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| Right Reverend Bishop Jim Heiser, STM |
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| ELDONUT Eric Stephanski |
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| ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton |
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the National Council of Churches.
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Picture Gallery
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Pretzel Pastor and Yeastologist Graduated from the Late, Great Seminex But Is Now an LSTC Alumnus
Rev. Ron Glusenkamp named one of 2021's Distinguished Alumni at LSTC
"The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) has named five 2021 Distinguished Alumni, including Rev. Ronald Glusenkamp, who is currently serving as Interim Pastor at Desert Hills Lutheran in Green Valley. Learn more at the LSTC website.
The Rev. Ronald Glusenkamp (Christ Seminary-Seminex, 1980, MDiv), who recently celebrated 40 years of ordained ministry, will receive the Called to Lead Award.
He has faithfully served successful, healthy congregations in Wichita, Kan., Kansas City, Mo., St. Louis, Mo., and Denver, Colo. with growing ministries and outreach. He has served the greater church with positions at the Board of Pensions in Minneapolis and at the ELCA Churchwide Office in Chicago.
Under his leadership as director, The Campaign for the ELCA: Always Being Made New, focused on congregations, hunger and poverty, global church, and leadership, exceeded its campaign goal of $198 million by more than $50 million.
Glusenkamp is an outstanding communicator of the gospel and is a frequent guest preacher and speaker at synod assemblies and other gatherings. He excels at connecting the national church to individual congregations."
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GJ - I lived in the era of Seminex, so I am puzzled that the failed Seminex - by dispersing some of its faculty to the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago - could by hocus-pocus make the Pretzel Pastor an alumnus of LSTC.
However, that star-crossed seminary awards its name to anyone who went to a previous school. Augustana Seminary graduates are now LSTC graduates. Maywood graduates (ULCA) are LSTC alumni, etc. I counted up seven (7) previous schools that contributed to the dying LSTC.
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| But the kids came back the very next day, The kids came back, we thought that they were goners. But the kids came back, they couldn't stay away, away, away. |
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| Oh the drama! So many self-righteous frauds and phonies lost (for several hours) to Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis. I am choking back the tears, tears of laughter. |
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| My English may be crippled by grading too many assignments - but - How were students exiled when they took upon themselves, with faculty guidance, the burden of leaving for a few hours and coming back to deluxe dorm rooms and tasty food? They did not take up the cross but double-crossed the nation with tawdry publicity. |
A large majority of the seminary's students voted on the morning of February 19 to continue their education under the targeted faculty at an off-campus site. Immediately after the students passed their resolution, they and the majority of the faculty staged a dramatic walkout, inviting the local press for the event.[18][19] Singing "The Church's One Foundation" [Methodist], they processed out of the seminary grounds, where students had planted white crosses bearing their names. The event attracted a great deal of media attention. However, the seminary's Board of Control subsequently accused the students of disingenuous posturing, noting that the students had returned to the seminary cafeteria for lunch immediately after their supposed departure and continued to live in student housing for the remainder of the term.
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| Jungkuntz became the chairman of the board of Seminex, and they became the official seminary of the Metropolitan Community Church, which no longer mentions them. Many WELS pastors of that era still remember Jungkuntz with great fondness, one with tears in his eyes. Few realize that Northwestern College - RIP - WELS - is one of the key sources for Seminex leaders. |
To Share a Smile from 1832 Miles Away
The phone rang and the panel lit up - Andy. Christina was not entirely awake. I had tried to elicit a smile, but the meds were winning. Andrea (Andy) called out, "I LOVE YOU GRAMMIE!"
Christina broke out into a huge smile and listened to the mother-daughter back and forth. Andy did not want to give up the phone at all; sometimes she speed dials us.
Christina fell back to sleep with a beautiful smile on her face.
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| "Sometimes staff resist my direct orders." |
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Amazin' Amazon
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David Daniels - A Popular and Effective Writer for the KJV Bible.
Seek Ye a Pussy-footer? Look Somewhere Else!
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| David W. Daniels earned an MDiv from Fuller Seminary and began writing books in defense of the KJV Bible. His popular style gets his points across and shows an exceptional grasp of historical details and Biblical translations. |
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| Look What's Missing in the Non-KJV Bibles: Starring the NIV and ESV |
This is a good example of Daniels presenting the problems with the NIV and ESV missing verses - since the KJV text is written and the Jefferson Bible style erasures are marked out like this, with the various guilty translations listed. This puts the lie to "I don't use the NIV. I use the ESV, which is much better" ELDONA lie.
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| The New KJV bows to the Nestle Aland UBS Greek New Testament and uses the KJV to form a bridge to the new, bad paraphrases, sold as "translations." |
Pastors and laity have the divine obligation to know what is happening in the giddy world of "translations" being paraphrases (Eugene Nida, ABS/UBS) that change their own wording frequently - especially the NIV and ESV.
The fields of text and translation are large and varied, but there is no excuse to remain ignorant when so many readable books are available at reasonable prices.
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| Apostates hate the KJV. Norma A. Boeckler always quotes the KJV, which remains the best-selling translation, the only one connected to Martin Luther through the martyr William Tyndale, who died for the crime of translating the Bible from Hebrew and Greek. |
Monday, August 16, 2021
Luther Anticipated the Observations of Theodore P. Letis
One advantage of publishing "the blog nobody reads" is hearing from people who challenge that claim. They offer me insights from their own situation and they provide sources for more research. Recently, two authors were mentioned by readers. I wrote about the first - Laurence Vance - and his books on the King James Version.
I knew a little about Letis, but a reminder from another reader caused me to dig through my pile of KJV books and uncover The Ecclesiastical Text, by Theodore P. Letis, $20.
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| Letis - Edward Freer Hills' Contribution to the revival of the Ecclesistical Text, $900. |
I was already a reader of Edward Freer Hills' work, so this is an important book, given Letis' ability to summarize research.
WELS-LCMS-ELDONA-CLC-ELS Deny the Inerrancy of the Scriptures.
They Follow ELCA in Everything Foul, Wrong, and Despicable.
PLAN - The Pan-Lutheran Association of Non-Believers - has been on the forefront of rejecting, mocking, and replacing the King James Version for decades. Notice - they also follow Rome in three-year calendars (papal), new names and definitions of Sundays for the simpletons (papal), and the liturgical colors from baby blue to ballet pink (papal).
No Lutheran leader can claim to advocate the inerrancy of the Scriptures while promoting such monstrosities as the NIV, NRSV, ESV, and the BrugSV.
Some wonder - "What about the New KJV?" It shares the same prejudice against the Traditional Majority Text by citing the Nestle Aland UBS Greek New Testament. They use (M) for Majority Text, lost on most people - and (NU) for Nestle Aland UBS. The New KJV should have show some honesty, mostly lacking at TAN - Thomas A. Nelson - by designation the two as (KJV) and Nasty Ugly Butcher-job) - (Nasty) for short.
As some are beginning to see, the footnotes deny what the main text seems to say. A stink-bomb from the NIV crowd is Isaiah 7:14 -
- Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
If that is a legitimate translation, then the rest of the Bible is nothing more than a joke.
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| NIV "But all are justified - OJ - is a big win for us." |
The many erasures accomplished by the NIV-ESV have the effect of saying there is very left-wing versions proclaimed in the footnotes so apostates do not have to feel nervous, depressed, anxious, or faithful to the Word.
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| "Hands off My Bible" in WELS means - Leave the NIV alone! |
Sunday, August 15, 2021
The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, 2021.
The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, 2021
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
God is in His holy habitation:
He is God who setteth the solitary in families.
The God of Israel is He that giveth strength:
and power unto His people.
Psalm. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered:
let them also that hate Him flee before Him.
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
My heart trusteth in God, and I am helped:
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;
and with my song will I praise Him.
V. Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord, my Rock:
be not silent to me; hear the voice at my supplications.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Lord, Thou hast been our Dwelling Place in all generations.
Hallelujah!
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
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 # 514 God Moves in a Mysterious Way
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 # 514 God Moves in a Mysterious Way
In Our Prayers
- In therapy - Mary Howell, Randy Anderson, Christina Jackson, John Hicks. Pastor Jim Shrader, Kermit Way.
- Medical issues - Chris Shrader, Maria Way.
- Floods: Germany, Turkey, China, Belgium, England, Japan, N. Korea.
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| Norma A. Boeckler |
KJV 1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
KJV Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Eleventh Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to guide and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not forget our sins and be filled with pride, but continue in daily repentance and renewal, seeking our comfort only in the blessed knowledge that Thou wilt be merciful unto us, forgive us our sins, and grant us eternal life; through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
The Word - Instrument of God's Grace
Background for the Epistle lesson, 1 Corinthians 15:1ff.
Here is a basic concept in the Bible that is scorned, neglected, and opposed by many. The Word is the Instrument of God's grace. Instrument is the Word used in the Book of Concord as another way of saying Means of Grace. Those phases are foreign to non-Lutherans and to Lutheran leaders and professors. For once, Latin is a guide - the Latin term for instruments is media. We use that Latin term all the time - social media, the media, print media, broadcast media.
The allergy to saying media is one of religion rather than logic. God's graces comes to us only through the Holy Spirit at work in the Word, whether the invisible Word of teaching and preaching or the visible Word of the Sacraments - Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Means of Grace is shorthand for both the invisible and visible media.
I use media ministries because the term fits. We have:
- An artist conveying the truths of the Scriptures in visual creations.
- A couple doing the same with spoken expressions of our faith.
- An editor gathering and sending Lutheran and traditional works via PDFs and low-cost print books, non-profit.
- The worship service and Bible lessons broadcast over the Internet, and print books sent out free and at a low cost, non-profit.
They are all instruments, media, means to bring God's grace to people.
Luther had a great illustration of this - paraphrased - The Enthusiasts talk about Jesus all the time, but they tear down the bridge to reach Him - the Means of Grace.
The lesson about Easter in 1 Corinthians 15 is a great example of this. Paul did exactly what he taught in Romans 10. The Report (Isaiah 53 - who has believed our report) creates and sustains faith. Faith comes by hearing (the Report) of Jesus dying for our sins.
KJV 1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
The Apostle Paul - and the Apostles - how did they create the Christian Church, given by Christ, for the world to enjoy? They lacked:
- Money
- Land
- Planning Committees
- S.M.A.R.T. goals
- Surveys
- Fuller Seminary diplomas.
Clearly they trusting in the power of the Word alone. The phrasing of this passage make that clear. Paul's preaching - they heard the report of Isaiah 53. They received it - they believed what God conveyed through the Holy Spirit in the Word. That faith is their foundation for forgiveness and for eternal life - as long as that remains in their minds, as preached by Paul - taught by the Risen Lord. But if they stopped believed, it was in vain that Paul proclaimed those truths.
Comparing this to many modern sermons - Paul's Gospel Word is not at all like success lectures, time management, or getting more friends. It seems reasonable that those attracted to such carnival acts gather for the wrong reasons. Nothing good can come of this, no matter how much they add up the membership, land owned, and other such items.
The older we are, the less we value fungible assets, the more we value eternal treasures. The Book of Concord calls the lessons of the Scriptures - treasures, especially those teaching faith in Christ.
In communicating with Old Testament students, I expect them to look for and find that vein of gold running through the Old Testament. It is not so obvious at first but becomes impossible to miss. Because Jesus Himself taught this at the end of Luke's Gospel.
Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
We should especially remember this advantage that they had in the Apostolic Age, better in many ways that our hand-held devices and laptops.
Writing materials were scarce and books were rare in the apostolic age. If a man has to ride a horse without a saddle and stirrups, he must become a superb rider. If someone learns without books he can keep, he must have a highly developed memory to store his knowledge.
Listening was very important and retaining knowledge was crucial. There are many examples of people who memorized entire books. What was put into writing was infinitesimal compared to today, but it was valued and often retained by those who could memorize what mattered most.
Paul cited the Old Testament, which was the only content called Scriptures in the Apostolic Age. The ministry of Christ was based on citing the Old Testament and the Apostles were the same. The Old Testament - without recognizing Christ in its books - has hundreds of passages that make no sense. Those passages cited in the New Testament show that the calendar of events and the description all became true in the ministry of Jesus.
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Additional confirmation of the empty tomb is found here and elsewhere, besides the Gospels. This is how faith in Christ was generated by the Gospel Promises among people who never saw and never heard Christ. These are the witnesses, and recalling these truths serve as the bridge to Jesus Christ and faith in Him. He rose from the dead (human nature) because He was without sin (divine nature). This was such a great miracle that the disciples had trouble grasping it.
Everything happened in Paul's lifetime but he did not believe until the risen Lord Jesus Christ appeared before him and taught him the Gospel. Evangelism is not someone's sure-fire tactics but witnessing to the truth of the Gospel - without doubting the Bible or changing it into another kind of book.
These are point by point examples of people seeing and hearing Jesus Christ risen from the dead. Persecution could not stop them from speaking.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Faith in Christ is not generated or strengthened by us but by the actual Gospel Promises. They are grafted onto us at baptism or by the preached Word itself (James - the implanted or grafted Word). This faith gives us access to Christ at all times. He dwells in us and we dwell in Him, just as He is in the Father and the Father in Him.
Clearly, the efforts against the text of the Bible, Hebrew and Greek, and the persecution of the best, clear translation, the King James, is the boldest sign of apostasy, because it is being energized by the elite (in their imaginations). They no longer believe.
Every bracket and footnote in modern Bibles is used to cause doubt in the faithful transmission of the Scriptures. That leads to doubt in the message of Paul, though his saint's day is observed with billows of incense and much bowing.
Every Lutheran should wonder why the Sacraments are removed from the NIV and other translations, the basic truths twisted to be the opposite ("all" are justified) and the faith of Jesus erased.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
This was Paul, pleading for the converts to remember what he taught, so they would not fall into apostasy, sin, and ruin. There are two attitudes today.
Apostates - Power is in everything but the Word.
The Faithful - Power is only found in the Word.
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