Mulch, Water, Rain, Rain, Rain, But I Pruned the Crepe Myrtle First

The first bloom in 2018.

The Mother of All Crepe Myrtles was in full bloom not too long ago, and the compound blossoms were bigger than ever before. Seeing the petals fall off on the ground, I knew that seeds would be forming soon.

It took me four days to clip all the seedy flower heads off the bush. The glorious blossoms became part of the mulch below. But I had a plan.

The easy part was pruning. John 15 - the fruitful branches are cleansed to make them even more fruitful. I look over my neighbor's efforts to see how I am doing in comparison. Theirs are still colorful but about 50% in seeds. Mine have just a hint of flowers now but 100% budded. Soon mine will burst into bloom again, in radiant color - while they others become 100% seed.

The second most senior Crepe Myrtles are red/white picotee plants, and they formed flowers and seeds. I pruned those for that other beneficial effect of trimming. When roses and Crepe Myrtles are pruned, the branches and roots are energized to grow. Newcomers to gardening ask about fertilizers; veterans prune.

Crepe Myrtles are similar to roses. Many side shoots or suckers can be trimmed away to encourage more plant and root growth. That also serves to shape the plant. I enjoy doing some trimming and weeding each day. When it has rained hard, I enjoy skipping the chores for a day or two.

Too Much Rain - Like an Overabundance of Grace
We have enjoyed five inches of rain in two days, with more on the way. The rain barrels and buckets are full and overflowing.

That reminds me of growing up in Moline, with liturgical Lutheran services everywhere. Everyone took for granted - pipe organs, choirs, classic hymns, the Biblical liturgy and creeds, and Scriptural sermons. No one was around to tell us how horrible those practices were.

There is a simple yet beautiful description of the Word and Sacraments - they are the Means (or Instruments) of Grace. Does anyone seek forgiveness and peace? They only need to rely on those Means, the only ones used by God.

Another description is also significant. Teaching and preaching are the Invisible Word; the Sacraments are the Visible Word. God has bound His Spirit to His Word, whether invisible or visible. That is why the Enthusiasts get so bungled up in their thinking. Some imagine that grace is tied to feelings. If someone feels forgiven, he is forgiven. But what happens when that feeling is gone? It is far better to base forgiveness on something eternal and changless - the Word of God.

The Enthusiasts imagine the Means of Grace hamper and limit God. But they are the ones always filling the world with books, essays, posts, and texts, saying "The Word of God is not effective, but our word is." They criticize the Means of Grace and anyone who relies on them.

Curiously, the ones who love to read the works of Enthusiasm also speak and write as Enthusiasts. They are so lost in their hall of mirrors that they assign grace to the entire world. "Everyone is forgiven and saved, end of story" - they claim.

All the cannibals here and abroad are forgiven and saved? Yes, they think so.

The polytheists can have a group of gods they favor, all pagan, some very scary. Those people are forgiven and saved too? Yes, they love to assert that, without anyone asking.

All the modern theologians agree with this, so it must be true. If one reads Barth/Kirschbaum closely, in Dogmatics, II, 2, he finds the "restoration of the world" since Jesus is the Elect One. The LCMS is lucky, because their theologians - trained in Walther/Stephan - can easily see the magic of Barth/Kirschbaum, the burdens of the Means of Grace.

Therefore, since the Means of Grace are taken for granted, spoken against, and abused in so many ways, especially by the "conservative" Lutherans - the cheap substitutes they are offer provide no grace, no truth, no efficacy at all.

Gideon Drops a Line Since SpenerQuest Is Offering Free Rent for My Little Blog at Their Skunk Patch. They Need To Study the Scriptures and Luther

A few posts make the UOJ Stormtroopers stampede like Brownies encountering a spider.

Pastor,

I read the recent posts on UOJ, and I always wonder, why?  Why do they try too hard to make this UOJ/OJ/SJ harmonize with Scripture and Lutheranism in general.

I used to believe that it was to somehow protect the work of Christ and fend off Arminianism.  But, why bother since we already have Universal Atonement?  Doesn't make sense.

I honestly believe that most folks, especially lay people pay lip service to UOJ/OJ/SJ without knowing what it really means, but to those who vigorously defend it--  I say they do so out of cowardice and unbelief.  As you said yourself that you endorse "...the efficacy of the Word, the Means of Grace, and Justification by Faith."  These all fit together.

This is where unbelief plays a role.  If one has no faith in the Efficacy of the Word (and consequently The Means of Grace), then one would certainly be tempted to "sell their argument" or "sell the Gospel."  How sweet would UOJ be if one were to peddle that to sell the Gospel.  "You've won $1,000,000!  You're justified! You're good!"  They just don't ever talk about their fine print SJ.  That's just legalese to them.

UOJ is an easy sell because there's no law to preach, just decide to believe and sanctify.  This way they can kinda have it both ways.  But all they really do is cheapen grace.  Small law, small god, easy sell.

But, it's not about the sale.  It's about the Efficacy of the Word.  There is no sale.

If they believed in the Efficacy of the Word and the Means of Grace, they wouldn't have to resort to UOJ or hedging their bets.  They could simply trust that God will do what he says he'll do (Isaiah 55:10-11), and if their institutions aren't included in his plan for history...so be it because that's what faith does.  "O God, this looks really bad.  I think I'll die for sure, but I trust in you."  c.f. Daniel 3 - The Fiery Furnace.

SDG,

Gideon

***

GJ - I appreciate their efforts in sending people to this blog and waking Lutherans up to their foul errors. Every day I have a lecture hall with thousands of readers. Our free worship services have "21,486 TOTAL VIEWS."

I have not seen anything serious from them, even though I took the time - which I enjoyed - going over Romans 4 and 5 in Greek and English. Since they make their beds in those verses and fall asleep dreaming of Halle and the earlier, halcyon days with Huber, they must be irritable, lacking in sleep, or suffering from withdrawal of various substances.

The Unified Truth of the Scriptures - Another Refutation of UOJ

KJV Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

NIV Acts 13:38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 

39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

13:38 γνωστον ουν εστω υμιν ανδρες αδελφοι οτι δια τουτου υμιν αφεσις αμαρτιων καταγγελλεται

39 και απο παντων ων ουκ ηδυνηθητε εν τω νομω μωσεως δικαιωθηναι εν τουτω πας ο πιστευων δικαιουται.

Sent by a reader.

Rolf Really Needs To Study His Father's Book, But He Should Start with the Large Catechism

 I realize this is irrelevant for those on SpenerQuest.

Pastor Rolf David Preus (Rolf) Senior Member Username: Rolf Post Number: 9819 Registered: 5-2001

Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 - 10:22 am:       I should also point out that Jackson has falsely stated numerous times that my father abandoned the doctrine of objective justification before he died. He appeals to his book, Justification and Rome, in which he set forth the historic Lutheran doctrine of justification using the terms that the Lutheran dogmaticians used. Jackson imagines that since the 17th century dogmaticians didn't articulate objective justification by using the same language as the 19th and 20th century theologians of the Synodical Conference, this must mean that the 17th century theologians taught a different doctrine than we who use the terms objective justification and subjective justification teach. He interprets my father setting forth the 17th century theologians' teaching in their own language as my father abandoning his life-long teaching of objective justification. What Jackson demonstrates is not that the 17th century Lutherans taught differently than the 19th and 20th century theologians of the Synodical Conference, but rather the rigidity of his own thinking. To understand theology, we must know how to express the same truth with different words. When Jackson accuses my father of changing his doctrine on this critical topic he bears false witness against him.

 Rolf Preus agreed with Chapter Five of Thy Strong Word, when I sent it to him. Shortly after, he said he had the entire book (when nobody did) and it was full of false doctrine. He was the one who asked for the chapter, and I sent it to him by email. Later he wanted the whole book. Ha!

Let me briefly rehearse Robert Preus on Justification. Robert posted a bizarre and foolish little essay endorsing Objective Justification, which Ft. Wayne bullies Cascione and McCain have cited to prove that Robert Preus taught OJ.

Here is my post from 2011 on Preus' change in position.

Jack Cascione boasted here about his significant role at Ft. Wayne and his expertise in OJ. This post includes the Preus essay.

ELDONA, which is 95% Ft. Waynian, switched from OJ to Justification and Rome.

Another Preus on the warpath is posted here.

John Sparky Brenner on Election without Faith, which is another way of arguing Justification without Faith.

Robert Preus' Shift from Objective Justification
Rolf has a way of amusing people about his doctrinal blindness. The essay which he, Cascione, and McCain adore is pure OJ rubbish - laughable in every possible way. I wrote a critique of it, but I have lost the blog link for now.

At one point I had a Robert Preus typescript essay where he quoted OJ arguments and also the critiques which I copied from his last book, Justification and Rome.

I carefully read Justification and Rome and copied the citations from Quenstedt and Calov and Preus! which destroy OJ.  In his last work, which was probably much better before his sons mangled it, Robert was 99% Justification by Faith and 1% OJ.

 Bishop Heiser and the Pope of All Synods worked closely together - until they no longer did.

Rolf is constantly stirred up because I wonder about him being bedfellows with a self-appointed OJ/JBF bishop and the self-appointed dogma-shifting bishop for being bedfellows with Rolf.

Disagreeing with Rolf is not the same as slander, which he would know if he comprehended the Book of Concord. Nor do I consider his careful, nuanced mistakes as slander against me.

My only goal is to get Lutherans to study Biblical doctrine from the ruling norm (not from Stephan's pimp) - and from the ruled norm, the Book of Concord. (PS - It is not slander if it is true - Walther backed a promiscuous, syphilitic, abusive man as bishop. Recent history tells me that is one way to become a bishop.)

Readers can judge for themselves whether Justification by Faith or Objective Justification without Faith is Biblical. I would write less about OJ if the Stormtroopers did not obsess about it, offer absurd syllogisms to support it, and invent personal attacks to support their grace-filled ministries.

"SpenerQuest is pacified once again, Cardinal.
Now we will work on the rest of Lutherdom."

The Essaence of Calvinism - Supplanting Luther - Controls Theology Today

John Calvin passed himself as Lutheran for a time,
like the Synodical Conference Lutherans of today -
who gladly work with ELCA.
Future book - Calvin Ruined the Protestant Faith.

Here are some brief points about Calvin and Calvinism, which explain so much of what is happening today.

1. Calvin was an Enthusiast, like Zwingli before him - separating the Holy Spirit from the Word. Zwingli was fairly stupid and mocking, but Calvin was more sophisticated in his mockery.
2. Calvin apperded to agree with the Lutheran Reformation, signing the Augsburg Confession, but clearly deviated from it and proposed his own views.
3. Calvin argued that a sermon, a baptism, or Holy Communion would be ineffective if the Holy Spirit did not drop by. 
4. Likewise, he made his Double Predestination a completed transaction, so there is no connection between the sermon, faith, and salvation, contrary to Romans 10.
5. Calvinism is overly fond of philosophical disputes, which drove the Lutherans into countering Calvin with their own ornate and opaque arguments. That led to Pietism.
6. The precious categories of Objective Justification and Subjective Justification were canonized in the very popular lectures of Knapp, a Pietist. But the explanation comes from a Calvinist translator. No problem! Walther liked the labels and the Synodical Conference adopted these labels, where they are official dogma today.
7. Mrs. Matt the Fatt explained to me that "there is Objective Justification and Subjective Justification."
8. Just as Calvin sought to replace Luther, so his disciples seek to replace Luther's doctrine with their Calvinistic categories, chiefly Objective Justification, the favorite of Jay Webber, Rolf Preus, Mark Zarling, David Valleskey, Herman Otten, John Moldstad, Frosty Bivens, and other illiterates.
9. Just as Calvin's Double Predestination is central to his teaching, so is OJ central to the Synodical Conference dogma. Because SJ is simply another statement about OJ, the great and wise have little to say about SJ.
10. Cults spring from Calvinism the way mold grows from damp and dark environs. 
11. Modern theology is inherently Calvinistic in its rationalism and hatred of Luther's Biblical teaching, Justification by Faith being central to Luther and the Book of Concord.
12. Modern theology likes to play with words and concepts, starting with Biblical words but having flights of fancy, inevitably ending in a dramatic display of atheistic dogmatism, i. e. Barth's theology as promoted in all the best schools and Fuller Seminary.

 "Stick with me Charlotte," he whispered, and ve vill rule da vorld!"

First, Remove the Walther-LCMS Mythology

 The LCMS celebrated the 200th anniversary of Walther's birth with various efforts suggesting his infallibility, omnipotence, and omniscience. Compare that lengthy and solemn celebration and consider Missouri mocking Luther with gimmicks like the Reformation dog collar, a few years later.

Various points are good to remember when people act as if Walther is the final word on theological issue:

1. Walther only earned a bachelor's degree at a rationalistic university, Leipzig, and he was certified by the state church's rationalistic supervisors. His clergy father was also a rationalist. Did Walther have two stories - one for those who gave him a call and another for his cell group?
2. Walther's additional training consisted of his submission to one abusive, Pietistic guru and then a second abusive Pietistic cult leader - Martin Stephan.
3. Walther served as the enforcer in the clergy group that followed Stephan, yet Stephan's adultery with young women was never an object of concern until it suited Walther and his pals. Then they organized a riot that threatened, robbed, and kidnapped Stephan.
4. Stephan, like Jim Heiser, made himself a bishop and had his clergy followers - including Walther - sign the document.
5. Walther and his clergy friends were schocked, schocked that Stephan was an adulterer, even though their bishop left his wife and kids in Europe and took his mistress Louise Guenther on the same ship with him to America.
6. Walther and his brother kidnapped their niece and nephew from their father's parsonage. Their excuse was pathetic - the kids wanted to go to America. According to Zion on the Mississippi, other minors went along, and the Stephanites rejoiced. The police sought Walther, to arrest him, but he let his future mother-in-law go to jail instead while he sailed to America.
7. Stealing Bishop Martin Stephan's land, money, books, and personal possessions benefited the cult enormously; few of us remember those measures being part of the disciplinary measures used against a sinner.
8. Walther feigned great humility but went on to be in charge of everything.
9. How did such an expert in theology choose Baier to be the norm of Lutheran theology? - Walther as editor, naturally. Baier was far removed from the Reformation and the Book of Concord era.
10. When we start with Walther, Baier, and their loyalists, how soon do we get to Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz? Never.