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| And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom... KJV Luke 16:22. |
Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Fourth Sunday after Trinity. Romans 8:18ff":
Ichabod -
You say in this posting:
>>>>>>>>> Once people worried about keeping their pastors, because they saw that as a good thing. Now a minority can work with the district presidents or bishops to get rid of the faithful. This is a regular occurrence. And it is no different, among the Episcopalians, the Baptists, the Methodists, and the rest. <<<<<<<<
NMB says:
Yes! Spot on! I can identify with what happens. I am familiar with having been stabbed in the back and having been thrown off the ecclesiastical bus. It's a type of [attempted] ecclesiastical molestation. But, I thank the good Lord that He gave me the faith to work through it all and move on. I kept my integrity and did not sign away my right to speak about it someday. And, you are correct - it happens across the denominational spectrum..........
You say:
>>>>>>>>When people say they are disillusioned by the visible church, I say, “Good! It was an illusion. Now you see the truth.” <<<<<<<<<<
NMB says:
Yes. So true. Faithful Christians and faithful Christian pastors soon learn when they get hacked up by the visible church, that their spiritual senses become alive. There is nothing like witnessing the flimsy facade and recognizing genuine substance. Those who go through such, are then graciously reminded and comforted with what they confessed many times, - "......I believe in the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins......"
You say:
>>>>>>>> Lutherans supposedly have no issue with the divinity of Christ, but the leadership opposes justification by faith (while pretending to teach it). <<<<<<<<<<
I recently witnessed this, what you stated, going on before my very ears. This week I attended my grandson's VBS closing [service] program. No mention in this "Christian" Lutheran sanctuary of "God's grace through faith," but what was rather highlighted, was smackings of "universal objective justification." No mention of belief and personal faith and the narrow way that leads to life eternal. And, according to universal objective justification teaching, there is no need, because all have been justified [forgiven] by Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Oh yes, - part and parcel is the usual omission of the Holy Spirit and His work of authoring and sustaining personal faith.
Finally, - Ichabod - I always appreciate the Scripture of what the Apostle Paul was blessed to pen, - and, of which you have highlighted in this posting:
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." - Romans 8:18 - KJV
I believe that the Lord chose the Apostle Paul to write that Holy Spirit inspired [authored] Scripture because the Apostle was no stranger to want, persecution and suffering. Given his religious background at the [then] time, the Lord knocked him off his horse to part with the “ecclesiastical” ways of his time. His emergent influence was not a swift Jack in the Beanstalk Growth, but a faith nurtured relationship with the Lord which brought him through those personal trial tough times. And so the Lord again blessed him to be the Holy Spirit inspired pen to write the following:
Galatians 6:17 - "Henceforth, let no man trouble me; for I bear branded on my body the marks of Jesus." - KJV
NMB - Nathan M. Bickel
www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org
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Adolph Hoenecke has left a new comment on your post "Pastor Bickel on the Present Sufferings":
I just spent a few moments brushing up on my Ichaslang. I would like to add that in my time Dr. Martin Luther College was also called "Dead Man's Last Chance." If you couldn't find a girl at DMLC, well....
FYI- That's DOCTOR Larry Olson to you.
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GJ - Ichaslang can be studied here - http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2009/02/ichaslang-lexicon_01.html
AH
