They Built Charades - Not the Reformation - But Now They All Work Their Magic Together - The Big Five Apostates - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic),

 

The charade is working because the toxic leaders have driven the believers away, delighting in the piles of loot left behind, the church buildings sold to donate the cash to the synodical cash cows. The mission leaders loaned money to groups of people who were told exactly how to build this wonderful new worship center. After decades of donating money to pay off the building and keep the officials fat, the empty shell is used to pass some cash along to the ladies, foreign fading missions, and left-wing social activist beehives. 

The labor of 50 years ends up a vague memory, somewhat softened by the charade of a merger where two congregations become 1.1, not 1.75. 

The Great Depression concentrated power in denominational offices, abandoning the concept of sister churches, which worked well as they found the need for expansion, with local energy and gifts.

One mission director was such a drunk that he had to be warned by the president to take it easy on the booze - at the target church! When phoned at his office, the mission director was too drunk to hang onto the phone and make sense. He had a deluxe salary and perks - or rather - burps.

I Renewed My Driver's License And We Have a P.O. Box

 

I am appalled that so many are wedded to their phones, because they miss out on what is going around them. People can get on a giant jet, pull down the shade, and sleep through the experience. I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles and had a good time with the momentary guests. The number gadget was not working properly, so the numbers stayed in it red Tupperware box. I looked at it, opened it up, and tore off my number. I kept my eye on it. 

Soon someone looked at it, gave up, and sat down. I took a few steps, opened the device, and tore off the next number for him. I said in mock gubmint tone, "No number! No business!" He thanked me several times and we laughed. He said, "That's true! Numbers." A very slight man, sitting nearby, cautiously looked into the magic red box. He took one number out and sat down. Soon a third person came by, stymied by the red box without lights or bossy orders. I told him, "I am the numbers supervisor. Open it up." He found his number and I said "Supervisor." The tiny, slender man from before said, "Yes! He is supervising." 

I found one of my favorite postal workers but he had to do something else. Two of my uncles were postal carriers, so I always liked them. They were always friendly and helpful.

I am not going to post our P. O. Box because so many abuse the mails. People are welcome to write me via the email address always on this blog's template. Remember - edlp - Every Day Low Prices. When I spell that for those answering computer questions, the laughter goes on and on.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 22 Epistle - "The other Christian duty named by Paul in this passage is that of prayer. The two obligations — gratitude for benefits received, and prayer for the preservation and growth of God’s work begun in us — are properly related. Prayer is of supreme importance, for the devil and the world assail us and delight in turning us aside; we have continually to resist wickedness."

 

Complete Epistle sermon Trinity 22 - Epistle 

18. But why multiply words? It is in vain so far as the world is concerned; no admonition will avail. The world remains the devil’s own. We must remember we shall not by any means find with the world that Christian heart pictured by the apostle; on the contrary we shall find what might be represented by a picture of the very opposite type — the most shameless ingratitude. But let the still existing God-fearing Christians be careful to imitate in their gratitude the spirit of the apostle’s beautiful picture. Let them give evidence of their willingness to hear the Word of God, of pleasure and delight in it and grief where it is rejected. Let them show by their lives a consciousness of the great blessing conferred by those from whom they received the Gospel. As recipients of such goodness, let their hearts and lips ever be ready with the happy declaration: “God be praised!”

For thereunto are we called. As before said, praise should be the constant service and daily sacrifice of Christians; and according to Paul’s teaching here, the Christian’s works, his fruits of righteousness, should shine before men. Such manifestation of gratitude assuredly must result when we comprehend what God has given us.

19. Notwithstanding the world’s refusal to be influenced by the recognition of God’s goodness, and in spite of the fact that we are obliged daily to see, hear and suffer the world’s increasing ungratefulness the longer it stands, we must not allow ourselves to be led into error; for we will be unable to change it. We must preach against the evil of ingratitude wherever possible, severely censuring it, and faithfully admonish all men to guard against it. At the same time we have to remember the world will not submit. Although compelled to live among the ungrateful, we are not for that reason to fall into error nor to cease from doing good. Let our springs be dispersed abroad, as Solomon says in Proverbs 5:16. Let us continually do good, not faltering when others receive our good as evil.

Just as God causes his sun to rise on the thankful and the unthankful. Matthew 5:45.

20. But if your good works are wrought with the object of securing the thanks and applause of the world, you will meet with a reception quite the reverse. Your reward will justly be that of him who crushes with his teeth the hollow nut only to defile his mouth. Now, if when ingratitude is met with, you angrily wish to pull down mountains, and resolve to give up doing good, you are no longer a Christian. You injure yourself and accomplish nothing. Can you not be mindful of your environment — that you are still in the world where vice and ingratitude hold sway? that you are, as the phrase goes, with “those who return evil for good”? He who would escape this fact must flee the boundaries of the world. It requires no great wisdom to live only among the godly and do good, but the keenest judgment is necessary to live with the wicked and not do evil.

21. Christianity should be begun in youth, to give practice in the endurance that will enable one to do good to all men while expecting evil in return.

Not that the Christian is to commend and approve evil conduct; he is to censure and restrain wickedness to the limit of the authority his position in life affords. It is the best testimony to the real merit of a work when its beneficiaries are not only ungrateful but return evil. For its results tend to restrain the doer from a too high opinion of himself, and the character of the work is too precious in God’s sight for the world to be worthy of rewarding it.

II. THE DUTY OF PRAYER.

22. The other Christian duty named by Paul in this passage is that of prayer. The two obligations — gratitude for benefits received, and prayer for the preservation and growth of God’s work begun in us — are properly related. Prayer is of supreme importance, for the devil and the world assail us and delight in turning us aside; we have continually to resist wickedness.

So the conflict is a sore one for our feeble flesh and blood, and we cannot stand unvanquished unless there be constant, earnest invocation of divine aid. Gratitude and prayer are essential and must accompany each other, according to the requirements of the daily sacrifice of the Old Testament: the offering of praise, or thank-offering, thanks to God for blessings received; and the sacrifice of prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer — the petition against the wickedness and evil from which we would be released.

23. Our life has not yet reached the heights it is destined to attain. We know here only its incipient first-fruits. Desire is not satisfied; we have but a foretaste. As yet we only realize by faith what is bestowed upon us; full and tangible occupancy is to come. Therefore, we need to pray because of the limitations that bind our earthly life, until we go yonder where prayer is unnecessary, and all is happiness, purity of life and one eternal song of thanks and praise to God.

But heavenly praise and joy is to have its inception and a measure of growth here on earth through the encouragement of prayer — prayer for ourselves and the Church as a whole; that is, for them who have accepted and believe the Gospel and are thus mutually helpful. For the Gospel will receive greater exaltation and will inspire more joy with the individual because of its acceptance by the many. So Paul says he thanks God for the fellowship of the Philippians in the Gospel, and offers prayer in their behalf.