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Third Sunday before Advent

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  Parables in Matthew 13.  Wheat and the Darnel ( Weeds-Tares) We see the parable of the wheat and the chaff/darnel interposed between some more familiar parables...the parable of the sower for example. The parable we wish to discuss today begins in v. 24.  In v 36 the parable is explained by Jesus after the disciples ask him what it means.  The wheat is worth something but apparently the darnel, or tare is not," zizanion: zizanium (a kind of darnel resembling wheat) Original Word: ζιζάνιον, ου, τό Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: zizanion Phonetic Spelling: (dziz-an'-ee-on) Definition: zizanium (a kind of darnel resembling wheat) Usage: spurious wheat, darnel; a plant that grows in Palestine which resembles wheat in many ways but is worthless. HELPS Word-studies 2215 zizánion (plural, tares/zizania) – a tare (darnel); (figuratively) a pseudo-believer (false Christian); a fruitless person living without faith from God and therefore is "all show and no go!  (
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Hope in the Saints of God

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  Celebrating Faith in others and in ourselves   All Saints Sunday Nov 3 "It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."  Isaiah 25:9 " A Christian knows that death shall be the funeral of all his sins, his sorrows, his afflictions, his temptations, his vexations, his oppressions, his persecutions. He knows that death shall be the resurrection of all his hopes, his joys, his delights, his comforts ,his contentments." Thomas Brooks . He (1608–1680) was an English non-conformist Puritan preacher and author. “Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul  And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” EMILY DICKINSON The Christian life has waiting and hope.  It has many other things in Isaiah, Revelation and John . The Hebrew word for waiting is Transliteration: qavah Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-vaw') Def
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Psalm 112:7; Psalm 34:19 " Traits of the Good Person and our Response to Bad News

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  New American Standard Bible. " He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD." Ps. 112:7 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers Him out of them all." Ps. 34:19 " The Navy on Monday identified the two aviators who died when their EA-18G Growler jet crashed into the Washington state wilderness last week.  Lt Cmdr. Lyndsay Miley Evans , a naval flight officer, and Lt. Serena Dug Wileman, a naval aviator, both 31 years old and from California died on Oct 15 when their aircraft crashed near Mt. Rainer, setting off a days-long , search- and- rescue mission. The service described the two women as "trailblazing" aviators in a press release on Monday, and the cause of the deadly crash remained under investigation. They were decorated combat veterans who distinguished themselves during their squadron's recent deployment to the Red Sea aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower." military.com/daily-new
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Luke and the Medical

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      " None can adquately describe the radical contrast there is between the bondage and misery of the service of sin and the liberty and peace of practical holiness. But anyone who has personally experienced both, need have no difficulty in determing whether he be out of Christ or yoked to Him. If you have a peace which passes all understanding and a joy which the world knows nothing of, you are a godly person. If despite both inward and outward opposition, you find obedience to Christ desirable and agreeable, then, His Spirit must indwell you, and the more you grow in grace, the easier His yoke and the lighter His burden."  Arthur Pink , " Identification of the Ungodly"     ARTHUR W. PINK (1886-1952) was an English Christian evangelist and biblical scholar known for his staunchly Calvinist and Puritan-like teachings) The Collect St. Luke the Evangelist ALMIGHTY God, who didst inspire thy servant Saint Luke the Physician, to set forth in the Gospel the love and he
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Let's dive into Hebrews

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  Let's dive into Hebrews.    This letter written was" by we do not know". Possibly Paul, Barnabas, Apollos or Clement. ( even Peter) Origen said, " Only God knows".  But its majesty, organized arguments, and beautiful exaltation of Christ as High Priest gives it a message that we sorely need today.  It is full of warnings , but done in such a way that the believer is strengthened.  Written to the " Hebrews" it encourages Jewish Christians to not give in but to know Christ and to keep perservering in their faith. Do not return to their old ways .  Here we too are reminded we live in such a world that does not give us much to anchor on to.  We too face a world which assaults the Christian faith by its indifference to the truth, and the pressure of persecution. 1. What then is the anchor of our souls?  God has spoken ( aorist tense indication of finality ; this is the last revelation TJH-  Bishop Theophilus J. Herter) and He has spoken in the superiority
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Growing in Grace II

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 Growing in Grace    Last Sunday we talked about the word Eucharist which we saw meant good grace literally in the original language.  We are thankful if we realize that grace is our inheritance in Christ.  We realize we are to live by grace, and not our own striving.  Of course we should strive for holiness in our Christian life, " Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:  looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; " in Hebrews 12:14-15 I want to look at the question of how we should do that . A good illustration of this is in 2 Chronicles 34 where the law of God is rediscovered in Israel by the prophets and people . Imagine that!  A re-commitment to God is made after they find it. " because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also
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Grace in Eucharist..the word is just that! Luke 22:19

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  Luke 22:19  Quarterly Holy Communion Meditation "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."     I have never forgotten what my teacher told me in seminary, " Don't wait to preach it before you live it."  Dr.  Robert Rudolph    That may be what is wrong with many today...in churches, in homes etc....We have to know what to do ; so we should we should preach it if it is in the Bible. We fail to do it, but that is the point! We can only live by God's help and grace.  Many fail to understand this, because it is a great mystery , but it is at the heart of the reformed and Biblical faith----and grace should be taught and preached.   Grace.  It is undeserved , and unconditional  . God does not forsee who believes and receives them. He gives His Spirit to those whom He has known and loved from all eternity.  That is incomprehensible , but Biblical.   As usual,
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