Tremendous Damage from Tornado in Rogers, Arkansas, Part of NW Arkansas, North of Springdale

 

Rogers, Arkansas tornado damage

Trinity Sunday 2024 - How Excellent Is Thy Name

 

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas 

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH Lyrics and artwork are here.

The Hymn # 476                              Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand Ten              

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: 

of Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

Psalm. O Lord, our Lord: 

how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity, we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst lump us steadfast in this faith and evermore defend us from all adversities; who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual   

Gradual

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who beholdest the deep; 

and who dwellest between the cherubim.

V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven: 

and greatly to be praised forever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers: 

and greatly to be praised and glorified forever. Hallelujah!

   

The Gospel               

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed             p. 53
The Hymn # 246                              Holy, Holy, Holy       

How Excellent Is Thy Name

The Hymn #250                  Holy God We Praise Thy Name

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 #249  Isaiah Mighty Prophet

Prayers and Announcements

• Tomorrow marks the day in which we honor our soldiers who died in battle, and we honor all those who have served our country.
• Diagnosis and treatment - Sarah Buck, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit Way; Lori Howell. Doc Lito and his son were both in the hospital.
• Bible John will receive a Super Giant Print Bible with the cover inscription Bible John KJV.

     

KJV Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

How Excellent Is Thy Name Psalm 8:1

KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

This is a great discussion between Jesus and a Jewish leader. Nicodemus was just beginning to have faith, but he was still captive to Pharisaical Judaism, human reason, and living in a region occupied by Rome. There is plenty of fear in his visit to Jesus, because he came at night when he would not easily be identified by others and condemned.  He had some confidence in Jesus and spoke about the miracles, but he was still tentative.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Instead of arguing Nicodemus into fellowship, Jesus began with His divinity majesty, not persuading but leaving Nicodemus confidence and bewildered. Saying truly truly for emphasis, Jesus lays down an absolute. "Born again" is literally "born from above." Nicodemus knows nothing, in spite of all his knowledge. He thinks he is very much in God's realm but his confusion reveals that he really knows nothing. The term "born from above" has a secondary meaning of "born again." Nicodemus is so stuck in reason and tradition that he cannot understand the divine meaning from Jesus, not only as a teacher, but The Teacher, the Son of God declaring - not explaining or persuading, as in sales. The power of the Gospel turns unbelief and shallow belief into being joined with the True Vine (John 15).

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

This shows that Nicodemus has made a small effort to connect with the Savior, but by asking such nonsense, he shows that he does not have the basics. The disciples were often stunned and confused, because Jesus was teaching what they needed to know and they could only imagine the future of being lords over the world. Nicodemus is an excellent example of those academics who speak very boldly in some respects but are dark in their own spiritual grasp, ashamed to become like a small child, trusting in the Savior. The academics offer some tidbits of faith, enough to show the importance of Jesus, but not enough to trust in Him. They do not want child-like faith but rest on (instead of wearing) the laurels of academe. They are filled with "problems, contradictions, and doubts." Nicodemus wants to make Jesus step back in suggesting something impossible, perhaps ask for a correction or modification. The term "from above" is very much like "a little while" - a simple term but filled with divine wisdom. Jesus is the example of being "from above," from heaven, the Son of God.

KJV James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

KJV Romans 10: 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

 

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

This is where people brush right by Holy Baptism and deny infant baptism. When my neighbor unwrapped her newborn baby at Walmart, the little girl turned toward me, fixed her eyes on me and my voice, and responded with coos and smiles. The grammar of this passage means - A man must be water-born and Spirit-born to enter the Kingdom of God. Those people enchanted by all our earthly values (even though provided by God) often though Jesus teaches being Spirit-born, receiving the Word of God energized by the Spirit always, never apart from the Word.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

The earth and all stars were created by the Lord, and the Spirit teaches us. We are the only country that has tornadoes and the prime areas for them form in the Great Plains (which were devoid of trees, even though the eastern states were packed with trees originally. Who figured that out?)

We know that the winds are powerful and yet invisible. We can see power of the winds, the debris, but not the wind itself. In Hebrew, wind and Spirit are the same, in Greek wind and Spirit are also the same. Even our human language reflects God's Creation.

Believers are the true Pentecostals because believe that the Holy Spirit is always at work in the Word. They also know the Spirit is very powerful and easily experienced through the Word.

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Nicodemus represents the wise men of the world. Jesus is saying, "These are just the basics. There is so much more to learn, understand, and believe. If someone does not know the foundational truths, how can know anything about heaven, which is so far beyond us?"

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

I see the climax of the very next verse as proof of the planning of God, because John 3:16 depends on the metal serpents, and the bronze figures declared the future Christ teaching, healing, and rising to everlasting life.

KJV Numbers 21:6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Always remember - the New Testament is a series of sermons about the Old Testament.  John's Gospel is very clear about the Five Books of Moses. The serpent story is very strange but it only made sense when Jesus explained it. John even called Jesus the Exegete (Explainer) of God, John 1.

 

How the Sects Align Their Precious Thoughts - Ft. Wayne Seminary Hires Former ELS Member

 

"From 1991 through 2002 he served on the faculty of Bethany Lutheran College (ELS) in Mankato, and thereafter at St. Olaf College (ELCA), The University of the South, and the University of Kansas. From 2013 through 2022 he served as pastor at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kansas."

John Bruss has been hired to be the next president of Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne. One must say "Concordia Theological Seminary" to avoid being corrected by a Ft. Wayne seminarian. The St. Louis version does not require the word theological in its title. A seminary in the good old days was often a girls school, so that must be the issue for Ft. Wayne. 

The big talking point - at LutherQuest - is Bruss' former membership in the schismatic Little Norwegian Synod, aka the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The Preus brothers, Robert and Jack, spoke against the ELS at a LCMS convention - and then joined the ELS. They were Biblical, grafting the ELS onto the LCMS tree.

Jack and Robert were Ft. Wayne presidents, Robert a few years later than Jack. I knew Robert fairly well and talked to Jack several times, the last time just before his death. 

I would like to ask any of the LCMS-WELS-ELS presidents why they gloried in extraordinary spending when they knew their graduates were shrinking as fast as the executives were spending. Marvin Schwan, my favorite ice cream vendor, had much to do with the spending, and the federal government generously allowed for monumental student loans.

I served a church where the members wanted to build an addition but did not want to refinance. They decided to raise the cash and build it themselves. Now church buildings can be bought cheap, though they are more likely to changed into a business of some sort.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) should merge because:

1. They teach Objective Faithless Justification;
2. They are shrinking faster than a cheap suit in the rain;
3. They can do the math - some of them schools have to go;
4. Thrivent is wooing non-Lutherans!
5. They are guided and encouraged by their Father Below.

 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity Sunday - "Christ has here demonstrated by examples, words and deeds that human reason is altogether blind and dead before God, Hence, it cannot appreciate divine things nor desire them."

 

Veterans Honor Rose

Luther's Sermons - John 3:1-15. Trinity Sunday

II. EXPLANATION OF THIS GOSPEL; CHRIST’ S CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS.


I. THE CONVERSATION IN GENERAL.

1. In this Gospel you see clearly what reason and free-will can do. You may see it distinctly in Nicodemus, who was the best of the best, a prince and leader of the Pharisees, and the Pharisees held first place in their day.

They were, however, in the highest things — in spiritual life — altogether blind and dead before God, however holy, wise, good and mighty they may have been considered by men. The longer Nicodemus associates with Christ, the less he understands Christ, although he is expected to understand only earthly things and the manner of Christ’s death. Reason is so blind that it can neither perceive nor understand the things of God, nor all things which properly belong to its own sphere. This is a blow to nature and human reason, which have been rated so high by philosophy and the wise men of this world; the wise ones have said that reason always strives to attain the best.

2. God has here given us an example showing that even the best in nature must fail. In instances where human nature is at its best it is blind, not to speak of its envy and hatred. "Christ has here demonstrated by examples, words and deeds that human reason is altogether blind and dead before God, Hence, it cannot appreciate divine things nor desire them."

3. Now, Nicodemus, who is a pious and well-meaning man, cannot grasp the work and Word of God; how then would Annas and Caiaphas? He comes to the Lord at night, which he did from fear, not desiring to be called a heretic by others. From this we may conclude that he was in nature an old Adam, cowardly seeking Christ by night, and that he did not yet possess the true light. If he had been a “new man,” he would have come in the bright light of day, fearing no one. Because of his hypocrisy, the Lord deals sharply with him, cutting off his salutation and all further speech, as we shall see. Nicodemus approaches the Lord with these words: “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him.”

II. THE CONVERSATION IN DETAIL.

4. He thinks that he has uttered these words in all sincerity; but there is still the old life and nothing but hypocrisy. For this reason Christ will not accept his salutation, but will take from Nicodemus everything in which he feels secure and will make a “new” man of him, giving him a new heart and enabling him to walk by faith. He says to him: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

5. Christ’s words are as if to say: No, my dear Nicodemus, I am not moved by your beautiful words. You must give up your old life and become a new man. You have not the faith which you say you have; you are still afraid. Although the natural man hears the Word of God, the Gospel, and delights in it, yet it does not enter the heart. Therefore, we must slay reason and experience the new birth. This is what Christ means when he says that we must be born anew. Reason cannot understand this, wherefore Nicodemus replies: “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

6. Thus reason takes offense at the Spirit, imagines unreality’s and conceives of this new birth as a natural birth. Therefore Christ proceeds, explaining this birth to him to clear his misunderstanding, and says: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

7. In other words: The new birth of which I speak must be otherwise explained. I do not abolish the natural birth but I speak of a birth which is of water and the Spirit. Then he continues: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is borne of the Spirit is spirit.”

8. These words cannot be grasped by reason, which seeks to explain the words “Spirit” and “water,” speculating how such birth may be. Here it sees nothing in the nature of a birth and therefore plays the part of a fool by saying: How can a man be born of water and the Spirit? Indeed, such a source would produce but water-bubbles.

9. Now, Christ speaks and destroys reason, saying: “Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?” You should teach others the spiritual birth, that they might become righteous, but you yourself do not understand it. He defeats reason and the whole law and says: My friend, do you not know how these things can be? It is plain to me, as it was also to the prophets, who corroborate my words. Renounce your reason and close your eyes; cling only to my Word and believe it. Again he says: “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

10. As if to say: You presume to judge spiritual things by your reason, and at the same time you cannot understand the simple things of nature. He calls Nicodemus’ attention to the wind. No philosopher or scientist has ever been able to comprehend and describe the nature of the wind — where it has its beginning or where it ends. We cannot see where the wind comes from, or how it blows past us, or how far it goes. Now, if we cannot by our reason fathom those things which we see daily in nature, much less will we be able to fathom with our reason the divine works which God accomplishes within us.

11. How a man is born anew may easily be told in words. When, however, it is a question of experience, as it was here with Nicodemus, then it is a hard matter to understand and it requires effort to attain the experience. It is easy to say: We must blind our reason, disregard our feelings, close our eyes and only cling to the Word — finally die and yet live. But to persevere in this, when it becomes a matter of experience and when we are really tested, requires pains and labor. It is a very bitter experience.

12. An example of this new birth we have in Abraham, whose son was to inherit the world and whose seed was to be like the stars in heaven, as was promised him in Genesis 15:5 Then God came and commanded him to slay his son. Now had Abraham acted as reason dictated, he would have concluded thus: Aye, God has given me this seed, by which he has promised to increase my family, and now he commands me to offer him up as a sacrifice. Surely, God cannot command this; it must be the devil. But Abraham slays reason and honors God, thinking: God is so powerful that he can raise my son from death and increase my family through him. or he can give me another son, or effect his purpose in some other way, which I do not know. So Abraham commends all to God. Here Abraham leaves his old life and surrenders himself to God, believes in him and becomes a new man. Then the angel comes and says to him: “Abraham, Abraham, lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him,: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me,” Genesis 22:11-12. Abraham could not have imagined that God would thus come to his rescue; nay, he had already in his heart slain his son.

13. Now, the beginning of this birth was in baptism. The water is baptism; the Spirit is that grace which is given to us in baptism. The result of this birth is clearly seen in the hour of death or in times of test by poverty and temptation. He who is born of the flesh fights to defend himself, looks hither and thither, employs his reason to make his living. But he who is born anew reasons thus: I am in God’s hands, who has preserved and nourished me before in a wonderful manner: he will also feed and preserve me in the future and save me from, all sorrow and misfortune.

14. When we are about to die we feel that we must depart and we know not whither; the house of shelter is not ready and we know not whether it will be a white or a black house. For where there is flesh and blood, there is still the old Adam, who does not know where he shall go, whether below or above, to the left or to the right; on what he should rest his soul and depart. Then there is anxiety and misery in the nature of a real hell; for the torment of hell is nothing but fear, terror. dread and despair. But if I believe in God and am born anew, I close my eyes and do not grope about.

I am willing that the condition of the soul be changed entirely, and I think:

O God, my soul is in thy hands; thou hast preserved it during my life and I have never known where thou hast put it. neither do I wish to know, to which place thou wilt now assign it. I only know that it is in thy hands and thou wilt take care of it. Thus we must abandon the life of the flesh and enter into a new life, being dead to the old. This is a real dying and not merely a painful sensation, like the scratching off of a scab, as the philosophers have said; and they have compared the entering upon the new life with the rinsing of a pot by the cook. There must be a real change and an entire transformation of nature, for the natural state and natural feeling must be completely overthrown.

Brighten Up the Yard with Hummingbirds And Roses

 

I worked on this project for some time. First I transplanted clethra along the fence, so the shrubs would gradually provide a stop for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Summer Sweet, as they call it, took hold over the winter and grow slowly. I have one or two spares in the front yard, plus a large, wide shrub.

Next I planted a number of David Austin roses along the fence and in the wild garden, so more people could see the blooms. My neighbor across the street yelled, with a big smile, "Thank you for the flowers!" I said, "There are a lot more coming."

The lectures and Greek lesson always have roses, and they are given away. I often take several samples to various houses, too, which is fun. Father's Day is a handy time to drop off a sample at each home.

Queen of Sweden, David Austin Rose

I put up four hummingbird feeders along the fence, adding another to view from the kitchen window, and another in the front yard. Hummers guard their favorite feeders and wait high up in the trees to dive down and scare the hummer competition away.  

Some birdfood trays are available here and there, front and back. 

In moving hostas from the front to the back I accidentally duplicated them, because their roots start over again. That gives the front and back gardens a place to give hosta flowers feeding hummers easily and at different times, not all at once.

Clethra - I was growing them without knowing anything about them.

What Next?! Archbishop Elizabeth Eaton Glories in the United Methodist Split, So Similar to the ELCA's Collapse

Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a pastoral letter on the United Methodist Church (UMC) General Conference, which concluded last week in Charlotte, N.C., after having been postponed since 2020. “For 15 years we have accompanied our full-communion siblings in the UMC through joyous and challenging times,” the letter read, in part. “We know firsthand the pain of debate, disaffiliation and division that they have experienced. Yet we also know the hope-filled renewal of Christ’s church.”

The letter continued: “With each day’s news we witnessed our partner church emerging strengthened, revitalized and united. Several actions will shape the future of the UMC. These include the adoption of a plan for worldwide regionalization to restructure the UMC as a truly equitable, diverse and global church, which now goes to annual conferences for ratification.” Regionalization will allow for unity within the worldwide UMC structure, Eaton said, even as members hold diverse opinions on actions taken. Those actions included:

• Lifting a 40-year ban on the ordination of practicing homosexual clergy.
• Lifting restrictions on clergy to officiate at, and on congregations to host, weddings between adults of the same gender.
• Eliminating from the UMC’s Social Principles the assertion that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.
• Broadening the definition of marriage to be between either a man and a woman or two consenting adults.

“These significant actions and the UMC’s witness to the ecumenical vocation we share come as we celebrate 15 years of full communion,” Eaton said.

Read the full letter.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity Sunday - "He defeats reason and the whole law and says: My friend, do you not know how these things can be? It is plain to me, as it was also to the prophets, who corroborate my words. Renounce your reason and close your eyes; cling only to my Word and believe it."

 

Luther's Sermons - John 3:1-15. Trinity Sunday

II. EXPLANATION OF THIS GOSPEL; CHRIST’ S CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS.


I. THE CONVERSATION IN GENERAL.

1. In this Gospel you see clearly what reason and free-will can do. You may see it distinctly in Nicodemus, who was the best of the best, a prince and leader of the Pharisees, and the Pharisees held first place in their day.

They were, however, in the highest things — in spiritual life — altogether blind and dead before God, however holy, wise, good and mighty they may have been considered by men. The longer Nicodemus associates with Christ, the less he understands Christ, although he is expected to understand only earthly things and the manner of Christ’s death. Reason is so blind that it can neither perceive nor understand the things of God, nor all things which properly belong to its own sphere. This is a blow to nature and human reason, which have been rated so high by philosophy and the wise men of this world; the wise ones have said that reason always strives to attain the best.

2. God has here given us an example showing that even the best in nature must fail. In instances where human nature is at its best it is blind, not to speak of its envy and hatred. Christ has here demonstrated by examples, words and deeds that human reason is altogether blind and dead before God, Hence, it cannot appreciate divine things nor desire them.

3. Now, Nicodemus, who is a pious and well-meaning man, cannot grasp the work and Word of God; how then would Annas and Caiaphas? He comes to the Lord at night, which he did from fear, not desiring to be called a heretic by others. From this we may conclude that he was in nature an old Adam, cowardly seeking Christ by night, and that he did not yet possess the true light. If he had been a “new man,” he would have come in the bright light of day, fearing no one. Because of his hypocrisy, the Lord deals sharply with him, cutting off his salutation and all further speech, as we shall see. Nicodemus approaches the Lord with these words: “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him.”

II. THE CONVERSATION IN DETAIL.

4. He thinks that he has uttered these words in all sincerity; but there is still the old life and nothing but hypocrisy. For this reason Christ will not accept his salutation, but will take from Nicodemus everything in which he feels secure and will make a “new” man of him, giving him a new heart and enabling him to walk by faith. He says to him: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

5. Christ’s words are as if to say: No, my dear Nicodemus, I am not moved by your beautiful words. You must give up your old life and become a new man. You have not the faith which you say you have; you are still afraid. Although the natural man hears the Word of God, the Gospel, and delights in it, yet it does not enter the heart. Therefore, we must slay reason and experience the new birth. This is what Christ means when he says that we must be born anew. Reason cannot understand this, wherefore Nicodemus replies: “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

6. Thus reason takes offense at the Spirit, imagines unreality’s and conceives of this new birth as a natural birth. Therefore Christ proceeds, explaining this birth to him to clear his misunderstanding, and says: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

7. In other words: The new birth of which I speak must be otherwise explained. I do not abolish the natural birth but I speak of a birth which is of water and the Spirit. Then he continues: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is borne of the Spirit is spirit.”

8. These words cannot be grasped by reason, which seeks to explain the words “Spirit” and “water,” speculating how such birth may be. Here it sees nothing in the nature of a birth and therefore plays the part of a fool by saying: How can a man be born of water and the Spirit? Indeed, such a source would produce but water-bubbles.

9. Now, Christ speaks and destroys reason, saying: “Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?” You should teach others the spiritual birth, that they might become righteous, but you yourself do not understand it. He defeats reason and the whole law and says: My friend, do you not know how these things can be? It is plain to me, as it was also to the prophets, who corroborate my words. Renounce your reason and close your eyes; cling only to my Word and believe it. Again he says: “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

10. As if to say: You presume to judge spiritual things by your reason, and at the same time you cannot understand the simple things of nature. He calls Nicodemus’ attention to the wind. No philosopher or scientist has ever been able to comprehend and describe the nature of the wind — where it has its beginning or where it ends. We cannot see where the wind comes from, or how it blows past us, or how far it goes. Now, if we cannot by our reason fathom those things which we see daily in nature, much less will we be able to fathom with our reason the divine works which God accomplishes within us.

11. How a man is born anew may easily be told in words. When, however, it is a question of experience, as it was here with Nicodemus, then it is a hard matter to understand and it requires effort to attain the experience. It is easy to say: We must blind our reason, disregard our feelings, close our eyes and only cling to the Word — finally die and yet live. But to persevere in this, when it becomes a matter of experience and when we are really tested, requires pains and labor. It is a very bitter experience.

12. An example of this new birth we have in Abraham, whose son was to inherit the world and whose seed was to be like the stars in heaven, as was promised him in Genesis 15:5 Then God came and commanded him to slay his son. Now had Abraham acted as reason dictated, he would have concluded thus: Aye, God has given me this seed, by which he has promised to increase my family, and now he commands me to offer him up as a sacrifice. Surely, God cannot command this; it must be the devil. But Abraham slays reason and honors God, thinking: God is so powerful that he can raise my son from death and increase my family through him. or he can give me another son, or effect his purpose in some other way, which I do not know. So Abraham commends all to God. Here Abraham leaves his old life and surrenders himself to God, believes in him and becomes a new man. Then the angel comes and says to him: “Abraham, Abraham, lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him,: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me,” Genesis 22:11-12. Abraham could not have imagined that God would thus come to his rescue; nay, he had already in his heart slain his son.

Charlie Sue Helps Me with the Roses, Hummingbirds, and Weeds

 

Charlie had a lot of fun this afternoon. I needed some hummingbird poles for the feeders, already had plenty of fuel for them, but was short on a few feeders. They take a beating over time, so I threw the groady ones away. Charlie began by chasing me around the yard, leaping to the air, and gently brushing my left hand. I found a beat-up ball from the neighbor and tossed it. She grabbed it and ran full speed in circles. 

 Joe Pye Weed is great for birds and butterflies. 
Pokeweed is even more generous toward birds.

Part of her routine is to lose the precious object and make me guess where it is, among six other balls deep in her hideouts. I have found her stash with three balls, different colors, at the base of the meanest rose one could imagine. Her buddies at Doggie Day Care had a similar bunch of three balls, also near the fence in a cluster. 

Clethra or Summer Sweet or Sweet Spice is a small shrub that can grow big with tiny flowers reserved for hummers and butterflies.

Charlie supervised me while I spread some red wiggler worms on the David Austin roses. They are producing a bouquet a day, so I like to help out their quiet earthmovers. My rainwater expert always suggests distributing the best source of fertilizer for the roses - rainwater (you guessed?). Early in the spring there is not so much need, but I like to keep the skeeters from having luxury breeding grounds. 

Charlie looked over each handful of worms - not too excited about them. The moles are the true worm farmers. They not only eat them but sometimes also store them in a bank. That is another example of Creation at work. Earthworms are vital and moles are great at chasing them and feeding on them. Those who hate moles would rather have them than Charlie, a ferocious hole-digger and menace to moles. The vet (who never heard of Patterdale dogs) laughed at my description of Charlie digging at fuel speed and sniffing carefully for an extra meal of mole. 

Porchie is probably too warm to chase around on days like this, but little Dustbin loves the word "RACE!" He loves to chase a ball thrown on our side, but he is now quite happy to initiate and dare Charlie to run along the fence with him. That lasted a short time, but Charlie had to energy to jump at me from behind and grin at her fun.

One hummingbird feeder is completely set up. Tomorrow I hope to get three more going. The four are parallel to the Doggie Day Care Fence and surrounded by roses, hosta, crepe myrtle, and clethra. Hummers especially love crepe myrtle, hosta, and clethra. Poke weed and Joe Pye Weed are already six feet tall, so they will welcome all kinds of birds, front and backyard the rest of the summer.

 Dustmop loves to race with Charlie. He is about half of her size but has great ambitions.

 Charlie is always smiling outdoors. This is a rare, serious look.

Hostas are already blooming with flowers few would notice, but they are loved by hummers. My initial hostas have spread in the shade and in the sun. They are fun to watch grow and leave a new plant when I try to dig them out of the front yard. Nope, they reproduce by the roots, even a root fragment longing to grow. I may put more in the far backyard, even if they look finished off after a hot dry summer.

Parable - The True Vine - John 15 - 11 AM Today

 

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15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (george) .

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Stephanus Greek - John 15

15 εγω ειμι η αμπελος η αληθινη και ο πατηρ μου ο γεωργος εστιν

2 παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο και παν το καρπον φερον καθαιρει αυτο ινα πλειονα καρπον φερη

3 ηδη υμεις καθαροι εστε δια τον λογον ον λελαληκα υμιν

4 μεινατε εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν, καθως το κλημα ου δυναται καρπον φερειν αφ εαυτου εαν μη μεινη εν τη αμπελω ουτως ουδε υμεις εαν μη εν εμοι μεινητε

5 εγω ειμι η αμπελος υμεις τα κληματα ο μενων εν εμοι καγω εν αυτω ουτος φερει καρπον πολυν οτι χωρις εμου ου δυνασθε ποιειν ουδεν

6 εαν μη τις μεινη εν εμοι εβληθη εξω ως το κλημα και εξηρανθη και συναγουσιν αυτα και εις πυρ βαλλουσιν και καιεται

7 εαν μεινητε εν εμοι και τα ρηματα μου εν υμιν μεινη ο εαν θελητε αιτησεσθε και γενησεται υμιν

8 εν τουτω εδοξασθη ο πατηρ μου ινα καρπον πολυν φερητε και γενησεσθε εμοι μαθηται

9 καθως ηγαπησεν με ο πατηρ καγω ηγαπησα υμας μεινατε εν τη αγαπη τη εμη

10 εαν τας εντολας μου τηρησητε μενειτε εν τη αγαπη μου καθως εγω τας εντολας του πατρος μου τετηρηκα και μενω αυτου εν τη αγαπη

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) Have Apostatized - Step by Step

 

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - have fallen from the Faith. This happened slowly - with superb harmony step-by-step, from their Father Below. 

First Step - 

Destruction of the Greek New Testament by Adopting the Fake Tischendorf Codices

What do all the mainline denominations and the Big Five hate, despise, and reject with all their powers? The answer is - the King James Version of the Bible.

All of the other English Bible translations are promoted by the professors - who have little Latin and less Greek - RSV, NRSV, ESV (licensed by the Marxist gay National Council of Churches), NIV (once owned by Rupert Murdoch, etc. etc. 

Readers - do not despair about how many years of Greek it takes to prove this. Have you ever smelled a skunk's pungent odor? Not enough people drive down country roads to experience that, even in an air conditioned car. "What is that?" Answer - A skunk was hit and killed. "Open the windows!" Answer - that will only make it worse. 

WELS warned readers about the snip and clip Bibles, using this graphic. But this graphic demonstrates the NIV, which the Big Five use with the giddiness of a sixth grade girl. 

Anyone can smell the skunk in the modern assaults on the Greek New Testament. The so-called scholars even show us what they have removed from the Traditional Text. They slice away the text to justify their dynamic equivalence translations, using footnotes to justify their mischief.

KJV Mark 1:1 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2 As it is written in the prophets

Westcott-Hort Greek NT - 1 αρχη του ευαγγελιου ιησου χριστου [omits Son of God] 2 καθως γεγραπται

A reader can find all this in the NIV sponsored Biblegateway.com

What's in your sect's publishing efforts?

                Second Step - Destroying the Reformation

The great Reformation leaders were Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz. The Big Five loathe all three, as proven by their lifeless promotion of the Reformation's 500th Anniversary. They have changed from Here I Stand to Here We Rot. When they are not racing over to Fuller Seminary to enhance their synodical perks, they are sinuflecting to Rome so they can purchase their gorgeous costumes and precious incense.

Sinuflecting is a clever term invented to describe Church of England priests snaking along the path to the Vatican. It worked very well for Rome.

These are just a few of the modern English Bibles, all eager to water down and toxify the Traditional Text of the New Testament. If any single one of these is so good, why do the rest have to alter the modern, scientific Bible, loved by the Tischendorf and Westcott-Hort fan club groupies?