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.
I had the best of intentions. (Cue - ominous drum roll, oboe soloist in the background.) I wanted to get the Library up to speed for broadcasting. Just about everything went wrong, which led to a second player code being used on the blog page. They clashed, as a reader gently and cautiously reminded me.
I took the Holy Spirit lesson to the Chapel, where most things get done for the service, having served as "a spare room in a rented house" for over a decade. Before that we were in Bella Vista and Phoenix.
When I started up the Vimeo, some strange things went on but the player did its part live, my primary goal. Getting jittery is bad for computer code.
The computer senses that and makes it worse, so I went outside and led Charlie Sue in some play time. Porchi and Dustmop - on the other side of the fence - wanted to enjoy some attention and racing too. They love chasing the ball, even though Charlie does the chasing on her side.
Later, I cut out the extra computer code and extra graphics. It seems to be OK, and I thank the computer department at Glendale Community College for getting me started and the reader for letting me know about the confusion.
A few months ago, I had two unused computers waiting for their time of glory. One was in the living room, the other in the Library. All three communicate with each other now, and they can take over another's work without panic. Each one has its own camera. Concern, yes, panic no.
The Holy Spirit hovered over Creation in Genesis 1.
KJV Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The Spirit takes from the Father and Son to convey divine wisdom to us.
KJV John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Apostates say, "There is no Trinity in the Bible." The studious say, "The Fourth Gospel begins with the Trinity and is filled with Trinitarian and Holy Spirit statements." Apostates say, "But John was written 300 years later," [HA!] denying that Gospel and the obvious closeness to the time of Jesus and His disciples.
The Book of the Holy Spirit
The Bible is the "Book of the Holy Spirit," as Luther wrote.
Whatever we are reading in the Bible is from the Spirit.
The Spirit is not "the shy member of the Trinity" but the most ignored.
The Spirit takes from the Father and Son to convey divine wisdom to us.
KJV John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Apostates say, "There is no Trinity in the Bible." The studious say, "The Fourth Gospel begins with the Trinity and is filled with Trinitarian and Holy Spirit statements." Apostates say, "But John was written 300 years later," [HA!] denying that Gospel and the obvious closeness to the time of Jesus and His disciples.
Note that the Gospel of John is very rich with Holy Spirit references. It is the best way to learn the efficacy of the Word (as in John 3, Nicodemus at Night). Jesus' farewell sermons are also filled with Spirit teaching. John 16 concentrates on the work of the Spirit after the Ascension of Jesus.
John 14:17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 15:26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Charlie Sue loves apples for playing catch, chewing, and eating.
Three good friends, at the same time, told me about their work-stopping, doctor-visiting disorders. Hippa, Ferrpa, and other federal codes prevent me from naming names.
One should start with admitting that medicines are usually aimed at reducing symptoms. Over the counter potions are often used and provide a second massive dose of income for pharmacies. Besides, the scare headlines in emails and Internet graphics alternate - "Be sure to..." and "Never consume..." shrieks of panicky persuasion.
I picked up eye drops at the pharmacy yesterday. The new pharmacist came to the window for a "consultation" about the prescription, which I have used for years. The young lady asked, "Have you used these drops?" I said, "I'm an addict" and she burst into laughter.
I am not anti-pharmacy, a business I have supported for decades. However, nutrition experts have shown me that starting with good food is best in preventing and curing problems.
Zinc is a powerful ingredient both in preventing illness and curing the problem. Many people rely on zinc in vitamin bottles, but I would rather trust the Creating Word than a business somewhere, especially Flintstones.
Here are some sources of zinc from meat and vegetables, provided by God.
Beef is a very good for zinc, half the daily source.
Beans and lentils provide a lesser amount.
Pumpkin and sesame seeds also have zinc.
Eggs and whole wheat include some zinc.
Dark chocolate has zinc, magnesium, and manganese, three reasons to enjoy it.
Decongestants
I am a daily consumer of apples, and Charlie Sue agrees. I have two giant Crisp apples each day, and Charlie eats one or two cores. When I have older apples, I throw them out the door so she can chase and chew the apples.
I have found apples to be instant in decongesting. The sugary medicines soften mucous to help us cough and swallow, which is better than the irritation of dry coughing. Apples are a bit acidic, so they do this without a load of sugar syrup. Over-the-counter cough medicine is priced like champagne and almost as effective. Other ingredients in the bottles include antihistamines and the biker drug Dextromethorphan. When this area has huge biker rallies, the Dextromethorphan cough syrups disappear from the shelves.
Pineapples are inexpensive but tricky to cut. Nevertheless, they are loaded with vitamin C and also contain bromelain, which softens mucous.
Pineapple is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. One cup of pineapple chunks will deliver:
Vitamin C: You’ll get about one-third of your recommended daily amount of vitamin C, which aids in tissue growth and repair. Vitamin C helps boost your immune system and may also help fight cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
Manganese: Pineapple has more than 100% of your recommended daily amount of this essential trace element. Manganese helps with bone formation, immune response and metabolism.
Fiber: Nearly 10% of your daily fiber needs are in one cup of pineapple. “Fiber is necessary for a healthy gut and can help you stave off hunger,” Zumpano says.
B vitamins: Pineapple gives you a healthy dose of several B vitamins, including thiamin, niacin, B6 and folate. These nutrients help your body process energy from the food you eat. They’re also critical to forming new red blood cells, which carry oxygen to your organs and tissues.
Various minerals: Pineapple contains several minerals your body needs for proper function, including copper, potassium and magnesium.
I also use saline mist for my nose and a humidifier to reduce dry furnace air.
Of course, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) is a fairly large amount and not something you should be consuming daily. These nutrients also come with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar.
And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, go and tell John the things which you hear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deal: hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them. And blessed is he whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.”
9. Christ answered John also for the sake of his disciples. He answers in a twofold way: First, by his works; secondly, by his words. He did the same thing when the Jews surrounded him in the temple and asked him, “If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly,” John 10:24. But he points them to his works saying, “I told you, and ye believe not, the works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me,” John 10:25. Again, “Though ye believe not me, believe the works,” John 10:38. Here Christ first points them to the works, and then also to the words saying “And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.” With these words he does not only confess that he is the Christ, but also warns them against finding occasion of stumbling in him. If he were not the Christ, then he who finds no occasion of stumbling in him could not be blessed. For one can dispense with all the saints, but Christ is the only one that no man can dispense with. No saint can help us, none but Christ.
10. The answer of his works is more convincing, first, because such works were never before accomplished either by John or by anyone else; and secondly, because these works were predicted by the prophets. Therefore, when they saw that it came to pass just as the prophets had foretold, they could and should have been assured. For thus Isaiah had said of these works: “The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the weak; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound,” Isaiah 61:1. When Isaiah says, “He hath anointed me,” he thereby means that Jesus is the Christ and that Christ should do all these works, and he who is doing them must be the Christ. For the Greek word Christ is Messiah in Hebrew, Unctus in Latin, and Gesalbter (anointed in German). But the kings and priests were usually anointed for the kingdom and priesthood. But this anointed king and priest, Isaiah says, shall be anointed by God himself, not with real oil, but with the Holy Spirit that should come upon him, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me.” That is my anointment with which the Spirit anointed me. Thus he indeed preaches good tidings to the weak, gives sight to the blind, heals all kinds of sickness and proclaims the acceptable year, the time of grace, etc.
Again Isaiah says: “Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing,” etc. Isaiah 85:4-5. Now, if they would compare the Scriptures with these works, and these works with the Scriptures, they would recognize John’s witness by Christ’s works, that he was the true Messiah. Luke says that Christ at that time, when John’s disciples asked him, healed many of their diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and bestowed sight on many that were blind. Luke 7:21.
11. But here we must take to heart the good example of Christ in that he appeals to his works, even as the tree is known by its fruits, thus rebuking all false teachers, the pope, bishops, priests and monks to appear in the future and shield themselves by his name, saying, “We are Christians ;” just as the pope is boasting that he is the vicar of Christ. Here we have it stated that where the works are absent, there is also no Christ. Christ is a living, active and fruit-bearing character who does not rest, but works unceasingly wherever he is. Therefore, those bishops and teachers that are not doing the works of Christ, we should avoid and consider as wolves.
12. But they say, Why it is not necessary for everyone to do these works of Christ. How can all the pious give sight to the blind, make the lame walk and do other miracles like those of Christ? Answer: Christ did also other works, he exercised himself in patience, love, peace, meekness, etc.; this everybody should do. Do these works, and then we also shall know Christ by his works.
13. Here they reply: Christ says, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe; but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not. Matthew 23:2-3. Here Christ commanded to judge the doctrine, but not the life. Answer: What do I hear? Have you now become Pharisees and hypocrites, and confess it yourselves? If we would say this about you then you would indeed become angry. Be it so, if you are such hypocrites and apply these words of Christ to yourselves, then you must also apply to yourselves all the other words Christ speaks against the Pharisees.
However, as they wish to shield themselves by these words of Christ and put to silence the ignorant, we will further consider the same, inasmuch as the murderers of Christians at the Council of Constance also attacked John Huss with this passage, claiming that it granted them liberty for their tyranny, so that no one dared to oppose their doctrine.
14. It must, therefore, be observed that teaching is also a work, yea, even the chief work of Christ, because here among his works he mentions that to the poor the Gospel is preached. Therefore, just as the tyrants are known by their works, so are they known by their teachings. Where Christ is, there surely the Gospel will be preached; but where the Gospel is not preached, there Christ is not present.
15. Now in order to grant our Pharisees that not the life, but the doctrine should be judged, be it so, let them teach, and we will gladly spare their lives; but then they are a great deal worse than the Pharisees who taught Moses’ doctrine, though they did not practice it. But our blockheads are idols, there is neither letting nor doing, neither life nor doctrine. They sit on Christ’s seat and teach their own lies and silence the Gospel. Hence this passage of Christ will not shield them, they must be wolves and murderers as Christ calls them, John 10:1.
16. Thus Christ here wants them to hear the Pharisees; but only on Moses’ seat; that is, if they taught the law of Moses, the Commandments of God.
In the same place Christ forbids to do according to their works he mentions their teachings among their works, saying: “Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.” Matthew 23:4.
Observe here that Christ first of all forbids among their works their teachings grievous to be borne, as being of chief import, so that finally the meaning of the passage is: All that they teach according to Moses, you should keep and do; but whatever they teach and do besides, you should not observe. Even so should we listen to our Pharisees on Christ’s seat only when they preach the Gospel to the poor, and not hear them nor do what they otherwise teach or do.
17. Thus you perceive how skillfully the rude Papists made this passage the foundation of their doctrine, lies and tyranny, though no other passage is more strongly against them and more severely condemns their teachings than this one. Christ’s words stand firm and are clear; do not follow their works. But their doctrine is their own work, and not God’s. They are a people exalted only to lie and to pervert the Scriptures. Moreover, if one’s life is bad, it would be strange indeed if he should preach right; he would always have to preach against himself, which he will hardly do without additions and foreign doctrines. In short, he who does not preach the Gospel, identifies himself as one who is sitting neither on Moses’ nor on Christ’s seat. For this reason you should do neither according to his words nor according to his works, but flee from him as Christ’s sheep do, John 10:4-5: “And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but flee from him.” But if you wish to know what their seat is called, then listen to David: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, nor standeth in the way of the sinner, nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers, Psalm 1:1. Again: “Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by statute? Psalm 94:20.
The New NIV is worse than the "classic" NIV, which was head-bonking bad. The New NIV has established Objective Faithless Justification - as if by magic - in Romans 3.
Year-Term of Next Comprehensive Accreditation Visit:
2024-spring
Jay Webber said the Sausage Factory label for Mequon is based on the way they turn out graduates all alike, and bragging about it. There is nothing like years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse in the prep system to homogenize the future pastors. Hint - lying and mind games are essential in their initiation rites.
Approved Degree Programs:
Approval to Offer Distance (Online) Education:
Not Approved
Cross-dressing in WELS may be more advanced than in ELCA.
The smaller the sect, the longer the name, the more expansive the egos: Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America and Landmasses Adjoining Hill County, Texas.
Volume IV of The Sermons of Martin Luther is being sent to Amazon and Kindle soon. I finished my part of Volume V, so that will mark the 60% mark - critical mass - when printed.
I stole the term critical mass from ELDONA, who used it at their last secret conclave - where they denied everything they said and did. Those who grew up in abusive sects will find a comfortable home in ELDONA.
They stole the term critical mass from nuclear science, where the reactor must have enough active fuel to do the work for which it was designed. Critical mass does not mean a bunch of high church wonks saying:
"Oh, where they did get that awful incense?"
"That pallium needs to contrast with his chasuble."
"Why don't we have an allowance for regalia? It costs a fortune!"
We achieved critical mass chiefly because Team Chemnitz works quickly and steadily. At first it seemed like pushing a boulder up a very long hill. Later, it moved along much faster.
The formation of ELDONA has led to a flurry of research about EL DONUTs.
The Lord High Bishop Heiser signed his own Malone Statement in 2004, but treated the Chief Article as an adiaphoron(a matter of indifference) until 2013. The LCMS was too heinous to permit fellowship with them, so Heiser promptly left once he was vested in the LCMS pension fund.
I find that amusing - when people like James Heiser and Kincaid Smith brag about being vested in the LCMS pension fund - that despicable denomination they had to leave.
But it less than amusing when someone laughs off Objective Justification versus Justification by Faith, covertly against OJ. Apparently, ELDONA had to cover its tracks by distancing themselves from any taint of Luther.
The "confessional" Lutherans will not say or write the phrase - Justification by Faith - and they will not debate the issue.
ABL - Anyone But Luther
Note that all the "Lutheran" denominations, sects, and cults separate themselves from Martin Luther himself.
Item - ELDONA, with Lutheran in its name, publishes almost nothing about Luther or by Luther, choosing obscure authors, mostly because they are in the public domain. The shape-shifter, Bishop Heiser, seems allergic to Luther altogether.
Item - the LCMS, famous for two great editions of Luther - German and English - got in a fever to publish Gerhard this year.
Item - the Wisconsin Sect held out Luther like a filthy washrag - "at least he pointed to Christ." One of their pathetic Church Growth zombies published a little essay about his opposition to Luther. They do teach them something at Mordor. Did Mirthless Mark Schroeder rush to excommunicate the illiterate lad? Not at all.
Item - the ELS, once the Little Norwegian Synod, now the even Littler Norwegian Synod, is a burnt cinder with nothing to offer. As Jay Webber often said, its seminary faculty is very weak.
Item - LutherQuest (sic) basks in the irony of hating Luther's doctrine while using the Reformer's name. Has Luther's estate been told of this hilarity? They could sell t-shirts as retribution - LutherQuest Hates Luther. The regular content of LQ (sic) consists of raptures about Walther, frequent mentions of the Walther-Pieper cult, and ruminations on the latest Missouri by-laws. At least the Calvinists are openly against Luther, not trying to use his name, and yet the LQ (sic) frauds are more venomous against the Reformer than the worse Calvinists of the past.
Item - Most pathetic of all, these in-sects agree in their loathing of ELCA, their vast superiority over ELCA, and their need to work with ELCA in sharing the Thrivent loot.
Item - the CLC (sic) is noted for its Donkey Basketball games. Don't worry about manure on the court - some organic gardeners will fight over who takes it home.
The plunge to the bottom must be exhilarating, because the named synods above are holding hands together and declaring their singular incompetence and dependency on Thrivent, another victim of self-inflicted merger. Once upon a time, Thrivent combined Lutheran Brotherhood and Aid Association for Lutherans, not out of strength but weakness.
I was told that AAL suffered so badly from their own "Universal Life" that they had to merge to get rid of the stench, after gobbling up so much cash from the policies of individuals. Who was going to tell? - each sect had its claws in the cookie jars of both insurance companies. Pastors who lost half of their money raged about it, but that was then and this is now. We erase the past faster than we invent the future.
An agent forced his concept of Universal Life on me, and I knew in a few minutes it was nothing but fraud, whether LB or AAL. The companies projected 10% or greater gain from UL. "Just let me know - how about 15% gain?" He was jabbering like it was his fifth coffee with sugar and cream that morning.
Therefore, grants came from the pockets and estates of trusting members, leaving them with iron pyrite - a pretty mineral known as fool's gold. Everything has been crumbling since. The precious Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic) covets somewhat larger sects, just like the ELS and WELS do. Lo, the LCMS looks longingly at ELCA, which is so much bigger and ripe for Lutheran larceny. The plunge to the bottom has ELCA copying and even surpassing the radical sister churches of the National Council of Churches.
Our little congregation has never tried to be anything more than traditional Lutheran - the efficacy of the Word of God through the Means of Grace. We have only one robe and no miters (fish-hats). We are presenting initial video lectures on the Reformation - Luther, Melanchthon, Chemnitz - so people can organize themselves in clusters for their own individual ministries or groups. The Internet, Zoom, and Vimeo make that possible.
The Reformation Seminary will provide lessons on topics carefully avoided by the apostate synods. The lessons will not be hidden by a secret portal.
TEXT: Matthew 11:2-10. 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
I. THE QUESTION JOHN PUTS TO CHRIST.
1. The most I find on this Gospel treats of whether John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the true Christ, although this question is unnecessary and of little import. St. Ambrose thinks John asked this question neither in ignorance nor in doubt; but in a Christian spirit. Jerome and Gregory write that John asked whether he should be Christ’s forerunner also into hell, an opinion that has not the least foundation, for the text plainly says, “Art thou he that cometh or look we for another?” This looking or waiting for Christ, according to the words, relates to his coming on earth and pertains to the Jewish people, otherwise John ought to have asked, or do those in hell look for thee? And since Christ with his works answered that he had come, it is certain that John inquired about Christ’s bodily coming, as Christ himself thus understood it and answered accordingly, although I do not deny that Christ also descended into hell, as we confess in our creed.
2. Hence it is evident John knew very well that Jesus was he that should come, for he had baptized him and testified that Christ was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, and he had also seen the Holy Spirit descending upon him as a dove, and heard the voice from heaven’ “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” All is fully related by all four Evangelists. Why then did John ask this question? Answer- It was not done without good reasons In the first place, it is certain that John asked it for the sake of his disciples, as they did not yet hold Christ to be the one he really was. And John did not come in order to make disciples and draw the people to himself, but to prepare the way for Christ, to lead everybody to Christ and to make all the people subject to him.
3. Now the disciples of John had heard from him many excellent testimonies concerning Christ, namely, that he was the Lamb of God and the Son of God, and that Christ must increase while he must decrease. All this his disciples and the people did not yet believe, nor could they understand it, as they themselves and all the people thought more of John than of Christ. For this reason they clung so strongly to John, even to the extent that they for his sake became jealous and dissatisfied with Christ when they saw that he also baptized, made disciples and drew the people to himself. They complained to John about this because they feared that their master would grow less in esteem, as we read in John 8:26, “And they came unto John and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.”
4. To this error they were led by two reasons, first, because Christ was not yet known to the people, but only to John; neither had he as yet performed any miracle, and no one was held in high esteem but John. Hence it appeared so strange to them that he should point them and everybody else away from himself and to some one else, inasmuch as there was no one living beside John who had gained a great name and enjoyed great fame.
The other reason was because Christ appeared so very humble and common, being the son of a poor carpenter and of a poor widow. Neither did he belong to the priesthood, nor to the learned; but was only a layman and a common apprentice. He had never studied, was brought up as a carpenter apprentice just like other lay-men; hence it seemed as though the excellent testimony of John concerning Christ and the common layman and apprentice, Jesus of Nazareth, did not at all harmonize with each other.
Therefore, though they believed that John told the truth, they still reasoned: Perhaps it will be some one else than this Jesus; and they looked for one who might appear among them in an imposing way, like a highly learned leader among the priests, or a mighty king. From such delusion John could not deliver them with his words. They clung to him, and regarded Christ as being much inferior, meanwhile looking for the glorious appearing of the great person of whom John spoke. And should he really be Jesus, then he had to assume a different attitude; he must saddle a steed, put on bright spurs, and dash forward like a lord and king of Israel, just as the kings aforetime had done. Until he should do this they would cling to John.
5. But when Jesus began to perform miracles and became famous, then John thought he would point his disciples away from himself and lead them to Christ, in order that they might not think of establishing a new sect and becoming Johnites; but that all might cling to Christ and become Christians, John sends them to Christ so that from now on they might learn not only from the witness he bore of Christ, but also from the words and deeds of Christ himself that he was the one of whom John had spoken. It should not be expected that the works and coming of Christ would be attended by drums and bugles and like worldly pomp; but by spiritual power and grace, so that there would be no riding and walking on streets paved and carpeted; but that by virtue of such power and grace the dead would be raised up, the blind receive their sight, the deaf hear, and all kinds of bodily and spiritual evil be removed. That should be the glory and coming of this king, the least of whose works could not be performed by all the kings, all the learned and all the rich in the world. This is the meaning of the text. “Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples and said unto him, art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?”
6.As though John would say to his disciples: There you hear of his works, such as I never accomplished, nor anyone else before him. Now go to him and ask him, whether or not he is the one that cometh. Put away the gross worldly deception that he would ride on steeds in armor. He is increasing, but I must now decrease; my work must cease, but his must continue; you must leave me and cling to him.
7. How necessary it was for John to point his disciples away from himself to Christ is very clear. For what benefit would it have been to them if they had depended a thousand times on John’s piety and had not embraced Christ? Without Christ there is no help or remedy, no matter how pious men may be. So at the present day what benefit is it to the monks and nuns to observe the rules of St. Benedict, St. Bernard, St. Francis, St. Dominic and St. Augustine, if they do not embrace Christ and him only, and depart also from their John? All Benedictines, Carthusians, Barefoot-Friars, Ecclesiasts, Augustinians, Carmelites, all monks and nuns are surely lost, as only Christians are saved. Whoever is not a Christian even John the Baptist cannot help, who indeed, according to Christ, was the greatest of all saints.
8. However, John deals kindly with his disciples, has patience with their weak faith till they shall have grown strong. He does not condemn them because they do not firmly believe him. Thus we should deal with the consciences of men ensnared by the examples and regulations of pious men, until they are freed from them.
The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation
Collect
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle Romans 15:4-13
Gradual
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined: our God shall come.
V. Gather My saints together unto Me:
those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. The powers of heaven shall be shaken:
and then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud
Prayers - Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader, Sarah Buck, Doc Lito, Randy Anderson, Kermit Way, Lori Howell; Callie and Aaron.
Those suffering from emotional and metabolic stress.
Midweek Advent Service - 7 PM Wednesday
Second Sunday In Advent
Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son hast revealed to us that heaven and earth shall pass away, that our bodies shall rise again, and that we all shall appear before the judgment seat: We beseech Thee, keep us by Thy Holy Spirit in Thy word; establish us in the true faith, graciously defend us from sin and preserve us in all temptations, that our hearts may not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, but that we may ever watch and pray and, trusting fully in Thy grace, await with joy the glorious coming of Thy Son, and at last obtain eternal salvation, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Then Shall They See the Son of Man
KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
I have told this academic story before, about the Son of Man, but it is important to remember. One especially person (Oxford or Cambridge) wrote an article in a theological journal saying that Jesus was not the Son of Man, but that was another person who was to come in the future. The apostate scholars liked that, because they favored the same idea. One essay was called "Exit the Apocalyptic Son of Man." I recall the individual changing the article and getting fired, but that was a long time ago. I remembered a last name but not all the specifics. It is now popular among "scholars" to say the Son of Man is not Jesus!
This is roughly parallel to what Luther preached about this passage. When the Savior returns, the believers will have peace and joy. The unbelieving will be terrified, "their hearts failing for fear." This is the great role reversal, as Luther wrote with some humor. The believers in this life are humbled by all the grief they have to bear in this life, while the unbelievers find great peace in violating the Ten Commandments with glee. And these unbelievers find their truths to be confirmed by their success, esteem, and the awe expressed about them.
The Savior will return in great glory and show His followers that He is indeed the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We cannot imagine what that will be like, except for the Promises of Jesus, that He would return in great glory and triumph. This will be startling and strange for the unbelievers, whether they are cardinals, bishops, or theology professors. But it was all predicted and printed in black and white from the earliest days. From Daniel to Philippians -
KJV Philippians 2
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
America was founded on religious principles, the Christian Faith. That was understood although not everyone was a believer. Calvinists become Unitarians, which makes sense about the American Bible Society and the KJV Revision inviting Unitarian leaders to share their "wisdom." Before one could say, "American is pagan, non-believing." But it is more accurate to say "America is Satanic in its influence and weak in teaching the truth from the Scriptures." One LCMS pastor bragged about his Vacation Bible School being so large and concluded - "Go big or go home." I wondered how that fit as the Apostles preached and gave up their lives. The Great Commission was not "Go big or go home" but Go, teach, and baptize.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
The message, from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, is that the End will be a time for peace and joy for those who follow the Savior.
your redemption - The price has been paid to redeem you.
This will be the ultimate triumph of the Savior, because the unbelieving world was happy to reject him, crucify Him, and rob Him of His mission. By killing the early Christians, Rome spread the Gospel to the point where the Roman Emperor, Constantine, supported and protected the Christian Church
I watched "The Turning Point" on streaming video last night. The Fall of Constantinople to the Muslim army in 1453 meant a flood of Greek scholars into Europe. Suddenly the New Testament was in Greek, the original text edited by Erasmus. Tyndale, a translating genius like Luther, established the basics of the King James Bible. Two little things changed Europe and established the Reformation:
The Greek New Testament
The Printing Press
Look at the dates -
Constantinople fell in 1453
Gutenberg used his printing press 1454
Luther was born in 1483
Greek New Testament, 1516
Luther declared "Here I stand" in 1517
He translated the GNT in the castle.
Tyndale was executed for translating, 1536
King James Version, 1611.
In contrast, the very powerful Ming Dynasty in China chose not to extend the work of their gigantic naval fleet and remained isolated in their very large corner of the world. The Western world limited the papacy and spread freedom through the Reformation and beyond.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Notice that this parable speaks of the spring, hope, and happiness, not gloom and doom. When Christian - in the Pilgrim's Progress - was locked in Castle Doom, all he could think about was the giant and and his wife, all the horrible things that would be done to him. Interpreter came to him and told Christian all he needed to do, "They have been in your pocket all the time." They were keys - the Promises of God. "They were there all the time!" And Christian was able to escape by opening the locks with the Promises.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
The warning keeps us aware of what is coming soon, which is God's time, not ours. Everything must be fulfilled on the divine calendar. People lose themselves in conjuring up all the bad feelings, fears, and statements like "What's the use?!" Far better to occupy ourselves with all the blessings God gives us than to imagine things that make call up the worst in us.
When the Son of God comes, it will be Jesus in both natures, human and divine, the Good Shepherd. He only has blessings for believers and leads us into eternal blessedness. He does not bring fear and sorrow but only peace and joy.
