Brett Meyer - On the Word of God and the Confessions

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post " bored has left a new comment on your post "Come...":

Bored, you may remember that I've agreed with you before that if an individual errs, but in his heart, by grace, he trusts in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins and salvation, he sins in his flesh but is not condemned as he's clothed in Christ's righteousness through faith. His new man in Christ does not sin.

Now that may be the case with your Vicar and other clergy who teach UOJ - I don't know. You seem to think you know, but that's not what this discussion is about for me. It's the fact that we have every right to test the spirits by applying the Word and the Lutheran Confessions. We have every right to say with Christ, if you believe and confess contrary to Christ's Word concerning the Gospel you remain under God's wrath and dying in that condition you will be damned. Is this not the Office of the Keys which all Christians have - to forgive or retain sins. Likewise when an individual comes to us in contrition to Christ over sin we give him the Gospel and assure him that through faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins he is washed of all sin in the righteousness of Christ as he has obtained Christ as his Mediator between the Father and himself. He stands forgiven, justified and saved.

A point where I still have a contention with you is that you acknowledge that these mistaken pastors (as you've identified them) are still unwittingly teaching the false gospel of UOJ, and yet, you do not admonish them to cease and repent but allow them to continue teaching the sheep. The spiritual safety of the sheep needs to take priority over your gentle engagement with the pastor who, knowingly or not, is teaching a false gospel and leading people away from Christ and placing their souls in jeopardy. It's like having a Glock with a broken sear. You don't continue to keep it in the rotation as lives are in jeopardy. You take it out of rotation until the sear can be corrected and it's safe for use. So much more important is the soul than a physical life.

You need to prove from Scripture and the Confessions that I can't make a blanket statement that unless a person, pastor, church, Synod or Global religion believes in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins - they will be damned to hell forever. I can also say that if a denomination's official teaching is contrary to the Gospel of Christ and therefore if anyone truly confesses it, neither are Christian and the individual will be damned if he dies with that confession in his heart. The Roman Catholic Church by it's official confession calls anathema on the Gospel of Christ and anyone trusting alone in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. I therefore can clearly say that by it's official doctrinal statements the Roman Catholic Church is not Christian. I know the MLC kids are spitting their Juicy Fruit on the floor right now. I ask them, how can a church be Christian if by believing exactly what they teach a person remains under God's wrath over sin and will be condemned to Hell for eternity if they die in that confession? Bueller, Bueller...

I hold no animosity toward you and appreciate this discussion - that said it's important to see that I am not the one reading peoples hearts in this discussion but you are. I am judging their confession and applying Scripture saying that if they truly believe what they wrote and confessed then XYZ. You however are reading their hearts and saying that they don't really believe (at least some of them) what they are confessing and therefore are deserving of special kid glove treatment. I have seen by my approach - and it's not the same for everyone - that those truly having faith in Christ will stop and review the Scripture and the Confessions with a sincere desire to know and confess the truth, having heard Christ's voice, their Shepherd, in Scripture.

Yes, it's possible I believe something wrong. That is why I remain in the Word and Confessions, enjoying the opportunities to discuss Christian doctrine. Just last night I shared my confession concerning specific points of Holy Baptism with Pastor Jackson, asking him if my confession was faithful to Scripture and the Confessions. I've publicly retracted false statements that I've made here on Ichabod in the past. I know I can be wrong but I will not shrink back because I'm still a sinful human being. I would rather not sign my name to any public posts but, by the grace of God, I am confident in Scripture and the Confessions of the Church, I will speak openly, sign my name and take the consequences. Again, I'm grateful for the opportunity to discuss this with you.

How To Wreck a Synod:Lessons from ELCA, WELS, Missouri, ELS

Many years ago, the LCA began promoting abortion on demand through its many different power centers. These included the women's association, the social ministry committees and agencies, and the World Hunger Appeal. They showed photos of starving children to raise money for "World Hunger" but funneled large chunks of it to its lobbyists across America. They also found ways to send money to the Communist National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches, not to mention the Lutheran World Federation.

Do not be too shocked or too smug. WELS sent money to the United Nations, through the Michigan District's charity fund.

The Pro-life Moment
At some point, so I can establish a benchmark, the LCA officially denounced abortion on demand. They added that statement at the 1978 Chicago convention, which said abortion was not to be used as birth control. That was not clearly pro-life, but they seemed to be moving away from their radicalism.

Neuhaus, then in the LCA, reported that the people responsible for the pro-life codicil were removed from their positions. A number of LCA pastors became Roman Catholic in time.

Later, my mother's LCA pastor, the senior minister of one of the largest congregations in the US, was also removed - one month after making a pro-life statement in an informal setting.

So 1978 was not the beginning, but the end of pro-life statements in the LCA. The Seminex radicals, who owed much of their ideology to Jungkuntz (WELS, Northwestern College; then Springfield; then LCMS doctrinal board; then Seminex board leader) turned upon the LCA, led the ELCA merger, and devoured it with their unified radicalism.

Parish by parish, the pro-abortion forces divided each congregation. The Lutheran magazine published pro-abortion articles. If a pastor reacted to their propaganda, he was identified and suffered for it.

One little girl said to me, "What if someone raped me? You would be against an abortion?" She was the treasurer's daughter.

For a certain segment, the issue was beyond debate or discussion.


Women's Ordination - The Fruits
Women's ordination, which could not even be discussed under Franklin C. Fry, began quite slowly under Robert Marshall, the darling of Fry. Marshall had the LCA ordaining women before Fry's tombstone was finished, but the yield was quite slow for a long time.

Quotas--thanks to Jungkuntz and Seminex and WELS--guaranteed that a newly ordained woman would have seniority over most men on all committees and commissions. The newly ordained women were consistently pro-abortion, and they log-rolled for homosexual ordination as well.

By that time, being pro-life was equal to being anti-woman. I was called a "red-neck," a "Bircher," and a "Right-to-Lifer." I did not join groups, but I was put down for expressing my opposition to the prevailing trends. The enlightened pastors had no qualms about interfering with another congregation, mine, because I was so ee-vul. Speakers at the last convention made a point of talking against me while glaring at me. I was also called a "moral crusader," so I responded, "That's better than being a crusader for sodomy."

I recall Pastor Vince Lavieri denouncing me at a meeting for not agreeing with the Leftist positions of the Michigan District. After all, I never went to the socialist ministry committee events, he said correctly. Recently Vince showed up on the ELCA gay roster. Mrs. Ichabod remembered him, "Wasn't he married?"

"Was."

Synod Minders
Back in the 1980s, much like today, most congregations were not filled with fire-breathing Marxists and former ballet dancers. But there was bound to be a small contingent who would take offense at traditional statements and report immediately to the synod. Every denomination has synod-minders, and the pastors know who they are. They do not necessarily go to the pastor and say, "I disagree with you because..." They do not need to, because they know that the minister who goes against the newest fads is ee-vul.

The ultimate happened with this scenario, because ELCA got exactly what it wanted with the Jungkuntz-Seminex quotas: total control of the agenda. So far, 900 congregations have left the Leftists, and the end is not in sight. ELCA has more goodies prepared by the Lavender Lobby. Moreover, their attempt to make an exit more difficult has only increased the pace out of the synod.

Two other methods are being used successfully by the traditionalists. One is to do nothing except affiliate (or not) with another group and stop giving any money to ELCA. Another is to give only those funds designated to ELCA, usually an enormous drop in donations. I count four ELCA seminaries (out of 10) in deep yogurt from lack of funds:

1. Berkeley.
   
2. Southern.
   
3. Chicago.
   
4. Dubuque - Wartburg.
   

ELCA Divided
The ELCA is polarized because the ELCA deliberately and maliciously pitted a minority group against the majority, constantly favoring the minority with quotas, funds, flattering articles, and promotions. Notice how well it worked in Missouri-WELS-ELS.

The Little Three Divided

Missouri, WELS, and the ELS did exactly the same thing with Church Growth, which was not unknown in the LCA/ALC. They all met at Fuller Seminary, their Mother Ship.

WELS did some things to lay the groundwork for going public about Church Growth, which debuted with TELL in 1977.

Step by step, all three groups introduced Fuller education to their ministers and leaders. They slipped their moles into committees and commissions. They promoted the new doctrines (old heresies) in their publications. They paid for training at Fuller and other doctrinal-brothels. Best of all, they rewarded everyone who bowed the knee to McGavran. They still do.

Anyone who opposed them was lazy, brain-damaged, senile, or--gasp!--against reaching out with the Gospel.

Anyone who questioned their doctrine was slandering them while violating Matthew 18.

No leader in WELS has identified the Church Growth Movement with false doctrine. SP Schroeder continues to reward the Shrinkers with promotions and extra calls. Kelm had two calls at the same time, so he could choose. Heather may have two mommies, but Jeske has two synods. The two WELS colleges are Shrinker-controlled, and so is The Sausage Factory.

I do not subscribe to FICL, so I am probably violating several commandments and 10,000 unwritten rules. As far as I can tell, the magazine is still the Xerox room for Church and Change, which continues to exist with the blessing of WELS and the SP and the Conference of Pussycats.

WELS is not dividing but shrinking. Ditto Missouri and the Little Sect on the Prairie.

No Religious Test for Federal Office - Unless the Candidate Is Named Michele Bachmann

Bachmann left church at pastor’s request, official says

View Photo Gallery — Campaign 2012: Michele Bachmann: Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann has made a name for herself among conservative activists, but her ability to deliver for her district remains to be seen.

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By Sandhya Somashekhar, Published: July 15

The conservative church that Michele Bachmann officially left days before launching her presidential campaign said Friday that the Minnesota congresswoman’s decision came at their request.
“The impetus came from the church,” said Joel Hochmuth, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the denominational organization that includes the church. “For the pastor’s sake, he wanted to know where he stood with the family.”

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Bachmann (R) had stopped attending Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church two years ago but did not formally end her membership until June 21, a date first reported by CNN. The timing raised questions because it came shortly before she formally kicked off her presidential campaign in Waterloo, Iowa, and because the church has taken controversial stands on Catholicism and homosexuality.

Candidates have often come under fire for the religious company they keep. During the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama was forced to disavow his affiliation with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright after videos emerged of Wright’s more controversial sermons, which included statements critical of the United States and what many considered to be slurs against white people.

A spokeswoman for Bachmann’s congressional office said she now attends a non-denominational church in the Stillwater, Minn., area but declined to specify which one.

“As the family’s schedule has allowed, they have attended their current church throughout the past two years,” spokeswoman Becky Rogness said in an e-mail.

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is a conservative branch of Lutheranism that has about 390,000 adherents across the country. It has been criticized in part because it holds that the Catholic pope is the Antichrist. Bachmann has said emphatically that she does not share that view, and church officials recently told the Atlantic that it is not a central tenet of the faith.
 
The synod — a term Hochmuth defined as “a fellowship of congregations that hold to the same beliefs and doctrines” — also believes that homosexuality is a sin and can be changed.

Bachmann’s husband, Marcus Bachmann, has recently come under fire over his Christian-based counseling center’s treatment of gay clients. Several recent reports say the center practices “reparative therapy,” which seeks to “cure” gays and lesbians of their homosexuality.

On Thursday, Marcus Bachmann acknowledged in an interview with the Star-Tribune of Minneapolis that counselors at Bachmann and Associates do treat homosexuals who seek to become heterosexual, but that it is not the clinic’s main focus, and “we don’t have an agenda or a philosophy of trying to change someone.”

Michele Bachmann stopped attending services at the Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church after she moved to a different part of town, according to media reports. Around the time that her campaign for president geared up this spring, the Rev. Marcus Birkholz asked that she make clear her relationship with the church, Hochmuth said.

The Bachmanns then asked the church council that they be removed from the membership ranks — a request that is not required of a person that leaves the church, but assists with recordkeeping and helps the church ensure that “you’re in the spiritual care of someone else,” Hochmuth said. “In other words, we would want to know if you are being ‘fed the word,’ as we say.”

Bachmann did not specify to which church she was moving, Hochmuth said.

Very Sad To Read This List - The Canadian Apostasy

Anonymoose warned me this was coming.

Canada has two church bodies. One is related to the Missouri Synod. They have the seminary at St. Catharines, Brock University. Rolf Preus joined this group. Some of his sons are attending the seminary there. This one is called the Lutheran Church in Canada.

The other Lutheran group is associated with ELCA, and it is called ELCiC.

ELCiC Bishop Susan Johnson
The ELCiC bishop, Susan Johnson, has almost no information on the Net, apart from her new role. She is associated with the Eastern Canada Synod, my old territory. I found a 1987 photo of her participating in an anniversary in the Maritime provinces. Two of the pastors with her were my classmates at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.

WLS began as a seminary blending orthodoxy with Pietism, just like the two Concordias in America. Robert Preus praised the dogmatics textbook written by that first seminary president.

As I wrote before, my vicarage supervisor at St. Peter's in Kitchener, the largest Lutheran congregation in Canada, was in tears when a future vicar came out as a homosexual. Old Henry Opperman, who called himself The General, was shocked to find out that the seminary he supported so often was willing to send him a gay staffer, without even telling him.

Liturgical Services
St. Peter's always had liturgical services. We stood for every verse of every hymn. We only sat during the Epistle and the sermon. The sermons were always Biblical. The confirmation class consisted of three years of mid-week sessions where the children were in class before or after the supper provided them. The first year was Old Testament. I taught the New Testament. The pastor taught the catechism. I also helped with the German services, as a lector.

Not long ago, St. Peter's announced they would perform homosexual marriages, in spite of mild warnings from the spineless district president.

Canadians I Knew
The newest shocker is a long list of pastors endorsing the ELCiC proposal to parrot ELCA's change in homosexual policy. Some of them were pastors I met as a student. One was a New Testament professor. Some were students at the seminary. One was in my confirmation class. I remember his father, a humble and pious man who carefully taught his children. Some of the youth were on the wild side, but not his children.

One signer was Dutch Reformed, taking the clinical pastoral quarter with us. He became a seminary professor at WLS. 

There were no female clergy in Canada when I was there. My former confirmation student is married to a female pastor. One thing follows another. Women's ordination is the precursor to gay ordination and abortion on demand as a religious obligation.

Some people think I am too harsh, too extreme. I see a regression from anti-Confessional apathy to complete apostasy.

I have watched it take place in congregations, pastors, and schools - with no one seeming to notice. There is no lack of harsh and aggressive action - against faithful Lutherans. The Little Three have their shunning skills polished to the max, applying them only to faithful Lutherans.

I have been too mild, too irenic, too willing to hold back.

Holy Baptism and the Evangelicals

Various people have been discussing Holy Baptism. A Trinitarian baptism is valid and remains valid, so one of the debates today concerns those who avoid "In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" due to an excess of sensitivity about gender. I remember when that began in the LCA. The directions for women's Sunday, when they took over the service (in ideal circumstances), stated that certain hymns were not to be sung, because they contained such odious terms as "prophet, priest, and king."

Anyone with mote of doctrinal sense would call alternative baptism formulae "pagan."

The term Evangelical is broad enough to include many sub-confessions. A Christian minister will not repeat a Trinitarian baptism from any other denomination. Roman Catholics are not supposed to re-baptize.

Those who practice believer's baptism or adult baptism will probably insist on immersion, since they emphasize the amount of water rather than the efficacy of the Word. However, I have also noticed blended confessions, where a congregation says, "We do not believe in infant baptism, but we will still provide them if you ask."

Many are moving toward a generic faith-without-belief stance, where it is important to have faith in something without having any clearly defined beliefs. Schuller polished this art form, giving us a new version of Norman Vincent Peale. Rob Bell has revived it again. Schuller and Bell are closely associated with Fuller Seminary, the Mother Ship of Missouri and WELS.

The Pietists and Neo-Pietists call their approach "deeds, not creeds." The Babtists say "No creeds but the Bobble."

Luther rightly emphasized the effect of the Gospel, even in the midst of opposition and heresy. With so many people taking an independent stance, it is not shocking to find a Roman Catholic who denies all the important articles of papism: the infallibility of the pope, Mary as co-Redeemer, Purgatory as a blessed place of endless waiting and torture, justification by faith plus works.

Most Evangelicals, following Zwingli and Calvin, make baptism an ordinance, a law to be obeyed.

The Little Three (Missouri, WELS, ELS) have fallen into the vortex of Evangelical doctrine by:

1. associating with them;
   
2. promoting their books;
   
3. attending their schools - Fuller, Trinity Divinity, Willow Creek;
   
4. learning how to "do church" with them;
   
5. copying their watered-down services;
   
6. singing their vapid hymns;
   
7. plagiarizing their law-based sermons;
   
8. promoting their horrid books and magazines;
   
9. eliminating the Creeds;
   
10. removing the Sacraments from worship.
    
11. never acknowledging they have changed from Lutheran doctrine and practice to Zwinglism and Thrivent boot-licking.

The Little Three are a feeder system for the great finishing school - Fuller Seminary. When presidential candidate Bachmann left WELS for a community church, she could not tell the difference! Nor did she know about the Antichrist!

The Scriptures divide people into believers and non-believers. We are justified by faith, not by church membership. However, constant teaching against God's appointed Means of Grace will eventually have its effect, although not necessarily on every single person.

Theology is the grammar of faith. The MDivs like to run around, blabbing about this and that, without study or research, especially in the very place where they would learn the most - the plain, clear, efficacious Word of God. That is why many laity outdistance the clergy in spiritual understanding. Few laity have their understanding darkened by the talking-points memorized from seminary classes and clergy conferences.

I have noticed the UOJ clergy retreating from the battle about justification by faith. They are nastier than ever, as befits their rejection of the Gospel, but they no longer dare to sneer at Luther's doctrine and the Book of Concord.

So, if we neglect sound doctrine, we will be led astray by the wolves and hired-hands, the belly-servers who use flattery to continue their predation.

The demi-semi-quasi-Zwinglians are more dangerous than the loud atheists. Their enablers, protectors, and defenders--the DPs--are the most dangerous of all.