 ¶ Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

 16 "I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!

Hymn

Holy GOD We Praise Thy Name

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz7HrhvI12E

Vintage Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Second Reading

Acts 16:13-15, 27-33

13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

 14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"

 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,

 30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

 31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church; (this is the Holy World Wide Church of Jesus Christ and not singled out to the Roman Catholic Church)
The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kmskQGUIlc

Hymn

Shine Jesus Shine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4hXJ9ax2FY

Big Sing, Royal Albert Hall, London, England

Gospel and Lesson

The Baptism Of Jesus Christ

Matthew 3:1-17

1 ¶ Now in those days John the Baptist *came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'"

 4 Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan;

 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

 7 ¶ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 8 "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

 10 "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 11 "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

 12 "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

 13 ¶ Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.

 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"

 15 But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he *permitted Him.

 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,

 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

(NAS95)

The Holy Gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ

ALL: All Glory to YOU LORD Christ!!

The Baptism of Jesus Christ

Lesson

The Baptism of Jesus Christ is another pattern for us to follow, and answers a question or two on Baptism.

First our LORD not only commands us to Baptize in “Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."”

But as we see recorded in all 4 Gospels HE too is Baptized, so, if possible, shouldn’t we too be Baptized???

I bring this up as I have been told and wrestled with the need and the when we should be Baptized, and when we focus on our LORD’S Command, and Our example is obviously clear, yes, we should be Baptized, and no as with the Thief on the Cross it is not something that is a total must nor will not being Baptized keep one out of Heaven as Jesus promises the one thief “Today you will be with ME in Paradise”.

We need to know a few things

First this is a changing of the guard between John the Baptist and his earthy cousin Our LORD Jesus Christ here, and is not unlike Elijah’s changing of the guard with Elisha.

Yes you might say that unlike Elijah, John will be killed by Herod when we know Elijah was taken to Heaven. (Small note John the Baptist is NOT a reincarnation of Elijah as Peter will call Elijah by name at the Transfiguration, and they sure knew who John the Baptist was)

Next the example also tells us to submit to Jesus’s Authority, as Matthew 28 shows "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”.

Second we notice that when the Baptism is completed we see the FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT present at this and to be at ALL future Baptisms!

Matthew 3:16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,

 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

This pattern of Baptisms in the Name of the FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT comes from the beginning, and will be the path taken in all Baptisms for eternity.

Our Third point and this may be controversial to both sides of the Profession of Faith (Credo) or Infant (Pedo) Baptism is the fact that Baptism has NOTHING to do with Circumcision (the Shedding of the Males Blood) as this is completed in Jesus Christ Blood Sacrifice on the cross once and for all, it also cannot be tied to a “continuation” of Circumcision as Baptism is not for males only.

Now that some are cheering, that Baptism is NOT a continuing of Circumcision, I need to pull the rug out and remind you in the Covenant it is tied, as all Covenants are, for the entire Family.

As in Circumcision we know one of the Definitions of Family as it included servants and slaves in Circumcision this was ALL males in the Household 8 days old and up.  

I also need to fully disclose that I was born into a Baptist Family and the first 3 years of my life our Family attended North Orange Baptist Church in Orange, New Jersey. This means I was NOT Baptized as an infant, but upon profession of faith in the First Presbyterian Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey when I was confirmed in the 8th Grade. I say this as one must know that I came to following with the deck stacked against Household Baptism.

As with the laws Baptism is also Household Baptism,

The Acts 16 passage has two clear Examples Lydia and Her Household, and the second the Philippian jailer and His Household, and NO Dr. Luke did not make a mistake here as he told us with Cornelius and the Mass Gentile Baptism these were all conversions, and we cannot assume he slipped on the details as Dr. Luke is very detailed.

Lydia, The Philippian Jailer, and Stephanas (1st Cor 1:16) are all clearly Household Baptisms, and we clearly know and this is where Genesis 17 and Circumcision comes into play, but also Exodus 20, Leviticus 23, in the 4th Commandment we are again reminded who is considered part of the House Hold for Sabbath’s rest Ex 20:9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

This is important as I had a Profession of Faith (Credo) Baptism proponent attempt to argue that “we really don’t know what Lydia’s Household meant” Well sadly that is twisting facts (Crap to be blunt) and a tap dance as we sure DO KNOW what a Household is, and it has NEVER Changed!!!

I will some up quickly the Baptism Debate,

Lydia, the Philippian Jailer, and Stephanas as first in their Household adult converts would naturally be baptized by Profession of Faith (Credo), but just as naturally and in Concert with ALL Covenants their whole Families are also Baptized, with NO note of the others profession of faith.

So after the whole family was Baptized, when we then have a Baby born a year or two after, what do we then do Baptize this little one or not?

Well is this Baby a new member of the Household or not?

YES, and Yes, so YES we Baptize the Babies of Believers as is laid out in the definition throughout the Bible on what makes up a Household.

There is NO wiggle room on this, so the Biblical answer really is we Baptize New Converts to Christianity and the Children and Households of Believers period.

But let’s get back to our LORD, as HE also proves that Baptism is NOT a continuation of Circumcision as HE will go through both, but instead a new Covenant that is to be performed in the Name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT, and for the whole Household.

We also remember Our LORD has never taken a short cut, and as we will see throughout HIS earthly life HE obeys all laws and as in Baptism goes through what HE commands himself.

I also want you to be clear, though I support Household Baptism, and that throughout Scripture we know what a Household means (it clearly includes Children period). I respect those who hold to the Believers Baptism as long as they respect the fact that the New Testament does mention three times Household Baptisms.

Next Week we will look at “Can We Pray A Good Prayer”

The Feast Of Our LORD

1st Corinthians 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

All Glory Laud And Honor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1XFQEc9BDs

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington

Hymn

The Sands Of Time Are Sinking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YcXb69xB80

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth And Love & Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN!

Recessional

Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjBleDVU3dA

St. Bartholomew’s, New York City, New York

Alternate As we run to the Feast (Communion) of the LORD

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKIqmdfHSk

Alternate Recessional

Hail To The LORD’S Anointed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zbqniKw48c

“A Season Of Thanksgiving, Thankful For Our Salvation In Christ Alone”  (Saturday Sunday Worship)

Thanksgiving Sunday

Video Introduction 2024 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCr6EJpytuQ/

Video Introduction: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzzD9z6utJp/

How does one stay Thankful when the LORD Calls Home a Beloved Brother or Loved One ?

We can by the Indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT Who alone opens our eyes to the Salvation our Brother know fully sees upon the ending of His Earthly Assignment ordained before the Beginning of Time.

We are all physically Heartbroken for sure, and yet for real, Assured in Christ, our Brother and Loved One is Home with HIM, Because of HIM.

So, yes, Though Heartbroken, we Rejoyce!

A year ago a Kind brother suggested the services are a bit long and he gets to read only a portion of the message.

I am very thankful for this input, and would humbly suggest skipping the Service part and going to the Lesson only if you need to.

The Service is something I started pre-Pandemic, and I started including it again in 2020, and found many like the Service, though we do not want this to take the place of going to a weekly service, it is still a resource meant to provide a Worship Service for all, and at any time.

In Christ Alone

Pastor Paul

The Call of Us

Ga 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

Call To Worship

Psalm 9:1 ¶ <<For the choir director; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.>> I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.

 2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Processional

Come Ye Thankful People Come

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge7WFiDsTfA

The Episcopal Cathedral Church Of Saint Peter & Saint Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You!!

Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ

Hymn

Holy, Holy, Holy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39ZfrO0UW_s

Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, England

First Reading

Psalm  9

1 ¶ <<For the choir director; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.>> I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.

 2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

 3 When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You.

 4 For You have maintained my just cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously.

 5 You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

 6 The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished.

 7 But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment,

 8 And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.

 9 The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble;

 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

 11 ¶ Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds.

 12 For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

 13 Be gracious to me, O LORD; See my affliction from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,

 14 That I may tell of all Your praises, That in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation.

 15 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.

 16 The LORD has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. Higgaion Selah.

 17 The wicked will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God.

 18 For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.

 19 Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You.

 20 Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All:  Thanks Be To GOD

Hymn

FATHER I Know That All My Life Is Portioned Out Form Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B-W-K_uZlM

The LORD’S Prayer

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Second Reading “A Season Of Thanksgiving, Thankful For Our Salvation In Christ Alone”

Galatians 1

1 ¶ Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

 5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

 6 ¶ I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

 10 ¶ For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

 11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

 13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it;

 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

 15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

 18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.

 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)

 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

 22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;

 23 but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy."

 24 And they were glorifying God because of me.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD

We Gather Together To Ask The LORD’S Blessing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6gAE_ODosM

URC Psalmody

The Netherlands Folk Song

Homily  “A Season Of Thanksgiving, Thankful For Our Salvation In Christ Alone”

What are you most thankful for this year?

I need to be honest this has been a bit of a tough year, and yet I am truly thankful for the Salvation given to me by the LORD in our Savior and LORD Jesus Christ.

One of the themes of the Bible as we looked at in our 10 week series on “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide” had to do with the very point Paul is making hear in the opening of Galatians.

Paul clearly tells us who saved who hear and that it was not he who sought Christ, but as in all of our salvation accounts the LORD who chose us from the beginning of time.

Paul goes from the greatest Destroyer of the Church in his time to the Greatest Apostle and all do to the work of Jesus Christ alone.

What is neat is that once the LORD opens our eyes, HE also walks to live a life consistent with such Regeneration.

One of the books that helps me during a tough stretch is the Book of Job, as we get to watch Job during struggle after struggle and in all things Job did not curse GOD.

But something Job indeed did was to have an honest conversation with the LORD, and why not the LORD already knows what is on our mind and Jesus reminds us of such and actually cautions us against the Pius dishonest prayer we hear so many times;

  Mt 6:5 ¶ "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

 7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

 8 "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

As HE leads us to the LORD’s Prayer.

So this Thanksgiving I am indeed most thankful for my Wife and my Salvation In Christ Alone.

Please take some to read through Job, and Thank the LORD for the blessing HE has bestowed on us.

In Christ Alone

Paul

Next Sunday We Finish Matthew 16, and the following Start Advent

Hymn

Here I am LORD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPGkUHbwYao

Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, England

Approach the Feast of The LORD

1st Corinthians 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

The LORD’S Feast

Ah Holy Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7MpWAKltos

The Episcopal Cathedral Church Of Saint Peter & Saint Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

The LORD’S Benediction

Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

(NAS95)

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN

Recessional

Now Thank We All Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGcbrZilBmk

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York

Thanksgiving Vespers For Thanksgiving Eve

Video Introduction

Call To Worship

2 Samuel 22:50 "Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations, And I will sing praises to Your name.

Processional

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiUnqqjZoWk

May The Peace Of Christ Be With You

Response: And Also With You

First Reading

Psalm 9

1 ¶ <<For the choir director; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.>> I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.

 2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

 3 When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You.

 4 For You have maintained my just cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously.

 5 You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

 6 The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished.

 7 But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment,

 8 And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.

 9 The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble;

 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

 11 ¶ Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds.

 12 For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

 13 Be gracious to me, O LORD; See my affliction from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,

 14 That I may tell of all Your praises, That in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation.

 15 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.

 16 The LORD has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. Higgaion Selah.

 17 The wicked will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God.

 18 For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.

 19 Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You.

 20 Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD of the LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!

All People That On Earth Do Dwell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1dQ8t03mE

Second Reading

Hebrew 13

1 ¶ Let love of the brethren continue.

 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

 3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

 4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

 5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

 7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

 9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.

 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

 18 ¶ Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

 19 And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.

 20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord,

 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 22 But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

 23 Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.

 24 Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

 25 Grace be with you all.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!!

Lesson

Giving Thanks In All Things

Hebrews 13:5-14

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

 7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

 9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.

 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

Have you had a difficult year?

I am know many have, and continue to have very difficult times, and as you think of your list, I am sure by GOD’S Grace you can also lean on our LORD Jesus Christ as the Friend Who NEVER leaves us.

So, With all that in mind, I want to focus on what I need to focus on, perhaps you too can add your name, on what we are promised in the verses of our text.

Let us also remind ourselves through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT that ANY compliance of these virtues in the LORD we are compliant too, are gifts of the LORD and the LORD alone, Purchased by Jesus Christ alone and not a virtue we earned, nor achieved through our own doing period.

First  verse 5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

I have to be honest the LORD HAS NEVER DESERTED ME, and when I am not feeling sorry for myself I really do know this.

Next  8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

HE really is, and again I do know this to be absolutely true!

Jesus Christ did not rescue me , and for that matter any of us from our righteousness, but from the pit in our sins. HE saved HIS enemies, as Romans 3:10 bluntly tells us None of us are righteous, and 3:11 tells us NONE of us seeks after GOD.

As We start a Month focusing even more on giving thanks, and modeling Jesus Christ, I really do have a lot to be thankful for, and most of all that I know  Jesus keeps all of HIS promises and HE has said

"I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

John 6:39 "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

That there really is 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

As there really is a Heaven, and HE does have a Place for Robin and I to serve HIM full time and a plan for YOU too!

This promise in Jesus Christ is yours as well if you believe in HIM as your KING, SAVIOR, and LORD, and best of all there are NO tricks! It is that simple, as you can never be good enough, but HE will give that to you, you can never obey the lax enough, but HE will give that to you too.

Our strength is in Jesus Christ alone and that is a lot to be Thankful for.

I Vow To Thee My Country

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvouc8Qs_MI

As We Come To The Feast Of The LORD

Dear LORD & FATHER Of Mankind,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7SX3r59sc&index=29&list=RDbvouc8Qs_MI

The LORD’S Benediction

Numbers  6:24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;

 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;

 26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.

May you have a Blessed Sabbath in the LORD

Recessional

Crown HIM with many Crowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-oubDZaIU

Romans (and Paul’s Epistles) The Perfect Model Of The Three Point Sermon

Video Introduction https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRDoPv0jlYj/?igsh=dzA3YmZ2NW1jdjht

Let’s Run To Worship

Call To Worship

Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.

 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.

 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

Processional  Alleluia, Sing To Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcD8r3UOMrM

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You!!

Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ

Hymn

Oh Love Of GOD How Strong And True

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yda2wajC0U

The Episcopal Church Of Saints Peter & Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

The First Reading

Ps 51:1 ¶ <<For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.>> Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.

 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.

 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

 7 ¶ Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.

 14 ¶ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.

 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

 18 By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.

 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

(NAS95)

 This Is The Word Of The LORD

Response: Thanks Be To GOD!

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed Read By All

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church;

The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow: Tune All Creatures of Our God and King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1JOnVnLQd0

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington, Organist Mr. Ron Bechtel

Romans (and Paul’s Epistles) The Perfect Model Of The Three Point Sermon

Today Our Overview Of The Letter to the Romans The Perfect 3 Point Sermon Will also serve as our Second Reading

The reason we are using Romans it is the most taught and most important to understand book of the Bible in a Protestant Seminary.

It is also the most missed preached on book by the Fragmentist, and sadly that’s most of today’s preaching, as context is not adequately taught, nor it seems pursued in today’s plagiarist encouraged Pastorate.

I have told you about the Websites that Encourage Pastors to (Their words) “They owe it to their Congregations to Steal Their Sermons”, we also told you many time about Crossing the Country from California to New Jersey, with stops in New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, and home only to hear Pastor’s in OPC, PCA, & Methodist Churches ALL preaching for the same section in Mark!!!

It is the Book of the Bible that the Holy Spirit used to open Dr. Martin Luther’s eyes, and thus the foundation of the Protestant Reformation.

Yet sadly as my Student Mentor Professor Dr. Micheal Allen rightly said, “how many of you have ever heard sermons on Romans 13-16?” His true point, and why Context is so stressed, that the vast majority of the treatment of Paul’s Epistles for that matter fail because the Pastor seems to have forgotten there is a whole volume, and as such, “Faith, Not Works, actually takes on a completely different meaning, aligning with James Letter.

We had to study a total of two Commentaries on Romans, one being Luther’s, and what I remember about Luther’s is extremely important as Luther’s was his personal argument with each Chapter of Romans, as his commentary is quite like the typical Romans Sermon, as it forgets it has three points.

This example, I have used this before, Of the Pastor who was preaching on Galatians in South Florida, as we told you the Pastor Started Preaching “It is not about Works, but Faith Alone”.

I looked at my Wife and said, “What’s He going to do when he gets to the End of Galatians, as this is going to be a train wreck!” Well it was!!

You see in Full Context GOD Given Faith alone is correct, but GOD given Faith alone fully regenerated by the HOLY SPIRIT In Christ Alone, comes with de facto GOD Given Fruits of Works, and a Love of the Law.

So when the Pastor preaches on Faith and not works, they preach out of Context, as GOD Given Faith by HIS mercy comes with Works thanks to the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT.

The Dead Sinful corpse of our Souls knit in Total Depravity, have been Regenerated and Made Alive by the HOLY SPIRIT in Christ Alone, and Living for HIM, just natural.

This is why we knew the Pastor was in for a Train Wreck, Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

(NAS95)

So let’s go through that model of the true Three Point Sermon, and Why Romans (and Galatians) are perfect examples,

Our Natural Estate

Ro 3:1 ¶ Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED."

 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)

 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

 9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

 10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."

 13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";

 14 "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";

 15 "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,

Ro 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

The Rescue In Jesus Christ Alone, By The Will Of The FATHER

From Late Chapter 7 until late Chapter 13, the letter to the Romans pivots to exactly how we are saved, and beloved NONE of this is by our own efforts, but ONLY by the Will of the FATHER, Through the Full Redemption and Justification imputed by the SON, and the Regeneration of our Dead Souls by the HOLY SPIRIT, period, of our own strength and ability.

You see, we really can’t nor do we accept Jesus Christ, contrary to the Arminian view shared sadly by the Majority of the Western Christian Denominations, and sadly most Presbyterian Congregations, even though swear to their Predestinational Confessional Creeds, too fall into the Arminian circle.

But Pastor how can we tell? Well we will get to that in the examples in Chapter 3, but one example comes from my early years at First Presbyterian in Hackettstown where the Pastor at the time, The Reverend J.H. Jack Criswell would use perhaps the Greatest Example of being unable to regenerate our dead souls.

He would say, “We could have a corpse laying in the casket in front of the Church, and we can set a bottle of the elixir of Life right next to the casket, well with in reach of the corpse, and they would be powerless to reach for the Bottle”.

This is exactly how our Estate is before the HOLY SPIRIT regenerates our dead souls!

The Beautiful pivot between Chapter 7 & 8 the transfers us from who we truly are Totally Depraved, to Who Rescues us completely from Chapter 8 to 12.

Here in 8 on we see the regenerated soul chosen by the Will of the FATHER, through the Complete purchase of the SON, and Regenerated by the HOLY SPIRIT is only accomplished NOT by our “Free Will”, but by the LORD’S merciful Preordained election!!

NO place in the in the Bible does it say we have the ability on our own strength come to faith!

This a good place to jump into our most revealing part as we expose the fact that 90% of the 3rd point sadly in Presbyterian Churches (their Ministers take exams Claiming to believe only in predestination) who should know better, that they too “teach” how we should change, as if we actually in our own strength can.

Ro 7:14 ¶ For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,

 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Ro 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

 26 ¶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 29 ¶ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

 31 ¶ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 36 Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."

 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(NAS95)

Fruits Of The Our Regeneration By The HOLY SPIRIT

One of the great, yet totally false, and taken out of context and fractured understanding of the true Biblical narrative, the artificial debate between Paul’s Letters and James.

Even Martin Luther for a time suggested such a debate at first, even suggesting that James shouldn’t have been in the cannon of scripture, though Luther does come to understand the Paul and James connection.

But let’s get to the point.

ANY Third Point that tells you what you must do, is an Arminian Sermon, and be honest, this is what you are hearing in the “Application” portion of the Sermon you hear week to week!!

You see, If you actually read all of Romans, and actually attach James to the end, you see the truth!

Regeneration comes with fruits of regeneration, and this by the HOLY SPIRIT’S achieving, NOT our efforts.

It is why the 3rd point in a true reformed Sermon should ALWAYS say, “See how the HOLY SPIRIT walks you to be more and more Christ like, and HOW HE grows you as well!

So, NO it is NOT what You need to change, or do better, as if we can, since the Bible clearly tells us we are a wreck, but just HOW the HOLY SPIRIT grows us, and we through HIM bear the Fruits of Works, proving we are alive in Christ by HIS doing!!!

James 2:14 ¶ What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

 18 But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Attached to the End of Romans, and for that matter ANY of Paul’s Epistles actually says we who by the Mercy of the FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD forever and ever will by HIS doing bear the fruits of works, not unto salvation, but as the fruits of HIS awakening us to Salvation!

In Christ Alone and for HIS Kingdom, Pastor Paul

Ro 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

 11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

 15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

 16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;

 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

 19 So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

 20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.

 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.

 22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Ro 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

 17 ¶ Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.

 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

 19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Now that you are at this point, you must have noticed.

1 Our Natural Estate Before GOD

As we can see (Though the HOLY SPIRIT alone grants us eyes to see) the first third of Romans bluntly accesses our true estate before our FATHER in Heaven, and tells us firmly (See Chapter 1) of the rotting fruits of Total Depravity, and of a decaying Empire, this being Rome, and Jewish Faith itself!

As you have noticed soberly, Chapter 1 pulls no punches, and actually is a striking parallel to 21st Century Western Culture, and for that matter Middle Eastern (Islam for example) and Asian faiths that convince themselves that they are better than their natural Selves truly are!

Exampled in the “Purity” of Islam by the Sword, as the only way to “purify” a faith that subjugates as subserviates 5/8 of the worlds population (Women) while elevating the Male.

The false nirvana of the Eastern Faiths with their false Caste Systems, always elevating the person who is evaluating others as superior to those they compare.

We in the Christian Faith have the same failure as the above as we, as perfectly stated by the late Dr. Tim Keller at Redeemer New York, “The Default Of Our Hearts Is To Judge Others Against Our Own Understanding Of Our Righteousness, And NOT As Compared To The LORD’S True Righteousness”.

The truth lies in Romans Chapter 3’s honest assessment of ALL Humankind, 9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

 10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

So point one is properly to explain our natural Estate (For the record most sermons are not devoid of this)

2 Our Regeneration through Christ Our LORD, by the HOLY SPIRIT alone

The next 1/3 of Romans points to just how we are rescued, and OUR Only Assurance of Salvation!

It is first tipped off in Romans 3: 23 & 24, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

As the end of Chapter 7 opens up Chapter 8 through Chapter 12 explain the ONLY Hope & Assurance of Salvation period!

Again, many Reformed Sermons treat this well, and the only self-choosing  Denominations and Faiths are the ones that fall apart into the majority self-righteous totally fail

3 Seeing The Fruits the HOLY SPIRIT Alone leads us to perform, for Christ sake alone, and a proof of salvation, NOT a work towards salvation.

Beloved, You Are NOT hearing a GOD honoring Sermon if the Third point tells you what you must do, like praying more, reading your Bible More. These are sermons you should get up and walk out on.

You see the 3rd point should ALWAYS focus on, How the HOLY SPIRIT is causing us to Read the Bible More, Pray more, Love More, and be more and More Christ like by HIS power, Period!!

In Christ alone and for HIS Sake, Pastor Paul

Hymn As We Go To The LORD’S Feast

Love Devine All Love’s Excelling

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q3jmXn6HTQ

All Souls Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, England

The LORD’S Feast

We Sit and Use Raised Bread and A Full Cup of Grape Juice (not wine do to the amount) as Christ has Completed the Work, and has called us NOT to Stand shoes on, staff in our hand ready to flee, but in HIS finished work, HE commands us to Have a Seat, take your shoes off, relax, no need to rush, let the bread dough rise.

1Co 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

When I serve Communion I serve a Raised Roll on Purpose, and a Cup of Grape Juice (4 oz) can you guess why?

Yes, The Lord’s Table we are to have a Seat, take your shoes off, no need the rush, Jesus has indeed Finished the Work.

Response Hymn

The Power Of The Cross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT-3xOautdk

Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord,

 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN

Recessional

Crown HIM With Many Crowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-oubDZaIU

 St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York 

Matthew Chapter 23 Part 3 “You Testify Against Yourselves

We will be taking a break as we enter Thanksgiving & then Advent season, so next week a Special overview of the Letter to the Romans, and how it really is the Perfect 3 point message.

We will pick back up in Matthew 24 around June 2026 (LORD Willing)

As we finish perhaps the bluntest assessment Jesus renders the Religious Leadership, one ponders, just what kind of assessment HE would render on our mess.

The fact is the struggle will always be with the Leadership as we sadly look to judge others against our perception of ourselves and not the Total Depravity, save our regeneration by the HOLY SPIRIT we now have, though still a sinner saved by Grace!

As we will discuss, the Religion and in Christian Circles Denominational Snobbery we each have cause us to read the Bible in “Our Own Context” and not judged against its entire Context.

I give the example of the OPC Pastor misleading His Congregation on the Role of the Deacon, and suggesting could, with fruits of teaching, indeed become an Elder, sadly missing the Entire Context of the Choosing of a Deacon. (Hint we will show the proof Deacons are selected from the Elders only after they are first tested, and don’t seek the Office)

The Proof is only to show, yes, we Presbyterians too Testify against ourselves.

Let’s Run To Worship

Call to Worship

Re 4:8 ¶ And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

 9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,

Processional

When Morning Gilds The Skies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owcu9p89XfY

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You!!

Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ

Hymn

And Can It Be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewTa1LgKI4A

Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

First Reading

Ge 4:1 ¶ Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD."

 2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

 3 ¶ So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.

 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;

 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.

 6 ¶ Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

 7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

 8 ¶ Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

 9 ¶ Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

 10 He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

 11 "Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

 12 "When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth."

 13 ¶ Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear!

 14 "Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

 15 So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

 16 ¶ Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

This Is The Word Of The LORD

Response: Thanks Be To GOD

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed Read By All

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church;

The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow: Tune All Creatures of Our God and King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1JOnVnLQd0

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington, Organist Mr. Ron Bechtel

Second Reading & Lesson You Testify Against Yourselves

Mt 23:1 ¶ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
  2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
  3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
  4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
  5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
  6 "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,
  7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.
  8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
  9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
  10 "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
  11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
  12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
  13 ¶ "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
  14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
  15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
  16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'
  17 "You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
  18 "And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.'
  19 "You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
  20 "Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.
  21 "And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it.
  22 "And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
  23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
  24 "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
  25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
  26 "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
  27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
  28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
  29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
  30 and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
  31 "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
  32 "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.
  33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
  34 ¶ "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
  35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
  36 "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
  37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
  38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
  39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"
(NAS95)

The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response: All Glory To YOU LORD Christ!!

Matthew Chapter 23 Part 3 “You Testify Against Yourselves

1 Do The Religious Organizations Even Today Testify Against Themselves?

2 If We Are Indeed In Trouble How Do We Get Straightened Out?

3 The FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT To The Rescue As Always!

 31 "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
  32 "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.
  33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
  34 ¶ "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
  35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
  36 "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
  37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
  38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
  39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"
(NAS95)

1 Do The Religious Organizations Even Today Testify Against Themselves?

I would Humbly suggest this struggle is as alive and well as it was in the beginning.

As our forward example was meant to show, and I hope you do see it, our horrible sinful default is to take a passage out of true context and manipulate it into our agenda.

All Faiths and for we in Christ Denominations are guilty of this!

See just how many Muslim Sects, Jewish Orders, Hindu, and Yes Christian Denominations and splits within those Denominations there are, needless to say We Christian by far are not the only ones not immune this movement.

Our example for the record of Taking a Square Passage and Pounding it into a round Biblical Context is proven by actually Reading 1st Timothy 3, seeing that Overseer (Elder, Bishop) should be a proven teacher, have control of His family and NOT a Recent Convert.

The Deacon is all of the above (The Greek is truly Likewise, including all of the above) must Also be Tested (the Greek is again clear here) just as in Acts 6.

You can read these on your own and see the Deacon can NEVER revert back to an Elder, and especially since they are to be selected, after being tested, from the Elders.

Presbyterians by their name will most likely always get this wrong, as Presbytos is the Greek for Elder, as Episcopas Is the Greek for Bishop, so they will always see these rolls as elevated beyond their true Biblical roles.

The Baptist with all of their divisions, dig in on the Believers Baptism, while discounting the Acts 16 clear Baptism of two full Families,(Lydia & the Philippian Jailer), oh yes we know who is considered in the Family unit by reading the Old Testament Law Passages (see Exodus through Deuteronomy) and the Genesis Circumcision requirements GOD gives to Abraham in Genesis and yet this account the proven awakening of only one member each, and the contextual understand of who in the Whole Family were Baptized. Paul too recounting of the Baptism of 1Co 1:12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ."

 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

 14 ¶ I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.

 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

This passage also speaks to what I believe is the most destructive Device KNOWN and quietly Satin’s tool, Divide and Conquer, the Religions & Denominations!!

Yes I said Denominations, and for those of other Faiths Your Divisions too are Satan’s tools.

Jesus reminds us “Mt 12:22 ¶ Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.

 23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?"

 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."

 25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.

 26 "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?

 27 "If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

 28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

A divided House Is Satan’s greatest and quietest weapon!

Get each to condemn the others to Hell, even though again John & Paul write “Joh 5:21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

 22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,

 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

2Ti 4:1 ¶ I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

Jesus the Christ ALONE is the Judge of the Universe, and NOT the Individual Religions, Sects, Orders, and Denominations!!!

The Christian schism we will use as our example, thought each faith, and each denominational rival has their warts, but the most well known is the Break between Luther and Rome, each damning the other camp to Hell.

When one looks at the 95 Theses, they are meant for discussion and blunt debate, not a total War, I beg Pardon for adding the entire list, if it is to long please skip to the bottom as it is published as a proof

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ``Repent'' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

3. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.

4. The penalty of sin remains as long as the hatred of self (that is, true inner repentance), namely till our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope neither desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority or that of the canons.

6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by God; or, to be sure, by remitting guilt in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in these cases were disregarded, the guilt would certainly remain unforgiven.

7. God remits guilt to no one unless at the same time he humbles him in all things and makes him submissive to the vicar, the priest.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to the canons themselves, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit through the pope is kind to us insofar as the pope in his decrees always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.

10. Those priests act ignorantly and wickedly who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penalties for purgatory.

11. Those tares of changing the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory were evidently sown while the bishops slept (Mt 13:25).

12. In former times canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties, are already dead as far as the canon laws are concerned, and have a right to be released from them.

14. Imperfect piety or love on the part of the dying person necessarily brings with it great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater the fear.

15. This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, to say nothing of other things, to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ the same as despair, fear, and assurance of salvation.

17. It seems as though for the souls in purgatory fear should necessarily decrease and love increase.

18. Furthermore, it does not seem proved, either by reason or by Scripture, that souls in purgatory are outside the state of merit, that is, unable to grow in love.

19. Nor does it seem proved that souls in purgatory, at least not all of them, are certain and assured of their own salvation, even if we ourselves may be entirely certain of it.

20. Therefore the pope, when he uses the words ``plenary remission of all penalties,'' does not actually mean ``all penalties,'' but only those imposed by himself.

21. Thus those indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences.

22. As a matter of fact, the pope remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to canon law, they should have paid in this life.

23. If remission of all penalties whatsoever could be granted to anyone at all, certainly it would be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to very few.

24. For this reason most people are necessarily deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of release from penalty.

25. That power which the pope has in general over purgatory corresponds to the power which any bishop or curate has in a particular way in his own diocese and parish.

26. The pope does very well when he grants remission to souls in purgatory, not by the power of the keys, which he does not have, but by way of intercession for them.

27. They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.

28. It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church intercedes, the result is in the hands of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed, since we have exceptions in St. Severinus and St. Paschal, as related in a legend.

30. No one is sure of the integrity of his own contrition, much less of having received plenary remission.

31. The man who actually buys indulgences is as rare as he who is really penitent; indeed, he is exceedingly rare.

32. Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

33. Men must especially be on guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to him.

34. For the graces of indulgences are concerned only with the penalties of sacramental satisfaction established by man.

35. They who teach that contrition is not necessary on the part of those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessional privileges preach unchristian doctrine.

36. Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters.

37. Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.

38. Nevertheless, papal remission and blessing are by no means to be disregarded, for they are, as I have said (Thesis 6), the proclamation of the divine remission.

39. It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the bounty of indulgences and the need of true contrition.

40. A Christian who is truly contrite seeks and loves to pay penalties for his sins; the bounty of indulgences, however, relaxes penalties and causes men to hate them -- at least it furnishes occasion for hating them.

41. Papal indulgences must be preached with caution, lest people erroneously think that they are preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend that the buying of indulgences should in any way be compared with works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys indulgences.

44. Because love grows by works of love, man thereby becomes better. Man does not, however, become better by means of indulgences but is merely freed from penalties.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God's wrath.

46. Christians are to be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they must reserve enough for their family needs and by no means squander it on indulgences.

47. Christians are to be taught that they buying of indulgences is a matter of free choice, not commanded.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting indulgences, needs and thus desires their devout prayer more than their money.

49. Christians are to be taught that papal indulgences are useful only if they do not put their trust in them, but very harmful if they lose their fear of God because of them.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.

52. It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.

53. They are the enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done to the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is devoted to indulgences than to the Word.

55. It is certainly the pope's sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The true treasures of the church, out of which the pope distributes indulgences, are not sufficiently discussed or known among the people of Christ.

57. That indulgences are not temporal treasures is certainly clear, for many indulgence sellers do not distribute them freely but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, for, even without the pope, the latter always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outer man.

59. St. Lawrence said that the poor of the church were the treasures of the church, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without want of consideration we say that the keys of the church, given by the merits of Christ, are that treasure.

61. For it is clear that the pope's power is of itself sufficient for the remission of penalties and cases reserved by himself.

62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last (Mt. 20:16).

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth.

66. The treasures of indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.

67. The indulgences which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to be such only insofar as they promote gain.

68. They are nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the grace of God and the piety of the cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of papal indulgences with all reverence.

70. But they are much more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams instead of what the pope has commissioned.

71. Let him who speaks against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed.

72. But let him who guards against the lust and license of the indulgence preachers be blessed.

73. Just as the pope justly thunders against those who by any means whatever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences.

74. Much more does he intend to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth.

75. To consider papal indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.

76. We say on the contrary that papal indulgences cannot remove the very least of venial sins as far as guilt is concerned.

77. To say that even St. Peter if he were now pope, could not grant greater graces is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.

78. We say on the contrary that even the present pope, or any pope whatsoever, has greater graces at his disposal, that is, the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written. (1 Co 12[:28])

79. To say that the cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence preachers is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people will have to answer for this.

81. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of the laity.

82. Such as: ``Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church?'' The former reason would be most just; the latter is most trivial.

83. Again, ``Why are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?''

84. Again, ``What is this new piety of God and the pope that for a consideration of money they permit a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God and do not rather, beca use of the need of that pious and beloved soul, free it for pure love's sake?''

85. Again, ``Why are the penitential canons, long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and through disuse, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences as though they were still alive and in force?''

86. Again, ``Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?''

87. Again, ``What does the pope remit or grant to those who by perfect contrition already have a right to full remission and blessings?''

88. Again, ``What greater blessing could come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these remissions and blessings on every believer a hundred times a day, as he now does but once?''

89. ``Since the pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his indulgences, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons previously granted when they have equal efficacy?''

90. To repress these very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, ``Peace, peace,'' and there is no peace! (Jer 6:14)

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, ``Cross, cross,'' and there is no cross!

94. Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell.

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace (Acts 14:22).

When one soberly views the 95 Theses and the frustration that finally produced them one can see that though blunt, should have sparked debate, but when a Church Hierarchy is called out, as Jesus is doing throughout Matthew, and in HIS 8 Woes of Jerusalem moment, the Hierarchy instead of debate, goes to all-out War.

In Jesus case the Religious Leadership, so bent on Hatred and Fear their positions would become redundant, didn’t want Jesus Stoned or Beheaded (ALL Legal to the First Century Jews) but wanted Roman hands involved and HIM to be Accursed of GOD and hung on the Cross (Cursed is anyone hug on a tree)!

In Luther v Romes case, after no peaceful forum of discussion could be found, each side declared the other to be Anathema, a state that most, because of peaceful conversations still exists Officially between the Roman & Protestant Camps as neither has formally renounced their judgement of Damnation on the other (This would take the same council type setting the pronounced them).

There are plenty more examples of the “Loving” Church doing damage to Christ’s witness, the Baptist refusing Communion to anyone not emersed, the Seventh Day Adventist declaring all who worship on Sunday are going to Hell (Yes a Seventh Day Adventist and former Council Colleague so declared on me), the CRC demanding an interview with visitors before the visitor is allowed to receive Communion, and the Churches use of “Discipline” to keep the Congregants inline (I have used the example my Wife and I were put through ALL proven False by an arbitrator, yet NO repercussions to the entrenched Leadership, they instead sacrificed the Assistant).

If you are aware of any examples and if you have been in a Church more than 30 years, I am sure you do, as they all have Sinners Saved by Grace alone leading, please add them, as for now let’s look at the next question.

2 If We Are Indeed In Trouble How Do We Get Straightened Out?

This point and the third go hand in hand (as a three point Sermon should), How do we get out of this mess??

Well, number one, by the Enlightenment of the HOLY SPIRIT, and is proven by the fruit of seeing Jesus as Hebrews says 12:1 ¶ Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 4 ¶ You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

Seeing Jesus alone as the Judge of the Universe 2Ti 4:1 ¶ I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

The Fruit of Regeneration causes us to seek to be more Christ like, and even though as a group the Church will struggle as it has from Genesis on, the HOLY SPIRIT will indeed move us more and more to daily pray for HER.

So, what do we have to do???

NOTHING, as we are about to see

3 The FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT To The Rescue As Always!

Are the ONES who have Rescued, Are Rescuing, and Will Rescue and all according to Plan.

Yes, today Jesus would have the same to say to the Church as HE did in 32 AD, but remember, ALL Religions fall short of the Glory of GOD, and Say So, but only Christianity the true faith, shows you what life has ALWAYS been about, and WHO alone Rescues You The FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT

In Christ Alone

Pastor Paul 

Hymn As We Go To The LORD’S Feast

In Christ Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnXv2gAfPpE

All Souls Orchestra, w/ The Getty’s Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, England

The LORD’S Feast

We Sit and Use Raised Bread and A Full Cup of Grape Juice (not wine do to the amount) as Christ has Completed the Work, and has called us NOT to Stand shoes on, staff in our hand ready to flee, but in HIS finished work, HE commands us to Have a Seat, take your shoes off, relax, no need to rush, let the bread dough rise.

1Co 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

When I serve Communion I serve a Raised Roll on Purpose, and a Cup of Grape Juice (4 oz) can you guess why?

Yes, The Lord’s Table we are to have a Seat, take your shoes off, no need the rush, Jesus has indeed Finished the Work.

Response Hymn

The Power Of The Cross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT-3xOautdk

Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord,

 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN

Recessional

Crown HIM With Many Crowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-oubDZaIU

 St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City, New York 

Reformation Vespers 

Vespers Introduction https://www.instagram.com/pw78a/reel/DQfZD8XDoK5/

Call to Vespers 

Psalm 96:8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.

Processional

A Mighty Fortress Is Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzxWL24rHD4

Reading of 

The 95 Theses nailed to the Door of Wittenberg Castle on this  Anniversary 

a

Never meant to cause a schism, but a dialog, it ended up causing the former.

Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther

on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences

by Dr. Martin Luther (1517)

Published in:

Works of Martin Luther:

Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds.

(Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol.1, pp. 29-38

_______________

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.

3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh. 

4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.

6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.

7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.

10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.

11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.

12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.

14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.

15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.

17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.

18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.

19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.

20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.

21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;

22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.

23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.

24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.

25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.

26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.

27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].

28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.

30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.

31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.

32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.

33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;

34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.

35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.

36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.

37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.

38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.

39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.

40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].

41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;

44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.

45. 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.

47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.

49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.

55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope. grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of Christ.

57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.

59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by Christ's merit, are that treasure;

61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last.

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.

66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men.

67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest graces" are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.

68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of apostolic pardons, with all reverence.

70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of the commission of the pope.

71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed!

72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!

73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.

74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.

75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God -- this is madness.

76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned.

77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against the pope.

78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii.

79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.

81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.

82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."

83. Again: -- "Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?"

84. Again: -- "What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul's own need, free it for pure love's sake?"

85. Again: -- "Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?"

86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

87. Again: -- "What is it that the pope remits, and what participation does he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?"

88. Again: -- "What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?"

89. "Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?"

90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.

In Christ Alone 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZGRydoUpQ

Scripture Lesson 

Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Romans  8:1 ¶ Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

Acts 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by this name this man stands here before you in good health.

 11 "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.

 12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

This the WORD Of The LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!

The Church Is One Foundation 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQv4EAwMFoQ

The LORD’s Benediction

Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

(NAS95)

Recessional

All Creatures Of Our GOD & KING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc6QkhChlEg

November 1, 2025

All Saints Day Vespers

 Video Introduction: Reformation Vespers 

Vespers Introduction https://www.instagram.com/pw78a/reel/DQfZD8XDoK5/

Call to Vespers 

Psalm 96:8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.

Processional

A Mighty Fortress Is Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzxWL24rHD4

Reading of 

The 95 Theses nailed to the Door of Wittenberg Castle on this  Anniversary 

a

Never meant to cause a schism, but a dialog, it ended up causing the former.

Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther

on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences

by Dr. Martin Luther (1517)

Published in:

Works of Martin Luther:

Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds.

(Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol.1, pp. 29-38

_______________

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.

3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh. 

4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.

6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.

7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.

10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.

11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.

12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.

14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.

15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.

17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.

18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.

19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.

20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.

21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;

22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.

23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.

24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.

25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.

26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.

27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].

28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.

30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.

31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.

32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.

33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;

34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.

35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.

36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.

37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.

38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.

39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.

40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].

41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;

44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.

45. 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.

47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.

49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.

55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope. grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of Christ.

57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.

59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by Christ's merit, are that treasure;

61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last.

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.

66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men.

67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest graces" are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.

68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of apostolic pardons, with all reverence.

70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of the commission of the pope.

71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed!

72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!

73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.

74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.

75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God -- this is madness.

76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned.

77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against the pope.

78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii.

79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.

81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.

82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."

83. Again: -- "Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?"

84. Again: -- "What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul's own need, free it for pure love's sake?"

85. Again: -- "Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?"

86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

87. Again: -- "What is it that the pope remits, and what participation does he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?"

88. Again: -- "What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?"

89. "Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?"

90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.

In Christ Alone 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZGRydoUpQ

Scripture Lesson 

Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Romans  8:1 ¶ Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

Acts 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by this name this man stands here before you in good health.

 11 "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.

 12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

This the WORD Of The LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!

The Church Is One Foundation 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQv4EAwMFoQ

The LORD’s Benediction

Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

(NAS95)

Recessional

All Creatures Of Our GOD & KING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc6QkhChlEg

Call To Worship

Psalm 16:1 ¶ <<A Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

 2 O my soul, you have said to the LORD, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You."

 3 As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."

Opening Hymn

A mighty Fortress Is Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzxWL24rHD4

Manchester United Methodist Church

First Reading

Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to GOD Alone)

Genesis 4:25 ¶ And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."

 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

(NKJV)

This Is The WORD of The LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!!

Look Ye Saints The Sight Glorious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7dEIiGWkM4

Second Reading

Sola Fide (Only by Faith), Sola Gratia (Only By Grace), Sola Christus (Only in Christ)

Heb 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

 2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

 4 ¶ By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

 9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

 10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

 11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

 12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.

 13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

 18 it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED."

 19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

 21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

 22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

 29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

 32 ¶ And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.

 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

ALL: Thanks Be To GOD!!!!

The B I B L E

Sola scriptura (Only The Bible)

Hebrews 12:1 ¶ Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The HOLY Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

ALL: All Glory To You Lord Christ

This will be a short message, as the Passages summed it up already.

Php 1:1 ¶ Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

 Php 4:22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.

 Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

1Ti 5:10 having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

 Phm 1:5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;

 Phm 1:7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

 Heb 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

 Heb 13:24 Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

From Genesis in the beginning to the Seed given to Eve in Seth, to our Hebrews text, to Revelation 22 and Amen, the Bible Is not about us, nor is it about us doing a darn thing to secure our salvation or for that matter our Sainthood, it is about Our LORD Jesus Christ doing EVERYTHING!

When Dr. Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle, it was due to the HOLY SPIRIT opening of Luther’s eye to the truth that salvation is by GOD give Faith alone, and not by us earning it.

As I have repeated over the years, and yes I especially need to rehear this over and over, the List in Hebrews 11 are not the “All Stars” or “Honor Roll” of the Church, but simply an encouragement to us all as they too are sinners saved by Grace.

I was honored to hear that someone recently used this understanding in their Sermon, as it is the true understanding, just as today we remember that Saints are not just those who now rest in Christ in death, but those in Christ who are also alive as our selection of passages so clearly.

No, a Church does NOT promote us to Sainthood, that is done only by the will of the FATHER, Purchased by the Blood of Jesus Christ Our LORD, and waken from Spiritual Death By the HOLY SPIRIT alone.

It is by Grace alone in Christ alone, and that really is the great news.

The 95 Theses nailed to the door were never to split the Church, but to open the door to dialog, but Rome, as almost all Denominations have chosen Confessions as their most important documents over the Bible.

Let us return to the authority of the Bible.

Let Us Run To The Feast Of The LORD

 23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

All Creatures Of Our GOD & KING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdfTekZcgGM

Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

The LORD’S Benediction

Ro 16:25 ¶ Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,

 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;

 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

(NAS95)

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim The Love and Resurrection Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response by All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN!

Recessional

For All The Saints

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHVv79W_EpA

Songs of Praise, Royal Albert Hall, London, England

(There is an Ad)

Reformation Sunday

Should I Fear The Reformation?

I would hope by now you would be able to say no matter your Denomination or Faith, No

As the Rescue Mission of our LORD Jesus Christ is the Greatest and TRUE  Love Story Ever.

Our Salvation is Free to all the HOLY SPIRIT Enlightens By the Will Of The FATHER, But it sure cost Our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ everything, and may LORD Willing all have their eyes opened to see this Love.

In Christ Alone, Pastor Paul

I invite to visit the webpage to read more about what a Reformed Church Should Look Like; https://sites.google.com/view/itsallaboutjesus-paulwallace/what-is-reformed

Video Introduction: 2025 https://www.instagram.com/pw78a/reel/DQfaXoTDrtb/

2024 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB37kmguaRB/?igsh=d3A1bHVkaWNoM2U5

Should I Fear The Reformation?

Call To Worship

Psalm 95:6 Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Processional

A Mighty Fortress Is Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzxWL24rHD4

Manchester United Methodist Church

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You!!

Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ

Hymn

Love Devine All Loves Exceling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=233EE1w83oc

The Episcopal Cathedral Church Of Saints Peter & Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C

First Reading

Psalm 51

1 ¶ <<For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.>> Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.

 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.

 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

 7 ¶ Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.

 14 ¶ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.

 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

 18 By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.

 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All:  Thanks Be To GOD

Hymn

The Church Is One Foundation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1YBYrJ8Hzg

Christ Community Church, Sun Valley, California

The LORD’S Prayer & Nicene Creed Read By All

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow: Tune All Creatures of Our God and King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1JOnVnLQd0

Faith Presbyterian Church, Organist Mr. Ron Bechtle

Second Reading “Should I Fear The Reformation?”

Romans 8:26-34, Ephesians 1:2-9, Matthew  16:15-17

26 ¶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 29 ¶ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

 31 ¶ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Ephesians 1:2-9

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

 Matthew  16:15-17

15 Jesus *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response By All: All Glory To YOU LORD Christ

Lesson: Should I Fear The Reformation?

So let’s look at

1 What is the Reformation?

2 Should I Fear The Reformation?

3 Taking Comfort In The True Understanding Of The Bible

1 What is the Reformation?

499 years ago on October 31, 1517 Monk Dr. Martin Luther nailed “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” or 95 Theses to the Door of Wittenberg Castle Church.

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/web/ninetyfive.html

Meant to start a dialog on what Dr. Luther saw as an abuse and misreading of Scripture with regard to indulgences, and works, it instead started a Civil War in the Roman Catholic Church, as Rome saw this as an attack.

So much for thinking our inability to discuss matters is a late 20th early 21st Century phenomena, as it has always been the issue.

If we take an honest trip through history we will see this is not just religious problem as so many “enlightened” like to claim, but a human nature problem.

Wars throughout the ages have been started for reasons NOT Connected to the Church, though to the “educated” the Church is to blame.

But back to the History of the Reformation, and why the 95 Thesis became a battle.

One needs only to read the Bible to understand that to the “Religious” from the Temple to the Church have seen themselves as an order needing to protect their way of life, or to be blunt business.

In Acts 19:27 "Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence."

 28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

We see an example of such a turf war, and there is no room in their minds for discussion.

So is Rome’s reaction to the 95 Thesis, as it will do the same harm to the “industry” built over centuries, regardless whether it is Biblical.

Before we throw Rocks at Rome, to days Protestants Churches has fallen into the same trap and we will touch more on this in the third point, but it has to do with Star Theologian Gazing and not trusting the Bible.

This will set up our second point;

2 Should I Fear The Reformation?

Well if you are in the Religious Business YES, but if you are not, then absolutely NOT!

We should see by the Grace of GOD, that Ro 3:21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

The Reformation is only a return to Orthodox (of a person or their views, especially religious or political ones, or other beliefs or practices) conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true; established and approved. In this case used as Bible Standardist Christians) Christianity where the 5 Solas are viewed as the true foundation.

·         Sola Fide, by faith alone.

·         Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone.

·         Solus Christus, through Christ alone.

·         Sola Gratia, by grace alone.

·         Soli Deo Gloria, glory to God alone.

Since October 31, 1517, and the nailing of the 95 Thesis on the Wittenberg Castle Door the Orthodox path of reading the Bible has been labeled, Reformed, and thus confused with a new understanding of the Bible when in fact it truly is as I have suggested a return to Orthodoxy as we attempt to rescue the Church from Pharisaical Tradition that of course are defined by regulations that are additional to the rule of Scripture.

As we approach our third point we will need to understand that the Religious leadership since the very beginning, dating back to the early Priesthood up to both sides of the reformed debate, will stray toward “Church Tradition” in Rome’s case and “Star Theologian Interpretation” on the Protestant side.

Jesus warned against this in Matthew 23 and the woes, we will read them and then go to the 3rd point

 Mt 23:10 "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

 11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

 12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

 13 ¶ "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

 14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

 15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

 16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'

 17 "You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

 18 "And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.'

 19 "You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?

 20 "Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.

 21 "And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it.

 22 "And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

 23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

 24 "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

 25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.

 26 "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

 27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

 28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

 30 and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

 31 "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

 32 "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.

 33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

 34 ¶ "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,

 35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

 36 "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

 37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

 38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

 39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

(NAS95)

3 Taking Comfort In The True Understanding Of The Bible

Why has this occurred on Both sides, and why are we in the Reformed camp to be more pitied then the Church of Rome?

When one performs an autopsy (analysis) on the Historical past one sees the differences in the period between the First Century and 1517, and 1517 to 2016;

Number one is the masses in the Western Developed World ability to read for themselves and since 1440 the invention of the Gutenberg Press.

The early Church must really on the educated who are able to read the hand written documents and proclaim them.

In 382 St. Jerome translated the Greek Bible into Latin, and the Latin Vulgate was born.

Up until the late 1200’s Latin was the only translation, when the Bible was translated into French, the 1338 English Bible translated by John Wycliffite but all of these translations where outlawed and condemned by the Roman Church who for the record would adopt the Latin Vulgate as the official Roman Catholic Bible in 1600.

The Translators of the Bibles were declared Heretics and in many cases burned at the stake to ashes in order to not have a body to be resurrected at the second coming.

“The Council of Constance declared Wycliffe a heretic on 4 May 1415, and banned his writings. The Council decreed that Wycliffe's works should be burned and his remains removed from consecrated ground. This order, confirmed by Pope Martin V, was carried out in 1428. Wycliffe's corpse was exhumed and burned and the ashes cast into the River Swift, which flows through Lutterworth.” Wikipedia

The Church in this very practice shows they have walked from the Authority of the Bible as Genesis Tells us plainly from Dust we were created, unto Dust we shall return.

Ge 3:19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

Ge 18:27 And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.

But why is this History important?

Because up to the time when the masses were taught to read, the MAIN reason for the First Public Schools in what was now known as the United States

“The first American schools in the thirteen original colonies opened in the 17th century. Boston Latin School was founded in 1635 and is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States. The first tax-supported public school was opened in Dedham, Massachusetts, in 1644 and was run by Rev. Ralph Wheelock. Cremin (1970) stresses that colonists tried at first to educate by the traditional English methods of family, church, community, and apprenticeship, with schools later becoming the key agent in "socialization." At first, the rudiments of literacy and arithmetic were taught inside the family, assuming the parents had those skills. Literacy rates were much higher in New England, because much of the population had been deeply involved in the Protestant Reformation and learned to read in order to read the Scriptures. Literacy was much lower in the South, where the Anglican Church was the established church. Single working-class people formed a large part of the population in the early years, arriving as indentured servants. The elite planter class did not support public education but arranged for private tutors for their children, and sent some to England at appropriate ages for further education.” Wikipedia

Only the well to do were able to read, and therefore the Masses HAD to rely on the Church to preach the Bible in truth.

We are actually warned by Paul in the famous 2nd Timothy 3 Passage that normally get quoted using verse 15 & 16, but the caution in verse 12-14 gets overlooked;

2nd Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

 13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

(NAS95)

Having traveled across the Country we have found a constant problem, and I don’t want you to be shocked but since our Church going only references “Reformed” Churches I can tell you that in 100% of the Sermons, the Orthodox understanding of the Bible IS NOT taught!

Week after week we hear the 3 to 4 Theologian quote Sermon, suggesting if the latest Theological Star, and one or two from the past are quoted the Sermon must be on point, when in fact if we took the message home as we are supposed to do, we would realize the message IS NOT Biblical but rather, Pharisaical, as it relies on us to “do better”, and “sacrifice more”.

Jesus on the cross said this and MEANT it;

Joh 19:30 (NAS95) Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished! (teleo: complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt):--accomplish, make an end, expire, fill up, finish, pay}” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

The Work is completed as only the work could be and by the only one who could do it perfectly Jesus Christ Himself.

It is Jesus who tells us that the FATHER alone reveals through the HOLY SPIRIT,

Mt 16:17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Joh 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

When we hear a message that goes off of the point of the Gospel we slip in the camp of the Pharisees, and BOTH Sides are guilty of this.

This brings me back to two closing thoughts;

Why are the Reformed Churches to be most pitied?

As with the Galatians we are being led astray by “Star Theologians” and this does happen each week.

The Congregant is convinced that the sermon is accurate based on the likes of John Calvin, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Spurgeon types, and backed up by quotes from “the Stars of today Theologian class”, you can insert your favorite if you like.

All to prove their point when the Bible alone should be enough to prove, but also sadly disprove their point;

Example, we are told to give more sacrificially with our money and time.

To wash feet as Jesus did, and then the Pastor tells us what that actually looks like, forgetting Jesus own words “It is Finished!”

We need to know that this does not mean we as Christians sit around and do nothing, as we who are made alive in Christ alone CANNOT do nothing but By the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT we live!.

But that is the key, as our works are from the LORD alone, and from the passive, and not the active.

When we are told what we have to do, the message ceases to be Reformed and instead turns into the same problem that has plagued the people of GOD from the beginning.

They demand action, when   Mr 10:18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

 Lu 18:19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

Ro 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

All tell us plainly that we are incapable of coming to salvation, but that the LORD alone rescues us period!

Today we in the Western Civilized Church can read the Bible for ourselves

This is huge, as it separates us from the Church of 1517 as we are able to READ the Bible, and yes by the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT understand it!

This really means we don’t have to rely of the “Star Theologians”, but should be proving what they say through Scripture as good Bereans, as you should be proving what I say through Scripture.

This is why we are to be pitied as this is NOT the practice of most Churches, and needs to be recaptured.

This brings us full circle, and asks the question once more, Should I fear the Reformation?

I hope this lesson has helped us say from either side, the Reformed, or Roman side, that NO we should not fear the Reformation, but in fact embrace it as a return to Orthodox Christianity and its pursuit of

·           Sola Fide, by faith alone. Given by GOD Alone

·         Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone. Understanding Given by the HOLY SPIRIT Alone

·         Solus Christus, through Christ alone. Salvation Paid In Full By Jesus Christ Alone

·         Sola Gratia, by grace alone. Grace Paid in full by Jesus Christ alone, by the will of the FATHER alone

·         Soli Deo Gloria, glory to God alone. To the Glory of GOD Alone

We note in all of these truths, the LORD is the only one active in our salvation, while we are passive, and when made alive HE alone walks us to works of HIS will.

Next week our Lesson will be The Final In The Series You Can Run But You Can’t Hide, The Calling Of Us”

Hymn

Here I am LORD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bryEXPELAyg

The Episcopal Cathedral Church Of Saints Peter & Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C

Approach the Feast of The LORD

1st Corinthians 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

The LORD’S Feast

Ah Holy Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7MpWAKltos

The Episcopal Cathedral Church Of Saints Peter & Paul, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN

Recessional

A Mighty Fortress Is Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd9uKiblDhc

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Detroit, Michigan

The Annunciation Of The Birth Of John The Baptist

Video Introduction https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQNYH-9jk7m/?igsh=bWR4dTUxbXE1ZDJ2

Foundation:

It is the Time of Year when we conclude our longest period of Ordinary Time, and start to Celebrate “the Annunciation of the Birth of John The Baptist, The Reformation, Thanksgiving, the Advent season, and Christmas.

Our Lesson, this week, Though Not On The Official Church Calendar, is one I like to remind myself and us yearly as it Is One From True Historical Events of the Bible.

It is most important to note that the First Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, takes 15 to 16 Months to unfold and this is just one of the Important Events in this Timeline as The Angel Gabriel announces to Zacharias that His Wife Elizabeth, long past the ability to bear children will indeed Give birth to a Son, He is to name John.

We will not spoil the lesson and even though it is a yearly lesson, I do Hope by the Mercy of the HOLY SPIRIT our eyes are truly opened to the Importance of John the Baptist Birth, 6 months before His Cousin, and our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, but that John Truly is coming in the Spirit of Elijah, as the Prophets were enlightened to foretell.

Before we start our service, I saw a post on an account that again shows that most “Gospel Teachers” though well meaning I guess, still sadly mislead the Sheep into believing they can actually change!

Here it the quote “Signs Of True Repentance”, This post can be found at a Gospel Coalition Post, and though each of these will be fruits of true repentance, NOT once is the HOLY SPIRIT mentioned, nor HIS need to regenerate us from the Dead, before these fruits of regeneration become evident, and not of our doing but by the Mercy of our TRIUNE Rescue, and our continued growth through the HOLY SPIRIT alone.

So, please, the when we read these post, HOLY SPIRIT, please let us see who the our change is Centered on, and the FATHER, SON, & HOLY SPIRIT alone CHANGE US!!!

WE DO NOT COME TO CHRIST, CHRIST COMES AND RESCUES US PERIOD!!!

Let’s Run To Worship

Call To Worship

Revelation 4:8 ¶ And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

 9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,

 10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

 11 "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

(NAS95)

Processional

Alleluia, Sing To Jesus 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcD8r3UOMrM

Our Friends At St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church  New York City, New York

(1 ad previous)

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You!!

Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ

Hymn

Holy, Holy, Holy LORD GOD Almighty, & Now Thank We All Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39ZfrO0UW_s

From the Royal Albert Hall, London, England

First Reading

Malachi 4

1 ¶ "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch."

 2 "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.

 3 "You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing," says the LORD of hosts.

 4 ¶ "Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

 5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

 6 "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All:  Thanks Be To GOD

Hymn

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKIqmdfHSk

(Songs Of Praise)

The LORD’S Prayer & Nicene Creed Read By All

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow: Tune All Creatures of Our God and King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1JOnVnLQd0

From Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington

Second Reading “The Annunciation Of The Birth Of John The Baptist “

Luke 1:1-22

 1 ¶ In as much as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,

 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;

 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

 5 ¶ In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

 8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,

 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.

 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.

 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

 14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

 15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.

 16 "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

 17 "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

 18 Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."

 19 The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

 20 "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

 21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.

 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute.

The Holy Gospel Of Our LORD Jesus Christ

Response By All: All Glory To YOU LORD Christ

Lesson: The Annunciation Of The Birth Of John The Baptist 

So let’s look at

1 The Annunciation Of The Birth Of John The Baptist 

2 The Promised Elijah

3 The Mind blowing promise

1 The Annunciation Of The Birth Of John The Baptist 

These next two weeks we suspend our series on Matthew Chapter 12, As we turn to the Church Calendar and focus of the Annunciation of the Birth of John The Baptist.

So that the Theologians in the audience who like to argue over pins & needles are satisfied, No this is probably NOT actual date of the Annunciation to Zachariah, but YES it would be accordance with the date we celebrate Christmas and John’s Birth Date Celebration on June 24, and is nine months previous to June 24th.

Why Celebrate the Annunciation?

Well face it, as we have noted in the previous years,  the World will not remind us of these true events, in fact the Atheists will again put up billboards claiming we celebrate a myth while dating their papers and Checks AD 2022 so huge was this true event.

Oh yea, there is ONLY one reason we use the date 2022, and it has to do with the Latin Anno Domini, Anno as in Annual or simply Year, and Domini meaning LORD, so it is quite simply the Year of our LORD.

Please also stick with the lesson, as in point 3 we remind ourselves of Dr. Luke’s Profession, as a Medical Doctor, and the importance Gospel the HOLY SPIRIT Inspired Him to write, as It proved Medically the other 3 Gospel and Jewish Witnesses are totally true.

“Dionysius Exiguus (Latin for "Dionysius the Humble"; c. AD 470 – c. AD 544 was a 6th-century monk born in Scythia Minor (probably modern Dobruja, in Romania and Bulgaria). He was a member of a community of Scythian monks concentrated in Tomis, the major city of Scythia Minor. Dionysius is best known as the inventor of the Anno Domini (AD) era, which is used to number the years of both the Gregorian calendar and the (Christianised) Julian calendar. Some churches adopted his computus (calculation) for the dates of Easter.

From about 500 he lived in Rome, where, as a learned member of the Roman Curia, he translated from Greek into Latin 401 ecclesiastical canons, including the apostolical canons; the decrees of the councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, Chalcedon and Sardis; and a collection of the decretals of the popes from Siricius to Anastasius II. These Collectiones canonum Dionysianae had great authority in the West, and continues to guide church administrations. Dionysius also wrote a treatise on elementary mathematics.

The author of a continuation of Dionysius's Computus, writing in 616, described Dionysius as a "most learned abbot of the city of Rome", and the Venerable Bede accorded him the honorific abbas, which could be applied to any monk, especially a senior and respected monk, and does not necessarily imply that Dionysius ever headed a monastery; indeed, Dionysius's friend Cassiodorus stated in Institutiones that he was still a monk late in life.

Source Wikipedia

The paper linked below can give you more of a Background.

http://www.addeigloriam.org/history/general/calendars-4.htm

The very change of the Calendar and its dating is actually earthshaking, and tells us of the Real Change in the Leadership of Rome, as it is 180 degrees from the days of Nero.

This History is just a reminder that if we don’t protect the truths of the Church Calendar then NO one will, as the World will constantly attack this true events.

I hope this background was not confusing as I do think it helps build the point that the Bible is truly worth protecting and celebrating, and the LORD breaking 400 years of scriptural writing is important.

Gabriel (Stands in the presence of the LORD) who will play an important part over the next 6 months will of course appear first to Zachariah and make this amazing announcement that we will hold off on looking at until point 3.

But let’s look at what needs to start falling into place as we move to point 2

2 The Promised Elijah

Remember our first Reading

5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

 6 "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."

(NAS95)

It clearly tells us of the coming of the Elijah who will come before the day of the LORD.

But what is interesting and actually helps us to see who saves who, is had the Religious leaders of the time actually had eyes to see they would have seen that not only did John the Baptist come in the Spirit of Elijah, but looks wise they were twins.

We have discussed the fact they were both hairy and wore a leather belt about their waste, so indeed dead in their sins as we all start out the Religious leaders could NOT see the truth.

One might wonder why the LORD uses people like John the Baptist for such tasks and then like a “Helpless” pet that we love seems unable to stop horrific things like his beheading from happening from happening?

I would suggest that this thinking is blinded by the same thing that blinded the Religious leaders then and obviously now, Our eyes are NOT on the real life but this temporal one,

  Hebrews 11:9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

 10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

So when John The Baptist, or for that matter anyone who dies in Christ finishes their Earthly duties and is called home to eternal Life how is the ever horrific, or the LORD standing by helplessly?

It is quite the opposite as our home going is indeed the greatest gift of GOD.

So after a silence only of writing scriptures for 400 years as the LORD was not silent in keeping HIS promises and forming of Nations that will be important to the Earthly walk of Jesus Christ, the LORD announces the Birth of John, who WILL come in the Spirit of Elijah.

3 The Mind blowing promise

But how does this all come about?

Our Brother Luke the Medical Doctor tells us bluntly that Elizabeth womb is indeed dead!

That she and Zachariah are advanced in age

This is a Camel through the Eye of the Needle Moment, and needs to be seen as it really is, the LORD doing what is Humanly IMPOSSIBLE.

Yes we should recall Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel  and Hannah just to name a few who the LORD alone helped to Conceive.

When Zachariah is told by Gabriel how does he react?

To really enjoy the real life responses the Bible Gives we need to honestly ask how WE would respond to such news?

It would be as if our Grandparents are being told this news, and I believe we would be as shocked!

Dr. Luke is crystal clear Elizabeth naturally CANNOT Have Children 

So Zachariah reacts I believe as we would in this encounter

Lu 1:11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.

 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

 14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

 15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.

 16 "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

 17 "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

 18 Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."

 19 The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

 20 "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

 21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at

The Parents of John The Baptist though this was impossible, and in fact it was, just like yours and my Salvation as the LORD had to wake us from the dead, and do the impossible SAVE US!

So Elijah will be born and will be 6 month older than his Earthly Cousin, Our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

Next week our Lesson will be on “Should I Fear The Reformation?”

One of the 3 Sundays of the Year I use the color Red, Pentecost Sunday, Martyrs Sunday and All Saints Day

Hymn

And Can It Be That I Should Gain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cja1mHl8_w8

From Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington

Approach the Feast of The LORD

1st Corinthians 11:23 ¶ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

The LORD’S Feast

In Christ Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gax8GL7EViE

Royal Albert Hall, London, England

The LORD’S Benediction

Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Let Us Go Forth As Those Who Love And Proclaim Our Risen LORD And Savior Jesus Christ

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, AMEN

Recessional

A Mighty Fortress Is Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd9uKiblDhc

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Detroit, Michigan

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Matthew Chapter 23 Part 2 The Eight Woes, or What An Alter Call

Video Introduction: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DP7eo6EDhny/?igsh=MXZlaTJ0bHh0aXZ3Yg%3D%3D

Before you think I believe this lesson is directed at everyone else, remember as a Teacher of the Word of GOD, it also firmly is a warning for me!

We have come to a Lesson we do each Holy Week and will treat this even more bluntly as we notice Jesus is NOT pulling any punches.

In fact, HE is pushing all the Chips to the Center of the table, as to elicit a response (HE knows exactly what it will be) of some kind!

So Let’s Run To Worship

Call To Worship

Psalm 2:1-6

1 ¶ Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing?

 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!"

 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.

 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying,

 6 "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain."

Processional

A Mighty Fortress Is Our GOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzxWL24rHD4

Manchester United Methodist Church

Passing Of The Peace Of Christ

May the Peace of Christ Be With You

ALL: And Also With You!!

Please take a minute to pass the peace of Christ

Hymn

Love’s Devine All Love’s Excelling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q3jmXn6HTQ

Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, England

First Reading

Exodus 7:

1 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

 2 "You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

 3 "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

 4 "When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments.

 5 "The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst."

 6 So Moses and Aaron did it; as the LORD commanded them, thus they did.

 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

 8 ¶ Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

 9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Work a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'"

 10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.

 12 For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

 13 Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

 14 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go.

 15 "Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent.

 16 "You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now."

 17 'Thus says the LORD, "By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood.

 18 "The fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will find difficulty in drinking water from the Nile."'"

 19 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"

 20 So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood.

 21 The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt.

 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

 23 Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house with no concern even for this.

 24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the Nile.

 25 Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

(NAS95)

This Is The Word Of The LORD

Response: Thanks Be To GOD!

The LORD’S Prayer & Apostles Creed Read By All

Matthew 6:9 ¶ And Jesus said "In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Christian What Do You Believe?

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church;

The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.

The Doxology

Praise GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow: Tune All Creatures of Our God and King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q3jmXn6HTQ

Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, Washington, Organist Mr. Ron Bechtel

Second Reading & Lesson

Matthew Chapter 23 Part 2 The Eight Woes, or What An Alter Call

Mt 23:1 ¶ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
  2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
  3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
  4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
  5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
  6 "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,
  7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.
  8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
  9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
  10 "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
  11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
  12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
  13 ¶ "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
  14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
  15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
  16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'
  17 "You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
  18 "And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.'
  19 "You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
  20 "Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.
  21 "And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it.
  22 "And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
  23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
  24 "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
  25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
  26 "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
  27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
  28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
  29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
  30 and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
  31 "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
  32 "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.
  33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
  34 ¶ "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
  35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
  36 "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
  37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
  38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
  39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"
(NAS95)