Back To My Old Computer Training - Chapel Computer Revived

 

The chapel computer was strangely staying almost dark, and it was too late to look over the problem (so I thought). Delta Force retreated to the office computer and conducted the service.

Calm, yet compassionate, I went back to the chapel later. "When in doubt, check the plugs." I looked over the cable to the box. Oh-oh. It was strangely jammed in. A couple of tries made it good again. A power cord was definitely not plugged correctly, so I found a replaced. The chapel computer was recently worked on (via India) for sound problems (not sound doctrine problems). 

When I rebooted the computer the screen came on beautifully and the sound was better than the original fix, maybe from rebooting after the fix.

I think perhaps cleaning knocked two separate cords a bit loose, so I will ask. 

The Epiphany of Our Lord - 2025.

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The Zoom link will work during the live service. The saved file will be posted afterwards.

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The Feast of the Epiphany, 2025

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 10 AM Central Standard Time

The Hymn #126      Arise and Shine in Splendor                        

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual         
The Gospel                               
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #128   Brightest and Best

The Star of Bethlehem

 
The Hymn #127        As With Gladness Men of Old

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 #646         Silent Night

EPIPHANY

Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast given us the light of Thy holy word, the guiding star, which leadeth us to the Christ-child: Send, we beseech Thee, Thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that we may receive this light and make use of it unto our salvation, and that we, like the wise men, when they were seeking the star, may not be afraid because of any hardship or peril, but put all our trust in Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, as our only Savior; devote our earthly possessions to the advancement of Thy kingdom, and in all things serve Him, Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.                    

Isaiah 60 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.

Matthew 2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The Appearance of Our Lord

Matthew 2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The word epiphany is used fairly often today, such as having a special thought. Example -  "After 20 years of work on a project, he had an epiphany." The term is used eloquently in church language - The Epiphany of Our Lord. This moment in time is signaled because of many events:

• King David was first a shepherd and came from Bethlehem. David became king, and he ruled 1000 years before the birth of Christ. Jesus was born in Bethlehem because of His lineage back to King David.
• Jesus was before Abraham, John 8, declaring His divinity.
• Jesus was hailed as the Son of David when He entered Jerusalem before His death.

The appearance of the Wise Men before King Herod reminds us how significant they were, the king accepting an audience with foreign leaders. That was not casual but quite formal. The term magi can be seen as dignitaries, emissaries, who either have very important information or need to have information revealed to them. As I have said before, even now a celestial appearance can get a large body of population to look at it, wonder, and discuss it. Such things are almost unique and are always special, even with all our space movies, books, and songs.

Here is where the so-called New Testament scholars miss everything. "We have come to worship Him." In other words, He is God. That is a threat to King Herod and the sharp beginning of turmoil caused by the Savior, even when only a newborn. The brainiacs of these age enjoy the trappings but they are blind to the whole message. God and man - the Incarnation - born of the Virgin Mary - predicted 800 years earlier, but erased by the National Council of Churches, the RSV, and "mainline" Protestant preachers. 

The Wise men saw the star and had to flee because Herod wanted to remove all traces of this baby who threatened the monarchy and therefore Israel and the Roman Empire. And yet such a little baby. We have a number of babies and young children in our congregation. No one is afraid of them. But the newborn Jesus was a threat, one so powerful that His birth was declared in the stars, pronounced by  angels, and seen by magi. Herod the King had to lie in order to find this threat, but that was established by the divine calendar.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

This is a good reminder about the angelic armies proclaiming the Gospel to the shepherds, and the additional threat of the three strangers. We can easily imagine the exotic nature of the Magi, the instant spreading of rumors, and the effect of the Star of Bethlehem. No one had to tell anyone else - they had seen the Star and heard about the Magi. Herod demanded to know where this newborn was.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

We are the younglings in a young civilization. The people in Matthew  - They had accumulated the Promises of the Hebrew Scriptures. King David was a thousand years before. If we look back 1000 years, 2025 is 1025, decades before Harold the Usuper in 1066.

All this testimony meant a lot, whether the in Jerusalem or ultimately in Rome. And we are just tiny creatures in the midst of the universe created by the Word Incarnate.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

This is the great contradiction - the king wants to know exactly where the Child is, but only for evil. In all his regal glory, the king cannot find Jesus - and the Magi escape. Even way back in Lenski's time (died 1936) people scrambled to deny the Star and its miraculous appearance. In fact, they were denying the divinity while trying to prove their wisdom and science.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him [auto- long o - only Him]: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

This should remind us of our national and denominational stink-eye. Yes, the stink-eye is America's generic sacrament. So many are judged by not fitting the precise measurements of their cult, or click, or special group. Luther portrayed this very well. The emphasis should be on faith in Jesus Christ. Instead, someone who is not exactly right is shunned, ignored, removed from the special class. Living under the Law or a variation, they insist on that Law.

The Wise Men found the abode where Jesus was with Joseph and Mary, undoubtedly a modest place. These men risked their lives to worship Him (one person in Greek), not Joseph nor Mary. Access to God's grace comes only from faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2). 

Announcements and Prayers

• Ongoing medical care - Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader, Kermit Way, Sarah Buck, Doc Lito's family.
• Tom Fisher's farm is in the midst of the snowstorm across Illinois.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - St. Stephen's Day - "Do you then reply: Alas, shall we not follow the lives and examples of the holy saints? Why are they then preached? Answer: One should preach them so as to praise God in them, to stir up one another, and to comfort one another by his goodness and grace and not show forth their works, but their obedience in their works. However in our days they let obedience lie and lead us so deeply into works, that we have completely drifted from obedience, and we gape at works and despise our own mission and calling."

 

Complete sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - John 21:19-24.
St. John the Evangelist

DAY OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST.

18. Therefore we must close our eyes, not look at our works, whether they be great, small, honorable, contemptible, spiritual, temporal or what kind of an appearance and name they may have upon earth; but look to the command and to the obedience in the works. Do they govern you, then the work also is truly right and precious, and completely godly, although it springs forth as insignificant as a straw. However, if obedience and God’s commandments do not dominate you, then the work is not right, but damnable, surely the devil’s own doings, although it were even so great a work as to raise the dead. For it is decreed that God’s eyes look not to the works, but to the obedience in the works. Therefore it is his will, that we look to his command and our calling, of which St. Paul says in Corinthians 7:17: “As God hath called each, so let him walk.” And St.

Peter says, Ye are to be as faithful, good shepherds or administrators of the manifold grace of God; so that each one may serve the other, and be helpful to him by means of what he has received, 1 Peter 4:10. See, here Peter says the grace and gifts of God are not one but manifold, and each is to tend to his own, develop the same and through them be of service to others.

14. What a glorious state of things would reign, if it were thus that each tended to his own affairs and yet thereby served others, and thus traveled together to heaven in one flock in the right road. St. Paul also writes in Romans 12:4-6 and 1 Corinthians 12:12: “The body has many members, but all have not the same office.” Since we are many members of one congregation, but all have not the same office, no one should administer the office of another, but each his own, and all in childlike obedience and in the many offices and manifold works walk in unity and harmony.

15. Do you then reply: Alas, shall we not follow the lives and examples of the holy saints? Why are they then preached? Answer: One should preach them so as to praise God in them, to stir up one another, and to comfort one another by his goodness and grace and not show forth their works, but their obedience in their works. However in our days they let obedience lie and lead us so deeply into works, that we have completely drifted from obedience, and we gape at works and despise our own mission and calling.

Hence there is no doubt it is Satan’s own doings that divine worship is confined only to churches, altars, masses, singing, reading, offerings and the like, as if all other works were vain or of no use whatever. How could Satan mislead us more completely from the right way than when he confines God’s worship within such narrow limits, only to the church and whatever is done in it ?

16. Be on your guard, look in front of you, Christ will not suffer Peter to look around, not even to the disciple he still loves. Do you think it was for naught that the very disciple, whom Jesus loved, was preferred here to all the other disciples? It was for some purpose that he was not mentioned by name. He might indeed have said: Peter turned and saw John; but he said, “whom Jesus loved” etc. But he wished to meet this evil and banish from their sight the works of the saints, in order that nothing but pure obedience might always abide there, and no one might glory or excuse himself in that he had followed the example of the saints.

Luther Reed - A Classic in Liturgy - Alec Satin - Lutheran Library

 

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Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry Weekly Updates May God bless you now and always. From your Lutheran Librarian, 📅 NEW PUBLICATIONS AND UPDATES The Lutheran Liturgy by Luther Reed “Public worship… is the privilege and responsibility of the Church. It must be ordered and administered. It is not an abstraction; it is a solemn transaction. It is faith in action. Times, place, forms, and musical settings must be provided. Reverence, dignity, beauty, and efficiency can best be attained by appropriate formality. The Church has thought much about these matters.” - From the Introduction: The Mind of the Church Level of Difficulty: Intermediate: Some prior subject matter ... Read more Consolation: Discourses to the Suffering Children of God by James Alexander The whole of Divine Truth may be regarded as a comfort to Christian disciples… We help the disheartened by… setting before his mind those great everlasting truths, the acceptation of which lays the basis for joy and peace. - From the Preface" Level of Difficulty: Primer: No prior subject matter knowledge needed. Contents About the Lutheran Library Titlepage Contents Preface 1 God’s Everlasting Mercy a Source of Consolation 2 The Providence of God a Ground of Consolation 3 The Same Subject ... Read more The Augsburg Confession: A Brief Review and Interpretation by Juergen Ludwig Neve “The main stress in the book… is upon the interpretation of its text… It is prefaced by a chapter with simple talks on confessional questions… The second part… tell(s) the story of the Confession in a readable way.. The third part, with its interpretation of the articles of the Confession, forms the main part of this book… the effort has been made to write in such a way that a layman… can follow the discussions.” -from the Preface by J L Neve. Level of Difficulty: Primer: No prior subject ... Read more Life's Golden Lamp: A Treasury of Texts from the Words of Christ by Robert Offord This daily devotional is made up of short messages based on Scriptural texts. Each has been written by a different minister of the Gospel. ‘May the Lord whose words are the vital portion of the book grant that as these are read from day to day… they may not return to him void!’ - from the Preface Level of Difficulty: Primer: No prior subject matter knowledge needed. Contents About the Lutheran Library Title page Preface These Sayings of ... Read more An Easy Guide to Scripture Animals by Vernon Morwood “An Easy Guide to Scripture Animals, being a description of all the animals mentioned in the Bible, with the Scripture References, numerous anecdotes, etc. For home use and for day and Sunday schools.” Level of Difficulty: Primer: No prior subject matter knowledge needed. Contents About the Lutheran Library Original Cover Titlepage Presented to Frontispiece Preface Contents Vocabulary Scripture ... Read more How I Found the True Faith by Samuel McGerald “The story of a remarkable conversion from Roman Catholicism, with additional chapters on subjects vital and fundamental.” Level of Difficulty: Primer: No prior subject matter knowledge needed. Contents About the Lutheran Library Titlepage What’s said about the book by Distinguished Men of Both Continents Autograph Frontispiece Epigraph Contents Foreword 1 My Early Years 2 Boyhood Experiences 3 Coming to America 4 A Turning Point in My Life 5 Reading the Sealed Book 6 The Word Winning Its ... Read more 🚀 SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS Liked this week's issue? Don't forget to spread it out!

Reformation Seminary Lecture - John 14 - Part 2

 

This Zoom link below will work during the live presentation. The next step is making it permanent.

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KJV John 14 - Part 2

14.14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. [or - guard, protect]

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [emphasis on the Holy Trinity and on the Spirit]

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - St. John the Evangelist - "The very same way the bishop and spiritual prelates also act, who should feed the sheep of Christ and follow Christ, and even suffer death for their sake; instead, they observe their seven canonical hours for prayers, hold mass, and then allow themselves to be called pious people. But if one of the bishops enters heaven then a different heaven must be created. All bishops at present are nothing but fire works of hell, in that they do not administer their office, not even a hair’s breadth of it."

 

St. John the Evangelist, Juan Ribalta

Complete sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - John 21:19-24.
St. John the Evangelist

DAY OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST.



TEXT:

John 21:19-24. Now thus he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord who is he that betrayeth thee?

Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me, This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, ,what is that to thee?

This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true.

1. When Christ asked Peter three times whether he loved him, and Peter answered three times, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee,” he commended unto him three times his sheep and said: “Feed my sheep.”

Immediately afterwards he announced to Peter his death, and says: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.” Closely joined to this is to-day’s Gospel: “Follow thou me,” as if to say: Since this is to be your lot, ponder it well and follow thou me and yield willingly to death. It is evident enough that this following signifies his death, and all the disciples understood it so, and it is a lucid and easy Gospel.

2. However as some were greatly worried to know whether St. John was dead or still alive, the Evangelist shows clearly enough that Christ did not wish to let us know, therefore we should not pry into the matter. He says:

Jesus did not say he should not die, neither does he say that he should die.

He thus lets it hang in doubt. If Christ had said: I will that he tarry till I come, it might have been understood that he would die on the last day. But that he says, “If I will, that he tarry”, it is still much more in the dark, in that he does not say right out whether he will or will not.

3. But in doing thus Christ taught us a beautiful and touching lesson for the sake of which Christ dismissed Peter in this manner.

THE TEACHING OF THIS GOSPEL.

The teaching is as follows: Nothwithstanding the examples and lives of all the saints every person should attend to the work entrusted to him and guard the honor of his calling. Oh, this is truly a needed and wholesome teaching. “It is very misleading, and it is almost universal, that we so highly esteem the works and lives of the saints. If we wish to imitate them, we think it to be a very precious work to do so. The useless babblers aid and urge this, who preach the lives of the holy saints and present them to the people for examples in the wrong way.

4. Here Christ works and speaks against this very thing. Peter is a type of such wild wanderers; when Christ had commanded him at once to follow him, he turns about and looks after another, worries as to where he is going whom Jesus had loved. Just so these persons do, they let drop what has been commanded them, and look after the lives and works of those God loved, namely his saints, therefore Christ reproves Peter, and says:

What is that to thee, where he is wandering? Follow thou me, I will attend to him; how, if I wish him to tarry, wilt thou also tarry? Do you imagine I wish the same from you as from him? No, not so; you attend to your duties. I desire to have many kinds of servants, but not all to be at the same work.

5. Alas, many persons are found, who like Peter do everything except what is commanded them. Many a one hears that certain saints made pilgrimages, for which they are praised; then he like a fool starts off, leaves wife and children sitting, who are entrusted to him by God, and trots to St.

Jacob, or here and there, not knowing that his calling and mission are quite different from that of the saint he is imitating. In the same way they do with their bequests, fastings, clothing, holidays, priestcraft, monasteries and cloisters. All that is nothing but looking around to the saints Christ loved, and turning their backs to the commission and calling to follow Christ.

Then they boast they did well, in that they followed the saints.

6. Therefore take heed, that the way of God leads into the right road, First, it tolerates no human doctrine and way or command, secondly, it does not allow of any works, sought and devised by self. Thirdly, God’s way cannot recognize the examples of the saints; but its anxiety is to be faithful, as God leads, in what he requires of us; as the prophet says in Psalm 25:8-12: “God shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose.” Likewise: “And the weak will he teach his way,” etc.

7. Then you may reply: But how if I am not called, what shall I do then?

Answer: How is it possible that you are not called? You have always been in some state or station; you have always been a husband or wife, or boy or girl, or servant. Picture before you the humblest state. Are you a husband, and you think, you have not enough to do in that sphere to govern your wife, children, domestics and property so that all may be obedient to God and you do no one any wrong? Yea, if you had five heads and ten hands, even then you would be too weak for your task, so that you would never dare to think of making a pilgrimage or doing any kind of saintly work.

8. Again: are you a son or daughter, and do you think you have not enough work with yourself, to continue chaste, pure and temperate during your youth, obey your parents, and offend no one by word or deed? Yea, since the custom of honoring such commands and callings has been abandoned, people go and pray with their rosaries and do like things, not belonging to their station in life, and no one ever thinks he is not faithful in his state or station.

9. Again: Are you a domestic or servant, and do you think you would go idle if you were to serve your lord or mistress with all faithfulness as your station and orders require, and also keep your youth under control as with a bridle?

10. And again: Are you a prince, a lord, spiritual or secular; who has more to do than you, in order that your subjects may do right, preserve peace, and wrong is done by no one? Why, do you think, the proverb originated:

A prince or lord is a wild deer in the heavens? Only because they have their office and wish to rule far off when they cannot govern even themselves; afterwards they wish to atone for their folly by masses, bequests, rosaries, prayers and indulgences, as if God were a dealer in old clothes, or a child that permits himself to be fooled with a penny.

11. The very same way the bishop and spiritual prelates also act, who should feed the sheep of Christ and follow Christ, and even suffer death for their sake; instead, they observe their seven canonical hours for prayers, hold mass, and then allow themselves to be called pious people. But if one of the bishops enters heaven then a different heaven must be created. All bishops at present are nothing but fire works of hell, in that they do not administer their office, not even a hair’s breadth of it.