Thursday, July 21, 2016

Short Review of Thy Strong Word from a Former WELS Layman.
Long Review from Gerald Parker

 The Kindle eBook Edition of Thy Strong Word can be found here.

This link is for Kindle, Print, and the used, first edition of Thy Strong Word.


Good morning, pastor.  Am working my way thru the above and find it highly readable, informative and interesting.  Most of all:  Faithful to the Word.

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Another Reader -

Top Customer Reviews

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I am a layman, not a theologian, but I have read fairly widely in the literature of Lutheranism, my heritage faith, so I do not hesitate to praise with the highest encomia possible this very fine and much-needed book that refutes the errors of latter-day North American Lutheranism, alike the unbelieving "liberalism" of the E.L.C.A. and E.L.C.i.C. as well as the pseudo-conservatism (which falsely poses as Confessional) of the denominations deriving from the old Synodical Conference (most notably the L.C.M.S., W.E.L.S., E.L.S., and the L.C.M.S.' sister sect, the Lutheran Church Canada), which have betrayed genuine Confessional Lutheranism with their bizarre speculations embodied in the theological paradigm of "Universal Objective Justification and Subjective Justication" (U.O.J.), which Ptr. Dr. Gregory Lee Jackson anathematises and disproves, as well he should do, showing these heinous false speculative ideas to be being neither Scriptural nor Confessional, and, hence, not genuinely Lutheran at all. (Coming back to this review to revise it some, I would point out that Jackson has written and published a separate book, one that handles the matter superbly, on the U.O.J. heresy, titled "Luther versus the U.O.J. Pietists: Justification by Faith".) Jackson also scathingly and realistically savages the venal "Church Growth Movement" tendencies in all forms of this hemisphere's Lutheranism, liberal and pseudo-confessional alike.

There are magnificent defenses of "genesio-Lutheran" Confessional teaching versus the claims of what Ptr. Dr. Jackson calls the "Reformed" (by which he includes all non-Lutheran Protestantism and sectarianism, rather than only, more properly, the teaching of other genuinely Protestant churches that follow the doctrinal teachings of Martin Bucer, especially, and of Jean Calvin, as well as the Three Forms of Unity and Westminster Standards that so principally, soundly, and moderately codify them confessionally). Jackson's defense of the Lutheran and hence Orthodox Christian "Means of Grace" is a stunning refutation of the claims of Baptists, Pentecostals/Charismatics, the loud-mouthed "Fundamentalists" who are so fundamentally wrong, the so-called "Neo-Evangelicals", Campbellites/"Restorationists", and other "cheap white [or black] theological trash") by explicating from the Scriptures (using, wisely, the Authorised "King James" Version, free of the sectarian bias that afflicts to one degree or another the modern versions in English of the Bible) the true Lutheran and biblical teaching about Holy Baptism and the Eucharist (Holy Communion, Mass). For the fine defense of Lutheran sacramental theology alone this book would be worth the purchase, but there is so much more as well!

A fault, a minor but nonetheless somewhat irritating one, is Jackson's intemperately vituperative assaults on other Lutherans and their squabbles and peccadilloes over relatively minor matters of turf, petty corruption, and so forth which, really, are of only passing interest or importance compared to the major issues that this book addresses, something that inevitably will cause this book become a bit dated in that regard. (That said, though, Jackson`s comments on such matters are reasonable and, I believe, true.) Dr. Jackson's book is already a classic of Lutheran exegesis and sound doctrinal teaching.

A note of warning is in store for those who purchase the book second-hand; the earliest printing of this book had some pagination and binding irregularities, but even a copy with these defects is worth having, since they do not affect any of the most important passages of the book.

***
GJ - Note that the new edition is all English in a new binding and very carefully edited by several people.

Recent Successes in the Creation Garden



Sassy is making sure I know the sun is up, 6 AM. I may get a post written before she starts some of her vocal signals, such as muttering and a high pitched "mmmmmm." Additional props are the sad eyes, the leaning off the bed toward the front door, and the impatient "Yip."

Sassy just got Mrs. I to tell me to feed her. My wife is Sassy's closer. Sassy sells and my wife says, "Go ahead and..." short-circuiting my stall. I jump up, outvoted 2 to 1.

The designated repair man came over yesterday to fix a few things. He often has practical and easy answers for annoyances. He always sees his elderly mother after stopping here, so I fixed a vase of roses for her. The Falling in Love roses were blooming everywhere, so he got those and some bonus blooms. I said, "Tell her that these are for the great work you do at our house." We also visited in the garden. As a steward of the property he complimented us on having a "natural front yard" full of roses. I told my wife, "That took a lot of work to make it so natural looking."



Here are some recent successes in the gardens, though lush weeds threaten everywhere:

  1. The purple Bee Balm transplanted well in two places, front and back yards.
  2. The Bottle Brush (Clethra) shrubs are blooming and attracting many pollinators.
  3. Mountain Mint continues to grow and mature. 
  4. Spirea - the bushes around the main rose garden - are blooming and growing.
  5. Daylilies donated are thriving in the Wild Garden.
  6. Rugosa Roses are tiny but growing in the Wild Garden.
  7. Willow bushes are established as the ultimate Western Wall, to hide our neighbors' back yards.
  8. The main Butterfly Bush, White Profusion, is about nine feet tall and full of birds as they rotate on and off the feeders, the Jackson EZ Bird Swing, The bush also serves as shade and a natural outdoor curtain.
  9. The Crepe Mytle is in full bloom.
  10.  Butterfly Weed, for Monarch Butterfly babies, is growing in the front.
  11.  Borage - aka Bee Bread - just bloomed. The flowers are good to eat and the plant encourages a collection of beneficial insects.
  12. The roses are thriving without pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. The only fertilizing efforts are earthworms and mulch.



Supporting ELCA As Easy As Getting a DMin from Fuller Seminary.
All the Ways ELCA Gets Money and Support from WELS-LCMS-ELS

No.
They are ELCA-wannabees.

Facebook makes it easier for everyone to keep track of apostasy, because the ELCA units love to brag about their latest projects. Like the Shrinkers, the Lavender Mafia members love to crow about their dominance. The passive remain in bondage - they must like domination.

I am linking Exposing the ELCA now because they are good at updating their readers about ELCA's latest crimes against the Word of God.

LCMS, WELS, and ELS members/pastors should find their blood boiling, because their overpaid synod presidents willingly work with ELCA on a multitude of projects, from the congregational level to the national level. Of course, national for the ELS is an oxymoron. And WELS is merely a four-state synod: Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Adjoining States (Nebraska).

Nevertheless, the millions wasted pile up, even when the sects are a small part of the pie chart - about 5% for the WELS/ELS.

All four sects work together following the ELCA agenda. Everyone must accept women pastors and ordained women executives. Missouri and WELS were doing that years ago with the The Membership (insurance funded) Initiative. But WELS and LCMS also work with open lesbian and homosexual executives. The lavender leaders of each group know one another, but I am sure that is as far as it goes. I know what you are thinking - but that would be unionism!

WELS/LCMS/ELS oppose unionism with their lips. They are confessional, they say!

The WELS DPs, who are so quick to get rid of justification by faith, are also blind to their constant work with ELCA. If they oppose the Gospel (justification by faith), and support the crimes of ELCA, they must be apostate themselves. Ditto LCMS and ELS.

I know many people of various confessions, who ask about this strange tolerance of abortion and gay activism, "How can stay in the same room with those people, let alone engage in religious projects of any kind?"

The rot spreads from the top. A few boards make sure their apostate buddies get the funds and the coveted positions.

In brief, if you donate to the ELS, WELS, or LCMS, you are supporting the ELCA agenda. If you pay for Thrivent products, you are funding ELCA, the Unitarian-Universalist Church, Habitat for Humanity, and the United Nations.

http://www.southernohiosynod.org/aws/SOS/pt/sp/ministries_lmi


ELCA Malaria Campaign

ELCA Malaria Campaign Logo


Lutheran Malaria Initiative is Now ELCA Malaria Campaign
The ELCA, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the LWR had been approached by the United Nations Foundation and offered a grant of $5 million to develop a movement to prevent and treat, increase awareness and educate those at risk for malaria.  As part of the grant, the ELCA agreement was to raise $30 million out of a total Lutheran Malaria Initiative goal of $70 million by 2013.


UOJ makes work with ELCA as easy as a DMin from Fuller.