More Barriers Overcome with Zoom

 

 Where we go one, we go all.

Thanks to Zach Engleman's help tonight, we got a lot more done for Sunday. I did some things Friday to set up the emails, and they got away, blank messages. 

Today I tried some things did would not work today, so I asked Zach to go through Zoom with me to set up procedures. That worked well except for the music. Saturday we are working on that.

A New Letter From Tom Fisher, Farmer

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

Please publish this letter. Feel free to include your comments and insight. Feel free to use any pictures from my farm.

The home of my childhood was unusual, warm, and wonderful!  We had NO TV.  We had a huge garden, a huge Macintosh apple tree, three beautiful cherry trees, and a huge nearly acre of grass to cut.  My two brothers and I spent our summers picking cherries, cutting grass, and tending the huge garden. Work was a privilege and blessing. Our mom taught us this by example. She always sang as she worked. Her faith in Christ was never lazy, timid, or idle. She had NO TV to baby sit, brainwash, and ruin us kids. Instead she spent every minute teaching us the Lord's Prayer, the Ten commandments, and especially to NEVER fight or hurt each other with words or fists.  We grew up helping each other instead of hurting each other.  How unusual and wonderful this was! My dad was a design engineer at Caterpillar. He NEVER cursed.  He told us it showed your stupidity. He never drank any liquor.  He warned us about it's danger to us and others. He insisted we learn to spell words correctly and to look up the correct spelling and meaning in the dictionary. He knew Latin, English, and math very well! My parents were always there to help me and encourage me to excel academically and spiritually.  I remember my mom constantly asking, "Did you read your Bible today?" Then in eighth grade my parents bought me my first King James Bible. This is when I began to read, study, and memorize the Bible. 

I really want to speak about an even more wonderful home of our childhood with God our Heavenly Father, and Christ His Son, and God the Holy Ghost. God our Heavenly Father has made all of us His children by faith in Christ His Son. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Galatians 3:26,27  - Baptism in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost clothes us in the righteousness of Christ, and gives us the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Here in our baptism God makes us His children, and gives us forgiveness of all sins, and makes us heirs with Christ.  Faith in Christ and our baptism in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost creates a new home for all of us called the Christian church where God the Holy Ghost forgives all our sins, sanctifies us, and keeps all of us in the one true faith.  God has already created a new Lutheran Synod and church among us by His Word, Faith, Baptism, Holy Communion, and the Office of the keys. Christ is our good Shepherd. He calls us all by name. We know His voice and follow Him as one flock. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." So our new Lutheran Synod and church is a gathering together of two or three true Lutheran Christian believers in Christ. Christ has not left us comfortless.  "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:18 Christ sends us the Comforter: God the Holy Ghost. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26.

So let us not be lazy Lutheran laymen (myself included).  Our faith in Christ cannot be idle regarding the reading, memorization, and study of God's Holy Word (KJV). We have the gift of God the Holy Ghost in our Baptism. He is our teacher guiding us into all truth. God the Holy Ghost is always with the Word. " For the Word of God is quick (living) and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." II Timothy 3:16

In Christ,

Tom Fisher

PS from GJ

I enjoy hearing from Tom. He knows the KJV Bible very well and supports Justification by Faith in a world where "Lutheran" pastors and professors deny the Chief Article, mock Luther, and sell Luther trinkets at Concordia Publishing House to prove how shallow they are.

 This mocks Luther, who faced burning at the stake for teaching the Gospel.

This is how to get to the Purple Palace, honor the Reformation with a dog-shirt.

Substitutes

 

 Early scary McDonalds commercial.

Spinach, kales, collards, turnip greens are loaded with nutrition and satisfying, with almost no calories. But white rice, white flour, white bread, and white ice cream create a craving for morke - and they have almost no nutrition, and are fattening with loads of calories.

Juices of all kinds are mostly sugar and not nutritious. Paul Newman's orange drink's first ingredient is corn syrup, the worst of all forms of sweetener! Fresh and frozen fruit do not have sweetener added - except by the Creator Himself - and provide a lot of fiber which is essential to food digestion. Fruits are a rainbow of nutrition and not fattening.

Nuts are sold with heavy doses of salt. People gladly or sadly pay large amounts of money at the pharmacy for statins, expensive drugs that claim to block one's high cholesterol chemistry - while providing horrible side effects. Plain walnuts with no salt, no sugar, no roasting - they take away the bad cholesterol, simply with a handful of walnuts a day. Raw almonds can do that too.

Candy is very appealing, especially in all the fruit colors but has none of the fruit benefits. Nothing is more fun than getting the best blueberries, apples, oranges, bananas, pineapples, etc. A bag of MnMs with "almonds" cost me $4.23 today. They were atrocious. I ate a few and gave the rest to squirrels.

All the prepared meals, whether fast food joints or grocery stores or delivered, are manufactured with huge amounts of fat, salt, and sweeteners. They are extremely expensive and often poor quality cuz - profits. A little preparation in the family will yield delicious, low cost meals with a high level of nutrition and very little sugar-salt-fat.

Charlie Sue, my Patterdale Terrier, loves meals, which include Science Diet and enjoys such delicacies as bananas, blueberries, and apples. She gets a little meat each day too, plus a few treats. I love going to the grocery store to carve out our share of Walmart offerings. I can load up the cart with a lot of low cost high nutrition value fruits, greens, and vegetables. 

It takes time. I gave up eggs for breakfast and began making original oatmeal with raisins and almonds. It was very satisfying, minus a load of fat and choline. I get some candy now and again, which only reminds me that almost all candy is junk. Much of the gourmet candy is older than a Jack Benny joke. Kettle corn and Fritos were still attractive until I found my blood pressure soaring. Kettle corn is sugar-fat-grease. Fritos make up for the lack of sugar with extra grease and salt. 

Dr. Michael Greger has a mountain of short articles and videos on nutrition.

See what Ronald did for my stomach? Sassy Sue was afraid of the guy.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Sunday Before Lent Epistle - "We hold, and unquestionably it is true, that it is faith which justifies and cleanses, Romans 1:17; Romans 10:10; Acts 15:9. But if it justifies and purifies, love must be present. The Spirit cannot but impart love together with faith."

 

Complete Sermon - 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. 

The Sunday before Lent

LOVE, THE SPIRIT’S FRUIT RECEIVED BY FAITH.

7. We hold, and unquestionably it is true, that it is faith which justifies and cleanses, Romans 1:17; Romans 10:10; Acts 15:9. But if it justifies and purifies, love must be present. The Spirit cannot but impart love together with faith. In fact, where true faith is, the Holy Spirit dwells; and where the Holy Spirit is, there must be love and every excellence. How is it, then, Paul speaks as if faith without love were possible? We reply, this one text cannot be understood as subverting and militating against all those texts which ascribe justification to faith alone. Even the sophists have not attributed justification to love, nor is this possible, for love is an effect, or fruit, of the Spirit, who is received through faith.

8. Three answers may be given to the question. First, Paul has not reference here to the Christian faith, which is inevitably accompanied by love, but to a general faith in God and his power. Such faith is a gift; as, for instance, the gift of tongues, the gift of knowledge, of prophecy, and the like. There is reason to believe Judas performed miracles in spite of the absence of Christian faith, according to John 6:70: “One of you is a devil.” This general faith, powerless to justify or to cleanse, permits the old man with his vices to remain, just as do the gifts of intellect, health, eloquence, riches.

9. A second answer is: Though Paul alludes to the true Christian faith, he has those in mind who have indeed attained to faith and performed miracles with it, but fall from grace through pride, thus losing their faith. Many begin but do not continue. They are like the seed in stony ground. They soon fall from faith. The temptations of vainglory are mightier than those of adversity. One who has the true faith and is at the same time able to perform miracles is likely to seek and to accept honor with such eagerness as to fall from both love and faith.

10. A third answer is: Paul in his effort to present the necessity of love, supposes an impossible condition. For instance, I might express myself in this way: “Though you were a god, if you lacked patience you would be nothing.” That is, patience is so essential to divinity that divinity itself could not exist without it, a proposition necessarily true. So Paul’s meaning is, not that faith could exist without love, but on the contrary, so much is love an essential of faith that even mountain-moving faith would be nothing without love, could we separate the two even in theory.

The third answer pleases me by far the best, though I do not reject the others, particularly the first. For Paul’s very first premise is impossible — “if I speak with the tongues of angels.” To speak with an angelic tongue is impossible for a human being, and he clearly emphasizes this impossibility making a distinction between the tongues of men and those of angels.

There is no angelic tongue; while angels may speak to us in a human tongue men can never speak in those of angels.

11. As we are to understand the first clause — “If I speak with the tongues of angels” — as meaning, Were it as possible as it is impossible for me to speak with the tongues of angels; so are we to understand the second clause — “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains” — to mean, Were it as possible as it is impossible to have such faith. Equally impossible is the proposition of understanding all mysteries, and we must take it to mean, Were it possible for one to understand all mysteries, which, however, it is not. John, in the last chapter of his Gospel, asserts that the world could not contain all the books which might be written concerning the things of the kingdom. For no man can ever fathom the depths of these mysteries. Paul’s manner of expressing himself is but a very common one, such as: “Even if I were a Christian, if I believed not in Christ I would be nothing”; or, “Were you even a prince, if you neither ruled men nor possessed property you would be nothing.” “And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor.”

12. In other words, “Were I to perform all the good works on earth and yet had not charity — having sought therein only my own honor and profit and not my neighbor’s — I would nevertheless be lost.” In the performance of external works so great as the surrender of property and life, Paul includes all works possible of performance, for he who would at all do these, would do any work. Just so, when he has reference to tongues he includes all good words and doctrines; and in prophecy, understanding and faith he comprises all wisdom and knowledge. Some may risk body and property for the sake of temporal glory. So Romans and pagans have done; but as love was lacking and they sought only their own interests, they practically gave nothing. It being generally impossible for men to give away all their property, and their bodies to be burned, the meaning must be: “Were it possible for me to give all my goods to the poor, and my body to be burned.”

Replacing Eggs and Toast with Oatmeal, Raisins, and Sliced Almonds

 

Doctors Fuhrman and Greger question the value of eggs, even in small quantities (Greger). I was thinking about the fat content and found out eggs are linked to cancer as well, because of choline.

Dr. Greger on eggs.

I was already changing from eggs when oatmeal was suggested as one of the whole grain substitutes for breakfast.

That reminded me of the days when my mother made hot oatmeal and enhanced it with brown sugar and raisins. The pep talks included "sticks to your ribs." Nostalgia.

When we ate breakfast cereal with milk and sugar, our cat would hop up on the table, look seriously at the colorful cereal package, and sneak a drink  of cereal laced with milk and sugar. If I annoyed the cat, she would return to reading the back of the cereal package. "You can't read, you phony!"

I ordered some whole oatmeal, read the package instructions, and added the raisins, almonds, and blueberries. Charlie Sue enjoyed finishing my breakfast and accepted some banana as well - her favorite fruit.

These are the buttons daily pushed by nutrition experts:

1. Whole grains
2. Blueberries
3. Nuts
4. Seeds
5. Greens
6. Vegetables
7. Fruits
8. Tea or coffee without sugar or calf-milk.

Nutritionist No-Nos:

• Calf-milk
• Eggs
• Salt injected chicken
• Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese
• Beef and bacon
• Candy

I found the breakfast to be delicious, low in fat, very satisfying. 

My vegetable consultant got me interested in spices, which reminded me of my mother never using them - for decades. I also had unused spices because we seldom used them, but kept moving them from house to house. Centuries old spices are not that appealing, so I began trying out new ones. 

Many faux-spices are blends of something, with salt at the top of the ingredients list. I have some of those we used with steaks, but I am no longer a steak griller.  

I always loved anise on tomatoes, so I bought the fresh seeds for stew. Fuhrman really promotes seeds, and anise shows up on lists for being a beneficial seed for health. Anise is great in stew, so I use that or Italian seasoning or both.

Tumeric - wild ginger - is known for pain relief. I was shocked to find it was used as a ginger on food. Who knew? Tumeric in capsules is much more expensive than ground tumeric for seasoning.

The nutritionists emphasize that the vegetable-fruit-greens-seeds variety is ideal for getting all the benefits of God's Creation instead of letting big industry and big ice cream trucks fill us with the all-American diet: sugar, salt, and fat.

Be different. Eat healthy!

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Sunday Before Lent - Epistle - "Paul’s purpose in this chapter is to silence and humble haughty Christians, particularly teachers and preachers. The Gospel gives much knowledge of God and of Christ, and conveys many wonderful gifts, as Paul recounts in Romans 12 and in 1 Corinthians 12."

 

Complete Sermon - 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. 

The Sunday before Lent

TEXT:

1 CORINTHIANS 13. 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. 13 But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

PAUL’S PRAISE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE.

Paul’s purpose in this chapter is to silence and humble haughty Christians, particularly teachers and preachers. The Gospel gives much knowledge of God and of Christ, and conveys many wonderful gifts, as Paul recounts in Romans 12 and in 1 Corinthians 12. He tells us some have the gift of speaking, some of teaching, some of Scripture exposition; others of ruling; and so on. With Christians are great riches of spiritual knowledge, great treasures in the way of spiritual gifts. Manifest to all is the meaning of God, Christ, conscience, the present and the future life, and similar things. But there are to be found few indeed who make the right use of such gifts and knowledge; who humble themselves to serve others, according to the dictates of love. Each seeks his own honor and advantage, desiring to gain preferment and precedence over others.

2. We see today how the Gospel has given to men knowledge beyond anything known in the world before, and has bestowed upon them new capabilities. Various gifts have been showered upon and distributed among them which have redounded to their honor. But they go on unheeding. No one takes thought how he may in Christian love serve his fellow-men to their profit. Each seeks for himself glory and honor, advantage and wealth.

Could one bring about for himself the distinction of being the sole individual learned and powerful in the Gospel, all others to be insignificant and useless, he would willingly do it; he would be glad could he alone be regarded as Mister Smart. At the same time he affects deep humility, great self-abasement, and preaches of love and faith. But he would take it hard had he, in practice, to touch with his little finger what he preaches. This explains why the world is so filled with fanatics and schismatics, and why every man would master and outrank all others. Such as these are haughtier than those that taught them. Paul here attacks these vainglorious spirits, and judges them to be wholly insignificant, though their knowledge may be great and their gifts even greater, unless they should humble themselves and use their gifts in the service of others.

3. To these coarse and mean people he addresses himself with a multitude of words and a lengthy discourse, a subject he elsewhere disposes of in a few words; for instance, where he says (Philippians 2:3-4), “In lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.” By way of illustration, he would pass sentence upon himself should he be thus blameworthy; this more forcibly to warn others who fall far short of his standing. He says, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels.” 

4. That is, though I had ability to teach and to preach with power beyond that of any man or angel, with words of perfect charm, with truth and excellence informing my message — though I could do this, “but have not love [charity],” and only seek my own honor and profit and not my neighbor’s, “I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.” In other words, “I might, perhaps, thereby teach others something, might fill their ears with sound, but before God I would be nothing.” As a clock or a bell has not power to hear its own sound, and does not derive benefit from its stroke, so the preacher who lacks love cannot himself understand anything he says, nor does he thereby improve his standing before God. He has much knowledge, indeed, but because he fails to place it in the service of love, it is the quality of his knowledge that is at fault. 1 Corinthians 8:1-12. Far better he were dumb or devoid of eloquence, if he but teach in love and meekness, than to speak as an angel while seeking but his own interests. “And if I have the gift of prophecy.”

5. According to 1 Corinthians 14, to prophesy is to be able, by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, correctly to understand and explain the prophets and the Scriptures. This is a most excellent gift. To “know mysteries” is to be able to apprehend the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures, or its allegorical references, as Paul does where ( Galatians 4:24-31) he makes Sarah and Hagar representative of the two covenants, and Isaac and Ishmael of the two peoples — the Jews and the Christians. Christ does the same ( John 3:14) when he makes the brazen serpent of Moses typical of himself on the cross; again, when Isaac, David, Solomon and other characters of sacred history appear as figures of Christ. Paul calls it “mystery” — this hidden, secret meaning beneath the primary sense of the narrative. But “knowledge” is the understanding of practical matters, such as Christian liberty, or the realization that the conscience is not bound. Paul would say, then: “Though one may understand the Scriptures, both in their obvious and their hidden sense; though he may know all about Christian liberty and a proper conversation; yet if he have not love, if he do not with that knowledge serve his neighbor, it is all of no avail whatever; in God’s sight he is nothing.”

6. Note how forcibly yet kindly Paul restrains the disgraceful vice of vainglory. He disregards even those exalted gifts, those gifts of exceeding refinement, charm and excellence, which naturally produce pride and haughtiness though they command the admiration and esteem of men. Who would not suppose the Holy Spirit to dwell visibly where such wisdom, such discernment of the Scriptures, is present? Paul’s two epistles to the Corinthians are almost wholly directed against this particular vice, for it creates much mischief where it has sway. In Titus 1:7, he names first among the virtues of a bishop that he be “non superbus,” not haughty. In other words that he do not exalt himself because of his office, his honor and his understanding, and despise others in comparison. But strangely Paul says, “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Sending a Zoom Link to Everyone on the List - Tomorrow - Need More Time

 

This is a beautiful graphic for our first trial Zoom. It will take place TOMORROW and be casual. Zoom will create a video, which I will try to post here and also on the Reformation Lectures page.

I will play some organ music so people can see if Zoom compares favorably with Vimeo. We have members and friends who are working on what we need for audio.

I expect to send out links Thursday and Friday, so feel free to respond. Send me an email at greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com.

When Christina created a chapel in the little hallway in Phoenix, and Brett Meyer sent a video camera, all this started, with increasing complexity and quality. Thank you all for the encouragement. The efficacious Word of God accomplishes God's will.

 Luther and Melanchthon taught Martin Chemnitz.
These three are the heart and soul of the Reformation.

Watch the LCMS And Its Friends Paint and Perfume the Walkout from 50 Years Ago

 

Robert Preus was the younger brother of Jack. He was very encouraging about us leaving the LCA, before the ELCA merger. His last book, Justification and Rome, was aimed at his own faculty in Ft. Wayne. Christina and I saw him many times and enjoyed his company, including the dinner when he installed his son at the Sanford, Michigan LCMS congregation.

Christina and I met Jack Preus on the streets of Chicago, late at night. We were headed back to the hotel, and he was a guest speaker. We later talked to him at the Indianapolis LCMS convention, where he denounced Herman Otten and signed my copy of Chemnitz. Supporting and denouncing the editor was a regular ritual in the LCMS. Matt the Fatt was the latest example.

Note the lopsided Jeske smile. I spoke with ALC President David Preus at the Michigan Synod LCA meeting where he conceded the merger which would form the ELCA. The Seminex cluster manipulated the merger to have more than their share of power, but the Left wanted that. ELCA was formed out of the LCA, the ALC, and the radicalized LCMS Seminex called AELC. David was a cousin to Robert and Jack. Their grandpappy was the governor of Minnesota and an insurance magnate.

Let us put to rest the deception that LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) have major differences or that the ELCA is much different from them. 

The Big Five share the same blasphemy of Objective Faithless Justification. Just to show how untrustworthy they are, consider this: The Big Five teach that everyone is already forgiven, contrary to anything in the Bible (except the New NIV paraphrase). The Great Wayne Mueller told the kids at a WELS young convention that "Evangelism is easy. Just tell everyone they are already forgiven." I guess that applied to the WELS youth who dropped a bottle from the dorm and caused $700 damage to the car below. No one admitted it. 

The Big Five share in the confusion and conflicts of several types of Universalism. One is based erroneously on 1 Timothy 3:16 - Jesus was justified in the Spirit. His resurrection meant He was and is the Son of God, because ordinary humans die from being sinful. Jesus was not. He was the Angel of the Lord in the Burning Bush, foreshadowing the Two Natures of Christ, Exodus 3.

So the Lutheran wise acres say, as the Calvinists do, "I was saved 2,000 years ago." 

The Big Five also rely on snip and clip in the Pauline literature. Often they emphasize grace without engaging "faith in Jesus Christ" as access to grace, Romans 5:1-2.

The LCMS Brief Statement of 1932 was canonized for eternity, copyright Their Father Below. It reveals the OJ faction's duplicity, repeated endlessly by Rolf Preus - "raised again for our justification!" However, the complete sentence is the opposite of what Rolf was trying to promote.

Romans 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

The ending of Romans 4 is clearly a transition to Romans 5. The ancients did not have chapter headings and the verse numbers, but they clearly revealed the clarity of God's Word, not wandering around and bewitching people as the modern seminary professors do.

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.

Therefore means Paul is summarizing Romans 4, a clarion proclamation of Justification by Faith, which gives us peace. 

The amazing grace people tend to forget faith in Jesus Christ in favor of feeling mellow, good, tingly.

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace - access is a simple word. God drowns our sin in an ocean of His grace (Luther). That grace is not instant and universal, as the false teacher Eduard Preuss wrote. Missouri still eats that up, ignoring the fact that Preuss turned Roman Catholic and became prominent in promoting the Church of Rome. No access means no grace, so faith is the way by which we receive God's forgiveness, without works on our part, because Jesus has already paid the price.

Some of the numbskulls still bray - "Do not make faith a work!" They scowl as they say this, as if their lupine teachers are manipulating them at that moment. Truly, the Big Five Conglomerate are anxious to slander faith.

KJV John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 

John 6 is another reason for the apostates to hate the Fourth Gospel, with its emphasis on faith in Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the pure Word of God teaches against Walther, and the Big Five - even ELCA - with his dogmatic ignorance. 

The Great Kidnapper and Thief, CFW Walther, taught:

1. God has already forgiven everyone in the world, without faith, without the Word.
2. Jesus absolved the entire world when He was raised from the dead.
3. Now you must make a decision for Objective Faithless Justification.

The Big Five are in the same bed together, awkward but the best way to snap at the money given by Thrivent, not to mention irrevocable trusts they sell through Thrivent and their "giving counselors," a call from God.

The Walther side pretends to be holier than thou because they keep mindlessly quoting the Great Walther instead of reading faithful Bibles. 

The obvious apostates occupy ELCA but also flourish in the other four sects, whose banner is the rainbow, not the Means of Grace.

 

Is It Worth the Fight? Yes.

Long ago and far away, two people from different parts of the country continued in their support of Objective Faithless Justification. That was many years ago. As Luther stated many times before, the opposition is good for us because without it, we would become indolent, lazy, and lax in our study of the Scriptures.

Recently, those two people - coming from various parts of the country - have emphasized the blessing of Justification By Faith.

I can list many pastors and some laity who saw the light, embraced the "Chief Article of the Christian Religion," and walked themselves back into Objective Faithless Justification. One pastor was very clever and managed to secure calls at a Lutheran Masonic church and congregations belonging to the Anything Goes United Church of Christ. I found his last location in the obituaries. 

Another pastor divided his congregation and became an atheist, mocking his family whenever they went to church. The mission board chair had been hotter than Georgia asphalt for that pastor to come to Ohio.

One bishop promoted Objective Faithless Justification and knowingly formed alliances with  OJ Lutheran clergy. He stated on film lately that he was shocked, shocked - just recently learning about OJ! The same person sat next to me years before and was appalled that the speaker denied OJ.

KJV James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Whatever we claim to be, the only source of truth is the Scriptures, which teaches faith in Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. Those who pretend to be pastors are wolves in sheep's clothing, using dogma to set the trap and destroy the faith they hate so much. Or - maybe they just enjoy lying. The Wisconsin Sect has a cluster of declining schools where they teach verbal and physical abuse. Their key initiation rite upon entering the seminary is to wade in sewage water, undress outdoors, and smirk about the fun of using contradictory statements - GA. Lying and shunning are the two sacraments of WELS.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Last Sunday Before Lent - "Those, however, who would silence and scold him are the teachers of works, who wish to quiet and suppress the doctrine and cry of faith; but they stir the heart the more. For the nature of the Gospel is, the more it is restrained the more progress it makes."

 

Complete Sermon -  The Sunday Before Lent - Luke 18:31-43. Christ’s Passion and the Faith and Love of the Blind Man

20. This blind man represents the spiritually blind, the state of every man born of Adam, who neither sees nor knows the kingdom of God; but it is of grace that he feels and knows his blindness and would gladly be delivered from it. They are saintly sinners who feel their faults and sigh for grace. But he sits by the wayside and begs, that is, he sits among the teachers of the law and desires help; but it is begging, with works he must appear blue and help himself. The people pass him by and let him sit, that is the people of the law make a great noise and are heard among the teachers of good works, they go before Christ and Christ follows them. But when he heard Christ, that is, when a heart hears the Gospel of faith, it calls and cries, and has no rest until it comes to Christ. Those, however, who would silence and scold him are the teachers of works, who wish to quiet and suppress the doctrine and cry of faith; but they stir the heart the more. For the nature of the Gospel is, the more it is restrained the more progress it makes. Afterwards he received his sight, all his work and life are nothing but the praise and honor of God, and he follows Christ with joy, so that the whole world wonders and is thereby made better.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - The Sunday Before Lent - "The second part of our Gospel treats of the blind man, in which we see beautifully and clearly illustrated both the love in Christ to the blind man and the faith of the blind man in Christ. At present we will briefly consider the faith of the blind man."

 

Complete Sermon -  The Sunday Before Lent - Luke 18:31-43. Christ’s Passion and the Faith and Love of the Blind Man

II. THE FAITH AND LOVE OF THE BLIND MAN.

9. The second part of our Gospel treats of the blind man, in which we see beautifully and clearly illustrated both the love in Christ to the blind man and the faith of the blind man in Christ. At present we will briefly consider the faith of the blind man.

10. First, he hears that Christ was passing by, he had also heard of him before, that Jesus of Nazareth was a kind man, and that he helps every one who only calls upon him. His faith and confidence in Christ grew out of his hearing; so he did not doubt but that Christ would also help him. But such faith in his heart he would not have been able to possess had he not heard and known of Christ; for faith does not come except by hearing.

11. Secondly, he firmly believes and doubts not but that it was true what he heard of Christ, as the following proves. Although he does not yet see nor know Christ, and although he at once knew him, yet he is not able to see or know whether Christ had a heart and will to help him; but he immediately believed, when he heard of him; upon such a noise and report he founded his confidence, and therefore he did not make a mistake.

12. Thirdly, in harmony with his faith, he calls on Christ and prays, as St. Paul in Romans 10:13-14 wrote: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed.” Also, “Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

13. Fourthly, he also freely confesses Christ and fears no one; his need constrains him to the point that he inquires for no one else. For it is the nature of true faith to confess Christ to be the only one who can and will help, while others are ashamed and afraid to do this before the world.

14. Fifthly, he struggles not only with his conscience, which doubtless moves him to think he is not worthy of such favor, but he also struggles, with those who threatened him and urged him to keep quiet. They wished thereby to terrify his conscience and make him bashful, so that he should see his own unworthiness, and then despair. For wherever faith begins, there begin also war and conflict.

15. Sixthly, the blind man stands firm, presses through all obstacles and triumphs, he would not let the whole world sever him from his confidence, and not even his own conscience to do it. Therefore he obtained the answer of his prayer and received Christ, so that Christ stood and commanded him to be brought unto him, and he offered to do for him whatever he wished. So it goes with all who hold firmly only to the Word of God, close their eyes and ears against the devil, the world and themselves, and act just as if they and God were the only ones in heaven and on earth.

16. Seventhly he follows Christ, that is he enters upon the road of love and of the cross, where Christ is walking, does righteous works, and is of a good character and calling, refrains from going about with foolish works as work-righteous persons do.

17. Eighthly, he thanks and praises God, and offers a true sacrifice that is pleasing to God, Psalm 50:23: “Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his way aright will I show the salvation of God.”

18. Ninthly, he was the occasion that many others praised God, in that they saw what he did, for every Christian is helpful and a blessing to everybody, and besides he praises and honors God upon earth.

19. Finally, we see here how Christ encourages us both by his works and words. In the first place by his works, in that he sympathizes so strongly with the blind man and makes it clear, how pleasing faith is to him, so that Christ is at once absorbed with interest in the man, stops and does what the blind man desires in his faith. In the second place, that Christ praises his faith in words, and says: “Thy faith hath made thee whole;” he casts the honor of the miracle from himself and attributes it to the faith of the blind man. The summary is: to faith is vouchsafed what it asks, and it is moreover our great honor before God.

20. This blind man represents the spiritually blind, the state of every man born of Adam, who neither sees nor knows the kingdom of God; but it is of grace that he feels and knows his blindness and would gladly be delivered from it.

Super Foods Are Often Delicious And Always Loaded with Nutrients

 

Charlie Sue is charming, a very social Patterdale Terrier.

Charlie Sue and I have lunch together every day. I include one sausage each time, sliced, and she gets roughly half.

Below are super foods that have the highest ratings for their nutrients. Fuhrman and Greger deal with them through their books. For instant nutritional source, use Healthline Nutrition - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition - and add the  fruits and vegetables.

Kale beats them all - Greger. 

Other good chopped greens are Turnip Greens and Collards.

Chopped spinach is very good, and I am add Baby Spinach leaves for supper, with fruit.

Blueberries are low sugar, free of seeds, and very highly rated.

Walnuts (as proven by me) lower cholesterol. A handful makes a good supper with spinach, very satisfying and packed with nutrition.

Beans are high in protein and fiber, both essential. I use a can of low salt Cicero Beans (chick peas) and add Lima beans to the stew. Peas are also very good. Canned legumes can be very high in salt, especially in the can. Not all are. Bring your reading glasses for the figures. 

Rainbow vegetables include green and red peppers, tomato paste, onions in various forms, etc. These have a broad range of those elements still being discovered by scientists.

People cheer about broccoli so much that I am including it in the stew.

Basics for one stew at lunch - Greens, walnuts, blueberries, lima beans, ground flax, peppers and onions, Cicero beans.