ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the National Council of Churches.
We have been having fun, looking up nutritional hints and enjoying great food. Sassy is my assistant chef, always showing up when food is cooked. She is always rewarded for her steadfastness.
Bad foods avoided -
Sugared, especially corn-syruped products. They give instant energy and foster craving for more of the same.
White flour products are often heavily salted and nutrition poor. They also major in causing hunger later.
Processed meats are heavily salted as a cheap preservative.
Processed foods are usually syruped and salted for taste.
Schwan's cooked Italian meat balls are good but very salty.
Diet sodas and ice cream are verboten.
Good foods prepared at home -
Boneless, skinless chicken breast. I cook that on the gas stove with a little Tobasco sauce and some dry rub.
Pork is great but priced like steak.
Salmon - I made some and ate it, but it was nothing liked grilled salmon at Taziki's Greek Restaurant. Sassy loved hers.
Frozen string beans with a little butter.
Frozen brussels sprouts with a little butter.
Frozen mixed vegetables with a little butter.
Frozen brocolli, chopped, with a little butter.
We are going to try frozen, mashed cauliflower, which has a surprising number of nutrients in it.
Walnuts are heart-healthy and satisfying for dessert.
Tangerines are perfect for replacing ice cream
Lightly salted almonds are also full of minerals and good things.
Avocados may be added (Christina favorite) and high density chocolate for its low sugar, great taste, and nutrients. No really. We have some sugary chocolate and are avoiding that. One 92% dark chocolate square will transport the recipient.
My parents ran a Dairy Queen, introducing me to a good way to enjoy a desert. Cones are relatively low in carbo units and not something we consume in high numbers, unlike candies, cookies, and donuts.
Above are the reasons the Walther-worshipers prefer CFW to Loehe.
History is not what most people think, probably because the teachers are misled themselves. The original historians of the West were propagandists, for the most part, and some - like Herodotus - were entertaining story-tellers. Josephus attached himself to Rome's emperor and wrote his valuable history to make the imperial majesty look good.
Thucydides was the first analytical historian. He predicted, accurately, that his work would last forever. I read the three Greek historians - Xenophon, Herodotus, and Thucydides because I owned the twelve-volume set and had the time. Later I read Thucydides and Herodotus again while teaching religions of the West. Teaching world religion also led me into reading Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire several times, a wonderful combination of humor, anecdotes, propaganda, and detail.
We are profoundly affected by the history we study, and most of it is propaganda, written to propagate a point of view. The LCMS-WELS-ELS clergy and members read that CFW Walther was a great hero who saved the Saxon migration from the evil Martin Stephan. But the favored Walther circle of clergy/teachers knew all about their promiscuous and syphilis-riddled leader. How could they miss Stephan leaving his dying wife and children in Germany and taking along his healthy son and mistress? How could they miss Stephan's need for spas for his syphilitic, painful rashes? Nevertheless, they landed in New Orleans and signed his elevation to the life-long title of bishop. Soon after, Walther led the riot that kidnapped the bishop-for-life and stole everything he had, schocked that he was an adulterer.
The Walther myth continues to be told in hushed tones of reverence and awe, and that binds his warped followers to continue their dark path. To be a true Lutheran, they argue, one must cling to Walther and repudiate Luther in every possible way. Walther is their bible and savior - sad to observe, painful to experience.
My baptism in Walther studies changed all my thinking about LCMS history, especially the fawning book called Servant of the Word. Missouri's hatred for Zion on the Mississippi is also quite telling. Antagonism toward Luther's doctrine and worship of the institution are easily explained by CFW's clever maneuvering.
A propaganda book on the Rothschild family taught me the value - for bankers - of endless war. I remember reading it and saying to Mrs. Ichabod, "The beauty of endless war is loaning money to both sides. Debt earns interest and property can be bought when there is blood in the streets, as the Rothschilds said."
It is good for people to know the true history of the nation and to see beyond the multiple-choice history tests we often had. I see some great things ahead in the immediate future, when the corrupting leaven is cleansed from our nation.
Leupold and Keil-Delitsch teach Creation. Both are largely overlooked today.
We are the economic engine for the world, so we will bounce back fast, not so the others, like dumb Italy.
Italy decided to partner with China and China killed their economy by bringing over the virus.
People support Trump's leadership in this, a big loss for the opponents.
When the hub-bub subdues, the things we missed will be purchased big time - a mini-boom right there. People will celebrate going to the movies, sports, musical extravaganzas, church, school, and work.
Amazon and Walmart are hiring during the media-fueled crisis.
People like me who work from home will say - "That was not so bad, was it?" More will want to work and to study from home.
God is answering many prayers, and He still guides and blesses this great nation. The mainstream media are blind to this and being replaced by conservative, Christian media.
The Advent-Christmas babies will be nick-named The Virennials.
The Yale School of Medicine. Mrs. Ichabod worked there in research - at the Yale Child Study Center. I worked at the med school library, finding and xeroxing articles for doctors in a federally funded program. I also earned a certificate from Yale Medical School for taking a short course.
I am getting Harvard Health Beat newsletters free, so they invited me to enroll in their online educational course on blood pressure. It only costs $29.99, so I enrolled and went through the course.
How could I miss? Blood pressure is an issue for almost everyone over 65, and I have a family history of hypertension. Oddly enough, one frequent rider on Yale bus with me was a student wife we knew from our building. She was helping a doctor with his famous study of rats with high blood-pressure. Meanwhile, the author of Thornbirds was working there, as I discovered much later. The final irony is that our son's godmother is a medical editor there now, even though she earned her PhD in church history.
Blood-pressure, diabetes, and nutrition go together, so I am also looking over sensible guides to better nutrition.
The best treatments for high blood-pressure are losing weight and getting more exercise. Both are also good for blood sugar problems.
The first bonus for eating better is more energy. Yes, that is one of the great ironies built into Creation. Sugary snacks - and that includes diet sodas - decrease energy by pushing up blood sugar and even by leveraging the carbohydrate calories in food.
I could tell diet colas were bad, because the more I drank them, the more I wanted. They also add salt, as all the crunchy snack foods do.
I tried a good diet topped by ice cream, but that is like Church Growth from a Lutheran perspective, toxic self-delusion.
Since oranges are high in potassium, which is good for energy, I satisfied dessert cravings with oranges and walnuts. High blood sugar lowers potassium and energy, one might say.
I will work more on the nutrition post.
The rain is gone for now, but the mud and clouds remain.
We had far too much rain already when garbage day arrived. Due to early morning pickups, we favor Thursday hauling of the barrels, this time both garbage and recycle.
The only problem was the newest torrential rain - and Mrs. Ichabod's growing resistance to the barrels taking a shortcut through the kitchen and living room. I explained how that decreased the risk of losing my shoes in the soft clay mud of the backyard. But truth can harden hearts.
Sassy and I plotted our moves. First, she needed a long walk for her exercise and explorations. Nothing calms her more than a walk where she gets to meet a few friends. That went went when one neighbor called her by name and stopped to pet her. Sassy sat down for her petting time and beamed with pleasure.
Sassy loves her neighborhood friends.
Sassy went inside to her perch on the bed, and I opened the garage door for rescue and recovery.The rain had stopped but the backyard was almost completely underwater. Years of mulch kept the Hosta area relatively dry, high ground in the swamp. However, I found a snag in the ooze and almost did a belly-flop in the mud.
I took only one barrel out of our yard. Recycling could wait. I pulled the barrel over into the moving position, where floats or skids would have been better than little wheels. Both feet sank into the Hosta garden, pushing down layers of leaves, wood mulch, and debris from the storms. "They will find me in May and be so sorry no one did anything about backyard lakes and the pull of soft, soaking mud," I imagined.
I kept the barrel moving and reached solid mud, which is much better than slippery, almost bottomless mud. The barrel reached the curb, and so did both shoes.
In the garage I lowered the door and changed to dry clothes. One reader, who knew of my garbage day plans, said, "I hope the garage is attached to your house."
Soon another cloudburst came down like the end of a long, parched drought - only there was no drought, no dancing in the rain for me.
I fixed chicken breast and buttered Brussels sprouts for supper. We now have almonds and walnuts for low-carb dessert.
Pour-over coffee is a necessity in this weather. Ranger Bob comes over and asks if I have had my coffee for the day. "No, I need some right now." All four of us have been out on the front porch together, Sassy guarding our perimeter. Coffee in the shade on a pleasant afternoon is a great luxury.
This is not a caterpillar. If we argue for a while about what kind of caterpillar it is, or whether another name is more appropriate, we will continue to miss what it is. Our eyes feeds the information to our brains, but but brains look without seeing at times.
Once I put a big comb in a paper bag and closed the top. I asked kids to reach in. I said, "It has big teeth, but it will not bite you." All they heard was big teeth. Nobody had any interest in reaching in, because each child was influenced by fear. I am sure many adults had visions of those big teeth - a big dead insect? Imaginations run pretty wild at times when stoked by fear.
I am quite sure yesterday marked the turning point in America. The fear messages are being replaced by the facts, such as a common antibiotic being highly effective against the Chinese flu virus.
Another simple fact is that the amount of Chinese travel is directly related to outbreaks around the world. Those travels were severely curtailed early in America, when everyone was jived about impeachment.
Fear is irrational. Why would everyone need a cartload of TP? Why are hand sanitizers valued far above soap, when soap is just as effective, perhaps more so?
Listen carefully to the mainstream media - and do the opposite. That is wisdom.
PS - That is a row of little birds. Look at the beaks and tails.
That is the only bummer about working at home. People are still shocked that I can do everything from an old computer.
Treatment and recovery - Rush Limbaugh, Kermit Way, Christina Jackson. Recovery - John Hicks.
In the last stage of cancer and heart disease - Tom Fulcher, Diane Popp's brother-in-law.
Surgery - Randy Anderson, Andrea's father.
Two brothers, both with health issues.
Pray for our country as the major trials begin.
Pastor Palangyos - the chapel is slowed down by closing traffic due to the Corona virus.
I AM - The Bread of Life
John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. The Gospel of John has two special characteristics. One is that the Gospel is a commentary on the Five Books of Moses. The other is the disciple Jesus loved, John, recorded this through the Holy Spirit.Those should be two reasons why everyone should know and understand the Fourth Gospel. Bread is a universal food, made possible by grains and yeast. It played a large role in the temptation of Christ - "Turn these stones into bread, if you are the Son of God." This dialogue is important, because the Bible is summed up in the answer to their question. What work should we do, to do the work of God? The answer is ironic, because Pharisaic righteousness depended on outward works. In fact, that is the heart of all religions except Christianity - giving to God or placating God by works. Instead, what Jesus offered was quite different - the work of God is to believe in Him - also taught in John 16:8ff. The lack of faith is shown by their response - What miracle will you show us to prove why we should believe in You. Moses made bread come down from heaven. What can you do that is equal or superior to that? Jesus pointed out that the miracle came from God, not from Moses. God gives the true bread from heaven. This goes far beyond their concept of food from heaven. In this Gospel, Jesus is especially clear in emphasizing His descent from Heaven and His return to Heaven. This Mosaic bread was a great miracle, but tiny compared to God becoming man and dwelling among His people to teach them the truth Gospel. That sounded good, and they wanted this bread. So Jesus said,
35 And Jesus said unto them, I AM the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
The debate continued, with the non-believers arguing with Jesus. They called this beautiful sermon in John 6 "a hard saying" and no longer walked with Him.
Greek Lesson
ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 11550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)
1 εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος
2 ουτος ην εν αρχη προς τον θεον
3 παντα δι αυτου εγενετο και χωρις αυτου εγενετο ουδε εν ο γεγονεν
4 εν αυτω ζωη ην και η ζωη ην το φως των ανθρωπων
5 και το φως εν τη σκοτια φαινει και η σκοτια αυτο ου κατελαβεν
ην - six times, was, 3 person s. imperf.
red indicates base for English words
Basic rules for translating:
1. Do not have an English Bible open.
2. Look for words you know - this list will grow.
3. Never write in any English words - that decreases the words we know.
4. Read passages out loud to grow familiar with the words.
Or - A.B.D.s - the degree boasted by those who never finish.
NW Arkansas seems calmer than the metro areas. However, I notice a lot more big companies announcing delays due to new restrictions.
I have worked from home, almost exclusively, for years. It makes me sad that so many have fed the panic and predicted endless doom, instead of pointing out the blessings and power of America.
My father was always ahead on supplies, because he tried to run a bakery during rationing. He never ran out of flour and sugar, and he sold his extra supplies to other bakers - at cost - when they needed some.
Extreme times are full of paradox. When there was an issue with eggs some time ago, the egg section at the super-center was filled to the brim, untouched. Yesterday, the enormous egg section was empty while workers were bringing palettes of Dr. Pepper and Pepsi in. I thought, "What a country!"
How do they refill an egg shortage? "OK, hens, this is 'Merica. You need to double production, and now squawking about it."
Mrs. Ichabod said, years ago, "Stay ahead on water. If we are out of water, nothing else matters."
I built up the butler's pantry so we have a supply of everything but not too much of anything. Ranger Bob passed on some canned goods from his step-father. "Best before Jan 2012" was not encouraging. We skipped using them.
Christina laughed when I said I swapped one roll of paper towels for the title to his truck. She knows how much he loves his vehicles. The tax refund allowed him to get new tires.
The hardware stores have paper products. Men do not fill shopping carts full of paper during a panic. They want beer and tools.
"A dog will not willingly give up a large bone for a small bone." Adam Smith, economist
Various hot-spots bubble and heave with Objective Justification wrath:
ELCA
LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) Christian News
Lutherquest (sic)
Steadfast Lutherans (sic)
I saw that LCMS Pastor Charles Hendrickson was attempting - on LutherQuest (sic) - the new/old hat trick of reaching in for Justification by Faith and pulling out Objective Justification.
The trick is old in F. Pieper using the terms Objective Justification, Subjective Justification, and Justification by Faith. Given the intended confusion, anything could be concluded.
I and others thought of OJ as the Atonement, but Robert Preus, faithful to his Norwegian Pietism, insisted that OJ is not the Atonement. Objective Justification is the dogma that somewhere, some time, somehow, God declared the entire world absolved of all sin, all the way back to Adam.
So what did sneaky little Hendrickson do to repeat the Pieper hat trick?
Citing Romans 5:1-8! - Hendrickson states, with a straight face and forked tongue (to match his cloven hooves) -
"“Being justified”: That means you have been pronounced righteous before God, your sins have been forgiven, on account of Christ. St. Paul has told us about that in chapters 3 and 4 of Romans. Now in chapter 5, he tells us some of the results, the effects, of our being justified, and what that means for our life. For your life. And it’s a whole new ballgame."
But the opening of Romans 5 is the summary of Romans 4, which uses Abraham as the example of Justification by Faith -
Romans 5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The only way we have God's grace is through faith in Christ, a matter overlooked in this awkward magic act.
Thirty years after graduating from seminary, Hendrickson boasts that he has not finished the dissertation for his PhD, which means he does not have a PhD. Is it from the St. Louis seminary, recently re-possessed by the Seminex crowd? They were big on Objective Justification too. WELS still quotes Richard Jungkunz (an actual PhD) on the glories of OJ. LCMS still loves him.
Seminex was also the official seminary of the Metropolitan Community Church, and Jungkuntz chaired the Seminex board. Missouri, WELS, and the ELS love every doctrine but Luther's.
Charlotte Elliott came from a clergy family, but she was uncertain about salvation, until a pastor used the phrase - "just as you are." Mid-life, she suffered from an illness that left her in considerable pain. She devoted her time to writing and editing material to comfort others. Most people could not name the author of this hymn, but almost everyone knows the lyrics.
When she died, the family found a thousand letters among her possessions, all thanking her for the comfort she provided in her written work. She avoided taking credit to such an extent that one person gave her a leaflet with these words printed on it, to ease her suffering. She was thankful that her words had taken flight.
"Just as I Am, without One Plea"
by Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871
1. Just as I am, without one plea But that Thy blood was shed for me And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 2. Just as I am and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot, To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 3. Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind, Yea, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 5. Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 6. Just as I am; Thy love unknown Has broken every barrier down. Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Hymn #388 The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: John 6:37
Author: Charlotte Elliott, 1836
Composer, First Tune: George J. Elvey, 1862 First Tune: "St. Crispin"
Composer, Second Tune: William B. Bradbury, 1849 Second Tune: "Woodworth"
“If we can add to our mind treasury the twenty-four leading hymns of the Christian church, what a splendid employment it will be! — Rev. Amos Wells
On This Page
Why These 24 Hymns To Memorize?
“On the way to the Denver Christian Endeavor Convention, Mrs. F. E. Clark asked a large number of distinguished clergymen and eminent laymen that were upon the train, to prepare a list of what they considered the most beautiful and helpful Christian hymns. They did so, and a large and exceedingly fine list was the result… It is hoped that they will be committed to memory by all Juniors, and it is suggested that one of these hymns be repeated in concert at every Junior meeting for a month. Let the pastor or superintendent tell the story of the hymn, and give an opportunity for those who can bring in additional stories to do so.
D.D. means Doctor of Divinity or Dunkin' Dried-Out-Donuts.
Here is the epitome of evil - using a cute photo to promote donuts!
As many know, Sassy loves to go in the car for errands. Most of them involve Walmart and end with McDonalds nearby. Sassy is so anxious for her cone that she interrupts my order.
"I want a small plain hamb... - bark, bark - burger and - bark, bark, bark, a - bark - what was that? - and a cone - BARK!" The last bark features her special, dramatic, cracked voice, dying of hunger plea.
Several regular workers adore her. They even provide some whipped cream (so-called) if the cone machine is not working.
My mother's cousin used to visit and tell us about how she calculated the cost per meal on the farm when the workers came for the harvest. I applied that to McDonalds and home cooking. The cost results were not favorable for McDonalds, and the nutritional value was definitely lacking.
Someone noted that people shift reality when buying things. A burger for $5 is cheap, but a package of cheese for $5 is expensive.
Food for two people and a dog at McDonalds, three times a week, is equal to a weekly order of Schwan's delivered to the door. Worst of all for McDonalds, the quality contrast is dreadful.
The doctor told me I was slightly low on potassium, and low potassium decreases energy. Dr. Google informed me that it was related to my blood sugar being high (the effect of looking at and responding to those color photos of ice cream on the Schwan's Food website).
I have to cut way back on useless but delicious carbos - and increase potassium, and other minerals. So I became the cook and looked up some nutritional values. I am listing them here and sticky-posting for my own use and to inform others.
Christina has been in shock that I enjoy cooking so much (the French side of the family) and happily clean up the kitchen. It's the old adage - If required: it's a chore; if a hobby - it's fun and not work.
Salmon is highly regarded for good health, and chicken is an inexpensive substitute for salty beef burgers with salty Crisco fries.
Butter has many benefits - margarine none. Coconut oil is great for cooking and is easily digested.
Diet soda is best replaced by tea and black pour-over coffee.
Walnuts are considered a wonder food, for all the nutrition and benefits from them.
High potassium foods start with white beans at the top of the list. Potatoes are full of nutrition, including potassium, but they are cooked to death at food emporiums.
Eggs make a great, quick meal. They contain a lot of minerals, very good protein, and satisfy for many hours.
I prescribe walnuts and eggs, chicken and green vegetables, butter and coconut oil, chicken and grilled salmon. Low energy? - white beans for potassium.
Someone created this graphic so I did not have to do it. I thought of this pair during the debate and I hardly ever watched the Muppets show.
Ranger Bob came over Sunday afternoon, so we drank coffee outside. The recent rain filled the wheelbarrow, and I neglected to empty it. This morning, the rain is pouring down again at 5 am.
We watched the Biden Sanders debate and it reminded me of the old fashioned style of root canal surgery - long, slow, and painful.
Later we watched hymns over YouTube. I now have three books on hymns from the Lutheran Librarian, so I am going to read and mark them for future services.
We had Ustream worship service, as usual, and people have been remarking that we were way ahead of the other churches. Relatively few broadcast their services. The cost is very small.
We had phone conferencing at first. Brett Meyer suggested streaming video over the Net, but I was reluctant to start. However, a video camera arrived in the mail at our home in Phoenix, and Christina set up an altar area. Brett thought weekly services were the way to go and soon Alicia Meyer (his mother) emailed, "We are having Advent midweek services, aren't we?" I responded, "Of course!"
Several people commented on the National Day of Prayer service, before and after. Weather keeps some from going to church, and the Wu-flu alerts shut many congregations down. There are many times when people cannot attend a particular Sunday, so I am surprised relatively few use the Internet to broadcast.
My post on Facebook led a long-time Moline friend to exclaim, "You broadcast worship services?" I link the Sunday service every week, midweek and Ascension Day too. I continue to use the three classic rules of learning - repetition, repetition, repetition.
A massive gathering of LCMS-WELS-ELS came to the Emmaus Conference to hear Jay Webber and Jon-Boy Buchholz deny Justification by Faith.
