I had this tea on hand when I got the latest virus, a sore throat, croaky voice. It worked immediately and my voice recovered. The tea tastes good. Zinc is known for helping the immune system, prevention and healing. I am sipping some now. 
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, January 21, 2024
Bigelow Blackberry Zinc Citrus Tea
I had this tea on hand when I got the latest virus, a sore throat, croaky voice. It worked immediately and my voice recovered. The tea tastes good. Zinc is known for helping the immune system, prevention and healing. I am sipping some now. The Third Sunday after Epiphany - Faith and Reason - The Centurion's Servant
Bethany Lutheran Church - Springdale
10 AM Central Time
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Hymn #450 Soldiers of Christ Arise! - Wesley, Tune - Crown Him
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Introit
Worship Him, all ye His angels:
Zion heard and was glad.
The daughters of Judah rejoiced:
because of Thy judgments, O Lord.
Psalm. The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice:
let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Gradual
The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord:
and all the kings of the earth Thy glory.
V. When the Lord shall build up Zion:
He shall appear in His glory. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice:
let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Faith and Reason
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 #586 A Pilgrim and a Stranger - Gehrhardt
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 #586 A Pilgrim and a Stranger - Gehrhardt
Prayers and Announcements
- Avelin's (Aby's) first birthday is this week. Ivy is completing her US citizen's qualification.
- Gary and Alicia's wedding anniversary is January 27th.
- Chris Shrader just had a birthday (January 19), and so did Pastor Shrader (January 15).
- Doctor's care - Randy Anderson's CT scan, Pastor Jim Shrader's operation, Lori Howell, Sarah Buck, Kermit Way.
- Pray for the Bill of Rights, our elected President and his supporters, our military justice system.
- Norma Boeckler's book, My Good Shepherd, Jesus' Titles of Majesty, edited by Pastor Jackson, is in its final stage of production.
KJV Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
KJV Matthew 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Third Sunday After Epiphany
O almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all dangers and necessities stretch forth Thy mighty hand, to defend us against our enemies; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
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Faith and Reason KJV Matthew 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. I happened upon a lecture by a Harvard professor teaching Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He pointed out that Gibbon was a skeptic about Christianity and continued by lecturing the audience about the Christian Faith. Professor Leo Damrosch dismissed all the miracles in the Bible because he saw no evidence of them. He also claimed, like my Harvard Biblical scholar (deceased) at Augustana College - "The Trinity is not found in the New Testament." I said, "What about the ending of Matthew?" He said, "Others put that on the lips of Jesus." That is why I enjoy the Epiphany season, which is all about the miracles of Jesus. People continue to confuse faith and reason, as if one's reasoning can explain and reject the miraculous acts of God. The reason argument is used against infant baptism, because they say, "The baby is not old enough to decide," which alarms me. When I hold a baby for the first time, that tiny creature immediately looks for his mother and gets a squall going to get matters straightened out. Being held by his mother or someone he knows will immediately calm the baby. He has faith in his mother and uses his newborn reason to indicate something has gone wrong. The true background of baptism is the power of God's Gospel Word. The purpose of Holy Baptism is to impart faith through the Spirit of God in His Word and to seal God's Promises. This is effective or efficacious. Moreover, in the Greek, the Word is energon/energy. Engineers do not turn on electrical lines - they energize them. That is a current pun, but an important one to remember always. Whenever the Word of God is heard, read, or remembered, the Holy Spirit is at work in the Word. Spirit and Word are never separated. This leper believed in Jesus Christ. He was part of the multitude that listened to the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. He politely and humbly said, "If You will, You can make me whole." 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. The leper came to the Sermon on the Mount with hope and faith, doubtless from hearing about the miracles from other lepers. He was cleansed of this horrible disease. Jesus instructed the healed leper to tell no one but go directly to the priest. Why? Because it would be natural for the crowd to gather around him and listen to the story. In fact, they saw the transformation. Jesus wanted the priest to hear this Gospel in the flesh, and the healed man took the Gospel to that priest, not unlike the Presentation of Jesus and His talking with the elders in the Synagogue. 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. A centurion was a very powerful and respected person, a full-time soldier and leader of men. They were so organized that they won all their battles, including the destruction of Jerusalem. He came to Jesus aware of His healing powers and Jesus was willing to come to his home, knowing what He would do next. This elicited a very important response to the soldier. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. The centurion's power was life and death, and he knew without doubt that any of his own commands would be followed. He was humble and unwilling to have such an honor as the visitation of Christ. But he also recognized that the Word of Jesus Christ alone was enough to heal his servant, stating that the Lord's power was parallel to his but much greater. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The centurion caused Jesus to express His wonder at this supposed pagan, who definitely believed in the divine power of the Savior. Jesus knew what was in this soldier's mind, and He compared it to all the rest. He also stated that many would come from all over the globe to be part of the Kingdom of God, which was predicted to Abraham. However, those who merely claimed to belong to Abraham (John 8) were enemies of Jesus, who clearly said to Jewish elders, "Before Abraham was, I AM." 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. This is one of the great healing miracles in the Bible, one that strikes us directly. Jesus did not make conditions, but it was the soldier that said, "Only speak the Word." There are many healings in the Gospels, and they have different messages, including the Canaanite woman who seemed to be having no results with the Savior. Once that miracle is carefully read, it is clear that Jesus led the pagan woman into a contrite plea for mercy for her daughter, who was accomplished without Jesus going there. That discussion, which exasperated the disciples, brought to light the faith of the mother, which has been an example ever since. The end. |
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Daily Lutheran Sermon Quote - Epiphany 3 - "For God indeed does not cause his Word to be preached for the sake of the rational hearing, since no fruit results from that; but for the sake of the spiritual hearing, which, as I have said, children also have as well and even better than adults; for they also hear the Word."
Complete Sermon -> Third Sunday after Epiphany. The Leper and Healing the Centurion's Servant
41. All this I say in order that one may not baptize recklessly, as they do who even administer it with the deliberate knowledge that it will be of no effect or benefit to the person receiving it. For therein the baptizers sin, because they knowingly use God’s sacrament and Word in vain, or at least have the consciousness that it is neither intended nor able to effect anything; which is an altogether unworthy use of the sacrament and a temptation and blasphemy of God. For that is not administering the sacrament, but making a mockery of it. But if the person baptized denies and does not believe, you have done right anyhow, and have administered the true sacrament with the good consciousness that it ought to be beneficial.
42. However, those who do not come of themselves, but are brought, as Christ bids us to bring little children, the faith of these commit to him who bids them to be brought, and baptize them by his command, and say: Lord, thou dost bring them and command to baptize them. Thou wilt answer for them. On this I rely. I dare not drive them away nor forbid them. If they have not heard the Word, by which faith comes, as adults; hear it, they nevertheless hear it like little children. Adults take it up with their ears and reason, often without faith; but they hear it with their ears, without reason and with faith. And faith is nearer in proportion as reason is less, and he is stronger who brings them than the will of adults who come of themselves.
43. These inventive spirits stumble mostly because in adults there is reason, which acts as if it believed the Word it hears. This then they call faith.
Again they see that in children there is as yet no reason; for they act as if they did not believe. But they do not observe that faith in God’s Word is quite a different and deeper thing than what reason does with the Word of God. For it is the work of God alone above all reason, to which the child is just as near as the adult, yes, much nearer, and from which the adult is just as far as the child, yea, much farther.
44. But this that is contrived by reason is a human work. I think, if any baptism is certain, the baptism of children is most certain, because of the Word of Christ, where he commands to bring them, whereas the adults come of themselves. In adults there may be deception because of the reason that is manifest; but in children there can be no deception, because of their hidden reason, in whom Christ works his blessing, even as he has bidden them to be brought to himself. It is a glorious word and not to be treated lightly, that he commands us to bring the children to him, and rebukes those who forbid it.
45. But hereby we do not mean to weaken or destroy the office of preaching. For God indeed does not cause his Word to be preached for the sake of the rational hearing, since no fruit results from that; but for the sake of the spiritual hearing, which, as I have said, children also have as well and even better than adults; for they also hear the Word. For what else is baptism but the Gospel to which they are brought? However, they hear it only once, but they hear it more effectively, because Christ, who has commanded to bring them, receives them. For adults have the advantage that they frequently hear and can think of it again. Yet even in the case of adults it is a fact that the spiritual hearing is not effected by many sermons.
But it may occur once during one sermon, and then he has enough for ever.
What he hears afterwards, he hears either to improve the first hearing or to destroy it again.
46. In short, the baptism and consolation of children lie in the word: “Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not; for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.” He has spoken this and he does not lie. Therefore it must be right and Christian to bring little children to him. This can only be done in baptism. So also it must be certain that he blesses them, and bestows the kingdom of heaven upon all who come to him, according to the words: “To such belongeth the kingdom of God.” Let this be enough for this time.
47. Finally it would be in order here to treat of the spiritual meaning of leprosy and the palsy. But of leprosy much has been said in the Postil of the ten lepers. Therefore it need not be treated at length here.
Friday, January 19, 2024
Lutheran Seminary Education - A Disaster Fueled
By ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC-Thrivent
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| Harvard University - Listen to the English Professor on the topic of Christianity: the basics of mainline Protestants, Roman Catholic leaders, and Lutherans. On Amazon Prime Video and audio sources - "Professor Leo Damrosch of Harvard University helps you navigate the Gibbon Decline and Fall themes, structure, and lasting influence." I enjoyed Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and gave away my complete set to a genius student. I was enjoying Leo Damrosch's narration about Gibbon until he got on the topic of Christianity. I recognized that he was reciting the complete Handbook for Mocking, Unbelieving Agnostics. Forget Gibbon - Damrosch was on a toot that I have heard or read countless times, a litany of ignorance. The scholar became an advocate; the camera almost gave away his hooves. Handbook for Mocking, Unbelieving Agnostics I will summarize some of his unsupported claims:
Christianity became an echo chamber for the errors of Calvinism and Pietism, and the Lutherans fell for both errors in various ways. Lutherans copied the weakness of the Mainlines with their betrayal of the King James Version. Lutherans followed with caving into the Harvard Handbook for Mocking, Unbelieving Agnostics and made it their own, starting with ALC/LCA and moving forward to the inbred Walther Synodical Conference. Examples:
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The Synodicals treat seminarians like dirt, with threats always before them - but not much education gleaned. Of course, the relatives of synodical bigwigs can do anything they want and find themselves rewarded and even arrogant about being bullet-proof, thanks to uncle, or dad, or grandfather. One WELS DP tried to impress me by revealing who his grandfather was! I was supposed to gasp in awe.
The charges for attending seminary are criminal, especially in light of what the carefree church bureaucrats give each other. As I wrote before, my tuition was $150 a year in 1970. The LCA told us, "Don't use this motel for the evangelism conference, pastors. It is too costly." Christina said, "Let's go there. The bigshots will be there." We picked that motel and the bigshots said with shock, "Why are you here?" (I knew them.) I said, "My wife said the bigshots would be here."
Worst of all, the seminaries are not being taught the real Bible, the KJV, or the real text of the New Testament, the Traditional or Apostolic Text. The theology taught is a miserable combination of Fuller Seminary, Karl the Adulterer Barth, Paul the Promiscuous Tillich, and huge doses against Luther-Melanchthon-Chemnitz. I could probably grill the graduating class of any Lutheran seminary and get them to describe the work of Chemnitz or Melanchthon. It would be either tragic or funny what they said.
WELS-LCMS-ELS-ELCA all mocked or ignored the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, 1517.
Concordia Publishing House Honors the Reformation!
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| "We both have fake doctorates!" |
Seminaries for Training Pastors Are Teaching Their Own Translation Ignorance
And Doctrinal Apostasy
Knapp and Rambach were two of the Pietists who promoted universal forgiveness the moment Jesus rose from the tomb, based on their false interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:16. CFW Walther, taught by Pastor Martin Stephan STD, repeated this Halle University poison and gradually worked it into the Missouri Synod. Stephan's first letter to young Walther tied the junior Pietist fanatic to the senior, a syphilis patient. Walther used this knowledge about the cell group leader when they got to America stealing Stephan's church, land, gold, books, and person items.
I started with Pietism because the Pietist organizations in Europe encouraged and established the same institutions in America. Superstar Spener was just about perfect in their eyes. Anyone can see from the results of Fuller Seminary that cell groups are the "real church" and the only way "to grow a church." These errors repudiate the efficacy of the Word, the Means of Grace, and Justification by Faith.
Lately the fanatics have been piling up grace so they chant five of them. But the only way to grace is faith in Jesus Christ, as Paul taught so clearly -
Romans 5:5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
All Christian groups should teach this, which is why the Luther-Melanchthon-Chemnitz Reformation taught Justification by Faith as the Chief Article of Christianity, not just of Lutherans or Pietists or Catholics or Methodists or Catholic/Eastern Orthodox. But now we have almost no Lutherans teaching this article, including two stumble-bums in WELS who declared their notion that universal forgiveness happened the world - the moment Christ left the tomb, as if there was a tripwire.
And these two yahoos are not alone. It is the sacred creed of WELS, ELCA, LCMS, ELS, CLC and other Lutherans (when pinned down, after asking the right questions to uncover their lies). These Enthusists also promote the Atonement of Christ on the cross as universal absolution, when it suits them, saying, "We were all saved when Jesus died on the cross."
Moreover, the large unLutheran denominations are lost and bewildered in their efforts to teach social activism of all kinds - and genders - as the actual Gospel.
Worthless Seminary Professors - Ignorant Seminary Graduates
The seminaries are collapsing, which is good. Students cannot learn very much because their professors - often marginal at best - do not teach them the Biblical languages and faith in Jesus Christ. Lacking both, they party a lot, follow key professors around, and hide what they really learn from their congregations .
The seminary graduates for more than 75 years have been taught against the Scriptures and they do not even study the originals. Their NIV-ESV-RSV-etc Bibles have so many erasures and clobbered words that the students hardly know what is actually in the manuscripts. Very little is taught as Scripture so they can ruminate on the extreme Left being the One Truth of their lives. Add some counseling courses, yes, good, and some practical classes, which are ideal for broken down alcoholic professors to teach. The students graduate as know-it-alls, forever thinking their lazy professors were really great.
Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 3 - "Is it not reason which resists in the highest degree faith and the Word of God, so that nobody can come to faith by means of reason? Reason will not endure God’s Word unless it is first blinded and disgraced."
Complete Sermon -> Third Sunday after Epiphany. The Leper and Healing the Centurion's Servant
36. But let us examine their reason why they do not think children believe.
They say, because they have not attained to reason they cannot hear God’s Word; but where God’s Word is not heard there can be no faith. Romans 10:17: “Belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Tell me is this Christian to judge of God’s works by our thinking, and say, Children have not attained to reason, therefore they cannot believe? How if through this very reason you have already departed from faith, and the children come to faith through their unreason? Dear friend, what good does reason do for faith and the Word of God? Is it not reason which resists in the highest degree faith and the Word of God, so that nobody can come to faith by means of reason? Reason will not endure God’s Word unless it is first blinded and disgraced. Man must first die to reason and become, as it were, a fool, and even as unreasonable and unintelligent as a little child, if he is to become a believer and receive the grace of God; as Christ says in Matthew 18:3: “Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.” How often does Christ hold before us that we must become children and fools, and condemn reason?
37. Tell me also, what kind of reason had the little children whom Christ embraced and blessed, and upon whom he bestowed the kingdom of heaven? Were they not still without reason? Why does he command to bring them to him and then bless them? Where did they get the faith which makes them children of the kingdom of heaven? Nay, just because they are without reason and foolish, they are better prepared to believe than adults and those possessed of reason, because reason is always in the way and with its large head is not willing to push through the narrow door. One must not look upon reason or its works when faith and God’s work are under consideration. Here God alone works and reason is dead, blind and, compared to this work, an unreasonable block, in order that the Scripture may stand, which says: “God is wonderful in his saints;” and: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,” Isaiah 55:9.
38. But since they stick so fast in reason, we must assail them with their own wisdom. Tell me, why do you baptize a man when he has come to the age of reason? You answer: He hears God’s Word and believes. I ask:
How do you know that? You answer: He professes it with his mouth.
What shall I say? How, if he lies and deceives? You cannot see his heart.
Very well, then you baptize for no other reason than for what the man shows himself to be externally, and you are uncertain of his faith, and must believe that if he has not more within in his heart than you perceive without, neither his hearing, nor his profession, nor his faith will help him; for it may all be a delusion and no true faith. Who then are you, that you say external hearing and profession are necessary to baptism; where these are wanting one must not baptize? You yourself must confess that such hearing and profession are uncertain, and not enough for one to receive baptism. Now upon what do you baptize? How will you justify your actions when you thus bungle baptism and bring it into doubt? Is it not the fact that you must come and say that it is not becoming for you to know or do more than that he whom you are to baptize be brought to you and ask baptism from you; and you must believe or commit the matter to God, whether he inwardly truly believes or not? In this way you are excused and baptize aright. Why then will you not do the same for the children, whom Christ commands to be brought to him and promises to bless? But you wish first to have the outward hearing and profession, which you yourself acknowledge is uncertain and not sufficient for baptism on the part of the one to be baptized. And you let go the sure word of Christ: in which he bids the little children to be brought unto him, on account of your uncertain external hearing.
39. Moreover tell me, where is the reason of a Christian while he is asleep, since his faith and the grace of God never leave him? If faith can thus continue without the aid of reason, so that the latter is not conscious of it, why should it not also begin in children before reason knows anything about it? In the same way I would like to say of every hour in which a Christian lives and is busy and occupied, that he is not conscious of his faith and reason, and yet his faith does not on that account cease. God’s works are mysterious and wonderful, where and when he wills: and again manifest enough, where and when he wills. Judgment upon them is too high and too deep for us.
40. Since it is commanded here, not to forbid little children to come unto him in order to receive his blessing, and it is not demanded of us to know the exact state of faith within, and the external hearing and profession are not sufficient for the one baptized, we are to be content that it is enough for us, the baptizers, to hear the profession of the one to be baptized, who comes to us of himself. And this for the reason that we may not administer the sacrament against our conscience, as giving it to those in whom no fruit is to be hoped for. But if they assure our conscience of their desire and profession, so that we can administer it as a sacrament that imparts grace, we are excused. If his faith is not true, let that rest with God; we have not given the sacrament as a useless thing, but with the consciousness that it is beneficial.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
The Roll of Honor and the Synodical Big Picture
I unraveled The Roll of Honor yesterday to awaken the innocent about how badly the Synodicals behave in their jobs: LCMS-ELCA-WELS-ELS-CLC-ELDONA.
Many members already know because they have left the synods in the thousands, leaving the officials with their titles, salaries, crumbling properties, secrets, and dictatorial malignancies. Following are the basics for this debacle.
The Failed But Malignant KJV Revision, 1881
The foundational error was the rejection of the Apostolic Text (New Testament) and the Hebrew Old Testament. That started in earnest with the apostates creating the 1881 Revision of the King James Bible, which continued to fester even though that liberal American-British project was a complete failure.
From KJV Revision to the Revised Standard Version - 1952
Many scholars among the Presbyterians and the Lutherans were caught up in that Revision, to some extent, . Lenski, who was loathed and silenced by his own synod, offered a complete set of New Testament commentaries, still used today. However, he was also caught up in the text corruptions developed from using Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, known as frauds but protected and praised by the radicals. He was one of many. (He often cited the KJV Revision in his commentaries.) After all, by the time National Council of Churches' Bible came out - the Revised Standard Version - the Virgin Birth had become "behold, a young woman will conceive" - not much of a miracle direct from God.
The RSV opened the way for denominations to gradually and dishonestly drop the KJV. The Wisconsin Synod's seminary graduates began the corrupting influence of the NIV, making fun of the KJV as they spread their mocking enlightenment around the congregations, as vicars and as young pastors. How did they learn that? - from their infallible college and seminary professors. Likewise, the spirit of Seminex rose early in the LCMS while the "conservative" ALC played the same game of watering down the Scriptures, changing passages, and erasing them, notably the Empty Tomb and resurrection in Mark 16.
I know of WELS pastors who were outright fired for using the KJV instead of the notoriously bad NIV.
Slipping Away from Greek and Running from Hebrew
Today the synod students listed above hardly study Greek and avoid Hebrew. Summer Greek has become the winter of their discontent, a joke. That means the students have almost no grasp of the Scriptures, and almost never use the Apostolic (Traditional) Greek text, which is far less costly that the Union Bible Society version. (I know, United, but it includes all denominations and religions.)
The synods are really all the same now, and they know it. One clue is that they all use a rainbow of translations and remain indifferent to the pablum they are feeding their members. They use the ESV from the National Council of Churches license! ELCA uses all kinds of "translations" in their printed liturgy material, meaning, "Everyone knows. Anything goes."
Another clue is that the synods are injected with Fuller Seminary nonsense and imagine the alternative is Romanism. I have watched the LCMS District President fancy themselves in fancy robes as Bishops! Miters are on the way, starting from the bottom (ELDONA) up.
This has all happened because people let the rot begin and wanted more of the same. Believers will regroup in time and find the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace, not Pasadena and Rome.
Eat For Life - By Dr. Joel Fuhrman
One of the best ways to start eliminating those damaging foods is to study their package labels and to learn about the good foods - greens, beans, fruit, nuts, and seeds. The best nutrition summaries of these foods is to Google "the nutritional value of..." I knew next to nothing about the good, unprocessed foods found in the produce department and a wee bit of them in the freezers. Our "largest WM in Arkansas" has one entire bank of freezers for ice cream, its crafts and assaults, but only one half of a bank for greens, raw vegetables, and frozen fruit. Yes, the rest of the nutritional freezer bank is filled with packaged, enhanced (salty, spicy, seasoned) frozen goods, much more expensive. Seasoned frozen blah-blah can cost many times more than its simply frozen counterpart. Check it out. Schocking!
The main leafy greens are kale, turnip greens, spinach, and collards. They have almost no calories.
Kale -
A single cup, or 21 grams (g), of raw kale contains (
- Calories: 7
- Carbs: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Vitamin K: 68% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin C: 22% of the DV
- Manganese: 8% of the DV
- Vitamin A: 6% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 5% of the DV
- Calcium: 4% of the DV
Spinach is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, including (3):
- Vitamin A. Spinach is high in carotenoids, which your body can turn into vitamin A.
- Vitamin C. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that promotes skin health and immune function.
- Vitamin K1. This vitamin is essential for blood clotting. Notably, one spinach leaf contains over half of your daily needs.
- Folic acid. Also known as folate or vitamin B9, this compound is vital for pregnant women and essential for normal cellular function and tissue growth.
- Iron. Spinach is an excellent source of this essential mineral. Iron helps create hemoglobin, which brings oxygen to your body’s tissues.
- Calcium. This mineral is essential for bone health and a crucial signaling molecule for your nervous system, heart, and muscles.
Spinach also contains several other vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6, B9, and E.
Spinach contains several important plant compounds, including (
- Lutein. This compound is linked to improved eye health.
- Kaempferol. This antioxidant may decrease your risk of cancer and chronic diseases.
- Nitrates. Spinach contains high amounts of nitrates, which may promote heart health.
- Quercetin. This antioxidant may ward off infection and inflammation. Spinach is one of the richest dietary sources of quercetin.
- Zeaxanthin. Like lutein, zeaxanthin can also improve eye health.
The same type of nutritional value comes from frozen, unprocessed broccoli, carrots, green beans, peas, lima beans, onions-green-and-red peppers sliced, sliced onions alone, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.
The combination of greens and vegetables is satisfying, very nutritious and inexpensive, lacking in added salt.
I found super high salt content in my (former) favorite bread, in some canned beans but not others, in shockingly packaged pizza, snacks, and pre-cooked meals like Marie Calendars. I left one in the fridge with 650 mg of salt in one serving. I have found a can of beans with over 1,000 mg of salt, but the Cicero peas only 120 mg. I am keeping the 1,000 mg beans to use as snow melt.
If we are not satisfied with the super-salty processed meats, we can use ketchup and mustard to enhance their salinity with their contribution of salt.
