Are These Women Conferences All Alike?WELS, ELCA, LCMS.Empowered, Emboldened, Embraced, Embittered

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 17, 2011
Women of the ELCA Gathering Features 'Renew, Respond, Rejoice!' theme


     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Renew, Respond, Rejoice!" is the theme of the Eighth Triennial Gathering of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), July 14-17 in Spokane, Wash.

      About 1,900 women are expected to attend the event, featuring Bible study, worship, speakers and community service, at the Spokane Convention Center.

     "The Triennial Gathering offers opportunities for women of the church to escape from their busy lives and renew their spirits, respond to God's love for the world and all creation and rejoice in thanksgiving," said Linda Post Bushkofsky, executive director, Women of the ELCA.

     Gathering participants will present "in-kind" gifts to support local women, she said. Gifts will go ministries in Spokane, including Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Lutheran World Relief and Transitions, Post Bushkofsky said. Gifts include health kits, school kits, plus gift cards, phone cards and socks.

     Leymah Gbowee, a Lutheran from Liberia and executive director of Women Peace and Security Network Africa in Ghana, is a featured speaker July 16. Gbowee organized peace-building initiatives for a women's network of peace builders throughout much of Liberia. Her work is credited with helping to force Liberian dictator Charles Taylor to the negotiating table after many years of civil war. An award-winning documentary film, "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," chronicles Gbowee's struggles and will be shown at the gathering.
     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, will lead a response panel following Gbowee's presentation. He will also be a presenter at the gathering and answer questions from participants.
     Nora Gallagher, author, speaker and preacher-in-residence at Trinity Episcopal Church, Santa Barbara, Calif., will be a keynote speaker July 15.

     Another highlight of the gathering is the "Run, Walk 'n Roll" July 16. The 5K event is a primary fundraiser for "Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls," Women of the ELCA's ongoing health initiative. The gathering will also feature a variety of workshops and other learning opportunities.

      The Eighth Triennial Convention of Women of the ELCA is before the gathering July 12-14. More than 400 delegates will attend the convention, the chief deliberative body of Women of the ELCA. They will elect a churchwide executive board and officers for the organization, act on proposed initiatives and resolutions and adopt a budget. Hanson will address the convention July 14.

     The gathering and convention can be followed at http://www.ELCA.org/triennial on the Web and on the Women of the ELCA's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Melo Cream Doctrine - Ingredients Matter

Three fathers: Homer Jackson, Greg Jackson, Martin Jackson. We let my wife pose for the calender too.
Martin and Tammy's son, Alexander, looks just like Martin in this pose.

Classmates still talk about Melo Cream doughnuts. When the Hasty Tasty bought out Melo Cream, to keep producing the same doughnuts, the first objection was the cost of the flour.

Doughnut flour can be bought from any wholesaler. My father insisted on a special flour from California. Shipping hundred-pound bags from California to Moline, Illinois, is rather expensive. Hasty Tasty was not amused.

We used the best chocolate for icing. Nibs were melted slowly, with vanilla icing added after. Chemical chocolate was available. Many companies use a form of carob. Remember the husks the pigs ate in the Parable of the Prodigal Son? They were carob. Pig food. We used rich, dark chocolate.

Two kinds of sugar can be used. Beet sugar and cane sugar are exactly the same in their chemical formulations. However, any baker will say, cane is better. A room of beet sugar smells funny. Not bad, just off. We used cane sugar always, and it cost more.

We added such things as pure cinnamon, nutmeg, and flavor enhancers.

Bread doughnuts were made with wet yeast, which we had to buy from Johnson's Bakery. We were too small to be a stop. Dry yeast works too, but wet yeast is better. We added eggs (not dried eggs) and potato flour to the mix. We even kept old dough in the freezer because a lump of old dough made a fresh batch even better. These were extra steps, but they added to the quality of the bread doughnuts.

The nuts we used were superb. We bought the biggest and best pecans and walnuts, not the crumbles. We got boxes of top quality coconut. Raw peanuts were the large size. We fried them, using them ground for Barlow doughnuts and peanut topped doughnuts. Going to the basement for supplies was fun. I could nick a warm danish from the cooling rack at the top of the stairs. Finishing that, I had coconut, walnuts, and pecans to enjoy while searching for that elusive pail of flour. "Have you found it yet?" Quick swallow - "Not yet. I'm looking."

Coffee was another opportunity to save a few pennies. We had a Maxwell House sign up, but we blended it with Yuban for better flavor. Instead of perking cheap coffee, we used a drip maker and the blend - gourmet coffee for 10 cents a cup. When the coffee was a little bit old, we threw it out and made more. More than once I threw it out as a customer protested, "I don't mind. I don't mind."

I am drinking my own home-made gourmet coffee now.

Perfectionism works well in making good food and deserts, but not in making a lot of money. Most people do not know the difference between the best recipe made with painstaking care and a mediocre recipe thrown together by an uncaring slob.

Many people are publishing essays that say, "Thanks for the life lessons, Dad."

I am simply saying, "You ruined me, Dad. I cannot settle for second best."

My father is on the far right, his brother a little bit to his left.
The shop was at 1313 - Fifth Avenue, near WQUA...forever.

Confessions from a Self-Loathing Southern Babtist.Too Bad Church and Change Canceled Him.What Would Patterson Do?

FIRST-PERSON: From decline to decision
Ed Stetzer

Posted on Jun 13, 2011
EDITOR'S NOTE: In addition to this commentary, an analysis article also is part of this posting.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--It is time for the Southern Baptist Convention to move from denial to decision.

It has happened again. The SBC reported membership has declined, again. And, baptisms are at their lowest level in 60 years.

I remember the first time the membership declined, just a few years ago. I pointed out (based on data from LifeWay's now-retired statistician Cliff Tharp) that it was not an aberration, but a pattern. The 50-year membership trend was moving into negative territory.

"Put simply," I wrote in light of 2007 data, "membership may go up next year, but the trend points to the negative. It probably won't go up. But, even if it does, I believe we will have more declining than growing years over the next decade. Unless the trend changes, membership has peaked."

How did we respond? I remember how strongly these observations were denied. A segment of the SBC seemed to think closing our eyes or disputing the data would change our reality.

In 2008 when we were again faced with the data of a continuing trend, I noted, "Today we are facing a set of numbers to which we are not accustomed.... This year, I believe that our tipping point continues to tip. Unless things change, we are about to enter a time when we grow accustomed to decline and think back to the good ol' days of growth."

Following that report, there was a little less denial. Actually, more spoke up. Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, warned that Southern Baptists are in danger of entering a deep decline with all the accompanying problems.

Subsequently, the data for 2009 revealed no reversal.

Now, we can see four years in a row of statistics confirming a long-term trend of membership decline in the SBC. It is what it is.

It is time for the SBC to move from denial to decision. I am only echoing what others have said before: It is time for change in the SBC. But change, just for the sake of change, is not enough. We must ask, "What kind of change do we need?"

For me, as a missiologist and denominational servant, change needs to come in several places.

A need for Missio Dei

First, we need a renewed passion for churches to live on mission. We need to see the church not simply as an institution but as an agent of God's Kingdom-mission. Increasingly, people must recognize the church is a missionary body with a divine call to be a sign and instrument of God's Kingdom. In short, God is a sending God and we are a sent people.

A need for diversity

Second, we need a greater emphasis on ethnic diversity. We've been so Southern and so white for so long that the annual meetings look like a loaf of Wonder Bread. Our ideas of "reaching out" are less impressive than striving to create an intentionally multicultural family that reflects the population of heaven. Simply put, denominations will not embrace ethnic leaders without a plan and strategy to do so. The SBC Executive Committee is pressing in on this issue, and it is about time.

A need for a new generation

Third, we must have a plan to raise up a new generation, not just of leaders, but young people throughout the SBC. The oldest generation may indeed be the "Greatest," but it must not be our last. The SBC will not last forever based solely on the presence of its elder statesmen and women. Mentoring, where the younger learns from the elder, and reverse mentoring, where the elder learns from the younger, creates the kind of dynamics that perpetuate an effective denomination without the bloodletting of civil war.

A need for a renewal in church planting

Finally, we need more new churches in our convention. I'm thankful for the efforts of Kevin Ezell and the team at the North American Mission Board as they are taking bold steps to refocus on church planting. Even in the Bible Belt there are large segments of people who have not been and are not being reached with the Gospel. In our large cities one could surmise that so much "urban blight" is the result of a spiritual vacuum. In the lesser-evangelized parts of our own country are people who have been insulated from the Gospel in the most Gospel-saturated society in history. Only a vast movement of church planting across North America will see these people reached with the message of Jesus Christ.

Telling the truth has been controversial in SBC life. But facts are still our friends. The fact is, our denomination is struggling and needs to change. Yet, it is not the denomination that is "great," rather, it is that a denomination is a family of great churches. I love those churches and pray God will use them to advance His name and His fame. The denomination is the tool the churches use to accomplish the God-given goal.

When will change come? I don't know. Some will keep going as before -- considering slow decline as acceptable as long as they can keep doing church in a way they have grown to prefer. Some are content to successfully manage decline. Yet, for others, knowing that 2010 saw the fewest number of new believers going through the baptismal waters since Eisenhower was president will break their hearts. They will weep for the lost.

We don't change until the pain of staying the same grows greater than the pain of change. May the truth break our hearts, drive us to our knees and compel us into the mission.
--30--
Ed Stetzer is vice president of the research and ministry development division and missiologist in residence at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also has written the following analysis of the SBC statistics.

Analysis of SBC statistics
By Ed Stetzer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The numbers are out, again. They show decline, again. But what do they really mean?

The Annual Church Profile (ACP) numbers are actually not compiled by LifeWay Research, but are gathered by our executive communications and relations division in partnership with state conventions. We received the numbers Wednesday and decided some analysis might be helpful as we digest the changes the data reveals.

The biggest issue is a negative membership trend. As I see it, the greatest concern is not that we have 0.15 percent less members, but that it continues to reinforce a membership trend. Annual membership shifts happen regularly and have multiple causes.

Trends are what should concern us -- and the one that concerns us most is the trend of membership change from year to year. A year is not a trend, but we are looking at a 50-year negative trend in regard to membership growth/decline measured year to year.

Cliff Tharp, who has written a helpful book on SBC denominational statistics, led the ACP process for 35 years. He wrote a few years ago, "We have been slowing in our growth and have now passed into decline. We are right at the top of the arc and beginning to go down. But changes we make now can change that trend significantly. These stats are not new but it has never caught anyone's attention until now."

The "arc" to which Cliff refers is our total membership, as shown here:



But, the 50-year trend of membership change is, in our view, the greater concern. It shows that the SBC was growing rapidly in the 1950s, growing well in the '60s and '70s, growing slightly in the '80s and '90s, and then the decline started in the new millennium. The graph tells the story:



If this 50-year trend continues (and they generally do), the small declines we see now will become big declines in the years and decades to come.

Second, the baptism trend is disturbing and now a trend of decline. For several years, LifeWay Research tried not to indicate baptisms were "trending down." The reason for this is that shifts over a few years were not unusual over the 60-year picture. Thus, we were thinking (and hoping) that baptisms would "return to the mean," which is a statistical way of saying they will go back to normal -- and at this point that means "up." Last year's slight uptick gave many hope, but we sounded a cautious (though hopeful) note then.

Surely all Southern Baptists prayed this was not a trend and there would be a return to the mean. In light of last year's data, we are forced to reconsider that view.

In our professional judgment, it is now appropriate to say SBC baptisms are on a downward trend. The large decline this year has shifted the trend line down over the last several decades (notice how it slopes to the right -- it has not in past years). Thus, we must regrettably say baptisms are now trending toward decline.



We could easily create some "sensational" news with a new graph tracking baptisms since 2000. The picture would be dramatic (and truthful), but we are still hoping that this brief trend (a decade is not that long -- consider 1980 to 1988 and the subsequent reversal) will change direction. But for now, SBC membership is in decline, membership change is in a 50-year decline, and baptisms are in a decade-long decline and trending down over time.

The news is not good, but God is still in charge and Southern Baptists are a wonderful people with a passion for God, His Word, and sharing Christ. I have given thoughts elsewhere on what we should do; here I simply point to where we are. Facts are our friends and these facts should concern us. Yet, as Cliff Tharp said, "Changes we make now can change that trend significantly."
--30--

Bored Asks about Creeds

bored has left a new comment on your post "The Feast of Holy Trinity":

Hi Dr. Jackson,

I asked my pastor a question about the Athanasian Creed and I didn't get a good answer. I'm curious to know how you'd respond.

In order for a person to be saved, the Creed states, the Creed must be believed. That is to say, the writers of the creed say a belief in their definition of the Trinity is a condition for salvation. How is this assertion, not ignoring Rev 22:19, by adding to Scripture? (the Nicene and the Apostles Creeds do not do this.) And, regarding what the Creed says, where does Scripture so specifically detail how the persons of the Trinity are related to each other?

It is impossible that a person can be saved while doubting or denying the divinity of Christ--or denying that he was and is simultaneously God and perfect man. Likewise, it's impossible to be saved while doubting or denying the Godship of any of the members of the Trinity. Scripture is explicit about these things. But yet I don't find in Scripture a promise of hell to those who don't believe the mathematically finite definition of the Trinity described in the Creed.

One example is when the Creed says that the Holy Spirit "proceeds" . It's imaginable that there are faithful Christians who disagree with this description, but who ascribe to everything Scripture says about the Holy Spirit. Another example is calling each member of the Trinity "unlimited". While God is certainly unlimited, I think each member of the Trinity could be described as limited, if only because God limits his distinct persons to specific roles. The Holy Spirit didn't die on the cross, and that in itself could be described a limit. So is it entirely accurate to say that all three persons of the Trinity are individually unlimited?

Of course, that answer depends on how you look at it; but that's the problem with threatening hell to those who fail to believe a man-made document. And beyond that, isn't it possible for a person to be mistaken about a doctrine and yet be saved? The Athanasian Creed does a good job of describing the Holy Trinity per Scripture, and I think the more doctrines a man is mistaken about, the more his faith is at risk; but it is beyond the scope of human discernment to state that a man must ascribe to this or that particular way of describing God or face damnation.

I may currently misunderstand a hundred things about Bible or about God. I've found myself to be wrong before and I expect I will in the future. One thing I am certain of is that Jesus' life, death and resurrection are the full and perfect substitution and exchange for my own sinful life. My faith makes me certain --and by this faith I'm declared holy in God's sight. I am justified by Faith worked in me by the Holy Spirit. But the threats of damnation found in the Anthansian Creed, it is reasonable to suggest, lead a Christian to doubt his salvation. You can imagine the questions: "What if I don't believe the exact right thing about creation, the virgin birth, the Trinity, the Office of the Keys? What if I've been deceived? What if I'm wrong about what is (or what isn't) adiaphora? Will this damn me?"

It is wise and good to believe the right things (I don't suggest that it's unimportant), but where do we draw the line about what is necessary for Salvation? The Athanasian Creed certainly draws the line, and I'm not too comfortable with where it draws it. I may not have "asked" anything in question form here, but I am still asking a question. I'm very curious to see what you have to say.

***

GJ - A creed is man's response to the Word of God. The first is man's understanding of the Word while the second is the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

The first three confessions in the Book of Concord are the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian. By placing those Ecumenical Creeds first, the Book of Concord is placing the Lutherans within the universal tradition of Christian orthodoxy rather than creating a brand. Statements from the early church fathers, within the documents in the Book of Concord and appended to the work, also anchor the Lutheran Church within this catholic (world-wide) church.

The trouble with more elaborate and philosophical expressions, like the Athanasian Creed, is the use of terms foreign to our thinking. There may be arguments against something we do not recognize as an issue. Those early authors would be appalled at the things beyond debate today, such as promoting rock music, dumping the liturgy and creeds, and offering New Age Nappy Hill philosophies as sermon material.

Chemnitz has a fine quotation in Examination of the Council of Trent, where he cited the early councils bringing out copies of the Gospels while setting aside all creeds. When the water is muddy, one returns to the source, the Scriptures.

Lutherans devote a lot more time to blogging than to study, and they love to dance with the lesser documents of the church, the more obscure the better. The momentary statement of a Midwestern sect, a group founded on adultery and kidnapping, has become more significant than the Book of Concord and the Scriptures themselves.

I do not like creeds when they are used as a rabbit's foot, an empty declaration precluding any debate. However, I have never seen a UOJ warrior win a single point from the Book of Concord. They might as well try to prove that Mrs. Miller could sign or that Paul Kelm is a Lutheran.

We have to begin with Scriptural exegesis, not with assumptions. Walther began with his propositions, and his disciples started by assuming he was always correct. In contrast, the works of Luther consist of Scriptural explanations so insightful that a Catholic nun asked me, "How can a Medieval monk write for me, from 500 years ago?" My answer was, "Because he taught the Word of God, which is always relevant."

One should not be surprised that the stealth Lutheran congregations avoid the creeds in their services, just like the Babtists they admire and emulate - even steal from.

Bored, your question could be asked about the Scriptures too. No one knows all of the Scriptures. If we are persistent in our study of the Word, we continue to gain insight and often find that old puzzles disappear with time and experience. Saving faith is to trust in the merits of Christ alone for our salvation.

The Christian faith is attacked along three fronts - the divinity of Christ, the humanity of Christ, and justification by faith. The Lutheran Reformation did not debate the Trinity or the Person of Christ with the Church of Rome, but justification by faith ignited the brushwood piled up in the Medieval Church.

I hope I have started an answer to your question.

The Feast of Holy Trinity

Norma Boeckler graphic. Luther wrote - "The entire Bible is a sermon about the man Jesus."

The Feast of the Holy Trinity, 2011

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 236 Creator Spirit 1:9
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed p. 53
The Sermon Hymn #237 All Glory Be 1:12

Born by the Word

The Communion Hymn # 341 Crown Him 1:70
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #261 Lord Keep Us Steadfast 1:93

KJV Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Trinity
O Lord God, heavenly Father: We poor sinners confess that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing, and that, left to ourselves, we die and perish in sin, since that which is born of the flesh is flesh and cannot see the kingdom of God. But we beseech Thee: Grant us Thy grace and mercy, and for the sake of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, send Thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that being regenerate, we may firmly believe the forgiveness of sins, according to Thy promise in baptism; and that we may daily increase in brotherly love, and in other good works, until we at last obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Born by the Word
This discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus is especially important. First of all, this long lesson is unique to John’s Gospel, so it was very significant. The value of the narrative is enhanced by the knowledge that Nicodemus was a leader among the Jews and helped in the aftermath of the crucifixion. In other words, he risked a lot by speaking with Jesus, then risked everything later.

KJV John 19:38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

This shows us the continuity between the teaching of Jesus and its effect on one of His students. This also means that the Gospel entered the center of religious life in Jerusalem. When the disciples preached on the Day of Pentecost, there was a background of support from the top to the bottom. This means that, like Jesus appearing as a boy in the Temple, God allowed for every believer to be called into the Kingdom by the Gospel.

When people ask, “Why are some saved and others not?” they are ignoring the fact of the preaching of the Gospel to all Creation. While humans seem to live on shunning others and avoiding them, God showers His grace on everyone. Many believe a short time and fall away. Others listen to false teachers and find themselves led away. Others steadfastly reject the Word, seeing only anger and condemnation where God offers the forgiveness received in faith.

The festival of Holy Trinity reminds us of the unique nature of the Christian faith. The Trinity is a mystery revealed by the Holy Spirit through the Word. So powerful is the Word of God that people understand and believe it to be true, without being convinced by man’s logic or material evidence. One Evangelical wrote that the Trinity can be proven with math. I wondered how little he trusted in the Word. Higher math is quite a key to science and technology, not that I have any knowledge of it myself. But to give all glory to math means that the Word is diminished.

The Gospels emphasize the Father-Son relationship, which we know through the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Father sent the Son to redeem this fallen world, so this relationship is all important. The Son obeyed the Father and we see the result in the Gospels. When people spoke with Jesus, they heard Him speaking in harmony with the Father. His miracles were also directed by the Father.

This wonderfully preserved record of God’s work is given to us by the Holy Spirit, who witnesses to the Father and the Son.

Luther said that the Bible is a book for heretics, and John's Gospel has been especially favored in promoting false teaching. Nevertheless, the Fourth Gospel clearly teaches Christian doctrine in the simplest language. People have misused the Gospel from the beginning because its clear message.

The Gospel of John has the clearest apostolic authority, assuming the use and knowledge of the first three gospels. The other gospels have more narrative, while John's gospel has more of Jesus' teaching.

Knowledge of the original text of the Gospel can defeat many false views, but a proper understanding of the English will also defeat the wolves. English alone is enough, but when Greek is used to advance a phony argument, Greek is needed to defeat it. For instance, Lutheran feminists would have us believe that the Greek word anthropos (the root for anthropology and misanthrope) can only refer to humankind in general and never to a man. For that reason, they cannot confess that the Son of God "became man," only that he became "fully human." But let's read the first phrase of this lesson again, ” There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus…"

The word for "man" in this phrase is anthropos! It is impossible to translate the word in any feminist form and make it sound like English. Examples:
1. There was a fully human from the Pharisees named Nicodemus.
2. There was a human being from the Pharisees named Nicodemus.
3. There was a person from the Pharisees named Nicodemus.
4. There was an individual from the Pharisees named Nicodemus. (We use "individual" when we want to hide the gender and ordination status of someone. Confessions are not meant to hide information.)

I recall someone who wondered a bit about having a woman preacher at his Pentecostal church. I said, "The Bible clearly precludes women preaching to men and teaching men. And how can she be "the husband of one wife" when she is the wife of one husband? The man answered, "She says the passage doesn't mean that."

We would have funny looking homes if every builder and contractor had a different concept of one inch. The canon of Scripture means "measuring rod." The standard is unchanging. Otherwise we must argue that God's Word is infinitely flexible and constantly changing.

The use of John's Gospel by heretics can be clearly seen in this lesson. As we know from this familiar passage, Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, probably because of his fears, since he was a religious leader of the Jews. Jesus converted Nicodemus to faith in Him by teaching him the Word, as we see from the Gospel.

He spoke up for Jesus when the leaders wanted to kill the Son of God:
John 7:50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them…

In the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, the Savior said, "You must be born from above." This is a pun, because the same word can be used for again, and Nicodemus in his confusion asked how a full-grown man could be born all over again.

We might ask, "Why didn't Jesus speak more clearly?" But whenever Jesus spoke of spiritual matters, people misunderstood Him. This happened with the woman at the well and when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. It reminds us that when God speaks to us about matters of eternal salvation, we worry about the daily concerns of this earthly life.

When parents take children on a long car trip, they will ask, "When are we going to eat?" The father or mother is tempted to say, "Do you think we are going to let you starve to death? Don't be so anxious."

In the discussion with Nicodemus, Jesus defined what He meant by "You must be born from above." The decision theology people say that He meant we must make a decision for Christ, defining that moment when we decided to accept Jesus, an act of the will. This is so important that some denominations have made that a requirement, giving the date in which the person made a decision.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Here we must mention Greek again, because the original text is our standard. "Born of water and of the Spirit" is often mumbled by Baptists. Once a radio sermon by a Baptist, passed over this phrase very quickly. The actual phrase completely destroys their anti-Sacrament argument. Non-Lutheran Protestants deny that baptism grants forgiveness of sin, planting faith in the heart of the baptized person. Some of them baptize infants; some refuse to, although they dedicate them with the Word. But they agree together that baptism is not God acting upon us.

By taking this away, these same people have paved the way for Pentecostals, who separate water baptism and Spirit baptism, by saying, "I was a baptized Christian for many years, but I was not a real Christian until I was baptized by the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues." False teaching about baptism leads to confusion, two or more baptisms. Many are baptized again and again. Many tongue-speakers look for ever increasing signs of God's blessing upon them.

Jesus does not separate water and Spirit baptism. Neither should we. The phrase " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit" lacks any articles. The Greek New Testament is very generous with its use of the word "the." Therefore, when "the" is lacking, the words can be seen as hyphenated. Except a man be water/Spirit born. This is the real meaning of the phrase. Water baptism is Spirit baptism because the Gospel promises are linked to the earthly form of water.

Luther's opponents wanted to make fun of water accomplishing anything, but they ignored the role of the Word of God connected with baptismal water. A dog or a cat would look into a baptismal font and see only something to quench their thirst. We are not to listen to God's Word and hear no more than an animal would.

Being water/Spirit born teaches us that God is indeed involved in each and every true baptism. Birth itself suggests an image of a new person. The apostle Paul also wrote of washing and rebirth. Washing is the clearest possible image of sins being forgiven. Rebirth means a new life has started.

Jesus distinguished between the carnal and the spiritual. The apostle wrote: 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The "natural man" is used by the Greeks to describe the noblest aspect of man. Whoever is considered a great hero for all his virtues - he cannot receive Spiritual things. They are comical to him. He sees no more than a cow or a horse. Many wise men of the ages have said that the Bible is nothing but foolishness to them.

No one can believe unless the Holy Spirit has planted faith in that person's heart through the Word. Adults are converted and receive baptism as God's sacrament of forgiveness. Children hear the promises of God through baptism and are converted to faith. Their parents, then, must nurture this faith. One does not plant a seed and then let it dry up and wither away. People spend more time nurturing their gardens than nurturing their children's faith.

The comfort of baptism cannot be overstated. No baptized person need doubt his standing with God. All despair can be answered by this, "God has baptized you into His kingdom. He has done this because of His gracious, kindly and forgiving nature." If someone has fallen into deep and terrible sins, he can nevertheless rest forgiveness upon his baptism. Through faith we receive the Gospel message of Jesus redeeming us from sin, death, and the devil.

Parents also have the comfort and blessing of baptism in their children. They have no reason to question whether their baptized children are in fact in the Kingdom of God. It is a sad day when we have to plead for the innocence of children when their lives are cut short by accident or diseases. The most helpless child can be proud, obstinate, jealous, and even vindictive. The Old Adam does not wait to arrive until a convenient time. We inherit this sinful nature. But when we lose a child, we can say, "God made him a member of His kingdom through baptism."

The blessings of baptism are infinite. Children grow up with faith and hear the Word of God with great love and confidence. They have their little distractions but they do not have the skills of adults in rejecting what they hear in the Word. They are dry sponges, absorbing what they hear. One girl cried and begged her family to take her to Sunday School, when they wanted to sleep in all weekend. This does not come from the flesh, because kids like to goof around too. It comes from the Holy Spirit.

A child who grows up in the Christian faith will be blessed in many ways and be a blessing to everyone as well. His impact will be impossible to determine, but God knows.
As adults and as children, we are united by what God has done for us, so that we are water/Spirit born.
Quotations

"If the question is put, 'Why did God ordain so many means of grace when one suffices to confer upon the sinner His grace and forgiveness?' we quote the reply of Luther who writes (Smalcald Articles, IV: 'The Gospel not merely in one way gives us counsel and aid against sin, for God is superabundantly rich in His grace. First through the spoken Word, by which the forgiveness of sins is preached in the whole world, which is the peculiar office of the Gospel. Secondly through Baptism. Thirdly through the holy Sacrament of the Altar. Fourthly through the power of the keys and also through the mutual conversation and consolation of brethren, Matthew 18:20.'"
John Theodore Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, A Handbook of Doctrinal Theology, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 447.

"For now we are only half pure and holy, so that the Holy Ghost has ever [some reason why] to continue His work in us through the Word, and daily to dispense forgiveness, until we attain to that life where there will be no more forgiveness, but only perfectly pure and holy people, full of godliness and righteousness, removed and free from sin, death, and all evil, in a new, immortal, and glorified body."
The Large Catechism, The Creed, Article III, #58, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 693. Tappert, p. 418.

Dr. Luther, Large Catechism: "Again: With this Word you can strengthen your conscience and say: If a hundred thousand devils, together with all fanatics, should rush forward, crying, How can bread and wine be the body and blood of Christ? I know that all spirits and scholars together are not as wise as is the Divine Majesty in His little finger. Now, here stands the Word of Christ: 'Take, eat; this is My body. Drink ye all of this'...Here we abide, and would like to see those who will constitute themselves His masters, and make it different from what He has spoken."
Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, Lord's Supper, 22, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 979. Tappert, p. 573.

"The objection that absolution is God's prerogative (Mark 2:7) is beside the mark, since the minister forgives sins not in his own name, but in God's name."
Th. Engelder, et. al., Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 113.

"Wherever the means of grace are present, there the Lord Himself is present, and where the Lord rules there is victory. The true doctrine of justification is intimately bound up with the true doctrine of the means of grace. In order to keep the doctrine of justification in all its purity, one must ever maintain that the forgiveness of sins which Christ earned for mankind can never be appropriated by man through any other means than the Word and the Sacrament. Therefore, Walther said, the correct doctrine on justification stands or falls with the correct doctrine concerning the means of grace."
Edwin E. Pieplow, "The Means of Grace," The Abiding Word, ed., Theodore Laetsch, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1946, II, p. 327.

"If we call Sacraments rites which have the command of God, and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to decide what are properly Sacraments...Therefore Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and Absolution, which is the Sacrament of Repentance, are truly Sacraments. For these rites have God's command and the promise of grace, which is peculiar to the New Testament. For when we are baptized, when we eat the Lord's body, when we are absolved, our hearts must be firmly assured that God truly forgives us for Christ's sake. And God, at the same time, by the Word and by the rite, moves hearts to believe and conceive faith, just as Paul says, Romans 10:17: 'Faith cometh by hearing.' But just as the Word enters the ear in order to strike our heart, so the rite itself strikes the eye, in order to move the heart. The effect of the Word and of the rite is the same..."
[Luther, Bab Captivity, 3 sacraments] Article XIII, Number/Use Sacraments, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 309. Tappert, p. 211.

"These are the last and mad times of a world grown old."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 50.

"Contrition is altogether necessary in those who truly and earnestly repent. For there can be no true repentance in those who, persuaded of their own holiness, dream that they are without sin, or who disregard, minimize, excuse, cloak, and defend their sins, despise or ridicule the divine threats, do not care about the wrath of God, are not moved by His judgment and displeasure, and therefore persevere and continue in sins against their conscience, delight in sins, and seek and seize occasions for sinning and for whatever they intentionally heap up without the fear of God--in them, I say, there can be no true repentance...."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 581.

"We have now sowed a little of the Word, and this the devil cannot stand, for he never sleeps; the worms and the beetles will come and infect it. Yet so it must be, Christ will prove His Word, and examine who have received it and who not. Therefore let us remain on the right road to the kingdom of Christ, and not go about with works and urge and force the works of the law, but only with the words of the Gospel which comfort the conscience: Be happy, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 201.

"Regret, the little black dog of a belated repentance, does not stop barking and biting the conscience, even though you know your sins are forgiven."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1214. Genesis 37:18-20.

"But the sinners who confess their sins, and are repentant, who wish they had not so angered God, who find all their concern and sorrow in the fact that they have offended God and have not kept His Commandments and, therefore, pray for grace--these sinners shall find grace."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 694.

Titian's Supper at Emmaus - Scriptures Opened

Titian's Supper at Emmaus

I am always looking for artwork to accompany the doctrinal quotations from Megatron, the legendary ready-to-go database. I found a series of painting linked in no particular order and chose this one for later use.

The resurrection appearances of Christ alone should make us treasure the Word of God. Crucified for the sins of the world, the Savior patiently spent time in demonstrating His resurrection and its meaning, teaching His followers so that 500 eye-witnesses would serve as the foundation of the Christian Church.

Although we are certain that the resurrection filled His followers with joy, that response would not have lasted if He had not built them up with His Word. Regret, remorse, and guilt would have overcome their joy.

One of the frequent lessons of the Gospels is - This must come to pass. The Scripture must be fulfilled.

I was discussing doctrine with math genius Lito Cruz, PhD. No one equals Luther in his appreciation for the Gospel itself, for the motivating force of God's forgiveness received through faith. Departing from that message, since apostasy is a sign of the End Times, leads to all kinds of error and horrible behavior.

Emmaus
KJV Luke 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19 And he said unto them, What things?

And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of
angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Scriptures Opened
Luther's point in preaching this text has stuck with me. The Emmaus disciples knew the Word superficially, but the risen Savior opened them up.

Luther's exegesis shows us how every phrase of the 66 books of the Bible contribute to the Gospel. The false teachers only see law - especially those who pretend to be all-Gospel and all-grace in their ravings. Their law is man-made law, which applies to everyone else. Their gospel is also manufactured, applying only to them and their buddies.

These things must be. When anyone threatens the works-righteousness of religious leaders, they respond with demonic fury. How can it be otherwise?

I saw another version of man's religion yesterday. Green Lantern is a perfect reproduction of the faith of Napoleon Hill. Guardians take care of the universe and watch over earth. They appoint people like Green Lantern to be the local franchise holders (uniform, perks). Green Lantern can do anything he imagines, thanks to the powers given him by these Guardians. This may seem a bit goofy in a feature film, but it is taken quite seriously by the Napoleon Hill Foundation and its many related franchises. This philosophy relates to those Asian religions which trust in spirits and magic to deliver what they ask, even demand, for their happiness. Robert Schuller, Mary Kay, Clement Stone, and many others are Napoleon Hill religious leaders.

Many times I find myself listening to religious leaders or reading their works and saying, "This is Napoleon Hill, not the Gospel!" or "Straight out of Asian religion."
All false doctrine belongs to the Prince of this world, so their convergence is no accident. When WELS, Missouri, and ELCA leaders got together at the Snowbird conference years ago, the Management by Objective (Druckerites) taught them. That is a secular version of the same thing. Hasn't that worked well for ELCA, Missouri, and WELS!

One Blogging Regret
My only regret in blogging is that I become a convenient excuse for the lazy and cowardly. Decades ago, all the problems in Columbus, Ohio were my fault - they claimed. They could not admit the errors of promoting a known sex offender as their Church Growth leader. They could not face all their doctrinal errors, straight from Fuller Seminary, enhanced and empowered by UOJ. But when I left Columbus, the WELS situation really blew up. Doctrinal Polecats Mueller and Seifert reaped from the weed seeds they had sown so vigorously.

I heard from one or more sources that WELS students are warned away from Ichabod. I should say so! Mequon's dogmatics notes have warnings about their own justification by faith quotations (not mine) being "misleading."

How blind can a seminary faculty be, to quote justification by faith (pre-Pietism), offer the quotation to students on the Net, and warn those same students against the words of wisdom.

I wonder - in the seminary book sales - do they warn students against their own Gausewitz? He belongs to the entire Syn Conference, not just to WELS. Have they starting trashing him yet? Ah, forgetting him is far better. Nothing to see, move on.

So Ichabod must remain a little coffee shop on the Net, so dangerous that it must be denounced and rebuked on the front page of Christian News. Readers, are you going to believe your lying eyes or your devoted Thrivent leaders?

About half the page-reads take place between supper and breakfast. Perhaps due to world time-zones or Icha-peeking, the page-reads are quite heavy all night. The next surge is in the mornings.

Casey Jones, who phones from time to time, says he looks for new material several times a day, so I feel obligated to keep producing. I see his location show up, so I am moved to write more.

I think about the Easter appearances, especially Emmaus. I wonder, "What happened to most illusions after that revelation? Mortgage? Business? The attitude of friends?" The disciples needed food and clothing. They had worries, too. But how did that compare to a post-resurrection supper with the Incarnate Word?

Other love Nappy Hill. Tune in to Time of Grace for more of that: one idiotic notion expanded into a lifetime of TV shows.

An unlikely Green Lantern!

Why create humor when I can just quote it?

Let the Wise Man Glory in Knowing God

"To rejoice in the Lord--to trust, confide, glory and have pride in the Lord as in a gracious Father--this is a joy which rejects all else but the Lord, including that self-righteousness whereof Jeremiah speaks (9:23-24): 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth Me.'"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 95. Fourth Sunday in Advent, Philippians 4:4-7; Jeremiah 9:23-24.