ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
The Left-wing RCA (Reformed Church in America, Robert Schuller) has been like ELCA in making gaiety a sacrament. The CRC is quite similar to the Four Waltherian cults (LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic). The four are tiptoeing to the Left while denying their steadfast lack of spine in getting more people through their dying educational system. "We have to include the gays, because of government regulations on student loans."
In case you wondered, the LCMS and WELS are all about the money. For instance, foreign students are considered "walking bags of money." Yes, they come from wealthy foreign countries and pay cash. Many noble, confessional schools have the same desire to have non-members reduce the red ink. The Ovaltines of the ALPB Online Doctrinal Forum are flexing their tired muscles to assert the good old days, which are gone.
Pastor Mike took over Star-Barefoot's gay ministry: People of Grace, a shade different from Time of Grace.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
[They are like Nicodemus, thinking only of the earthly element.]
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
[Father Son relationship, and eternal benefits]
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
[Sacraments - heavenly and earthly]
59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
[scandal is taking from the Greek word - the trigger that trips the trap]
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth [gives life] ; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you [ουδεν τα ρηματα α εγω λαλω], they are spirit, and they are life.υμιν πνευμα εστιν και ζωη εστιν
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
6. Therefore we must constantly take heed to inculcate this Word of God, which does not burden us with any special, great and difficult works, but refers us to the condition in which we live, that we look for nothing else, but with a cheerful heart remain satisfied in it, and be assured that by such work more is accomplished than if one had established all the cloisters and kept all the orders, although it be the most insignificant domestic work. For hitherto we have been woefully deceived by the fine luster and pomp of works, hoods, bald pates, coarse apparel, by fasts, wakes, pious looks, playing the devotee, and going barefoot.
Our foolishness consists in laying too much stress upon the show of works and when these do not glitter as something extraordinary we regard them as of no value; and poor fools that we are, we do not see that God has attached and bound this precious treasure, namely his Word, to such common works as filial obedience, external, domestic, or civil affairs, so as to include them in his order and command, which he wishes us to accept, the same as though he himself had appeared from heaven. What would you do if Christ himself with all the angels were visibly to descend, and command you in your home to sweep your house and wash the pans and kettles? How happy you would feel, and would not know how to act for joy, not for the work’s sake, but that you knew that thereby you were serving him, who is greater than heaven and earth.
7. If we would only consider this, and by the power of the Word look beyond us, and think that it is not man, but God in heaven who wishes and commands these things, we would run full speed, and in a most faithful and diligent manner rather do these common, insignificant works, as they are regarded, than any others. There is no other reason why this is not done than the simple fact that the works are separated from the Word, and God’s command is not regarded nor respected; we move along in a blind, drowsy manner, and think the doing of the works is all sufficient. Because we regard these works as insignificant, we stare and look around for others, become indolent and fretful, do nothing in love, faithfulness and obedience, have no scruples on account of our negligence, are faithless to our fellowmen, injure or vex them, and thus heap upon ourselves all manner of misery, wrath, and misfortune.
8. This then is one part of our discourse, that this external righteousness be urged both in admonitions and in threatenings, and not be considered as of no importance. For whosoever despises it, despises God and his Word.
9. Therefore let every man look to himself what he is or what he has to do, and what God demands of him, whether it be to rule, to command and order, or on the contrary to obey, serve and labor, that he may attend to the duties of his office with all faithfulness for God’s sake. Let him be assured that God has more respect for such faithfulness than for all the work and piety of the monks, who never yet have attained to this outward righteousness; nor are they able to extol all their works and doings as heartily as a child or servant girl performing their duties according to God’s command.
O, what a blessed world we would have, if people believed this, and every man remained at his post, always keeping in mind God’s will and command. Then there would shower from heaven all kinds of blessings and gifts instead of the many vexations and heart-aches, which we now have, are looking for, and deserve.
10. Above this external piety there is another, which does not belong to this temporal life on earth but which avails only before God and which leads us to the life beyond and keeps us in it. The former piety consists in works, which this present life requires to be done among men, whether they be our superiors or inferiors, our neighbors, or our kindred. It has its reward here upon earth, also ends with this life, and they who do not practice it shorten their days. But this latter piety moves and soars far above everything that is upon earth, and has nothing to do with works. For how can it have works, since all that this body can perform and that is called works, is already included in the former piety.
This piety is now called the grace of God, or the forgiveness of sins, of which Christ speaks in this and other gospels, and which is not an earthly but heavenly righteousness; it does not come of our work and ability but is the work and gift of God. For that human piety may well shield us against punishment and the hangman, and permit us to enjoy temporal gifts; but it cannot attain for us God’s grace and the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, even though we may have this external piety, we must nevertheless have a much higher one, which alone avails before God, frees us from sin and an evil conscience, and leads us out of death into eternal life.
The Chief Article of the Christian Faith - Justification by Faith - is clearly stated in the Book of Concord, in harmony with Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz. Wake up - Big Five cults - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)!
KJV Matthew 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men
1. The theme of this Gospel is the great and important article of faith, called “the forgiveness of sins”, which, when rightly understood, makes an honest Christian, and gives eternal life. Therefore it is necessary in the Christian Church to teach this article diligently and unceasingly, so that we may learn to understand it clearly and distinctly.For this is the one great and difficult art of a Christian, where he will have enough to learn as long as he lives, so that he need not look for anything new, higher or better.
2. But that we may rightly understand this, we must thoroughly know how to distinguish two powers or kinds of piety. One here upon earth, which God has also ordained and has included under the second table of the ten commandments. This is called the righteousness of the world or of man, and serves to the end that we may live together on earth and enjoy the gifts God has given us. For it is his wish that his present life be kept under proper restraint and passed in peace, quietude and harmony, each one attending to his own affairs and not interfering with the business, property or person of another. For this reason God has also added a special blessing, Leviticus 18:5, “Which if a man do, he shall live in them”, that is, whosoever upon earth is honest in the sight of all men shall enjoy life; it shall be well with him, and he shall live long.
3. But if on the other hand man is unwilling to do this, he has ordained that the sword, the gallows, the rack, fire, water, and the like be used, with which to restrain and check those who will not be pious. Where such punishment is not administered and the whole country becomes so utterly bad and perverted, that the officers of the law can no longer restrain, God sends pestilence, famine, war, or other terrible plagues, in order to subvert the land, and destroy the wicked, as has happened to the Jews, the Greeks, the Romans, and others. From this we may learn his will, namely, that such piety be exercised and maintained; and know that he will provide what is necessary; but if such piety is not practiced he will in turn take away and destroy everything.
4. This is in short the sense and the whole substance of this piety on earth.
But it is further necessary to urge it and to admonish people that every man diligently, zealously and voluntarily exercise himself in it, and that he be not driven to it by force and punishment. This admonition consists in setting forth God’s commandments and in applying them to every station of life on earth, as God has ordered and appointed them. They are to be respected and highly honored; we should find pleasure in them and heartily do what is required in the different spheres of life. When God says, “Honor thy father and thy mother,” every child, man-servant, maid-servant, citizen, and the like, should receive the Word with joy, have no greater treasure on earth, and not imagine if he do this he is already halfway or altogether in paradise. And this should be solely done, that every heart may be assured without a doubt and say: Now I know, that such work, life, or position is right and proper and is assuredly well pleasing to God; for I have his Word and command as a sure witness, which never deceives nor fails me.
5. For do not let this be the least grace upon earth, when you have come to this decision in your heart and your conscience rests upon it. We owe this assurance to the blessed Gospel alone, in which we should delight and which we must reverence, even if we receive no other benefit or use from it than this, that it quiets our conscience and positively teaches us how to live and in what relation we stand to God.
In what error and blindness we were aforetime, when not even a spark of such teaching enlightened us and we allowed ourselves to be led in the name of the devil by the whims of every lying preacher; we tried all kinds of works, ran hither and thither, expended and wasted our energies, money and property; here we established masses and altars, there cloisters and brotherhoods, and every one was groping for the way in which he might serve God; yet no one found it, but all remained in darkness. For there was no God who might say: This is pleasing to me, this I have commanded, etc.
Yes, our blind guides did nothing less than lose sight of God’s word, separated it from good works, and instead of these set up other works everywhere; in addition to this they discarded and despised the positions in life, which God had appointed, as though he knew no better, nor even as well as we, how to manage his affairs.
Rolf Preus - ALPB Ovaltine - "I subscribe to the New Republic and the Nation, and so receive mailings from the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and various progressive organizations. I think it's a good idea to read stuff written by people with whom you (sic) disagree."
So much in common, so little comprehension! Wayne Mueller published his opinions about flexibility in studying the Book of Concord. The time has come for WELS and the LCMS to sing the Halleluia Chorus together with Halle University, its crafts and assaults.
DUI. Never served against the enemy but pretends to be Special Forces. Long-standing special relationship with Red China. Allowed his own city to burn from the Minneapolis riots.
The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
Reward them that wait for Thee, O Lord:
and let Thy prophets be found faithful.
Hear the prayer of Thy servants: and of Thy people Israel.
Psalm. I was glad when they said unto me:
Let us go into the house of the Lord.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee, mercifully grant that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord! Praise be to Thee, O Christ! The Nicene Creed p. 22
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 #56Christ Who Comes with Heaven Adorning
Announcements and Prayers
Therapy, diagnosis - Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Sarah Buck, Callie and her parents. Alicia Meyer. Dr. Lito Cruz and family.
KJV 1 Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
KJV Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father: We are poor, miserable sinners; we know Thy will, but cannot fulfill it because of the weakness of our flesh and blood, and because our enemy, the devil, will not leave us in peace. Therefore we beseech Thee, shed Thy Holy Spirit in our hearts, that, in steadfast faith, we may cling to Thy Son Jesus Christ, find comfort in His passion and death, believe the forgiveness of sin through Him, and in willing obedience to Thy will lead holy lives on earth, until by Thy grace, through a blessed death, we depart from this world of sorrow, and obtain eternal life, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
From Lord To Lord
KJV Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
One style of debate is to have people questioning and answering. Matthew's Gospel is directly related to the Christian faith arising from Judaism. Church goers and even pastors will take a lot of Matthew and John only as background. In fact, both Gospels are aimed at the complications of Jesus being both man and God. Their teaching was rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures, and the New Testament books were based upon the Old Testament. To be more dramatic, imagine the fact of well established Judaism being taught by Jesus - old and new at the same time. That was the foundation on which He built Himself. When I am teaching the Old Testament, students often describe what is clear and obvious. I ask them, "Where do you find the Gospel in the Old Testament?" Here are some major indications:
The Virgin Birth in Isaiah 7
Titles of the Savior in Isaiah 9
The proclamation of the Messiah in Isaiah 40
The rest of Isaiah 40 - about the Savior, the reference to the Shepherd.
The Atonement of Jesus - Isaiah 53
The efficacy of the Word - Isaiah 55.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?They say unto him, The Son of David.
The testing goes back and forth, which gives each side a question or an answer. The idea of the opponents was to prove Jesus wrong by the Word or evil because of the miracles. So Jesus gave them a response that was completely true, but they could not grasp it. This continued and became the basis for their anger and vengeance. The Gospel of John points that - Jesus' teaching and miracles would draw the attention of the Roman Empire occupiers and bring down the Jewish buildings and Judaism itself.
Jesus painted them into a corner. Faith in Him has always stirred up the unbelievers, especially when they have heard the inspired Word of God. That is what makes "important people" angry and aching for revenge. John 8 is perfect example.
John 8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? [Who do you think you are?!]
Jesus asked, Whose Son is He? The Pharisees said, "The Son of David." This is the great conflict. They trust in the claim of King David's heroics, but they do not want this Teacher with miracles and powerful preaching.
43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Jesus has set up a great barrier, because He challenged them to follow through what they offered as wisdom. But this is much higher than their knowledge or fears. David predicted the future Messiah. Psalm 22 is the passage about the Atoning death of the Messiah. People are shocked at how detailed the Psalm is. The complexity grows with God the Father (LORD) saying to the Lord (Jesus), Sit though at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool? Jesus was always revealing Himself in some ways, to establish faith in Him. This exchange is a puzzle that is difficult to explain at first. The materials for the Son of David are all over the Old Testament, starting with Creation, but people tend to cling to the ordinary, the rational, the popular.
45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Jesus silenced His opponents; He had the advantage. He knew what was in their minds, just as He did with Nicodemus in John 3. Ultimately, the Jewish officials plotted to have Him executed for being innocent. The opponents were afraid of losing everything, but it was their actions which brought down the Temple and the City of Jerusalem (which means "place of peace). That was the foolishness that led the Roman Empire to travel to Jerusalem, besiege it, and haul the defenders off as slaves, scattered around the world.
The history tells us what we have received from the Era of Christianity. Starting with a dozen apostles and Paul, they moved across the Roman Empire and around the world. A recent documentary pointed out to Americans that the center of the world was the Mediterranean Sea, because of shipping, exchange of goods, and military expeditions. The faithful used the waterways, just as Paul did, because it made travel more efficient.
They could not imagine what would happen in the centuries to come, and we have no more foresight than they did. What continues is the work of the Right Hand of God. No one really has faith in Jesus Christ until that person can say, "I trust the Good Shepherd to provide for me, warn away the predators, and lead me to everlasting life."
I am aghast at seeing so many denominations run with the trends and repudiate what the Scriptures clearly teach. The synod managers, book-sellers, and other nuisances cling to a "Bible" based on fraud. Vaticanus, a plaything of the Vatican, is not ancient but really quite new compared to the Traditional (Byzantine) Text. Sinaiticus is a real hoot, because Tischendorf claimed he rescued the text from the fire, because the leather pages (nota bene) were being burned to keep the monastic library warm. In short, the erasures of the modern Bibles are based on two fake texts while the salesmen seek to promote those lapses as the "best reading."
Charlie Sue is very active in the backyard. She tore open bags of wood mulch, which helped me cover the roses more. She loves to dig and to chew. When I go outside, she poses as the attack dog and jumps in the air for a chew on my forearms.
My vegetable specialist suggested daily walks, which are easier than the high heat and humidity we had for the summer. Yesterday we walked to Bible John's house, so John invited us to sit a spell and visit with his wife Pat.
We discussed Super Large Print KJVs for people like us and smaller ones for women's prison groups and for kids. The smaller ones are about $4. Super Giant Print Bibles are around $15.
AT&T was trying to boost the couple's phone costs even higher so I called Ozarks (a co-op) and worked on the problem. Pretty soon Ozarks had the high speed connection into the house. AT&T kept trying to bully their way back into the picture. I have experienced their charm more than once. I tell them, "Around here, AT&T is a warning label!"
Charlie loves to kiss, so she had a lot of love for John and Pat. We still talk about Sassy Sue, who discovered that food would be served and always looked for bones to enjoy.
We had a perfect day for an afternoon walk. We went to the end of the cul-de-sac, came back and walked over to Joye to see John and Pat. The air was cool and we were glad that NWA was far too dry and humid but better than the Southeast.
Porchi enjoys his finger-combed coat. If we work on both sides and his head, talking about how much Charlie loves him, he gently grabs me by the neck to be close. Little Dustmop, a tiny handful, uses Porchi so he can jump up and nibble on my fingers.
30. But the law is known, when I learn from it that I am condemned, and see that there is neither hope nor comfort anywhere for me, and I cannot even help myself, but must have another one to deliver me. Then it is time that I look around for him who can help, and he is Christ Jesus, who for this purpose became man, and became like unto us, in order that he might help us out of the mire into which we are fallen. He loved God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself, and submitted his will to the will of his Father, fulfilled the law in every respect; this I could not do and yet I was required to do it. Therefore, he accepts him; and that which he fulfilled in the law, he offers me. He freely gives me his life with all his works, so that I can appropriate them to myself as a possession that is my own and is bestowed upon me as a free gift. He delivers us from the law, for when the law says, Love God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself, or thou wilt be damned, then I say, I cannot do it. Then Christ says: Come to me, take me and cling to me by faith; then you shall be rid of the law.
31. Now this is accomplished in the following manner: Christ has through his death secured for us the Holy Spirit; and he fulfills the law in us, and not we. For that Spirit, whom God sends into your heart for the sake of his Son, makes an entirely new man out of you, who does with joy and love from the heart everything the law requires, which before would have been impossible for you to do. This new man despises the present life, and desires to die, rejoices in all adversity, and submits himself wholly and entirely to the will of God. Whatever God does with him, is well pleasing to him. This Spirit you cannot merit yourself, but Christ has secured and merited it. When I believe from the heart that Christ did this for me, I receive also the same Holy Spirit that makes me an entirely new man. Then everything God commands is sweet, lovely and agreeable, and I do everything he desires of me; not in my own strength, but by the strength of him that is in me, as Paul says in Philippians, 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me.”
32. But you must take heed, that you do not undertake to secure this faith in Jesus Christ by your own works or power, or that you think lightly about this matter; for it is impossible for the natural man; but the Holy Spirit must do it. Therefore beware of the preachers of self-righteousness, who simply blabber and say: We must do good works in order to be saved. But we say that faith alone is sufficient to this end. Our good works are for another purpose, namely, to prove our faith, as you have already frequently heard from me.
33. Now this is the purpose of the question the Lord put to the Pharisees:
What think ye of Christ; who is he and whose Son is he? But their answer, in that they say, He is the son of David, the Lord rejects and obscures their answer and refers to a passage from the Psalm, in order to leave them in doubt; so that no one is able to answer him a word.
34. However, when David calls Christ his Lord, in that he says in Psalm 110:1, “But the lord said unto my Lord, ‘Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool,’” it is to be understood that David speaks of him both as God and man, for according to the flesh alone he was the son of David. Paul also joins these two when he says in Romans 1:1-4: “I am called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God, which he promised afore through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh; who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” But it is something to know that Christ is Lord; for this has might and power and is especially comforting in the time of affliction. But concerning this I have said more elsewhere and will therefore now close, and pray God for grace.
After being installed by Stuckwisch at the end of the service, Bruss officially opened the academic year with prayers for God’s blessings on the work to be done, followed by a presidential address in which he offered a “small apologia” for including Concordia in the name of Concordia Theological Seminary: “Our seminary is called ‘Concordia Theological Seminary’ — that is, ‘Book of Concord Theological Seminary.’ …
“Faith and confession go hand in glove,” Bruss said. “Our confessions rest on what the Scriptures say and give us to confess: That through them, God has revealed Himself, His will and the salvation that He worked through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, in words that are so clear that they may be faithfully reproduced, so that with the heart, one may believe and be justified and with the mouth one may confess and be saved.”
***
GJ - The problem remains - The Four Waltherian Cults - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) plus ELCA declare the word faith, but reject faith in Jesus Christ.
Many years ago, Ft. Wayne (with Robert Preus as president) offered the DMin degree in Church Growth, so they could borrow from Fuller Seminary. Perhaps the greater cancer at Ft. Wayne and St. Louis is their sinuflecting toward the Church of Rome. Sinuflecting is a British witticism based on the slithering of a snake while bending the knee in a gradual march toward the Pope, crying for forgiveness and demi-semi-absolution.
If Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz are correct, then the Big Five Sects are utterly useless in their apostate claims.
The Big Five are utterly faithless and prove that in all their works. Justification by Faith is the Chief Article of Christian Religion, but they abhor and reject this Chief Article. WELS genius Frosty Bivens declared that Objective Faithless Justification was and is the Chief Article. I think he borrowed that from Zarling, who considered OJ a diamond.
The so-called editors of their father's book never caught on the problems with the beloved Rambach, Stephan, and CFW Walther - OJ Pietists one and all.
The Waltherian cults are not much better than ELCA, and all five strive against the efficacy of the Word, the Means of Grace, and faith in Jesus Christ as the only access to God's grace. Romans 5:1-2 would do them a a world of good.
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