Historic. Biblical. Spirit Filled. - St. Andrew's Church

Bishop Ron gives an update on the COVID-19 and St. Andrew's response to it. And then he looks at Luke 1:14-28 which is where Jesus casts a demon out of a man and then interacts with the people and the disciples about what happened and it's implications for us. Where is your allegiance? And it is not enough to eliminate sin from our lives...We need to have the fullness of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. We must flee to Christ and embrace Him.

Father Larry says "Faith is not a form of denial." So Father Larry looks at how Jesus heals the paralytic and the teaching of James where Jesus deals with the sin and sickness is healed too, and when he heals the sick, forgiveness of sin happens too. Jesus redeemed us and it's our Faith that is the catalyst. Faith is not a form of denial. Faith is an imperative. Receive what Jesus has promised to you (peace). And take a closer look at Phil. 4:4-8.

The difference between desire and will. You are not stuck at the desire level. Your spirit has a choice to choose what is better to apply yourself to better things.

Jesus healed a blind man in Mark 8 and then asked the disciples a series of questions about "who do ____ say that I am?" What's the connection and what is our response? Is it like Peter's? Are we ready to answer and also give Jesus our "Yes, Lord"??

Bishop Sean looks at the three temptations of Jesus in Matthew 4. According to Matthew, Jesus was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness" to be tempted by the devil. Satan was trying to get Jesus to prove himself. So ask yourself, what are you trying to prove? God can be trusted to bring Glory without us having to prove anything. Healing is not the absence of temptation nor is temptation sin. Can we say "Jesus, I trust you."?

Father Larry reviews his teaching on the Holy Spirit and particularly the gift of Tongues to the Church and to an individual. He gives a wonderful illustration of how we "soak up the spirit" (don't miss it!) and as illustrations go, it might "go awry" a bit, but is perfect! Father Larry again teaches on the amazing event of the Ascension and how the disciples encountered the angel. What might our response have been?

The flow of the Church year (this Sunday is Quinquagesima (50 days before Lent) is making the connection between the healing of Bartimaeus and 1 Cor 13 (the Love Chapter). It's reminding us that the main thing to pray and fast about during Lent is that God would give us more love; a revelation of love. Are we ready to receive it?? (Hint: Forgiveness and repentance are keys - which is why we ask for this before Lent begins.)

Series on The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. What are the effects of the different types of tongues and what are their purposes? Father Larry distinguishes between a gift of tongue given in a public setting (always with interpretation) which is linked to evangelism and a gift of tongue given in your own personal time with the Lord which leads to your edification.

As we approach Lent, the Church connected this Sunday to Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians 11. The Collect (Prayer) for Sexagesima Sunday: O Lord God, who sees that we put our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We look back to men like Paul who faced adversities from without and within and we may be tempted to feel rejection or self-pity or even comparing ourselves with others (listening to the accusations of the enemy). But let us not misinterpret our sufferings (none of us like Paul...) and be drawn deeper into Jesus that we embrace the spirituality of the cross.