Here Is a Man Who Has Accomplished More Because He Began with Less

Nick.

Old Chicago Tribune Cartoon

1934 -
Left click for a better view.

Chrysostom on the Multitude

On Faithfulness, not numbers in the church.....

"Would you learn that it is the saints, not the numbers, which make the multitude? Lead out to war ten hundred thousand men, and one saint, and let us see who achieves the most? Joshua the son of Nun went out to war, and alone achieved all; the rest were of no use. Wouldest thou see, beloved, that the great multitude, when it does not the will of God, is no better than a thing of naught? I wish indeed, and desire, and with pleasure would be torn in pieces, to adorn the Church with a multitude, yea, but a select multitude; yet if this be impossible, that the few should be select, is my desire. Do you not see that it is better to possess one precious stone, than ten thousand farthing pieces? Do you not see that it is better to have the eye sound, than to be loaded with flesh, and yet deprived of sight?"

St. John Chrysostom, 5th Century, AD
Commentary on Acts, chapter 3

Another Triumph for the Compromisers:Cuban Health Care

The socialists passed their dream package, Cuban Health Care with abortion funding and death panels.

I have no idea what will happen. Some people, whose history knowledge is limited to "classics from the 1960s pop list," are saying nothing is ever repealed. Prohibition was repealed. All the pro-life protections of the past were nullified by the US Supreme Court. The Congress passed a protection of marriage act and gay marriage spread faster than ever. The Supremes even repealed natural law concepts in Webster. The Supreme Court thus reversed its own position in the Georgia case, although people act as if stare decisis is absolute.

Anything can be repealed. The US Constitution began to be repealed under FDR, with the groundwork done by his cousin, Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy grabbed land from various states, all for a good cause. That is why we are short on oil today - the feds can grab oil and coal fields simply by fiat. Everyone accepts it.

I give all the credit and the glory to the compromisers, the people who want to appear as nice guys by giving in to each bad idea, resisting a little, and then caving and justifying. No political leader fought against the Medicare D drug plan, which was the largest unfunded socialist plan since the New Deal of FDR. Medicare D simply grew into ObamaCare. The GOP laid the egg that hatched into a Democrat vulture.

The radicals need these useful idiots because the bare program itself is always so unappealing.

National trends in politics are foreshadowed in denominational trends. For instance, the willingness of WELS and the LCMS to work with ELCA meant that American Lutherans had lost their horror of abortion and homosexual ordination. ELCA pays for abortions in its health plan. The Lutheran's editor, wrote, about 20 years ago, "We have been ordaining homosexuals for years."

The Surrendered Fort used to make me laugh when they acted so snooty about their school while lavishing praise on any ELCA leader who condescended to speak at their shrinking academy. When an ELCA bishop spoke against the radical takeover of ELCA, Ft. Wayne acted as if they had just discovered the Fifth Gospel. And yet that same bishop was one of the worst ones just before the ELCA merger, calling inerrancy advocates "bat-brained cowards who don't have the guts to lean on Jesus Christ." He was just miffed that the new crop of radicals despised him for being old school.

The vast majority of "conservative" Lutheran clergy today are no more than ELCA enablers. They will not do anything that would make them lose out on a free trip to Europe or even a committee assignment. Their supine attitude toward apostasy is obvious enough. The only thing that arouses their wrath is being reminded of their timidity.

Time of Generic Grace Offers...Generic Grace

John has left a new comment on your post "Jeske's Name - 14 Times, Jesus' Name - Once:Jeske...":

sadoc,

My point is that what Time of Grace does can hardly be called outreach. It does nothing to guide folks to any resource other than Time of Grace.

Is the sacrament of Holy Baptism available at Time of Grace? It is not.

Is the sacrament of the Lord's Supper available at Time of Grace? It is not.

Does Time of Grace guide folks to resources in their area where they can be properly instructed/catechized? It does not.

These facts lead this layman to believe that Time of Grace exists only to perpetuate Time of Grace.

As far as your comment about the typical WELS pastor not doing much outreach:

I want the shepherd called to tend the flock of which I am a member to do exactly that, first and foremost.

So what if a great shepherd is not so hot at outreach? Maybe the congregation needs to be sure that it has a great evangelism committee/board in place.