How Strange, New, and Ancient Communication Can Be

 

How Strange, New, and Ancient 

Communication Can Be

We thought the first, tiny efforts with email were very cool. I had to take Communication Classes, which were required. We even had leaded type (yes, for lead) for making projects.

I will be building up a list on Instagram, which seems to be quite useful. No one has to join.

In Christ,

Pastor Jackson

50th Wedding Anniversary - John Jackson and Jane Rosborough John Jackson and Jane Rosborough Jackson were married on December 22, 1973

 

50th Wedding Anniversary - John Jackson and Jane Rosborough

 

 John Jackson and Jane Rosborough Jackson were married on December 22, 1973

New Numbers Coming Up

 

Ichabod is about to roll over the numbers on this blog, probably today. 

Meanwhile, Moline Memories is about to roll over a much smaller number - but with only one high school, one class - Moline 1966 High School. 

Knowing I could slowly gather a lot of photos and stories, I accumulated my class size when past events showed up.

"But what about our diminished population?"

People can download, but they can also be picked for their favorites.

This is my first birthday cake - both of them in awe.

 

I posed for Melo-Cream Donuts at the age of four. It took the 1970s to replace bakery with nutrition - and it worked!

Reading the Psalms from the Middle to the Beginning

 

I always found the Psalms a problem for me, simply because the beginning is used too often (my fault) - and the great Psalms are likely to be overlooked.

As I wrote earlier, Psalm 36 is a masterpiece in showing us how to handle our emotions and act according to God's wisdom and outcome. 

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

+++

Constant blessings are wonderful for all.

Psalm 34

34 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

+++

Psalm 24

24 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. 

+++

Psalm 8

8 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Tom Fisher's lambs.

"Wars And Rumors of Wars..." - Not Just the Supreme Court

 

 

Matthew 24:6-8

                    King James Version

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

We have heard of these warnings - and more - from St. Matthew. This morning we suddenly heard about a big fight among the Supreme Court justices.

Psalm 37 is good to repeat and study.

Commandments - First and Second.

 

Shepherd Sunday - Misericordia 2026.

Video link here - Vimeo - 

For Shepherd Sunday -

9 AM or 10 AM Central

Bethany Lutheran Church

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

https://youtu.be/AmcVwl0GuJw

Misericordias Domini – 

Second Sunday after Easter, 2026

This version has some conflicts.

 

The Hymn #436         The Lord's My Shepherd

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord: by the word of the Lord were the heavens made. Psalm. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

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

Collect 

God, who by the humiliation of Thy Son didst raise up the fallen world, grant unto Thy faithful ones perpetual gladness, and those whom Thou hast delivered from the danger of everlasting death do Thou make partakers of eternal joys; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Then was the Lord Jesus known of the disciples: in the breaking of bread. Hallelujah!

V. I am the Good Shepherd: and know My sheep and am known of Mine. Hallelujah!

 

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #196              I Am Content 

I AM the Good Shepherd

 

The Communion Hymn # 328          O Jesus Lamb of God Thou Art - CPE Bach

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 #50              Lord Dismiss Us    

 

Prayers and Announcements

• Medical Care - Pastor James Shrader and his wife Chris, Kermit Way and his wife Maria Ellenberger Way.

 

 

Second Sunday After Easter

Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness hast been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and hast given Thy beloved Son to be our shepherd, not only to nourish us by His word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd doth know us and succor us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 

KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

 

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 

Three of Luther’s sermons on this text:

• Misericordias Domini. Second Sunday After Easter. John 10:11-16. Christ’s Office and Kingdom; or How Christ is the True Shepherd
• Second Sermon: Preachers, Civil Authorities, and the Knowledge of Christ
• Third Sermon: The Good Shepherd and his Sheep; or Christ’s Person, Office and Rulership

I AM the Good Shepherd

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Greek, the universal language at the time, phrases this unlike anything we have in English. It is literally "The Shepherd the Good" which means The Noble Shepherd  - or - The Shepherd above All Shepherds.

I got into a discussion about German Shepherd dogs on Facebook. The owners (or rather - the staff) were agreed that their dogs terrified strangers but were very intelligent, gentle and very protective with children. 

Jesus strikes many as terrifying because they do not know Him or believe in Him. Some people respond to Jesus by mocking His Two Natures, human and divine. They have all kinds of clever things to say, and they want to reduce the Savior to someone  not as bright as they are.

A new/old book arrived that showed me how cleverly the Bible has been defamed in the last 150 years. I have 20+ books on this topic. The author of this book pointed out how easily the new Bibles were accepted, and how many denominations had a variety of translations they used without much fuss at all. The reason is - the battle was over. The corrupt Greek texts (fraudulent Sinaiticus and corrupt Vaticanus) - mixed in with Apostolic (Traditional, Received, Byzantine) Text - were easily passed off as "scholarly, the oldest, the best, the most accurate, the earliest" Greek New Testaments.

Jesus is the Unique Shepherd, the Shepherd above all human shepherds, unlike any human shepherd. This Sunday is called Shepherd Sunday because Jesus teaches us the true nature of being the Son of God. The Bible has around 500 references to shepherds and shepherding, and they point to this very special description - The Good Shepherd. 

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The Good Shepherd gave up His life for His flock, those who believe in Him. Every Christian believer has a name. I was asked about this last week. I said, "The baptismal name is the one which stays with that person's soul into eternity." Question - "What about non-believers?" I said, as I often do, "I am sales, not management."

The hireling is there for the money, which we can often see, because they define their work with glory and glitter, the size of their parking lots and their endowment funds. One famous grandson wrecked his well known congregation and blamed it on his wife. No worry - he showed up later in another format, because he was and is a hireling.

The wolf, who represents all false teachers, slaughters and scatters the sheep, the first group gathering his funds for a great income, tenure, and the adoration of the foolish. The second group of wolves charge at the believers for the fun of it - destroying faith in Jesus Christ through mocking the Scriptures and boasting of their great knowledge. 

One seminary professor had his adult son read from a ridiculous book called "The Shining Stranger" - supposedly from Harvard and written about Jesus. (secret author at the time) When I pointed out how ridiculous it was, in front of the graduate class, the professor was outraged - but never mentioned the book again. This author was the "first one ever to discover this special knowledge about Jesus." I asked, "Really? Nobody had a clue about Jesus, century after century, until NOW?" Book readings stopped and nothing more was said.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

The hirelings do not stay to protect the flock but run away, because they have no love for the flock. That is why so many giant churches evaporate, almost overnight. In contrast, the Apostle Paul met with all kinds of threats and tumult, and was always in anguish over the constant threats of false teachers and their false doctrine.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

The Son of God knows each and every one of His flock, and His own know Him. In the past, when I was asked to give the sermon at a liberal (apostate) church, the believers would nod their heads in agreement and the council members would frown and fold their arms. My divisive message was about the truth of the inerrant, infallible Scriptures.

This should always be in our minds - Jesus knows us and works through the Word to keep us in the flock. The Holy Spirit, through the Word, condemns unbelief in Jesus (John 16). The Spirit through the Word (Isaiah 55)

1. Always accomplishes God's Word
2. Never returns void, empty.
3. Always prospers His purpose.

Those two passages are the bedrock of Christian life. 

• John 16 teaches that unbelief in Jesus is the foundational sin.
• Isaiah 55 teaches that God's Word always accomplishes and prospers God's Word. The verification is - "never returns empty," a double negative that forms a  100% positive. 

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The Father-Son relationship is 100%. There is no gap in the Father's love and grace toward us, no gap in the power of Jesus the Son of God in helping us. 

When our skepticism and doubts try to take over and win the battle, we have to return to these passages - which teach faith in Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, the Son of God. We know and trust that we could never get to the steps of the pearly gates, but the Lamb of God has exchanged His righteousness for our sins.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

We should always remember that this little group of followers were isolated in a corner of the failing Roman Empire. The more they were hated, scattered, and killed, the more they grew. No other ancient work has a fraction of the copies of their works as we have of the New Testament. Translations were made and various publications were preserved so we have from 5 to 8 thousand copies, all proving how important the Bible was for people of all races and languages. And these Apostolic Texts agree with only a handful of exceptions (which include Sinaiticus and Vaticanus).

The missionaries were often translators, like William Tyndale, who insisted that everyone should hear the Voice of Jesus in their own language. The powerful clergy and king tried to silence him by arresting and killing him, but they found the Word of God was more powerful than the British Empire, the King, and her clergy.

The KJV is roughly 75% Tyndale's work.

What Hath Church Growth Wrought!?

 

 Official presidential portrait of John Quincy Adams

What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848 is a nonfiction book about the history of the United States written by historian Daniel Walker Howe. 

Each Denomination Left Its Own "Growth Strategy" Faster Than a Scalded Dog 

A clever fellow has created graphs on the decline of Congregationalists as churches, also as individuals. The United Church of Christ changes were well known 50 years ago, and I saw the similar numbers about Lutherans at an LCA conference. 

By the way, ELCA lost half of its population from its merger-mobile - and splendid harmony - with LCMS-WELS-ELS populations. 

Guess what? The United Church of Christ shrank from 8,300 congregations in 1957 slithering down to 4,500 in 2020!

UCC membership soared downward from 2.1 million members to 680,000.

Running Out of People -https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/the-united-church-of-christ-is-running

New way of spelling McGavran! Yes, the Lutherans ATE IT UP!

The Shepherd's Psalm - 23 KJV

 

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Francis Rous - By Frederick Newenham (1807–1859) 

"The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want"
by Francis Rous, 1579-1659, et al.

Tune - Belmont - linked here

1. The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

2. My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E'en for His own name's sake.

3. Yea, tho' I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

4. My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

5. Goodness and mercy, all my life,
Shall surely follow me;
And in God's house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.

Hymn #436
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 23
Author: Francis Rous, et al., 1650
Composer: William Gardiner, 1812
Tune: "Belmont"