Reformation Seminary Lecture - WEDNESDAY at 10 AM - Due to Academic Gathering

 

The Zoom lecture for today has been moved - 

to tomorrow, Wednesday, 10 AM.

The last one for Acts will be on Thursday, 10 AM.

Our Good Shepherd Is Not a Token

 

People remember the Sermon on the Mount, but do they remember and dwell on this passage? I think not. Because Jesus spoke these words, everyone should be alert to the warnings.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 8 - "St. Peter and St. Paul do not preach their own word, but God’s Word, as Paul himself testifies in 1 Thessalonians 2:13: “When ye receive the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” Surely, a person can preach the Word to me, but no one is able to put it into my heart except God alone, who must speak to the heart, or all is vain; for when he is silent, the Word is not spoken. Hence no one shall draw me from the Word which God teaches me."

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 7:15-23.
Eighth Sunday after Trinity, First Sermon

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 

8. Then they began to say: Yes, but how can we know what is God’s Word, and what is right or wrong? This we must learn from the Pope and the councils. Very well then, let them conclude and say what they please, yet I will reply, you cannot put your confidence in that nor thus satisfy your conscience, for you must determine this matter yourself, for your very life depends upon it. Therefore God must speak to your heart: This is God’s Word; otherwise you are undecided.

9. But our bishops, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod insist upon it and rage so terribly, that a person must think them insane. They bring forth St. Augustine’s declaration: I would not believe the Gospel, if the honor of the church did not move me; and think they have already won. Then you answer: What does it concern us whether St. Augustine or Jerome, St. Peter or St. Paul, or even the archangel Gabriel from heaven, who is still greater, said it; yet it will profit me nothing, for I must have God’s Word, I will only hear what God says.

10. And God commands this Word to be told you through men, and especially has he permitted it to be proclaimed and written for you by the Apostles; for St. Peter and St. Paul do not preach their own word, but God’s Word, as Paul himself testifies in 1 Thessalonians 2:13: “When ye receive the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” Surely, a person can preach the Word to me, but no one is able to put it into my heart except God alone, who must speak to the heart, or all is vain; for when he is silent, the Word is not spoken. Hence no one shall draw me from the Word which God teaches me.

Of this I must be as certain as two and three make five, for this is so certain, that if all the councils would say otherwise, I know they lie. Again, that a yard is longer than a half a yard is certain, even though all the world denied it, I still know that it cannot be otherwise. Who shall determine this for me? No one but the truth alone, which is so entirely and wholly certain, that no one can deny it.

11. Therefore you must come so far as to say: This is true, no man shall persuade me differently. When you hear: Thou shalt not kill; and again: Thou shalt do to others as you would have them do to you; then you must know in the face of all councils, that this is the teaching of Christ, although all men said otherwise. So also this doctrine: You cannot help yourself, but Christ is your Savior, who has obtained for you the forgiveness of your sins; this you must know and confess in your heart that it is true; and if you are not conscious of it, then you have no faith, and the Word only hangs about your ears and swims on your tongue like foam on water, as Hosea the prophet says, Hosea 10:7: “As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the waters.” All this you must now believe, not as a word that Peter preached, but that God has commanded you to believe. All this I say therefore, in order that we may return to the Gospel and observe where the foundation has its source, that ye must be judges, and have the power to judge over all things that are offered you; hence I can and dare not build on any man, for I must answer for myself when death comes.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 8 - Wolves in Sheep's Clothing - "We must boldly consider the two kinds of doctrine, the true and good, and the false and erroneous, and that they will always accompany each other, for thus it has been from the beginning, and thus it will continue to the end of the world. Hence it will not do for us to creep along in silence, and resort to a safe and secure manner of life."

 

 "The big convention is over. Time to take the mask off, sweeties."

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 7:15-23.
Eighth Sunday after Trinity, First Sermon

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 

KJV 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

PART 1. CONCERNING ANGER.

1. As the Lord in the three previous chapters, the 5th, 6th and 7th, explains the commandments of God, he finally concludes with these words: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them,” v. 12. This is a Christian doctrine, and the sum total of all Christianity. Immediately follows this Gospel lesson, in which the Lord exercises the office of a good shepherd and teacher, and warns us to beware of false prophets. As though he would say: Now you have heard the truth, from henceforth therefore beware of other doctrines. For it is certain that false teachers and false prophets will arise wherever this Word is preached.

2. We must boldly consider the two kinds of doctrine, the true and good, and the false and erroneous, and that they will always accompany each other, for thus it has been from the beginning, and thus it will continue to the end of the world. Hence it will not do for us to creep along in silence, and resort to a safe and secure manner of life. The evil teachings of men and the doctrines of devils, and all our enemies oppose us without ceasing, and hence we dare not think that the issue is settled. We are not yet across the river. Therefore the Lord diligently warns us and says: “Beware of false, prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

3. We should well consider this passage, for Christ our Lord here commands and gives all Christians the power to be judges of all doctrine, and he gives them power to judge what is right and what is not right. It is now well on a thousand years that this passage has been perverted by false Christians, so that we have had no power to judge, but had to accept what the Pope and the councils determined, without any judgment of our own.

4. Now this Gospel here overthrows the very foundation of popery and of all councils, for we are not bound to keep what the Pope commands and men decree. Therefore I say again, firmly grasp what this Gospel teaches, for the authority has never been given either to the Pope or councils, or anyone else, to sit and determine what is faith. For Christ says: “Beware of false prophets.” Either the, Gospel lies, or the Pope and the councils do.

Christ says we have the right to judge all doctrines, and whatever is proposed for us to keep or to reject. Here the Lord does not speak to the Pope, but to all Christians. And as the doctrine is proclaimed to all: “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them;” so likewise the words exclude no one: “Beware of false prophets.” From which it clearly follows that I may indeed judge of the doctrine.

5. Hence I can say: Pope, you together with the councils have resolved, and now I have to decide whether I may accept it or not. Why? Because you will not stand and answer for me when I die, but I must see to it myself how I stand before God, so that I may be certain of my fate.

6. For you must be so certain in regard to the matter, that it is God’s Word, as certain and more certain than you are that you are living, for on this alone your conscience must rest. Even though all men should come, yea, even the angels and all the world, and pass a resolution, if you cannot grasp it and decide for yourself, you are lost; for you dare not base your decision on the Pope or anyone else; you must yourself be prepared so that you can say: this God says, and that he does not say; this is right, and that is wrong, otherwise it is not possible for you to stand.

7. For when you are about to die, and you rely on the Pope and the councils and say: The Pope said this, the councils have resolved that, the holy fathers Augustine and Ambrose have thus determined, then the devil can easily put a hole in your drum and insinuate: What if this were false? What if they had erred? And when such a temptation enters your mind, you are already overcome For this reason you must act conscientiously, so that you can boldly and defiantly say: This is God’s Word, on this I will risk body and life, and a thousand necks, if I had so many. This St. Peter also means when he says in his first Epistle 1 Peter 4:11: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” And St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:3-5: “And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling; and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Trinity 7 - 2025. Mark 8 - The Feeding of Four Thousand.

 

David boasts of this in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” 

The melodies are linked in the hymn title. 

The lyrics are linked from the Bethany Hymnal Blog.

• The melody site is linked here.
• TLH lyrics are found here.

The Hymn #480      Lord of the Worlds Above - Isaac Watts      

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Oh, clap your hands, all ye people! 

Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

Psalm. He shall subdue the people under us: 

and the nations under our feet.

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

Collect

O God, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth, we humbly beseech Thee to put away from us all hurtful things and to give us those things which be profitable for us; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

Come, ye children, hearken unto me: 

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

V. Look unto Him and be lightened: 

and let your faces not be ashamed. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Oh, clap your hands, all ye people:

shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Hallelujah!

The Epistle

KJV Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord! 

Praise be to Thee, O Christ!

KJV Mark 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. 4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #462           I Love Thy Kingdom Lord - Timothy Dwight

           

Faith - Worries

The Communion Hymn #313        O Lord We Praise Thee, Luther

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 #577        God Bless Our Native Land

Announcements and Prayers 

• Alicia Meyer's birthday was July 27th.
• Medical care - Kermit Way; Pastor and Mrs. Shrader; Sarah Buck; Lito Cruz' family; those dealing with metabolic and stress disorders.

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in the wilderness didst by Thy Son abundantly feed four thousand men besides women and children with seven loaves and a few small fishes: We beseech Thee, graciously abide among us with Thy blessing, and keep us from covetousness and the cares of this life, that we may seek first Thy kingdom and Thy righteousness, and in all things needful for body and soul, experience Thine ever-present help; through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.            

Faith - Worries

KJV Mark 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,

Halle University is the source of American Lutherans - whether groups pick one label or another to describe themselves. Some will admit, "We are the ones who soon made fun of the miracles of the Bible. In fact, because we published it, we called those Halle miracles fictional stories." Others say "We believe exactly what is taught in the Scriptures." 

    Those people who came to America followed the path of Pietism, which by Martin Stephan and CFW Walther, taught "the entire world is forgiven, without faith." That has a bunch of similar names - General Justification which also meant Universal Justification - without faith; Objective Justification; Universal Objective Justification; variations that all omitted Justification by Faith. 

Imputed means counted, pure and simple; justification means forgiven.

 Faith in Jesus Christ means we are forgiven and have peace with God through Christ.

The answer is not Rationalism or Pietism but the clear, plain revelation of God's Word.

2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

This is the turning point of the miracle, not only for this miracle of needed food but also many other miracles. The disciples only know food at this point, but the real issue is faith in Jesus. Many today have the same response - they want or even demand a miracle, but the real issue is faith in the Good Shepherd. Jesus held out the problem of fasting, the long distance back to home, the distance - nothing left to eat. The rationalistic mind demands a miracle on the spot; God is always active through faith in Him. The more we trust in Him, the greater the miracle.

4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?

This is the purist form of human reason. Thousands of people cannot provide food in the desert. "God will provide." Answer from the doubter - "But will God provide until He provides?" 

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

The area was grassy, which means they had abundant water in that desert place, but oh how that splashes into empty stomachs, especially among thousands. The difference between starving is suddenly abundant. As Luther wrote, "Yes, you must wait a long time until roasted ducks fly into your mouth, for reason sees nothing, grasps nothing, and nothing is present." I have suggested that among people worried about lack of funds, food, etc. 

7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

These fish are like the fish the disciples did not trust to leap into their nets and threaten their boats. If someone gets out his comparison of miracles, one must either give up to mockery  (very common today) or trust that miracles have not ceased in the last 2,000 years. Imagine how this affected the area, more than once. People saw the individual miracles, followed Jesus without qualms, and sat down to experience enough bread and fish to overwhelm them.

8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

We can easily imagine how the crowd went back, no longer famished and worried like the disciples (initially), who were likewise stunned by the miracle. That was even greater in showing them all that they had more leftovers than they had food from the start. People say at gatherings, "I almost starved from waiting," but that was not even close to the miracles of the desert.  If we consider how much was done for everyone in three years, the numbers were astonishing in covering the Jewish people who had waited so long after John the Baptist, with outsiders being converted later because they were drawn to the Good Shepherd too.

Someone thought out loud, "I hope our group continues." But the more precise thought was, "The effective Word will keep moving on, because the Spirit 

John 16:8 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;

The ultimate sin is not believing in Jesus Christ, so the Holy Spirit will accuse those who do not believe in Him, our Good Shepherd.

Luther " - 14. Therefore, beloved friends, let us once make a beginning to believe; for unbelief is the cause of all sin and vice, which now have taken the upper hand in all stations of life. How does it come to pass that everywhere there are so many foolish women and rogues, so many rank imposters, thieves, robbers, usurers, murderers and sellers of indulgences?"

At the 2009 ELCA Convention, A Violent Storm Rose Up Against the OK Gay Vote

 

https://www.alpb.org/Forum/index.php?topic=2188.0

Rev Dr. Quickie-Bishop Guy Erwin was promoted to President of the United Lutheran Seminary after the cross 2009 convention. ELCA gave him every official role short of "official acolyte".

Back to the amendment, Guy Irwin, SW CA, opposed the amendment because it undercuts the nuance of the statement as a whole. Luther was the "greatest sexual revolutionary" in Christian history (because of his challenge to celibacy). Lutherans offer Christian realism; to some this is apparently still a scandal. And with that, it was necessary to move to the orders of the day for the college corporation meetings. (Some of the Lutheran colleges have designated that the CWA would be their legal corporation, and so the CWA has to take certain legal actions relative to those colleges.) 

The Presiding Bishop announced that a tornado had touched down on the roof of part of the convention center; the steeple of Central Lutheran damaged; the tent at Central Lutheran was blown down, and event to be held there will be either cancelled or moved inside—a "pub" in the tent will be closed tonight, to which, PB said, my mother who was a staunch member of the WTCU would say "praise God." No one was hurt in either building.)

Directions for Good Nutrition and Good Health - Revised as Part 2

 

Tutankhamun - Part 2 

 
The Five Big Mistakes

Number One - The pharmacy and over-the-counter guides should be examined with jaundiced eyes. Prescriptions are money makers for doctors, pharmacists, surgeons, pathologists, and those recovering from previous medicines, potions, and lotions. 

Number Two - Milk, cheeses, and eggs are very high in fats and hip fractures. 

Number Three - Sugars and chemical sweeteners are ideal for energy, energy slumps, too much and too little blood sugar, and fat building. Those who are dead in the head are living at the genius level by combining #2 and #3.

Number Four - Flour power has more delicious items and shorter lifespans than we realize. Warm biscuits with floury gravy on top will guarantee enormous weight gains quickly with Sweet Tea. Flour begets breads, cookies, pizzas, exotic combinations that fail to see white flour just a little more virtuous than sugar.

Number Five - The worst grease is pushed onto and into chicken, beef, bacon, and fish. Some meat is good but not at the level served on the grills of McDonald and cooked at home with expensive beef.

The Four Big Recoveries

A. Greens! What we hated as children is now revealed as the foundation of nutrition. Cows grow big and strong, but they do not eat beef. They eat greens, which use their fiber as the place for combining complex nutrition with low levels of sugar, grease, flour, etc. Leafy green vegetables are satisfying and astonishing in their value.
B. Fruits! Here is a laugh. Some people fear raw fruit for being sugary. But lo - fruits counter that by providing fiber. Others complain that bananas will have only 10% of the desired ingredient, but banana eaters can three (3) and boost that nutritional level easily, satisfying hunger. 
C. Vegetables! These were much loathed in my tender youth. Dessert was always present, so "Eat your vegetables! Now!" was a bit testy, coming from parents who reminded us of the Great Depression...daily. After a lifetime of leveraging desserts, I tried micro-waving a big box of frozen string beans, with a tiny bit of butter, chopped up with a steak knife. Wow! That was delicious, satisfying, and blush-worthy.
D. Walnuts, Spices, and Ground Flaxseed. Small Wonders! Raw, fresh Walnuts are delicious and effective in reducing bad cholesterol. To prove this, I ate vanilla ice cream every day because I knew raw fresh walnuts were good for me. The doctor said, "Your cholesterol is down, but you are now diabetic." At the next visit my blood sugar and weight began to go down. Cholesterol continued down. I had an unread Fuhrman in my library and was reading it. Shocked! Amazing! Parents were correct! Feeling much better.
     The doctor said later that I was down 30 pounds (215lb down to 185lb). He said, "Nobody does that, they just talk about losing 30 pounds." I continued down to 171lb, almost 45 pounds lost.

Long, Steady Rain Finally Soaking the Gardens, Lawns, and Crops

Charlie Sue runs in the cool air of daybreak and late in the afternoon. Her friends measure the rain by her tail - from tentative swinging to prop springing. She expects some rain but not this much. An indication is the lack of soil puddling after such a long, steady beat of rain. The soil is dryer than a Calvinist sermon, as many Calvinists have noted.

I enjoy sitting in the chair by the picture window, less than 10 feet from the plants. The Clethra is now a hotel for many small birds and plenty of benevolent insects. The large birds are as much fun as the tiny ones, everyone trading places, looking fierce or cute.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 7 - "Behold, what a sympathetic Christ we have, who even provides food for our poor stomachs. Here new hope is awakened and man is comforted through the words of Christ; as he says: They lie there and wait for me until the third day. I must give them also what they need. Here you see that all who thus faithfully cling to the Word of God will be fed by God himself; for that is the nature and the power of faith, which flows alone out of the Word of God."

 

Seventh Sunday after Trinity, Mark 8:1-9. 

Concerning Faith and Love. Jesus Feeds the Multitude

Then Christ comes, before they have any care and before they ask him to come, and takes all more to heart than they do themselves, and says to his disciples: “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away fasting to their homes, they will faint on the way.”

13. Behold, what a sympathetic Christ we have, who even provides food for our poor stomachs. Here new hope is awakened and man is comforted through the words of Christ; as he says: They lie there and wait for me until the third day. I must give them also what they need. Here you see that all who thus faithfully cling to the Word of God will be fed by God himself; for that is the nature and the power of faith, which flows alone out of the Word of God.

14. Therefore, beloved friends, let us once make a beginning to believe; for unbelief is the cause of all sin and vice, which now have taken the upper hand in all stations of life. How does it come to pass that everywhere there are so many foolish women and rogues, so many rank imposters, thieves, robbers, usurers, murderers and sellers of indulgences? It all comes from unbelief. For such men judge alone according to human reason, and the reason judges only according to that which it sees; but what it does not see, it does not wish to lay hold of. Therefore, if it does not place its confidence in God through faith, then it must despair in itself and develop rogues and rascals. Observe, thus it comes to pass wherever men permit their reason to govern them, and are not ruled by faith.

PART 2. CONCERNING LOVE.

15. Now just as you have learned faith, so should we learn love; for Christ wishes to set before us a twofold picture, namely, a picture of faith, that we should not be over-anxious; also a picture of love, that, as he does to us, is anxious about our welfare, feeds us and gives us to drink and clothes us, only out of free love, not for the sake of his own advantage or because of our worthiness; so should we also do good unto our neighbor, freely and gratuitously, out of pure love, by which, as he is a Christ to you, you should thus also be a Christ to your neighbor.

16. Therefore you see that all the works of the priests, monks and nuns are vain and cursed; for they are not directed to the end to serve their neighbors; but only that they may merit much before God through their works. For true Christian works must be directed entirely and freely to the end that they be done for the good of our neighbor, only freely given and scattered broadcast among the masses; as Christ also did who cast his good deeds away freely for the people to scramble after, and gave his doctrine, word and life for the Church. Blessed are they who accept this giving with thanksgiving.

17. I say this only for the reason that you may see how all parts of the Gospel lessons tend in the direction and will have nothing more, and God also requires nothing more from us, than that we surrender ourselves to the service of our neighbor, and accordingly sustain him in the name of God and in the place of God, do him good and show him a service; for God does not need our good works, as Psalm 50:7-13 says: “Bear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; and thy burntofferings are continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?”

18. Just so he says to us also; behold, Israel, that is thou believing one, I am thy God and thou art not my God; I will give to you and not you to me.

Hear, Israel, I will not be angry with thee that thou dost not offer me any sacrifices; for what thou hast in thy barn, house and yard, that was all mine before it was thine; for I have stored it away there, Here he spoke very pointedly to the Jews who prided themselves highly on their sacrifices.

Now, since he rejects our offering, what will he then have? The Psalmist in the verses immediately following says: “Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High; and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” That means, I wish to have thy heart, rest thou in me and believe me to be a kind and gracious God, that I am thy God: then you will have enough.

Therefore he says also in the following Psalm 51:14-19: “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Reformation Seminary - Lecture - KJV Acts 26

 

Acts 26:1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:

7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

Charlie Sue Update for the PARK! and the Convention

 

Charlie Sue came in from the back yard to say hello and whittle down my resistance  to the PARK! That one word energizes her and gets her running, jumping, leaping, and warmed up. Touching one sock was enough for her to increase the energy even more. Two socks? Guaranteed!

We were watching a little bit of ELCA in sunny Phoenix. 

• Archbishop Liz Eaton is just a few days away from retirement, USA. 
• Bishop Susan Johnson seems to be ready to retire from the Canadian version of ELCA, eh? 
• Secretary Sue Rothmeyer is Number Three, just to give some balance. She is retiring in October.
• Just to keep things even, a lady from the audience sang.

ELCA Archbishop Liz Eaton - "If hell exists, I think it's empty."

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 7 - "Yes, the heavens and the earth would have to pass away before God would let his believers lack clothing and the other necessaries of life. The comforting and powerful Word of the divine promise requires and demands this. David boasts of this in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

 

Seventh Sunday after Trinity, Mark 8:1-9. 

Concerning Faith and Love. Jesus Feeds the Multitude

9. Thus faith is a sure foundation, through which I expect that which I see not. Therefore faith must always have sufficient, for before it should fail the angels would have to come from heaven and dig bread out of the earth in order that believing persons should be fed. Yes, the heavens and the earth would have to pass away before God would let his believers lack clothing and the other necessaries of life. The comforting and powerful Word of the divine promise requires and demands this. David boasts of this in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” And in the verses just preceding in Psalm 37:18-19 he says: “Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”

10. But when one inquires of reason for counsel it soon says: It is not possible. Yes, you must wait a long time until roasted ducks fly into your mouth, for reason sees nothing, grasps nothing, and nothing is present. Just so the apostles do also here who thought: Yes, who will provide food for so many, no one is able to do that; but had they seen a great pile of money and in addition tables laden with bread and meat, they would soon have discovered good counsel and been able to give good consolation; that would. have gone according to their thinking very reasonably. However, since they saw nothing they could find no counsel, but held it to be impossible that one should thus feed so many people, and especially since no provisions were at hand.

11. We have said enough concerning faith through which we entrust the stomach to God for his care, and believe that he will not allow us to come to distress because of the lack of temporal things. Now concerning spiritual blessings, when we are about to die, I wish also to say: then we will find and see before our eyes very death, and yet we would gladly wish to live; then we will see before us very hell, and yet we would gladly wish to possess heaven; then we will see God’s judgment, and yet we would gladly see his grace. In brief, we will not see a single one of the things we would like to have. No created thing can help us in the presence of death, hell and the judgment of God; and if I believe, I will say: Yes, faith is the fundamental principle by which I secure what I do not see; hence, if I believe, nothing can harm me. Although I see nothing now but death, hell and the judgment of God before my eyes, yet I must not look at them; but fully trust that God, by virtue of the power of his promise, not because of my worthiness, will give me life, salvation and grace. That is cleaving to God by faith in the right way.

12. This is here beautifully painted in the visible picture of the four thousand men who hang on God alone through the faith that says: yes, God will indeed feed us. Had they judged according to reason, they would have said’ Oh, we are so many, we are here in the desert, we have empty and hungry stomachs; nothing can help our condition. There was nothing of which they could speak; but they had a good refuge without any human disputing with God, they commended themselves to him and freely laid all their need upon him. Then Christ comes, before they have any care and before they ask him to come, and takes all more to heart than they do themselves, and says to his disciples: “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away fasting to their homes, they will faint on the way.”

Social Gospel Movement - Church Growth Movement

 

We are soon finishing the Acts of the Apostles Zoom and broadcasting Revelation, the Social Gospel Movement (two episodes) inbetween.

The juxtaposition struck me as amusing, because the Social Gospel Movement of the early 20th century had the similar rah-rah of the recent Church Growth Movement, now fast fading away. I find failed fads...moving.

Walter Rauschenbusch gave the Social Gospel Movement lectures at Yale Divinity in 1917; he died in 1918. The SGM label disappeared quickly but the agenda continued. Rauschenbusch was a complete apostate in doctrine, a striking parallel with Donald McGavran, who also opposed the Scriptures and created quite a fan-base, which drew all denominations plus ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic).

This might seem odd to many readers, but the results have proven to be astonishing. Pushing aside the content of the Scriptures, the charlatans offer an alternative to the revealed Word of God.

The mainline denominations have folded with devastating speed. They are equal at the bottom, so friendly they have nothing left to say.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 7 - "Thus faith is a sure foundation, through which I expect that which I see not. Therefore faith must always have sufficient, for before it should fail the angels would have to come from heaven and dig bread out of the earth in order that believing persons should be fed. Yes, the heavens and the earth would have to pass away before God would let his believers lack clothing and the other necessaries of life. The comforting and powerful Word of the divine promise requires and demands this. David boasts of this in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

 

Seventh Sunday after Trinity, Mark 8:1-9. 

Concerning Faith and Love. Jesus Feeds the Multitude

6. Now let us observe in this example, what the life and nature of faith are.

The apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews 11:1, writes thus: “Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” That is as much as to say, faith is the means by which one trusts in possessions he does not see, namely, that I should expect temporal things which I can neither see nor hear, but I must only hope for them; as is the case in today’s Gospel. There were many people together, about four thousand, who with their wives and children had had nothing to eat for the space of three days (I judge that can be called fasting), but were extremely hungry, far from home, without any provisions on which the body lives. Now the apostle says, faith is that through which I hope for things I cannot see.

Such a faith the great multitude of people here has; they see no food and yet they hope that God will nourish them.

7. Now, what does Christ do in this case? What attitude does he take to this transaction? He must not have had much tact, for he goes to the disciples and asks, how shall one feed all these? They reply, Oh, who will be able to feed such a great multitude of people with bread in the wilderness? But here you see how little human thoughts and faith harmonize; here you see, the wiser reason is, the less it accomplishes in the works of God. Therefore Christ asked his disciples that everyone might learn to know by experience what reason is, and acknowledge how reason and faith in no way agree. Here we learn to blindfold reason, when we begin to believe, and then give reason a permanent furlough.

8. Take an example: If I were a man who had a wife and children, and had nothing for them and no one gave me anything; then I should believe and hope that God would sustain me. But if I see that it amounts to nothing and I am not helped with food and clothing, what takes place? Then, as an unbelieving fool, I begin to doubt, and go and take whatever is at hand, steal, deceive, cheat the people and make my way the best I can and may.

See this is what shameless unbelief does. But if I am a believer then I close my eyes and say: O God, I am thy creature and thy handiwork and thou hast from the beginning created me. I will depend entirely upon you who cares more for me, how I shall be sustained, than I do myself; thou wilt indeed nourish me, feed, clothe and help me, where and when you know best.

9. Thus faith is a sure foundation, through which I expect that which I see not. Therefore faith must always have sufficient, for before it should fail the angels would have to come from heaven and dig bread out of the earth in order that believing persons should be fed. Yes, the heavens and the earth would have to pass away before God would let his believers lack clothing and the other necessaries of life. The comforting and powerful Word of the divine promise requires and demands this. David boasts of this in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”