Luther Rocks: Anybody Wanna Get Down? BWBW6

Luther Rocks: Anybody Wanna Get Down? BWBW6:

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Intrepid Lutherans: WELS Synod President Mark Schroeder issues scorching rebuke of Church Growth Movement

Here is another non-victim.

Intrepid Lutherans: WELS Synod President Mark Schroeder issues scorching rebuke of Church Growth Movement:

GJ - Haha. Big rebuke. SP Schroeder constantly promotes and protects the founders of CG in WELS. Notice that John Lawrenz (Church and Change) was followed by Steve Witt (Church and Change founder) at the Asian porta-sem.

Paul Calvin Kelm was unemployed for two or three minutes under the savage rule of Mark the Enforcer.

I wrote against Church Growth in WELS for years. Did Mark Schroeder ever respond in any way to those publications? No. Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure dealt with unionism, Church Growth, and the Means of Grace. WELS published it. Schroeder was silent.


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Who Is in Charge of the WELS Office Computer Network?

Martin Spriggs, Chief Technology Office, The Love Shack -
"A mind like water."

SP Mark Schroeder:

"On Wed., Nov. 16, we were informed that WELS Director of Communications Mr. Joel Hochmuth was arrested on charges of possessing child pornography. Acting on a tip from the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force, officers executed search warrants at his home and at the synod administration building and seized computers and other items as a part of their investigation.

At this time, we know only what was contained in the police report and reported in the media. Those reports indicate that images of child pornography were found on the seized computers and on data storage devices."

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GJ - The chief technology officer should know what is being used and seen on the local area network.

Florida A&M band member's death ruled a homicide - CNN.com

Hazing at Northwestern College, Watertown, included forcing
the freshmen to simulate anal intercourse with this statue.
Most of the WELS pastors and some ELS pastors went to NWC.

Florida A&M band member's death ruled a homicide - CNN.com:

GJ - When two students objected to hazing at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, John Brenner, the dean of boys at WLS, said, "The good outweighs the bad."

Neither student stayed at the seminary. No one is allowed to object to GA.

If you understand GA, you understand WELS.

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Pleads NOT GUILTY! Former WELS official waives preliminary hearing - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather

What did WELS know
and when did they know it?

Former WELS official waives preliminary hearing - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather:

WAUKESHA - Joel Hochmuth, the former communications director for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday.

Click on the Video link for TODAY'S TMJ 4's Melissa McCrady's report.

Video Link.



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GJ - I expected that Joel would waive his right to the hearing, because the evidence is so appalling that no one can imagine anyone, let alone a married man with a son, engaging in such behavior.



Synod President Mark Schroeder, now doing public relations for Joel Hochmuth, said his former Director of Communications was "repentant" and "assured of his forgiveness."


How does that match up with a not-guilty plea?


 Joel's criminal lawyer, one of the most expensive in the state, will now use the system to plea bargain down to a superficial charge.


 WELS has gone down this route before, and the evidence is out - this abusive sect is totally corrupt.


 And Joel is free on a very small bond.


If WELS tries to whitewash this one, I will publish the Criminal Complaint verbatim for everyone to read.


Here is the Facebook page dedicated to their Martin Luther College gay video.

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We are confident that the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in God’s Word has brought him to recognize and repent of his sin, and we also know that he has sought and received the comfort of forgiveness in the redeeming sacrifice of our Savior. Please pray that Joel will continue to be assured of forgiveness at the foot of the cross and that God’s grace will restore him, renew him, and strengthen his faith.

Serving in Christ,
Rev. Mark Schroeder, WELS President


(Kelmed from the fake blog, where Tim Glende assures everyone that Schroeder is handling this well.)


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Wauwatosa Patch:

Fired WELS Official Pleads Not Guilty to Child Pornography

Joel M. Hochmuth, 52, is out of the Waukesha County Jail on $20,000 bail and is ordered to not use the Internet.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect that Joel Hochmuth was fired from his duties at the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod following his arrest.


The former communications director for Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, who was fired from his position after his arrest, pleaded not guilty to three counts of child pornography possession Friday morning in Waukesha County Circuit Court.


Joel W. Hochmuth, 52, of Waukesha, waived his preliminary hearing during his court hearing. Another hearing has been set on the case for Feb. 3. Hochmuth currently is out of jail on $20,000 bail and is ordered to not access the Internet. Hochmuth faces up to 75 years in prison if convicted of the three felony charges.


Detectives from the Waukesha Police Department met with a special agent from the FBI in mid-November, who told detectives that Hochmuth was using the Internet handle “Skiguy10101” had child pornography on his computer depicting “pre-pubescent and adolescent boys engaged in various sexual acts,” according to the criminal complaint.


Hochmuth told authorities that the number of images found on his computer in Waukesha “was nothing compared to what they would find in his office,” the complaint states. Hochmuth denied downloading pornographic images on his work computer but police located three thumb drives at the WELS office in Wauwatosa, 2929 N Mayfair Rd., that had images and videos of young boys engaged in sexual acts, the complaint states. Authorities believe boys shown in the graphic pictures ranged from 10 to 14 years old.


The Rev. Mark Schroeder, president of WELS, previously told Waukesha Patch that the religious organization was “shocked, devastated and surprised” about the allegations against Hochmuth. Hochmuth was suspended “until the facts are fully known,” Schroeder told Patch.


“We take allegations such as these very seriously,” Schroeder said. “Our church body has absolutely no toleration for the behavior that is being alleged here.”


Related Topics: Joel Hochmuth and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Court for former Lutheran official in Waukesha child porn trial - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather

When will the synod clean up their act?
Hundreds of homosexual child porn files were found at WELS headquarters.
Hochmuth's attorney has already tried to spin the story as adult porn - "he needs counseling."

Video of news story.

Court for former Lutheran official in Waukesha child porn trial - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather:


WAUKESHA - A former Lutheran official accused of possession child pornography was expected to appear in a Waukesha courtroom on Friday.

Authorities arrested Joel Hochmuth at his home in Waukesha County.  He was set to have a preliminary hearing at 10:00 a.m. Friday after being charged with three counts of possessing child pornography.

The former communications director of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod told investigators he had been struggling with an addiction to viewing pornographic images of young boys.

"He is facing substantial exposure, 75 years in the state prison system," said Court Commissioner Martin Binn.

Court documents show investigators uncovered more than 1,000 images and videos of "young males engaged in sex acts."

After speaking with Hochmuth, detectives also found explicit pictures in the man's office at the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

"I can tell you on one of the thumb drive at his work, there were about 310 particular files on that thumb drive," said Waukesha Police Sergeant Jerry Habanek.

"I am totally shocked," explained Rev. Mark Schroeder, the president of WELS.  "All of us are shocked, devastated that something like this could possibly happen."

Hochmuth has been fired.

SP Gurgel hired Joel Hochmuth to improve the Wisconsin Synod's image.

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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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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).

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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Kent Hunter was teaching the LCMS DPs
when Al Barry and Paul McCain were running the show.
Neither one stood up against Church Growth, DP Benke, or
congregations belonging to Willow Creek - another denomination.
Yes, I met Kent on his way INTO the Purple Palace for that meeting.

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.

LCMS-NALC Discussions

NALC-LCMS Discussion Group.
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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Mid-Week Advent Service. John 1:19-28

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 Psalmody                   Psalm 92                    p. 143
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

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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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.

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.


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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?"

Church transforms into coffee chain - LarkNews.com - A Good Source for Christian News. Hope for Grace (WELS) in Milwaukee

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.


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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.

• | 
 

• • 
    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

The WELS Director of Communications wore this prison
anti-suicide garment for his first court appearance.
His pricey lawyer contradicted the Criminal Complaint, where Joel already admitted to downloading and sharing the man-boy rape videos and graphics.
In WELS, repentance means changing the story.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. WELS is receiving full recompense for decades of slandering anyone who dared to address grave problems, whether doctrinal or criminal.

I have been ordered not to criticize SP Schroeder. However, I do not engage in the personal attacks so dearly loved by WELS. I am simply identifying the incompetence that makes Gurgle look good in comparison.

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.

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.

Newt Gringrich - Another LCMS Member Who Poped

"Missouri Synod, Babtist, Roman Catholic - all about the same.
I poped to please my  mistress, I mean, my wife.
I don't know how Marvin Schwan got his second wife to switch from Rome to Lutheran."
The speech above was invented, but the facts were not.

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.”

Calista is a life-long Roman Catholic who graduated from Luther College in Iowa.
She began her relationship with Newt when he was 50, married, and she was 27.
Calista's spooky eyes are not Photoshopped.

The American View

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.

About Transformational Discipleship | Transformational Discipleship. Go Babtist To Make It Big in WELS and Thrivent

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.

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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 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

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.