Midweek Advent 1 - 2024

The Zoom linked while it was live, and I created the YouTube. Getting past the thorns and tangles of the platforms means that I have the YouTube for the Midweek but cannot get some things working together.

 

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Time

The Hymn #58         O Lord How I Shall Meet Thee

         
The Order of Vespers                                                p. 41

The Psalmody                          Psalm 24                  p. 128
The Lections                             

                                                 
The Sermon Hymn #345  Jesus Lover of My Soul

 

The Sermon –  Only One Power Rules the World  

 
The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect for Grace                                            p. 45

The Hymn #554         Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadows

The Sermon –  Only One Power Rules the World

Jesus was born when the Holy Land was owned and taxed by the greatest empire on earth - The Senate and People of Rome, SPQR. Julius Caesar had already visited England. Caesar Augustus used his power and wealth to create a staggering group of buildings, still filling people with tourists today.

Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in the meekest of circumstances, as we all know. By popular standards today, He had no land, no known titles, no money. These things are so important today but they were revealed only to Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds.

The Gospel spread in the most humble ways, ordinary people spread the Gospel, especially through persecution, not enormous buildings or giant libraries. When the cry-babies ask, "Why don't we have more ancient New Testaments?!" - the answer is clear. They were worn to death by use and copying and then burned to keep the crumbling paper out of the hands of heretics.

So they had very little power and a lot of horrible experiences, but they crushed the evil ones by the force of their patience under suffering and their praise of Jesus the Savior. Faith in Jesus Christ has two impacts - 

1. one is opposition, which will never go away;
2. the other is teaching the Gospel, evangelism, preaching, and guarding the Word of God. 

I like the New Testament phrase - guard the Word, often written as keep the Word. Unfortunately, many people today guard their seminary and guard their own books while despising the genuine Scriptures. The most powerful thing on earth is that Word of God, which is the precise teaching of Father and Son through the Holy Spirit.

Although people are cowed by the powerful, most of that comes from bluffing, bullying, takings things for granted, and using common phrases like "Do you know who my father is?" 

A. We had Vimeo bills a second year - $900 - and I responded and heard nothing. I emailed, "I already contacted my attorney about this." Minutes later they promised to refund the $900 at once. 

B. I saw that happen with the same phrase. One was an excessive $2,000 bill for surgery. 

C. The other was a botched case where the hospital set up a panel to refuse to remove the $600 overcharge. All I did was say, "I spoke to _____ law firm." And I did. A member of the congregation was a specialist in such cases and told me, "No chance the parents will win." It was only the name of the law firm that drove them into a frenzy with some nasty words, dramatic yelling. About a week later, the bill was erased.

Verbal bullying is a plague on our society. Some of it is outright lying and threats. But others hint at the falsehoods and use them as tools against someone more quiet, shy, and polite. Faith in Christ gives us the strength to do what is right as a believer. I pointed out in two additional cases that standing up, putting knuckles on the table, and yelling are the sign of a gorilla who is afraid. (I don't want to test that.) It worked very well because the yelling lawyers ran out of ammo... or flying spittle.

We can be crushed by spiritual forces, too, because Satan will battle the believers as long as he can before his empire collapses. Emotions are far more fragile than our bodies, and they can pull us down until we feel helpless. We are not helpless.

We worry about running out of gasoline, but more important is running out of spiritual energy. That requires -

• Daily going over all things important and spiritual - confessing sin, helping with our difficulties, guiding others, praising Christ for all He does, thanking God.
• Methodical Scripture reading. The Gospel of John is best.
• Enjoying great Christian music, such as Handel's Messiah, Bach, TLH hymns, and modern efforts.

In Our Prayers

Dr. Lito Cruz - operation; Sarah Buck; Pastor Jim and Chris Shrader; Kermit Way.

ELCA Becomes a Sanctuary Church - The Four Waltherian Cults - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) Sure To Follow

In its simplest form, becoming a sanctuary denomination means that the ELCA is publicly declaring that walking alongside immigrants and refugees is a matter of faith.

In baptism, we are brought into a covenantal relationship with Jesus Christ that commits us to strive for justice and peace in all the earth. Following the example of Martin Luther, we believe that advocacy is a crucial expression of baptismal identity. As a church, we have advocated for stopping the detention of children and families for decades. We have spoken out against family separation, sought a pathway to citizenship for community members who have lived in the U.S. for many years, and have taken steps to address the root causes of migration in a way that honors the humanity in people who must flee.

Through the ELCA’s AMMPARO strategy, we continue this work. Talking points, articles, videos and resources are housed here so this church can have conversations about what sanctuary means with many of our members in their context to discern future action and direction. Becoming a sanctuary denomination was voted on and passed by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Milwaukee.

Being a sanctuary denomination means that we, as church together, want to be public and vocal about this work. It will look different for everyone, but welcoming people is not a political issue for us – it is a matter of faith.

Resources

• Talking Points
• Videos
• Overview
• AMMPARO resources
• Memorials Committee Report Original memorial language
• Legislative Update - 8/7/2019 Passed action item
• Sanctuary Bible Study
• Sanctuary Memorial FAQ
• Sanctuary Memorial FAQ - Spanish
• ELCA Sanctuary Church Guidelines

 

Female Lutheran pastor leads church in 'sparkle creed' prayer to 'nonbinary' God, says Christ Jesus had '2 dads'

By Ian M. Giatti, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, June 29, 2023

A female Lutheran pastor in Minnesota has gone viral for leading her congregation in a “sparkle creed” prayer in honor of LGBT pride month in which she described God as “nonbinary” and Christ Jesus as having “two dads.”

Anna Helgen, co-pastor of Edina Community Lutheran Church (ECLC) in Edina, a suburb of Minneapolis, delivered the prayer during a Sunday service live stream on June 25, when she called on members of the church to stand in honor of the “sparkle creed.”

In this prayer, Helgen recited a statement of faith known on social media as the “sparkle creed.”

“I believe in the nonbinary God, whose pronouns are plural,” Helgen said. “I believe in Jesus Christ, their child, who wore a fabulous tunic, and had two dads and saw everyone as a sibling child of God.

“I believe in the rainbow spirit who shatters our image of one white light and refracts it into a rainbow of gorgeous diversity. I believe in the church of everyday saints, as numerous, creative and resilient as patches on the … quilt, whose feet are grounded in mud and whose eyes gaze at the stars in wonder. I believe in the calling to each of us that love is love is love, so beloved let us love. 

“I believe, glorious God, help my unbelief, Amen.”

Can ELCA pastors have too many tattoos? Nadia Bolz Weber

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Advent 2 - "The course of the heavens has been so arranged from eternity that before the last day these signs must appear. The heathen say that the comet is a natural product; but God has created none that is not a token of future evil. Thus also the blind leader, Aristotle, writing a book about the phenomena of the heavens, attributes all to nature and declares these are no signs. Our learned men follow him and thus one fool fills the world with fools."

 

Second Sunday in Advent, Luke 21:25-36. Christ’s Second Coming: or the Signs of the Day of Judgment; and the Comfort Christians Have from Them

11. We also read in the history of the destruction, of Jerusalem that many signs were fulfilled, yet they would not believe them to be tokens of the coming destruction until judgment was executed. Finally, from the beginning of the world, it has ever been so, that the unbelieving could not believe the day of calamity to be near — they always experienced it before they believed it. This is in fulfillment of Psalm 55:23: “Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days,” for they presume upon the continuance of their days and have no fear, and so the hour must come unawares. So here people are putting off the judgment for yet a thousand years when it may break in upon them in a night. This is the first class of signs which presage the nearness of the day of God. Let us now consider the second class. “And there shall be signs in the sun.”

12. This sign to be given in the sun is that it will lose its brightness, after the manner in which it has often occurred, as Matthew 24:29, says: “The sun shall be darkened.” I will not trespass here again but express my opinion. Some think that the sun is to be darkened as never to shine again; but this cannot be the meaning, for day and night must continue to the end, as God foretells, Genesis 8:22: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” This sign must therefore, not interfere with day and night and still be fulfilled before the judgment day, for it is a token of its coming.

It cannot, therefore, be more than a darkening of the sun in its accustomed course.

13. Now at all times such a sign in the sun has been looked upon as foreboding misfortune or disaster, which also often followed, as history abundantly shows. Thus we have had, it seems to me, the last few years more and more frequent eclipses of the sun than in any other like period of time. God has spared us and no great evil has come upon us. For this reason these signs are not noticed. In addition, astronomers have told us, and rightly so, that these eclipses are but natural phenomena. As a result the tokens are still more despised and carnal security increased.

Nevertheless God in carrying on his work in silence, gives us security and moves forward in his plans. Whatever the natural course of the heavens may be, these signs are always tokens of his wrath and predict sure disaster for the future. If these are not seen, shall God make other suns and moons and stars and show other signs inthem?'

14. The course of the heavens has been so arranged from eternity that before the last day these signs must appear. The heathen say that the comet is a natural product; but God has created none that is not a token of future evil. Thus also the blind leader, Aristotle, writing a book about the phenomena of the heavens, attributes all to nature and declares these are no signs. Our learned men follow him and thus one fool fills the world with fools. Let us know that though the heavenly bodies wander in their courses according to law, God has still made these to be signs or tokens of his wrath. “And in the moon.”

15. This sign is given in Matthew 24:29, to the effect that “the moon shall not give her light”; that is, it will lose its brightness. The same is to be said of this as of the signs in the sun, no matter how natural it may be. Is it not true that scarcely a year has passed of late in which sun or moon or both have been eclipsed, sometimes one of them twice a year? If these are not signs, then, what are signs? It may be that at other times more were seen than now, but surely not in more rapid succession. When Jerusalem was to be destroyed, some signs preceded which had occurred before, but they were still new tokens. “And in the stars,”

Today's Reformation Seminary Lecture - Delayed Instead - For This Thursday. Mid-Week Advent Vespers, This Wednesday, 7 PM

 

This is one of many verses about the effectiveness of the Word (effectually) in the Scriptures, from Genesis 1:1 to the end. What the ancients called effective in Greek is spelled energon, energy.

I am attending a big Zoom meeting that overlaps our normal Tuesday lecture at 11 AM. 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Advent 2 - "But the apostles have also prophesied concerning this self-security of men as the judgment day approaches. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3: “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them.”

 

Second Sunday in Advent, Luke 21:25-36. Christ’s Second Coming: or the Signs of the Day of Judgment; and the Comfort Christians Have from Them

6. In addition men are so delving into the mysteries of things that today a boy of twenty knows more than twenty doctors formerly knew. There is such a knowledge of languages and all manner of wisdom that it must be confessed, the world has reached such great heights in the things that pertain to the body, or as Christ calls them, “cares of life”, eating, drinking, building, planting, buying, selling, marrying and giving in marriage, that every one must see and say either ruin or a :change must come. It is hard to see how a change can come. Day after day dawns and the same conditions remain. There was never such keenness, understanding and judgment among Christians in bodily and temporal things as now — I forbear to speak of the new inventions, printing, firearms, and other implements of war.

7. But not only have such great strides been made in the world of commerce, but also in the spiritual field have there been great changes.

Error, sin, and falsehood have never held sway in the world as in these last centuries. The Gospel has been openly condemned at Constance, and the false teachings of the Pope have been adopted as law though he practiced the greatest extortion. Daily mass is celebrated many hundred thousand times in the world, and thereby the greatest sin committed. By confession, sacrament, indulgence, rules and laws, so many souls are driven to condemnation that it seems God has given the whole world over to the devil. In short it is not possible that there should be greater falsehood, more heinous error, more dreadful blindness, and more obdurate blasphemy than have ruled in the church through the bishops, cloisters, and universities. As a result Aristotle, a blind heathen, teaches and rules Christians more than does Christ.

8. Moreover the pope has attempted to abolish Christ and to become his vicar. He occupies the throne of Christ on earth, would to God he occupied the devil’s throne instead.

I forbear to speak of the grosser forms of sin, unchastity, murder, infidelity, covetousness, and the like, which are all practiced without shame or fear.

Unchastity has taken forms against nature, and has affected no station or condition more than the spiritual character of the clergy — shall I call it spiritual, since it is so fleshly and void of all simplicity?

9. Whatever other signs may appear before Christ’s coming, I know that, according to the words of Christ, these will be present: surfeiting and drunkenness, building and planting, buying and selling, marrying and giving in marriage, and other cares of this life. Just as certain to me is also the saying of Christ in Matthew g, 15, where he speaks of the abomination of desolation, the Antichrist, under whose rule gross error, blindness, and sin shall flourish, just as they now flourish under the Pope in the most tyrannical and shameless form. This above all else compels me to believe that Christ will soon come to judgment; for such sins cry to heaven, and so provoke and defy the last day that it must soon break in upon them.

If it were only the unchastity of the antediluvian world, or the worldliness of Sodom, I would not believe the last day is so near at hand. But to destroy, root out, condemn and blaspheme divine service, God’s Word and the Sacraments, the children of God and everything that belongs to God; and to worship and honor the devil instead and to proclaim his lies for the Word of God — such sins, I am firmly convinced, will put an end to the world before we are aware of it. Amen.

10. But the apostles have also prophesied concerning this self-security of men as the judgment day approaches. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3: “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them.”

Now we know that a thief never comes but when one feels most secure and least expects him. And 2 Peter 3:3-10 we read: “In the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? From the day the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation .... But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise etc.” Who are they that walk after their own lusts but the papal clergy? They wish to be subject neither to God nor to man, but expect the world to recognize it as their right to live as they please and to do what they like. It is these that say, Where is the promise of his coming? Do you think the last day will break in upon us so soon? Things will continue as they have in the past.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Advent II - "The first thing for us to understand is that although the signs preceding the judgment day are many and great, they will all be fulfilled, even though none or very few men take note of or esteem them as such. For two things must take place according to the Word and prophecy of Christ and the apostles: first, that many and great signs will be made manifest; and secondly, that the last day will come unawares, the world not expecting it, even though that day be at the door."

 

Second Sunday in Advent, Luke 21:25-36. Christ’s Second Coming: or the Signs of the Day of Judgment; and the Comfort Christians Have from Them

I. THE SIGNS OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.

1. The first thing for us to understand is that although the signs preceding the judgment day are many and great, they will all be fulfilled, even though none or very few men take note of or esteem them as such. For two things must take place according to the Word and prophecy of Christ and the apostles: first, that many and great signs will be made manifest; and secondly, that the last day will come unawares, the world not expecting it, even though that day be at the door. Though men see these signs, yea, be told that they are signs of the last day, still they will not believe, but in their security mockingly say: “Thou fool, hast thou fear that the heavens will fall and that we shall live to see that day?”

2. Some, indeed, must see it, and it will be those who least expect it. That there will be such security and indifference among men, let us prove by the words of Christ and the apostles. Christ says in the 34th and 35th verses: “Take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth.” From these words it is clear, that men in great measure will give themselves over to surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that, drowned as it were in these things, they will rest secure and continue to dwell on the earth as if the dreadful day were far away. For, were there no such security and heedlessness, that day would not break in unawares. But he says, it will come as a snare by which birds and beasts are caught at a time when most concerned about their food and least expecting to be entrapped. In this figure he gives us clearly to understand that the world will continue its carousing, eating and drinking, building and planting, and diligently seeking after earthly things, and will look upon the day of judgment as yet a thousand and more years off, when, in the twinkling of an eye, they may stand before the terrible judgment bar of God.

3. The words of Christ in Luke 17:24 say the same: “For as the lightning, when it lighteneth out of the one part under the heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall the Son of man be in his day.”

See here again that the day will break upon the world with the utmost suddenness. The same further appears in what follows in Luke 17:26-29: “As it was in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. After the same manner it shall be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.” These words abundantly show that people will rest so secure and will be so deeply buried beneath the cares of this life, that they will not believe the day is at hand.

4. There is now no doubt that Christ did not foretell these signs in the expectation that no one would note nor recognize them when they should appear; although few indeed will do so, just as in the days of Noah and Lot but few knew the punishment in store for them. Were this not true, the admonition of Christ would have been in vain: “When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh.” Then, “Lift up your heads, because your redemption draweth nigh.” There must then be some, at least, who do recognize the signs, and lift up their heads and wait for their redemption, although they do not really know on what day that will come. We should be careful, therefore, to note whether the signs are being fulfilled now, or have been or will be in the future.

5. I do not wish to force any one to believe as I do; neither will I permit anyone to deny me the right to believe that the last day is near at hand.

These words and signs of Christ compel me to believe that such is the case.

For the history of the centuries that have passed since the birth of Christ nowhere reveals conditions like those of the present. There has never been such building and planting in the world.

There has never been such gluttonous and varied eating and drinking as now. Wearing apparel has reached its limit in costliness. Who has ever heard of such commerce as now encircles the earth? There have arisen all kinds of art and sculpture, embroidery and engraving, the like of which has not been seen during the whole Christian era.

6. In addition men are so delving into the mysteries of things that today a boy of twenty knows more than twenty doctors formerly knew. There is such a knowledge of languages and all manner of wisdom that it must be confessed, the world has reached such great heights in the things that pertain to the body, or as Christ calls them, “cares of life”, eating, drinking, building, planting, buying, selling, marrying and giving in marriage, that every one must see and say either ruin or a :change must come. It is hard to see how a change can come. Day after day dawns and the same conditions remain. There was never such keenness, understanding and judgment among Christians in bodily and temporal things as now — I forbear to speak of the new inventions, printing, firearms, and other implements of war.

Five Years Ago, Cub Editor Hale Went Ballistic against Justification by Faith

 

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Luther and the Book of Concord - Are "Satanic" -
According to Ft. Wayne Graduate Phil Hale

There is nothing like Christian News for trashing Luther and the Book of Concord.

Hale's Rash, Raging, Reckless Thoughts on Defending OJ!

"It is satanic that people like Gregory Jackson and Paul Rydecki have used misleading and complicating rational arguments, incorrect biblical interpretation, and misleading historical evidence to make this such a difficult issue to grasp today. They attack and obscure Scripture, rather than clarify it, though. (This is why they hate and refuse to deal directly with 2 Cor. 5:19, since it is so clear and helpful on this issue.) In the same way, the 1979 Kokomo theses were uncarefully drawn up to make light of and mock objective justification, not to defend it or help bring about a right understanding." p. 6, 11-04-2019 CN.

The hip accusation in the OJ hive is to say, "You are not a Christian. Your faith is in faith, not in Christ. You are a Faithian, not a Christian!" (Add red face and spittle flying, of course.) Luther called himself a faith-alonian, in Latin, which is too tough for Ft. Whiners to translate.

 For trashing Dr. Walter A. Maier II and taking away his Romans course - because he taught Justification by Faith - Concordia Ft. Wayne should be knocked down, dismantled, and the soil sown with salt - as a memorial to their Calvinism, Rationalism, and Pietism.

The First Sunday in Advent - 2024

 https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87292180505?pwd=DoFk3VW0X9OjGgq1uOaM578La3HbmT.1

Bethany Lutheran Church 

10 AM Central Time

The First Sunday in Advent, 2024

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Hymn #67           The Bridegroom Now Will Call Us - Loy translation
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul: 

O my God, I trust in Thee.

Let me not be ashamed: 

let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Yea, let none that wait on Thee: be ashamed.

Psalm. Show me Thy ways, O Lord: 

teach me Thy paths.

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

Collect

Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, 

that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.

The Epistle and Gradual 

Gradual

All they that wait on Thee shall not be ashamed, O Lord.

V. Show me Thy ways, O Lord: 

teach me Thy paths. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Show us Thy mercy, O Lord: 

and grant us Thy salvation. Hallelujah!

The Gospel 
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 290      We Have A Sure Prophetic  

The King Comes to Us

The Hymn #306              Lord Jesus Christ
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 #68            The Advent of Our King 

Prayers and Announcements

• Zoom has another step in W-9, one year ago.
• December 4th, 2002. Walter Boeckler, Norma's husband, passed into eternal life.
• Midweek Advent Vespers, Wednesday, 7 PM.
• In treatment - Kermit Way; Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris; Sarah Buck; Dr. Lito Cruz and Lynn, and grandson Theodore. 
• Those suffering from emotional and metabolic stress.

KJV Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

KJV Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

 Norma A. Boeckler

First Sunday in Advent - Viet Dietrich

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, we bless and praise Thee forever, that Thou didst send Thy Son to rule over us poor sinners, who for our transgressions did justly deserve to remain in the bondage of sin and Satan, and didst give us in Him a meek and righteous King, who by His death became our Savior from sin and eternal death: We beseech Thee so to enlighten, govern and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may ever remain faithful to this righteous King and Savior, and not, after the manner of the world, be offended with His humble form and despised word, but, firmly believing in Him, obtain eternal salvation; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The King Comes To Us

KJV Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

    I recall Lenski saying - Jesus was friends with the owner, because the instructions were so specific. Others have explanations too, and a few are puzzled that we start with the Passion story as part of the Virgin birth of Christ. Luther said it best when he observed the King comes to us to bestow His blessings upon us - the primary one - faith in Him. This is extremely important because almost the entire world thinks they are giving to the King. They are so pious that they give themselves honors so that the King will be grateful. 

    Three seminaries built or lavishly remodeled their chapels, and all three have fewer and fewer students to fill them. But how much did they accomplish with superfluous, gaudy cathedrals and so little sound doctrine (the latter a requirement).

    The King brings us to faith, as early as a baby's birth and baptism. The baby is tiny, fussy, and needy - but the child believes. Faith comes from the Good Shepherd. If we have gone astray, the Good Shepherd pursues and brings us home again, not once but many times over. Notice all the details in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The word "good" is now considered bad but the Good Shepherd and the Good Samaritan are Jesus - one and the same. (The Good Samaritan do-gooders think they are the ones fixing everything up, not forgiving but always demanding works, because "that will make Planet Earth a better place.")

    There had been an earlier entrance to Jerusalem. And people cheered for their hero. 1 Maccabees is often mentioned. That certainly built up hope that Jerusalem would be free again, but that freedom only lasted a short time.  Several happened after the resurrection of Christ, 40 years later, then one last revolt, Bar Kokhba about 136 AD.

    So, for sceptics, there was a lot of turmoil and hope for Jewish freedom. This entry was a march toward the cross, with Lazarus there, proof of resurrection. 

3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

    Historians have a lot to write about - but this is the direct connection between the Scriptures (Old Testament) and the soon-to-be New Testament, the evidence from Lazarus, Jesus' death, resurrection, and Ascension. Riding on a horse would have signified a warrior general or a political king. The two went together, because a king was expected to be both political and military leaders. 

    Luther - "Again it also shows the pomp and conduct of the disciples towards Christ who bring the colt to Christ, set him thereon, and spread their garments in the way; also that of the multitude who also spread their garments in the way and cut branches from the trees. They manifested no fear nor terror, but only blessed confidence in him as one for whom they dared to do such things and who would take it kindly and readily consent to it."

Jerusalem means "a place of peace," and Jesus fulfilled that name, because He alone brought peace to the earth, a peace that spread throughout the world, even though that came from persecution rather than mission boards. Abraham Malherbe had us write 20 page papers on the Greek word "peace" in the New Testament. (Irene is peace in Greek) He said - after we were done - the word peace is always connected to forgiveness in the New Testament. 

    This first Sunday in Advent emphasizes the meaning of the birth of Jesus, born in the most humble circumstances and yet saluted by the Star of Bethlehem and the angel chorus. Likewise, the message was for only a few at first, so the disciples spread the Gospel in midst of turmoil, threats, persecution, and jails. That only increased the spread of Christianity, because the Word could not be stopped. Even now people make clowns of themselves to produce great triumphs while giving up the meaning of the Scriptures.

     

6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

    The joy comes from faith in the King. We may know about a famous figure and even see him, but there is another faith, which is detached and objective, but it is not personal. Vast numbers do not make faith their own.  I asked a colleague if he believed all the basics of Jesus Christ, because he was miserable about worries and his future. "You believe in all those truths about  Jesus Christ  and do not believe He will watch over you and provide for your family?" He smiled and cried at the same time. Confidence literally means "with faith." 

    We live in a world where the Bible is a sideline, OK for mottoes but not foundational. But the voice of the Savior is always comforting, because He has died and risen to show His power of forgiveness. I know from various people that they have found the Christian Faith far more powerful by listening to and reading from the Word of God itself. Nothing can stand between an individual and the Son of God. And He also dispatches His angels all the time, not just for children but also for people of all ages and abilities. Luther says we should pray for forgiveness every day, because that keeps us focused on the Good Shepherd, who watches over us against perils and hardships and also blots out sin from our faith in Him.

9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

    The Son of David is a wonderful title. I get to take classes through the Old Testament year around (except Christmas), 50 weeks a year. 

1. First, we have ancient Abraham having faith that he would be the father of constellations of children. Sarah was not so sure. She laughed.
2. Second, King David became the historical marker 1,000 years later, with a horrible record of infidelity, yet he repented and wrote the Psalms of contrition, asking for forgiveness.
3. Third, Jesus was born another 1,000 years later, marked by the Star of Bethlehem and sung by angels. The apex of this timeline has the crowds raising their voices in faith, holding their children who added to the cheers.
4. Here we are, with 4,000 years between Abraham and us - KJV Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

The God of Abram Praise

Ever-Changing Ichabode Health Ideas

 

"Mom, I am only going to eat one at a time."

I could  conjure up a number of dazzling recipes and diet catastrophes. Instead, I am going to list some basics that are easy to follow and use with steady (not roaring) success.

1. In early 2022, I began weighing myself daily and posting it on Google calendar, using lb to accumulate ups and downs. 215 lb was the starter, though I recall it being higher but not written down earlier.

2. I read Dr. Joel Fuhrman repeatedly, which opened my eyes to the value of basic nutrition and the folly of my Standard American Diet (SAD). I still read Fuhrman and added Dr. Michael Greger to my row of nutrition books.

3. I was eating walnuts daily (YAY!) but I always used them on ice cream (BOO!) My cholesterol went down and I was diabetic on the blood test. 

4. One day I bought some ice cream that really appealed to me (carton graphics). It was truly horrible and probably not real ice cream. I gave it to the squirrels and they would not touch it. Though I wavered, the ice cream deep freezer was converted to bags and bags of frozen chopped greens and vegetables. No more ice cream, pies, or frozen pizza. McDonalds? Nope.

5. I was staggered at the relationship between basic foods (chopped greens, vegetables, fruit) and SAD (cow and chicken products, bread, candies, fried chips, fried everything, desserts, sugared and dietetic drinks).

6. Greens, fresh fruits, and vegetables were filling and often delicious.  I kept trying new/old foods and found them very tasty in time. My vegetable consultant urged me to also try spices, so I now store and use many kinds - mustard, ground black pepper, turmeric, cumin, allspice, bagel spice, etc. I have one sausage serving in my patented Creation Super Stew. Meat is essential but we mostly overdo it.

7. Shocking facts - The SAD Diet is very expensive, especially since we add fast food restaurant items to the sugar-fat-salt prepared foods from the grocery store. Prepared food (microwave and fast-food) can be delicious when everyone is starving or at least feeling starved. Once away from sugar-salt-fat enhancers, returning to them is painfully disgusting, even when venturing back just a wee bit.

8. Encouraging facts - God has already arranged a vast array of healing medicines in greens, vegetables, fruits, and meats. I need eye drops (cataract surgery) so I see the pharmacists once a month. I said to the pharm tech who has waited on me since the Walmart opened nearby, "You have very few cures in your department, especially the over-the-counter things." She said, "I know." I asked, "How did I get perfect blood results?"

"I'm not getting paid?!"