Luke 12 Verses for Lutherans

 "We are Confessional Lutherans!"

 Look at the dates and the verbatim quotation - WELS has never embraced the Church Growth Movement from Fuller Seminary?

Luke 12 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

Another win for Fuller - a cheerleader helming the WELS seminary, teaching safe sects - but no one is laughing.

GJ - For decades, the "conservative" synods - in concert with ELCA/ALC/LCA - have sent their dumbest and most pliable to Fuller Seminary, Trinity Divinity, and Willow Creek.

During that time, only the Church Growthers have advanced in the WELS-LCMS-ELS.

Studying at those institutions of Calvinist-Zwinglian learning has been a requirement for world missions and American missions, academic posts, and whatever else is coveted.

For laughs, WELS had their foaming-at-the-mouth-for-Fuller professor, David Valleskey "study" the Church Growth Movement,  a movement which he dearly loved and practiced for years in the seminary classroom. For his published act of apostasy, Valleskey was promoted to seminary president.

Are we surprised that WELS-ELS-LCMS are happy to sell the New NIV? They already sold their heritage for a cold bowl of lentil soup. Making some money on the side is simply a bonus.

4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

GJ - For decades, the "conservative" synods have been building bigger barns for their loot, following the ELCA/ALC/LCA practice of looting estates and robbing heirs. WELS faced one widow in court - and lost! (Milcraft fiasco)

I remember one utterly corrupt official who had a big retirement party for himself and promptly died. His specialty was money, but greenbacks did not buy anything where he went.

 This is from Jay Webber's online ELCA seminary.
Do they mean this?

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

GJ - The Bible has only one message - teaching faith in the Savior Jesus Christ - for salvation, for the forgiveness of sin. Those who are too wily to mouth the platitudes of Church Growth are busy telling the sheep they are forgiven and saved without faith, without Christ, enjoying universal grace without the Means of Grace, like the rest of the world. 

The unbelieving clergy fashion themselves as great intellects, guardians of the sacred tombs of Walther and Pieper, but really fellow-travelers with Bishop Stephan and his young, female groupies.

But challenge their false doctrine and they fly into a rage, leaving behind a foul scent as they run away, as Chemnitz wryly noted.

 "All you have to do is make a decision for universal forgiveness without faith. If you decide you were already forgiven, you are already forgiven. But if you reject my precious message, my disciples will ruin your income, drag your name through the mud, and interfere with anything you do - in Christian love, of course."

Travels with Sassy - Welcome to Dystopia. Ranger Bob's Shabbes Goy

Is anything better than Costa Rican coffee, freshly made? Mrs. Ichabod loves a coffee named after a famous whale. I am saving that for a little later today.

Sassy gets up with me for early coffee. Her German Shepherd side enjoys brats, so she gets some slices of New Orleans Johnsonville brats. She lets me eat some too, but later in the day.

Yesterday she heard a discussion about plans, and she carefully pays attention to words and actions. No matter how we avoid the topic of her travels with me, Sassy quickly goes on alert and looks at my eyes. "Are you taking me?" I would gladly say so, but she starts barking and celebrating her upcoming trip.

I had to pick up prescriptions in Fayetteville, so I figured on stopping at the post office and Lowe's and the credit union. I prepared a package - good news for her. I got keys and wallet together - even better. "Want to ride with me?" That ended all conversation - yelping, barking, jumping around. Mrs. I laughs at the antics but we have to shout over her cheerleading.

The post office had some customers, but also three clerks moving things along. The service area was enclosed in plastic sheeting, protecting me or them? That was strange.

Lowe's was engaged in total spring fever. Flatbeds were clogging up the lanes and customers were loading bags garden amendments. A plastic wall full of scratches separated me from the cashier. I said, "This is not helping my cataracts. I can't see what the debit card machine is saying." We drove around back to get backs of Stinky Peat, Peat Humus in the gardening community. I told them Peat Compost, which caused confusion. No one in gardening knows anything about gardening - definitely a way to qualify for a position at Lowe's or Walmart's departments.

So Lowe's was wide open and bustling, but the credit union was drive-through only, which impedes doing business other than making a deposit.

The oncology group was strictest of all. I was asked various questions at the door and subjected to a required decontamination of my hands, with a smiley face sticker subsequently applied to my shirt. A temple recommend? I told one staffer it was like being in an Edgar Allen Poe story. That center is the only place where all the Dr. Kildare stuff made sense. The few patients who were inside were all high risk and obviously fragile.

Peat Humus - Stinky Peat
A British gardener suggested peat humus on plants, a way to concentrate the best soil over prized roses. I hope to do that today, with Sassy's supervision.

Ranger Bob came over for some coffee and Sassy time. She had a great time getting her treats, waving her paw like Bob would never give her another one.

Mrs. I came out and wondered why Bob had me do all his Internet work. I told him about the Jewish custom of hiring a Gentile to carry out tasks that would be considered doing work on the Sabbath - the Shabbos Goy (Sabbath Gentile).

I said, "Bob, I am your Shabbos Goy." He laughed harder than any time before. He doubled over laughing.

I told him about my Stinky Peat haul. He proceeded to tell me about putting sugar on rose plants. I doubt whether sugar is available right now, considering the flour aisle was empty at Walmart. He also suggested filtering the rain water I save - through coffee filters. I asked, "Are the new roses looking lively?" He had to concede they were extra healthy looking from pre-planting rain water soaks and subsequent rains.

PS - When everyone discovers that human trafficking took a big hit this week, remind yourselves that it was predicted here.