Wednesday, January 31, 2018

To Understand the Bible, These Basics Are Necessary

 Norma A. Boeckler

The Bible is not about God, but is God's unique Book of the Holy Spirit, teaching one Truth through various human authors. Thanks to the influence of Karl Barth and his lovely Commie mistress, Charlotte Kirschbaum, many Evangelicals see the Bible as containing God's Word, not as God's Word. Fuller Seminary has disseminated this false view from their own faculty learning under Barth/Kirschbaum.

 Norma A. Boeckler


The Spirit always works with God's Word and never apart from God's Word. Isaiah 55:8ff makes that clear, as do many other passages in the Old and New Testaments. The beginning of all false doctrine is the Spirit/Word divorce. That separation makes possible the decrees of the Pope in Rome and the popes in Lutherdom. All pagan religion comes from this Enthusiasm, the label Luther gave this basic error.

This divine efficacy and power means that God created the universe in six 24-hour days. Young earth? The only reason for an old earth is God's need to slowly work out the details of evolution to the satisfaction of the Calvinists and compromisers.

The Real Presence is also related to the efficacy and power of the Word. And Sacraments do accomplish - through the Word - what is promised in the Scriptures.

Jesus Himself made it clear that the foundational sin is unbelief, specifically not believing in Him.

 Norma A. Boeckler

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.




Grace can only come to us through the Spirit at work in the Word, so God has appointed Means or Instruments to end all anxiety and doubt about whether we are forgiven. Those who despise the Means of Grace are merely exhibiting their hatred for the Word of God and the grace of God. The UOJists imagine they are God's counselors, so they have God doing and saying things that cannot be found in the Scriptures but readily available among the Universalists, Unitarians, and occultists.



Therefore, the work of the Bride of Christ is not to burn more incense and attend more Romanizing workshops, but to teach faith in Christ the Savior.

Because these basics have been neglected, mocked, and jettisoned, the Lutheran Church is no more. Lutheran pastors and congregations still do their work. But the synodical apparatus is against them at every level, from the Circuit Pastors and District Pastors to the Synod Presidents and learned or unlearned professors.

Notice how the false teachers, corrupt, and incompetent are rewarded, praised, and promoted. This is not man's work, but God's work - to punish people for their indifference to sound doctrine. Their insurance dollars pay for ELCA programs. Their offering dollars evaporate faster than booze at a Fox Valley gathering.

 Norma A. Boeckler


Updated List of Books To Read for Laity and Clergy. But First of All, For Laity



Best Bibles

  • King James Version, aka the English Luther Bible
  • KJV 21 - slightly modernized, just as our current KJV is...
  • Third Millennium Bible - ditto. All three Bibles above use the traditional text and precise translations rather than anything goes text and paraphrasing (NIV, ESV, Surfer Dude, The Message, Good News).
  • Note how the apostate "conservative" Lutherans will not let any KJV Bible even be named in any discussion about translations.

The KJV is the Tyndale Bible, and the Tyndale Bible
is Luther's Bible in English. So why do the SynCon seminaries and synod poobahs hate the KJV? Answer - they loathe Luther.

Best of Luther

  • Luther's Sermons, Lenker Edition
  • Galatians Lectures, either the shorter version or the longer one.
  • The Large Catechism
  • The Small Catechism, by itself.



Best of Melanchthon

  • The Augsburg Confession
  • Apology, on Justification


Best of Chemnitz

  • The Formula of Concord, especially the Righteousness of Faith and the article on Election.
  • Read carefully through Examination of the Council of Trent, any single volume, or
  • The Two Natures in Christ is beautifully written and can be considered as a devotional work of the highest caliber.


Best American Lutherans - Learn These Authors To Realize Who Is Discarded Today

  • Henry Eyster Jacobs - Doctrinal Outlines. Clear treatment of the Efficacy of the Word and the Means of Grace.
  • Theodore Schmauk - Confessional Principles. He battled for Lutheran doctrine and had many wise things to say about issues we face today. So also with...
  • C. P. Krauth. The Conservative Reformation.
  • Johann Michael Reu. Lectures on Unionism. Read about your unionistic synod leaders. Reu knew the score. He was a little bit liberal at first and became conservative.
  • RCH Lenski was rejected by his own Ohio (ALC) Synod and seminary, but he is read today - NT commentaries and also other books. 




From the Reader Who Ordered All of Luther's Sermons

 No there was one even worse in WELS,
comparing Jesus to the Energizer Bunny.
And the pastor was proud of it.

From the Layman Ordering All of Luther's Sermons
After wandering in the wilderness of various strands of Enthusiasm I believe I stand at last on solid ground, the Rock of Confessional Lutheranism,  which I take to be not really an "ism" at all, but in fact is the genuine Christianity as preached by the original Apostles, as sent forth by Christ Himself. 

I'm happy that you received much encouragement from my email. I believe that you do valuable work in seeing us through this current age of apostasy, an age which ultimately will collapse under the weight of its own ridiculous folly.








More Glimpses from the Past - The Sparky Brenner Hagiography - Jars of Clay

Roland Bainton, Yale University,
author of Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther

My approach to reading history is to look for the telling detail. However an author might organize his material, certain things give away the agenda.

I have three heroes in the field of history:

  1. ThucydidesHistory of the Peloponnesian War remains the greatest analytical history ever. Written 2400 years ago.
  2. Gibbon - The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This is the greatest history written in the English language. The volumes came out as America was gaining independence, so it profoundly affected the American leaders who were trained in the classics. Imagine that today - political leaders fluent in Latin.
  3. Roland Bainton - Many call him an anecdotal historian. He collected vast amounts of material first, using stories to capture key points he wanted to teach about a given era. Fortunately, I was able to meet him and hear him lecture several times. He helped me when I was writing my dissertation and offered to do some xeroxing for me. Imagine the pampered peacocks of higher education doing that today. Bainton knew 20+ languages, so I borrowed his method for teaching Latin, Greek, German, any language.
I appreciate John Sparky Brenner's work because any scribe, rummaging through the closets, will throw out precious bits of data, which are valuable - even when left on the floor.

I am enjoying the narratives about various WELS leaders of the past. Hoenecke is one of my favorites. He was not translated into English until nobody was left who cared about doctrine. Brenner told about Hoenecke defending the "correct" position on Election. Missouri loved that.



"Now. I. Am. Interested."
Yes, I am a Kenda fan. So I pick up the cigar butt left on the floor and wonder - "Why is it on the floor and not thrown away? Was it deliberate? Accidental? DNA? Brand? Smoking habits?" A cigar butt can be a file cabinet full of information to investigate.

The cigar butt in this instance in "the correct position on Election," which is dropped and left alone. The main point was that our WELS guy became an instant hero to Missouri. That is often stated, so this is more of a point in a seminary class.

The "correct position" is Walther's divisive obsession about Election without Faith - to provide some foundation for the quicksand of his Justification without Faith/UOJ/OJ/General Justification.  

For people in WELS and for the desperately seeking UOJ in Missouri, Hoenecke is magical. He is little known and seldom quoted because WELS did not want to translate his Dogmatics into English, then took 10 years to complete the project. But he is one more expert to add to the Synodical Conference UOJ roster.

Hoenecke's environment was mostly rationalistic, and he graduated from Halle University when rationalism was dominant. His mentor Tholuck was a Universalist. I see Hoenecke as a man who came a long long from his educational background and was far better in his work than F. Pieper.

I do not think we have anyone left who really knows the German and Latin sources, as Lenski and Hoenecke did. They are both invaluable for their use of sources.


Jarring Admission
Brenner does not like Schleiermacher being quoted so much by Hoenecke, but Schleiermacher was the man who made OJ/SJ come of age, theologically speaking, by dropping the SJ. Barth and all the modern theologians followed. Everyone is forgiven and saved - there is nothing else to say.

I would not put Hoenecke in the same camp as the foaming-at-the-mouth UOJ Enthusiasts. I found his section lukewarm on the subject, but he added a horrible notion to the dogma - OJ "protects the Gospel." Nothing "protects" the Word of God, which is always effective in carrying out and prospering His will. If a claim goes against the clear teaching of the Bible, it cannot be maintained as Christian.

For Justification by Faith we have the entire New Testament, the Augsburg Confession, the Apology, the Formula of Concord, and that special book commended by the Formula - Luther's Galatians Lectures. Chemnitz, Gerhard, and Calov are also clear and compelling, but the Synodical Conference was a muddle and now is united with ELCA in teaching Universalism.



Why Read Sparky's Jars of Clay
Those who want to make sense of WELS-ELS-LCMS claims should study the details of the past. It is easy for some to cite a self-serving story to prove their case, knowing that most are supposed to be in worshipful awe about well known figures, even if they are mostly forgotten. 

Remember that every WELS anecdote about the LCMS has the Missouri Synod in awe of the Wisconsin sect's superiority. However, I never saw a hint of that in the Missouri Synod. Listening to WELS story-telling will reveal that self-serving habit, learned in seminary, polished to a fine sheen from never being rebutted.

 You question the superiority of WELS?


If you question the myths, you are no longer in fellowship and deserving of the stink-eye, the shun button, or the Left Foot of Fellowship.


Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Harley-Davidson closing Kansas City plant as motorcycle sales fall
No! Read Scott Oelhafen's Sermon to Them!




Harley-Davidson closing Kansas City plant as motorcycle sales fall:


"MILWAUKEE — Harley-Davidson's sales fell sharply in 2017 and the company will move ahead with a plan to consolidate manufacturing operations, including the closure of its Kansas City, Mo. plant.

The world's largest maker of heavyweight motorcycles has struggled to reverse a four-year sales slide, with growth overseas somewhat helping offset a decline in the U.S. bike market."



'via Blog this'



Harley Davidson - Our theme for today's WELS sermon.

 
WELS Pastor Scott Oelhafen, the author of this...uh....the author.


I Am so Glad that Jesus Rode a 'Hog'

A sermon by Pastor Scott Oelhafen

August 31/September 1, 2003 - Pentecost 12


Text: Luke 8: 26-39
(Posted but no longer available on the congregation's website--Trinity, Waukesha)

[GJ - That particular Sunday marked the 100th anniversary of Harley Davidson. Few ministers can manage a product tie-in so deftly. I hope the Harley Davidson folks preserved this commercial message on their website.]

1. He proved His heavenly horsepower
2. He promoted His heavenly mission
(Special thanks to Trinity member Greg Heichelbeck for parking his Harley Davidson motorcycle in front of our church for this sermon and for loaning me his Harley merchandise for this service).

Dear friends of Jesus,
They came this past week all dressed up and places to go. Did you see them? They came motoring across the country, state, and city, revving their engines. Undoubtedly, you heard them. From the city streets, to the parking lots and even in the hallways, their mommas were proud of them. It was truly a sight to behold. Of course you, know what I´m talking about. School started this past week and students, staff, and parents returned to the classroom. Okay -- that´s not what I´m referring to. Unless, you´ve been sequestered in a cabin in the Northwoods for the past few months, you´ll know that Metro-Milwaukee has welcomed more than an estimated half-a-million Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts. With their world headquarters here in Milwaukee, Harley-Davidson is celebrating its 100th birthday. It´s a popular motorcycle company holding 46% of the sales in North America.

We have a number of Trinity members that are associated with Harley. If you talk with them, they´ll tell you why someone wants to buy a Harley. They´ll tell you that when a customer is buying a Harley, he or she is buying an image first and a motorcycle second. So what´s the image of Harley-Davidson? Most people get their image from the movies like The Wild One in 1953 or Easy Rider in 1969. Harley riders are pictured as big, tough, rebels without a cause. But, remember these words, your mom probably first spoke to you: “don´t always judge a book by it´s cover.’ Some years ago a young, single school teacher decided to travel across America to see the sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in a truck and a camper in tow, she found herself on Interstate 5, near Sacramento, California. In rush-hour traffic, wouldn´t you know it, her water pump blew. She was tired and scared. In spite of the traffic jam, no one seemed interested in helping her. Leaning up against her trailer, she finally prayed, and this was her prayer: “Please God, send me an angel .. preferably one with mechanical experience.’ Four minutes later, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an enormous man, sporting long black hair, a beard and multiple tattoos. With an incredible air of confidence, he jumped off his Harley, barely glanced at the young woman, and went to work on the truck. Within another few minutes, he flagged down a large truck, attached the tow chain to frame of the disabled truck. He whisked the truck off the freeway to a side street where he continued to work on the truck. The intimidated teacher was too overwhelmed to speak -- especially, when she read the paralyzing words off his leather jacket – “Hell´s Angels, California.’ Yes, God had sent her an angel she wasn´t expecting. As he finished the repair, she finally got up the courage to say: “Thanks so much.’ Noticing her fear, he looked right in her eyes and simply said: “Don´t always judge a book by it´s (sic) cover. You may not know who you´re talking to.’ And with that, he smiled, closed the hood of her truck, and straddled his Harley. He was gone as quickly as he appeared. “Don´t judge a book by it´s cover.’ Good advice – especially when it comes to the greatest person in history – Jesus Christ. Most people who saw Jesus weren´t impressed by Him. Jesus didn´t have the kind of education or degrees that would´ve attracted attention. He didn´t come from a prominent family – just the adopted son of a carpenter from an unknown hick-town known as Nazareth. Isaiah told us ahead of time in his prophesy concerning Jesus Christ: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him (Isaiah 53:3). Most people would call Jesus the original “rebel without a cause.’ He certainly didn´t fit in to what most people were expecting in a Savior. Sadly, most people of His day dismissed Jesus as unimportant and irrelevant (like many do today). Jesus didn´t fit in to their lifestyle and His Word didn´t appeal to their way of thinking. So they wrote Jesus off. In doing so, they missed out on a God-centered purpose for life now, and an eternity with God in the future. Let´s not make the same mistake. You probably know the nickname for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, don´t you? They´re known as hogs. If you could see the divine Jesus walking among us, I´d like to think that that Jesus could identify with us as human beings. And I´ll bet that even Jesus would ride a Harley this weekend. I don´t know He´d choose a Harley model like Low-rider, Fat Boy, or Heritage. But, as our sermon text will show us, I Am So Glad that Jesus Rode a Hog. In the Biblical account of demon-possession, we´ll hear again how Jesus rode those demon-possessed hogs or pigs, right out of town. But, Jesus did this for good reasons. Jesus Rode Those Hogs to prove His divine horsepower. And Jesus Rode Those Hogs to promote His heavenly mission.

I find it very interesting, and maybe you do too, that of all the places to go in the United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin has been chosen by Harley-Davidson riders as they (sic) place to be. It´s a place by a lake. Listen to another gathering by another lake, albeit a smaller one, that´s recorded for the ages for us to visit time and time again. Listen as our sermon reading begins: 26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[2] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" 29 For Jesus had commanded the evil[3] spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Demon possession still attracts a lot of curious fans, especially in college or around Halloween. Just look at the movies that will be advertised in the coming few weeks. Most people just laugh demon possession off as a Steven Spielberg movie trick or pure science fiction. But, our sermon reading shows us that demon possession is fact, and happens more than we realize. The Bible tells us that there´s a spiritual world behind what we can see (and beyond what news agencies report on), and both angels and demons are locked in a spiritual battle (thank God the book of Revelation tells us that the good angels triumph as do all Christian believers). Think about how horrible demon possession would be: to be controlled by a will not your own. The man of our reading had been demon possessed for some time, away from his family, living among tombs. Actually this Biblical account is recorded in 3 of the 4 Gospel writers. The Gospel writer Mark tells us that the demon would make the man cut himself and cry out at night. What suffering! Listen to what happened next: 30Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" 31"Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. Notice how many demons were in this man. A Roman legion of soldiers numbered between 3000-6000. Incredible – a good-size city (3000-6000) of demons were controlling this man. How horrible, and hopeless! But, one more powerful than Legion had come to this place by a lake and the demons had to acknowledge him. Notice the demons knew who Jesus was: the Son of the Most High God. Though many are quick to dismiss Jesus, even these demons had to admit His identity and bow at his feet. And they knew that Jesus hadn´t come to save them but to judge them. For Jesus had come to do battle with them and they only could retreat. When demons are faced with Jesus – they always lose. Listen to what happened next. 32A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. To prove that Jesus has all power of heaven and earth at His disposal, and to prove His horsepower as the Savior, Jesus Rode Those Hogs right out of town. For demons are always destructive.

So let me ask you, can you relate to this account of Jesus? I doubt that many here have been in the presence of the demon: Legion. But, each of us has demons that we have to reckon with. Some of us have to daily face the demons of addiction – maybe it´s the demons of drugs, alcohol, pornography, gossip, or materialism (the quest for more and more). Maybe you just can´t stop. Others have to struggle with the demon of death, that makes you feel all alone because your spouse or parent has died and you may feel abandoned. Still others have to face demons of fear, disease, or divorce. We feel trapped and don´t have a ghost of a chance to escape on our own. We can find help only when we begin to realize that we were born as rebels without a cause, rebelling against our creator in what we say, think, and do and deserve nothing but eternal punishment. Yet, remember the Savior´s presence and His words: Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Jesus took our demons, sins, and shame to the cross where He paid the ultimate price – His sufferings and death. Better than a car repair, He paid our way into heaven. And He walked out of the tomb to free us from the ultimate demon of death. Now, He invites us to come to Him and He will give us exactly what we need. Sometimes Jesus chooses to remove those demons with continued prayer, Bible study, and angels of all shapes and sizes who will help us. Sometimes, He chooses to let these demons remain – but always providing His almighty presence, peace, and power. Remember, Jesus Rode a Hog to prove His heavenly horsepower.

But, Jesus also rode that Hog to promote His heavenly mission. Jesus just did what no one else could do. He healed a man who was demon possessed. But, listen to two very different responses to Jesus´ saving activity as our sermon text concludes: 34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. Can you imagine the crowd shuffling Jesus out of town, after all the good He had done? That´s what happens when people are inconvenienced by Jesus and His Word for our lives. Even though they know the truth, they don´t want what Jesus has come to bring: a new life, a new change from being selfish to being self-less, a change from following sin to following the Savior. And this reaction is the scariest part of our reading – people can actually reject Jesus. You and I can reject Jesus. And Jesus doesn´t force Himself on anyone and He does leave if He´s continually rejected. The second reaction was more amazing and had a happy ending. Jesus had come to be the Savior of the World. That demon possessed man knew it and wanted to tell others. Here we have an unusual witness but one that we can relate to. Jesus gives us the same command: start at home, and let´s talk with our families, friends, and neighbors how Jesus has freed us from Satan´s grip for a life of love and concern for others. There´s no better purpose in life. We too can promote Jesus´ heavenly mission as the Savior of the World. And we can do that today by our encouragement to others, by our invitations, by our offerings and prayers. There just might be someone we know who can be freed from their personal demons if we connect them with Jesus.

Yesterday, I took my family to the Waukesha Expo Center and waterfront by Lake Michigan to see the gathering of Harleys by Lake Michigan. It was amazing to see the chrome bikes, the black leather clothes, and the black and orange t-shirts. But, I guess I was most surprised by the vintage tattoos. I wonder what would happen if I came home with a tattoo to my wife Christine. Do you think she´d like it? The only thing I´d have to wonder about is the pain of removing that tattoo :). But, think about it: you get a tattoo to always remember. Do you realize that each of us are tattooed to God´s hands by virtue of our baptism? We´re tattooed into God´s family, which is even better than being a part of the Harley family. Isaiah tells us in the Bible that God has engraved you on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). God can always see us and see a way for us to be rescued from our earthly and more important eternal problems. So the next time you see a Harley, I pray you´ll remember: Even Jesus Rode a Hog, to prove His Horsepower and promote His heavenly mission. Amen.

***

GJ - The apple does not fall far from the tree. Wally Oelhafen was in charge of the Michigan District Mission Board, and he loved, loved, loved the Church Growth Movement. Wally only got angry when the CGM was criticized.

---

Sceleratissimus Lutheranus has left a new comment on your post "Another Children's Sermon from WELS":

I'm speechless, this is the worst example of preaching I've seen to date. You know the definition of a synod is supposed to be people walking together in common support of the Gospel, but I think WEL"S" is now composed of different elements going in different directions. Sorry, as an Orthodox Lutheran I cannot walk in harmony with this CG/Church and Change bilge!

People Are Noticing the Enormous Swindle Called UOJ/OJ/General Justification

John Brenner, Mequon aka Mordor
His father was a great guy - John Slick Brenner.
His grandfather was John W. O. Brenner.
 John Slick Brenner was energetic and lived to be 94. He asked me, "Why do you understand the issues and our own guys don't?"

Crucial Section from Jars of Clay
His History of Mequon

August Pieper Reflections, 1922
"Make no mistake," Pieper insisted, "The secret of Walther's power lay in his clear, popular, joyful, and convincing presentation of objective justification. That was also Luther's power , Paul's power, and the power of the Gospel itself, the power of God which creates faith unto salvation." 


He goes on to explain -
In contrast to the justification scheme of later dogmaticians, Walther taught, not a justifying act of God in view of faith, but rather a faith in view of God's justification. God's act of justification [GJ - OJ] forgiveness of sin] precedes faith. It is not that the sinner must first believe [and only then that God forgives sin]. In this connection Walther repeatedly cited Luther's example of a royal castle that was actually bestowed on a beggar, whether he accepted it or not.

Jars of Clay, pp. 64-5


August Pieper became president of the seminary
after Kohler was removed.

"God's act of justification" is August Pieper's filter than places a gauzy layer of distortion over the Four Gospels. As Pieper admitted, Walther did not draw his dogmatic lectures from the Bible, not did he lead students into the Scriptures. He simply declared his statements, quite the opposite of Luther.

Luther did not preach a man-made institution, as the Synodical Con-men did. Each one was better than the other, yet they all agree against the Chief Article of Christianity - Justification by Faith. 

Their use of the "Justification" is a smokescreen for Absolution of the World - Without Faith. That might seem to protect them from the charge of Universalism, but OJ is Universalism with a different set of words for the same content.

The treasure of the Gospel, as the Book of Concord says - using the words of Luther - is the Atonement, Christ dying for our sins. To confuse that with Justification by Faith is a crime of stupidity or one of gross deception.



Moody Blues - Or Did Them Barth Adulterers Mess Us Up?
Whistleblower Asks: Is Moody Bible Institute Downplaying Its Own Middle Name? | The Stream

 No one would believe this soap opera - Barth moved Charlotte into his home, to live with his wife and children.
Maybe Bishop Stephan inspired him; Barth also had his
collection of Waltherian enablers, eh?

 Here is the loving couple, the Commie Calvinists
who did their best to subvert Protestantism -
not without help from the academics, who knew the truth.


Whistleblower Asks: Is Moody Bible Institute Downplaying Its Own Middle Name? | The Stream:

"Days later, a new post from Roys questions whether recent changes have dealt with the core issues — notably about theological drift. Other concerns center on accusations of financial impropriety even as the ministry faces leaner revenue.

“I believe in the principle of innocent until proven guilty,” says Robert Snitko. The Chicago pastor graduated from MBI in 2015. “It seems like Julie Roys has evidence [of wrongdoing] from what we see on her blog. But the school needs to go deeper.”

Uncertainty Clouds Future of Higher Education
Student applications to Moody have declined 28 percent over the past five years. MBI leaders note their financial woes reflect larger trends in higher education. One Harvard University professor recently forecast that half of all colleges will be bankrupt within the next decade."

Oh how you dazzled everyone, Karl.
Dialectic is like the bagpipes, 10 minutes is enough.
The yes and the no get into the forever and never,
if you know or refuse to know what I mean or not.


'via Blog this'

Hamma Divinity School Graduate - Lloyd C Douglas, 1877 - 1951.
Wrote The Robe and Magnificent Obsession

Richard Burton, The Robe




Lloyd C Douglas, 1877 - 1951:



"Several of Douglas's books have been adapted into screen, Magnificent Obsession twice. GREEN LIGHT (1935) was filmed in 1936, starring Errol Flynn. After Captain Blood (1935) and The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) Flynn was labelled a swashbuckler, but in Green Light he was a dedicated doctor, who gives up his practice when a patient dies. The Robe, published 1942, gained wide audience as the first film in Cinemascope. The book's title refers to the crucifixion garment worn by Jesus. The protagonist of the story is a young Roman soldier, Marcellus, in charge of the Crucifixion. He wins in a dice game at the foot of the cross Christ's robe. Marcellus then starts to his quest to find the truth about Jesus. He becomes a convert and a martyr in Colosseum to the new religion. Burton in the role of Marcellus - in a short Roman mini skirt - was in his first great role. The book has sold over six million copies.

Douglas's last novel, THE BIG FISHERMAN (1948), shared the same New Testament world of Palestine and Rome and focused on Jesus, Peter, and a pair of young lovers., Esther and Voldi. The Roman world of the early Christian Church is carefully drawn. However, for a modern reader, the style is perhaps too tendentious. Douglas's main purpose was to present a Christian thesis in the form of a novel and include in the gospel narratives the aspect of human interest.

His last book was the autobiographical Time To Remember which described his life up to his childhood and education for the ministry. He died before he was able to write the intended second volume but the task was completed in The Shape of Sunday by his daughters, Virginia Douglas Dawson and Betty Douglas Wilson."


 Lloyd C. Douglas

'via Blog this'

One of Our Readers Wants the Whole Set of Luther

 John N. Lenker is the original editor of The Sermons of Martin Luther.
Like the author of The Robe*, he graduated from Hamma Divinity, now merged into Trinity ELCA Divinity School.

*Douglas became a Congregationalist minister.

R. C. H. Lenski was one of the translators. He taught at Capital Seminary, which merged with Hamma to become Trinity Seminary, ELCA.

From Another Reader

Hi Pastor Gregory,

The 1st volume of Luther's Sermons arrived yesterday, and I gotta say, I'm impressed! So much so that I would like to go ahead and order the remaining volumes so as to have the complete set - not to line my bookshelf because they look so neat, but to read and reread until they fall apart. 

After my  KJV Bible and Tappert Concordia I intend to also incorporate these works as my daily meat 'n taters. Please let me know what the charge would be for the remainder of the set and I'll mail you the check.

I do really like my Spener (?) set, along with my Galatians and John 14-16 Commentaries, so no doubt these volumes will yield much additional manna to edify and treasure!

Yours, in Christ 

***

GJ - As far as I am concerned, one letter like this is sufficient for me to say, "All the work was worth it - and I enjoyed it just as much as people do in reading the sermons."

Today is ordering day, when I catch up with the direct order demand. I have to balance tent-making (Acts 18:1-4, online teaching) with Luther editing, blog posting, and order filling.

As I wrote before, it is possible to buy three of the volumes for $270 total on the used market - those are the House Postils. For those who graduated from New Ulm, that is $90 each for black and white volumes in condensed print.

No, we are not doing the House Postils.This project started to provide Luther's Sermons at a base price (author's price) of around $5 each, plus shipping and taxes. I gave away my hard-cover sets because I can no longer read the condensed print for any length. Several have noticed already how readable these new ones are.

God willing the entire Luther's Sermons will be finished by Easter. (Critics say - Easter of what year?) More projects will follow.


 See the three blue volumes - the House Postils.
They were on sale for $270, used.

A Reader's Response to the UOJ Articles.
Thy Strong Word: The Efficacy of the Word in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions

 Thy Strong Word: The Efficacy of the Word in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions


A Reader Wrote This, Published with Permission:

Pastor Jackson,

There's so much for me to comment about, but I can't keep it all front and center in my mind --especially since I started reading Thy Strong Word.  It is not a bed-time reader because it is so stimulating.  THANK YOU for writing and giving me this book!

But, what I really wanted to comment on was yesterday's blog on UOJ.  You answer the question, "What does the UOJ Dogma Ready Say To People."  You've spent most of your career standing on the chancel looking down at guys like me in the pews, so naturally you focus on what UOJ says, but I couldn't help but think about what it does.  What's the effect on the flock?  And, you addressed just about all of it:  making sin and repentance superfluous, confusing confession, repentance, absolution, hymnary, etc, and finally destroying Justification by Faith.

And, it does all that.  But, what I have observed sitting in my pew listening over the last 15 years or do is the gradual erosion, de-emphasis on faith, but even worse the devaluation of the Gospel.  In other words, a real good question is what does UOJ do to the Gospel itself?  Without the things you mentioned in your first two points, what is the value in the Gospel anyway?  

To speak more directly or concretely in the world in which I live, where I am surrounded by unbelief I listen and talk to these people.  The message of UOJ ( or OJ, or General J, or whatever) has no appeal at all to people because the UOJ Gospel is worthless to them (as it really isn't the Gospel at all).  Most unbelievers' response to the pitch of the Gospel tainted by UOJ with , "So?  What do I need that for?"  "What good is it?"  "Saved?  Saved from what exactly?"  "I'm a good person!"  We've heard it all before.

For the man in the pew it certainly does destroy or erode faith because the Gospel is constantly being devalued like currency.  They overuse that passage 2 Corinthians 5:21 and forget we are sinners too and that we need to drown that old Adam.  And, so if the man in the pew will either fall one of two sides:  
  1. He has a conscience that's screaming "Oh my sin!"  but it's just never treated from the pulpit, in this case it devalues the Gospel leaving the poor soul in despair as he surely is thinking "I am too horrible to even be in this place because everyone around me is so good." Why else is law not being treated? or 
  2. Faith is destroyed because it is no longer necessary since there is no conviction of sin at all.  No need for the Gospel since we're innocent to begin with.  These folks seem think that as long as they work hard and play nice (that is they are being pious in their dealings with their fellow man), that is all that's required.

..and it all boils down to faith in the end.  That's why I believe that theology is such an important part of any Lutheran (yea, any Christian) congregation because of its impact on faith.  False doctrines like UOJ undermine faith and devalue the Gospel.  Why they feel that UOJ is even necessary to begin with escapes me except that mayhap they feel like that God needs their help.  But, every time man tries to do God a favor, things get messed up (cf. scholasticism, UOJ, Church Growth, NIV11, Rock Band, etc. ad nauseam) it usually is at the expense of faith, which can only come from the Word.

I sometime wonder what it would look like if one of these pastors tended their flock with the focus on their faith?

 The LCMS and CPH responded to the Reformation's 500th
by selling these glasses, perhaps a Lutheran version of Church Growth Eyes.

 The UOJ LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC-ELS faculties are united:
the blind leading the blind.


***

GJ - I responded - "Yes, I agree with you, and I have seen the impact of UOJ among the WELS clergy. There is no sin because they are all forgiven and saved. That catches up with them and then they are truly a mess. I don't think most of them lay it on the congregation so hard, but some do, and it is always implicit in what  they say and do, as you say."

Gausewitz is the great divide. Once upon a time, almost everyone in WELS learned the Small Catechism with the original Gausewitz. Thanks to the influence of JP Meyer, the synod moved 100% into UOJ and abandoned Gausewitz for Kuske. The false teachers found UOJ a convenient cover for their apostasy, because nothing matters once UOJ is adopted - as the mainline denominations gleefully acknowledge. All of modern theology - including Roman Catholicism - is UOJ.


The LCMS is not monolithic, so many pastors and congregations get away with Lutheran doctrine and worship. I am getting new FB friends daily from the LCMS, because they contact me.

 They cannot even confess the Biblical doctrine of Creation at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
The faculty's position is ELCA lite.