For this life is in the heart by faith, where the flesh is killed, and Christ reigneth with His Holy Spirit....

For this life is in the heart by faith, where the flesh is killed, and Christ reigneth with His Holy Spirit, who now seeth, heareth, speaketh, worketh, suffereth, and doth all other things in Him, although the flesh do resist. To conclude, this is not the life of the flesh, although it be in the flesh: but it is the life of Christ the Son of God, whom the Christian possesseth by faith. Happy is the man who can say with Pau: “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Here we have the true manner of justification, and a perfect example of the assurance of faith.

 Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:20, p. 92f.

 KJV Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.

Even the life of Christ: which life is not mine by nature, but is given unto me by Christ through faith in Him....

To the end therefore that is should not hold me captive, I am dead to it, and this death purchaseth unto me the life of  another, even the life of Christ: which life is not mine by nature, but is given unto me by Christ through faith in Him.

Secondly, this objection might have been made. How can this be? We see thy flesh, but we see not Christ. Wouldst thou delude us with enchantments? He answereth: “The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.” As Christ saith: “Thou hearest the sound of the wind, but canst not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth” (St. John 3:8), even so thou seest me speaking, eating, labouring, sleeping, and yet thou seest not my life. I live indeed in the flesh, but not through the flesh, or according to the flesh, but through faith, and according to faith. This new life “I live by the faith of the Son of God.”

Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:20, p. 91f.

Salvation is in me, it is His, and yet it is mine also, by that inseparable union and conjunction which is through faith...

Whilst I thus abide and dwell in Him, what evil is there that can hurt me? In the mean season the old man abideth without, and is subject to the law: but as concerning justification, Christ and I must be entirely conjoined, and united together, so that He may live in me, and I in Him. And this is a wonderful manner of speech. Because Christ liveth in me, look now what grace, righteousness, life, peace, and salvation is in me, it is His, and yet it is mine also, by that inseparable union and conjunction which is through faith, by the which Christ and I are made as it were one body in spirit.

 Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:20, p. 89.

Now when I have thus apprehended Christ by faith, and through Him am dead to the law, justified from sin....

By this we may plainly see that there is nothing here for us to do, only it belongeth unto us, to hear that these things have been wrought and done in this sort, and by faith to apprehend the same. Now when I have thus apprehended Christ by faith, and through Him am dead to the law, justified from sin, delivered from death, the devil and hell, then I do good works, I love God, I give thanks to Him, I exercise charity towards my neighbours. But this charity or works following, do neither form nor adorn my faith, but my faith formeth and adorneth charity. This is our divinity, which seemeth strange and marvellous, rather, foolish to carnal reason: to wit, that I am not only blind and deaf to the law, yea, delivered and freed from the law, but also wholly dead unto the same.

Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:19, p. 86.

You Want To Buy One of These - For How Much?

$3,000 to 4,000 per kitten!
Some are closer to $10,000 each.
http://www.savannahcatbreed.com/which-cat-is-right-for-you

Wikipedia:

Savannahs are commonly compared to dogs in their loyalty, and they will follow their owners around the house like a canine. They can also be trained to walk on a leash, and even fetch.^[6]

Some Savannahs are reported to be very social and friendly with new people and other cats and dogs, while others may run and hide or revert to hissing and growling when seeing a stranger. Exposure to other people and pets is most likely the key factor in sociability as Savannah kittens grow up.

An often-noted trait of the Savannah is its jumping ability. They are known to jump on top of doors, refrigerators and high cabinets. Some Savannahs can leap about 8 feet (2.5 m) high from a standing position. Savannahs are very inquisitive, and have been known to get into all sorts of things. They often learn how to open doors and cupboards, and anyone buying a Savannah will likely need to take special precautions to prevent the cat from getting into things.

Many Savannah cats do not fear water, and will play or even immerse themselves in water. Some owners even shower with their Savannah cats.^[7] Presenting a water bowl to a Savannah may also prove a challenge, as some will promptly begin to "bat" all the water out of the bowl until it is empty, using their front paws.

Hyde Park Mansion on Sale for £300 Million - Business News - CNBC

The last two owners died prematurely.

Hyde Park Mansion on Sale for £300 Million - Business News - CNBC:

"The property, built as four separate family houses, was owned by Mr. Hariri until his assassination in 2005. After his death, the building was made over as a gift to Sultan bin Abdulaziz, crown prince of Saudi Arabia who died in October. Mr. Harari had close business ties with the prince’s family."



'via Blog this'

Boston Children’s Hospital Doctor Arrested On Child Porn Charges « CBS Boston

Dr. Richard Keller - will Harvard University immediately absolve him in public?

Boston Children’s Hospital Doctor Arrested On Child Porn Charges « CBS Boston:

"BOSTON (CBS) – A pediatric endocrinologist at Boston Children’s Hospital was arrested Thursday on child pornography charges.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dr. Richard Keller, 56, of Andover, “knowingly received films depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.”"

'via Blog this'

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/06/more-wels-news-light-sentence-for-joel.html

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/06/wels-reports-linked-here-murdoch-nniv.html

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/06/former-lutheran-church-official-charged.html

Bruce Foster Thought It Was Ridiculous that Keith Ellison Is a Muslim

I recall mentioning that Keith Ellison was a Muslim. Bruce Foster, ELCA pastor and WELS intimate, thought that was hilariously wrong.

Someone sent me this information from a website:

My name is Keith Ellison. I represent Minnesota's 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs, and I Co-Chair the Congressional Progressive Caucus. I am the first Muslim elected to Congress and the first African-American to represent Minnesota in Congress.

Right now I am working to make sure that Congress protects Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security and asks the richest 2% of Americans to pay their fair share when these issues come up at the end of the year: http://1.usa.gov/P3OdrN.

I'll be taking your questions starting at 12:00 EST. I look forward to answering your questions about anything!

UPDATE: Proof this is me. I'll tweet out a picture once we get started.

UPDATE: it has been much fun and too little time on Reddit, but I will be back soon I hope.

Monica Lewinsky shopping top-secret new book - NYPOST.com.The SynConference Has the Pastor Marry the Bimbo and Silence the First Wife

Add me to your resume - get a promotion in the SynConference.

Monica Lewinsky shopping top-secret new book - NYPOST.com:

Monica Lewinsky is shopping a top-secret book project, Page Six has exclusively learned. We’re told Lewinsky has been making the rounds with major publishers, who were all asked to sign nondisclosure agreements to take the meetings. It’s unclear who the front-runners are, but, says an insider familiar with the project, “I’m sure every major publisher was interested in hearing what she had to say.” The former White House intern who touched off the 1998 Bill Clinton scandal has given past interviews, but kept a very low profile since leaving for England in 2005 for the London School of Economics. Lewinsky’s rep said yesterday, “I cannot comment on anything at this point.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/lewinsky_booked_B2nTYdeHuv8jcbclVKvJEJ#ixzz26McltPB0

'via Blog this'

Through Believing in Christ

Justified by Faith Alone: The Good Tree Bears Spiritual Fruit

We conclude therefore with Paul, that we are justified by faith only in Christ, without the works of the law. Now after that a man is once justified, and possesseth Christ by faith, and knoweth that He is his righteousness and life, doubtless he will not be idle, but as a good tree he will bring forth good fruit. For the believing man hath the Holy Ghost, and where the Holy Ghost dwelleth He will not suffer a man to be idle, but stirreth him up to all exercises of piety and godliness, of true religion, to the love of God, to the
patient suffering of afflictions, to prayer, to thanksgiving, to the exercise of charity towards all men.

Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:18, p. 82.

British Government Apologizes for Blaming Victims in 1989 Hillsborough Disaster - NYTimes.com. Lutherans Will Wait Forever

British Government Apologizes for Blaming Victims in 1989 Hillsborough Disaster - NYTimes.com:

LONDON — Nearly a quarter of a century after 96 Liverpool soccer fans were crushed to death in one of the worst stadium disasters in history, Prime Minister David Cameron formally apologized on Wednesday to the victims’ families, saying their “appalling deaths” were compounded by an attempt by the police, investigators and the news media to depict the victims as hooligans and to blame them for the disaster.

'via Blog this'

Yes, Our Church Is The Only “Right” Church! - Saved by the Merits of Holy Mother WELS

I took away the dark on this photo, to make Vader show up better.
He looked better before - and so did his tacky, worn robe. Look at the hem.
So it is with the SynConference - take away the Photoshop efforts
and they look mighty bad.

In their confessions the monks make no mention of faith, or the merit of Christ, but they teach and set forth the satisfaction and merits of men, as it may plainly appear in the form of absolution which the monks used among themselves, and such as would be counted more devout than others, which I think well to set down, that our posterity may see how great and how horrible the kingdom of the pope is.

    God forgive thee, my brother. The merit of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of
    blessed St. Mary, always a virgin, and of all the saints: the merit of thine order, the straitness
    of thy religion, the humility of thy confession, the contriton of thy heart, the good works which
    thou hast done and shall do for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, be unto thee available for
    the remission of thy sins, the increase of desert and grace, and the reward of everlasting life,
    Amen.

Ye hear the merit of Christ mentioned in these words, but if ye weigh them well, ye shall perceive that Christ is there altogether unprofitable, and that the glory and name of a justifier is quite taken away from Him, and give to monkish merits. Is not this to confess Christ in words, and in very deed to deny His power?

Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:18, p. 81.

Luther Just Doesn't Get UOJ

But we, by the grace of Christ, holding the article of justification, do assuredly know that we are justified, and reputed righteous before God by faith only in Christ.

                                        Martin Luther, Kregel, Galatians 2:18, p. 80.

Shameless Spiritual Abuse

SynConference leaders try to scare people away from this little effort
by flogging the author rather than addressing their abusive actions.

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Church Abuse Comes from Reprobate Minds":

Ichabod -

What you have described by much of your commentary is the worst type of molestation. It is spiritual molestation, often perpetrated against pastoral shepherds and their congregational sheep.

In short, I prefer to call it ecclesiastical molestation. It will not go unpunished by the good, gracious and judicious Lord.

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org

***

DP Werner - guilty!

GJ - I mentioned a group of WELS missionaries going Pentecostal. The Bethany Seminary president's wife immediately said, "We are not supposed to talk about that."

When I had a skin cancer many years ago, I talked about it. I studied symptoms (described in an insurance manual), told my wife, showed her the proof, went to a doctor, and went to the surgeon. No problems have come up since then. But I have to talk about it when reviewing my medical history.

One of the worst symptoms of this abuse is "We can't talk about it." No wonder things get worse. No one can even imply that Holy Mother Synod is less than perfect. On the Net, someone brought up the status of the New NIV. Another person responded, "Why are you always criticizing WELS?" That itself is a double-question, an accusation affirming that: 1) To discuss the NNIV is to disparage WELS; and 2) To raise the issue of Biblical translation, by itself, is a symptom of always attacking Holy Mother WELS. It is really a triple accusation - not only attacking WELS but always attacking WELS.

When a sect becomes a citadel of false doctrine, any question may indeed be always attacking. But false doctrine needs attacking. The WELS leaders need to be tossed out as a group, from the top down. Funds should be returned to the congregations with profuse apologies, with just enough saved to pay for current lawsuits and the Pewaukee Universalist Towers.

ELS pastors joke that WELS can see false doctrine 100 miles away but never under their own noses.

This subtle form of abuse leads to the massive, damaging, soul-murdering abuse so common today. Most people do not see it. People drift away. They join ELCA because the dogma is the same (everyone forgiven) without the constant pouncing, eye-poking, and insulting remarks that pass for fellowship among the Pietists. It is just a softer kind of Pietism, as people pass from Good Two-Shoes into honest Universalism.

One type of abuse is obvious, because it is a crime, a felony. Those who fail to report it are felons, even if they hide under the cover of Holy Mother Church. The we can't talk about it abuse makes all the rest possible.

Graham Be Not Proud

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Luther Takes Away John 1:29 - Behold the Lamb of G...":

Ichabod -

You aptly describe the universal objective justification assertion as:

".....To make a decision for UOJ." [Your spot on assessment]

Based upon this, Billy Graham would be proud of many Lutherans who have swallowed this gullible spiritual pill which ends up perverting the Gospel of Christ!

Mind you; those of you who are UOJ enthusiasts and who may be reading this:

Your universal objective justification is on the same par as Billy Graham's decision theology. Only with yours; you use a different strain of leaven. But, eventually, the results are still the same.

Cheap Grace is a Worthless Substitute for a Faith That Saves

http://www.thechristianmessage.org/2012/06/cheap-grace-is-worthless-substitute-for.html

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org

***

GJ - Graham would not be proud because UOJ is a peculiar mix that denies the basic Christian message of justification by faith. By claiming that the entire world is saved, justified, forgiven, UOJ establishes Universalism and then modifies it by saying, "But you have to make a decision." Walther stated this dogma in an Easter sermon that the ELS adores and reprints. J. P. Meyer repeated it even more bluntly.

WELS pastors now like to say, "I was saved 2000 years ago." They are also saying, in their dogma, that Judas Iscariot, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Jeffrey Dahmer were also saved.

Will he accept or will he decline?
This is making a decision for UOJ - and WELS endorses this amalgamation.

Imputation is the key word in justification by faith.
Here it is mangled and perverted into non-imputation by unfaith.
Graham be not proud - Walther be proud.

The only true righteousness is the righteousness of faith:

KJV Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them 

that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being 

justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to 

be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are 

past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be 

just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what 

law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without 

the deeds of the law.

The only way to turn this into righteousness without faith is to start with the dogma of Halle Pietism and wedge perfectly clear statements into UOJ categories from Georg Christian Knapp.