I was waiting for an important document to finish today, so I read St. John's Revelation out loud to myself.
Revelation is heavy with Gospel proclamations, and I think they should shine even more obviously because they are so glowingly powerful about the Son of God, the Trinity, and the evil ones. People ruin the balance when they pick out ideas that seem odd or quirky.
Try reading Luke 21 - a miniature Revelation - on the threatening side.
My Waterloo Lutheran Seminarians of the 1970s have gone to their rewards (judge for yourselves). Their beautiful chapel hosts Doggie Day Care on cushions, and the seminary itself is sectarian for a future graduating class of 3 or 4. Likewise, the two giant Lutheran churches of the 1970s are 1) a motellette, and 2) another motellette.
The most important ingredient of this world - as Luther taught - is grace through faith, but it is the buried beneath the glory of Revelation gory.
22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Monday, December 23, 2024
Article IV
Augsburg which reads,
…men are freely
justified for Christ’s sake through faith, when they believe
that they are received into favor and that their sins are
forgiven for Christ’s sake, who, by His death, hath made
satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for
righteousness in His sight. Romans 3 and 4.
Luther has written:
‘If only this article remains in view pure, the Christian
Church also remains pure, and is harmonious and without all
sects; but if it do not remain pure, it is not possible to
resist any error or any fanatical spirit.’… If we
should read the whole Augsburg Confession even in a cursory
way, we should be impressed with the fact that the leading
principle in every direction was to reform whatever tended
to obscure the precious doctrine of justification by faith.
As it is written in
our Sunday service, “Go in peace. Your sins are forgiven.”
Hale's Rash, Raging, Reckless Thoughts on Defending OJ!
"It is satanic that people like Gregory Jackson and Paul Rydecki have used misleading and complicating rational arguments, incorrect biblical interpretation, and misleading historical evidence to make this such a difficult issue to grasp today. They attack and obscure Scripture, rather than clarify it, though. (This is why they hate and refuse to deal directly with 2 Cor. 5:19, since it is so clear and helpful on this issue.) In the same way, the 1979 Kokomo theses were uncarefully drawn up to make light of and mock objective justification, not to defend it or help bring about a right understanding." p. 6, 11-04-2019 CN.
The hip accusation in the OJ hive is to say, "You are not a Christian. Your faith is in faith, not in Christ. You are a Faithian, not a Christian!" (Add red face and spittle flying, of course.) Luther called himself a faith-alonian, in Latin, which is too tough for Ft. Whiners to translate.
For trashing Dr. Walter A. Maier II and taking away his Romans course - because he taught Justification by Faith - Concordia Ft. Wayne should be knocked down, dismantled, and the soil sown with salt - as a memorial to their Calvinism, Rationalism, and Pietism.
America is at the breaking point, as proven by numbskulls like Jerry Kimmel, who cried on air because his favorite party lost. The spiritual opposition will get worse, not better. Having some relief from Leftwing enthusiasm, we have to start with the basics, so ably proven by Martin Luther, who saw it all and told the truth.
The only weapon against Satanists is the Gospel Word, which stands against the powers of Hell and keeps us safe from their Father Below.
Luther pointed out that there are three basic heresies:
Attacks on the divinity of Jesus Christ;
Attacks on His humanity;
Attacks against Justification by Faith.
Attack 1
The last 100 years have been a breeding ground for those who reject the miracles of Christ, His Virgin Birth and resurrection, His Two Natures,
The change began with "improving" the KJV, often called the Revision, in 1881. That was such a steaming mess of Dreck that little was done about its failure. However, that still gave scholars a pass to begin dismantling the Christian Faith with additional errors where they erased verses, individual words, and longer passages disputing the divinity of Christ.
Attack 2
It is ironic to see how the apostates have allowed heretics to belittle Jesus as limited by His humanity, cleverly making Jesus suited for their fetid imaginations. Fun movies - like Godspell - warp His humanity simply because the human/divine unity began with the Incarnation, as predicted in the Old Testament, and gave everyone a chance to see the fullness of the Trinity, even before the birth of the Savior.
The self-appointed theologians - who bristle when the God/man is taught clearly - corrupt His humanity to make themselves look holy, laughing at the poor believers who are leaving those Synagogues of Satan.
Attack 3
The pudgy purveyors of grace chatter - "grace, grace, grace, grace, grace" - to obscure and remove Justification by Faith. Those con-artists hate the concept of faith in Jesus and replace the Gospel of Faith with their constant, peculiar claim of universal salvation, one of three bizarre ways:
the entire world onward is absolved from sin - Adam and Eve;
Jesus' death on the cross - "It is finished" - means - no more sin;
Jesus' resurrection proves - the Spirit declared the entire world forgiven.
I will make this website a left-column semi-permanent link.
Let me know if Kuske quotes me on anything.
Kuske was given the title of District VP Emeritus, but he openly discussed his objections to Objective Justification being taught at the Mequon seminary. So the Michigan District removed his honorary Emeritus designation.
Quoted a Michigan District pastor - "Kuske said when the seminary students graduated, 'There goes another class of false doctrine.'" I do not have the recording, but I do remember this rare item being conveyed to me.
I
was watching your podcast titled 30 minutes with Luther and suddenly
realized Luther perfectly shows us the faith we must have to be
justified in his Small Catechism:
"I believe
that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and
also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord; who has redeemed me,
a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from
death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but
with His holy precious blood, and with His innocent suffering and death;
that I should be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve
Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness; even as He
is risen from death, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most
certainly true."
I am carefully studying Luther's Large Catechism regarding his explanation of the Creed and Holy Baptism.
1. Justification by Faith is clearly taught in Genesis 15:6. Abraham believed the the Promises of God, and that was counted as righteousness, the same words used by Paul in Romans 4.
KJV Genesis 15:6 - 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
2. Roman Catholicism teaches faith plus works. They also teach grace is perfected by love (works).
3. The Old Testament is filled with Promises about the Savior, so those who believed were also counted as righteous.
4. Abraham throughout the New Testament is the Father of Faith, and Romans 4 is very concise about what this means.
Romans 4 - The Example of Abraham's Faith, Note John 8
KJV Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted [imputed] unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted [imputed] for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Very Important Transition
5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peacewith God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The next Reformation Seminary lecture is today at 11 AM - Justification by Faith.
New Testament Greek lessons will start, God willing, next week. That will be in addition to the two lectures per week scheduled (Tuesday and Thursday at 11 AM).
I have 21 years of teaching online education, three different schools - and earning a master's degree in adult education as well. I expect to have a regular place for Greek, on a weekly basis, but the scheduled times may move around.
Thinking out loud, I may put Greek lessons on another YouTube channel.
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