Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Rogue Lutheran Began By Reading Ichabod



Craig Groeschel and fan.

Rogue Lutheran:

About my blogging.......it just kind of fell in my lap and I ran with it. If someone had already been writing about the NID I never would have put myself in the public arena.
I did not take up blogging about Lutheran apostasy for ‘Grand Publis Aclaim’ (term I learned from fill in the blank faux Lutheran handouts to discourage speaking out prior to a church voter meeting).
I spent some time in a business where Druckerisms and the Total Quality program was easy for me to recognize. I realized I was being deceived and the internet offered information;  just not enough Lutheran information.
But I did stumble upon Ichabod, and even though it was WELS oriented there was a ton of information.  Especially helpful were the posts related to past events in LCMS that helped me backfill missing years. The pattern of defection from the Faith and the deception is all in there. Missourians should data mine that site. The pattern is the same, across all denominations and sects. Transformational LINOS are integrating another belief system in the Missouri synod. They are so big on signed covenants they forgot one (from the business community):  the covenant not to compete.  
A few Lutheran bloggers are sending out warning signals to fellow Lutherans or other Christians, but it would be great to see more. It annoys me that some public Lutherans dance around the apostasy in ambiguous vague generalities and refuse to acknowledge public errors or call attention to it in a direct way. The persons being damaged by false doctrine are individuals seeking the gospel truth  and the rebellious Lutheran pastors should be identified for withholding same. 
The legacy Lutheran media (Lutheran Witless) reads like a society column from a 1950 newspaper. It is not news you can use in this current state of Lutheranism.
The LCMS NID basically put me in this trick bag and inspired this blog.  When I discovered deception and confronted my pastors they basically treated me like some addled old lady, patting me on the head with “Tut tut, there’s no church growth Willow Creek operation in here”.  
The crux of the matter was and still is this, do I walk with these misguided fools or stand up to it? Am I going to walk the talk or turn into a comatose pietist just to identify with some aberrant form of Lutheranism.  Some principles are extremely value laden, as in worth more than life itself so there’s just some Schlitz you don’t eat. 
I’ve got no regrets about taking the plunge and I have never been an activist type. If lay people were addressing this issue there would be no need for my blog.
As far as I know the only other layperson blog in the NID  (Chicagoland) talking about apostasy isAblaze for Christ. This person has chronicled problems with ELCA, homosexuals, racism, and Wheatridge the RSO  since 1998. It is worth your time to read it.
It bewilders me to know that in this densely populated area  there is just me and the Ablaze for Christ man speaking out against error in the NID.
The people hijacking faith are just waiting it out for the whole brouhaha and the old guard to die off. That’s why it is ignored.   I’m on self-imposed Leper status, and it works for me.  I can’t be in the same stall with fake Lutherans.  I have nothing in common with timid Lutherans either.
I do wonder if there are enough real Lutherans left in this denomination to make a difference?  
I’m still thinking through this denominational loyalty thing. I know I’ll never worship in that transformational LCMS church again and I am really disappointed with Lutheran pastors that just ‘go with the flow’. As far as truth in advertising goes, the Synod did little to warn or protect me from getting sucked into an apostate form of Lutheranism. There should be a proficiency exam for elders, my experience with them left me very underwhelmed. 
I’m disinclined to parse through the different ‘affinity groups’ in the LCMS, too. Too much work. I think something will open up for me, though.
I just write to alert others, I’m not a professional writer (it shows) and my techno blogging skills are primitive (it shows).  If I can put up a blog, anybody can. The point is that Missouri is dishonest and secretive.  I’m all  about alerting others to sinister forces and outing deceivers.
There are numerous patterns to follow because the script is from outside the denomination.  The leadership is not particularly clever or original, this is all based on second-hand ideas leftover from evangelical outliers. 
Every now and then I think I’m going to stop blogging, and along pops up some really bold and asinine statement from the pen of a LINO pastor and I just have to take a swing at it.  See link.  If you look at that post, ask yourself could that LINO pastor cite a more anti-Lutheran source?
I was amused that I got the attention of Charlie Mueller, Jr.  Thanks for the blog traffic, Charlie.
The establishment types fear the mob (pew sitters) will wise up and they worry about losing their private fiefdom.  This is the Google Age, according to Dr. Sweet, and the hive-like information system is here to stay whether we like it or not. We live in a panoptic society; more bloggers will come online and I can step down.
I don’t do divination (you’d have to see Lutheran Pastor Stutz for that) but whatever happens, let the record show that a vocal minority was not deceived by the shenanigans.

This is a battle for the mind just like the Apostle Paul said it was and Dr. Luther said the following about fake Lutherans slinking around in church among the faithful sowing discord and problems.
It is by your silence and cloaking that you cast suspicion upon yourself. 

If you believe as you declare in my presence, then speak so also in the church, in public lectures, in sermons, and in private conversations, and strengthen your brethren, and lead the erring back to the right path, and contradict the contumacious spirits; otherwise your confession is sham pure and simple, and worth nothing. 

Whoever really regards his doctrine, faith, and confession as true, right, and certain cannot remain in the same stall with such as teach, or adhere to, false doctrine; nor can he keep on giving friendly words to Satan and his minions. 

A teacher who remains silent when errors are taught, and nevertheless pretends to be a true teacher, is worse than an open fanatic and by his hypocrisy does greater damage than a heretic. Nor can he be trusted. He is a wolf and a fox, a hireling and a servant of his belly, and ready to despise and to sacrifice doctrine, Word, faith, Sacrament, churches, and schools. 

He is either a secret bedfellow of the enemies, or a skeptic and a weathervane, waiting to see whether Christ or the devil will prove victorious; or he has no convictions of his own whatever, and is not worthy to be called a pupil, let alone a teacher; nor does he want to offend anybody, or say a word in favor of Christ, or hurt the devil and the world.”

Martin Luther, F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis Missouri,  CPH, 1921, p. 94.


Part II will address disinformation in the Steele video-- there’s a deceptive New Age piece of Schlitz in there.

Excellent Point by Greg!:
Luther's Troubling Statement Eviscerating UOJ


"Jack, show me the way back to Kokomo.
No Jedi mind tricks, please."


Gregory DeVore said...

I found your Luther quotes on Objective Justification facinating and persuasive. There is one quote though that seems to militate against objective justification at least in the sense that Luther here handles Romans 5 differently then we do. This is from Luther's Sermon on John 1 in Lenker's translation:"And I cannot reject this interpretation; for St. Paul also speaks in like manner in Rom. 5, 18: "As through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men unto justification of life." Although all men are not justified through Christ, he is, nevertheless, the only man through whom justification comes." To find this on the web in context see http://www.orlutheran.com/html/mlsejo1.html. Luther seems to speak here in a way that I would not since I believe in Objective Justification.


***

GJ - Father Jack, OP, has copious words to assure his disciples that UOJ is pure, refined gold. Speaking ex cathedra from his part-time position at a Roman Catholic college, Jack enthralls people like fellow layman Paul McCain. The other Jack, Cascione, is equally firm on Knapp's double-justification.



EastCoast Questions Whether Glende Can Be Anonymouse/Fake Ichy





Eastcoast:
OK, I've made up my mind, the fake Ichy is NOT Glende. Simply could not be. He is far too obvious to put together something like this.


Thus, it must be one of his or Ski's members, or another area C&C type Pastor.

Why not run a contest - "Find the Fake-o-bod!" Give prizes of say - donate a month's supply of popcorn to The SORE in the winner's name. Second prize - the butter and salt. Third prize - three front row seats and robot helmets to do a "Mystery Science Theater" running commentary during the "service"(sic). Be a hoot! Maybe the real guy will come forward just to win!

God Had No Hands But Yours, No Wallet But Yours:
Does Commercialism Really Help?






Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 1:23 AM
Subject: St. Marcus Lutheran requests your help!

Hello Pastors, School Administrators and Fellow WELS Employees,

I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to you on behalf of St. Marcus Lutheran School and the
exciting contest that Kohl's is running- called Kohl's Cares for Kids where they are about to award $10 million
to 20 schools! The winning schools will be determined on the basis of votes on Facebook. The winnings of
$500,000 each will go to the schools with the most votes on Facebook and we need your help.

As it stands now, none of these philanthropic dollars will stay in Wisconsin, it is all going to New York, Florida,
California...out of state! So we need your involvement, your friends involvement and your friends' friends involvement!

Administrators from St. Marcus have taken to the roof of St. Marcus School in Milwaukee and ARE NOT coming down
until the school earns enough votes to reach and stay in the top 20 schools in the nation for the KOHL'S CARES
CONTEST on Facebook! Their intent is to not only call attention to this contest and ASK YOU TO VOTE, but to make
a broader statement about education. No matter where you live, worship or go to school, working together can
accomplish amazing things for students! As an urban Lutheran school, winning $500,000 will enable St.Marcus
to expand their campus, to serve and minister to over 600 students and families with a Christian education!

St.Marcus Lutheran is the only WELS school in the top 40 schools at present. You can vote for St. Marcus
Lutheran and also vote for your favorite WELS school at the same time. Each person gets 20 votes, with 5
being the max votes per school.

CAN WE COUNT ON YOUR 5 VOTES? WILL YOU PASS THIS EMAIL ON TO YOUR STAFF/MEMBERS TO VOTE?

Time is of the essence, because the contest ends this Friday! Thank you for your support!
Your votes CAN make a difference and help bring a Christian education to thousands of children in
Southeastern Wisconsin!

Please Vote 5X for St. Marcus!

Christine Safranek
Development Director
St.Marcus Ministries

414.267.8361 (o)
414.750.6498 (c)
www.stmarcus.org

========================================

Voting Directions:

1. Go to the Kohl's Cares Facebook Page, and click the big button "VOTE NOW".

2. You will receive a "Request for Permission" from Kohl's Cares, Click "ALLOW".

3. Come back to these directions and click on the St. Marcus Voting Page to vote for St. Marcus.

4. You will see St Marcus Lutheran School on the left side of the page, go ahead and click on the button
"CAST A VOTE"

5. A prompt will come up asking you to "LIKE" Kohl's to continue. Click the "LIKE" button.

6. Click again on the button labeled "CAST A VOTE" until you've reached the limit of 5.

7. Click on the "SEARCH SCHOOLS" text at the top of the screen to vote for more schools.

You will not be prompted for anything else at
this point, the next 15 votes will go straight through!


This email has been processed by SmoothZap - www.smoothwall.net

Because They Do Not Believe






KJV John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Lenski:

The thought is not that the world knows nothing about sin. Its daily crime list contradicts that, as well as its moralists with their repressive and reformatory measures. What the world lacks and the Spirit supplies is something that goes far deeper, something that actually convicts in regard to sin. This is not the fact that sin is sin, or that the real essence of sin is unbelief. The Spirit is not to repeat the work of Moses in preaching the law. The conviction in regard to sin lies in one direction: “inasmuch as they do not believe in me.” Yet note that this is the capital sin. For to believe in Jesus is to be saved from sin, to have sin forgiven; and thus not to believe in Jesus is to remain in sin, to perish forever in sin. The Spirit’s work in regard to sin is to confront the world with the terrible fact of its unbelief in Jesus, which means, with the fact that this unbelief leaves it in its damnable sin, doomed and damned forever, in other words, that only he who believes escapes from his sin. This conviction in regard to sin naturally operates in two ways. It will crush some hearts so that they will be frightened at their unbelief and cry out like the 3,000 at Pentecost, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37, and thus be led to repent and to believe. Or it will further harden those who resist this conviction; they will go on, convicted though they are, more obdurate than before, fighting against this conviction until they perish. In this the Spirit will do exactly what Jesus did in 7:33, etc., and again in 8:22–24: “I said, therefore, unto you that ye shall die in your sins; for except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

Some fix their attention on the phrase “concerning sin” and thus fail to see the significance of the word “believe” in the elucidating clause, “inasmuch as they do not believe in me,” with its implication that this unbelief leaves them in their sin, and that faith, and faith alone, relieves them of their sin. Thus we get those interpretations which turn only on the word “sin,” unbelief as the greatest sin, the real nature of sin, and the like. But the Spirit uses “me,” Jesus; believing and not believing in Jesus apply to Jesus, unbelief in him and faith in him to the world’s sin—if possible, to save the world from sin, otherwise to brand the world with the conviction of its damning unbelief.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing House, 1961, S. 1082

---

Every so often (daily) I hear someone whining about this blog containing so much Law. The name above is not The Glory of Holy Mother Synod but The Glory Has Departed. One numbskull thought the departed glory applied to his particular sect! The glory of tiger meat, dry heaves, and torturing younger students - moistened eyes. Not quite. The glory is the Means of Grace.

When nominal Lutherans refuse to teach the Means of Grace, blush at rejecting false doctrine, and play games with every doctrinal question, the glory has departed. 

John 16 clarifies that the first and most important work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of its unbelief in Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit is exclusively in the Word, and the Word works only with the Holy Spirit, never apart from the Spirit.

The amalgamated Pietists (Synodical Conference guys) think sin revolves around fast women, slow horses, and questioning the shopworn edicts of their dead synodical leaders. To question Walther or Pieper is the deepest, most depraved sin of all. When WELS plays that card, remember that they promote the thoughts of a known atheist in their Holy of Holies, the Essay File.

UOJ fails the test of this passage, more pointedly than any other. The Stormtroopers of apostasy want their disciples to understand everyone being absolved, ever since 30 AD. 

Forget Abraham as the father of faith. Doesn't work with UOJ. 

UOJ teaches that all unbelievers are forgiven, justified, declared innocent, given the status of guilt-free saints. The fragments of the Syn Conference teach this with great conviction, although few of the  laity ever agree with the ridiculous contradictions of this opinion.

UOJ proves its apostasy by railing against faith, even though the purpose of John's Gospel--and entire Bible--is to move people to faith in Christ as their righteousness. The proclamation of the Word, both Law and Gospel, accomplishes this.

The Syn Conference seminaries are in league with the forces of destruction because they refuse to teach this simple to understand passage. Instead, they brain-wash students thus: 

"Everyone is already forgiven. It is a sin to talk about faith. God has already forgiven the entire world. They have to accept this or not." There are some variations in this tommyrot, but the basics are the same.

Instead of faith being essential, faith is dangerous and bad and a danger to one's faith. The fun part is that any sin (except questioning the synod) is already forgiven. A pastor can have an affair with a troubled, vulnerable married woman and be promoted to mission counselor. That is their version of the Gospel. How popular is that with the clergy? Very.