ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Sunday, April 30, 2023
We Were Talking about Names and Books
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| Installation of Andrew Preus, Trinity, New Haven, Missouri, 2021. Sam Nafzger is on the far left, back row. Walter Otten is almost on the far right, back row. Andrew is flanked by his brother and his father Rolf, front row. Herman Otten died in 2019, closely tied with the Robert Preus clan but not with the Jack Preus side. We were discussing LCMS names when someone asked about a well known person who participated in the fake Luther's Large Catechism - $40 - from CPH. I had to look it up because the name was somewhere in my mental Rolodex. Sam Nafgzer! He was one of many doctrinal board chairs in various synods (WELS, ELS, CLC sic) who championed false doctrine. Next discussion point - There is another KJV-hating book out there? Yes, I found it when searching for a pro-KJV book and landing a real hater - One Book Only? Examining Exclusive Claims for the King James Bible Roy Beacham and Kevin Bauder (D.Min. but Ph.D. candidate!), editors, 2001. The classic, spewing hatred for the KJV - James White, D.Min. |
Jubilate - The Third Sunday after Easter, 2023
Jubilate, The Third Sunday after Easter, 2023
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church
Springdale, Arkansas
Note - the hymn lyrics are linked to the Bethany Lutheran Hymn Blog on the hymn number; the tune is linked on the hymn's name.
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Introit
Make a joyful noise (Jubilate) unto God, all ye lands: sing forth the honor of His name; make His praise glorious.
Psalm. Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works: through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
Almighty God, who showest to them that be in error the light of Thy truth to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness, grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. The Lord hath sent redemption unto His people. Hallelujah!
V. It behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead: and thus to enter into His glory. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #288 Lord Help Us Ever To Retain - Loy Translation
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #288 Lord Help Us Ever To Retain - Loy Translation
A Little While - Dealing with Loss
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 #549 Blest Be the Tie That Binds
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 #549 Blest Be the Tie That Binds
Prayers and Announcements
- Medical care - Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Jim's sister. Lyne Cruz and Thea. Kermit and Maria Way. Callie is doing well.
- Pray for those suffering from emotional stress and for a young couple with a sudden loss.
- Glen Kotten and his bride Esther are currently visiting the Philippines.
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| Norma A. Boeckler Christian Art Books |
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness dost suffer Thy children to come under Thy chastening rod here on earth, that we may be like unto Thine only-begotten Son in suffering and hereafter in glory: We beseech Thee, comfort us in temptations and afflictions by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not fall into despair, but that we may continually trust in Thy Son's promise, that our trials will endure but a little while, and will then be followed by eternal joy; that we thus, in patient hope, may overcome all evil, and at last obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
KJV John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
A Little While - Dealing with Loss
KJV John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
Every so often, a Gospel lesson is listed for that Sunday, and we know it has been used for many centuries. However, that particular one is difficult to explain and unusual. Luther commented on this one being unusually wordy.
That by itself is a clue, since the New Testament is extremely concise and not wordy. This selection has a special purpose that applies to us all. The seven-fold "a little while" is emphatic and important for everyone to remember, because the warning will become a fact, and each one will need to know its meaning
- You will not see Me and
- Again, you will see Me because I go to the Father.
The Greek word for a little while is micron, a little word which we use all the time - microscope, microcosm, microwave, microchip.
As Luther observed, the disciples were always with Jesus, learning, seeing miracles, looking ahead because they had so many joys with their Teacher. When things are going well, we think of that time being without a threat or problem. We can hardly imagine anything less.
Here Jesus begins on the negative, which the disciples cannot imagine. That is a complete puzzle so the second part is equally opaque to them.
The repetition is not simply that, but an emphasis on a very important matter for all of them. We experience it as well.
17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
This is central to the discussion but also to the fact of Jesus being taken away in the near future. They were going to experience a sudden loss of their Master, without any ability to cope with the disaster.
It was going to be devastating enough to see Him arrested in the dark. They were all so frightened that they ran away.
It was going to be frightening that Jesus was on trial, which is why Peter denied Jesus three times and heard the final verdict of the rooster - just as Jesus predicted.
And then, when He was tortured and carried the cross Himself, it was the final display of what the opponents could do to their Teacher. What could become of them? They were without an apparent leader and had criminal attached to all their names.
They were at their lowest, and it took time for them to recover.
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Jesus was preparing them for that future, devastating loss, but also for the future beyond, when they would go from feeling completely abandoned to being joyful about what was ahead - even persecution and death.
This lesson is for all of us, often in the distant future. However, those events will come and the loss will continue for a long time.
When our second child was born - Bethany - I was sure something was wrong with her cry, something far different from a baby's cry for food or dryness. The crying built up and we went from doctor to doctor. One gave us a tube of something for the skin. Another doctor, about the sixth, said, "No development." And that led to the famous Cleveland Clinic. We had to hear all kinds of foolish questions and taunting and shunning from almost everyone. But we also saw very rare cases, one with a quote from John 9 - "This happened for the glory of God." Bethany was soon dubbed "Angel" by every nurse in every hospital or nursing home.
We had a similar experience with Erin Joy, with a different set of characters and the Cleveland Clinic. Nurses in various places nicknamed her Joy, surprised to find out it was her middle name.
The first loss, of Bethany, flattened us completely, but it also gave us energy to see what really mattered. All the previous dreams and hopes dissolved away, but we agreed when Erin Joy came along - "We will enjoy every minute and not be dragged down by the tragedy." The sorrow was equally great when weakness took over and nothing could be done. Erin did laugh for the nurses when they unknowingly tripped over a long-standing joke about her diapers. The nurse spoke out loud, and Erin burst into laughter. As they said, "Not a common event around here."
To borrow from the Lord of the Rings, reality for everyone else become the shadowland, while the entire world of disability, long-term disorders, and strange diseases became a reality we could see. Christina became the Florence Nightingale (a Lutheran by the way) who helped out many families. I did my part in various ways.
No one becomes an expert in devastating loss, so the loss of Christina was even more difficult than that of Bethany Joan Marie and Erin Joy. It struck harder and longer, with every pleasant part of life filled with pain, all day long, for more than a year.
That is why this seven-fold "a little while" is so important in the Gospel of John. Although Jesus was preparing the disciples for the first part, He was emphasizing even more the second part, with the well known story of a baby boy's birth. It is not a "snap out of it story" but God's message of His great love and future blessings. Great sorrows and grief are not erased by the extreme difficulties of life, especially death.
However, the early Christian Church followed the model of the disciples, willingly facing danger, torture, and execution for the sake of the Gospel, which drove the Christian Faith into the farthest parts of the world. The only disciple who lived long was John, according to tradition, while the others were pursued and quickly executed. Those people were called martyrs, the Greek word for witness, because they witnessed their faith in Jesus Christ by accepting His torture and death. As I wrote before, the Roman citizens were appalled by Christians praying before the gladiators and wild beasts before they were killed. The Roman crowds were devastated in their own way - seeing their pagan religion overturned by helpless but strong-in-faith believers.
22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Just as Creation and the Gospel are true, so are the Promises of Jesus Christ. So we must look beyond the burdens and grief of this time before the pearly gates to appreciate what Jesus did and died for us, enjoying His life on earth but giving up everything to complete His mission of His death, Resurrection, and Ascension.
Here is a simple command, yet ignored by so many. Do not ask Jesus anything but anything asked of His Father in His Name will be given.
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Tom Fisher - "The Words of the LORD Are Pure Words: As Silver Tried in a Furnace of Earth, Purified Seven Times."
Dear Pastor Jackson,
We
all experience contests of different sorts. Some are earthly. Others
are spiritual between God and Satan. I will begin with an earthly
contest that encouraged the hearts of Americans in tough times.
Americans
really got beat up during the 1930's. In 1929 the stock market crashed
putting thousands out of work and out of hope. So imagine for a moment
you are living during this time of hardship. You need something or
someone to give you hope. Then along came a wonderful race horse named
Seabiscuit, a horse Americans could relate to. He was small, ridiculed,
and rejected, but he kept going and soon began to win race after race
to become a real champion.
.
The defining race
occurred against a formidable rival named War Admiral. The match race
occurred November 1, 1938 and captured the hearts of downtrodden
Americans. Thousands packed the stands to see this race. The crowd was
huge. It took 17,000 gallons of lemonade, 60,000 hotdogs, and 2,000 kegs
of beer to feed them all. Seabiscuit won this race, only to later
sustain a ruptured ligament in the next race that had the potential to
prevent him from ever racing again. Seabiscuit miraculously recovered
and went on to become the top race horse in America. This is a heart
warming earthly contest; but I am really writing about an even more
wonderful contest: a contest and fierce battle between God and Satan
during the reformation.
So imagine for a moment
you are living during this time. You go to church, but you can't
understand anything because sermons and Bible readings are in a language
you do not understand. Faithful pastors who preach and read the Bible
in your language are brutally murdered, and even burned at stake. John
Huss preached and read the Bible in your language, but was brutally
burned at the stake. Later William Tyndale met a similar fate for
translating the Bible into English. Satan is a most cruel tyrant. He
hates God's true Word and uses murder and lies to destroy it and cast
doubt on it.
Finally enough was enough.
Satan's ultimate deception and fraud was completely disqualified and
rejected. God, through Erasmus of Rotterdam rejected the corrupt and
deceptive Vaticanus Greek text as being completely illegitimate. This is
huge! That means God rejects the whole Vaticanus family of corrupted
Greek texts (Nestle-Aland, United Bible Society) and the corrupt Bible
translations (NIV, ESV, NKJV, RSV etc.) sprouting from them!!
Even
more wonderful is God choosing the TEXTUS RECEPTUS Greek and the
precise translations ( King James Bible, Luther's 1545 Bible). These
Bibles carried and established God's pure Words throughout the whole
world.
This is God fulfilling his promise to preserve his word among us
forever. "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a
furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD,
thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Psalm 12:6,7
Let's not rush past these words. Your King James Bible is the
fulfillment of these words. Wow!!!! These are pure pure words like
silver purified in a furnace of earth purified seven times!!!! There
cannot possibly be any errors, omissions, or corruptions of any kind
here!!! These are God's pure words!! He purified them!!! He used and
published them to every corner of this world!! God the Holy Ghost is the
Spirit of truth! Shall we not trust him and be comforted by him! He
guides us into all truth and opens our eyes and hearts to correctly
understand God's Word!
So why are you so
easily pushed into doubt and unbelief by the tired lies of Satan and his
minions? God holds the field of battle!! Vaticanus, that formidable
foe, is eternally rejected by God himself!! TEXTUS RECEPTUS, the pure
Apostolic Greek text remains gloriously victorious!!! These are God's
pure words that he promises to keep and preserve for all generations!
There cannot possibly be any copying errors, or omissions here!!!! Let
us join professor Niles Dahl as he asserts his faith: "The text! The
text! We have the text!" (The King James Version, Gregory L Jackson PhD,
pg.189 footnote)
There is nothing dark and
obscure about the certainty of the apostolic text (TEXTUS RECEPTUS)!
There is also nothing dark and obscure about the certainty of the exact
translations of the Apostolic text (King James Bible, Luther's 1545
Bible). Luther addressed this when he said, "With the same rashness any
one may cover his own eyes, or go from the light into the dark and hide
himself, and then blame the day and the sun for being obscure. Let,
therefore, wretched men cease to impute, with blasphemous perverseness,
the darkness and obscurity of their own heart to the all-clear
Scriptures of God." (The Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther, Associated
Publishers and Authors, 1971, pg. 14 ) Luther presses this even further
when he said, "But what has the all-innocent Scripture done to you, that
you impute the abuse of the most wicked of men to it's purity? The
Scripture simply confesses the Trinity of God, the humanity of Christ,
and the unpardonable sin. There is nothing here of obscurity or
ambiguity. But how these things are the Scripture does not say, nor is
it necessary to be known."(Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther,
Associated Publishers and Authors, pg. 14)
So
it is not necessary to know how God has kept his Words in the TEXTUS
RECEPTUS and King James Bible, and Luther's Bible perfectly pure and
without any copying or translating errors or omissions. All we need is
His all-clear Words:
"The words of the LORD are
pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven
times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this
generation for ever." Psalm 12:6,7
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isaiah 40:8
"Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word
of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth
for ever." I Peter 1:23-25
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Matt. 24:35
"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:5
"And
I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation,
and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear
God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgement is come: and
worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains
of waters." Rev. 14:7
"For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the
earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the
sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out
of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it." Isaiah 55:8-11
There is nothing obscure or
dark in these all-clear Words of Scripture! God has preserved the
apostolic text in the TEXTUS RECEPTUS without copying errors, omissions,
or corruptions. God has also perfectly preserved His Word in exact
translations (King James Bible, Luther's 1545 Bible) of the Apostolic
text. To speak a word against the TEXTUS RECEPTUS, or the King James
Bible, or Luther's Bible is to speak a word against God the Holy Ghost
who preaches these Greek, English, and German Words of God to us. For
example 1 Timothy 3:16 says 'Theos' : "God was manifest in the flesh." 1
John 5:7,8 is not truncated in the Greek but shines forth in all it's
fullness: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost.: and these three are one. And there are
three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the
blood: and these three agree in one.". Mark 16:9-20 is not omitted or
bracketed, but sounds forth in all it's comfort and glory. Time would
fail me to address the 8,000 corruptions in the rejected and
illegitimate Vaticanus Family of Greek texts: Nestle-Aland, United Bible
Society) Dr. J. A. Moorman has detailed each of these corruptions in
his scholarly book 8,000 Differences, London England, ISBN
1-56848-054-7. If you don't have it. Get it by calling Bible For Today:
856-854-4452 Also ask for The Doctored New Testament at the same number.
Gregory L Jackson, PhD has written an invaluable and precious book: The
King James Version: Apostolic Texts, Precise Translation versus
Fraudulent Texts and Heretical Translations, ISBN 9798429093451
I
have spent my whole life attempting to write what I have just written.
You may publish this freely. Freely I have received. Freely I give.
Tom Fisher
| King Henry VIII had Tyndale killed for trying to give us the Bible in English. The Lutheran synods are killing the Bible by marketing corrupted texts and paraphrases. |
Re-Elect Matt Harrison and Watch the Colleges and Congregations Shrink Faster Than an Official Portrait
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| This is the official photo for re-election in 2023. |
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| Uneasy lies the head that wears the cheese. Luther called false teachers "belly-bursters." |
Only One Truth - Not Many Truths
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| Christian News cannot help but prevaricate when it claims to honor Walter A. Maier and his Harvard doctorate in Semitics. |
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| Westcott believed that Jesus Christ would one day blend with all of humanity, a type of slow-mo Objective Justification. Hort worshiped Mary and invented what he considered a scholarly Greek New Testament (no footnotes). W-H is the basis for all the modern New Testaments, from the Evil Four paraphrases - RSV, NIV, ESV, NRSV - on down to the Beck Bible. |
I noticed - perhaps not alone - that the era of pluralism has given way to rigid, hateful, condemnation. America the Free has become the Condemn Nation.
The nominal Lutherans have led the way into the abyss. They expend most of their energy
- shunning people within their midst and
- extending the Left Boot of Fellowship to them.
Next they jump on busses and planes to attend conferences for all denominations, listening glassy-eyed and pulses-pounding to Fuller Seminary experts, searching for the most iconic gimmick for rescuing their sorry decline.
I was shocked this week when a book from some "conservatives" arrived, so I thought it meant one, true Bible. The authors insisted - the NASB! - condemning the KJV so angrily that I began to think the Bibles we give away stated "KJV-ONLY!" on the title page. The writers clearly wanted to press-gang KJV readers, to force them into the NASB beehive.
The nominal Lutherans should have adhered to this simple formula, stated by Dr. Walter Maier on a book published by Christians News, Inc.
The late Herman Otten and Cub Editor Phil Hale repudiated both truths - Bible inerrancy and Justification by Faith. Both pastors, rock-ribbed graduates of Missouri Synod seminaries
- Fell in love with the modernist Westcott-Hort Greek New Testament errors craved by Beck;
- Rejected the Chief Article of the Christian Faith.
Let us pause for a moment and observe how destructive the Otten-Hale hypocrisy has been.
The Beck Bible is a joke, no different from the RSV, NIV, ESV, or NRSV - the Evil Four. In contrast, the precise King James Version is the most accurate and also the unifying Bible for all English denominations. But lo, the denominations have divided up the Bible market so they can make some ready cash - just like Otten and Hale - while emphasizing their particular translation fetishes.
The typical Luther Bible study group now has five different dynamic equivalence Bibles sprinkled among them. (I am a total immersionist.) The average groups differ here and there, emphasizing either "There is no truth" or "All truths are God's truth."
Likewise, the WELS-ELCA-LCMS-ELS-CLC Enthusiasts disdain and belittle Justification by Faith. On that Satanic basis, they love each other, work and purr together, and share the Thrivent loot as one. The LCMS-WELS-ELS got together and found! to their delight! that they agreed about Objective Faithless Justification. They were equally dishonest at the almost deserted Emmaus Conference. No professors showed up for that smooch-fest. "Oh Jon-Boy! Oh Jay!"
Jesus taught that we cannot have two masters.
KJV Matthew 6: 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
We cannot mix together a bunch of apostate Biblical paraphrases and sniff that the KJV c-a-a-a-n be accepted as good...maybe. Can we read even the worst of the paraphrases and say?:
- The Scriptures do not teach its efficacy, the Word and the Holy Spirit always at work together.
- The Word, Holy Baptism, and Holy Communion are not the Means (Instruments) of God's grace.
- Justification by Faith is nowhere to be found in those National Council of Marxist Churches Bibles.
As an eye-witness, I can prove something that would stun Liz Eaton, Mirthless Mark Schroeder, and Matt the Fatt Harrison. At a non-Lutheran private Christian college, where none of the students were Lutheran, I asked how anyone could accept the New NIV about Romans 3.
NIV Romans 3:24 and all are justified freely by his grace
They responded - take note - "Yes, it does add all, as if everyone in the world is forgiven, but Justification by Faith is still there! You cannot deny that!"
They were right. The New NIV, loved by all nominal Lutherans, is genius level work, revealing two opposing views from the Apostle Paul in the same chapter. The battle has already been won by the synodicals' Father Below. The bad expels the good, because there are not many truths, but One Truth.
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| Us? Extend the Left Boot of Fellowship? |
Daily Luther Sermon Quote - And Ye Now Have Sorrow
Link to Luther's Jubilate Sermon
"And ye now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."
27. All this David has described in a Psalm in a most masterly and beautiful manner, when he says in Psalm 30: 1-8: "I will extol thee, 0 Jehovah, for thou hast raised me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 0 Jehovah, my God: I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me. 0 Jehovah, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol, thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise unto Jehovah, 0 ye saints of his, and give thanks to his holy memorial name for his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime; weeping may tarry for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. Thou, Jehovah, of thy favor hadst made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face; I was troubled. I cried to Thee, 0 Jehovah; and unto Jehovah I made supplication." Where is now the man who just said: "I shall never be moved?" Well, he replies, when thou, Jehovah, of thy favor didst make my mountains to stand strong, then I spoke thus. "But when thou didst hide thy face, I was troubled," I fell. If Christ were continually with us, I really believe we would never be afraid; but since he occasionally departs from us we must therefore at times be afraid.
28. In this Psalm is beautifully portrayed to us how to recognize and experience a good conscience, for here David considers the whole world as a drop, and is not the least afraid of it, even though it should storm and rage against him, for he has the Lord with him. He has made his mountain to stand strong, but when he fell and the Lord hid his face from him, then he was afraid. Then were heart, courage, and mountain gone. Then was he afraid of a driven leaf, who before was not afraid of the whole world, as he also says in another Psalm unto the Lord: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4. Likewise in Psalm 3:6 he says: "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people that have set themselves against me round about." Passages like these can be multiplied in the Psalms, all of which show how an upright good conscience stands, namely; when God is with it, it is courageous and brave, but when God has departed, it is fearful and terrified.
Friday, April 28, 2023
Rain and Vegetables
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| My first Dairy Queen - and I never looked back - until I had one recently. |
Springdale is enjoying an additional round of slow, steady rain. I asked Ranger Bob yesterday, "What's special about Thursdays in Springdale?" He was puzzled. "It rains cats and dogs when we are rolling out the garbage and recycle barrels!"
I did not have to use I-49a, the path from the backdoor through the kitchen and living room and out the front door - all paved. The clay soil was not completely saturated and fixin' to pull my mud shoes off.
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| Christina said about Bethany's curls, "Give her a perm? Do I have time and energy for that?" Everyone enjoyed that special touch that God gave Angel, including perfect eyesight. Bethany loved the camera. |
The garden plaque for Bethany arrived and took its place near Christina's. Bethany's included the fact that everyone called her Angel, no matter where she was, because of her love and natural blond curls.
I had a conversation on the phone about my situation - being the vegetarian who never was. There were a lot of great insights from someone with experience. I never dropped meat from the menu but started reducing amounts of meat and questioning the meat itself. Schwan's is very salty, and fast foods? - off the menu entirely.
I have dropped Schwan's for a variety of reasons - the ice cream and pizzas are way too tempting and the rest of the food is overpriced and saltier than Lott's wife. Schwan is going through management confusion, doubtless because every business wants to deliver expensive food to the door. I like to shop for fresh and frozen food at Walmart, several times a week.
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| Bethany loved to love others. |
Here are some essentials for daily delicious food-as-medicine meals. I included some bolded links to show how incredibly health-giving these inexpensive foods are.
- Low-salt beans - chickpeas being best - protein, fiber, and all kinds of other benefits.
- Chopped, frozen, spinach, because this is a super food for nutrition, fiber, protein, and vitamins. Other chopped or cooked greens are great, but I like spinach best, whether a salad or mixed into the vegetable extravaganza or extra-garbanzo.
- Walnuts and almonds for reducing bad cholesterol and other essential benefits that taste good.
- Blueberries fresh (not jam, not muffins, not pancakes, not pie) for low sugar and lower blood pressure.
- Rainbow mixtures - onions, green and red peppers, carrots, etc., with some variation.
- Rotating other beneficial foods, like - frozen peas, asparagus, cauliflower riced or not, broccoli, mushrooms, and uh, eh, roots (gag).
- Lots of essential fresh fruits - pineapple, apples, oranges, tangerines, avocados, cherries, and pomegranate juice.
- Ground seeds (sesame, flax) are anti-cancer, as many other foods are.
When I hear something is good for me - or when I read claims from Dr. Joel Fuhrman - I try out the food and usually enjoy tasting the difference and variety.
Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry. Little Journeys with Martin Luther.
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