Hey everyone!
This is my first blog post on the new version of ohioirishlutheranpress.com .
Baptism Reflections:Just to be clear, this blog post is talking exclusively about water Baptism aka Holy Baptism. "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" is a low church Protestant heresy, which denies the importance of water Baptism and which denies that Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit freely gives Salvation in water Baptism. Jesus won Salvation for all of the world, when He died on the True Cross on Calvary, and this Salvation is freely given in water Baptism. Water Baptism aka Holy Baptism is a work of Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and not a work of human beings. Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the Triune God aka Holy Trinity.
In Martin Luther's Small Catechism and yes we'll be looking at small portions of my 2015 translation of Luther's Small Catechism this blog post, Luther asked the question and answered it, "What is the Baptism? The Baptism is not alone plain water, rather it is the Word composed in God’s Command and connected with God’s Word." So Luther spoke about Baptism being "plain water" working together with "God's Command" and "God's Word." The Holy Bible is God's Word and God's Word is Jesus Christ. St. John the Evangelist wrote in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (KJV 1611).
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (KJV 1611).
Martin Luther went on to ask another question and answer it in his Small Catechism, “What does the Baptism give and how is it useful? It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives the Eternal Salvation to all, who believe it, as the Word and Promise of God the Father Yahweh says. What are then such words and Promises of God the Father Yahweh? Here our Lord Christ speaks in Mark in the last chapter (16:16):” "He, that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he, that believeth not, shall be damned" (KJV 1611).
St. Peter wrote about Baptism in 1 Peter 3:21-22, “21 The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22 Who is gone into Heaven, and is on the Right Hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him” (KJV 1611).
I experienced water Baptism on August 30, 2004. Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit used my former pastor Reverend Russ Thompson and my uncle Wayne Waltz to baptize me in Stirn's Lake in between Lima, Ohio and Spencerville, Ohio. Reverend Russ Thompson is one of the former pastors of Garden City Christian Union Church in Lima, Ohio and my uncle Wayne Waltz was then and he still is today the First Elder at Garden City Christian Union Church in Lima, Ohio. No, I sadly was not raised Lutheran. Also I know, what many of you are thinking, what is Christian Union? In the Reverend Doctor Jordan Cooper's context, Christian Union is a fellowship of Christian college professors from different Christian traditions teaching on college campuses and engaged in college campus ministry. In my context and in the context for my mother's side of my family in the context for my many people, Christian Union is a low church Protestant church body, which broke away from The Methodist Church around the time of the American Civil War over Methodist pastors bringing politics into their sermons. Basically the Christian Union Church is an old style Methodist church body with a strong focus on "making a decision for Jesus" and the Anabaptist understanding of Baptism. That is the reason, why I was at age 13 instead of being an infant at the time of my water Baptism aka Holy Baptism. This water Baptism counts for my Salvation, because the Christian Union Church body is Trinitarian. When I was baptized in Stirn's Lake, I became a born again Christian. This August 30th I will be celebrating my 15th Anniversary of my Holy Baptism.
When I was confirmed at St. Matthew Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Shawnee Township near Lima, Ohio and Cridersville, Ohio, my former pastor, Reverend James C. Couser, allowed me to pick my own Confirmation verse. My Confirmation Verse is John 3:3. Jesus the Messiah had a conversation with Nicodemus about water Baptism and Faith in John Chapter 3. In my Confirmation Verse John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’" (KJV 1611). Jesus mandates water Baptism and Faith both His Universal Atonement and in Yahweh, Himself, and the Holy Spirit, Who are all Three the Holy Trinity, for Salvation in John Chapter 3. At some point, we will need to look at the relationship between Holy Baptism and Faith.
Remaining 2019 Book Signings as of Tuesday August 20, 2019: Signed copies of my books can be purchased at the book signings listed below. I'm still looking for places to have book signings on the last two Saturdays in September, on every Saturday in October, on the second and third Saturdays in November, and on Saturdays in December. If you're a shop keeper or you're in charge of an event (i.e. festival), then please feel free to reach out to me. My cell phone number is (567) 712-8026 or you can email me jameswoflannery@ohioirishlutheranpress.com .
September 2019 Book Signings:
1. I'll be having a book signing from 10 AM to 10 PM at the Waynesfield Lions Club Festival in Waynesfield, Ohio. Yes, I'll be having a 12 hour book signing, unless I run out of books, before the festival ends. This will be my first Oktoberfest Book Singing. In Munich, Germany, Oktoberfest starts in September and ends in early October due to weather concerns. My book signing at the Waynesfield Lions Club Festival will also kick-out the 2019 Christmas Shopping Season for me and Ohio Irish Lutheran Press.
2. I'll be having a book signing at The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue in St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio from 11 AM to 4 PM. The Menagerie is my newest store!
November 2019 Book Signings: My 2019 Christmas Book Signings will take place in November 2019 and December 2019.
1. I'll be having a book signing at Crafts-N-Things on Saturday November 2, 2019 at Forest Park United Methodist Church (UMC) at 315 Collins Avenue in Lima, Ohio. The time of this book signing is to-be-announced.
2. I'll be having a book signing at the Holiday Art Bizarre in the St. Marys Union Hall in St. Marys, Ohio on Thursday November 7, 2019 from 4 PM to 10 PM.
3. I'll be having a book signing at Jen's Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in between Circle K Gas Station and Zion Lutheran Church (NALC) on Black Friday 2019 (November 29, 2019) from noon to 6 PM. I might also be at JFC on Small Business Saturday 2019 (November 30, 2019), but I'm not sure yet.
General Rule About Book Signings: I’ll be signing copies of my Christian romance novels The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 and The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2 and my Greek and Roman Mythology book A Survey of Classical Mythology at all of my book signings. More books are coming soon! :)
Other Stores: My new books, which I’ve written and published, are also available at the following stores: Brunner News Agency on Flanders Avenue in Lima, Ohio, Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in St. Marys, Ohio, The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue in St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio, Readmore Hallmark Stores out at Eastgate Plaza and on Elm Street in Lima, Ohio, Wagner’s IGA Grocery Store in Minster, Ohio, and in the Shop section of my website ohioirishlutheranpress.com .
Thank you!
James W. O'Flannery, President and Founder of Ohio Irish Lutheran Press