God Invented Disposable Diapers - Grackles Drop Them into My Rainbarrel

Luvs, Pampers, Huggies - long before man invented disposable diapers, God's air fleet was using them. Grackles call attention to this be dropping off the diaper bundles in swimming pools - and my rainbarrel.

Other birds use the same system, but grackles make the diapers a lot more visible, as I noticed yesterday and today, when little white puffs were floating in the rainbarrel.

When the parents feed the hatchlings, the baby birds form a fecal sac in a few seconds, wrap it in a tough mucous membrane, and push it out. The parents fly the diaper away, to keep from making the nest location obvious.

So the evolutionists imagine. But do we know their intentions? Maybe birds are neatniks.

Grackles may drop them in water, expecting the water to carry the evidence away. That means God invented sanitary sewers as well. That is why birdbaths need to be cleaned often. They are also targets, even though the birds may be bathing and drinking there.

This part is gross, so do not read it. Newborn didies are eaten by the parents, which allows them to recycle the undigested worms and insects. But when the babies get bigger, the parents just carry the sacs away. Grown birds simply expel waste. Like human babies, they outgrow the need for disposable diapers, but a lot quicker than humans do.

This is just another example of the soil creatures coming back to the soil in another form, so a managed garden and lawn will build up organic matter simply from the birds feeding their young and keeping their little homes clean and safe.

Birds Eating Between Storms
Water was standing in our backyard today, before the big storm moved in tonight, with loud thunder directly overhead, plus heavy rain.

The birds took advantage of the calm to bathe and eat fresh food. The suet is always out and water repellent (kidney fat). The seeds can get wet, but I have places to shelter some of the seed, and the bird platform lets water drain away.

Soggy seed  does not sound good, but we had goldfinches, starlings, house finches, doves, grackles, and cardinals feeding. Squirrels like to jump onto the hanging platform feeder, which makes a racket.

All our species take turns eating, so it seems as if they placed reservations.

When I was outside, standing still, looking over the backyard, goldfinches were feeding not far away. One flew from the window birdfeeder and landed near my feet, busying himself with a lot of feeding from the ground.

Feed them and they will stay.
Greeting card by Norma Boeckler.

Dr. Lito Cruz on Text Criticism - Deciding Which Biblical Manuscript Is Best

Lito Cruz earned his PhD in math.

Westcott-Hort Axiom on Textual Criticism Does Not Pass Statistics

Dr. Lito Cruz on Biblical Manuscripts

I was with the King James Version of the Bible when I first believed. Sometime in the late 1980 I started toying with other versions of the Bible. One of the most disgusting versions I have come across is the NIV, so I am sorry if you are a fan of this Bible translation, as I am not.

However through the years I let NASB, NRSV and now ESV hang around my library and when I was pastoring  I even preached from these.

Now that I have more time, I have recently in the last couple of weeks studied a bit this matter of Textual Criticism.

I process of copying Biblical text by the ancients was an extremely and complex human activity and the axioms of Westcott and Hort people are very simplistic and do not account the physics of this writing process.

Let me give a few examples of why for a trained mathematician the following axioms must be rejected. Now we know that these textual criticism axioms are not like mathematical axioms that are self evidently true. TC axioms are not like this of course but these TC axioms are not even scientific.

Here are the axioms I reject.

1. Manuscripts are to be weighted not counted.
Now what is the rational of this? Well we can say that simply because it is many does not mean it came from the original. Now this may be true, but that depends on what is being copied and the nature of that document being copied. If you forgive me, I feel this is quite stupid when applied to the New Testament. Right now, all them modern versions come from Alexandrian type manuscript. Yet there are more than 5000 copies of Byzantine manuscripts.  Here statistics wins. Why do we have many copies of Byzantine and no inundation of copies of Alexandrian? It is because the ancients believed the Byzantine source is most reliable, it is the one worth copying and the Alexandrian is not.

2.  The shorter reading is to be preferred.
Now to be frank, before this axiom, there is another axiom that prevails - the more difficult reading is to be preferred. In the modern translations besides KJV and NKJV, since they base their text from Alexandrian type manuscripts, all the readings that are short have been preferred. This presupposes the scribal writer has the tendency to add text. Again, this does not work. Humans are the ones copying these text, not like computers, so they struggle with lighting and tiredness; so they are likely omit words or phrases when they are tired. Sure there may be a double checkers but the process we know is not air tight, therefore the longer reading is to be preferred.

More later.

Ichabod is the default blog at Dr. and Mrs. Lito Cruz' home.

***

GJ - Wescott and Hort were a couple of frauds. They were told NOT to issue a new text of the New Testament, but they produced their own anyway, using their own rules.

The NIV is a product both of text elimination and corruption plus "dynamic equivalency," which means St. Paul really meant UOJ in Romans 3, so we supplied the wording to make sure his actual intentions - and those of the Holy Spirit - were carried out.

WELS loves the New NIV and the old NIV, but they hate the KJV and would not even discuss any of the modernized KJVs.

The bitter fruit of the toxic NIV tree.

Mother's Day Sermon - 2015

Thomas Cole - The Good Shepherd

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Time

The Hymn #628            Shepherd of Tender Youth                

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 426               The Lord My Shepherd Is  

           

 The Christian Home

The Communion Hymn # 307            Draw Nigh                 

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #50                 Lord Dismiss Us                 

Prayer

Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness hast been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and hast given Thy beloved Son to be our shepherd, not only to nourish us by His word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd doth know us and succor us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

The Christian Home

KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 

The liturgical scholars, the same brave souls who caved into the Vatican to follow the three year cycle of readings, frown upon the recognition of Mother's Day. They also frown on the way I skipped over this set of readings this year, which made me wonder why Ascension Day was upon us a week early - when it was not.

But I take refuge in Luther's example of using theme sermons from time to time, when something needed to be emphasized.

This Mother's Day came about because mothers were not getting enough appreciation, and the custom grew. I can vouch for my high school class in saying that all my contacts miss their mothers very much and often talk about each other's, because we tended to live in the same homes from Kindergarten through high school graduation. There may be one or two mothers still alive among my class, but that is all.

Many say on Facebook, "I miss you every day, Mom."

We are the first generation to have so many mothers living to be 90 years old and beyond. Therefore, we take for granted what was so rare years ago. Social Security assumed that we would live a year or two beyond the 65 year old retirement age.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps...

This is the text that led to the writing of one of the all time best-sellers in America, called In His Steps.

The text reminds us that Jesus is not only our Savior but also our Example. Luther used mothers as an symbolic of Christ's love. A mother's love moves downward and is self-sacrificing.

Giving birth is by itself a special health risk for others, although God also provides the special blessing of stem cells that seek out ways to strengthens the mother's body (as I understand). Having children is the greatest possible blessing, matched only by having grandchildren.

And what do we see in the raising of children? First of all, they start out as demanding babies who seldom make life easy. Many little ones have special problems that double the cost of being a mother. As they grow older, children often see their mothers as roadblocks on the path of happiness.

And in all these years, believing mothers look at their children with love and have special love for those with special needs. 

Believing mothers always teach their children about Jesus, which leads to a strange situation today. Paul admonished men to be spiritual leaders because they seldom are. In their absence, women will always take over, such as teaching Sunday School and taking their children to church when the fathers stay home. So the trend is to destroy Paul's inspired wisdom and enforce women as running the congregation. One liberal noted that men will not take roles that they see as women's roles. 

In my first congregation, which was German, men ran the Sunday School and taught Sunday School, with the exception of the nursery class. Men knew they did not have the talents for that age group. One liberal church guru said that women pastors and council members always lead men to step down and stay at home. There are many all-women congregations where men hardly show up. This has all come from the "rights" attitude.

No matter what, believing mothers have a great influence on their children. When that is lost, the essential building block of society is lost and the foundation weakens. We are seeing the results of that after about 90 years of Prostestant apostasy, following one intellectual fad after another.

One does not learn if there are no teachers, so the Christian home has become a minority situation in a hostile land, just like the Roman Empire.

Christ also suffered for us

Self-sacrifice is giving oneself for others, and finding purpose and peace in that role. One mother said, "I stopped working when I had our first child." I said, incredulously, "You stopped working?"

I interrupted a fellow sales agent (a bachelor) when he asked a husband, "Does your wife work or does she just stay at home?" I advised him later that he was all messed up.

Being a mother is a lot of work and we do not let many mothers do that work. And worst of all, we diminish the most important work in favor of making money. That is absolutely crazy.

Women have been apologetic to me when they stayed at home to raise their children. That was my first significant question on a date, because I was not interested in a double income and the luxuries provided by that arrangement. The first one I asked was also the last one I asked, because we got married with the thought of working at home being far more important than an extra job.

But many women have no choice in the matter, and we have to respect them for doubly working as breadwinners and mothers.

The meaning of the Christian life is to serve others and find enjoyment in that service. Mothers are the best example of that.

Just as Christ was gracious and welcoming and forgiving, so are mothers. Those who hold up past mistakes against their children for 20 years are not very much in tune with the Gospel.

No honest parent will say, "I am a perfect parent," so how can imperfect people have perfect children? That cannot be.

We come into this world as sinners and the chief difference is faith in Christ.

Faith gives us the gracious forgiveness of Christ and makes us forgiving if we are truly repentant. That is the big challenge of mothers and all parents - to teach the faith and live the faith.

23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 

We should also admit that there are irregular parents. I have known a lot of them, and I have seen their victims, their children. One time I wondered about the hostility of one church council member. He always seemed to have knives shooting from his eyes, not matter what. Then I met his father and I knew. In fact, I have known several council members like that. One confessed how horrible his father was, and I recalled how awful he was, and how his daughters married men like him.

There are obnoxious, hateful mothers - and they go to church. They are a mixture of hatefulness and craziness. And how is this God's plan?

That gives children a chance to break the pattern as much as possible, to understand their emotional scars and take care not to scar others the same way.

Christ is the best example of that - not taking revenge, not getting even, but letting God take care of justice.

Inexpensive Garden Improvements

Most garden writers seem to work for the home and garden industry, so they offer suggestions filled with ideas for purchasing more stuff. I asked Mr. Gardener about all the riding lawnmowers I see around the neighborhood, small yards with monsters lawnmowers barely making the turns. The machines often become push mowers, as they are pushed back into the garage or onto a pickup for a trip to the repair shop.

Happy Mother's Day

Animals Love Food,  Shelter, and Water
We can create better conditions for many creatures with only a little time and money, sometimes for free.

1. Clay pots with breaks in them are perfect toad homes, because toads need shelter from the sun.
2. Upside down pots, with holes in their roofs (former drainage holes) are good  spider homes.
3. Logs are ideal for feeding the creatures of rot, which attract birds. Toads love them too.
4. A solar light on the ground will attract bugs, a fly in meal for toads. which are real bug zappers.
5. Shallow dishes collect water, which animals need for drinking and bathing. Toads use them to hydrate.
6. Shallow containers under a soaker hose will fill and wash themselves most of the time.
7. Increased watering stations will multiply the bird population bathing and drinking.
8. Food does not simply mean bird food from the store, but especially the seeds of plants and wildflowers, critters hiding in the mulch, and larvae in trees and bushes.
9. Suet from a butcher is many times cheaper than suet in little wafers at the bird food section.
10. Variety in plants can be created with pass-alongs, easy to raise plants from friends. Their seeds and fruits appeal to many.
11. Some plants, like wild strawberries--will produce flowers for bees and fruit for birds and humans--all summer long. Wild strawberries transplant easily.
12. Letting an area grow with long grass means having another habitat in the yard, which will change the make-up of the creature convention. The same is true of food.