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.
515 posts  by Coley22 on Jan 29, 2010 at 08:34 PM |
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Doctrine Is Our Only Light Doctrine is far superior to the posturing of Pietism, because it is God's wisdom rather than man's methods. Pietists sell their wares by saying, "This works. This will get you a bunch of happy campers." they claim a church only needs one more conference, one more book, one more program, and a different attitude. Those who do not purchase the poison are despised among the conservative Lutherans as frightened, lazy, hide-bound, and not eligible for a call.
A pastor has only three essential duties, which are enough to keep him busy until he drops: 1. Preaching the pure Word of God, which includes the unashamed use of the Sacraments.
2. Teaching the pure Word of God to youth and adults.
3. Visitation of the sick, the shut-ins, the grieving, and the spiritually dormant.
A faithful pastor will spend time with the Scriptures, the Book of Concord, and a few good books. He does not need to attend a bunch of training events, synod political gatherings, and community activities. He can spend time with his family instead. A doctrinal pastor will find that people are drawn to the Word, whether they are already Lutheran or bounced around and beaten up by various popular heresies. Few are the properly trained Lutherans who look for orthodoxy because the Boomer pastors (the entire synodical leadership) have betrayed them for 30 pieces of silver.
Doctrine simply means teaching. The Hebrew word is Torah, which really means teaching rather than Law.
Jackson Living Bible: Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the teaching of the LORD; and in His doctrine doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly Shrinkers are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly Shrinkers shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of those who are justified by faith. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of those justified by faith: but the way of the ungodly Shrinkers shall perish.
There is only one purpose for the entire Bible - to convey Christ to us, planting and nurturing faith in us, so we are justified by faith, forgiven our sins, sanctified, and kept in His fold until we reach eternal life. Everywhere we look in the Scriptures, God is caring for us, revealing His true nature to us. He creates godly contrition in us through the Law and showers His grace upon us through the Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments.
Pietists are not doctrinal. They are anti-doctrinal. They do not emphasize grace but works. They do not offer the righteousness of Christ but their own sanctimony. The more they talk about how wonderful they are, the more evil they become. Because they hate doctrine as "divisive," they always wander farther away from the Gospel they claim to present.
The terminal stage of Pietism involves open unionism rather than covert unionism. They boast unionism for the good of the sect and because they have no other choice. Because the Lutherans trust in Thrivent and Schwan to provide, God deprives them of the generous support of their own members. Law motivation generates law giving. The Daddy Warbucks figure they own the synod and should get their demands fulfilled. The leaders figure the Daddy Warbucks own the synod and should get their demands fulfilled, as long as Thrivent and ELCA are happy.
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