Quote of the Day

“A balanced media . . . would challenge those who have produced a contemporary clan so confused about good and evil that they consider such distinctions to be merely statements about our personal feelings, . . .” — Carl F. H. Henry

Preachers Today: An Observation

Preachers used to want folk to feel bad about sin so they would repent.  Now they want to make folk feel good about sin… and as a consequence, people’s lives are being destroyed.

Opting out of that ‘repentance for sin’ talk hasn’t turned out so well, has it?  For them, for the Church, or for society.

Where have all the Prophets Gone?

In ancient times when evils were perpetrated by governments the Prophets of Israel and the Church spoke up, calling their kings and priests and leaders to better; to justice and righteousness.

Where have all the prophets gone?  Why are they silent?

People who will not condemn the evils their own government commits whilst widely condemning other governments for equal or less evil, are people who cannot be trusted. They are fundamentally dishonest people.  They are not Prophets and never have been and never can be.

But where are Amos and Paul and Elijah and Augustine and Jerome and Athanasius and Isaiah and most of all where is Jeremiah?

Why have the Prophets of Yahweh all been silent and the Prophets of Baal, the Christian Nationalists and Zionists more than loud and boisterous and unchallenged?

Where is Elijah with his fire from heaven and his sword?  Where have all the Prophets gone?

Have all of God’s spokespersons become cowards?  If so, there really is no reason for the world to continue, and God should destroy it post haste.

How to Destroy Christian Nationslism With one Verse of Scripture

Ben and his ilk of ‘christian’ nationalist Molech worshippers are destroyed by one little verse- ‘My kingdom is not of this world’- Jesus

Every legislature, courtroom, and executive mansion in our land must be brought into submission to the risen and ascended Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.– Ben Zeisloft

He doesn’t know Jesus.

Katie Luther and the Family Farm

luther_farmSome time in May of 1540, Martin and Katie Luther purchased Katie’s family farm near the town of Zölsdorf (Zühlsdorf). Located about 90 miles from Wittenberg, Katie’s brother Hans was no longer able to keep the farm afloat financially.

This was Katie’s farm to run. She soon found herself spending many hours at the property, fixing buildings, raising livestock, and growing the grain to feed the animals. Martin once called Katie the “rich lady of Zölsdorf”, not so much because she was bringing in a large income with the property but because of her strong attachment to the farm.

The work Katie did at Zölsdorf highlights one of Katie’s strongest traits: she was a hard worker. One could easily picture her as the subject of Proverbs 31: 15-17, 25-27:

She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

The painting is “Landscape With Farm” by Cornelis van Dalem from 1564

-Rebecca DeGarmeaux (on the facebook)

Zwingli Can’t Go to Baden

zwingl_badenIn 1525 the project of the disputation was revived. The Bishop of Constance chose Baden as the place. Zwingli declared his willingness, if necessary, to go to Schaffhausen or St. Gall, but the city Great Council refused him permission to go out of Zurich. The Diet at Luzern, on January 15, 1526, determined on Baden as the place and May 16, 1526, as the time.

Zwingli’s correspondence of 1526 shows clearly the course of events. After the disputation was determined upon there was uncertainty in regard to the place. Bern favoured Basel. Other cantons wanted Luzern. Œcolampadius naturally preferred Bern. Zwingli did not want to go out of Zurich. Perhaps his physical condition had something to do with it. Œcolampadius, on March 7, 1526, alluded to his having ulcers.

Zwingli himself, writing to Vadianus on Friday, March 30th, tells of an alarming attack of illness which had occurred that day. On April 16, 1526, Zwingli wrote a long letter to the City Council of Bern giving his reasons why he would not go to Baden for the disputation, although anxious to debate in such a presence.

The nine reasons amount to this—that the safe conduct and protection which Bern promised were really valueless under the circumstances because at Baden the Five Forest Cantons, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Luzern, and Zug, devoted to the old teaching, would outvote the other three cantons of Zurich, Bern, and Basel, devoted to the new.

He then proceeds to give his reasons for declining to go to any place where the Five Cantons had control.  

  1. Those cantons had condemned him unheard as a heretic and burnt his books.
  2. They still persist in doing so.  
  3. They have avowedly gotten up the disputation for the purpose of silencing him.  
  4. As they have ordered him arrested, contrary to federal law, what value would their safe conduct have?  
  5. They are bound by mutual vows to uproot the faith he professed.
  6. Their negotiations for the disputation were with Eck and Faber exclusively, not with him, he not being in any way consulted.
  7. While Eck’s and Faber’s writings are freely circulated in the Five Cantons, his were suppressed.
  8. He had two years before plainly told Eck and company that under no consideration would he go to Baden or Luzern.

Baden was not attended by Zwingli but it was by Oecolampadius, who kept Zwingli informed of all the doings.

Who Loves War?

Who loves war? The military-industrial complex and the politicians, safe at home, who send the young (but not their own) to die.

Who hates war? Grieving moms and dads and all whose children die to further enrich politicians and their military hardware overlords.

A Lot Has Happened on 16 May Throughout the History of the Church

On May 16, 1522, Huldrych Zwingli published Eine göttliche Vermahnung an die Eidgenossen zu Schwyz [Z1, 155ff].

Heinrich Bullinger preached his First Sermon on that date in 1529. Bullinger was prone to long sermons. Really long. But he was famously adored for them. Which says rather a lot.

Emil Brunner, back in 1925, earned his Doctorate in Theology from the University of Zurich. He was the most important theologian of the 20th century and his influence continues to be significant.

And last but certainly not least, William Peter Stephens was born on 16 May in 1934. Peter was one of the most gifted of historian/ theologians and has written many of the definitive works in English on Zwingli. And he was a great guy too.

Spend a little time today with Zwingli and Bullinger and Brunner and Stephens. There’s scarcely any better way to enjoy an afternoon.

Martin Luther’s Confession of Huldrych Zwingli’s Theological Superiority

What follows is a historical reconstruction* by means of figures (they aren’t dolls, stop calling them dolls, I don’t play with dolls)

luther_bowing_to_zwingli

This happened at Marburg.

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*There is no evidence for this but that’s ok. It’s not like people want historical evidence anymore. Just ask the Ark searchers and their lot.