Bruce Church: Count the Offering

Bruce Church thought the WELS financial turnaround was due to a gift from the Schwan Foundation for $8 million.

I went back to my records and found WELS receiving $24 million in 1998, 10 years ago.

WELS doubled its spending during the peak of Schwan donations, entering into many obligations that could not be maintained. When the Schwan money began to decline, WELS turned into the profligate nephew written out of his aunt's will. Panic!

The improvement has probably come from the Michiganders unhitching their purse strings and a few 2007 tax-beating gifts. SP Gurgel had so many gifts of leadership, as he claimed, that synodical income went up as soon as he left the country.

Disturbing is the trend of saying, "We are doing great" when some big gifts come in. The last time I checked my Bible, money was the small stuff in the Kingdom. I am waiting for some sign that Book of Concord doctrine is getting a toehold.

Planting a False Story

I received a "signed" comment on April Fool's Day about an Evangelical speaking at the Sausage Factory in Mequon. I was expected to post information and denounce it. I really do not know why I should have, even if it were true. The whole faculty adores Deformed theology now. They either promote it or say nothing against it.

Planting false stories is an old WELS/ELS trick. The idea is to promote a falsehood to someone who is a source for another person. Then, when the story is spread, denounce the person who believed the story (which came directly from a friend) without revealing who deceived whom in the first place.

One ELS hatchet man was angry that I published his story in Christian News about the Little Sect on the Prairie getting rid of the confessional VP, so they could get their guy in - John Moldstad. They knew Orvick eventually had to keep his annual promise of retiring. The VP in the ELS becomes Synodical Pope by divine promise, or something like that. The hatchet man did not like the liberals' plans being exposed in Christian News, so he planted a false and slanderous story about a prominent WELS pastor being caught in adultery. He told layman A. Layman A told his son B. Layman B told me. I checked it out. Totally false. I have to wonder about someone so warped that he would do something like that.

One WELS pastor left the ministry, not because he adored Church Growth, but because he copied Willowcreek sermons verbatim and lied about it. Someone fed a layman the story that this minister was being welcomed back into the WELS ministry. I checked it out - false story.

Laymen are surprised that synodical officials engage in these tricks. They should not be. An evil tree bears evil fruit.

Angel of Church Growth - From Phantom of the Opera

Behind the Mask, Deformed Theology
OLSON
Where in the world
have you been hiding?
Really, you were
perfect!
I only wish
I knew your secret!
What is this new
Church Growth?
PAUL KELM (abstracted, entering the dressing room)
Waldo once wrote
of this Church Growth . . .
I used to dream he'd
appear . . .
Now as I sing,
I can sense him . . .
And I know
he's here . . .
(trance-like)
Here in this church
he calls me softly . . .
somewhere inside . . .
hiding . . .
Somehow I know
he's always with me . . .
he - the unseen
genius . . .
OLSON (uneasily)
Paul Kelm, you must have
been dreaming . . .
stories like this can't
come true . . .
Paul Kelm, you're talking
in riddles . . .
and it's just
like you . . .
PAUL KELM (not hearing him, ecstatic)
Angel of Church Growth!
Guide
and guardian!
Grant to me your
glory!
OLSON(to himself)
Who is this angel?
This . . .
BOTH
Angel of Church Growth!
Hide no longer!
Secret and strange
angel . . .

WALDO'S VOICE, denouncing confessional pastor...
Insolent boy!
This slave
of Scripture
basking in God's
glory!
Ignorant fool!
This brave
young pastor,
sharing in my
triumph!
PAUL KELM (spell-bound)
Angel! I hear you!
Speak -
I listen . . .
stay by my side,
guide me!
Angel, my soul was weak -
forgive me . . .
enter at last,
Master!
WALDO'S VOICE
Flattering guru,
you shall know me,
see why in shadow
I hide!
Look at your face
in the mirror -
I am there
inside!
(The figure of WALDO WERNING becomes discernible
behind the mirror)
PAUL KELM (ecstatic)
Angel of Church Growth!
Guide and guardian!
Grant to me your
glory!
Angel of Church Growth!
Hide no longer!
Come to me, strange
angel...
WALDO'S VOICE
I am your Angel ...
Come to me: Paul Kelm of Church Growth ...

The 1,000th Post - Coming Soon

Ichabod Remains the 800 Pound Gorilla

The 1,000th Ichabod post will appear fairly soon.

ELCA has an official blog. Their posts are monthly, if they are fired up. ELCA supposedly has a huge PR budget, but their news archives for April are still at zero. Maybe their news desk is in India, to save money. Today I phoned the help desk for a local university. I was speaking to a woman in India, trying to talk over a bad IP phone connection. I think sharks were chewing on the trans-oceanic cable.

WELS AnswerMan has been letting me down, ever since they got a new SP. The other one (composite or not) was so good at sticking his thumb in people's eyes! I depended on that site for humor.

Now Missouri is kicking up a fuss again, over a radio show. They seemed strangely lethargic when someone close to Kieschnick murdered an old lady and set her home on fire to cover up the crime. He was or was not ever connected with the big worship event. He was, before the murder. He was not ever, after the murder. If you have a good memory or click on the labels, you recall that the LCMS pastor of that congregation, Nunnes, disappeared and then emerged as head of the moneyed and liberal pan-Lutheran Wheatridge Foundation. No one asks anymore, "What did he know and when did he know it." They just get him out of town.

Michael S. must be happy that Nunnes is still part of a Lutheran congregation. We know, from UOJ pronouncements, that the whole world is righteous, so repentance is superfluous. Sin more that grace may abound, but move the guilty out of state as soon as possible.

Conservative Lies and Liberal Truths

Conservative synods guard against false doctrine - far away from them.
Michael Schottey has left a new comment on your post "The Mouse That Squeaked":

Wow...

I believe you that all of those things are true. But why? What do any of those have to do with journalism? What purpose would it have served if they had all been "front page news" in FIC?

You know nothing of these men but their misdeeds. I praise God that some of them are back in Lutheran congregational life. Why would you not?

***

GJ - At least Michael signs his name.

This is how the news works - When a man murders his wife, the story is put in the newspaper, on the radio, even on TV. The conservative Lutherans do not admit to anything. They cover up crimes because the felonies would hurt them politically.

When the police investigate a murder, the church officials have an obligation to assist in any way possible. Why do you think Tabor got away with it? People wrote letters to WELS to keep the synod from taking him on. There was nothing in his file when the police investigated.

What moved WELS to take on the notorious Tabor in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and form a new church around him? I know about Tabor from Roger Zehms, who was the circuit pastor taking Tabor in, Bischoff (in the LCR with Tabor), Jay Webber (who was at Scriptural, CG, where Tabor left) and a few other contacts.

Telling the truth keeps the innocent from suffering. Why did one or more pastors have to suffer from taking on the Tabor mission? WELS grabbed Tabor while he was fleeing the torches and pitchforks of the locals in Cape, first giving him a call, then moving him quickly to Milwaukee. When Tabor and his mistress killed Mrs. Tabor, WELS let him move from Milwaukee to Michigan. Three WELS congregations became associated with a murderer because Zehms and other WELS CG gurus knowingly sponsored Tabor. Zehms baptized a child who "was the spitting image of Tabor."

Telling the truth thwarts the guilty. The conservative Lutheran pastors know that the bigger their crime is, the more likely Holy Mother Synod will cover up for them. Even better, a system of mutual blackmailing keeps everything out of the public eye.

Not knowing one pastor was a known adulterer, I asked him, "Why does WELS elect such weak leaders?" He said, "No one wants the skeletons out of the closet."

Someone should do an audit and find out how many millions have been wasted on crackpot schemes like the Tabor WELS mission in Cape, the founding of Church and Change with WELS offering money, Crossroads in Detroit, Pilgrim (another Zehms pratfall) in Columbus, LPR (Zehms again), and many more.

The conservative synods work with ELCA and ape ELCA every chance they get. Then the conservatives denounce ELCA for being so liberal. ELCA may be the drag queen of the synods, but ELCA is honest about its doctrine and positions.

Issues Etc LCMS News

"Sure, Granny, I would be happy to help you with your will."

LCMS Foundation Fees
We have confirmed that the LCMS Foundation (LF), the bureaucracy responsible for fund raising for KFUO AM including the Issues Etc. program was charging 40¢ per dollar that they raised. (The industry standard is only 10¢)

That means for every $100,000 that the LF raised for Issues Etc. they pocketed $40,000 for themselves.

That left Issues Etc. with only $60,000.

This leads to another question for those who claim that the decision to cancel Issues Etc. was a business decision based upon financial considerations,

"If profitability was so important, why didn't the synodical executives find a cheaper solution for fund raising for Issues Etc. and KFUM AM?"
David Strand claims that Issues Etc. was responsible for more than 40% of KFUO AM's operating deficit. But, we'd like to know how much of a difference it would have made if KFUO AM and Issues Etc. would have been allowed to keep 90% of the money raised for it rather than the meager 60% that was left under the forced arrangement that it had with the LCMS Foundation?

This leads to yet another question...What was the LCMS Foundation doing with all of the money they were pocketing from Issues Etc. and KFUO AM?


***

Pres. Kieschnick Responds
A piece in the Wall Street Journal is hard to dismiss, especially when it finds fault.

Pres. Kieschnick responds to M. Z. Hemingway's article:



As President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, I express my extreme disappointment over the column “Radio Silence” published March 28 under “Houses of Worship.” Its author presents a distorted account of the reason for the discontinuation of the “Issues, Etc.” program on the Synod’s KFUO-AM Radio station. What is even more disturbing is the false and misleading picture she presents of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as a deeply divided church regarding its mission and ministry.

First, let me say our church is happy to own and operate KFUO-AM, the oldest continuously operating religious radio station in the country, if not the world. We are proud of the ministry it has provided listeners for some 84 years, and we endeavor to continue this ministry. I must also note that all ministries of the church, of which KFUO-AM is but one, require financial support from their constituencies.

Here are the facts surrounding the termination of “Issues, Etc.” This program was cancelled by the Synod’s director of communications after years of attempts to keep the program financially solvent. In fiscal year 2007-08, KFUO-AM’s operating deficit was $620,000. Since 2001, the accumulated deficits of the station have been in excess of $3.5 million. While airing for only 18 percent of KFUO-AM’s programming week, “Issues, Etc.” in the last fiscal year accounted for more than 40 percent ($250,000) of the station’s total deficit. These figures are based on the audited financial statements of the LCMS. As of February 29, two thirds into the current fiscal year, KFUO-AM was on pace to suffer heavy loses again.

Listeners of “Issues, Etc.” have had nine years and countless invitations and opportunities to support the program financially, and some have, but not nearly enough to offset the show’s deep, ongoing losses.

More importantly, I wish to address the unfortunate comments in the column that The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is deeply divided and that it is pushing “church marketing” over the historic confessions of the evangelical Lutheran Church.

In truth, last summer the LCMS had its most positive and unified convention in years. Our church remains faithful to the Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions, an integral part of our identity as a church body. As stated in a resolution adopted last summer by the national Synod convention: “From the founding of our Synod 160 years ago, we have been blessed by unity in our common confession and the articles of our shared faith, such as the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, original sin, baptismal regeneration, the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament, the inerrancy of Scripture and many others.”

In accordance with our unity in what we believe, teach, and confess, the Synod adopted the mission and vision of Ablaze!—a focused and concentrated effort to “share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who do not yet know him.” One goal of Ablaze! calls for the Synod to start 2,000 new congregations by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in the year 2017. This outreach emphasis is not “marketing” as suggested by last Friday’s column; rather, it is one of many ministry endeavors developed to foster the mission of our Synod “… vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities, and the world.” (LCMS Mission Statement)

In summary, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is more committed than ever to proclaiming the one message of Jesus Christ and his love for all (1 John 4:9-11).

On behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, I invite readers to visit our website at www.lcms.org for more information on God’s grace and salvation in Christ.

Response (numbers refer to paragraphs):

#3: It is not Hemingway who's got the distorted picture. This Site has some alarming reports about re-allocating funds, the actual "loss" sustained by KFUO in comparison with other ministries of the LCMS, and a more accurate picture of just how popular "Issues, Etc." was, based on the number of downloads of radio programs. It also contains some nice charts and graphics :)

#4 Why is that "Issues, Etc." was required to have their own fundraising appeals when it is a "ministry of the LCMS" as Kieschnick reports in paragraph #1?

#6 Church unity is found in Conventions???? Even if, does our President forget the small margins which enabled his win, and the small margins on many other votes? Does he forget that that some candidates were singled out as "lawsuit signers" before every vote was taken? And mentioning one resolution does not unity make, especially when it is as vague as he quotes it.

#7 Ablaze! is not marketing, eh? What of the $2 million spent on mugs, t-shirts, posters, pens, mailings, stationary, staff members, advertising and so forth?

***

GJ - The strangest topics go viral in the Lutheran Church. One doctrinal disaster after another happens in full view of the public, with no comment. Then a radio show is suddenly the last straw. Didn't Jack Casione's buddy start Issues yers ago, leave the show, and end up as DP Benke's advisor? Check out the link. Matzat is a tongue-speaking, miracle working, Holy Spirit dreaming liberal. Cascione forgot to mention that when the two of them were like David and Jonathan.

Many things about Kieschnick's style and doctrine went undetected before he was elected Synodical Pope.

Here is my KFUO experience. They asked to interview me about Liberalism, Its Cause and Cure. I was warned in advance not to mention Christian News in the interview. When they asked about where to order the book, I mentioned NPH and Christian News. The interview was cut short.

Missouri has an odd take on Christian News, just like WELS. They like to benefit from the paper while shunning it. Editor Otten is more of a PR man for all the synods. He spikes stories for them and runs interference for them.

Paul McCain, MDiv, used Christian News to campaign for Al Barry. Jack Preus, Ralph Bohlmann, and Al Barry all used the paper to get elected. Kieschnick went out of his way to visit Otten before running. Kieschnick eyed Otten and told him, "So you have the power to make or break synod presidents?"

The problem with all this is the politican campaign. People work for a successful political strategy and focus on that. If they emphasized the Word and the Confessions, God's will would be accomplished. But they do not trust Isaiah 55:8-11.

The political process yields political results. The conservative politicians are on the shelf, fed and watered when necessary, but without influence.

Excommunicant Giving Down in Little Sect on the Prairie

"Honey, I shrunk the budget."

Synod Finances
Our synod treasurer reports that through the month of February the members of the ELS gave $95,228 to the Lord's work. This is $29,722 short of our projected monthly 2008 budget.

The Left Foot of Fellowship diminishes the Right Hand of Giving, as Pope John the Malefactor has learned.

Except in WELS - The Donor in Columbus, Ohio, was kicked out of WELS, along with his congregation Prince of Peace, and its pastor Marc (not the SP) Schroeder. Money still flows from Prince of Peace to the Sausage Factory in Mequon. Stockholm syndrome?

When WELS was supposedly short of money, SP Gurgel got a Get Out of Jail Free card and found himself in a foreign mission field, mailing "Come to the WELS" goatcart stickers to prospects.

Pope John could help Gurgel in his mission work, once he retires.

Mortgage Meltdown Leads to Ballpark Renaming

Bank One won the naming rights for the Arizona Diamondbacks Stadium, so it began as BOB, the Bank One Ballpark. Aggressive Chase Bank bought up Bank One, so the stadium was renamed Chase Ballpark. That seemed appropriate, since the D-backs were always chasing the hot grounders hit past them.

However, the mortgage crisis hit Chase so badly that they were forced to give up their naming rights, actually sub-letting the lease to another company, General Mills Food. Corporate lawyers were not sure they could do this at first, but an overnight decision from a circuit court allowed the controversial decision.

The food company thought Jolly Green Ballpark sounded too childish, so they decided to go upscale for the benefit of tony Scottsdale, nearby. The new name will be the Lesueur Ballpark, after the region near Minneapolis where the peas are raised. The cold weather is especially good for the peas.

Loof Lirpa, the company spokesman, admitted that the name was tricky. "Ya, da name must be said correctly or it sounds yust like La Sewer. We don't like dat."

The Chase public relations team vowed they would help get the bank back on its feet again so they could get the naming rights back. "It's so bad now, that when a customer starts a new account, we ask him for a toaster."

A reporter for the Arizona Republican agreed. He said, "I stopped at my branch today and they couldn't give me change for a twenty."

First Sunday after Easter

Quasimodo Geniti – The First Sunday after Easter

KJV 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thine ineffable grace, for the sake of Thy Son, Thou hast given us the holy gospel, and hast instituted the holy sacraments, that through the same we may have comfort and forgiveness of sin: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Thy word; and through the holy sacraments day by day establish our faith, until we at last obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The First Sunday after Easter

The Hymn tune – Doxology vss. 1-8 #331
The Invocation p. 15
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 1 John 5:4-10
The Gospel John 20:19-31
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn vss. 1-10 #208
The Sermon
The Two Natures and Communion

The Offertory p. 22
The Hymn #314
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn (Koren) vss. 1-4 #44

KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side.

Preface
It is such a privilege to be able to teach and preach the Word of God. I am currently teaching some students an Old Testament survey course. They live all over the United States. Many have limited backgrounds in the Bible, so they love taking a required course in the Old Testament, followed by a required course in the New Testament.

Every day I write to them (online) about the Gospel in the Old Testament, the Trinity in the Old Testament, and what Luther says about the Bible. Sometimes I teach the same students in the Old Testament and then the New Testament.

Now this opportunity has arisen to provide the Word of God to people all over the world. We are already hearing from people. One man said, “I never thought I would need the Internet to have a service from The Lutheran Hymnal.

John 20:19-31
This passage is one of the great doctrinal sections of John’s Gospel. The Fourth Gospel is undoubtedly a supplement to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John’s Gospel assumes we know the first three Gospels. Therefore, each passage in John is especially important to learn, because the “disciple Jesus loved” (John), the man commended to care for Mary, had significant things to teach through the Holy Spirit’s revelation.

Lutherans often say, “What people teach about Christ is what they teach about Holy Communion.”

This passage is one of the best examples.

The doors were locked for fear of the Jews, but Jesus stood in the midst of them.

John Calvin did not accept Jesus being able to pass through the walls. He had Jesus coming by a secret passage. This is important for his view of Christ. Calvin imagined that the divine nature of Christ was limited by His human nature. Therefore, Calvin also taught against the Real Presence and made fun of it in his Institutes (the main doctrinal book of Calvinism).

Calvin was the founded of the Presbyterians and those who call themselves Reformed. Lutherans generally lump them together, even though there are differences. They agree about the rationalistic interpretation of the appearance of Jesus in the locked room and the Lord’s Supper being merely symbolic. For them, the Lord’s Supper is a law to obey, to witness to their faith, not a sacrament where our sins are forgiven.

The Calvinistic phrase used to defend this is – the finite is not capable of holding the Infinite. The bread and wine could not also be the Body and Blood of Christ, in their opinion.

But the Scriptures teach us otherwise, in two different ways.

One is through Christ Himself. His human nature was and is united with His divine nature. When He was surrounded by crowds ready to take Him and kill Him, he passed through them. It does not say they parted to let Him by. The Son of God, the Creating Word, does not have human barriers.
Coming into the locked room twice (John 20) is another example of the divine nature of Christ not being limited by His human nature.

If that were so, how could He ascend into heaven?

In so many passages we see the emphasis upon one nature, then the other nature, to show us the union of the two natures in the One Person, Christ. Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, John 4, “I am thirsty.” To her He was only a human being looking for water. And Jesus did experience all our human emotions, desires, and pains. But then Jesus spoke to the woman with such divine wisdom that she knew immediately He was the promised Messiah. He knew her heart. Only God could know her heart that way, so she immediately began witnessing to her friends about Jesus.

The crucifixion emphasizes the human nature of Christ, His enormous suffering, but that alone is not enough to make Him our Savior. The innocent Son of God died on the cross, not just a good and kindly Teacher. The Son of God rose from the grave, taught His disciples, and ascended into heaven. But He did not discard His human nature.

When Jesus entered the locked room, He showed His disciples His wounds. This revealed to them that He was not a vision, not a ghost, not a spirit. The crucified Messiah was in their midst with the wounds of His warfare against Satan. He came as the victor over Satan, the Hero, as Luther often mentioned in his writing. He won the battle against sin, death, and Satan.

Another way is way in which the Bible teaches us about Holy Communion. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10 speaks about the bread and the Body, the wine and the Blood. That clearly teaches us that the Lord’s Supper is not merely symbolic (where 2 remain 2), nor is it the sacrifice of the Mass (where the priest turns 2 into 2), but something else. The 2 elements, bread and wine, remain bread and wine, but they include the Body and Blood of Christ through the efficacious consecration of the Word.

Inventions
The human mind invents so many barriers to the truth of God’s Word, but the Scriptures have more insights than we have doubts.

How can the Son of God give us His body over the centuries, to millions of people?

That question is not answered by human reason but by the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Jesus took ordinary food and multiplied it so that far more was left than He received from the boy. The same introductory formula is used, “Jesus took the bread and broke it and gave thanks,” reminding us that the Feeding of the Five Thousand was a prefiguring of Holy Communion.
Why does God need so many Means of Grace?

God has appointed the Means of Grace (the Word and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Communion) because of man’s need, not His need.

Why so many revelations of the Three Persons, One God? Every article of faith is backed by hundreds of interlocking Biblical passages? Why so many? Does God need them or does man?

Doubting Thomas
Much is said about Doubting Thomas, who denied the resurrection of Christ until he saw and felt the wounds of Christ. Thomas is not the major emphasis of this passage. Christ is. When Jesus appeared the second time and offered His wounds to be touched, Thomas cried out, “My Lord and my God.”

Jesus rebuked him in a gentle way, by saying, “Because you have seen Me you believe? Blessed are they who believe without seeing.”

That is a blessing for all those listening today. Blessed are you for believing in the death and resurrection of Christ without having visible evidence.

Miracle service
Some long for miracle services. I have even read of famous miracle rabbis in Poland in the last century (Isaac B. Singer’s stories). That is one way to bring people in. I know of large churches near us where they promise miracles to people.

We have a miracle every time Holy Communion is offered. The Word consecrates ordinary bread and wine. People receive the Body and Blood of Christ. God forgives the sins of those who receive the Gospel in faith.

KJV 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.