ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
NECEDAH, Wis. (WKOW) -- Criminal charges will not be pursued against the owner of an Airbnb cabin that caught fire, killing six people in June, according to the Juneau County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Andrew Zobal said in a statement, "After an extensive review of all said reports, the Juneau County District Attorney's Office has advised they will not be pursuing criminal charges against the property owner."
The fire engulfed the home on June 30. Among the six killed were three adults and three children.
An official from the Wood County Health Department said the rental cabin did not have proper licensing to rent.
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GJ - The lesson for all of us should be - we must do our own diligence to make sure everyone
1. Can safely and quickly leave in case of a fire, especially at an unknown place.
2. Has searched the place in advance to assure prevention against fire and monoxide.
The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me: O Thou, my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.
Be merciful to me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.
Psalm. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O Lord, we beseech Thee, let Thy continual pity cleanse and defend Thy Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without Thy help, preserve it evermore by Thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
Gradual
It is better to trust in the Lord:
than to put confidence in man.
V. It is better to trust in the Lord:
than to put confidence in princes.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Hallelujah!
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord! Praise be to Thee, O Christ! The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Preface p. 24 The Sanctus p. 26 The Lord's Prayer p. 27 The Words of Institution The Agnus Dei p. 28 The Nunc Dimittis p. 29 The Benediction p. 31 The Hymn #54 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Announcements and Prayers
The flowers are from the parsonage garden.
Medical care - Sarah Buck, Lori Howell, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit Way, Callie and her parents.
Presidential debate on Tuesday.
People ask about our Holy Communion.
Roman Catholics put an emphasis on the ordained priest. The presence of the priest validates the communion service. The forgiveness is partial; the elements become only the body and blood of Christ. The priest and his ordination make it effective.
Calvinists reject Baptism and Communion as sacraments. The elements remain bread and wine and do not convey forgiveness. Calvin mocked the Real Presence.
Lutheran Biblical teaching shows what 1 Corinthians 10:16 reveals. The Body of Christ is with the bread through the Consecrating Word; the Blood is with the wine through the consecrating Word. The Word is always effective.
Distance does not attenuate or weaken the power of the Word, which is always divine. When Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish through His Word, the 5,000 families were stretched across the grassy oasis. Nevertheless, these miracles showed Jesus could create this miracle for the entire crowd. If the liturgy, hymns, creed, readings, and sermon are effective, then how could the Words of Consecration be ineffective? Those who agree with the Augsburg Confession are one with us and are welcome to join the distribution - after God's Word has consecrated the elements for those who hear and believe.
KJV Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.5 For every man shall bear his own burden.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy benefits: that Thou hast given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech Thee, take not Thy blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, that we may serve Thee only, love and abide in Thee, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Take No Thought
KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Most people know this passage, because it is part of the wide-ranging Sermon on the Mount. Mammon is not mysterious. It goes beyond the necessities of life. I heard about one woman who said to her relatives, "Come to my house, so you can drool over my new kitchen."
Mammon is a word for wealth, and it is used in Luke as well. I remember a TV minister quoted his financial advisor saying, "I want you to have WEALTH!" That term mammon often works like a teeter-totter, used to hurt other kids in the olden days, by getting off at the bottom. This minister caught the vision of wealth - he stole an entire church. He was not going to use it, but he wanted possession of it and grabbed it illegally - without any remorse. One thing no one wants now is an enormous church building with very few attending. Watch the Facebook pages for churches selling fabulous audio-video equipment for their extra church "campuses."
That obvious conflict seems to fit this saying perfectly. The goal is not the Gospel but the appearance of success, desiring what others have that is measurable.
Serving God is the opposite of coveting what others have. My plumbing was being fixed up. Some workers were enchanted by the special wooden shelves I had from Arizona. The shelves were 12 feet across, but now are 6 feet wide, due to lack of space. They were happy to get the missing half from the garage. My friend from Moline has no cost no limit garage sales, which we copied for everything. Bible John just picked up a crate of small KJVs - 24 - for children.
It is fun to acquire and even more fun to share. A German saying, "Shared joy is doubled joy."
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Our nature is to worry about things, even though God manages our lives with the Savior Jesus sending His angels to watch, protect, save, and heal. If you have not experienced this many times over, then you are not paying attention. It is clear in raising children but less likely to be appreciated among adults.
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Birds make it difficult to ignore their complicate behavior and their care for their children. One pair of blue jays built a nest outside our window in Bella Vista. Soon there were eggs and then the tiny hatchlings. We set up a small ladder inside so everyone could watch. Jays are ferocious protectors of their nests, but this pair watched calmly when I came outside to feed them sunflower seeds. Soon the little ones were flapping their wings. Who taught a skill only recently used in human flights? Once strong enough, the birds took flight and left us.
Some people are afraid of the aggression of blue jays. Maybe that is because they yell and flap their arms around to escape from the dive bombers. However, when seeds are sown for them, they will issue a beautiful bell-like sound.
Jesus, the Lord of Creation, teaches us that the birds seem to have nothing and yet God provides for them with abundance. I grow Poke weed because the prolific berries are the favorite food for 61 species of birds, which expand their food supply wherever they perch. Poke is 9 feet tall and loves the sun. Wild strawberries are ground level and also thrive from the birds airlifting the seeds and planting them from stumps, limbs, and bushes. They bloom in the shade and fill in the places between plants.
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
I was out in the garden, looking for flowers for today. One bloom is Queen of Sweden. Others are Knockouts, pink and red. I walked over to the butterfly garden and saw a massive display of Russian sunflowers - hundreds of tiny yellow blooms, neglected all summer, except for the sun.
Another aspect of tiny flowers - like Alium (garlic) is their attraction to a wide variety of butterflies and insects.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
This is the Jewish comparison, from the lesser to the greater. If herbs and flowers cover the earth, for medicine, food, and beauty, how much more important are God's own people? Much of the malignant problems around us are from the basics of God's Creation. If we believe, then we know that God is answering even before we ask. Whatever we do ask is multiplied by God.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
This is - of course - the righteousness of faith, not the righteousness of works. Trusting in God gives us access to His grace.
KJV Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
