Monday, October 27, 2008

Round, Round, Get Around, I Get Around



VP Patterson, Southern Babtist Central District, WELS

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""This Little Light of Mine - They're Going To Hel...":

District VP Patterson really gets around.........

http://www.areasonforhope.net/index.shtml

***

GJ - Having a free vicar, paid from synod offerings, is a plus when enjoying an active political life.

Beyond Belief - Is Anyone Literate at Church and Change?



I am shaking with laughter. Read why, below.


Someone directed me to another Matt Doebler website. As Ichabodians know by now, he is the Church From Scratch guy. My guess is that he got in trouble for showing what he really liked on Church From Scratch, so now it just directs people to his Rock and Roll Babtist WELS mission.

Nevertheless, here is another website from the same church:

http://web.mac.com/pictureyourblessings/Parent/Home_Base.html

I am in favor of honoring soldiers.

I wonder if anyone can spell at the Rock and Roll Church. Here is one of the main pages:

http://web.mac.com/pictureyourblessings/Parent/The_Arsenol.html

Mrs. Ichabod saw the page across the room and said, "Where's the a in arsenal?"

The original Arsenal was in Venice. The specialized military factory could make a sea-going ship in record time. That made the Republic of Venice a world power for a long time.

Football Evangelism



Pastor Dobberstein. WELS, of course.




Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Church and Change Gimmicks At Christ the Rock:Shh...":

This may fit right in with another WELS congregation:
Men Need Faith (& Football)
Leader: Pastor Dobberstein

Meeting Day(s): Mondays
Meeting Time: 7:30 PM
Men need faith, fellowship, and football! This bible study, for men only, looks at the lives of great men of faith and then enjoys some fellowship and Monday Night Football. This Bible study meets only during the NFL regular season.

http://www.oursaviorsportorange.org/site/bibdisplay.asp?study_id=140001935&sec_id=140002949

***

GJ - Bible is spelled with a small b, but NFL is capitalized. I find that intriguing.

Try This Trick at Home




Start with this URL:

http://www.churchfromscratch.net/

Copy and paste it into your browser.

I will make it easier and link it from the words:

Church From Scratch

There is an automatic re-direct that takes the reader to

Joe's Rock and Roll Babtist-WELS Church:



Meet the Pastor
Pastor Matt Doebler has been our lead pastor at Christ the Rock since the Spring of 2006, when he moved to Round Rock with his wife and three kids: Maddie, Sam, and Caleb. His family is a constant source of support and encouragement to him through their areas of service, their examples, and their witness to the greatness of Jesus.

My Heart: Since I was born outside of Detroit, raised between Chicago and Milwaukee, and descended from generations of Chicago city folk, I have long had a heart for the urban and suburban areas of our country with all of their busyness, deep (often well-hidden) scars, and cultural diversity. I long for people who have heard little, if anything, about Jesus in these places to be transformed by His gospel power so that they can, in turn, take part in Jesus’ redemptive work in the cities.
On my iPod: Nickel Creek; David Crowder Band; U2; Third Day, and a lot of sermons

Favorite Food: Alaskan King Crab Legs

Favorite Movie:“The Empire Strikes Back” (along with all the original (not recent) Star Wars films)

Favorite Vacation Spot: San Antonio is right up at the top

Favorite Books:The Bible and The Lord of the Rings

Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 73:23-26
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
NIV

And most anything by Asaph


---

GJ - But you have to look for the WELS part. Like most Church and Change ministers, Matt hides his confessional identity as much as possible. He could be anything, but that's the point.

Joe - Switch to De-Caff




Anonymous [aka Joe Krohn] has left a new comment on your post "Hey Joe from CrossWalk, Laveen, Arizona":

Hi Gregory. Nice to be on a first name basis with you. You must have been hanging out out on the C&C webserve list; or we know some common folks since I lived in PHX. Cool.
[GJ - the Church and Change list stopped or went secretive once people realized how much false doctrine was being peddled. Spelling was another issue, but you probably realize that by now.]

You still haven't answered my question regarding GCU. Since you haven't addressed it, I will assume it is true. That is the legalistic way, right? How do you reconcile badgering your fellow believers over alleged Reformed doctrine, and yet teach for an institution that claims to be "Non-Denominational Christian"? I wonder how GCU would view your anti-reformed sentiments and un-christian behavior?

[GJ - I did answer your false accusation, which is strange coming from a Babtist church affiliated with WELS. I agree with Luther and the Book of Concord. I have academic freedom in both schools. The only badgering being done right now is by Church and Change Quislings.]

Before I sign off for the day, you'll need to do a little more research for me. Where in the Bible does it say that we have to use an organ and an organist to lead worship from page 5 and 15 of TLH? I couldn't find the verse or verses either where it says that guitars and drums are not allowed in worship.

[GJ - Where did I say that? You can do better than a straw man fallacy.]

God Bless your evening.

Joe [Krohn, former CrossWalk Laveen member, current Rock and Roll Church member]

You may do well to review 1 Cor. 13.
[GJ - So I can feel the love from Church and Change, from CrossWalk and Rock and Roll? Why do you think I call 2929 The Love Shack?]

Hey Joe from CrossWalk, Laveen, Arizona




Hi Joe. So you were a member of CrossWalk in Laveen (Phoenix)? And now you are a member of Doebler's Rock and Roll Church?

I suggest you look over the Church From Scratch material that I posted for your convenience. Your pastor is promoting all kinds of Baptist and non-Christian stuff. Sure, the website went down after I exposed it, but the content is preserved. Your pastor has fingerprints all over that website. So does Paul Kelm plus Church and Change.

You are in one wild WELS district. South Central should be called Southern Babtist Central. Who is minding the store down there?

I just heard that ex-SP Gurgel just landed there too. I thought he was still in a secure, undisclosed location. I suggest not giving up his address to any forensic accountants. They might have a lot of questions.

Another Cup of Joe

From
: "Joe Krohn" |

To : church_and_change@yahoogroups.com


Subject : [church_and_change] Recent threads regarding fellowship, evangelism etc...

Date : Thu, Feb 23, 2006 12:55 PM



Dear Redeemed and fellow Brothers and Sisters of the WELS,

This internet, what a blessing...and a curse.

I don't think anyone is talking about changing doctrine. I think we
all agree that there are different ways of doing ministry as long as
it is Biblical and I haven't read anything on these threads that was
un-Biblical. I see alot (sic) of 'iron sharpening iron' as a good friend
of mine likes to say. I think we all agree that in general we can
do a better job as a Synod since our growth has been stagnant. If
we can glean some sucessful (sic) strategies from other sources we
should. We may even convert some of these 'heretics'. But I think
this is the rub. I think some have trouble separating these methods
from their doctrine. Because it is their idea, somehow it is
intertwined with their doctrine. It's kind of like separating the
sin from the sinner. Maybe that's a bad analogy, but it works. Or
taking a secular song and changing the lyrics to make it sacred.
Some folks just can't separate the old relationship of the melody
with the old lyrics even though the new song is God pleasing.
(especially for someone who may never have heard the 'old' song.)
It's just a point of perspective. I hope this helps.

Blessings to you all,

Joe



And here is another one::

Hi Pastor Frey and list,

Our Elders group is reading "Radical Reformission" by Mark
Driscoll. I highly recommend it. Parts of it make me
uncomfortable, but at the same time are convicting. I don't think
it's enough for us to just preach the Gospel in it's (sic) truth and
purity. Please don't misconstrue that statement as it's not pointed
at you. But as a whole, we do need to develope (sic) relationships with
people. Even if it's building the kingdom one soul at a time.
Jesus did so much more while he was here than just orate the good
news. When I was attending adult instruction and got to the part
about living in the world and not of the world, we were told that we
should hang out with fellow believers and stay away from the
unbelievers. Does this not fly in the face of what Jesus modeled
when He was on the Earth? Evangelism is dirty work. I work with a
gay man. If I don't have a relationship with him, how does he see
Jesus?

Blessings to all as we look forward once again to Christ's coming.

Joe

Team Patterson and The Church From Scratch



"How are you?" said one. "How are you?" said the other. "Well!" said the first. "Old Scratch has got his own at last, hey?" - An illustration from Dicken's Christmas Carol.



In case you wonder, the Church From Scratch website link was taken over by Matt Doebler's Rock and Roll WELS Babtist Church. The URL below does not work, but if the links part is removed from the address, the URL redirects to Christ the Rock.

The Wisconsin Synod never stops plagiarizing from Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek. Their illiterate leaders have managed to insert Satan's nickname into another project. Scratch is an English nickname for Satan. And Jesus called Satan The Father of Lies. That is appropriate, coming from the Church Growth Movement.


Church from Scratch is the rib-tickling name of the WELS website.

Whose name is first to appear on the links page? Paul Kelm - he has written a paper on Christian freedom.

Here are some of the links listed:


General Ministry
http://www.wels.net/
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

http://www.churchandchange.org/
A WELS organization committed to address ministry in contemporary culture. Hosts great conferences and provides ministry ideas on the website.

http://www.crosswalkinlaveen.org/
God is doing some really neat things in the area of small groups, large gatherings, etc, through Crosswalk Lutheran Ministries in Phoenix, AZ.

Messiah Church in Nampa, ID has a neat statement of faith. [GJ - Ichabodians will note that the neat statement of faith was originally written by that anti-CGM pariah, me. But they have tweaked it so that their added words fall harshly on the unwaxed ear. "In an age of materialism, we believe that real treasure comes from our raith in the Savior." Is raith the future pluperfect subjunctive of faith?]

http://www.crossroadschicago.org/aboutus.html
Progressive ministry in the heart of Chicago; also has a great statement of faith.

www.apostlessj.org/Church/MinistriesActivities/ASV.html
Excellent example of a vision for a church plant/daughter congregation.

http://www.marshillchurch.org/
This is Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. From a Calvinistic background. The preaching is excellent and very law/gospel oriented, speaking powerfully to the culture around them. Mark Driscoll is the senior pastor

http://www.xenos.org/
This is Xenos Christian Fellowship in Columbus, OH. From an evangelical background. A congregation of thousands made up entirely of house churches. Very good mindset material and studies. Great on leadership/eldership.

***

GJ - I attended a Sunday service at Xenos in Columbus. The minister got in the pulpit and talked about himself for 40 minutes before God or the Scriptures were mentioned. The proper verb is mentioned, because the talk had nothing to do with worship, the Christian faith, God, or anything spiritual. The audience cooed and fluttered during the minister's preening, egomaniacal monologue. Not surprisingly, the minister at Community of Joy (Phoenix) gave the same kind of talk with the same results. Willow Creek had a more somber audience but the same baloney. They all sound alike.

Notice the trend, which is just as prominent in the Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic). Apostate Lutherans covet non-Lutherans so passionately that they become anti-Lutheran in thought, word, and deed.

The authors of this bizarre website have bios that remind me of fingernails scratching a blackboard:

Matt Doebler
Matt has served as a parish pastor in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod for the last eight years. After graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1997, he was called to St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Collins, WI where he served for four years. In 2001, he accepted a call to St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. In the spring of 2006, he accepted a call to assist in planting Christ the Rock Church in Round Rock, TX. He is the proud husband of Christine, a Pilates/fitness instructor who uses her contacts in the fitness world to make connections for Jesus. He is also the proud father of three great kids, Madeline, Samuel and Caleb. They are great assets to him in the ministries into which God has placed him. Matt has been trained as an equipper in the Christ Care program from Stephen Ministries. He and Chris have also participated in the Church Planters training from Acts 29 Network.

[GJ - Acts 29 is a unionistic group, which is seen as a threat to Southern Baptists. That makes sense, because WELS is a unionistic sect, known as a threat to Lutheran doctrine.]

Ken Knapp

Ken retired early from the paper/hydro industries to do more ministry. Historically, he's served in most of the offices of a local congregation. His greatest passion is for nurturing life-long discipleship, and thus he logically serves on the WELS Commission on Adult Discipleship (CAD). Ken envisions a church functioning in our culture with the passion and effectiveness of an "Acts 2" church. He is the author of the soon-to-be-released book, A Womb to Tomb Guide for Nurturing Faith in and through the Family through the CAD.

GJ - I can think of better, rhyming names for the newest apostasy book -

  1. From Cell to Sell.
  2. Have an Itch? - Try Old Scratch!
  3. Faith without Belief - The Paul Kelm School of Evangelism.




--

Comments on this topic, from Bailing Water:




Anonymous said...
It's incredible. One day, blog moderation is disabled, another day it is enabled. What a joke. Make up your mind and decide what it's going to be, because it gives the impression that you weed out comments that hurt your opinions.

June 6, 2008 12:00 AM


John said...
Hey mr. anonymous,

Why don't you start your own blog. You can set your own topics and moderation settings.

There are times when I'm out of town and can't moderate comments. There are also topics that bring out comments that are off topic and not necessary. I guess if you don't like what I'm doing don't come back. (moderation on)

June 6, 2008 12:15 AM


Anonymous said...
Yeah you tell him John. If you can't stand the heat stay out of John's kitchen. Wus

June 6, 2008 5:24 AM


Anonymous said...
I agree Go John!!...it is so funny to see these WELS bots get so irritated and defensive when the truth is pointed out.

June 6, 2008 8:51 AM


Comment deleted
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

June 6, 2008 9:13 AM


Anonymous said...
WELS has discovered a new sin - the sin of turning off the comments when out of town. Have you no shame, Bailing Water?

I had to vent a little.

Bespoke.

June 6, 2008 9:20 AM


Anonymous said...
Isn't that what the WELS does best- invent new sins so that Bailing Water can point them out?

WELS bot

June 6, 2008 10:29 AM


Anonymous said...
WELS bot,

How about we focus on the topic at hand.

What do you think of the church growth churches listed and their influence on the WELS?

June 6, 2008 10:47 AM


Anonymous said...
I think it is shameful. And I believe that the only answer is to give a firm and brotherly admonishment founded on scripture to show why these things are destructive. I believe this is what is being done by people who do not use blogs to do so.

WELS bot

June 6, 2008 11:02 AM


Anonymous said...
The WELS cannot err.
These churches are WELS.
These churches cannot err.

Whirr-buzz-click-click,
WELS bot #4738

June 6, 2008 11:13 AM


Anonymous said...
There are two things that bother me. If WELS is a confessional church - then it should confess. To leave out the name Lutheran in a church title is to try to have it both ways. Second, by leaving out the name Lutheran and using the names like:Crosswalk; Willow Creek, Cornerstone ,etc. you are giving a false impression to those twenty-somethings who assume it is a non-denominational church.

June 6, 2008 11:39 AM


Anonymous said...
Please tell me how the WELS allows this WELS pastor to claim support of these heterodox churches?

June 6, 2008 1:03 PM


Anonymous said...
This pastor from scratch goes unchecked because the WELS is steeped in Church growth methods.

June 6, 2008 10:24 PM

Feel the Love - From Doebler's Rock and Roll Church



For some reason, the Church From Scratch website is down, but I quoted it extensively in a previous post. Yes, Doebler was involved.


What's your beef with WELS? I don't see anywhere that you are affiliated with WELS. Aren't there bigger fish to fry in the CG movement? You sound like sour grapes.

[GJ - Why stick to the doctrinal issues when it is so easy to make personal attacks?]

You said: "That applies to private sin, not published false doctrine. Christ the Rock is an Enthusiastic partner of Church and Change. Therefore, the congregation cannot hide behind Matthew 18."

From everything I know of CTR and C&C, that's a little legalistic now isn't it? Especially coming from a staunch Confessional Lutheran as yourself that is employed by a BAPTIST college. Doh!!

[GJ - I see the stumblebums at Church and Change are involved in opposition research, with the expected results. I do not work at any Baptist college. I never have. Both schools where I work are privately held corporations, not church owned at all. I told several WELS clergy that my non-Lutheran students never object to my Luther references and Luther quotations. And yet, that is the most common complaint from WELS and the CLC (sic) - that I quote Luther.]

Who is your WELS friend? I'd like to know what was so sickening at CTR. He should have come forward and brought the offenses before the Eldership instead of confiding in someone who is more intent on tearing down the body instead of building it up.

[GJ - Maybe you could do a marketing survey and find out who objects to the Rock and Roll church. WELS Pastor Mark Freier tried the same thing. He does Hindu and atheist weddings now. Young Church Growther - Old Atheist.]

I must have missed it somewhere. Where is your parish again?

Joe

[GJ - Joe, or whatever your real name is. You did miss it. Glendale, Arizona.]

---

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Feel the Love - From Doebler's Rock and Roll Churc...":

If you don't work for GCU, then you should change your profile on your web page here:

http://www.gljackson.com/professional.htm

I knew some people that attended GCU. It was pretty much a Baptist School.

***

GJ - Pretty much it is not a Baptist school. The original school was insolvent after the Baptist Foundation ended up being a Ponzi scheme. Everyone lost 90% of the money invested. I do not know what Grand Canyon lost, but they ended their Baptist affiliation at that point. A businessman stepped in and decided to create a school which was both bricks-and-mortar and online. The school has grown 500% in a few years, so I am busy teaching a variety of courses. The school hopes to go public and issue stock.

Church and Change Gimmicks At
Christ the Rock:
Shhh! Don't Admit It's Lutheran



Matt Doebler, Christ the Rock, Texas Division, Church and Change. Matt went to hear Babtist Ed Stetzer at a unionistic conference, but gets a fat Kingdom Workers grant. Thanks, Jeff Davis, C and C Kingdom Workers.



Jeff Davis - You are welcome, Matt, C and C Texas Division, Patterson Network.


Women - Aerobics and Bible Studies to Mix!
Matt Doebler

[GJ - Why didn't Jesus think of this?]


Offer a Bible class, which strengthens the body & spirit. Find an aerobic woman who enjoys working out and studying the Bible. Aerobic training is a plus, although she could just use videos. It could be 2 leaders - 1 physical and 1 spiritual. Find a Bible study, which can be broken up into 20-minute sections (one section per session). Break the class up into 20 minute Bible study and 40-50 minute aerobic workout with toning. Use a gym or larger classroom for workout and studying on the floor. Meet weekly. Keep to 7 or 8-week sessions.


Email: doeblermc@yahoo.com


Website - Ministry Resource
Matt Doebler

[GJ - Develop an ugly website based on Fuller marketing principles]


Develop a website, which shares ministry resources (such as special services, Bible studies), for different areas of ministry. Find someone who has web-developing skills. Does not need to be an expert. Basic skills are needed. Find a free or cheap web server. Figure out your goals. Who is your target audience? What do you want to share? Find some dependable contributors who will submit quality material. This will save you some time on reviewing everything that you are given to publish. Use MS Word format for submitted material and "save as ... web page". Can import easily into web pages. Other technical issues, consult an expert. Keep updating periodically - an unchanging web site is a dead web site. Promote by any means possible. I have tried the WorldWide Winkel & conferences

Frosty Bivens - Church Growth Advocate



Forrest Bivens, one of the Church Growth professors
at the Sausage Factory, Mequon.


I was standing in the driveway with the Midland, Michigan circuit pastors, at the home of Pastor John Seifert, before he was District Pope. Frosty Bivens was there. So was Tim Buelow. Seifert and the other pastors were all standing around in one circle.

The conversation was memorable and brief. Terry Nukolls was discussed. Bivens said, "Nitz is the second most spineless DP in WELS." Someone asked, "Who is the most spineless?" Bivens said, "Mueller." That was a shocker, because the establishment pastors normally spoke favorably about everyone in power.

Soon I was discussing the Church Growth Movement. Bivens said, "I went to Fuller Seminary and I happen to believe we can use Church Growth methods to bring people in, so we can apply the Means of Grace."

I said something very critical about anyone going to Fuller Seminary.

Buelow chimed in by criticizing Bivens directly, pointing out how disappointing it was for someone to leave the LCA (as I did) and to hear something like that.

Bivens went inside and sat with the women. I was told, "No one does that at a WELS pastors' gathering."

Twice after that, Seifert bragged about how orthodox the Northern Conference of the Michigan District was, and how his circuit was perfect. Bivens was part of both, so I reminded him about Fuller each time. Seifert said each time, just like the Chicago cash-register artists when caught short-changing me, "Oh!" He forgot.

Soon after, Bivens joined his friend Valleskey at the Sausage Factory.

So students would come up to Bivens and say, because of my publications, "Where does Jackson get the idea that you went to Fuller?"

He always responded, "I don't know."

Valleskey never admitted going to Fuller to me, and even denied it to my face, but he admitted his attendance there to David Koenig, CLC (sic), who was angry that I published that fact.

So what do we call someone who calls the truth-teller a liar?

Answer - a seminary professor.

Krauth Quoted - An Old and Annoying Quotation, Because It Is So Appropriate Today




From Bailing Water:

Monday, October 27, 2008
Fundamental - non-fundamental

Freddy said...

Years ago, I read an essay by Dr. P.E. Kretzmann: Fundamental and Non-fundamental Doctrines — and Church Fellowship. In this article, Dr. Kretzmann quotes from Dr. C.P. Krauth regarding the "Course of Error in the Church." It was this quote that inspired me to find a copy of Krauth's Conservative Reformation and it's Theology, and read it (this was before CPH started reprinting it). This is the quote:

"When error is admitted into the Church, it will be found that the stages in its progress are always three. It begins by asking toleration. Its friends say to the majority: 'You need not be afraid of us; we are few and weak; let us alone, we shall not disturb the faith of others. The Church has her standards of doctrine; of course we shall never interfere with them; we only ask for ourselves to be spared interference with our private opinions.' Indulged in for this time, error goes on to assert equal rights. Truth and error are balancing forces. The Church shall do nothing which looks like deciding between them; that would be partiality. It is bigotry to assert any superior right for the truth. We are to agree to differ, and any favoring of the truth, because it is truth, is partisanship. What the friends of truth and error hold in common is fundamental. Anything on which they differ is ipso facto non-essential. Anybody who makes account of such a thing is a disturber of the peace of the Church. Truth and error are two coordinate powers, and the great secret of church-statesmanship is to preserve the balance between them. From this point error soon goes on to its natural end, which is to assert supremacy. Truth started with tolerating; it comes to be merely tolerated, and that only for a time. Error claims a preference for its judgments on all disputed points. It puts men into positions, not as at first in spite of their departure from the Church’s faith, but in consequence of it. Their repudiation is that they repudiate that faith, and position is given them to teach others to repudiate it, and to make them skillful in combating it. (p. 195 f.)."

This is wise insight from a man who witnessed the decline of Lutheranism first hand, who had the courage to publicly fight against the error which was causing it, and to work toward unity. His effort not only made him a celebrated figure of his time, but a largely credible one as well.

Making application to our own time, Rev. Paul Kelm and company were asking for toleration two decades ago, and, using much the same “gee, they're so full of evangelical zeal, and such good Christian men” reasoning displayed by “WELS Pastor,” they were granted it. Some in our midst are still asking for toleration. Strident agents of "change," such as "WELS Pastor," it seems, are long past asking for toleration, however. They are demanding equivalency. It's obvious they intend to run a parallel church before moving to Krauth's final step of asserting supremacy. This is, after all, the objective of “change.”

But, while Krauth was addressing doctrine, are we not, in our case, looking at Lutheran practice? Yes and no. We are rightly concerned with practice as it is a reflection of what we Confess, and we see evidence of doctrinal error in the practice of the C&C crowd. When those who confess doctrinal unity with us engage in practice that is confusing or offensive, we have every right to demand of them an explanation, and they have every obligation to render one. Drawing the C&C or CG crowd into explanation of their practice, more and more, it seems, exposes their divergence from us and their disregard for anything more then rhetorical unity. So, while we take our queue from confusing and offensive practices endorsed by the C&C church-growthers, our concern is Confessional integrity.

As I continue to read and study, I am growing convinced that earlier discussions on this point are correct: WELS is facing a Confessional crisis.

My thoughts,

Freddy Finkelstein

***

GJ - To be precise, WELS has been avoiding a Confessional crisis for 20 years. The continued existence of Church and Change, the position of Bruce Becker in the catbird seat, the call of Paul Kelm, and the 2009 Ed Stetzer invitation - all point to a Confessional dissolution.

If the pastors can grow a spine and the laity pitch in to help, the Word can be applied to defeat this cancer. Without the Word, human effort is worthless and pointless.

Confusion Reigns in Church and Change




Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name: Stealth Con...":

You're going to have to back up your claims with scripture, my friend. Have you done your biblical responsibility and contacted these folks in private before publicly humiliating them with your un-biblical divisive behavior?

Sincerely,
A member of CTR
jkrohn@keyovation.com

***

GJ - I am waiting for the Church and Change people to observe their new versions of Matthew 18 and the 8th Commandment. The false teachers can slander anyone they want and invent all kinds of stories. They do this behind everyone's back because they are cowards. But they demand that nothing about their wolf-ministry be discussed, even though they publish their errors and clamor to spend offering money on Baptists and New Age Methodists.

Here is Matthew 18 -

KJV Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

That applies to private sin, not published false doctrine. Christ the Rock is an Enthusiastic partner of Church and Change. Therefore, the congregation cannot hide behind Matthew 18.

A WELS pastor I know recently visited Rock and Roll, as they call this C and C outpost. He was sickened by what he saw. I publicly opposed this nonsense 15 years ago, but that was solo. Now the laity are catching on. The pastors are still too timid to do much.

Issues in WELS closed down its website. Church and Change has a new conference coming up. That tells outsiders all they need to know.

And I Was -- Not -- There




Anonymous said...
Bloomington Lutheran (WELS, Bloomington, MN) was knee-deep into Faith Inkubators. In fact, Rich Melheim gave a presentation one Sunday in ~2001 during the Adult Bible Study Hour. We later suffered through GIFT (Generations in Faith Together), the small group Sunday Bible study format that FINK advocated.

Sorry for the Greg Jackson impersonation, but I am a first-hand witness.

ELSer

October 27, 2008 10:27 AM

---

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "And I Was -- Not -- There":

My intent was a back-handed compliment. My apologies if offense was taken.

ELSer

***

GJ - I took it as a compliment.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Blarney from Apostate on Bailing Water Blog

Anonymous said...
As a WELS pastor, what I'm afraid of is printing my name on your blog and others, and then getting my reputation crucified on a public forum. I have heard the charges and insinuations of your blog and others; but when I talk to the men you have demonized, I realize they are Scriptural, orthodox teachers and preachers of the Word. They may feel there is nothing wrong with blended worship services--they may even utilize contemporary worship forms. They may even (gasp!) administer the Lord's Supper separate from the regular worship service. If you have ever lived outside the friendly confines of the Midwest, you know visitors can get very put out with the practice of closed communion. The early believers celebrated it privately among themselves. All of these things do not make them heterodox. These men have a love for the Word and a love for people, and they want to see their people in heaven someday. I have never attended a Church and Change conference, but there have been several presentations over the years I would have loved to sat in on. C and C offers a great deal when it comes to the nuts and bolts of practical every-day ministry. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! And no, I will not give you my name!

October 26, 2008 6:53 PM

Another Ugly from Anonymous




Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Is Obama Qualified To Run for President?":

"Inelible (sic) to run."

For all the railing you do on spelling, you might want to check yours.

Cheers.

***

GJ - Literate readers have noticed that I correct many posts up to five times: clarifications and spelling.

I send corrections to many different websites, in a friendly way, and I always sign my name. I find it odd that people leave grotesque errors on their websites for months at a time. For WELS Church and Change, it makes sense. They care as little about English grammar as they do about the grammar of faith - theology. I borrowed the last term from the sainted Paul L. Holmer, who taught ethics and philosophy at Yale.

Is Obama Qualified To Run for President?




See this link for the video, about the lawsuit to produce Obama's birth certificate.

There are claims he was born in Africa. That would count him out.

We know for certain (from his book) that Obama went to school in Indonesia. Lawyer Phil Berg claims that could have been possible only if Obama became an Indonesian citizen, after being adopted by his step-father. Coming back to America would have made Obama a naturalized citizen, not a natural born citizen, hence ineligible to run for president, even if he was born in Hawaii.

Old, Annoying Quotations about the Word of God



The Gospel is not strong with these members.


"The Word of God is efficacious not only when it is being read from the Bible, but also when it is being spoken or preached, and when it is recalled by memory. The Word of God, properly speaking, is really not the letters which we see or the sound which we hear, but the divine thoughts, the truths designated by these signs."

E. Hove, Christian Doctrine, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1930, p. 27.



"'When the Word is read at home it is not as fruitful or as forcible as in public preaching and through the mouth of the preacher whom God has called for this purpose.' (Luther, Erlangen edition, 3:401)."

Henry Eyster Jacobs, A Summary of the Christian Faith, Philadelphia: General Council Publication House, 1913, p. 290.



"The efficacy of the Word, unlike that of the seed, always has a result. The man to whom the Word of God comes, and who repels it, is not as he was before. Where long and persistently refused, hardening at last comes, Exodus 8:15; 9:12; John 12:40; Hebrews 4:1, and the Word becomes a 'savor of death unto death,' 2 Corinthians 2:16. Every word heard or read, every privilege and opportunity enjoyed, leaves its impress either for good or for evil. It is not so properly the Word, as man's abuse of the Word; not so much the efficacy of the Word, as the sin taking occasion of the efficacy that produces this result, Romans 7:8."

Henry Eyster Jacobs, Elements of Religion, Philadelphia, Board of Publication, General Council 1919 p. 155. Exodus 8:15; 9:12; John 12:40; Hebrews 4:1; 2 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 7:8



"Since the Word of God is this weapon [sword], it behooves us to make use of it at all times and to this end become acquainted with it both by means of public preaching and by earnest Bible study at home. Cursory reading must be supplemented by careful memorizing of proof-texts and strong passages. Only in this way shall we be able to make the proper use of the Word of God as a true weapon of offense at all times."

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the New Testament, 2 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, II, p. 292. Ephesians 6:17



"God has chosen despised and frail human beings for the ministry of the Word that the divine power of the Word might become apparent—

a power impossible to suppress even in the weakest of persons. Moreover, if the mighty of the world were to preach the Gospel, people would be captivated more by the authority of the person preaching than by the Word itself."

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed. Ewald M. Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House 1959 III, p. 1118 W 25, 255; SL 6, 484; brief comments in 1532-34 #3571; Isaiah 40:10



"Quenstedt (I, 170): 'Whether the Word be read or not, whether it be heard and believed or not, yet the efficacy of its spiritual effects is always intrinsically inherent in it by the divine arrangement and communication, nor does this divine efficacy only come to it when it is used. For the Word of God, as such, cannot even be conceived of apart from the divine virtue and gracious working of the Holy Spirit, because this is inseparable from the Word of God.'"

Heinrich Schmid, Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, trans., Charles A. Hay and Henry E. Jacobs, Philadelphia: United Lutheran Publication House, 1899, p. 506.



"Hollazius (993) uses the following figures: 'It possesses and retains its internal power and efficacy even when not used, just as the illuminating power of the sun continues, although, when the shadow of the moon intervenes, no person may see it; and just as an internal efficacy belongs to the seed, although it may not be sown in the field.'"

Heinrich Schmid, Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, trans., Charles A. Hay and Henry E. Jacobs, Philadelphia: United Lutheran Publication House, 1899, p. 506.



"Only little weight is attached to the ministry of the Word, to worship services, the Sacraments, to confession and absolution, and to the observance of Christian customs; a thoroughly regenerated person does not need these crutches at all. Pietism stressed the personal element over against the institutional; voluntariness versus compulsion; the present versus tradition, and the rights of the laity over against the pastors."

Martin Schmidt, "Pietism," The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church, 3 vols., ed. Julius Bodensieck, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1965, III, p. 1899.



"But if ordination be understood as applying to the ministry of the Word, we are not unwilling to call ordination a sacrament. For the ministry of the Word has God's command and glorious promises. Romans 1:16 The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Likewise, Isaiah 55:11: So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please...And it is of advantage, so far as can be done, to adorn the ministry of the Word with every kind of praise against fanatical men, who dream that the Holy Ghost is given not through the Word, but because of certain preparations of their own...."

Apology Augsburg Confession, XIII. #11. Number/Use Sacraments Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 311. Tappert, p. 212. Heiser, p. 95. Romans 1:16; Isaiah 55:11.



"And it is of advantage, so far as can be done, to adorn the ministry of the Word with every kind of praise against fanatical men, who dream that the Holy Ghost is given not through the Word, but because of certain preparations of their own, if they sit unoccupied and silent in obscure places, waiting for illumination, as the Enthusiasts formerly taught, and the Anabaptists now teach."

Apology Augsburg Confession, XIII. #13. The Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 311. Tappert, p. 213. Heiser, p. 95.



"This power {the Keys} is exercised only by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments, according to their calling, either to many or to individuals. For thereby are granted, not bodily, but eternal things, as eternal righteousness, the Holy Ghost, eternal life. These things cannot come but by the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments, as Paul says, Romans 1:16: The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Therefore, since the power of the Church grants eternal things, and is exercised only by the ministry of the Word, it does not interfere with civil government; no more than the art of singing interferes with civil government."

Augsburg Confession, XXVIII. #8. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 85. Tappert, p. 82. Heiser, p. 23. Romans 1:16



"Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining it in memory, and do not think that it is optional with you of no great importance, but that it is God's commandment, who will require of you how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word."

The Large Catechism, The Third Commandment, #98. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 609. Tappert, p. 378. Heiser, p. 175. Exodus 20:8-11.

Reformation Sunday



The Beauty of Spring, by Norma Boeckler


The Festival of the Reformation

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time

The Hymn #262 by Luther Ein’ feste Burg
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 Rev. 14:6-7
The Gospel Luke Matthew 11:12-15
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #269 by hermann Herzliebster Jesu

The Reformation Gospel

The Hymn #309 by Kingo Old Hundreth
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 #283 by Grundtvig Reuter

Prayer by Veit Dietrich
O almighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Son hast promised us forgiveness of our sins and deliverance from eternal death: We pray that by Thy Holy Spirit Thou wilt daily increase our faith in Thy grace through Christ, and establish us in the certain hope that we shall not die, but peacefully sleep, and be raised again on the last day to eternal life and salvation; through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

KJV Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The Reformation Gospel

KJV Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

My wife and I went to his church. We sat at his dinner table. I disagreed with him later when he went all out for the Church Growth Movement. He was a Missouri and then a WELS pastor. Now he is virtually an atheist – free thinker who publishes at a forum called Freedom From Religion. (“Young Calvinist – Old Atheist” – still true.)

The Reformation marks the time when God took extraordinary men and women and refreshed the Church with the everlasting Gospel. Some claim that the Christian Church would have rotted away without the Reformation. Naturally, God did not allow man to destroy the everlasting Gospel, and that is simply not possible.

There were many odd little events which went together, showing how God works. Many know Henry VIII’s second wife as “Ann of a Thousand Days.” She was executed, but not before she changed England in two crucial ways. One was the birth of her daughter Elisabeth, who became the first Protestant monarch of Britain. The second was her ability to turn Henry VIII toward Protestantism. She was the key person who read Protestant works and influenced him. He pursued her a long time, so she had more than three years to win him over.

Protestant-Catholic battles in England led to the settlement of America as a Protestant haven from the Stuart kings, who tried to make England Catholic again. About 3/4ths of my ancestors were English. French wars against the Huguenots (Protestants) led my French Protestant ancestors to come to America (the Noel clan). The loss of crucial French Protestant naval skill led to the dominance of England on the seas after the horrible St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

Another odd series of events involved Erasmus. He was the most noted scholar in the time before the Reformation. He was like the man who gathered all the kindling but refused to start the fire. Or, as some noted, he started the wagon rolling down the hill and jumped off. He stayed loyal to Rome, but his Greek New Testament and his writings were the basis for the Reformation and the Bible being produced in a modern language.

Gutenberg, in Germany, took a wine press and turned it into the printing press. That meant religious books could be printed cheaply and spread across the civilized world. Caxton in England also invented printing. Of course, long before, China had printed paper money, but that does not count for Westerners.

The Everlasting Gospel
For the Gospel to be what God has delivered to us, the message must be exactly what God has revealed.

God allowed Martin Luther to experience spiritual turmoil throughout his life, so he was always dealing with the Word. He never had any outward peace in his life, but God gave him happiness in many other ways. Luther lived in the midst of civil and spiritual warfare, but he had trustworthy friends, an Elector who protected his life, a wife and children.

Luther deserves credit for emphasizing once again that the Gospel is free from law demands. Others knew how to teach the comfort coming from the Gospel of forgiveness, but Luther was relentless in separating the Law from the Gospel, as the Apostle Paul did. Like Paul, he kept the worship forms and only changed things gradually. He was often pushed into some changes, because other attempts were making everything chaotic. His German translation of the Bible and German worship service followed attempts by others to modernize those two areas of church life. That is why Krauth called the Lutheran Reformation – The Conservative Reformation.

Calvinism
The Calvinists tried hard to be different for the sake of being different. They took many Lutherans with them then and still do today. Calvinism and its more liberal branch, Arminianism (decision theology)

Comparison of the two - http://www.the-highway.com/compare.html

Those two branches added several dangerous elements to the Gospel, adulterating its message. One was human reason. Any effort to appeal to human reason (or emotions) is going to denigrate the Gospel. After all, who can explain the mysteries of the Faith? No one can explain Creation, the Trinity, the Two Natures of Christ, the Sacraments, the Virgin Birth, the miracles, the Atoning death of Christ, or the Resurrection. Once human reason is used to judge the revealed Word, the Scriptures must be subordinated to the understanding of man. That is one path leading to atheism.

The other path is the Law requirement embedded in the Gospel. That comes in hundreds of ways but it has the same effect. Someone determines that no one can be a Christian and….fill in the blank. I do not mean that the 10 Commandments are obsolete. They just add a lot of commandments and those laws vary from region to region, sect to sect. One does not allow any kind of dancing. Another says that looking at any type of dancing is a sin. These were big issues among the Swedish Pietists. Dance studios had their front windows soaped over to prevent people from seeing inside. My teacher, as a child, peaked through a hole in the window covering and looked inside. He was disciplined. Later, reflecting upon that is going to make someone toss out everything with the dancing rule (or looking at dancing rule).

People weigh down the Gospel with “have tos” and turn the “have tos” into the path of salvation.

As Luther taught, the Gospel alone gives us the power to battle against temptation and sin. The Law by itself is good and useful, but powerless to make us better, to strengthen against sin.

The Efficacious Word
One overlooked contribution of Luther was, and continues to be, crucial in the Christian faith – the effectiveness of the Word.

Luther and his followers were united in the Hebrew Old Testament concept of the Word, which was naturally the New Testament teaching as well – the Holy Spirit works only through the Word and never apart from the Word.

God has chosen to convey Christ to us through the visible and invisible Word, so we are never in doubt about how to abide in Christ (John 15) and be fruitful.

We are never in doubt about how to evangelize – by sowing the Seed, which is the Word (Mark 4, Matthew 13).

Are we weak in faith? The Gospel will strengthen that trust in the Promises.

Do we wonder about forgiveness? The Word teaches us in hundreds of ways that the Savior seeks us, carries us home on His shoulders, and rejoices that He has found us.

People become anxious that they are not good enough, but the Scriptures teach us that the Good News is aimed at the weak, the anxious, the poor in spirit.


Non-Lutherans disparage the Sacraments and teach against them. The question about Holy Baptism is answered in the Small Catechism. “How can water do such great things?”

How can water do such great things?--Answer.
It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.
Most congregations which teach against infant baptism will dedicate babies, using the Word of God. One minister explained this to me, so I said, “You baptize without water. We baptize with water.” He did not like what I said, but history shows that groups teaching against the Sacraments become increasingly rationalistic and abandon the Scriptures entirely, while maintaining the outward forms.
If I had told my vicarage supervisor that his congregation would be headed by a retired Episcopalian bishop (as an interim pastor) while promoting homosexual marriage, he would have had a stroke. How did that develop in only 30 years? A series of pastors and seminary professors taught against the Word until the Scriptures had no significance at all.

A former member of the ELS wrote, “The synod became more important than the Word of God.”

Jesus said something about that. “You set aside the Word of God to hold to the traditions of man.”

The Word of God belongs to God and always works with His Holy Spirit. We cannot discuss the Word the way we talk about Shakespeare or Herodotus. For instance, Herodotus has some wise observations and some that are just ridiculous.
Debating with God is foolish. His Word says “teach and baptize all nations,” not “withhold baptism…and anyway, it is just a law, not a sacrament.” Episcopalians call their confession a three-legged stool, the legs being the Word, tradition, and human reason. This allows the Word to be set aside in two different ways, by human reason and by tradition.

KJV Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Does the New Testament teach orthodoxy?

Now another term is tainted. Orthodoxy used to mean straight teaching for Lutherans. Now Lutherans are joining the Eastern Orthodox, so the word may become ambiguous in time.

Orthodoxy is often mocked today, especially by those who want to belong to the conservative branch of Lutherans. Moles are more dangerous than people attacking from the outside.

Jesus warned that the wolves dressed themselves as sheep:

KJV Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

The Word of God will not fade away, but last longer than everything on earth:

KJV Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Paul warned against wolves attacking from the outside and perverse men within the fold – all destructive. The New Testament says nothing about protecting the organization, the “face of the church,” as the ELS seminary president expressed himself.

KJV Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Paul wrote to Timothy:

KJV 1 Timothy 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

Just as he wrote to the Galatians:

KJV Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Paul described false teachers as flatterers and belly servers:

KJV Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

The most important work of a minister is read at installations and ordinations, and nothing is mentioned by Paul about synod public relations:

KJV 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

With the Word comes the cross. Teaching the Word in its purity and truth means bearing the cross. In the old days, cross and crown were associated together. The believer belongs to the royal priesthood and will reign with Christ in glory, but here on earth he will bear the cross.


WELS congregation. Seriously.


Now we have the cross resting in a mug of coffee, to suggest that a God without wrath sent His Son without a cross into a world without sin.

The Reformation continues.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

"This Little Light of Mine -
They're Going To Help It Shine."
What I Learned from the Net



District VP Patterson, Holy Word, Austin, Texas, led a group pilgrimage to hear Baptist Ed Stetzer at the Exponential unionistic pastoral conference. His staff minister also went. Larry Olson, DMin Fuller, is in charge of manufacturing staff ministers
at Martin Luther College.




Patterson's member Robert Timmerman is on the WELS Synodical Council. Timmerman is an elder at Holy Word.




Patterson's church council president, Ron Stelljes, is the father of Pastor John Stelljes, one of the pilgrims to see Baptist Ed Stetzer, who will speak at the 2009 Church and Change conference.

The Board for Home Missions has two representatives from the South Central District: one is a former vicar of Patterson's (Pastor Caleb Schoeneck, in Texas)...the other is a member of Patterson's church (Paul Mattek).



Baptist minister Ed Stetzer is already booked to speak at the WELS Church and Change conference in 2009.
However, Church and Change is withholding that fact from its website.


No one needs to wonder how VP Patterson could get a free vicar to do the pastoral work while he runs for higher office and chases after false teachers to adulterate the Holy Word of God. The juicy vicarage grant was not intended for an established congregation like Patterson's.

Anyone can see from the Internet information I gleaned - Patterson has allies at every level of the WELS structure. That is how the money flows. Kingdom Workers here (Doebler's Rock and Roll Church), BHM there, Synodical Conference here, Sausage Factory there.

Church and Change gurus like Rev. Bruce Becker are fed, clothed, and housed with staff salaries from the offerings of faithful WELS members. The laity imagine they are exporting the efficacious Gospel of the Lutheran Reformation, not importing Baptist false doctrine, which opposed Luther at every turn.

On Reformation Sunday, remember that VP Patterson and Paul Kelm both gave papers at The Sausage Factory about how to improve seminary education.* The last time doctrinal apostates took over a Lutheran seminary, the laity woke up and made some changes.

WELS already has voted in a new Synodical President, Mark Schroeder, so the most difficult part is over. What must follow is a dedication to sound doctrine, an insistence on the Confessions, at every level of the synod.

*The last vicar at Holy Word was Seminary Professor Tiefel's son.

The Laity Are Waking Up,
- And -
DPs Are Reading This Blog




From Bailing Water:

Anonymous said...
I talked with my pastor who is and has been outraged with what has been going on. He is not strong enough (or perhaps outraged enough) to publicly take a public stand ALONE. He would like to see a large group of pastors take a stand TOGETHER against all this stuff. The beginnings of taking a stand together was happening in the Issues in WELS group...but they have disbanded or suspended for some reason. It makes it appear that all is well in WELS. Our District President does not seem opposed to the Church and Change stuff. I will try to talk with him once more.

Can we all get our pastors together so they can take a public stand?

QUESTION: If a pastor leaves WELS before retirement age, does he lose his entire pension? Is it $$$ that is preventing some from leaving or taking a chance that taking a firm stand against things will get them ousted?

Ichabod Election Predictions




Based on reading extensive reports, my predictions for 2008:

McCain/Palin will win the presidential race. They are ahead in Missouri, which is traditionally a bellwether state.

Some other reasons are:
1. The Ayres-Obama connection is peaking at the right time, but far behind the reporting of Ichabod. O'Reilly (Harvard J-school) was weeks behind my humble blog, which has a research staff of one.
2. ACORN is pursuing their fraudulent schemes, but they should be counter-balanced by the conservative vote they will scare into the polls on election day.
3. Michelle Obama and Biden did not help the ticket, but Palin revived the McCain campaign.
4. Hispanics do not vote for Blacks, and Obama has made this a racial campaign.
5. Catholics and Evangelicals are energized to vote pro-life, and the GOP ticket is strong where Obama-Biden are genocidal. Biden is worse than pro-abortion. He is Catholic pro-abortion.
6. There are minor (for the media) doubts out there. Obama has no real history and many mysteries in his past. Some think he was born in Africa and not eligible for the presidency. All his associations are either Black communist (mentor in Hawaii, Frank Marshall Davis; Jeremiah Wright in Chicago) or white communist (Ayres and Dorn in Chicago) or radical Islam (endless list, including Rezko).
7. Hillary and Bill know that an Obama win will end her hopes for the White House. There is not enough Botox to make her a viable candidate 8 years from now. Hillary needs a McCain win to keep her hopes alive for 2012.

The economy works against McCain, and no one has tried to lose more than McCain. Still, the Bradley effect matters. Many liberals will say they are for Obama in the polls but vote otherwise in secret. Union money is for Obama. The unions have backed losers in most of the presidential elections.

House and Senate
The House and Senate will gain Democrat seats. America does not like giving the presidency and Congress to the same party. It seldom happens and it is seldom a good outcome, including GOP dominance.

I hope Coleman defeats Al Franken in Minnesota. Norman Teigen could just tip the scales there. Franken winning would prove that a lying tax-cheat bigot can beat a liberal Republican with a record. Minnesota had a professional wrestler for a governor, so anything is possible there.

Insurance Companies in Distress




EastCoast asked me about insurance companies the other day. I have some connections. I am still licensed in life and health insurance. I am not involved in selling because there are so many teaching jobs available I turn down the excess.

A few months ago I could have signed up to sell annuities from AIG. I knew it was a big company, but no one knew at the time that they were ready to go belly up from mortgage investments. I was not so sure that any given company was a good bet. I want my insurance company to live longer than I do.

Now the feds are going to prop up insurance companies, too. They already shoveled $100 billion toward AIG alone. This is madness. The piglets will rush to the sow.

All insurance companies sit on a pile of assets. In the Great Depression they had a lot of mortgages, which were distressed and kept down earnings for many years. The Empire State Building was finished just before the Depression, and it was built with insurance money. That was another lead balloon.

Property and health insurance companies also stash their cash in various investments. I recall a time when the property insurance companies bought all the way up during a stock market boom. Then it popped and they raised rates to cover their losses in the market.

Some of the market crashing is probably due to fears of Obama winning. Much of it is from massive fear, getting out of positions to gather cash or cash equivalents (federal obligations).

Everyone is going to lose from the meltdown. Universities have lost endowment totals. Insurance companies will be as strapped as banks. General Electric is both a finance and manufacturing company. Some think GE is more dangerous than a bunch of AIGs at once. I do not know enough to say.

Annuities are a good idea in certain cases. I arranged for some for my mother, and they turned out very well. Ben Stein said they worked well for his father. It is possible to get a good, secure return and leave the remainder for the estate (refund annuity, or options like the 10 year certain).

The main thing is starting with a secure insurance company. I would not even consider one lower in ratings than Northwestern Mutual or Mass Mutual. Huge insurance companies can tank as fast as a large bank. There are rumors about Met, for instance. What a salesman promises is second to a company's financial future.

Many insurance companies will consolidate, following the example of banks. In the past I have seen enormous companies get merged into credit-worth ones: Executive Life, Mutual Benefits, Equitable, General Life. Executive Life paid big dividends based on junk bonds alone, until they nose-dived.

Investments are down. Home prices are down. Prices will stay down. Look at oil. Probably the big speculators were all tied up in futures contracts betting on oil going up. Once demand went down globally, those contracts were losers. So oil prices are going down, down, down. Mrs. Ichabod asked about "the danger of inflation." We are in deflation, which is really more dangerous.

Another Sad Tale from WELS



I remember a student at Mequon who propped up his Triglotta on his desk and slept with his chin resting on it each day. He is now a Church Growth pastor in the ELS.


This story is from someone I have known for about 20 years.

He joined WELS and encouraged his entire family to leave the Lefty Lutherans.

At one point my doctrinal bulletins became too much for his true-blue WELS wife, so I took him off my list at his request. I understood the reaction. I knew friendly WELS pastors who stopped talking to me because I kept addressing the same doctrinal issues they avoided.

Later this layman wrote me to say their WELS congregation's staff went off to Willow Creek to be trained.

A fortune was spent on the building.

Everything changed at the church, which was now 100% church growthy.

I am not sure, but I think he was indicating in his note that he was leaving the Lutheran Church for good, perhaps going to an Eastern Orthodox church

Attendance had increased at their former congregation.

True, some congregations have driven away their Lutheran members and attracted some generic Reformed members. Nevertheless, the denomination's statistics look like Wall Street's on a bad day.

Thank God For Church-and-Change
Being Exposed



The triangles going up to the fish's mouth represent offering money
devoured by Church and Change buddies
(free vicars for Patterson, grant for Doebler, etc).
The triangles leaving the fish's rear end
symbolize Church and Change pooping on the synod
at every opportunity, fouling the water.


From Bailing Water:

Anonymous said...
Thank God people are finally rising up and speaking out against C&C. We need more and more people- and especially pastors- to speak up and denounce these errant ways. Insist that none of your church offerings be used to fund this group who is using our own money to fund their apostasy. Have courage and let your pastor and church leaders know how you feel about this. Go over their heads and let your synod leaders know how wrong this is and that you won't have it. They need to hear it from we, the people. Don't let the C&C crowd think they can slowly seep into your church. You'll wake up one Sunday morning and not recognize the church you've belonged to for years. Be strong and courageous. Don't sit idly by.

October 25, 2008 2:00 AM

Must It Always Be Lutheran Only? - Of Course!




The Minnesota Lutheran

Thursday, June 28, 2007
Must it always be "Lutheran only?" Of course!
Today I was asked by a local pastor in our community (of a different denomination) if I would be interested in getting together with his congregation for a joint worship service later this summer.

Some people might think to themselves, "What a great idea!" It sounds like it would be great for our congregation's visibility in the community. It sounds like it would be a wonderful chance to come together with other Christians. It sounds like it would be a chance to get together on opening the doors to the unchurched in the area.

You probably know where this is going. I politely thanked the pastor for the offer, but said I would have to decline.

Yes, it is true that I would be attacked by other pastors in our denomination for such participation--but truth be told, I would expect them to take me to task.

"But why?" you say. "Why is there all this insistence on doctrine and purity?" "Why do we have to be so full of ourselves?" I once heard the church compared to a painting, and every denomination has a brush with which the picture is painted. In fact, if the church were the painting, God would be the artist--and we would do nothing. Other churches outside the Evangelical Lutheran Church are sadly defacing the artwork of God.

How could a preacher give his people hope on Sunday morning without being able to share the wonderful news of their Baptism? There are denominations who cut out that beautiful section of the canvas. How could a preacher speak of the wonders of faith, when faith is all about your commitment? Rather, the beauty of the Church is the object of faith, Christ, which receive only as a gift of the Holy Spirit. How could a preacher promise to feed God's sheep, when bread and wine is merely bread and wine? In fact, the church is painted in the very real blood of Christ, which we drink as we eat his body in the Lord's Supper.

If we start to look for the ways that we intersect with other denominations, and cast aside the rest as leftovers, then we diminish the beauty of the Church and empty it of its gifts. In other words, as the title of this post asks, "Must it always be Lutheran?" My answer: Why would we ever not want it to be Lutheran!

Posted by RevRuesch at 6/28/2007 07:55:00 PM



2 comments:
Pastor Rance said...
Good post, Matt. It's one of the issues that other denominations (and some Lutherans) don't understand. I get really tired of hearing how we need Lutheranism to be "relevant" for today's world (which really means to compromise our doctrine for the sake of adding numbers). What could be more relevant than the truth of Word and Sacrament? Keep 'holding the line', brother!

10:11 AM, July 02, 2007
Anonymous said...
Pastor, you really hit the nail on the head. This is my pet peeve that it's important to even many Lutheran churches these days to leave 'Lutheran' out of the name. Note the increasing 'community', or 'this or that Ministries, or even just plain ol' Christain in leu of EV. LUTHERAN. You may read the website of one of these churches and have to dig deep before you may find something like.. they are 'affiliated' with such and such synod. As a member of WELS, I see the same thing in our synod as well. I encourage you to continue fighting the good fight, Pastor. More people appreciate it than will ever say it.

10:05 AM, September 30, 2007

***

GJ - Oh my, all the tall-tales I heard from WELS leaders about fellowship principles. I guess they are best viewed from a distance. District Pope Mueller explained, without laughing out loud, that WELS taught these to ELCA leaders, who said, "We could use some of those." That was at the conference where WELS Synodical Pope Mischke posed with Bohlmann and ELCA Archbishop Herb Chilstrom.

In the Wisconsin sect I heard five years of explanations - why every variety of unionism was good, proper, healthy, and Ev-an-gel-i-cal. That word is stretched out in WELS to make it more efficacious. The stretch version means - "Do whatever you want, boys." And they did.

But the Church of the Lutherean Confession (sic) was better? No, far worse. The other Tiefel, Paul, cousin of James, wet his pants in excitement, every time he praised someone Deformed, Roman Catholic, or worse. His double, Dave Koenig, was worse. The CLC (sic) protected them, excused their boorish behavior, and rewarded them in every possible way. The CLC layman Dave Menton declared it was a mortal sin to write for Herman Otten, until he wrote for Herman Otten. Then he posed for pictures with Otten. Anyone who knows the sect would say, "That is so-CLC."

This blogger wrote well about the central issue. Worshiping with non-Lutherans is the same as despising the Promises of the Gospel.

Young Church Growther --> Old Atheist.

Young Church-and-Changer-->Old Atheist.