Oh My! - Computers Are Good at Saving Everything - See Left Column - Starting at Year 2007

 

The ancients built bridges and aqueducts without glue.

I was looking for something in the dark recesses of my computer when I found all the Ichabod posts carefully gathered orderly in years, in months, each month and daily. 

In olden days I was given free reign of large public libraries since my mother was taking art classes. I was baby-sat at all kinds of libraries, from the grade school library (CS Lewis), Moline Carnegie Library, and large libraries. I went over the great photographic illustrations of WWII and many other feasts.

I was the one out of four who got to enjoy so many Jackson opportunities, and I enjoyed them all. Tests were quite literate then, in the 1950s, so I got bonus rewards for various academic blue ribbons. Christina lived in a parallel universe, where she worked on and memorized the South Bend Public Library. 

I have learned that there is a massive loss of college job opportunities, because so many have found the academic opportunities have evaporated. 

Many things are changing rapidly.

Almost 20 Years of Ichabod - The Glory Has Departed.

 

The software fooled me and scolded me to get the list of previous years, access to all the years.

The impervious software - or was that imperial? - wanted to delve into the years and days of yesteryears. 

The Beginning

Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year, Soldiers

These are times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Thomas Paine

How Conservatives Can Win by Losing, Through the Efficacy of the Word Alone

The Word of God (A Scripture Fragment) and the Book of Concord Editors

Christians have a weapon far more powerful than the combined crafts and assaults of the apostates: the Word of God. Conservatives should not aspire to take over the reigns of power. We end up accomplishing only what we concentrate upon (and often not even that).

When the Cloaca Maxima of Hell, Fuller Seminary, got ministers, members, and mission boards to think about numbers, all the energy and focus turned on "How do we increase our numbers each year?" Gone was any thought of being faithful to the Word of God and the Confessions. In a few years, Biblical and Confessional thinking became the enemy.

Nevertheless, the great power of the Word is revealed in the demonic hatred of the apostates toward any semblance of fidelity to the Scriptures. The wrath and vindictiveness of these people can be stunning. They are not nice people, as they pretend. They cry out "Slander!" when questioned about their false doctrine and run the crudest slander machines on the planet, making the secular politicians look tame.

Believers only have the Word and the Confessions. Satan cannot tolerate ordinary, weak, fallible humans having a weapon that will always defeat him, so he rages without mercy. He will tear apart pastor's families, divide friends, ruin people financially. All this is cloaked with sanctity, but there is no doubt about the malice behind it. That is why so many are afraid of synodical apostates. Pure poison is beneath the buttered words.

Therefore, believers will always seem to be in a weak and losing position. Faithful pastors will get the two-point calls to Forgotten Lutheran and Misbegotten Lutheran, in Buffalo Chip, Oklahoma. People will sneer at their misfortune, as they should. As Luther said, "What the world loves, God despises; what God loves, the world despises."

A faithful layman or pastor will fulfill the dream of Archimedes: "Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world." The lever for the faithful pastor or layman is the Word of God. Archimedes' hyperbole is reality with the efficacy of the Word.

The Invocation of the Holy Trinity is calling upon the power of God. The Absolution is the Promise of God fulfilled. The Creed, the liturgical service, and genuine hymns all support the proclamation of the Gospel, justification by faith alone. The Votum is a prayer by Paul and by the pastor for all the worshipers in the Lutheran service. The Aaronic benediction is not a sign-off, a time for grabbing the coat, purse, and kids, but the blessing of God Himself: the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Each time we hear those words we should think of the Trinity implicitly taught already in Numbers 6--The Lord, The Lord, The Lord.

Who can predict what one baptism will accomplish when accompanied by the nurture of the family (and even without it)? One believer marries another or converts the spouse. In a few years, that one baptism has turned into 100 family members as people gather for the funeral of a matriarch or patriarch. Some family members drift away from the Gospel, but others are converted by marriage or association. No one will write this up in Time, Newsweek, or the National Enquirer: Baptism in Steam Corners, Ohio lays foundation for 100 Christians.

Lutherans have forgotten the cross. The cross consists of those experiences directly related to being faithful to the Word. Cancer is not bearing the cross. Heart disease is not bearing the cross. Nor is homework, as one seminary student suggested.
When the synodical pope kicks congregations and pastors out for questioning his ambiguous political statements, that is bearing the cross. When the district popes remove pastors for questioning Church Growth doctrine and support known false teachers, that is bearing the cross.

The Wisconsin Synod ministerium has an informal communication system (much like a prison) called the Grapevine. The pastors are deathly afraid of the Grapevine. The apostates feed excuses for their fellow-apostates into the Grapevine and pitch slander against the faithful in the same way. For example, the former seminary president was called senile by the Grapevine, because he opposed the NWC-DMLC Anschluss. While he was dying of a stroke, a highly respected pastor was called brain-damaged for writing against Church Growth. He published his article before the stroke, but the Grapevine does not care about facts.

We should be afraid of God, not the Grapevine.

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Isaiah 66:2 KJV

Benefits of Being a Faithful Pastor, Ascending Order
1. Frequents moves. The adulterous (whether spiritually or carnally, often both) cannot abide the Word of God. They keep pastors moving.
2. New friends. The political pastors will not associate with anyone tainted by dissent from apostasy.
3. Lasting friends. Those who love orthodox Lutheran doctrine are united across synodical lines.
4. Renewed friends. Some people turn away when the painful truths are made known, but return to say, "It's worse than anything you ever said or wrote."
5. Knowledge that God's will is accomplished through His Word alone and never apart from His Word.
6. Seeing God at work in the Means of Grace, pastoral visitation, and teaching.

There is an abundant supply of evil people in the visible church. As Rauschenbusch said, religion is powerful. When united with good, it is a powerful good. When united with evil, it is a powerful evil.

However, God is just. Time wounds all heels.

The temptation is great to compromise for a better position, a chance to leave the cares and concerns of a congregation. The warped and twisted nature of our world is revealed in that pastors long to leave the Means of Grace to sit around at synodical meetings dealing with everything except the Means of Grace - and for higher pay and benefits. The rich, black suits and oreo collars! The new model cars! Housing allowance! Trips around the world on the synod's budget! Hobnobbing with the nabobs of Wikiletics! Name-dropping: Maxwell, Sweet, McNeal, Warren--at a seminary reunion!

Unfortunately, ministers are not encouraged to think of their work as worthwhile. Even if no one else thinks so, each minister should realize the power of God's Word and the wisdom of the Confessions.

Reading small histories has always been a hobby. Booklets tell about one small group of Lutherans, a group of missionaries, a district, a synod that emerged from various trends and merged into a new one. My dissertation was about the Augustana Synod, which lasted 100 years. The puzzle is figuring out who those leaders were. Many mother churches are gone, due to demographic and doctrinal trends. I wonder, "What remains?" Those who liked to strut about because of their power are forgotten by everyone. The Word of God remains forever. When those leaders were faithful, the Gospel bore fruit one hundred-fold. The faithful of those years embarrass the mods of today. The faithful are forgotten but God's work and will remain. The faithful win by losing.

Apostates Win by Losing When Conservatives Are Weak

"Whoa! That's my job, Antichrist."

Yes, Having Fun and Discussing Doctrine - Fun and Edifying

I had one of the most delightful days at Sleepy Eye.

1. Several of us changed the gathering place downstairs into a larger and talkative group before we walked over to the cafeteria meeting room. Earlier only four would sit there downstairs and wait. I put men on one end of the comfortable chairs and let the women talk together. We went from four in that area to nine, and the ladies loved it. (Yes, men clog and stop conversation.)

2. The sheepshead group agreed that people could gather with the women talking in a group and a little more of the men separate. That was an instant success. That group had a 90 and 80's. 

3. A server wanted to give my close friend a double soup. I began with making my friend the head of the Captain's Table, which means the Captain is the boss. He did not get the Captain's prestige at once but someone got the server to be milder. The Captain was very pleased. The key is not being the boss, just being a side-kick for the boss. After the meal we talked an hour at that table, with everyone else gone.

4. One man is 99 years old and still dances. 

Large Responses for Ichabod - Sunday and Monday

 Yesterday's Sunday total reached 8,994 views.

Today's readers reached 13,827 views.

Epiphany 4 Video from Previous Broadcast - 10 AM Central

 

Click below for the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzTtLvjewts

Epiphany 4, 2026

 

Hymn #345         Jesus Lover of My Soul             

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 Romans 13:8-10
The Gospel Matthew 8:23-27
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #649     Jesus Savior Pilot Me

Even When Asleep

Hymn #307         Draw Nigh                 
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
Hymn #427    How Firm a Foundation                         

Prayers and Announcements 

• Medical care - Pastor Jim Shrader, Kermit Way, Sarah Buck.
• Avelin (Aby) Anderson was born January 24th three years ago.

KJV Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in Thy divine wisdom and fatherly goodness makest Thy children to bear the cross, and sendest divers afflictions upon us to subdue the flesh, and quicken our hearts unto faith, hope and unceasing prayer: We beseech Thee to have mercy upon us, and graciously deliver us out of our trials and afflictions, so that we may perceive Thy grace and fatherly help, and with all saints forever praise and worship Thee; through Thy dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.  

Even When Asleep

KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, [Mark 4:36 - just as He was] his disciples followed him.

The setting becomes quite dramatic. Jesus was tired getting into the large fishing boat. Mark's Gospel includes "just as He was," which is fitting for the next stage. Disciples were in the boat and following on the shore. The miracles were so great that people followed Him, listened to His divine sermons - He spoke with divine authority, "not like the Pharisees" which translates the Pharisees now as "scholars are divided."

That is all the more reason to know the depth of the Scriptures. As I tell students - "The Bible explains the textbooks, not the other way around." The authority is the Spirit at work in the Word of God.

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

Even on large lakes in our country - the Great Lakes - horrific storms sink ships suddenly. The Edmund Fitzgerald was an ore ship that sank so fast (in 1975), no one could believe what the radar screen said. Jesus' ship was one of those steady, made-for storms ships. Given the violence, darkness, and sloshing waves, the men were wide awake and Jesus was asleep. No one can imagine that a person could sleep through the icy blowing and ship heaving. But Jesus was asleep - His two natures - divine and human.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 

[KJV Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 

Mark is known for having the most condensed version of the Gospels, but here is a detailed combination - asleep on a pillow, awakened by His disciples, accused of not caring and about to die]

These details are very important, because they have guided Bible readers from the beginning. The episode places us in that ship, in that terrifying storm, and angry with our Good Shepherd for seeming to be indifferent, even asleep, not caring!

Faith versus Fear

As soon as fear crops up, faith goes out the window (Luther). General Patton said, "Never take counsel of your fears," and he ordered the chaplain to pray away a violent storm that hindered the Army in one horrific episode. 

We are easily struck with the fear that drives away faith. That can be caused by work, threats of unemployment, rejection, relationships, bosses, threats far beyond our abilities to grasp or calm things down.

"Have faith!" is rather empty, unless we say or think, "Believe in Jesus Christ, have faith - have total trust in Him." All of Christianity is based upon this truth - the Son of God is our Good Shepherd, who watches over us and comes between everything bad and dangerous. Wolves growl and pace around, trying to devour and scatter the flock. 

Bad answers to these problems include - Threatening, anger, retaliating, buying someone's favor, earning special titles and honors. In other words, living by the Law - not the Gospel - and making things even. 

 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

There is a certain amount of humor in this and there is also sharpness. A little bit of faith is not adequate for the storms, and it only twists us up in worrying, fretting, and searching for answers apart from and against the Savior.

The greatest power on earth is Satan, but his time is drawing near, whether next year or centuries in the future. The Savior stands in the way of Satan and his many subordinates, who try to ridicule, avoid, and mock the Good Shepherd.

The Savior is far more powerful than Satan, because Jesus allowed Himself to be only the man. He was and is the Word of God who took on the sins of the world.

27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! 

Those who followed and believed were still overwhelmed by the calm power of their Master. No matter what they saw and believed before this happened, stilling the storm and rebuking it were His actions, His will, His demonstration of divine power. Many things had to happen to let them understand and trust in all this.

We have the benefit of what they experienced, essential for the life God gives us. 

John 4:17-26 - The Woman at the Well - Part 2

Jesus cleansed the Temple market and coins. John 2:13-22

4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

This challenge is not only important for the Samaritans (who kept a false religion) but for the entire world where the Christ-Faith would spread, in all languages.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

This is a beautiful teaching for Jesus and the world, because the One True Faith would soon teach the universal Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - on a global scale.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

I AM is the pivotal statement -  the Name of God from the Burning Bush.  

editing a little later

Intermission - The Special Energy of the Gospel of John

The Fourth Gospel has more of a framework compared to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. That is not criticism but a way of looking at John compared to the other three. That can be appreciated by the careful reading of John. It is easier to look at the Fourth Gospel as the essence of that Gospel, simple in words but profound in meaning.

A writer is sorely tempted to include all kinds of details, which have given us miles of Matthew-Mark-Luke scholarly books but a lot of less of Johannine wisdom. The reason - before one gets upset - is the "Scientific scholars" (aka Thiantific) of endless denials about the truth of the Scriptures. College taught me the rationalistic approaches to Harvard Divinity School, from the New Testament professor. In later years he openly denied the rising of Jesus Christ. Likewise, the Princeton Seminary professor taught the same blasphemy at the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.

In contrast, the best of the Biblical scholars in their era - the Yale Divinity professors taught the Scriptures, as my favorite insisted - "The text! The text! The one thing we know for certain is the text!" (Nils A. Dahl)

 

The Fourth Gospel soars above the rest because so much is taught, profound and simple words, always worth studying. 

 

Some People Reminded Me of Revelation and Johnny Cash's Song

 

KJV Revelation 22

10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling Apocalyptic Symbolism & Profound Truths

Play "The Man Comes Aro…" on Amazon Music Unlimited (ad)

John 4. 1-16 - The Woman at the Well

 

4.1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

Jesus left Judea because the Pharisees were concerned about the baptisms of John and the numbers for Jesus' though He did not baptize.  His own disciples did. These matters were very important because of the Isaiah 40 prophecy.

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:   

4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

The ancient symbols of the past were preserved and used - like Jacob's Well, essential for survival. Jesus began His request knowingly because He had much to say about the Samaritan woman.

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Jesus penetrated the soul of this woman, letting her understand His wisdom and the importance of this well, the Samaritans, and divine leadership. 

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

The Samaritan woman was far away from Jesus' knowledge, concentrating on the past, Jacob, and his heritage.

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John's Gospel is especially powerful in dealing with the real truths and the divine benefits of the Master's touch.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

John the Baptist and Jesus: John 3:25 - 36

 

3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

At first John the Baptist was the prophet and leader that began drawing so many to the Messiah and enraged the ruler to him. Jesus already proved His miraculous and staggering change at the humble little wedding at Cana.

26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Newcomers may wonder why this twist came about, with John the Baptist revealing Isaiah 40, the apparent Messiah. This can be understood as Jesus humbling Himself before John but with the Baptist humbling himself before God's ancient prophet.

31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Greek New Testament class felt the confusion in 1966, when we were 18+ years, starting college. We were not very aware of the Fourth Gospel because the "scientific scholars" favored Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But we all felt the excitement of Handel's Messiah at Christmas, engagement ring a year later.

 Statue erected in Handel's honor, in Vauxhall Gardens, London.