Forgiveness of Sin

"And what is needed on our part in order to receive forgiveness? Our text indicates the precise need. “And Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy: Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.”

 So it is faith in Christ that is needed. But faith always implies something else — that we feel our sinfulness; that we desire to be delivered from our sins; that is, that we repent. Christ looked down into the sick man’s heart, and saw that he was contrite; hence he said, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” 

 You see, it is this way, my friend. If you and I do not realize that we are sinners, and do not feel godly sorrow for sin, we will not desire forgiveness, and so we will not go to Christ for pardon. Therefore saving faith must be preceded by a knowledge of sin and a felt need of salvation. The law of God gives us the former; the gospel offers us the grace of God in Christ Jesus. And thus when we feel how sinful we are, and how helpless in our sins, we will look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who will pardon and deliver us."


From Keyser, Leander. In the Redeemer’s Footsteps: Sermons on the Gospel Lessons for the Church Year. 1918. Lutheran Library Edition

The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God

 Nature can overwhelm floodgates.

 Has the dam tamed Nature or has Nature defeated the mile-wide Three Gorges Dam?

I have been discussing the attitude toward the Word of God with one member. Our Founders assumed Creation in writing about the "laws of Nature and of Nature's God."

The US Constitution is written on that basis, that basic rights and freedoms are part of God's Creation, not something invented or merely permitted by man. They are self-evident. A right may be suppressed, as we see today in the closing of churches, but the right remains. A California judge agreed that a church had a right to worship that transcended the dictates by government officials.

In gardening I only try to understand the created nature of each plant, animal, and weed. I cannot force my opinions on a living creation that has its own software. When I cut down Joe Pye, the roots continue to wait for spring and the stalks rise up stronger than ever, blooming late. When I cut the ever-spreading Bee Balm, the fragile looking plant greens up and starts flowering again.

The complexity of Creation is such that the participants work out their own place in the garden. Rabbits enjoy the cover and abundant food, so they stroll through the open places as if they own it. Oddly, hawks scream that they are hungry and look for food where food is abundant.

Once a piece of ground reaches maximum creature activity, the abundance is sustained at a high level. Leaves and mulch are absorbed faster. Plants grow greener and stronger. Animals reach a balance between the hunter and the hunted. The top foot of soil locks in a certain amount of moisture and nutrition from the interplay of bacteria, mold, earthworms, soil creatures, roots, and rain.

Weeds are like false doctrine. They will always show up, but they thrive where the conditions are ideal. An apathetic congregation will not be upset by changes, but an alert parish will ask, "How can this be allowed?" Synod officials erase the evidence and say, like the Chinese rulers, "Everything is fine, except we have a few who exaggerate everything."

1 Corinthians 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Comfrey is a bully herb. We chopped a lot of it back, and now it is larger than ever.

Leshan Buddha Toes Wet - Watch the Water

Leshan Buddha - if the toes are wet, the area is flooding at an alarming rate.

This Buddha statue is 200 feet tall and 1200 years old. News reports have mentioned this level of flooding as a very bad sign in China.

The Three Gorges Dam tailwater is backing up on the western side and escaping at the max rate on the eastern side. Even with all the floodgates open, the artificial lake may rush over the dam's top and force a collapse. Water is flowing in at 75 million cubic feet per second and releasing the maximum of only 50 million cubic feet per second. Those figures are rounded; no one trusts the government to tell the truth about this.

As many have said, this is the same scenario as the Midland, Michigan area, where one earthen dam collapsed and caused the collapse of the next earthen dam downstream. 

 This temple on an island in the river may be even more swamped than this photo shows.

 This photo shows how high the river must be to reach the top windows.