Monday, June 11, 2012

Typical Appleton Post - UOJ Plagiarists Who Defend UOJ Plagiarists

I cannot find a citation when it is in 14 point Arial.
I graduated from Mequon,
and I STUDIED GREEK!
 

Anonymous said...

LOL.

Did you see Jackson explode?

It is ok for Jackson to post texts on his blog without citing their source, where he got them, what translation they are, etc. It's ok for Jackson to copy and paste huge chunks of materials from other blog sites with no credit to them.

But not anybody else.

Oh, silly Greggy.

Funny, funny stuff.

June 11, 2012 3:46 PM


The citation is cleverly hidden on the bottom line of the graphic, above. I often link the Luther/BOC material directly with a URL. That is not necessary now, since they are all linked on the blog, from the same, easy-to-find table of contents.

I will link that here, because Fox Valley WELS guys can find their Groeschel but not their Book of Concordia (sic).

Schmauk - Tell It Not in Gath



"Shall we permit this to be done! in the name of Christian unity! and by a latitudinarianism that is our own heritage, which rises ever anew from the embers of the past to find such veiled support and strength in the citadel of Zion that Confessionalism is told to whisper low in Jerusalem lest she be heard on the streets of Gath." Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 941.                                                        

Schmauk - On Demi-Semi Close Communion


"Is the Lord's Supper the place to display my toleration, my Christian sympathy, or my fellowship with another Christian, when that is the very point in which most of all we differ; and in which the difference means for me everything--means for me, the reception of the Savior's atonement? Is this the point to be selected for the display of Christian union, when in fact it is the very point in which Christian union does not exist?" Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 905f.                                                       

Theodore Schmauk - Modern Radical Spirit



"The modern radical spirit which would sweep away the Formula of Concord as a Confession of the Church, will not, in the end, be curbed, until it has swept away the Augsburg Confession, and the ancient Confessions of the Church--yea, not until it has crossed the borders of Scripture itself, and swept out of the Word whatsoever is not in accord with its own critical mode of thinking. The far-sighted rationalist theologian and Dresden court preacher, Ammon, grasped the logic of a mere spirit of progress, when he said: 'Experience teaches us that those who reject a Creed, will speedily reject the Scriptures themselves.'" Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: General Council Publication Board, 1911, p. 685. 

Schmauk - The Real Question


"The real question is not what do you subscribe, but what do you believe and publicly teach, and what are you transmitting to those who come after? If it is the complete Lutheran faith and practice, the name and number of the standards is less important. If it is not, the burden of proof rests upon you to show that your more incomplete standard does not indicate an incomplete Lutheran faith." Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 890.       


                                                

Dresden Lutherans



WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect have proven Schmauk right.



Justin Laymen has left a new comment on your post "Three UOJs or Just One?They Have the Same Mother, ...":

Here is a pertinant quote from pastor rydeckis paper from the intrepids lutheran conference:

"If we want to be Dresden Lutherans, then we will teach justification by faith alone as the chief article of the Christian faith. The justification of the poor sinner before God is presented explicitly and quite exhaustively in the Lutheran Confessions (and by other 16th Century Lutheran theologians) as including four key components, without any of which the poor sinner is not, in any sense, justified before God: 1) the grace of God, 2) the merit of Christ, 3) the means of grace, and 4) faith in Christ. The Confessions do not speak of a sense in which all sinners have already been justified before God whether they believe in Christ or not, nor do I believe the Scriptures to teach such a thing, yet such is commonly heralded among Lutherans today as the “central teaching of the Bible.” I contend that our Dresden forefathers did not miss anything or take anything for granted in this chief article of the Christian faith. Forgiveness of sins, life and salvation were, indeed, won for all people by Christ on the cross, through His merit alone. But no one is forgiven, justified, made alive or saved apart from the means of grace and apart from faith in Christ, which is graciously worked by the Holy Spirit. Dresden Lutherans would never think of qualifying Luther’s battle cry, “Faith alone justifies!”, with “Yes, but, only in a subjective sense, since we know that all people are already justified without faith!”"

The Difference Between Confession and Anti-Confession


The two graphics provide quite a contrast. The first one, from the Formula of Concord, expresses the truth of the Scriptures.

The second one is arrogant and deceitful. Wayne Mueller was the First VP of WELS who claimed in print that there was no Church Growth in WELS.



Another Rave Review from the Cesspool of WELS - Appleton


From Tim Glende's Anger Management Blog:
"He puts a chunk of text on his blog and never says where he got it, for instance, his Book of Concordia (sic) quotes."

***

GJ - Book of Concordia sounds like the genius writer has no knowledge of the Confessions. It reminds me of the Jewish actor George C. Scott explaining the doctrine of the "Dutch Reformation Church," outlining TULIP.

Jesus with Mary and Martha,
by Norma Boeckler


Big chunks of text - too much for a Mequon graduate to read.
No citation?

WELS Church Lady Will Release Link for Paul Wendland Paper



WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "Three UOJs or Just One?They Have the Same Mother, ...":

Hi Berean, I get your drift. "Berean", fitting name for a fellow who is not afraid to ask questions at the seminary. I hope all seminary students are, or will, be reading Pastor Paul Rydecki's Hunnius translation. In the mean time, Pastor GJ's books can be downloaded.

On a side note, I tried to share Pres. Wendland's paper from the SCD conference, but it was unable to share. I will have to provide Pastor GJ with the link...but Pasotr GJ...you "ain't" gonna like the paper (objectively and universally speeking), so forgive me if I have been taking  my time!

In Christ,
Rebecca

He's Back! - Wisconsin Lutheran College Call



06/04/12             WISCONSIN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD              8:27 am

                     P A S T O R   C A L L   R E P O R T
                       05/15/2012  through  06/04/2012


-----------------  N O   D E C I S I O N S   R E P O R T E D  ----------------


Becker, Mr Bruce H WLC - Milwaukee WI 05/24/2012
         Director of the Center of Christian Leadership



In other ecumenical news:


Dr. Erik Ankerberg named to Thrivent Fellows Program

Date posted: May 7, 2012
MILWAUKEE - Dr. Erik P. Ankerberg, Ph.D., recently was named to the Thrivent Fellows Program, a rigorous 12-month executive development fellowship for the purpose of growing the leadership capacity of the colleges and universities of the Lutheran Church. Dr. Ankerberg serves as an associate professor of English at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Sponsored by the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the Concordia University System of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and the Congregational and Synodical Mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Fellows Program is designed to identify, encourage, develop, and equip high-capacity senior leaders for leadership roles in Lutheran colleges and universities.

Three UOJs or Just One?
They Have the Same Mother, Halle University,
And the Same Father - Enthusiasm


The June 11, 2012 issue of Christian News seems to have three UOJs in it:

  1. The Kokomo Statements, which were almost verbatim from J. P. Meyer (three out of four statements). 
  2. The Marquart version, canonized by Jay Webber as the norma normans
  3. Sig Becker's version, which was somewhat criticized by Marquart and Tom Hardt, who still advocated UOJ.
However, the three versions (and all other flavors of UOJ) have the same foundation - world absolution. Everyone is forgiven, everyone is saved. When they called it General Justification, the message was the same, because (unlike English) the German for General Justification means "every single one justified."



E. Preuss, before he became a Roman Catholic theologian, taught that everyone single person on earth was born forgiven. Lutherans still quote that marvelous essay.

Objective Justification and Universal Objective Justification are the same. Some explanations have grown more extreme, but they are the logical applications of the principle.

UOJ existed before Halle Pietism, in Samuel Huber, a "former" Calvinist on the Wittenberg faculty. However, Huber's version was soundly repudiated by P. Leyser and Hunnius.

Bishop Stephan brought his sex cult over the ocean and established it in St. Louis and Perryville. Stephan's cell group ministry united the Pietistic clergy around him. Walther never had a Lutheran education. He had a four-year degree in rationalism and spiritual guidance in abusive Pietistic cell groups.

Justification by faith has never been eliminated from the Synodical Conference, but UOJ clearly dominates and persecutes the Gospel. 

Many people whine about the decline of the SynConference starting in 1932. That was when UOJ began to dominate through the 1932 Brief Statement.

Today people ignore the institutionalized influence of Karl Barth (the Swiss adulterer), Fuller Seminary, and Romanism while cheerfully promoting UOJ, the start of it all.



---

A. Berean has left a new comment on your post "Chemnitz on Justification by Faith":

I'm a seminary student. I had been warned when I voiced concerns about UOJ and how the text of Scripture speaks not to make faith into a sine qua non for justification. To add to the confusion, we had recently studied the Majoristic Controversy in Bente's Historical Introductions, in which faith is a sine qua non for salvation. So...faith is sine qua non for salvation, but dare not be a sine qua non for justification...

A. Berean wants to be beaten like a rented mule.
 

Is the Gospel Being Taught?


Many pastors trained by the Synodical Conference seminaries have joined the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox, or various sects honored by Fuller Seminary.

Babtist leaders appeal to Lutherans because they often teach some form of the Gospel. UOJ is not the Gopsel - it is anti-Gospel. Each segment of the Synodical Conference spends its energy on saying things against each other - such as, "They are wrong on church and ministry," or "They do not have any doctrinal discipline."

It is clear that they have doctrinal discipline. The Ice Curtain descends on anyone who dissents from their one dogma - Holy Mother Synod is infallible.

The Gospel is justification by faith, but that message infuriates the ELCA side and the Synodical Conference side, since both segments oppose and attack faith in Christ. They have different ways of spreading the same gangrene as pure doctrine, but it has the same origin (Halle University) and the same outcome.

I remember Norm Berg mocking WELS evangelism as "We are against the Lodge, we are against Scouts, we are against ....Now join our congregation." That is a good satire of Pietism, but the solution was no better, and probably worse. "I just wanted to stop by your house and say you are already forgiven. Yes, you were saved 2000 years ago."

UOJ worship is a nightmare - the Means of Grace show people they are already forgiven and saved. They might as well join an organization that is honest about turning the Sacraments into ordinances. And they do.

Nevertheless, some pastors have taken the name Lutheran seriously and studied Luther. They actually imagine their synods are confessional, so they study the Book of Concord. Gausewitz' catechism was produced for the entire Synodical Conference and has no hints of UOJ in it. Therefore, that training left many who still believed in the Gospel.


Pope Paul the Unlearned Plagiarist -
A Copy and Paste Job from the Roman Catholics.
Verbatim steal. No Citation.
Update - He Later Added "Source" at the End - Not Good Enough. Spell It Out at the Beginning.

This comes from McCain's Facebook  friends.

Paul McCain is a plagiarist. His blog is not honest. Sometimes he gives a citation before his copy and paste job. Usually he gives very little credit (hard to find) or none. In this case, there is no credit given at the time I am reading it. That could change, but McCain the CPH "editor" seems disinclined to repent. Plagiarism is against the law, and it is a heinous sin in publishing.

McCain likes to call me a "fake Lutheran" on the anonymous blog of Tim Glende, another plagiarist. They are both hysterical proponents of UOJ. Thus -







Paul McCain said...
"Fake scholar"
"Fake pastor"
"Fake professor"

But, I'd add to your list:

"FAKE LUTHERAN"
June 2, 2012 1:45 PM


I suggest reading this post on plagiarism from Rich Techlin. It shows how the attorney from Tim Glende's WELS church (St. Peter Cares, Freedom, Wisconsin) met with Glende and WELS officials about the pastors plagiarizing Groeschel. WELS District President Doug Engelbrecht solemnly declared that plagiarism was fine when the source gave permission. Techlin correctly responded that selling homework to a dishonest student (or giving it away) does not make the crime of plagiarism go away. It is still fraud to claim another's words as one's own. Groeschel gives permission to his disciples to copy all of his sermons and graphics and videos. I tested that by joining (free) and received the same permission. However, I have found nothing worth quoting, let alone stealing.

Much of Luther is in the public domain, but it still remains a responsibility of the person copying to show the source and the original words.

McCain is in the bosom of SP Harrison, and Glende is in the bosom of Engelbrecht. Both are indicators of how sick their synods are, how poor the leadership is.

Today's Crime of Plagiarism - From Paul McCain.

This graphic is found in many places on the Net.
The prayer is found on the Aardvark Alley blog. Original to AA or do they share the same source?

 
http://cyberbrethren.com/2012/06/11/festival-of-st-barnabas-apostle/

Barnabas (originally Joseph), styled an Apostle in Holy Scripture, and, like St. Paul, ranked by the Church with the Twelve, though not one of them; b. of Jewish parents in the Island of Cyprus about the beginning of the Christian Era. A Levite, he naturally spent much time in Jerusalem, probably even before the Crucifixion of Our Lord, and appears also to have settled there (where his relatives, the family of Mark the Evangelist, likewise had their homes — Acts 12:12) and to have owned land in its vicinity (4:36-37).

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02300a.htm - Catholic Encyclopedia

Barnabas (originally Joseph), styled an Apostle in Holy Scripture, and, like St. Paul, ranked by the Church with the Twelve, though not one of them; b. of Jewish parents in the Island of Cyprus about the beginning of the Christian Era. A Levite, he naturally spent much time in Jerusalem, probably even before the Crucifixion of Our Lord, and appears also to have settled there (where his relatives, the family of Mark the Evangelist, likewise had their homes — Acts 12:12) and to have owned land in its vicinity (4:36-37). A rather late tradition recorded by Clement of Alexandria (Stromata II.20) and Eusebius (Church History II.1) says that he was one of the seventy Disciples; but Acts (4:36-37).

***

GJ - Above is the easy to read copy from Catholic Encyclopedia. I copied it into WordPad to remove all the HTML code. Below is a copy and paste that includes all the links, a dead giveaway to the source, because the links are Catholic Encyclopedia sources.

Original code, with the annoying white background removed manually:

Barnabas (originally Joseph), styled an Apostle in Holy Scripture, and, like St. Paul, ranked by theChurch with the Twelve, though not one of them; b. of Jewish parents in the Island of Cyprus about the beginning of the Christian Era. A Levite, he naturally spent much time in Jerusalem, probably even before the Crucifixion of Our Lord, and appears also to have settled there (where his relatives, thefamily of Mark the Evangelist, likewise had their homes — Acts 12:12) and to have owned land in its vicinity (4:36-37). A rather late tradition recorded by Clement of Alexandria (Stromata II.20) and Eusebius (Church History II.1) says that he was one of the seventy Disciples; but Acts (4:36-37). 

The problems with a straight copy and paste are obvious. They shriek "Plagiarism!" at the reader. The font is different (coded verdana in this case) and the links are obvious. Hover over the links with the mouse and you will see that the links are "new advent," which is the Roman Catholic site for the Catholic Encyclopedia and many other goodies.

Many blogs have default fonts, so the change from one font to another would be striking. I even had a student copy so quickly that she left the entire blob as a text-box, which is how it appeared in her paper, where she gave no credit to the author or mark the section as a quotation. Like most plagiarists, she was apoplectic at getting caught.

The graphic of Barnabas can be found all over the Net. Notice that there is no attribution for the portrait. The way to find a source is to open Google Images and drag the picture (mouse, left click) into the Images toolbar. That will show other places where the same or a similar image can be found.

---



More plagiarism from McCain:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/04/more-plagiarism-from-paul-mccain-mdiv.html

---

None dare call it plagiarism:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/05/none-dare-call-it-plagiarism-paul.html

---

"Source" means a Roman Catholic website:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/06/in-paul-mccains-copying-work-source.html

---

LaughQuest hypocrisy about McCain's plagiarism:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/04/laughquest-hypocrisy-about-mccains.html

---

Cyber-Aardvark:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/05/shop-and-compare-which-blog-is-original.html

---

Venerable Bede:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/05/venerable-plagiarism-poor-bede.html

---

McCain's copying  a typo:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/05/pope-paul-unlearned-plagiarizes-typo.html

---

WELS endorsement of plagiarism:

http://vdma.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/dp-engelbrecht-on-plagiarism/

---

WELS Bethany in Appleton caught plagiarizing Swindoll:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2010/08/bethany-appleton-wels-caught.html

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Zion Lutheran Church in St. Louis






J. P. Koehler Designed This Church Building.
August Pieper Kicked Him Out of WELS



"Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart" by Martin Schalling, 1532-1608
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

1. Lord, Thee I love with all my heart;
I pray Thee ne'er from me depart,
With tender mercies cheer me.
Earth has no pleasure I would share,
Yea, heaven itself were void and bare
If Thou, Lord, wert not near me.
And should my heart for sorrow break,
My trust in Thee no one could shake.
Thou art the Portion I have sought;
Thy precious blood my soul has bought.
Lord Jesus Christ,
My God and Lord, my God and Lord,
Forsake me not! I trust Thy Word.

2. Yea, Lord, 'twas Thy rich bounty gave
My body, soul, and all I have
In this poor life of labor.
Lord, grant that I in every place
May glorify Thy lavish grace
And serve and help my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile
And Satan not my soul defile.
Give strength and patience unto me
To bear my cross and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus Christ,
My God and Lord, my God and Lord,
In death Thy comfort still afford.

3. Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my Fount of grace,
Lord Jesus Christ,
My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end.

Hymn #429 from The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 18
Author: Martin Schalling, c. 1567
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Titled: "Herzlich lieb hab' ich dich, o Herr"
Tune: "Herzlich lieb hab' ich dir, o Herr"
1st Published in: Berhnard Schmid's Orgelbuch
Town: Strassburg, 1577

Justin Bieber's Testimonial Stuns Synod Officials


First Sunday after Trinity, 2012.
The Rich Man and Lazarus



The First Sunday after Trinity, 2012


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson


Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 427     How Firm a Foundation                 2:18
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       
The Gospel              
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #429            Lord, Thee I Love            2.54

 Faith and Love

The Communion Hymn # 311            Jesus Christ              2:79
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 #347   Jesus Priceless Treasure                     2:77

KJV 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

First Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Thy word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal as to forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability minister to such as are in need, and not defile ourselves with surfeiting and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Thy fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Faith and Love

Lenski:
19) Jesus proceeds to relate a new parable without a break and after the interlude (v. 14–18), the unrighteous use of mammon, presents one who has wealth in his own right, misuses it in utter selfishness all his life, and thus ends in hell. The two parables are thus a pair, the second being an advance upon the first, which take us into the hereafter and thus exhibit God’s final judgment, and do that in full. This parable presents an extreme case, necessarily so, in order to include all lesser cases in which selfishness does not come cut so boldly yet is the mainspring of a man’s life. This parable again strikes the rich, utterly selfish Pharisees; it delivers the final blow. In a marvelous way, as it seems at the spur of the moment, Jesus weaves in what he has just said (v. 16, 17) regarding the law and the prophets (v. 29). So this is another marvelous masterpiece.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing House, 1961, S. 845.

KJV Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

This is a parable, because it starts out with “a certain rich man…” The beauty of God’s Word can be seen in the telling details in this one verse. He dressed himself in the finest clothes – purple (the most expensive dye) and fine linen. The rich man has no name – as Lenski says – he has no name in heaven. The poor man has a name, Lazarus.

Purple was restricted by law to royalty – in some areas. The verb says – he dressed himself, meaning that he chose to wear the finest clothes at all times.

This is not a parable condemning wealth, but one condemning a lack of faith and therefore a lack of love. The most telling detail is at the end – he dined luxuriously every day.

Yes, every day was a feast, so he impressed everyone with the cost of the food consumed and with the value of his clothes. At that time clothing was very expensive. One note from our own history struck me – Civil War soldiers wore their uniforms for years after 1865, because they had nothing else to wear.



KJV Luke 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

The poor beggar has a name. This gives us an interesting contrast. The earliest Christians were the outcasts and poorest in society, although there were also wealthy and influential people as well. The majority were unknown and despised, mocked as Hebrews says. But this parable give the poor beggar a name – he is somebody. And the rich man is anonymous – Dives is not his name. Dives means rich man.

Here is the description of Lazarus – completely different from the rich man. He has a name, although he was a beggar. His name means “God a help.  He was laid at the gate of the rich man, full of sores. That meant his disease or malnutrition gave him constant pain and discomfort. The rich man ate sumptuously, while Lazarus longed to eat crumbs falling from the rich man’s table.

Because Lazarus was at the gate of the rich man’s home, he could be seen begging each day, helpless and slowly dying. The guests and the rich man could see the dogs licking the sores of Lazarus.  Dogs have an uncanny way of finding hurt. They comfort people when they are sad, and they try to care for sores and infections with their tongues. 

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

As Luther states, this is a symbolic dialogue. Now the situation is reversed. Lazarus had faith, for he was carried in the arms of angels to the bosom of Abraham, our example of faith.

KJV Romans 4:20 He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Being carried by angels means that Lazarus was enjoying eternal life. Meanwhile, the rich man was experiencing the power and majesty of God, but none of the comfort.

In eternal life we lose all of our mortal afflictions, if we are believers. The sores of Lazarus were temporary, just as the riches of the wealthy man were – and the clothes and sumptuous dining.

God often allows Satan to tear away the blinders before an unbeliever dies. Robert Schuller has mocked faith in Christ for decades. The more he fell away from the Christian faith, the greater his influence and wealth became. Now it has all been taken away, and the monument to his ego is now a warning Ebenezer, against the Church Growth Movement, which he founded.

KJV 1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

Notice that the death of the believer is glorious. The death of the unbeliever is not. Even the language is different – one triumphant, the other brief and hardly noticed.

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The rich man now knows the difference. He used to look down on the poor beggar at his gate. Now he looks up from Hell at Lazarus next to Abraham. “In his bosom” refers to the way people reclined at dinner together. It is meant to show that this believer is at the head table now, a great honor.

People are sometimes troubled about salvation in the Old Testament or before the death, resurrection, and Gospel preaching. Many people believed in the coming of the Messiah. Although this parable is not fixed in time, it would just as true 1000 years before Christ as it would be today. Abraham was the first man justified by faith. He was a great, powerful, influential and weathy man, but his works did not save him. The law did not save him.

KJV Romans 4:9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. [reckoned means counted or judged as righteous, forgiven]

KJV Romans 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Therefore all the Biblical references to the saints, to the holy, Old and New Testament – are about believers. As a child I wondered who all the righteous people were. That seemed to be very limited because we heard about sin in church – in those days. The righteous, the holy, the saints – they are the believers of the Bible, the believers of the coming Church.

The rich man has none of this, although he was praised and flattered for his good works during his lifetime. Now he wants the simplest of relief, to have the man he despised dip his finger in water and give him some. That is easier to imagine in a desert climate than where we have fresh water on tap or in bottles, a few inches away. In Phoenix, when I took or taught classes, I used to think about ice water, sitting down with a quart of water in a large plastic cup, sipping water and swirling around the ice chips. Thirst is harder to ignore than hunger.

Therefore, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They hunger and thirst for the Gospel and are blessed by that longing.

I am working on people longing for more Luther. When I post his sermon on the text ahead of time, people want to read even more – and so do I. If I assign homework on the text and Luther’s sermon, people respond with their insights.

Fast food in the Gospel arena makes people hungry for more fast food. Try that if you have not already. Heavily sugared food makes us want more heavily sugared food when we get hungry, and it spurs insulin production, so we get especially hungry for more cheap energy. Fast Gospel food is really the Law disguised as Gospel, so people get works-righteousness, which satisfied them for a time – then they want more. They get spiritually malnourished but long for more spiritual junk food.



25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Abraham explained the impossibility of the rich man’s request. The rich man did not protest when the scales of justice went the other direction, and he did nothing to change Lazarus’ condition. Lacking faith, he had no love.

Luther wrote, quite humorously – If the rich man had known what a treasure Lazarus was, he would have carried him in his arms and kissed his wounds. If he had remembered the needs of this poor man, whom he saw daily in misery, he would have been transported by angels too. Instead he dwelt upon his great luxury and enjoyed showing it off. What better way than with banquets daily and royal clothing. Who could possibly miss that?

God sees the inside, not the outside. Inside, Lazarus believed in the Messiah and was justified by faith. Inside, the rich man trusted in his wealth and his showy good deeds.

Notice too that there is a great gulf created by God, so that spirits do not pass back and forth from the netherworld. Even today the spirits of the invented Purgatory are used to scare and entice Roman Catholics.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Now the rich man feels the torment so much that he wants Lazarus to be the evangelist to his brothers, so they do not suffer the same pain after death. One must wonder, where was his concern before he died?

Many people, fearing rebuke, will never say anything is wrong. This is not love, as the parable shows, but coldness of heart.

A self-righteous but kindly man said he would not go to church because of all the hypocrites. I asked him to define hypocrite. He said, “Someone who says one thing and does another.” I said, “That describes me too.” The man’s head fell down and he said, “I am one too.” He came to church to enjoy the Means of Grace from that time on. And because of that, he decided to be the man who kept the church lawn perfect – and he did. He was old but he could do that, and he wanted to. He enjoyed doing that job.

One person said, “That hypocrite is closer to God than you are, because you have let a hypocrite come between you and God.”

My favorite rejoinder came from a lady I visited. She told people, “So you are better than Jesus?” They backed away from that. “No, I am not better than Jesus.” She jumped them again. “You must be, because you are too good to worship. The Bible said that Jesus was worshiping in the synagogue every day. So you are better than Jesus.”

One way the Roman Catholic church appeals to people like the rich man is to take money to help those in Purgatory. The more money given, the more masses said, the less time they serve. However, the time may add up to thousands of years anyway. It has been a gold mine ever since Purgatory was borrowed from the pagans.



29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

This is a brief but powerful witness to the Gospel in the Old Testament. Salvation comes from hearing Moses and the prophets, according to Jesus, because the Promises of God are found there in abundance.

The First Promise, called the Proto-Evangelium, is found in Genesis 3:15, when Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise. Therefore, the Gospel was taught and believed from that time forward, although not believed by everyone.

The rich man’s objection is ironic, because the audience in the apostolic era knew that Jesus rose from the dead. If that would make everyone a believer, the entire world would be blessed by the Gospel and know its fruits.

Moses and the prophets are enough. This is the efficacy of the Word. No visible proof is necessary. God provided that anyway, because of man’s hardness of heart, establishing the Church with miracles from Jesus and later from the apostles.

The Word is more powerful because it goes out in every direction and cannot be stopped, even if it is stopped for a time, persecuted, and subverted.

The Reformation was far more than Luther preaching. The Word gathered many powerful and faithful teachers, and they trained the next generation. Luther and Melanchthon gave us the Reformation. Their students gave us the Book of Concord and the King James Bible (since the KJV is a version of the Tyndale).

The students of the Concord generation gave us another generation of orthodox scholars, such as the Leyser clan and Hunnius, father and son.

The Synodical Conference never tires of praising itself, but most of those great European theologians have been ignored and left untranslated in favor of Fuller Seminary professors being promoted and sold as worthwhile for Lutherans to emulate! Why? Lack of faith in the Word of God. The genius class of today thinks that God’s Word needs help, with rock music, liturgical dancing (not kidding), and puppets – everything but the Gospel itself.

Faith and love go together, but love is the fruit of faith, not its cause. If we see church leaders showing no mercy toward their own members, that is proof that they have no faith.


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Quotations
             
"But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: He shall take of the things of Mine, and show them unto you. Likewise, He works also other gifts, love, thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept unless the Holy Ghost is received through faith...Then we learn to know how flesh, in security and indifference, does not fear God, and is not fully certain that we are regarded by God, but imagines that men are born and die by chance. Then we experience that we do not believe that God forgives and hears us. But when, on hearing the Gospel and the remission of sins, we are consoled by faith, we receive the Holy Ghost, so that now we are able to think aright.
            Augsburg Confession, Article III, #11, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 159.

"Therefore, do not speak to me of love or friendship when anything is to be detracted from the Word or the faith; for we are told that not love but the Word brings eternal life, God's grace, and all heavenly treasures."
            What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1411f. Ephesians 6:10‑17. 

"In matters concerning faith we must be invincible, unbending, and very stubborn; indeed, if possible, harder than adamant. But in matters concerning love we should be softer and more pliant than any reed and leaf and should gladly accommodate ourselves to everything."
            What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 412f. Galatians 2:8.

"Doctrine is our only light. It alone enlightens and directs us and shows us the way to heaven. If it is shaken in one quarter (in une parte), it will necessarily be shaken in its entirety (in totum). Where that happens, love cannot help us at all."
            What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 414. Galatians 5:10.

"The Christian doctrine of Purgatory was not finally worked out until the sixteenth century by the Council of Trent. Rejected by Protestants, it was an exclusively Catholic doctrine. After Trent, Bellarmine and Suarez, who were responsible for Purgatory, put forth several Biblical references in support of the newly approved doctrine." [references: 2 Macc. 12:41-46; Mt. 12:31-32; Lk. 16:19-26; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; the Corinthians passage played a crucial role in the development of Purgatory, p. 43]
Jacques Le Goff, The Birth of Purgatory, trans. Arthur Goldhammar, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984, p. 41f. 

"All believers are like poor Lazarus; and every believer is a true Lazarus , for he is of the same faith, mind and will, as Lazarus. And whoever will not be a Lazarus, will surely have his portion with the rich glutton in the flames of hell. For we all must like Lazarus trust in God, surrender ourselves to Him to work in us according to His own good pleasure, and be ready to serve all men."
 Sermons of Martin Luther, IV, p. 24.       

Crystal Cathedral Still a Cathedral -
But Now a Catholic Cathedral

Rome stole a march on Jeske.
http://www.rcbo.org/news-and-events/diocesan-news/569


Catholic Diocese of Orange Announces Cathedral Name:
Fr. Christopher H. Smith to Serve as Episcopal Vicar

Orange, CA (June 9, 2012) --- The ordination of Catholic priests today at St. Columban Catholic Church in Garden Grove carried additional significance for regional Catholics and other people of faith. As part of an elaborate ordination ritual attended by over 1500, the Most Reverend Tod D. Brown, Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange took the opportunity to acknowledge Vatican approval of the name chosen for the Diocese’s future cathedral and the appointment of Fr. Christopher H. Smith to serve as Episcopal Vicar to Christ Cathedral.

The Diocese of Orange acquired the former Crystal Cathedral campus in 2011. While occupancy and comprehensive use of the property by the Diocese will not be immediate, a gradual transition process has begun. The first significant effort to identify the iconic venue as a Catholic religious center and place of worship begins with the selection of the name, Christ Cathedral.

In his remarks at the conclusion of the Ordination Mass, Bishop Brown noted, “We hold Rev. Schuller and his ministry in the highest esteem. It was important that any change of name for the cathedral itself be respectful of its spiritual legacy while accommodating our needs to clearly define this important facility as a Catholic center of worship.”

The formal process for the naming of a Catholic Church, calls for the proposed name to be submitted to the Congregation of Bishops, the curia in Rome responsible for all matters pertaining to bishops and their churches. Bishop Brown submitted Christ Cathedral as the proposed name and received approval, April 26, 2012.

When considering a name for the future Catholic Cathedral, Bishop Brown’s primary requisite was to ensure a clear Christological reference. “Today, I am honored to participate in the ordination of four new diocesan priests and congratulate them on the fulfillment of their vocation.  I am equally pleased to acknowledge a senior member of our clerical staff – Fr. Christopher H. Smith – and to announce his appointment as the first Episcopal Vicar to our new Cathedral, which will be called Christ Cathedral, a clear proclamation of why this Church exists and will be of continuing importance to people of faith across the region.”

The first Catholic liturgy to be celebrated in Christ Cathedral has yet to be scheduled. Bishop Brown also noted, “Catholics throughout the diocese, and all across America, are eagerly anticipating that important day.”

In his new capacity as Episcopal (or Cathedral) Vicar, Fr. Smith will oversee all administrative and policy matters for Christ Cathedral and the adjacent campus. He will supervise a variety of internal departments and be responsible for the liturgical and clerical oversight of the Cathedral campus.


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http://www.crystalcathedral.org/about/urgent-message.php




Dear Friend:

Following Sheila Schuller Coleman’s recent decision to leave the Crystal Cathedral with Jim Penner and the praise music team, lead by Debbie and Scott Smith, the good news is...

...the Crystal Cathedral ministry will continue!

We have been listening to you. Based on your comments, we’re making changes (and will continue to fine tune) to bring you the very best Sunday service and church ministries. On Sunday mornings, we will now welcome Robert V. (Bobby) Schuller and a variety of great preachers, inspiring guests...and Don Neuen returns to direct the Crystal Cathedral Choir! The mighty Hazel Wright organ and most loved hymns will be, once again, part of the great musical tradition at the Crystal Cathedral, supported by guest soloists and groups that you will want to hear.

In mid-February, at the invitation of the Board of Directors, I accepted the position of the ministries’ President and CEO. My most pressing desire is to thank you for your prayers, support, and your heart for God and for this ministry. Today, I want to answer the most-asked questions about Crystal Cathedral Ministries in the form of an “update” on the future of our church.

Why do we no longer see Dr. Schuller in the pulpit? Dr. Schuller has retired from the ministry and is no longer involved in its day-to-day operations. At the age of 85, we respect his decision to slow down, and know he well deserves this time of rest and reflection. He and Arvella are doing well, physically, but due to the ongoing legal cases, etc., they find it difficult to attend the church.

Where is Sheila Schuller Coleman? Over the months, as we received feedback expressing increasing displeasure over the new direction of the music during Sunday services, Sheila and Jim Penner were asked by the congregation and the board to change the format of the service. Sheila felt very strongly about the music and her ministry direction, and she and Jim have moved their ministry, Hope Center OC (of Christ), to another location. We wish them the best in this new endeavor.

Who is now in the pulpit? Will Robert A. Schuller return? At this time, as the board stabilizes the local church and televised service following this change in leadership, Dr. Lawrence Wilkes will be in the pulpit for a few Sundays and then a series of guest speakers will bring their messages of encouragement and inspiration. Bobby Schuller will be a regular guest speaker and has offered his help in rebuilding the best Sunday morning service possible. Plus, now-volunteer Choir Director Don Neuen is back, along with Orchestra Director Marc Riley! Meanwhile, Robert A. Schuller continues to be a supporter of this ministry as he and his talented son-in-law, Chris Wyatt, work on new endeavors in positive, family media.

Now that the Roman Catholic Diocese owns the grounds, how does that affect the church and the Hour of Power? As church member and viewer support continues, the church services will continue and the Hour of Power will remain on the air no matter where the church is located. When it became clear that selling the property would be best for the future of this ministry, the board and Dr. Schuller decided to sell to the Catholic Diocese so the buildings and grounds would always remain places of worship, as they were intended. Though other offers were greater, the campus would not have remained a site for Christian worship.

I hope that these answers have helped clarify any confusing, incorrect, or negative information you may have received. As this ministry continues to reach out to a hurting world with the positive good news of Jesus Christ...to bring hope and healing, despite these challenging times...your understanding, patience, and prayers are much appreciated and warmly welcomed.

May I offer you a personal invitation to join us this Sunday at the Crystal Cathedral? See for yourself how this ministry is returning to its tradition while introducing a revitalized worship service.

This ministry is at a critical moment in its history. The world is feeling the pressures of continuing uncertain financial times, while unemployment and job insecurity remains at all-time highs across America and much of the world. Our message of Hope and Help and Healing has never been more requested and needed and we are responding to this need every week locally and on our worldwide Hour of Power.

Now we need your help to ensure that this ministry can continue, for it is only through your financial support and prayers that we can pay rent on our location and other essential costs which, today, are at an all-time low because of the stringent cost cutting efforts we have made.

We need to move forward quickly or, sadly, the lights will be turned off. Your donation, today, will make all the difference.

God loves you and so do we!



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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/09/california-mega-church-cr_n_1583696.html

GJ - The Huffington video post reveals the logical of Schuller's followers. They sold the church property to the Roman Catholics for less than Chapman University offered.

The Catholics gave Schuller three years to get out of the church building. Chapman gave them 20 years.

Chapman's offer was better financially and worth a small fortune in use of the building. The Schuller group favored using the entire campus as a church, a Roman church, over using it themselves for 20 years.

That is the logic of anti-confessional UOJ mainline Protestants. Because they stand for nothing, the Shrinkers  consider what is best for their own self-esteem.

Unspoken is the overhead for keeping the church itself - or getting to use it. Many think the congregation is busted, after all the bitter fighting, the lawsuits, and the greed of the Schuller  family.

The spawn of Positive Thinking, brother and sister, are running two different and conflicting churches. Son Bobby Schuller, fired, will be back at the CC. His sister Sheila Schuller Coleman (who fired him, via Daddy, and is now fired) will head her own ministry.

The Founder, Robert Schuller, does not attend his own church very often. He featured just about every religion there with his celebrity guest speakers. All religions are the same, since God in His infinite love has absolved the entire world, without the Word, without faith.

Schuller deserves the credit for founding Church Growth - and for being a favorite, bad example of where it leads.