A recipe for Advent

 This Sunday's reading is from Matthew 3:1-12,

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,

   make his paths straight.” ’

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

That part about burning the chaff with unquenchable fire probably really chafes most revisionist preachers. They may not even notice since they usually focus their attention on how antiestablishment and countercultural John the Baptist was for his time. 

It is also possible that the revisionists will ignore John the Baptist because he was too far out there. I mean, who eats locusts anyway? 

Maybe locusts aren't all that bad. 

According to the internet,

"Locusts have a mild, meaty flavor that is often compared to shrimp or nuts. They can be cooked in various ways, such as frying or coating in chocolate, to enhance their taste."

Yummmm! 

Serve some up at coffee hour after church!

 

In Portland Oregon the Christmas tree is reduced to dead wood

 First they took Christ out of Christmas when they started calling it "Xmas," and the next move is to remove the Mass like they have done in Portland Oregon. 

From Fox News, 

Portland, Oregon, is under fire for again hosting its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and nixing any mention of the Christian holiday, while leaders of the event instead waved a Palestinian flag and led the crowd in chants. 

"Free, free, free Palestine," a woman holding a Palestinian flag on stage of the lighting event said while leading the crowd in a chant Friday evening, before also singing the "Strong Woman Song" while joined by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, which is a confederation of three native tribes in Oregon. 

The event was decked out in Christmas lights, a traditionally decorated tree and a visit from Santa Claus, but did not promote any mention of Christmas, with organizers instead advertising the festive occasion as "Portland's 41st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony," according to social media accounts for Pioneer Courthouse Square, where the tree is displayed. 

Fox News Digital reviewed the Portland government's Facebook, X and Instagram accounts and found advertisements and footage showing the tree lighting, but did not include the word "Christmas." A calendar for the annual event shows organizers have bypassed calling it a "Christmas" tree lighting event going back to at least 2019. 

"Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony." Bah, humbug! 

Yet another reason to not live in Portland. 

They let doctors kill people there don't they? 

They are trying to kill Christmas too.

Jesus will prove them wrong just as he did on that first Easter morning so long ago.

Maybe that is the perfect reason to move to Portland and spread the Good News! 

Christ is alive! 

Celebrate his Mass!

It's a Christmas tree for heaven's sake!

Turn on the lights!

Advent 1: Keeping an open eye

 

This Sunday's reading is from Matthew 24:36-44. Are you ready for Jesus?

‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day* your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

The Wake Forest University Choirs, under the direction of Dr. Christopher Gilliam, premiere Dan Forrest's "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,"  

 

Giving Thanks

 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the pewsterhouse. Pewsterspouse will be flying overseas on Friday leaving me to dog sit the pewsterdogs and to prepare for an upcoming concert. We have a lot to be thankful for, and I pray that you too will thank God for your blessings. I hope that no one leaves Him out of their Thanksgiving Day.

Psalm 105

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;

15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.

20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.

25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.

26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.

27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.

29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.

31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.

33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.

34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,

35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.

36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.

43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.

We have a king: Christ the King

This Sunday is also known as Christ the King Sunday and we have a reading from Luke 23:35-43 as an reminder, 

And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

I watched with disappointment as people recently engaged in "no kings" rallies because they did not appear to recognize that we do have a king and his name is Jesus. 

And he shall reign where'er the sun!

 

’

When a polyamorous same-sex 4-some showed up for a "Pop-up Wedding Fair"

I said it was just a matter of time before same-sex marriage led to the acceptance of polygamy by society. It looks like one church in Germany is leading the way.

From Premier Christian News,

The Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg has defended Lena Müller, a pro-LGBT minister, after she shared a picture of the blessing on Instagram, saying: “We are appalled by the hate directed at her. We stand with her and condemn these attacks in the strongest terms. We stand with those who are experiencing hostility.”

The four men had attended a “pop-up” wedding fair hosted by the church, where couples could receive a blessing without registering for marriage in advance.

The now-deleted post read: “Four young men said ‘yes’ to each other, celebrated love with us, and placed themselves under G*d’s colorful blessing.”

Lena Müller told NOZ: “You could see straight away that there was a lot of love between them.

“That’s why the team quickly agreed: What could God have against there now being four instead of two?”

The Protestant Church in Germany said the incident had not been a legitimate church ceremony, as the four men were not married under civil law.

In Germany, bigamy is illegal—but some exceptions have been made for Muslim immigrants who already have multiple wives.

What could God have against there being four instead of two she asked?  

Jesus answered that one,

“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’  ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:6-9

I guess they don't study that in seminary anymore.

 

Come labor on

In this week's reading from 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, the Apostle commands his readers to not be freeloaders.

Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labour we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

 When people come to our church during the week asking for a handout they are given food and clothing, but if it money that they want, they are offered work and a lesson from scripture. 

The passage 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 should be hung on the door.