ELDONUT Eric Stefanski Unfriends the Entire LCMS Ministerium, Quotes Hard Rock Group Lyrics. Leaves a Foul Smell Behind

ELDONUT Pastor Eric Stefanski

The LCMS is worse than I am!
And why? Because they do not listen to the minister who
was promoting UOJ for years on his website.

The ELDONUTS have a strange obsession with rock music,
given their veneer of old-fshioned popery.

As the Spartans said to Philip of Macedonia, "IF."
I missed the fireworks too, Richard, but heard the whining.
Your review of Thy Strong Word gained us a member, so thanks.

As I wrote before, Martin Luther described the factious Synodical Conference sects with great discernment here, in his Galatians Commentary.

I snipped the timeless tosh of Rev. Stefanski from his Facebook page, lest he erase his words and charge me with misquoting him. So in the midst of excommunicating all of the LCMS clergy, he has to heave a digression full of unwarranted accusations, an ad hominem sputter, to avoid dealing with the facts of their nasty two-faced attitudes.

I would be wary of dealing with them in any fashion. They let their drama queen emotional state get in the way of the truth. They are currently in a status confessionis with me - or more accurately - status epilepticus. In other words, they do not talk to me, although my email is clearly posted. But they loudly complain about me on their Facebook pages, and "like" one another's little witticisms, so precious in the sight of the Lord. They they prove they aim to be what Luther described about Paul's opponents.

Luther:
When he says, “to his face,” this is aimed especially against those poisonous spirits who slander those who are absent but do not dare open their mouths in the presence of these people. That is what the false apostles did; he touches them obliquely here, because they did not dare slander him in his presence; they did so only in his absence. “I did not,” he says, “speak evil of Peter in the way; but I opposed him candidly and openly, not because of any pretense, ambition, or other human affection or mental disease, but because he himself was deserving of attack.” Page 108 of LW Lectures on Galatians

They imagine their little fulminations are hidden away, since I have blocked the ELDONUT Enthusiasts on Facebook, but I can still read and copy their posts. The kids these days are so naive.

The Word of God is a better weapon - better upgrade, ELDONA.

Strange Accusations That Impugn Their Character
One ELDONUT claimed that their Pastor X "worked with people" but I do not.

That moved me to tears - tears of laughter. I was working with Pastor James Heiser around 20 years ago, when he was selling books with Lutheran Confessional Synod Bishop-for-Life Randy DeJaynes.

That situation blew up and I was again in contact with Heiser when he received a call to Malone and began working to get out of the LCMS. I promoted his books, sold his books, and he sold Thy Strong Word. He liked to play both sides of the fence, so he was working with Paul McCain to sell his Repristination Books through Concordia Publishing House.

As an AAL agent once said to me, "If a man has two stories, he does not believe either one."

This went on for a long time while I was in Phoenix and we had many long phone calls, mostly from Heiser calling me, all the way through taking the congregation out of the LCMS. He wanted to be at the independent Lutheran conferences I helped organize, and he was welcomed, but he seemed to have a hidden agenda.

When Stefanski joined his group, I figured that Heiser would have to face the Justification by Faith issue, but that did not happen. Anyway, Heiser wanted subordinates who bought his bishop-for-life status, so he went silent.

When WELS Pastor Paul Rydecki showed up at the Emmaus Conference, he got a free copy of a justification book from Brett Meyer. ELS Pastor Jay Webber hid behind a column, motioning to get Paul to go to lunch with him. Rydecki and I discussed publishing at great length, and I encouraged him to publish with ELDONA, not with me, because so many faux-Lutherans boycotted me and would hold any association. And I thought ELDONA was better than solo, which I stated clearly enough. I mostly help people think through options, instead of bossing them around.

It became clear that Rydecki was associating with ELDONA, as Doug Lindee of the Intrepid Lutherans did. I had many friendly exchanges with Lindee over the years, when he was Freddy Finkelstein. Funny how people associate with ELDONA and stop being friendly. That is no longer surprising, based on the raging of their bishop-for-life.

I have concluded a few things:

• Concordia Seminary in Ft. Wayne really damaged a lot of pastors they produced, not only with UOJ fanaticism from Preus and Scaer, but also in their abusive, dishonest, and opportunistic behavior. ELDONA is largely a product of Ft. Wayne, where Jay Webber and Paul McCain graduated during the same time.
• ELDONA is not really a Justification by Faith group. They went through the motions, but they are like the other mini-micro sects in being not-LCMS, not-WELS, not-something, and really obessesed with leaving Bablylon for their Paradise.
• ELDONA is another sect-worshiping sect, glorying in how perfect they are. Just listen to them. Mercy! 

Someone Asked

Yes, I work with people all the time, various people from all over the world, at many different levels. A typical day involves communicating with three or four different people, not the same ones each day. 

Many abused people contact people because their synod ignore and shun them. I keep their secrets and share their sorrow. In fact, Heiser used to have pastors contact me after they were kicked out of the LCMS. I knew the process and tried to help in the recovery.

Intrepid Lutherans: When the Government Forbids Orthodox Pastors to Christian Congregations: The Sad Story of America’s First Lutheran Colonists

Intrepid Lutherans: When the Government Forbids Orthodox Pastors to Christian Congregations: The Sad Story of America’s First Lutheran Colonists:



Last year, our Fourth of July post, The Lutheran Conception of a Christian Commonwealth according to King Gustavus Adolphus, and its Mighty Impact on the Formation of our Great Republic, and on the State of Pennsylvania in particular, recounted the happy history of Swedish Lutheran colonists who originally settled New Sweden – an area that is now Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware – under a Charter devised by the beloved Swedish King, Gustavus Adolphus, prior to his grizzly death at theBattle of Lützen in 1632, and later carried out by his successor, Axel Ostenstiern. A pious Lutheran aggrieved by the plight of Christians in the face of State sponsored religious persecution, who fought gallantly in the name of Religious Liberty, and died as a victorious leader in its cause, his plan for a colony in the New World, which would guarantee and protect the Fundamental Rights of the people, was defended by him for almost a decade as

“a Free State, where the laborer should reap the fruit of his toil, where the Rights of Conscience should be inviolate, and which should be open to the whole Protestant world... [where] all should be secure in their persons, their property, and their Rights of Conscience... [and] should be an asylum for the persecuted of all nations.”

Under the plan of the Lutheran King, Gustavus Adolphus, the Swedes of New Sweden paved the way for the Quaker,William Penn, who would receive credit for most of the work they had accomplished under the plan of Gustavus Adolphus, prior to Penn’s arrival.

'via Blog this'

So Much To Do!

Coffee is the great motivator.

I awoke to the second of two job candidates messaging me at 4 AM -  that dream job came through, the chief benefit in each case being the right place and the right job.

As I drink morning coffee and read the news, the desire to write something increases. I am happy to have my own dream job. We love living in Springdale, in this neighborhood, and not far from our son's family. Team Jackson will grill again this weekend.

Jesus' first miracle created a miraculous abundance
of perfect wine, through the power of the Word.

I get to work from home where my hobbies are

1. Gardening, 
2. Writing, and 
3. Writing about gardening. 

Pastors late to the party are starting to explore what our little congregation has done for years - broadcasting to everyone via the Net. That means various people write to me about doctrinal issues. I enjoy responding to them. At least I can offer educational and synodical perspective, from the grim and grimy to the hilarious.

The Feeding of the Multitude is another example
of miraculous abundance through the Word.

Luther called the pastoral ministry Predigtamt - the preaching ministry. His view of the ministry is the opposite of what we see today, where the emphasis is on management, keeping the operation running smoothly, achieving critical mass, and getting good, measurable results.

Luther's perspective, borrowed from the Scriptures rather than Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives is rather simple - sow the living seed of the Word and trust God for the results. I do that in the garden by not trying very hard.

I sow various seeds and many of them come up, flower, and bring their fruit to perfection. With roses I get ugly little thorny and dormant sticks, soak them, and plant them. This involves effort, but nothing compared to what God accomplishes through His Creation, engineering, and management.

Today I will have the before and after photos of the front yard.

Broadcasting the Word is exactly the same. The Word goes out the same way as the snow and rain come down from heaven, bringing seed to the sower and bread to the eater. The Word is never without an effect, both positive and negative - it is always effective.

The Word

1. Is never void.
2. Always accomplishes God's will.
3. Always prospers God's will.

The trouble with man's manipulations is that they reveal so little trust in the Gospel Word. 

Many of these posts make ministers hopping mad. Why? The Word condemns their unbelief, because they do not utterly trust in the Savior. Otherwise, why would a blog "that no one reads" have any effect at all? Perhaps if we owned a shining, marble temple endowed by a famous adulterer, we could have some real impact. But here we are, broadcasting and blogging from rented rooms, so we should be dismissed rather than fried, scattered, and chunked like Waffle House hash browns.

Last NIght's Beer Party - Neighbor Invites Himself

What Would Mequon Say?

Last night I walked outside to invite a select few to a beer party. I noticed a shiny mucous trail of  s slug where I had some definite damage to my Elephant Ears.

I would love to have that statement overheard during a phone conversation. Not carrying a cell phone probably protects my reputation for sober reflection.

My neighbors were outside and noticed me carrying the beer to the Elephant Ears. I told them, "I am having a beer party for the slugs. They will drink this and drown by tomorrow morning." Wesleyan Methodists should note that this was the end of a six-pack I opened a year ago for this purpose.

The boys heard this about my beer party, and were intrigued. The father said, "I may come over myself," which presented an amusing image for the kids as I poured the beer into a bowl, which was kept outside for that purpose.

The problem with pests in the garden is attempting mass killing to aim at a few. If the slugs are not thirsty or have acquired sentience, the brew may go untouched unless neighborhood pets and wildlife taste it. Various slug baits are toxic and may entice the wrong animal while leaching the poison into the ground, killing the significant but overlooked soil creatures.

A Hymn from the Past



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The quartet above illustrates what can be done with a hymn. A reader sent this because I quote James Russell Lowell from time to time - Truth on the Scafffold, Wrong on the Throne. His poem morphed into a hymn.

Ironically, Lowell, the son of a Congregational minister, did not write hymns as such, but spiritual poems. Therefore, a version of his poem became a hymn. Parts of that hymn appeal to liberals activists, but the key expression of the poem is within the graphic above.

The First Synodical Conference Lie - "We Didn't Know Stephan Took His Mistress Along and Left His Dying Wife and Children at Home!"

Bremen, Germany to New Orleans
21 January 1839

DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI - PORT OF NEW ORLEANS

I, H. W. Exter master of the Ship Olbers do solemnly sincerely & truly swear that the within list signed by me & now delivered to the Collector of this district contains the names of all the Passengers taken on board of the Said Ship at the Port of Bremen or at any time since and that all matters therein set forth are according to the best of my Knowledge & Belief just & true & I do further swear that Two of the Said Passengers died on the voyage.

Sworn before me this 21st Jany 1839 ~~ [signed] J. W. Exter-Master

List of Passengers on board of the bremer Ship Olbers H. W. Exter My bound from Bremen to New Orleans

Columns represent: Passenger number, Name, Relationship to the head of the family, Last dwelling place, Occupation, Age, Died on the voyage.

Cabin

  1  Martin Stephan                          Dresden         Preacher         61
  2  Martin Stephan                his son   Dresden                          16
  3  Theodore Julius Brohm                   Dresden         Candidate        30
  4  H. S. Fischer                           Dresden         Merchant         40
  5  Julie Fischer                 his wife  Dresden                          32
  6* Louise Gunther   (#1 Mistress)          Dresden                          32

  7  Gustav Jaeckel                          Dresden         Cashier          32
  8  Francis Adolph Marbach                  Dresden         Attornay (sic)   40
  9  Louise Marbach                his wife  Dresden                          34
 10  Gustav Marbach                his child Dresden                          11
 11  Clara Marbach                 his child Dresden                           6
 12  Victor Marbach                his child Dresden                           5
 13* Martin Marbach                his child Dresden                           2
 14  Eduard Vehse                            Dresden         Recorder         35
 15* Mathilde Vehse                his child Dresden                           9
 16  Hermann Walther                         Dresden         Preacher         29
 17  M. Emil Julius Moritz Wege              Dresden         Candidate        38
 18  Sophie Schneiderin                      Dresden                          40
 19* Fred Loeschner                          *Konigsbruck    Painter          44

LutherQuest Outlines Some of the Many Lies about LCMS History. Helpful Notes Added in Red

Rick Strickert (Carlvehse) Senior Member Username: Carlvehse Post Number: 6499 Registered: 10-2003

Posted on Monday, July 04, 2016 - 3:05 pm:       The LHM website contains several videos, including "WTC - History of LCMS." This video is a yet another sad example of the SPIN-DOCTORING, HISTORICAL-REVISIONIST (and DISHONEST) FAIRY TALE told about the Missouri Saxon immigration: The picture of the ship shown at the beginning of the video is not any of the five Stephanite-carrying ships, which were mostly barques (or barks), characterized by square-rigging on the foremast and mainmast and fore-and-aft rigging on the mizzenmast. The (ill-fated) Amalia was a smaller schooner. However, the Olbers, on its maiden voyage, was a ship with square rigging on all masts. Full-rigged ships (as the one shown in the video) had all square-rigged masts with a gaff sail on the mizzen mast. Also the Saxon ships were German and did not fly the American flag as shown in the painting. In fact, the ship shown in the video is the Oneco, an American ship built in 1839, with its maiden voyage on March 15, well after the Saxon had reached St. Louis. (The Oneco sank in 1855.) Martin Stephan was NOT a pastor when he sailed from Bremen with 700 Stephanites. Stephan had been suspended as pastor on November (Walter Forster, Zion on the Mississippi, p. 102). He took his mistress and one son along - but not his dying wife and children. Stephan had not made an enormous impact in Germany, but more in the Dresden area by sheepstealing, Already in 1831, Stephan and his disciples were becoming known as a sect (Zion, p. 75). In October, 1838, Stephan had been charged with improper conduct with a servant girl, and formal complaints by his congregation for immoral personal life, neglect of duties, and embezzlement (Zion, p. 183). Stephan favored young, single girls and had syphillis. The reason that the 700 Stephanites (100 of which were on the Amalia lost at sea) left Germany for America was not to seek religious freedom, but the basic reason was Stephan himself (Zion, p. 112). While persecution and arrests were carried out in Prussia (which resulted in a group led by Rev. Grabau immigrating to New York), few, if any, such persecution had occurred in Saxony. Later Walther admitted in a letter that there was no religious reason for the Saxons to have left Germany, except for the edict of Stephan. Walther sometimes told the truth. The only Stephanite arrested and put under house-arrest (Zion, p. 184) in Germany was Stephan. However warrants for the arrest of C.F.W. Walther and his brother, Otto Hermann, were issued in November, 1838, for the kidnapping of their niece and nephew just prior to leaving Bremen. Both men escaped on ships before they could be arrested. They let an innocent woman go to jail for their crime while the brothers Walther vamoosed. Several pastors in Germany became disciples of Stephan. However, before emigrating they had submitted their resignations or had abandoned their congregations. These Stephanites were not pastors when they left Germany. But CFW still called himself the pastor of his parish, even though he had resigned. While the Stephanites blindly followed Martin's orders, among the Saxon group were people wanting to leave the poverty of Germany, or for the opportunity to move to America (one of the Saxon physicians, Dr. Schnabel, and his family left the Saxon group when the Olbers arrived in New Orleans), and Stephan's women had been listed as "maids." (Zion, pp. 220, 355) The picture of debarking emigrants (@ 2m10s in the video) appear to be from the early 1900s not from the early or mid 1800s. The Saxon laymen did not make Stephan a bishop. It was a select group of his former-pastors and lay disciples aboard the Olberswho, at Stephan's request, declared him a bishop with broad powers (Zion, p. 215) on November 14, 1838, the day after entering the Gulf of Mexico. CFW Walther signed the document. Yes, he did. "A bishop and a pope disembarked from that ship." - WELS layman The question of whether the people went along willingly or otherwise with giving Stephan complete spiritual and temporal authority was NOT "probably a little bit of both." In fact, the people, who had given the bulk of their money to Stephan's control were told while traveling up the Mississippi River that they would be kicked out of the group if they did not sign the Pledge of Subjection to Stephan. Only Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer, one of the three who later published the Protestationschrift, refused to sign. Stephan was not "excommunicated" by the Missouri Saxon congregations, but rather he was deposed (excommunicated) and exiled by a Council of Stephan's former-pastors and lay disciples on May 30, 1839. No, he was threatened, robbed of everything, and kidnapped - forced to go to Illinois at gunpoint. The claim that deposing Stephan "caused a great crisis" about whether the Missouri Saxon immigrants were still a church is stretched. Such a claim was only valid for a few of the leaders, like Adolph Marbach, and some of the former-pastors. The "great crisis" was initially one recognized by those former-pastors, who realized they had no legitimate call and immediately ask for calls from the Saxon congregations. Another "great crisis" faced by the immigrants was the realization that the Gesellshaft was essentially broke, leaving them on their own to combat disease and obtain food and shelter. Stealing the bishop's gold, land, books, and personal belongings helped - a lot. The third "great crisis" (COMPLETELY IGNORED BY THE VIDEO) was when the pastors tried to continue their bishopric rule in the absence of Stephan. That resulted in the opposition of three people, Dr. Carl Eduard Vehse, Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer, and Gustav Jaeckel. Following an earlier draft, the three men issued a Protestationschrift, in November 1839, with some fifty theses objecting to practices of the pastors and pointing out the correct Lutheran doctrine (COMPLETELY IGNORED BY THE VIDEO). While recouperating in 1840, Walther read the Protestationschrift from Vehse, Fischer and Jaeckel, which led him to reexamined the Scriptures and Confessions. From these readings Walther came up with the propositions presented at the Altenburg Debate that were based on the theses in theProtestationschrift (Zion, pp. 520, 522) (COMPLETELY IGNORED BY THE VIDEO). As Forster noted, "Later writers with a less meticulous sense of fairness, however, have given Vehse [and the Protestationschrift] little credit." Those people include the video speakers: CTS President Rast, Dr. Schumacher, Rev. Mike Newman, Rev. Dr. (hon.) Gregory Seltz, and Rev. Rick Marrs. While the Altenburg Debate may be claimed as the "most important debate in American Lutheranism," COMPLETELY IGNORED BY THE VIDEO was the historical fact that, at the Altenburg Debate Walther himself acknowledged his debt to the Protestationschrift, which he referred to as "a precious gift of God." Later, Keyl and Burger also joined in this acknowledgment. Official LCMS history is a pack of lies. Walther and his bros followed an syphilitic sex monster, knowing all about his girlfriends. The outbreak caused by Stephan's STD was probably the excuse for the riot that ended his rule. This historical revisionism has gone on for over a century now within the Missouri Synod (except with a few isolated exceptions). I regret to say that I regard the following people as being completely untrustworthy in communicating anything about the history of the Missouri Saxon immigrants (1838-1841): CTS President Larry Rast, Dr. William Schumacher, Rev. Mike Neuman, Rev. Dr. (hon.) Gregory Seltz, and Rev. Rick Marrs.

Rick Strickert (Carlvehse) Senior Member Username: Carlvehse Post Number: 6500 Registered: 10-2003

Posted on Monday, July 04, 2016 - 3:37 pm:       BTW, this is the same Lutheran Hour Ministries under the same International Lutheran Laymen's League that has yet to apologize for the ILLL/LHM behavior in firing Rev. Wallace Schulz because he carried out his synodical responsibilities, which the ILLL had promised as an auxiliary (for what that's worth) to aid and coordinate with the Synod. The ILLL/LHM leadership has yet to show any.

Sharing the Bee Balm - Root Division - Moving the Mountain Mint. Which Plants Do We Feed?

Bee Balm is very attractive to bees, beneficial insects,
butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Last year I planted some Bee Balm and saw a bloom or two - from the red ones. The red ones went wild this year, so we mowed them down for now. They are a mint and therefore spread easily.

Purple Bee Balms started slowly and built up last year. My main plant was in the rose garden along the Gardener's fence. All of the sudden it bloomed with large purple blossoms. At one point seven bumblebees were working the flowers at once.

Our chiro's secretary loved the purple flowers with the medicinal aroma, so I did a root division today. I planted two Bee Balms in a new place, front and back, and soaked two sets in the rainwater barrel near the roses. I had gallon buckets, so I was able to hand her the chance to have a row of them blooming by next year. She asked for slips, which have to be rooted, then planted. "Go big, or go home," they say.

One Bee Balm went in the hole created when I moved a Mountain Mint into the main rose garden. I was a little leery of the Mountain Mint taking over, but that is more likely with the Bee Balm (Horse Mint).

Mountain Mint is famous for the frenzy of beneficial
insects flying around it all the time when the blooms are out.

The Mountain Mint was getting crowded and overlooked, so I placed that in the hole left by a rose that never woke up. That rose got so many pruning cuts and rainwater that it proved no life was left in it. That happens. A rose does not always come out of dormancy. The non-growing roses (4) were replaced with 7 new ones.

The Mountain Mint - earlier buried alive - has a structure around it to keep us from stepping on it. If I want to protect a new plant, I fit cardboard around the base, cover the cardboard with mulch, and set up small logs as landmarks. Not every plant has the vivacity to emerge from newspaper and mulch. When I saw its tender leaves reaching into the light, I twisted one leaf off to smell it. Think peppermint times ten = Mountain Mint.

Clearly God created a lot of beneficial creatures - and plants to host them in the garden. An article on beneficial bugs mentioned that Borage (aka Bee Bread, related to Comfrey) attracts a wide variety of beneficial insects when it is planted. Mrs. I loves to eat the flowers, so I plant them by the front door and also along Mrs. Wright's fence. They drop seed easily and new ones start, but they are not invasive.

At this point I have 95% perfect roses with no spraying and no man-made fertilizer. A wide variety of flowers are blooming at all times, from dandelions and clover to Crepe Myrtle, tomatoes, beans, and buckwheat.

My maple tree area is plagued with grass, which I tried to removed several times before. Almost Eden suggested using buckwheat to squeeze out the grass. Buckwheat is so pushy that it can be used to displace weeds while flowering constantly to host the beneficial insects. Some buckwheat is flowering from what I planted last year.

So I ordered more buckwheat.

Buckwheat illustrates what is just as true with doctrine. An untended yard or garden will be taken over by weeds in short order. My neighbor said field weeds were taking over our backyard before we moved in. The residents did not mow very often, so the coarse weeds grew, sending down taproots or spreading outward with stolons and seed. Close and frequent mowing removed the weeds, and clover took over almost 100% from the heavy rains last summer.

The Lutheran Church and the Protestant denominations are over-run with false doctrine because the Synod Presidents, District Presidents, Bishops, and Supervisors chose to enjoy the perks of the office rather than bear the yoke of the office.

Teaching sound doctrine is the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word. If you want to feel the blast of opposition and the sting of personal insults, often from so-called friends, just insist on sound doctrine replacing the false teaching deliberately and eagerly promoted by church leaders, church professors, and church publishing houses.

Two Wolves Story

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Two Doctrines Are Like Two Kinds of Plants
Sound doctrine and false doctrine are like the plants, the wolves.

I constantly work to feed, water, and protect the good plants. The weeds are aggressive bullies but sterile. They produce seed and fruit, but no one wants their seed, their fruit, their leaves. I yank the weeds, cut them at their base, cover them up to let them rot away.

False doctrine is fed by the timidity and and ignorance of the clergy and laity. They feed the church structure, so the church structure grows. They let the leaders grow fat and alcoholic with the easy and high pay of their positions, which further insulate them from any criticism. The rule is - show extreme deference to the leaders - but do they show any deference to the Word of God? Just the opposite is true. They will destroy a congregation to get even with a few people who cross them. They will ban books, as happened in the days of Crypto-Calvinism, for teaching Biblical doctrine.

Their mouths are full of honey when talking to the rich, who love to pay for financial absolution of their sins, indulgences without the name or shame.

Pokeweed grows in sidewalk cracks but
zooms to 9 feet tall in the garden, large, fruitful, with toxic berries loved by birds.

False Assumptions Fuel the New Papacies - St. Peter Was No Pope

"You are not the Pope, Peter."

Luther, as always, showed how important it was to address doctrinal issues directly, rather than pussy-foot around and attack opponents ad hominem.

The executives and professors of the Lutheran sects follow the Roman model quite closely, and this toxic brew becomes ever more poisonous with the bitterness concentrating as the numbers evaporate. They call upon their authority based on being there "at the beginning" - even if the founding was only a few years or decades ago.

Paul addressed Peter face-to-face because the issue was the truth of the Gospel, not the papal infallibility of Rocky (as his name would be rendered in the vernacular). 

Luther did not have the opportunity to meet everyone face-to-face, so he addressed Rome through various writings. Our Revolution took place the same way, with the Founders and the British Loyalists addressing each other in pamphlets.

Naturally Rome has always said, "How dare anyone question the Throne of St. Peter!" Over the years, the Pope has increased his claims of infallibility and authority, placing Himself (yes, they use the divine pronouns) above any Council of the Church. 

The Church of Rome can no longer get away with burning people at the stake, torturing them, and placing them in galleys to serve as slaves rowing the ships. France took care of their Huguenot problem that way - and never recovered. 

The more insecure the rule, the greater the braying and posturing of the leaders. 

The "Conservative" Lutheran Clergy, Accurately Described by Luther

Therefore Jerome and Erasmus do Paul an injustice when they take the words “to his face” to mean “only according to the outward appearance”; they maintain that Paul did not oppose Peter sincerely, but that he did so with complaisant pretense, since others would have been offended if he had remained completely silent. But “to his face” means “in his presence”; for he opposed Peter openly, not in a corner but in the very presence of Peter and with the entire church standing by. When he says, “to his face,” this is aimed especially against those poisonous spirits who slander those who are absent but do not dare open their mouths in the presence of these people. That is what the false apostles did; he touches them obliquely here, because they did not dare slander him in his presence; they did so only in his absence. “I did not,” he says, “speak evil of Peter in the way; but I opposed him candidly and openly, not because of any pretense, ambition, or other human affection or mental disease, but because he himself was deserving of attack.”

Page 108 of LW Lectures on Galatians

***

GJ - Every page of the Galatians Commentary is full of gems like this, but they are overlooked by those who never read Luther. Neither do they read or even know what Luther has written in the Large Catechism.

The greatest sin against Holy Mother Sect is to discuss doctrinal issues in public. That is when the Iago-clergy howl about slander, the Eighth Commandment, and Matthew 18. But they engage in whispering campaigns, where few whisper at all. They loudly denounce someone who is not there and pretend all is well when he is present. 

WELS calls this their "Grapevine," which is fed and watered by the secretions of its leaders. When Corky Koelpin wrote an essay against Church Growth and Northwestern being merged into Dr. Martin Luther College, he was called "brain-damaged" by their precious Grapevine. He had a stroke after writing the essay and died soon after. A former seminary president also opposed the merger, so the Grapevine called him "senile."

I was scolded by a "friend" for giving the essay to Christian News. He did not ask me if I gave it to Otten - he just phoned me and began ranting about it. One part of the diatribe was about the cover letter that said it was for circulation among the pastors, which surely meant pastors only. However, I got the essay in the mail, anonymousely, without the cover letter. 

The Circuit Pastor did the same about a letter published in Christian News, not even relenting when I said I never wrote the anonymouse letter. He continued, saying, "Well it sure sounds like you." So I was at fault for someone also taking the issues seriously. I would gladly plead guilty to that.

St. Paul in German Village had an adult class taught entirely by a woman. When I brought this up at a pastoral meeting, the place went crazy because I actually said "St. Paul's" instead of beating around the bush. Therefore I was thrashed and the issue was ignored. The junior pastor at the time asked me meekly about details, and I said, "You mean to tell me you don't know what is happening at your congregation?" He had no answer for that.

Even more bizarre was the reaction to the essay at another conference. I did not have a last chapter written for Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure.  But then I saw how most of the clergy, Wally Oelhafen, Fred Adrian, and Kovo flew into a rage about my paper on the Means of Grace versus Fuller Seminary. I thought, as the demons jibbered, waved their claws, and stomped their hooves, "This is The Cure, the last chapter in the Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure."

Likewise, I find it strange that people immediately write me, furious, that I have copied and published their ridiculous opinions posted on Facebook, a website for the world to read. One said, "You included the link to my personal page!" Yes, that was only because he linked himself when he posted his comment in a public forum.

Publish is closely related to the word "public," a fact they often overlook.

Another ignorant claim is this one - When they send an email to me, it remains their property and Top Secret, Eyes Only, Burn After Reading. Once I receive a letter or email - it belongs to me, not to the writer.

I got so many printed letters in WELS with those warnings that I bought a rubber stamp with red ink that read "BURN THIS LETTER!" I used the stamp for fun, but I was apparently the only one who got the joke.

With email, the writers imagine they can secretly accuse me, because they have various admonitions written into their little missives. Their manipulations would be far more interesting if published. Then people would see they have opinions and thoughts that vary with the audience.

As John Shep said to me, "Jay Webber makes fun of the ELS leaders until he is within 100 miles of Mankato."

ELDONA  has one attitude when asking for money or rare books, or money for rare books, or help in justification by faith - but another if their tender toes are stepped on. Pardon me for concluding that their real nature is revealed in their private poisonous comments, because in eight (9) years they failed to respond to my mild published warning about their Eastern Orthodox tendencies. The article linked is from 2007 and yet they fume about it in 2016. Another reader took the time to take issue with me, and I posted his comments.

Needless to say, nothing good is happening in Lutherdom because the laity and the leaders try to manipulate secretly instead of addressing issues openly. One WELS pastor had his son write to me, to leak all kinds of information to me, so the pastor could claim he never wrote to me. Then Paul never wrote those letters when he used a scribe, right? Same argument. That was a double deceptions, because the pinch-hitter was in fact writing what his father wanted written, a deception, and any claim of innocence (because writing me is a sin) becomes another deception. Once the pastor utterly failed in all his manipulations - even with all the publishing I did on his issue - the writing ceased.

A WELS pastor is all-friends, even if secretly, as long as he is getting something from it. I had lots of free-book-friends when it was known in WELS that I gave away cases of books I gleaned from Trinity Seminary book sales. The clergy knew my address. They phoned and wrote me. They stopped by to shop in the basement lined with free books. They even asked me to mail them books - and I did. 

(Tune: We Three Kings of Orient Are)

We three priests of stealth-mode EO,
Lacking gifts we borrow them so
Chalice, patten, Greek, not Latin,
Bishops will save our soul.

O-o Orthodoxy, floats our boat
Orthodoxy gets your goat
Eastward leaning, incense steaming
Using Luther to misquote.

I was advised by someone that Pastor Berg would never join Eastern Orthodoxy, because Berg said so. Nevertheless, Berg is obsessed with infant communion, so much that he just released his thoughts on the topic, that the Lutheran Reformation had no problems with it. The same argument from silence could prove anything.

I just want to list some of the tidbits I have been noticing on the Internet:

Here is the Crypto-Eldona Conference agenda from August, 2007 -

The Second Annual Theological Conference and Plenary Session of The Augustana Ministerium will be held August 30-31, 2007 hosted by Charity Lutheran Church, Burleson, TX and her pastor, the Rev. Dr. Kent Heimbigner.

A stimulating and timely theological agenda, open to all—pastors and laity—is being planned that will address two important areas that need discussion and clarification in our midst. The first is to put Eastern Orthodoxy into focus vis-à-vis Confessional Lutheranism. These will include: EO vs. confessional Lutheranism on Original Sin, Pr. John Rutowicz, facilitator; on Justification, Pr. David Juhl, facilitator; on Sanctification/Theosis, and how they relate to God’s plan of salvation, Pr. Gary Gehlbach, facilitator. The second major area is Sanctification, and topics will include: “Sanctification: What is it? What causes it? What are its consequences?” Dr. Steven Hein, facilitator, and “Modes of Communication in the Ministry of the Gospel,” Pr. Robert Schaibley, facilitator.

Gary Gehlbach was a source for Berg's infant communion essay. Do they realize people know how to blog? 

Here is an interesting exchange on Cyberstones:

Mar 30, 2007 14:32:44 Re: Infant Communion - Gary Gehlbach 

Fr. Weedon, thank you for your well-reasoned comments. You said it much better than I could.

GVG
Mar 30, 2007 18:53:42 Re: Infant Communion - weedon

Fr. Gehlbach,

What I presented was nothing but a condensation of the arguments you have assembled and helpfully presented for all to read. For that the Church owes you a debt of gratitude indeed. 

Gehlbach's blog is Lutheran Enigma.

Items:

1. Eastern Orthodoxy is heavily promoted by Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne. The seminary trains LCMS pastors who turn EO when they graduate.
2. Heiser's first breakaway group had problems when a pastor favoring infant communion was invited to join.
3. Gary Gehlbach is an officer in the so-called Augustana Ministerium, which is clearly designed to lead people into ELDONA.
4. Gehlbach is clearly teaching Berg and others to advocate infant communion. Notice the smart-alecky discussion about this on Cyberstones.
5. The crypto-ELDONA conference description lacks any suggestion that Eastern Orhtodoxy might contain heresy. The ambiguous wording allows someone to conclude it is a critical look at EO or it is a fawning promotion of EO. Krauth wrote: "Error loves amibiguity."

***

Brian P Westgate has left a new comment on your post "Eastern Orthodoxy Connections:Infant Communion": 

I think ELDONA has come out against infant communion. I do think you meant to say that, it just didn't come out quite as clear as it could have.

As for Fr. Berg, he's not obsessed with infant communion. That article was probably written due to Fr. Frey's article on it.

Your parody is funny, but way off, as Fr. Rutowicz and others have been trying to tell you. There is nothing wrong with incense, and nothing wrong with bishops, as you know. 

***

I hear you Brian, but I have to judge the words, not the intentions. Until recently, Eastern Orthodoxy was not even on the Lutheran map. Now there is a conference on EO for Crypto-ELDONA, plus the many other things going on. I think it is a mistake to call it sacerdotalism, as some have. That term is too vague and sounds like high church or high church-in-overdrive. This new trend, a tidal wave coming from Ft. Wayne and ELCA, is an embrace of Eastern Orthodoxy.

Some things are harmless by themselves but the new fanatics make me wonder about the necessity of using them: the title father, the title bishop, the incense, the fancy threads. There is no clear Eastern Orthodoxy confession of faith. It is amorphous. Nevertheless, Eastern Orthodoxy is the closest thing to Roman Catholicism. They have the same relationship to Rome that the Little Sect on the Prairie has with WELS, resentful and obedient at the same time.

Most alarming is the way this is paralleling the Church Growth infection. First there were some little suggestions, panel discussions, open wondering if CG would help Lutherans. Gradually they came out of the Fuller/Willow Creek closet. Now they operate out of the Love Shack, the Purple Palace, and the Seminary Built on a Bluff.

My parody is funny because it is right on target. Anyone who links an ecumenical/Marian monastery as "Confessional Lutheran" is Neuhausian in strategy. I recall Neuhaus calling himself a Confessional Lutheran until he became a priest. His buddies who joined Rome were also labeled Confessional Lutheran until they poped.

I have a better term for the Fuller/Willow Creek boys and the future papists/EO monks: Recessional Lutherans. They are backing away from Luther's doctrine as slyly as they can. One wit called it sinuflecting toward Rome.

The Seventh Sunday after Trinity, 2016. Mark 8:1-9. The Feeding of the Multitude - Warning and Consolation

The Seventh Sunday after Trinity, 2016

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The melodies are linked in the hymn title. 

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH Lyrics site is linked here.

The Hymn #9                                     O Day of Rest                                        

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 #427                    How Firm a Foundation                  

Warning and Consolation

The Communion Hymn #313         O Lord We Praise Thee  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 # 199                    Jesus Christ Is Risen Today                 

KJV Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

KJV Mark 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. 4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in the wilderness didst by Thy Son abundantly feed four thousand men besides women and children with seven loaves and a few small fishes: We beseech Thee, graciously abide among us with Thy blessing, and keep us from covetousness and the cares of this life, that we may seek first Thy kingdom and Thy righteousness, and in all things needful for body and soul, experience Thine ever-present help; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Warning and Consolation

KJV Mark 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

We often think of having enough food in the winter, because our bodies need it to be warm. But that is just as true in the heat, because the body strains to keep cool. Now when we work out in the garden, late in the day or in the cool of the morning, I warn our helper, "Drink water before you get thirsty. We did that in Phoenix because drinking when thirsty was too late. And when someone is dehydrated, thirst disappears. Then people get confused. My mother and her friends did that and one went to the hospital for sitting on a rock - not knowing she was being burned."

In this miracle, the people were following Jesus for three days, so they had used up all their food. Notice that they did not worry about water, because there were places to drink fresh water. Nothing is quite so disappointing as to drink water on an empty stomach. It only mocks our hunger.

Luther makes the point that He did not spend much time on material issues or the government, because His work was to rescue lost and condemned sinners from eternal destruction. His work was entirely spiritual, which meant that He did not secure riches and security for His followers. They experienced just the opposite.

And yet He had compassion on them, knowing that many could not even survive a walk back to their distant homes. They followed Him in faith and now He would take care of them.

4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 

I often hear from those who work on false assumptions, like these disciples. They were logical positivists - how could anyone provide enough food for this great multitude in the desert? If they cannot see the food stands or the fields filled in ripened grains, it could not happen. 

Doubtless they knew about the Exodus and wandering in the desert. God fed them miraculously with manna and even with birds they could catch. But that was then - this is now. 

Likewise, pastors without a call look for a solution within the organization that tossed them unjustly. I have said many times, "Start a Bible study. Give that time. If they want to call you as pastor, you have a congregation." The last time I trusted a denomination we ended up with a place to worship, then a chapel (not even rented!), and then an international outreach. Who would have predicted at that time that live streaming video would allow inexpensive broadcasting to anyone with a computer?

And how could someone stay alive under such uncertain circumstances. Luther said there are two great woes for the Church - poverty and riches. Lutherans are facing both at the same time, and both are destructive. How can anyone afford college and seminary for a position that promises so little, where the DPs gleefully kick out pastors, without cause - only for not going along with the current destructive programs. So other clergy figure false doctrine is the path to success, no matter how much they harm the congregations.

And - on the other hand - the rich old churches are so comfortable in their endowments that nothing is done to feed the congregation spiritually. One staffer said, "Our meetings are often about how to make more money on the endowment funds and also how to get offerings to increase." The ushers club had $6,000 in the bank and so did the youth and the women's club - and they closed the church (merged) and turned the property into apartments.

Rich old denominations have rationalistic clergy and sect leaders. Give them a "study" that shows what is successful, and they will try it. But basic Biblical doctrine makes them uncomfortable. Wealth increases this problem, so they fake with with such phrases as "the mind of Christ" and "the Easter faith of the disciples." If one of these Lutherans is asked about Luther's doctrine, he says, "We don't worship Luther." Of course, that is a clumsy change of subject, answering a question that was not asked.

In Connecticut we visited former Congregational churches, enormous buildings with plenty of money and few members. They kept going with their endowments. The old seminaries are the canary in the coal mines. They are so rich in funds and so lacking in students that they are moving and merging to keep going in some way.

God is not lacking, but faith in God is.

Luther:

For if each will consider the welfare only of his own house and seek how he may maintain himself and no one inquires how the Word of God and the office of the ministry are to be perpetuated, then will God also say as he said in the prophecy of Haggai 1:4-11, where the people also left the house of the Lord desolate, neglected God’s Word and the service of the temple, so that the priests and servants of the temple had to resort to work as farmers and learn to do other things, by which they could support themselves because nothing was given for their office and service.

Therefore he speaks thus: “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste? Now therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts:

Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith Jehovah.

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 

This is not a communion lesson, but the multiplication of loaves teaches against objections to the Real Presence. How can Christ give His body and blood for centuries? If someone denies the Real Presence, he is also rejecting this miracle. If he rejects this miracle, he is also rationalizing about the Real Presence. In the long run, this leads to rejection of the Holy Trinity, then God, until finally there are clergy with MDiv degrees who believe nothing at all - serving denominations where this is not an embarrassment - 

1. The Ethical Society, 
2. Unitarian-Universalists, 
3. Episcopalians 
4. and all the mainline denominations, every one following the path of the first two. Thus there are some believing Episcopalian clergy, but the apostates rule and barely tolerate the believers.

This verse shows how the bread was blessed with thanks, broken, and distributed through the disciples.

7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 

Bread is very satisfying when people are hungry - and quickly turns to starch into sugar. Nothing is quite so inviting as bread, especially when fresh or heated or toasted.

But fish really makes this a fine meal for the multitude - protein, fat, and minerals for the starved people. With the water available at the oasis, they had an excellent meal to take them home again. Like the miraculous catch of fish, they received spiritual food first and then saw the miracle of miraculous abundance - before their very eyes. 

8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

They were all completely satisfied, and yet the 4,000 had baskets of fragments left, each one greater than the original amount. 

Lenski offered that saving the fragments in the baskets is a sign of taking care of what God has provided. I see that happen with the bird feeders. A variety of birds (and squirrels) work through the platform feeder to get their meals. The young squirrels eat like teenage boys, but they do not eat everything. Each type of bird eats for a time and leaves. They are a bit sloppy, so some feed at the platform, others on the ground. What they miss grows into new plants to feed even more animals - if all goes well.

Sassy and I walk past blocks lined with garbage. We do not dumpster dive for food but we check over the cardboard and tree supplies, bags of leaves especially. Some treasure I can take home in my arms - large lumps of rotten wood. Others get picked up in the Town Car. God turns scrap cardboard into improved soil - through mulching - and rotten wood feeds various animals while slowing feeding the soil.

Luther:

17. We are, to be sure, thus familiar with the fact that corn grows yearly out of the earth, and through this familiarity we are so blinded that we do not esteem such work. For what we see daily and hear, that we do not regard as miraculous; and yet it is even as great; yea, if one should speak correctly, it is a greater miracle that God should give us corn out of the sand and the stone, than that he should here feed a multitude with seven loaves. For what is the dry sand but crushed stones, or a stone other than sand and earth welded together; but how can bread which we eat come out of stones, and yet it grows only out of the sand of the earth? In like manner everything that grows, and all the animals give to us, each according to his own nature; whence does it come but out of the earth and dust?

18. These are even the miracles which have been established from the beginning of the world and daily continue, so that we are entirely overwhelmed by them, without our eyes and senses feeling them, since they are so common that God must at times, as he does here, perform not a greater, but a special miracle, which is extraordinary by which he awakens us and through such an individual and special miracle he shows us and leads us into the daily miracles of the whole world.

As I point out in the Creation gardening posts, these continuing miracles are not only one of Creation itself, but also the engineering and management of God. I stood with my eyes a few inches from the Crepe Myrtle blooms yesterday. The flowers look like big, pink Christmas trees. Although the wind was blowing, the finy Ichneumon wasps were working the flowers to feed themselves, create families, and protect me against insect pests. Also hovering were various bees who wanted pollen and nectar. Each plant is created and engineered for certain jobs, just as each creature is. But the best part is the software management programs built into them, where each one balances the others.

Miraculous Abundance Comes with Thanksgiving to God

The Jehovah's Witnesses cannot understand how Jesus, as God, prays to God the Father, and gives thanks. One JW said, "I can't understand that," meaning Jesus cannot be God. I said, "Neither can my dog."

John's Gospel explains this with great clarity - often. The Son and the Father work together in perfect harmony and this is witnessed by the Holy Spirit. I could not preach this without the Holy Spirit, and you could not comprehend it without the Holy Spirit.

When people are angered by sound doctrine, they lack the discernment of the Holy Spirit. They may be believers in some way, as tepid Lutherans are, but they need the conviction of the Holy Spirit that they do not utterly trust in Christ. John 16:8ff.

With thanksgiving, God makes a little into miraculous abundance. When we are bitter about the strife and uncertainty of life, God allows an abundance to turn into very little. I met a man who lost $20 million dollars. I do not think he ever recovered from the shock. We also met someone who lost everything in a food in St. Louis, his entire business washed away without any insurance. He said, "OK. Let's make it better than ever." We ate at his place, and we had to be there at opening time just to get a seat. Reason told him he was sitting in the desert alone. But faith told him he had another chance in life.

He told an interesting story where a prospective employee (who could make $50 an hour) was mouthy and unpleasant to him when she came looking for a job. She snapped at him several times, not knowing he was the owner. Once she realized it, she was so apologetic. Most would not hire someone like that. He did, perhaps because God gave him several chances - including a bout with bad health.

This is an old story, which is based on what I gleaned from Luther. I was asked to speak to a very hard-working but anxious colleague at the insurance agency. He was terrified of not making it financially. I asked him about all the basic doctrines of the Faith.
Do you believe God created the Universe?
Do you believed the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary?
Do you believed in His miracles?
Do you believe He died for your sins and rose from the dead?

He answered "Yes" to all those questions.

So I asked, "Do you think this same God who did all these things cannot keep you and your family fed?"

He smiled while tears dripped from his eyes. He knew the contradiction which was plaguing him (the smile) and the reality of God's miraculous care (the tears). That lesson struck me first and I never forgot it, from a sermon 500 years ago, and it deeply affected him, as I heard from our boss too.

The multitude that followed Jesus into the desert were fed spiritually first. They would not have been there except for their faith in Him. And then, without them asking, Jesus fed them with great abundance, miraculously, graciously, to confirm their faith in Him and to care for their bodily needs.

We are facing terrible times in the US and the world. Let us never let go of that faith that took the multitudes into the wilderness where God cared for them.