Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Final Verse
Church and Change Websty
IT'S ALL ABOUT US
The Church and Change group is interested in practicing and promoting innovation in ministry methods throughout the WELS especially at the "grass roots" level. There are a number of resources from which to choose. Sort through our Idea Exchange for the approaches to ministry that are at work in congregations. Select Articles that will stimulate your thinking about ministry. Click through our Link and Learn resource for websites that may offer your church some benefits.
The resources we offer here are intended to stimulate thinking about serving the Savior and His kingdom. Since these resources are not necessarily written from a conservative Lutheran perspective, sanctified discretion is required when evaluating these materials.
Thank you for visiting our site and we look forward to hearing from you.
Board of Directors
| Pastor Ron Ash | Chairman |
| Jeff Davis | Vice Chairman |
| Barry Spencer | Treasurer |
| Sarah Owens | Secretary |
| Pastor John Huebner | |
| Brian Arthur Lampe |
When Ski was officially on the board, three members of St. Marcus were on the board at the same time. I haven't seen such a monopoly since CrossWalk in Phoenix took over the board of Wisconsin Lutheran College - and hid the evidence of their infiltration.
Barry Spencer and Brian Arthur Lampe are members of St. Marcus. For some reason, photos and bios disappear from a CG websty when I publicize it.
WELS members - you are the suckers who paid for this apostate lobby to get started. The Church and Money Changers skim the cream from the offerings, the Thrivent grants, Schwan money, and foundation grants. Want to find a liberal? - check out a foundation board or advisory committee. Oh - there is Ski again...Siebert Foundation.
At your district conventions -
tie a hundred dollar bill to a piece of string,
drag it through the hall,
all the Church and Money Changers will follow you out the door.
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Marketing a Church a Target Community
Pastor Jeff Gunn
Pastor Gun is also a great resource for:
Non-Lutheran Churches - How to Build One From Scratch
Small Groups - Starting them Successfully
Contemporary Music - Doing it up
Outreach Methods - Getting Involved
Researching Alternative Ministry Methods and Models - How To Do It and Pull Workable Ideas From It
Controlling a WELS college without having a WELS congregation!
Email: jeff@crosswalkinlaveen.org
Website: www.crosswalkinlaveen.org/
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Congregation -Conference Breakout 103.... Growing Your Congregation’s Staph from Within
Fuller Seminary DMin Lawrence Olson - Larry Oh! - Our Staph Infection
The WELS Congregational Assistant Program (CAP) encourages and equips members, men and women alike, for a broader ministry within a congregation.
WELS Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI), which guides and assists men from a broad cultural spectrum through their pre-seminary and seminary training.
Email: OlsonLO@mlc-wels.edu
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Contemporary Worship - Conference Breakout 506....
Your Guide to Starting Your Own Alternative Worship Experience
Pastor James “Ski” Skorzewski and Staff Minister Brian Davison
Changes are taking place in the worship world. There still remains a strong interest in blended and contemporary worship among many in our midst. A number of WELS congregations have been conducting blended or contemporary services for years. This workshop will provide help and guidance from someone who has undertaken the process at St. Marcus in Milwaukee. Topics to be discussed include how to begin a blended/contemporary service in a small/traditional congregation so that everyone is blessed; recruiting musicians, vocalists, and technical persons; equipment needs; stage presence!; best rock music to use at the start; copyright matters; plagiarism tips; music/worship sources (websites, friends, etc…) ; use of contemporary liturgies; establishing a WELS network for those interested in helping each other with materials, ideas, and encouragement; and the awakening need for more joyful experiential worship in our midst.
If you are interested in getting your hands on this conference workshop PowerPoint or want more information, email the speaker by selecting the link below!
Email: brian.davison@stmarcus.com, james.skorzewski@stmarcus.com
Website: www.stmarcus.com
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Finance - Conference Breakout 107.... Creating a Conflict of Interest in Your Church and Synod
Jeffrey Davis
This workshop will share ideas and give examples for churches intent on creating cultures marked by strong financial stewardship and biblically guided generosity.
If you are interested in getting your hands on this conference workshop PowerPoint or want more information, email the speaker by selecting the link below!
Cornerstone Stewardship Ministry
206 E. Mills Dr.
Lake Mills, WI 53551
Phone: 920-648-7997
Email: jeff@joyfulgiving.net
Website: www.joyfulgiving.net
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Pietistic Cell Groups
Pastor Peter Panitzke
Two 40 day programs with daily devotions and small group sessions.
Email: ppanitzke@stpaulmuskego.org
Website: www.stpaulmuskego.org
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Jail Mininstry - From the Inside
DP Ed Werner, Vicar Scott Zerbe, ALA Teacher Al Just, Pastor W. Tabor (outside advisor) - OK, that is a little humor, and only a small selection of WELS jailbirds.
Looking to get involved in jail ministries? WELS Special Ministries Administrator, Pastor Carl Ziemer, knows all about it!
Give him a call.
Special Ministries
2929 N Mayfair Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53222
Phone: 414 256 3241
Website: www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?csm
Not Everyone Is Thrilled with Church and Change
while soliciting funds from his own current affiliation.
Jeske is the dark force behind Church and Change.
Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "Junior Stormtrooper Lashes Out:The Uncle Fritz Def...":
Garrett,
I'm going to direct you to another blog, The Gadfly. It is hosted by Pastor Spencer, a WELS pastor in Arizona. He has written a section entitled, "A Dozen Don'ts and Dos for Orthodox Lutheran Pastors". I direct you to #3- "Don't assume any other Pastor is orthodox just because you roomed with him in prep or college, or he's married to your sister, or related in any way".
There are hard times ahead in the WELS. To think any other way is naive. It's not just you and your "uncle". I also face this challenge.
A month ago I went to the Church and Change website. Who's picture do I see as an officer? A guy with which I went to prep and college. I always thought he was a nice guy. But.... I don't believe in Church and Change and anything for which they stand. I have to come to terms that he might be a straying brother.
Twenty years ago I was a charter member of a WELS mission church. I consider the pastor a friend. Now he has removed the word Lutheran from its name. It is now a "stealth" church. Once again, this might get personal. Why? I recently happily threw my lot in with the people from Intrepid Lutherans. Might I have to confront friends and schoolmates on the opposite side of heated debate? Yes, and I pray for the strength to do it.
So Garrett, steel your yourself for the future. It could get ugly. As Luther wrote, "With might of ours can naught be done...".
Junior Stormtrooper Lashes Out:
The Uncle Fritz Defense
Needs money - definitely a Church and Changer.
Garrett has left a new comment on your post "Trashing Me Will Not Help Your Cause, O Cowardly C...":
Truthfully, being able to research many claims as true is what drew me to like your blog. Instead, I should have mentioned that It's (sic) a danger of generalizing.
A "Cowardly DP" would hardly describe my uncle (who is often quick to point me to the relevant scripture or other quotations explaining his actions). Nor would it assign proper justice to a former DP who was one of my home church's pastor and even taught my grade school Confirmation classes.
"God may continue to curse and punish WELS/ELS with false teachers and weak-kneed leaders." This comes to me as an exhortation- and directed towards the (W)ELS as a whole! As I mentioned, there is far too much to consider the entire WELS apostate. And, again, all the objects mentioned are generalizations.
If using words such as "apostate Doctrinal Pussycats" is supposed to narrow this accusation to a more select audience, it still fails on my ears (GJ - ?) under the context of the entire article.
I'm done...Anyone can deconstruct and hyperanalyze text wielding their own preconceptions. Although, at least you have a little fun with your writing. The one that made me grin was the JRR Tolkien Reference: "nasty little pocketses."
"Thus too, did Baldus say that such harsh words are like maggots on firewood that appear with a gentle touch: but have very harsh teeth, and gnaw away at the core of the firewood, resulting that the wood appears unhurt on the surface." -- Loci Theologici - Locus on Poverty (GJ - Incomplete citation, APA epic fail)
***
GJ - No one knows who this anonymous person is. Other blogs have higher standards and demand real names. But I like to let people post under pseudonyms for my own nefarious reasons.
Once again there are many unwarranted claims. Uncle Fritz (my fill-in-the-blank name for him) is not a doctrinal coward - based on what evidence?
The Uncle Fritz gambit is the primary reason why I fear WELS will not overcome its doctrinal errors.
"This cannot be true because my Uncle Fritz is a DP" or "My uncle Fritz taught at Mequon." Avuncular infallibility is the bedrock of all WELS arguments, and everyone has an uncle in WELS.
I am mildly sympathetic, because my first inclination is to be sympathetic toward those I know and appreciate.
However, any mention of the Conference of Pussycats is bound to elicit groans of despair.
Did they object to Kelm's Leonard Sweet Church and Change conference?
Did they object to Kelm's doctrine?
Did they sit there like bumps on a log while Gurgle and Mueller pillaged the synod and played Kevorkian with the schools?
Uncle Fritz' nephew objects to harsh words delivered smoothly, a fine description of WELS communication efforts, like the one above. One must never be so honest as to say, "This is wrong because..." and give actual reasons. Vague accusations are enough.
Here is a DP argument, theme and parts:
Theme - WELS is perfect.
Part 1 - Greg Jackson has criticized Holy Mother WELS.
Part 2 - Greg Jackson is a bad person.
The DPs have another argument, equally sound:
Theme - WELS is perfect.
Part 1 - You remind me of Greg Jackson.
Part 2 - Therefore, you are a bad person.
Anyone who objects to anything must go, hat in hand, to Lord High DP Hategood and present his criticisms in a weak and trembling voice. He will be lucky if the DP even shows up.
The DP will immediately--often through subordinates--address the problem by getting rid of the person who dared to arouse the wrath of the great and mighty Oz. WELS has trashed many divine calls this way while protecting the lowest of the low, like that adulterous murderer who miraculously got a call out of town and saw his files disappear in time for a police investigation. (Felony - obstruction of justice)
WELS has created its own solution-proof problem by shutting down all avenues of honest communication. PR substitutes for doctrinal rebuke. Apostates are punished with new calls. Adulterers are promoted and defended - if they have the right DNA or something better - access to loot.
Harsh? I like that word. I was diagnosed with cancer years ago. Do not celebrate too quickly. It was only a basal cell carcinoma. Nevertheless, there were only three options:
1. Burn it with radiation.
2. Burn it with very nasty chemicals.
3. Perform surgery and leave a scar.
Letting it grow was not an option since it was already eating a hole in my skull.
The Holy Spirit describes false doctrine as a cancer (or gangrene) that devours.
KJV 2 Timothy 2:17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
NKJ 2 Timothy 2:17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
YLT 2 Timothy 2:17 and their word as a gangrene will have pasture, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,
That allows us to believe that false doctrine should receive harsh treatment. I could quote Luther all day on this topic, but those quotations bounce right off the flinty skulls of WELS clergy.
I have never heard the Doctrinal Pussycats describe anything in WELS as false doctrine. That would be "harsh." But I do know how they treat their own clergy, from many different examples. I am familiar with the crafts and assaults of Church and Change, an official agency tasked with promoting false doctrine, a cancer giving birth to many new growths, like the women's conference, The CORE, etc.
WELS will have to deal with the doctrinal problems or perish like the unionistic UCC. WELS will continue to exist, just like the UCC, but cease to matter - except as a minor lobbying agency for recent fads.
Friday, June 4, 2010
WELS Troops in Video
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
An Army battalion in Afghanistan, containing quite a few WELS members, is soon to return home to Fort Lewis after sustaining a very high rate of casualties. I am giving the YouTube video that interviews some of the troops. A number of WELS people can be seen in the video, but they are only in the background.
Our Military Contact Pastors serving Fort Lewis will, no doubt, have some very special work to do once the troops return. Civilian Chaplain Jeremy Schulz brought this video to my attention.
May the Lord bless our efforts to serve those who serve our country!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RgOcsUNjlQ
In His service,
Rev Paul C Ziemer
National Civilian Chaplain to the Military
Armed Forces Liaison of WELS
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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "WELS Troops in Video":
About five years ago Gurgle cut the WELS military chaplains off from synodical budgetary support--a trick that he learned from Kieschnick, no doubt. Then he gave everyone in the synodical HQ a raise, I bet. So the last WELS Connection video was about the military chaplains, and they were pleading for cash.
Thrivent Benefits ELCA and Habitat for Humanity
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 2, 2010
ELCA Ministries Benefit from Thrivent Financial Member Vote
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Three ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will receive financial benefits thanks to members of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a not-for-profit financial services membership organization based in Minneapolis.
Thrivent members recently voted how they wanted to distribute $1 million among 10 national charities through a new program called "Thrivent Choice," according to a June 1 Thrivent news release. Funds were distributed to the organizations based on the percentage of votes they received, the release said.
A total of 150,199 members voted in the inaugural "Thrivent Choice Voting Event," between April 19 and May 21, the release said.
Three ministries of the ELCA will receive a combined total of $323,763:
+ $147,242 to Lutheran Disaster Response, a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS)
+ $145, 345 to the ELCA World Hunger Program
+ $31,176 to the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, a collaborative effort of the ELCA, the LCMS and Lutheran World Relief, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, to mobilize Lutherans to fight malaria.
"We are deeply appreciative of Thrivent members who voted for all of these worthy causes," said the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, director, Lutheran Disaster Response and ELCA Domestic Disaster Response. "Lutheran Disaster Response will put this gift to very good use responding to the needs of individuals, families and communities affected by disaster."
The Rev. Daniel Rift, director, ELCA World Hunger Appeal, said the hunger program is grateful for the "help and hope" brought about as a result of the Thrivent initiative. "We estimate that by their selection over 48,000 members provided almost $7 each for ELCA World Hunger or the complementing work of Lutheran Disaster Response and the Lutheran Malaria Initiative. Even more meaningful than these gifts are the votes of confidence and prayerful support of these members. That commitment and prayer for the work of the church is beyond measure," he said.
"We're very appreciative to Thrivent and Thrivent Choice for these funds," said the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, coordinator, Lutheran Malaria Initiative, ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop. "We look forward to greater recognition of the Lutheran Malaria Initiative as we roll out this initiative in the coming months."
The 10 organizations and the total funds they received are:
+ LCMS World Relief and Human Care, $192,122
+ Lutheran Disaster Response, $147,242
+ ELCA World Hunger, $145,345
+ Habitat for Humanity International, $114,212
+ LCMS World Mission, $112,315
+ Feed My Starving Children, $99,465
+ American Heart Association, $67,854
+ Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) Committee on Relief - $57,281
+ WELS Humanitarian Aid Committee, $32,987
+ Lutheran Malaria Initiative, $31,176
Thrivent Financial said it will launch a second aspect of Thrivent Choice later this summer called "Choice Dollars."
"Eligible benefit members will be able to help direct funds to thousands of Lutheran nonprofit organizations, including Lutheran congregations," the release said.
Pusillanimous
when a skunk is threatened,
he stamps his feet and sprays his stink onto the target.
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Trashing Me Will Not Help Your Cause, O Cowardly C...":
"Cowardly DPs, venomous Shrinkers, pusillanimous bureaucrats, do you imagine you can cover up your fellowship with Sweet, Stetzer, Wagner, Driscoll, Groeschel, and Stanley with personal attacks?
pu·sil·lan·i·mous /ËŒpyusəˈlænÉ™mÉ™s/ Show Spelled[pyoo-suh-lan-uh-muhs] Show IPA
–adjective
1.lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
2.proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit.
This is a great word and as such needs to be used more. Certainly descriptive of most in the Lutheran churches, otherwise the false teachers could never have achieved so much nor harmed so many.
***
GJ - WELS Church Growth:
never have so many
done so little
with so much (money).
Training the Children To Be UOJ Stormtroopers
WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "Faith According to Luther - And the Bible":
Good morning Pastor GJ. Let's make Luther's Catechism say somethong that it doesn't say. I hve before me a worn and torn 1956 Doctor Martin Luther's Small Catechism(Revision authorized by the Ev. Lutheran Joint Synod Wis. a.o.s.) No place, and I mean NO PLACE, is there a mention of objection or universal justification. Seeing as how the passages were diligently translated, we would not expect to see the two terms.
Now let us move away from 1956. One of the students that I drive was kind enough to let me glance at her Small Catechism book. Keep in mind that I only had a minute to glance! This is the blue colored book published by NPH and revised by Kuske. Revisions abound! In the glossary, under justification, is also says objective justification.(You don't find that in the old brown book) Understand, I did not have time to look at the pages that discussed justification. Truth and purity need to be restored to these books. What are we supposed to teach our children?
In Christ,
from WELs church lady
***
GJ - The LCMS is the same way. The 1905 Missouri catechism has not a word about UOJ.
KJV Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Trashing Me Will Not Help Your Cause,
O Cowardly Church and Money Changers
The apostate Doctrinal Pussycats are trying to shore up their support by trashing me. I hear interesting stories, which are nothing new. The Boomer DPs are useless, except for propping up their golfing buddies in Church and Change.
Here is the low down. You DPs have buried so much garbage, told so many lies, and ducked so many responsibilities that the backlash is only beginning.
Someone wrote to me, a while ago, "When you finally die, everyone will be relieved."
Whether God wills one thing or another, His Word will continue to be a double-edged sword. The Book of Concord will still be the best exposition of Scripture found in Christendom, whether the clergy confess its truths or not.
God may continue to curse and punish WELS/ELS with false teachers and weak-kneed leaders.
Oddly, the same DPs who are too chicken to address false doctrine will go hormonal when their bad leadership is challenged in the least.
WELS told everyone that Columbus would calm down when I resigned from the synod, because I was tired of the lying adulterous leaders and false
The DPs fear that the clergy and laity can unite to take the Shrinkers' trotters from the trough. Fortunately, the economic crisis is forcing the issue. Unfortunately, the damage is done and the money is gone forever. But the Word works miracles.
As several people have pointed out, many are disillusioned with Church Growth. The fad turns mediocre lazy-bones into atheists. Many of the atheists stay in the clergy ranks because they can ride a congregation or synod all the way down to the bottom. Some are clever enough to get hired back after being fired. Wayne Mueller and Jim Aderman both came back from the dead, raised by the lion's grip of a master mason.
The Ex-Sp, Gurgle, got about $200,000 a year for 14 years, before he was encouraged to leave for parts unknown. That is a total of $2.8 million dollars, sports fans, and does not count the perks, such as free rides to work with the treasurer - whom he fired for doing his job. Gurgle too came back from the dead. Gurgle needed a retirement gig in Texas? Suddenly the teachers at Holy Word in Austin got their pay cut and he has a retirement job. How cosy for him. They take up an offering at the teachers' meeting to pay for the new staffer. Too bad he did not apply for the free vicar job.
And yet Holy Word has money to blow on going multi-site in Round Rock, where WELS already has a mission.
Pardon me for wandering around the fractured landscape of WELS stewardship, but does anyone get my drift?
That kind of wastefulness and self-centeredness cannot go on forever. Missouri is learning the same thing, after the extravagance of Kieschnick and his merry band of CG pranksters.
The free-spending came from a lack of trust in the Word, a profound trust in money. "If only we had enough money to do whatever we wanted!" The money burned a big hole in their nasty little pocketses and made their apostasy worse.
Anyone who thinks I am the cause of unrest should look in the mirror and crack open their dusty old Triglotta, which is probably way below Your Church and Grow! and Management By Objective.
- "We have no intention of yielding aught of the eternal, immutable truth of God for the sake of temporal peace, tranquility, and unity (which, moreover, is not in our power to do).
- Nor would such peace and unity, since it is devised against the truth and for its suppression, have any permanency.
- Still less are we inclined to adorn and conceal a corruption of the pure doctrine and manifest, condemned errors.
- But we entertain heartfelt pleasure and love for, and are on our part sincerely inclined and anxious to advance, that unity according to our utmost power, by which His glory remains to God uninjured, nothing of the divine truth of the Holy Gospel is surrendered, no room is given to the least error, poor sinners are brought to true, genuine repentance, raised up by faith, confirmed in new obedience, and thus justified and eternally saved alone through the sole merit of Christ."
(Closing of Formula of Concord, Triglotta. p. 1095) Francis Pieper, The Difference Between Orthodox And Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 65. Tappert, p. 632. Heiser, p. 294. FC SD XI, #94-96.
Each point is extremely significant and needs to be considered with great care, because it is our confession as Lutherans.
In my words:
I. We will never give up the truth of the Scriptures for the sake of the organization, to make it operate smoothly, to fake an immaculate image for a human institution. In fact, it is humanly impossible for us to manufacture unity.
II. Even if we tried, a false unity would never last. Look at the debacle of the church and ministry articles foisted upon the Little Sect on the Prairie by WELS Shrinkers.
III. We are never going to say, "This c-a-n be understood correctly," as if we have permission to hide the foul, stinking errors of false doctrine.There are not "g-r-e-y areas of Scripture," only a lack of grey matter applied to the Word.
IV. Our great love is for the pure doctrine of God's Word, the Gospel of grace, which gives God the glory and rescues sinners from eternal destruction, so they come to repentance and believe in the Promises of God, justified by faith alone in the merits of Christ.
Cowardly DPs, venomous Shrinkers, pusillanimous bureaucrats, do you imagine you can cover up your fellowship with Sweet, Stetzer, Wagner, Driscoll, Groeschel, and Stanley with personal attacks? Where is the logical connection? Why are you constantly engaged in shameful tactics? Why do you need to wipe your hob-nailed boots on every single person, laity or clergy, who gets in your way?
Come clean about your dirty, disgusting lies and ask for forgiveness before the cardiologist pronounces an end to your thieving, dishonest lives.
Faith According to Luther - And the Bible
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Faith is the abundance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews xi. 1)
This is the noblest and dearest virtue of faith, that it closes its eyes and simply and joyfully leaves everything in the hands of God. It does not desire to know why God acts as He does, and it still holds Him to be the Highest Goodness and Justice, although to all reason, the senses and experience, nothing appears but wrath and injustice. That is why faith is called the proving of things not seen, and even the very opposite in what is seen. Therefore this is the highest honor and love towards God and the highest degree of such honor and love, that in these contrary things you can regard and praise Him as good and just. Here the natural eye must be completely plucked out, and there must be nothing but sheer faith. Otherwise there will be a grim and fearful vexation of spirit.
Letter to Haus v. Rechenberg, 1522. [W.A. 10. 323] Via Day by Day We Magnify Thee, pg. 237.
Via Gnesio Lutheran
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L P has left a new comment on your post "Faith According to Luther - And the Bible":
I notice for UOJers, faith is just the rearrangement of furnitures. Everything is already in the room, the chairs, tables and lamps are already in the room, they are just not in their right places.
Contrary to Luther who found faith a problem, for UOJers, there is nothing to it (faith). It is no problem at all. It is no sweat, it is easy. Hence, to have it requires no miracle. Eventually faith is a Do It Yourself (DIY) activity.
LPC
The Egyptians Rob Us
bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "WELS and Other Lutherans:The Differences Explained...":
The WELS' robbing the CG Egyptians is totally backwards. First the CG gurus rob the WELS, and then the CG initiates get the WELS to spend all it's members hard-earned cash.
Bible study is nearly free compared to the steep prices that the WELS must pay for attending out-of-state CG conferences, and getting Doctor of Divinity degrees at CG seminaries. Then the CG pastor gets his church and synod to spend all their gelt, and ends up with a lot fewer members and churches in the process. On top of that, it gets the CG pastors in trouble with the doctrinal arm-chair cops, even though their DPs might approve, or turn a blind eye.
The CG's "robbing the Egyptians" has many points of similarity to this woman who tried to avoid paying (robbing) at a parking tollbooth, which is relatively inexpensive, like studying the Bible. Whereby she lost her car and her insurability, and her reputation--having been booked by the cops. She nearly lost her life, while CG pastors risk losing eternal life and their listeners eternal life.
First, the woman got drunk and spent all her cash, much like CG pastors get drunk on CG and spend all their money on CG. Then she didn't have enough money to pay at the airport parking lot toll booth. So she tries to ram through, but ends up hitting the barrier launching her car a la Duke's of Hazzard County. Surprisingly, she survives unscathed, but exits car and makes a cellphone call, thereby igniting leaking gas tank. She is un-singed by fireball as one can see from the police booking mugshot:
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/06/this_is_not_how_youre_supposed.php
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/06/for_those_who_think_that_dfw_c.php
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I Get It!
WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "WELS and Other Lutherans:The Differences Explained...":
So Satan gets the glory? Using the devil to share the Word! To God Be The Glory. The devil does NOT save. Where is Jesus/Christ crucified listed on that billboard? He who does not believe will be condemned. Faith comes from hearing the hearing the Message. Hey, I get it, this is one of the contemporary Means of Grace.
Plus Which, There Is Thrivent
John has left a new comment on your post "Our Hope Is Built On Nothing Less Than Thrivent L...":
The WELS has Church and Change. The LC-MS has Ablaze and Rev. Kieschnick. The fact is that it's up to the pew sitter to conclude whether the congregation to which he/she belongs is abiding by Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.
The first and foremost obligation of a shepherd is to his flock. Period!
In the event that the first and foremost obligation of a shepherd is to anything other than the flock, then it is to the wolf, period!
The shepherd must first and foremost feed his flock.
I will be a member only to a flock where the called shepherd is first and foremost feeding the flock to which he has been called.
The sheep are most important! I want only to be a member of a congregation where that is true!!!
John
WELS and Other Lutherans:
The Differences Explained
The LCMS uses Satan to promote its congregations:
WELS recognizes the efficacy of the Word alone, so its congregations do not need to ape the Babtists and Pesktecostals:
ELCA has an in-house lobbying group that overturns Biblical mandates:
In WELS, SP Gurgel got rid of Church and Change years ago:
The LCMS has spent vast amounts of money promoting the Church Growth Movement:
The Wisconsin Synod recognizes the primacy of the Means of Grace in a worship service:
ELCA ordains women, allowing them to preach and celebrate Holy Communion:
WELS is opposed to the ordination of women and has placed a moratorium on women celebrating Holy Communion:
The LCMS promotes Seeker Services, modeled after Willow Creek, and trains people there, even allowing congregations to be members of the Willow Creek Association:
WELS recognizes the danger of listening to false teachers, imitating their methods, and attending their conferences:
ELCA works with the Antichrist:
WELS still identifies the papacy as the Antichrist:
ELCA promotes homosexuality:
WELS opposes homosexuality:
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The LCMS did nothing about DP Benke's unionism, except reward him for it:
WELS is opposed to unionism:
The Wisconsin Synod supports Mark Jeske, who preaches and teaches in WELS:
Correction - The LCMS supports Mark Jeske, who preaches and teaches in Missouri:
The LCMS lets the Shrinkers control the synod media:
The Wisconsin Synod carefully selects the orthodox:
Marvin Schwan gave Missouri millions and millions of dollars, but the synod has nothing to show for it:
Marvin Schwan gave WELS millions and millions of dollars, but the synod has nothing to show for it:
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
One Entire ELCA District May Leave, Join CORE's Start-up, NALC
The ELCA clergy changes include transsexual and bisexual ministers.
Exposing the ELCA
Below are a number of the resolutions that will be voted on.
Item One: Conference [One] Teaching Statement
We, the members of Conference One of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA teach and believe that marriage is between one man and one woman and sexual activities belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage.
Item Two: Memorial on the Teaching of Marriage
BE IT RESOLVED that this synod teach and [confess] that marriage is between one man and one woman and sexual activity belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage.
Item Three: Memorial to the Synod Assembly
WHEREAS, the decisions of the 2009 CWA in regard to the implemented resolutions of rostered leaders in Publically Accountable Life-long Monogamous Same-sex relationship have wounded the collegial relationships within our synod, therefore be it,
RESOLVED, that the 2010 Assembly of the Southwestern PA synod of the ELCA censure (to critize severely, to blame, as from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language) the decisions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in adopting the Social statement, ”Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” and the four resolutions on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23-24-26 & 27) as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2, of the ELCA Constitution, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the ELCA Church Council be advised of this resolution.
Item Four: Memorial to rescind the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
WHEREAS the members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA regard the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly on Ministry Policies and the actions of the Church Council to implement them to be violations of the ELCA’s Constitution (Confession of Faith, chapter two) be it
RESOLVED, that the 2010 Assembly of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA memorialize the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to rescind the four resolutions on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23-24-26 & 27) and their implementation.
Item Five: Memorial to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly—Stand with Africa
WHEREAS the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania in its April 29, 2010 press release declared:
“This church does not accept reasons offered by advocates of same-sex marriage and its legitimacy unless it is based on the Word of God and Biblical teaching; therefore, we reject inappropriate and false interpretations of scripture produced to justify the marriage of people of the same gender.
“This church encourages and supports all those around the world who oppose churches that have taken the decision to legalize same-sex marriage.
The statement goes on to say:
“Those supporting same-sex marriages have started to do all they can to destroy one Biblical passage after another in order to legalize homosexuality and affirm that marriage is not necessarily between a man and a woman. They do so by putting forward their new and wrong interpretation – one which displays an attitude and understanding which differs from that which has existed for many years in the Church regarding the meaning of marriage in accordance with the teachings of the Word of God.”
“Some Bible passages that have been misused and given another interpretation to defend same-sex marriage are the following: Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24, Matthew 19:5-7, Romans 1:26-27, Galatians 3:28, etc.”
The statement goes on to say:
“The ELCA and otherpeople worldwide who support our stand on the issue of opposing same-sex marriage believe that the Bible cannot be interpreted according to people’s wishes or according to other authorities of to culture. Rather, the Bible is self explanatory and is merely translated into various languages without altering the meaning.”
BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA stand in solidarity with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania’s statement.
Item Six: Conference [One] Declaration
We, the members of Conference [One] of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA declare this conference to be a Lutheran CORE Conference.
***
GJ - If the final resolution passes, it will have the effect of saying the entire district is leaving ELCA.
For decades various parts of the LCA, ALC, and ELCA have declared themselves dedicated to the homosexual agenda as "Reconciling in Christ." Entire agencies have done this. So have congregations. I heard barely a murmur about it.
This CORE resolution will will bring on the fireworks. Division of some type is certain.
This conflict is similar to the one in WELS, as I have stated many times before. The Church and Money Changers finally went too far in rubbing their apostasy in the face of traditional Lutherans. Now the Confessional Lutherans are willing to organize and fight back. The clueless WELS DPs want to promote the old Shrinker issues, just as the ELCA hierarchy wants to advance the gay agenda of the 1970s.
Our Hope Is Built On Nothing Less
Than Thrivent Loot and Tax Largesse
Republican governor candidate started HOPE Christian Schools
Republican businessman Mark Neumann started his first taxpayer-funded school with 49 students, and in eight years enrollment has mushroomed to nearly 1,000 students in four schools.
Neumann, a candidate for governor who preaches smaller government and fiscal conservatism, has used his entrepreneurial skills to tap private and public funds - including federal stimulus dollars - to start schools in poor neighborhoods.
The former member of the U.S. House operates three religious-based schools in Milwaukee, a fourth nonreligious school in Phoenix and has plans to build clusters of schools across the country.
The Nashotah businessman is part of a growing national movement from the private sector that is providing poor neighborhoods an alternative to traditional public schools.
There are signs the schools are achieving one of their primary goals of getting students into post-secondary schools.
HOPE Christian's high school has had two graduating classes before this spring, and has posted acceptance rates at post-secondary schools of 85% in 2008 and 92% in 2009.
By comparison, a Milwaukee Public Schools study of graduating classes in 2005 to 2007 showed a post-secondary enrollment of nearly 46%.
Neumann has used education and his business experience to contrast himself with his two opponents - fellow Republican Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Walker and Barrett have spent most of their professional life in government.
Neumann's three HOPE Christian schools have received nearly $22 million since 2002 under the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, records from the state Department of Public Instruction show.
The Milwaukee schools have about 685 students and this year received $6,442 per child, state figures show. The Phoenix school - called Eagle College Prep - started in 2008 and has about 275 students.
Through Neumann's Waukesha-based nonprofit, Educational Enterprises Inc., Eagle College Prep tapped $174,007 in federal stimulus funds last year.
Neumann was critical of stimulus legislation in one of his TV gubernatorial ads and has lambasted the state's acceptance of $810 million for a high-speed passenger rail line that will link Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison.
When told by the Journal Sentinel that the school had received stimulus funding, Neumann said he wasn't aware of it.
Arizona Office of Economic Recovery spokeswoman Tasya Peterson said her state used stimulus dollars to replace state money for funding private schools such as Neumann's to ease Arizona's fiscal problems.
Neumann's son Andrew, a co-founder of the HOPE schools, oversees day-to-day operations.
After looking into the stimulus funding, Mark Neumann said that Arizona "plugged the budget in an inappropriate way - it's exactly the wrong thing to do."
Still, the company accepted the money and has no plans to return it unless Arizona finds another source of funding "to honor its contracts with us," Mark Neumann said.
Outside funding
Neumann's company also received $907,757 from the State of Arizona to run the schools, according to the 2009 tax return of Educational Enterprises.
The 2009 return shows that Educational Enterprises also obtained a $324,783 start-up grant from the U.S. Department of Education for Eagle College Prep, which in Arizona by law cannot provide religious instruction as a public school.
Neumann says his schools can operate at a lower cost than MPS. But the voucher payment through the Milwaukee parental choice program isn't enough, so the company pushes for funding from other government sources and foundations.
Last year, Educational Enterprises had a profit of $301,275 after recording a loss of $38,027 the previous year, tax records show. About half of 2009 revenue came from Milwaukee's voucher program and other government payments.
Neumann, a former high school teacher who has earned millions of dollars building homes, has also dug into his personal wealth to underwrite the schools.
In 2008, he made a five-year loan of $921,146 to the company at an 8% interest rate, federal tax returns show.
He says the interest he is receiving for his loan is more than made up by his personal donations to the schools. He and his wife, Sue, donated $362,873 between 2007 and 2009, his company's tax returns show.
HOPE schools are aligned with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and religious instruction is part of the curriculum.
"Religion is voluntary, but I am happy to say that the vast majority participate," said Neumann, who describes himself as a "strong practicing Christian."
Neumann served two terms in the U.S. House in the 1990s. He said the experience convinced him that public schools in poor neighborhoods were failing their mission.
"I watched millions of dollars go through Congress for inner-city problems, and all it seemed like we were doing was creating a generation of welfare," Neumann said.
He started the nonprofit in 2000 and opened the first school in a strip mall at N. 25th St. and W. North Ave. two years later.
The other HOPE schools in Milwaukee are a high school at 3215 N. King Drive and the latest addition, a newly constructed $3.27 million building serving grades five through eight at 3601 N. Port Washington Road.
At the school on W. North Ave., a sign in the hallway says, "Hard Work Pays Off."
Students from kindergarten through eighth grade are required to walk quietly down the halls and follow a painted green line. But the strict decorum evaporated in a first-grade class as students gleefully shouted out words for their teacher.
At all of the schools, students are given the cell phone numbers of teachers. Voluntary Saturday school is held twice a month.
Different experiences
Lekeisha Reynolds, an 18-year-old HOPE High School senior, will attend Wisconsin Lutheran College in the fall - the first in her family to go to college.
Her mother, Cornelius Kirk, echoed the sentiments of several parents who said they are pleased with HOPE.
"They always pushed Lekeisha to strive for excellence," Kirk said.
But Shanyce Matthews, the parent of another graduating senior, said that her enthusiasm for the school waned over time.
Her son wasn't required to write a full-fledged research paper, she said. Matthews also said that women and non-Lutherans weren't held in as high regard as men and members of the faith. Matthews worked at HOPE, but she said she was fired when she began raising concerns.
A spokeswoman for HOPE declined to comment on Matthews' comments.
One of HOPE's local funders has been PAVE, a Milwaukee-based organization that provides financial support to urban schools
Typically, students arriving at voucher schools are a grade or two behind, according to Dan McKinley, president of PAVE. He praised HOPE's emphasis on discipline and creating an environment where students are expected to learn.
"An urban school that is successful is really quite an achievement," McKinley said. "That is why the culture of the school is so important."
Mark Neumann is one of three directors of the company and is not paid.
Andrew Neumann, who has a doctorate in math education, is president. He received compensation last year of $116,610, records show.
The third director is James Rahn, president of the Kern Family Foundation of Waukesha. He was formerly director of the Center for Urban Teaching at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Andrew Neumann said the company uses proven techniques, such as the phonics program for early grades that was pioneered by Chicago educator Marva Collins.
The performance of students remains slightly behind the state average, according to the school.
HOPE prefers to measure performance by testing how well students are improving. Test results show students are making progress ahead of the national average: in language at its high school, in reading and language in grades three through eight at the school on W. North Ave. and math and reading in grades five through eight at the school on N. Port Washington Road.
All voucher schools must give state standardized tests next year and make those results public.
Andrew Neumann said HOPE schools are built around the concept of providing a Christian education, developing character and preparing students for more education after high school.
"Money Love is at the center of what we are doing," he said.
Aggregator Link Is Back
Lutheran News (not Otten's) is back. I added it to the list, for now. That depends on how it works and what it links. I find it convenient to see the apostates linked, saving time and trouble in searching for heart-stopping stories.
Ichabod is supposedly linked again.
Truth Defeats Deceit and Corruption
The faces represent WELS' favorite religious leaders.
Luther is missing, of course.
Chemnitz - who he?
Chytraeus? Spelling?
People email each other and send links to stories and websites. Once they had a confidential outlet, the lies stopped working. I used to think, "If only the Lutherans had the equivalent of the Roman Catholic network of clergy abuse victims (SNAP)." The journalists did not expose Roman Catholic cover-ups. SNAP did, and the journalists feasted on the facts.
When a journalist asked SP Gurgle about the adulterous pastor who was promoted to a posh job, the Schwaermer Pope wanted to know, "Who told you?" He phoned around, "Did you tell the journalist?" That is all he did about it. WELS discipline - promote the guilty while giving Lutherans the Left Foot of Fellowship. No wonder WELS grew so fast under Gurgle.
One pastor asked me, "Did you tell the journalist?" No, that was a typical WELS maneuver, staying in the background. I do not really blame anyone for avoiding a summary execution by the guardians of false doctrine. But the old regime is finished off, and I do not merely mean one attached to a name. Denominations simply cannot get away with it anymore.
Going back to the Roman Catholics - now the trail of evidence has reached Pope John Paul II, fast-tracked on the road to sainthood. It is clear that he stonewalled any investigations, including the clear evidence indicting his pal, the head of the Legion of Mary. That man was a bi-sexual dynamo, with a bastard kid and a group of his boy followers abused as well.
Every Roman Catholic bishop story seems to include a case of massive cover-ups, just like the WELS DPs. Let me remind the forgetful - the only priest punished in the Boston debacle was the one who objected to the abuse. Cardinal Law was promoted to Rome. That is not Milwaukee, but he had to settle for the Eternal City rather than Tabor's love nest.
Recently a conservative Catholic and an anti-Catholic liberal agreed on one fact. Exposing the scandals is the only way to end them. The day will come when bishops will fear the results of a tempting cover-up more than the backlash from telling the truth...for once.
WELS is so corrupt that WLC invited the homosexual predator Archbishop Weakland--and his priests--to a series of public lectures. Weakland was totally smitten by his male lover and paid him $400,000 out of embezzled funds to keep the young man quiet. WLC featured public lectures from Weakland and a clutch of priests, then lied about it. In the Wisconsin sect, embezzling funds is not a crime. It is a hobby. Talking about it is a crime. Promoting the Antichrist is not a crime. Talking about it is a crime. Paying a homosexual, embezzling false teacher to speak is not a crime. Publishing the facts is a crime.
And all the WELS church workers are straight.
Criminal church workers will continue to frolic in the sheepfolds, as long as their bosses cover up for them. Every church worker deserves a fair trial when charged with a crime, but the members also deserve the truth when a pastor, DP, instructor, or church workers is indicted. Until then, the felons will have fun the garden of good and evil.
Someone likes my Weakland graphic. All I did was add an imaginary thought.
