Sunday, August 28, 2011

Holy Word Follows Protes'tant Recipe
For Getting Rid of Members

Holy Word (WELS) Staff Minister Chad White attended Exponential with District VP Don Patterson.
Chad's wife, Cindy, seems to suffer from separation anxiety.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

You're Out of Order
Joe Krohn: That was it in a nutshell and took all of about six and a half minutes.  Of course the Holy Word Voter's meeting went on for longer than that, but we did not stay.  There was no need.  We were terminated.  But it was nice to see some familiar faces and catch up a little bit at least. 

Some said hello to us and said it was good to see us.  For others in such circumstances it was difficult I'm sure. Pity that none of the laity (unless you were an Elder or Councilman) that was present today that voted on our dismissal even knew what the point of contention was.  Holy Word's leadership did not distribute their 'Letter of Termination' nor our letter of rebuttal dated August 9, 2011 to anyone outside of their conclave.

I will say this about the leadership at Holy Word:  They are consistent except for one fatal flaw that was caught on my recording today.  We were not allowed to discuss doctrine in the meeting today.  When Pastor Patterson and the Eldership put the hammer down on us in their email letter of May 21st, there would be no discussion of doctrine from that point going forward; only the matter of fellowship could be discussed.  I have this in writing on more than one occasion when I pressed them for an open discussion regarding justification.

And yet in the meeting today, Brad Johnston clearly stated that we were afforded on more than one occasion to meet with Holy Word representatives to have a doctrinal discussion, but that we refused.  This is a flat out lie.  The offers were to discuss 'fellowship' and not the doctrine of justification. Needless to say we will appeal to the District President and pray for a fair hearing there. Kyrie Elieson!!!
District VP Don Patterson, aka The Don, aka Kudu Don,
is the poster boy for Church and Change, but denies it. He attended the "last" Church and Change conference.
Church and Changers are raising money at Holy Word, with the blessing of Patterson and Gurgle.

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity, 2011



The Tenth Sunday after Trinity, 2011


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson


Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 652     I Lay My Sins on Jesus              1.24
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 Nicene Creed             p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #190            Christ Is Arisen            1:52

Warning for Our Time

The Communion Hymn # 308 Invited Lord            1:63
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 # 452     The Son of Man            1:10

KJV 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

KJV Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

Tenth Sunday After Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Holy Ghost hast revealed unto us the gospel of Thy Son, Jesus Christ: We beseech Thee so to quicken our hearts that we may sincerely receive Thy word, and not make light of it, or hear it without fruit, as did Thy people, the unbelieving Jews, but that we may fear Thee and daily grow in faith in Thy mercy, and finally obtain eternal salvation, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Warning for Our Time


Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Few can appreciate the magnificence of the Roman Empire at the time Jesus spoke these words. Perhaps a lifetime of reading about this era might provide enough insights, because Rome absorbed the culture and technology of every country they conquered. The only leader they did not defeat was Herman the German, who knew how the Romans fought and set up a guerrilla attack to demolish an army.

Rome was at the peak of its power when Jesus warned Jerusalem to repent. Everything He predicted came to pass.

The Jewish people resented Roman occupation, so conditions for revolt built up. Unfortunately for them, an initial battle defeated the Romans, so they thought they could defeat Rome. The empire struck back, sending an army and thousands of slaves to level Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was so well defended by its walls and natural features that a Roman general said it was a miracle that the city fell. Rome did not work miracles, but steadily starved cities in revolt. They built a high wall around the city, to prevent help and food from entering, just as Jesus predicted.

The rest of the story is horrible, because fear of famine sent people into a panic. As Luther wrote, they resorted to eating shoe leather and cannibalism. The strong stole food from the weak.

Once the army entered the city, greed prompted the soldiers to pursue gold and jewels. According to one account, “not one stone left on another” came from the search for gold.

Those who were not killed outright were sold into slavery and scattered around the world.

This happened 40 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. For that very reason, the Christians were despised as one denomination of the troublesome Jews who revolted. While we see the two as distinctly different, the Romans did not. We imagine that few Jews became Christian in that time, but many did, until there was a great reaction against anyone in Judaism using their membership to preach about Christ.

Now the popular imagination sees Paul as simple the apostle to the Gentiles, but he worked among the Jews, as the other apostles did, and accomplished great things through the Gospel. As he wrote, he could be a rabbi among the Jews and preach Christ. That did not help his popularity with the religious leaders.

The parallel today is to be a Lutheran among Lutherans and teach Luther’s doctrine. That simply is not allowed. The only thing that matters is man-made law and old heresies. Man’s law and man’s heresies are defended at all costs, and nothing is too base, low, or dishonest to maintain error.

As the old poem says, “Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne.” But the second part is hope. Hope in the Word of God.

Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,-
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.

James Russell Lowell

This lesson is a warning for our time. We are definitely living in the Age of Apostasy. One way to measure that is to look at what conservative Lutherans are doing with Bible translations – setting aside all other issues.

The LCA never had an official translation. They even provided lectionary inserts with three translations for the three readings each Sunday. Diversity – as long as the political program is followed perfectly and robotically.

The Syn Conference favored the King James Version for a long time. I understand the ELS tended to use the New KJV, which was around in the 1980s – but is not a celebrity translation now. Celebrity translations are hyped for a few years, then fade.

The conservative Lutherans could have modernized their own KJV decades ago, if they had to. But they did not.

Missouri and WELS (puppy dog ELS too) staked their publishing future on the wretched NIV. Bibles are big business, and sales about Bible books also lucrative for everyone. Those who went along with the NIV and “helped,” like John Jeske, were rewarded in many ways. Naturally money drives the need for the New NIV, which is far worse than the horrible NIV.

Herman Otten promotes his Beck Bible, which was so up to date that it has been revised about 4 times in the last few years (the number open to debate).

Paul McCain, Otten’s political ally, shills for the ESV, which is a Calvinist revision of the obnoxious RSV. The National Council of Churches created the RSV. Concordia Publishing House will rake in the money for the ESV, and the loot will be shared with the fortunate authors.

In this Babel of translations, one name is missing. Tyndale studied under Luther and Melanchthon and worked on his English translation with their help. His first printing of his English Bible came from Germany because of this help and English persecution. King Henry VIII burned Tyndale at the stake, but King James allowed a group of scholars to work through the Tyndale translation and publish the Authorized Version, popularly called the KJV.
Everyone is celebrating the 400th year of the KJV being published in 1611. The conservative Lutherans are mum because they are so busy betraying their own members and keeping their pastoral candidates in darkness and error.

As Luther said, never has the Word of God been more available to everyone and yet scorned universally. He could point to the printing press as that tool that spread the Gospel cheaply around the world. Luther’s books alone created a fortune for those who printed them, and he just gave them away.

Today we have the biggest innovation since the printing press, the Internet. The moment I publish a sermon it is available free around the world. For someone who wrote his dissertation on a portable typewriter, coveting an IBM Selectric he could not afford, this remains a marvel.

And people have access to anything orthodox and Christian they desire. When I wanted to print Luther’s sermon on this text, I found one website after another with the sermon available (free) and easily copied in a few seconds.

Because the Word of God is available to all, the judgment against those who despise it will be far greater. There is no excuse. The evil tactics used to suppress the Gospel are signs of this despising, especially when they come from clergy who should know better.

The Gospel
The entire Bible, says Luther, is a sermon about Jesus. The Gospel not only includes Christ dying for the sins of the world, but all promises and blessings from God.

The primary preaching of the Law is to show people this sin - that they do not utterly trust in Christ for their forgiveness.

KJV John 16:8 And when He [the Holy Spirit] 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.

KJV John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Thus the Gospel plants and sustains faith in the hearts of those who hear it. God creates and sustains this faith through His Gospel and declares us forgiven - justification by faith.

The Visible Word
Holy Baptism and Holy Communion are the Gospel in visible form, always efficacious. For that reason we should always uphold the blessing of infant baptism and teach against those Baptists and Pentecostals who denounce it as heresy.

Likewise, Holy Communion must be closed and offered frequently to demonstrate the significance of the Word in saving and condemning.

Pastoral Work in the Word
The pastor has no other calling than to preach his own sermons, based on his own study. He should offer the Sacraments without hesitation or shame, and to take Word out on visits to shut-ins, the hospitalized, the grieving, and the spiritually indolent.

Luther and the Book of Concord
Ankle-biters like to go over minor conflicts from the last century, so they can spend a few more months pounding an issue rather than teaching the Gospel. If they spent time with the sermons of Luther and the Book of Concord, they would have something to teach.

The study of Luther's doctrine has been in complete collapse for decades, with all the synod leaders (Big Four) spending their time with the Enthusiasts at Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek, Mars Hill, Trinity Divinity, Granger, North Point, Sweet, and worse.

If a pastor or pastoral candidate understands the efficacy of the Word, he will make that the foundation of all he does, excluding:
  1. Most living authors.
  2. Synodical position papers, essays, and other trivia.
  3. Sermonic books.
Given the Biblical teaching of the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace, there can be no forgiveness apart from that faith created by the Gospel.

Tenth Sunday after Trinty
Sound Doctrine

"This epistle selection treats of spiritual things, thing which chiefly pertain to the office of the ministry and concern the Church authorities. Paul instructs how those in office should employ their gifts for the benefit of one another and thus further the unity and advancement of the Churches."              
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 197f.

"Whenever the Word of God has a foothold, there the devil will be. By the agency of his factions he will always build his taverns and kitchens beside God's house. So he did at first, in Paradise. In the family of Adam he entrenched himself, establishing there his church."
Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 198.
"But dissensions, sects and divisions are sure signs that the true doctrine is either ignored or misunderstood, men thus being left in a condition to be 'tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine,' as Paul says (Ephesians 4:4); which is indisputably the case with these same schismatics who condemn the Church and her doctrines because of some discordant ones."              
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 204.          

"Thus Paul rejects the glorying and boasting of the sects over their offices and gifts--they who pretend to be filled with the Spirit and to teach the people correctly, and who make out that Paul and other teachers are of no consequence...More than that, they demand a higher attainment in the Spirit for Gospel ministers, deeming faith, the Sacrament, and the outward office not sufficient."              
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 206.        

"You are either reproaching and cursing Jesus, or praising him and owning him your Lord. If your preaching and teaching fail to point to Christ, something else being offered, and you nevertheless boast of the Spirit, you are already judged: the spirit you boast is not the Holy Spirit, not the true Spirit, but a false one. To it we are not to listen. Rather we are condemn it to the abyss of hell, as Paul declares, (Galatians 1:8), saying: 'But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any Gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema [damned to Hell].'"  
            Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 206.       

"The same is true of other factions--the Anabaptists and similar sects. What else do they but slander baptism and the Lord's Supper when they pretend that the external [spoken] Word and outward sacraments do not benefit the soul, that the Spirit alone can do that?" Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 208. "Flesh and blood are too weak to obtain this glorious confidence; the Holy Spirit is essential. Reason and our own hearts cry out in protest: 'Alas, I am far too evil and unworthy! How could I be proud and presumptuous enough to boast myself the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ?"
            Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 210.

"The gift of prophecy is the ability to rightly interpret and explain the Scriptures, and powerfully to reveal therefrom the doctrine of faith and the overthrow of false doctrine. The gift of prophecy includes, further, the ability to employ the Scriptures for admonition and reproof, for imparting strength and comfort, by pointing out, on the one hand, the certainty of future indignation, vengeance and punishment for the unbelieving and disobedient, and on the other hand presenting divine aid and reward to godly believers. Thus did the prophets with the Word of God, both the Law and the promises."
             Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 213.       

"Christians, however, though obliged to live among swine and to be at times trampled under foot and rooted about, have nevertheless surpassing glory; for they can look up and intelligently behold their Lord and His gifts."
            Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 217.  

"But the discerning Christian can with satisfaction boast on this wise: 'My baptism or my absolution is not of my own devising or ordaining, nor of another man's. It is of Christ my Lord."     Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 219.  

"His gifts and works in His Church must effect inexpressible results, taking souls from the jaws of the devil and translating them into eternal life and glory."
            Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 220.  

Church Growth Spiritual Gifts
"People Person: Have been recognized as a counselor and mediator. Brought harmony to what was once described as 'the most troubled Lutheran church in America. Personal: Born, December 6, 1941, Columbus. Married, three children. Spiritual gifts: Exhortation, teaching, administration and evangelism.
            Floyd Luther Stolzenburg 2904 Maryland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43209-1157 614-235-5200  

"Recognizing the need for professional church growth consultation, in 1975 he [C. Peter Wagner] invited John Wimber to become the founding director of what is now the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth. Wimber got the Institute off to an excellent start, then left to become the founding pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Anaheim and Vineyard Ministries Internamtion... Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow (Regal, 1979) is approaching the 100,000 mark... Church Growth and the Whole Gospel (Harper and Row, 1981) is a scholarly discussion of criticisms of the Church Growth Movement from the viewpoint of social ethics, in which Wagner did his doctoral work."
            C. Peter Wagner, ed., with Win Arn and Elmer Towns, Church Growth: The State of the Art, Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986, p. 271f.     

"Pastors and lay persons trained in Church Growth are leading Christians to discover their spiritual gifts. They are looking into the Scripture and discovering those verses in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 where some of the gifts are listed." [See C. Peter Wagner, Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow, 1979, "a discussion of gifts which relates specifically to the potential of mobilizing God's people for church growth," p. 33.]
            Kent R. Hunter, Launching Growth in the Local Congregation, A Workbook for Focusing Church Growth Eyes, Detroit: Church Growth Analysis and Learning Center, 1980, p. 26.    

Which Pastor Jenswold Should We Believe?

Someone phoned me to discuss the LCMC, the first large group to leave the ELCA. I said that looking around LCMC websites proved they were rolling back the clock a few years, but not really dealing with the doctrinal issues. They silent on Biblical inerrancy, promote women's ordination, and support Pentecostalism. I decided not to drop by the LCMC confab in Des Moines, as much as I would love to enjoy the night life in that wild city on the Great Plains. I am quite sure the LCMC loves Fuller and Church Shrinkage as much as WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect on the Prairie.


The couple said, "Pastor Jenswold agrees 100% with you."


I replied, "Really? He told his brother-in-law that I am mentally ill. I have that in writing."


The couple was just flabbergasted, because they hated the Church Growth Movement and joined Shepherd of Peace because I opposed CG in favor of Lutheran doctrine (imagine that).


The double-talk, which might be called lying, is standard in WELS. SP Schroeder never reads Ichabod, he claims, but he hunts down WELS members who post in Ichabod using their own names. You will not see clearly identified WELS people posting on Ichabod again. That is how WELS settles its dozens of doctrinal and criminal problems.


Schroeder got red-faced and wanted to tell me off at the Emmaus Conference, via Brett Meyer, but backed down. Yet he tells people "There are good things on Ichabod." But I thought he did not read Ichabod.


Since Jenswold is now in happy-Appleton-land, he may be posing as a great Ichabod expert. Perhaps Fox Valley is the catch-basin for Columbus effluent, since Glende reigns supreme there.


If Jenswold wants to talk, be sure to ask, "Didn't you say you agreed 100% with Jackson?"


WELS loves to say, "Write a letter." I sent certified letters to Jenswold, Lindemann, and Schroeder. Not one of them answered the letter, but all three signed the return receipt.

Miss Marple

Building a Foundation for ELCA's Future


ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 26, 2011

Dorothy Marple, retired church executive, dies


     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dorothy Jane Marple, pioneering church executive and coordinator of the transition team for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), died Aug. 8, 2011, at Artman Lutheran Home in Ambler, Pa. Marple, a member of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, was 84.

     Marple broke ground in 1975 as the first woman and the first non-clergy person to be named a bishop's assistant in the Lutheran Church in America, an ELCA predecessor church body. She came to that role after serving as the first executive director of the Lutheran Church in America women's organization from 1962 to 1975.

     "There is no way I could say too much about Dorothy," said James Crumley, former bishop of the Lutheran Church in America. "In the 1980s, Dorothy and all of us spent a large portion of time planning for the ELCA. A formidable series of tasks had to be done to make the ELCA happen. After the ELCA was approved, she did an extraordinary job coordinating the transition team. She was just a wonderful person."

     Marple held many other leadership roles throughout the years, including: dean of women and foreign student adviser at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa. (1953-1961); board member of Church Women United (1962-1975); assistant general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (1988-1989); National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. governing board member (1970-1987); The Lutheran World Federation Executive Committee member (1977-1984); chair of The Lutheran World Federation Commission on Church Cooperation (1984-1989);  member of the board of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (1989-98); member of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (1989-98); and chair of a task force studying theological education in the ELCA (1989-1994).

     "Dr. Marple was gracious but firm, precise and thorough, conscious of detail and yet mindful of the bigger picture. Her dedication to the work of the church was shown in untiring endeavors," said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, first secretary of the ELCA. "She was crucial in completing the commitment made by the ELCA's predecessor churches in 1982.

     Michael Cooper-White, president, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, said Marple was the epitome of a churchly servant leader. "She never sought the limelight of center stage, but her quiet competence shone in so many corners of the church, especially in her work helping lay a solid foundation for the ELCA."

     Marple is survived by a sister, Virginia Reynolds, nine nieces and a long-time friend, Lois Leffler.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Heavy Hand of WELS Discipline:
Jeff Gunn Keynote Speaker, Featured on WELS.net.
Have Mercy, DP Buchholz!

Jeff Gunn has been the poster boy for Church and Change. That cancer supposedly went away, but managed to metastasize and split into many entities before being pronounced excised, removed, stomped. Who do I see, seated at the board of Thrivent Inter-Religious Fraternal Insurance? Mark and Avoid Jeske, the head of Church and Change.


About three years ago, DP Buchholz was "doing something about Jeff Gunn" and Jeff's aping of Emergent Churches. Since that time Gunn has been elected to the board of Willowcreek's Liberal College and appointed as keynote speaker at this shindig.


Savage discipline indeed.


Jeff's congregation has not been accepted into any denomination, but the Daddy Warbucks are behind him. That is the most important denomination - C-notes and larger. In WELS, false doctrine is rewarded. Discussing sound doctrine is punished with excommunication.


I noticed, before barfing, that Mark Paustian was another speaker at this conference. Paustian is another Changer who denies being a Changer.


Don Patterson denies being a Changer, even though he is an active participant and leader of the cancerous growth. He even attended the "final" meeting, Regaining Momentum. He must have gone to support it, because he did not report back to me about how awful it was.


The conference worked well. Schroeder did an Al Barry, doing nothing against the apostates for a full term, so the assembly of nincompoops re-elected him, while the ever-useful Intrepids announced that as a great victory for them.


Confidential to the Intrepids - Do not celebrate losses as victories.


---


Brett Meyer sent this link from FIC, which shows SP Schroeder's doctrinal leadership:


Love makes leadership contagious Jesus is the humble, loving servant-leader that claims us as his disciples and inspires us to follow his example. Emotion is contagious. If you don’t believe it, try this little experiment. Smile at others. Researchers say that of all emotional signals, smiles are the most contagious; they have an almost irresistible power to make others smile in return.


But which emotions are more contagious than others? Would you say, for instance, that love is more contagious than hatred, or hatred than love? Yale University did a study a number of years ago that tried to determine which emotions were more contagious. What they discovered is actually pretty interesting: “Emotions may spread like viruses, but not all emotions spread with the same ease. A study at Yale University School of Management found that among working groups, cheerfulness and warmth spread most easily, while irritability is less contagious and depression spreads hardly at all” (Primal Leadership—Realizing the Importance of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee, p. 10).


etc. etc. blech


---

AC V has left a new comment on your post "The Heavy Hand of WELS Discipline: Jeff Gunn Keyno...":

This quote from Gunn is creepy: "Go out and make some non-Christian friends."

That's just plain weird. I make friends with people because I have common interests, not because I have an ulterior motive to convert them.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Universalism Everywhere:
ELCA, Rome, Syn Conference.
Let Us Disbelieve Together in Love


Herman Otten was bewailing Universalism in the Church of Rome but not in the LCMS. I saw an editorial that sound Universalistic, by Scott Murray, LCMS, another UOJ friend of Paul McCain and Otten, the odd couple who elected Al Barry and Matt Harrison. 

Scott asked, "What must I do to be saved?" He answered himself, not from the Scriptures, but from his UOJ talking points. The answer is "literally. Nothing. It is done."
Christian News, 8-22-2011, "Nothing To Conquer," p. 4.

Acts of the Apostles
KJV Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Gospel of John
KJV John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.

The Apostle Paul
KJV Romans 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

KJV Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The Holy Spirit moves us to faith through the Means of Grace
The UOJ fanatics want to say they are devoted to grace, but they obliterate faith and the Means of Grace. They have to eliminate the Holy Spirit's work in the Word because their foundation is Halle Pietism - not Biblical, Lutheran doctrine.

I know something about modern theology because my professors studied under Barth, Tillich, Bultmann, and Moltmann. Stan Hauerwas, on my dissertation committee, is the best known theologian in America. Martin Marty recommended the publication of my dissertation, and so forth. Marty was good enough to lecture at Wisconsin Lutheran College, so he must be kosher for WELS.

The names are relevant because my studies meant reading hundreds of books of modern theology, not to mention writing essays based on those studies and lectures.

UOJ, mainline theology, ELCA, and modern Romanism all share the same basics of Universalism, expressed with a little variety. As someone said about gardens, "Each one is unique, but few are original."


When Team Ichabod was discussing What Happened To Knapp, the Founder of Double-Justification?, I found the clue. Knapp is largely forgotten, overshadowed by men like Schleiermacher, but the old Halle Pietist is still in print. My English copy is dated from 1830, and Knapp's Halle lectures began long before that. But people are still printing and buying his lectures from 180 years ago.

More importantly, Knapp became the gold standard for mainline theology.

Knapp's double-justification scheme, starting with the justification of the entire world, turned easily into Step One as a solo. Schleiermacher, considered the father of modern theology, studied at Halle and taught at Halle, specializing in Step One Universalism.

I remember many a mainline theology book warning. "We must not make this contingent upon faith." Similarly, Syn Conference types glare and say, "Do not make faith a work of man." Those who are giddy with UOJ love to emphasize unbelief as a virtue.

God creates and nurtures faith through the Gospel in the Means of Grace. Since faith is the foundation for the Christian life, unbelief is the basis for all sin and evil.

Many are in deep pain as they realize their synods teach against Luther's doctrine, contrary to the Book of Concord. The results are everywhere. One friend went to  a WELS service where the congregation was involved in worshiping with the help of their volunteer kazoo band. 






Luther's Sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity.
A Warning to the UOJ Fanatics in Their Abusive Sects

Sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity; Luke 19:41-48


A Sermon by Martin Luther; taken from his Church Postil. [The following sermon is taken from volume IV:316-335 of The Sermons of Martin Luther, published by Baker Book House (Grand Rapids, MI, 1983).

It was originally published in 1904 in English by Lutherans in All Lands (Minneapolis, MN), as The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther, vol. 13. The pagination from the Baker edition has been maintained for referencing. This e-text was scanned and edited by Richard P. Bucher, it is in the public domain and it may be copied and distributed without restriction.]

[Ed. This sermon appeared first in the year 1525 and was issued in pamphlet form in nearly a dozen separate editions. From this we conclude that it awakened a great interest among the people, as it certainly ought to have done. It bore the title: "A sermon on destruction of Jerusalem. In like manner will Germany also be destroyed, if she will not recognize the time of her visitation. What the temple of God is. Martin Luther. Wittenberg, 1525."] PART I. THE PROPHECY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

1. This Gospel presents that which took place on Palm Sunday, when Christ rode into Jerusalem. On this occasion, he preached two or three days in the temple, which was more than he ever did before at one time. The sum and substance of this Gospel is, that Christ grieves and laments over the afflictions of those who despise God's Word.

2. Now you have often heard what the Word of God is, what it brings us, and what kind of scholars it has. Of all this nothing is said here. Only the punishment and distress which shall come upon the Jews because they would not recognize the time of their visitation, are here described. And let us well consider this, because the time of their visitation also deeply concerns us. If they are punished who do not know the time of their visitation, what will be done to those who maliciously persecute, blaspheme and disgrace the Gospel and the Word of God? However, here he only speaks of those who do not know it.

3. There are two methods of preaching against the despisers of God's Word. The first is by threats, as Christ threatens them in Mat. 11:21-24: "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And thou, Capernaum (which was his own city, where he performed most of his mighty works), shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto hell; for if the mighty works bad been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." With these threatening words he would frighten them to their senses, and not to cast to the winds the Word which God sends them.

4. The other method the Lord gives here when he weeps, and shows his sympathy for the poor blinded people, and rebukes and threatens them, not as the hardened and stubbornly blind; but when he melts in love and compassion over his enemies, and with great heart- rending pity and cries, he tells them what shall befall them, which he would gladly prevent, but all is in vain. In the passage just quoted, Mat. 11:21-24, where he rebukes them, he does not treat them in love, but in the severity of faith. However here, it is all sincere love and mercy. This is worthy of our consideration.

5. First, as he approached the city they went before and followed him with songs of great joy, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" and spread their garments in the way and cut branches from the trees and strewed them in the way; the whole scene was most glorious. But in the midst of all this joy he begins to weep. He permits all the world to be joyful, while he himself was bowed with grief, when he beheld the city and said: "If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things that belong unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes."

6. As though he would say: Oh, if you only knew what belongs to your peace, that you might not be destroyed, but be preserved with both temporal and eternal peace, you would yet this day consider, and redeem the time! And now it is high time for You to know what is for your highest welfare. But you are blind, and will neglect the opportunity, until there shall be neither help nor counsel. As though to say: Here you stand, firmly built, and within you are strong and mighty men, who, secure and happy, think there is no danger! Yet, about forty years more, and you shall be utterly destroyed The Lord plainly says this in these words: "For the days shall come upon thee, when thy enemies shall cast up a bank about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side and shall dash thee to the ground and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation."

7. But the Jews were stubborn, and depended on God's promises, which they thought meant nothing else than that they should continue forever. They were secure, and vainly thought: God will not do such things to us. We own the temple; here God himself dwells; besides we have mighty men, money and treasures enough to defy all our enemies! For even the Romans, and the emperor after he had conquered the city, confessed that the city was so well and firmly built, that it would have been impossible to take it, had God not especially willed it. Therefore they trusted in their own glory, and built their confidence on a false delusion, which finally deceived them.

8. The Lord, however, saw deeper into the future than they when he said: 0, Jerusalem! if thou hadst known what I know, thou wouldst seek thy peace. Peace in the Scriptures means, when all things go well with us. You now think you have pleasant days, but if you knew how your enemies will encamp round about you, compass you about and hedge you in on every side, crush you to the ground and demolish all your beautiful buildings, and leave not one stone upon another; you would eagerly accept the Word, which brings to you solid peace and every blessing. [The woeful history of the destruction of Jerusalem you can read in books, from which those who wish will easily understand this Gospel.]

9. God caused his threats to be executed even thus, that the city was besieged at the time of the Easter festival, when the Jews were assembled within the walls of Jerusalem from every land, and as the historian Josephus writes, there were together at that time about three million people. This was an enormous multitude. Only one hundred thousand people would have been enough to crowd the city. But all this great multitude God in his wrath intended to bake, melt and weld together into one mass of ruin. Yet, the Apostles and Christians were all out of the city, they had withdrawn into the land of Herod, Samaria, Galilee, and were scattered among the heathen. Thus God separated and saved the good grain and poured the chaff into one place. There was such an immense multitude of Jews present., that they were sufficient to devour a whole kingdom, to say nothing of only one city. They also fell into such distress and famine, that they devoured everything and had nothing left, until they were at last compelled to eat their leather bow-strings, shoe latchets and shoe leather; and finally mothers moved by their distress butchered their own children, which the soldiers snatched from them, for they smelt the odor of the boiling meat through the squares of the city. They used dove's dung for salt, which commanded a high price. In short, there was distress and bloodshed enough to melt a rock to tears; so that no one could have believed that God's wrath could be so horrible and that he would so unmercifully martyr a people. The buildings and the streets were piled full of the dead, who perished from starvation, and yet the Jews were so raging that they defied God and refused to yield, until the emperor was compelled to use force and capture the city, when they could no longer maintain their ground.

10. And as some Jews were such rogues as to swallow their money so that it could not be taken from them, the soldiers thought that they all had swallowed their money; therefore they cut them open by the thousands, hunting for it. The slaughter and destruction were so great, that even the heathen were moved to compassion, and the emperor was forced to give orders no longer to destroy them, but to take them prisoners and sell them as slaves. The Jews then became so cheap, that thirty were sold for a penny; and thus they were scattered throughout the whole world, and were everywhere despised as the vilest people on earth, and thus they are everywhere regarded at the present day, everywhere dispersed, without a city or a country of their own, and they can never meet again as they vainly believe to establish their priesthood and kingdom. Thus God avenged the death of Christ and all his prophets, and paid them back because they knew not the day of their visitation. APPLICATION TO GERMANY.

11. Here let us learn a lesson, for this concerns us, not us alone who are here present, but the whole country of Germany. It is not a mere jest, nor should we think that it will go different with us. The Jews would not believe until they experienced it and became conscious of it. God has now also visited us, and has opened the precious treasures of his holy Gospel unto us, by which we can learn God's will, and see how we were held by the power of the devil. Yet no one will earnestly believe it, yea, we much more despise it and make light of it. No city, no officer of the government is thankful for the Gospel; and what is still worse the great majority persecute and blaspheme it. God has great patience; he waits to see how we will deal with his Gospel; but when we once let the opportunity slip, he will take his Word from us, and then the wrath which consumed the Jews will also consume us. For it is one and the selfsame Word, the very same God, and the identical Christ, the Jews themselves had; therefore the punishment in body and soul will also most certainly be the same.



[We, of course, regard it as mockery, and care nothing for it. This is only an evidence of our own blindness. We ought to perceive that God is hardening us; for there is not a single city that is concerned about it; no officer of the law shows any zeal in its favor. It is most deplorable.] And I fear the time will yet come when Germany will lay in a heap of ruins. The evil winds have already begun to blow destruction in our peasant war. We have already lost many people. Nearly one hundred thousand men, only between Easter and Pentecost! It is an awful work of God, and I fear it will not stop at this. It is only a foretaste of a threat to frighten us, that we may prepare ourselves for the coming ordeal. So far it is but a fox's tail, but God will soon come with a terrible scourge, and lash us to pieces.

12. But we will act just like the Jews, and care nothing for it, until all help and counsel are lost forever. Now we might check it, for now it is high time for us to know what is best for us, and accept the Gospel in peace, while grace is brought, and peace is offered unto us. But we permit one day after another, one year after another to pass, and do even less than formerly. No one prays now, no one is in earnest. When the time is past, prayers will be of no avail. We do not lay it to heart, and think we are safe, and do not see the awful calamity which has already begun, and are not aware that God so dreadfully punishes us with false prophets and sects, which he sends us everywhere, and who preach so securely as though they had swallowed the Holy Spirit whole. Those whom we had thought were the very best among us, go to work and lead the people astray, until they scarcely know what to do or leave undone.

13. But this is only a beginning, although it is frightful and terrible enough. For there is no greater distress and calamity than when God sends us sects and false spirits, because they are so impudent and daringly bold, that they are really to be pitied. On the other hand the Word of God is such a great treasure, that no one can sufficiently comprehend its worth. For God himself considers his treasure immensely great, and when he visits us with his grace, he earnestly desires that we should gladly and freely accept it, and does not compel us as he is able to do, but it is his will that we should gladly obey it from choice and love. For he does not wait until we come to him, but he comes first to us. He comes into the world, becomes man, serves us, dies for us, rises again from the dead, sends us his Holy Spirit, gives us his Word, and opens heaven so wide that all men can enter; besides he gives us rich promises and assurances that he will care for us in time and in eternity, here and there, and pours out into our bosoms all the fulness of his grace. Therefore the acceptable time of grace is now at hand. Yet, we neglect it, and cast it to the winds, so that he will not and cannot give it to us.


14. For when we fall and sin in other ways, he can better spare us and be lenient, he of course will spare us and forgive; but when we despise his Word, it calls for punishment, and he will also punish us, even if he delays a hundred years. But he will not wait that long. And the clearer the Word is preached the greater the punishment will be. I fear it will be the destruction of all Germany. Would to God I were a false prophet in this matter. Yet it will most certainly take place. God cannot permit this shameful disregard of his Word to go unpunished, nor will he wait long, for the Gospel is so abundantly proclaimed that it has never been as plainly and clearly taught since the days of the Apostles, as it is at present. God be praised! Hence it applies to Germany, as I fear it will be destroyed, unless we act differently.

15. We, who have heard the Gospel for a long time, ought earnestly to pray God that he continue to grant us peace. The princes and officers want to settle everything with the sword, and too impudently interfere with God's office, until God himself shall smite them down. So it is high time faithfully to beseech God to permit his Gospel to be further spread through Germany, to those who have not yet heard it. For if the punishment came suddenly upon us, all will be lost, and many souls will be taken before the Gospel comes to them. Therefore I wish that we would not so terribly despise the Gospel, the costly treasure, not only for our own sakes, but also for the sake of those who have not yet heard it. It has become a little quiet, God grant that it may so continue, and that both the princes and the citizens may become more sane; for if it should begin afresh, I fear it would have no end.

16. But we act just like the Jews, who cared more for the belly than for God. They were more concerned how to fill their stomachs than how to be saved. For this reason they have lost both, and have been served just right. Because they would not accept eternal life and peace, God took their bodily life, so that they have lost both body and soul. They also immediately put forth the excuse, just as our own people do today. We would of course gladly accept the Gospel, if it would not place our bodies and property in jeopardy, and if thereby we would not hazzard the loss of our wives and children. For the Jews said, if we believe in him, the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation, John 11:48. As nothing will happen sooner than what the wicked fear, as Solomon says, Prov. 10:24: "The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him." This prevented the Jews to believe God, and they did not consider the great and rich promises God bestowed upon them. So we also pass them by, and are not aware of the all powerful and comfortable promises Christ gives when he says, Mat. 19:29: Ye shall receive a hundredfold here, and there ye shall inherit eternal life. Let wife and child go, I will care for them, and restore them again to you. Only courageously trust in me. [Do you not think that I can build you another house? Do you regard me as being a hard man? Yet I will give you heaven; will you not risk it on my Word?] If you are robbed of your treasures, blessed are ye, heaven and earth are mine, I will reward you a hundredfold.

17. We pass over these and many like passages, and besides despise them, and depend only on what we have in our banks, and how we may keep our purses filled, and do not consider that God has also given us what we have, and will still give us more; nor do we consider that when we lose God, the stomach will also be lost. Therefore we are served just right in losing both the creator and the creature besides.
18. But believers in God risk all in him and transfer all things into his care, for him to do according to his pleasure, and think thus: God has given you your home and wife, you have not produced them Yourself; now because they are God's, I will entrust them all to his care, he will keep them from all harm. I must otherwise leave all at any rate, therefore I will bravely trust him with them, and for his sake give up all I have. If God wants me here, he will give me other treasures, for he has promised to give enough for this life and for the life to come. If he does not want me here, I owe him a death, which will bring me into eternal life; when he calls me, I will go trusting in his Word.

19. Whoever is not thus disposed, denies God, and must at the same time lose both, the present and the eternal life. The belly with its foul odors is our God, and prevents us from clinging to God's Word. First, I will be certain how I shall feed, and where my supplies are. The Gospel says: Trust in God; and your stomach shall most certainly be provided for, and have enough [without believing or trusting in it]. But if I have only five dollars they give me so much courage to think I have anyhow enough food for ten days, that I trust in such limited provisions, and do not trust God who fed me hitherto, that he will care for me tomorrow.

20. Is it not a shameful vexation or calamity that I trust in a penny that I will have something to eat tomorrow? How contemptible this carcass! Shall a penny have more weight in my heart and give me more courage than God himself, who holds heaven and earth in his power, who gives us the air we breathe and the water we, drink, who makes our corn to grow and gives us all things? it is so scandalous that it cannot be uttered, that God should not amount to as much with us as a hundred guilders. Why not think that God, who has created me, will surely feed me, if he wants me to live? If he does not want this, very well, I shall be satisfied.

21. Yes, says the stomach, I find no God in my chest! You silly donkey, who assures you that you will live tomorrow? You are not certain whether you will have a belly tomorrow, and you want to know where to find the bread and the food! Yes, you have a fine assurance! When our hearts are thus prompted, we see what a government of hell there would be on earth; yes, it would be the devil himself. Is it not a thing most abominable, that God who feeds so many mouths, should be held in such low esteem by me, that I will not trust him to feed me? Yea, that a guilder, thirty-eight cents, should be valued more highly than God, who pours out his treasures everywhere in rich profusion. For the world is full of God and his works. He is everywhere present with his gifts, and yet we will not trust in him, nor accept his visitation. Shame on thee, thou cursed world! What kind of a child is that, who cannot trust in God for a single day, but trusts in a guilder?

22. Now, I think, we see what the world is, how on account of the belly the world despises God, and yet must lose the belly together with body and soul. Oh, what godless people we are, and yet we are to spit upon or despise the world. If one would consider that he is such a godless wretch, that he cannot trust in God, he would not wish to live. Only choke away; for as captives we stick too deeply in the old Adam. The world is hell in prospect, yea, the real kingdom of Satan, a court yard in hell, except that the body is still here, otherwise it is true hell.

23. For this reason Christ admonishes us with tears to know our salvation and accept his visitation, that the calamity may not follow, which will surely come upon those who do not accept it, who are secure, until swift and sudden destruction comes upon them. May God give us grace, that we may know ourselves! The Gospel further reads: "And he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold, saying unto them: It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of robbers."
PART II. THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE.

24. This is the second part of our Gospel, where the Lord takes hold of matters in earnest with his powerful hand, when he goes into the temple and casts out those who bought and sold there. For the first part was nothing but an admonition and incentive unto faith. Here the Lord now tells us what the temple of God is, and quotes passages from the Scriptures, and especially from the prophet Isaiah, 56:7, where God says: "For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." You, however, have made it a house of merchandise. This is a strong passage which the prophet utters: "for all peoples, for all Gentiles," is against the Jews, who trusted in the temple of God at Jerusalem, and thought that this material house in Jerusalem would stand forever, and that it was impossible for God to demolish this temple or destroy this city. The Word of God does not lie. For this reason they also murdered Stephen, because he spoke against that holy place and said, Acts 6:14: "Jesus shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us." And they said: have not the prophets praised this house, and Christ himself says here, that it is a house of prayer, and you Apostles say, he will destroy it.

25. But we must rightly understand this expression, that the city of Jerusalem, the temple and the people, should remain until the time of Christ. With this agree all the prophets, who have given all things into the hands of Christ; as he would then dispose of it, so it should be and remain. Hence the passage in Isaiah goes no further than unto the times of Christ, as also all the prophets say, that after that there shall come a kingdom extending over the whole world, as in Malachi 1:10-11 we read: "For from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah of hosts." Here the prophet speaks of the spiritual kingdom of Christ, who shall build himself a house of prayer as extensive as the whole world.

26. It is true that God himself has established the temple at Jerusalem, not because it consisted of beautiful stones and costly buildings, or because it was consecrated by bishops, as at present men employ such foolery and juggling tricks; but God himself had consecrated and sanctified it with his Word, when he said: This house is my house! for his Word was preached in it. Now, wherever God's Word is preached, there is God's own true house, there God most certainly dwells with his grace. Wherever his Gospel is, there is a house of prayer, there men shall and may truly pray, and God will also hear their prayer, as Christ in John 16:23-24 says: "If ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full." Here again, where the Word is not found, there the devil has full sway.
MLC - Marvin's Little Cathedral


27. That we have imitated the Jews and built so many churches, would be well enough, if we had done it in order that the Word of God might be preached there; for where the Word goes there God is present, and looks down from heaven and pours out his grace. Therefore he says to the Jews here: I will not that you should make out of my house a den of robbers. For there were money changers in it who sold sheep and oxen, that strangers might buy them for their offerings in divine service. Why then does he call it a den of robbers? Surely, he gives it a scandalous name. He does it however because they no longer appreciate the house as the house of God, but as a market house; that is, the priests did not inquire how the Word of God was preached in it, although they sang, they babbled and read the prophets and Moses; but God cares nothing for such a murmuring of Psalms; that belongs to children.

28. They did just as our priests and monks do now, who have also made dens of robbers of our churches and cloisters, and have preached poison, and held masses only that the people might give them money and presents for holding them that they might thus fill their stomachs. They made the church a market house, in which they carried on their idle talk, corrupted and destroyed the sheep of God's pastures by their scandalous false doctrine, that it may well be called a robber's den for the soul. This title we should write on all churches in which the Gospel is not preached, for there they mock God, destroy souls, banish the pure Word and establish dens of murder; for he who listens to their words must die. Oh, how shamefully we have been deceived! Now, however, we should praise God, that this Word again brings us life, drives out the murderers, and teaches us how to pray aright; for an honest heart must pray, not with the mouth, but with the heart. THE CONCLUSION.

29. Thus we have heard the second part of our Gospel, how Christ drove out the merchants that pandered to base appetites, and made room for his Word. It would be a good thing, in this same way to cleanse our cloisters, and turn them into schools or preaching places; if this is not done they will be and continue to be nothing but dens of robbers; for if Christ calls his own house a den of robbers, how much more will our churches and temples, not consecrated by God, be called dens of robbers?

30. I have often requested you to pray God to turn his wrath and restrain the devil now in the world. For you have undoubtedly heard of the great calamity, how many have been slain in the insurrection. We fear they have all been lost, for God requires obedience, and has himself pronounced the sentence, Mat. 26:52: "For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." The devil has taken possession of the world, who knows when our turn will come. Therefore let us pray that God's kingdom may come and Christians may be multiplied, that he send wise and intelligent ministers to care for the people and listen to their wants. He who knows the gift of God prays for others who have not yet heard the Word, it is high time to do so. [Pray the Lord's Prayer.]

31. Well, wherever this calamity begins and prevails, that the people maliciously despise the day God visits us with his Word and grace, for the sake of the belly and a little temporal benefit and advantage; there must follow as a consequence of such treatment the final punishment and wrath of God, who will utterly destroy them, remove the foundation of their trust, and overthrow the country and the people, so that both temporal and eternal interests go down together. For how shall he otherwise treat us, because of our scandalous ingratitude for his great love and mercy which he publicly declared unto us by his gracious visitation? How shall or can he do more for us, while we with wantonness and defiance spurn his help, and ever struggle and strive after wrath and destruction? For if those are not free of punishment who transgress the law and sin against the ten commandments; how much less will he permit those to go unpunished, who blaspheme and despise the Gospel of his grace, Seeing the law by far does not bring as many good things as the Gospel?

32. If we will not wish to enjoy this happy day which he gives us unto grace and our salvation, he can also instead permit us to see and experience nothing but the dark and terrible night of all affliction and misfortune. And since we will not hear this precious Word and the proclamation of peace, we will be forced to hear the devil's cry of murder ring in our ears from every direction. Now is the time for us to know the day, and well employ the rich and golden year, while the annual fair is before our very doors, and acknowledge that he has severely punished us. If we neglect it and allow it to pass, we can never hope for a better day or expect any peace; for the Lord, who is the Lord of peace, will be with us no longer.

33. But if Christ be no longer with us, our hope will vanish; and wherever this beloved guest is rejected, and his Christians no longer tolerated, government, peace and everything shall perish, for he too desires to eat with us, to rule and to provide bountifully. However, he desires also to be known as such a Lord, in order that we may be thankful to him, and also permit this guest and his Christians to eat with us, and give him his due tribute; if not, we will then be forced to give it to another, who will so thank and reward us for it, that we shall not be able to retain a bite of bread or a penny in peace. But the world will not believe this, just as the Jews also would not believe it, until they experienced it, and faith came to their assistance. For God has ordained, that this Christ shall be Lord and King upon the earth, under whose feet he has put all things, and whoever would have peace and good days, must be kind and obedient to him, or he will be dashed to pieces like a potter's vessel. Ps. 2:9. THE SECOND PART OF THIS GOSPEL. "And he entered into the temple, and began to cast out those that sold, saying unto them: It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of robbers."

34. Here he shows the aim of his great activity, and what concerns him most of all, which was also the cause of his weeping. It is indeed a terrible history, that he who so recently wept out of great sympathy and compassion, so soon can change and come forth in great anger, (for our beloved Lord burns with great devotion and zeal), and goes into the temple as in a storm, and strikes with his uplifted arm as the Lord of the temple, of course with an excellent and warm spirit by which he is moved, beholding the chief cause of distress and the destruction, of which he spoke and over which he wept; namely, that the chief government, which should be God's own and be called his temple, is all perverted and desolate, God's Word and true worship entirely suppressed and corrupted, even by those who would be leaders and teachers of the people, on account of their disgraceful greed and their own glory. He would say by this: Yes, it is this, that will completely bring on the calamity, and make an end of everything among this people.

35. Therefore, as merciful and compassionate as he showed himself to be to the poor multitude of people who are so wretchedly misled to their destruction; so great was the anger he showed against those who are the cause of this destruction. Otherwise he did not often resort to physical force and cause an uproar, as he does here, so that it is a strange act for an excellent and kind man, so full of love. But the cause of it is the great and powerful zeal and fervency of Spirit, which sees whence all affliction and sorrow come, namely, because the true worship of God is abolished and the name of God is so blasphemed that it is used merely for a show.

36. For the temple and the whole priesthood were ordained for the purpose of enforcing God's Word, to praise his grace and mercy, etc.; and to testify to this and thank him for his Word by an external worship of offerings. However, they did not teach praise and thanksgiving to God, but instead they perverted it into the doctrine of monks and works, so that with such offerings one merited the grace of God, and if they only offered a great deal, God would give them heaven and every good thing on earth. And hence they built their hopes for everything, which they ought to look for out of pure grace and mercy of God, on their own works and merits. And besides they were misled so far in the devil's name, that their avarice set up there in the temple tables for bankers and counters for traders in doves and all kinds of cattle used for offerings, so that those coming from distant lands and cities could find enough there to purchase, or if they had no money, they might barter for or borrow it, so that there might by all means be as many and as great offerings as possible. Thus under the name of divine worship the true worship of God was overthrown and rooted out; and they substituted for God's grace and goodness their own merits, and for his free gift their own works, which he was obliged to accept from us and thank us for them, and allow himself to be treated as an idol, compelled to do what pleases us, be angry or laugh, just as we wish it; and besides satiate their outrageous greed, by such idolatrous doings, and without any sense of shame carry on a public annual fair.

37. Just as our Pope's crowd, priests and monks, also did, who taught nothing but to trust in human works, and on this doctrine constructed everything in their church government, so that the people are compelled to purchase these things from them, who thus established a daily public fair over the whole world. And nothing was omitted that could be made to serve their greed, and for money they sold God, Christ, the Sacrament of the mass, absolution, and forgiveness of sins, the loosing and binding key. And to this must be added their own invented human nonsense, which they pretend is divine worship, such as the brotherhood of monks, and their own superfluous merits; yea, even to put upon the dead a monk's hood and cords; likewise the bishop's and priest's nasty oil, all kinds of bones of the dead which they call holy, letters of indulgence to eat butter, married women, children of priests and the like. All this had to bring and yield them money daily.

38. And especially the great rat king at Rome with his Judas purse, which is the great money gulch that in the name of Christ and the church has appropriated to itself all the possessions of the world. For he has reserved unto himself the power to forbid whatever he pleased and again to allow it for money, even to take and give kingdoms, whenever and as often as he pleased, and taxed lords and kings as it suited him. This is a much more infamous and barefaced perversion of the temple of God into a house of merchandise, than was perpetrated by the Jews at Jerusalem. For it belonged to Antichrist, as is prophesied of him, to levy and collect for himself the treasures of the world; and St. Peter speaking of such a hoard in 2 Pet. 2:3 says: "And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not."

39. Therefore Christ is justly angry at such desecration of his temple by these bloated misers, who do not only despise and forsake the true worship of God, but also pervert it and trample it under their feet. And thus they truly make out of the temple which God ordained for the purpose of teaching the people the Word of God and guiding them to heaven, nothing but a den of robbers, where nothing but the destruction and the murder of immortal souls take place, because they silence God's Word, through which alone souls can be saved, and instead they are fed on the devil's lies, etc. This is truly the chief sin and principal cause, why the Jews with their temple and all they had, deserved to go to destruction and ruin. For, as they destroyed the kingdom of God itself, he will no longer build up their kingdom for them. Wherefore he says: Because you go to work, and instead of my kingdom you build the kingdom of Satan, so will I also work against you, and will destroy everything utterly, that I have built for you. This is an example he began to do on that very day when he rushed among them in the temple, as his last public act before his death, which after his departure the Romans would effectually complete; namely, they with all they had would be totally swept away, as he cleanses his temple of them, that they may no more possess either their worship, temple nor priesthood, country or people.

40. He has, God be praised, even commenced to overthrow our idols and spectres, and Popery's abominable merchandise of perfidy, and to purify his churches through the Gospel, also as a prelude, that it may be seen that he will also make an end of them, as before our eyes they have already begun to fall, and they must daily fall more and more, and they will be much more horribly dashed to the earth and everlastingly destroyed, than the Jews were destroyed and exterminated, because theirs is still a much more shameful abomination. This shall first properly begin when the Gospel has departed on account of their disgraceful, horrible blasphemy; but it will finally come to an end on the last day and be completely and forever destroyed.

41. Let Germany, which, praise to God, now has the Gospel, beware, that she may not meet the same fate, as it already so strongly everywhere indicates she will. For we dare not think that the contempt and unthankfulness, which are gaining control among us as great as among the Jews, will remain unpunished. After that he will let the godless world complain and cry: If the Gospel had not come, such things would not have come upon us; just like the Jews at Jerusalem blamed all their calamities to the preaching of the Gospel, and they themselves at the risk of their own necks prophesied that if Christ with his Gospel should continue, the Romans would come and take away their place and nation. And afterward also, even the Romans blamed their destruction to this new God and new doctrine. Just as it is said at present, since the Gospel has appeared things have never been right.

42. And thus it will also go with the world; as its people despise and persecute God's Word, and become so hardened and blinded, they will blame no one as the cause and merit of their destruction but the precious Gospel itself; which nevertheless alone preserves, thank God, what is still preserved; otherwise all things would long since lay in one common heap of ruins. And yet it must bear the blame for everything that the devil and his clans transact. Because people continue to blaspheme and will not recognize what our sins deserve and the grace and mercy which we have in the Gospel, God must thus repay such blasphemers, so that they become their own prophets, and for a double wickedness receive a double reward. This premonition has already gone forth, except that it is yet withheld on account of the faithful few; just as he beforehand admonished the Jews by this example when he cast those that sold and bought out of the temple, and afterwards went into the temple himself and finally taught until the day of his death, and yet for a time withheld as long as he could, and afterwards by his Apostles until they would no longer tolerate them; so now we, who cleave to Christ, restrain punishment as long as we live; but when these too shall lay down their heads, then the world will realize what it once had.