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ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the National Council of Churches.
If you need help, there's 24/7 email, chat and phone support from a real person.
greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com Alec
bethanylutheranworship@gmail.com Zach
gmail
I was thinking overnight about the drought of Biblical knowledge and teaching. The Book of Revelation (starting Chapter 8 tomorrow) is vivid, displaying what the final times will offer. It is a combination of the Savior's work as the Creating Word (Genesis 1 and John 1), and His condemning reaction against unfaith or anti-faith.
The Bible holds everything we need to know and far more than we can contain. Nevertheless, people grab for entertainment and even better - for churches' drive-in coffee and car repair (LCMS, Midland, Michigan). As Luther observed, our actions and thoughts are meaningless without faith. How many times have I heard about the numbers!?
Fellow seminary students (Waterloo, Ontario) would ask me, "Why are you studying GREEK?" We had a great old professor (Otto Heick) who taught faith in Jesus Christ, but now they have only a few students in that same building, where dogs are provided to cheer up the chapel. Theology is absent, but cute.
In Memory of Charlie Kirk

xxxx
The circular pattern suggests repeated lightning and thunderstorms, not entirely appreciated by Charlie Sue.
Yes, we really heard and felt the red zone for Springdale.
Click this link for the overall colorful, moving pattern.
God's creation is awesome and Christ Jesus watches over us.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination by a radical young “all-American” leftist demonstrates that the ideological crisis that’s raging in education, politics, and pop culture has irreversibly escalated. His death marks the beginning of a new chapter for America. We’ve crossed a cultural Rubicon; the nation is irreparably divided by competing moral visions, national unity is forever lost, and conflict is unavoidable.
Kirk’s death was as tragic as it was predictable. Many lay the blame on evil, but evil came in a virulent form of social Marxism, equity, that’s cloaked in the woke cultural rizz of transgender rights, social justice, equality, fairness, tolerance, Critical Race Theory, DIE, anti-racism, white supremacy, systemic inequality, and patriarchy, to name a few. It’s a toxic philosophical cocktail, an expansion of classical Marxism transformed by Critical Theory and post-modern philosophy, that’s become the best of the worst of what the world’s deadliest ideology, the gospel according to Karl Marx, has to offer.
Equity is taking America by storm — it’s the price America pays for bailing on Christianity and religion in record numbers. It captured the Democrat party. (The Biden administration was committed to building equity into the “everyday business of government” — see Executive Order 14091.) Countless Americans like Kirk’s assassin were drawn to its promise of an infinitely tolerant, progressive, permissive post-Christian society, where everyone is equally free to choose his gender, lifestyle, and sexual preferences without the moral judgment of the “Thou Shalt Nots” of the Christianity they despised.
But as it turns out, there’s a serious downside to decadence.
The despisers of religion can’t live as atheists. A world without God leaves humanity suspended in moral ambiguity, lacking an ultimate authority. It’s an intolerable existence that sends people searching for a new moral constitution that could liberate them from the constraints of a biblically influenced worldview. Atheists need religion. As John Grey notes in Seven Types of Atheism, “the God of monotheism did not die, it only left the scene to reappear as humanity — the human species dressed up as a collective agent pursuing its self-realization in history” (p. 1,157).
Post-Christian Americans looking for moral guidance turned to equity as a new secular religion, and equity was happy to oblige.
This set America up for the showdown that has plagued humanity for over a century, Christianity versus Marxism, and it put Charlie Kirk in the crosshairs.
1.1 - God gave John the Revelation - directly.
1.11 - Patmos - Spirit, Trumpet, Alpha and Omega
2.4 - Lost the first love
3.14 - Laodicea - spit out, luke warm
4 - Throne set in Heaven, Thou art worthy, glory, honor, power
5 - 2 Who is worthy?
11 Worthy is the Lamb
6 - The six Seals
7 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.7And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
I was able to broadcast the broadcast a little bit. That was OK.
Yes, I need a regular email for all of us.
My helpers are having a riot of laughter.
7And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
I just made a Zoom link for someone - me, via Google Mail.
Others have posted offerings from Google Mail.
JUST TRY GOOGLE MAIL AS THE TITLE.
IT HELPS TO USE GOOGLE.
Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant:
oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!
Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause:
and forget not the voice of Thine enemies.
Psalm. O God, why hast Thou cast us off forever?
Why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture?
Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain that which Thou dost promise, make us to love that which Thou dost command; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
Have respect, O Lord, unto Thy covenant:
oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed!
V. Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause:
and forget not the voice of Thine enemies.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. O Lord God of my salvation:
I have cried day and night before Thee. Hallelujah!
Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast granted us to live in this accepted time, when we may hear Thy holy gospel, know Thy fatherly will, and behold Thy Son, Jesus Christ! We pray Thee, most merciful Father: Let the light of Thy holy word remain with us, and so govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forsake Thy word, but remain steadfast in it, and finally obtain eternal salvation; 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.
KJV Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
The Good Samaritan has been distorted as the Law for a long time. Various ministers have used it to tax everyone on their need to take care of others. I blame this in part on the Social Gospel Movement, which blossomed under the rationalistic Federal Council of Churches. They were so scandalous (Marxist) that they changed their name to the National Council of Churches and produced the RSV, ESV, and NRSV Bibles. I exposed the theology of one famous LCA pastor. He said he opposed the Social Gospel Movement but in his talk said, "Should we bind the wounds of the man left for dead on the road to Damascus? or make the road safe?!" I told him afterwards, "That was the Social Gospel."
The National Council of Churches are so Unitarian in denying the Christian Faith that they use their dogma to support destructive programs in America, which we see everywhere today, and it keeps getting worse.
The Samaritan is clearly Jesus, because He became an outcast and yet in His compassion sought to give us forgiveness, peace, and security.
First, he observed the miserable state of the beaten, abandoned man.
a) he went to the man
b) bound up his wounds,
c) pouring in oil and wine, and
d) set him on his own beast, and
e) brought him to an inn, and
f) took care of him.
Second, we see the six-fold response complete the actions of the Samaritan - and he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. [another group of six]
This is how Jesus works with all who believe in Him. Nothing is so low or repugnant that He cannot
help the person in distress. People are bound to be in distress today because the radicals have done so much to wreck American jobs, American schools, and the US military. Name an entity which is not infected by a widespread, organized attempt to wreck the last bulwark of freedom this world.
Today’s guest post is from Daniel L. Dreisbach, a professor at American University in Washington, D.C. He has authored or edited 10 books, including Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers (Oxford University Press, 2017), from which this article is adapted. You can follow him on Twitter at @d3bach
John Adams, in his retirement, was disheartened. What had his life in politics counted for? he wondered.
The renewal in 1805 of a 30-year friendship with Doctor Benjamin Rush reinvigorated him. Their frank correspondence, touching on all manner of topics, lifted his spirits. “Dr. Rush’s letters are of inestimable value to me,” the former president recalled.
A Philadelphia physician, social reformer, and a venerated signer of the Declaration of Independence, Rush was respected by the leading political figures of the day. He would later negotiate a rapprochement between former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson a decade after the bitter political campaign of 1800 had left their relationship in tatters.
In one conversation about the “perfectibility of man” and religion’s role in making “men and nations happy,” both Rush and Adams lamented the moral decay they witnessed in the world around them. “By renouncing the Bible,” Rush interjected, “philosophers swing from their moorings upon all moral Subjects. . . . It is the only correct map of the human heart that ever has been published. It contains a faithful representation of all its follies, Vices & Crimes.” He then concluded: “All Systems of Religion, morals, and Government not founded upon it, must perish, and how consoling the tho[ugh]t! — it will not only survive the wreck of those Systems, but the World itself. ‘The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it [Matt. 16:18].’”
“The Bible,” Adams promptly responded, “contains the most profound Philosophy, the most perfect Morality, and the most refined Policy, that ever was conceived upon Earth. It is the most Republican Book in the World, and therefore I will still revere it. . . . [W]ithout national Morality,” he continued, “a Republican Government cannot be maintained.”