Why Not Write to Matthew the Fat, Mark the Bookkeeper, And Pope John the Malefactor?

I would rather talk to the synod popes:
you only have to kiss their rings.

http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/thrivent-funding-of-pro-choice-organizations-lcms-concerns

Thrivent Funding of Pro-Abortion Organizations: LCMS Concerns

on January 15, 2014 in OFFICIAL STATEMENTS, PRESSROOM 19

A Statement from the Office of the President

Following the news in December indicating that Thrivent Financial for Lutherans® has recognized Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota as potential recipients of funding through its Thrivent Choice Dollars® grant program, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is saddened to learn today that through another program, that additional Thrivent contributions are being made directly to support pro-abortion providers. At least four Planned Parenthood affiliates throughout the United States, along with NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation, have received support from Thrivent through its Gift Multiplier program for Thrivent employees. The LCMS is currently seeking clarification on this issue directly from Thrivent.

Today’s news prompted Thrivent to provide the following statement: “The Thrivent Gift Matching Program provides matching funds for contributions made by corporate employees and members of our field organization to non-profit organizations. We are aware of the issue that has been raised, and we will address it as we review this program.”

Following initial feedback in December from Thrivent members and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Thrivent responded by suspending Choice Dollars funding not only to pro-abortion organizations but to all pro-life organizations as well. According to a Dec. 20 statement from Thrivent, the fraternal-benefits organization was “temporarily suspending all pro-choice and pro-life organizations from the Thrivent Choice program, placing a temporary hold on the addition and removal of nonprofit organizations from the program, and conducting a comprehensive program review.”

Previously, the Choice Dollars program supported more than 50 pro-life organizations in the United States. These organizations include LCMS Recognized Service Organizations, maternity homes, pregnancy resource centers, pro-life educational organizations, ultrasound services for pregnant women, and organizations providing free resources to pregnant women and families in need.

Today’s news indicates that Thrivent not only has suspended funding for pro-life, nonprofit organizations serving women and children in need but now also directly supports organizations providing abortion services and pro-abortion advocacy.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod always has been, and continues to be, clear and faithful in its biblical witness to the sanctity of all human life from conception until natural death. Just as our Lord cared for both the spiritual and physical needs of all humanity, His mercy motivates us to care for our neighbors, no matter how vulnerable or small.

The LCMS is in conversation with Thrivent regarding this matter and hopes it can be resolved in a way that upholds the sacred value of human life. We encourage Thrivent to clear up confusion with its members by unequivocally stating that it supports pro-life and pro-family values. We urge them to follow those words with action by restoring funding to the pro-life organizations that lost funding in December and by developing a policy that denies all funding for Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation.

We encourage Thrivent members to voice their concerns and opinions directly to Thrivent at:

800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836)

Kudu Don - Who Hosts Drunken Ladies Spiritual Retreats Will Be the Speaker for Mark/Avoid Jeske's Men of His Word. Jeske's Groups Are Not on the DPs' Death Lists

------------------------  C A L L S   A C C E P T E D  -----------------------
    Doebler, Rev Matthew D     East Asia Administrative Committee   01/12/2014
         Professor, Asia Lutheran Seminary

------------------------------  R E S I G N E D  -----------------------------
    Kuske, Rev John D          Christ the Redeemer - Barre VT       12/29/2013

    Sausage Factory, '85: The Class the Stars Fell On - Steve Witte, 

Randy Hunter

Speaking of Steve Witte, a founder of Church and Chicanery - 

Classic Ichabod - Saturday, March 20, 2010






Here Comes Doebler Cottontail, 
Hoppin' Down Chicanery's Trail





 I told you DP Patterson would get rid of him so
The Donald could develop the richy-rich Round Rock suburb for himself.

Doebler got a $20,000 grant for this?



Source
Are WELS congregations in Texas so devoid of the Gospel that they need live bunnies and an Easter egg hunt to draw visitors?

Kudu Don Patterson did this last year, so I borrowed the bunny photo and replaced Dom Perignon's face with Doebler's.

WELS Church Lady says Doebler is confessional. If Doebler is a confessional Lutheran pastor, then Glaeske is a conservative DP.

For all you missionaries looking for a call, any call, and all the congregations and schools that are out of money - rent a bunny suit. The grant-givers love a touch of fleece.

I am sure the ELS and WELS boards of doctrine will jump on this like hobos on a hotdog.

Search Easter egg hunts in WELS.

Search Easter egg hunts in the LCMS.

Long-Time Actor - On the Televangelists Copied by WELS, LCMS

"I don't see no cat."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3112137/posts

I was on the professional stage for 30 years and I know theater when I see it. A large number of high profile TV or megachurch preachers are entertainers, not pastors or evangelists.

They hone their oratory skills and know how to rivet the listener's attention through voice inflection, emotional projection and other acting techniques. They are very good at what they do.

However, I am convinced that the ones who capture the imaginations of their listeners are often charlatans who do not believe a word of what they preach. A good salesman can sell anything and even an insincere religion is a powerful convincer.

These people will bear higher scrutiny when they stand before God Almighty. They are either complete nonbelievers or utterly self-deluded. Either way, they are false to the core and more concerned about mammon than God.

Evangelicals would be better served to find a small church with a devoutly sincere pastor who will shepherd them according to Biblical principles. He (it should be a man - beware of woman pastors) should speak to congregation in a steady and genuine manner without shouting, hectoring and storming about the stage. Jesus only seems to have yelled when he was angry such as when he cleared the temple with a whip of cords or upbraided the falsely pious Pharisees.

More discipleship and Christian growth is achieved in one small group Bible study than ten Sunday services.

If the pastor doesn't know your name, you don't have a pastor. 

Former Fuller Student Rebukes Favorite Seminary of Bivens, Olson, and Valleskey - Not to Mention LCMS, WELS, ELS, CLC sic, and ELCA

Rebuke Letter Against Fuller Theological Seminary





Currently Reading:

Reason We Believe: 50 Lines of Evidence that Confirm the Christian Faith

by Nathan Busenitz

Category: Theology / Apologetics

Crossway, 2008









For some who are wondering why I no longer go to Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, I have decided to share a letter that I wrote to the President, Dean, and staff of Fuller just a month ago. This letter may come as a shock to some, and maybe not so shocking to others, but I feel that it is imperative that people know what is going on in that school. Those who are thinking about going to seminary or know anybody who is, please take the time to read this letter, because I believe you will find it to be very helpful and informative, especially if you truly love the Bible and are adamant about seeking after truth.

Here it is:

















My name is Steve Cha, and I was a student who was in the MAT graduate program. I have recently left Fuller Theological Seminary after studying one year with the school. I felt burdened to share with you why I decided to leave Fuller after much contemplation. This will not be easy for me to say, but I feel that I need to do it for the sake of God’s honor and for the future of the school.

Over the course of the year (from Spring 2011-Spring 2012), I have had an uncomfortable and unsatisfying experience at Fuller because of its teaching, which, quite frankly, borders on heresy. I’m not talking about peripheral biblical issues like charismatic spiritual gifts or modes of baptism, but the core, foundational doctrines that all Christians should agree on, as established by the New Testament and illustrated by the 16th Century Reformation.

During my five quarters at Fuller, I have had professors who defied the trustworthiness of Scripture, questioned the literalness and existence of eternal hell/lake of fire, taught a form of theistic evolution over the six-day creation account established in the book of Genesis, hinted that Jesus may not be the only way to heaven, and shaped the gospel message and Jesus’ work on Calvary to make it fit the paradigm of a cultural mandate and social justice type of message instead of the orthodox view of what the gospel and the cross means, which is God’s punishment of sinners with eternal hell, Jesus’ sacrifice and atonement to satisfy God’s justice and wrath, Jesus’ imputed righteousness, salvation by faith in Christ alone, etc.

I have many examples and stories to share, but I’ll start with some of the key ones. It first started when I took the NT Gospels class with Professor Tommy Givens. Professor Givens taught a skewed understanding of the gospel message. In general, he taught an unorthodox view of what Jesus did on the cross, and had an unbiblical view regarding heaven, hell, and the afterlife (which he didn’t really believe in). In addition, the eschatological view Professor Givens taught is not what the Bible teaches regarding the future and Jesus’ Second Coming. Givens interpreted Matthew 24 (the “signs of His coming”) to be merely pointing to the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 and God’s judgment on the Pharisaic Jews, when the language of the text and its worldwide scope clearly show that it is talking about the final generation before Jesus’ Second Coming to earth. My big issue, however, is not with the professor’s eschatology error.

The real dangerous issue that came about was that Professor Givens defied a central pillar of Christianity by declaring that he did not believe that there was a place of individual eternal torment that unbelievers go to after they die. In essence, he didn’t believe in hell! He believed that people go out of existence when they die (which is exactly what the WatchTower teaches) and that the lake of fire in Revelation 20: 11-15 was symbolic and figurative! Furthermore, Givens made an unproven claim that the place of “outer darkness” that Jesus talked about in the Gospels was really God’s judgment that came upon the Pharisees duringRome’s destruction of theTempleand the Jewish people in A.D. 70 and didn’t apply to us today. This is clearly unbiblical and indicative of poor hermeneutical training, since the Bible shows that the references to outer darkness, place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, and fiery furnace is the reference to eternal hell, not to some temporal earthly judgment of the past, with no real relevance today.

So why doesn’t Professor Givens believe in the traditional view of hell? It is because he implied that he cannot imagine a “loving God who can torment people in hell forever” (which is exactly what Rob Bell believes), and Professor Givens made another speculative claim that the orthodox idea of hell was based on Greek mythology and had no basis from the Old Testament.

Tommy Givens even stated in class that mainstream evangelical preachers and theologians, such as John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Greg Laurie, and David Jeremiah were all wrong in their view of eschatology and to some degree the gospel message and the Christian life!

Because Given’s view of hell was a serious heresy that tampered with the foundational doctrines of Christianity, I reported Given’s unorthodox views of “the afterlife” to the student affairs office, and the office told me that they would take care of this issue. I don’t know what ever came about with the school’s dealings with Professor Givens, but I must say that if he has not repented of his view and continues to teach what he does in class, Fuller Seminary is obligated by the command of Scripture to deal with such a professor and dismiss him from the faculty until he repents. I say this not to hurt or defame Professor Givens, but in with a strong desire to see Givens restored to the truth.

I seriously pray that Professor Givens is not a wolf-in-sheep’s clothing. If his view of the afterlife is like that of Jehovah’s Witnesses and mainstream Judaism, then he is most likely following another gospel and another Jesus, and he must not ever be in a position to teach other students who can be easily misled, even if the school is post-conservative evangelical. If his students listen to his false teaching, then they will also teach the wrong things to other in the future and needlessly incur God’s divine chastening.

There are numerous other aberrant doctrines and teachings I can point out from other classes, but I want to say that my decision to leave Fuller was finally cemented after taking Systematic Theology I with Professor Margaret Shuster. For the first few weeks, it seemed as if Shuster were teaching nearly everything correctly, until she got to the issue of anthropology and the six-day creation account. She did not honor what God stated plainly in Genesis 1 about how He created the world. Instead, Professor Shuster bought into the error of the secular humanistic thought and taught a false, distorted, and illogical view of how the world came about, teaching a form of theistic evolution that nearly matches the views of atheist scientists. She even taught that Adam and Eve evolved from “Neanderthal species,” a view that is entirely unbiblical and based on speculative theory from the secular world.

I find her beliefs very disheartening and discouraging. Just the fact that evolution has done more damage than good to the morale and cause of Christianity during the last century (leading to ungodliness, atheism, and immorality throughout the world) already is an indication that the theory is suspect and has been one of Satan’s most powerful tools to cast doubt on the clarity and trustworthiness of Scripture, most specifically sections like Genesis 1-11, which is the foundation to the rest of Scripture.

Predictably, Professor Shuster’s teaching on theistic evolution confused and caused some heated debate in the classroom, and why wouldn’t it? Most of the students grew up believing that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (which is why the world runs on a seven day cycle, and why God instituted the Sabbath law forIsrael). Most importantly, these students believe in the simplicity, perspicuity, and integrity of God’s Word, which the unbelieving academic world seeks to demolish everyday with their anti-Christian theories and futile speculations.

What Shuster said next shocked me. She made this statement (which I hope is not true, but if it is, I am speechless): “What I am saying about creation and anthropology may seem shocking, but I am actually one of the more conservative teachers on staff. At least I am trying to give a historical place to Adam and Eve, whereas most other professors within Fuller don’t…”

If this statement is true, then I cannot, in good conscience, get my graduate degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, especially if this degree is going to represent me and my teachings for the rest of my life. Fuller may be a popular seminary name to have on a resume, but it is simply not worth it for me because Fuller is so theologically suspect. It is truly sad I had to make this decision and now take the time to write such a letter to you, considering I had hope for Fuller and my Christian education when I came to the orientation. I even read Fuller’s Statement of Faith that made it seem like it was solid in Christian foundational doctrines, when in fact it is not and is somewhat deceptive.

I understand Fuller’s desire to be as open as possible to students from many denominational backgrounds, but that simply cannot work because it ends up accommodating everyone’s views (even if they are wayward and unbiblical), and still offending some. It’s ironic that Fuller claims to be open and accommodating to all denominational backgrounds (even to Catholics and Seventh Day Adventists), but most of the professors and staff are anti-conservative evangelical.

Fuller’s evangelical teaching is so different than the orthodox teachings of many popular preachers, even on TV shows and radio stations, and is even at odds with one of Fuller’s most known graduates, John Piper. How does John Piper’s teaching square with what Fuller teaches currently? Even over the course of the my year at the school, I have examined the types of books I was assigned to read for class, and I noticed a pattern amongst almost all courses, in which books were written by Catholic priests like Gustavo Gutierrez and open theist writers like Clark Pinnock, yet Fuller never incorporates course books from conservative evangelical preachers who have boldly stood up for the integrity of God’s Word and get persecuted in the process, even by the liberal “evangelicals.” Most of the books I read from Fuller had a water-downed view of the gospel, oriented very specifically toward a social justice, liberation theology, feminist, and cultural mandate type of crowd, and should not have been the books assigned for the courses, especially if Fuller’s aim is to train students who will be faithful expositors and teachers of God’s word.

Because Fuller does not have a very high view of Scripture and opens up Bible books to many interpretations, it confuses students and makes them unsure of what to believe about the Bible or how to teach God’s Word for future ministry. Fuller seems to encourage and tolerate students who question key doctrines of the Christian faith, having them dabble over futile speculations, historical theories, and man-made traditions, all of which does incredible damage to the student’s sanctification and Fuller’s reputation.

It pains me to say this, but some of these students are so confused as to what they believe about their faith that they are not fit to be pastors once they graduate. I learned the truth of this when one of my Fuller classmates named David told me about a time when he was trying to obtain signatures from Fuller students to stop homosexual/gay agendas being pushed into public grade schools and their textbooks. David told me that most of the Fuller students refused to sign the petition because they didn’t know what to think about homosexual agendas and/or thought there was a better way to approach the situation.

In essence, they were okay with the homosexual agenda being legitimized and taught in public schools. Any soundly educated and regenerated Christian should know the answer to this dilemma, whether it is homosexuality or pedophilia, abortion, incest, bestiality, murder, or any other transgression of God’s law that would be taught and legitimized in a public forum. In fact, David told me that he was able to get more signatures at a local Albertson’s (from the unbelieving world) than from students at Fuller!

Do you find this terribly tragic?

In conclusion, my point in writing this letter is to bring awareness of what is going on at Fuller Theological Seminary and what needs to be corrected according to what Scripture says. I am not here to spread any hate messages or hurt anyone. I do not presume to be better than anyone in the school or presume to know everything there is to know about life. My aim is to simply confront and rebuke the position of my past instructors and of Fuller Theological Seminary based on what Scripture presents so that Fuller can be the school God desires it to be. Although Fuller is not quite as aberrant and liberal asPrincetonor Yale Seminary, it is clearly heading in that direction. And if Fuller Seminary persists and continues to go that route, then the Lord will have no choice but to remove its lampstand out of its place (Rev 2:5). I humbly ask that Fuller return to sound, biblical Christianity, especially if it wants to see more of God’s blessing poured out on the school and its students.

I have a feeling that some of the students and even staff members at Fuller are on that wide gate path that Jesus talks about in Matthew 7, and the fruit of their teachings pretty much affirms it. If Fuller Seminary is serious about the warning Jesus makes in his rebuke and eschatological judgment passage, as well as His repeated the authority of Scripture, then I pray that the school will immediately see to it that all necessary corrections are made, even if it shall be uncomfortable and inconvenient in the early stages. As much as we naturally want to be people-pleasers, our first priority is to be a God pleaser, even if it shall lead to persecution, insult, and death. The way is very narrow, but the ultimate end is rewarding.

Scripture mandates that, according to Jesus’ message about the 7 Churches in the book of Revelation, Christian organizations like Fuller Seminary return to orthodox, biblical Christianity so that it will not have to be subject to God’s discipline. I only desire to see God’s blessing and favor over Fuller, but this cannot happen if it continues to experiment and tolerate theories that are unbiblical and sometimes heretical. Remember that we will all stand before the Bema Seat Judgment one day (2 Corinthians 5), and our lives will be assessed based on how faithful we were in carrying out God’s word in this life.

How do you think Fuller Theological Seminary will do on that day? Be like the Bereans and read the Scriptures honestly, and you will know the answer. It’s not too late to change. Make the appropriate changes while there is still time.



Sincerely,



Steve

- See more at: http://stevecha.net/rebuke-letter-against-fuller-theological-seminary/#sthash.fb6YD50x.dpuf

The Confessional Lutherans Are Masters of Deception and Self-Deception

When my English students see me with a beautifully bound book, they ask,
"Is that Moby Dick?" I must mention that work fairly often in class.

One great passage in Moby Dick describes the mad prophet who bewitches a ship's crew with his ravings. The author points out that the deceiver deceives himself most of all.

The people who call themselves Confessional Lutherans are far worse than the objects of their conditional wrath. They deceive themselves most of all because they confess nothing.

Let me explain. Every so often there is a little outbreak of dissent. For instance, a few people suddenly discovered that Thrivent was pro-abortion, eager to match funds for the baby-killing machine called Planned Parenthood (one of the most ironic names since Confessional Lutheran).

They might have know a few years earlier if they had read this blog. No one reads it, so it must have registered 2500 page-views yesterday from me checking on the stats. OK - someone is reading it, but they are terrified of quoting or citing it, let Paul McCain - Confessional Lutheran - turn the slime hose on them.

They are Confessional until and unless someone threatens them. Sometimes they imagine the threat first, which is enough to silence them.

The Thrivent dust-up will last a few weeks. If someone persists with the truth, he is a fanatic or crazy or has some weird hang-ups. That will be suggested by the LCMS money-men. Finally, he will be told to silence himself or else.

Bribes also work. They are not conditional. No. It is just that certain opportunities come up just when someone starts to gain traction on an issue. The issue evaporates with a flimsy excuse.

Herman Otten publicly moaned about Thrivent grants until he got a fat one for Christian News. The last time I looked, his congregation was still part of the baby-killing business (granted - I looked about 20 years ago).

The editor of Lutheran Forum wanted the fraternal bribes investigated. I was well read on the topic, about 25 years ago. I offered to write the piece. Lutheran Forum got a fraternal grant and lost interest in the topic. They never responded to my query letter. But that was a co-inky-dink.

Recently, LutherQueasy and Steadfast Lutherans exposed the latest scandal involved DPs promoting sex offenders into the pastoral ministry. ELCA is not alone. Matt Harrison ordered "Steadfast" to erase all the evidence about Darwin Schauer - and they did.

As Henry of Navarre said, "The Kingdom of France is worth one mass." He was the great Protestant leader who came to Paris to claim his throne. They would not let him in until he joined the Church of Rome, so he converted with that quip. How many Protestants were slaughtered in the quest for religious freedom? No matter. He flipped sides for a crown.

Many of your Steadfast, Confessional, Intrepid Lutherans have done as much for far less reward than a kingdom.

A coveted committee assignment?
A call to Sweden or Japan?
Being taken off the official WELS leper list?
A seat on a synonical board?
A return to the ministerium?
A teaching job?
A position at the publishing house?

One Confessional Lutheran advised me, "Never fight a battle unless you can win." So he felt the only battle worth fighting was no battle at all. That sounds like a life full of tedious meetings and self-congratulations.

Another one said, "I was not getting anywhere, so why try anymore?" Of course, in the Age of Apostasy, which is predicted somewhere in the Bible - or maybe in Shakespeare - getting somewhere is like brooming back a high tide.

The only requirement is to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God. That precludes our human, narcissistic, self-centered concept of winning. There is no compromise with God's Word.

According to Isaiah 55, God's Word always wins because His Holy Spirit never works apart from it, never returns void, and always prospers His will. That means the collapse of the Synod Conference and its Big Sister ELCA is promoted and accelerated by God's Word. Every idiotic convention and committee meeting that goes against the Word and the Confessions is additional lubricant for the apostasy machine.

The apostates become more obvious, the faithful become more alarmed. The Confessional Lutherans rush to serve as the next herd of Judas Goats, the ones who lead the sheep to the slaughter. After every council meeting, every voters meeting, every district and synodical debacle, they say - as Liz Eaton did after the 2009 convention vote - "Don't worry. Nothing has changed. Everything is fine. Only the crazies worry about what just happened. Holy Mother Synod will wipe away your tears and provide for you forever."

She and Mark Jeske rule over the Synodical Conference.

WELS DP Buchholz Used "de fide" Dogma of Rome - Against Justification by Faith.

When Jon-Boy Buchholz was justifying himself for the evil, cowardly, duplicitous things he did in his pathetic reign of terror, he claimed UOJ was "settled doctrine."

That reminded me of the time I was discussing Purgatory with two Roman Catholic priests. The senior priest said I made too much of it in Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant. The young priest asked in a pleading way, "It isn't de fide, is it." His elder said sharply, "It is de fide."

De fide means - this is what Catholics must believe in order to be saved - although "to be saved" leaves something to be accomplished, like 1,000 years of torture in Purgatory.

Readers who think about this exchange will spot the contradiction. I made too much of a dogma required by Rome - undebatable dogma. Silly me.

Thus, in his Human Nature, Buchholz allowed a discussion of justification by faith, but only so long, because UOJ is de fide in WELS. That doubles up on the irony - one must believe that faith means nothing in justification. De fide means just about the same in Rome and WELS, a pale imitation of Rome. De fide is not faith in the Gospel but faith in Holy Mother Church.

Holy Mother Church is never wrong. The Holy Spirit will not allow that. I have seen that published in Roman Catholicism and taught in WELS.

The Hellishness of Hell
As we know from the eructations of JP Meyer, Paul McCain, Jack Cascione, and LutherQueasy, Hell is just backed with righteous, guilt-free saints.

What put them there? They answer glibly, "They did not decide in favor of UOJ - they did not believe the world was absolved on East by the resurrection of Christ." This absolution was never recorded in the Bible for our edification, but that does not slow them down. They continue to repeat their mantra.

Rolling this back to Walther - people go to Hell after dying because they did not accept the teaching of Walther and his syphilitic bishop, Martin Stephan.

One must trust in a human being (one of our guys) not in Christ.

Proof of the degradation of the Gospel message is the state of Lutherdom today.

Breaking News - McCain Posted about a Saint without Plagiarizing.

He is still a Romanizing false teacher.

http://cyberbrethren.com/2014/01/10/basil-the-great/

I ran it through my text-matching plagiarism checker.

Ichabod will continue to monitor his blog, which has nothing to do with Concordia Publishing House, according to his boss at CPH.

When Wright Is Wrong. Barbarian Bishop Far More Embarrassing Than the One-Minute ELCA Service

Atlanta Episcopal Bishop Departs from the Faith in Interfaith Comments
Wright is wrong in rants over the Faith and other religions

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue DD
www.virtueonline.org 
January 13, 2014

At an interfaith inaugural worship service at Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta marking the beginning of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's second term, the Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta Rob Wright made comments that fundamentally denied the Christian Faith and his ordination vows.

WRIGHT: Greetings to you in the name of Yahweh the Almighty, in the name of Allah the beneficent and merciful. Greetings to you in the name of the Eternal One who gave the Buddha his great enlightenment, and in the name of the Hindus' Supreme Being that orders the cosmos. 

VOL: This is a fundamental denial of the uniqueness of Faith in the Holy Trinity. The First Article (of the 39 Articles) reads thus: "There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

By acknowledging Allah and Hinduism, he has attempted to shatter the unique historical, theological and ontological understanding of who God is, as well as the personhood of God and the fullness of the godhead.

WRIGHT: Greetings in the name of generosity and human compassion that guides some of us who claim no faith at all. Greetings to you to in the name of Jesus of Nazareth through whom many of us hear the words of God. It is wonderful to be here on this happy occasion. Thank you to Pastor Moss and the people of Cascade United Methodist Church for your leadership and hospitality. It is a delight for us to be together, in the spirit of prayer and fellowship, raising our voices in praise and rededicating ourselves to the common good, as we embark with our Mayor Kasim Reed on his second term. 

VOL: To lump Jesus in with unbelievers as though they are on an equal footing with believers is to deny the uniqueness of Jesus, his claims, personhood and the salvation he offers to unbelievers. Wright's attempt to create a level playing field is false.

It is also an insult to The Rev. Marvin A. Moss of Cascade United Methodist Church whose church Mission reads: "The Mission of Cascade United Methodist Church is to bring others to Christ and to nurture and develop the spiritual growth of our membership. The Vision of Cascade United Methodist Church is to be a Christ-centered church that effectively and efficiently develops spiritual gifts, embraces the local and global community and nurtures all generations."

That is not the "mission" of the Diocese of Atlanta which reads: "The work of the church is to follow Jesus' command to 'love our neighbor as ourselves' - as we move our worship out into the world, whether around the corner, around the diocese or around the globe. Throughout our diocese, leaders encourage people to reflect theologically and practically on issues of poverty, social justice and advocacy. The Diocese of Atlanta also has a corporate voice as it engages government entities and public policy at every level."

In the diocese of Atlanta's mission statement there is no mention of God's gracious gift of his Son for our salvation...it is all about social efforts of human amelioration. There is nothing transcendent in this statement at all.

WRIGHT: The Psalmist puts it perfectly, "How good and how pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity." (Ps. 133:1) Some of us have already been to worship today or have led worship today so don't worry, I'm sensitive to that; I won't be long this afternoon. 

VOL: The Psalmist was not preaching a faux ecumenism of Muslims, Jews, (Christians) or Hindus. David, the Psalmist was lamenting the need for kith and kin to be in harmony with one another. The previous Psalm, which sings of the covenant, had also revealed the center of Israel's unity in the Lord's anointed and the promises made to him. Brethren dwell together in unity when God dwells among them, and finds his rest in them. The translators described it and the preceding as a "Psalm of Ascents", the benefit of the communion of saints. Bishop Wright completely misuses and abuses the text.

WRIGHT: There is an implicit message in our gathering today. It seems, at least to me, that there's an expectation written in to our being together in prayer and praise. The expectation is that we the people of various faith traditions and those of no faith tradition at all might leave this place more seriously committed to collaborating with government for the good of all people, especially the most vulnerable. Especially the indigent, the immigrant, and the ignorant. 

VOL: This is a total confusion of what the church is called to be and do and what the state does or is supposed to do. Nowhere is the church called to bless or necessarily "collaborate with the government" or its activities on every issue. The church is a counter culture and called to speak truth to power. There are a great many Christians in the U.S. who believe that President Obama does not speak for them and is doing things that violate their cherished freedoms. Bishop Wright does not speak for all Episcopalians or all Americans and, we suspect, not all Atlantans either.

WRIGHT: It is as if there is an engraved invitation from our mayor to each of us today ― an invitation to partner more purposefully with him. I don't know about you, but I believe that real interfaith work is not so much in the praying but the doing, in the going, the giving and the governing, in advocacy and advancement. 

VOL: That all depends on what the mayor advocates for the city of Atlanta. Christians are not called to roll over on everything a mayor says, advocates or does. A lot of US cities have long histories of corrupt and inefficient local governments and that includes Atlanta. In 2004 Mayor Campbell was indicted on charges of racketeering, corruption, bribery and tax fraud in violation of the RICO statute, mail and wire fraud statutes.

WRIGHT: "...we must always remember, beloved, the climax of prayer is action not amen. The most worthy enterprise of our coming together is to take on the challenges that are too big for us individually. This is the most worthy enterprise of our coming together. This is the best vision of real interfaith work. It is true in the Atlanta metropolitan area that you can't throw a rock without hitting a church, synagogue, mosque, temple or house of prayer. If this is so, then after we are empowered by prayer, and strengthened by fellowship, we could suspend dialogue about doctrine and make a difference in this city together..."

VOL:Actually bishop the climax of prayer is amen and you are not permitted to "suspend dialogue about doctrine" that is forbidden. The Christian Faith is riddled with doctrine; it is the lattice work that holds the faith together. It is what we preach....Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles (everyone else). Islam offers neither hope nor salvation and neither does Hinduism.

WRIGHT: Now is the time for us to celebrate our individual faiths for what they actually are: traditions of revelation and wisdom and insight. Iron anvils where human purpose is forged and refined. Not competing religious product offerings. God is big and the world that God loves and has intertwined God's self with is vast and dynamic. 

VOL: This is the great interfaith mush god talk. There is little or nothing uniquely revelatory or self-disclosing in Islam or Hinduism. Islam tracks its lineage from the birth of a child of unmarried parents. It is a bastard religion. The polytheistic religion of Hinduism with its 33 million gods speaks for itself. India's economic backwardness for centuries has been rooted in its multiple religions. The West has thriven under Christianity.

WRIGHT: To be committed to interfaith work is an easy thing, really, if you understand God. God is always simply but sublimely calling us to be the words we pray. Listen to the great Sufi Rumi: "I was dead then alive, weeping then laughing. Love came into me and I became fierce like a lion and gentle like an evening star." Listen to the great Jewish call to worship: "Shema Israel, adonai elohainu adonai ecahd. Hear O Israel the Lord your God is one." Listen to Jesus remind his disciples not to be religiously narrow. "I have sheep who are not of this fold," he told them. My purpose is to go after the lost. Or in another place, real worship is in spirit and in truth. The good news today is God is for all of us. Goodness is for all of us. We were made by good to do good. 

VOL: We had a presiding bishop, one Frank Griswold, who also had a fondness for Sufi the Rumi and meeting in plains beyond good and evil with Bishop Charles Bennison. Never happened. It was fiction and then and remains so today. Jesus's condemnation was aimed at the Pharisees and Sadducees whom he called a "generation of vipers" and "whited sepulchers". He offered the woman caught in adultery freedom from her sins as he did the dying thief. Wright's appalling misuse of Scripture and his understanding of "goodness" without seeing the possibility of sin that lies at the root of even the best of intentions and the fact that good is little more than exercised common grace. The bishop says he wants to "go after the lost" but what's the message he plans to deliver? The bishop should be reminded of what the Apostle Paul said, "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing." (Rom 7:15)

WRIGHT: I'm saying God is not a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim. But God is real, and able, good and generous. And while we have this faith in the real world, we serve a yet more real God. That's all you have to believe to collaborate with others. That there is truth, but none of us have the copyright on it. And our understanding of this truth is evolving. So while we are growing up in the full stature of the divine, let us do those things together that we know are of God. Those things that are ethical and moral. 

VOL: Our God is The God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob fully and completely revealed in Jesus of Nazareth. If you cannot affirm that bishop then please don't call yourself a Christian. You cannot nor are you permitted to reduce the Christian Faith to things that are merely "ethical and moral." You can join the Ethical Society or the so-called Moral Majority, but you cannot reduce Christianity to these mandates. Truth evolves but it must never lose its footing in the ancient record otherwise you will end up like Bishop Charles Bennison who said man wrote the Bible and can therefore rewrite it. Mercifully the Church will survive Bennison.

WRIGHT: It is the day when we believe that the wise men actually reached Bethlehem and met Jesus. It's poetic because those wise men were from Iraq. They weren't Jews, Muslims or Christians. But they found some direction in Jerusalem. That ultimately led them to Bethlehem and to the new thing that God was doing. Many faiths, no faiths all under the same star. Going forward in a new way. 

VOL: Not true, Bishop. Traditionally, the view developed that they were Babylonians, Persians, or Jews from Yemen as the kings of Yemen then were Jews, a view held for example by John Chrysostom. There is an Armenian tradition identifying the "Magi of Bethlehem" as Balthasar of Arabia, Melchior of Persia, and Gaspar of India. You cannot assume they were from Iraq, that is assumption based on almost nothing. Finally, the star that lead was not to "many faiths or no faiths" but to a manger from which the future Savior of the world lay and to which you once prostrated yourself before and whose person and salvific work you swore to uphold.

END

Confessional Lutheran Defined

Isn't this the most eloquent trash you ever read?

We define a word or phrase by its use, so this is what I have learned about what Confessional Lutheran means.

A Confessional Lutheran teaches against justification by faith, always on the attack, while saying he truly teaches justification by faith. In fact, there is a blog calling itself Confessional Lutheran, which does precisely that.

But the entire UOJ Hive calls itself Confessional Lutheran.

A Confessional Lutheran is a gay activist ELCA bishop, the first one to be openly gay, with the emphasis on openly.

A Confessional Lutheran in WELS is not only a UOJ, Church Growth, and Emergent Church fanatic, but also one who dismisses the Book of Concord as "boring and irrelevant."

A Confessional Lutheran Synod President, of the WELS persuasion, cannot stand up for a decent translation of the Bible, cannot identify Book of Concord study materials, and cannot detect felonies committed against children in the same building where he works.

A Confessional Lutheran Synod President, Missouri-flavored, fawns over their Pietistic sex cult usurper and forgets who the real founder of the LCMS was - Bishop Martin Stephan, STD. He gets elected based on his book, Dreams of My Father.

A Confessional Lutheran in the LCMS is one who joins Eastern Orthodoxy or the Church of Rome as a priest, soon after graduating from one of the great Confessional Lutheran seminaries of the LCMS.

A Confessional Lutheran pastor in WELS joins the Babtists, Pentecostals, or atheists after his graduation and anti-Lutheran parish work.

First Sunday after the Epiphany, 2014. Jesus in the Temple

The First Sunday after the Epiphany, 2014

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time 

The Hymn #133      Within the Father's House   2:19

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual             Romans 12:1-5
The Gospel           Luke 2:41-52          
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #660 Heaven Is My Home         2.46

In the Temple

The Hymn # 306:1-4          Lord Jesus Christ            2.50

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 # 656         Behold a Host           2:39 

KJV Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

KJV Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

http://www.normaboecklerart.com

First Sunday After Epiphany

Lord God, heavenly Father, who in mercy hast established the Christian home among us: We beseech Thee so to rule and direct our hearts, that we may be good examples to children and servants, and not offend them by word or deed, but faithfully teach them to love Thy Church and hear Thy blessed word. Give them Thy Spirit and grace, that this seed may bring forth good fruit, so that our homelife may conduce to Thy glory, honor and praise, to our own improvement and welfare, and give offense to no one; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

In the Temple

This is a lost generation. Not every is lost, but in general, the description is valid. 

Few know what truth is or where to find it. Many deny there is such a thing as truth. For them, everything is relative and it depends on perspective. That means the ultimate norm is what someone thinks or feels. The result is confusion.

Feeding this confusion is a general philosophy that there is only one truth - that there is no truth. Since a popular attitude is backed by academic experts and societal specialists, the Old Adam is well fed and constantly ambivalent about all these matters.

One of my students went to a very popular congregation to check out its urban ministry - Andy Stanley's in Buckland. The group of parishes (multi-site) has 23,000 people who are considered members. That is larger than some smaller Lutheran denominations, larger than quite a few small towns.

From a distance, the operation seems impressive. They even train pastors to be just like them. There is no confession of faith. Lots of bright lights and loud music. Everything is casual. But not everyone is fooled. My student collected comments from people who were there. They were appalled by the recorded message flashed on the giant screen. It was nothing more than a self-help message. God is almost entirely absent from the party-like affair.

The story of Jesus in the Temple is an antidote to these notions and practices. An editor would say, "How did they let this story get published?"

Mary and Joseph do not come across very well. They do not keep track of their very special responsibility. In fact, they are like many parents who have left a child somewhere, assuming he is with friends or relatives. It happened in my family, with my sister left at a gas station until I spoke up.

Jesus seems oddly distant, surprised that His parents do not know "I must be about my Father's business." Using our logic, He should have told His parents what He was planning. Divinely aware, He must have know what was about to transpire.

This narrative seems to strike two generations at once. As a child I was in awe of this story. Jesus' mission was so clear already that He stayed in the Temple area for days to display His divine power to the great teachers of the Law, who were astounded at His knowledge and His questions.

I posted a story about a boy who was treated in special education class because he was so out of the norm. He did not even speak for 18 months. Worse than that, he had been speaking, then stopped. Many normal activities were not comfortable for him, so he was judged autistic and put in special classes. He had only a few isolated interests, including astronomy.

No one knew his capabilities, although his mother suspected, until he attended an astronomy lecture so he could look through a telescope. He alone knew why the satellites of Mars were oddly shaped. But this is the odd part. He asked what size they were, then explained from that fact why they were different. It was gravity. The adults were staggered. Soon he was in physics classes for adults and then onto a very special program for genius physics student at the University of Waterloo, where my wife earned her master's degree in German literature. The ability was there and waiting to be revealed.

Thus the true divine nature of Jesus was there and not yet discovered, until He chose to reveal it at the right time and place.

The purpose is clear. Jesus revealed the Gospel to the Temple leaders as the preparation for His public ministry. We can see that in retrospect. God used miraculous revelation to show the Redeemer to the world:

1. Through the angels to the shepherds.

2. Through the Star of Bethlehem to the Wise Men.

3. Through the circumcision and naming of Jesus.

4. Through His visit to the Temple as a boy.

5. Through John the Baptist in preparation for the public ministry of Jesus.

Through these interventions in history, clearly recorded for us, we can see that there is One Truth revealed to all mankind, not simply a truth among many truths.

For that reason the centrality of the Word as the force of the Gospel is essential to realize and emphasize.

Those who taught the Law all their lives and found great reward for their scholarship were staggered at the presence of Jesus. The very figure who should have been dismissed as a curious young boy became the center of attention. Since this event was one involving multiple days and many witnesses, it can be seen in retrospect as one which was remembered. 

The Word is effective when read, heard, and remembered. Those who saw the Word of God and heard Him speak remembered. We do not have records of all that happened, but there was an open door into Judaism because of those various events before His public ministry.

We can tell from the Gospel of John that the Gospel was live among the Jewish leaders, even though He was crucified. Later history also showed, through Paul, a miraculous growth in Christian faith among Jews at that time. It was one reason Paul was so hated, why riots started, and why he was arrested and executed.

If Paul had been ineffective, he would have been dismissed as a madman and ignored. Instead, he was silenced through jail and death - but the Word is not ever silenced. And the Spirit-inspired letters were preserved, carefully copied, and circulate, even in the midst of heresies and persecutions.

Jesus in the Temple shows us why the proclamation of the Word is so important. Everything pales in comparison. Luther called it taking the Word to the opposition, not simply to the friendly and the receptive. Strange how Luther anticipated every excuse of this age. 

The popular approach to missions is to start a new church in the midst of a prosperous suburb and simply invited active church members who have moved into the most attractive new location. These missions offer programs and groups and activities to make the building a social center. Norm Berg, the head of American Missions at one time, thought it was good for the pastors to offer classes in stress management, since that was a felt need of the time. If only Jesus had done that in the Temple. Imagine how stressful it was to be a Jewish leader in Roman occupied Jerusalem. Some useful tips might have been appreciated.

But as many recognize, the purpose of the Gospel is to proclaim what God has done in redeeming us from sin. Wherever the Old Adam stops to doubt, the Gospel overcomes that doubt with the revelation of Christ.

Jesus entered Jerusalem a number of times, knowing in advance that one day it would be His arrest and death. This was so clear to the disciples during the last trip that doubting Thomas assumed they would all die together there (Gospel of John). 

Each verse, each story, each miracle is designed to prompt faith and strengthen faith in Jesus. We can see also that many parts of the Bible are designed especially for the child. 

When a child sees a painting of Jesus as a boy in the Temple, he has to imagine what that would be like. He is a child in church and the elders do not gather around the ordinary church member's child. But these ancient elders, with their flowing beards and exotic robes gathered around Jesus and listened to Him.

That makes us as children and later as adults also want to listen to us. And we are drawn to His gracious Person, His forgiving nature, His desire that we live life in its fullest because of forgiveness and salvation.

Best of all, we get to participate in sharing that complete life with others across the world. Whatever we do in broadcasting the Gospel is a participation in God's work through His powerful Word.