Fifth Sunday after Trinity. Luke 5:1ff. Miraculous Catch of Fish

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, 2012

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn #  375     If Thy Beloved Son              3.41

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 Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn # 649            Jesus Savior Pilot Me                   3.80               

Power of the Word – Seen and Unseen

The Communion Hymn #307            Draw Nigh                            3.72  

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 #  50        Lord Dismiss Us (Reuter)                      3.34

KJV 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

KJV Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Fifth Sunday After Trinity

O Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the living God, who hast given us Thy holy word, and hast bountifully provided for all our temporal wants, we confess that we are unworthy of all these mercies, and that we have rather deserved punishment: But we beseech Thee, forgive us our sins, and prosper and bless us in our several callings, that by Thy strength we may be sustained and defended, now and forever, and so praise and glorify Thee eternally, Thou who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Power of the Word – Seen and Unseen

The skeptics and scoffers have a fine way of arguing their points. To find the same elegant style, read the blog from Fox Valley, WELS.

When the blind unbelievers look at the Bible, they are grieved and shocked, sharing their dismay with everyone. Many hold onto academic positions just so they can keep people from believing a word of the Bible.

For instance, if a story is found only once in the Bible, they do not believe for that reason. If it is found twice, they pick apart differences and deny the truth of both. If all the sources go into the same topic with great detail (as in the resurrection of Christ), they decide this must have been invented later. They want more proof, and when that proof is obviously in front of them, they make fun of the proof. Naturally, they have their own self-feeding sources, which show how correct they are.

Some examples from the Bible – the historical facts that can be discovered (since most of history is buried) are all in harmony with the Bible. The manuscripts of the Bible are better preserved than all other ancient manuscripts – and they are much older. Luke, the Gospel author for today, has been found to be especially carefully about the most trivial facts, which suggests that he also got the main story correct to the same degree of perfection.

Examples from Lutheran doctrine are just as infuriating for the poorly educated WELS clergy in Fox Valley. They confuse the atonement with justification by faith and declare themselves great experts in the Bible. They ignore dozens of justification by faith passages from all the Concordists – and Luther – so they can quote an atonement passage from Luther and declare their case won. As proven plagiarists (Bethany, Appleton and St.PeterCares/CORE in Freedom) they shout liar! between quaffs of beer.

KJV Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

This miracle is important for two main reasons:

1. The narrative demonstrates the power of the Word in visible and invisible ways.
2. This miracle shows why the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus by the lake was so potent for the disciples – and especially for Peter.

This is not another version of the miraculous catch miracle:

Lenski –

1) The view that Luke 5:1–11 merely retells Matt. 4:18–22 and Mark 1:16–20 and only embellishes the story by an unhistorical miracle is answered by the simple observation that Luke relates one occurrence and Matthew and Mark another and plainly an earlier one. To say that Luke is describing in his own way what Matthew and Mark describe in theirs (R., W. P.) ignores the decisive differences. Where is the multitude pressing upon Jesus in Matthew and in Mark? It is absent, Jesus is walking alone. In Luke the men are out of the boats, washing their nets; in Matthew and in Mark they are in their boats, two men hard at it fishing with a throwing net and two sitting mending their nets. In Luke’s account Jesus preaches from one of the boats, in Matthew’s and in Mark’s there is not even an audience to preach to. And so the accounts diverge in the widest way. The claim that the disciples could not twice forsake everything fails to state why this could not be done.

The events differ even in their content and their purpose. In Matthew and in Mark the four disciples receive a formal call to enter the preparation for being made fishers of men; in Luke, where Simon is the person dealt with, he is treated as one who has already been called and is assured that he will, indeed, catch men with the success shown to him in the great catch of fish when he obeyed Jesus’ word. This is the purpose of the miracle: an ocular demonstration of the unseen power and success of the Word. This miracle was therefore repeated after Jesus’ resurrection (John 21:1–14), and the repetition cannot be understood in its import without this miracle which is recorded in Luke’s Gospel. It was one thing to call the four apostles, it was quite another thing to demonstrate to them the power of the gospel they were to handle as fishers of men. And this demonstration was so necessary in view of the Jewish and the pagan world they were to conquer that Jesus repeated it for them before he ascended to heaven.

Lenski, R. C. H.: The Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN : Augsburg Publishing House, 1961, S. 276

This miracle teaches us the great harmony of the various human authors of the Bible, because the main author is the Holy Spirit. Read this miracle and John’s post-resurrection story –

KJV John 21:1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. [GJ – Just like Luke 5.]

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals [GJ - Peter’s threefold denial before a charcoal fire] there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15 So when they had dined, [GJ – Threefold absolution of Peter] Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Anamnesis is the term for teaching by recalling the memory of an event. This method is basic to the liturgy, which is why the scoffers get rid of the liturgy or “blend” it away with their sappy “blended” liturgies.

What is the Passover but teaching by re-enacting the event? A traditional Passover includes standing at the table, to be ready to run from the Egyptians, and every part of the meal is connected to the Exodus itself.

What is Holy Communion but an re-enactment of the Last Supper, to teach the meaning of that unique event? The power of Holy Communion is in the Word consecrating  the elements [visible miracle of the Word] and the recollection of Jesus’ atoning death for our sins [invisible Word].

Queen Elizabeth mustered her sailors before the Spanish Armada’s invasion, invoking the memory of her father, Henry VIII. She was just a woman, she said, but she had “the heart and stomach of a king.” The sailors fought with Henry VIII in mind and preserved Protestantism for a land called North America.

Henry V, in Shakespeare’s (Oxford’s) play, motivated his soldiers before St. Crispin’s by telling them they would always have this memory, of the day they fought for their country, that others would be rue the day they were not there to join the battle.

This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.

    He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

    Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,

    And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

    He that shall live this day, and see old age,

    Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,

    And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'

    Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,

    And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'

    Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,

    But he'll remember, with advantages,

    What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,

    Familiar in his mouth as household words-

    Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,

    Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-

    Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.

    This story shall the good man teach his son;

    And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,

    From this day to the ending of the world,

    But we in it shall be remembered-

    We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

    For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

    Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

    This day shall gentle his condition;

    And gentlemen in England now-a-bed

    Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

    And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

    That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

http://www.gonderzone.org/Library/Knights/crispen.htm

With this in mind, let’s look at the trivial details of the miracle, which mean so much with close reading.

KJV Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

“It came to pass” is used to introduce great events. The crowd was pressing upon Jesus because they wanted to hear the Word of God. That can be compared to people being famished for food. They had been taught about the perfection of the Pharisees and the demands of the Law, but not about the Gospel promises (except for what they heard from the Old Testament readings).

They were famished for forgiveness; Jesus’ gracious and welcoming presence made they long to hear Him and be near Him.

This simple opening makes the next part clear. Talking to a crowd of people in this situation may work for the first few rows, but not for the whole crowd. The sound would be absorbed and erased by the clothing and the general mumbling and moving about. Speakers look for an elevated platform (Sermon on the Mount) or ascending rows (Greek amphitheater).

In a lake setting, the rising shore defeated speaking to a large group, unless…

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Jesus entered Simon Peter’s boat and asked him to cast away from the land, to give Him the sounding board of the lake. European pulpits have curved wood behind them, to direct the sound into the congregation. The lake had a similar effect, directing the sound into the large crowd on the shore, perhaps very much like a Greek amphitheater. My Greek professor visited an ancient amphitheater, carved into the rock in Greece. From the top of row he could hear the slightest sound his wife made.

The people were hungry for His Word, and Jesus taught them from the boat, which was large and stable, designed for fishing in the rough waters of that large lake.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

It is important to remember that this is the Simon Peter who has heard Jesus teaching the Word. The power of that Word is evident in Peter’s response, because the directions are wrong for two reasons. The best time to fish is at night, and the best depth is moderate – not the deep. This trivial details matter a lot. Peter and his associates were professional fishermen. They lived on fishing. The crowd along the shore was also populated with fishermen.

Peter and associates had already fished all night and taken nothing. Human reason told Peter – “There are no fish today, certainly not in the light, in the deep,” but the believer said “Master” and “At they Word, I will…”

The first effect of the Word is invisible. Peter’s emerging faith moves him to receive the Promise from Christ.

Faith is the opposite fear, contrary to human reason and experience. A fearful Peter would have thought, “They will all laugh at me for casting out into the deep on a sunny day, a double error.”

Likewise, today Lutherans will say, “We have to have our synod, our mission subsidies, our land, our benefits. It would be shameful to go out into the deep and have them laugh at us for meeting at the Granger Hall instead of training at Granger Community Church in Indiana.” (That’s a pun for this who know about these cats - http://www.gccwired.com/whoweare

Like all temporary and convenient disciples, these Lutherans will not “leave all and follow Him” because their bellies and comforts come first.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

At the beginning of this story, they were washing their nets, so they were doubtless mending them at the same time. Their boats were not ordinary rowboats like ours or canoes, but very stable and strong fishing boats. Nevertheless, the net began to split open. Their partners had to help them, and yet both boats were so full that they began to skin.

As Luther observed, God let them labor all night and catch nothing, so they would realize where their food came from. Man’s greatest worries concern material things, but God provides those things to believers and unbelievers alike.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

Peter saw that the invisible power of the Word also show itself in visible ways.

The divine power he trusted in the first place was guaranteed in the second, and that overwhelmed him.

Face to face with God, we realize how frail and weak we are. All Peter could experience at this moment was his unworthiness. Doubtless he felt that again when the risen Lord spoke to him beside the charcoal fire. Previously, Peter had denied Jesus three times. By the lake again, John 21, in the same setting where he was called to be a disciple, Peter received comfort, assurance, and forgiveness with the three-fold absolution and charge – Care for My lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep.

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

The lesson about merely catching fish was upgraded to a lesson about their future ministry as apostles. “Do not be afraid. You will be catching men the same way.”

Applying the Gospel Lesson

The first part is practical and especially worthwhile in these times, essentially a world-wide financial panic. They were called Panics in the past. That was a negative term, so it became the Depression. That had baggage, so each Depression was called a Recession instead. Now the Panic is called a Recovery.

Luther taught and practiced the concept of God providing for all our materials needs. He could have established his own family fortune by charging for his books. Instead, his published established a publishing empire with Luther’s writings.

Luther said about this sermon text –

KJV Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

The Promise is especially true for believers, who can see the worst reprobates still get along – some of them enjoying great wealth. God gives enough to believers to have and to share.

No pastor or congregation should debate about the monetary advantages of dong what is right according to the Word. To do so means to distrust the power of God’s Word while trusting in the power of money.

If money had so much power for the good, the richest congregations and denominations would be the most faithful. But that is demonstrably wrong. Vast endowments make them more worried than ever about more money. They shrink from doing what is right, based on money, then descend into radicalism because the money has been built up and they cannot be touched. All the decisions at the national level today are purely money decisions.

Trusting in these greed apostates is the same as saying, “I know God’s Word has promised to care for our needs, but I have to be sure on my own.”

Some are not bothered by money concerns, but they fret over being shunned by their family and friends. The new show on the National Geographic channel, on the Hutturites, show how powerful that shunning is. Lutherans practice it all the times, from ELCA on down to the CLC (sic). The shunning is not based on faithfulness to the Word, but fidelity to the organization. Worst of all, fidelity to the organization is equated with fidelity to God’s Word.

The Spiritual Meaning of the Net

The net enclosing the fish is the Gospel call. God urges us to cast the net into the deep, in spite of our reason and experience.

The catch is so great that we have to acknowledge the power of God’s Word. I hear from all over that people appreciate the lessons taught here and in the published books supported by the members.

Often I cannot say exactly how that is affecting others who are in contact with me. That is how dangerous sound Lutheran doctrine is today – among the “conservative” Lutherans.

We can never estimate the eventual influence of the Word emanating from any faithful individual. It is just like the rock tossed into the pond, the waves going out and being impeded and blocked, yet moving on. I could name a layman or two who were the ones getting Thy Strong Word started and finished, simply because they wanted UOJ addressed. Their patience and persistence created a 640 page book being used today in various places. From that has come many other events, influences, and negative reactions (no one would review it – positive comments were censored and not published).

The only place I can quote Luther and get 100% appreciation is among the non-Lutherans. I have experiences too numerous to list where I have been chewed out by “conservative” Lutherans simply for quoting Luther. That proves what a threat the Reformer is to nominal Lutherans (who are really Pietists).

The tearing net reminds us that some escape, even though they are caught at first. Those are the believers, great and small, who are converted by Word, perhaps, as infants, and later swim away into the freedom of non-belief.

God provides the net, the Gospel Promises, so that everyone has the opportunity to hear and receive what is freely offered in so many ways.

Not trusting in God’s complete forgiveness is the same as not trusting in Jesus command – cast off into the deep.

Not trusting in God’s forgiveness through Christ means trusting in human reason, experience, and emotions.

Yes, we still feel regret, remorse – the original meaning of metanoia (repent). But the Gospel is repent and believe in the atoning death of Christ, not – be sorry enough to deserve forgiveness, not wait until the feeling of forgiveness arrives. Metanoia does NOT mean “change your ways” in the Bible or anywhere else. That is a Pelagian filter on the Bible, trusting in works. That is to say, “If you never drink alcohol again, you are forgiven.” That must mean 5 seconds before dying, because “never” does not work until that moment. That is a burden, to avoid one sin and engage in a worse one – denying God’s mercy and forgiveness while embracing man’s supposed will to be perfect.

When we say, “Yes, I believe God’s Word is completely true and trustworthy,” we are saying, “And that including forgiving the my sin and the sins of all believers, each and every day, from the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel.

Male parishioner in sex affair with female Episcopalian priest wants her disciplined - NYPOST.com

WELS supports the ordination of women
and promotes adulterous clergy:
mission counselor, DMB chairman, hymnal editor.
In the LCMS, a conviction for assaulting a child
will get you recruited into their lay pastoral program.

Male parishioner in sex affair with female Episcopalian priest wants her disciplined - NYPOST.com:


She nicknamed a rule forbidding sexual contact with parishioners “Don’t do the pew.”
But the Rev. Ginger Strickland, 33, the newly ordained assistant minister at Manhattan’s historic Church of the Incarnation, allegedly used her religious authority to seduce a good-looking male in the flock.
“God brought you to me,” Strickland told Erik Campano, 34, during their secret affair — using a line from a textbook on clergy sexual abuse.
Now, Campano is complaining to the church, saying he was taken advantage of by the reverend and betrayed when she dumped him back in the pews.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/urgy_clergy_YtM095881meXqCtJPbSMVM#ixzz201b1vj4S


'via Blog this'

Remember God's Promises - He Sware by Himself

"Commit Whatever Grieves Thee" by Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676

1. Commit whatever grieves thee
Into the gracious hands
Of Him who never leaves thee,
Who heaven and earth commands.
Who points the clouds their courses,
Whom winds and waves obey,
He will direct thy footsteps
And find for thee a way.

Befiehl du deine Wege
Und was dein Herze kränkt,
Der allertreusten Pflege
Des, der den Himmel lenkt!
Der Wolken, Luft und Winden,
Gibt Wege, Lauf und Bahn,
Der wird auch Wege finden,
Da dein Fuß gehen kann.

2. On Him place thy reliance
If thou wouldst be secure;
His work thou must consider
If thine is to endure.
By anxious sighs and grieving
And self-tormenting care
God is not moved to giving;
All must be gained by prayer.

Dem Herren mußt du trauen,
Wenn dir’s soll wohlergehn;
Auf sein Werk must du schauen,
Wenn dein Werk soll bestehn.
Mit Sorgen und mit Grämen
Und mit selbsteigner Pein
Läßt Gott sich gar nichts nehmen,
Es muß erbeten sein.

3. Thy truth and grace, O Father,
Most surely see and know
Both what is good and evil
For mortal man below.
According to Thy counsel
Thou wilt Thy work pursue;
And what Thy wisdom chooseth
Thy might will always do.

Dein’ ew’ge Treu’ und Gnade,
O Vater, weiß und sieht,
Was gut sei oder schade
Dem sterblichen Geblüt;
Und was du dann erlesen,
Das treibst du, starker Held,
Und bringst zum Stand und Wesen,
Was deinem Rat gefällt.

4. Thy hand is never shortened,
All things must serve Thy might;
Thine every act is blessing,
Thy path is purest light.
Thy work no man can hinder,
Thy purpose none can stay,
Since Thou to bless Thy children
Wilt always find a way.

Weg’ hast du allerwegen,
An Mitteln fehlt dir’s nicht;
Dein Tun ist lauter Segen,
Dein Gang ist lauter Licht,
Dein Werk kann niemand hindern,
Dein’ Arbeit darf nicht ruhn,
Wenn du, was deinen Kindern
Ersprießlich ist, willst tun.

5. Though all the powers of evil
The will of God oppose,
His purpose will not falter,
His pleasure onward goes.
Whate'er God's will resolveth,
Whatever He intends.
Will always be accomplished
True to His aims and ends.

Und ob gleich alle Teufel
Hier wollten widerstehn,
So wird doch ohne Zweifel
Gott nicht zurückegehn;
Was er sich vorgenommen,
Und was er haben will,
Das muß doch endlich kommen
Zu seinem Zweck und Ziel.

6. Then hope, my feeble spirit,
And be thou undismayed;
God helps in every trial
And makes thee unafraid.
Await His time with patience,
Then shall thine eyes behold
The sun of joy and gladness
His brightest beams unfold.

Hoff, o du arme Seele,
Hoff und sei unverzagt!
Gott wird dich aus der Höhle,
Da dich der Kummer plagt,
Mit großen Gnaden rücken;
Erwarte nur die Zeit,
So wirst du schon erblicken
Die Sonn’ der schönsten Freud’.

7. Arise, my soul, and banish
Thy anguish and thy care.
Away with thoughts that sadden
And heart and mind ensnare!
Thou art not lord and master
Of thine own destiny;
Enthroned in highest heaven,
God rules in equity.

Auf, auf, gib deinem Schmerze
Und Sorgen gute Nacht!
Laß fahren, was dein Herze
Betrübt und traurig macht!
Bist du doch nicht Regente
Der alles führen soll;
Gott sitzt im Regimente
Und führet alles wohl.

8. Leave all to His direction;
In wisdom He doth reign,
And in a way most wondrous
His course He will maintain.
Soon He, His promise keeping,
With wonder-working skill,
Shall put away the sorrows
That now thy spirit fill.

Ihn, ihn laß tun und walten,
Er ist ein weiser Fürst
Und wird sich so verhalten,
Daß du dich wundern wirst,
Wenn er, wie ihm gebühret,
Mit wunderbarem Rat
Die Sach’ hinausgeführet,
Die dich bekümmert hat.

9. A while His consolation
He may to thee deny,
And seem as though in trial
He far from thee would fly;
A while distress and anguish
May compass thee around,
Nor to thy supplication
An answering voice be found.

Er wird zwar eine Weile
Mit seinem Trost verziehn
Und tun an seinem Teile,
Als hätt’ in seinem Sinn
Er deiner sich begeben,
Und sollt’st du für und für
In Angst und Nöten schweben,
Frag’ er doch nichts nach dir.

10. But if thou perseverest,
Thou shalt deliverance find.
Behold, all unexpected
He will thy soul unbind
And from the heavy burden
Thy heart will soon set free;
And thou wilt see the blessing
He had in mind for thee.

Wird’s aber sich befinden,
Daß du ihm treu verbleibst
So wird er dich entbinden,
Da du’s am mind’sten gläubst;
Er wird dein Herze lösen
Von der so schweren Last,
Die du zu keinem Bösen
Bisher getragen hast.

11. O faithful child of heaven,
How blessed shalt thou be!
With songs of glad thanksgiving
A crown awaiteth thee.
Into thy hand thy Maker
Will give the victor's palm.
And thou to thy Deliverer
Shalt sing a joyous psalm.

Wohl dir, du Kind der Treue!
Du hast und trägst davon
Mit Ruhm und Dankgeschreie
Den Sieg und Ehrenkron’.
Gott gibt dir selbst die Palmen
In deine rechte Hand,
Und du singst Freudenpsalmen
Dem, der dein Leid gewandt.

12. Give, Lord, this consummation
To all our heart's distress;
Our hands, our feet, e'er strengthen,
In death our spirits bless.
Thy truth and Thy protection
Grant evermore, we pray,
And in celestial glory
Shall end our destined way.

Mach End’, o Herr, mach Ende
An aller unsrer Not,
Stärk unsre Füß’ und Hände
Und laß bis in den Tod
Uns allzeit deiner Pflege
Und Treu’ empfohlen sein,
So gehen unsre Wege
Gewiß zum Himmel ein.

Hymn #520
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Ps. 37: 5
Author: Paul Gerhardt, 1656
Translated by: composite
Titled: Befiehl du deine Wege
Composer: Hans L. Hassler, 1601
Tune: Herzlich tut mich



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Text: , 1656.

Musik: , 1648.

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"If God Himself Be for Me"
by Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676

1. If God Himself be for me,
I may a host defy;
For when I pray, before me
My foes, confounded, fly.
If Christ, my Head and Master,
Befriend me from above,
What foe or what disaster
Can drive me from His love?

2. This I believe, yea, rather,
Of this I make my boast,
That God is my dear Father,
The Friend who loves me most,
And that, whate'er betide me,
My Savior is at hand
Through stormy seas to guide me
And bring me safe to land.

3. I build on this foundation,
That Jesus and His blood
Alone are my salvation,
The true, eternal good.
Without Him all that pleases
Is valueless on earth;
The gifts I owe to Jesus
Alone my love are worth.

4. My Jesus is my Splendor,
My Sun, my Light, alone;
Were He not my Defender
Before God's awe-full throne,
I never should find favor
And mercy in His sight,
But be destroyed forever
As darkness by the light.

5. He canceled my offenses,
Delivered me from death;
He is the Lord who cleanses
My soul from sin through faith.
In Him I can be cheerful,
Bold, and undaunted aye;
In Him I am not fearful
Of God's great Judgment Day.

6. Naught, naught, can now condemn me
Nor set my hope aside;
Now hell no more can claim me,
Its fury I deride.
No sentence e'er reproves me,
No ill destroys my peace;
For Christ, my Savior, loves me
And shields me with His grace.

7. His Spirit in me dwelleth,
And o'er my mind He reigns.
All sorrow He dispelleth
And soothes away all pains.
He crowns His work with blessing
And helpeth me to cry,
"My Father!" without ceasing,
To Him who dwells on high.

8. And when my soul is lying
Weak, trembling, and opprest,
He pleads with groans and sighing
That cannot be exprest;
But God's quick eye discerns them,
Although they give no sound,
And into language turns them
E'en in the heart's deep ground.

9. To mine His Spirit speaketh
Sweet word of holy cheer,
How God to him that seeketh
For rest is always near
And how He hath erected
A city fair and new,
Where what our faith expected
We evermore shall view.

10. In yonder home doth flourish
My heritage, my lot;
Though here I die and perish,
My heaven shall fail me not.
Though care my life oft saddens
And causeth tears to flow,
The light of Jesus gladdens
And sweetens every woe.

11. Who clings with resolution
To Him whom Satan hates
Must look for persecution;
For him the burden waits
Of mockery, shame, and losses,
Heaped on his blameless head;
A thousand plagues and crosses
Will be his daily bread.

12. From me this is not hidden,
Yet I am not afraid;
I leave my cares, as bidden,
To whom my vows were paid.
Though life and limb it cost me
And everything I won,
Unshaken shall I trust Thee
And cleave to Thee alone.

13. Though earth be rent asunder,
Thou'rt mine eternally;
Not fire nor sword nor thunder
Shall sever me from Thee;
Not hunger, thirst, nor danger,
Not pain nor poverty
Nor mighty princes' anger
Shall ever hinder me.

14. No angel and no gladness,
No throne, no pomp, no show,
No love, no hate, no sadness,
No pain, no depth of woe,
No scheme of man's contrivance,
However small or great,
Shall draw me from Thy guidance
Nor from Thee separate.

15. My heart for joy is springing
And can no more be sad,
'Tis full of mirth and singing,
Sees naught but sunshine glad.
The Sun that cheers my spirit
Is Jesus Christ, my King;
That which I shall inherit
Makes me rejoice and sing.

Hymn #528
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Rom. 8:31-39
Author: Paul Gerhardt
Translated by: based on Richard Massie, 1857
Titled: Ist Gott fuer mich, so trete
Composer: Melckior Teschner, 1613
Tune: Valet will ich dir geben



1. Ist Gott für mich, so trete
Gleich alles wider mich,
Sooft ich ruf' und bete,
Weicht alles hinter sich.
Hab' ich das Haupt zum Freunde
Und bin geliebt bei Gott,
Was kann mir tun der Feinde
Und Widersacher Rott'?
2. Nun weiß und glaub' ich feste,
Ich rühm's auch ohne Scheu,
Daß Gott der Höchst' und Beste,
Mein Freund und Vater sei,
Und daß in allen Fällen
Er mir zur Rechten steh'
Und dämpfe Sturm und Wellen
Und was mir bringet Weh.

3. Der Grund, da ich mich gründe,
Ist Christus und sein Blut,
Das machet, daß ich finde
Das ew'ge wahre Gut.
An mir und meinem Leben
Ist nichts auf dieser Erd';
Was Christus mir gegeben,
Das ist der Liebe wert.

4. Mein Jesus ist mein' Ehre,
Mein Glanz und helles Licht.
Wenn der nicht in mir wäre,
So dürft' und könnt' ich nicht
Vor Gottes Augen stehen
Und vor dem strengen Sitz;
Ich müßte stracks vergehen
Wie Wachs in Feuershitz'.

5. Mein Jesus hat gelöschet,
Was mit sich führt den Tod;
Der ist's, der mich rein wäschet,
Macht schneeweiß, was ist rot.
In ihm kann ich mich freuen,
Hab' einen Heldenmut,
Darf kein Gerichte scheuen,
Wie sonst ein Sünder tut.

6. Nichts, nichts kann mich verdammen.
Nichts nimmet mir mein Herz!
Die Höll' und ihre Flammen,
Die sind mir nur ein Scherz.
Kein Urteil mich erschrecket,
Kein Unheil mich betrübt,
Weil mich mit Flügeln decket
Mein Heiland, der mich liebt.

7. Sein Geist wohnt mir im Herzen,
Regieret meinen Sinn,
Vertreibt mir Sorg' und Schmerzen,
Nimmt allen Kummer hin,
Gibt Segen und Gedeihen
Dem, was er in mir schafft,
Hilft mir das Abba schreien,
Aus aller meiner Kraft.

8. Und wenn an meinem Orte
Sich Furcht und Schwachheit find't,
So seufzt und spricht er Worte,
Die unausprechlich sind
Mir zwar und meinem Munde,
Gott aber wohl bewußt,
Der an des Herzens Grunde
Ersiehet seine Lust.
9. Sein Geist spricht meinem Geiste
Manch süßes Trostwort zu,
Wie Gott dem Hilfe leiste,
Der bei ihm suchet Ruh',
Und wie er hab' erbauet
Ein' edle, neue Stadt,
Da Aug' und Herze schauet,
Was er geglaubet hat.

10. Da ist mein Teil, mein Erbe
Mir prächtig zugericht't;
Wenn ich gleich fall' und sterbe,
Fällt doch mein Himmel nicht.
Muß ich auch gleich hier feuchten
Mit Tränen meine Zeit,
Mein Jesus und sein Leuchten
Durch süßet alles Leid.

11. Wer sich mit dem verbindet,
Den Satan fleucht und haßt,
Der wird verfolgt und findet
Ein' harte, schwere Last
Zu leiden und zu tragen,
Gerät in Hohn und Spott,
Das Kreuz und alle Plagen,
Die sind sein täglich Brot.

12. Das ist mir nicht verborgen,
Doch bin ich unverzagt.
Dich will ich laßen sorgen,
Dem ich mich zugesagt,
Es koste Leib und Leben
Und alles, was ich hab';
An dir will ich fest kleben
Und nimmer laßen ab.

13. Die Welt, die mag zerbrechen,
Du stehst mir ewiglich,
Kein Brennen, Hauen, Stechen
Soll trennen mich und dich,
Kein Hungern und kein Dürsten,
Kein' Armut, keine Pein,
Kein Zorn der großen Fürsten
Soll mir ein' Hindrung sein.

14. Kein Engel, keine Freuden,
Kein Thron, kein' Herrlichkeit,
Kein Lieben und kein Leiden,
Kein' Angst und Herzeleid,
Was man nur kann erdenken,
Es sei klein oder groß,
Der keines soll mich lenken
Aus deinem Arm und Schoß.

15. Mein Herze geht in Sprüngen
Und kann nicht traurig sein,
Ist voller Freud' und Singen,
Sieht lauter Sonnenschein.
Die Sonne, die mir lachet,
Ist mein Herr Jesus Christ;
Das, was mich singen machet,
Ist, was im Himmel ist.

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GJ - Thank you, Norman Teigen, for finding this great hymn and posting it.

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The video begins by spelling his name wrong. Paul Gerhardt the hymn writer is often confused with Johann Gerhard
the theologian who worked with Chemnitz.

Mrs. Ichabod and I sing this together in German. Gerhardt is probably the greatest hymn writer of all time. He lost his pulpit for resisting Reformed doctrine.

Here is the HTML link, in case the embedded video flakes out at the end, as it does for us.

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Literal translation for prep school graduates:

Lobet den Herren alle, die ihn ehren

All Praise the Lord, All Who Honor Him.

1. Lobet den Herren alle, die ihn ehren; lasst uns mit Freuden seinem Namen singen und Preis und Dank zu seinem Altar bringen. Lobet den Herren!

All praise the Lord, who honor Him; let us sing his name with joy and bring praise and thanks to His altar. All praise the Lord.

2. Der unser Leben, das er uns gegeben, in dieser Nacht so väterlich bedecket / und aus dem Schlaf uns fröhlich auferwecket: Lobet den Herren!

He who our life has given, in this night has covered us so fatherly and wakes us joyfully from sleep, All praise the Lord.

3. Dass unsre Sinnen / wir noch brauchen können / und Händ und Füße, Zung und Lippen regen, das haben wir zu danken seinem Segen. Lobet den Herren!

That we can use our senses, move our hands and feet, tongue and lips, we owe His blessing. All praise the Lord.

4. Dass Feuerflammen / uns nicht allzusammen / mit unsern Häusern unversehns gefressen, das macht's, dass wir in seinem Schoß gesessen. Lobet den Herren!

The flames of fire will not devour our homes, He wills that we sit in His castle. All praise the Lord.

5. Dass Dieb und Räuber / unser Gut und Leiber / nicht angetast' und grausamlich verletzet, dawider hat sein Engel sich gesetzet. Lobet den Herren!

That thief and robber, our goods and life cannot take, for His angel has been appointed. All praise the Lord.

6. O treuer Hüter, Brunnen aller Güter, ach lass doch ferner über unser Leben / bei Tag und Nacht dein Hut und Güte schweben. Lobet den Herren!

O faithful Guardain, wellspring of all goodness, by day and night Your Guard and Goodness hover. All praise the Lord.

7. Gib, dass wir heute, Herr, durch dein Geleite / auf unsern Wegen unverhindert gehen / und überall in deiner Gnade stehen. Lobet den Herren!

Give us that we today, Lord, through Your escorts, go on our way unhindered and remain in Your grace. All praise the Lord.

8. Treib unsern Willen, dein Wort zu erfüllen; lehr uns verrichten heilige Geschäfte, und wo wir schwach sind, da gib du uns Kräfte. Lobet den Herren!

Strengthen our will to fulfill Your Word; teach us holy ways; and where we are weak, there give us strength. All praise the Lord.

9. Richt unsre Herzen, dass wir ja nicht scherzen / mit deinen Strafen, sondern fromm zu werden / vor deiner Zukunft uns bemühn auf Erden. Lobet den Herren!

Direct our hearts, that we do not trifle with Your judgments, but remain pious before Your future reign on earth. All praise the Lord.

10. Herr, du wirst kommen / und all deine Frommen, die sich bekehren, gnädig dahin bringen, da alle Engel ewig, ewig singen: >Lobet den Herren!<

Lord, you will soon come, and all Your believers, those who are converted, bring them in with grace, where all the angels, always always sing out, All praise the Lord.

Paul Gerhardt 1607-1676


Passende Bibelstellen:

Vers 1: Psalm 103, 21-22
Vers 8: 2. Korinther 12, 9-10
Vers 10: Offenbarung 22, 12

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Paul Gerhardt's Testament

Paul Gerhardt prepared his "testament" his 70th birthday for his son. It offers insight into this important Lutheran writer of many great chorales..

Now that I have reached the 70th year of my life and also have the joyful hope that my dear, holy God will soon rescue me out of this world and lead me into a better life than I have had until now on earth, I thank Him especially for all His kindness and faithfulness which, from my motherâ?Ts womb until the present hour, He has shown me in body and soul and in all that He has given me. Besides this, I ask Him from the bottom of my heart that when my hour comes He would grant me a happy departure, take my soul into His fatherly hands, and give my body a peaceful rest in the ground until the dear Last Day, when I, with all of my [family] who have been before me and also may remain after me, will reawake and behold my dear Lord Jesus Christ face to face, in whom I have believed but have not yet seen. To my only son whom I am leaving behind I leave few earthly goods, but with them I leave him an honorable name of which he will not have to be ashamed.

My son knows that from his tender childhood I have given him to the Lord my God as His possession, that he is to become a servant and preacher of His holy Word. He is to remain now in this and not turn away from it, even if he has only few good days in it. For the good Lord knows how to handle it and how sufficiently to replace external troubles with internal happiness of the heart and joy of the spirit.

Study holy theologiam in pure schools and at unfalsified universities and beware of the syncretists [those who mix religions or confessions], for they seek what is temporal and are faithful to neither God nor men. In your common life do not follow evil company but rather the will and command of your God. Especially: (1) Do nothing evil in the hope that it will remain secret, for nothing is spun so small that it is not seen in the light of day. (2) Outside of your office and vocation do not become angry. If you notice that anger has heated you up, remain still and speak not so much as a word until you have first prayed the Ten Commandments and the Christian Creed silently. (3) Be ashamed of the lusts of the flesh, and when you one day come to the years in which you can marry, then marry with God and with the good advice of pious, faithful, and sensible people. (4) Do good to people even if they have nothing with which to repay you, for the Creator of heaven and earth has long since repaid what humans cannot repay: when He created you, when He gave you His beloved Son, and when He accepted you in Holy Baptism as His child and heir. (5) Flee from greed as from hell. Be satisfied with what you have earned with honor and a good conscience, even if it is not all too much. But if the good Lord gives you something more, ask Him to preserve you from the burdensome misuse of temporal goods.

In summary: Pray diligently, study something honorable, live peacefully, serve honestly, and remain unmoved in your faith and confessing. If you do this, you too will one day die and depart from this world willingly, joyfully, and blessedly. Amen.

Organ Concert Tomorrow - Milwaukee

The Elmer Gantry Circuit Is Busy Posting Tonight

Sermon preparation only takes a minute in the Elmer Gantry circuit. They copy and paste from their favorite Enthusiasts - Groeschel, Standley, and Swindle-all.

At this rate they will double--yes double--the number of posts from last year.

VirtueOnline - News

This is NOT ChurchMouse sharing a musical moment.

VirtueOnline - News: "2. Our declining membership means something is wrong and needs fixing.

An assumption is that declining membership in the Episcopal Church is an indicator of a machinery somehow broken that we now must fix. But that's a mechanistic, not organic (or Scriptural), point of view. What if declining membership was a result of God pruning unfruitful branches to cause future growth?"

'via Blog this'

VirtueOnline - News

VirtueOnline - News:

"What have Bishops Ohl and Buchanan accused their episcopal colleagues of? In an aggressively phrased introduction to their open letter, the authors allege that the signers of brief and affidavit have given "aid and comfort to breakaway factions who would take title and control of substantially all of the real and personal property of this Church and cripple its mission and ministry.""

'via Blog this'

Luther Taught the Atonement. Justification without Faith Was Not in His Dictionary

I will soon show that WELS deliberately altered their own teaching materials to remove justification by faith and replace it with universal absolution. They did this dishonestly, deceitfully, stealthily, and cowardly.

That cult-like action allowed them to move forward with their ecumenical activities, which have accelerated ever since.

UOJ gave them permission, in a manner of speaking, to train their leaders and missionaries at Fuller Seminary.

UOJ fueled their virtual union with Missouri and the ELCA predecessors (at first), all other religions and cults now, with Thrivent  doling out the cash.

UOJ allowed WELS to sell indulgences to Marvin Schwan for abandoning his wife, the mother of his children, for his mistress. Mrs. Schwan committed suicide and left a note? Marvin was forgiven before he was born. 

Amazing grace, how sweet a sound, that saved the entire world - DP Jon Buchholz.

This Sunday - Cast Your Nets into Deep Pipe Organ Music and Milwaukee Lutheran History

A Musical Journey: An afternoon concert of sacred classics. Come and enjoy sacred classics such as Malotte’s “The Lord’s Prayer,” beloved hymns, and a selection from Handel’s Messiah performed by classical musicians David Porth (Organ), David Moseley (Piano and Tenor), and Meredith Brown (Soprano). The concert takes place on Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 3:00pm. The concert will be at the historic St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (804 W. Vliet Street in Milwaukee). This concert is free to the public. For more information, please call or email David Moseley at 608-387-1336 or deutschjungedm@yahoo.com.


“A Musical Journey”

Prelude--Bach’s prelude and fugue in C minor

1. Opening Hymn: Built on the Rock

OFFICIAL WELCOME

2. Ave Redemptor (Bach/Gounod)

3. On Eagle’s Wings--duet (Joncas)

4. Rejoice Greatly O Daughter of Zion (Handel)

5. The Church’s One Foundation

Offertory--Amazing Grace, John Benke arrangement

***INTERMISSION***

6. For All the Saints

7. Psalm XIX (Marcello)

8. How Great Thou Art . Lloyd Larson Arrangement

9. Lord’s Prayer (Malotte)

A word of thanks from Pastor Hastings

10. Rhosymedre (Vaughn Williams)

Why Is Pope Paul the Plagiarist Afraid To Link the Stolen Goods Honestly?

http://cyberbrethren.com/2012/07/06/commemoration-of-isaiah-prophet/

Here is how to cite honestly, Pope Paul. Since you stole  the post from Aardvark Alley, start the Isaiah post thus -

From Aadvard Alley:

The writer cited below put the link at the bottom, but his honestly level is much higher.

http://brvanlanen.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/commemoration-of-isaiah/

In using the link with the name Aardvark Alley, he is saying, "I am copying a good post."

The more you plagiarize, Holiness, the less credibility your employer has. I found it amusing that I gave examples of you breaking the law to your boss, and he responded by unfriending me on Facebook. He did not reply.

Therefore, I consider Concordia Publishing House a fraudulent operation. I question its integrity.

Note this readers - when I identified McCain's links to Roman Catholic propaganda, he stopped promoting them on LutherQuest (sic). McCain is welcome to post on LaughQuest and on Glende's fake blog.

Orwell's Animal Farm a Portrait of WELS

Faithful piggy gets nothing.

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Becoming Snowball - The Final State in WELS Abuse":

This post is more spot-on than most will readily realize. The Synod leaders are acting as gods. Dictating and manipulating the divine calls that the laity are fooled into thinking are genuinely provided by the Holy Ghost. Yet, behind the curtain decisions are being made for them, choices being dictated and Synod support is protected and rewarded. They act as gods while they create man-made offices within the church and call them divine. They act as gods as they teach their new and different gospel of Universal Objective Justification (General justification as some in their ranks prefer). They act as gods as they condemn the just for defending and promoting Christ's pure doctrine while simultaneously justifying the wicked who are under the Law, separated from Christ by unbelief and servants of the devil.

It is as God foretold in Scripture. The devil sits in the temple of God, in the bodies of the Synod leaders, leading them to think they are gods.

2 Thess. 2:4, "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

Same temple as 1 Cor. 3:16-17, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

The Synod leaders, in their blasphemous self-appointed glory, are the fulfillment of Scripture regarding the last days.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Becoming Snowball - The Final State in WELS Abuse":

Ichabod -

I love your pig pics! Awesome! Spot on!

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

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Adolph Hoenecke has left a new comment on your post "Orwell's Animal Farm a Portrait of WELS":

"All animals are equal, some are just more equal than others". My favorite quote from Animal Farm.
AH

Tim Glende Goes Medieval on Heinrich Schmid

The year is half-done and Tim Glende has already posted 18 times on his slavishly imitation blog. All he did this time was copy a previous post, which fails to list the authors Schmid was quoting. How convenient.

The last post was exactly a month ago.

Left unsaid - has Glende ever read a Lutheran book? We all know that He. Studied. Greek. Pentecostals and Unitarians also study Greek.

WELS is an abusive sect known for bullying people.

When an attorney proved Glende was a lying plagiarist of false teachers like Craig Groeschel, Glende and his lapdog DP kicked the attorney out of WELS.

We. Studied. Greek.
That is a Greek NT open on my desk, 1973.

We know Glende got all his post-graduate ministry training from such luminaries as Andy Stanley (Babtist gay activist) and Marc Driscoll (quasi-Calvinist cussing pastor).

Glende really built up the Savoy, Illinois congregation! Can they afford to pay mileage for their supply pastor?

It is sad that Fox Valley, an area rich in Lutheran congregations, cannot find many Lutheran pastors to serve them with Biblical liturgy, the Confessions, and original hand-crafted Lutheran sermons. So feeble is the WELS' trust in the Word that they rely on the gimmicks of Enthusiasts.

Gimmicks get tiresome. I visit a bakery near Mrs. Ichabod's favorite jewelry supply store. That bakery has cream puffs of enormous size, wonderfully made by elves - I am sure. I had my last one the other week. As attractive as that sweet filling can be, a pound of it is a bit much, even for someone bakery-born and bakery-raised.

WELS and Missouri will find this out, to their dismay. Their "confessional" Synod Popes avert their eyes, pretending not to notice congregations playing the whore with Fuller, Trinity Divinity, Willow Creek and worse. All the gimmicks are sweet and enticing, but they yield nothing but unbelief in the end, because they start with unbelief.

The three Synod Popes should be around for the next anniversary of the Reformation 2017. That year will be a nightmare of reflection and horror as people look back at the self-willed destruction of the Lutheran Church. Many will have their Robert Schuller moments. Good ol' Bob will not even walk into the cathedral of ego he built near Disneyland and Fuller Seminary. It is a Catholic Cathedral now.

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LPC has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende Goes Medieval on Heinrich Schmid":

Fake Ichabod wrote a post bagging Schmid on predestination claiming the theologian was a synergist. Now a synergist is someone who believes that the human will cooperates with the Holy Spirit in salvation.

The Faker's post shows he is a master in missing the point and an expert in speaking from his behind when he charges Schmid of synergism. In that quote in his post we see no mention by Schmid about the human will. In fact Schmid's book shows he was not a synergist when he quoted Quensted approvingly. There he quoted Quensted...

QUEN. (IV, 281): "God is the principal efficient cause of saving faith. John 6: 29: Phil 1: 29. Hence~ ...and it is said to be of the operation of God, This shows that faith proceeds from God. who regenerates, and is not the product of our own will; it is not meritorious. It has its origin in grace, not in nature; it is adventitious, not hereditary; supernatural, not natural. That which, in respect to its commencement, its increase, and its completion, is from God, cannot depend upon our will and the powers of nature. But faith is of God in its commencement, Phil. 2: 13; 1:6; in its increase,
Mark 9: 24; Luke 17: 5; and in its completion, Phil. 1: 6; 2 Thess. 1:11. Therefore, etc." BR. (721) : ( The moving internal cause is the goodness of God, or His mercy and gratuitous favor (Phil. 1: 29); the external is the merit of Christ."

So the Faker is desperate in bagging those who expose their own Huberism.

LPC

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Joel Lillo said...

Yeah, get ready for more Eskimo graphics because of the one time someone wrote "Inuitu" instead of "Intuitu." I think that joke wasn't funny the first 300 times he used it.

Still funny.

Becoming Snowball - The Final State in WELS Abuse

All WELS pastors are brothers, equal in every respect,
but some are more equal than others.

George Orwell's satire of Stalinism, Animal Farm, fits the Wisconsin Sect quite well. Totalitarian groups demand complete obedience and submission to the Great Leader (see Bishop Stephan, then Pope Walther).

The rules are idealistic and strict, but they do not apply to the leader pigs.

Years ago I called one pastor Snowball. I had him read Animal Farm to see if it reminded him of WELS. Snowball is the ultimate loyalist. But Napoleon the pig has him driven off by the guard dogs and blamed for the subsequent failures at the farm, all of which are consequences of the leadership.

The leader pigs accept no responsibility for their problems. They rewrite history to make Snowball a traitor rather than the hero of the Battle of the Cowshed.

Snowball's supporters are forced to confess and are executed.

No one will admit the truth of this Photoshop -
that Valleskey, Bivens, Olson and others owe their jobs
to Fuller and other  Schools of Enthusiasm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Commandments#Animalism:

The original commandments are:

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.

Later, Napoleon and his pigs secretly revise some commandments to clear them of accusations of law-breaking (such as "No animal shall drink alcohol" having "to excess" appended to it and "No animal shall sleep in a bed" with "with sheets" added to it). The changed commandments are as follows, with the changes bolded:

1. No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.
2. No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.
3. No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.

Eventually these are replaced with the maxims, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others", and "Four legs good, two legs better!" as the pigs become more human. This is an ironic twist to the original purpose of the Seven Commandments, which were supposed to keep order within Animal Farm by uniting the animals together against the humans, and by prevent (sic) animals from following the humans' evil habits. Through the revision of the commandments, Orwell demonstrates how simply political dogma can be turned into malleable propaganda.

Repentance among the Antinomians? That Is for You, Not for Them

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Heinrich Schmid and the Intuitu Fidei Smokescreen":

Ichabod -

Not only do the universal objective justification enthusiasts short change the importance of justification by faith and the Holy Spirit; when do you ever witness them communicate about the importance of "repentance?" I suppose [to them] repentance isn't all that important, even though Scripture surely highlights it:

Acts 2:38 ; Acts 3:19 ; Acts 17:30 ; Acts 20:21 ; Acts 26:20 ; Matthew 3:2 ; Matthew 3:8-9 ; Matthew 4:17 ; Luke 15:1-32 ; Luke 24:47

Also, The Book of Concord highlights repentance, as well: AC - Augsburg Confession XII; also Article XII of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, with its lengthy emphasis on penitence.

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

Chipmunk and a sunflower seed.

***

GJ - The UOJ gurus are Antinomians. They think nothing of violating the Ten Commandments, especially the First Table, 6, and 8, while shouting "Eighth Commandment."

Pope Paul the Plagiarist uses the lash to urge repentance on everyone who disagrees with him and Holy Mother Missouri Synod.

Historic St. John Lutheran Church - Organ Concert. Milwaukee, July 8

David Moseley has left a new comment on your post "Pipe Organ Concert at Historic St. John Lutheran C...":

It's going to be a great concert! Please come out if you can!

David Moseley

Famous Moravians: Andy Griffith, America’s favourite dad … and sheriff « Churchmouse Campanologist

Andy Griffith and Ron Howard.
Ron became successful as a teen actor, as a young adult actor, and as a director.
Ron was also the boy in "Music Man."

Famous Moravians: Andy Griffith, America’s favourite dad … and sheriff « Churchmouse Campanologist:


Reading about Andy Griffith’s demise at the age at the age of 86, millions of Americans must have felt as if part of them had died, too. I know I did.

Although many television fans around the world connect Griffith with his later incarnation as Matlock, for Baby Boomers and their parents, Sheriff Andy Taylor represented the best father and wisest sheriff in America!

Surprisingly, Griffith never won an Emmy for his role as Andy Taylor. However, he was such a great actor that many Americans were shocked to see his promotional advertisements for Barack Obama co-starring television son Opie, director Ron Howard.

GJ - More at the link.


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Heinrich Schmid and the Intuitu Fidei Smokescreen

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schmid/theology.pdf

I recall Tim Glende exploding with the Intuitu Fidei charge against Schmid's Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. But Tim spelled it as Inuitu Fidei, the faith of the Inuit Indian tribe. He! Studied! Greek! Does Mequon offer an class in English as a first language?

I ordered a printed copy of Schmid from Alibris, even though I have the entire contents on this blog.

You can order Knapp, the Halle University professor who trained Bishop Martin Stephan, STD, in UOJ. My copy dates back to a few years before the syphilitic bishop landed his troops on the shores of New Orleans.

Walther learned his UOJ from Bishop Stephan, his second cell group leader. Walther, who kidnapped more people than Bruno Richard Hauptmann, taught that every single person in the world was forgiven when Christ rose from the dead. The Easter absolution is pure Rambach Pietism, as Jay Webber has conceded.

Melanchthon and the Concordists rejected the notion of faith as a virtue. They never taught that. Who did?

Arminians and Calvinists
The Arminians argued faith as a decision, as a virtue - which the Calvinists denied. The UOJ fanatics, in arguing against justification by faith, use a Calvinist argument. UOJ Enthusiasts have no concept of faith created by the Holy Spirit at work in the Word, because they have never comprehended the Means of Grace, the efficacy of the Word.

Missourians and WELSians call justification by faith Calvinism or Intuitu Fidei (in view of faith, faith as a virtue - Arminianism). Their doctrinal knowledge and discernment is few fries short of a Happy Meal.

Like Hobos on a Hotdog
Why do the Stormtroopers jump on Heinrich Schmid like hobos on a hotdog? The ignorant like to poison the well in advance. "Oh no - you are not going to quote Schmid. He is totally Intuitu Fidei. My dog notes say so."

Schmid was one of those best sellers among the old WELS pastors and also the old ALC pastors. I often saw copies at Trinity Seminary sales in Columbus, when the geezers left their orthodox libraries to the new mode ELCA seminarians. How Lenski and Leupold would have cringed to see their school defiled.

The Content of Schmid
I hate to admit that Schmid created the first Megatron (my database of  3,000 quotations). He gathered orthodox Luther quotations and organized them by category.

But Schmid took his volumes of Lutheran orthodoxy and manually copied and organized them. The original Oxford English Dictionary was created the same laborious way. No wonder the OED has grown like kudzu vine ever since.

The Great Unknown
Schmid does this for the pastor, professor, and layman - he opens up those lost volumes of orthodox Lutheran thought, with each quotation naming the author. Not until James Heiser got Repristination Press going did anyone publish so much of those lost volumes.

Like the Large Catechism of Luther, Schmid opens up the consistent Biblical teaching of the efficacy of the Word, the Means of Grace, justification by faith, and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Here is a text version of the entire book.

Below is a quotation from Schmid:

AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 55 

[5] GRH. (I, 9): "Those who are within the Church do not in 
quire about the authority of Scripture, for this is their starting- 
point. How can they be true disciples of Christ if they pretend 
to call in question the doctrine of Christ ? How can they be true 
members of the Church if they are in doubt concerning the founda 
tion of the Church ? How can they wish to prove that to them 
selves which they always employ to prove other things? How 
can they doubt concerning that whose efficacy they have experi 
enced in their own hearts? The Holy Spirit testifies in their 
hearts that the Spirit is truth, i. e., that the doctrine derived from 
the Holy Spirit is absolute truth. 

[6] GRH. therefore very properly observes, that the doctrine of 
the authority of Scripture is no article of faith, but rather the 
fountain-head of the articles of faith. (I, 11): "The doctrine 
concerning the Canon is, properly speaking, not an article of faith, 
since Moses, the prophets, evangelists, and apostles did not fabri 
cate in their writings a new article of faith superadded to the 
former, which they taught orally." 

[7] GRH. (II, 37): "The first (testimony) is the internal wit 
ness of the Holy Spirit, who, as He bears witness to the spirit 
of believers that they are the sons of God, Rom. 8 : 16, so, 
also, efficaciously convinces them, that in the Scriptures the 
voice of their Heavenly Father is contained; and is the only 
fit and authentic witness. To this testimony belongs the lively 
sense of the godly in daily prayer and in the exercises of penitence 
and faith, the grace of consoling and strengthening the mind 
against all kinds of adversities, temptations, persecutions, etc., 
etc., which the godly daily experience in reading and meditating 
upon Scripture." 

QUEN. (I, 97): "The ultimate reason by and through which 
we are led to believe with a divine and unshaken faith that God s 
Word is God s Word, is the intrinsic power and efficacy of that 
Word itself, and the testimony and seal of the Holy Spirit, speak 
ing in and through Scripture. Because the bestowment of faith, 
not only that by which we believe in the articles, but even that by 
which we believe in the Scriptures, that exhibit and propose the 
articles, is a work that emanates from the Holy Spirit, or the 
Supreme Cause." 

HOLL. (116): " By the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit, is 
here understood the supernatural act of the Holy Spirit through 
the Word of God, attentively read or heard (His own divine power 
being communicated to the Holy Scriptures), moving, opening, 
illuminating the heart of man, and inciting it to obedience...

Giant Volumes Condensed

MDivs like to toss around terms while showing no knowledge of Biblical or doctrinal study. Introductory courses--where the professors have to pass the sons of synod politicians--are not enough to justify claims of being an expert.

Many would say that a PhD is just the beginning of a lifetime of theological study. How much more study is needed for an MDiv offered by political hacks, selected for their loyalty to UOJ and Fuller Seminary?

Not Schmid, But Fuller Students Like Olson, Valleskey, Bivens
Worst of all, Lutherans are expected to pay homage to functionaries, who utterly reject Lutheran doctrine, based on the recently printed essays of pastors chosen to repeat the same recent palaver.

WELSians should find it fascinating that the sect has used its abusive nature to replace everything from the past with Left-wing Fuller propaganda (while lying about it).

All it takes with totalitarians is to change a few dictators and the sheep will follow them. A discussion with WELS leaders is no different from the Protest'ant days, when it meant "Shut up and listen to me telling you off." I have seen it in person many times, and I have witnessed the experts run away like little girls.

Intuitu Fidei Smokescreen
I am borrowing this concept from a researcher. Walther seems to have abused the article on election to create a nifty smokescreen for his absurd dogma. He could not tackle the Book of Concord directly on justification by faith, where his position was obliterated long before he was born.

Instead, Walther tried to make a case for election for no reason (since he was God's counselor). That was how Walther took the Holy Spirit, the efficacy of the Word, and faith out of the order of salvation.

Like all Enthusiasts, to paraphrase Luther, Walther did not find the Word of God efficacious, but thought his own words were. And he filled many volumes with his words. His qualifications? He graduated from a rationalistic university and he subordinated himself to two Pietistic cell group leaders. The Concordists would have laughed him out of the room. He was not qualified to be a theologian or a teacher, but he forced his views on many. It took his disciple F. Pieper to canonize UOJ in the Brief Statement of 1932. After that time, conservatives agree, the LCMS tanked.

We should not inquire about the work of God, but Walther knew better. Shoving Romans aside, as he did with justification by faith, Walther taught an election of his own invention, to get rid of faith. Even the worst ninnies of the Intuitu Fidei guardians admit that the original statement was entirely correct. Now the Latin slogan is simply tossed at anyone who teaches justification by faith - and at Schmid for quoting the orthodox Lutherans instead of the Great Walther Kidnapper.

Vatican urged to rescind threats to excommunicate Chinese bishops - Globaltimes.cn.

Cyber-Xerox

Vatican urged to rescind threats to excommunicate Chinese bishops - Globaltimes.cn:


The State Administration for Religious Affairs on Wednesday urged the Vatican to rescind its threats to excommunicate two Chinese bishops, who are to be consecrated without papal approval, and return to the "correct path of dialogue."

The threats of excommunication are "extremely unreasonable and rude," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Yue Fusheng and Ma Daqin will be consecrated on Friday and Saturday in Heilongjiang Province and Shanghai, respectively.

The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association was forced to begin to consecrate elected bishops in the 1950s after the Vatican threatened to impose excommunication.

The association has so far consecrated more than 190 elected bishops, which has helped to guarantee and promote the healthy development of Chinese Catholic churches, according to the spokesperson.

Continuing the practice of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association consecrating elected bishops is necessary to spread the word of Catholicism in China, as there have been no bishops in several of the country's dioceses for some time, the spokesperson said.

The practice is also the strong aspiration of the majority of priests and believers and a manifestation of religious freedom, according to the spokesperson.

"Any repudiation or interference with this religious practice is a restriction of freedom and an intolerant act. It is detrimental to the healthy development of Catholic churches in both China and the world," the spokesperson said.

The Chinese government is willing to discuss any issue, including the consecration of bishops, with the Vatican, but the government will continue to support the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association in independently selecting and consecrating its bishops before the two sides reach a consensus, the spokesperson said.

Pope John the Malefactor

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If You Love Pipe Organ Concerts and Historic Lutheran Churches, Save July 8th.

July 8th, St. John Lutheran Church, Milwaukee

Pipe Organ Concert at Historic St. John Lutheran Church. Sunday, July 8th, 3 PM.

A Musical Journey: An afternoon concert of sacred classics. Come and enjoy sacred classics such as Malotte’s “The Lord’s Prayer,” beloved hymns, and a selection from Handel’s Messiah performed by classical musicians David Porth (Organ), David Moseley (Piano and Tenor), and Meredith Brown (Soprano). The concert takes place on Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 3:00pm. The concert will be at the historic St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (804 W. Vliet Street in Milwaukee). This concert is free to the public. For more information, please call or email David Moseley at 608-387-1336 or deutschjungedm@yahoo.com. “A Musical Journey” Prelude--Bach’s prelude and fugue in C minor 1. Opening Hymn: Built on the Rock OFFICIAL WELCOME 2. Ave Redemptor (Bach/Gounod) 3. On Eagle’s Wings--duet (Joncas) 4. Rejoice Greatly O Daughter of Zion (Handel) 5. The Church’s One Foundation Offertory--Amazing Grace, John Benke arrangement ***INTERMISSION*** 6. For All the Saints 7. Psalm XIX (Marcello) 8. How Great Thou Art . Lloyd Larson Arrangement 9. Lord’s Prayer (Malotte) A word of thanks from Pastor Hastings 10. Rhosymedre (Vaughn Williams)

Facebook Event.

"WELS Delay on the NNIV Is a Ruse" - Buying Time To Let Opposition Subside

Signals intelligence intercepted this message from a WELS bigwig:

"The NNIV will more than likely be ratified and that this postponement was merely a pressure valve to let the layman, and pastors who object, let off steam."

Someone asked me, "Is there any real opposition to the NNIV?"

There is at the moment. At the district conventions the NNIV was as popular as a driving lesson from Lindsay Lohan.

However, the California-Arizona-Las Vegas district of WELS was against Jeff Gunn's quasi-Babtist emergent congregation for years, but just had a luv-fest welcoming  them into membership in WELS. Those who opposed the Rick Warren copycat were told to repent.

This is typical Diaprax. Let everyone have a say. Let them debate. Let them blow off steam. Form a committee. Form two committees. Then fix the vote that matters and call it a victory for the democratic process and God's will.

That is how WELS got rid of Northwestern College, and they never had the votes. That did not matter. The sheep were told they had lost - a lie. The sheep bleated a few years and watched the Gurgle crew blow $30 million on the cash-saving merger of the two colleges. The $30 million is rumored, but the $8 million claim was fictional. Pick a figure. You don't know the SP's salary and benefits. Do you think the actual figures are your business? Hmm?

I noticed WELS' radical Left substance from the beginning, because I already experienced the radical takeover of the Lutheran Church in America. Some of the best theologians of America came from that tradition - and from The ALC, in the distant past. No one would guess that now.

Constant deception is the main feature of WELS. That is why they want nothing published outside their little mimeograph room at The Love Shack. All independent publications are dangerous because the truth would come out - about the false doctrine, unionism, murders, child molestations, embezzlements, etc. That is why they manage and control Herman Otten energetically.

Here are some obvious examples - the claim versus the truth:

• WELS is in fellowship only with the ELS.
• WELS works with ELCA on many different projects, with all religions via Thrivent, and sends their leaders to Fuller, Willow Creek, and Trinity Divinity - skimming offering dollars to accomplish their re-education program.
• WELS subscribes to the Book of Concord - quia, no less.
• WELS constantly teaches against the Confessions and turns out pastors who loath the Book of Concord as much as the professors in the system - not that anyone actually knows the content. 
• WELS believes in the inerrancy of the Scriptures and despises the liberals who do not.
• WELS is promoting the worst translation, really a lame paraphrase, of the Bible, one spawned by the worst apostates. They gladly work with all denominations, even Roman Catholics, but deny it. SP Schroeder just signed a statement with all denominations and the Muslims. Did Brenner need the Muslims behind him? The Catholics?
• WELS is ultra-conservative and strict, very tough on discipline.
• Hahahahaha. They are far to the left of Missouri. Like all mainline National of Council Churches, they punish those who adhere to the original statement of faith or the olden days practices (closed communion). They reward the apostates who follow their example in training at Fuller Seminary. Their abuse of members is legendary. Question Holy Mother WELS - Left Foot of Fellowship. No due process - just the boot. Plagiarism is rewarded with cash grants, loans, and speaking engagements in WELS.
• WELS practices closed communion.
• WELS put the pressure on mission pastors to practice open communion, or at least don't ask don't tell communion - 20 years ago.
• WELS opposes women's ordination.
• WELS promotes women's ordination. They handed Brug the priceless J. P. Meyer dog notes and made him dogmatics professor because he studied Hebrew. Brug approved women's ordination about 15 years ago - in The Popes Speak - the official journal of WELS, aka WLQ. Church and Change has set up young female ministers all over the place and promoted them via FICL.
• WELS ministers are heterosexuals.
• The majority probably are, but there are too many incidents of homosexual pastors and staff getting into trouble which, like a DUI, is a sign of much more of the same. That indicates a network. A DP's tolerance of a known homosexual pastor, and the SP's do-nothing attitude, both suggest another don't ask don't tell policy. You can decode the data - mattress room, the Fox Valley arrest, the pastor who died of AIDS, etc. And that is what has come to me from many different and varied sources.
• WELS is a Lutheran church body. 
• WELS is really an anti-Lutheran sect, exemplified by rancid Pietism, a reversal of Law and Gospel, and an unearned smugness for being superior. All the money - and power - has been on the side of copying Fuller, Willow Creek, and the rest of mainline Evangelical morons, ever since 1977. Preparation for the radicalism began earlier, according to my source, known only as California. WELS hates Luther's doctrine and despises justification by faith. Try to find a leader in WELS who can articulate the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, or why they need to repent. There are some, but they will never be heard, never be tolerated for a second. 
• WELS got rid of Church and Change, so it is becoming more confessional.
• WELS got rid of the Church and Change website, but the WELS-funded group had already spawned many clones to continue their demon-anointed work of destroying the Lutheran Church. They get constant support from SP Mark Schroeder. Paul Kelm has been the most visible spokesman, first at Church and Change, now at Wisconsin Lutheran College, which begat C and C (with Fox Valley pastors). Except for very brief pastoral careers, Kelm has been on the synod dole for most of his career.

If you believe the blue text, you are happy in an abusive, mainline sect.

If the red text is starting to make sense, count yourself lucky if you have a faithful pastor who does not have a secret I Heart Groeschel tattoo.

WELS is not as bad as Scientology, but the parallels are startling, including physical abuse during the GA initiation rite at Mequon (which continues still). WELS and Scientology have an obsession with maintaining a holier-than-thou image, calling anyone with the facts "a liar" and worse.

Perhaps the Mormon religion is a closer parallel. People need to accept a different reality to imagine that Mormonism is true and reasonable. As our friend with the double doctorate from Yale said, "You take the classes and one day, either walk away from the absurdities, or snap and accept everything."