Ash Wednesday, 2017. Matthew 6:16-21. "Where Your Treasure Is...

Ash Wednesday, 2017, 7 PM Central

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Time

The Hymn #552                Abide with Me 

            

The Order of Vespers                                                p. 41

The Psalmody               Psalm 1                        p. 123

The Lection                              Joel 2:12-19

Matthew 6:16-2

The Sermon Hymn #347     Jesus Priceless Treasure

The Sermon –   Where Your Treasure Is...

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect for Grace                                       p. 45

The Hymn # 429      Lord, Thee I Love                  

KJV Joel 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? 18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

KJV Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This should be ready for initial proof-reading
tonight or tomorrow AM, D.V.

Where Your Treasure Is

KJV Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 

Today the Facebook posts were crowded with references to wearing ashes today. That struck me as the opposite of the Gospel lesson's first part. 

One police officer asked an ELCA pastor to anoint his face with ashes, during a traffic stop, because he would not be able to make the service.

The lesson is not for or against certain customs, but against making a show of repentance to earn the praise of others. Once again, that is the basic temptation of Christianity, to turn the Gospel into a program, a system of works, a way to show off one's holiness.

Luther always praised the character and holiness of the Pharisees, for good reason. They were the best and the most honored of the religious. And St. Paul was the best Pharisee. The trouble with that was simple, their treasure was in their own holiness. They counted that and added it up like a Price Waterhouse CPA Partner-in-Charge.

As long as the treasure is in one's works of righteousness, there will be a constant effort to make sure the treasury is full and protected against all assaults. Every word and deed comes from the purest of motives and intentions, no matter how things ended up.

Luther was good about emphasizing how our Old Adam taints everything we do or say. Unless we face our inherent sinfulness, we are going to insist we are always right and the other person always wrong. Our motives will always be the best - the other's motives will always be the worst. 

The beginning of true repentance is not to go around with a hang-dog face, which is so popular today. The apology is often offered in terms of emotion:

• The football star caught in a felony is very sorry.
• "I feel terrible about it." 
• I just cannot tell you how sorry I am. I have cried about it day and night.

The revivalists, even among Lutherans, were known for having a mourner's bench up front where they could sigh and pray and come to Jesus during a revival service. The Lutherans caught up with the Evangelical, non-Confessional revivals found out that eventually they wore this out and found it quite unproductive.

The revivalists made no secret of their attempts to manipulate everyone, so their preaching revivals found new energy in Pentecostalism, where speaking in tongues generated new excitement because they were new and supposedly material signs of God's Holy Spirit.

These entertainments, which continue in various forms, tend to reduce the audience's blessings in worship, because they become passive in watching the show unless they are starring in a mini-show, such as pounding on electronic instruments or dancing in the aisles.

Sadly, this passive behavior leads people away from the Means of Grace and genuine repentance. The Gospel itself is often the most moving message of our need for repentance, because of the magnitude of forgiveness, the greatness of the Treasure.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 

People are not correct when they mope about and use sorrow for sin as their payment, because our emotions, our regrets, our long faces do not pay for sin. They do not certify us as worthy of forgiveness.

The Gospel is too simple for many to believe because just as our Old Adam sins, so our Old Adam wants to pay for sin. But the Gospel teaches that believing in Christ is forgiveness, complete and full.

Even more, the daily life of the believer means we are forgiven all our sins each day by the Holy Spirit in the Word that teaches us this forgiveness, the Atonement of Christ on the cross.

So we should anoint our heads, look bright and happy, even when observing a fast. The reason is - our treasure is in heaven and not there among the opinions of others, whether good or bad.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

One of my favorite passages in Moby Dick is where the tight-fisted Quakers do not want to pay Ishmael much for shipping out on a dangerous voyage hunting whales. Each time Ishmael hints at a greater share of the haul, they say, "Lay not up for yourselves..." In whaling, a "lay" is a portion of the haul. Clearly the Quakers were not observing their own Scriptural advice.

I decided, once I reached the age of Luther and Melanchthon when they died, - 63 years - that I should devote as much time as possible in publishing books that would benefit others with Scriptural, Lutheran doctrine. Instead of figuring that a final book in 2000 would be enough, I thought, "Why not explore all the important topics? Why not give away as much as possible?"

Now I am thinking of providing a series of lectures on Ustream, the basics of Christian doctrine and certain topics.

The blessings are unexpected, just as the shunning is. Let us forget the shunning for a century or so. The blessings come from uniting those who have a keen interest in Biblical, Lutheran teaching and eagerly study the Word of God, Luther, the Confessions, and related material.

That group is not enormous in size, but as Luther wrote, the Gospel is thinly sown. Those who have disrupted the lives of others by their attacks on Christian doctrine have awakened many who took certain claims for granted as being true.

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

We can lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, and that works fairly well. Jesus is quite clear about alternatives. There are believers and unbelievers, laying up treasure on earth - or in heaven.

Lenski pointed out that people concern themselves with what God already provides, but they fail to pray for what is most important. Anyone can see the results, because people were not concerned when faithful worship services were replaced with clown acts - literally in some cases. They agreed with ripping out pipe organs in the name of having pop music - and no more hymns. They piled up false teachers that would tell them what their itching ears wanted to hear.

The Gospel offers the cross, and Jesus insisted on it. Those who refuse the cross are not worthy to follow Him and be His disciple. That means who - when offered a chance to stay with the Gospel or appease others - choose the popular route.

God provides some ironic humor in this, because losing is always gaining. Those who lose friends, family, and jobs also gain in ways that can hardly be replaced.

Really secure jobs might have kept us in Phoenix. As I told our son, that would have denied us the last 7 years with his family. Our grandson only knows us being nearby. 

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

If material things are our treasure, then we measure everything that way. For example one of the Duponts grew up in a home filled with imported treasures from Europe, entire wings brought over. She said, "I was never allowed to play, because I might hurt something." Probably the oppressing thought was, "They love the antiques more than they love me."

When the Gospel is our treasure, we see how many blessings come from what God has given us. We have felt that in our neighborhood. Last night two neighbor girls knocked on the door. They brought a necklace over for my wife. They came in and gave her the gift, and they said, "We love you."

Likewise, Sassy's friend on the corner comes by often to visit. He has limitations but no limit on his caring. Every day on our walks I have to give him a report. He cared for his mother and stepfather in their final days.

In 47 years we have not had so many close neighbors, including the woman who died calling herself a Lutheran and a member of our church.

More SpenerQuest Entertainment - UOJ Experts Rolf Preus and Jay Webber

If anyone needs to find out what is wrong with the Synodical Conference, reading SpenerQuest (aka LutherQuest) will create a great hunger to go back and read Lutheran books as an antidote.

First of all, Webber and Rolf show no evidence of exegetical ability but choose to circle around their SynCon heroes and throw quotes at each other. The quest for the historical Kidnapper - CFW Walther - continues.

Although both consider themselves UOJ experts for sticking to the same false dogma, they really loathe each other. And they are both loathed in their respective sects - Webber in the Little Sect on the Prairie, Rolf in the LCMS (at the moment). Webber was LCMS and Rolf was ELS. Such harmony! - and they both went to Ft. Wayne when Robert Preus was president of Ft. Wayne.

Loehe began that school and Walther asked for it as a gift to Missouri, plus continued cash. But Loehe is a bad guy to many in Missouri.

That reminds me of Madison in The Music Man. "He was a miser nobody liked." The Music Man, Harold Hill asked, "Madison Picnic Park? Madison Gymnasium? Madison Hospital? Who did he think he was?"

The Halle twins never seem to realize that the debate websty is named LutherQuest, not Walther-StephanQuest. They know less about Luther than they know about Scripture. To paraphrase the jibe about Shakespeare the actor - "Little Scripture and less Luther."

The Lutherans are wondering why their massive or tiny schools are emptying out. They should look to the Roman Catholics for the reasons why. Nothing is quite so unappealing as becoming a Catholic priest. The rare exceptions are those places where the school looks back to traditional Romanism. In those schools, candidates rush in from all over, and the bishops are offended. I read of one where the current Pope made it a point to close down a successful, traditional seminary that annoyed him.

Likewise, the "conservative" Lutheran leaders have fallen over each other to create copies of Fuller Seminary, even down to the prep school level. The boards and faculties are Fulleroids - pains in the neck who attended Fuller for some inane reason. The reading lists are Fulleroid. The assignments are Fulleroid. And the classroom are empty.

Luke 1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 

Notice that Webber and Rolf have never assaulted the Church Growth Movement. Jay the Furtive used to tell me what articles I needed to publish in Christian News - not that he would ever do the same.

Rolf specializes in mentioning his father often, without comprehending what his father wrote.

And there is Rolf Preus, on the left of Bishop Jim Heiser,
Ft. Wayne graduate.
What fun games to play, to UOJ or not to UOJ?
That is the question.

More ELDONA-Rolf Synod meetings.

Future Project - After Luther's Sermons - A Lutheran Dictionary

 "Buckle your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride."
All About Eve, 1950
Misquote, Davis said "bumpy night."

Someone suggested that we need a new Lutheran dictionary, so I ordered the old one he mentioned. Yes, that publicationkindled my interest in such a project. The old booklet was created with tiny fonts and saluted UOJ as if it were the Chief Article.

I am not sure how long this would take, but my plan is to use actual quotations with the citation in many of the definitions. "But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends..." I will have great fun with certain entries, from Icha-slang to repeating the eructations of false doctrine from the so-called Lutheran leaders.

Finishing The Lost Dutchman's Goldmine: luther's Biblical Doctrine of the Word . Proofing and Art, Then Printing

Last night I finished most of the writing and finishing work for The Lost Dutchman's Goldmine. Norma Boeckler sent me a revised front cover and the back cover as well.

I expect to send it to our proof-reader, who was already working on it. Once I have fixed those goofs, I will send the copy to Norma Boeckler for art, then to Janie Sullivan for the finishing work with Amazon and Kindle (e-books).

I can DropBox the finished version to those who wish to do a quick, final check before it is approved. At this point I am incapable of seeing mistakes until the moment I open the printed book.

If you want to try that, send me an email, subject heading Goldmine, to
greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com

Urged by a Reader - Remember the ELDONUTs on Shrove Tuesday

One donut to rule the world,
and in the fryer bind them.

The purpose of Shrove Tuesday was two-fold. One was to write down one's sins for confession, so Shrove is based on the German word for write - schreiben - but changed because English alters words gleefully and randomly. Bedlam comes from Bethlehem, etc.

The second purpose of Shrove Tuesday was to use up the fat in the house by making pancakes or donuts. Since donuts came from WWI, I sincerely doubt that they were an ancient tradition. But they are made or eaten on Shrove Tuesday just as jelly-filled donuts are enjoyed by some Germans on New Year's Eve.

One day a member of ELDONA began IMing me. Wait, he was not a member. Only the vetted, certified priesthood of ELDONA belongs to the secretive sect. For example, only they can party together. If a fellow priest is honored, his wife is excluded from the party. "That makes it more fun."

The secretive nature of ELDONA is troubling. They publish almost nothing about themselves. Once they learned they could be quoted from Facebook, they stopped publishing there too.

They have some good books, but CPH has banned them from their market. ELDONA could easily reach many by using Kindle e-books, especially Kindle Unlimited, which makes them free for those paying $10 a month fee.

One congregation has only an ELDONA banner as its statement of faith.

Heiser began with Bishop-for-Life Randy DeJaynes, which is ironic, because DeJaynes was LCA, had his wife preach for him, and soon learned another meaning for "life" - such as facing life in prison.

So Heiser wanted to be a bishop-for-life after the Lutheran "Confessional" Synod blew up, in spite of the nurturing from Jay Webber and Kincaid Smith, Ft. Wayne alumni know-it-alls who know very little. Like the rest of the Pietististic Synodical Conference, ELDONA is quick to press the SHUN! button.

So this Russian IMed me and claimed, "You called them nuts." I said, "No I called them donuts."

Donuts are tender and flaky, with nothing in the center - just a hole.

If ELDONA keeps publishing good books, I will mention the books and provide links. Currently I am looking at the Judaizing of Calvin, by Hunnius, a fine and much-overlooked theologian.

 Heiser does not use this photo on the ELDONA websty,
but he has two copies in his Facebook photos.

 This is also in Heiser's photo collection.
Not as strange as posing with Katy Perry, but this graphic
claims they terrorize the LCMS -
not with the Gospel but with boasting. 

St. Ignatius Theological Seminary
and Live Bait Shop, Malone, Texas.
This school is currently being wired
for better Ustream broadcasts to Russia.

Shrove Tuesday Remembers - WELS-CLC-WELS Pastor Steve Kurtzahn, The Pancake Pope

On Shrove Tuesday, the Miracle of the Pancakes appears - a ghostly image of Steve Kurtzahn the Incompetent. He was only too eager to join crackpots Paul Tiefel and friends in denouncing a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper.

Innocent bystanders recall Kurtzahn violating all the normal rules for a Circuit Pastor in serving as a hatchet man for the worst false teachers in the CLC (sic).

According to the alumni network of the prestigious Emmanuel Lutheran College - 68 students -  having a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper was the same as embracing Roman Catholicism and promoting gross immorality.

This moved Kurtzahn and dottering Daniel Fleischer to attend a congregational meeting so they could cause more trouble, only to leave early for a basketball game. Subsequently, Kurtzahn joined WELS and now serves a two-point parish in the north woods.

Fleischer was recently videotaped denouncing future WELS fellowship for the time when he - as a tender, innocent college student at NWC - was read the riot act for questioning WELS. Did he call Child Protection Services?

Let us pause to consider that this traumatic event happened to young Dan about 50 years ago, and he was still raving about it as the main reason why he - as head of the CLC (sic) dogma committee - would never embrace joining WELS in dying together as fading, legalistic, Enthusiastic sects.

Some people shake their heads, wondering about how two clergy could involve themselves in pancake polemics, but veterans of those cults realize that any excuse is good enough for a little fun. Both embrace universal forgiveness and salvation without faith, in the name of grace, but both groups are led by humorless, poorly educated clergy who claim to be orthodox.

Scott Barefoot May Leave WELS

Matt the Fatt Harrison, Scott Barefoot, Marcus Zill.

 The Odd Couple split over POG's self-appointed ministry.
False teachers are not sent - they send themselves.

Jeske organizes pan-synodical ministry events
and is a paid promoter of the ultimate pan-religious carnival -
Thrivent.

Belfort spoke for Thrivent, because wolves run in packs
and kill for pleasure.

 Belfort got his money through fraud
and made money bragging about it.
Thrivent respects that.
Jeske quoted his own financial manager saying,
"I want you to be wealthy," with the last word almost chanted.

Schroeder and the DPs wiped out the
Intrepid Lutherans group and blog,
lest anyone dwell too long on Lutheran doctrine and practice.

Quinquagesima Sunday, 2017. 1 Corinthians 13

Quinquagesima Sunday, 2017

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

Lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

The melody is linked in the hymn title.

The Hymn #27                    O Bless the Lord                    

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 #351      Love Divine

 The Sermon - Love versus Vainglory

The Hymn #311        Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior                           

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 #657                             Beautiful Savior 

The Epistle. 1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The Gospel. St. Luke 18. 31-43

THEN Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David. have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood. and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Quinquagesima Sunday

Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst manifest Thyself, with the Holy Ghost, in the fullness of grace at the baptism of Thy dear Son, and with Thy voice didst direct us to Him who hath borne our sins, that we might receive grace and the remission of sins: Keep us, we beseech Thee, in the true faith; and inasmuch as we have been baptized in accordance with Thy command, and the example of Thy dear Son, we pray Thee to strengthen our faith by Thy Holy Spirit, and lead us to everlasting life and salvation, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Love versus Vainglory

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

I was thinking about the difference between exegesis and interpretation, which could be explained as the difference between Biblical commentaries and Biblical sermons.

Luther's sermons are interpretation, not lacking in the explanation of the verses and words (exegesis), phrase by phrase - but emphasizing the great themes of the Bible.

Luther does this with the famous love chapter by showing that the chapter, even 1 and 2 Corinthians, were written against vainglory.

The close-up version tells us Paul was concerned that people valued their spiritual gifts so much - such as speaking in tongues - that their vainglory was harmful and destructive.

The sermonic view, which is especially important, is seeing both Corinthian letters as aimed at the same target, the overall problem of vainglory.

Examples of Vainglory

I noticed with several Lutheran leaders that the moment they were elected to a high office (bishop of the liberal Lutherans in Canada; bishop of a regional ELCA district) - they immediately began announcing how they would be treated, honored, and respected.

This love chapter is often read at weddings, including a perfectly enunciated recitation at the marriage of Charles and Di. Naturally, the chapter is perfectly fitting for weddings, but it involves far more than falling in love and getting married.

A common remedy against addressing false doctrine today is announcing, "You are not loving." That implies one must be patient and kind with false teachers, so the raising of the issue itself appears to be a sin.

Luther warned against thinking that "love" as defined above was going to be a remedy for anything, an excuse for ignoring the obvious. Love does not cause faith: faith produces love as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Lack of Love Today

The reason for the lovelessness of the various Lutheran bodies is the lack of faith. Instead of teaching faith, they teach against it. Instead of having a clear body of teaching, there is a constant waffling about every possible article of faith and how it is taught and applied. For example, the charismatics rose from the rationalism of the mainline groups, but their favorite documents and leaders are anti-Sacramental, anti-Means of Grace. 

I warned one woman against her cell group, which irritated her, of course. She tried to get this "Lutheran" group to discuss infant baptism and infant faith, only to be met with total hostility. She offered, "We can get a pastor here to discuss this." The lady who ran the group bristled and declared, "I am the leader of this group." So the woman reluctantly agreed that my assumptions (based on experience) were correct.

The Gospel itself is commonly displaced today. One topic or a series of minor topics mean there is no room for the Gospel. In the same way, nitrogen is used at chemical plants to replace oxygen to eliminate fires and explosions.

Paul's opening is the same as saying, "If we do not start with the Gospel of forgiveness through faith in Jesus, we are nothing more than noise-makers and clashing cymbals." The future Mrs. Ichabod challenged me to bring my cymbals to the dorm and play them for her, at college. I was the cymbal soloist, due to a lack of percussionists. I brought them alone and created a stir, since high quality cymbals were not used to serenade young ladies. I was outside, so the audience was large and unappreciative, except for one.

Luther and the Lutheran Reformers were alone in starting with faith in Jesus and the Word as the Means of Grace. That seems so obvious to traditional Lutherans, but there are few of them today. The living seed of the Word brings Christ to our hearts and the Holy Spirit renews and sustains the faith first generated by the Gospel Word.

The living seed of the Gospel bears fruit - that is just as inevitable as the rain and snow having an effect on all vegetation and the life within.

Yesterday our new helper took all the cardboard boxes from the garage and flattened them over the last section of grass in the front yard. His grandfather said to me, "Why do you hate grass? I answered, "My wife prefers roses to grass."

I explained to the grandson that this would create compost from the lawn, on the spot, to feed the new Crepe Myrtle bushes, possibly roses in the future. We weighed the cardboard down with stumps from the maple tree trimming, an additional help for fungal and creature growth in the yard.

The rains - sorry, no snow - will feed the fungus, bacteria, earthworms, springtails, and other creatures of decay. But the sun will only warm the areas we set aside for plants. 

The rain in primary. Without the rain, there is no real growth. That is why the Gospel is compared to rain that moves across the land and has its effect.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

The Bible gives us two aspects of the Christian Faith. One is the content - Christ dying for our sins. The other is the effect of knowing and believing the Gospel - the fruits of the Spirit. If we are lacking in the fruits of the Spirit, there are reasons to consider whether we are genuinely repentant and sincerely trusting in that Message.

These are the pretensions of those who view themselves as higher than the rest, for various reasons. One could add many more, such as "Do you know who my grandfather was?" - as if a grandparent is an accomplishment. 

The passage about suffering fools gladly 2 Corinthians 11) is Paul's rebuke for the Corinthians tolerating the bragging of the false teachers, who never did anything but worked on stealing the Corinthians away for themselves. What looks like Paul boasting is his comparison of real sacrifice (becoming a fool, since they like bragging fools) as contrasted with those who do not suffer anything to cause them harm, discomfort, or luxury.

So if the Corinthians have spiritual gifts to boast about, their lack of love repudiates their claims. and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Luther:

13. The false reasoning of the sophists will not stand when they maliciously deduct from this text the theory that the Christian faith is not effectual to blot out sin and to justify. They say that before faith can justify it must be garnished with love; but justification and its distinctive qualities as well are beyond their ken. Justification of necessity precedes love. One does not love until he has become godly and righteous. Love does not make us godly, but when one has become godly love is the result. Faith, the Spirit and justification have love as effect and fruitage, and not as mere ornament and supplement. We maintain that faith alone justifies and saves. But that we may not deceive ourselves and put our trust in a false faith, God requires love from us as the evidence of our faith, so that we may be sure of our faith being real faith.

Here Paul is using hyperbole, exaggeration to prove a point. Even if they could do all things, those accomplishments mean nothing when the Gospel is set aside in favor of the visible works of man.

One study by the late Lutheran Church in America said, "Nurturing churches grow." A pastor there said, "After the study, we lost that nurturing feeling, and we were examples of it for that study." I doubt whether he saw the irony of placing the wrong emphasis.

Other examples are - Parking lots must be expansive. A parking valet ministry is needed (not joking). Sell gourmet (ahem) coffee at the church. 

"The best Gospel sermon will be ineffective if the ushers are not friendly." A Lutheran layman said out loud - "Amen!"

Luther is saying in the quote above: The Romanists are wrong is saying faith alone is not enough, that faith must be garnished with love.

Note how the modern Growthers say the same thing - We have to do this and act this way, or we will never progress. They are lost and lead the people to and fro, in error's maze astounding.

One of the greatest and most effective fallacies is the Fallacy of Emphasis. If someone can move the emphasis, the speakers and listeners are confounded and confused.

Luther said - it is the Gospel, not love, that saves. Love is the result of the Gospel. A Fallacy of Emphasis moves the goal to love. We have to be loving. The minister has to be loving. We need programs and cell groups to promote love. (Or  spirituality, or anything else on the agenda)

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

This is Paul's list against the work of the false teachers and those swept away by them. The bad characteristics are a remarkable description of what we see today in all the denominations, especially the micro-mini ones. They rule by anger and arrogance, so everyone is afraid to bring up anything or oppose them - even question them - in any fashion. And this is what the leaders crave, abject and unquestioning submission to their authority - not the authority of the Word.

The same qualities are needed in a family. One must see the Old Adam in himself first before being impatient with the Old Adam in everyone else. 

Rejoicing in iniquity is a way in which authority figures can control others by holding past sins against them while pretending to be examples of perfection.

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

These qualities can only come from the Gospel, so the Gospel must be taught as it is, directly from the Word of God. From the example of Christ and His sacrifice for us, we receive that forgiveness of sin that causes spiritual fruits to grow in us.

The example is the faith of Christ, His complete reliance upon the Father and agreement with the Father's will comes from His perfect faith. The Atonement is the result of the faith of Jesus, because the Son always had the power to evade and oppose the power of Rome and His religious opponents. The irony is this - the apparent defeat of Jesus, His arrest, torture, and death  - are the core of His victory over sin, death, and Satan. 

How tempting it is to win in the material sense, to crush the opponents, march them behind, the women lamenting and the children crying. (Conan the Barbarian) But the Christian believer has only one victory to count on while the Prince of This World rules - the victory of trust in the Word that brings Christ to us.

1 John 5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Someone wrote to me this week, "Where does it say prophecies will cease?" Right here. But what does it mean? Those who emphasize spiritual gifts are emphasizing the wrong thing, because love will always grow from faith. It is astonishing that humans see so much value in what they have done, so little value in what God does every day, whether we know it or not.

As one doctor observed, when someone has had problems with the circulation around or in the heart, the body creates alternate routes. Likewise, the brain rewires itself when damaged.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will never pass away. Mark 13:31 

How quaint to place so much value in the temporary and so little on what is eternal. Love is the consequence of the faith of Christ - and our faith - and therefore the work of God.

Notice that the gifts of the Spirit are not the same as the fruits of the Spirit. God certainly gives various gifts to believers so they can glorify His Name. Some are musicians. Some are artists. Some teach. Others encourage and help wherever they can. Necessarily the gifts can be abused and misused, as often happens when gifted people think they have accomplished on their own. Vainglory sets in and becomes destructive when the gifts of God become the accomplishments of man.

The fruits of the Spirit are qualities that come directly from the Gospel. The first three Love, Joy, and Peace. Where the fruits of the Spirit are missing, one should question faith and repentance.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Here Paul is simply saying, "You are being childish. Put away this behavior." Or he might have said, "Emotional worship is great, but use the brains God gave you." That is an answer to those who think that if clapping is great, jumping from pew to pew is even better. And rolling on the floor laughing - the best of all. 

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Ancient mirrors were silver rather than glass. As silver darkened from oxygen, the reflection darkened. The turn in phrase - I will know in eternal life as I am already known by God in this life.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Luther:

37. It is passing strange that teachers devoid of love should possess such gifts as Paul has mentioned here, viz., speaking with tongues, prophesying, understanding mysteries; that they should have faith, should bestow their goods and suffer themselves to be burned. For we have seen what abominations ensue where love is lacking; such individuals are proud, envious, puffed up, impatient, unstable, false, venomous, suspicious, malicious, disdainful, bitter, disinclined to service, distrustful, selfish, ambitious and haughty. How can it consistently be claimed that people of this stamp can, through faith, remove mountains, give their bodies to be burned, prophesy, and so on? It is precisely as I have stated. Paul presents an impossible proposition, implying that since they are devoid of love, they do not really possess those gifts, but merely assume the name and appearance. And in order to divest them of those he admits for the sake of argument that they are what in reality they are not.

That is why the authority of the Word of God must prevail, because those who make great claims for themselves are the ones who shrink from the meaning of the Word.