Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 5 Epistle - "Though the peace of the world and the flesh abides not, though you must witness the forces of discord and disruption, nevertheless let your hearts have peace in Christ."

 

 Veterans Honor Rose on the altar at Bethany, in memory of Peter Ellenberger.

Complete Epistle Sermon for Epiphany 5 - Colossians 3:12-17. Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

17. Some, enumerating the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, say a Christian should be gentle, meek, longsuffering, chaste; and they look upon this passage as a law commanding such fruits. Hence they refuse to recognize as Christians any who fail to possess the fruits in perfection. Now, such individuals cannot believe there is a Christ, certain as the fact is. They judge malignantly, complaining that Christians do not exist. They take offense at Christ for his superior wisdom. For Christ has given us scriptural authority for knowing Christians by their fruits. He says ( Matthew 7:16), “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Here they are emphatic.

18. Can you locate the failure of such an individual? He fails in the fact that he understands absolutely nothing of Christ’s kingdom. For he misinterprets the passages referring to Christians. He understands the statement that Christians should be kind and meek, to mean they must never become angry, must bear anything and show impatience toward none; if they do not so, they cannot be Christians, for they have not the fruits. Dear man, what but his own blindness can lead him to such a conclusion? He fancies Christianity to be a holy order of perfection, altogether without infirmity, a perfection as in heaven among the angels.

But tell me, where do the Scriptures speak thus of Christians?

But whoso recognizes Christianity as a progressive order yet in its beginning, will not be offended at the occasional manifestation of ungentleness, unkindness and impatience on the part of a Christian; for he remembers that Christians are commanded to bear one another’s burdens and infirmities. He knows that the enumeration of the fruits of the Spirit is not a record of laws the observance of which is imperative or Christ will be denied. He is aware the passage is to be interpreted as meaning that Christians are to strive to be kind; that is the mark at which they aim.

However, even though they have made a beginning and some progress in this virtue, they often are unkind and bear fruits directly the opposite of the fruits of the Spirit. True, the text quoted says we should be kind, but it does not say we are kind. We are tending toward it, we are in a state of progression; but during the progress much of the old and as yet untransformed nature is intermingled.

19. Know, then, that in a mysterious way Christ is in his saints, and beware of judging or condemning anyone when you have not positive assurance that he believes and teaches contrary to the Gospel. But whoso does oppose the Gospel, you may safely judge to be without Christ, and under the sway of the devil. Pray for such a one and admonish him, in the hope of his conversion. But in the case of one who endorses and honors the Gospel, observe Paul’s comment (Romans 14:4): “Who art thou that judgest the servant of another?, to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand.”

And again (1 Corinthians 10:12): “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Christ would be at the same time hidden and revealed, found and not found. He permits the intermingling of some infirmities with the fruits of the Spirit, that he may conceal himself, and that malicious judges may be offended. “And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.”

20. From longsuffering and meekness the apostle distinguishes love and other jewels of spiritual beauty whereof we have already heard, though all are comprehended in love. As faith is the chief element of Christian character, so love is chief of the fruits of the Spirit, the jewel of surpassing beauty. Therefore Paul says, “Above all these things put on love.” Love transcends mercy, kindness, meekness and humility. Paul calls it “the bond of perfectness” because it unites human hearts; not a partial unity, based on similarity or close relationship, but a complete unity among all men and in all relations. It makes us of one mind, one heart, one desire. It permits no one to originate a peculiar order of doctrine or faith. All who love are of the same belief. Consequently there is the same purpose of heart with the poor and the rich, with rulers and subjects, the ill and the well, the high and the low, the honored and the disgraced. The loving heart permits all to share in its good; more, it participates in the adversities of all men, regarding them as its own. Where love is, perfect unity and communion obtain in every event, good or bad. It is a most perfect bond.

21. Where love is lacking, hearts are united and aims single in but few relations; in most things there is disagreement. For instance: Robbers have a common bond, but it is no more than a common purpose in committing robbery and murder. Worldly friends are of the same mind so far as concerns their own interests. Monks are united in relation to their order and their honor. Herod and Pilate agreed, but simply in regard to Christ.

For the most part it is exceptional that one monk, priest or layman agrees with another. Their bond of union is weak; they are as chaff bound with straw. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which also ye were called.”

22. There is much to threaten the sundering of love’s bond. The devil never sleeps, but continually stirs up discord and unrest. Paul does not deny that the bond is assailed. But he exhorts us to resist, remembering that love must be exercised by opposition. He admonishes us to let the peace of Christ have dominion in our hearts. The thought of the verse is: Though the peace of the world and the flesh abides not, though you must witness the forces of discord and disruption, nevertheless let your hearts have peace in Christ.

Protestant Membership Loss - From the American Spectator

 

WELS is too small to count, getting smaller. Olson quasi-semi-lied about earning a coveted D.Min. at Fuller Seminary. The WELS protocol is to lie about the truth and slander anyone who questions the liar.

The American Spectator has an unsurprising survey of Protestant decline - Tom Raabe - Mainline Protestantism Is Heading Toward Its Grave A membership skewing older and older makes for a dismal future.

"Half of the Episcopal membership is over 65 years old; as for the Presbyterians, 58 percent are 56 or older (one-third are over 70)."

Here are some facts about the Lutherans -

"Unlike my church, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), which recently paid a consultant big bucks to do a survey and recommend that the answer to the church’s declining membership problem was to encourage its members to have more babies. I’ll keep you posted on how that’s working."

ELCA declined 39% from 2000 to 2020.

LCMS declined by 27% in the same time period. Is that a win for Matt the Fatt at the Purple Palace?

Amish double in numbers every 20 years. They are now bigger in number than the Disciples of Christ, which is plummeting.

The insiders grabbed the money and bragged to each other about Church Growth, but lied about it to the hoi polloi.

ELCA-WELS-LCMS together have promoted Fuller's Church Growth Movement - irony at its best - since 1977, and even before that precious date. WELS bragged about the 1977 TELL date because that was their coming out party. Let's just say - all three sects have squandered millions of dollars for the last 50 years.

The hilarious truth is that WELS was wolfing down and gobbling up every scrap of Church Growth materials, sending as many as possible to Pasadena, and screaming at the few who dared to object. They never went to Fuller, but always quoted Fuller, and pounced on anyone literate enough to ask questions about the obvious gusher coming from their hellish treasure-chest.

C. Peter Wagner was one of the key "brains" at Fuller. He was a miracle making Pentecostal magician in his mind, but he certainly told a truth ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) could not fathom.

What Are the Major Errors in the LCMS-WELS-ELS-ELDONA-CLC (sic)?

Readers! Do you realize that all the sects listed above -  LCMS-WELS-ELS-ELDONA-CLC (sic) - have spitefully rejected the Scriptures, working in harmony with the ELCA-Methodist-Calvinist-Catholic groups? The fragmented Lutherans love every Bible - except the KJV - because the King James uses the Apostolic (Traditional) Text of the New Testament and the historic Old Testament in Hebrew. 

All the modern Bibles - including the Bogus Beck Bible for Buck$ - participate in multiple errors, including such atrocities as ending Mark's Gospel with Mark 16:8, which is like hearing "I have something to........." Overall, the Bible brokers enjoy erasing words, verses, and passages. They are deliberately destroying faith this way, because the minority apostate Bibles question - erratically - the basic teaching of the Word of God. They use their half-digested works, like vomit, to appall and confuse people since they have so many variations. 

The National Council of Churches Bibles - Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version - started off with denying the Virgin Birth of Christ in the RSV, off and on, but always keeping the question, whether virgin birth was in the footnote or the text. Those who buy NCC Bibles are paying them money and promoting their radical Leftist and anti-heterosexual agenda. The NCC pioneered the removal of the Virgin Birth of Christ, so what else is there to prove? Oh, so much more.

  ELDONA's self-made bishop would love to add a mitre and a robe. He already has an expensive stick. These European prelates are not all as duded up as Matt the Fatt.

 ELDONA

ELCA-LCMS-ELDONA ( together as one in papal hypnosis) loves the trappings of Roman Catholicism, intense about traditions from Rome but awfully lax about what the Scriptures and the Reformation teach. The left-behind papal Lutherans enjoy praising their fellow pastors who move up to Rome - like Richard John Neuhaus. The ALPB Online Discussion Forum maintains an elderly coven hoping to make the change or encourage the brave smells and belles. 

All this apostasy, in various flavors, comes from the pellucid dishonesty of the 19th century:

The hilariously bad forgery of Codex Sinaiticus was "discovered" by Tischendorf, pure white leather pages until it was convenient to make them look old, very old, and all smeared up. Hahaha.

The papal release of Codex Vaticanus, which conveniently helped Tischendorf to have something as bogus as his suddenly discovered 1500 year old leather work which the monks were going to burn to keep the library warm. Hahahaha. Have you smelled the aroma of burning leather?

The snake oil salesman Tischendorf put his 50 honorary titles on the title page of a book. Insecure? 

 

Westcott and Hort, very close friends, put together a secret Greek New Testament for the scribblers of the Revised KJV, 1881, which was unreadable and impossible to fix. That secret Greek New Testament was printed at the same time as the Revised KJV. Yes, I have a copy of that. As I have published before, the Westcott/Hort Gospel of Mark starts with "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Omitted without any mention - "The Son of God."

No, the other Bibles were not that bad, but many followed the invented missing ending of Mark 16, which lost verses 9-20, the empty tomb and the resurrection of Christ. 

The modern Bibles as a whole, disparage faith in Jesus Christ and His divinity. They march out of order, so their apostate friends can say, "But this Bible, translated by great scholars, do not agree with your old KJV!" Their droppings are everywhere but never consistent.

One final note should be stressed - The KJV was edited by 50 of the greatest language scholars, at the peak of the English language, with enormous backgrounds in languages. Using Tyndale's great language ability, they formed a unified, English Bible that went all over the world and still dominates American Bible readers today. 

The quickie translators of today are often nitwits whose twaddle is paraded as the greatest thing since diet candy. 

The Lutheran sects have failed because they rest their clownish dogma on Calvinism, Pietism, Unitarianism, and the management virtuosity of Fuller Seminary and adulterous Willow Creek. Their solemn announcements are junk food for their managers, poison for the members.

ELCA eats up their offal too, but adds papal dressing to make it taste better.

WELS Has Principals But No Principles - Questions About Wisconsin Lutheran High School and Principles

 

"As a WLHS alumnus and conference delegate, I have found this all to be a real head-scratcher. I encourage you to read this and the relevant attached data and try to draw your own conclusions. 

Having done so, I pose the following: If female suffrage and leadership are to be allowed in our Synod, why not go through the proper channels and rescind our existing doctrinal statements at Synod Convention?"

***

"It seems clear that WLHS is intent on deviating from long held doctrine and practice in the Wisconsin Synod. If I understand right, the "headship committee" is selected by the delegates which theoretically could be all female, and thus the headship committee is more for show than anything."

***

WELS always creates clouds of fog to obscure the Scriptures, and dealing with the fog only makes it worse, because of the sect's dishonesty.

The two adverbs in KJV 1 Timothy 2:12 are clear. 

"12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."

The issues are teaching men and taking away authority from men.

Decades ago, the WELS managers (not leaders - they couldn't lead if they wanted to) surrendered to the feminists at Fuller Seminary. Any man attending that joke of a school had to silence himself about feminist demands. If not, those men would be counseled by a team of witches who would set them straight (implied) and kick them out (definitely). Most, if not all of the managers attended Fuller, loved it, and lied about going there. The world missionaries also went there. 

One WELS pastor said, "We have to use Fuller, because they have all the statistics for world missions!"

Moreover, the managers have been working with ELCA for decades, following the same corrupt principles, kissing up to Thrivent, of course.

WELS sent pastors to Willow Creek Community Church, where the senior pastor refused to use Bibles that were NOT feminist and chased women around the altar until he was finally caught and ejected. I recall one Ohio pastor just glowing about what he learned and stated, "We are following what Willow Creek had to say, that the bulletins should say visitors do not have to give during the offering." Free tuition to go! For some reason they never asked me to go to Willow Creek for free. When a pastor's son criticized Willow Creek at the late Northwestern College, the professor said, "Have you been there?!" The answer was "Yes." Change of subject.

Yay Fuller! Yay Willow Creek! Yay Thrivent! Yay ELCA!

Question for the exegetic genius groups in the WELS and LCMS sects - did they vote in the Apostolic Age? Maybe I am distorted by reading ancient history and studying Koine Greek - ongoing, not past tense. 1 Timothy 2:12 perfectly describes the LCMS during its Pentecostal illness. LCMS and WELS are masters or rather mistresses of avoiding the real issues.

Zoom Calendar of Events

 

This is a good example of what was taught before Objective Justification (Walther-Pieper) stole the Gospel and rejected Justification by Faith. I owned two of Fuerbringer's books - he constantly studied Luther's writing, including the Postils.

We had a discussion about Zoom last night and worked on details. I am going to use the chapel computer. 

Today I need to go over the list of active participants, so the email links will provide access to the worship service and Bible study at 10 AM Central, and will begin at 9:30 AM to assure everyone (including me) that it is working. It will remain working until 11:30 AM, which is a bit longer than the time we finish after the Bible study.

The email is the link to the live service, so keep track of that.

The traditional email with an attached Word version of the service will be sent as well, and you will see the service on the Ichabod blog.

The Sunday worship and Bible study will be saved, so that will work for those out West.

PS -

Vimeo will be a backup program since I can get that going in a few minutes, but I do not expect that to happen.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 5 Epistle - "Kindness is a virtue not confined to certain works; it modifies the whole life. The kindly person is obliging to everyone, not displeased with any, and is attractive to all men. In contrast are those peculiar characters who have pleasure in nothing but their own conceits..."

 

Complete Epistle Sermon for Epiphany 5 - Colossians 3:12-17. Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

10. These words represent the other elements of Christian character.

Kindness you will find defined in the second epistle lesson for the early Christmas service. It characterizes the conduct of the individual who is gentle and sympathetic to all; who repels none with forbidding countenance, harsh words or rude deportment. We Germans would call such a one affable and friendly disposed. Kindness is a virtue not confined to certain works; it modifies the whole life. The kindly person is obliging to everyone, not displeased with any, and is attractive to all men. In contrast are those peculiar characters who have pleasure in nothing but their own conceits; who insist on others accommodating themselves to them and their ways, while they yield to none. Such individuals are termed “uncivil.”

11. But the liberality of kindness is not to be extended to false doctrine. Only relative to conduct and works is it to be exercised. As oft before stated, love with all its works and fruits has no place in the matter of unsound doctrine. I must love my neighbor and show him kindness whatever the imperfections of his life. But if he refuses to believe or to teach sound doctrine, I cannot, I dare not, love him or show him kindness. According to Paul (Galatians 1:8-9), I must hold him excommunicated and accursed, even though he be an angel from heaven. Thus remarkably do faith and love differ and are distinct. Love will be, must be, kind even to the bitterest enemy so long as he assails not faith and doctrine. But it will not, it cannot, tolerate the individual who does, be it father, mother or dearest friend. Deuteronomy 13:6-8. Love, then, must be exercised, not in relation to the doctrine and faith of our neighbor, but relative to his life and works. Faith, on the contrary, has to do, not with his works and life, but with his doctrine and belief.

12. I think we must know by this time the meaning of “lowliness” of mind — esteeming one’s self least and others greater. As, Christ illustrates it, occupying the lowest seat at the wedding, and this cheerfully. We are to serve even when our service is not desired, and to minister unto our enemies. So Christ humbled himself before Judas the betrayer, and before all of us. He came, not to be served, but to serve. That humbleness of mind is a rare virtue is not to be wondered at, for every Christian grace is a rarity. Particularly are graces lacking with those who, professing to know most of Christ, find something to censure in all Christians. Christianity Paul calls a mystery of God; and it is likely to continue so.

13. “Meekness” is opposed to anger. The meek man is not easily excited to exhibit anger, to curse, smite, hate, or wish evil to any, even an enemy. To refrain thus is an art. Hypocrites — in fact, all the world — can be meek toward friends and those who treat them well. But true meekness and humility will remain only among the elect and beloved saints of God, as Paul here implies. Even among these are many deficient in all, or at least a large part, of the Christian graces. Hypocrites may thus find something to censure, something whereat to be offended, in the beloved, elect saints of God. And the true saints have occasion to exercise mercy, humility, meekness and forbearance. They whom Paul here terms elect and beloved saints of God, though slightly deficient in humility, meekness and forbearance, are not therefore unholy, not rejected and despised.

14. Paul makes a distinction between longsuffering and forbearance, as in Romans 2:4: “Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering?” In “longsuffering” we have the thought here and there expressed by God in the Psalms and elsewhere by the Hebrew “arich apaim” — “slow to wrath.” God patiently bears with evil.

Indeed, he repeatedly delays vengeance, apparently more ready to forgive than to punish, even under extreme provocation and having just reason to chastise. Longsuffering extends farther than patience. Patience bears evil and injustice; but longsuffering delays punishment. It does not design to punish; it would not take hasty revenge. Unlike the revengeful, it wishes no one evil. Many we see, indeed, who suffer much and are patient but at the same time trust in a final avenging. The longsuffering Christian, however, is opposed to revenge, desiring the sinner to amend his ways. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye.”

15. In this verse all law is abolished among Christians. One is not permitted to demand, through process of law, the recovery of his property. He must forgive and yield. Christ’s example enjoins this principle; he has forgiven us. And what is the extent of his forgiveness? He pardons past sins, but that is not all; as John says ( 1 John 2:1-2), “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteousness and he is the propitiation for our sins.”

16. Note, it is the true Christian saints whom Paul describes, but he looks upon them as infirm to the extent of offending and complaining against one another. This is a state of affairs by no means becoming Christians and saints. So I say Christ’s kingdom is a mystery obscure beyond the power of our preaching and teaching sufficiently to explain. Unbelievers cannot be induced to work, but believers cannot be withheld from working. Some would not believe and some would not love.

Lots of Sources for Plant-Based Eating, Compared to the Sugar-Salt-Fat Frenzy Prevailing Now

 

I knew nothing about greens and beans, nuts and fruit and seeds, until I found Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book - unread - in the Library: Eat To Live. He has several other excellent books.

I ran out of ancient history documentaries, so I tried Nutrition as an Amazon Prime option (no cost). That revealed two major speakers/writers on the topic.

Rip Esselstyn Engine #2 - The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds. He was an athlete and showed his buddies how to have much better meals.

Dr. Michael Greger -  website - https://nutritionfacts.org/ - packed with brief descriptions and videos on all the issues, easy to read, impossible to read it all. Also, two cheerful books -

1. How Not To Die
2. How Not To Age

Rip Esselstyn goes to people's homes and goes through their groceries, pointing out how gross their selections are, making a meal out of delicious and nutritious foods.

My point is that  any two of these authors will serve as great introductions in replacing the junk food we eat on a regular basis. Self-education is the best route, because we can feel the difference and weigh less in a week or less.

Some of it is obvious - 

Drop:

1. All milk products, including cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, and - sob - ice cream.
2. High salt items, easily spotted on food labels - pizzas, packaged frozen meals, most loaves of bread, chips, popcorn, high-salt beans, sausage, dried meat.
3. Sugar based food - ice cream and milk, all juices (just sugar water with a pill), frozen desserts (so obvious), candy, chocolates, many prepared foods.
4. In short, Schwan's Frozen Foods, mostly sugar-salt-fat.

That does not mean dropping everything at once. For example, it takes time to eject favorites from our normal eating habits. Chopped greens are loaded with nutrition, including calcium and protein! I thought greens were just for poor people, because leafy greens are very inexpensive and tasteless. Last night my supper consisted of two pears and spinach leaves - nutrition and fiber galore. Now I can see why so many professional athletes come from poverty - they could not afford sugar-salt-fat frozen meals and treats.

Replace Sugar-Salt-Fat Opiates With:

Leafy Greens - I had to shock my body into eating greens by making a stew for lunch. The two quart pan gets half full with chopped frozen greens - spinach (my favorite), turnip greens, collards, and kale. Here is the kale list, as Greger says - "Kale beats them all." Now I mix chopped kale with one of the other three greens or maybe two. So kale is the champion and also hard to find at the biggest Walmart in Arkansas.

Healthline on kale -

"1. Highly nutritious

Kale is a popular vegetable and a member of the cabbage family.

It is a cruciferous vegetable and is closely related to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts.

There are many different types of kale. The leaves can be green or purple, and have either a smooth or curly shape.

The most common type of kale is called curly kale or Scots kale, which has green and curly leaves with a hard, fibrous stem.

A single cup, or 21 grams (g), of raw kale contains (1Trusted Source):

• 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

Each serving also contains a small amount of folate, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, and iron.

Adding more kale to your diet is a great way to boost your intake of these key vitamins and minerals, along with other important nutrients. Kale is low in calories and contains several important nutrients, including vitamin K, vitamin C, and manganese."

Four or more fruits a day - delicious and fibery. Natural sugar is slowed down by fiber, because the Creator fashioned fruits to taste great while slowing down the digestion process. We love candy and ice cream because they provide an instant lift when we feel hungry, depressed, or too hurried to get a real meal. Fiber lets the bacteria break down and re-shape the ingredients in food. Fiber also turns off the instant eating cycle where an empty stomach releases sugar and fat effortlessly.

Nuts - walnuts and almonds reduce high cholesterol levels. Which one tastes better - a statin pill (which interferes with digestion) or nuts. I eat one or two handfuls of walnuts each day and my cholesterol went down to normal. I refused statins because I know their history. We can get sugar-salty nuts, which cost more, but ordinary nuts will provide a delicious alternative to iatrogenic disorders (meaning - caused by a doctor). I use iatrogenic with each new doctor, which is not unlike flashing my NRA card when a policeman stops me. I use stickers on the car and the house. 

Vegetables - know your medicines! My parents tried hard to make us eat the vegetables they grew on the farm, growing up. They said, "At least try one portion!" Dad would encourage us by saying, "You know what you kids are? Spoiled. SPOILED ROTTEN!" We hung our heads and waited for dessert, which my parents loved and my father manufactured at Melo Cream Donuts. I like frozen vegetables but canned will do. Note that "seasoned" frozen vegetables cost a lot more because they have added salt and some seasoning to the package, jacking up price.

The Lord of Creation fashioned all kinds of vegetables to enjoy, a giant medicine cabinet filled with a wide variety of cures, starting with the dangers of being overweight. For that we need to educate ourselves on a regular basis. The ingredients found on vitamin pill containers are much better in the food. If you doubt the value of a vegetable, Google "the nutritional value of..." and insert the vegetable or fruit or nut. Healthline offers 10 science-based benefits from Cicero Peas (chick was his name in Latin) or chickpeas.

"A 1-cup (164-gram) serving of cooked chickpeas offers (1Trusted Source):

• Calories: 269
• Protein: 14.5 grams
• Fat: 4 grams
• Carbs: 45 grams
• Fiber: 12.5 grams
• Manganese: 74% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Folate (vitamin B9): 71% of the DV
• Copper: 64% of the DV
• Iron: 26% of the DV
• Zinc: 23% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 22% of the DV
• Magnesium: 19% of the DV
• Thiamine: 16% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
• Selenium: 11% of the DV
• Potassium: 10% of the DV

As you can see, this legume is a particularly good source of the mineral manganese and the B vitamin folate."

Seeds - I began to see the value of seeds as I did nutritional searches on them. I started with ground flax seeds, very inexpensive but also anti-cancer and a lot of nutrition. Sesame seeds cost a bit more. I have added anise seeds to lunch because they have a unique flavor at a very low cost.

 Rip Esselstyn saved on buying KALE shirts rather than YALE.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 5 Epistle - "But among Christians many are sinners, many infirm. In fact, Christians associate only with these; not with saints. Christians reject none, but bear with all. Indeed, they are as sincerely interested for sinners as they would be for themselves were they the infirm."

 

Complete Epistle Sermon for Epiphany 5 - Colossians 3:12-17. Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

5. They stand for a part of the ornament, the beautiful, charming Christian jewel, that becomes us better in the sight of God than pearls, precious stones, silk and gold become us in the eyes of the world. “A heart of compassion” is evidence of the true Christian. Paul would say: “Not simply in external deed, or in appearance, are ye to be merciful, but in the inmost heart.” He refers to that sincere and whole-souled mercy characteristic of the father and mother who witness the distress of a child for whom they would readily expose their lives or sacrifice all they possess. The Christian’s mind and heart should be constantly devoted to merciful deeds, with an ardor so intense as to make him unaware he is doing good and compassionate acts.

6. With this single phrase Paul condemns the works and arbitrary rules of hypocritical saints, whose severity will not permit them to associate with sinners. Their rigorous laws must be all-controlling. They do nothing but compel and drive. They exhibit no mercy, but perpetual reproach, censure, condemnation, blame and bluster. They can endure no imperfection. But among Christians many are sinners, many infirm. In fact, Christians associate only with these; not with saints. Christians reject none, but bear with all. Indeed, they are as sincerely interested for sinners as they would be for themselves were they the infirm. They pray for the sinners, teach, admonish, persuade, do all in their power to reclaim. Such is the true character of a Christian. So God, in Christ, has dealt with us and ever deals. So Christ dealt with the adulteress ( John 8:11) when he released her from her tormentors, and with his gracious words influenced her to repentance and suffered her to depart. We read of St. Antony having said that Paphrutius knew how souls are to be saved, because he rescued a certain individual from brethren who persecuted and oppressed him for his transgression. See “Lives of the Fathers.”

Were God to deal with us according to the rigor of his laws, we should all be lost. But he mercifully suspends the Law. Isaiah says (ch. 9. 4): “For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken.” God now only persuades.

7. Note how involved in the Law and in hypocrisy they still are who esteem themselves prominent saints and at the same time are intolerant of the infirmities of Christians. If they fail to find perfect holiness — a miracle of purity — in those who possess Christ and know the Gospel, then nothing is as it should be; the heavens are on the point of falling and the earth about to be destroyed. They can only judge, censure and deride, saying: “Oh, yes, he is truly evangelical; indeed, he is a visionary!” Thus they indicate their utter blindness. With the beam constantly in their own eyes, they show how little they know of Christ.

Know, then, when you meet one so ready to censure and condemn, one requiring absolute perfection in Christians — know that such a one is merely an enforcer of the Law, a base hypocrite, a merciless jailer, with no true knowledge of Christ. As, with Christians, there is no law but all is love, so neither can there be judgment, condemnation and censure. And he who calls another a visionary is certainly a visionary ten-fold himself. In the thing for which he judges and condemns another, he condemns himself.

Since he ignores mercy and all but the Law, he finds no mercy in the sight of God; in fact, he has never experienced, never tasted, God’s mercy. To his taste, both God and neighbor are bitter as gall and wormwood.

8. But tender mercy is to be shown only to Christians and only among Christians. With the rejecters and persecutors of the Gospel we must deal differently. It is not right that my charity be liberal enough to tolerate unsound doctrine. In the case of false faith and doctrine there is neither love nor patience. Against these it is my duty earnestly to contend and not to yield a hair’s breadth. Otherwise — when faith is not imperiled — I must be unfailingly kind and merciful to all notwithstanding the infirmities of their lives. I may not censure, oppress nor drive; I must persuade, entreat and tolerate. A defective life does not destroy Christianity; it exercises it. But defective doctrine — false belief — destroys all good. So, then, toleration and mercy are not permissible in the case of unsound doctrine; only anger, opposition and death are in order, yet always in accordance with the Word of God.

9. On the other hand, they who are mercifully tolerated must not imagine that because they escape censure and force, their beliefs and practices are right. They must not construe such mercy as encouragement to become indolent and negligent, and to continue in their error. Mercy is not extended them with any such design. The object is to give them opportunity to recover zeal and strength. But if they be disposed to remain as they are, very well; let them alone. They will not long continue thus; the devil will lead them farther astray, until finally they will completely apostatize, even becoming enemies to the Gospel. Such will be their end if they permit mercy to be lavished upon them in vain. We may not be indolent and asleep in the matter of our false doctrines, relying upon the fact that we are not despised nor constrained of men. There is particular need to be active and diligent, for the devil neither sleeps nor rests. We need beware that he does not lead us where we will never enjoy God’s mercy. “Kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering.”

Needs More Work -Tried To Start Zoom at 3:30 PM Central Today

 

Tried To Start Zoom at 3:30 PM Central Today - Did Not Work, Will Try the Meeting Instead of the Webinar. A group will have a joint meeting on technology Thursday, Zach is convening it through Zoom.

A Reader Found Another WELS Fad - Which I Visited - By Browser - Nine Years Ago

The Appleton Alcoholics were hotter than Georgia asphalt for the Andy Stanley Treatment, which has blossomed among the Babtists and others for years now. 

Previously I posted about the Unstuck fad in WELS, which may have sputtered.

They adored Paul Y. Cho in South Korea, until he was found guilty and tossed into the slammer.

David Valleskey's lopsided smile, half regret, half triumphant, reminds everyone that Mark Jeske often does the same in photos. 

The accounting has already started for these buddies from the same seminary class in Mordor, Wisconsin. 

Kent Reeder - Illumine - WELS

Eight years ago, WELS Pastor Kent Reeder, did his best to out-Kelm Paul Kelm, birthing Illumine, like one of those lab experiments from a midnight monster movie channel. Reeder is on LinkedIn, a good way to find out what individuals say about themselves. One famous LCMS star did that and soon erased his own basic facts - too much revealed.

Luther and the Concordists did not say -

1. Come to my church
2. Find a friend here
3. Embrace the love, have some popcorn and soda
4. Coin a cool name for our (name the sect)  church, and hide the denomination.

The Reformation taught the Bible (Traditional Text, not the Tischendorf-Westcott-Hort) to explain its meaning and to refute errors.

Seductive marketing gimmicks are not effective. They claim the concept but reject the truth - 

The Holy Spirit is always at work in the Word and never apart from the Word.

"Kent Reeder makes Mark and Avoid Jeske look confessional." Aye, and they have so much to confess.

LinkedIn - 

"Started Illumine Church in Rock Hill, SC in 2013. Planting a new church in Seattle, WA as of May, 2019. Distributing resources through Illumine Content. Led the Hearts & Hands Workshop in 2018, and continuing to encourage creativity through the Community of WELS Creatives. Former director of Camp South and the Amazing Race."

"Though much of my time in city ministry has been affected by pandemic realities, one of the things I’ve observed is that there’s a lot of listening to do in a city context. In suburban and rural spaces, it’s a lot easier for an organization to have an influential voice simply by speaking - there aren’t that many voices trying to be heard. Cities are bigger, more complex, and (certainly) louder - so listening and finding the right moments to participate in existing conversations becomes more important. (So far, at least!)"

Some say, in whispers, that Reeder is Paul Kelm II!

Daily Luther Sermon Post - Epiphany 5 Epistle Lesson - "Let us disregard, therefore, the saints who elect and love themselves; who adorn themselves with the works of the Law; who observe fasts and discipline; who regard raiment and position, for they are unwilling to be sinners before God. Our ornaments are unlike these, and not associated with such mockeries."

Complete Epistle Sermon for Epiphany 5 - Colossians 3:12-17.Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

TEXT:

COLOSSIANS 3:12-17. 12 Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

THE GLORIOUS ADORNMENT OF CHRISTIANS.

1. This text is also a letter of admonition, teaching what manner of fruit properly results from faith. Paul deals kindly with the Colossians. He does not command, urge nor threaten, as teachers of the Law must do in the case of those under the Law. He persuades them with loving words in view of the blessing and grace of God received, and in the light of Christ’s own example. Christians should act with readiness and cheerfulness, being moved neither by fear of punishment nor by desire for reward, as frequently before stated. This admonition has been so oft repeated in the preceding epistle lesson that we know, I trust, what constitutes a Christian.

Therefore we will but briefly touch on the subject. “Put on, therefore.”

2. In the epistle for New Year’s day we have sufficiently explained the meaning of “putting on”; how by faith we put on Christ, and he us; how in love we put on our neighbor, and our neighbor us. The Christian apparel is of two kinds — faith and love. Christ wore two manner of garments — one whole and typical of faith, the other divided and typical of love.

Paul here has reference to the latter garment, love. He would teach us Christians the manner of ornaments and apparel we are to wear in the world; not silk or precious gold. To women these are forbidden of Peter (1 Peter 3:3), and of Paul (1 Timothy 2:9). Love for our neighbor is a garment well befitting us — that love which leads us to concern ourselves about the neighbor and his misfortunes. Such love is called the ornament of a Christian character — an ornament in the eyes of men.

3. Observe the tender and sacred style of the apostle’s admonition, a style he is wont to use toward us. He does not drive us with laws, but persuades by reminding us of the ineffable grace of God; for he terms us the “elect of God,” and “holy” and “beloved.” He would call forth the fruits of faith, desiring them to be yielded in a willing, cheerful and happy spirit. The individual who sincerely believes and trusts that before God he is beloved, holy and elect, will consider how to sustain his honors and titles, how to conduct himself worthily of them; more, he will love God with a fervor enabling him to do or omit, or to suffer, all things cheerfully, and will never know how to do enough. But he who doubts such attitude of God toward himself will not recognize the force of these words. He will not feel the power of the statement that we are holy, beloved, elect, in the sight of God.

4. Let us disregard, therefore, the saints who elect and love themselves; who adorn themselves with the works of the Law; who observe fasts and discipline; who regard raiment and position, for they are unwilling to be sinners before God. Our ornaments are unlike these, and not associated with such mockeries. They are honesty, sincerity, good works, service to our neighbor. We are unfettered by laws regarding food, raiment, times, etc. We are holy in the sight of God, before whom none can be holy until he sees himself a sinner and rejects his own righteousness. But the class mentioned are holy in their own estimation; therefore, they ever remain wicked — sinners in the sight of God. We are beloved of God because we despise ourselves, we judge and condemn ourselves and reject our selflove.

The others, because they love and esteem themselves, are despicable and unacceptable in the sight of God. Again, we are chosen of God for the reason that we despise ourselves as filth. Such God chooses, and has chosen from eternity. Because the would-be saints elect themselves, God will reject them, as indeed he has from eternity. Now, this is what Paul means by these words, “A heart of compassion.”