A Tale of Three Lenski Fans

 I was sad that I had five Lenskis,
until I found someone who had none.

Reader A ended up with two sets of Lenski, so he offered one for free.

Another reader responded that he wanted it, so it was sent.

A third reader said he liked Lenski quotes but had no commentaries.

The second reader had five Lenskis from his earlier efforts, so he offered his individual copies to the third reader.

Perhaps some others have classical Lutheran books they want to share. Normally that excludes any author from the Olde Synodical Conference.

Lenski

Lutheran Layman Comments on Thy Strong Word - Loves the Quotations and Footnotes

 Thy Strong Word can be purchased on Amazon, printed,and Kindle e-books.

The free PDF is posted for anyone to use and share.

Hi Pastor,

For a reader like me, the footnotes you include provide a fast and efficient way to verify that a point you made was based on fact rather than some slanted opinion. Secondly, footnotes and quotes you include let me see the original without taking the time, trouble, or expense of perhaps having to locate and purchase some book to double check you. Google knows a lot, but not everything. I am able to focus on getting the point you are making without the diversions mentioned above. 

An example of the former: I'm reading something you wrote and you state that Mark Jeske said some ridiculous thing. Not being familiar with the biggest embarrassment of the WELS -- Mark Jeske -- I may respond with a thought that this Jackson guy is out grinding really big axes, and mentally diminish or eliminate what it is that you wrote. However, your handy footnote or direct quote lays the naked truth out right before my eyes. Jeske actually did say that! And he's even proud of it.

An example of the latter: You provide a quote from Lenski in your writing that I find very insightful. I am not able to afford the Lenski commentary, or even a single volume. The quotes you include are absolute jewels to me.

Java Dude

From Norma Boeckler's Art

***
GJ - My books are aimed almost completely at the laity. I decided to use a large share of my best and worst quotations in Thy Strong Word, because few have access to so many books. Any time I found new quotations on justification or the efficacy of the Word, I copied them into my Megatron database.

To compile 3,000 quotations for Megatron, I would borrow books from pastors, buy new ones, and comb through my old ones. Some sent me materials to use, publications that very few would ever see because of their temporary nature. As Johnny 5 said in Short Circuit, "More input."

From 2007 - Means of Grace? - Si. Church Growth - No.

Ichabod will become bi-lingual, to comply with the rules of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Someone asked why I was against the church growing? I have to commend the late, liberal Donald McGavran. He was able to change church language so that people could make his pompous declarations beyond criticism.

McGavran solemnly declared, "God wants His church to grow."

This particular sentiment is nowhere in the Scriptures, but the slogan has much in common with Pentecostal language. For instance, the Holy Spirit had a conversation with John Lawrenz, published on the Internet. John recited it for an interview. John wanted to stay in the Ukraine, but the Holy Spirit told him, "John, I want you in Asia." They went back and forth a little, as good friends should and do, but the Holy Spirit won. After all, how can anyone argue with God?

Pentecostals have that advantage. They walk up to someone and say, "The Holy Spirit told me you should leave the ministry." More likely, they tell everyone but the victim. Doubtless, the Holy Spirit told him to be discreet.

McGavran got everyone to think that anyone against his thriving business was against God. He and his apostle C. Peter Wagner (a Pentecostal) recruited all the world mission executives first, then the American mission executives, so all the denomination bosses went to Fuller Seminary. That is why the Mission/Vision statements of LCMS, WELS, and the Assemblies of God all sounded exactly alike. The statements came from the same source, Fuller Seminary.

I have a high regard for the Holy Spirit, but I am not God's counselor (Romans 8). According to the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit works only through the Word and never apart from the Word. That Word is found in two basic forms: the invisible Word of teaching and preaching; the visible Word of Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and Absolution. We also list ordination as a sacrament in the Book of Concord. Chemnitz has a fine discussion about sacraments in his Examination.

If people want to be Spirit-filled, they should remain close to the Means of Grace (John 15). Then they will see the fruits of the Gospel. They will never receive or experience forgiveness apart from God's appointed Means of Grace. Despising the Means of Grace, a convenient term for the Gospel in its various forms, is opposition to God's Word.

God's will is accomplished only through His Word. People should let go of their slogans and marketing theories (all of which have failed) and listen to the Word, then apply it.

 Pete Wagner, mentor to Otten's favorite WELS pastor,
anticipated the dawn of the expert who is wrong about everything
and remains in a highly paid business, like
Karl Rove, Paul McCain, and Larry Olson.

Planting Morning Glory Vines for Next Year

 By 歌川広重 - 東京都立図書館,
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39086057

I am going to plant Morning Glory vines the way Mr. Gardener did last year, drop the old vines with their seeds along the fence in back. I asked him how he got such a great stretch of Morning Glories this spring.

He said, "I hope you don't mind." I told him how much I enjoyed the flowers and vines as a backdrop to the roses I planted there.

"I just pulled all the vines off the tower and left them there along the fence."

Now our neighbor with all the pine needles wants those vines too, so I will drop off a box of withered, seedy vines for her to leave along her back fence.

My actual work project involves digging in a bag of Grape Hyacinths, which are ill-named. They bear no grapes and are not Hyacinths, but they have the urge to spread on their own and keep their blooms and color a long time in the spring.

 By Opioła Jerzy (Poland) - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=730504

A previous resident planted Violets, which are good for butterflies, and Grape Hyacinths, which are persistent and beautiful. The flowers remind me that all land is rented for a time, even if we have a mortgage. We do our part and someone else enjoys our contributions.

Someone asked, "Do you rent?" I thought I "owned" three times before, but those were rentals too.

Our lives are rented too. We get to enjoy the blessings and challenges of life for a time and move on to eternal life, where everything is fulfilled for those who believe in Christ.

Today I am going to start writing straight through on the rose garden, start to finish, for the Creation Gardening book. Some misapprehend it as a gardening book, perhaps because of the title, but the subtitle is All Things Were Made by Him. Therefore it is another book on the efficacy of the Word, using the garden and nature for examples. I think there is a precedent for that.

One pastor, who promoted himself to bishop, seemed embarrassed that I wrote about earthworms in The Wormhaven Gardening Book. Perhaps he missed the connection between Creation by the Word in six days and everything that follows in the Scriptures. From Creation to the New Creations (believers) everything is accomplished by the Word of God. Along the way, earthworms do their part for all plant and animal life.

In sales and in teaching, abstract concepts are best taught with concrete examples, even better when people can experience them with all their senses - no matter what the circumstances.

Mention roses and people can smell the fragrance. Even better, turn the front yard into roses and beneficial bug plants.

Back to my favorite software for writing - Word.

The Long Summer Has Ended

 This Luther quotation is a favorite of mine - and many others.

Our third night of 20 degree weather arrived, so the trees are changing color, dropping leaves, and giving us a late autumn.

I wanted a lot more leaves to prepare the soil for spring, but I have been enjoying the best roses ever - until now. I rescued a vase of roses before the big chill happened. I will get some photos when the sun is up. I found two more Veterans Honor roses yesterday, so I added them to the mix.

I took Mrs. I out for gluten-free pizza, for our anniversary. No, it is much better than it sounds. The crust is like crackers. She told the owner than it was our 47th anniversary, so we received a free dessert - sherbet in various fruit flavors.

The owner said, "I hope you got her flowers." Mrs. I said, "I have a vase of roses - all kinds - from the garden," went on to describe the rose paradise. That tends to stun people, thinking about roses rather than grass in the front yard.

We have a trifecta tomorrow. We are getting together with LI's family to celebrate Alex's birthday, Thanksgiving, and our anniversary. Mrs I said, "Dress up for this." I said, "OK, clean sweats." That was upgraded several notches. "And bring the camera." OK.

We have endured the seven lean years of hope and change. We are ready for seven fat years. Moving here seven years ago was a great blessing. We have seen Alex grow up and our granddaughters turn into young ladies enjoying their work at Sonic. The medical system is superb because Walmart and Tyson expect that for their workforce and executives.