Freddy Finkelstein on Ski's Theology

From Bailing Water:

In a blog post below I mention how Rev. Jeske is promoting a Lutheranism that is encouraging leaders to be "Rule Breakers." A recent Jeske presentation was posted on Ichabod. In this presentation Jeske quotes the idea of breaking rules from a reformed author. Listen carefully to all of Jeske's words about Germanizing and Lutheranizing. The premise being promoted is that anything goes in worship.



Below is an editorial comment from Freddy Finkelstein about Jeske's friend Ski....



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He's (Jeske) not the only one on record saying this, of course. I recently visited Ski's Drive '08 blog, and on his Day_5 entry, he has some very telling comments regarding "Rule Breakers," and the influence they ought to have in directing ministry.



Here's the link: http://web.me.com/pastorski/Site/Day_5.html

The final Main Session with Andy Stanley was just phenomenal. We began with awesome worship. Today though, they began with a Christian rapper, Toby Mac. Our school kids would have loved it. I’m not sure that they would have believed that it was church though.

When Andy began his session. He started by saying that he was not going to follow his notes in the Drive ’08 Journal Book. Instead he was going to do something that he called, “Recent Random Thoughts On Church Leadership.” He shared 5 points and 5 takeaways. I think that he was at his absolute best this afternoon. Here are the 5 point & takeaways:

1. To reach people no one else is reaching we must do things no one else is doing. (Question: "What is the measure of 'reaching people not yet reached?'" Numeric Growth in the church? Numeric growth from among the unchurched? Who's to say that they haven't already been reached with the Gospel, and that the Holy Spirit hasn't been doing His work all along?" Stanley's first point, here, unquestionably arrogates credit for the Holy Spirit's work to Man and his efforts.)
   
   

Takeaway - Become preoccupied with those you haven’t reached as opposed to those you keep. This is easier said than done. (Church Growthers are not concerned with back-door losses -- just perpetual growth. It is part of the program. Those who stay for awhile and contribute, but later leave, are nothing but throw-away "scaffolding" anyway, according to Church Growth theories.)

Wow, it seems so simple. And yet so hard.

2. The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation. (In other words, every new generation re-invents itself, makes its own mistakes, learns from them etc. In response to this, the single word "catholicity" comes to mind -- a word which a Church Growth sectarian like Andy Stanley would never think to utter or contemplate. The New Testament Church has made mistakes and learned from them for 2000 years. What has been handed down to us in terms of public practice is the result of trial and error over this entire period. Human nature has not changed over this period, making such wisdom entirely "relevant," especially given that it is primarily the nature common to all men to which the Church must address itself -- not man's culture, whimsical and fleeting as it is.)
   
   

Takeaway - Be a student not a critic.

What more can be said? How do we approach things? When things are different & involve change are we scared? Do we criticize or do we look to learn and implement? (What? Critical reception of change is necessary, especially among those publicly confessing catholicity and orthodoxy -- doubly so among those who consider themselves to be Berean!)

3. What do I believe is impossible to do in my field? But if it could be done it would fundamentally change my business. (Everything we are in Christ is impossible for man to accomplish -- this is the fundamental truth of our "business." Nothing we do can change this fact. The making of a Christian is a miracle from start to finish. It is the Holy Spirit's work, not ours. We employ His Means, according to the command of Christ, and the Holy Spirit does the rest.)
   
   

Takeaway - Pay attention to the people who are breaking the rules. (What rules? The "rules" of public practice handed to us in the Western Rite and embraced in the Confessions? The few strictures of public practice placed on us by the Scriptures? The voluntary and brotherly "setting aside of personal preferences" in favor of unity in practice? As if there isn't great enough freedom within these boundaries, now we are to regard them as "rules which need to be broken." The entire Church is called to a mind of adolescence by such statements, called to regard "The System" with disdainful suspicion, and to cast aside the sound wisdom of our fathers. Indeed, Church Growthers make a joke out if it -- "It's not your father's church, anymore!" But we are called upon in the Scriptures to exercise sound wisdom in our freedom. Catholicity offers such wisdom as it has been gathered over two millenia. Will the "unhistorical spirit of our times" cause us to disparage and forget such wisdom? Looks like it...)

Crazy sounding isn’t it? We can fight technology and change, but in the end it will pass us and we will become archaic and irrelevant. Not our Message, but the manner in which we present it. Who would have ever thought texting would be as big as it is? How about multi-site church? Video church? These are all things that have changed how we worship. (The use of "new technology" is not "breaking rules" of any sort. There is, however, great wisdom in exercising caution in our use of it, as certain usages may well carry us outside of acceptable practice. It is also unwise to invest in fads, but only in those aspects of "new technology" which are going to remain a fixture.)

4. If we got kicked out & the board brought in a new CEO what would they do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door & then come back in & do it ourselves?
   
   

Takeaway - Acknowledge what is NOT working & own up to why you are unwilling to change it. (Again, what is the "measure of what is working?" Numbers? If a given congregation doesn't have what "central command" defines as "positive stats," then the Holy Spirit is not working? Hogwash.)

Some thoughts on this - rarely does the church (in general) get concerned about change until they run out of money. What if we asked some questions before it was too late? (As in, "Why are we spending so much money on needless changes?")

• What’s in decline? (According to whose standards of decline? Why is all decline considered to be evidence of something wrong? At one point, as a result of hard teaching no less, almost all the disciples abandoned Jesus until only the original 12 were left. What a failure He turned out to be...)

• Where are we manufacturing energy? In other words pretending something is important. An example would be if I continued to say that Bible Study was important, but never attended. I’m blowing hot air, “manufacturing energy.” I don’t believe that anyone wants to stand behind that or get involved in something like that.
  
  

• Finally, when are we going to unearth all underlying assumptions? Sometimes, what we assume, is not the reality. Are we willing to dig to find out the truth or are we happy with assuming. ("Underlying assumptions," as in, "If my stats aren't 'good' then the Holy Spirit isn't working, and it's all my fault?")
  
  

5. When your memories exceed your dreams the end is near.

Takeaway - Don’t let success or momentum overshadow your vision. Keep the out front. (Again, what is success, and how does one know he has momentum? Given that it is "your vision" against which these are compared, I would assume measures of success and momentum are rooted in some aspect of man.)

How quickly can we be satisfied? How often do we look at things and say, “Well, it’s not great but it is better than such and such church.” Scary, but we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking like this. Some questions to ponder:

• What the burden on your heart?
  
  

• What breaks your heart?

(I stated above, "...rooted in some aspect of man." Yup. Look to yourself and into your own heart.)

That was it. After that Andy just ended and prayed for all the people there & for there (sic) ministries. As you can see from the pictures above, Buske & I got to get a picture with Andy, pretty cool. He is way down to earth. His wife Sandra was there also and she is just great. We actually got to talk to her a little more than Andy. You also notice John with the North Point member who played Bender in one of their sermon series called “Twisted”. The series was all about how Satan twists God’s Word. Finally, there is a photo of Buske & Todd Fields.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Freddy Finkelstein on Ski's Theology":

Interesting statements in The Core's website. www.gotocore.com

It may be a complete mistake or maybe even a Freudian one but the About The Core section of their website states, "The purpose of the new congregation (The CORE) is to have a church that, without comprising our beliefs, removes all barriers possible to reaching people outside the church." Comprise means to consist of or be composed of. I'm inclined to think the latter after reading the website.

The About The CORE section also states, "We are passionate about lifestyle witnessing - as St. Francis of Assisi said "Preach the Gospel at all times, use words when necessary." Really? quoting a Roman Catholic monk to confirm your passion for witnessing? A soul murderer! How about quoting a faithful Christian? And did they even think about what this trite phrase is saying? Is it really possible to teach the true Gospel without Words, Christ's Words?
And under Relevant it states, "We work to be students of the culture." What about Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." and 1 John 2:15, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Under the Download section there's two current bands. One is a man called Lil Mike's Christian Rap. Above they mention removing all barriers possible to reaching people. Really? Don't you think someone may be offended by Christian rap? Certainly since Rap music is generally associated with rebellion and immorality. Isn't causing an offense considered a barrier? Or does the freedom to worship card trump the breaking down all barriers card? Personally I abhor the whole breaking down barriers mantra. It's only an excuse to remove the Word of God which is the only thing that causes offense to the unbelieving world.

In the Welcome to The CORE section he says, "you will be...taught through God's Word how to connect to your Savior." There is a very Methodist/Baptist decision theology interaction proposed here. Scripture says it is God who calls people out of darkness and it's by grace through His Word and Sacraments. We don't initiate or even maintain a 'connection'. Romans 3:11, "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Acts 2:39, "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call." Romans 8:30, "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." It is not we who are taught to connect. We are only to remain faithful to His Word, and that is still by His grace and doing. God does it all.
I won't go into the inference in the first part of the paragraph where they correlate coming to church dressed up (having reverence for God) with pretending to be perfect. That's offensive.

In What is a worship service at The CORE like? section Pastor Ski states, "Maybe you have had a bad experience at church and it has led yo to think that church worship doesn't connect with you, your heart or life. At The CORE, we'll try to change that impression with straight honest talk about the issues that concern you as well as the feelings that trouble you." Now with every denomination under the sun trying to speak the language of today and connect with the worlds heart and life they can only be speaking about Liturgical Lutheran Worship. Even the Catholic Church has gotten into the raging Church Growth enthusiasm worship. Throughout this website they take one opportunity after another to bash traditional Lutheranism and present an exciting, relevant, relational church as the one that really cares.

The section on What Does The Core Believe links back to the About The Core, Mission and Vision statements. Again with the 'without comprising our beliefs'.

Christ says in Rev. chapter 2, "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted."

This could not be said of those who allow the apostate Church Growth horde to destroy the Pure Word and souls of men.

Nobody Asked Us about The CORE

This large WELS congregation is only one block from The CORE.

This Will Bring Them In

"The interest alone from the signage costs would buy Bibles and Books of Concord for our Central African Lutheran brothers seminarians for the next century. Choices, choices, choices...."

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "This Will Bring Them In":

Wow, lies via Photoshop. Impressive.

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GJ - Satire via PhotoShop, made possible by the boasting done on Ski's Twitter and the comments of his pricey executive assistant.

WELS COP Loves Rock and Roll Church

Little Rockers at Christ the Rock Lutheran Church.

Busta Gut started his career at a variety of Emerging Churches.
Koine will sing at Rock and Roll on April 5th.
Koine is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of Church and Change.

According to the BHM report..http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2007/2007-10%20DMB.pdf
Doebler's administrative assistant got a pay raise to 48k...(nice) with the syond cuts Rock and Roll gets a raise... As bad as AIG.


Another research report from Team Ichabod:

The COP met at Holy Word in January.. They love Patterson and Rock and Roll Doebler..


http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20DP%20Report.pdf

And look what layman, fellow Patterson Zebra hunter, Timmerman says about worship. "Are not most areas of worship adiaphora?"

http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20SC%20Report%20Page%202.pdf.

and DP Glaeske, Patterson, and now Gurgel nod their heads in approval..

Patterson still wants free vicars and he wants a free staff minister..

http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20DMB%20Report.pdf

Doebler has his hand out too.

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Here is a report, modified from another team member:

VP Don Patterson has affluent members, so one must wonder why he has his hand out for more synod money.

Robert Timmerman owns a business called Fine Lumber (http://www.www.finelumber.com/). He was the congregational president but is probably an Elder now. He has served on the national WELS Synodical Council. He has funded safaris for Kudu Don Patterson and Missionary Johne (father-in-law of Marc Schroeder, who was booted from WELS and joined Missouri with his congregation).

Ron Stelljes is now the congregational president at Holy Word. They sold their luxurious house to Holy Word so Patterson could have it as his parsonage. Their son John is in Floria.

-Treasurer Lew Rabenberg is a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. His wife is an attorney.
-Financial Secretary Allan Gebert is a self-employed CPA. His oldest son, Zack, currently is studying to be a pastor.
-Elder Bill Starke works at IBM as an engineer.
-Elder Gary Franke works for the Round Rock Express, the local AAA baseball club.
-Elder Nathan Steinke works for Intel as an engineer.
-Property and Maintenance Committee member Tim Moll owns some kind of electrical/lighting company. He provided all of the lighting to the new church built around 2002.
-Property and Maintenance Committee member Clint Rogas has a son (Clint, Jr.) who used to be a highly-paid technical consultant. He gave it up to study for the ministry and now has a congregation in Michigan.
-Staff Minister Chad White used to work for Motorola, but he gave that
up to become a staff minister.

The Elders at Christ the Rock in Round Rock:
-Andy Alff is a geologist, and his wife has been a teacher at Holy Word School for years.
-Tony Previti and Mark Smith both work for Dell Computer. Mark's wife, Kelly, is the daughter of Staff Minister Bob Hill. Her brother, Ryan Hill, used to be the principal at Holy Word until he took a call up to Michigan.
-Joe Krohn, the Rock and Roll blogger, is a friend to Patterson (isn't everyone in Church and Chicanery?). Joe probably provided the anonymous and smug comment that the COP approved of Rock and Roll Church, that they got another grant.

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GJ - I have to wonder why Holy Word in Austin needs to take away mission subsidy money from others when the members are well established in the professions and in business.

Even stranger is wasting all that money flying the Conference of Pussycats into Texas so they can agree to do nothing. I have already seen Patterson's network go into a series of denials and huff-huff emails. Doubtless even more happens when the subsidy money is threatened.

There is your offering money at work. Read the links and weep.

Kingdom Workers = Jeff Davis, Board Member, Church and Change on their board. Isn't that sweet? And no one knows who the secret supporters are. No wonder WELS has discussed a synodical split and who gets the loot.

PS - Corrections are always welcome, as long as they are signed with a real name.

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A correction or addition just came in, but I forgot the researcher's name already:

Holy Word member Mr. Paul Mattek http://paulstherapeuticfurniture.com/pauls.htm , lay rep on the Board for Home Missions (BHM).

http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=1332&contentID=87291&shortcutID=29637

They are the ones who give out free vicars and staff ministers.

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GJ - When the COP met with Rock and Roll at Holy Word in Austin, did anyone think they would drop-kick Patterson into Barton Springs Pool?

One observer cannot understand how Kudu Don went over to the dark side. His own congregation is "normal," and so are the ones he helped start in the area. But now he is behind Rock and Roll, Church and Chicanery.

In Columbus, Floyd Luther Stolzenburg got to the money man. I heard that businessman tell Marc Schroeder (son of Salty) to get rid of the liturgy and creeds.
Given Timmerman's lack of understanding of Lutheran theology, the same thing could have happened at Holy Word in Austin.

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Holy Word in Austin and Christ the Rock in Round Rock
need synod subsidies.
They must know how to po-mouth...or network.

From our research department, based on published information:

Austin is in Travis County (http://www.traviscad.org), and Round Rock is in Williamson County (http://www.wcad.org).

Paul Mattek's home is at http://www.traviscad.org/travisdetail.php?theKey=142144 . It's valued at a little over half a million dollars.

Looking under Robert Timmerman in Travis County, you'll see he owns three properties. His business location is worth $350K. The other two homes are worth a total of $650K. He's got some kind of ranch property in the Texas Hill Country as well.

Ron Stelljes is in the Williamson County listing for only $180K. The researcher thinks it is undervalued.

Tim Moll's home is 2/3 of a million dollars.

Bill Starke - $280K.
Lew Rabenberg - $254K.

Allan Gebert - $195K.

Nathan Steinke - $182K.

Gary Franke - $170K.

Andy Alff - $170K.

I found a "Joey Krohn" at
http://www.traviscad.org/travisdetail.php?theKey=584345 , and he's got a home listed at $276K.

And Pastor Doebler's home looks to be worth about $165K.

It looks like Holy Word sold the parsonage to Pastor Patterson on Nov 30, 2006. It's appraised at over $200K. You can get this information from the "Datasheet" PDF link on http://www.wcad.org/appraisal/publicaccess/PropertyDetail.aspx?PropertyID=162930

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Is the Patterson Network On Synod Welfare?":

You also neglected to unearth Patterson's own ranch that he owns out in the Hill Country.

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GJ - Doebler, at Rock and Roll Lutheran Church has a assistant, who requires a salary of $48k! Patterson, who gets free trips to Africa with Timmerman, needs a free vicar. Timmerman in his report that the synod is in decline. Doubtless it is - after 30 years of Church Shrinkers in charge. The Shrinkers have skimmed all the budget money for themselves while telling the real mission pastors, "Too bad, so sad, we don't have enough money for your mission."

The amount of money wasted in WELS is simply phenomenal. Estimate the lease and overhead for the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock in A-Town. Add the salaries and benefits of a pastor and a pricey executive assistant. That is a staggering amount of money for a "mission" no one wanted, for a white elephant theatre, for two people Tweeting about how hard they work: one service a week during Lent, a half-hour service followed by a three-hour party, with an official launch date based a rock band and a performance platform being built. The Sunday evening services allow local WELS members to attend to make the "mission" look like it has real attendance.

The CORE's two blogs, from two full-time people, are D.O.A.

Rick Gunn has a similar deal in CrossRoads Lutheran in Phoenix, with a staffer at $50k. That hand is outstretched for grant money too. And yet, there are experienced, faithful pastors who would be glad to receive that much compensation.

Most pastors have an unpaid staffer, named Frau Pfarrer (the pastor's wife). The vast majority of wives are lucky to get a little income as the church secretary or school teacher. I wonder what these wives think about Church and Chicanery missions needing $50k staffers when there is so little to do and even less is being done.

I proved to a local professional that a little blogging would bring in new customers. She and her husband did a little more with the blog I set up for them. They landed a new customer just like that, for free. The Internet is a phenomenal method for broadcasting the Word for little or no cost. I find the Shrinkers are ga-ga for useless overhead but numb to the efficacious Word.

Look at the silly website for The CORE. A lot of elaborate eye-candy techniques are designed for people with short attention spans. But nothing has been done in publishing good content since it was launched with a three-hour party. Given the need for three days to recover from a three-hour party, a website could easily have dozens of worthwhile items on it by now. But, WELS members should be glad, the offensive new material is published at a glacial pace. Twitter uses up so much time and energy, dontcha know.

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Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "Why Is the Patterson Network On Synod Welfare?":

You will be judged by your own standards, Ichabod.

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GJ - Actually, WELS is being judged by its own standards, by its own members. They are appalled at: the COP protecting false teachers: throwing money at wasteful self-indulgent, non-missions; and soft-pedaling the Stetzer gig at Church and Chicanery's conference.

Watch the Little Sect on the Prairie, WELS, and Missouri Say "Naughty, Naughty" at ELCA

Breaking news: The Iowa courts have decided that the gay marriage ban in that state is unconstitutional. Has anyone been on a farm there?

The ageless beauty of feminist Gloria Steinem speaks volumes about her cause, which is welded to gay advocacy.

Enjoy the Meet the Vicar program in your synod.

Women priests in The Episcopal Church began with illegal ordinations endorsed by the silence of spineless male bishops.
ELCA is now in full communion with The Episcopal Church, so the conservative synods are too.

The male bishops finally grew a pair, but they turned out to be the new Archbishop and her pal, another bishop.

I knew it was coming.

The three synods (LCMS, WELS, ELS) working for decades, claw-in-hoof with ELCA, have denounced their sister synod for coming out of the closet about homosexual ordination, homosexuals and lesbian partners living in sin in the parsonage.

Roughly 20 years ago, Ed Trexler, the editor of ELCA's The Lutheran magazine, wrote that they had been ordaining homosexuals for decades. His basic thesis was: "What's the big deal now?" The new study and conclusions will be voted on at the 2009 convention. If passed, ELCA will no longer have any restrictions on homosexual partner ministers and lesbian partner ministers. In years past, they could--improbably--think about it but not act on it. Under the new rule, homosexual clergy partnerships will be embraced and sodomy promoted as never before.

It might be wise to impose an old Mafia rule on the ELS, WELS, and LCMS: If you work with the Mob, listen to the Mob, obey the Mob, and take their bribes, you cannot denounce the Mob and live.

We all know that Jerry Kieschnick is never going to break with ELCA. He would rather deliver Missouri to ELCA and be the next Archbishop. How can he distinguish himself from ELCA?

Missouri, WELS, and the ELS have been working on joint religious programs, through Thrivent, for decades. The congregations are united through joint-Thrivent programs on a local level. The bigger side of Thrivent (AAL) has used conservative money to promote itself in ELCA for decades.

AAL sponsored a gay advocacy program at Trinity Seminary, where Lenski once taught, prompting WELS Pastor Richard Starr to write his unforgettable and very knowledgeable Speaking the Unspeakable.

So, no more finger-wagging at ELCA if the synod staffs want to work with ELCA, accept the ELCA agenda, and take money from Thrivent for subordinating the Scriptures to the fad du jour.

The Silence of the Lambs (WELS/ELS): Part Eight

Another Kudu Don Patterson connection -
Herb's son Steve vicared at Holy Word, Austin:
Rev. Herbert H Prahl
Western Wisconsin District President
wwdpwels@sab.wels.net
715-834-2595

The Church Growth/Fuller/Willow Creek infestation can be dated, if not precisely, from 1977, when The Love Shack gave birth to an illigimate child named TELL magazine, midwifed by Ron Roth. The natural father of this love-child is unknown but many played the role of Moses' sister (Exodus 2:7), offering to get a wet nurse to help the child grow.

Most of the WELS DPs were pastors throughout this period. One way or another, they have run interference for Church Shrinkers in WELS and the Little Sect on the Prairie. If Kelm, an early TELL editor, the first Evangelism Secretary, got into trouble, they arranged a new position for him. He could not be Evangelism Secretary any longer, so they made him the head of Spiritual Renewal, another Schwaermer CG program of WELS.

Next he landed a job of Wisconsin Lutheran College, home of C and C, teaching a required-for-graduation course in Reformed doctrine. No, not against Reformed doctrine - advocating Reformed doctrine.

Somehow this aging heresiarch has managed to be the main speaker at Sausage Factory Mission Festivals (organized by the students) many times, and a regular keynoter at the annual C and C Lovefest at Martin Luther College.

St. Mark Depere took him on but when money was tight, Bruce Becker hired him back as a Love Shack consultant: your offering dollars at work.

So, does anyone expect these brave DPs to do anything about Church and Change? They have decades of experience ducking issues. They get out their doctrinal telescopes and see error in the Little Sect, just as the ELS gets out theirs and gape at WELS errors. But nobody does anything substantial. The shocker of yesteryear is normative today.

The promotion and protection of Paul Kelm, age 64, has involved plenty of WELS leaders, either by their silence or their advocacy.

CG turtle on a fencepost: "I don't know how I got here. It must be the work of the Holy Spirit, so do not question me about anything."

Did Kudu Don Patterson Enter a Plea of Not-Guilty at the COP Meeting?

Kudu Don has a layman on the Synodical Council. They hunt in Africa together and apply for free vicars for the parish...together. Alas, this crime scene photo ended the free vicarage program.

Inquiring minds want to know who spoke for Church and Chicanery at the latest Conference of Pussycats meeting.

Kudu Don Patterson has more connections than a central switching unit at AT&T.

But wait - C and C has at least one insider on the COP: Englebrecht. No one has been more prone for progress than the DP of the Anything Goes District.


Rev. Douglas J. Engelbrecht
Northern Wisconsin Anything Goes District President
nwdpwels@sab.wels.net
920-722-6712

Rev Vilas R Glaeske
South Central Southern Babtist District President
scdpwels@sab.wels.net
903-860-7411
Vilas is another "conservative" who does nothing about VP Don Patterson's Ed Stetzer Fan Club. Let's face it - If a district VP--who has been called to Mequon as a professor once or twice--organizes a pilgrimage of pastors and laity to attend a pan-heretical CG conference, featuring Stetzer, who is going to say "Naughty, naughty"?

The CORE Signage Advertises the Newest WELS Mission

The newest Wisconsin Synod Lutheran Church mission:
The CORE in A-town.

The silence speaks volumes about Church and Change, a sect within the synod, fighting to keep Babtist Stetzer as their keynote speaker in November.

Missing:

1. Wisconsin Synod
   
2. Lutheran
   
3. Church.

That is so people who hate church will go to church.

So far those people have been current WELS members invited by Ski to attend his church.

He even made fun of long sermons on his website introduction, but that choice bit of juvenile folly was removed for some reason.

Everyone should skip long sermons from real churches so they can hear Craig Groeschel's sermons at a fake church.

Someone said the "Pain" sermon series was also preached at Willow Creek. But that is OK, since Willow Creek is in fellowship with WELS via Parlow. And Parlow just happens to be a co-conspirator in the pilgrimage to Drive 08, where Ski and Parlow worshiped with Babtist Andy Stanley.

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John has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Signage Advertises the Newest WELS Missio...":

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's probably a duck.

If it looks like evangelicalism, acts like evangelicalism and sounds like evangelicalism - it's probably evangelicalism.

Conference of Pussycats - On Stetzer

Brother Stetzer (far right) lost 80 pounds on a diet after the Post Office insisted that he have his own zip code.

Plenary Session: Representatives from Church and Change

Representatives of the Church and Change group met with us to talk about the proposed invitation of Dr. Ed Stetzer to their upcoming C&C conference. Good dialog was had in which we recognized the sincere desire of all present to do everything we can to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

The members of the COP appealed to the Church and Change representatives to reconsider their invitation to Dr. Stetzer because of the controversy it will, without question, cause, and because it has the potential to marginalize the C&C.

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GJ - Wait a minute. I thought Stetzer wasn't speaking. The cry went up from these maladroit C and C liars, "How do you know we haven't canceled him?"

I guess now we know they did not cancel Babtist Ed, or this would not be the topic of yet another COP meeting, as it was months ago.

WWST?

Would Would Stetzer Tweat?

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L.01 Question on assets in the event of a synodical split 1

It appears that any clause in the synod’s constitution that would deal with this matter would probably not bear any weight in a court of law. Therefore, it was resolved that the COP not pursue this subject any further.

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GJ - Doubtless there will be a split, but only among the largest congregations able to sustain themselves - like Stadler's congregation, which left years ago. However, the whale congregations will have their own troubles during the Obama Recession. Maybe they can get federal bailout funds, because all other funds are drying up.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Conference of Pussycats - On Stetzer":

It is not wrong to invite a heretic to instruct WELS members at a conference, to pay that heretic, to sit at his feet, and give him a round of applause when he finishes. It is only questionable. It should not be avoided because it is wrong, it should only be avoided becuase it will cause controversy.

I am leaving WELS. Will the last Lutheran out the door please hit the lights?

***

GJ - We wouldn't want "to marginalize Church and Chicanery." But it was heartening that they all had good dialogue and "we recognized the sincere desire of all present to do everything we can to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others." C and C has been running the synod since 1977 and--like the crypto-Calvinists--kicking out anyone who resisted their false doctrine. The District Popes have no qualms about getting rid of a pastor, but have they ever extended the Left Foot of Fellowship to these blatant heretics and unionists?

I would love to know which C and C leaders came to the meeting. Names are missing from the official report. Ask your Doctrinal Pussycat if he can remember.

Stages of the Church and Chicanery Cancer:

1. The early years: starting around 1977, when Ron Roth began to edit TELL. Now he is working with Jeff Davis (C and C board member) on very costly fund-raising contracts with WELS congregations.
   
2. The obvious years: starting in 1992, David Valleskey said using Fuller Seminary insights equaled spoiling the Egyptians, citing Fuller favorite Larry Crabb as his source. WELS promoted his ridiculous, absurd Amen! to Fuller: We Believe, Therefore We Speak.
   
3. The garbage-sharing years:
   In 1995, a group of about 10-12 men gathered at Wisconsin Lutheran College to discuss current methods of sharing Jesus which were commonly being used in the WELS at that time. Many at the first meeting felt that those methods of sharing Jesus were not “keeping up with” the rate of change in society. The message of the Bible was not, therefore, penetrating society very well.
   
   In 1998 two men who had attended the first meeting planned a Church and Change conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The next year there was a second conference in Green Bay. About 20 people attended each year.
   
   In May 2001, WELS Parish Services applied for and received a Forward in Christ grant to conduct a three-year pilot program to address the issues surfaced by the previous two Church and Change conferences. The three-year pilot program was designed to be a grassroots gathering of individuals who were pioneering new innovative methods of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a changing culture. Church and Change History.
   
4. The anything goes years: C and C paid New Ager Leonard Sweet to speak to the conference, refusing all entreaties to cancel him. In spite of their demands that people speak to them (citing Matthew 18), Paul Kelm announced that he would no longer answer anyone who objected to Sweet.

Mid-week Lenten Service

Mid-Week Lenten Vespers


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 6 PM Phoenix Time – Thursdays after tonight.

The Hymn #158 Wem in Leidenstagen 4.70
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 8 p. 124
The Lection Passion Harmony, TLH

The Sermon Hymn #267 War Gott nich mit uns 4.61

The Sermon – The True Shepherd

The Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
The Collect for Grace p. 45

The Hymn #562 Seelenbraeutigam 4.27

KJV John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Table Talk Radio

Several Ft. Wayne seminarians went to Madagascar for mission work there.
The smile on the boy's face is priceless.

Warning: these guys are LCMS, so WELS members cannot listen. ELS members can listen if they keep it to themselves. For some reason, WELS members can listen to and follow anyone except a Lutheran from another synod (including the ELS).

Table Talk Radio is a series of podcasts. Mrs. Ichabod and I listened the first time today.

Several Ft. Wayne students or graduates discuss theological topics, including awful hymns, manuscript evidence, doctrinal questions. The format reminds me of AM talk radio, with light-hearted commentary. However, the participants cover important topics and display a well-rounded education.

I was surprised that they brought up Thy Strong Word in talking about the ending of Mark's Gospel. (#39) The Ft. Wayne/Logia crowd seemed determined not to notice or acknowledge the book when it came out.

This was the first podcast I have listened to - ever. Anyone with speakers on the computer can listen to these podcasts. I imagine the idea is to download podcasts to an iPod and listen on the bus, trolley, or plane. We finally got an iPod and love it. We have days worth of classical music and hymns on it, but it rests in a dock and plays through speakers.

This Video Will Not Be Shown at the Next Church and Chicanery Gathering

A real doctor of divinity sent this.

Loof Lirpa Accepts Call to Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary

Loof Lirpa, raised in Holland,
became a WELS member through a Seeker Service.

The Rev. Loof Lirpa accepted a call from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin, to teach evangelism, homiletics, and cross-cultural ministry. He wrote in his letter of acceptance, "The Holy Spirit told me in a dream last night that I would do great things for Him at Mequon. I am grateful to St. Mark Partners in Depere, Wisconsin (WELS) for its Seeker Service, where I became a Lutheran and began training for this totally awesome job."

Lirpa was able to earn several degrees online while preparing for this position. Keeping his job at UPS, he studied at Fuller, Trinity Deerfield, and Willow Creek Community Church. His studies were delayed when Willow Creek announced it had been wrong all along and changed their curriculum. Lirpa was also a little shocked when he found out that Willow Creek was not a member of the Wisconsin Synod.

Laughing, he said, "Our congregation is a member of the Willow Creek Association, so I thought it was something like an interest group within the synod. Something was lost in the translation."

Parlow smiled as he said, "We wanted to take Loof to the Drive 08 conference in Atlanta, too, but he was too busy studying. He is going to take Mequon to a whole new level by being pro-active, synergistic, and sensitive to unchurched demographics."

Lirpa admits being confused when he visited other WELS congregations far from Fox Valley. "I had trouble with the liturgy stuff, creeds, and hymns from a book. I wanted to take those pastors and shake them, but Pastor John said - Your hour has not yet come. Wait for a Mequon call. So I did."

Things are looking up, according to Lirpa. "We are getting women into the pastoral ministry, without all that fussy convention stuff. We have seeker-sensitive congregations all over the US. And, we have a vast network of support from the best minds of Christendom - Mark Driscoll, Leonard Sweet, Ed Stetzer, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, John Maxwell, Bill Hybels, Mark Beeson, and Rick Warren."

Pastor John said, "I would add Kent Hunter and Waldo Werning too, but we are not in fellowship with them."

For more information, click here.

Twitter Might Be Useful After All

I was ignoring Twitter, after getting my account. I associated Twitter with cell phones, texting, IM, and other modern annoyances.

As I mentioned before, a friend joined up and linked to my Twitter account, so I felt compelled to use it a bit.

I tried lampooning the thinklets people send out, because those little epigrams almost always come from Buddha, John Maxwell, or a mega-church pastor who has not yet been arrested.

But then I said, "Aha. I can broadcast good and bad quotations from Megatron." So I am doing that. I am not going to write, "I am working so hard today, but I am glad I am getting so much done." Or, "I cleaned the patio today. What a job!"

Twitter is simply a way to send out a very short message to a group of people. The device only allows 140 characters, so forget the complete scholarly apparatus. People probably like it because they can send and receive messages from their computers or cell phones. Twitter can be linked to a blog, as several are on Ichabod.

Megatron is the database of quotations I developed after I began using Professional File (DOS) in 1987. I thought, "If it works for addresses, it can also work for text." I named the database after the battery in my car, never realizing that Megatron would be a famous Transformer years later.

When Wayne Mueller formally denied WELS Church Growth programs in The Northwestern Lutheran FIC, I began adding CG quotations, pro and con. The number of WELS and LCMS CG quotations was staggering. Friends mailed me materials to add to the database.

I added another 700 quotations to write Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant. Once the database reached 3,000 quotations, I stopped adding so many. I learned from going through the LCA's The Lutheran that anyone can forget shocking stories after time has passed. The database remembers all the details, the source, and groups content according to keywords, topics, and Scripture.

As Pants the Heinz: Church Growth May Be Scraping Bottom Soon

Perhaps some should try this at their Lutheran Community Church.

I feel so cheated. At church Sunday I didn’t get to see someone get squirted with ketchup (?) while he sang on stage with flashing lights and special effects. When you go to Ed Young’s church you never know what you’ll encounter, like the Sunday he dragged a bed onto the “stage” to talk sex. Ketchup-enhanced singers and sex talk. Time for the rest of you pastors out there to get caught up on hip ministry these days. Bibles, by the way, are optional.

Slice of Laodicea is an Evangelical website devoted to slicing and dicing the apostasy around us. One section is dedicated to Mega-church Follies.

Their third-rate slapstick comedy often replaces the Gospel, reminding me of various Lutheran Church Shrinkers of the past and present.

Some churches welcome pets.

Thanks to one of many researchers - Joseph F. Schmidt.

I prefer:

As pants the hart for cooling streams,
When heated in the chase,
So longs my soul, O God, for Thee
And Thy refreshing grace.

For Thee, my God, the living God,
My thirsty soul doth pine;
O, when shall I behold Thy face,
Thou majesty divine?

Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Hope still; and thou shalt sing
The praise of Him Who is thy God,
Thy health’s eternal spring.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God Whom we adore,
Be glory as it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

UOJ Questions

C. F. W. Walther brought German Pietism with him to Missouri.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Will UOJ Faces Finally Blush As They Confront the ...":

I'm relatively new to your blog, so permit me a question that you may have answered a dozen times. I mean no disrespect, as I have heard your arguments that UOJ flows from Pietism, and that you equate UOJ with salvation without faith. But I've not seen these questions answered:

What is the non-UOJ explanation of 2 Corinthians 5:19, where it says that God "reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them"? "The world" sounds pretty universal to me.

And Romans 3:24, where "ALL are justified freely by his grace." The same "all" that "have sinned," are the "all" that "are justified." Can the 2 "all"s mean 2 different groups of people?

Thanks for your explanation.

***

GJ - I have covered all these issues in Thy Strong Word, so feel free to read the book from the links provided. I have also addressed the same questions on this blog, although I admit that posts are difficult to find once they are buried in the past.

Reconciliation, atonement, expiation, propitiation, redemption - all are terms used for the objective truth of Christ dying on the cross for the sins of the world.

The message of reconciliation is the Gospel. The Promises of God produce faith through the work of the Holy Spirit united with the Word. That is why we call the Word an instrument or Means of Grace. UOJ Pietists declare that God has given grace or forgiveness or absolution to the entire world without the Means of Grace, without the Word, without faith.

I suggest that you read the fine points in Lenski, who said, "In the New Testament, no one is justified apart from faith."

How does your precious all turn into "many?"

KJV Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

KJV Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Of course the Gospel has come to all men:

KJV Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

But the rationalistic UOJ explanation is to say everyone is forgiven without faith. I have read many UOJ classic statements. They seem to revolve around logic (if there is an exchange, then everyone is forgiven) or to circle around the Synodical Conference mummies, trying to outdo them in exaggeration.

KJV Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Whoa. I thought everyone was declared righteous, forgiven, absolved. All--as in all--as in the whole world. But Paul says many, not all.

How would the Holy Spirit edit Himself? All who are justified are justified freely, without payment (pace, Holy Father in Rome). There is no way to modify that without destroying the clear meaning of the sentence. UOJ lenses find UOJ where no one else can imagine it, judging from the plain meaning of the verse.

First - the crucifixion of Christ paid the price for the sins of the world. Knowing I am a sinner, I approach God as the gracious heavenly Father who is already reconciled by the blood sacrifice of His only-begotten Son. That message of Atonement has to be universal to be in harmony with the Gospel of the Scriptures. Otherwise we have Limited Atonement, a key doctrine of traditional Calvinism.

Second - this divine gift is a great treasure, but it lies in one heap until distributed by the Holy Spirit through the Means of Grace. Those who believe the Gospel message and guard the Word, abiding in the Means of Grace, receive all the blessings of the Promises - from forgiveness of sin to eternal life. Others hear the Gospel message and find it a way to satisfy their bellies. Others fall away for many different reasons. I have known WELS and other conservative pastors who have fallen away and become haters of God, and several were Church Growthers on steroids.

Others have become Pentecostals. Professors like Valleskey owe WELS a contrite apology for thrusting Schwaermer books into the hands of impressionable students.

---

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "UOJ Questions":

Anonymous, it's important to see that where you quote Romans 3:24 there are these passages which also declare forgiveness, justification and righteousness only by faith.

Romans 3:22, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"

Romans 3:24, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" This verse says that redemption is in Christ Jesus and verse 25 declares that Christ is our mediator (propitiation) against God's wrath only through faith, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Again, verse 26 confirms justification only comes through faith.

Romans 3:28, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

Romans 3:30, "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith."

In Christ,
Brett Meyer

Here are significant quotes where WELS AZ/CA DP Pastor Jon Buchholz teaches the false doctrine of UOJ to the WELS pastors and laity of the WELS 2005 Convention and admits that Scripture doesn't teach that God declared the whole world forgiven. He states that Scripture doesn't say what he's teaching everyone it says.

"God has forgiven the whole world. God has forgiven everyone his sins." This statement is absolutely true! This is the heart of the gospel, and it must be preached and taught as the foundation of our faith. But here’s where the caveat comes in: In Scripture, the word "forgive" is used almost exclusively in a personal, not a universal sense. The Bible doesn’t make the statement, "God has forgiven the world."

"God has forgiven all sins, but the unbeliever rejects God’s forgiveness." Again, this statement is true—and Luther employed similar terminology to press the point of Christ’s completed work of salvation.16 But we must also recognize that Scripture doesn’t speak this way."

"God has declared the entire world righteous." This statement is true, as we understand it to mean that God has rendered a verdict of "not-guilty" toward the entire world. It is also true—and must be taught—that the righteousness of Christ now stands in place of the world’s sin; this is the whole point of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. However, once again we’re wresting a term out of its usual context. In Scripture the term "righteous" usually refers to believers. "

http://www.wlsessays.net/node/390

Broken Record Cracks Me Up

Church and Chicanery readership is steady but somewhat critical.

Broken Record has left a new comment on your post "Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word":

First of all, I will ask a question that it seems others have asked on this blog and I still haven't seen an answer to. That is, have you heard any of the people you criticize preach? Have you been to a service at their churches? If not, you are criticizing based on assumptions, misinterpretation and hearsay.

Second, find some new material please. I may sound like a broken record, but you all sound like broken records as well. We know you hate the world, we get it. I have an idea, why don't you go start your own synod and live angry divisive lives together?

***

GJ - First of all, not to sound like Broken Record, but...This blog is not required reading. Rather than change it for sourpuss Church and Chicaneries, I would rather expand it for those who were trampled by the clergy galloping to Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek, and Trinity Deerfield.

My researchers and I do extensive research, quote people verbatim, provide photos, and link to the material quoted. I do not have to sit down with a heretic, hold his hand, and explain where he is wrong - when he has published material mocking Christian doctrine. Therefore, I also do not have to attend his or her dreary services to know what they have published on their websites and blogs, especially when they copy the sermon titles, graphics, texts, and ideas of false teachers.

Joe Krohn--a favorite of Kudu Don Patterson--has a blog where he clearly disagrees with me but fails to link my blog. I can live with that. If that is your standard of excellence at Church and Chicanery, then ask Joe why he has to post anonymousely here.

Secondly, you just stated that you could read the hearts and minds of my favorite readers and Ichabod hisself. That is a clear violation of the Eighth Commandment, Luther's Small Catechism, Book of Concord. Repent.

Church and Chicanery Provides Upward Mobility

Kudu Don Patterson no longer gets a free vicar for his congregation.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Church and Chicanery Provides Upward Mobility":

So instead of free vicars Patterson brings in free-spending Karl Gurgel.

Watch to see how many more Rock and Roll churches show up in Texas.

Will UOJ Faces Finally Blush As They Confront the Facts about Their Precious Invention?

"This is very conveniently expressed by the terms objective and subjective justification. Objective justification is the act of God by which He proffers pardon to all through Christ; subjective, is the act of man, by which he accepts the pardon freely offered in the Gospel. The former is universal, the latter not." Translator.

Lectures on Christian Theology, Christian George Knapp (Halle University, the center of Pietism). Here is the link.

Translated by Leonard Woods Junior, one of the best known Protestants of the era.

This 1833 translation was used by all denominations until the 1890s. The book was in the libraries and used in the classrooms.

From the researcher:

His lectures that were given for years were finally
published in Halle in 1827:
Vorlesungen über die christliche Glaubenslehre

Also here:
Vorlesungen über die christliche Glaubenslehre (Halle 1827, 2 Bde.)
If you look in Google Books, they have an 1827
edition online, and also an 1836 edition.

The original was published in German, so one can see how easily the Pietism of Halle entered the old Synodical Conference.

C. F. W. worked with the Pietists before he came to America. He criticized every Protestant theologian except Spener.

Tholuck belonged to the next generation of Pietists at Halle. He taught Hoenecke.

More later. I owe this link to one of the best researchers around. We have been working separately but in harmony on this issue.

It's time to wake up and smell the Universalism.

UOJ = Enthusiasm.


"For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago when He in Christ absolved all men by raising Him after He first had gone into bitter death for them. Only one thing remains on your part so that you also possess the gift. This one thing is--faith. And this brings me to the second part of today's Easter message, in which I now would show you that every man who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution, pronounced 1800 years ago, as an absolution spoken individually to him."
C. F. W. Walther, The Word of His Grace, Sermon Selections, "Christ's Resurrection--The World's Absolution" Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing Company, 1978 J-5 p. 233. Mark 16:1-8.

"Christ's Glorious Resurrection from the Dead the Actual Absolution of the Entire Sinful World Here I would point out two things: 1. That This Is Certain And True, and 2. That Therefore Every Man Who Wants To Be Saved Must By Faith Accept This General Absolution As Applying Also To Him,"
C. F. W. Walther, The Word of His Grace, Sermon Selections, "Christ's Resurrection--The World's Absolution" Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing Company, 1978 J-5 p. 230. Mark 16:1-8. [GJ - Does this sound like Decision Theology to you?]

"This doctrine of general justification is the guarantee and warranty that the central article of justification by faith is being kept pure. Whoever holds firmly that God was reconciled to the world in Christ, and that to sinners in general their sin was forgiven, to him the justification which comes from faith remains a pure act of the grace of God. Whoever denies general justification is justly under suspicion that he is mixing his own work and merit into the grace of God. [George Stoeckhardt, Concordia Theological Quarterly, April, 1978, p. 138.]
Pastor Vernon Harley "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 1.

"The chief purpose, however, is to keep this article (general justification) before the people for its own sake. It cannot be presented and studied too often. Its vital relation to the subjective, personal justification by faith, cannot be stressed too strongly. It forms the basis of the justification by faith and keeps this article free from the leaven of Pelagianism. Unless the sinner knows that his justification is already an accomplished fact in the forum of God, he will imagine that it is his faith, his good conduct, which moves God to forgive him his sins. And unless he knows that God had him personally in mind in issuing the general pardon on Easter morning, he will have no assurance of his justification." [Theodore Engelder, Concordia Theological Monthly, July/August/September, 1933. Reissued by the seminary printshop, Ft. Wayne, 1981.]
Pastor Vernon Harley, "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 1f.

"The entire Pauline doctrine of justification stands and falls with the special article of general justification. This establishes it beyond peradventure that justification is entirely independent of the conduct of man. And only in this way the individual can have the assurance of his justification. For it is the incontrovertible conclusion: Since God has already justified all men in Christ and forgiven them their sins, I, too, have a gracious God in Christ and forgiveness of all my sins." [Quoted with approval by Theodore Engelder, from George Stoeckhardt, Commentary on Romans, p. 264.]
Pastor Vernon Harley, "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 2.

"The resurrection is God's public absolution of the entire world: 'Your sins are forgiven, all sins of all human beings; and there is no exception.' This is the meaning of the technical term 'objective justification.' The objective justification is central to the doctrine of salvation and derives logically from the facts that God's reconciliation, forgiveness, and declaration of 'not guilty' in no wise depend on the attitude or behaviour of human beings. If objective justification is denied, then it must follow that those who are declared righteous in some way have contributed to God's change of heart; justification is then no longer solely the result of God's grace." [Theodore Mueller, Concordia Theological Quarterly, January, 1982, p. 29.]
Pastor Vernon Harley, "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 3.

"The starting point in presenting the doctrine of the means of grace must be the universal objective reconciliation or justification. This is the procedure of Scripture."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 105.

"Now, then, if the Father raised Christ from the dead, He, by this glorious resurrection act, declared that the sins of the whole world are fully expiated, or atoned for, and that all mankind is now regarded as righteous before His divine tribunal. This gracious reconciliation and justification is clearly taught in Romans 4:25: 'Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.' The term dikaiosis here means the act of divine justification executed through God's act of raising Christ from the dead, and it is for this reason called the objective justification of all mankind. This truth Dr. Walther stressed anew in America. He taught that the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the actual absolution pronounced upon all sinners. (Evangelienpostille, p. 160ff.)…Calov, following Gerhard, rightly points out the relation of Christ's recurrection to our justification as follows: 'Christ's resurrection took place as an actual absolution from sin (respectu actualis a peccato absolutionis). As God punished our sins in Christ, upon whom He laid them and to whom He imputed them, as our Bondsman, so He also, by the very act of raising Him from the dead, absolved Him from our sins imputed to Him, and so He absolved also us in Him.'" [Bibl. Illust., ad Rom. 4:25]
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 321. Romans 4:25.

"Scripture teaches the objective reconciliation. Nineteen hundred years ago Christ effected the reconciliation of all men with God. God does not wait for men to reconcile Him with themselves by means of any efforts of their own. He is already reconciled. The reconciliation is an accomplished fact, just like the creation of the world. Romans 5:10: 'We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.' When Christ died, God became reconciled." pt. 1 of paragraph
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 347f. Romans 5:10.

"The resurrection of Christ is, as Holy Writ teaches, the actual absolution of the whole world of sinners. Romans 4:25: 'Who was raised again for our justification.' At that time we were objectively declared free from sin."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 348. Romans 4:25.

"As Christ's death lies in the past, so also our reconciliation is an accomplished fact. 2 Corinthians 5:19: 'God was in Christ, reconciling' (namely, when Christ lived and died on earth) 'the world unto Himself.' The katallassein of Romans 5:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:19 does not refer--let this fact be noted--to any change that occurs in men, but describes an occurrence in the heart of God. It was God who laid His anger by on account of the ransom brought by Christ. It was God who at that time already had in His heart forgiven the sins of the whole world, for the statement: 'God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself' means--and that is not our, but the Apostle's own interpretation--that God did 'not impute their trespasses unto them.' And 'not imputing trespasses' is, according to Scripture (Romans 4:6-8), synonymous with 'forgiving sins,' 'justifying' the sinner." part 2 of paragraph
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. p 348. Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:19

Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word

Cover art by Norma Boecker.
The NPH book will be republished on Lulu.com.
When I gave the Cure chapter at a conference, Wally Oelhafen and Fred Adrian wigged out, with Kovo screaming and tossing the paper.
QED: the Cure chapter on the Means of Grace is good.

John has left a new comment on your post "Liturgical Worship Dates Back to the Old Testament...":

I believe that they don't just water down the Word, they totally remove it from their 'worship' by dropping the liturgy. They also try to justify this by saying that all of this is adiaphora.

If something becomes a point of contention, doesn't it cease to be adiaphora?

***

GJ - One elderly man said, "WELS makes everything adiaphora. Soon there is nothing left."

I doubt whether I am the first one to notice how often the word Lutheran has disappeared from the names of congregations, synodical agencies, and even the hymnal.

"Luther didn't want his name used," they shriek or cavil. Church and Chicaneries do not stop to explain why the name Lutheran fills them with fear and loathing.

The Reformer (you remember him from Reformation Sunday) said, "The Antichrist gets his power from substituting for Christ." The Church of Rome substitutes everything Christian for some quasi-Christian but really anti-Christian. The Antichrist substitutes himself for Christ, and there are many little Antichrists to help Holy Father in Rome.

That is how Church and Chicanery earns its nickname. They do not lead by saying, "We hate Luther's doctrine" (but they do), or "We hate the historic, Biblical liturgy," (but they do) or "We trust in our own works," (but they do). They offer a church that is relevant, relational, and not boring. In A-town they spend oodles of money to "shine the Gospel light" while gathering current WELS members and calling it a big, booming mission success.

The Chicaneries hate the Gospel and love themselves, so they take away the instruments of the Gospel to glory in themselves. Those instruments are the Means of Grace, which Chicaneries despise. God appointed those instruments for the benefit of mankind, so we know exactly where we obtain His grace and forgiveness.

Here is more information and a PDF or two about Ski's installation.

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Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word":

John states: "I believe that they don't just water down the Word, they totally remove it from their 'worship' by dropping the liturgy. They also try to justify this by saying that all of this is adiaphora."

I completely agree with this. It has long been acknowledged by Lutherans that our liturgy and hymnody so consistently carry worshipers through the teachings of Scripture, and with such depth and force, as to be of equal or greater benefit than the preaching. It is said of our hymnody,

"But especially in sacred song has the Lutheran Church a grand distinctive element of her worship. 'The Lutheran Church,' says Schaff, 'draws the fine arts into the service of religion, and has produced a body of hymns and chorals, which, in richness, power, and unction, surpasses the hymnology of all other churches in the world.' 'In divine worship,' says Goebel, 'we reach glorious features of pre-eminence. The hymns of the Church are the people's confession, and have wrought more than the preaching. In the Lutheran Church alone, German hymnology attained a bloom truly amazing. The words of holy song were heard everywhere, and sometimes, as with a single stroke, won whole cities for the Gospel'” (Krauth, C.P. The Conservative Reformation. pg. 154).

And this is what the Church Changers eliminate from Divine Worship, leaving only the preaching left as a source of the message of Law and Gospel. Not only do they know this, not only do they admit it, they point to the preaching in defense of themselves, saying, "See, we still have the Word -- we've got good preaching."

The fact is, passing off their Sunday morning entertainments as Divine Worship, they empty the Service of an essential source of the Gospel's message, and its most consistent source -- the liturgy and our time-proven hymnody. In doing so, they claim the right of adiaphora, but I can think of no justifiable reason for eliminating the teaching sound doctrine from the Divine Service -- not even to replace it with seeker friendly entertainments.

John's right. By dropping the liturgy, the Church Changers are not just watering down the Word, they are eliminating the sound teaching it conveys. They know it. But for the love of numbers, they don't seem to care.

Freddy Finkelstein

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word":

I have to agree with my friend "Freddy." I was a member of a WELS church who's pastor boasted of attending Willow Creek and spoke of his reasons for doing so....to learn how to reach more people etc.

In the end, a good friend of mine still attending that particular church will say, "But he still preaches Law and Gospel." My friend is even concerned about the new "pop culture" that has infused the services. My response is: I hope he is still preaching Law and Gospel! But where do we get the idea that the sermon is the only place to make clear the Law and Gospel? It is, or used to be, reflected in the way we Lutheran's worshipped and shouldn't be limited to 15 minutes of the service. I believe that every moment of a public meeting and worship service should be completely devoted to exclaiming the truth of Scripture in every way, song, action and confession. If it doesn't, at minimum it falls short of it's duty and calling. If this is done knowingly, we are abandoning the Grace of God, on an "as needed" basis in an effort to make our actions and efforts more relevant and in the process we replace God's. Remember "anti-Christ" also means "instead of" not just "against."