Reformation Seminary - Gospel of John, The True Vine, Chapter 15 - 10 AM Central Today

The YouTube link replaced the Zoom link.

These are the latest YouTubes, including today's.

 

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

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.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.

23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

WELS President Has 1/2 Million Dollar Mansion - Deluxe Vacation with the Guys And Girls

Not exactly far from ELCA, eh?

WELS President Mark Schroeder - "The Conference of Presidents (COP) met for its winter meeting Jan. 7–10, 2025. The COP is composed of the 12 district presidents, the synod president, and the two synod vice presidents. The synod secretary serves as a non-voting advisory member of the COP."

Strange how important details are avoided. Are WELS big-wigs engaging in joint meetings with ELCA executives and LCMS corpulents? WELS was doing that a long time ago, with lavish loot from Thrivent, using identical material, and denying it --hands up! -- like thugs exposed in the high-beam from a cop car.

Thrivent is the unifier of the Apostate Three (ELCA-WELS-LCMS), so they can shrink in unison while clutching their Irrevocable Charitable Annuity Funds. That means the family can be wiped out by a single signature from granny. Thus a single financial fund can increase their ongoing funds while impoverishing the families. "It's for the Church!"

You may wonder how I know? Answer - I was a CLU at Northwestern Mutual and given some extra training in annuities. A WELS widow had to take her beloved church to court because of the sect's mis-management of the funds. 

Those with the Thrivent-ELCA-LCMS-WELS union are somewhat aware of using federal funds for their joint enjoyment.

If Congress donates money to religious organizations in gigantic lump sums, the recipients are filtered through those generous saints who sanctify their lives with holy gifts and saintly results in appealing charities - NGOs. Non-Gubmint-Organizations.

Thrivent!

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 5 Epistle - "Were God to deal with us according to the rigor of his laws, we should all be lost. But he mercifully suspends the Law. Isaiah says (9:4): “For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken.” God now only persuades."

 

Luther's Sermons - Colossians 3:12-17.
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

The others, because they love and esteem themselves, are despicable and unacceptable in the sight of God. Again, we are chosen of God for the reason that we despise ourselves as filth. Such God chooses, and has chosen from eternity. Because the would-be saints elect themselves, God will reject them, as indeed he has from eternity. Now, this is what Paul means by these words, “A heart of compassion.”

5. They stand for a part of the ornament, the beautiful, charming Christian jewel, that becomes us better in the sight of God than pearls, precious stones, silk and gold become us in the eyes of the world. “A heart of compassion” is evidence of the true Christian. Paul would say: “Not simply in external deed, or in appearance, are ye to be merciful, but in the inmost heart.” He refers to that sincere and whole-souled mercy characteristic of the father and mother who witness the distress of a child for whom they would readily expose their lives or sacrifice all they possess. The Christian’s mind and heart should be constantly devoted to merciful deeds, with an ardor so intense as to make him unaware he is doing good and compassionate acts.

6. With this single phrase Paul condemns the works and arbitrary rules of hypocritical saints, whose severity will not permit them to associate with sinners. Their rigorous laws must be all-controlling. They do nothing but compel and drive. They exhibit no mercy, but perpetual reproach, censure, condemnation, blame and bluster. They can endure no imperfection. But among Christians many are sinners, many infirm. In fact, Christians associate only with these; not with saints. Christians reject none, but bear with all. Indeed, they are as sincerely interested for sinners as they would be for themselves were they the infirm. They pray for the sinners, teach, admonish, persuade, do all in their power to reclaim. Such is the true character of a Christian. So God, in Christ, has dealt with us and ever deals. So Christ dealt with the adulteress ( John 8:11) when he released her from her tormentors, and with his gracious words influenced her to repentance and suffered her to depart. We read of St. Antony having said that Paphrutius knew how souls are to be saved, because he rescued a certain individual from brethren who persecuted and oppressed him for his transgression. See “Lives of the Fathers.”

Were God to deal with us according to the rigor of his laws, we should all be lost. But he mercifully suspends the Law. Isaiah says (9:4): “For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken.” God now only persuades.

7. Note how involved in the Law and in hypocrisy they still are who esteem themselves prominent saints and at the same time are intolerant of the infirmities of Christians. If they fail to find perfect holiness — a miracle of purity — in those who possess Christ and know the Gospel, then nothing is as it should be; the heavens are on the point of falling and the earth about to be destroyed. They can only judge, censure and deride, saying: “Oh, yes, he is truly evangelical; indeed, he is a visionary!” Thus they indicate their utter blindness. With the beam constantly in their own eyes, they show how little they know of Christ.

Know, then, when you meet one so ready to censure and condemn, one requiring absolute perfection in Christians — know that such a one is merely an enforcer of the Law, a base hypocrite, a merciless jailer, with no true knowledge of Christ. As, with Christians, there is no law but all is love, so neither can there be judgment, condemnation and censure. And he who calls another a visionary is certainly a visionary ten-fold himself. In the thing for which he judges and condemns another, he condemns himself.

Since he ignores mercy and all but the Law, he finds no mercy in the sight of God; in fact, he has never experienced, never tasted, God’s mercy. To his taste, both God and neighbor are bitter as gall and wormwood.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 5 - Epistle - "This text is also a letter of admonition, teaching what manner of fruit properly results from faith. Paul deals kindly with the Colossians. He does not command, urge nor threaten, as teachers of the Law must do in the case of those under the Law. He persuades them with loving words in view of the blessing and grace of God received, and in the light of Christ’s own example. Christians should act with readiness and cheerfulness, being moved neither by fear of punishment nor by desire for reward, as frequently before stated. This admonition has been so oft repeated in the preceding epistle lesson that we know, I trust, what constitutes a Christian."

 

Luther's Sermons - Colossians 3:12-17.
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

TEXT:

COLOSSIANS 3:12-17. 12 Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

THE GLORIOUS ADORNMENT OF CHRISTIANS.

1. This text is also a letter of admonition, teaching what manner of fruit properly results from faith. Paul deals kindly with the Colossians. He does not command, urge nor threaten, as teachers of the Law must do in the case of those under the Law. He persuades them with loving words in view of the blessing and grace of God received, and in the light of Christ’s own example. Christians should act with readiness and cheerfulness, being moved neither by fear of punishment nor by desire for reward, as frequently before stated. This admonition has been so oft repeated in the preceding epistle lesson that we know, I trust, what constitutes a Christian.

Therefore we will but briefly touch on the subject. “Put on, therefore.”

2. In the epistle for New Year’s day we have sufficiently explained the meaning of “putting on”; how by faith we put on Christ, and he us; how in love we put on our neighbor, and our neighbor us. The Christian apparel is of two kinds — faith and love. Christ wore two manner of garments — one whole and typical of faith, the other divided and typical of love.

Paul here has reference to the latter garment, love. He would teach us Christians the manner of ornaments and apparel we are to wear in the world; not silk or precious gold. To women these are forbidden of Peter (1 Peter 3:3), and of Paul (1 Timothy 2:9). Love for our neighbor is a garment well befitting us — that love which leads us to concern ourselves about the neighbor and his misfortunes. Such love is called the ornament of a Christian character — an ornament in the eyes of men.

3. Observe the tender and sacred style of the apostle’s admonition, a style he is wont to use toward us. He does not drive us with laws, but persuades by reminding us of the ineffable grace of God; for he terms us the “elect of God,” and “holy” and “beloved.” He would call forth the fruits of faith, desiring them to be yielded in a willing, cheerful and happy spirit. The individual who sincerely believes and trusts that before God he is beloved, holy and elect, will consider how to sustain his honors and titles, how to conduct himself worthily of them; more, he will love God with a fervor enabling him to do or omit, or to suffer, all things cheerfully, and will never know how to do enough. But he who doubts such attitude of God toward himself will not recognize the force of these words. He will not feel the power of the statement that we are holy, beloved, elect, in the sight of God.

4. Let us disregard, therefore, the saints who elect and love themselves; who adorn themselves with the works of the Law; who observe fasts and discipline; who regard raiment and position, for they are unwilling to be sinners before God. Our ornaments are unlike these, and not associated with such mockeries. They are honesty, sincerity, good works, service to our neighbor. We are unfettered by laws regarding food, raiment, times, etc. We are holy in the sight of God, before whom none can be holy until he sees himself a sinner and rejects his own righteousness. But the class mentioned are holy in their own estimation; therefore, they ever remain wicked — sinners in the sight of God. We are beloved of God because we despise ourselves, we judge and condemn ourselves and reject our selflove.

The others, because they love and esteem themselves, are despicable and unacceptable in the sight of God. Again, we are chosen of God for the reason that we despise ourselves as filth. Such God chooses, and has chosen from eternity. Because the would-be saints elect themselves, God will reject them, as indeed he has from eternity. Now, this is what Paul means by these words, “A heart of compassion.”

WELS President Mark Schroeder's Home

 

Mark Schroeder went from high school principal to the WELS papacy.

$535,900

411 Riverwood Ct, Watertown, WI 53094

$504,000 - $568,000

$4,081/mo

Working with ELCA and Thrivent! They have been unified for a long time.

Making Progress with Complete Services and Lectures

 

Click here for the latest YouTube Videos

I found it very confusing to deal with the latest new improved videos until I found a very simple website on the topic, step by step, this morning. 

One issue is timing. The Zoom link is available when the sermons or lectures are alive, but difficult for some computers in the homes, for various reasons, such as a strong signal needed or a personal, finicky computer being balky. Zoom can have its own fits but nothing like what we experienced in other webcasters.

The second issue is posting and having the service or lecture available. That got settled when I learned how my own YouTube channel is set up.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 5 - "In that the Savior pictures here also Satan scattering his seed while the people sleep and no one sees who did it, he shows how Satan adorns and disguises himself so that he cannot be taken for Satan. As we experienced when Christianity was planted in the world Satan thrust into its midst false teachers. People securely think here God is enthroned without a rival and Satan is a thousand miles away, and no one sees anything except how they parade the Word, name and work of God. That course proves beautifully effective."

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 13:24-30.
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

7. Today’s Gospel also teaches by this parable that our free will amounts to nothing, since the good seed is sowed only by Christ, and Satan can sow nothing but evil seed; as we also see that the field of itself yields nothing but tares, which the cattle eat, although the field receives them and they make the field green as if they were wheat. In the same way the false Christians among the true Christians are of no use but to feed the world and be food for Satan, and they are so beautifully green and hypocritical, as if they alone were the saints, and hold the place in Christendom as if they were lords there, and the government and highest places belonged to them; and for no other reason than that they glory that they are Christians and are among Christians in the church of Christ, although they see and confess that they live unchristian lives.

8. In that the Savior pictures here also Satan scattering his seed while the people sleep and no one sees who did it, he shows how Satan adorns and disguises himself so that he cannot be taken for Satan. As we experienced when Christianity was planted in the world Satan thrust into its midst false teachers. People securely think here God is enthroned without a rival and Satan is a thousand miles away, and no one sees anything except how they parade the Word, name and work of God. That course proves beautifully effective. But when the wheat springs up, then we see the tares, that is, if we are conscientious with God’s Word and teach faith, we see that it brings forth fruit, then they go about and antagonize it, and wish to be masters of the field and fear lest only wheat grows in the field, and their interests be overlooked.

9. Then the church and pastor marvel; but they are not allowed to pass judgment, and eagerly wish to interpret all for the best, since such persons bear the Christian name. But it is apparent they are tares and evil seed, have strayed from the faith and fallen to trust in works, and think of rooting out the tares. They lament because of it before the Lord, in the heartfelt prayer of their spirit. For the sower of the good seed says again, they should not uproot it, that is, they should have patience, and suffer such blasphemy, and commend all to God; for although the tares hinder the wheat, yet they make it the more beautiful to behold, compared with the tares, as St. Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 11:19: “For there must be false factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you.” This is sufficient on today’s text.

From Tom Fisher

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

'The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." Psalm 34:15,16

Please pray President Trump's entire cabinet will be sworn into office soon FOR THE RESTRAINT, AND PUNISHMENT OF MASSIVE HIGH LEVEL FRAUD, TREASON, AND UNSPEAKABLE EVIL!! 

Pray Pam Bondi will be confirmed by the full Senate as Attorney General this Wednesday!!

Pray for the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, Kash Patel as FBI Director, and Robert Kennedy as Director of Health and Human Services!!

Pray for Elon Musk as he and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency EXPOSE HIGH LEVEL FRAUD, AND INSANE WASTE, SEDITION, AND TREASON!!

President Trump has positioned America on reading the  King James Bible, praying to God, and trusting in God to mercifully deliver America from horribly wicked men in our country. Pray for America with a firm faith.

"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou not then be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain." Romans 13:3,4

Truthful news is found at Gateway Pundit, Just The News, Zero Hedge and many other websites and podcasts. 

In Christ,

Tom Fisher

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany 5 - "The Savior himself explained this parable in the same chapter upon the request of his disciples and says: He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy that sowed them is the devil; and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. These seven points of explanation comprehend and clearly set forth what Christ meant by this parable."

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 13:24-30.
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.



Text: Matthew 13:24-30. Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field : but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. And the servant of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? And he said unto them. An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.


1. The Savior himself explained this parable in the same chapter upon the request of his disciples and says: He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy that sowed them is the devil; and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. These seven points of explanation comprehend and clearly set forth what Christ meant by this parable. But who could have discovered such an interpretation, seeing that in this parable he calls people the seed and the world the field; although in the parable preceding this one he defines the seed to be the Word of God and the field the people or the hearts of the people. If Christ himself had not here interpreted this parable every one would have imitated his explanation of the preceding parable and considered the seed to be the Word of God, and thus the Savior’s object and understanding of it would have been lost.

2. Permit me to make an observation here for the benefit of the wise and learned who study the Scriptures. Imitating or guessing is not to be allowed in the explanation of Scripture; but one should and must be sure and firm. Just like Joseph in Genesis 40:12f. interpreted the two dreams of the butler and baker so differently, although they resembled each other, and he did not make the one a copy of the other. True, the danger would not have been great if the seed had been interpreted to be the Word of God; still had this been the case the parable would not have been thus understood correctly.

3. Now this Gospel teaches us how the kingdom of God or Christianity fares in the world, especially on account of its teaching, namely, that we are not to think that only true Christians and the pure doctrine of God are to dwell upon the earth; but that there must be also false Christians and heretics in order that the true Christians may be approved, as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:19. For this parable treats not of false Christians, who are so only outwardly in their lives, but of those who are unchristian in their doctrine and faith under the name Christian, who beautifully play the hypocrite and work harm. It is a matter of the conscience and not of the hand. And they must be very spiritual servants to be able to identify the tares among the wheat. And the sum of all is that we should not marvel nor be terrified if there spring up among us many different false teachings and false faiths. Satan is constantly among the children of God. Job 1:6.

4. Again this Gospel teaches how we should conduct ourselves toward these heretics and false teachers. We are not to uproot nor destroy them.

Here he says publicly let both grow together. We have to do here with God’s Word alone; for in this matter he who errs today may find the truth tomorrow. Who knows when the Word of God may touch his heart? But if he be burned at the stake, or otherwise destroyed, it is thereby assured that he can never find the truth; and thus the Word of God is snatched from him, and he must be lost, who otherwise might have been saved. Hence the Lord says here, that the wheat also will be uprooted if we weed out the tares. That is something awful in the eyes of God and never to be justified.

Not Just Thrivent Insurance - Catholics Funneling Tax Dollars to Illegal Immigration

 

“It’s Beyond Outrageous,” Fort Worth Catholic Organization Accused of Funneling Hundreds of Millions of Tax Dollars to Incentivize Illegal Immigration

January 30, 2025 TagsCatholic Charities, Illegal Immigration from Katy Christian Magazine by Staff

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany - 2026,

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87699672755?pwd=E9945wzuGUxtNhL8KRP3si8y9f2ZNA.1

 

Hymn #345         Jesus Lover of My Soul             
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Romans 13:8-10
The Gospel Matthew 8:23-27
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #649     Jesus Savior Pilot Me

Even When Asleep

Hymn #307         Draw Nigh                 
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
Hymn #427    How Firm a Foundation                         

Prayers and Announcements 

• Medical care - Pastor Jim Shrader, Kermit Way, Sarah Buck.
• Avelin (Aby) Anderson was born January 24th three years ago.

KJV Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in Thy divine wisdom and fatherly goodness makest Thy children to bear the cross, and sendest divers afflictions upon us to subdue the flesh, and quicken our hearts unto faith, hope and unceasing prayer: We beseech Thee to have mercy upon us, and graciously deliver us out of our trials and afflictions, so that we may perceive Thy grace and fatherly help, and with all saints forever praise and worship Thee; through Thy dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.  

Even When Asleep

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, [Mark 4:36 - just as He was] his disciples followed him.

The setting becomes quite dramatic. Jesus was tired getting into the large fishing boat. Mark's Gospel includes "just as He was," which is fitting for the next stage. Disciples were in the boat and following on the shore. The miracles were so great that people followed Him, listened to His divine sermons - He spoke with divine authority, "not like the Pharisees" which translates the Pharisees now as "scholars are divided."

That is all the more reason to know the depth of the Scriptures. As I tell students - "The Bible explains the textbooks, not the other way around." The authority is the Spirit at work in the Word of God.

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

Even on large lakes in our country - the Great Lakes - horrific storms sink ships suddenly. The Edmund Fitzgerald was an ore ship that sank so fast (in 1975), no one could believe what the radar screen said. Jesus' ship was one of those steady, made-for storms ships. Given the violence, darkness, and sloshing waves, the men were wide awake and Jesus was asleep. No one can imagine that a person could sleep through the icy blowing and ship heaving. But Jesus was asleep - His two natures - divine and human.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 

[KJV Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 

Mark is known for having the most condensed version of the Gospels, but here is a detailed combination - asleep on a pillow, awakened by His disciples, accused of not caring and about to die]

These details are very important, because they have guided Bible readers from the beginning. The episode places us in that ship, in that terrifying storm, and angry with our Good Shepherd for seeming to be indifferent, even asleep, not caring!

Faith versus Fear

As soon as fear crops up, faith goes out the window (Luther). General Patton said, "Never take counsel of your fears," and he ordered the chaplain to pray away a violent storm that hindered the Army in one horrific episode. 

We are easily struck with the fear that drives away faith. That can be caused by work, threats of unemployment, rejection, relationships, bosses, threats far beyond our abilities to grasp or calm things down.

"Have faith!" is rather empty, unless we say or think, "Believe in Jesus Christ, have faith - have total trust in Him." All of Christianity is based upon this truth - the Son of God is our Good Shepherd, who watches over us and comes between everything bad and dangerous. Wolves growl and pace around, trying to devour and scatter the flock. 

Bad answers to these problems include - Threatening, anger, retaliating, buying someone's favor, earning special titles and honors. In other words, living by the Law - not the Gospel - and making things even. 

 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

There is a certain amount of humor in this and there is also sharpness. A little bit of faith is not adequate for the storms, and it only twists us up in worrying, fretting, and searching for answers apart from and against the Savior.

The greatest power on earth is Satan, but his time is drawing near, whether next year or centuries in the future. The Savior stands in the way of Satan and his many subordinates, who try to ridicule, avoid, and mock the Good Shepherd.

The Savior is far more powerful than Satan, because Jesus allowed Himself to be only the man. He was and is the Word of God who took on the sins of the world.

27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! 

Those who followed and believed were still overwhelmed by the calm power of their Master. No matter what they saw and believed before this happened, stilling the storm and rebuking it were His actions, His will, His demonstration of divine power. Many things had to happen to let them understand and trust in all this.

We have the benefit of what they experienced, essential for the life God gives us. 

Read These for the Most Recent Videos

 

https://youtube.com/@gregoryjacksonphd?si=1qn5syFEQkPVqKHM

PJ Media Exposes Bishop Budde and Many Other Left-Wing NGOs.ELCA, LCMS, and WELS Are Deep into NGOs Too!

 

When Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde lectured President Trump and Vice President Vance about immigration during her sermon at the National Prayer Service on the day after they were inaugurated, leftists hailed Budde for standing on principle and giving the Bad Orange Man a good scolding. As it turns out, however, Budde may have motivations that were a bit more tangible than principle: her Church’s Episcopal Migration Ministry (EMM) rakes in millions from a number of taxpayer-funded entities for bringing the migrants. And the Episcopal Church is by no means alone in this: other Churches that have recently taken principled stance against Trump’s immigration policies are in on the gravy train as well. 

The Churches That Oppose Trump on Immigration are Raking in Millions to Bring In Migrants

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The New York Post reported Friday that Budde’s “sermon to President Trump during an inaugural prayer service, coupled with her church’s advocacy for humanitarian immigration programs, reveals a striking hypocrisy — one that could be seen as self-serving and even a conflict of interest.” This is because in 2023, EMM “earned $53 million from various taxpayer-funded government programs to resettle 3,600 individuals.” If Trump stops the migrant influx and ends the funding for such programs, the Episcopal Church could suddenly be facing a significant shortfall of cash. 

And so Budde appealed to Trump to have mercy upon those who “fear for their lives” – what? From whom? In a magnificent display of elitism, she exhorted him to be kind to “the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals.” She said nothing, of course, about the small matter of that $53 million. 

Nor did she mention another salient fact. According to the Post, EMM “‘sponsored’ 6,400 individuals from 48 countries in 2024. The leading nationalities were Afghans under a special humanitarian program.”

Wait a minute. Afghans? Certainly there are many people who fled Afghanistan because the Taliban would kill them if they got the chance, but did EMM take any time to consider the fact that besides the Taliban, Afghanistan is a key center of operations for al-Qaeda and ISIS? There are certainly Afghans who aren’t members of any jihad terror group, but they didn’t exist in sufficient numbers to prevent the Taliban from returning to power, or to keep al-Qaeda and ISIS from acting in that country with complete impunity. So what measures did EMM take to vet these Afghans and make sure they weren’t bringing in any jihadis? Likely they did nothing about this, for to have made any such effort would have been “Islamophobic.” 

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The Episcopal Church isn’t alone in this hypocrisy. The Post notes that “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) dwarfs EMM. Forbes reported that USCCB affiliate Catholic Charities USA, which has its hand in all aspects of immigration and seems to get money from every government agency except NASA, received $1.4 billion in taxpayer dollars in 2021. That’s 68 times more than EMM got that year.”

Back in April 2021, Business Insider reported that “the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services is one of nine nonprofit organizations that partner with the US government to meet the needs of refugees who arrive in the country. Those seeking protection from war and repression deserve compassion and assistance, it teaches, citing the ‘mercy of Christ, who himself was a [sic] immigrant and child of refugees.’”

That compassion comes at a price. OSV News reported Friday that “audited financial statements by an outside firm show that the USCCB received about $122.6 million in 2022 and about $129.6 million in 2023 in funding from government agencies for refugee-related services. But the same statements show that the USCCB spent more on those services than the government gave them, meaning the conference did not profit from the grants, according to the conference’s auditors. In 2023, for example, the conference spent $134.2 million for such services.”

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     Related: This Is War, After All: Trump Prepares to Send 30,000 Criminal Illegals to Gitmo

And so when the USCCB condemned Trump’s executive orders on immigration, did it have a pecuniary interest in doing so? Vice President Vance, who is a Roman Catholic, thinks so, saying: “I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line? We’re going to enforce immigration law. We’re going to protect the American people.”

Bravo. For too long, bringing massive numbers of immigrants into the country has been a cash cow for organizations that were supposedly motivated solely by humanitarian concerns. No one, however, was concerned for the wellbeing of the American people. Until now.

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