Not a question on the text, but on the person Philip. Have you heard or understood the Apostle Philip to be the same person as the Evangelist/Deacon Philip? Papias of Hierapolis speaks of the Philip of Acts 21 as one of the Apostles. Polycrates, 2nd century Bishop of Ephesus, says that Philip, "one of the Twelver", was buried at Hierapolis along with two aged virgin daughters of his, and that a third daughter, a prophetess, was buried at Ephesus. It seems unlikely that two Philips would have unmarried daughters of whom at least one was known as a prophetess. If 11 of the 12 Apostles handed off the admin work of the welfare program, could Philip have accepted it? Or perhaps he did as a link between the Apostles and the Deacons in the early church? Note how Jesus calls out Philip in the task of feeding the 5,000. Philip had a Greek name which suggests some sort of Hellenistic element in his background. When some Greek speaking Jews wanted to see Jesus, they went first to Philip. (Jn 12:20f) The Deacons were being appointed because the Greek-speaking Jews complained their widows were being neglected. All this strongly suggests Philip, with his Greek familiarity, may be the one disciple who also became a deacon to oversee this work. Interested in what you have studied in this regard. Thanks.
Writings on the internet that facebook has become a dictionary of my own quest and journey for knowledge and serving people with the word and my humble ability to discern it. Sometimes not so humble and indeed sinful in my insufficient training. Yet enough is what we are given and we are given in abundance, and it is sufficient. Done and left undone. Fear of the Lord. Assured and called to produce. From scrap books to facebook and on to youtube commentary and all to personal, lets go meet and greet strangers on the street. A homily in the eating of the scroll. The word in me and the word in you.
32 years of using the internet in my theological studies. I have written so much it is like my history and writing on facebook takes me back to things written since 2007. The internet led me here on this trembling. Discernment required. I am of a tribe called LCC Lutheran. Equipping ones saints. Hmm! Thank You to Pastor Bryan and all the Pastors in thier vocations and training. How much is enough? A running over cup is presented in this method of study and indeed even in bible reading as intrigue and sheer love and fear to learn more. One homily from the internet. https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/2364/Trembling-before-God.htm
A question. Is this what I have written about a physical manifestation of being baptized with the Holy Spirit? Living in the awesome Joy of God.? Why is crying so much a part of this realization, as this indwelling flows tears of joy of acceptance and love. Rain on me. Reign on me. King Creator God Father Sn and Holy Spirit. On me in me, I as and of in being and becoming omnipotent in the past presence and future. In all tenses of consciousness, never alone. Yes. It is so. To all who believe? Pastor Lantz said some people feel this, but not many. He said he has. Why Me. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go Lord, If you lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart. Hymns and their impact. Conscience and the wonder and importance of proper distinctions in hymns. Discipline and applied Agape. Washing and Electricity in the calling and baptism. In the election and during confirmation. The hand and the electricity in the blessing in given and received. This body, this blood. Shed for you, do this in remembrance of me. Forgiveness of sin. Made right clean. Who? Me? You? We? Is it the separation due to country and language that has increased this sensitivity in me. To be tuned and equipped. Pruned and expected to give fruit. One waters, one plants, God gives the growth.
Reflection on the circumstances of worship life here in Latvia at the Dome Church. Baffled. I cannot understand them. I must go for communion. I desire to hear the word and my ears are so ready that when the word is spoken the slightest understanding sends me on a mental search for the word. The word is delivered then from the studies of my life. Retention and the desire to do good. Not to harm the chruch in who I am. But to see hear and speak in a tongue that can be understood. How I wish for the text so i could read it in the service. If they speak it is muffled and confused in the echo of this large building. It echos 5 times I think it was last time my old choir sang there. With hearing aids. Well. Such is the way. :) Thankful to hear and for technology of the day. To want to hear the word is leading me to what is retained. The word that lives in me. Is it criticism to attempt to communicate. We in our family are finding growth as our perceptions and speaking of then clash with the word. As we read the bible more together and play hymns and share in our faithful life. It is an awakening to after all these years to see. Have I been blind? Have my eyes been opened to see. Hey, this is not Lutheran like I am lutheran. This is , different. What is lacking? In me? Nothing for the Lord fills me up. How will I do good by pointing to our Lutheran Service Book!? Pride or humble longing for home and who we are in this foreign land. Hosted as Pastor Lantz said, last sunday. The exiled elect or the elct exiled from Canada comes to my heart. To have said I feel like an exile and all the reasoning and calling and pullling of the heart that had me going out from COncordia Theological Seminary and my home church. To go out. Like a fisher of men in my confirmation. To arrive at the tect. He baptised the ethopian. WOw!. Actually baptising people. Equipped? no... yet ordained comes to the heart and the appreciation for the pastors called and rdained in this life and the respect to the office in any foreign or known place be it as an exile or an elder. Imagine. Baptising people. It leads my heart to shaking and tears of worthiness and equipping and the overwhelming Love of Christ in me. Who am I? A child of God. In this place in this time for this purpose. To ventures unknown For guidance in our calling from the Lutheran service book pg 311. Calling. A yearning heart. Full of passion and weeping tears of joy and approval from a loving Father. Show me the way. A hymn. Sing, rejoice, be a child of God. All the things given in being just that also all that is expected. To he whom much has been given much will be expected. This word journey imprinted in the hearts and minds of the elect. Elected? Equipped, fed, blessed pardoned, ordained, called to serve. Life. This is life. We live then. :) yes it is so. Wow. Fired up. Be still my soul another hymn. Time to rest and practice the instruments. The phrasing and exercise this gift of perfect intonation these Latvians say I have been given. Lord. Show me the way. You have the words of eternal life. Amen. Go! I want to be ready, to walk in Jerusalem, Just like John. A life of hymns. Speak then to me. Let me hear your voice. I am yours and you are mine.
As the week progresses it is evident the word leads to the word that leads to the word. This word that shows the way. Jesus. Author and perfecter. The realization as to the pruning. Yes not only in our spiritual lives but real pruning in our own gardens in which we too hope for a harvest and humbly understand. Yes the physical work of digging around the roots of fertilizing and pruning. Realizing and not realizing the refuge of the Lord and our browsing history regarding how the Lord equips us in these modern days. I still have the old bible. To remember to actually have the book with paper in ones hand and chucked full of papers from 31 years of study. To see blood on the pages and dirt. To arive at psalm 34 in the numerous questions after the beginning statements in the desires and needs of this soul on that day. Of the equipping through the word in all of my days. Individually and collectively. To read with even more understanding the prayers of the church in the Lutheran service book. Also about ordination and of Angels speaking to us and have they you. Or is that private. Yet it is true in our works and daily life amazing miracles happen and indeed angels do speak with us. Through the word it seems, and in prayer. Psalm 34 I arrived at by reading the footnotes. The internet is easier but my browser does not have footnotes. I see you have a program, Pastor Bryan. I wonder how to get that program. It has been a very long time on the internet and since I have had a key to the seminary library, given me, with this old study bible. Life. God is with us. :) Joy, joy, joy. Trust. Amen Given me at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary St Catharines. 1995. Remembering all the students I housed. Wow!. Still encouraging and being encouraged. God is good. Love. prevails.
Result. Manifestation. The text is read. Commonality of faith in the true word is shared and my love, sits at her piano playing what a friend we have in Jesus. I am marvelled. Yes. It is true to text must be shared, Not my testimony in a foreign language to foreign people we love. No it is the word in their own tongue they must hear. That our commonality our communion of faith may take and eat and share this peace. This is most certainly true. Lord. Not my words but yours. Amen. Father. Equip your saints. Let then hear and inwardly digest your word. Then let them have trained Pastors Like pastor Bryan to go out and share in your will in your way the word we live in and on. Amen. Joy. Play my children take up your instruments and lift your voices to the Lord who hears and knows all of our needs. Let us know our need and identify it in asking. Long worded and contemplative. Your Tom Shh. Listen.
Being firm and saying. Read the text. We love. Being stern is also waiting for a kiss of acceptance and appreciation as one returns to meet and greet from their not understanding this soul. I rest. Will they read the text. Can I live the text. Only by the grace of God.
to add and to take away. What we order as in take out food? We are what we eat! A confession in the browsing history of my history of using the internet for education, communication and worship since 1992. Imagine. Every website I have visited. Or you for that matter. To look at ourselves in we are what we consume. The word in us and the world in us. The ability to communicate as in the education of those to whom we speak. Above and beyond or humbled, yelled at afflicted, punched, unpeaceful words of as if people only hear law and somehow my own righteousness instead of the word of God that lives in my thoughts and words and often failure in deed to express this joy. It seems impossible to share the joy. It becomes alive and passionate. Being then a stranger in a strange land presents opportunity to receive yet an exclusion in giving. To give, to receive. People not understanding. People in pride and yes I too but pride in the word. Is it really pride or steadfastness? This faith story told. It is not about me! Or is it. Me in this faith. Imperfect. Not able to communicate it seems. Running into being beaten and bruised and rejected. Disharmony in speaking. So silence is demanded. To not discern because the articles and the way of expressing the self in another language and to understand are they talking about themselves, me or Jesus and His word. So excited in the text it has to be shared and spoken of. People not understanding this. SInce kindegarden. In every place workplace play station yacht racing what ever. The text in me. Wanting to hear it return and feeling at last a brother or sister in Christ. Broken even in our own family. Save a few. Those who do not judge or assume who heard the word in the same way in the same tongue from our own loved Father on earth speaking from our Father in Heaven to us the listeners. Sit down be quiet and listen. It often does not work. To hear how churches are dying from a foreign speaker. From our own pastors in demographics and the study therof. To dependance ont he word through these storms which seem like afflictions as those we love beat and yell at our pride. The story is not being shared. How dare we people of the LCMS LCC speak in this way we do. WHo speaks/ Maybe it should not be me. Not equipped. Not my vocation. Yet why this pasion to share? WHy enduring all of this rejection seems so painful at times. Like crucify him is real and yes look. Dying to whom do we turn? Where are the enduring words we so want to hear. In our heads in our hearts on our minds? You in me we in you. This is the only strength then in this armor of God. To recognize and suit up. Turning as their is no armor on the back. Deflecting and enduring. Presence in this daily warfare. Peace then comes in moments in breath in a rest. We share that peace with others in church. Some are good at silence and say to pray. I am not. I pray. All the day long even and look to the word for assurance. I am wrong Lord. You are right. Move me. Please. Lead me. Correct me. Let me take your lessons and lighten this load. Let me put these things upon you. Try to share these scriptures with the people you love, I love and will they take up the book and read and inwardly digest? Forgive them. Do not yell back or hit back. Stand down. Yoou are like one of the Queens guards, or are you. The flash card of the internet in 15 sec adds into all we look at these days. It was not htis way in the past. Distraction in shock doctoring. The news and the reaction in me. To whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life. Dying. Broken. Lost but found in prayer in the word. ALone. Yes and often. Forgiven. Forgiving. Who can speak of this journey in this way. This eating the word and inwardly digesting it. Our browsing history. Yes. Is the grass greener there. This curiosity? Be still and know that God is God. Is this internet like an addiction then? Maybe. Will I need pills, medication to leave it behind. DO I have places to visit the history as I did in my youth? Linraries and old books on my own or a place to visit to read and be still. Yet eve there this enthusiasm speaks in places as it always had that say quiet. Library. Quiet. Church Sanctuary. I cannot contain myself. How to do that? A running over cup. Life of a sinner. Sanctified, glorified, redeemed. Doing nothing wrong. So close is offending other people. Different. One who offends. One who makes people happy. Differing statements from differing peoples. Those whom we love as strangers and those close as long time lovers and familiy. Long time friends and differing levels of honesty or faith. SO few to speka with. Yes even friends in the church. Who will speak and or share this joy and share their inner outer dialog. Few. Not alone. Yet not able to be silent. Stand up sit down. Be quiet. Better out at sea alone on the boat and giving glory to God in all creation to arrive in the storm of the seas and deliverance. Been there did that bought the boat a gift and sold it to another. To travel more in a new gift. Always this giving and travel. Not known among our own. Oh for child. Not given children. The joy of all creation and appreciation for all people in all situations. Some hard to handle and others receiving in joy and praise ate their very existence and the joy of little feet or feeble hands in need of support and a moment of praise acceptance and joy. To lift a heart. Like treasure then those smiles of those whom we know not but live in this time with us. The passers on the way. Rules of the road. Given norms and shelter in the storm all rolled into a day, in the life of a confessed sinner. A child of God. Be still then. Know that God is God. Shh! Rest. :)
Oh, the road. This text John 15. 1-17. O weep and tears of love and joy and acceptance for in falling to my knees and all the struggles of these 67 years come to visit in their time. In the homily of life of one who walked in this way of God. Who has been given much and everything. I am humbled to know I am with God and God is with me. I weep. For He has taken me to many places and many faces. To remember the faces and places can be overwhelming. Through all the faces I have worn in affliction and lowly grovelling to knowledge and humble, listen and do not speak. To live the text. To eat it and become it. He in me and we, all of us who believe in Him. To this I will come to you and really experiencing this in places many have never travelled alone in the wilderness if road sea foreign lands and thinking I have not a friend, only Jesus and his word to comfort me. Who am I, but a child of God. The son of the mist high, a King. The son of a King never surpassing the Father but living in his grace forever, a child. Sanctified, glorified, redeemed, made right. Experiencing this in the flesh and the weight of it. Me! You! Us! The gift of faith. Mountains moved, and seeing them moved in me. Out of the way, Thomas. I have work to do. Stand down. Soldier. Fear not. The battle rages. Psalm 91. Psalm 23. Psalm 51 and many others as the Pastor reads them on Sunday. No matter where I go, there He is. I am with you. I will never leave you or forsake you. I am with you even until the end of the age. To whom shall we go. Some internet speaker not speaking the word but giving his own interpretation and sometimes led astray to return only to the word and the tried and true Pastors. How to discern is real. Words in our mouths. Then know them and keep them. This love. This corrective process. This is life. Amen. Confession. Given. This day April 24th 2024
Oh my oh my on 1rst John. Pastor Lantz preached on this a week ago, I think , I am confused with time and date at times, Yet the word lives in me as it is received I am. Can I hear? Can I listen? Can I live in Christ? Wanting to hear leaves me in tears. Yet I hear and I know but with these people? It is a question. Their pride in their language and their position as a nation and as a church. Do they hear and know? Is this desire to build a nation so string that they will throw away the word of the Lord? Nation building. Mistakes we can all make in the face of recuperation and an identity of what a nation is and all the work to be a nation in the world. Of God in reserve and where the gold came from. In how it is manipulated in the league of nations and who is giving signing aithoirty to engage in the credit the world demands. Yes finance in this world in this time. Nation building in recuperation of reconcilliation and love in who are we as a people? Are we of God. Or deniers and of some prideful cultural mechanism of wealth and those who manipulate these credits with the riches of some forefathers as their ticket to nationhood. Is it the blood of their fathers or the blood of Christ? Who am I but a voice crying in the wilderness in historical studies of His story, or rather the winners so try in nations and who is in authority in the world. Is it of God? Or man? I rest and am ashamed. It is the same in all of our nations as Christians being voices in the world today. Silence is not so easy with the many voices of dismay and here the many non-smiling faces afraid to speak to one and, other. So I ride, and I welcome, and I suggest and attempt to bring happiness as I know it to this host nation. To experience culture and sport but not hear the word is deafening. In having studied so many nations histories and the history of my own blood lines going back in every line and always looking for the word of God through it all. Orphaned people I see in many lines and also here. Left without the word and left with a childs memory of the word of their abcestors. To understanding pagans and all the history here and our forefathers who left these lands or contimnent and all the historical challenges left behind in the new lands I grew up in that Mother said. Tommy our country is no longer a christian nation. To feeling that devastation completly and yet knowing all my life the experiences of the ungodly life of my friends and neighbor.s to remember things I must forgive that vcome up in my behaviour within those nations of people of all nations and faiths in one school. THe hearing the word of God at evry meal in family devotions then belieivng and going out into the playground or my work or sports. To deaf ears and silencing words of people I loved. You see we learn to love people. This love gets in the way and captures us. We may go away from people but we wish for them to know this love we know. THey just won't hear. Then yo go and wash the dust of their town off your feet. This casting of your pearl among swine is so demoralizing and your love does not want to give them up. You know then. You have to go. Strength in the Lord and His word then is real as you find yourself like John a voice crying int he wilderness. In going out and being still and knowing that God is God and He decides who will hear this word you are sharing. He will give the growth and getting out of the way. To not hinder it with the trivalities of this life that trouble us in our love for God and our neighbor as ourselves. Humbly, meekly is real. ALone to ones hands and knees trusting The Lord will send the answer he will put words in my mouth in the front of crowns and magistrates. To trust then not in my htoughts or words but only int he wird of God alone. To displace the self a sinner to God the leader the author and perfecter of this gift of a measure of faith. That I believe resides in all people. SO thos love makes manifest in sharing the love int he humblest of ways speaking the words of the Lord to all who we meet. To lift and be lifted. To look for the ear who will hear and the eye that will see to feed and be fed. Encourage on and other, speak the truth in love and to bear each others burdens. How can I do this? In pain and humble lowly confessing forgiving and being forgiven. Always this washing. Like a cat cleaning it's coat. Always looking for good and turning for good the mist terrible of afflictions of getting behind that which is evil and moving to God and being moved. Always this turning all the day long. A new face in the neighborhood. The lady at the cash saying you have changed our whole neighborhood. People smile more and greet one and other more. Oh father hear my prayers, You only have the words of eternal life. Let me hear. Forgive my inequities and equip me and strengthened me. I trust you. No man has shown this. Save a few pastors I have mentioned who feed me the word in this unique way of the father. To trust and to say. God is with you. His will be done. Amen. You asked Pastor Bryan. I humbly offer what the word and the Lord is giving me in this hosted place. I am thankful for all things. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Thank you to general motors who allowed me time to learn to type in my afflictions. Thankful for all I have been given. Sorry, these may not be questions I have in them. Yet they do reveal questions in these testimonies of life here today. Forgive my burning heart. This passion for coming together. Being a voice in the wilderness. Seems real. Listen. :) A listener. Inwardly digest. Eat the text. :)
Opps I read Psalm 149 first. Humbly crowned. :) Pride seems to really be in the way lately with being an english speaker and seeing how the church is unfolding in my humble perception not able to hear the words of the pastor or discern it as a listener in these lands I am hosted in. I am but a visitor here, heaven is my home. Imagine not being able to hear or worse only hearing babble and not the words of our forefathers. now on to 150. Praise the Lord. Here the only thing I can offer in this praise is when I listen to the pastor speak from the pulpit I hear babble. SO I listen for words I understand and then I write on my paper and let myself go into the text of my history in the walk with the Lord. It seems all i can do. Then when I try to sing. There is only one verse under the melody, so I sing it with gusto and learning to sing quieter to hear all who sing. I learn the melody and improvise as they lead me forward. I used to hear melodies of our hymns here but they have a new hymnal and they wanted to omit our Germanic teachings from their midst it seems. They have inserted their own composers and french composers, and so the melodies are new and challenging. I do not feel the presence of my ancestors and must rely on all my musical training to sing perfect in perfect pitch and intonation. Their choir directors tell me I have that in perfection. I am humbled, for I only want to please the Lord and my family of faith in offering all I have been given to study and hear and offer in my vocation as a listener. Humbly, being the best I can be in this moment. Not understanding the text can be confusing. Trusting they are singing in the ways of the Lord takes a faith that demands this perfection. My passion then to serve in my vocation is great and may lead to trouble as I attempt to voice my heart in thought word and deed. My sins are revealed and I confess. To be still and to know God is humbling me. I trust them and trust God is with me in this land of babble. Where my ears strive to hear the word. The law and the gospel for instruction and counsel. Should I trust them? Is their preaching correct. Are my listening ears then filled with the Holy Spirit? God will not leave me empty so I have my home congregation Pastor Lantz, I have Pastor M Richards and You Pastor Bryan. I attempt to communicate with pastors here but it seems language and pride get in the way. I feel everyone is too proud here and loathe at the pride in me. Yet I trust in the word passed tome through my forefathers. I cannot understand Latvian. I can speak in niceties and even share the gospel with all whom I meet in simple ways. The young people are striving to hear and seem to love to speak in english as I share my simple message of the gift of life and being thankful and saying so and smiling. Katra diena davana, domaju paldias smaida and domaju dzive ir gruti but davana. Life is a goft. every breath even. Be thankful and give thanks to God even for your troubles. Life will go better then. Smile be happy. Now for some dancing as we play hymns on pianos and contra basses with bows and clapping hands and smiling as the word floods us with the joy and love of God to humbly beseech us and join us in the paschal celebration of the forgiveness of sins and the joy of the Lord living in us. :) Three smiles and joys and the hugs of those who believe with me with all of us. One in Christ. Together. Ever feel foolish like a child of God being naughty in just rejoicing in this freedom. Like Psalm 51 and being washed clean by the Holy Spirit. Asking to be cleaned and actually becoming the cleanness of a child, even at 67 years? Joy then for it is real. A child trust. Safe in this trust. We live.
Acts is this morning of fog and the world I am loving in finds me wanting to hear of what did Abraham do and should I do or do I do that. DO I do what Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit are saying for me to do? To listen? To trust to turn and to do. To understand the world was defeated through Jesus on our behalf, to be thankful and trust this? Only through Jesus and the Holy Spirit can I hear this word that has placed me here in this time in this body in this place with this breath today. A child then receives what His Father gives him to eat. Abundance. Joy beauty gladness. To rest and to read the whole text. Trusting in Jesus. My author and perfecter. Rest and take this rising sun this morning on my face. Give thanks. Be still and know that God is God. I'm living in His creation, a grateful child and servant of His Father. A child who loves God as Father, then descending to our own understanding of God as our daddy. Our earthly fathers. To trust our faith and God's word in delivering us from our sin. To setting us free to be called children of God. I weep. Tears of joy. Shaking. Come Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen. Forgiveness is quickly at hand.
In Acts 8 / 26 - 40 text from the foot notes in the NIV Concordia Study Bible says they were not true believers. This thought seems to be coming up a lot in my life. This discernment of the word and how we as children and through our adult years have heard the word in many differing ways. Maybe this Concordia Bible is not complete enough anymore. As the Pastors today are using a different study bible. Which one do you use Pastor? Now I will read the whole chapter to attempt to gain more into who is being spoken too. We are the gentiles, so what will Romans say about this?
Thank You, Pastor Wolfmueller. With Us. :)
Not a question on the text, but on the person Philip. Have you heard or understood the Apostle Philip to be the same person as the Evangelist/Deacon Philip? Papias of Hierapolis speaks of the Philip of Acts 21 as one of the Apostles. Polycrates, 2nd century Bishop of Ephesus, says that Philip, "one of the Twelver", was buried at Hierapolis along with two aged virgin daughters of his, and that a third daughter, a prophetess, was buried at Ephesus. It seems unlikely that two Philips would have unmarried daughters of whom at least one was known as a prophetess. If 11 of the 12 Apostles handed off the admin work of the welfare program, could Philip have accepted it? Or perhaps he did as a link between the Apostles and the Deacons in the early church? Note how Jesus calls out Philip in the task of feeding the 5,000. Philip had a Greek name which suggests some sort of Hellenistic element in his background. When some Greek speaking Jews wanted to see Jesus, they went first to Philip. (Jn 12:20f) The Deacons were being appointed because the Greek-speaking Jews complained their widows were being neglected. All this strongly suggests Philip, with his Greek familiarity, may be the one disciple who also became a deacon to oversee this work. Interested in what you have studied in this regard. Thanks.
Love the icon! The visual word.
Time to shut off the computer. Till later.
We are thirsty and need to drink.
Writings on the internet that facebook has become a dictionary of my own quest and journey for knowledge and serving people with the word and my humble ability to discern it. Sometimes not so humble and indeed sinful in my insufficient training. Yet enough is what we are given and we are given in abundance, and it is sufficient. Done and left undone. Fear of the Lord. Assured and called to produce. From scrap books to facebook and on to youtube commentary and all to personal, lets go meet and greet strangers on the street. A homily in the eating of the scroll. The word in me and the word in you.
32 years of using the internet in my theological studies. I have written so much it is like my history and writing on facebook takes me back to things written since 2007. The internet led me here on this trembling. Discernment required. I am of a tribe called LCC Lutheran. Equipping ones saints. Hmm! Thank You to Pastor Bryan and all the Pastors in thier vocations and training. How much is enough? A running over cup is presented in this method of study and indeed even in bible reading as intrigue and sheer love and fear to learn more. One homily from the internet. https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/2364/Trembling-before-God.htm
Philippians 2: 12 Tremble
It causes me to tremble. Another hymn :) It does? Yes! :)
A question. Is this what I have written about a physical manifestation of being baptized with the Holy Spirit? Living in the awesome Joy of God.? Why is crying so much a part of this realization, as this indwelling flows tears of joy of acceptance and love. Rain on me. Reign on me. King Creator God Father Sn and Holy Spirit. On me in me, I as and of in being and becoming omnipotent in the past presence and future. In all tenses of consciousness, never alone. Yes. It is so. To all who believe? Pastor Lantz said some people feel this, but not many. He said he has. Why Me. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go Lord, If you lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart. Hymns and their impact. Conscience and the wonder and importance of proper distinctions in hymns. Discipline and applied Agape. Washing and Electricity in the calling and baptism. In the election and during confirmation. The hand and the electricity in the blessing in given and received. This body, this blood. Shed for you, do this in remembrance of me. Forgiveness of sin. Made right clean. Who? Me? You? We? Is it the separation due to country and language that has increased this sensitivity in me. To be tuned and equipped. Pruned and expected to give fruit. One waters, one plants, God gives the growth.
Shh. Be still my soul.. quiet.
Reflection on the circumstances of worship life here in Latvia at the Dome Church. Baffled. I cannot understand them. I must go for communion. I desire to hear the word and my ears are so ready that when the word is spoken the slightest understanding sends me on a mental search for the word. The word is delivered then from the studies of my life. Retention and the desire to do good. Not to harm the chruch in who I am. But to see hear and speak in a tongue that can be understood. How I wish for the text so i could read it in the service. If they speak it is muffled and confused in the echo of this large building. It echos 5 times I think it was last time my old choir sang there. With hearing aids. Well. Such is the way. :) Thankful to hear and for technology of the day. To want to hear the word is leading me to what is retained. The word that lives in me. Is it criticism to attempt to communicate. We in our family are finding growth as our perceptions and speaking of then clash with the word. As we read the bible more together and play hymns and share in our faithful life. It is an awakening to after all these years to see. Have I been blind? Have my eyes been opened to see. Hey, this is not Lutheran like I am lutheran. This is , different. What is lacking? In me? Nothing for the Lord fills me up. How will I do good by pointing to our Lutheran Service Book!? Pride or humble longing for home and who we are in this foreign land. Hosted as Pastor Lantz said, last sunday. The exiled elect or the elct exiled from Canada comes to my heart. To have said I feel like an exile and all the reasoning and calling and pullling of the heart that had me going out from COncordia Theological Seminary and my home church. To go out. Like a fisher of men in my confirmation. To arrive at the tect. He baptised the ethopian. WOw!. Actually baptising people. Equipped? no... yet ordained comes to the heart and the appreciation for the pastors called and rdained in this life and the respect to the office in any foreign or known place be it as an exile or an elder. Imagine. Baptising people. It leads my heart to shaking and tears of worthiness and equipping and the overwhelming Love of Christ in me. Who am I? A child of God. In this place in this time for this purpose. To ventures unknown For guidance in our calling from the Lutheran service book pg 311. Calling. A yearning heart. Full of passion and weeping tears of joy and approval from a loving Father. Show me the way. A hymn. Sing, rejoice, be a child of God. All the things given in being just that also all that is expected. To he whom much has been given much will be expected. This word journey imprinted in the hearts and minds of the elect. Elected? Equipped, fed, blessed pardoned, ordained, called to serve. Life. This is life. We live then. :) yes it is so. Wow. Fired up. Be still my soul another hymn. Time to rest and practice the instruments. The phrasing and exercise this gift of perfect intonation these Latvians say I have been given. Lord. Show me the way. You have the words of eternal life. Amen. Go! I want to be ready, to walk in Jerusalem, Just like John. A life of hymns. Speak then to me. Let me hear your voice. I am yours and you are mine.
As the week progresses it is evident the word leads to the word that leads to the word. This word that shows the way. Jesus. Author and perfecter. The realization as to the pruning. Yes not only in our spiritual lives but real pruning in our own gardens in which we too hope for a harvest and humbly understand. Yes the physical work of digging around the roots of fertilizing and pruning. Realizing and not realizing the refuge of the Lord and our browsing history regarding how the Lord equips us in these modern days. I still have the old bible. To remember to actually have the book with paper in ones hand and chucked full of papers from 31 years of study. To see blood on the pages and dirt. To arive at psalm 34 in the numerous questions after the beginning statements in the desires and needs of this soul on that day. Of the equipping through the word in all of my days. Individually and collectively. To read with even more understanding the prayers of the church in the Lutheran service book. Also about ordination and of Angels speaking to us and have they you. Or is that private. Yet it is true in our works and daily life amazing miracles happen and indeed angels do speak with us. Through the word it seems, and in prayer. Psalm 34 I arrived at by reading the footnotes. The internet is easier but my browser does not have footnotes. I see you have a program, Pastor Bryan. I wonder how to get that program. It has been a very long time on the internet and since I have had a key to the seminary library, given me, with this old study bible. Life. God is with us. :) Joy, joy, joy. Trust. Amen Given me at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary St Catharines. 1995. Remembering all the students I housed. Wow!. Still encouraging and being encouraged. God is good. Love. prevails.
Have you ever prayed for the elderly from the Lutheran service book and realized, maybe this is me, :) Lord have mercy. Hear our prayers.
Result. Manifestation. The text is read. Commonality of faith in the true word is shared and my love, sits at her piano playing what a friend we have in Jesus. I am marvelled. Yes. It is true to text must be shared, Not my testimony in a foreign language to foreign people we love. No it is the word in their own tongue they must hear. That our commonality our communion of faith may take and eat and share this peace. This is most certainly true. Lord. Not my words but yours. Amen. Father. Equip your saints. Let then hear and inwardly digest your word. Then let them have trained Pastors Like pastor Bryan to go out and share in your will in your way the word we live in and on. Amen. Joy. Play my children take up your instruments and lift your voices to the Lord who hears and knows all of our needs. Let us know our need and identify it in asking. Long worded and contemplative. Your Tom Shh. Listen.
It is not I who speak then. Thus it is so.
Being firm and saying. Read the text. We love. Being stern is also waiting for a kiss of acceptance and appreciation as one returns to meet and greet from their not understanding this soul. I rest. Will they read the text. Can I live the text. Only by the grace of God.
to add and to take away. What we order as in take out food? We are what we eat! A confession in the browsing history of my history of using the internet for education, communication and worship since 1992. Imagine. Every website I have visited. Or you for that matter. To look at ourselves in we are what we consume. The word in us and the world in us. The ability to communicate as in the education of those to whom we speak. Above and beyond or humbled, yelled at afflicted, punched, unpeaceful words of as if people only hear law and somehow my own righteousness instead of the word of God that lives in my thoughts and words and often failure in deed to express this joy. It seems impossible to share the joy. It becomes alive and passionate. Being then a stranger in a strange land presents opportunity to receive yet an exclusion in giving. To give, to receive. People not understanding. People in pride and yes I too but pride in the word. Is it really pride or steadfastness? This faith story told. It is not about me! Or is it. Me in this faith. Imperfect. Not able to communicate it seems. Running into being beaten and bruised and rejected. Disharmony in speaking. So silence is demanded. To not discern because the articles and the way of expressing the self in another language and to understand are they talking about themselves, me or Jesus and His word. So excited in the text it has to be shared and spoken of. People not understanding this. SInce kindegarden. In every place workplace play station yacht racing what ever. The text in me. Wanting to hear it return and feeling at last a brother or sister in Christ. Broken even in our own family. Save a few. Those who do not judge or assume who heard the word in the same way in the same tongue from our own loved Father on earth speaking from our Father in Heaven to us the listeners. Sit down be quiet and listen. It often does not work. To hear how churches are dying from a foreign speaker. From our own pastors in demographics and the study therof. To dependance ont he word through these storms which seem like afflictions as those we love beat and yell at our pride. The story is not being shared. How dare we people of the LCMS LCC speak in this way we do. WHo speaks/ Maybe it should not be me. Not equipped. Not my vocation. Yet why this pasion to share? WHy enduring all of this rejection seems so painful at times. Like crucify him is real and yes look. Dying to whom do we turn? Where are the enduring words we so want to hear. In our heads in our hearts on our minds? You in me we in you. This is the only strength then in this armor of God. To recognize and suit up. Turning as their is no armor on the back. Deflecting and enduring. Presence in this daily warfare. Peace then comes in moments in breath in a rest. We share that peace with others in church. Some are good at silence and say to pray. I am not. I pray. All the day long even and look to the word for assurance. I am wrong Lord. You are right. Move me. Please. Lead me. Correct me. Let me take your lessons and lighten this load. Let me put these things upon you. Try to share these scriptures with the people you love, I love and will they take up the book and read and inwardly digest? Forgive them. Do not yell back or hit back. Stand down. Yoou are like one of the Queens guards, or are you. The flash card of the internet in 15 sec adds into all we look at these days. It was not htis way in the past. Distraction in shock doctoring. The news and the reaction in me. To whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life. Dying. Broken. Lost but found in prayer in the word. ALone. Yes and often. Forgiven. Forgiving. Who can speak of this journey in this way. This eating the word and inwardly digesting it. Our browsing history. Yes. Is the grass greener there. This curiosity? Be still and know that God is God. Is this internet like an addiction then? Maybe. Will I need pills, medication to leave it behind. DO I have places to visit the history as I did in my youth? Linraries and old books on my own or a place to visit to read and be still. Yet eve there this enthusiasm speaks in places as it always had that say quiet. Library. Quiet. Church Sanctuary. I cannot contain myself. How to do that? A running over cup. Life of a sinner. Sanctified, glorified, redeemed. Doing nothing wrong. So close is offending other people. Different. One who offends. One who makes people happy. Differing statements from differing peoples. Those whom we love as strangers and those close as long time lovers and familiy. Long time friends and differing levels of honesty or faith. SO few to speka with. Yes even friends in the church. Who will speak and or share this joy and share their inner outer dialog. Few. Not alone. Yet not able to be silent. Stand up sit down. Be quiet. Better out at sea alone on the boat and giving glory to God in all creation to arrive in the storm of the seas and deliverance. Been there did that bought the boat a gift and sold it to another. To travel more in a new gift. Always this giving and travel. Not known among our own. Oh for child. Not given children. The joy of all creation and appreciation for all people in all situations. Some hard to handle and others receiving in joy and praise ate their very existence and the joy of little feet or feeble hands in need of support and a moment of praise acceptance and joy. To lift a heart. Like treasure then those smiles of those whom we know not but live in this time with us. The passers on the way. Rules of the road. Given norms and shelter in the storm all rolled into a day, in the life of a confessed sinner. A child of God. Be still then. Know that God is God. Shh! Rest. :)
Oh, the road. This text John 15. 1-17. O weep and tears of love and joy and acceptance for in falling to my knees and all the struggles of these 67 years come to visit in their time. In the homily of life of one who walked in this way of God. Who has been given much and everything. I am humbled to know I am with God and God is with me. I weep. For He has taken me to many places and many faces. To remember the faces and places can be overwhelming. Through all the faces I have worn in affliction and lowly grovelling to knowledge and humble, listen and do not speak. To live the text. To eat it and become it. He in me and we, all of us who believe in Him. To this I will come to you and really experiencing this in places many have never travelled alone in the wilderness if road sea foreign lands and thinking I have not a friend, only Jesus and his word to comfort me. Who am I, but a child of God. The son of the mist high, a King. The son of a King never surpassing the Father but living in his grace forever, a child. Sanctified, glorified, redeemed, made right. Experiencing this in the flesh and the weight of it. Me! You! Us! The gift of faith. Mountains moved, and seeing them moved in me. Out of the way, Thomas. I have work to do. Stand down. Soldier. Fear not. The battle rages. Psalm 91. Psalm 23. Psalm 51 and many others as the Pastor reads them on Sunday. No matter where I go, there He is. I am with you. I will never leave you or forsake you. I am with you even until the end of the age. To whom shall we go. Some internet speaker not speaking the word but giving his own interpretation and sometimes led astray to return only to the word and the tried and true Pastors. How to discern is real. Words in our mouths. Then know them and keep them. This love. This corrective process. This is life. Amen. Confession. Given. This day April 24th 2024
Oh my oh my on 1rst John. Pastor Lantz preached on this a week ago, I think , I am confused with time and date at times, Yet the word lives in me as it is received I am. Can I hear? Can I listen? Can I live in Christ? Wanting to hear leaves me in tears. Yet I hear and I know but with these people? It is a question. Their pride in their language and their position as a nation and as a church. Do they hear and know? Is this desire to build a nation so string that they will throw away the word of the Lord? Nation building. Mistakes we can all make in the face of recuperation and an identity of what a nation is and all the work to be a nation in the world. Of God in reserve and where the gold came from. In how it is manipulated in the league of nations and who is giving signing aithoirty to engage in the credit the world demands. Yes finance in this world in this time. Nation building in recuperation of reconcilliation and love in who are we as a people? Are we of God. Or deniers and of some prideful cultural mechanism of wealth and those who manipulate these credits with the riches of some forefathers as their ticket to nationhood. Is it the blood of their fathers or the blood of Christ? Who am I but a voice crying in the wilderness in historical studies of His story, or rather the winners so try in nations and who is in authority in the world. Is it of God? Or man? I rest and am ashamed. It is the same in all of our nations as Christians being voices in the world today. Silence is not so easy with the many voices of dismay and here the many non-smiling faces afraid to speak to one and, other. So I ride, and I welcome, and I suggest and attempt to bring happiness as I know it to this host nation. To experience culture and sport but not hear the word is deafening. In having studied so many nations histories and the history of my own blood lines going back in every line and always looking for the word of God through it all. Orphaned people I see in many lines and also here. Left without the word and left with a childs memory of the word of their abcestors. To understanding pagans and all the history here and our forefathers who left these lands or contimnent and all the historical challenges left behind in the new lands I grew up in that Mother said. Tommy our country is no longer a christian nation. To feeling that devastation completly and yet knowing all my life the experiences of the ungodly life of my friends and neighbor.s to remember things I must forgive that vcome up in my behaviour within those nations of people of all nations and faiths in one school. THe hearing the word of God at evry meal in family devotions then belieivng and going out into the playground or my work or sports. To deaf ears and silencing words of people I loved. You see we learn to love people. This love gets in the way and captures us. We may go away from people but we wish for them to know this love we know. THey just won't hear. Then yo go and wash the dust of their town off your feet. This casting of your pearl among swine is so demoralizing and your love does not want to give them up. You know then. You have to go. Strength in the Lord and His word then is real as you find yourself like John a voice crying int he wilderness. In going out and being still and knowing that God is God and He decides who will hear this word you are sharing. He will give the growth and getting out of the way. To not hinder it with the trivalities of this life that trouble us in our love for God and our neighbor as ourselves. Humbly, meekly is real. ALone to ones hands and knees trusting The Lord will send the answer he will put words in my mouth in the front of crowns and magistrates. To trust then not in my htoughts or words but only int he wird of God alone. To displace the self a sinner to God the leader the author and perfecter of this gift of a measure of faith. That I believe resides in all people. SO thos love makes manifest in sharing the love int he humblest of ways speaking the words of the Lord to all who we meet. To lift and be lifted. To look for the ear who will hear and the eye that will see to feed and be fed. Encourage on and other, speak the truth in love and to bear each others burdens. How can I do this? In pain and humble lowly confessing forgiving and being forgiven. Always this washing. Like a cat cleaning it's coat. Always looking for good and turning for good the mist terrible of afflictions of getting behind that which is evil and moving to God and being moved. Always this turning all the day long. A new face in the neighborhood. The lady at the cash saying you have changed our whole neighborhood. People smile more and greet one and other more. Oh father hear my prayers, You only have the words of eternal life. Let me hear. Forgive my inequities and equip me and strengthened me. I trust you. No man has shown this. Save a few pastors I have mentioned who feed me the word in this unique way of the father. To trust and to say. God is with you. His will be done. Amen. You asked Pastor Bryan. I humbly offer what the word and the Lord is giving me in this hosted place. I am thankful for all things. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Thank you to general motors who allowed me time to learn to type in my afflictions. Thankful for all I have been given. Sorry, these may not be questions I have in them. Yet they do reveal questions in these testimonies of life here today. Forgive my burning heart. This passion for coming together. Being a voice in the wilderness. Seems real. Listen. :) A listener. Inwardly digest. Eat the text. :)
Opps I read Psalm 149 first. Humbly crowned. :) Pride seems to really be in the way lately with being an english speaker and seeing how the church is unfolding in my humble perception not able to hear the words of the pastor or discern it as a listener in these lands I am hosted in. I am but a visitor here, heaven is my home. Imagine not being able to hear or worse only hearing babble and not the words of our forefathers. now on to 150. Praise the Lord. Here the only thing I can offer in this praise is when I listen to the pastor speak from the pulpit I hear babble. SO I listen for words I understand and then I write on my paper and let myself go into the text of my history in the walk with the Lord. It seems all i can do. Then when I try to sing. There is only one verse under the melody, so I sing it with gusto and learning to sing quieter to hear all who sing. I learn the melody and improvise as they lead me forward. I used to hear melodies of our hymns here but they have a new hymnal and they wanted to omit our Germanic teachings from their midst it seems. They have inserted their own composers and french composers, and so the melodies are new and challenging. I do not feel the presence of my ancestors and must rely on all my musical training to sing perfect in perfect pitch and intonation. Their choir directors tell me I have that in perfection. I am humbled, for I only want to please the Lord and my family of faith in offering all I have been given to study and hear and offer in my vocation as a listener. Humbly, being the best I can be in this moment. Not understanding the text can be confusing. Trusting they are singing in the ways of the Lord takes a faith that demands this perfection. My passion then to serve in my vocation is great and may lead to trouble as I attempt to voice my heart in thought word and deed. My sins are revealed and I confess. To be still and to know God is humbling me. I trust them and trust God is with me in this land of babble. Where my ears strive to hear the word. The law and the gospel for instruction and counsel. Should I trust them? Is their preaching correct. Are my listening ears then filled with the Holy Spirit? God will not leave me empty so I have my home congregation Pastor Lantz, I have Pastor M Richards and You Pastor Bryan. I attempt to communicate with pastors here but it seems language and pride get in the way. I feel everyone is too proud here and loathe at the pride in me. Yet I trust in the word passed tome through my forefathers. I cannot understand Latvian. I can speak in niceties and even share the gospel with all whom I meet in simple ways. The young people are striving to hear and seem to love to speak in english as I share my simple message of the gift of life and being thankful and saying so and smiling. Katra diena davana, domaju paldias smaida and domaju dzive ir gruti but davana. Life is a goft. every breath even. Be thankful and give thanks to God even for your troubles. Life will go better then. Smile be happy. Now for some dancing as we play hymns on pianos and contra basses with bows and clapping hands and smiling as the word floods us with the joy and love of God to humbly beseech us and join us in the paschal celebration of the forgiveness of sins and the joy of the Lord living in us. :) Three smiles and joys and the hugs of those who believe with me with all of us. One in Christ. Together. Ever feel foolish like a child of God being naughty in just rejoicing in this freedom. Like Psalm 51 and being washed clean by the Holy Spirit. Asking to be cleaned and actually becoming the cleanness of a child, even at 67 years? Joy then for it is real. A child trust. Safe in this trust. We live.
Acts is this morning of fog and the world I am loving in finds me wanting to hear of what did Abraham do and should I do or do I do that. DO I do what Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit are saying for me to do? To listen? To trust to turn and to do. To understand the world was defeated through Jesus on our behalf, to be thankful and trust this? Only through Jesus and the Holy Spirit can I hear this word that has placed me here in this time in this body in this place with this breath today. A child then receives what His Father gives him to eat. Abundance. Joy beauty gladness. To rest and to read the whole text. Trusting in Jesus. My author and perfecter. Rest and take this rising sun this morning on my face. Give thanks. Be still and know that God is God. I'm living in His creation, a grateful child and servant of His Father. A child who loves God as Father, then descending to our own understanding of God as our daddy. Our earthly fathers. To trust our faith and God's word in delivering us from our sin. To setting us free to be called children of God. I weep. Tears of joy. Shaking. Come Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen. Forgiveness is quickly at hand.
In Acts 8 / 26 - 40 text from the foot notes in the NIV Concordia Study Bible says they were not true believers. This thought seems to be coming up a lot in my life. This discernment of the word and how we as children and through our adult years have heard the word in many differing ways. Maybe this Concordia Bible is not complete enough anymore. As the Pastors today are using a different study bible. Which one do you use Pastor? Now I will read the whole chapter to attempt to gain more into who is being spoken too. We are the gentiles, so what will Romans say about this?