Tom Fisher Facing an Enormous Cold Storm System in Illinois

 

How much snow across Illinois?

We do not realize how much goes into keeping a farm safe during storms like the one coming across the Midwest. Tom must care for his animals and provide their needs in the midst of uncertain storms. Pray for the safety of all and rapid recovery, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

 An earlier photo reminds us of the gentle lambs.

Reformation Seminary Lecture - John 16:1-11 - 10 Central AM Today

 

John 16 KJV

16 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Byzantine

16 ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν ινα μη σκανδαλισθητε

2 αποσυναγωγους ποιησουσιν υμας αλλ ερχεται ωρα ινα πας ο αποκτεινας υμας δοξη λατρειαν προσφερειν τω θεω

3 και ταυτα ποιησουσιν υμιν οτι ουκ εγνωσαν τον πατερα ουδε εμε

4 αλλα ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν ινα οταν ελθη η ωρα μνημονευητε αυτων οτι εγω ειπον υμιν ταυτα δε υμιν εξ αρχης ουκ ειπον οτι μεθ υμων ημην

5 νυν δε υπαγω προς τον πεμψαντα με και ουδεις εξ υμων ερωτα με που υπαγεις

6 αλλ οτι ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν η λυπη πεπληρωκεν υμων την καρδιαν

7 αλλ εγω την αληθειαν λεγω υμιν συμφερει υμιν ινα εγω απελθω εαν γαρ μη απελθω ο παρακλητος ουκ ελευσεται προς υμας εαν δε πορευθω πεμψω αυτον προς υμας

8 και ελθων εκεινος ελεγξει τον κοσμον περι αμαρτιας και περι δικαιοσυνης και περι κρισεως

9 περι αμαρτιας μεν οτι ου πιστευουσιν εις εμε

10 περι δικαιοσυνης δε οτι προς τον πατερα μου υπαγω και ουκ ετι θεωρειτε με

11 περι δε κρισεως οτι ο αρχων του κοσμου τουτου κεκριται

An Almost Forgotten Pratfall from the Little Sect on the Prairie

 

I was looking over my library when I found The Lord's Supper in the Theology of Martin Chemnitz, by B.W. Teigen.

That reminded me of an old LCMS-ELS-WELS obsession about Holy Communion. One person explained it to me this way, "The bread is not the bread until it is placed in the mouth. That is what I was taught."

It made perfect sense, coming from the Pietistic Enthusiasm established by Bishop Martin Stephan, STD, and CFW Walther, BA.

The missing element was - and still is - for that dim group of sects - the efficacy of the Word.

I sometimes get into discussions where the key error is the fallacy of emphasis (an informal fallacy). One can fashion anything from stressing one thing to disguise and remove the main point.

"That is what I was taught" is not a clear statement about Holy Communion, where Jesus' words are "This is My body" and "This is My blood."

The title of Teigen's book includes the almost forgotten Martin Chemnitz. I noticed that the Bob Preus Cult considered the Second Luther their personal property - the copyright held by the private publishing of the Preus family (I am not kidding - they really have that).

The Little Sect on the Prairie treated Teigen like dirt, so it is normal for them to honor the name they despised while he was alive and being pushed out. The book is a reminder of the vacuum in the LCMS, ELS, WELS, and CLC (sic). Therefore, one can easily discern the massive problems - rejecting

1. The Efficacy of the Word
2. Justification by Faith
3. The King James Version.

Instead they grovel for

• Thrivent money and Irrevocable Annuities
• Cuddling Up with ELCA, Its Crafts and Assaults
• The Latest Fads, Like Unstuck

 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Septuagesima - "Thus God will show it is nothing but mercy that he gives and no one is to arrogate to himself more than another. "

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 20:1-16.
Septuagesima Sunday

     

TEXT:

Matthew 20:1-16. For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace idle; and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard. And when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a shilling. And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a shilling. And when they received it, they murmured against the householder saying, These last have spent but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a shilling? Take up that which is thine, and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last.

4. Hence the substance of the parable in today’s Gospel consists not in the penny, what it is, nor in the different hours; but in earning and acquiring, or how one can earn the penny; that as here the first presumed to obtain the penny and even more by their own merit, and yet the last received the same amount because of the goodness of the householder. Thus God will show it is nothing but mercy that he gives and no one is to arrogate to himself more than another. Therefore he says I do thee no wrong, is not the money mine and not thine; if I had given away thy property, then thou wouldest have reason to murmur; is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ?

5. Now in this way Christ strikes a blow first against the presumption (as he also does in today’s Epistle) of those who would storm their way into heaven by their good works; as the Jews did and wished to be next to God; as hitherto our own clergy have also done. These all labor for definite wages, that is, they take the law of God in no other sense than that they should fulfill it by certain defined works for a specified reward, and they never understand it correctly, and know not that before God all is pure grace. This signifies that they hire themselves out for wages, and agree with the householder for a penny a day; consequently their lives are bitter and they lead a career that is indeed hard.

6. Now when the Gospel comes and makes all alike, as Paul teaches in Romans 3:23, so that they who have done great works are no more than public sinners, and must also become sinners and tolerate the saying: “All have sinned”, Romans 3:23, and that no one is justified before God by his works; then they look around and despise those who have done nothing at all, while their great worry and labor avail no more than such idleness and reckless living. Then they murmur against the householder, they imagine it is not right; they blaspheme the Gospel, and become hardened in their ways; then they lose the favor and grace of God, and are obliged to take their temporal reward and trot from him with their penny and be condemned; for they served not for the sake of mercy but for the sake of reward, and they will receive that and nothing more, the others however must confess that they have merited neither the penny nor the grace, but more is given to them than they had ever thought was promised to them. These remained in grace and besides were saved, and besides this, here in time they had enough; for all depended upon the good pleasure of the householder.