A Strange New World Emerges as the Nominal Lutheran Clergy Disappear and Move Toward Rome

 There are times when a visit to C. M. Almy's might be a better choice than Goodwill.

When I started this blog, I posted that mass bells were busting up that old gang of mine: Neuhaus, Wilken, Salzman, Pelikan. 

ALPB published that requests for new graduates as pastors were double the supply.

ALPB Online Discussion Board - "The Ovaltines"

Joined Roman Catholic Church 

 1. Richard J. Neuhaus (1990) LCMS, Seminex, ELCA, close friend of Wilken, LCMS, below. 

2. Robert L. Wilken (1994)..Professor at University of Virginia 

3. Leonard Klein (2003) 

4. Phillip M. Johnson (2006) 

5. Bruce Marshall..Professor at St. Olaf 

6. David Fagerberg..Professor at Concordia College, Moorhead 

7. Richard Hutter..Professor at Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago 

8. Mickey Mattox..Professor at Marquette University 

9. Michael Root (2010)..Professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, ELCA 

10 Russell Saltzman (2016) 

 Joined Orthodox Church 

1. Jaroslav Pelikan (1998).. Professor at Yale University, LCMS trained, later ELCA 

2. Jay Rochelle..Professor at Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago. Even the LSTC organ went Catholic! 

3. David Smith 

4. J. Thomas Shelley (2015) 

5. John Fenton - editor, LCMS Lutheran Service Book

God's Creation Garden

 

 Empress Hosta - too big?

I had a surprise when I looked over the newly trimmed Rose Garden. I saw a trio of blue hosta plants, young and growing well. They looked just like the ones I transplanted to the green fence area, where I have shade and sunlight. Like several other hostas, these three left enough root stock to start over, even though I imagined  I dug up the entire plant.

Another surprise was seeing a hosta plantation in the green fence area, along the chain-link fence, etc. We had a real drought last fall, but these came back like steroid test samples. It was a combination of transplanting and watering.

 Blue Elegens is popular.

Hostas are fascinating with so many different styles, colors, and leaf textures. King Charles III and I are quite fond of them for use in semi-shade, but even more for their hummingbird attracting flowers. Mr. Gardener got me started on hostas for hummers, so I have increased the population of both.

Many efforts to grow new hostas have failed, thanks to rabbits and other creatures, but enough plant remains to coax the remnants into mature examples.

Never Ignore a Dog at a Hardware Store

I was at Lowe's garden center to browse when I spotted a small grey terrier sitting on his pillow in a cart. He showed a great interest in me, stood up on his pillow and leaned toward me. I stretched out my right hand knuckles since they serve as a reliable safety test with nippy dogs. He began licking off each knuckle, as if I had recently kneaded bread dough at home. When that was done - very thoroughly - I began to lower my arm. No! He reached out and with his paw gently pulled my arm back for another round of affection. I was impressed that he used his claws so gently.

So many delightful things happen all the time. 

Lady, perhaps a Doberman and Chihauhau mix, came over to visit with Ranger Bob. I call Lady a Dobie-wa-wa since she has acute guard dog habits and a small, energetic frame, bulging big eyes. Next door the Great Pyranee, always looking for attention, ached for a race along the fence. I had to start them going, but once they got in gear, they were racing in big circles along the fence and around the yard.

Clethra, the Cinnabon bush, is leafing out. One failed in the front yard, but several others are growing, along with the original. Also called Sweet Spice, Summersweet, and Poor Man's Soap.

Daily Lutheran Sermon Quote - Jubilate Sunday - "A Little While"

 

Link to Luther's Jubilate Sermon

7. The first "a little while" in that he says, "A little while, and ye shall behold me no more," they could soon afterwards understand, when they saw that he was taken prisoner and put to death, but the second "a little while" in that he says: "And again a little while, and ye shall see me," that they could not understand, and we also cannot understand it. Yea and when he says: "Because I go to the Father," that they understand still less. Thus it also goes with us: although we know and hear that trials, misfortune and sorrow endure but a little while, yet we see that it constantly appears different than we believe. Then we despair and waver, and cannot be reconciled to it. We hear and we know very well that it shall not last very long, but how that result shall be accomplished we can never understand, as the disciples here cannot understand it.

8. But since they are unable to understand it why does Christ relate it to them or why is it written? In order that we should not despair but hold fast to the Word, assured that it is indeed thus and not otherwise, even though it seems to be different. And although we do at times depart from the Word, we should not therefore remain altogether away from it, but return again, for he makes good his Word. Even though man cannot believe it, God will nevertheless help him to believe it, and this he does without man's reason or free will and without man adding anything thereto. Yea, the Evangelist tells us that the disciples could not understand the words the Lord spake to them; how much less could they understand his works which followed afterwards. So very little does the free will and understanding of man know of the things pertaining to the salvation of the soul. These temporal things the free will can perceive and know, such as the cock crowing, which he can hear and his reason can also understand it; but when it is a question of understanding the work and Word of God, then human reason must give it up; it cannot make head or tail of it, although it pretends to understand a great deal about it. The glory thereof is too bright, the longer he beholds it the blinder he becomes.

Gottesdienst Typo - Tailor Made

 

David Kenilworth 4 years ago · 0 Likes

  

May Otten burn in hell for the discord that he sewed in the church for decades.

Question from Pastor Name Withheld - "Does the New, 15% Luther's Large Catechism Teach Objective (Faithless) Justification?"

 

Installation of Andrew Preus, Trinity, New Haven, Missouri, 2021. Sam Nafzger is on the far left, back row. Walter Otten is almost on the far right, back row. Andrew is flanked by his brother and his father Rolf, front row. Herman Otten died in 2019, closely tied with the Robert Preus clan but not with the Jack Preus side.

The Scriptures, Luther, and the Book of Concord teach Justification by Faith, the Chief Article of Christianity, but the LCMS and Sam Nafzger do not.

As Nafzger (Harvard PhD) must know, CFW Walther learned Objective (Faithless) Justification from his Pietistic Bishop, Martin Stephan. Walther never deviated from that dogma, lovingly repeated and quoted by the ELS below -

Walther's "make a decision for world absolution" was taken from his syphilitic bishop via Halle University Pietism, a misinterpretation of 1 Timothy 3:16.

Luther's Large Catechism, 2022 (sic) includes an essay from Sam Nafzger, which begins with the typical distorted Objective (Faithless) Justification:

Running through the writings of the sixteenth-century Lutheran confessors is a constant theme: God declares sinners right with Him by His grace alone (sola gratia) through faith alone (sola fide), p. 395.

This is clever double-talk, because LCMS, WELS, ELS, and CLC (sic) are delighted by their OJ agreement. They use ambiguity to cloak their agenda. The OJists love the Walther approach, so they soften the stupidity so the sheep may be slaughtered and scattered.

As WELSians like to say, "The Nafzger quotation ca-a-a-a-a-an be taken the right way."

It only takes a page turn to see Wiley E. Nafzger spring the trap -

After years of struggling with this problem, Luther finally was led to see through his study of Holy Scripture that God's justification of sinners is not a process but rather His declaration that the sins of the world have been forgiven on account of Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross, p. 396.

Nafzger is perfect ELCA, perfect Rambach, perfect Halle Pietism, perfect Stephan - but not Scriptural, not Book of Concord.

Rolf Preus used to declare "raised for our justification" by itself until I repeated Romans 4:24 with 4:25...many times. He seems to have stopped mentioning Justification and Rome too.

Nafzger's problem comes from merging the Atonement of Christ with Justification by Faith, the result of trying to merge Justification by Faith with Calvinism and Pietism, ignoring the Means of Grace and the efficacy of the Word.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote, Jubilate Sunday

 

The background is roses, but the foreground is a photo of some of the damage from the 2011 Joplin tornado and storm, which howled and thundered all night, 50 miles away from us in Bella Vista.

Link to Complete Luther Sermon for Jubilate Sunday

4. "A little while," he says, "and ye behold me no more," for I shall be taken prisoner and they shall deliver me to death. But it will not last long, and during this short time ye shall be sorrowful, but only remain steadfast in me and follow me. It will soon have an end. Three days I will be in the grave; then the world will rejoice as though it had gained a victory, but ye shall be sorrowful and shall weep and lament. "And again a little while, and ye shall see me; and, Because I go to the Father." That is, on the third day I will rise again; then ye shall rejoice and your joy no man shall take from you, and this will not be a joy of only three days, like the joy of the world, but an eternal joy. Thus the Evangelist John most beautifully expresses the death and resurrection of Christ in these words, when Christ says, "A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while, and ye shall see me; and, Because I go to the Father."

5. An example is here given us, which we should diligently lay hold of and take to heart; if it went with us as it did in the time of the apostles, that we should be in suffering, anxiety and distress, we should also remember to be strong and to rejoice because Christ will arise again. We know that this has come to pass; but the disciples did not know how he should be raised, or what he meant by the resurrection, hence they were so sorrowful and so sad. They heard indeed that they should see him, but they did not understand what it was or how it should come to pass. Therefore they said among themselves, "What is this that he saith to us, A little while? We know not what he saith." To such an extent had sadness and sorrow overcome them, that they quite despaired, and knew not what these words meant and how they would see him again.

6. Therefore we must also feel within us this "a little while" as the dear disciples felt it, for this is written for our example and instruction, so that we may thereby be comforted and be made better. And we should use this as a familiar adage among ourselves; yea, we should feel and experience it, so that we might at all times say, God is at times near and at times he has vanished out of sight. At times I remember how the Word seems neither to move me nor to apply to me. It passes by; I give no heed to it. But to this "a little while" we must give heed and pay attention, so that we may remain strong and steadfast. We will experience the same as the disciples. We cannot do otherwise than is written here; even as the disciples were not able to do otherwise.

Eureka - I Have Found the Rosetta Stone of the Bad-Bible-Boosters!This Explains Everything

Right on schedule!

I ran into some books about the Greek text of the New Testament, expecting a conservative, perhaps very conservative pair of authors to compare and contrast the KJV and other translations.

Instead I found a book as antagonistic to basic facts as scholarly works from the National Council of Marxist Churches - home of the RSV, NRSV, and ESV. The book's authors could not stop writing their slogan - KJV-Only - supposedly a sign of their sophistication and broad education.

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone of translations - solved!

Every since WWII was over, people have been printing Bibles faster than greenback$, with similar results, reducing the value therefor. People get wrapped up in comparisons, localities, editors, and styles of translating.

I am writing to inform you that the translations do not matter at all. The secret is the Greek text alone. A gaggle of text critics, with solid backing from the Vatican, adopted Codex Vatican and Codex Sinaiticus as the linch-pins of the "revised" King James Bible.

The KJV Revision apostates of England and America worked together with the secretly printed Westcott-Hort Greek New Testament. They radicals brought out the still-born English dud in 1881, and no one wanted it. Warehouses were full of the copies because it was so badly done and impossible to fix.

Almost 150 years later, the collaboration on the Greek text has established the "real" New Testament. That continues to draw mild rebukes, but nothing more. Denominations are content to sell all kinds of translations (even the KJV) while proclaiming freedom, creativity, and the ever "now."

The vast population of seminary graduates, mostly numbskulls, poorly educated and yet haughty about their vast studies. The mainline seminary graduates are probably 90% incapable of reading the Gospel of John in Greek and translating it. That is child's play compared to comparing texts, theories, and authorities.

Riddle me this - "What keeps clever scholars from forging documents the way the 19th century scribe did to create the codex called Sinaiticus, designated Aleph to make it sound so ancient?" 

Nor should we ignore the venality of Rome, with fraudulent discoveries to establish Rome-centric dogma and corruption.

The KJV Revision was intended to be a very modest edition, Greek and English, but the blasphemers kidnapped the project, a failure that emerged anew as the Greek text behind all future New Testaments.

The heroes are:

1. Constantin Tischendorf
2. Westcott and Hort
3. Eberhard Nestle
4. Kurt and Barbara Aland
5. Bruce Metzger
6. Many more, nodding in agreement.

TLH Hymn - To Thy Temple I Repair

 

Tune - Gott sei Dank - linked here

"To Thy Temple I Repair"
by James Montgomery, 1771-1854

1. To Thy temple I repair;
Lord, I love to worship there
When within the veil I meet
Christ before the mercy-seat.

2. I through Him am reconciled,
I through Him become Thy child.
Abba, Father, give me grace
In Thy courts to seek Thy face.

3. While Thy glorious praise is sung,
Touch my lips, unloose my tongue,
That my joyful soul may bless
Christ the Lord, my Righteousness.

4. While the prayers of saints ascend,
God of Love, to mine attend.
Hear me, for Thy Spirit pleads;
Hear, for Jesus intercedes.

5. While I hearken to Thy Law,
Fill my soul with humble awe
Till Thy Gospel bring to me
Life and immortality.

6. While Thy ministers proclaim
Peace and pardon in Thy name,
Through their voice, by faith, may I
Hear Thee speaking from the sky.

7. From Thy house when I return,
May my heart within me burn
And at evening let me say,
"I have walked with God today."

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #2
Text: Hebrews 9:14
Author: James Montgomery, 1812
Tune: "Gott sei Dank"
1st Published in: Neues geistreiches Gesangbuch_
Town: Halle, 1704

TLH - Holy Spirit, Hear Us

"Holy Spirit, Hear Us"
by Joseph Mohr, 1792-1848
Translated by Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838-1898

Tune - Wem in Leidenstagen - linked here

1. Holy Spirit, hear us
On this sacred day;
Come to us with blessing,
Come with us to stay.

2. Come as once Thou camest
To the faithful few
Patiently awaiting
Jesus' promise true.

3. Up to heaven ascending,
Our dear Lord has gone;
Yet His little children
Leaves He not alone.

4. To His blessed promise
Now in faith we cling.
Comforter, most holy,
Spread o'er us Thy wing.

5. Lighten Thou our darkness,
Be Thyself our Light;
Strengthen Thou our weakness,
Spirit of all might.

6. Spirit of Adoption,
Make us overflow
With Thy sevenfold blessing
And in grace to grow.

7. Into Christ baptized
Grant that we may be
Day and night, dear Spirit,
Perfected by Thee!


The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #229
Text: I Corinthians 12:7-9
Author: Joseph Mohr, 1816
Translated by: Claudia F. Hernaman, 1898
Composer: Friedrich Filitz, 1847
Tune: "Wem in Leidenstagen"

Luther Hymn TLH - May God Bestow on Us His Blessing

 

Tune - Es woll' uns Gott genadig sein - linked here

"May God Bestow on Us His Grace"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546

1. May God bestow on us His grace,
With blessings rich provide us,
And may the brightness of His face
To life eternal guide us
That we His saving health may know,
His gracious will and pleasure,
And also to the heathen show
Christ's riches without measure
And unto God convert them.

2. Thine over all shall be the praise
And thanks of every nation,
And all the world with joy shall raise
The voice of exultation;
For Thou shalt judge the earth, O Lord,
Nor suffer sin to flourish;
Thy people's pasture is Thy Word
Their souls to feed and nourish,
In righteous paths to keep them.

3. Oh, let the people praise Thy worth,
In all good works increasing;
The land shall plenteous fruit bring forth,
Thy Word is rich in blessing.
May God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit bless us!
Let all theworld praise Him alone,
Let solemn awe possess us.

Hymn 500
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 67
Author: Martin Luther, 1524
Translated by: Richard Massie, 1851, alt.
Titled: "Es woll' uns Gott genadig sein"
Tune: "Es woll' uns Gott genadig sein"
1st Published in: Deutsch Kirchenamt
Town: Strassburg, 1525

TLH Hymn - Holy Spirit, Hear Us - #229

"Holy Spirit, Hear Us"
by Joseph Mohr, 1792-1848
Translated by Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838-1898

Tune - Wem in Leidenstagen - linked here

1. Holy Spirit, hear us
On this sacred day;
Come to us with blessing,
Come with us to stay.

2. Come as once Thou camest
To the faithful few
Patiently awaiting
Jesus' promise true.

3. Up to heaven ascending,
Our dear Lord has gone;
Yet His little children
Leaves He not alone.

4. To His blessed promise
Now in faith we cling.
Comforter, most holy,
Spread o'er us Thy wing.

5. Lighten Thou our darkness,
Be Thyself our Light;
Strengthen Thou our weakness,
Spirit of all might.

6. Spirit of Adoption,
Make us overflow
With Thy sevenfold blessing
And in grace to grow.

7. Into Christ baptized
Grant that we may be
Day and night, dear Spirit,
Perfected by Thee!


The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #229
Text: I Corinthians 12:7-9
Author: Joseph Mohr, 1816
Translated by: Claudia F. Hernaman, 1898
Composer: Friedrich Filitz, 1847
Tune: "Wem in Leidenstagen"

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Jubilate Sunday

 

 Norma A. Boeckler, The Burial of Jesus

Link to Complete Luther Sermon for Jubilate Sunday

I. What Moved Christ to Deliver This Sermon of Comfort

1. Here in this Gospel we see how the Lord comforts and imparts courage to his children whom he is about to leave behind him, when they would come in fear and distress on account of his death or of their backsliding. We also notice what induced the evangelist John to use so many words that he indeed repeats one expression four times, which according to our thinking he might have expressed in fewer words. There is first of all presented to us here the nature of the true Christian in the example of the dear apostles. In the second place, how the suffering and the resurrection of Christ are to become effective in us.

2. We also see that Christ announces to his disciples, how sorrowful they should be because he would leave them, but they are still so simpleminded and ignorant, and also so sorrowful on account of his recent conversation at the Last Supper, that they did not understand at all what he said unto them; yea, the nature of that which Christ presents to them is too great and incomprehensible for them. And it was also necessary that they should first become sorrowful before they could rejoice, even as Christ himself was an example to us that without the cross we could not enter into glory. Hence he says in Luke 24, 26 to the two, with whom he journeyed to Emmaus: "Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?" If therefore the dear disciples were to have joy, they must first of all pass through great sorrow. But this joy came to them through the Lord Jesus; for it is decreed in the Gospel, that without Christ there is no joy; and on the other hand, where Christ is, there is no sorrow, as is plainly stated in the text. Hence when Christ was taken from them, they were in great sorrow.

 Norma A. Boeckler, The Empty Tomb

Shepherd Sunday - Misericordias Domini - The Second Sunday after Easter, 2023

 

Video link here - Vimeo - 

For Shepherd Sunday

Bethany Lutheran Church

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Misericordias Domini – 

The Second Sunday after Easter, 2023

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

 

Bethany Lutheran Church, 

10AM Central Daylight Time

 

The Hymn #436         The Lord's My Shepherd

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord: by the word of the Lord were the heavens made. Psalm. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect 

God, who by the humiliation of Thy Son didst raise up the fallen world, grant unto Thy faithful ones perpetual gladness, and those whom Thou hast delivered from the danger of everlasting death do Thou make partakers of eternal joys; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Then was the Lord Jesus known of the disciples: in the breaking of bread. Hallelujah!

V. I am the Good Shepherd: and know My sheep and am known of Mine. Hallelujah!

 

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #196              I Am Content 

I AM the Good Shepherd

 

The Communion Hymn # 328          O Jesus Lamb of God Thou Art - CPE Bach

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #50              Lord Dismiss Us    

 

Prayers and Announcements

• Medical Care - Pastor James Shrader and his wife Chris, Kermit Way and his wife Maria Ellenberger Way, Callie and her mother Peggy, C., Pam in Phoenix is scheduled for very difficult surgery.
• Randy Anderson's CT scan was completely clear - great news!

 

 

Second Sunday After Easter

Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness hast been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and hast given Thy beloved Son to be our shepherd, not only to nourish us by His word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd doth know us and succor us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 

KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

 

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 

Three of Luther’s sermons on this text:

• Misericordias Domini. Second Sunday After Easter. John 10:11-16. Christ’s Office and Kingdom; or How Christ is the True Shepherd
• Second Sermon: Preachers, Civil Authorities, and the Knowledge of Christ
• Third Sermon: The Good Shepherd and his Sheep; or Christ’s Person, Office and Rulership

I AM the Good Shepherd

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Greek, the universal language at the time, phrases this unlike anything we have in English. It is literally "The Shepherd the Good" which means The Noble Shepherd  - or - The Shepherd above All Shepherds.

I got into a discussion about German Shepherd dogs on Facebook. The owners (or rather - the staff) were agreed that their dogs terrified strangers but were very intelligent, gentle and very protective with children. 

Jesus strikes many as terrifying because they do not know Him or believe in Him. Some people respond to Jesus by mocking His Two Natures, human and divine. They have all kinds of clever things to say, and they want to reduce the Savior to someone  not as bright as they are.

A new/old book arrived that showed me how cleverly the Bible has been defamed in the last 150 years. I have 20+ books on this topic. The author of this book pointed out how easily the new Bibles were accepted, and how many denominations had a variety of translations they used without much fuss at all. The reason is - the battle was over. The corrupt Greek texts (fraudulent Sinaiticus and corrupt Vaticanus) - mixed in with Apostolic (Traditional, Received, Byzantine) Text - were easily passed off as "scholarly, the oldest, the best, the most accurate, the earliest" Greek New Testaments.

Jesus is the Unique Shepherd, the Shepherd above all human shepherds, unlike any human shepherd. This Sunday is called Shepherd Sunday because Jesus teaches us the true nature of being the Son of God. The Bible has around 500 references to shepherds and shepherding, and they point to this very special description - The Good Shepherd. 

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The Good Shepherd gave up His life for His flock, those who believe in Him. Every Christian believer has a name. I was asked about this last week. I said, "The baptismal name is the one which stays with that person's soul into eternity." Question - "What about non-believers?" I said, as I often do, "I am sales, not management."

The hireling is there for the money, which we can often see, because they define their work with glory and glitter, the size of their parking lots and their endowment funds. One famous grandson wrecked his well known congregation and blamed it on his wife. No worry - he showed up later in another format, because he was and is a hireling.

The wolf, who represents all false teachers, slaughters and scatters the sheep, the first group gathering his funds for a great income, tenure, and the adoration of the foolish. The second group of wolves charge at the believers for the fun of it - destroying faith in Jesus Christ through mocking the Scriptures and boasting of their great knowledge. 

One seminary professor had his adult son read from a ridiculous book called "The Shining Stranger" - supposedly from Harvard and written about Jesus. (secret author at the time) When I pointed out how ridiculous it was, in front of the graduate class, the professor was outraged - but never mentioned the book again. This author was the "first one ever to discover this special knowledge about Jesus." I asked, "Really? Nobody had a clue about Jesus, century after century, until NOW?" Book readings stopped and nothing more was said.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

The hirelings do not stay to protect the flock but run away, because they have no love for the flock. That is why so many giant churches evaporate, almost overnight. In contrast, the Apostle Paul met with all kinds of threats and tumult, and was always in anguish over the constant threats of false teachers and their false doctrine.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

The Son of God knows each and every one of His flock, and His own know Him. In the past, when I was asked to give the sermon at a liberal (apostate) church, the believers would nod their heads in agreement and the council members would frown and fold their arms. My divisive message was about the truth of the inerrant, infallible Scriptures.

This should always be in our minds - Jesus knows us and works through the Word to keep us in the flock. The Holy Spirit, through the Word, condemns unbelief in Jesus (John 16). The Spirit through the Word (Isaiah 55)

1. Always accomplishes God's Word
2. Never returns void, empty.
3. Always prospers His purpose.

Those two passages are the bedrock of Christian life. 

• John 16 teaches that unbelief in Jesus is the foundational sin.
• Isaiah 55 teaches that God's Word always accomplishes and prospers God's Word. The verification is - "never returns empty," a double negative that forms a  100% positive. 

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The Father-Son relationship is 100%. There is no gap in the Father's love and grace toward us, no gap in the power of Jesus the Son of God in helping us. 

When our skepticism and doubts try to take over and win the battle, we have to return to these passages - which teach faith in Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, the Son of God. We know and trust that we could never get to the steps of the pearly gates, but the Lamb of God has exchanged His righteousness for our sins.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

We should always remember that this little group of followers were isolated in a corner of the failing Roman Empire. The more they were hated, scattered, and killed, the more they grew. No other ancient work has a fraction of the copies of their works as we have of the New Testament. Translations were made and various publications were preserved so we have from 5 to 8 thousand copies, all proving how important the Bible was for people of all races and languages. And these Apostolic Texts agree with only a handful of exceptions (which include Sinaiticus and Vaticanus).

The missionaries were often translators, like William Tyndale, who insisted that everyone should hear the Voice of Jesus in their own language. The powerful clergy and king tried to silence him by arresting and killing him, but they found the Word of God was more powerful than the British Empire, the King, and her clergy.

The KJV is roughly 75% Tyndale's work.