Not Mixed with Faith

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Advent Midweek Service, December 19, 2012":

Ichabod -

You make an interesting statement. You said:

>>>>>> ..... The mythological approach was to make her as divine and perfect as Christ – the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Romanist claim that she was born without any sin, that she never committed a sin during her lifetime. Her mythical Assumption is another affirmation of that approach.

Many more mythological details could be added, and they all add to the claim that Christmas itself is a myth.

That is why we should never let any human being get between us and the plain Word of God. Why? Because people reject the false statements and the truth of the Word at the same time. They mix the two together and throw both out together...... <<<<<

"They mix the two together and throw both out together:"

I could not help but think of the Hebrews Scripture where the Lord talks about those who:

Hebrews 4:2 - "For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

Two grave and spiritually costly mistakes people make. The error which you point out; and then the error of unbelief when the Gospel is presented. On one hand they mix and toss. On the other hand, they toss because they haven't mixed the necessary faith.

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org

WELS and Real Estate - Not a Happy Situation

OK - desperate!

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Report to WELS - Two Headquarters. Two Felony Arre...":

It would seem that all deals for buying the WELS HQs have fallen through, since otherwise we would have heard of good news by now.

Why the WELS can't sell its old HQ dual buildings is that there are plenty of vacant properties in good condition, and businessmen are getting great deals directly from cities to move businesses in and buy buildings, e.g., low interest loans (bond issues), no property tax and/or sales tax for years, and no broker's fee. Thus, why buy WELS' old HQs and pay a broker's fee when one is essentially paid to buy another building elsewhere.

Cities are dumping their brokers since they do better selling directly, and the WELS may have better luck selling the property on its own, say on CraigsList, or Ebay.

Just as they got a great deal on the new HQ bldg in Pewaukee, they might have to give someone else a great deal on their Milwaukee property since it needs so much fixing up. Yes, we know they are all hardshell Calvinists at heart and want to drive a hard bargain, but now may be the time to let their Lutheran side show, and give someone else a gracious break so the synod can move on. Besides, that is one ugly building:

Beloit: City buys back development right to 56 acres:

http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/city-buys-back-development-right-to-acres/article_4e80e5fa-492d-11e2-b38b-0019bb2963f4.html

“Most of the business came through the public sector side, and did not come through the private brokerage side,” he said.

Under the original agreement, MLG received a brokerage fee and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of any land, Arft said.

“It’s quite clear that MLG is an albatross around our neck,” he said. “It didn’t intend to be that way, but that’s exactly what it is. If we are going to be flexible and be aggressive the only way to do that is to dispose of our relationship with them.”

Miss me yet?

---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Report to WELS - Two Headquarters. Two Felony Arre...":

I've sometimes thought that this ugly building right across the interstate from Ruel Schultz's old church in W Allis (Woodlawn) was designed by the same architect who built the WELS synod HQ:

http://goo.gl/maps/QULlB


***

GJ - Where's my eye-bleach? That building is horrible.  Didn't the architect used to design Holiday Inns?

Advent Midweek Service, December 19, 2012

Midweek Advent III, 2012

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Mid-Week Advent, Thursday, 7 PM Central

The Hymn # 554     Now Rest Beneath             3:67
The Order of Vespers                                             p. 41

The Psalmody            Psalm 100                             p. 144
The First Lection                      
The Second Lection           
 The Sermon Hymn #94            Hark the Herald Angels            3:19

Jesus God and Man

The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer                         p. 44

The Collect for Peace                                           p. 45

The Benediction                                                   p. 45

The Hymn #136  Angels                                     3:86

Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Jesus God and Man

Luther said, in a brilliant summary, that all false doctrine breaks down into three categories:

1. They attack the humanity of Christ.
2. They attack the divinity of Christ.
3. They attack justification by faith.

That is important, this summary, because our hackles should go up when we hear an attack on A, B, or C, no matter what the source might be.

The Virgin Birth of Christ is a statement of Christ’s humanity and His divinity. Since this audience is not uncertain about His divinity or the reality of the Virgin Birth, I will focus on His humanity.

The actual birth was a major stumbling block (scandalon – the trip mechanism in a trap, not our definition of a scandal – something far more dangerous).

The people of the Apostolic Era had considerable trouble with Christ being truly man, born of a woman, suffering and dying on the cross.

Although we can certainly see many miraculous elements of the Virgin Birth, from the conception to the birth itself, the angels and Wise Men, most of the story reminds us of the humanity of Jesus and early cross (persecution, slaughter of the innocents).

How does a young maiden answer to God when the birth of a Savior was announced as a promise to her?

The mythological approach was to make her as divine and perfect as Christ – the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Romanist claim that she was born without any sin, that she never committed a sin during her lifetime. Her mythical Assumption is another affirmation of that approach.

Many more mythological details could be added, and they all add to the claim that Christmas itself is a myth.

That is why we should never let any human being get between us and the plain Word of God. Why? Because people reject the false statements and the truth of the Word at the same time. They mix the two together and throw both out together.

Joseph and Mary suffered from this great Promise. Joseph felt compromised and humiliated – to such an extent that he planned to end the marriage quietly. He was persuaded otherwise by the angel, but that did not take away his burden. Likewise Mary shared this early cross to bear, since the Word brings the cross. 

Every aspect of the birth of Jesus was tinged with difficulty, from the journey to Bethlehem to the birth in the stable. He was not only denied earthly honors but the very men who came to greet Him (the Wise Men) were placed in great danger.

Note how they escaped and went back to teach their own people about the Savior they saw.

All this happened so we would identify with the infant Jesus and see how God was willing to come down to our level and dwell among us – and the Word became flesh.

Ichabod, The Glory Has Departed: Luther Rocks: Veni Emmanuel

Augustana College - named after the Augsburg Confession.
Second phase - no one knows what Augustana means - nor does it matter.
Third phase - gay marriages to be held in this beautiful campus chapel.

Ichabod, The Glory Has Departed: Luther Rocks: Veni Emmanuel:

Worth a listen-to again. People are going to this older post.

'via Blog this'

Otten Suing the LCMS. Christian News and Walmart 50 Years Old

The new issue of Christian News states that Pastor Herman Otten is moving ahead with a lawsuit against the LCMS, for denying him certification.

He was ordained by Louis Bright (Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) and others, but never certified. 

He graduated from St. Louis in 1957 and will turn 80 in 2013.

Christian News began in 1962. Otten is a Bronze Age Missourian, one who believes that everyone should regard Walther as The Greatest Theologian Ever rather than as the Great Kidnapper, Thief, and Sex Cult Enforcer.

That is one of the problems today - getting beyond the mythology. No matter how dedicated the LCMS  leadership is to mainline modernism, they are still heavily invested in teaching the divine nature of Walther.

I cannot pin down Otten's central beliefs. How does one boast about 50 years of publishing "Lutheran Orthodoxy" (really Midwestern Pietism) while selling and promoting a hate-filled, lying book against Luther - for Reformation? The Facts About Luther, by a Roman Catholic monseigneur, is not factual at all, not scholarly by any standard, and is just laughably bad. Yet Otten defended his utter lack of scruples by saying, "I sell to both sides of the issue." He did not answer my email to him, which is his complaint about LCMS officials. They do not condescend to answer his questions.

When Otten published his dubious list of Soldiers of Christ, he included at least two Roman Catholics. Why not the pope? Why not Thomas Merton and Cardinal Law? Archbishop Weakland belonged on that list, because he gave a highly promoted public lecture at Wisconsin Lutheran College (WELS, more or less). 

World Salvation Without Faith

Universal Objective Justification (world salvation without faith) makes strange bed-fellows. Otten, Cascione, Jay Webber, Rolf Preus, Dan Preus, and Paul McCain are true Soldiers of UOJ. Nevertheless, they want to claim justification by faith as a feeble postscript to their precious dogma. But UOJ unites them with ELCA and all the left-wing mainline groups of the National Council of Churches - Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, and United Church of Christ.

UOJ is the great enabling dogma for Church Growth, cultured and spread from Fuller Seminary. Now the big names in Church Growth are going lavender too - big shock - Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, LCMS and WELS. For those who live in Fox Valley - lavender means taking a position opposite of the Word on homosexuality.

Christian News Is Not an Open Forum

Otten has two contradictory messages. One is - "Put all your information in my newspaper - don't start another Lutheran periodical." 

If Lutherans object about being on his ever-expanding ban list, he responds, "Start your own newspaper."

Ironically, Christian News continues to spike (refuse to run) stories that might offend his primary markets (LCMS, WELS, ELS). If the story is too big, he buries in the back. When I was there, he was often on the phone with various synodical officials. He pulled a fax off the machine from John Johnson, plagiarist and Concordia St. Louis president. The LCMS rewards plagiarism!

So Otten has always kissed up to the Synodical Conference, and they are glad to use him for spin, but they are not going to give him what he really wants - approval.

Blogging might have been a way around this. I am glad for the timid, half-hearted efforts by Steadfast and Intrepid Lutherans. (They know how to use hyperbole!) But they have continued the Otten tradition of managed news.

If you want to play PR director to the synod president, at least get a salary for it. 

If I knew Romans 4 was being used to promote world absolution in my synod,
I will jump for the nearest exit.

VirtueOnline - News. The Conservative South Caroline Diocese versus the Radical Mainlines. The Same Split Will Visit WELS and LCMS

The Episcopal Church has active bishops who oppose the Big Boss' agenda.

VirtueOnline - News:

Liberal Episcopalian Spins Actions of South Carolina Bishop Mark Lawrence

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org 
December 12, 2012

According to a local Episcopal bloggerhttp://scepiscopalians.com/Where_do_we_go_from_here.html in the Diocese of South Carolina, the diocese is adrift as Bishop Mark Lawrence's options narrow.

BLOGGER: With the conclusion of the 2012 General Convention in July, the Diocese of South Carolina has begun a muddled assessment of its future in a Church committed to the inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgendered Christians as full participants in its corporate life.

Insisting the embrace of such people is contrary to what God wants, Bishop Mark Lawrence has established himself as a highly visible field commander in what he has characterized as "war" with the Episcopal Church. Lawrence believes that sexual relations with persons of the opposite sex bring people closer to God, while sexual relations with persons of the same gender leads them astray. 

VOL: First of all, it is not what God "wants"; it is what He demands. His word on this is unequivocal. All seven references in the Old and New Testament clearly prohibit any and all sexual behavior outside of marriage between a man and a woman. And yes we are at war with the world, flesh and the devil and the souls of men and women are at stake.

BLOGGER: Speculation has been rampant about what, if anything, the Diocese should do in response to the actions of the Convention, which voted to allow individual bishops to authorize same-gender "blessings" in their dioceses. None of the options are without risk. However, there is one safe option that has not yet been put forward: Accept reality, declare victory, and bone up on the Great Commission Jesus gave His Church. The war is over, yet we continue to defeat ourselves. 

VOL: The war is not over. Spiritual warfare lasts a lifetime and Bishop Lawrence is one in a continuum of "field commanders" who have chosen to wage it and then chosen to separate from an apostate church. Think Luther and the Reformation. The Great Commission demands full undivided discipleship and the sexual constraints Scripture outlines.

BLOGGER: By any standard, the war has been very one-sided, fueled more by imagined enemies than any real threats to followers of Jesus Christ in South Carolina.

VOL: This is not a regional battle; it is a national war raging throughout the whole Episcopal Church that has seen five dioceses and more than 100,000 Episcopalians flee for their spiritual safety and sanity to safer Anglican pastures. The enemies are far from imagined. They are real and spiritually deadly. 

BLOGGER: Throughout the struggle the Diocese insisted it wanted a safe place to practice its own unique brand of Biblical literalism, free from "incursions" by the rest of the Church and unhindered by the practices or governing structures of the Episcopal Church. It wanted to be free to pass judgment on homosexuals and others whose encounters with God were different from its own. Within the diocese traditional Episcopalians have been marginalized, and their parishes are no longer influential.

VOL: What doctrines encompass "biblical literalism" would this blogger choose to accept or reject; the bodily resurrection, the atonement, the Virgin Birth? If Scripture says sodomy will keep you from entering the kingdom, then saying so (but not passing judgment on the person) is the right thing to do, not the wrong thing. It's a soul thing.

BLOGGER: In every respect, the Diocese has achieved what it wanted. However, now it wants to destroy the Episcopal Church in the Diocese by defrauding it of its property and resources, a quixotic venture that is proving costly and self-defeating just as it did in the four other breakaway dioceses.

As the War went on, its once lofty goals turned into mean, personal, and petty attacks. The Second Reformation began to look more like the Inquisition.

VOL: The diocese remains by title, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina of which Lawrence remains the Bishop. He has destroyed nothing. The courts have already decreed that the properties belong to the diocese based on the All Saints Pawleys Island, SC decision. It has also been one of the most successful growing dioceses in the entire Episcopal Church. It grew because it had a very clear understanding of the gospel which the vast majority of dioceses do not have. Many are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ preferring to talk more about inclusivity and diversity. The Second Reformation is underway and it is being spear-headed by the ACNA.

BLOGGER: When Lawrence became bishop, there was great enthusiasm and hopefulness for the cause. Diocesan leaders and their allies saw in the emerging struggle the seeds of a Second Reformation, and the return of Anglicanism to the narrow Biblical literalism of the 19th century. Their "war" would not only defeat the dominant liberal bias in the Episcopal Church, but propagate their own fundamentalist vision throughout the Anglican Communion.

VOL: Words like "narrow Biblical literalism" and "fundamentalist" are the hobgoblin words of liberal minds afraid to engage exegetically with Scripture or theologically with the real issues, so they throw inflammatory language at orthodox Christians and hope it sticks.

BLOGGER: Unfortunately, the opposing army was unresponsive. In spite of flurries of resolutions, years of grandstanding by Diocesan Conventions, and angry missives fired point-blank by the Standing Committee, the Diocese was not much noticed by the rest of the Church. 

VOL: The penultimate bishop of this diocese was the brilliant Bishop C. FitzSimons Allison who holds an earned Oxford doctorate (no other TEC bishop has one) with several books under his belt including the Rise of Moralism, which would answer the blogger's criticisms about fundamentalism. You wanna accuse him of grandstanding?

BLOGGER: The only meaningful reactions came from the Presiding Bishop, whose approach was non-confrontational and pastoral. When unnamed communicants of the Diocese initiated a review of Lawrence's actions in 2011, the House of Bishops' Disciplinary Board seemed to shrug its shoulders.

VOL: The PB is "pastoral"... That would be hysterically funny if it weren't such a flat out lie. Ask about her "pastoral" response to former Bishop of Pittsburgh Robert Duncan whom she kicked out the church and then had a faux trial, or to Bishop Keith Ackerman when she cut off his medical after he left the Diocese of Quincy and his wife has cancer. How wonderfully pastoral of her. (Sarcasm intended) or telling Lawrence that he had renounced his orders when clearly he had not.

BLOGGER: In the wider Church, the Diocese's allies became few in number. Even moderate to conservative dioceses were coming to terms with the presence of GLBT Christians in their congregations, and the pastoral challenges they, their families, and their children represented. They rejected the angry judgment of the Diocese of South Carolina that the Church was surrendering to liberal pressure groups seeking to legitimize that which in the mind of the Almighty is unholy and un-Christian. 

VOL: The issue was NEVER the presence of GLBT persons in church. I belonged to a conservative Episcopal parish for some 17 years and there was always a small group of homosexuals present and they felt right at home there. However if you believe that homosexual BEHAVIOR is wrong, it is the obligation of priests and bishops to speak up with all the warnings Scripture says about such behavior.

BLOGGER: On the legal front, the news was equally as discouraging. Challenges to the ownership of Church properties by breakaway groups were being handed down with nearly uniform outcomes against the rebels. In many ways these cases actually clarified and strengthened the authority of hierarchical governing structures like those in the Episcopal Church. 

VOL: Yes, the Dennis Canon has been upheld till recently, when it was overturned in a legal ruling by a judge for a Presbyterian Church in Oregon. This may have far reaching implications for The Episcopal Church. Furthermore, the national church never put a penny into building any of these churches, so why should the laity who poured millions of dollars into building them not try and protect the assets they bought and paid for? Furthermore, some liberal bishops have cut deals on properties. Think about NJ Bishop George Councell who cut a deal for a parish in Helmetta in his state. Everyone walked away happy. As well the evangelical bishop of Central Florida John Howe cut a deal with fleeing parishes without a nickel being paid to lawyers.

BLOGGER: Across the Anglican Communion, early and frenzied support for the Diocese dissipated. A proposed new "Anglican Covenant" to transform the nature of the Communion into a more disciplined, doctrinaire, and conservative entity was rejected in cornerstone Anglican provinces like Canada, the United States, Scotland, and even England. 

VOL: True. The liberals rejected it more than orthodox provinces, what does that tell you? The disciplinary Section IV was a bridge too far for liberals. They never had any intention of going for it. Even Mrs. Jefferts Schori said recently it was past its shelf life.

BLOGGER: The rebellion's fervent hope of a new Archbishop of Canterbury, who would throw the uberliberal Episcopal Church out of the Anglican Communion and replace it with themselves, seems increasingly unlikely. 

VOL: The jury is still out on the evangelical Bishop Justin Welby. Premature judgment is just that --premature. He does not have the power to throw anybody out. He can withhold an invitation to primatial gatherings if he so chooses. We are not Rome, we do not have a Magisterium.

BLOGGER: Breakaway parishes attempting to align themselves with anti-gay Anglican provinces in Africa have found far more discord and disconnect than they'd imagined. The Anglican Mission in America, a missionary arm of the Anglican Province of Rwanda with roots in Pawley's Island, severed ties with its African sponsor largely over miscommunications, allegations of arrogance by Rwandans against the American bishops, and cultural confusion over the word, "knucklehead." 

VOL: African Anglican provinces are not anti-gay; you might say they are anti-gay behavior. And yes, the AMiA debacle is a blot on the evangelical landscape and there is no whitewashing it.

BLOGGER: After ten years of conflict, clergy and former supporters are quietly drifting away from Bishop Lawrence. 

VOL: Not true. He has the full support of most of his diocese and a lot of outside support including archbishops and bishops of the Global South who, incidentally, represent the vast majority of Anglicans.

BLOGGER: The path forward for Bishop Lawrence is unclear and fraught with landmines. Years of self-inflicted wounds and delusions portends a difficult journey for his true believers. 

VOL: The way will be unclear for a while but things will sort themselves out. Katharine Jefferts Schori will undoubtedly do her best to make his life a living Hell with as many landmines (read lawsuits) as she can, but she will not have the last say. God does and will.

BLOGGER: Lawrence's future as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, if that is what he wants, is most likely not his to fashion. His insistence that the Diocese is somehow "sovereign" and not subject to the governing structures of the Church, and that he is the sole arbiter of what constitutes the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese has put him well beyond the bounds of the vows of loyalty he made at his consecration not even five years ago. 

VOL: Lawrence has no future in The Episcopal Church. He has left it. The "doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church" is not the same as the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Communion, nor of the truth of Scripture. It could be argued that it is TEC that has failed to keep the "doctrine and discipline" of the church. It is TEC that has become heretical. The PB cannot even affirm the full deity of Christ or the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

BLOGGER: His issuance of quitclaim deeds and efforts that have been made by rebellious parishes to cloud the ownership of their properties have put him squarely at odds with his explicit obligation as a bishop to protect Church property. 

VOL: His obligation is to protect the teachings of the church - the faith - not church property. That is secondary. The property issue will have to be tested in court. The Episcopal Church has already lost Round One.

BLOGGER: Many of his colleagues in the House of Bishop believe they cannot allow his rebellious acts to stand lest they be seen as precedence. According to one Bishop, "Bob Duncan didn't come close to doing what this guy has done." 

VOL: Jefferts Schori can't throw him out. He voluntarily left. He's already gone.

BLOGGER: Robert Duncan is the deposed bishop of Pittsburgh, who unsuccessfully tried to take his Diocese out of the Episcopal Church five years ago. 

VOL: He took most of the diocese with him. The rump diocese has been left with a minority of parishes and parishioners.

BLOGGER: Lawrence and Duncan have been close friends and political allies since Lawrence served in that diocese earlier in his ministry. 

VOL: Not enough for Lawrence to throw his lot into the ACNA.

BLOGGER: His extreme and out-of-proportion protests against the Church have even alienated many who were otherwise sympathetic to his cause. He'd likely have a soft landing post-episcopate, as he is fully vested in the Church Pension Fund, and would still have a platform for his views among the more conservative elements of the Anglican Communion. 

VOL: It was either/or. Either he stayed or he left. There is no middle ground, no soft landing. Furthermore no one knows the future. For now he will stay on as the bishop of the diocese.

BLOGGER: He has squandered the extraordinary goodwill that accompanied his election and consecration, and significantly depleted the financial resources of the Diocese largely by hiring an army of lawyers for purposes that have never been made entirely clear. The Diocese claims that it is the fastest growing in the country, but even by its own reports, membership levels are still lagging behind those in the final years of Bishop Salmon's episcopacy. 

VOL: Facts are facts. The diocese was and is a growing diocese, also one of the largest and most financially successful in the country. It will diminish for a time when the FORUM crowd is gone, but it will pick up again.

BLOGGER: Bishop Lawrence has generally surrounded himself with a cadre of admiring friends and advisors who uniformly reflect his Biblical literalism and hostility to authority. Lawrence has revamped key governing structures of the Diocese such that they are now little more than an extension of that cadre. The direction of the Diocese is generally believed to be directed by God through revelation to Bishop Lawrence, who in turn, shares it with the Standing Committee, then the clergy, then the lay people of the Diocese. 

VOL: And liberals don't? Los Angeles Bishop Jon Bruno has his gay and lesbian sycophants in spades, ditto for Bishop Tom Shaw of Massachusetts.

BLOGGER: Traditional Episcopalians in the Diocese, whose personal, political, and financial support sustained Lawrence's predecessors, have been kept at arms' length and not are unlikely to return to the fold as long as Lawrence is active. Though their numbers have diminished, they still retain much institutional history, and the wealth to revive Diocesan finances. 

VOL: I cannot speak to this. For the moment, it looks like the FORUM parishes are on one side of the ecclesiastical fence. The rest of the diocese except one - St. Andrew's in Mt. Pleasant -- is on the other. Time will tell about what traditional Episcopalians will do.

BLOGGER: According to two attorneys contacted by SC Episcopalians, Lawrence and his allies have used the past few years to engage in a coordinated campaign to defraud the Episcopal Church of its property at a level that rises to criminal conspiracy. 

VOL: That will need to be tested in court. What criminal conspiracy?

BLOGGER: Looking back through the history of the Diocese of South Carolina, it is difficult to find an episcopate more tumultuous, and less effective than that of Bishop Lawrence. 

VOL: This blogger should have lived in the Diocese of Pennsylvania under the tyrannical reign of Charles E. Bennison for a decade. He was hated by both liberals and conservatives. GC2012 pushed a canon through just to get rid of Bennison. This blogger doesn't know what he is talking about.

BLOGGER: Should he decide to stay on as Bishop, there is perhaps enough goodwill still available to him to steer the Diocese back onto a more productive course. He will have to work at it, and invest more of himself in getting to know his parishes and their communicants. This is a Diocese of extraordinary theological, demographic, and political diversity, and it has never thrived except under leaders who've been able to deftly weave that diversity into a common cause. 

VOL: That remains to be seen.

'via Blog this'

WELS Layman Comments on the New NIV's Equivocation about the Virgin Birth of Christ - Isaiah 7:14

"If we do not defend the Virgin Birth what else is left? The Church and Change crowd is so hell bent on destroying justification by faith that they are going to destroy the Virgin Birth too. I know no one can destroy the Word of God. 

However this translation can lead many a person into doubt and ultimately to no faith at all. Jeske and company will have much to answer for on Judgement Day."

***

GJ - WELS is hot to use the New NIV, which the mainlines love for its either/or position on Isaiah 7:14 - not to mention its universal absolution in Romans 3.

Another bonus is that once adopted, the legalistic cult is stuck with it forever. As new improvements come out, each error will be added to the rest of many.

The "dynamic translation" model means the authors can make up anything they want and say - "That's what the text really says, although there is nothing to support that conclusion."

UOP Graduate Steals WELS Love Shack Name. Shaquille O'Neal Set to Launch Reasonably Priced 'Luv Shaq' Vodka | Bleacher Report

Shaquille O'Neal Set to Launch Reasonably Priced 'Luv Shaq' Vodka | Bleacher Report:

Shaquille O'Neal is getting into the distilled beverage game by launching his own brand of vodka called "Luv Shaq." 

'via Blog this'

Wikipedia -

Subsequently, O'Neal earned an MBA online through the University of Phoenix in 2005. 

Jeske Meant - "Men of the World"

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Watch Buchholz and Schroeder Excommunicate Mark Je...":

Ichabod -

I gather from this "Real men" conference - or, whatever it is hyped to be; that "real men" don't need the faith the Scriptures speak about; but only, a step by step, self help guide [type manual] from the latest innovative "Christian" Universalist speakers.

Oh, how fitting it is to be in vogue with the modern day culture! Luther and justification by faith be damned!

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org

Watch Buchholz and Schroeder Excommunicate Mark Jeske. 2013 Session List « Men Of His Word. The New Version of WELS Church and Change

Parlow, Jeske, Kelm, Patterson -
all dance to the same tune.
Aren't they cute?

2013 Session List « Men Of His Word:

2013 Men of His Word Conference

Theme: Real Men Wash Feet

Saturday February 16, 2013

Oshkosh Convention Center

Be sure to support our sponsors whose generous contributions made this event possible.

Gunn was the keynote speaker last year.

2013 Session List

Real Men Build Relationships                                                    Rich Warnecke

Earning the right to share God’s love in Jesus starts with building a relationship with a real person through small talk.   Once trust is built, people are more willing to discuss personal matters.  Do you find yourself a little timid among strangers?  Do you shy away from mingling in unfamiliar settings?  This session will help you speak to anyone, at anytime, about anything.  Learn to read body language, improve social skills, and confidently share the “hope we have in our hearts” with anybody!

Real Men Battle Porn                                                                       Mike Novotny

While promising pleasure, pornography leaves the Christian man with only guilt and shame.  Millions of Christian men, Christian teachers, and Christian pastors silently battle an ever-growing and ever-darkening industry, hating their own pathetic battles against this digital Goliath.  How can a son of God escape if he has porn in his past…or his present?  Real Men Battle Porn is an honest, repentant, gospel-fueled look at the threat of pornography.  This session also includes practical strategies for humble, feet-washing men to help one another make porn a part of their past.

Real Men Choose to Cheat                                                           Jason Ewart

Everybody cheats. Isn’t it true there are more demands on your time and energy than there are hours in the day? Since there’s only one of you to go around, the bad news is someone will be left feeling cheated. The good news is you get to decide who it is. Real men choose the priority of wife and family over work and hobbies. In this session, we will discover how to make the changes necessary to ensure our most important responsibilities don’t feel cheated.

[GJ - Don't watch the gay Party in the MLC video!]

Real Men Don’t Hold Grudges!                                                   Brian Arthur Lampe - Self-ordained pastor to all denominations 

Offense is the bait Satan uses to trap people into being unforgiving. He dangles it in front of our noses until we grab it, and as long as we hold it, we are trapped by resentment and bitterness. Come to this session to learn how to identify this trap, our reactions, and what we must do with the offense.

Real Men Pray                                                                                  Mark Jeske - the Rob Bell of Lutherdom

We guys all know that it makes us look weak to ask for help. That’s why we drive around for half an hour rather than ask for directions. That’s why we look at the instruction manual as a last resort. Likewise, in our spiritual lives, when we pray as a last resort, we are actually showing weakness, not strength.  We are depriving ourselves and our families of the strength we need from God.  Join Pastor Mark Jeske for an uplifting tune-up to your prayer life.

[GJ - Read Mark and Avoid Jeske's Statement of Faith - then run the other way.]

Real Men Struggle with Loss                                                        Mark Henrich

At some point in our lives we all suffer loss or have loved ones hurting because of loss. The loss may come through the death of a parent, spouse, child or friend, or through divorce, unemployment, a financial setback or health issues. How do we deal with loss? Where do real men go for guidance and support? Attend this session to explore how heartache and struggle can help you be a “real man.”

Real Men Build Bridges                                                                  Mark Vance

As Christians, we should be looking for ways to build bridges to the gospel both here at home and around the world.  Mark Vance from Christian Aid and Relief will share examples of how humanitarian aid projects in our home and world mission fields are assisting our congregations, missionaries, and sister church bodies build those bridges to the gospel.  Mark will also share ideas on how we all can get involved in this extraordinary gospel bridge-building work.

Remove Outer Garment Before Washing Feet                            Dave Long

Before washing the feet of His disciples, Christ removed his outer garment. In doing so, he risked being vulnerable by letting down his protective covering and revealing His authentic self for all to see. In this session you’ll have a chance to look inward and explore the space between the outer garments you present to the world and the man inside where things are not always as neat and tidy as they seem. If you aspire to wash the feet of others, start with this simple step.

Real Men Lead Like Servants                                                         Ken Fischer

Are you tempted to be a people pleaser rather than a leader?  Does your desire to serve God cause you to lose touch with those you should be leading?  Jesus calls real men to lead in an entirely new pattern and to practice a balanced servanthood, obeying God’s will while still serving others. This session will compare false leadership paradigms with Jesus’ model.  Come and explore leadership as taking the initiative to know God deeply, to reflect his holy character abundantly, and to draw others together through loving relationship in God’s creative purposes.

Real Men Value Youth–Their Perspective, Potential, and Place in the Body of Christ                                                                                                      Dr. Joel Nelson - D.Ed from Cardinal Stritch

I am doing God’s work today because of Forest, Larry, Bruce, Frank, Jim, Boyd and other Godly men who, when I was a young and unsure member of our congregation, reached out to me in ways that made me feel valued, important, competent, and whole.  They were not officially elected or appointed to do this.  They just did it because they knew I was an important piece of their congregation and the body of Christ.  In this session we will discuss what congregations, and the real men in them, can do to get youth energized and engaged as part of the church.

Real Men Wash Feet and Sometimes Have to Scrub Them        Don Scheuerlein

Most often feet need only a rinse and wipe to be clean.  However, sometimes lack of care has so imbedded the dirt that feet have to be scrubbed.  Scrubbing can hurt, but it may be needed to bring about the desired clean result.  So, sometimes we need to “scrub” one another.  Come to this session and learn how to “scrub” with care and concern for others.

Real Men Have and Are Mentors                                                  Ben Berger

Would you like someone who understands you—someone who can share experience and wisdom to guide your life? Would you enjoy helping someone else navigate challenges you’ve already overcome? You need a mentor. You are a mentor. Come to learn the value of having and being a mentor, as well as the steps to finding and becoming one.

Real Men Play On Level Fields                                                         Phil Merten

Jesus told his people, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). That means being on the receiving end as well as the giving end. How good are we at that? Do you find yourself always trying to be the expert who helps other people get their act together? What if some of those people have something valuable to give to you? From years of working with people recovering from addictions, Phil Merten has learned that it works best when there’s a level playing field, where nobody’s an expert and everybody’s an expert, where it’s recognized that everybody has something valuable to bring to the table.

Real Men Get Stressed                                                                 Brandon Hayes

Finances. Work. Family relationships. The economy. Health. Job stability. Although God tells us not to worry, if you are like most men, these issues can be significant sources of stress. Research suggests that not all stress is bad, yet if poorly managed, it can lead to serious consequences which disrupt your faith life, physical health, relationships and overall well-being. This presentation will review various strategies to manage stress and anxiety. Specific topics will include assertiveness, time management, self-care, and relaxation exercises.

The Truth about Real Men                                                       Kenn Kramer

It’s classic Jack Nicholson! His line from “A Few Good Men” is among the most quoted of all time: “The truth? You can’t handle the truth!” The sad truth about most men is that we have a difficult time dealing with the truth about ourselves. Join us for this open-forum workshop that will expose a powerful new strategy that men are using to avoid the truth about themselves. Learn how God’s Word can help us become more honest about who we really are.

Recruiting, Leading, and Mentoring Volunteers                               Bill Meier

Do you find that dealing with volunteers is challenging as well as rewarding?  Using both Scripture and the methods of experienced managers, we will review practical methods of mentoring volunteers in ministry within congregations and organizations.  This session is interactive, asking participants to share examples of both good and poor experiences in volunteer environments and to identify tactics for constant improvement.

Lights! Camera! Action!                                                                   Steve Zambo

Today someone with a camera and a computer can produce and distribute media for a worldwide audience, but this ability provides both danger and opportunity.  Through the experiences of Salty Earth Pictures, you will learn how you and your congregation can utilize media for Christ and reach the world professionally and cost effectively.  Steve will also share ways that you can become involved in making movies that impact audiences around the world.

Youth Track– Real Men Wash Feet — Empowering Young Men                         Jim Buske

Do you ever feel as if there is no place for you to use your gifts, to get plugged in and serve? Does it seem as if the church wants you, but doesn’t know what to do with you or what to allow you to do? I know what you’re feeling — I’ve been there! This workshop will help you rediscover your zeal to serve others and empower you to find a place for your gifts in the church.

[GJ - Buske trains with Andy Stanley, the Baptist Gay activist, so I would not enroll my child in this WELS version of the Hitler Youth - Jungendbund.]

'via Blog this'

Group List

Group Name:  Bethany Men of His Word Early Morning Bible Study

Location:     Appleton, WI

Contact:      Russ Wagner russ@menofhisword.org

Details:       Join us for some doughnuts, prayer, strong coffee and stimulating Bible Study every Tuesday Morning.  Bible study begins at 6:30am. We usually end at 7:30am depending on who is leading the study. Meet in the church basement and bring your Bibles.  Feel free to invite a friend! Our current study is based on Max Lucado’s book “He Chose the Nails”. Bethany is located at at 530 West Parkway Blvd. in Appleton.

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Group Name: CEO Ministries Grill Kings

Location:     Milwaukee, WI

Contact:      Brian Arthur Lampe   CEObalampe@gmail.com

Details:       Were (sic) just a group of knuckleheads for Jesus. The CEO Grill Kings monthly workshop’s will shake, challenge, and stretch you to become more than you’ve ever imagined. We encourage every man to get plugged in, and involved somehow in the work for God’s Kingdom purpose!  Your world through Christ is waiting. What’s your Christ Empowered Opportunity?

What Taylor saw.

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GJ - The participants and leaders are the Church and Changers assembled by Parlow, Jeske, Witte, Kelm, Valleskey, Bivens, Roth, etc.