The Most Popular Beverage in the World - Tea.

 

I was tired of coffee, so I began dabbling in tea recently. Long ago I was introduced to Constant Comment tea in Moline. I enjoyed it while working all night in seminary. I took extra courses and needed to stay up to finish the papers. Tea was basic in Canada, so I got to enjoy tea at all the meals. 

I tried various flavors of tea, including chocolate mint. Flavored teas are difficult after the first surprise trial. I began wondering about green tea, black tea, and Earl Grey. My vegetable and tea consultant agreed that Earl Grey is the best since it adds bergamot (orange) to the tea. The scent of good Earl Grey tea is heavenly.

Videos on making and serving tea are numerous on the streaming platforms. One showed how all the teas around the world were grown. One tea was featured at the factory in England where about 40% of the tea in England is gathered and blended for use. The idea is to maintain the flavor while blending the teas.

Almost all the tea in the world is hand-picked. I saw only one example of harvesting with machinery.

Craving foods and beverages has come up in a number of books I am reading. Doctors point out that we develop a taste for something over time, making people avoid the taste of something new. My parents made me try all those farm vegetables they loved, and it took me a long time to see why. OK, it took about 60 years.

I do not think twice now about building up my supply of frozen kale, spinach, collards, lima beans, peas, mushrooms, tomato paste, fresh walnuts and blueberries. No colas, no juices, no frozen pizza, no ice cream. The transition is slow. 

The best part is getting the nutrition not found at all in processed food, which promotes fat, salt, and sugars. The daily walnut cure for cholesterol got me to look into the nutritional effects of greens, vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds. 

I still read Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and I find enormous free sources from Dr. Michael Greger. I will post both below.

This is Greger's link - where I am going to look for more nutritional facts.

Antioxidents - https://nutritionfacts.org/video/flashback-friday-antioxidants-in-a-pinch/

Reformation Seminar - The Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, 11 AM Central

 

Synoptics - or Synoptics Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke are "seen together" because they share the same-but-different content.

It is always best to see two versions of the same material. Mark can be very short but also more detailed and lengthy.

Each Gospel has its own character as books and also harmony with the other two.

The apostates (academics who no longer believe the Scriptures) are known to invent new theories that reject the divinity of Christ, the Trinity, faith in Christ, and anything that irritates their very sensitive thoughts. Most universities, even community colleges have religion departments where only atheists can teach - even part-time. Those with tenure are quite outspoken. Seminaries and denominational colleges are rife with rationalism and a "higher level of understanding." 

John's Gospel is quite different and was clearly written to share the perspective of the "disciple Jesus loved." Yes, the apostates deny that too - and place John's Gospel at 300 years later.

Faith and Fear Are Opposites. Ye Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic). "Being faithless makes us fearful; being faithful makes us fearless."

 

I never expected much of a response from blogging. I knew the clergy would be afraid to say anything, especially under the glaring light of Circuit Popes, District Popes, and Synod Popes. I had a few sources who wanted me to write what they would not say for fear of the popes. The only way the popes can stay in office, eat fancy food, and make the pastors afraid is to freeze them out, hate them out, or send them far away.

I had a phone call from a pastor who learned that my facts came from his fellow clergy. He screamed and slammed down his church phone. That was before the omnipresence of cell phones, iPhones, and big phone bills. A lot of disguised emails came through, and some said, "You can't quote me!" 

Christina thought the hate messages were horrible, so how could I laugh? I pointed out that the anger was simply the second stage of denial. "What comes next?" I said, "Silence." I knew that some, especially WELS, would polish their synodical merit badges and brag that they had shut me down. Unfortunately, two things worked against them. Others could identify their style, and response emails - though anonymous with funny names - were copied by me onto permanent posts, not the erasable kind. Jack Kilcrease (Jesuit PhD) was so quick to erase his own responses that I had to stop and permanently upgrade them. Someone coined the term "kilcreasing," which means posting a negative response and erasing it.

The third stage is silence. That may be the only skill of WELS clergy and laity. They do not just push the shun button. They smash it down with both hands. WELS and the Missouri Synod consider shunning to be a sacrament, their only sacrament, because it reduces Holy Communion and Holy Baptism as ordinances, something that should be done but could be ignored. I am not exaggerating. WELS/ELS reject the efficacy of the Word in favor of neat tricks and gimmicks from the Church Growth ninnies. The ELS and CLC (sic) may be their equals but they are on a fast train to oblivion, so that does not matter.

Attend some LCMS clergy gathering. They will hardy-har-har their fellow pastors, especially those from one seminary, not the other. (Gettysburg and Philadelphia pastors used to do the same thing in the LCA, but now they are united under the leadership of an Osage Indian and his husband.) The LCMS clergy wear the same suit with a clergy collar - both seminaries. I have never seen clergy so precisely uniformed outside of the Missouri Synod. What they teach - everyone knows, anything goes.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) have become so faithless that they live in constant fear. They must continue their obedience to their Father Below or be struck down. They have no spiritual values so they rely on material success.

I have established, through exploring the materials and "spoiling the Egyptians" that The Big Five have ignored the gold and silver of the Bible. Instead, they fight over the entrails of people slaughtered by such genius theologians as C. Peter Wagner (faith healer), Donald McGavran (Columbia sociologist), and Robert Schuller (He started Church Growth, lost everything.)

"Being faithless makes us fearful; being faithful makes us fearless."

The remedy for fearfulness is to dwell on Psalm 1, the introduction to all the Psalms.

Psalm 1

KJV Psalm 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law [Torah means teaching] of the Lord; and in his law [teaching] doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) Major in Blasphemy, And Hate the King James Version.

Dear Pastor Jackson,

I have been pondering what you said on your podcast about the blasphemy against God the Holy Ghost.  You said that it is making fun of the Word of God, Holy Baptism, and Holy Communion, and miracles. 

That reminds me of a LCMS pastor making fun of the words in the King James Bible such as "thee", "ye", and "thou". But God knows we need these precious little Words to understand the Bible.

The cut up Bible, verses, phrases, even the Resurrection in Mark 16:9-20 - thanks to the work of Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, and the Bible business - RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV, and Beck. In the past, the Church governed the Bible. Now the Scriptures are a business to see who can print the most outlandish perversions in the name of Dynamic Equivalence. 

Christ our Lord rose from the dead and stood in the midst of the apostles and said,:

"Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20:21-23

Notice that Christ said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost;" which is plural. That means Christ gives the Holy Ghost to all Christians especially pastors. So God the Holy Ghost abundantly forgives our sins when a pastor or laymen says, "I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". 

Some LCMS pastors do not believe in these clear Words of Christ our Lord. They do not believe in the Office of the Keys so they change what Christ said.  Instead of saying, "I forgive you" they say, "I assure you". Saying, "I assure you" does not forgive sins."

Pastor Jackson, I remember you said that the Holy Spirit is never without the Word and the Word is never without the Holy Spirit.

The King James Bible is never without God the Holy Ghost, and God the Holy Ghost is never without the King James Bible. This is true for all Bibles translated from the Greek TEXTUS RECEPTUS into many other languages. God the Holy Ghost has attached Himself to these Bibles for more than 500 years. 

Christ our Lord said:

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Luke 21:33

O Lord, look down from heav'n, behold 

And let Thy pity waken;

How few are we within Thy fold,

Thy saints by men forsaken!

True faith seems quenched on every hand,

Men suffer not Thy Word to stand;

Dark times have us o'ertaken.

With fraud which they themselves invent

Thy truth they have confounded;

Their hearts are not with one consent 

On Thy pure doctrine grounded.

While they parade with outward show

They lead the people to and fro,

In error's maze astounded.

May God root out all heresy

And of false teachers rid us

Who proudly say: Now where is he

That shall our speech forbid us?

By right or might we shall prevail;

What we determine cannot fail;

We own no Lord or master.

Therefore saith God, I must arise,

The poor my help are needing

To me ascend my people's cries,

And I have heard their pleading.

For them my saving Word shall fight

And fearlessly and sharply smite,

The poor with might defending.

As silver tried by fire is pure

From all adulteration.

So thro God's Word shall men endure.

Each trial and temptation 

It's light beams brighter thro' the cross,

And purified from human dross,

It shines through every nation.

Defend Thy truth, O God, and stay.

This evil generation;

And from the error of it's way

Keep Thine own congregation.

The wicked everywhere around

And would Thy little flock confound;

But Thou art our Salvation. (Martin Luther; O LORD, Look Down From Heaven, Behold; The Lutheran Hymnal; CPH; Hymn 260)

In Christ,

Tom Fisher 

 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Easter 4 - "Such a faith makes me acceptable unto God; Christ gives me the Holy Spirit into my heart, who makes me willing and happy in the doing of every good work."

 

Complete sermon -> Cantate. Fourth Sunday After Easter. John 16:5-15. How the Holy Spirit Convicts the World of Sin, Righteousness, Judgment

16. Wherever Christ is now preached and acknowledged, there he reigns in us, from the right hand of his Father, and is himself here below in the hearts of men. There he reigns with might, power and dominion over you and all your enemies, and guards you from sin, death, devil and hell. Thus is his resurrection and ascension our comfort, life, blessing, righteousness and everything in one. This is what the Lord means when he speaks of righteousness, that the people thereby should become pious and righteous, that he ascends to heaven to the Father and we see him no more. This the world does not know, therefore the Holy Spirit must come and convict the world of it.

17. How does this come to pass? Just as we have heard. Am I to become pious, it will not be enough for me to perform outwardly good works, but I must do them from the bottom of my heart, gladly and willingly, so that I may be free from the fear of sin, death and the devil; be joyous, and with a good conscience, and all confidence stand before him and know how I stand with him. This no work, no creature can give unto me, but Christ alone, who has ascended into heaven — there, where one cannot see him, but must believe that he sits yonder and wishes to help one. Such a faith makes me acceptable unto God; Christ gives me the Holy Spirit into my heart, who makes me willing and happy in the doing of every good work. In this manner I become righteous, and in no other; for the works themselves make me more and more unwilling, the longer I occupy myself with them.

18. But the longer one is engaged in this work, the more willing it makes one’s heart; for wherever there is such knowledge, there the Holy Spirit cannot be wanting. When he comes, he makes the heart willing, joyful and happy, so that one may be free and willingly do what is pleasing to God, with joyous courage, and suffer whatever there is to suffer, yea, and even die willingly. And in proportion as this knowledge is clear and great, in that proportion the willingness and joy will also be great. Thus the commandment of God is fulfilled and everything done that one is to do, and thus thou art righteous. Who would ever have thought that this would be righteousness and that thus it should be. This question we have hitherto often heard about and considered, and although the words here be different, yet the sense and meaning are the same.

19. In the third place, the Holy Spirit is to convict the world in respect of judgment , that is that the world does not know what right is. For who has ever heard the definition of this right to be, because the prince of this world hath been judged? The prince of the world, to be sure is the devil, which one may readily see in his government.

20. If now I have learned to know what sin is and am free from it, and have obtained righteousness, so that now I stand in a new character and life and have become another man — have now the Lord Christ and know that something else than our works is required to get rid of sin — if these have come to pass in me, it then follows that I may have a correct judgment, having learned to judge differently before God. For, according to such understanding, I know how to discuss, conclude and judge of all things in heaven and upon earth, and to pass correct judgment; and when I have passed such a judgment, I can live accordingly. This no one else can do.

Tom Fisher - "I Live by the Faith of the Son of God, Who Loved Me And Gave Himself For Me."

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

A verse I memorized in eighth grade came to me as soon as I woke up at 6 AM this morning:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Galatians 2:20,21

Pastor Jackson, I remember you explaining on your podcast how the Greek definitely says we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. The Greek plainly says Jesus had faith and the faith of Jesus Christ justifies us. 

The phrase, "I live by the faith of the Son of God" really stood out for me this morning. I was so relieved "I live by the faith of the Son of God" and not by some invented work of reasoning that I had to do such as "making a decision to accept OJ / SJ lie, or "asking Jesus into my heart", or "dedicating my life to God", or "keeping God first", or "accepting Jesus as my personal Savior", or Oh my the list is endless.

Christ is risen from the dead and ascended into heaven for us to make His Father our Father and His God our God. 

"I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." John 20:17

Jesus Christ took all our sins on Himself and was crucified, dead, buried, risen from the dead the third day, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father for us. He will send us the promise of the Father, even the gift of the Holy Ghost, the gift we need the most!

"Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!

Be all Thy graces now out poured

On each believers mind and heart;

Thy fervent love to them impart.

Lord, by the brightness of Thy light

Thou in faith do men unite

Of every land and every tongue;

This to Thy praise, O LORD, our God, be sung.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" (Martin Luther, Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord; The Lutheran Hymnal; CPH; Hymn 224)

In Christ,

Tom Fisher