4 PM - Tuesday Afternoon - Reformation Seminary Lecture on Revelation 4

The lesson will be in the afternoon Tuesday 4PM because of a scheduled eye appointment. 

GJ - The Apostle John was given the revelation of the End Time for the entire world. This not John's book, as treated by the rationalists, skepticals, but God's details of the End of the Universe. The Son introduces the situation in chapters 1-3 and divine revelation in chapter 4.

Hymn - Holy, Holy, Holy

KJV 4.1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Thank You New Yorker

 Another attempt proved successful this morning but will have a delay of 1 or 2 days!

Trinity 12 - 2025. The Blind and Deaf Man.

 

The Hymn #343           How Lovely Shines the Morning Star

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Make haste, O God, to deliver me: 

make haste to help me, O Lord.

Let them be ashamed and confounded: 

that seek after my soul.

Psalm. Let them be turned backward and put to confusion: 

that desire my hurt.

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

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that Thy faithful people do unto Thee true and laudable service, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so faithfully serve Thee in this life that we fail not finally to attain Thy heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual

Gradual

I will bless the Lord at all times: 

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

V. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: 

the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Sing aloud unto God, our Strength: 

make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Hallelujah!

       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #8     Father Who the Light This Day 

          Miracles from the Savior

The Communion Hymn #                  Holy Holy Holy         

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
Closing Hymn #283       God's Word Is Our Great Heritage

  

 Norma A. Boeckler

In Our Prayers and Announcements

• Medical Treatment -  Dr. Lito Cruz' family, Ed Buck, Lori Howell,  Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader.  
•  BibleJohn gathered cases and cases of KJV Bibles, mostly Extra Large, but also other sizes for the need, such as children and mothers. John said to me, "They do not know the giver and you do not know the receiver."
  

                        

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

KJV Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Twelfth Sunday After Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast created all things: We thank Thee that Thou hast given us sound bodies, and hast graciously preserved our tongues and other members from the power of the adversary: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy grace, that we may rightly use our ears and tongues; help us to hear Thy word diligently and devoutly, and with our tongues so to praise and magnify Thy grace, that no one shall be offended by our words, but that all may be edified thereby, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 Miracles

KJV Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

Luther: 2. First, the story or example before us is good in itself, for here we see that many persons received the poor man, as though his distress were their own, bringing him to Jesus to be helped. By this, both faith and love are shown to us. Faith, in that they had heard of the Lord before, that he was kind and compassionate, and helped all those who came to him. For the Word must first have been heard, and must first have entered the human heart, showing us the mercy of God in such a way that we depend upon it.

First of all, this miracle is understood - completely wrong. To understand that, we have to work on the errors of the early 20th century, which is when the KJV was revised by "scholars" like Westcott and Hort who mocked and distorted the original text. Two themes began to build during that time (1887 onward). One was Roman Catholicism and the other was rejection of the miraculous in the New Testament, especially in Mark's Gospel. This miracle story is a good example of people today  being puzzled and avoiding the story. The response is negative even today, although the text is quite plain.

Jesus brought the miraculous to the Decapolis, which is where the pigs went berserk and the Syro-Phoenician woman was healed (Lenski). Thus it makes sense that the crowds already had faith in Jesus, so they knew what the Son of God could do. Notice that in our times people look upon their churches with charts, future successful programs, and and expensive advertising. We can easily find photos of enormous buildings emptied because their growth miracles flopped.

The crowd believed because two great miracles had moved them to help this man. Miracles worked for the demoniac and the woman. They had confidence with Jesus, confidence meaning "with faith."

33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 

Perfectly clear! Jesus put His fingers into the deaf man's ears. The man could not hear and could only be alarmed or confused. People often respond to this negatively, although many a mother or doctor has used a little spit. The deaf man was not very useful until Jesus healed the ability to speak. What burdened the man was simply his hearing and his speaking, but that was everything. 

36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. 37 And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Jesus commanded the crowd to keep the miracle to themselves. This created a paradox. Jesus wanted to limit the crowds because they were so excited and eager for more. However, Jesus had a specific time table, because He knew all that would happen.

[Mark 8 follows - Miraculous Feeding]

• Some dates to note -
• Kitchener Ontario vicarage - 1970 - 3,000 members, now torn up for 41 apartments
• St. Thomas Lutheran, Cleveland - torn down for apartments
• St. Timothy Sturgis, Michigan - business office
• Bethany Lutheran Church in Arkansas - 2009 to now. Springdale - 2011 to now, 55 years (with a few gaps).

We are dealing with a lot of technology now, as everyone knows. I began as a vicar leading some of the worship at St. Peter in Kitchener, broadcast over Eastern Canada. My sainted cousin complained because I did not signal him during the lection. I scratched my nose briefly from that time on, and he was pleased. I also introduced the Governor General in the same place. 

Everything was manual up to a point, when we used a telephone to reach others from the Bethany Chapel, New Ulm. That led to a video camera (Phoenix) weekly for the Meyer clan and others. Blogging was less expensive than mimeographs and other tools of the Stone Age. Video services changed from the most blurry and ad-filled to Vimeo to Zoom.

Email Crashed But You Can Send Messages by Morning

 

The Temporary Link can be sent around by email in the morning and on the Sunday worship page.

I will be checking it in the morning. Everything should be OK, but this is a new challenge, for various reasons.

BibleJohn Passed into Eternal Life Yesterday

 

I sat next to his wife, with Ranger Bob on my right. Many came to the funeral from his church and neighborhood. BibleJohn enjoyed nicknames, and he especially liked the one used to make things simple.

Years before, I got to know them on long walks with Sassy Sue and shorter ones with Christina. Sassy made a point of not giving a kiss, if that would get some laughs - and it did.

John became RangerJohn because he wanted to know if I used the KJV all the time. He began talking about giving away Super Large Print KJVs for people. Bethany Lutheran Church contributed, so he told me how he got so many strangers to have a Bible. His approach was simple and effective, going from door-to-door, people walking on the sidewalk, anyone who moved.

1. Do you have a Bible? Big smile.
2. Answer - No.
3. Would you like one?
4. What does it cost? This reduced tension and increased interest.
5. They are free!
6. Do you have anyone else who needs one?

Word got around and many cases of KJVs were passed out for individuals, including those those in prison - men and women - who were in groups to go straight. Mistakes were made in buying cases of KJVs with varying size and cost. BibleJohn did not like small KJVs because the print was so small. The women's group wanted them for their own children.

That is background for the funeral. One of BibleJohn's friends came up to the coffin and then came over to speak to the widow. After talking about John, the friend said something like this - "Your husband passed out Bibles! Everyone talked about it. He even gave cases to the prison! Can you believe that? Prison!" He had a big smile about the impact of one, retired, diabetic retired person.  

Charlie Sue walked over to BibleJohn's home today, visiting RangerBob on the way back. She was not on a leash near the cul de sac. Charlie just went up to the screen door and wagged her tail for Lady and Fat Cat. There is a long trail of losses from a short walk (Letha to Joye), from the woman who was emergency baptized by Christina to the ending at BibleJohn's home. He asked for the KJV Audio Bible his last night. He grinned from ear to ear at the thought.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 12 - "Paul prayed that all Israel might be saved, Romans 9:1f; why did it not come to pass? The difference lies in the faith, for the Spirit did not give it to him; had he been able to add this faith, it would surely have come to pass."

 

The gleeful LCMS, WELS, and ELS apostates gather to reject
Justification by Faith, the Chief Article. 

Luther's Sermons - Mark 7:31-37.
Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

16. But to pray powerfully is not within our strength; for the Spirit does not always vouchsafe to us to pray with power. Paul prayed that all Israel might be saved, Romans 9:1f; why did it not come to pass? The difference lies in the faith, for the Spirit did not give it to him; had he been able to add this faith, it would surely have come to pass. For if Paul had said, “I pray for all Israel,” and had believed and said: “Lord, I am certain that thou wilt do it,” then it would certainly have come to pass. But though he often prayed for them from his heart, the Spirit did not vouchsafe, to him that he should confidently believe it. Therefore it is not within our power to pray in strong confidence; the Holy Spirit does it. Whenever we pray for anyone and are able to add, “It will be done,” then it will certainly be done; but whenever we pray, we must add, “Thy will be done.” If, then, I must let it go according to his will, I cannot suggest to him either the person, or the time, or the manner, but must freely leave it all to him; then, indeed, I am sure of it. In this manner Christ acted also, who himself prayed thus: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me,” but at once added: “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matthew 26:39.

17. Therefore, when I am to pray for an entire city or community, I ought to say: “O Father, I pray for all of them.” Nevertheless, however, I must give honor to his name or will, and say: “Dear Father, I pray for these; I know it is thy will, that I should pray, that I should not despise prayer; but thy will shall be done always; for I might ask something for some one who is not worthy of it before thee; or again, I might possibly cast aside some one who is worthy; therefore do thou act according to thy divine will, for thou wilt certainly do better than I could ever conceive.” Thus you see that we cannot always add these words: It will be so. But if we are certain in our hearts that we may add: “It will be certainly so,” then it will come to pass.

18. This we see in our text. These people approach the Lord in strong confidence, praying for the poor man, and their prayer is also heard. In the same manner, when baptism is performed we see this take place in the children’s faith. There are the infants, bare and naked in body and soul, having neither faith nor works. Then the Christian Church comes forward and prays, that God would pour faith into the child; not that our faith should help the child, but that it may obtain a faith of its own. If it has faith, then after that whatever it does is well done, whether it suckle its mother’s breast, or whether it soil itself, or whatever it may please to do. But if it does not obtain faith, our faith is of no value to the child.

Reformation Seminary Lecture - Revelation 3 - Part 2.

 

 If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Revelation 3:3

KJV Revelation 3

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

    Similar to today? List the numbers and the money.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

    Famous three words.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

    Material goods, comparison.

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

    Contrasts.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

    Christ as the Shepherd knocking

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

    Overcoming...

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Charlie Sue Makes a Postal Worker Grin and Laugh

 

We have a quiet postal worker who opens the box and moves on. Last year he did not like the bee balm growing around mailbox. One time the bee balm was strangely and carelessly cut back. No, I am not asserting a crime of any kind. Bee balm is more of an attractive weed, keeping the bees happy and always buzzing around.

This summer the bee balm was quite eager to bloom. I suggested to Jimmy, "Let's cover the mailbox area with sturdy cardboard and piles sacks of fetid wood mulch to shut out all sunlight. The combination of cardboard first and wood mulch on top can turn a weedy area into a pleasant area or some raking to start a new soft-soil patch of flowers not so busy with the bees.

The mailman liked the weed-free area under the mailbox, warmed up to the new look, and appreciated the absence of leisurely bees.

Today was special. Charlie Sue ran quickly to THE PARK! That is the grassy field at the end of the cul de sac, where she can run large circles trying to flush out some animals. I got there second and the mailman was pulling to a stop to handle mail. He told me, "I saw your dog way up the field and now she is already here, grinning."

He was smiling and shaking his head. I said, "I know - she is a ghost." He waved goodbye as he headed back to civilization - 11 houses behind him.

Gigantic Dam Undertaking - 2,800 Years Ago

 

 2,800 years ago.

Reformation Seminary Lecture - Revelation 3 - 10 AM

 

3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Great eruption, AD 17. Rome gave large amounts of money - never recovered. Halley's.

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

γινου γρηγορων -Jesus and disciples. Matthew 24. Greg means "watchful" or "awake."

3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

Popular religious song https://www.life1025.com/songs/is-he-worthy/

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Confessing the Name of the Savior - entering individual's name from the Book of Life.

6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Luther said Christianity is a speaking church and a listening church.

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

The keys represent forgiving and condemning. Not the pope's.

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Stephen reference.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 12 - "For the Word first sets forth to us the mercy and goodness of God; then faith causes us to cleave unto it with a firm confidence, and to obey the Word. For we are now conscious of this in our hearts, and are satisfied; for as soon as we believe, we are already with Christ in this inheritance, and are justified."

 

Luther's Sermons - Mark 7:31-37.
Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.


Text. Mark 7:31-37. And again he went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphata, that is, Be opened. And his ears were opened, and the bond or. his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

PART 1. THE STORY OR EXAMPLE ITSELF.

2. First, the story or example before us is good in itself, for here we see that many persons received the poor man, as though his distress were their own, bringing him to Jesus to be helped. By this, both faith and love are shown to us. Faith, in that they had heard of the Lord before, that he was kind and compassionate, and helped all those who came to him. For the Word must first have been heard, and must first have entered the human heart, showing us the mercy of God in such a way that we depend upon it.

Therefore the Word of Christ must here also have taught these people this; otherwise, where it does not come, there faith and works are all in vain.

3. And though this gospel lesson, like the preceding one, does not state that they had previously heard the tidings of the Gospel, yet we must nevertheless conclude, and the fact proves it, that they must have previously heard the good tidings and Gospel of Christ the Lord, through which they believed. For that is properly the Gospel which is called good tidings, a good report, not that which is written on paper, but that which is proclaimed in the world and becomes known by the living voice. Thus doubtless they had heard that Christ was kind, friendly, and helpful, willing to aid everybody; this was the beginning of their faith. Thus you must earnestly search the Gospel, and you will always find, that the tidings must first go forth and lead us to God, in order that he may’ lay the first stone; otherwise, all is lost. In the next place, you will learn that because they have clung to the tidings and trusted them for their comfort, they went thither, and hoped to receive of him what they had heard.

4. Now you here observe the nature of faith which grows out of the Word.

For the Word first sets forth to us the mercy and goodness of God; then faith causes us to cleave unto it with a firm confidence, and to obey the Word. For we are now conscious of this in our hearts, and are satisfied; for as soon as we believe, we are already with Christ in this inheritance, and are justified.

Trinity 11 - The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity - Labor Day.

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory Jackson

The Hymn #462             I Love Thy Kingdom

"Timothy Dwight is one of the renowned names in early American History. Dwight was born in Northampton Massachusetts, on May 14, 1752. His grandfather was Jonathan Edwards on his mother’s side. At the age of 17, he graduated from Yale College. For a time he served as a chaplain with George Washington in the American Revolutionary War. After the war he served as a minister, representative of Connecticut State Legislature, faculty member and in 1795 the College’s President. While he was there, he raised the academic standards and brought a spiritual emphasis to the campus. Before that, the students at Yale had been influenced by Rousseau and the French Revolutionary ideals. It was thought that there were less than ten Christians on campus. His leadership brought a spiritual revival which spread to other parts of New England college campuses." https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/853

The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

God is in His holy habitation: 

He is God who setteth the solitary in families.

The God of Israel is He that giveth strength: 

and power unto His people.

Psalm. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: 

let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

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

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

My heart trusteth in God, and I am helped: 

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; 

and with my song will I praise Him.

V. Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord, my Rock: 

be not silent to me; hear the voice at my supplications. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Lord, Thou hast been our Dwelling Place in all generations. 

Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #282                   Lord Jesus Christ

 The Gospel Preached by Paul

The Communion Hymn #207   Like the Golden Sun Ascending - Kingo

[Some parts of the Danish rural population firmly held to Kingo's hymns during the Pietist and Rationalist periods, contributing to their survival.]

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 #575                       Before the Lord We Bow - F. Scott Key                 

In Our Prayers

• Diagnosis and Treatment - Doc Lito and family;  Sarah Buck is much improved; Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris.  
• BibleJohn is getting a complete KJV audio Bible. It is reasonable and battery operated. 
• Two Old Testament classes will be resumed in mid-September.
• Revelation  3 - Tuesday and Thursday at 10 AM Central.

KJV 1 Corinthians15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

KJV Luke 18: 9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The Gospel Preached by Paul

KJV 1 Corinthians15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

The Apostle Paul labored with his tent making and with trying to teach opponents about the Gospel. He spent two years preaching in Corinth (Acts 18) and dealt with all kinds of problems and scandals. The Apostle's three-fold declaration is a powerful message based on the Word - the Gospel! not frivolities and merches. 

Paul has three weapons of grace -

Preaching to the people,

The listeners receiving the sermons and lectures,

Standing up to the truth of the Gospel.

His primary battle was against faith in Jesus Christ. He could throw all the sins of the world against them, but the Gospel had to heal them and show God's grace in Jesus Christ, who came to forgive, pardon, and draw near.

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Here is back and forth from Paul, as shown in blue - people are saved by preaching, listening to the Word, and standing up to the truth. It is too bad that people use the word "preach" as if it is a long-winded, angry harangue. That sounds a lot more like the people who  hate this country. They endlessly rail at people, angry and condemning all the time.

Jeremiah is the prophet known for his lengthen speeches against evil. He was so good at that the word jeremiad became a copy of Jeremiah's stance. I always use this passage to show what Jeremiah preached - the most beautiful passage in the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

Jesus offered Himself to Paul just as He does to us. Paul had no credibility except for Jesus coming to him, opening his eyes, and motivating him to spread this Word. That put Paul in the role of being the worst of all the Christians, the worst of the Jews against Jesus, and the Romans. The whole reality of this is sinners facing the truth of the Savior and learning what it means.

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

The miracle of Jesus was so great in His resurrection among many kinds of people - but no ancient denial (saved for the clergy and theologians today). Historians know - all of us know - they are missing the sealed tomb, the open tomb, the visits with startled believers sobbing and then realizing His resurrection. More than 500! Thousands spread because of the Apostles, Stephan the Martyr, and those who spread throughout from persecution and from sowing the seed of forgiveness and everlasting life.

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 

The scattering was joyful, reaching all the Apostles, and Paul - who never imagined what the Son of God could do and expand the Gospel even more. There is a great yearning to know the Christian Faith because so much of our society is mixed up, and many suffer from the long-range damage of society. I asked one poor family why they drank that awful bottled, flavored liquid from the store. "Our waterpipes are so bad we cannot stand it." I pledged to leave a case of tap water every time I came by. One little girl tried her best to drag 24 bottles together. And there was so much more loss in the family because of drugs and alcohol. There are people listening or reading about being down so far everything looks like up. There is one path, which is the love and compassion of Jesus.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Smart-alecs of all generations have enjoyed making fun of the Apostle Paul. He was the lowest of all because he attacked and harmed the Christians he despised. For those who are beaten down and ashamed for their errors, mistakes, sins, abuse of alcohol and drugs - Paul was far worse. So whatever might be claimed, he is the example of the Good Shepherd's protection, healing, and blessing. Look over and see the many different things the Good Samaritan (Jesus, Luke 10) did to bring the broken and wounded, almost dead victim on the road. The by-passers symbolize those who will not help, but One does...always.