Synod President Matt the Fatt's Bullying versus Ryan Turnipseed's Answers. LCMS Luther's Large Seminex Catechism, Another Win for ELCA!

SP Harrison jumped right out of CFW Walther's guide for bullying and deception.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 4, Second Sermon - "We Teach That We Are Saved Only Through Faith in Jesus Christ..."

 

Click for Complete Sermon -> Luke 6:36-42.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, Second Sermon

For a better understanding of this Gospel, we must in the first place reply to our adversaries, who hold up this text against us as a strong, firm ground of their doctrine, that a man can by works obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and boast of it as though they already had surely gained the victory. They say: Here indeed it stands clearly written: “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you again.”

What can a man bring up against such clear passages? Therefore, it certainly follows from this, that a man can obtain forgiveness of sins by good works. Thus, by these and similar passages concerning works, they wish to prove that we are justified and saved by our own merit; and denounce and condemn us as heretics, because we teach that we are saved only through faith in Jesus Christ, who has been crucified and died for us, who gave his body and shed his blood for us for the forgiveness of sins.

Thus they make Christ entirely unprofitable for us, and call the doctrine of faith simply an error and falsehood. Here we see how the blind lead the blind.

2. Well, we allow them to proceed, because they want to be blind and hardened. But if they were in earnest to know the truth, they could plainly see from this Gospel to what such passages, to which they so firmly hold, properly refer, and how they should be interpreted. For this Gospel evidently and plainly says, that Christ does not speak to those who shall first obtain grace, but to his disciples, who already are children of grace and justified, and are also sent out by him, that they should preach to others such grace and salvation; from which it clearly follows that they already have forgiveness of sins, and are pious and justified, and are not first to obtain salvation through works. I say, he speaks to those, and instructs them how they shall conduct themselves toward their enemies, namely, when they are persecuted by them, that they should not persecute them in return, but should patiently suffer all these things, and do them good for evil.

3. Hence it is not meant, that by such works as are here enumerated they should first obtain forgiveness of sins and the righteousness that avails before God; but Christ speaks plainly and simply to his disciples whom he had chosen and called Apostles, as St. Luke shows preceding this Gospel.

Christ teaches them how they shall conduct themselves when they preach, as though he would say: You dear disciples, I send you as sheep among wolves, and commend this office unto you to preach, and others shall hear your preaching, accept and believe it. And you will be so received that the world will be offended at you and regard you as enemies, and you will find just as much friendship and love in it, as sheep among wolves. For it will become wholly mad and foolish at your preaching, and will by no means tolerate it.

Therefore see to it that you lead a better life and conversation than your enemies, who will practice upon you all kinds of unmerciful deeds by judging and condemning you. Moreover they will not only not forgive you any sin, but will proclaim your best works and deeds of mercy as the greatest sins. Again, they will not only not give you anything, but they will also hunt down that which is your own, and will take and keep it by violence. Thus they will treat you. But beware, that you be not like them; on the other hand where they judge, judge not; where they condemn, bless; where they take revenge, forgive; when they take, give. For immediately before, the Lord teaches the very same when he says: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.

4. In this manner St. Paul also admonishes the Christians at Rome ( Romans 12:18-19): “If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God.” Christ here teaches the very same when he says: Be merciful, judge not, condemn not, avenge not yourselves, give unto and assist everyone, in order that you may not become equally as bad as your enemies; but rather that they may be prevailed upon by your kind and friendly conversation, to give you a good testimony, and finally be compelled to say conscientiously: Behold, we judge and condemn these people, and carry out all our maliciousness against them; against this they neither defend or avenge themselves, but suffer it all patiently, and besides, they overcome evil with good, Surely, they cannot be bad people, because they have so much patience, and reward evil with good; I myself, will also hold to them, because they do no one any harm, although they have good reasons for so doing.

5. From this one can easily see that Christ does not here teach us to become pious and just through our works, but admonishes those who were already pious and just, that they be merciful like their Father in heaven, so that the heathen may thereby become better, and that thus unbelievers may be kindly enticed to become converted and edified, not only by preaching, but also by the merciful and blameless lives and good conduct of the good and just.

Discouraged Takes the Courage out of Hope in the Creation Garden

 

 Caladiums come in various colors, so why camouflage them in green?

I have gardened long enough in this place to have a lot of discouraging projects pop up the next year to surprise and shame me. 

Surprise! They are coming up and will draw attention with so many flowers already in bloom.

For instance, I planted white caladiums in the fall and the red/greens came up early this spring. The colorful leaves are late to show up, but they keep growing the rest of the summer and into the fall. They will keep appearing and reminding of love's labor gained rather than lost.

I grew a bulb that is named after a cookie, but only one out of 25 grew up, and I gave that bunch two places to bloom. 

Squirlie! - Charli Sue is your nemesis. Remember that.

Lilies were supposed to encourage me with their stately size and enormous blooms. The next season some stalks showed up and did nothing. I said many harsh things to their pathetic leaves and weak roots. I complained to the yard helpers and they responded with quizzical looks. "You have enough flowers." That may be true, but I do not like purchases turned into compost. 

This year the lilies are tall with enormous flowers and laden with perfume only Avon could sell. I feared taking one into the chapel, sending me into a paroxym of sneezing, closed eyes, and regret.

Mountain mint attracts butterflies, bees, and those tiny flies that prey upon the damaging flies.

My grand "triumph:" I always wanted mountain mint, after I saw them draw in groups of tiny insects constantly in motion, in Washington DC. My helper accidentally buried two clumps under cardboard and mulch. We scratched around but never found them that year. "You buried my mountain mint!" He said, "They looked like weeds!" We laughed a lot about that.

You guessed correctly. Both mint clumps came up with great vigor after missing most of that summer. 

Being discouraged makes us give up, because we think, "What's the use!?" That is why congregations should emphasize Biblical doctrine, The Lutheran Hymnal, and the King James Version.

The Bad Bible Boosters: ELCA-WELS-ELS-LCMS-ELDONUTS - pursue randomness in the name of popularity. The modern Bible versions are like the All-Star football games, where each player wears his own helmet. They are equally meaningless, like the Bad Bibles (NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV + plus the Otten Beck Bible) which are used to pump some funds into dying denominations and CN, focused on one thing - hating the KJV for its faithful Apostolic Text. 

Arguments for the Tischendorf-Westcott-Hort-Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament are laughably wrong, except for those who know what they are doing - undermining the divinity of Christ and faith in the Savior.

If these denominations, fading as fast as CN, unified with the KJV, they would not be dibble-dabbling with Babel.

Here is a simple formula that even a baker's son can follow:

1. Emphasize the Means of Grace. For Mequon grads - the visible Word of the Sacraments, the invisible Word of preaching and teaching.
2. Since the sermon is essential - speak from the text itself and write out an original sermon each time - never plagiarizing, never repeating.
3. Teach from the Reformation, not from the festering sores of various dogmatics books, the farther from the Luther's era, the worser they get.
4. Use dignified, traditional hymns instead of entertainment from balding Boomers who want to have their own little band.

If becoming discouraged, do some gardening on a regular schedule and observe Creation close up.