What Aderman Cannot Tell You About the Second Commandment

Frog-kissing Jim Aderman helped found Church and Change, that odious and secretive sect responsible for spreading false doctrine in WELS. Naturally, the synod leaders made him a FIC magazine editor, who will teach WELS about the Ten Commandments, after he was fired for not doing his parish work.

The Second Commandment.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.

"53] From this every one can readily infer when and in how many ways God's name is misused, although it is impossible to enumerate all its misuses. Yet, to tell it in a few words, all misuse of the divine name occurs, first, in worldly business and in matters which concern money, possessions, honor, whether it be publicly in court, in the market, or wherever else men make false oaths in God's name, or pledge their souls in any matter. And this is especially prevalent in marriage affairs, where two go and secretly betroth themselves to one another, and afterward abjure their plighted troth. [GJ - Thus synod officials put a known adulterer into the pulpit while claiming he has a Scriptural divorce.]

54] But, the greatest abuse occurs in spiritual matters, which pertain to the conscience, when false preachers rise up and offer their lying vanities as God's Word.

55] Behold, all this is decking one's self out with God's name, or making a pretty show, or claiming to be right, whether it occur in gross, worldly business or in sublime, subtile matters of faith and doctrine. And among liars belong also blasphemers, not alone the very gross, well known to every one, who disgrace God's name without fear (these are not for us, but for the hangman to discipline); but also those who publicly traduce the truth and God's Word and consign it to the devil. Of this there is no need now to speak further.

56] Here, then, let us learn and take to heart the great importance of this commandment, that with all diligence we may guard against and dread every misuse of the holy name, as the greatest sin that can be outwardly committed. For to lie and deceive is in itself a great sin, but is greatly aggravated when we attempt to justify it, and seek to confirm it by invoking the name of God and using it as a cloak for shame, so that from a single lie a double lie, nay, manifold lies, result.

57] For this reason, too, God has added a solemn threat to this commandment, to wit: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. That is: It shall not be condoned to any one nor pass unpunished. For as little as He will leave it unavenged if any one turn his heart from Him, as little will He suffer His name to be employed for dressing up a lie. 58] Now, alas! it is a common calamity in all the world that there are as few who are not using the name of God for purposes of lying and all wickedness as there are those who with their heart trust alone in God.

59] For by nature we all have within us this beautiful virtue, to wit, that whoever has committed a wrong would like to cover up and adorn his disgrace, so that no one may see it or know it; and no one is so bold as to boast to all the world of the wickedness he has perpetrated; all wish to act by stealth and without any one being aware of what they do. Then, if any one be arraigned, the name of God is dragged into the affair and must make the villainy look like godliness, and the shame like honor. This is the common course of the world, which, like a great deluge, has flooded all lands."

What Aderman Cannot Tell You About the First Commandment

Frog-kissing Jim Aderman helped found Church and Change, that odious and secretive sect responsible for spreading false doctrine in WELS. Naturally, the synod leaders made him a FIC magazine editor, who will teach WELS about the Ten Commandments, after he was fired for not doing his parish work.

Luther, Introduction to The Large Catechism,
Book of Concord:

"9] Therefore I beg such lazy paunches or presumptuous saints to be persuaded and believe for God's sake that they are verily, verily! not so learned or such great doctors as they imagine; and never to presume that they have finished learning this [the parts of the Catechism], or know it well enough in all points, even though they think that they know it ever so well. For though they should know and understand it perfectly (which, however, is impossible in this life), yet there are manifold benefits and fruits still to be obtained, if it be daily read and practised in thought and speech; namely, that the Holy Ghost is present in such reading and repetition and meditation, and bestows ever new and more light and devoutness, so that it is daily relished and appreciated better, as Christ promises, Matt. 18:20: Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.

10] Besides, it is an exceedingly effectual help against the devil, the world, and the flesh and all evil thoughts to be occupied with the Word of God, and to speak of it, and meditate upon it, so that the First Psalm declares those blessed who meditate upon the Law of God day and night. Undoubtedly, you will not start a stronger incense or other fumigation against the devil than by being engaged upon God's commandments and words, and speaking, singing, or thinking of them. For this is indeed the true holy water and holy sign from which he flees, and by which he may be driven away."

"The devil is called the master of a thousand arts. But what shall we call God's Word, which drives away and brings to naught this master of a thousand arts with all his arts and power? It must indeed be the master of more than a hundred thousand arts. 13] And shall we frivolously despise such power, profit, strength, and fruit-we, especially, who claim to be pastors and preachers? If so, we should not only have nothing given us to eat, but be driven out, being baited with dogs, and pelted with dung, because we not only need all this every day as we need our daily bread, but must also daily use it against the daily and unabated attacks and lurking of the devil, the master of a thousand arts."

The First Commandment

"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

1] That is: Thou shalt have [and worship] Me alone as thy God. What is the force of this, and how is it to be understood? What does it mean to have a god? or, what is God? 2] Answer: A god means that from which we are to expect all good and to which we are to take refuge in all distress, so that to have a God is nothing else than to trust and believe Him from the [whole] heart; as I have often said that the confidence and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol. 3] If your faith and trust be right, then is your god also true; and, on the other hand, if your trust be false and wrong, then you have not the true God; for these two belong together, faith and God. That now, I say, upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly your god.

4] Therefore it is the intent of this commandment to require true faith and trust of the heart which settles upon the only true God, and clings to Him alone. That is as much as to say: "See to it that you let Me alone be your God, and never seek another," i.e.: Whatever you lack of good things, expect it of Me, and look to Me for it, and whenever you suffer misfortune and distress, creep and cling to Me. I, yes, I, will give you enough and help you out of every need; only let not your heart cleave to or rest in any other."

The Word Alone Is Effective:Word Proclaiming Means Cross Bearing

Our Old Adam does not like the cross. Nevertheless, God gives each person a cross to bear because of the Word. It may be a Chicanery or Babtist conversion in the family, a spouse who takes the opposite position, or another problem. Several Church Growth leaders are now facing an old Jewish curse - "May you marry a pious woman and then lose your faith."

We would like to see nothing but love, happiness, prosperity, and the esteem of the world from adhering to the Word, but instead we find hatred, rejection, loss of income, and shunning as a reward.

St. Therese, the Little Flower, told God in her confusion, "This is why You have so few friends - you treat them so badly!"

Paul Gerhardt and John Bunyan saw things differently, because they had saving faith. Gerhardt's hymns and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress are filled with spiritual wisdom about the cross. Lutherans are telling me that they are reading the Deutschlander book on the cross.

The political solution is to say, "If it's bad for me at this moment, I won't do it - If it's good for me at the moment - I will." Thus the blind lead the blind into a pit. Many momentary calamities are blessings, but we never see the blessings develop if we want to invent our own, and manage the world better than God can.

How can we admire Lutheran clergy who were thrown into dungeons and threatened with death for being faithful, if we worry about missing a meal or a committee assignment?

Pious Wishes:Lutherans Dropped the Ball

Sassy lives to chase balls in the park.

I have to admit that Fuller Seminary is good at sales. They hornswoggled all the denominations, even the Roman Catholics, into going to their schools, paying for their drive-by degrees, and buying their disgusting books. Fuller has served as God's avenging angel, showing the denominations how corrupt, dishonest, and anti-Biblical they really are.

This is what a considerable group of Lutheran laity and pastors would like to see:

1. Liturgical worship, genuine sermons, and Creeds in all congregations.
   
2. Most importantly - respect shown for brother pastors and sister churches when tempted to innovate in worship, so no one is clamoring - "Why can't we have women lectors and communion assistants? Bee-bop Church of the Coffee Pot does!"
   
3. Serious study of Lutheran doctrine. This is a great blessing for every congregation taking the trouble, requiring preparation by the pastor and persistence by the people attending.
   
4. Tossing the clever ideas marketed for superficiality. The Word does not need gimmicks. The use of cuteness proclaims a lack of confidence in the Word and Sacraments.
   
5. A winnowing of synod expenses. We are in another Great Depression. Almost every single person has lost equity, income, or both.
   
6. Senior leaders need to step down voluntarily. Many of the church officials and their lay enablers are very good at what they do - clinging to their jobs. They perfected that role, so they need to resign and let others do the job without pay.
   
7. Dissolve the synodical Doctrinal Boards, which exist to refute sound doctrine and excuse false doctrine.
   
8. Give false teachers a chance to repudiate their doctrine, followed by the normal steps in removing them from their positions, whether in a congregation, the colleges, or seminary.

Lutheran laity and clergy have been voting with their feet for decades. Many clergy have departed after having the Left Foot of Fellowship extended to them - for doing their jobs. The time has passed for the Shrinkers to admit they have bankrupted their denominations - spiritually, financially, and morally.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Pious Wishes:Lutherans Dropped the Ball":

"Pious Wishes:
Lutherans Dropped the Ball"

Lazy, apathetic members were lulled into being pew potatoes hanging on every word of their false WELS leaders. The Devil made sure that they were conditioned to doing nothing.

Beavis and Butthead Quit and Erased

On the advice of their parole officer,
Beavis and Butthead quit their blog and erased all the evidence.
They had to say one more thing, fulfilling a proverb about the Devil, as Chemnitz recorded - "The Devil in departing is accustomed to leave a foul stink behind." Exam., IV, p. 147.
A rare moment of candor:
"Friday, July 24, 2009
Dude....
Our blog didn't fly man. We aren't posting anymore. I'm bummed!!"

Unionistic Study

When I was a student at The Sausage Factory for a semester, the faculty was a rainbow coalition of various confessions. Valleskey was a secretive proponent of Reformed doctrine while Gawa (Gawrisch) led the class through orthodox quotations. The church history professor (Slide) knew what was going on but was afraid his pension would be taken away if he talked. Other professors did what was best for their careers.

In August at The Sausage Factory, Bruce Becker will lead the troops of the WELS Prayer Pietistic Institute to rally them for the real deal - the Church and Chicanery convention in November.

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SceleratissimusLutheranus has left a new comment on your post "Unionistic Study":

I love that picture! Instant classic.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Unionistic Study":

"Valleskey was a secretive proponent of Reformed doctrine...."

Today we see the effects of giving Valleskey a podium for his false beliefs. He operated like a thief in the night for far too long. Meanwhile, the other shepherds leading WELS turned a blind eye.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Unionistic Study":

"When I was a student at The Sausage Factory for a semester, the faculty was a rainbow coalition of various confessions."

Meanwhile, members were duped into believing that WELS remained a monolithic bastion of Lutheranism. Are the WELS leaders atheists at heart? They certainly have acted like it with all their greed and duplicity. Too many of them serve their Father Below.

Determination

Confessional readers are ready for the convention. The Chicaneries are afraid.

Why are things quiet? The more happening, the less said. When there is such an apparent calm, both sides are active.

The message from Church and Change, just before the convention, announcing their next glorious festival of apostasy, was their effort to cheer the troops.

I am happy to mention what I have told many people -

I have been publishing about these topics for over 20 years. Before, the only people who contacted me were elderly. Now the vast majority are younger men. And I hear from pastors all the time. Various people have told me about church leaders reading Ichabod. A few clergy have said, "Everyone reads it, but they do not say it outright."

The Shrinkers can only thank themselves for proving me right.

The apostates will try to make me the issue, because I insert plenty of hilarious commentary about their buffoonery. But I also provide all the evidence so people can see for themselves.

My verbatim quotations make Beavis and Butthead howl with rage, because those nasty little boys are the finger-puppets of Kelm, Huebner(s), Parlow, Patterson, and Becker - the SP Gurgle crew. Listen to their cries of rage - and do the opposite. That is sound doctrine.

The clergy and laity that I know love to read the orthodox Lutheran quotations provided. The quotations were all carefully typed into my ancient database, Megatron, labeled, edited for accuracy, and studied repeatedly.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Determination":

WELS leadership played it safe in not saying that it is promoting the closure of Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS). Instead, it is giving alternatives. One alternative would not close MLS, but shows the significant, negative financial consequences on the rest of the program of not closing it. The other alternative would anticipate that funding for MLS would not be available in the second year of the two year budget adopted by the convention, but did not rule it out completely. This was a clever move by the WELS leadership because they can honestly say they did not recommend the closure of MLS. Since they did not recommend it, it is not overly controversial going into the convention. It will be the convention, not the WELS leadership, making the recommendation. However, the obvious innuendo behind both options is that MLS will need to be closed at the end of the next fiscal year, barring a financial upswing before the end of 2009. Without improvements in finances by then, the decision for closure will have to be made before enrollment would start for the fall of 2010.

To quote Luther, "It was a false, misleading dream" to think that this convention will [do] anything about the cancer of the Church Growth Movement in the WELS, at least in my opinion. I see nothing that hits it head on in the Book of Reports and Memorials or in the unpublished memorials I have seen to date. I believe a lot of the lay delegates are not aware of the issue. The male teachers would by and large be in favor of it because it has permeated the WELS school system through team ministry, using our schools as "mission arms," and the welcoming into our schools of the Reformed and sometimes the clearly heathen, not to mention the "international student" programs in many of the Area Lutheran High Schools (which I personally know in some cases is driven by financial need and not by a desire for mission work, even though that is the public justification for the program). The pastors would be divided on the Church Growth Movement, but I do not see a lot of recognized leaders among the conservatives on the roster of delegates. If the Church Growth Movement is brought up at all, it would easily be buried in a committee, tabled to a future convention, or, at best, referred to a committee assigned by the Synodical President. However, I think very little will happen at this convention with the Church Growth Movement, other than it being a topic in the halls or around a keg of beer.

Spoiling the Egyptians:Valleskey's Excuse For Promoting False Doctrine

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Sound of One Hand Clapping":

Our pastor uses that term "Spoil the Egyptians".

What does that actually mean?

Does that mean take from non-churched to support the churched?

I am too embarrassed to ask my pastor, but it sure doesn't sound very nice....

***

GJ - This looks like a soft lob, so I can hit a homer. Glad you asked, for whatever reason.

Valleskey feigned doing an analysis of the Church Growth Movement, which he took as an opportunity to gush about the undying fad. He chose to name Larry Crabb (a favorite at Fuller Seminary) and Crabb's use of the term "spoiling the Egyptians." Apparently the phrase is as old as Augustine, but I doubt whether Augustine figured much in Valleskey's education.

Valleskey and the rest of the Shrinkers use the term to excuse their wholesale borrowing of false doctrine from Fuller, Willow Creek, Mars Hill, Granger, Northpoint Crypto-Babtist, and the rest of the Enthusiasts.

As the introduction to the History of Pietism says, the Crypto-Calvinists tried to hide their allegiance to the Swiss Reformer. Now all hiding is gone.

Church and Change is devoted to spoiling the Egyptians.

I pointed out to Valleskey, in front of the Ohio pastors, that the Israelites took the gold and precious jewels of the Egyptians, not their garbage. Valleskey was not happy.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Pastors Getting Unionistic Degrees":

Why was all the skulduggery in WELS not exposed years or decades ago? Pastors routinely deny that there is skulduggery while they solicit support and pay tribute to the synod. This smacks of a complete sham.

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GJ - I was writing about it around 21 years go, but it was the sound of one hand clapping. Valleskey gave his Spoiling the Egyptians/Figs from Thistles paper to the Ohio Conference. The result was - those few who dissented were pushed out of WELS. Those who fainted with joy or silenced themselves were promoted.

WELS Pastors Getting Unionistic Degrees:All Are Known Changers

John Lawrenz got a real PhD from Brandeis U. He supported Church and Chicanery with a post that elicited "Pure gold" from VP-in-Waiting Don Patterson. Years ago, Lawrenz gave a sermon where he said - everything must change. That is also the mantra of Mark Jeske.


John Parlow, Willow Creek WELS Pastor, DMin, Denver Seminary

Paul Calvin Kelm, DMin in Church Growth, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. His brother Dan, another Shrinker, and Paul's son both left for the LCMS.

Rich Krause in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, got his DMin from a union consortium in Ohio, supervised by Larry Olson, DMin, Fuller Seminary

Lawrence Otto Olson got his drive-by DMin from Fuller by taking a few courses and writing a paper. Now he, like Rich Krause, calls himself "Dr." Ha.

There is no photo for Steve Witte, so I had to use the only photo on their website. Note that the painting is typically Reformed. Jesus is able to leave the empty tomb because the angels let Him out by opening the door. The Reformed think His divine nature is limited by His human nature, and that is why they deny the Real Presence.

Church and Chicanery leader Witte says
preaching the Gospel is not enough. "The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is in crisis,
but revival is possible. Its leaders must get into the Scriptures, repent, and pray."

Title: Hope and a future : confronting the death of confessional Lutheranism / by Steve Witte.
Author: Witte, Steve.

Imprint: 2007.
Note: The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is in crisis, but revival is possible. Its leaders must get into the Scriptures, repent, and pray. The definition of faithfulness must be expanded--not "just preach the gospel" but also using means to shine the gospel light into a dark world.
Note: Typescript.
Subject: Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Subject: Church renewal.
Physical Description: xii, 235 leaves ; 28 cm.

Location Information
Hamilton
Circulating Coll.
BX8061.W6 W57 2007 [Available]
This item has been checked out 0 time(s)
and currently has 0 hold request(s).

Witte is involved with WELS Jars of Clay and is also a founder of Church and Chicanery.

----------------- N O D E C I S I O N S R E P O R T E D ----------------
Witte, Rev Steven L - Asia Lutheran Seminary Board - 05/29/2009
Vice President

***

GJ - Doubtless there are more. Most of the American mission and world mission people have studied at Fooler Seminary. I am guessing that world mission people have been routinely trained there before deployment. Extensive training has taken place at Willow Creek as well.

Known Fuller veterans are David Valleskey, F. Bivens, R. Schulz, Joel Gerlach, Norm Berg, Wallhy Oelhafen, Fred Adrian.

What Willow Creek WELS Worships

Parlow, left, at Babtist Stanley's Drive 08 Conference

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "More Admonitions Like This Are Needed":

Here are the worship principles for St. Mark De Pere.

The document in question can be found here:

http://stmarkpartners.org/downloads/Biblical.pdf

"Made to Worship: Biblical Prescriptive Principles for Corporate Worship at St. Mark"

1. Worship in truth and spirit. – John 4:23
2. Worship the true God only. – Matthew 4:10
3. Worship in an orderly fashion. – 1 Corinthians 14:40
4. Men are to be the spiritual teachers/preachers in a congregation of men and women. –
1 Timothy 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 14:26ff
5. Strive to do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31
6. Edification of the Church. – Ephesians 4:11-12

What's missing here? No Law, no Gospel, no means of grace, no forgiveness, no Christ. But I'm sure you'll feel really good about yourself and learn how to be a "good person" and have a "happy life" if you go to this church. Make sure to bring your vomit bag if you do.

And it gets worse. Here is the St. Mark's website description of their worship styles: (http://stmarkpartners.org/content/category/9/33/78/)

"St. Mark Lutheran Church exists to make a meaningful and relevant impact on the lives and hearts of people who live in the Northeast Wisconsin area. We offer hope, healing, and spiritual solutions to people wherever they are in their journey. For spiritual seekers, those investigating the gospel message, our goal is to help you find practical answers to your spiritual questions. For everyone, we want to provide availability and easy access to a variety of experiences that help you grow spiritually.

Because we believe the message of God’s love and forgiveness is the most thrilling, inspiring, life-changing message of all time, we want to do everything possible to reach people with that message. Therefore, we strive to make our presentation of Christ creative, relevant, understandable, memorable, and engaging. We want to help you connect with the personal hope and practical help that God can give us.

Therefore we offer two "styles" of worship: contemporary and traditional, that you can explore, learn, and grow spiritually in a way that is memorable, engaging, and that suits your personal style."

Funny. I always thought the church existed to proclaim the Gospel to lost sinners and administer the word and sacraments. Welcome to our Brave New World in WELS.

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Beavis and Butthead are not content to trust in the Word.

What's Wrong with Pietism?1. Experimenting with Sects - Not Wise.2. No Safe Sects

Niall Good has left a new comment on your post "Your Pietism Detection Kit":

Could you be more specific and tell us what you real (sic) feel about Pietists?
Niall

***

GJ - I have many posts on the subject. Click on the Pietism label for more information. For Lutherans, there are two major objections:

1. Pietism began with Spener, the first union theologian. When denominations set aside their doctrinal differences to work together, they fall into decline - first Unitarianism (service unites, doctrine divides), then atheism gilded with political activism.

2. Lutherans fool themselves when they imagine dabbling in something doctrinally neutral, as the Fuller Brush salesmen try to claim. Spener's cell groups produce doctrinal bastards. One thing leads to another. A glance turns into a stare, a momentary crush into an obsession. As James promised, the impulse leads to sin.

KJV James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

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More Admonitions Like This Are Needed

Random Intolerance

Random Dan and Intolerant Elle unite their blogs in holy matrimony.
Monday, January 05, 2009
The Promised Rant
There were two pieces of news within the WELS recently that disturbed me.

The first is the WELS equivalent to Jesus First (Church and Change) has invited a Baptist, Ed Stetzer, to speak to them about, what else, missions! The problem, however, isn't that Dr. Stetzer wants to reach others for Christ, but that the man isn't Lutheran. He's going to bring his Baptist perspective to a Lutheran gathering. The man sees no role for the sacraments. We can think we can "spoil the Egyptians," but this type of thinking is leading us into the same place the American Church has now landed: Christless Christianity. Oh, there are people who do not like this. The District Presidents got together and grumbled a little, but nothing happened. No one was disciplined, and life goes on. I wish someone in the WELS would grow a spine.

The second piece of news is more disturbing. By digging a little, I also found more interesting side tidbits to this story. Paul Kelm received and accepted a call to Parish Services. The Director of Parish services, Bruce Becker, issued this call after being directed by Synodical President Mark Schroeder not to add staff due to the economic woes. President Schroeder didn't know about the call until Kelm's name showed up on the call list. How in the world am I supposed to put the best construction on that, especially when it has leaked that Becker kept President Schroeder in the dark on purpose.

Here's a few tidbits to the story (some of which you may already know). John Parlow, Pastor of St Mark Du Pere and Green Bay, WI, has been caught not once but twice plagiarizing sermons from Baptist websites. In case you are wondering, I still have in my possession the proof that this occurred. This is where Paul Kelm was called from. Even better, St Mark is a member of the Willow Creek Association as well as the WELS. This begs the question why hasn't President Engelbrecht and the rest of the Northern Wisconsin Praesidium come down on St. Marks and her pastors harder and with more fury than God came down on Sodom and Gomorrah? This is a clear violation of fellowship principles! Why aren't WELS pastors screaming their lungs out about this instead of just privately complaining about this when among themselves? Who will be our St. Nicholas, a man who became so angered by Arius' false theology about Christ that he stood up and slapped him?

Just to light a fire under some church workers, look at who else is part of the Willow Creek Association. Yes, welcome to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago! Parlow has somehow united us all to the ELCA, LCMS, the spawn of Calvin, the spawn of the Radical Reformation, and to Rome. Happy Day!

As another historical tidbit, the Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father...) was brought into the Church's canticles to fight Arius' poisonous doctrines on Christ. That is why we sing it it in every Psalm and canticle.... Oh, wait. We use Christian Worship. They only left it in the Psalms. (Stay tuned for another segment of "why our hymnal sucks, especially after the LCMS put out the LSB" after these important messages).

Note: edited because the author can't spell Du Pere nor can he keep from using just one definite article.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "More Admonitions Like This Are Needed":

(Thankfully I'm a member of a district that, so far, has been mostly free of the influence of CG heresy.)

Are you joking? Who cares what district you are a part of?? The SYNOD, of which you are a part, allows this apostasy to continue. Please wake up and shake up those pastors who are firmly grounded in God's Word. Encourage them to stand up and heed the admonition to 'Put on the armour of God'. If God be for you, who can be against you? Even the retired pastors, who can surely see the synod's decline from when they were on active duty, stand up and be heard! Help show where Synod has strayed and how to get back on track. Maybe a current pastor with a church fears some kind of punitive actions, but these retired guys have nothing to lose. God still has a purpose for them in His church and this very well may be it. STAND UP AND BE HEARD!!

Mug Shots for the WELS/ELS Chicanery Convention in November

Mark Jeske, heavily promoted by WELS, will not admit to being WELS on TV. The Chicanery leadership is drawn from Jeske, Parlow, Patterson, and overpaid staff at WELS headquarters (aka The Love Shack). Mequon seminary Professor Richard Gurgle and Professor-in-Exile John Lawrenz are also Chicanery partisans.

ELS Pastor Nathan Krause works with this bunch, and he has a vicar being trained in Enthusiasm.


Bruce Becker hired Paul Calvin Kelm covertly, then left for Jeske's Time of Grace.


Elton Stroh will turn your church around, so a Lutheran congregation can start acting like a Babtist one. Stetzer would be pleased. Aderman could use some of this, since it hasn't worked for him in 20 years.


Ron Roth was the first editor of TELL, the Church Growth magazine for WELS. He headed stewardship for WELS when it went broke. He can do the same for your congregation, since he now works with Jeff Davis as a professional money-raiser for WELS/LCMS.


Jeff Davis will present his insights on money-raising in the congregation. He gets a commission from the results, not a stated fee.


Randy Hunter has a vicar this year, which means his District Pussycat approves his methods, such as having a cross in a coffee cup as the logo for Latte Lutheran Church.


Aderman retired but went back to frog-kissing for Church Growth. He will probably be greeted as a hero at this conference.


Patterson Network member Geiger is a featured speaker again. But there is no Church Growth in WELS. And it there were, Patterson--who also led a session and posts on their listserve--would not be part of it.


Brian Arthur Lampe is a board member of this sect and a youth leader at St. Marcus.


John Parlow, St. Mark, Depere, WI, is a member of the Willow Creek Association ministerium. His church belongs to the WCA. Here he is posing for Ski at Drive 08, a Babtist worship conference run by Andy Stanley. Ski, Katie, Glende, and around 7 WELS pastors attended Drive 09 together. Parlow was one of the founding members of Church and Chicanery.


I understand from Steve Witte's Gordon Conwell paper that John Johnson was also a founding member of Church and Chicanery. Johnson is on the staff at St. Mark Willow Creek Lutheran.

***

GJ - Corrections, additions, and fervent denials are welcome.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Mug Shots for the WELS/ELS Chicanery Convention in...":

I didn't see Paul Kelm's name on the list. He can turn your church around in a few short weeks. It goes from a Pastor who is taught and trained for eight years passing his torch on to the congregation and everybody becomes a minister. Now the pastor is freed up to do nothing and the responsibility for everything including missions and ministry can fall on the laity's shoulders. That way if things go haywire, it's your fault. Kelm can accomplish all this for around $10,000.

Two Faced WELS Kitteh

WELS laity and pastors - time to do your own homework. Now you have the Church and Change conference agenda in color. That gives you a clear portrait of apostasy, with Thrivent showing up to promote their business.

Executive Summary
Jeske's St. Marcus/Time of Grace staff is running most of it, with help from the Patterson network (Geiger), and those aging warhorses of Church Growth - Ron Roth and Jeff Davis (who just happen to run a money-raising business in WELS/LCMS congregations). Randy Hunter will present his caffeinated vision of ministry. There is a chunk to devoted to Women's Ministry, so no one notices the baby-steps to women's ordination (thank you John Brug).

Becker is running a WELS Pietism Institute meeting at the seminary right after the convention.

Aderman, a founder and former board member of C and C, really should present his experience on driving his church membership down by 50%, getting fired for non-work, and grabbing back the call while officially and publicly retired from the ministry.

Y'all will hear from Aderman anyhoo. He has the next 10 issues of FIC to explain the Ten Commandments. Oh yeah, a founder of Church and Chicanery is a contributing editor of FIC, burning your offering dollars to promote Enthusiasm.



UPS Driver and Chicanery board member Brian Arthur Lampe.
"Brian Arthur Lampe delivers a one-two punch to the devil and his schemes with his high powered, enthusiastic, energetic life-applying Biblical motivational speaking. We are on a quest for authentic God. By including Brian Arthur Lampe, you will have more than just a rally or a Bible study. You and your congregation will be providing men, women, and youth with an encouraging process that teaches them how to live lives of authentic Christianity as modeled by Jesus Christ and directed by the Word of God." Christian Speaker Network describes Brian's denomination as Christian. He also runs a business called CEO Ministries.

Stroh and Becker To Help Chicaneries Gain Momentum After Convention

Bruce Becker was head of WELS Perish Services and a board member of Church and Change when he hired Paul Calvin Kelm, then escaped The Love Shack to work for Mark Jeske.

Elton Stroh remains in Perish Services, promoting Babtist Ed Stetzer on the Church and Change listserve, even though the COP frowned upon the original Stetzer C and C invite.

From: Michelle Eggert
Subject: 2009 Church & Change Conference: Regaining Momentum
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009, 7:22 PM

2009 Church & Change Conference: Regaining Momentum

The 2009 Church & Change Conference will feature an outstanding line-up of speakers and ministry topics. Our main presenters will be Rev. Bruce Becker, Director of Operations for Time of Grace and Rev. Elton Stroh, director of our WELS Parish Assistance program. Rev. Becker will be examining characteristics that are hurting our congregations as well as those that are helping congregations in their efforts to bring the Gospel to more people. Rev. Stroh will discuss the what certain churches did to turnaround from being in decline to becoming more active.

You will be challenged, inspired and encouraged as a Christian and as a leader of Christians. When several hundred creative WELS leaders gather around God's Word and share their ideas, that's what we expect to happen!

The conference will be held Thursday, November 5 through Saturday, November 7, 2009 at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel and Convention Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cost for the conference is $200.00 per person ($280 for registrations received on or after September 16, 2009). A special "3+1 offer" will be available to congregations sending four or more participants. All meals are included in the conference price, but participants will need to provide their own lodging.

Special conference hotel rates of $99 single or $109 double occupancy per night are available at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel & Convention Center through October 13, 2009. Please contact the hotel directly to make your hotel reservations at (866) 625-3104 and mention you are attending the Church & Change Conference.

Reservations can also be made online at: http://www.wyndham.com/groupeventsnew/mkeap_churchchange09/main.wnt.

All registrations will take place online at http://www.regonline.com/churchandchange2009. For a full description of each presenter/topic, click C&C program.bw.pdf for efficient black/white printing or C&C program.color.pdf for full color viewing printing. Check out our Website (www.churchandchange.org) for further details.This conference is shaping up to be the best ever!

Pastor Ron Ash
Chairman, The Center for Church & Change

This email communication was sent by:
The Center for Church & Change

***

GJ - How difficult is it to connect the dots and form a picture?

Ron Ash's congregation sponsored The CORE, although its lavish spending ($250,000 blown so far) remains a mystery.

Ski and Bishop Katie worked together at St. Marcus (Jeske) before spending their monthlies at various expensive Schwermer conferences around the country: Drive, Catalyst, Drive again, Granger, Mars Hill, and Echo.

Becker went to work for Jeske when WELS began making noises about getting rid of his job.

Stroh worked for Becker at The Love Shack and now promotes Stetzer.

The CORE Numbers

Vermiculatus Rex - The CORE's mascot.

Check out this link for videos posted by The CORE.


The CORE by the Numbers:

The CORE held its grand opening on April 19, 2009.

* $250,000 spent
* 200 average weekly attendance since the grand opening
* 15 members

The information for the above attendance numbers was gathered at St. Peter’s open forum on June 16, 2009 A.D., and the above numbers are current as of that date.

As of this week, The CORE has yet to serve the Lord’s Supper, and is waiting until special hand made communion-ware is manufactured. According to Pastor Glende, most new congregations do not serve the Lord’s Supper for several months. Once The CORE begins to serve communion, then they will have a better idea of how many of its attendees are members of other area WELS congregations.

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Quotations from the recently entertained:

This church just is totally alive, and you can feel that it’s blessed by God. And like the sign up here says … “To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing.” And how Pastor Ski … will do anything short of sin to reach people.

--

The idea of getting real and talking about the issues that really matter. There are so many people that are struggling, and they don’t know where to go; and God is there, he wants to help us, he is just waiting for us to cry out to him.

--

It was so awesome when I walked in, and I heard the airport sound effects going. The whole atrium was set up to look like an airport, and we got to pick up our tickets. It was just so much fun.

The whole concept of “Baggage,” and being able to deliver that to Jesus is just fantastic.

***

GJ - The facts and quotes listed above came from a member of the sponsoring congregation, St. Peter in Freedom, Wisconsin, part of the Fox Valley or A-town area. The retired pastor, Ron Ash, chairs Church and Change.

The material about The CORE makes me sick and extremely sad. I do not think I can joke about this fiasco anymore. Partly it is the money wasted, but even more it is the money lavished on creating a Groeschel franchise. For any of the WELS leaders to think this is a work of genius, an enormous amount of study with false teachers is absolutely essential.

The Shrinkers like to send anonymous comments like, "Why is this your business?" Of course, the Wisconsin sect feels free to comment disparagingly about all denominations, especially the ELS. Non-membership does not suggest a barrier to commentary. My despair comes from the decades of deliberate Lutheran abandonment of Biblical doctrine and worship. This abandonment has taken place in ELCA, Missouri, WELS, and somewhat in the wee little ELS. The Little Sect on the Prairie also has a Church and Change congregation, but I am sure their Board of Doctrine has jumped on that like a hobo on a hotdog.

Apathy and somnolence have created this problem. The watchmen on the towers of Zion have dosed off or taken bribes to play dumb.

The Word of God and the Confessions can set the course right again.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

I wouldn't be so sure about ELS's Board of Doctrine jumping on their C & C congregation. That congregation even had a vicar last year.

***

GJ - My typo! I meant the ELS Bored of Doctrine. You are right. They will do nothing. Besides, it is probably one of those experiments.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

Dr. Jackson,

This news about the CORE (and the whole concept really) makes me feel ill as well. I was a member of St. Matthew in Appleton for over 20 years until I moved. I still have friends and family members there, though I have encouraged them to find a better church. That congregation has also been infested with Church Growth,and Ski was even allowed to preach there recently. That congregation was one large and vibrant. Since the CG crowd took over, the school has closed and the membership has probably dwindled to about half of what it once was. Meanwhile, the Shrinkers running the church have wasted a fortune on AV equipment and technology that has not done a single thing to expand the church's ministry.

If the synod had leaders had any spine, they would confront Ski now and force the CORE to close its so-called ministry. It should never have been allowed to happen in the first placel. One would think St. Paul, one block from the CORE, would be howling, but I've heard nothing.a Where is the DP? Where is the SP? Why are the other churches in the Fox Valley not fighting this thing? WELS leadership, churches, and members need to stand up now before it is too late, if it is not already.

$250,000 spent. How many teachers could that have kept in our schools or pastors in mission fields? When I read these things, I'm ashamed to be a member of the WELS.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

"$250,000 spent. How many teachers could that have kept in our schools or pastors in mission fields? When I read these things, I'm ashamed to be a member of the WELS."

How much other money, millions possibly, has been hidden away for their special purposes? How much of the $8 million shortfall went missing the same way?

One thing for sure, the leaders are obstinate liars who care very little about WELS, WELS called workers, and you. While they revel in fantasized glory before God, they busy themselves destroying the church visible and invisible. They want it all gone for their Father Below.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

Article VII of the Augsburg Confession had defined the Church as “the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.” It states that the Gospel taught rightly and the Sacraments administered according to the Gospel are the marks of the Church. Wherever these go one, there we know that the Church is present.
It's obvious that "The CORE" is not in fellowship with the rest of the synod and the leaders such as the District and even Synod Presidents should start taking immediate disciplinary action to remove them from the WELS roster. Anything less than that is unacceptable.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

Regarding St. Paul's reaction to the CORE:

I'm a member of another WELS church (Riverview) close to the CORE and have friends who are members at St. Paul. Their pastors did howl about the CORE to their DP, SP, and circuit pastor. They even called the DP in for a special meeting to try to get some answers out of him.

My friends are not sure how far the pastors got in their objections. But they assume the complaining was mostly ignored, judging by the fact that absolutely nothing has been done to temper the CORE's enthusiasm (pun intended).

Thankfully, St. Paul has refused to compromise its traditional worship and strong teaching since the CORE moved in.

I have also heard from these friends that St. Paul is actually growing in membership and school enrollment, while the CORE's weekly attendance is already in decline as the novelty wears off for all of its WELS attendees.

Ski's DP Engelbrecht has CORE values. What does the Conference of Pussycats say?
They approved Rock N Roll Lutheran Church in Round Rock, Texas, and Randy Hunter's Latte Lutheran Church in Wisconsin.

The Kitteh in the Kettle

WELS kitteh on heavy doses of Valium



George Barna, a Fuller favorite, is the author of The Frog in the Kettle, a book on how to fool the congregation into accepting change.

Download from here.

Your Pietism Detection Kit

You are a Pietist if:

1. You imagine love converts people - and you really hate those who disagree.
   
2. You consider your worship and study with Pentecostals/Babtists a delicious secret, which you share with about 1/3 your ministerium.
   
3. You say "Where are the grant application forms" even more often than "Eighth Commandment!"
   
4. You dismiss the historic Christian faith as "legalism."
   
5. You are visibly excited whenever someone claims to be converted by an Enthusiast.
   
6. You think Holy Communion is detrimental to a good service.
   
7. You think the liturgy is a barrier to growth.
   
8. You wince when you hear the word "Creed."
   
9. You realize that a fix-it talk is much more effective than a Law/Gospel sermon.
   
10. You send nasty, crude, foul-mouthed, anonymous comments to Ichabod.

Justification Without Faith Easily Refuted

Norma Boeckler

"This righteousness is offered us by the Holy Ghost through the Gospel and in the Sacraments, and is applied, appropriated, and received through faith, whence believers have reconciliation with God, forgiveness of sins, the grace of God, sonship, and heirship of eternal life."

Formula of Concord, SD III. #16. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921. Tappert, p. 541. Heiser, p. 251.

***

GJ - The UOJ Stormtroopers try to make reconciliation "God's justification of the entire world - before and apart from faith." Their UOJ diamond is really a lump of coal, served to the innocent. The plain, simple words of the Scriptures are evident to every believer, but it takes considerable seminary training to convert justification by faith into UOJ.

Church and Change Janisarries

B and B post and retreat, perhaps to feed their base by RSS. They keep deleting their ugliest material, just as Krohn committed blogicide on his own, erasing every pearl of wisdom about the value of Rock N Roll for the Lutheran Church.

The Janisarries were the plague of Christian Europe, because the Ottoman Muslims grabbed Christian children, or demanded them as a tithe, and raised them as fanatical warriors.

The horror of the Muslim Janisarries came from Christians seeing their own race attacking them and mowing them down.

In time the Janisarries became so tame that they surveyed a battlefield to find to best exit for a retreat.

The Shrinkers have been using Janisarries, raising them through the WELS school system and in chosen fake missions (big grants, specializing in sheep-stealing from other WELS churches). Minders in every area start attacking as soon as someone raises an issue about WELS' false doctrine.

Shrinkers even maintain Janisarries in the woe-begotten CLC (sic) - Paul Tiefel and David Koenig. Tiefel begins every defense of WELS false doctrine with, "While we are not in fellowship with them, we still have to obey the Eighth Commandment." Thus CLC pastors Tiefel and Koenig attack CLC pastors for daring to murmur a word of doubt about WELS.

Beavis and Butthead started their own blogs to sing the praises of Church and Change. They also invade other blogs to make nasty, obscene, and dumber-than-a-bag-of-rocks statements. Clearly they read without discernment and write without coherence.

Beavis and Butthead have declared a Holy War, but they retreat and hide as much as possible.

Picture Yourself in This Brand New EdselHey, You Are Already in It

Jim Huebner is selling, but Craig Groeschel is driving.


Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What Church and Change Offers WELSAnd Lutherdom":

"District officials/VP candidates like Kudu Don Patterson and Jim Huebner are excellent examples of studying with false teachers and still being taken seriously."

Now they are ready to assume of the role 1st VP where they can spoil WELS congregations. Hey, anything goes in WELS provided you have the right connections.

UOJ on PaperWauwatosa Lives

Two Lutheran laymen are supplying me great graphics, like the ones posted today.

This is a good time to remind people that laymen got me studying UOJ in the first place. The clergy did not want to touch it.

The only people who advocate UOJ are Church Shrinkers and clergy who have spent too much time in the system, not enough time in the Confessions.

The Sacraments

Sacraments

"For Scripture never calls either Baptism or the Lord's Supper mysteries or sacraments. Therefore this is an unwritten (agraphos) appellation."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 29. Chapter 8.

"If we call Sacraments rites which have the command of God, and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to decide what are properly Sacraments. For rites instituted by men will not in this way be Sacraments properly so called. For it does not belong to human authority to promise grace. Therefore signs instituted without God’s command are not sure signs of grace, even though they perhaps instruct the rude [children or the uncultivated], or admonish as to something [as a painted cross]. Therefore Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and Absolution, which is the Sacrament of Repentance, are truly Sacraments. For these rites have God's command and the promise of grace, which is peculiar to the New Testament. For when we are baptized, when we eat the Lord's body, when we are absolved, our hearts must be firmly assured that God truly forgives us for Christ's sake. And God, at the same time, by the Word and by the rite, moves hearts to believe and conceive faith, just as Paul says, Romans 10:17: 'Faith cometh by hearing.' But just as the Word enters the ear in order to strike our heart, so the rite itself strikes the eye, in order to move the heart. The effect of the Word and of the rite is the same, as it has been well said by Augustine that a Sacrament is a visible word, because the rite is received by the eyes, and is, as it were, a picture of the Word, signifying the same thing as the Word. Therefore the effect of both is the same."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, XIII, #3-5. Number/Use Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 309. Tappert, p. 211. Heiser, p. 94. Chapter 8

"The effect of the Word and of the rite is the same, as it has been well said by Augustine that a sacrament is a visible word, because the rite is received by the eyes, and is, as it were, a picture of the Word, signifying the same thing as the Word. Therefore the effect of both is the same."
Apology Augsburg Confession, XIII. #5. Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House 1921, p. 309. Tappert, p. 211. Heiser, p. 94. Chapter 8.

"And we know that the Church is among those who teach the Word of God aright, and administer the Sacraments aright, and not with those who not only by their edicts endeavor to efface God's Word, but also put to death those who teach what is right and true; towards whom, even though they do something contrary to the canons, yet the very canons are milder."
Apology Augsburg Confession, XIV. #4. Eccles. Order. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 315. Tappert, p. 214f. Heiser, p. 96.

"Of the Use of the Sacraments they teach that the Sacraments were ordained, not only to be marks of profession among men, but rather to be signs and testimonies of the will of God toward us, instituted to awaken and confirm faith in those who use them. Wherefore we must so use the Sacraments that faith be added to believe the promises which are offered and set forth through the Sacraments."
Augsburg Confession, Article XIII. The Use of the Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 49. Tappert, p. 35f. Heiser, p. 13f.

"For it is not the sacramental action, but the Word that accompanies the action, which communicates saving grace; and this Word received, not by the body, but by the heart and mind, so as to awaken faith. Without faith, 'sine bono motu utentis,' no benefit is received from the Sacraments."
Henry Eyster Jacobs, A Summary of the Christian Faith, Philadelphia: General Council Publication House, 1913, p. 319.

"In order to offer and convey to men the merits which Christ has secured for the world by His death on the cross, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:18, God employs certain external, visible means through which the Holy Spirit works and preserves faith and thus accomplishes the sinner's salvation."
John Theodore Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, A Handbook of Doctrinal Theology, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 441. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Rom 5:18.

"Since God has connected His most gracious promise of forgiveness with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, these also are true and efficacious means of grace, namely, by virtue of the divine promises that are attached to them."
John Theodore Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, A Handbook of Doctrinal Theology, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 444.

"When intent upon establishing their peculiar tenets, Calvin and Zwingli likwise preferred rational argumentation to the plain proofs of Holy Writ. Their interpretation of the words of the Sacrament is but one glaring instance; but there are many more. The schools and the denominations which they founded became infected with this same disease of theology."
Martin S. Sommer, Concordia Pulpit for 1932, Martin S. Sommer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1931, p. iii.

"Both Baptism and the Lord's Supper qualify as Means of Grace because of the simple fact that they are visible forms of the essential Gospel message announcing the forgiveness of sins."
Martin W. Lutz, "God the Holy Spirit Acts Through the Lord's Supper," God The Holy Spirit Acts, ed., Eugene P. Kaulfield, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1972, p. 117.

"Since the age of Rationalism and Lutheran Pietism a new spirit has crept into the life of the church which is un-Lutheran, un-Evangelical, and un-biblical. The Sacraments have been neglected at the expense of the Word."
Walter G. Tillmanns, "Means of Grace: Use of," The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church, 3 vols., Julius Bodensieck, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1965, II, p. 1505.

"The Sacraments are not mere symbolic expressions by which faith is strengthened (Calvin), nor are they mere acts of confession of faith (notae professionis, Zwingli), but are effective means by which God sows faith in the hearts of men."
Walter G. Tillmanns, "Means of Grace: Use of," The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church, 3 vols., Julius Bodensieck, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1965, II, p. 1506.

"There is no efficacy or value in a sacrament, except as it is an organ for applying the Word...The Word outside of and the Word within the Sacrament, are equally precious and efficacious. Nor can any contrast be made concerning different forms of efficacy, as though the Word without an element had a different effect to accomplish within the economy of grace from the Word when joined with the element." [Note Apology - "The effect of the Word and of the rite is the same, as it has been well said by Augustine that a Sacrament is 'a visible Word.'" p. 276]
Henry Eyster Jacobs, Elements of Religion, Philadelphia, Board of Publication, General Council 1919 p. 162.

"As distinguished from the Gospel, Sacraments are acts, we apply water in Baptism, and we eat and drink in the Lord's Supper. They are sacred acts, and must, as such, be distinguished from ordinary washing, eating and drinking...A Sacrament which offers God's blessings cannot be instituted by man or the Church, but by God alone."
Edward W. A. Koehler, A Short Explanation of Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism, Fort Wayne: Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 1946, p. 254.

"The devil does not rest yet, and hence he stirs up so many sects and factions. How many sects have we not already had? One has taken up the sword, another has attacked the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, others that of baptism."
Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

"They separate grace from Baptism and leave us a mere external sign, in which there is not a grain of mercy; all grace has been cut away. Now, if the grace of Christ has been removed from Baptism, there remains nothing but a mere work. Likewise, in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper the fanatics remove the promise offered us in this Sacrament; they tell us that what we eat and drink is nothing but bread and wine. Here, too, the proffered grace is cut away and renounced. For they teach us that the only good work that we do by communing is professing Christ; as to the rest, we merely eat and drink bread and wine in the Supper, and there is no grace in it for us. That is the result of falling away from the First Commandment: a person promptly sets up an idol in the form of some meritorious work, in which he trusts." (Luther, on Deuteronomy 4:28; St. L. III, 1691 ff.)
C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 160. Deuteronomy 4:28.

"Let a prince give a person a castle or several thousand dollars, what a jumping and rejoicing it creates! On the other hand, let a person be baptized or receive the communion which is a heavenly, eternal treasure, there is not one-tenth as much rejoicing. Thus we are by nature; there is none who so heartily rejoices over God's gifts and grace as over money and earthly possessions; what does that mean but that we do not love God as we ought?"
Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 190 Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:34-46