Lesson from Colossians: God Will Punish Deceit

"Where can I find a Lutheran church body?" - she screamed.
We have gone generic New Age, WLC explained.

We have been studying Colossians, at our little church, where people all over the world read the sermons and watch the videos.

Two passages came up last Sunday -

1. KJV Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
   
   
2. KJV Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

The clergy deceive people all the time. They pride themselves on their ability to get what they want by lying and manipulating others. They elect Doctrinal Pussycats who do even more lying than the normal quota.

This could apply to Missouri, the ELS, or the mini-micro sects, but I will focus on WELS, where lying is an art, a habit, perhaps an addiction.

The Wisconsin Synod is lying when it claims to be Lutheran. The same people who use the term when it is convenient will hide it. But that is not the fundamental issue. The leadership of WELS is almost entirely anti-Lutheran and thoroughly corrupt.

It is a lie that the colleges are Lutheran. They are packed with Fuller/Willow Creek wannabees. The last mission event featured heresiarch Paul Calvin Kelm and almost sneaked in their WELS female pastor (from Latte Lutheran Church).

It is a lie that the seminary is Lutheran. The Sausage Factory has been promoting Reformed doctrine for several decades while the clergy, the boards, and DPs, and the influential laity joined in pretending to be orthodox and faking fellowship principles. When I was there, a poster on Panzer's door advertised the Billy Graham School of Evangelism. Wanna go? "See Paul Kelm." Of course, Kelm had to be the mission speaker each year. Worse than that, the faculty filled the mushy heads of the Kinder with required reading from anti-Lutherans.

The man who sinned most in this regard was David Valleskey, who was promoted to the Mequon presidency for this work. The new guy is no better. The seminary board members are liars. The DPs are liars. And the Love Shack drones are liars. They cannot even run a Lutheran seminary.

SP Schroeder just advertised the feminist conference Church and Change is running, courtesy of the seminary president's wife. WELS does not ordain women? True, but that is also a lie, a clever one. They just set up women pastors who lead the worship services and celebrate Holy Communion. Larry Olson's entire program at Mary Lou College is aimed at blurring all distinctions until women are ordained by default.

See ELCA for the methods used so successfully in gay ordination. WELS parallels ELCA in using the same methods, including an in-house lobbying group whose tentacles include the Love Shack, the Sausage Factory, both colleges, and the synod magazine. WELS has that in Church and Change. Nothing has been done about that beehive or any other beehive.

WELS even lies about GA, which is a festival of lies. There will be more comments, perhaps, that GA is done. That is a lie. The secret GA continues and the Sausage Factory knows it. So do the others who pretend not to know.

Woe, woe, thrice woe upon anyone who tells the truth about the liars. The same spineless DPs and CPs who cannot deal with rank heresy will pound the truth-teller into the dirt. These leaders pretend to be helpless imbeciles who cannot remember their own last names, but they turn into savages when their apostasy is threatened. And they have such high and lofty knowledge that they read people's thoughts and motives, which are evil. And they talk while the slaves are supposed to listen. Wormtongue turns into a wrathful wizard in the stuffy confines of a pastor's office.

Here is a non-WELS example of DP behavior. One Missouri pastor was trying to keep a known sex offender from serving in another parish. The DP screamed at the top of his lungs at the pastor, in the pastor's own office. He slammed his briefcase down on the desk for emphasis. On the way out of the building, the DP said to a parish member, "You have one of the finest ministers in the whole district." No, it was not SP Jerry, but a DP known to be "conservative." Ha.

There are as many other examples as well.

Why are the Lutheran synods in epic fail mode? Forget all the sociological excuses. They are lies purchased from experts to excuse the corruption, dishonesty, and venality of the organizational leadership. Here is a great one from WELS - "The Masonic Lodge is losing members, too." As the lodge goes, so goes WELS, it seems. Why is no one laughing?

The Boomer DPs are telling the pastors, "You are not going to recognize the synod in five years." The heritage of the past has been squandered, to a large extent by the Boomer DPs. They are not useless. They are useful in backing Church and Change. Lots of perks, too.

I do not think much will change. It can, with God's Word and the Confessions. But I think people are too comfortable in the sleazy methods of the past. The ministry is pure socialism. If they get rid of pastors in a limited job market, there are more calls available for Pastor Hategood. The apostates circle the wagons. The conservatives form a circle and start firing.

The funny thing is - Church and Change telegraphs its intentions and hides very little.

Jeske is WELS? That is a lie. He is not even a Lutheran.

Something is being done about Jeske's anti-Lutheran "LCMS media ministry"? That is a lie.

Kelm was disciplined with two calls at the same time.

God has been punishing all this. I heard Mequon professors squeaking about how much they have lost in budget perks. Exactly what have they done to protest the doctrinal aberration of their fellow professors, their seminary presidents? Nothing. It is a good gig. Teach a few hours a week, finish at noon, take four months for vacation. Housing provided. Very few slots. Instant infallibility once appointed. Why rock the boat, especially when the skiff is so small? The classes are now so small that the faculty can finish their graduate work.

God will continue to punish the lies. One of the worst New Testament sins is "a respecter of persons." That means looking at the bank account of the layman or the DNA of the false teacher. WELS is very keen on both, but so are the other failing Lutheran groups.

Busta Gut, The Early Years

EMBED-Little Toddler Preaching at Church - Watch more free videos

Kelmed from Freddy Finkelstein

Bruce Church Straightens Out the Crooked Church and Money Changers

The spirit of Church and Change lives in the black soul of The Cat from Hell.


bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Intrepid Lutherans Blog":

Dr. Jackson wrote: "The participants, whoever they may be, are working on their own."

The guy who runs Bailing Water now says that "Aaron" started Bailing Water and the new Intrepid Lutherans blog--at least that's what I infer from the excerpt below:

http://bailingwater.blogspot.com/2010/06/taking-up-sword-of-faith.html

excerpt: "I commend to you http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/. This is a blog that takes up the sword and mantle of Confessional Lutheranism in the WELS.

Several years ago Aaron started this blog, Bailing Water, as a way to open up discussion on the inroads of the Church growth methods in the WELS. Bailing Water provided fruitful discussion on important topics and brought to surface many hidden agendas. For many the true agenda and players list of the Church and Change group was revealed."

***

GJ - Every time a good idea comes up in WELS, I get blamed for it. I am not part of the new blog. What they write and do is on their own.

I can guess that the Church and Money Changers are eager to use the guilt by association logical fallacy. I wrote a whole chapter on apostate logical fallacies in Liberalism, Its Cause and Cure. Of course, anyone can gather a trainload of logical fallacies by listening to a Doctrinal Pussycat for a few minutes.

Freddy's Post about Intrepid Lutherans

Lutherans of Intrepid Heart: Standing on Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions

This is the sort of thing that makes one's Lutheran heart race: Lutheran clergymen and laymen offering their good names and reputations in a public stand on Scripture and the Confessions. It appears that the men of Intrepid Lutherans are calling for open theological discussion on several matters that have been at the center of public controversy for a number of years now -- matters of issue which we will recognized as having been featured and debated at length in forums like Bailing Water, analyzed here on The Finkelsteinery and sometimes exposed on Ichabod and in other forums. They are also calling upon fellow members of the WELS clergy and laity to publicly stand with them.

This is very exciting. I would encourage any and all WELS clergymen and laymen of stout heart and firm confessional conviction to lend their names, and thus also their support, to this bold public venture.

***

GJ - I have had non-members attend my adult class simply because I advertised that I would have a series on Christian doctrine. I cannot imagine anything more effective than the efficacious Word of God.

Norman Teigen Likes the Intrepid Lutherans Blog

Norman Teigen loves cats, but this is not one of them.


Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "Intrepid Lutherans Blog":

Well, it's always good to see a new blog. I have already put it into my 'Favorites' file.

I will read what these Wisconsin people have to say. I wish them well. The question seems to be: is the WELS an open enough place to allow an open discussion of issues which are of concern to the membership?

There is no such openness within the ELS.

The ELS is in fellowship with the WELS. I am not, necessarily, in such fellowship as I never go to a WELS church and never read any of their publications.

The only things I know about the WELS are filtered through the ELS publicity bureau and your blog, Ichabod.

This blog should be a good read.


Norman Teigen, ELS layman and, by special appointment, official spokesman for the ELS

What Matters in Eternity

By Norma Boeckler.
Lutherans have labored under the Reformed translation of Matthew 28 -
"Go and make disciples, baptizing..."
The KJV correctly states - "Go and teach all nations, baptizing..."

The false teachers fight for their false doctrine. One way to detect Shrinkers is to ask about Matthew 28. Like Joel Gerlach (WELS Shrinker), they have obsessed about "making disciples." The unifying theme of the Shrinkers, learned at Fuller and Willow Creek is: "Make disciples by forming Pietistic cell groups."

The false teachers are never so blunt, but that is their message. They use smooth words, like, "We need small groups in our church," or "You need small groups in your church, plus a rock band. My consultation fee is $10,000."

The ordained wolves are most concerned about their security and creature comforts, so they sow weed seeds and brag about how quickly the weeds grow. Weeds do produce with abundance, but who values the fruit formed - thistles, goathead, ragweed seed?

Sound doctrine is the term we use for the literal Biblical term - healthy doctrine.

The opposite of sound doctrine is sick, unhealthy doctrine. The politicians tell me this sick doctrine must be tolerated and overlooked because of friendships, blood ties, and PR for Holy Mother Synod. That is why the ordained wolves get two calls when others are told there are no calls.

Tolerating false doctrine is just as bad as teaching false doctrine. It can be worse, because one bad DP can harbor and protect dozens of false teachers. One bad DP gives the impression that all of these wolves are tame while the dissenting shepherd is a danger to his own congregation, his circuit, his district, Holy Mother Synod, and the Church Universal.

False Teachers Use Work of Others

J-635.1
"Note the master hand wherewith Paul portrays the character of false teachers, showing how they betray their avarice and ambition. First, they permit true teachers to lay the foundation and perform the labor; then they come and desire to do the work over, to reap the honors and the benefits. They bring about that the name and the work of the true teachers receive no regard and credit; what they themselves have brought—that is the thing. They make the poor simple-minded people to stare open-mouthed while they win them with flowery words and seduce them with fair speeches, as mentioned in Romans 16:18. These are the idle drones that consume the honey they will not and cannot make."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 110. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9; Romans 16:18.

False Doctrine Tolerated

J-636.1
"And such false teachers have the good fortune that all their folly is tolerated, even though the people realize how these act the fool, and rather rudely at that. They have success with it all, and people bear with them. But no patience is to be exercised toward true teachers! Their words and their works are watched with the intent of entrapping them, as complained of in Psalm 17:9 and elsewhere. When only apparently a mote is found, it is exaggerated to a very great beam. No toleration is granted. There is only judgment, condemnation and scorn. Hence the office of preaching is a grievous one. He who has not for his sole motive the benefit of his neighbor and the glory of God cannot continue therein. The true teacher must labor, and permit others to have the honor and profit of his efforts, while he receives injury and derision for his reward."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 110f. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9. Psalm 17:9.

God Punishes Ingratitude by Allowing False Teachers

J-637.1
"In the second place such teachers are disposed to bring the people into downright bondage and to bind their conscience by forcing laws upon them and teaching works-righteousness. The effect is that fear impels them to do what has been pounded into them, as if they were bondslaves, while their teachers command fear and attention. But the true teachers, they who give us freedom of conscience and create us lords, we soon forget, even despise. The dominion of false teachers is willingly tolerated and patiently endured; indeed, it is given high repute. All those conditions are punishments sent by God upon them who do not receive the Gospel with love and gratitude."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 111. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9. John 5:43.

False Teachers Flay Disciples to Bone

J-638.1
"In the third place, false teachers flay their disciples to the bone, and cut them out of house and home, but even this is taken and endured. Such, I opine, has been our experience under the Papacy. But true preachers are even denied their bread. Yet this all perfectly squares with justice! For, since men fail to give unto those from whom they receive the Word of God, and permit the latter to serve them at their own expense, it is but fair they should give the more unto preachers of lies, whose instruction redounds to their injury. What is withheld from Christ must be given in tenfold proportion to the devil. They who refuse to give the servant of truth a single thread, must be oppressed by liars."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 111f. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

Avarice in False Teachers

J-639.1
"Fourth, false apostles forcibly take more than is given them. They seize whatever and whenever they can, thus enhancing their insatiable avarice. This, too, is excused in them."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

They Lord It Over Us

J-640.1
"Fifth, these deceitful teachers, not satisfied with having acquired our property, must exalt themselves above us and lord it over us...We bow our knees before them, worship them and kiss their feet. And we suffer it all, yes, with fearful reverence regard it as just and right. And it is just and right, for why did we not honor the Gospel by accepting and preserving it?"
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

We Are Dogs and Foot-Rags

J-641.1

"Sixth, our false apostles justly reward us by smiting us in the face. That is, they consider us inferior to dogs; they abuse us, and treat us as foot-rags."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

False Teachers Are Peacocks

J-642.1
"The peacock is an image of heretics and fanatical spirits. For on the order of the peacock they, too, show themselves and strut about in their gifts, which never are outstanding. But if they could see their feet, that is the foundation of their doctrine, they would be stricken with terror, lower their crests, and humble themselves. To be sure, they, too, suffer from jealousy, because they cannot bear honest and true teachers. They want to be the whole show and want to put up with no one next to them. And they are immeasurably envious, as peacocks are. Finally, they have a raucous and unpleasant voice, that is, their doctrine is bitter and sad for afflicted and godly minds; for it casts consciences down more than it lifts them up and strengthens them."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 642.

Satan’s Work

J-644.1

"Just as true doctrine is the greatest gift we can enjoy, so false doctrine is the most baneful evil that can beset us. False doctrine is sin, it is the invention of Satan, and it imperils and destroys salvation. False doctrine is every teaching contrary to the Word of God. Scripture enjoins upon us to proclaim only the truth."
W. A. Baepler, "Doctrine, True and False," The Abiding Word, ed., Theodore Laetsch, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1946, II, p. 501.

J-645.1

"Faith is a tender, subtle thing, and we so easily make a mistake and are liable to stumble; but the devil is watchful, and unless men exercise watchfulness, he quickly gains his point."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 265. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

J-646.1

"Thus also the devil is angry because God wants to trample him under foot by means of flesh and blood. If a mighty spirit were opposed to him, he would not be so sorely vexed; but it greatly angers him that a poor worm of the dust, a fragile earthen vessel defies him, a weak vessel against a mighty prince. God has placed his treasure, says St. Paul, in a poor, weak vessel; for man is weak, easily aroused to anger, avaricious, arrogant, and weighed down with other imperfections, through which Satan easily shatters the earthen vessel; for if God would permit him, he would soon have utterly destroyed the whole vessel."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 268. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12.

J-647.1

"The devil does not sleep, he will do many more such things, he looks around and exerts himself to exterminate the pure doctrine in the Church and will finally, it is feared, bring it to this, that should one pass through all Germany he would find no pure pulpit, where the Word of God is preached as in former days. He tries with all his might to prevent the pure doctrine from being taught, for he cannot endure it."
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.

J-648.1

"The devil also is able to present to the factious spirits the idea that they regard themselves as right, like the Arians who thought their cause was right."
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.

J-649.1

"Indeed, more factious spirits shall arise and it shall come to pass that they will not regard Christ as God, nor as the son of a virgin. For the devil is so cunning and skillful that, if one thing is taken from him, he makes use of another. Thus it has been from the beginning, and it will continue to be so in the future."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 269. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12.

Satan and Emotions

J-650.1

"Satan torments you until you conclude that you are lost and ruined, that heaven and earth, God and all the angels, are your enemies."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 247.

J-651.1

"For that rogue, the devil, has a sharp vision and easily becomes conscious of the presence of a true Christian. Therefore he exerts himself to entrap him, and surrounds and attacks him on all sides; for he cannot bear that anyone should desert his kingdom."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 264.

J-652.1

"When you preach or confess the Word, you will experience both without, among enemies, and also within, in yourself (where the devil himself will speak to you and prove how hostile he is to you), that he brings you into sadness, impatience, and depression, and that he torments you in all sorts of ways. Who does all this? Certainly not Christ or any good spirit, but the miserable, loathsome enemy...The devil will not bear to have you called a Christian and to cling to Christ or to speak or think a good word about Him. Rather he would gladly poison and permeate your heart with venom and gall, so that you would blaspheme: Why did He make me a Christian? Why do I not let Him go? Then I would at last have peace."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 928.

J-653.1

"Neither is he [Satan] truthful; he is the spirit of lies, who, by means of false fear and false comfort having the appearance of truth, both deceives and destroys. He possesses the art of filling his own victims with sweet comfort ; that is, he gives them unbelieving, arrogant, secure, impious hearts...He can even make them joyful; furthermore, he renders them haughty and proud in their opinions, in their wisdom and self-made personal holiness; then no threat nor terror of God's wrath and of eternal damnation moves them, but their hearts grow harder than steel or adamant."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 302.

J-654.1

"The deeper a person is sunk in sadness and emotional upheavals, the better he serves as an instrument of Satan. For our emotions are instruments through which he gets into us and works in us if we do not watch our step. It is easy to water where it is wet. Where the fence is dilapidated, it is easy to get across. So Satan has easy access where there is sadness. Therefore one must pray and associate with godly people."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1243.

J-655.1

"It is not the devil's aim to plague us physically; he is a spirit who is always thirsting for the tears and the drops of blood that come from our hearts. He wants us to despair and to perish from sadness. This would be his joy and delight. But he will not succeed."What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1244. John 15:19.

Freddy Finkelstein Endorses Intrepid Lutherans

Freddy Finkelstein

Freddy Finkelstein has endorsed the new WELS blog:

Intrepid Lutherans.

The best way to deal with doctrinal issues is to discuss them in the open.

Intrepid Lutherans Blog

Adolph Hoenecke was one of two Wisconsin Synod members who turned the denomination away from its Pietistic and unionistic origins,
toward a confessional stance.
Pietism re-asserted itself through Church and Change.

Some WELS pastors and laity have started a blog--Intrepid Lutherans. I knew about it starting, because it is my job to keep track of such things.

I heard that some people worried I was part of the blog. They would not want someone who has sold two different books through NPH to be in bloggership with the clergy of WELS! Stetzer, yes. Groeschel, yes. Stanley, yes. Werning, of course. Sweet, definitely.

The participants, whoever they may be, are working on their own. I was happy to see people signing on, instead of maintaining secret status where they deny having anything to do with it. Church and Change is full of clergy and laity who, like Peter before the fire, deny their affiliation times three.

I like my independent status, allowing me to discuss confidentially what is sent to me by various sources.

When J. P. Meyer Wrote the Truth, WELS Ignored Him

KJV 2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness (panourgia), nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

"The type of minister to which we referred above as using entertainment in order to lure the people is employing panourgia, and is therefore guilty of committing secret things of disgrace. The Gospel is the word of Truth. To resort to ruses in proclaiming it, even though with the best of intentions, is heaping shame on the Truth. Not only are the truth and lures incompatible in their nature, but to use lures in connection with the Gospel ministry treats the Truth, the eternal Truth of God, as though it were inefficient, not attractive enough in itself." John P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, pp. 62. 2 Corinthians 4:2.

"Paul...is speaking about methods of preaching the Gospel. He means to say that you can introduce methods into your Gospel work which on the surface do not appear as shameful, but which in reality disgrace the Gospel. He is harking back to 2:17, where he spoke about kapeleuein, about 'selling' the Gospel. To use a coarse illustration: Some ministers in their eagerness to bring the Gospel to the people, resort to entertainment to attract the crowds, in order to get an opportunity to preach to them. If you would tell such ministers that they are ashamed of the Gospel and that by their methods they disgrace it, because they manifest a lack of trust in its efficacy, they would resent the charge. Are they not doing all in order to promote the Gospel? The disgrace their methods bring upon it does not appear on the surface; that is why Paul speaks of secret things of shame." John P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, pp. 62f. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 2:17.
KJV 2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt (kapelueein) the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

"Because such is Paul's ministry, he cannot, on the one hand, stoop to trickery or an adulteration of the Word, to practice the hidden things of shame; nor can he, on the other hand, ever grow weary of administering so wholesome and glorious an office." John P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 65. 2 Corinthians 4:2.

KJV 2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

***

GJ - These insights from J. P. Meyer are ignored by WELS Church and Change. If I wanted to admonish fellow pastors, I would use their own expert against them. More importantly, the Word of God condemns them for adopting an entertainment style of church, following Pat Robertson and Oral Roberts, who mastered the medium and made themselves fortunes by selling the Gospel.

Worst of all, the WELS Church and Change clowns cannot even make up their own entertaining messages. They copy them verbatim from their idols in the Babtist and Pentecostal sects.

WELS Church Lady defends J. P. Meyer. I have to say, he is very good in some spots, but horrid about justification by faith.

UOJ Treats Faith as a Work

J. P. Meyer wrote three of the Kokomo Theses in his Ministers of Christ.

The UOJ Stormtrooopers love to toss this stinkbomb into any discussion about justification by faith:

"You are making faith a work."

Little do they realize that their favorite UOJ salesmen do, in fact, make faith a work.

"Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinner's attitude toward Christ's sacrifice, purely on the basis of God's verdict, every sinner, whether he knows about it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of a saint. What will be his reaction when he is informed about this turn of events? Will he accept, or will he decline?" J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 103f. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

J. P. Meyer is the key to understanding how WELS became so enamored of Babtist Church Growth leaders. In seminary, they read Babtist authors, drooling on the pages. In congregations, they lead adult studies of Babtist works. In their continuing education they run off to hear the same Babtist leaders -- live! -- that their seminary professors love so dearly.

The formula above is almost identical to a Babtist decision for Christ.
1. Tell them the Gospel.
2. Ask them to make a decision for Christ. Will they accept Him or not?

The UOJ salesmen rail against faith, but they end up with saying, "But you gotta believe." Sports fans, friends and neighbors, gotta means must, and "must" means the Law. That turns faith into a work of man. Forgiveness is already true but it is not really true until you perform this one act - you gotta believe it is true. That is the doctrine of the Syn Conference, reason enough to follow the Babtists and Pentecostals to perdition.

The first plagiarist president of the Missouri Synod, C. F. W. Walther,
copied UOJ from George Christian Knapp, a Halle Pietist.

C. F. W. Walther pulled the wool over the sheepish eyes of the Syn Conference, the same way. In a sermon so beloved by the Little Sect that they reprinted it lovingly in one of their best-selling books -- over 37 sold! -- the ELS quoted the entire sermon.

J-564
"For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago when He in Christ absolved all men by raising Him after He first had gone into bitter death for them. Only one thing remains on your part so that you also possess the gift. This one thing is—faith. And this brings me to the second part of today's Easter message, in which I now would show you that every man who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution, pronounced 1800 years ago, as an absolution spoken individually to him."
C. F. W. Walther, The Word of His Grace, Sermon Selections, "Christ's Resurrection—The World's Absolution" Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing Company, 1978, p. 233. Mark 16:1-8.

Pastors, you wrote in your notes from dog class - "best theol. in Am." Can you say that after reading such Calvino-Babtist drivel?

There are Calvinist Babtists and Free Will Babtists. They start with the Enthusiasm of Calvin, the Holy Spirit separated from the Word of God. Some fall on the double-predestination side while others land on the Arminian side. (Memory note - The Kardashians are Armenians. Think of something to distinguish one from the other. No, not that.)

How did Lutherans listen to Walther without laughing out loud? They were living in the last days of Pietism, remembering how Pietism once devoted itself to Biblical study, prayer, relief efforts, and missionary goals. Pietism began as a unionistic endeavor in a unionistic culture. By Walther's time, Halle was rationalistic and Knapp was old-fashioned, the one dinosaur on the faculty who still believed. Therefore, Knapp's double-justification had the aura of the Good Old Days, and his book was a pan-denominational best-seller, still in print today.

Sound Doctrine
Christ has indeed accomplished everything for our sakes. He has died for the sins of the world. He has redeemed the world. But nothing in the Word of God says that we are declared forgiven without the Word, without the Means of Grace, without faith.

The preaching and teaching of the Gospel distributes the treasure of the Gospel and plants faith in the hearts of those who hear the Word. Thus faith is God's work which receives what God offers so freely. Therefore, we are justified by faith, apart from the works of the Law.

J-545
"These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. This faith is a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous by God the Father, and are eternally saved."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #10. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 919. Tappert, p. 541. Heiser, p. 250.

J-546
"Accordingly, the word justify here means to declare righteous and free from sins, and to absolve one from eternal punishment for the sake of Christ's righteousness, which is imputed by God to faith, Philippians 3:9. For this use and understanding of this word is common in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Proverbs 17:15: He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. Isaiah 5:23: Woe unto them which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Romans 8:33: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, that is, absolves from sins and acquits."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #17. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921. Philippians 3:9; Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23; Romans 8:33. Tappert, p. 541f. Heiser, p. 251.

J-547
"For when man is justified through faith [which the Holy Ghost alone works], this is truly a regeneration, because from a child of wrath he becomes a child of God, and thus is transferred from death to life, as it is written; When we were dead in sins, He hath quickened us together with Christ, Ephesians 2:5. Likewise: The just shall live by faith, Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #20. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921. Tappert, p. 542. Heiser, p. 251.

Another Failed Entertainment Center To Become WELS Church and Change Congregation?

The owners of Springz dumped $7 million into this.
Does that remind you of The CORE's theatre?


I understand St. Matthew (Church and Change) wants to buy Springz, a failed entertainment center. Here is the Springz link.

The city wants to buy St. Matthew for $2 million. St. Matthew is failing, but it is not their fault. They listened to Church and Change, which will sell the church and keep the change.

Kudu Don Patterson Denies Being a Church and Money Changer, But Writes to Them on Their Secret List

Patterson promoting powerpoint worship and his own website... Gosh...Patterson = Jeske wanna be..


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Pastor Patterson
To: church_and_change@yahoogroups.com; William Eslinger ; bill eslinger ; vicarbowe@gmail.com; Joyce Radloff ; Andrew Mahnke
Sent: Thu, May 27, 2010 3:10:45 PM
Subject: Re: [church_and_change] Fw: Sonoran Desert


Hi All

If you are into using powerpoint and pics you could use this pic for a pic of the church. Off with the clothes of sin and selfishness and washed in the blood put on new clothes in Christ and enter the new land of the church. Lots of Scriptures to use with this one both for sanctification and justification.

Don Patterson

check out www.arfh.net - leave a message for the lay volunteer, Bill Eslinger, if you like his work.

---

GJ - From Kudu Don hisself:


Subject: don't be a fool

From: Donald Patterson kududon@gmail.com

Hey, Greg,

I am not a part of Church and Change Leadership. I went to one conference a few years ago and had my own reservations. Also, Robert Timmerman does not serve as a church council pres at our church. You are lying on your blog.

Don

---

GJ - Don went to the last Church and Money Changer Conference too - Regaining Momentum. They are losing ground. They must have a great group if a district official has to lie about being part of it.

Memorial Day Thank You

The Feast of the Holy Trinity

Matthew 28 by Norma Boeckler


The Feast of the Holy Trinity


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 246 Holy, Holy, Holy 3.35
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
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Athanasian Creed p. 53
The Sermon Hymn #245 God Loved the World 4.6

Born From Above by the Word

The Communion Hymn # 378 All That I Was 4.4
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 #27 Oh, Bless the Lord 4.21

KJV Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

KJV John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Trinity
O Lord God, heavenly Father: We poor sinners confess that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing, and that, left to ourselves, we die and perish in sin, since that which is born of the flesh is flesh and cannot see the kingdom of God. But we beseech Thee: Grant us Thy grace and mercy, and for the sake of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, send Thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that being regenerate, we may firmly believe the forgiveness of sins, according to Thy promise in baptism; and that we may daily increase in brotherly love, and in other good works, until we at last obtain eternal salvation, 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.

Born From Above by the Word
The work of the Holy Spirit is the work of the Word, so this significant passage teaches us about how God creates a New Man in believers. Because this passage is so important, it has been distorted by false teachers.

For a long time, the most familiar phrase in Protestant America was “You must be born again.” For many, that only meant an adult conversion experience.

The passage itself does not emphasize what people are trying to say. Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader who became a believer in Christ. We know that from the latter part of John.

KJV John 7:50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

KJV John 19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

The Gospel writer was intent on showing us that this Nicodemus was the same man who came stealthily to Jesus. Does anyone wonder why we have such clear details about the trial of Jesus? Naturally the Holy Spirit could reveal everything, but God also had eye-witnesses there in addition to Jesus Himself. I believe that is because their report had that much more credibility for the general masses later, when the Gospel was first preached among the Jews.

Born Again or Born From Above?
The key distinction here is between “born again” as an adult conversion experience and “born from above” as the work of the Holy Spirit in the Word. This is one of those passages where Greek grammar really matters.

The primary meaning of the Word is “from above,” and that is significant. Jesus is the One from above.

KJV John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

KJV John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

The word “from above” can mean “again,” but the idea of the dialogue is to show that Nicodemus did not understand the primary meaning of Jesus’ words. By the way, this also shows Jesus teaching in Greek, in spite of the ongoing myth that He spoke in Aramaic (a form of Hebrew), and that the Gospels were written in Aramaic at first (no evidence at all for this).

Helen of Troy is a pun in Greek, but not in English. Another pun has to be invented to make sense of the Homeric pun, “a snarer of men.”

The point of the dialogues in John is to show the wisdom of Jesus compared to the earthly misunderstandings of various people, who think primarily in terms of the flesh. The woman at the well (John 4) wanted that water Jesus promised, to save her the labor of drawing water. Peter wanted more than a footwash, once Jesus explained it to him.

So in John 3 we see Nicodemus understanding the word in a fleshly, materialistic way, as if a man could be born of a woman all over again. Even a child is going to say, “He is way off.” So we listen to what Jesus says to straighten Nicodemus out.

Born from above is the true meaning, because this gives God the glory in converting man with the Holy Spirit working through the Word. It is a spiritual rebirth and it is not limited to adults.

Born again is necessarily tied to “making a decision for Christ.” That makes man an active participant in conversion and also eliminates infant baptism as a sacrament and baptismal regeneration.

When I posted on Facebook that I found a favorable reference to Luther on the Net, someone immediately began attack that message about infant baptism. The opponent was baptized as a baby in the Lutheran Church. And she had many posts about it. I was going to say, “I rest my case. Lutherans do not read or accept Luther,” but I did not want to prolong the posts.

On the positive side, let’s look at what Jesus is teaching us about being born from above.

Jesus answered Nicodemus’ incredulous and foolish response this way:
KJV John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

This is another grammatical point. Water and Spirit are linked together in a special construction, which is more like this – Water/Spirit. They are not two separate births (or baptisms, since the Pentecostals invented a second Spirit baptism). They are one and the same.

Since God’s work is always through the Holy Spirit’s divine energy in the Word, the formula also means – Water/Word baptism, which is just what we say in the Catechism.

IV. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.
First.
What is Baptism?--Answer.
Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's Word.
Which is that word of God?--Answer.
Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Secondly.
What does Baptism give or profit?--Answer.
It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.
Which are such words and promises of God? Answer.
Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Thirdly.
How can water do such great things?--Answer.
It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.

Fourthly.
What does such baptizing with water signify?--Answer.
It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?--Answer.
St. Paul says Romans, chapter 6: We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death, that, like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Spiritual Conversion
KJV John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

This is a great irony. Today the wolf-preachers preach the flesh and attract people who want more of the same. Whatever is born of flesh-preaching is flesh. That is why the great religious leaders of the moment leave behind wreckage, divided families (their own), and atheism.

As some of us know, time moves much faster in senior lane. We have the chance to reflect back on how quickly someone went from being a CG hero to a godless zero. It is sad, but all the warnings are there. The Gadarene swine are willing to jump off the cliff for more of the same. Many are called, but few are chosen.

KJV John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth [wills], and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

This is another pun, both in Greek and Hebrew, where the word for Spirit is the same as that for wind. The Holy Spirit is like the wind, powerful but invisible. God’s work is a mystery. God can overturn a powerful empire in five minutes.

The Battle of Midway is a good example. The Japanese wanted to draw our navy into a battle where we would be crushed. They had all the advantages, it seemed.

http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/the-battle-that-changed-everything-95211924.html

The Americans kept coming after the Japanese carriers and losing all their planes. The result was that the Japanese fighters were down on the waves when the last assault came. The Japanese lost three carriers in five minutes, the fourth carrier a few hours later. Japan never recovered from those five minutes.

This harmonizes perfectly with the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4). We do not know the final results of sowing the Word. We do know God is always at work in the Word. Whether babies are converted by infant baptism (the Visible Word) or adults are converted by preaching and teaching (the Invisible Word), we know that God creates and sustains faith by the Word.

Day of Mourning - Constantinople Fell on This Day, 1453, and Islam Began Attacking Europe

Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople

Byzantium – The Forgotten Eastern Roman Empire
Gregory L. Jackson, Ph.D.

The Western Roman Empire began to decline rapidly after Alaric’s sack of Rome in 410 AD. The sack was not so terrible as everyone imagines. The shock to the civilized world came from Roman citizens no longer willing or able to defend the capital of Eternal Rome. Western Christianity had its bishop in Rome, so Christians were tempted to think God had abandoned His own headquarters. Augustine of Hippo wrote his classic City of God to argue that the true City of God is invisible, eternal, and built on the foundations of Christ, not man.

Roman civil officials began to abandon their posts and the Western Empire began to disintegrate into the countries we know as Europe in the coming centuries. In contrast, the Eastern Roman Empire grew in power and importance as the trading center of Europe, Asia, and Africa. This forgotten empire was already in existence before Constantine refashioned his New Rome about 300 AD.

Constantine was a military and political genius. He began his rise in England, with a famous general as a father. He fought his way to Rome to become one of the rulers and then consolidated his power until he alone ruled the entire empire, from England to the outskirts of India. However, he did not like the City of Rome and spent little time there. He made his new city in Byzantium and the building project became Constantinople. He rebuilt it almost overnight, importing Roman nobility with generous bribes of land and fortune. The City of Rome was largely pagan, but Constantine made his new city Christian.

Constantine was baptized as a Christian before his death. He considered himself Equal to the Apostles. His self-fashioned title became a job description of most emperors who followed him (except Julian the Apostate, who tried to reverse trends back to paganism). The Byzantine emperors were highly educated and the Eastern Empire followed their example in literacy and religious devotion. Although the Bishop of Rome tried to emphasize its power over all churches, the Archbishop of Constantinople led Eastern Orthodoxy. There were periods of cooperation but also extended times of mutual excommunication and warfare.

Constantinople was ideally situated for trade between Asia and Europe, with land routes in both directions and access to the Mediterranean Sea. The city also had abundant fresh water, fish, and natural defenses. The city became incredibly wealthy from trade. When Islam grew after the death of Mohammed in 632 AD, Constantinople served as a buffer between Islamic expansion and Europe. Although Byzantium worked with the Ottoman (Moslem) Empire, renting its warriors when needed, the city also tempted the Islamic leaders to capture it, for its wealth and religious symbolism.

Islam whittled away at Byzantium for centuries until Constantinople became a dispirited island in the midst of Moslem forts and armies. Finally the city fell on May 29, 1453, a day of doom still remembered throughout Eastern Orthodoxy. For the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, and other Eastern rites, Constantinople was their religious capital and treasure-house of religious icons, including the True Cross.

Byzantium continued as a Christian empire for eleven centuries, a remarkable achievement. The empire was highly educated and skilled in the arts. They preserved the New Testament in the original Greek and the archives of classical literature. The Moslems often transmitted these masterpieces to Europe, but the main center of learning was Constantinople and other Byzantine cities.

Militarily, the Eastern Empire was not appreciated until it fell. Then the Islamic armies moved on Europe and extended their rule into Europe until 1683, when they were turned back for good at Vienna. The Ottoman Empire peaked after its capture of Constantinople, but the disintegration of their rule was slow, like that of Rome and Byzantium. The Ottoman Empire became the “sick old man” of Europe before World War I and exists today only as Turkey. Constantinople became Istanbul because the victors transformed the Greek for “into the city” as Istanbul.

Some contributions of the Byzantine Empire are:
1. They kept the Islamic armies at bay when Europe was young and weak.
2. They hosted the successful First Crusade, which took Jerusalem back from Islam and established a Christian kingdom there for some years.
3. They were the religious and cultural center of the world for more than a thousand years.
4. They served as a central point for world trade.

No one can do justice to this empire in a few pages, or even in a few volumes. However, we should remember that the last emperor of Byzantium died fighting for his city, his country, his culture. His name was also Constantine.

More Flapping about ELCA's Study Bible

First VP of WELS, Jim Huebner, is grouped with many of the spiritual leaders admired by ELS/WELS leaders.

The ELCA statements below are too tedious to quote and have dubious claims at best. My original source is the ALPB discussion group, aka Pooled Ignorance. One minister claimed the Disciples of Christ came from Methodism (!) and are quite conservative (?) and strongest in Indiana (Ha!). In fact, they practice believer's baptism, are extreme Leftists, and are strongest from Illinois down to Texas. LBJ belonged to their sect.

One ELCA claim has Luther arguing for people coming to faith after they die. Hmm. Many Luther items are fake, mistranslated, or misunderstood.

The Matthew 28 treatment is so bad it is being deleted in the new edition.

"It says, in part, "...In contrast to 10:5-6, 23, Jesus now sends the disciples to make disciples of all nations. That does not mean make everyone disciples. Most people who are helped by Jesus and believe in him never become disciples. Jesus includes in salvation people who do not believe in him or even know about him (5:3-10, 25:31-45)."

The professor who published this has defended it here.

Ironically, Paul McCain and Jay Webber--both MDivs from The Surrendered Fort--roam the blogosphere warning people away from what I publish. Yet both men support the passage above, in the form of UOJ. They are both UOJ Stormtroopers, as active and as predatory as the LutherQuest (sic) crusaders.

Normally I do not spend much time on ELCA heresy, but this one is so close to UOJ that one is either the mother or daughter of the other. WELS/ELS unionism is the result of this doctrine.

---

Exposing the ELCA
Dr. Walter Bouman (Trinity Seminary) said: “Difficult as it is -- because I always think of it as unfair -- I’ve come to accept God’s universal salvation as the final consequence of Jesus’ resurrection” (The Lutheran, Nov 05, p. 24).

"In 1956, Bouman was ordained in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and served as pastor of two LCMS congregations -- St. Paul Lutheran Church, Chatfield, Minn., and St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Albany, N.Y. -- before joining the faculty of Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Ill., in 1963."

Sloppy Language, Sloppy Theology, Bad Results

Rev. Fr. Steven D. has left a new comment on your post "UOJ Equals ELCA Doctrine - Verbatim Proof":

Greg, et al - These statements are often defended in WELS because, "they CAN (emphasis mine) be understood correctly." Perhaps, but one pretty much has to turn the English language into a pretzel to accomplish this. I, for one, have never been happy or agreed completely with any of the attempts. They often end up raising more questions than they answer.

I don't know if this is the first example of this problem in the WELS, but it is certainly an important one. The problem? It used to be that it was taught to WELS Pastors that, "You must not only speak so clearly (in meaning) that you are understood, you must also speak so clearly that you cannot be misunderstood." Sadly, and to our great detriment as a church body, that is no longer being taught, and hasn't been for a long time. More's the pity!

Fr. Spence

***

GJ - As Paul L. Holmer, a Lutheran philosopher, taught at Yale - "Theology is the grammar of faith." By expressing a error borrowed from Knapp, the Syn Conference has promoted Enthusiasm, eliminated the efficacy of the Word, and established an ongoing Antinomian spirit. No one wants to admit officially that error has been on the throne, truth on the scaffold, for decades.

Church Growthism, Receptionism, and women's ordination are merely symptoms of the rot which has been encouraged to spread. Yes, encouraged with funds, organizations, silence, and the election of DPs and First VPs (Mueller and Huebner) who bow the knee to Enthusiasm while mocking the efficacy of the Word. "We know that the Word is effective, but..."

MLC is named for the Reformer, but they are a law unto themselves. The juvies there think everyone should understand their "culture." The faculty is more concerned with the proper spelling of their names than the grammar of faith.

UOJ Equals ELCA Doctrine - Verbatim Proof

A UOJ Stormtrooper illustrates the decline of Lutheran doctrine.


“Jesus now sends the disciples to make disciples of all nations. That does not mean make everyone disciples. Most people who are helped by Jesus and believe in him never become disciples. Jesus includes in salvation people who do not believe in him or even know about him.” (p. 1658; Augsburg Fortress Lutheran Study Bible).

J-572
"The teaching of the Wisconsin Synod [of the old Norwegian Synod] is this, that in and with the universal reconciliation, which has occurred in Christ for the whole world—even Judas; the whole world—even Judas—has been justified and has received the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, according to Luther's clear words ("for where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation"), the whole world (i.e. every person who is a part of the world—even Judas) has become a child of God and an heir of heaven."
Gottfried Fritschel, "Zur Lehre von der Rechtfertigung," Theologische Monatshefte, volume 4, 1871, (1-24), p. 7.[29] Cited in Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 2.

WELS Kokomo Statements
I. "Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinner's attitude toward Christ's sacrifice, purely on the basis of God's verdict, every sinner, whether he knows it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of saint."

II. "After Christ's intervention and through Christ's intervention God regards all sinners as guilt-free saints."

III. "When God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ, He individually pronounced forgiveness to each individual sinner whether that sinner ever comes to faith or not."

IV. "At the time of the resurrection of Christ, God looked down in hell and declared Judas, the people destroyed in the flood, and all the ungodly, innocent, not guilty, and forgiven of all sin and gave unto them the status of saints."

***

GJ - Since forgiveness is salvation, the Syn Conference has been teaching the same Universalism as ELCA. UOJ took some time to dominate the Syn Conference. Now all the Lutheran leaders teach that same heresy, in slightly different flavors.

No wonder that they all have their mission and evangelism people trained at Fuller and Willow Creek. Fuller was based upon the doctrine of the adulterous Marxist Karl Barth, who also taught universalism. See his Dogmatics, II, 2.

No soi-disant Lutheran group has repudiated UOJ, Church Growth, or Emerging Church.

One ELCA congregation began the process of leaving their sick, old synod once their new study Bible came out, because of the Matthew 28 passage quoted above.

More examples can be found here. The question is - why would any Lutheran group want to work with ELCA in any form or fashion? Working with the falling-apart giant is an implicit endorsement of Holy Mother ELCA's apostasy.

Get Your ELCA Study Bible, Earn Polite Responses from Paul McCain, MDiv

Trained at the Waldo Werning Charm School in Ft. Wayne,
Paul McCain is nice, but only to liberals.


Anonymous said...

Pastor, I'm wondering if you spend a bit more time with this Bible if you will have even more concerns. I certainly did.

Here is what the AF Bible tells us about the Great Commission in a note at Matthew 28:19-20. No, this is not an error. This is what it says:

“Jesus now sends the disciples to make disciples of all nations. That does not mean make everyone disciples. Most people who are helped by Jesus and believe in him never become disciples. Jesus includes in salvation people who do not believe in him or even know about him.” (p. 1658; Augsburg Fortress Lutheran Study Bible).

While it skip-steps around every other verse in the Bible dealing with homosexuality, at 1 Cor. 6:9 the Augsburg Fortress study Bible notes that "all modern Bible versions mistranslate" the Greek words commonly translated “sodomite” and “homosexual.” The AF Bible says that the terms used refer not to homosexuality, but to a lack of self-control and violence. And then it notes, "Neither term applies to homosexuality or the lives of gay and lesbian people." (p. 1881).

Respectfully,

---

Paul McCain said... Pastor, thank you for your posts, which I’ve found interesting. I’m wondering if you would not mind reading a couple things I’ve prepared on the AF Lutheran Study Bible, and giving me your opinion. I offer these to you respectfully. A blessed Holy Week and Easter to you.

http://cyberbrethren.com/2009/04/01/a-tale-of-two-bibles-a-necessary-clarification-and-caution/

http://cyberbrethren.com/2009/04/03/a-tale-of-two-bibles-a-comparison-of-how-the-subject-of-homosexuality-is-treated-in-the-lutheran-study-bible-and-the-elca-bible/

God bless

Pastor Paul T. McCain
Concordia Publishing House

***

Does the shepherd have a flock? Does he preach to the CPH books? like the cook preaching to the sharks in Moby Dick?

ELCA Pro and Con

WELS is against all that ELCA monkeying around, right boys?

Pro ELCA View. Sunny-side Up

Our Grand Canyon Synod (covering the state of Arizona, southern Nevada, and Saint George, Utah,) like the other 64 synods in the ELCA is both of these. It is the coming together of over 70,000 Lutherans in over 100 ELCA congregations. We assemble together once a year. Throughout the year, we seek to walk the same road together -- together supporting numerous ministries in our synod and churchwide expression.

In a similar way, we, as a congregation, are able to do much more when we are “on the way together,” rather than individuals being on the way alone. When we, as a congregation, get behind a mission or goal or project, we can do great things.

However, as I was researching the word synodos, there is also another meaning that, unfortunately, is sometimes true within congregations and within synods. This word is used of two armies “coming together” to do battle.
(Brian at Faith)

Con - ELCA Not Doing So Well, For a Reason
You might need to update your information on the Grand Canyon Synod , Brian. Nine congregations have left, four have split, and four more are considering leaving, with a total of 20,000 members departed since last August, 12,000 of those in five congregations alone. April giving was 165,000 to the synod, one year ago in April it was 240,000. I think 85 congregations with 50,000 members that we know of is more accurate.

I also noted in the giving year to date Faith has given nothing to the synod YTD in 2010. If you are not in dissent with the ELCA, why is that?

Augustana

THEN

First Lutheran Church, Moline, Illinois, was founded by L. P. Esbjorn,
who also helped in starting Augustana College in Rock Island.

I happened across the Augustana Heritage website and saw photos of the early Swedish-American Lutheran church buildings.

The Swedes came over as unionistic Pietists. Their journal, which I helped archive at the college library, was called The Pietist in Swedish. They soon became disgusted with unionism and revivalism in the General Synod and linked up with the legendary Passavant, who had earlier passed through his stage of revivalism. Passavant and Eric Norelius, among others, helped Augustana become confessional, although they remained Pietistic in many way - and were honest about it.

Most of us at Augustana College did not know about this history, nor did we realize that Augustana was Latin for Augsburg, as in Augsburg Confession. Do not be surprised. One reader said his children, all products of the WELS education system, thought the Book of Concord was a repair manual for the French passenger jet.

Pietism won eventually, in the Augustana Synod, just as it did in WELS. The Wisconsin sect began almost the same way, during the same years. I know the Augustana pioneers fairly well, because of my dissertation on one of their professors.

If you look at the historic Augustana congregations, linked above, you will see the same soaring neo-gothic style of rural WELS and LCMS. They must have sacrificed a great deal to construct those halleluias of brick and stone. They were busy building schools, colleges, nursing homes, hospitals, and missionary societies in those days, too - not tearing them down, brick by brick.

Augustana became LCA, which became ELCA. The Lutheran Confessions mean nothing to ELCA. Their anticonfessional stance has allowed them to adopt the new gospel of pansexual justice. They working toward having open lesbians and homosexuals as ELCA bishops, following the Episcopalian and European models. Trans-sexual ministers are also on the agenda.

ELCA is in unionistic worship services and evangelism with all denominations because of its Pietistic Anticonfessionalism.

WELS is in unionistic worship services and evangelism with all denominations because of its Pietistic Anticonfessionalism.

NOW

HerChurch in San Francisco.