ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Luther Rocks: Purely Intentional?
Check Out His Link
Luther Rocks: Purely Intentional?:
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2011
Purely Intentional?
Some of the upcoming installments of the current series I have been posting will get more into music theory. It will talk about unresolved cadences; chord progressions that don't make sense on the surface; chord selection; rhythm selection and the hypnotic affect of all this through repetition.
While driving to and from work lately, I have been listening to CCM again. It has been research time well spent in the light of this BWBW series. This morning I listened to Third Day's cover of O Come All Ye Faithful. The original setting of the song (in all the hymnals) is in a major key and an anthem that will be sung in many churches on Christmas Eve and Day. But the Third Day version isn't the same joyful from the opening downbeat to the ending, at least from a musical perspective. In fact I found it quite striking that the words 'joyful' and 'Christ' are sung over minor chords. The phrases are major except for the minor chord which enters and departs quickly and subtly. Why would they do that? So it really got me to thinking. I Googled some things regarding Third Day and this interesting web page came up. It makes you think. The Third Day song is posted below. You be the judge.
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Florida governor calls for suspension of Florida A&M president over hazing death, fraud probe - The Washington Post
Florida governor calls for suspension of Florida A&M president over hazing death, fraud probe - The Washington Post:
GJ - When will WELS call off their secret hazing ritual at Mequon - GA?
They hazed six chosen students this year, as reported by...
I forget.
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GJ - When will WELS call off their secret hazing ritual at Mequon - GA?
They hazed six chosen students this year, as reported by...
I forget.
'via Blog this'
Labels:
WELS Hazing
Intrepid Lutherans: Rebuking and Correcting the Church Growth Movement.
GJ - Better Late Than Never
Intrepid Lutherans: Rebuking and Correcting the Church Growth Movement:
Rebuking and Correcting the Church Growth Movement
We found this post on Brothers of John the Steadfast very edifying, and they have been kind enough to let us repost it here. There are many parallels between what has happened in the LCMS and what has happened in the WELS with respect to the Church Growth Movement. One difference is that the WELS never toyed around too seriously with the historical-critical method, so it never needed to be debunked in the WELS, which means there was never a "void" left to be filled by something else. So what is our excuse for letting in all this non-Lutheran CGM stuff? [GJ - The answer is that the WELS leaders all studied CG at Fuller with Missouri, the ELS, and ELCA. They all share the same doctrinal foundation: forgiveness without the Word, Enthusiasm. But boy oh boy are they unforgiving!]
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Five Simple Scriptural Truths that Rebuke and Correct the Church Growth Movement, by Pr. Rossow
December 14th, 2011 Post by Pastor Tim Rossow
I am convinced that the church growth movement is harmful for the church. Some of you may ask “What is the church growth movement?“ It is a way of “doing” church that arose in the 1970’s and 80’s. By the middle of the 80’s it was being taught at the St. Louis Seminary.
On a benign level it is the application of common sense to the parish in order to make sure that we are doing our best for the Lord’s church and with an eye toward growth. For instance, if people are driving right past your church on a Sunday morning because your parking lot is full, it would be good to rally the parishioners around the goal of raising funds to increase parking.
The church growth movement harms the church when it extends the reach of reason to the point of compromising the Scriptural and Confessional approach to the Lord’s church. This faulty way of applying church growth methods took hold among the LCMS movers and shakers as a natural filling of the void left when the historical-critical method of understanding the Bible (liberalism’s use of reason to question the truth of the Scriptures) was debunked in the synod in the early 1970’s. It is as if a certain element in the church learned from the battle for the Bible that it was wrong to apply reason to critique Scripture but that they did not fully realize nor have the depth of thought to reject the use of the whore reason (one of Luther’s favorite phrases) when it is applied to church practice. This move was aided by the American’s love for its only indigenous philosophy – Pragmatism, which asserts that whatever works is true. Countless parishes in the LCMS today are organized around this false use of reason and practicality.
Here are five common examples of how this is practiced in the LCMS today and simple Scriptural truths that rebuke and correct such false uses of reason.
The tiresome and unending over-emphasis on personal evangelism. There is not even one single Scripture in the New Testament that mandates or even exhorts one to personal, lay evangelism. (If you can find one, please share it with us in the comment section below.) Another way of saying this is to reject the false assertion that the main thing the church is to do is to grow. No, the main thing the church is to do is to be steadfast and faithful (Colossians 1:23).
We need to love people to Christ (in other words, doctrine and teaching turn people off). The Church is not about loving people to Christ – the Bible says we are to love the brothers and respect the world. It is an error of liberalism to supplant the preaching of the forgiveness of sins with peace and justice for all. Search the Scriptures and you will see that when the Bible speaks of acts of mercy it overwhelmingly is speaking about love for the brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. A few years ago I read through the entire Scriptures with an eye toward recording all of the incidents where Christians were exhorted to show mercy and compassion. Clearly over 90% of the passages were about showing mercy to those in the body of Christ. The classic statement of this is in I Peter 2:17 where it says “honor everyone, love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” Our concern for the world is expressed in honor. Our concern for fellow Christians is expressed in love. This applies to the worn out passage about the priesthood of all believers. It is not so much about personal evangelism as it is about being respectful in the culture. Read I Peter 2 carefully and you will see that we are to be respectful and decent in the world so that the pagans cannot hold our disrespectful behavior against the Gospel that is preached from our pulpits. It is hardly an exhortation to knock on doors for Jesus. (Knocking on doors is not necessarily a bad idea – it is just not emphasized in Scripture like it is by the synodocrats of the last decade.)
The Bible teaches that where two or three are gathered together there is a small group. Actually, where two are three are gathered together, according to Christ’s own word, is not a small group but is an assembly of the congregation with the authority to excommunicate someone. The passage of note is Matthew 18:15-20. Yes, this is the infamous Matthew 18 passage. Verse 20 speaks about two or three being gathered and it is included in the passage on rebuking sin. It is not an exhortation to small group meetings. Allow me to rescue it from infamy and bring it back down to the voters assembly where it belongs. Do the math. When your brother sins against you and will not repent go get one more and give it another try. When he still won’t repent go get one or more in addition and give it one more try. Now we are starting to see how Jesus intends us to understand “where two or three are gathered.” The three or more are the church. In verse seventeen Jesus tells the church that they have the authority to treat someone like a tax collector (excommunicate them) and since that is a scary prospect he encourages them by saying “wherever two or more of you are gathered in my name to do this scary thing, I am there with you.” The misuse of this passage to support “small group ministry” is a classic case of the church growth movement abusing Scripture. I cannot tell you how many times I have had people throw this verse at me in defense of small groups. Church growth advocates don’t like excommunication because it tends to shrink the church. But Christ’s words about two or three gathering together are about exactly that, gathering the church together to make the last attempt to love the brother via excommunication (i.e. to wake them up out of the slumber of their unrepented sin).
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WELS figures that weeds will go away on their own. Check out Fox Valley, Kudu Don Patterson, just about everywhere. |
Doctrine divides and turns people off. Touching people’s emotions works better than teaching them doctrine. This of course is the principal that is used to support the singing of popular American Evangelical songs in place of the old, boring, stuffy doctrinal hymns out of the hymnal. I encourage you to read the epistles of Paul and do a comparison of the number of times Paul encourages people to learn and grow in knowledge (doctrine) versus the number of times he encourages them to grow in their emotional attachment to Jesus. (Does he ever do that? I can’t think of a single case but I am happy to learn and I am sure you will be happy to teach in the comment section below.)
Everyone is a Minister. The Pastor is a player-coach and his vocation is essentially the same as every other Christ. Pastors are unique. Their work is unique. There is not a single New Testament Scripture about the laity teaching (the proper work of the pastor) but there are dozens of Scriptures about pastors being given the vocation of preacher/teacher (not to mention the first two entries in the Small Catechism’s table of duties). This does not mean that we are not to have an educated laity. To the contrary, the preachers are teaching the laity. The laity are to learn (see #4 above). Learning doctrine is crucial for the church to be faithful. It’s just that everyone is not a teacher in the church.
I did not go searching for these principals. They began to strike me in the last twenty years or so once I took off the synodcrat glasses and started reading the Scriptures for what they say and in the manner that they are read by the Confessors.
BTW, speaking of reading the Scriptures as the Confessors did, here is a sixth bonus debunked principal:
Predestination is a harmful, dangerous topic that ought to be avoided. Do a word search on “predestined,” “election,” and the like in your Bible and you will find that it is a prominent and important topic in the Scriptures. Read Luther’s Bondage of the Will and you will begin to see how false and bankrupt the American Evangelical approach is to Scripture, conversion, growing the church and Christian piety in general. Sadly the American Evangelical approach has overrun the minds of many of our pastors. The Scriptural teaching of eternal election properly highlights the monergism of God and leaves our pragmatic approach to life in the church in the lurch. We are not to “do church” in a practical way. We are to do church in a faithful way. We preach his word to those that like it and those that like it not and God sorts out the rest. This does not entirely rule out practicality or growth, but growth and practicality do not order the way we do things in Christ’s church.
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GJ - I am not at all impressed with "Steadfast Lutherans," but I am glad the Intrepids are belling the cat in WELS.
I discovered the sound of one hand clapping when I published about 300 articles in Christian News against Church Growth in WELS, the LCMS, and the Little Sect on the Prairie. Herman Otten responded by selling Valleskey's Church Growth textbook as a doctrinal book.
Labels:
LCMS UOJ WELS
LCMS-NALC Discussions

NALC-LCMS Discussion Group.
Lutheran Church in Canada, too, eh?
Lutheran Church in Canada, too, eh?
LCMS-NALC Discussions:
On 15 – 16 December 2011, representatives from The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) held discussions in Saint Louis, MO, at the LCMS International Center. NALC Participants included Bishop John Bradosky, Dr. James Nestingen, Bishop Emeritus Paull Spring, Rev. Dave Wendel (Chair of Ecumenical Relationships Committee). LCMS participants included President Matthew Harrison, Vice-President Herb Mueller, Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations, Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, Executive Director of the CTCR, Rev. Larry Vogel, CTCR Staff, and Rev. John Pless, Professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, President of the Lutheran Church Canada (LCC) attended the LCMS-NALC discussions as an observer.
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Labels:
Pan-Lutheran
Mid-Week Advent Service.
John 1:19-28
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By Norma Boeckler |
Mid-Week Advent Vespers
The Christmas
Eve service will be at 7 PM Central.
We will be
traveling south to be with our son’s family on Christmas Day,
so there will
not be a Christmas Day service.
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran
Worship, 7 PM Phoenix Time
The Hymn # 552 Abide with Me 2:11
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Hymn # 552 Abide with Me 2:11
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm
92 p.
143
The Lection John 15:1-10
The Sermon Hymn #645 Behold a Branch 2:2
The Lection John 15:1-10
The Sermon Hymn #645 Behold a Branch 2:2
The Sermon
– Pointing to Christ
The Prayers
The Lord’s
Prayer
The Collect
for Grace p.
45
The Hymn # 558 All Praise to Thee 2.9
The Hymn # 558 All Praise to Thee 2.9
KJV John 1:19 And this is
the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to
ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am
not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith,
I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto
him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest
thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 24
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said
unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias,
neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but
there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after
me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28
These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Pointing to Christ
John 1:19 And this is the
record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask
him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not
the Christ.
After the previous sermon about John the Baptist, someone
said that others foolishly said this – John sent disciples to Jesus because he
had lost faith while in prison. That contradicts the plain message of the
passage, Matthew 11:2ff. Jesus said John was “more than a prophet,” not the
kind of commendation given to someone who lost faith in the Savior.
The faith of John is emphasized in this Gospel lesson for
the Fourth Sunday in Advent.
It is from the Gospel of Faith.
John the Baptist had a following, so the religious leaders
came to him, asking about his intentions. The civilized world was looking for
the Savior, and the Jewish people were especially aware of the predictions
about this figure. The throne had passed from the House of David, which was a
key sign, since Herod was on the throne. The Star of Bethlehem was seen at the
time of Jesus’ birth. Anyone who could count might wonder when the adult
Messiah would appear.
John the Baptist reminded everyone of the Old Testament
prophets, because he commanded people to repent of their sins and believe in
the Savior.
John clearly told the religious leaders, “I am not the
Christ.” The tradition then was to anoint the head of the king with oil when he
was crowned. That is done with the king or queen of England to this day. (The
royal fish is used – whale oil. All whales stranded on the shore belong to the
crown.) The word for anointed with oil is Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek.
Both are shorthand for The King Anointed with Oil. The Anointed signifies this
special figure.
Anointing is now abused by the Enthusiasts as a term to
promote whatever they do. Their plays, dramas, and music are “anointed,”
meaning “anointed with the Holy Spirit.” They never tire of divorcing the Holy
Spirit from the Word. A better commendation would be “faithful to the Word.”
John’s role was not to point to himself but to point to
Christ.
21 And they asked him, What
then? Art thou Elias? [Elijah] And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet?
And he answered, No. Then said they
unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What
sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
Elijah would have been a
definite choice, since Elijah was taken up into heaven. He was considered a
forerunner to the Messiah.
That prophet was another one
expected to appear just before the Messiah began his work. There are large
books about Messianic expectations of the time, many of them based upon
paradise on earth or freedom from Roman occupation. The political or military
expectations led to two revolts after the time of Christ, the Zealot revolt and
the Bar Kochba revolt, which led to Jews being banned from the remnants of
Jerusalem.
The whole area was laid
waste because of false expectations and the power of the Roman Empire. The
Roman Empire was defeated only by the Herman the German, luxury, and decadence.
Luxury and decadence were the most powerful destructive forces of all.
John identified his mission
with Isaiah 40 – the voice of one crying in the desert – Prepare the way of the
Lord.
In ancient times (and even
in modern times) special efforts were made for the visitation of the monarch.
Our imperial president arrives in town and all traffic is stopped at the
airport, all streets closed that might interfere with his travel. Every
building is prepared. Windows are sealed shut along a parade route. Manhole
covers are welded shut.
An imperial train traveled
over rough roads in ancient times, so every effort was made to prepare the
route, to offer the best possible experience for someone with god-like power.
John was preparing his
community for the real Lord. It was essential to get them to begin listening to
a faithful prophet, so they would listen to the Gospel of Christ. We heard
someone like that many years ago. He was specifically in charge of cleaning
things up. He gave a sermon where he identified (not by name) major Christian
leaders who were violating the Sixth Commandment. He described a large
congregation where every staff member was committing adultery and confessed to
it. He was a religious version of the FBI.
But John did not just
preaching the Law. He pointed people to the Christ.
24 And they which were sent
were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest
thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John
answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you,
whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me,
whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things were done in
Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Notice how many Christian
leaders point everyone to themselves. They say, “Look at this building I built.
Look at the acres of parking lots. Look at all the money we take in.”
What do we find in the Book
of Concord and Luther’s writing? They are not concerned with institutions and
numbers, but with the Gospel of Christ. If we summarized all the faithful books
of those Lutheran Reformation leaders in a phrase, it would be “Here is the
Christ. Here is forgiveness. Believe in Him.”
Someone wrote me that a pastor
“does not agree with you.” I said, “It only matters if he agrees with the
Scriptures and the Book of Concord.” When we start making a person or a denomination
the standard, the Word of God is forgotten. People and institutions by nature
protect themselves from imagined harm. The Word of God cannot be harmed or
damaged in any way.
“Heaven and earth will pass
away but My Word shall never pass away.”
It is true that people can
twist the Word, but they do that at their own risk. Playing with the divine
power of the Word is like the people who play with explosives, thinking they
will do some damage. They often leave very little evidence behind of their futile
efforts. One man set down a bomb in front of a house. They found his arms and
nothing else, because the trigger was too sensitive. Obama’s best friend lost his
girlfriend when she blew up an entire brownhouse while working on a bomb meant
for others.
The Word remains even if only
a few trust its message. But that message is plain and clear for all – Trust in
Jesus for righteousness, for He speaks forgiveness in our ears.
I just finished a class last
night. The members were supposed to reflect on Psalm 119. It made me sad, because
there was so much Law in all those messages, as if being Christian meant obeying,
commitment, and keeping all promises. By that I mean Christianity as obedience
alone.
I said to them, “We are all
born condemned by unbelief. The purpose of the Christian faith is to show us
how to find forgiveness for our sins. All ministry is a proclamation of the Gospel
of forgiveness, which comes to us through the Word.”
Lobbying for the Faithful: Religious Advocacy Groups in Washington, D.C. - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Lobbying for the Faithful: Religious Advocacy Groups in Washington, D.C. - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life:
The number of organizations engaged in religious lobbying or religion-related advocacy in Washington, D.C., has increased roughly fivefold in the past four decades, from fewer than 40 in 1970 to more than 200 today. These groups collectively employ at least 1,000 people in the greater Washington area and spend at least $390 million a year on efforts to influence national public policy. As a whole, religious advocacy organizations work on about 300 policy issues. For most of the past century, religious advocacy groups in Washington focused mainly on domestic affairs. Today, however, roughly as many groups work only on international issues as work only on domestic issues, and nearly two-thirds of the groups work on both. These are among the key findings of a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life that examines a total of 212 religion-related advocacy groups operating in the nation’s capital.
The study finds that about one-in-five religious advocacy organizations in Washington have a Roman Catholic perspective (19%) and a similar proportion are evangelical Protestant in outlook (18%), while 12% are Jewish and 8% are mainline Protestant. But many smaller U.S. religious groups, including Baha’is, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, also have established advocacy organizations in the Washington area. In fact, the number of Muslim groups (17) is about the same as the number of mainline Protestant groups (16). And the largest category today is interreligious: One-quarter of the groups studied (54) either represent multiple faiths or advocate on religious issues without representing a specific religion.
This report is based on a systematic examination of the websites, mission statements, tax documents and other public records of religious advocacy groups spanning the years 2008-2010. Researchers also relied on responses to a written questionnaire that was sent to 148 separate, active groups included in the study and completed by 61 of them. Additionally, lead researcher Allen D. Hertzke conducted in-depth interviews with leaders of 36 groups and observed the advocacy efforts of many other groups at congressional hearings, lobby days, press conferences and other Washington-based events.
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The number of organizations engaged in religious lobbying or religion-related advocacy in Washington, D.C., has increased roughly fivefold in the past four decades, from fewer than 40 in 1970 to more than 200 today. These groups collectively employ at least 1,000 people in the greater Washington area and spend at least $390 million a year on efforts to influence national public policy. As a whole, religious advocacy organizations work on about 300 policy issues. For most of the past century, religious advocacy groups in Washington focused mainly on domestic affairs. Today, however, roughly as many groups work only on international issues as work only on domestic issues, and nearly two-thirds of the groups work on both. These are among the key findings of a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life that examines a total of 212 religion-related advocacy groups operating in the nation’s capital.
The study finds that about one-in-five religious advocacy organizations in Washington have a Roman Catholic perspective (19%) and a similar proportion are evangelical Protestant in outlook (18%), while 12% are Jewish and 8% are mainline Protestant. But many smaller U.S. religious groups, including Baha’is, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, also have established advocacy organizations in the Washington area. In fact, the number of Muslim groups (17) is about the same as the number of mainline Protestant groups (16). And the largest category today is interreligious: One-quarter of the groups studied (54) either represent multiple faiths or advocate on religious issues without representing a specific religion.
This report is based on a systematic examination of the websites, mission statements, tax documents and other public records of religious advocacy groups spanning the years 2008-2010. Researchers also relied on responses to a written questionnaire that was sent to 148 separate, active groups included in the study and completed by 61 of them. Additionally, lead researcher Allen D. Hertzke conducted in-depth interviews with leaders of 36 groups and observed the advocacy efforts of many other groups at congressional hearings, lobby days, press conferences and other Washington-based events.
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Mid-Week Service Tonight, Thursday, 7 PM Central
Team Jackson forgot about what day of the week it was yesterday. I was finishing up classes at one university, posting and grading, plus handling my other two classes. The strange thing about online classes is that they are seven day jobs. There is always something to do.
So I am conducting the mid-week Advent service tonight.
I apologize for keeping people waiting and wondering. They call it a "Bella Vista moment" here, but the moment lasted all day.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tim Tebow: God's Quarterback - WSJ.com.
Can the Official Team of the Wisconsin Synod Supplant God's Quarterback?
Tim Tebow: God's Quarterback - WSJ.com:
On a brisk Thursday evening in mid-November, I sat high in the stands at a Denver Broncos home game, covering the ears of my 4-year-old son as the fans around us launched f-bombs at Tim Tebow, the Broncos' struggling second-year quarterback. Mr. Tebow was ineffective and off-target for most of the game, and one of his more voluble and obnoxious critics was standing right in front of us.
But the heckler's friend wasn't joining in. "Just wait until the end of the fourth quarter," he said. "That's Tebow time."
And so it was. In the waning moments against the New York Jets, Mr. Tebow manufactured a 95-yard game-winning drive, punctuated by his own 20-yard touchdown dash. He brought the Broncos back from imminent defeat, just as he had done in previous weeks against the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
And when the shouting was over, Mr. Tebow did what he always does—he pointed skyward and took a knee in prayer. In postgame interviews, the young quarterback often starts by saying, "First, I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" and ends with "God bless." He stresses that football is just a game and that God doesn't care who wins or loses.
'via Blog this'
On a brisk Thursday evening in mid-November, I sat high in the stands at a Denver Broncos home game, covering the ears of my 4-year-old son as the fans around us launched f-bombs at Tim Tebow, the Broncos' struggling second-year quarterback. Mr. Tebow was ineffective and off-target for most of the game, and one of his more voluble and obnoxious critics was standing right in front of us.
But the heckler's friend wasn't joining in. "Just wait until the end of the fourth quarter," he said. "That's Tebow time."
And so it was. In the waning moments against the New York Jets, Mr. Tebow manufactured a 95-yard game-winning drive, punctuated by his own 20-yard touchdown dash. He brought the Broncos back from imminent defeat, just as he had done in previous weeks against the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
And when the shouting was over, Mr. Tebow did what he always does—he pointed skyward and took a knee in prayer. In postgame interviews, the young quarterback often starts by saying, "First, I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" and ends with "God bless." He stresses that football is just a game and that God doesn't care who wins or loses.
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A Tale of Three Wives: Life on the Campaign Trail | Newt Gingrich 2012
A Tale of Three Wives: Life on the Campaign Trail | Newt Gingrich 2012:
GJ - I think they meant "three lives." Spelling counts, Mequon grads.
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Yahoo News wrote:
Get Me Re-Write: Gingrich Site Mentions '3 Wives' By CHARLES BABINGTON
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Perry isn't the only one to have an "oops" moment in the Republican presidential contest.
An article on Newt Gingrich's official website is headlined "A Tale of Three Wives: Life on the Campaign Trail."
It's a short, feel-good piece about Gingrich's wife, Callista, and the wives of Perry and Jon Huntsman. It might, however, remind viewers that Callista is Gingrich's third wife. His divorces from the first two — he has acknowledged marital infidelity in both marriages — are a subject of campaign conversation and perhaps some difficulty with religiously conservative voters.
The religious network CBN News wrote the article. Gingrich's campaign posted it, headline and all, on his website, Newt.org, last week. It's commonplace for campaigns to reprint such articles on their sites, said Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond. He declined further comment.
In last Saturday's televised GOP debate, moderator George Stephanopoulous asked whether "a candidate who breaks his marital vows is more likely to break faith with voters?"
GJ - I think they meant "three lives." Spelling counts, Mequon grads.
'via Blog this'
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Yahoo News wrote:
Get Me Re-Write: Gingrich Site Mentions '3 Wives' By CHARLES BABINGTON
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Perry isn't the only one to have an "oops" moment in the Republican presidential contest.
An article on Newt Gingrich's official website is headlined "A Tale of Three Wives: Life on the Campaign Trail."
It's a short, feel-good piece about Gingrich's wife, Callista, and the wives of Perry and Jon Huntsman. It might, however, remind viewers that Callista is Gingrich's third wife. His divorces from the first two — he has acknowledged marital infidelity in both marriages — are a subject of campaign conversation and perhaps some difficulty with religiously conservative voters.
The religious network CBN News wrote the article. Gingrich's campaign posted it, headline and all, on his website, Newt.org, last week. It's commonplace for campaigns to reprint such articles on their sites, said Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond. He declined further comment.
In last Saturday's televised GOP debate, moderator George Stephanopoulous asked whether "a candidate who breaks his marital vows is more likely to break faith with voters?"
Church transforms into coffee chain - LarkNews.com - A Good Source for Christian News.
Hope for Grace (WELS) in Milwaukee
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This article is satire, but the one below about Grace, WELS, Milwaukee, is real. I consider the Grace information self-satire. |
Church transforms into coffee chain - LarkNews.com - A Good Source for Christian News:
DENVER — Connection Metro Church, which used its foyer coffee bars to attract visitors to its eight satellite churches in the Denver area, has decided to abandon ministry altogether to focus on coffee.
“People liked the coffee a lot better than the ministry, according to congregational surveys, so we’re practicing what we preached and focusing on our strengths,” says former teaching pastor and now chief marketing officer, Peter Brown.
Many in the congregation seem downright relieved.
“The sermons were okay, but the vanilla frappes were dynamite,” says one woman who regularly attended the church for two years so she could enjoy the special brews. “I even brought my Jewish neighbors and they loved them.”
The staff of Connection Metro Church began noticing last year that more money was coming in through the coffee bar than in the offering.
“People complimented us about the pastries and mochas but didn’t really mention the teaching,” says Brown. “After feeling disappointed, we got pragmatic about it and realized God was telling us where to put our efforts.”
The church renovated each of its locations into Connection Coffee Houses and removed most traces of its spiritual past. Now crowds are up and many former members are flourishing.
“Who knew I was so gifted at making foam?” says the former head usher, now the head barista, as he makes a heart-shaped design on a cappuccino.
'via Blog this'
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Fuller-trained WELS VP Huebner, who replaced "There's no Church Growth Movement in WELS" Wayne Mueller. |
God’s grace welcomes you, no matter who you are or where you come from – and so do we. We invite you to enjoy life-related messages and inspiring music in the services, Milwaukee-roasted coffee in the Grace Place coffee shop, friendly people, and helpful information on this site.
Grace Place Coffee…
a place to congregate

Grace Place Coffee is located on the main floor of the Grace Center at the main entry on Juneau and is open to the public. This full service coffee shop proudly serves a variety of Stone Creek coffees, espresso drinks, teas and pastries. Free WiFi is available. Come relax and enjoy your drink while browsing the internet, watching TV, or studying with friends. Grace Place Coffee regularly hosts performances and fun events, so keep an eye on the what’s new page.
Grace Place Coffee welcomes you!
Grace Place Coffee is available for meetings, weddings, or for those renting the Grace Center great hall. The space seats up to 30 people and even more with overflow into the atrium. A large screen TV is available for presentations. View a virtual tour of Grace Place.
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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church | 1209 North Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 | (414) 271-3006
Pastor Daron Lindemann
dlindemann@gracedowntown.org
(414) 271-3006, ext. 104
In 1999, Pastor Lindemann became the first associate pastor in Grace's history. His ministry responsibilities include Grace Group supervision and shepherd coaching, new member nurture, leadership and staff development, evangelism, volunteer support, and counseling, along with regular preaching and teaching. He also preaches regularly for the Message from the Master radio broadcast and is a fully-trained barista for the Grace Place coffee shop.
Pastor Otten Buries Joel Hochmuth Arrest on Page Seven!
A Month Afterwards,
With a Brief Spin Editorial from David Becker
Evidence Hearing - December 16th - unless...
I was waiting for Christian News to acknowledge the biggest crime story in the Olde Synodical Conference in decades. Nothing. Nothing. Finally, a month later, David Becker's spin on the story appeared on the page 7! - in a small box easily overlooked.
Otten had the story that a WELS vicar molested a minor girl in the congregation where he was working, but he spiked that news completely. The vicar, Scott Zerbe, went to state prison. Fred Adrian, who tried to cover it up, is back in the WELS ministry. (I left the room every time Adrian, DMB chairman, opened his yap.) Those who rush to cover up the truth wonder why the same crimes keep happening and growing worse.
How many times has the FBI revealed a homosexual child porn ring at a synodical headquarters, rading the place? If this had happened at ELCA headquarters, a big story might have been on page one. But in Christian News, page one is always reserved for breaking news, like Waldo Werning's latest claims, or the results of the Iron Man contest, senior division, or a new Babtist book being published.
KJV Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea,
than that he should offend one of these little ones.
The date of the evidence hearing might be changed for various reasons. Or Hochmuth's attorney may waive the right, which will skip the rehearsal of all those disgusting details fully described in the Criminal Complaint, the basis for the search warrant.
WELS is busy spinning the story. This is my take on the crimes that took place at WELS headquarters:
- SP Schroeder denies knowing that Joel Hochmuth was a homosexual child pornographer. However, someone did know, since Joel confessed to it and told the police that he and his wife went to counseling for it.
- Whoever covered up this on-going crime was complicit in its spread. Little boys were raped by grown men to provide the material swapped on these peer-to-peer sharing groups. The Internet files will exist forever, as shown by the recent discovery of a man arrested with 500,000 files. Hochmuth and his protectors helped in the re-raping of these children.
- SP Schroeder claims that WELS is not paying for Hochmuth's lawyer. That is likely true, since the synod has to pay for its own lawyers in dealing with a host of issues, such as future lawsuits. It would probably be unethical for Hochmuth's attorney to defend the criminal and the synod. People still wonder how Hochmuth managed to find the priciest lawyer in the state on short notice.
- Schroeder was in a hurry to announce Hochmuth being forgiven, because the child pornographer's lawyer glibly claimed it was an adult pornography issue that required counseling. Since the attorney only says what the client allows, the public has a written record of Joel's lack of contrition. Expect a plea-bargain to lesser charges, such a j-walking or unpaid traffic tickets.
- Meanwhile, WELS is still promoting homosexuality with its Facebook page - Bring Back Party in the MLC. Although the video was finally pulled from YouTube (again!), the original is linked on the FB page, with almost 1400 people liking it.
- WELS is receiving full recompense for decades of slandering anyone who dared to address grave problems, whether doctrinal or criminal.
The founders of Church and Change (Jeske, Witt, Parlow, Aderman) have been rewarded generously by Schroeder, who protects them by claiming how helpless he is.
Gurgle was horrible in finances, but he never owned two headquarters at the same time, in the middle of a commercial real estate depression.
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For sale, cheap. Needs fumigation. |
KJV Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
Mark Schroeder. New NIV,
WELS
Newt Gringrich - Another LCMS Member Who Poped
I say this item is interesting because when I interviewed Gingrich recently for our radio show “The American View,” he wasn’t all that interested in God’s rule over the civil government. Here’s part of that interview in which we discussed his latest book “Winning the Future: The 21st Century Contract with America” (Henry Regnery). Gingrich says he was “born a Lutheran, raised in the Missouri Synod, converted as a young adult to being Southern Baptist.”
The American View
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Paul McCain Shoots Himself in the Foot Wedged in His Mouth: Gerhard on Justification by Faith
Theological Commonplaces: Exegesis IV. Johann Gerhard: On Christ (CPH, 2009, p.7)
(5) Christ is the Savior of all people [1 Tim.4:10] with regard to merit and acquisition, because He merited salvation for all people without exception with His suffering and death; and He is the Savior only of believers with regard to fruit and application, because they alone are rendered partakers of salvation through faith.
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GJ - Someone found this and passed it along. Look at the date - this is a recent publication of Concordia Publishing House. Of course, their Triglotta and KJV catechism teach justification by faith, too.
Gerhard has a perfect pedigree for teaching about justification. He worked with Chemnitz as a co-author, and Chemnitz was the senior editor of the Book of Concord.
This statement could be aimed against Huber or simply answering the problem of Huber in advance.
P. Lehser refuted Samuel Huber (former Calvinist) and kicked him off the Wittenberg faculty. Lehser was another editor of the Book of Concord and a patriarch of orthodox theologians.
My tentative theory is this. Walther took his odd concept of universal absolution from Pietism, via his syphilitic mentor, Bishop Stephan (who was trained at Halle University).
Walther had no training in Lutheran orthodoxy. His pastoral training was at Berlin, which was rationalistic. Unfortunately, the choices at that time were largely rationalism (good for the career) or Pietism (bad for the career). Walther belonged to Pietistic cells when he contacted Stephan, who was known as a Pietistic leader with a cell group ministry.
Much is made of Walther's study of Luther, but every Protestant leader studied Luther, whether they agree with him or not. Simply reading Luther does not make one a Lutheran. Calvin signed the Augsburg Confession.
I have some formal research to present on this. To summarize - Walther took over a personality cult and put himself in charge of everything. He was extremely jealous of any competition and promoted idol worship of himself. He bitterly divided Lutherans who were no less mixed up about doctrine than his own group.
Walther was the one who approved the double-justification language of Knapp, which emerged from the English translation and found approval in Germany. Reading that article years later, Walther adopted it for Missouri. However, he was already using Easter absolution for his version of Halle justification.
I wonder how the UOJ Stormtroopers can hold their heads up in public when their own publication houses humiliate them with the truth. Paul McCain, Jay Webber, and Rolf Preus should apologize to the Lutheran Church and repent of their false doctrine.
Labels:
LCMS UOJ WELS
About Transformational Discipleship | Transformational Discipleship.
Go Babtist To Make It Big in WELS and Thrivent
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John Parlow worshipped with the Babtists at Drive 08, an Andy Stanley business. Ski, Bishop Katy, and Tim Glende were there with a total of 8 WELS workers. |
About Transformational Discipleship | Transformational Discipleship:
About Transformational Discipleship
Jesus invited twelve unlikely people to spend three years watching and learning from him how to live life in the Kingdom of God. They were truly changed – transformed from the inside out – their minds and behavior reflected a maturity of faith and purpose for living.
As they were with Jesus they received His coaching. They were mentored, encouraged, and challenged to develop a way of approaching the world from a Kingdom of God perspective. So much so, that when Jesus asked them to make disciples they knew what it was like to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ and then train others – lead them, coach them – to be disciples also. Disciples becoming disciple-makers
This had a ripple effect in their communities. In fact, disciple-making became the strategy for the early church to reach out to people so that they too could not just hear but experience Good News of the Kingdom of God.
What if…a congregation intentionally built a strategy of leadership development based more closely on Jesus model?
What if…a small group of people committed to a process of training, where they are equipped – coached – to learn how to be disciple-makers in their everyday life; in their families, their congregations, and their communities?
Imagine what it would mean for the families in the local church and the community to have leaders guided by such a deep passion and have such clarity of purpose!
The Ministry Governing Board of St. Mark Lutheran Church, De Pere, WI, imagined it early in 2011. After studying it, they invited Thrivent Financial to imagine it with them. The response was so affirming that in August, 2011, Thrivent – as part of their Lutheran Grant Program – awarded St. Mark a grant of $50,000 to identify and recruit at least fifteen partners to engage in a two-year leadership development program calledTransformational Discipleship.
Living Hope Christian Counseling, Whatif Enterprises, and Synergy Strategies has been invited to lead this two-year leadership development program.
* * *
Transformational Discipleship is about the believer and the church growing in maturity in the faith. It is about the formation of our minds and our behavior.
Transformational Discipleship understands and lives out the call of Jesus to produce disciples. This is a proactive approach in helping each person to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ and then in turn, is able to train others because of what God is doing in each one.
Transformational Discipleship is a pursuit to develop a Kingdom worldview; enabling the church to interact with issues that are facing our culture as we form strategies to reach out to people; seeking to be truly missional.
'via Blog this'
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What If?
What if, you had the perfect strategy to stop feeling frustrated and start achieving your goals?
What if, you could reach your full potential personally and professionally?
What if, you could clarify your inner purpose and direction and feel inner peace and happiness?
What if, an enlightened person could guide you to transform your life and fulfill your calling?
What if, you could reach your full potential personally and professionally?
What if, you could clarify your inner purpose and direction and feel inner peace and happiness?
What if, an enlightened person could guide you to transform your life and fulfill your calling?
What do the most successful people do differently than everyone else?

They get a coach…
“Best Advice I ever got, ‘Get a coach!’.”
Eric Schmidt, Former CEO of Google
Eric Schmidt, Former CEO of Google
Transformational Performance and Life Coach, Business Coach, and Executive Coach Serving Michigan
Mark Freier is a highly-sought-after transformational personal coach serving a broad range of areas, including metro Detroit, Novi, Northville, Livingston County, Grand Rapids, and Michigan at large. He guides his clients along a path to realizing their inner-potential by teaching them how to be purpose-centered, inner-directed, other-focused, and externally-open to growth in the world around them.
With professional experience ranging from business to church ministry, and a global view shaped by helping people in different cultures and countries see their personal value and unique contribution to the world, Mark Freier brings a well blended mix of seeing value in every human being and coaching them to their fullest potential. Mark believes the greatest gift he offers people is his “own joy of living, his own inner peace, his own silence and solitude, and his own sense of well-being.” These values were not only learned from author Henri Nouwen, but also gained with wisdom through successes and challenges in his own life. This experience has given Mark depth and credibility in creating environments where he invites individuals to life-change in personal coaching sessions as well as inspiring and challenging groups of people in creative learning sessions; educators, corporate workgroups, business owners, non-profit leaders, students at Central Michigan University, and now as an Adjunct Professor at Cleary University.
Adopting Ken Blanchard’s view that “in today’s changing world people are looking for principles and philosophies that actually work” he tested his principles for five years as the general manager of a conference center where he was responsible for building a healthy culture, focusing on personal and team development.
A native of Michigan, Mark is a continual learner who holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and a Masters of Divinity, which provide a solid foundation for him as an accomplished teacher who communicates with passion and conviction and as a coach who carefully listens and genuinely guides his clients. He spends significant time each week in one-on-one conversations over a cup of coffee or on SKYPE and has dozens of engagements a year speaking to large audiences.
Mark’s people skills and speaking skills were honed over two decades of pastoring large churches to small turn-around and transition situations in Milwaukee, Florida, and southeast Michigan during which time leaders in the States and Mexico sought Mark’s counsel and afforded him opportunities to write curriculum, teach courses, train at conferences, and inspire teenagers at International Youth Rallies.
Mark lives in Howell, MI, with his wife and best-friend Deb; enjoying their relationship with three adult children and daughter-in-law. He enjoys reading, riding bikes, his HD television, a good cup of coffee, conversations over a cup of coffee, listening to music – especially classical and jazz, slow-walks through the parks, travel, water sports, and…a good cigar. Oh…and any location near water, especially Lake Michigan.
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GJ - Mark Freier was one of many WELS pastors at CrossRoads in South Lyons, Michigan. During Mark's tenure I asked a friend to visit. Mark had young women inviting visitors over to the swimming pool party afterwards.
Mark earned a nickname in WELS - "P-boy." That is not the complete nickname. It came from his ability to talk about one part of his body during his religious messages. I heard it myself at the Michigan youth rally. Many considered him a one-man wrecking crew, but WELS thought he was the bomb and invited him to speak at all the youth conferences.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Third Sunday in Advent:
7 PM Service Tonight.
Regional Failure in Internet Service This Morning
The Third Sunday in Advent,
2011
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10
AM Central Time
The Hymn # 8 Father Who the Light 2. 20
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 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 #76 A Great and Mighty Wonder 2.2
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #76 A Great and Mighty Wonder 2.2
Stewards of the Mysteries of God
The Hymn # 77:1-8 All My Heart 2.25
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 # 77:9-15 All My Heart 2.25
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 # 77:9-15 All My Heart 2.25
KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a
man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the
mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found
faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of
you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing
by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
KJV Matthew 11:2 Now when
John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4
Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye
do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers
are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the
gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be
offended in me. 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes
concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken
with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than
a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Third Sunday In Advent
Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst suffer Thy Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ, to become man, and to come into the world, that He might
destroy the works of the devil, deliver us poor offenders from sin and death,
and give us everlasting life: We beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts
by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may seek no other refuge than His word, and thus
avoid all offense to which, by nature, we are inclined, in order that we may
always be found among the faithful followers of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and by
faith in Him obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true
God, world without end. Amen.
Stewards of the Mysteries of God
KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a
man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the
mysteries of God.
This word for accounting is
also used for justification, forgiveness of sin. Sometimes that is translated
as reckon, still a favorite verb today – I reckon that will cost you $1500.
The words used in the New
Testament are simple, clear terms. The more we find ancient documents, the more
we understand their common use. But we also have the text itself to compare
words and concepts.
Lenski:
In the case of the stewards a
special genitive is needed, for they must administer property in order to be
classed as stewards. The genitive “God’s mysteries” names the property, namely
God’s gifts for our salvation as embodied in the gospel. These are mysteries,
for man’s wisdom knows nothing about them.
In both terms “attendants” and
“stewards,” the prominent idea is that of complete subordination to a master,
and in the latter also that of special accountability. A helper merely takes
his orders and at once carries them out without question. A steward also takes
his orders and carries them out in due process, and then returns and renders
his account. He works, as it were, by himself, in the absence of his lord, who
trusts him to this extent. But he is always and fully accountable. He dare not
deviate in the slightest from his orders, nor try to improve upon those orders
with wisdom of his own in order to please others.
Again, more people than just the
Corinthians should remember that truth. Too many stewards change their orders
to please themselves and their congregations; and too many congregations act as
though they owned these stewards and as though they are accountable only to
them. Because the day of reckoning has not yet come, all concerned feel secure;
but this security is a false security.
Since he is entrusted with
valuable properties, a steward naturally ranks higher than a mere attendant,
although both are slaves. This steward who is set over the mysteries of God
possesses a corresponding dignity with which men may not interfere, and, having
received his trust from God, even God thereby honors him as the incumbent of
this office. Thus “attendant” points to lowliness, and “steward” to dignity,
and both combined indicate how the Corinthians are to regard their ministers.
Yet both men are slaves, are owned by their Lord who uses them as he wills, to
whom all their labor and all results of their labor belong, and who, after
their services have been rendered, owes them neither wages nor reward.
[1]Lenski,
R. C. H.: The Interpretation of St. Paul's First and Second Epistle to the
Corinthians. Minneapolis, MN. : Augsburg Publishing House, 1963, S. 162.
Steward is a word with a rich heritage in the English
language. My favorite is the steward as the substitute for the king or queen.
When the actual heir was too young to rule, or the blood line was missing – out
of the country for a crusade – a steward could rule with all the power of a
king. However, the steward was never the king and ultimately reported to the
king as faithful in his duties.
Mystery is a fine term for everything taught by God,
revealed by the Holy Spirit. That is why I called the series on Biblical
doctrine – The Mysteries of God. When people try to reduce the teaching of God
to a series of logical arguments, they are obliterating the concept of the mysteries.
The mysteries are so significant that they cannot be reduced to something man
can understand without the guidance and revelation of the Holy Spirit in the
Word.
All of man’s religion is the product of his imagination. He
imagines that God or the gods are angry and must be appeased. Therefore, he
also thinks he can provide the works to atone for sin. Anyone can see that in
all world religion and the occult. It does not take long to hear the “must do”
and the “have to do” list. In the fad movie about gurus, the male lead keeps
shouting at Julie Roberts, “Do the work.” It is never quite clear what the work
is, except it involves travel and meditation. They look for insight from
various gurus when real insight can be found in the Scriptures for a fraction
of the cost.
Recently one Lutheran said of the catechism, “It was written
so that a pastor does not need to explain it.”
I added, “The Bible was written that way too.” The Holy
Spirit speaks through the Word, so the teaching of God is available to everyone,
regardless of formal training. Moreover, the Gospel is meant to be spoken, so
the ability to read is not the key factor. Instead, Chemnitz writes about
preaching the Gospel faithfully and listening with sincere hearts.
Paul’s argument is this – He is only a steward of the
mysteries of God. Christ appointed him an apostle and taught him directly. Paul
even received insights greater than any man could imagine or hope to realize –
truly the wisdom of the ages.
I mentioned this before – When people feature their homes on
Extreme Homes, they say, “My purpose in life is to preserve this building for
the next generation.” That is always said with great reverence. What they want
to do with decaying buildings is far more worthy with respect to the Gospel.
Jesus used the figure “treasure,” a concept often used in
the Book of Concord and by Luther. The treasure hidden in the field was a real
possibility in those days. If someone was traveling or afraid of invasion, he
would bury his treasure in the soil. Some people died on their foreign travels.
Others were killed or driven away by invasion. A large treasure of gold,
silver, and gems might rest in the ground for a long time. A man who discovered
treasure hidden in the field would be happy to sell his meager goods to own
that field – and the treasure.
If everything can be sold at a quick garage sale to buy
treasure in a field, how much more valuable is the treasure of the Gospel?
If the Gospel is a treasure, is it valuable enough that we
can give up the esteem of the world, friends, and family to keep this treasure?
We watched a British special on the Tower of London, which
included a show about the fabulous collection of crowns, jewels, and special
treasures there. Sometimes a city put together silver, gold, and jewels to
offer a gift to royalty. The king and queen do not keep the treasures for
themselves but preserve them in the Tower. In addition, certain officials work
full-time to take these treasures out of their cases and clean them with utmost
care for every detail. The king or queen are stewards, and the employees of the
Tower are stewards, because these creations are important for history and the
enjoyment of all visitors.
Imagine some curator saying, “I would like to replace the
diamonds with zircon, the silver with aluminum, the gold with brass.” They
would look for the nearest cell to keep him away from the treasure.
Yet man in his vanity will say, “This part of the Bible is
good, but I will redecorate the rest with my own ideas, my dreams, my illusions,
my brilliance.”
That is why a faithful Bible translation matters so much.
For Tyndale, it mattered enough that he – as an Englisman – traveled to Germany
to study under Luther and Melanchthon. He translated the Bible from Hebrew and
Greek with that guidance, creating the English language in the process, just as
Luther created the German language. They did not invent the language but
established the norms for their own country, simply by the power of expression
and the clarity of the terms used.
Tyndale cared so much about this translation work that he
labored constantly to bring the English Bible to his people. Once all his
Bibles were bought up and burned. He said, “That is good. Now I can afford to
print even more copies.” And he did. The treasure was not in his bank account
but in the Word of God. Eventually he was betrayed by a friend – imagine that –
and burned at the stake. His final words were, “Dear Lord, open the King of
England’s eyes.” The next king allowed the Tyndale Bible to become the King
James Version, 400 years ago.
There are two foundation stones for the English language –
the Tyndale KJV and Shakespeare (Earl of Oxford). Oddly, in both cases another
person gets the credit for the work. And today – no Lutheran church body in
America will get behind the King James Version, not even in the modern
versions. They are more than willing to give up the treasure mined by Luther
and Tyndale for gold in the publishing house coffers. I understand the LCMS has
about $26 million in the bank. One Shrinker demanded a $1 million check from
WELS Northwestern Publishing House, so they must have some coin there, too. A
church body can have money in the bank and still be bankrupt.
2 Moreover it is required in
stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Faithful means trustworthy –
someone who will not substitute something false for something true or good. One
of our friends, long ago, went to a church with a woman pastor. He was supposed
to be conservative, but the Pentecostals were the first to have women pastors.
He said, “She explained that the verse does not really mean that a woman cannot
preach.” The mainline churches caught up with the Pentecostals and the cults
(Christian Science, Seventh Day Adventists) and said, “Women can be and should
be ordained pastors.” Now the “conservative” Lutherans are saying the same
thing – including John Brug at Mequon.
Being found faithful is pure
Gospel, because it means everything depends on the God’s will through the Holy
Spirit in the Word.
Distribute the Word and God
does the work.
Because God does the work,
there is nothing to keep us from the free distribution of the Word.
It is a requirement, because
the Word belongs to God alone, but it also gives us the freedom and the motivation
to follow His gracious will.
After all the will of God is
not to condemn, but to convert, to forgive, to save, and to keep us in His
flock.
Therefore He constantly
surrounds us with His grace through the Instruments of Grace, the Word and
Sacraments. He gives us faithful teachers. He prepares soldiers of misfortune,
who have battled against many opponents and received their training in helping others.
He gives us individualized
crosses to bear, to purify our faith and help us understand the price paid to
redeem the world from sin.
So Christ constantly speaks
this Gospel Word to us – Your sins are forgiven through the cross. Receive this
forgiveness in faith and enjoy the peace that passes all understanding.
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