Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Fireproof Babtist Film - Big Hit in WELS, Loved by FIC, Promoted by NPH




From the Editors Who Promoted Latte Lutheran Church:
Fireproof, a movie about a firefighter who is considering divorce, received mixed reviews when it was released last September. Some critics said the movie was a bit gimmicky and melodramatic; others called it uplifting and impressive. Members of Reformation, San Diego, Calif., however, saw it as a way to reach out to the community.

“It has a solid Christian message about the importance of doing marriage the way God designed it to be done and ‘fireproofing’ your marriage against the temptations of the devil, the world, and your sinful nature,” says Kevin Schultz, pastor at Reformation. So the congregation decided to organize a Fireproof campaign, complete with a six-week sermon and Bible study series on marriage.

To advertise the series, the congregation mailed out 5,000 postcards to community members. “We had 127 visitors attend, many of which were unchurched or first-time guests,” says Schultz. At the end of each sermon, Schultz gave separate assignments to the couples and to the singles in the congregation that they were to do during the week.

Overall, Schultz says reactions were positive. One couple facing difficulties in their marriage said the series reignited their desire to work on their marriage instead of giving up on it. Others said it gave them a renewed commitment to their marriage. A divorced woman from the community listened to the sermons on tape and said they taught her how to “do marriage right” if she remarried and motivated her to start attending her church regularly again.

“I think this campaign helped our congregation see once again how God’s Word can change people’s lives and, in this case, their marriages,” says Schultz. “It certainly brought a new excitement to the congregation during the six weeks of the campaign. It also provided a great opportunity for members to get involved by inviting their friends and neighbors to come and hear how God’s Word is relevant to their life today.”

Volume 96, number 3, 03-1-2009, category: news. FIC


Fireproof was advertized at Bethany, Appleton, on The CORE calendar.

Firepoof was studied at St. Marcus.

Fireproof My Marriage website

Fireproof Pietistic Cell Group Kit

Fireproof NPH kit - based on the movie. The same Babtists who did "Facing the Giants" produced this one. The cinema students in the graduate program at Regent University thought "Facing the Giants" was hilariously bad. The cinema professor agreed.

Victory of the Lamb (C and C) Tim Felt-Needs. Loving Fireproof.

Bloomington is fireproofing.



***

GJ - How about a new series? - Fireproof Your Divine Call!

The Four Horsemen of St. Marcus



Lampe, Ski, Becker, Spencer--Church and Chicanery Board Members, Past and Present--Working for St. Markus/Time of Grace, Mark Jeske.
Bishop Katy beams down on them.


KJV Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.


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Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "The Four Horsemen of St. Marcus":

GJ, have the men in white jackets come for you yet? Keep posting your terribly ridiculous pictures, and they'll be knocking on your door sooner than you think!

***

GJ - I do get a few anonymous outpatients sending comments. Thanks for the encouragement.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Four Horsemen of St. Marcus":

I love the pictures. Can't get more ridiculous than Ski's love for non-Lutherans.

How can the synod turn a blind eye to Ski? to Patterson's cloning network? to Jeske's grant mill?

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Four Horsemen of St. Marcus":

How appropriate that the rider of the black horse measures out the grains and oil (popcorn & butter) ... and that the four horsemen are galloping right off the cliff together.


+Diet O. Worms

The Cover Story versus The Facts




The CORE News and Events

(still listed as of today on their websty).


April 17
Wildwood Film Festival
The CORE will be hosting one evening of the Wildwood Flim Festival. This festival features local filmmakers and will be held on April 17th at 6:30 and 9:00 pm. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door. For more information visit www.wildwoodfilmfest.com

The Cover Story:

I. J. Reilly has left a new comment on your post "Films at the Mission Church":

The Wildwood Film Festival had absolutely no connection to the Core except that it took place in the same location where the Core is conducting its ministry. This isn't the best analogy, I know, but it's kind of like when a church will let its building be used as a polling place. Hey, I would imagine that some pretty ungodly men and women received votes that were cast in a church building. This was not an event that was promoted among its church members as a church event. I agree that the organizers of the festival should have been more careful about the films they presented in that venue, but Ski really had no idea of what the movies would be like before the event took place.

Welcome to the camp, I guess we all know why we're here!

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The Facts:

if u r in appleton & looking for something to do tonight come on down to The CORE 4 the Wildwood Film Festival. Starts at 6:30 & 9:00
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Cover Story versus The Facts":

FACT: The CORE hosted this event and The CORE asked for its members to staff the event. It was NOT just a use of the facilities. The CORE gave approval for this function. The CORE could have denied having this held. It knew the content of the films and still hosted it.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Cover Story versus The Facts": The CORE also promoted the Wildwood Film Festival on its website.The CORE said it was hosting the event.


There's a church in the valley leased by Wildwood
No lovelier spot in A-town
No place is so dear to my childhood
As the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock.

(Oh, come, come, come, come)

Come to the church leased by Wildwood
Oh, come to the church in A-town
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock.

How sweet on a clear Sabbath morning
To listen to a Rock and Roll band
Its tones so loudly are calling
To the Popcorn Church built on sand.

(Oh, come, come, come, come)

Come to the church leased by Wildwood
Oh, come to the church in A-town,
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock.

There, close by the church in old A-town
Lies the doctrine I loved so well
We buried her beside the Willow Creek,
Cause we thought Schwaermer doctrine was swell.

(Oh, come, come, come, come)

Come to the church leased by Wildwood
Oh, come to the church in A-town.
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock.

There, close by the side of Craig Groeschel,
Near Driscoll, Stetzer, Stanley, and Sweet,
When they bury the last Lutheran synod,
Church and Change will shout, "That's neat!"

(Oh, come, come, come, come)

Come to the church leased by Wildwood
Oh, come to the church in A-town
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock.

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Wildwood Film FestivalFriday, April 17th
Shows at 6:30 and 9:00pm
"The CORE" (formerly the Big Picture Theater)
Appleton, Wisconsin

The Northwestern



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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Questions for DP Englebrecht and the WELS COP":

There was quite a stink here in A-Town a couple years back when the WELS congregations didn't/wouldn't/couldn't participate in a Thrivent-sponsored Habitat for Humanity drive. (Perhaps it wasn't only in A-Tizzle fo' shizzle, dawg, yo,.)

Why? Each day Habitat for Humanity opens with prayer before the hammers swing. It is contrary to our confession of faith to engage in such simple religious activity with other groups.

Yet... yet... called pastors from the Fox Valley go to outright Enthusiastic worship services -- with alter (sic) calls of public profession of faith and the laying on of hands --, exclaim about it to the www.world, seek help on how to build churches from the son of the director of the California Southern Baptist Convention, and get mezmerized by who-knows-what spirit by the awesome praize band.


Concerned WELS laymen, I'm talking to you. This is what WELS synod tolerates now. Your donations & your church's donations to synod pay the salary of the men - MEN - who are supposed to put their foot down. But they won't.

Perhaps 'tolerate' isn't the right word. WELS synod encourages it. You are the one tolerating it, with your silence.

+Diet O. Worms

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "The Cover Story versus The Facts":

Diet, I don't think WELS has any problem with Habitat for Humanity. Here is Pastor Mark Jeske giving the blessing with Habitat for Humanity.

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity
Friday, May 18 - afternoon
Home Blessing
As I return to the site Friday afternoon, I see the William's new home clean as a whistle and ready for occupancy. I am introduced to Dakari, Kayin and Amaris, Gloria and Bashambas' children. They are precious. Darkari makes his first trip up the ramp constructed especially for him; he is loving it. Kayin and Amaris are bouncing around, unable to contain their excitement. Kayin pulls Carmel Builders President, Tom, by the pants leg into what will be his new room. "I'm going to paint my room blue and green—my favorite colors", he exclaims.
Crowds are gathering now - preparing for the home dedication service. County Executive, Scott Walker, along with leaders from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity and the Carmel Builders Crew to celebrate the dream of home ownership for the Williams Family. Pastor Mark Jeske from Time of Grace Ministry gives a blessing and we all give thanks!
As I listen, I am reminded that what has been built this week is more than walls and a roof. Together, many hands with one vision have built a home. In the process we have formed community and laid a foundation for community to grow and thrive. This is really what it's all about and what Habitat is all about. Helping hands pulling together to truly make a difference in people's lives.
There's no better reason to celebrate!

http://www.thriventbuilds.com/homes/diary/index.html

Although WELS themselves have said this:
"Another concern is Habitat’s desire to be an ecumenical organization, that is, an organization with “a concern to reunite the divided Christian family” (p. 80). But this reuniting is not done on the basis of a careful study of the Scriptures. In his book, Fuller approvingly quotes the slogan, “Doctrine divides, service unites” (p. 80). He says unity comes about when people of diverse religious beliefs work together to build homes for the poor. “Maybe, just maybe, God wants to use ‘the theology of the hammer’ as a means to draw his divergent family closer together” (p. 79). This statement and others like it come close to making the building of homes for the poor a means of grace." Paul Janke, pastor at St. Peter, Modesto, California

http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1712&cxDatabase_databaseID=1&id=8719&magazine=Forward%20in%20Christ


***

GJ - I think all the DPs have had alter calls. They thought they were going to get tutored. Ditto the Sausage Factory professors.



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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Cover Story versus The Facts":

Most of the people attending the Wildwood Film Festival could probably use a good dose of Jesus. What better way to plant a seed. But I would say by the way all of the pompous asses carry on here, you need Jesus more. Satan is crouching at your door. Read Galations 2. Then read it again. And then read it again for good measure before it is too late. I don't know, maybe it is too late. There are no hearts of Jesus here. I think the Father, Son and Holy Ghost have left for the coast...fleeing from this blog.


Needed - more relational, relevant, and real signage.

St. Marcus Leads the Way Downhill



WELS.net promotes Mark Jeske, who promotes Church and Change. Church and Change exists to lead people into the apostasy of Enthusiasm, which is always Unitarianism or worse in the next iteration.


Factoids from the St. Marcus congregational meeting, June, 2008.

  1. Only 25 attended. I know mission churches with better meeting attendance.
  2. They had a gayla community auction, which raised $170,000. Did they purchase a business license for that?
  3. UPS Driver Brian A. Lampe is doing youth work for the congregation. He is the fourth St. Marcus person to be on the board of Church and Change. Why not just call it St. Marcus and Change?
  4. Bishop Katie worked as a volunteer at St. Marcus before heading to A-town with Ski.
  5. Ski's new call to A-town is mentioned and calling a new pastor.
  6. They are Fireproofing marriages. They wouldn't be introducing Lutherans to Pietistic cells groups and Decision Theology...not at St. Marcus? I forgot - they sent Ski and Katie to Granger Community Church for training, Ski to Drive 08 for even more training, and Ski to Catalyst for dessert.

    ---

    Brian Lampe, CEO of CEO Ministries.


    From: Brian Lampe
    To: church_and_change@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Sunday, January 4, 2009 4:24:40 PM
    Subject: [church_and_change] Your (sic) invited!



    Generation of Reformation '09 Christian Rally

    March 21st 2009

    Best Western Suites Brookfield, WI

    $45.00 per person includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages, and materials

    We are excited to announce the fifth annual Christ Empowered Opportunities Christian Rally. This workshop is designed with men and women in mind, we invite all believers young and wiser to join in the festivities on Saturday March 21st 2009 [incoherent, run-on sentence]. This year’s theme is “Generation of Reformation" You will hear an (sic) amazing message’s (sic) from Pastor Mark Jeske, Luke Thompson, Tracey Lampe, Pastor Ski from “The Core” , David Timm, Pastor Borgwardt, and Mike Nichols. Our workshops are tailored to meet and build the need’s (sic) of all Christians. What God offers us through our WELS churches is the greatest most powerful source that will impact our lives, Christ Jesus! Today is the day to break history of the restraints placed on past and today’s generations by Satan and reform our way of life through a more intimate relationship through our Savior Christ! [GJ - Say what?] We pray that God move your heart to attend our workshop, so that we can encourage and build one another in the faith that was given to us by the sacrifice of God’s own Son Jesus! You can download our flyer at CEO-ministries. com or call 414-915-3211

    God Bless you

    Brian Arthur Lampe

    ---

    "Brian Arthur Lampe delivers a one-two punch to the devil and his schemes with his high powered, enthusiastic, energetic life-applying Biblical motivational speaking. We are on a quest for authentic God. By including Brian Arthur Lampe, you will have more than just a rally or a Bible study. You and your congregation will be providing men, women, and youth with an encouraging process that teaches them how to live lives of authentic Christianity as modeled by Jesus Christ and directed by the Word of God."

    Christian Speaker Network describes Brian's denomination as Christian. I would add that he is an Enthusiast.


    Brian A. Lampe, CEO of CEO Ministries.


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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Questions for DP Englebrecht and the WELS COP":

God runs all things in the universe as did the computer in the movie "The Matrix." No matter how hard C&C tries to shift that "locus of control" to themselves, they will fail.

Many Thanks To the Research Team Tonight




Irrelevant, but real and relational.


I hope you follow the Twitters I have linked on the left side of the blog. I try to keep up with various events, but the growing research team for Ichabod simply overwhelms me with new information and links. Everything I posted tonight came from those researchers. Call them Legion, for they are many. That is why Church and Chicaneries may try to shut down the leaks, but they cannot. Too many people are reporting from various locations. One expert was in awe of the research from another expert, a doctor of divinity. They do not know each other and I do not share names. People just want to get the facts out.

Church and Chicanery refused me for their odious listserve, but somehow I got their best--or worst--material anyway. I am sure they have their super-secret ultra-controlled list, but the bad news is going to come out anyway. Jeske's church is going downhill with economy. Parlow could not get his two locations united - due to lack of funds (denied anonymously, of course - thanks, John). Ski packed his CORE with WELS members and pastors (not very BM of him) and took off for Drive 09 with Katy, Buske, and Glende.

Kudu Don Patterson is a big success - at asking for money. He brags about having a big congregation with a big staff on one hand and stretches out the other hand for more synod subsidy. Someone questioned whether Patterson wants to become Synod President. I know from many credible sources that Church and Chicanery is trying to oust SP Mark Schroeder. To do that, they need a candidate. Perhaps I am wrong about their choice, but I could remedy that with an announcement from them.

Oh, I just remembered - they cannot even announce their keynote speaker in November of this year, and Babtist Stetzer got the gig in August of 2008.



They have a postcard and jpg but no speaker announced!


The buffoonery of Church and Change is shown by their list of board members. Jeff Davis, who raises money from WELS church for a percentage of the take (the Jewish method) has a photo and no bio. Ski has no photo and no bio. Brian A. Lampe has no bio and no photo. Bruce Becker disappeared from the board. All the information hidden is still available on Ichabod. Use the Google search tool at the top to find names, events, facts. That is the only way I can find things now.

The most read articles are linked on the left.

The people who have hissy-fits can disagree all they want with my opinions. I am courteous enough to link information and quote verbatim.

The difference between plagiarism and research is the citation. I do not claim the words and sermons of others as my own. The Church and Changers do, and they want big bucks for their "mission work."

Ichabod Prophesy Has Come True, Again



B-16 has a plan, and it is working well.


Pope Benedict XVI: 'Luther Was Right'
"Luther would have been amazed at the efforts of the Vatican today to put the Bible back into the heart of the Roman Catholic Church," writes Jeff Fountain of Christian Today.

Fountain reports that during Pope Benedict XVI's recent weekly public addresses in St. Peter's Square, he quoted Martin Luther in declaring "Sola fide," that salvation is by faith alone.

According to this report, Benedict affirmed that Luther had correctly translated Paul's words as 'justified by faith alone' -- the well known sola fide.

It was disagreement over the doctrine of salvation by faith that sparked the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, splitting Christianity in Western Europe. "Yet, said the Pope, it was indeed biblical to say, as did Luther, that it was the faith of a Christian, not his works that saved him."

By defining "faith" as "identification with Christ expressed in love for God and neighbor," Pope Benedict qualified his statement, noting that the Apostle Paul had written about such faith in his letters, especially the one to the Philippians.

According to Fountain, the Pope highlighted the fact that prior to his Damascus Road conversion, Paul had strictly adhered to all the Pharisaical laws and rules. However, after meeting the Lord Jesus in his vision, Paul began leading a lifestyle of faith alone.

Fountain goes on to explain that last October, bishops from around the world were called to Rome for a three-week synod to discuss how to promote prayerful reading, understanding and proclamation of God's Word. "Pope Benedict XVI himself kicked off the synod with a round-the-clock Bible reading marathon lasting a whole week, by reading the opening verses of Genesis. Twelve hundred readers took part, including Orthodox and Evangelical leaders."

"So now Benedict is personally leading the way to encourage Catholics to engage with Scripture," Fountain writes. "The theme of the synod was 'The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.' The pope told the gathered bishops that true reality was to be found in the Word of God."

According to Fountain, the Bible Society of the UK has been assisting the Vatican to promote the reading of Scripture through the Lectio Divina Project. This resource for Catholics provides notes and prayers to go with weekly lectionary readings of the Sunda Mass. You can download this resource at http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/l3.php?id=251.

Fountain tells how he flew to Switzerland recently for an interconfessional gathering of "Together for Europe." "Talk of the synod there prompted someone to quote Cardinal Kaspers' recent statement: 'The Word divided us; the Word must unite us.'"

"We began to dream about how Christians in Europe could celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 - less than nine years away - as a prophetic statement by Catholics and Protestants together that the Word that once divided us is now uniting us again."

Fountain concludes joyfully, "That would be a giant step toward the fulfilment of Luther's original dream of a Bible-centred Church!"

Read Jeff Fountain's full article, Luther, Rome and the Bible

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GJ - Years ago I wrote to Father Neuhaus that he could become the pope and announce, after years of study, that Luther was right. He was skeptical about being elected, and I was skeptical about such an announcement.

B-16 is a master propagandist. The Church of Rome has been successfully appealing to Lutheran pastors, especially McCain's Missouri buddies, to sign up with the Antichrist. The Vatican simply cannot overturn infallibility and reverse course. This article is smoke and mirrors, an example of inner reservation: faith means what the pope believes - faith plus works.

Watch the Church and Chicaneries Lose Funds



St. Marcus is one of the leading Church and Chicanery congregations, with three staff members on the C and C board at one time.


St. Marcus blog:

Another Call
4/29-09 at 3:30 pm by: Paul Steinberg
We called another pastor -- for the fourth time. This time the Spirit led us to call Pastor Jared Oldenburg who serves right now in Washington State. We are praying for him to come. I am praying for him to come.

[GJ - Layman's note: "Oldenburg is the WELS pastor that
was attending Reggie McNeil's seminars and using Lyle Schaller's Parish
Paper garbage." McNeil is a BMer.]

But this call meeting was a little different. Due to loss of jobs of St. Marcus members and the down economy, our offerings are less than last year. At last Sunday's call meeting we discussed how the budget will look and saw that if a 3rd pastor does come as we pray, we will have to make cuts in order to pay him and not fall behind financially. All this is true even without Brian Davison's Wandani position being replaced. Now we will be asking our new third pastor to lead Wandani into the future where hopefully we will be able to afford a new staff person to lead it.

We'll see. There's no guarantee that this pastor will come or the next one or anyone. But there is a guarantee that the Spirit will send us the right person at the right time. That can make all of us content as we wait.

Pastor Paul

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GJ - The bad news for the economy just keeps coming in. The FHA will have to be bailed out because they also went gangbusters into bad mortgages (Wall Street Journal report). Already the consensus is that most people lost 50% of their investments, IRAs, etc in this last meltdown.

Big congregations have large staffs, which have to be cut when a recession hits. This downturn is far more than a recession. The bad news is global and the world leadership is too incompetent or corrupt to fix matters.

St. Marcus relies on Thrivent money, lots of foundation grants, and who knows what else. The people most likely to give have been swindled out of their life savings or their jobs are threatened, or both of the above.

Also from the WS Journal: "The U.S. is expected to direct about 10 of the 19 banks undergoing government stress tests to boost their capital, a move that officials hope will quell fears about the solvency of the financial sector.

The exact number of banks affected remains under discussion. It could include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citigroup and several regional banks. At one point, officials believed as many as 14 banks would need to raise more funds to create a stronger buffer against future losses, but that number has fallen in recent days.

Representatives from Wells, Bank of America and Citi declined to comment."