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| Napoleon Hill is the founder of occult business philosophy, and the Church Growthers lub, lub, lub him. Schuller founded Church Growth, and he is a Napoleon Hill Foundation Award winner, for promoting this. Besides, Hill is more interesting than Mark Jeske. |
http://ecclesiaaugustana.blogspot.com/2013/01/decisions-decisions.html#comment-form
- christfocusedJanuary 30, 2013 at 10:57 PMLooks like Elizabeth (commenter on the Dec. 10th TOG post) comments are now deleted from the post on the TOG website and she most likely joins the un-offical group of TOG blocked commenters that are confessional Lutherans (some of which are WELS pastor's wives).Reply
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"Do you feel surrounded by darkness and unsure of what to do? Let him speak to you.- PMJ"Reply
A Lutheran audience should know that God "speaks" to us in his WORD. TOG is reaching out to a mixed crowd of "Christian" and perhaps un-Christian people. I often see Christian people faced with a decision in life or for their New Year's Resolution write on Facebook something like "I need to really listen to God more." The problem is that they are not looking for an answer in God's Word or content that God will bless them and provide for them with whatever decision they make. They are looking for a feeling or a sign that will tell them which path to take.
One of the most popular devotions books is "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. The book is written as if Jesus is talking. Sarah Young in an interview states:"My journey began with a devotional book (God Calling) written in the 1930's by two women who practiced waiting in God's Presence, writing the messages they received as they "listened." About a year after I started reading this book, I began to wonder if I too could receive messages during my times of communing with God. I had been writing in prayer journals for years, but this was one-way communication: "monologue." I knew that God communicates through the Bible (and I treasure His Word), but I wondered what He might say to me personally on a given day. So I decided to "listen" to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I sensed He was saying. Of course, I wasn't listening for an audible voice; I was seeking the "still, small voice" of God in my mind/heart...It felt a little awkward the first time I tried it, but I did receive a short message." read more of the interview.. at http://www.cbn.com/entertainment/books/jesuscallingqa.aspx
WELS affiliated Christian Life Resources sold the book in their spring 2012 catalog Clearly Caring http://www.clearlycaring.com/pdf/2012040506.pdf
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"Therefore we ought and must constantly maintain this point, that God does not wish to deal with us otherwise than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments. It is the devil himself whatsoever is extolled as Spirit without the Word and Sacraments."(http://bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#part3.8.10)Reply
What troubles me is that "let him speak to you" means that we have to discern for ourselves what God wants for us. 1) He never says to look at Scripture to see what God says. 2) He seems to imply that we need to figure it out on our own. We need to look within ourselves to figure out what he wants. What again separates him from Joel Osteen? What separates him from the heresy of enthusiasm? 3) Considering that he implies we need to figure it out on our own, it shows that he doesn't realize his position. He is supposed to be Called to discern the Word -- Law and Gospel. But now since "everyone is a minister" you can figure it out on your own.
Again people, this is WELS' vision. Do you agree? They certainly don't agree, and have shown they don't by the suspension of Pr. Rydecki, that sinners are only justified and considered righteous to God by the gift of faith.
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Greetings. I'm new to this blog-just found it today. I am an active WELS member who spent 3 years at Martin Luther College before deciding on a different path than the public ministry.
I am not, however, one to "remain quiet" and take a side. The world is populated entirely of sinful human beings, including WELS pastors. You are spending a great deal of energy condemning WELS theology by the words of one man.
Is he wrong? Yes definitely. Will I bring this to the attention of someone with authority make a change? Of course.
And remembering that this is "My opinion, of course, and not necessarily anyone else's," it seems that those who would, perhaps, be described as anti-WELS find any and every opportunity to apply the mistakes one to all.
I am WELS. I know what I believe and why. I question those in authority when something smells a little fishy. Do not lump us together into one sheepish, robotic, and nominal faith. Please. -
Just for the record- no relation.
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Mr. Jeske,
Thank you for reading and offering your thoughts. I am an active member of a parish affiliated with the WELS as well. While I didn't attend MLC, I entertained the notion, and did spend 14 years in the WELS education system. As it so happens, some of the other authors on this blog have attended MLC. I bring this up to demonstrate that this blog certainly doesn't paint every person affiliated with the WELS with the same brush.
The reality is, as I've tried to point out to some of my more zealous colleagues in the past, that the WELS is nothing more than a man-made institution. By its own Constitution, the WELS exists as a voluntary fellowship of those pastors and parishes claiming the Confessions of the Lutheran Church as a true exposition of Scripture, fully accepting them in terms of doctrine and practice. However, the current administration and teachers of the WELS do not share this vision. They have made that clear by their refusal to deal with the false teachings exposed by this blog post, as well as by their excommunication of faithful pastors and laymen (who did nothing more than teach the controversial doctrine of justification by faith alone). That smells more than a little fishy to me; it smells of decomposing flesh.
I cannot sit idly by while the stench of rotting flesh surrounds me. I know there are good people in the WELS. I know that at its heart the WELS is supposed to be nothing more than a fellowship of Confessional Lutherans. But the people running it (and perhaps even the majority of the people constituting it) are not faithful to this end. So it's our job to raise the alarm on the walls of Zion, because the watchmen are apparently asleep, too afraid to talk, thrown off the wall, or in bed with the invading army.
I hope that made a bit of sense. Thanks again for reading and commenting.
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To paraphrase Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:19, [If nothing else matters than the pastor loves his congregation], "we are of all people most to be pitied."
Peace of mind from denying everything, especially his overlord - Satan.
