Thrivent Welcomed The Wolf of Wall Street as a Motivational Speaker. Jeske Is a Member of Thrivent's Board. "The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil" - 1 Tim 6:10

http://thebarebulb.com/2014/01/08/an-odd-choice/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Belfort

An Odd Choice

Posted by Todd Wilken on January 8, 2014

The guy in the Mercedes full of cash is Jordan Belfort, the real-life “Wolf of Wall Street.” Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Belfort in the new movie based on his memoir of penny stocks, prostitutes, cocaine and crime.

Belfort defrauded the clients of his Stratton Oakmont brokerage house out of more than $110 million in the late 1990s. He made (stole) a lot of money for (from) a lot of people. He still owes those people almost $100 million in restitution.

Belfort was also one of the speakers at the most recent Thrivent Financial for Lutherans‘ National Sales Meeting.

No joke.

Belfort seems an odd choice of speaker to address Thrivent’s sales force. Thivent’s website says, “Thrivent Financial does what’s best for our members, supporting the values of faith, family, stewardship and service.” So was Belfort there to teach Thrivent’s salespeople how not to do their jobs?

That must be it.

***

 GJ - It is well known that AAL/LB (Thrivent) converted whole life policies into Universal Life by giving half the cash value to the salesman as a commission. AAL/LB promised any interest the client or sucker wanted to predict. As everyone knows now, high investment rates are never sustained for long.

One LB salesman illustrated 12%, giving me a fortune at 65. His calculator printed it out. It had to be true. I protested that was impossible, because I knew a little about investments.

One AAL salesman told me that many of his friends retired with a fortune after doing this to their long-term clients. However Universal Life did not pan out and never paid those high rates. The policies tended to tank, requiring more money to keep up the same death benefit. (UL is defined as term insurance with a flexible side portion of cash.)

Those whole life policies had guaranteed values and prices, but the UL replacements promised nothing.

So I think this speaker was ideal for Thrivent - a grifter speaking to grifters.

Gardening Myths Exploded

Amy Meyer, Ichabod, Mrs. Ichabod, Brett Meyer
Overlook - Snoquamie Falls.

We talked about gardening on our trip, so it reminded me of gardening myths that keep getting repeated, often by gardening books and articles. The myths are in blue.

Clay soil is bad.
Clay is my favorite. Electrical charges move nutrients, and clay has most ability to do that. Clay can be heavy and difficult to dig at times, but that can be fixed with organic material feeding the soil creatures.

For comparison, let’s put things into a more familiar perspective. If a clay particle were the size of a marigold seed, a silt particle would be a large radish , and a sand grain would be a large garden wheelbarrow . Another way to look at soil texture is to visualize a gram (about a teaspoon’s worth) of sand, spread out one-particle deep; this would cover an area about the size of a silver dollar . If you were to spread an equal amount of clay one-particle thick, you would need a basketball court— and some of the stands surrounding it, at that. 

What difference does texture make? The size of the particles has everything to do with their surface area and the surface area of the pore spaces between individual particles. Clay has tremendous surface area compared to sand. Silt is in between. Clay has smaller pore spaces between particles, but many more pore spaces in total, so the surface area of the pore spaces in clay is greater than silt, which is greater than sand. Incidentally, organic matter, usually in the form of humus, is comprised of very minute particles that, like clay, have lots of surface area to which plant nutrients attach, thus preventing them from leaching out. Humus also holds capillary water. 

Jeff; Lowenfels, (2010-09-10). Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web, Revised Edition (Kindle Locations 442-450). Timber Press. Kindle Edition. 

The best way to lighten clay is to add earthworms, compost, and mulch.

Start by rototilling the garden area, or  tilling the leaves into the soil.
The rototiller is a bad idea, because God created the soil. We don't plant bulbs upside-down. Well, some of you do, but most of us do not. Top soil is created by the creatures God designed for the upper foot of soil.

No-dig is crucial because delicate fungi and fragile soil creatures do most of the work in bringing nutrition to the plant roots. I used to think staying off the garden was to protect the roots, and that is correct. But it is even more important for the soil itself.

Everything above the soil surface will be pulled down and moved around by soil creatures until the soil has a complete meal.

When the feeding is done, the organic material on top remains as a mulch, a spongy blanket to hold water, and a larder to store food for the future.

Watering in bright sunlight will burn plant leaves and grass.
Hahahahahaha. Water is cooling, and the drops of water cannot form a burning death ray to kill plants. Nevertheless, my no-dig hero passed on this anti-logical clunker. No one is right all the time about gardening advice.

Adding fertilizer and various dry compounds to the soil
In a few words - inorganic compounds pass through the soil and pollute the water tables. There is a superficial difference, but the inorganic salts also kill and drive away soil creatures. Green up grass by mulching the grass as it is cut, by a mulching lawnmower.

Epsom Salts are promoted for improving the soil, and they can help "old" soil. I have spread some around, but once again it is the question of usable nutrition.

When we had rabbits I spread rabbit droppings on the lawn just before a rain. Regular mowing is doing the same while knocking out most weeds.

The companies have little packets of natural additions to the soil. They know how much people want to go organic. My idea is - the smaller and brighter the packaging, the bigger the robbery is.

Our own surroundings give us the best and cheapest additions to the soil. I had a rotting, wet cardboard box.That went into the compost too.

Garden insects are EEVUL
A few of them are damaging, but they are also food for other insects and birds. Most insects are beneficial. Unpopular birds--like the starlings--are great in eating pests. As one gardener observed, there are no natural enemies inside the house, so we have to kill them somehow. Outside, there are plenty of natural enemies. Therefore, do not use insecticide in the garden.

Cutworms attacked my borage plants, so I pulled out the plants and threw them away. The cutworms did not affect the nearby roses. We had grasshoppers on the roses, but no real damage. A healthy plant shakes off insect damage, but insecticide stops the processes established by Creation.

Bird Feeders Lead to Birds Starving During Vacations
I loaded up my feeders before leaving for Seattle. However, birds do not depend on us for food. They enjoy a supplement, and feeding them will make their lives easier during nesting. We enjoy them chirping at our bedroom window, which we open as often as possible.

Mulch is the best and biggest bird feeder. I add sunflower seeds on the ground and in the feeder, and I I look for other foods (berries and nuts) to add to the mix. Multiple bird baths are more important than food provided.

Weeds Are Eevul - Spray, Salt, and Suds Them Up
Keep calm and put down the spray. Ignore the homemade herbicides too.

Crab grass was brought over as a grain. It still is a grain. If you let it grow in the corner, it will feed birds. Hate it? Mow the lawn every week and cover crabgrass with newspaper in the garden. There - feel better? Weeds hate mowing and well-fed grass (mulching mower) will fill in the open places favored by weeds.

Dandelions were brought to America as herbs. They still are herbs. Birds use the downy seed parachutes in their nests. The taproots are good for the soil. They have attractive flowers. One bloomed in our backyard on December 15th.

A lot of groundcover weeds in this area have attractive flowers. They grow, bloom, seed, and fade away. Any herbicide is going to kill surrounding plants and soil creatures.

Our grandson used the car washer tool on the hose to suds up a rose plant. I thought it was cute, but the rose plant conked - Bella Vista. Gardening on a mountain is a disaster, so I did not mind. Grandchildren are always cute anyway.

Weeds like goosefoot can be eaten. Almost all weeds serve some good purpose. The big bossy ones can be grown in a wild area that other creatures enjoy.

We stayed at the inn next to the falls,
and our balcony overlooked the scenic beauty.

Amy's New Rose Garden. Easy for Those Who Believe in Creation

Peace is one of the all-time favorites from
a master rose developer.

Amy is planning a new rose garden, so here are the steps to take, in order, for that yard, suitable for most other yard.

• Location. The best place is one where everyone will see them most of the time. I prefer the East side of the house, which is perfect for this yard.
• Regal standing. The rose is the royal flower of the garden and should not be mixed up with equals, because there are no equals. There can be subordinate plants, like garlic or garlic chives, or bulbs that grow before the roses bloom. Therefore, a row of roses - better yet - rows of roses are best.
• Order them now. I counted room for seven, which is a good start for one or two types. Regan Nursery has the best list of 1000+ roses, with concise descriptions. I often order from Jackson and Perkins, because they have leftover roses for $10 if I have already ordered earlier.
• Selection. I thought Peace was blackspotty, but perhaps not. The idea is to order one or two types and take care of them. Double Delight is a new favorite. The Regan Nursery site is good because it is possible to search by aroma, etc. Peace has none. DD does.
• Planting Bare Root Roses. Amy has the best conditions - clay soil where grass is growing. When the roses arrive, holes should be dug at regular intervals (say 36 from each center) in the lawn. Forget all that crazy stuff about soaking them first, adding fertilizer - even if many roses survive the foolishness. Plant them on a tepee of soil, cutting the extra long and broken roots. Fill the hole with good soil and water them generously to settle down the soil. Keep the soil damp until the new leaves pop out.
• Jackson Mulch the rose garden. This will turn the lawn in the rose garden into the best compost possible. The nitrogen is there. Soil creatures are abundant. Dying grass and roots will do 100x more for the rose garden than osterizing the soil with a rototiller. Jackson Mulch consists of a good layer of newspapers, 100% coverage, with a heavy layer of wood based mulch on top of the newspapers. Leaves or compost could also be used on the newspapers, but a wood mulch is more attractive. This double layer will keep shallow rooted and deep rooted weeds from growing. The mulch will hold moisture in, reduce black spot, and attract birds. Soil creatures and fungi do most of the work in feeding plants, and they love mulch too.
• Uncle Jim's Red Wigglers. I am very happy with Uncle Jim's, but there are many red wiggler suppliers. Night crawlers are deep diggers, while red wigglers are most active in compost, which is what we create with Jackson Mulch. I will order another 2,000 to scatter among all my gardens. They reproduce very quickly and spread. They love compost, mulch, moisture, all organic material. Red wigglers will take soil with great potential and make it even better. In clay they will provide a lot more tunnels and casts (manure) to lighten the soil. They multiply the nutrients that roses need and sweeten the soil.
• Prune. Roses love to be pruned. Each pruning makes them grow more roots and blooms. The blooms want to go to seed, so letting them stay on the plant will slow down the plant. One can prune extra buds, too, to give more energy to the remaining buds. Prune away dead wood, broken parts, and crossing branches. If black spot appears, take away all affected leaves and perhaps cut away bad branches. Always prune away dead wood. John 15:1-10.
• Stay bird friendly. Suet and mulched areas feed the most desirable birds, and they devour insects. Birds especially want to bathe, so multiple shallow dishes are ideal for them. We had no insect damage on the roses all summer, and we did not spray.

Four Double Delight bushes are better than one each of
four varieties. Planting groups of roses will yield better
displays and bouquets.

Too Good Not To Quote Verbatim

WELS leaders still think justification by faith
is a horrible error they must attack and reject.

Pastor SpencerDecember 21, 2014 at 9:18 AM

Thanks for your comments WDs! Good to hear your own views. Re: Salem, I've been told that I missed a reference in their material to the BoC. If I did I apologize. I just read through the material posted here for the third time. I still don't see it. Perhaps the person who contacted me thought I was referring to more material on the church's site. I wasn't. I was only talking about the specific document here - their "values" as listed. Again, they are fairly good for the most part. If I missed something, I'm sorry. 

And I can tell you, President Schroeder still feels as he did when he became President. And he has made such clear in FiC and elsewhere numerous times. That he gets precious little support on this point from the CoP is not his fault. People need to do two things - contact him directly, and also make their concerns known to their DPs. It is not the SPs silence that's the problem, it's the silence of all those who claim to be unhappy about all the CoWo nonsense in the WELS. I'm sure that if hundreds of Pastors and thousands of laypeople objected publicly and loudly, they would not be ignored.

1. WELS DiscussedDecember 22, 2014 at 9:47 AM

   Pastor Spencer--how do you expect a movement of "hundreds of pastors and thousands of laypeople" to get off the ground or come into being when movements of "dozens of pastors and scores of laypeople" objecting publicly and loudly, like Intrepid Lutherans, are squelched with nary a word from the SP?

   Reply

2. 

   There were two circuit pastors at the first and last Intrepid convention, Paul Rydecki and Steve Spencer. Soon there was only one, because Jon-Boy Buchholz kicked Rydecki out while lying to his congregation about continuing the discussion. Spencer started the Intrepid Lutherans and bailed out -not my definition of intrepid.

   
   
3. 
   AnonymousDecember 22, 2014 at 1:38 PM

   WELS Discussed has a good point. So how will this movement get started? Who will start it and get it off the ground? The funny thing about WELS is they either kick you out or ignore you in public until you either shut up or leave. Squelch is too kind of a word for what happened to the Intrepid's, mugged in a dozen different back alleys and left for dead is more like it. (Perhaps a bit over the top but perhaps not. Names did seem to drop like flies from the Intrepid's clergy rolls once the pressure started to be applied.) So okay the SP doesn't have a lot of real authority over the DP's, or for that matter the rest of the synod's machinery, but he should have a great deal of moral authority and the bully pulpit to cry out a warning. Why doesn't he use it loudly and clearly? Why doesn't he call for a great open debate? Silence is Complicity and so is a whispered warning from the watchman.

   Reply

***

GJ - It is doubly ironic that WELS Pastor Steve Spencer named the group - Intrepid Lutherans - and bailed out on them. Doubtless his classmate and pal, the infallible Mark Schroeder (ex cathedra) ordered the shut-down. 

In contrast, under the wobbly and uncertain trumpet call of the SP, Church and Change has grown into a dozen different groups and owns the agenda of the sect.

Romeward Bound - Another ELCA Leader Kisses the Shoes of the Fisherman. Is McCain Next?

Paul McCain used part of this painting, without his approving stance,
in his heavily plagiarized blog, which is now extinct and erased.
Neuhaus impressed him too.

Russell Satzmann has dropped the mask and joined the Church of Rome, after being an editor of Lutheran Forum, serving in ELCA, and moving to Ye Olde ELCA, aka The Bishop's Synod, aka NALC.

Here is his unfascinating account.

The late Richard J. Neuhaus, formerly of the LCMS, then AELC, then ELCA, continues to have a gigantic and inexplicable effect on influential Lutherans joining Rome as a priest.

Neuhaus was a gracious person, much more pleasant and consistent than Herman Otten, who worked dishonestly with McCain.

Supposedly these guys all want pure Lutheran doctrine, but they are all allergic to it. Otten was happy to make money from the most vile and error-filled books about Luther. He never answered me, but he told another person, "I sell to both sides of the issue."

"Buy my Roman Catholic books. Buy my Calvinist books.
Buy my ELCA books. Buy my Baptist books.
Buy my Church Growth books.
I refuse to mention or list Lutheran books."

Luther pointed out, long ago, what we should do with pastors who are not studious. I volunteer to supply the ammo from Sassy.

WELS Pastor Adam Mueller (Wayne's Son and UOJ Fanatic) Cross-Dresses with His Elders at Family Event. Redeemer in Tucson Website. Bearing the Cross? Instead, Cross-Dressing

Redeemer is a Christian congregation that has served the Tucson community for more than 70 years.  Located on north Silverbell in Marana, we offer full-service pastoral care, as well as 3 & 4 year old preschool and K-8 education.

Please take a minute to browse through our website.  There is something for everyone at Redeemer.

http://dawnsview.smugmug.com/Church/Redeemer-HomeComing-Nov-9-2014/i-pS9rRtB

• Adam Mueller is a 1994 graduate of Northwestern College, and a 1998 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.  He served as American Literature and Senior doctrine instructor at Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, MI, before serving Faith Lutheran and Peace Lutheran in Kokomo, IN, for more than 12 years.  He came to Redeemer in December, 2012.
• The pastor delivers a special children's message on the second and fourth Sundays of the month.
• 
  

Michigan Lutheran Seminary (WELS) cheerleaders -this is an annual tradition. 

Michigan Lutheran Seminary - Glende and Ski's group
show the long history of role-playing there.
Adam Mueller worked there.

The theme song is dead on target -
WELS Sect, Meet the WELS Sect.
They love pan-sexuality.
From the town of Mequon,
They're a nightmare making history.

Someday, maybe God will win the fight. 
Then their men will come home for the night. 

When you're with the WELS Sect 
Have a Richard Chamberlain time. 
A Barney Frank time. 
You'll have a gay old time!

GA! (click the embedded link)

If you're looking for options to deepen your faith, Redeemer offers a variety of spiritual growth choices for adults.  Meet people, study the Bible led by one of our professionally trained pastors, and grow spiritually. 

Technology has made it easy for Christians to contribute in a regular, planned, and proportional way (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).  By selecting the option on the right, you can support the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus at Redeemer.  This online tool is simple to use, flexible, and completely secure.

Redeemer offers a variety of educational opportunities for children and families.  Cradle Roll connects with parents of children just born; our Power Hour develops physical, social and spiritual skills. 

Redeemer Lutheran School is dedicated to shepherding hearts with the firm foundation of God’s Word, developing minds with a solid education, and instilling never-changing values in an ever-changing world.

REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL

8845 N Silverbell Rd + Tucson, AZ 85743 + O: (520) 572-8136 F: (520) 572-8141

SPICE

 Seniors Participating In Christian Endeavors. 

We Three Queens Rule Protestant Sects

Libby Lane

ELCA bishops welcome new bishop of Stockport, Church of England

12/19/2014 12:00:00 AM

​            CHICAGO (ELCA) – The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and the Rev. Jessica Crist, bishop of the ELCA Montana Synod and chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, celebrate the appointment of the Rev. Libby Lane to serve as bishop of Stockport – the first woman bishop in the Church of England.

            In a Dec. 18, 2014, letter to Lane, Eaton and Crist wrote: "With great joy we welcome you, our sister in Christ, to the ministry of oversight. We celebrate your appointment with the Church of England and offer our prayers as you take up this new call.
            "Being 'the first' is a unique and sometimes complicated role. Layers of meaning are placed on even inconsequential actions. One becomes the example of an entire segment of humankind. Wear this lightly," the ELCA bishops wrote.
            "In baptism God's Spirit gave you the gifts that you need to serve in this call. You said yes to God's invitation to serve God's people when you were ordained a deacon and a priest. Now as you prepare to say yes to God's invitation to be a bishop in God's church be assured of our support," Eaton and Crist wrote.

ELCA Bishop Elizabeth Eaton looks
surprisingly like ELCA Pastor Megan Rohrer below.

Megan Rohrer was ordained as a
trans-sexual ELCA pastor in California.

Robin Steinke is the new president of Luther Seminary

- - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.8 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.

- See more at: http://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7716#sthash.CBYiKhu2.dpuf

ELCA Bishop Jessica Crist
is chairman of the Conference of Bishops.
Kenneth Sauer held that position years ago
and started the NALC in protest over the ELCA
policies he helped to shape.

---

Pastor Nathan Bickel -


When I came to this article, I quickly scrolled down with the thought in mind that these females could be self molested "transgenders," dissatisfied with Creator God's gender design. Then when I went back and started reading the script, I discovered that my initial thoughts were spot on - at least with one of them. No wonder much of Lutheran Christianity has gone downhill in our present culture!

WELS-LCMS-ELS Dumped the Preaching Ministry for Gimmicks and Snacks

I remember WELS Missionary Richard Starr saying with a straight face that he studied the Bible and decided old methods for evangelism were not fast enough in Brazil. His idea was to give people video tapes to watch if they had any questions at their little post in Brazil. They could go in the next room and watch the tape.

A farmer from the area stood up and asked, "Tapes? They want to know about Christ and you give them tapes to watch?"

The important part--which Starr never mastered,--was learning the language. He was the head of the team spending Schwan's money - and yours - in Brazil, but he could not speak Portuguese. WELS quietly sent him home to Michigan..

Back to Luther
Luther's entire emphasis was upon the preaching office for teaching people about the grace of God.

As you doubtless recall from Luther's sermon after Easter, he also advocated individual evangelism.

The most important part about adult education in the Christian Church--the sermon--is hardly attempted today. How will people learn in detail the meaning of key passages of Scripture? They will not learn anything good from their little cell groups, which are based on literature from sects.

I was talking to a Baptist with a PhD about the Reformation candy I passed out. "For Halloween?" he asked. I said, "No, for Reformation on October 31st?"

"Reformation Day was the same as Halloween this year?"

"It is every year."

"It is?"

"Yes. I had the classes study the Reformation and answer questions for the candy."

I was more shocked by his response than football player with a 4.0 report card.

Are these the people you want teaching your members about the Bible, doctrine, the Reformation? Don't worry, they skip over the Reformation.

Preaching Is Hard Work, But Fulfilling and Unique
The only way to preach is to use a text and explain the meaning of it. Sometimes a theme can be picked to emphasize, but the best kind of preaching overall is expository.

Luther preached on themes from time to time, but the ones preserved in the Lenker series are mostly expository.

You do have a set, don't you? The old version was $40 for 8 handy volumes. The newer version includes the household postils, now a total of 7 larger volumes.

Those who despise and ignore Luther never study him and do not know how to start. They should. I told a Calvinist I read Luther all the time. He laughed. I said, "It would do you a world of good."

The UOJ Stormtroopers, with all their gimmicks,
are ready to declare victory.

WELS Documented Blog Looks at WELS "Evangelism" Videos

Sunday, December 21, 2014

How Effective are Online Videos for Evangelism?

Between YouTube, Vimeo and all the other online video sites, anyone can produce a video now but are they effective? Would these videos encourage you to want to attend either the church service or the bible class?

http://welsdocument.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-effective-are-online-videos-for.html

---

St Mark's in De Pere, WI

---

Victory of the Lamb in Franklin, WI 

The Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2014. Philippians 4:4-7. The Votum Lesson

The Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2014

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

No broadcast today due to broadband limitations.

Bethany Lutheran Church,  

The Hymn #477   Lord Jesus Thou            3:90

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 #90 Come, Your Hearts             3.83

The Votum Lesson - Be Anxious about Nothing

The Hymn # 103 – Luther            To Shepherds            3.82

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 #95 Savior of the Nations            3.42   

KJV Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

KJV John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Fourth Sunday In Advent

Lord God, heavenly Father, it is meet and right that we should give thanks unto Thee, that Thou hast given us a more glorious baptism than that of John the Baptist, and hast therein promised us the remission of sins, the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life through Thy Son, Jesus Christ: Preserve us, we beseech Thee, in such faith in Thy grace and mercy, that we may never doubt Thy promise, but be comforted by the same in all temptations: and grant us Thy Holy Spirit that we may renounce sin, and ever continue in the righteousness bestowed upon us in baptism, until by Thy grace we obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Votum Lesson

KJV Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

I called this the Votum lesson because it includes the words many ministers use at the end of the sermon - The peace that passes all understanding... Votum is Latin for prayer.

This is Paul's letter from prison, and it is the most joyous one of all. A Christian believer rejoices because he rejoices in the Lord. In whatever station in life he might occupy, he has reason to rejoice. The reason is Christ.

That experience of rejoicing is often lacking among the powerful, the ones admired in the world press. They know how they have arrived at that position, and that makes them worried and anxious. They may disappear from that lofty standing very soon, or the truth may come out and their honor taken away. The Madoff family was high and mighty until someone finally audited the firm properly and the fraud was uncovered. Most of the assets were imaginary and the patriarch went to prison. Others followed, because quite a few were in on the scam.

Rejoicing is lacking when people depend on their own powers and abilities, trusting no one else. Some things may work well and then everything goes into reverse for no particular reason. 

Luther:

2. Joy is the natural fruit of faith. The apostle says elsewhere ( Galatians 5:22-23): “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control.” Until the heart believes in God, it is impossible for it to rejoice in him. When faith is lacking, man is filled with fear and gloom and is disposed to flee at the very mention, the mere thought, of God. Indeed, the unbelieving heart is filled with enmity and hatred against God. Conscious of its own guilt, it has no confidence in his gracious mercy; it knows God is an enemy to sin and will terribly punish the same.

People may not express a fear of sin, when they are unbelievers, but the fear is there, except in sociopaths who have no conscience. That does not seem possible but it does happen. The vast majority are not, and they feel a dread from the consequences of sin. What if others find out? What terrible punishments will come? Will everything be lost?

There are many morality tales where the lead character gets away with a crime but finds himself far more tortured by his conscience than any police officer could dole out to him.  See Scarlet Street. In fact, many detectives recognized this and use it to get confessions of the crime. "I know you want to come clean about this. You will feel better telling the truth. You know that." And it works. The criminal confesses and ends the immediate torment. Still, true peace comes from faith in God, trust in salvation through Christ.

This means rejoicing always, not simply when we get what we want. Those things admired by unbelievers should not be our goal. Sometimes those things happen anyway, but if they are first or are always our goal, they will prove to be a short-gain. A student told me the origin of the white elephant was the custom of giving one as a gift. It was too valuable to turn down, but it was also useless and expensive. Many desires can end up as white elephants like that, a short gain and a long season of remorse.

The Scriptures always teach us the importance of trusting in God's goodness, especially when difficult times come along. Those difficulties teach us and they keep us from being trapped by security, which is often a false sense of security. 

Someone made fun of my rented room in my rented house for our broadcast. He forgot that the infant Jesus was born in a rented room, that everything we have will one day be enjoyed by someone else. Like the $24 million watch, we only care for things for the next generation. So we should care about sound doctrine above all, since that provides forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

So many want to be the big chief, the feared boss, but this verse says we should be the opposite. As Luther advises in this lesson, we should be concede to others, as long as we do not violate the 10 Commandments. That is the meaning of moderation or forbearance here. Take people for the best, not for the worst. 

What happens with behavior and teaching are often mixed around. People say, "Oh he teaches wrong. He is a heretic. Everyone knows it, so he is harmless." That is being forbearing or forgiving about false doctrine, which is a violation of the First Table, Commandments 1-3.

In that light, the same people will find reason to be mortally offended by some actions or words, often without. And they are ready to tear up trees by the roots, they are so angry. They will get even. They will punish. They will scold and shun. They will never bend a second, but get even many times over, just to be sure.

When someone gets really angry with me in traffic and waves his hand at me oujt the window, as if to say, "You are number one!" - I blow kisses. Why engage in the same behavior and become enraged. When we roll in the mud with a  pig, we both get dirty, and the pig enjoys it.

As Oswald Chambers said, "A Christian does not claim rights. He gives up rights." What would happen if mothers claimed rights and wanted everything to come out equal before they did one more sacrificial thing? The world would come to a stop.

I was offended when a Notre Dame library guard asked to look through my things, to reduce theft from the library. When I got huffy, he looked at me and smiled and said, "It's my job" in a patient and kindly way.

As St. Paul knew, from inspiration from the Holy Spirit, forbearance or patience or moderation is the best way to go through life, in peace and faith and rejoicing rather than in anger and revenge. God takes care of the jerks - it is natural law. Break the natural order and the natural order will come back to bite, sometimes with help from God to aid people in their repentance. I have heard many tales about men who treated others very badly. I always advise, "Time wounds all heels."

Luther says about the headstrong and unyielding:

20. The headstrong and the unyielding, they who excuse none but are determined to control all things by their own wisdom, lead the whole world into error. They are the cause of all the wars and calamities known on earth. Yet they claim justice as their sole motive. Well has it been said by a certain heathen: “Summum jus, summa injustitia” ¾ the most extreme justice is the greatest injustice. Ecclesiastes 7:16 also warns: “Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise.” As the most extreme justice is the greatest injustice, so the most extreme wisdom is the greatest folly. The old adage is, “When the wise act the fool, they are grossly foolish.” Were God always to execute extreme justice, we could not live a moment. Paul commends gentleness in Christ ( 2 Corinthians 10:1), saying, “I... entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” So we are to moderate our attitude, our demands, our wisdom and wit, adapting ourselves to the circumstances of others in all respects.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

This means - never be anxious. Never be full of cares and worries. Be just the opposite. With prayers, trust in God for all your needs. This is spiritual wisdom from God, because He sees ahead and grants the prayer, even if it takes some time. 

Man's answer is to do anything to gain the advantage. God's answer is to provide the prayer request in His time so that it works several advantages at once. It can be to teach patience. It may be that a delay means a better result. God may wish to show that He alone has accomplished this.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This prayer has so much meaning in a few words.

The peace of God only comes through forgiveness, and forgiveness only through faith. What is the purpose of a sound sermon - to teach faith in Christ. This peace is granted,  but we need constant boosters of God's grace to maintain that faith. The more the world pollutes our thinking, the more we need to hear the Promises to maintain that faith, that peace. 

Passes all understanding...

Paul teaches about our minds and our emotions. This addresses the mind. No one can understand how a murderer on death row can have perfect peace. Human reason cannot grasp this, because we cannot imagine ourselves in great and terrible crimes. And yet, the Word teaches that forgiveness comes through faith in Christ, forgiveness of sin - great and terrible sins, minor sins, long-term sins. 

Shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus..

This phrase involves the emotions and human reason. Nothing is left out. 

Luther:

41. This, mark you, is the peace of the cross, the peace of God, peace of conscience, Christian peace, which gives us even external calm, which makes us satisfied with all men and unwilling to disturb any. Reason cannot understand how there can be pleasure in crosses, and peace in disquietude; it cannot find these. Such peace is the work of God, and none can understand it until it has been experienced. Relative to this topic, it is said in the epistle for the second Sunday in Advent: “The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.” What the apostle there terms “peace in believing” he here calls “peace of God.”

42. In this verse Paul implies that for him who rejoices in God and exercises forbearance in his life, the devil will raise up a cross calculated forcibly to turn his heart from that way. The Christian should therefore be well fortified, placing his peace beyond the devil’s reach ¾ in God. Let him not be anxious to rid himself of what the devil has forced upon him.