Twitter Head Adopts ELDONA Look - A Covert Aspirant?

Jack Dorsey - aka Beards Gone Wild - a covert Eldonut?

==

Hymn - O Lord, Our Father, Shall We Be Confounded

"O Lord, Our Father, Shall We be Confounded"
By Johann Heermann, 1585-1647

Tune - Herzliebster Jesu - linked here

1. O Lord, our Father, shall we be confounded
Who, though by trials and by woes surrounded,
On Thee alone for help are still relying,
To Thee are crying?

2. Lord, put to shame Thy foes who breathe defiance
And vainly make their might their sole reliance;
In mercy turn to us, the poor and stricken,
Our hope to quicken.

3. Be Thou our Helper and our strong Defender;
Speak to our foes and cause them to surrender.
Yea, long before their plans have been completed,
They are defeated.

4. 'Tis vain to trust in man; for Thou, Lord, only
Art the Defense and Comfort of the lonely.
With Thee to lead, the battle shall be glorious
And we victorious.

5. Thou art our Hero, all our foes subduing;
Save Thou Thy little flock they are pursuing.
We seek Thy help; for Jesus' sake be near us.
Great Helper, hear us!

Hymn #269
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 22: 5
Author: Johann Heermann, 1630
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1869, alt.
Titled: "Herr, unser Gott, lass nicht zuschanden werden"
Composer: Johann Crueger, 1640
Tune: "Herzliebster Jesu"

Hymn - O Lord We Praise Three

"O Lord, We Praise Thee"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546

Tune - Gott sei gelobet - linked here

1. O Lord, we praise Thee, bless Thee, and adore Thee,
In thanksgiving bow before Thee.
Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish
Our weak souls that they may flouish:
O Lord, have mercy!
May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary,
That our sins and sorrows did carry,
And Thy blood for us plead
In all trial, fear, and need:
O Lord, have mercy!

2. Thy holy body into death was given,
Life to win for us in heaven.
No greater love than this to Thee could bind us;
May this feast thereof remind us!
O Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid;
Peace with God once more is made:
O Lord, have mercy.

3. May God bestow on us His grace and favor
To please Him with our behavior
And live as brethren here in love and union
Nor repent this blest Communion!
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us;
Grant that heavenly-minded He make us;
Give Thy Church, Lord, to see
Days of peace and unity:
O Lord, have mercy!

Hymn #313
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 118:1
Author: unknown, c. 1400, St. 1
Author: Martin Luther, 1524, St. 2 & 3
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet"
Tune: "Gott sei gelobet"
German melody, c. 1400

Hymn - Come To Calvary's Holy Mountain

"Come to Calvary's Holy Mountain"
by James Montgomery, 1771-1854

Tune - Consolation - linked here

1. Come to Calvary's holy mountain,
Sinners, ruined by the Fall;
Here a pure and healing fountain
Flows to you, to me, to all,
In a full, perpetual tide,
Opened when our Savior died.

2. Come in poverty and meanness,
Come defiled, without, within;
From infection and uncleanness,
From the leprosy of sin,
Wash your robes and make them white;
Ye shall walk with God in light.

3. Come in sorrow and contrition,
Wounded, impotent, and blind;
Here the guilty free remission,
Here the troubled peace, may find.
Health this fountain will restore;
He that drinks shall thirst no more.

A. He that drinks shall live forever;
Tis a soul-renewing flood.
God is faithful; God will never
Break His covenant of blood,
Signed when our Redeemer died,
Sealed when He was glorified.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #149
Text: Matt. 11:28
Author: James Montgomery, 1819
Composer: Ludvig M. Lindeman, 1871
Tune: "Consolation"

Hymn - Christ Is Our Cornerstone

"Christ Is Our Corner-Stone"
by unknown author
Translated by John Chandler, 1806-1876

Tune - Darwell's 148th - linked here

1. Christ is our Corner-stone,
On Him alone we build;
With His true saints alone
The courts of heaven are filled.
On His great love
Our hopes we place
Of present grace
And joys above.

2. Oh, then, with hymns of praise
These hallowed courts shall ring;
Our voices we will raise
The three in One to sing
And thus proclaim
In joyful song,
Both loud and long.
That glorious name.

3. Here, gracious God, do Thou
Forevermore draw nigh;
Accept each faithful vow
And mark each suppliant sigh.
In copious shower
On all who pray
Each holy day,
Thy blessing pour.

4. Here may we gain from heaven
The grace which we implore,
And may that grace, once given,
Be with us evermore
Until that day
When all the blest
To endless rest
Are called away!

Hymn #465
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: 1 Kings 9:3
Author: unknown, c. 700, cento
Translated by: John Chandler, 1837
Titled: "Angularis fundamentum"
Composer: John Darwall, 1770
Tune: "Darwrall's 148th"

Someone Wrote My Essay on Coffee

Philippines Rice Mission Funded - Laptop Computer Next. Pastor Palangyos Could Teach American Clergy about Effectiveness

We met the goal of $1,000 for rice, and Pastor Palangyos was very happy about that.

The next need is for a $500 laptop for Bethany Lutheran Mission. 

Some Background

When Pastor Palangyos wanted to work with us, I made some suggestions:

1. Write about your work on a free blog - that goes around the world.
2. Take advantage of multiple Facebook theme pages. They build up support.
3. Trust the efficacious Word of God. His Word never returns empty. God accomplishes His will through the Word. He prospers His will through that Word.

He has been very active on his blog - Lutheran Cowboys. 

He uses Facebook constantly.

He uses photos and videos, and shares Biblical teaching all the time.

He has had to borrow his wife's computer, and she uses it for her work. That has created a logjam when both need to use it at the same time.

Lutheran Cowboys Blog

Pastor Palangyos' Facebook

Jordan and Amabel Palangyos

When the lockdown and poor harvest created a real hunger situation, Pastor Palangyos found supplies of rice - the staple of all their meals - to share with the people.

I told Pastor Palangyos, "You use the Internet for spreading the Gospel more than most pastors I know. You are ahead of most pastors and you trust the power of God's Word."

In other mission news - we are showing Lutheran world missionaries that there are hundreds of free books (PDFs) and many low cost print books for their work.

RIP, Daniel Deuteschlander, WELS Professor

 

OBITUARIES

Prof. Daniel M. Deutschlander

March 18, 1942 - October 26, 2020

Obituary

Prof. Daniel M. Deutschlander, 78, of Watertown, passed away on Monday, October 26, 2020 at Rainbow Hospice in Johnson Creek. 

A private service will be held at Lutheran Cemetery in Watertown. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials, if desired, may be directed to St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Watertown. Hafemeister Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Watertown is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.hafemeisterfh.com. 

Daniel Marvin was born in Minneapolis, MN on March 18, 1942 and together with his twin brother put up for adoption. He and his brother were adopted by Gotthard Julius Deutschlander and his wife, Rose Marie nee Klausmann. He was adopted as a child of God and made a brother of Christ on April 23, 1944 through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. He was confirmed on Palm Sunday, 1956 with Rev. 2:10, Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life, as his confirmation verse. The days of his baptism and of his confirmation were joined by a third memorable day, the day of his ordination into the holy ministry, June 16, 1968. 

He attended Horace Mann and Groveland Park elementary schools in St. Paul, MN; Concordia Academy in St. Paul, MN; Concordia College in St. Paul, MN (degree: AA); Northwestern College in Watertown, WI (degree: BA); Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI (degree: M. Div.); Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, IL (degree: MA in history); and UW Milwaukee (graduate studies in German). 

He served as a pastor at Zion Lutheran and St. James Lutheran in Akaska and Tolstoy, SD; St. Peter’s Lutheran in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada; St. James Lutheran and campus pastor at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He served at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School in Jackson, WI as Assistant Principal and teacher of German and religion; Northwestern College in Watertown, WI as professor of German, history, philosophy, and religion; Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN as professor of German, history and religion; occasional summer quarter lecturer at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary; a semester as adjunct professor of history at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He conducted preaching workshops for parish pastors, and a seminar on church-state relations in Kiev, Ukraine after the Ukrainian Lutheran Church translated and published his book on the subject. 

As a parish pastor (1968-1980) he served as circuit pastor, district vice president, member of the WELS evangelism commission, and on district evangelism and stewardship boards. From 1980-1984 he served as the weekly preacher for the WELS German radio broadcast that went from Eastern Europe to the Germans in the far east of the Soviet Union. He authored numerous doctrinal essays and papers, and other works including books, sermons, and devotions published by Northwestern Publishing House. 

His greatest joy was a never ceasing amazement at the grace and mercy of God that he should not only redeem him but find a use in his church for such an unworthy and unfit instrument and house of clay. His greatest delight was to see his former students serving their Lord faithfully and then giving thanks to God that he had the honor to play some small role in their formation as pastors of Christ’s flock. His German Bible and German hymnal were his constant companions and the Lutheran Confessions his never-failing guides. 

He is survived by his brother, David (Dianne) Deutschlander of Pine City, MN and his sister, Sharon Meyers of Sandstone, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gotthard and Rose Deutschlander and brother, Ronald Deutschlander.

There are no events scheduled. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Prof. Daniel M. Deutschlander.

Hafemeister Funeral Home

Phone: (920) 261-2218

611 East Main Street, Watertown, WI 53094

Did the Solas Fool You on Reformation Sunday?

I remember His Eminence, Professor James "Teufel" Tiefel, giving an impromptu sermon for Reformation where he kept shouting out the Solas. He counted them out on his pudgy fingers, too; I think he was up to five. Why not seven? Sola Synod! Sine Fidei

I learned from extensive reading at Notre Dame that the apostates picked up on universal grace, which has a long history, and pitted that grace against faith.

One LCA speaker for the Word and Witless Program had a tape where he sneered at those Evangelical leaders who were nationally known and well funded - "There is not an ounce of GRACE in their messages."

I began to catch on, because I started at age 16 as a Lutheran with Justification by Faith and Bainton's book on Luther, Here I Stand.

They imagine faith is the enemy of grace, or the opposite of grace, or obsolete (listen up WELS Antinomians) because grace obliterates any need for faith. They like to warn, "Do not make faith a work of man!" But faith comes from the Means of Grace (not that they know this.)

But this is where the Apostle Paul and Holy Spirit straightens them out -

KJV Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

16 δια τουτο εκ πιστεως ινα κατα χαριν εις το ειναι βεβαιαν την επαγγελιαν παντι τω σπερματι ου τω εκ του νομου μονον αλλα και τω εκ πιστεως αβρααμ ος εστιν πατηρ παντων ημων

Simply put, this means being declared righteous by faith means this is by grace. Consistent with the chapter, Abraham is the example of Justification by Faith.

The pinheads of WELS and Missouri want people to think that grace excludes faith, both in Justification and Election. And where did they get this tripe? From Walther, the American Calvin. Anyone who has read his fill of Calvin can see the Calvinism of Walther. He ignores faith, the efficacy of the Word, the Instruments (Means) of Grace as the only way that we receive grace.

I have written about Justification by Faith of Jesus, too - following the Apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit.

KJV Romans 3: 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

3:22 δικαιοσυνη δε θεου δια πιστεως ιησου χριστου εις παντας και επι παντας τους πιστευοντας ου γαρ εστιν διαστολη

I have to ask, if grace makes faith obsolete, why does the Apostle Paul cite the faith of Jesus as the source of the righteousness of God?

Note this is just before the New NIV adds "all" to make it seem as if the whole world is justified without faith.

Huber Was Walther's Example of Injecting Calvinism into Biblical Doctrine, 

Though Walther Never Owned Up to His Own Apostasy

Mordor - Sine - Without Faith

Notre Dame Law School Graduate Sworn In. Hillary Clinton's Birthday, Yale Law, 1973

Mrs. Ichabod and I watched Amy Coney Barrett being sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas last night. Many Internet posts mentioned that it was Hillary Clinton's birthday. 

Hillary graduated from Yale Law in 1973, when I graduated with an STM (Master of Sacred Theology) from Yale Divinity School. We visited the Law School once or twice, wondering which future celebrities were finishing their degrees.

Barrett is doubtless deserving to be placed on the U.S. Supreme Court - legal scholar, judge, professor, mother, and Christian. She graduated from Notre Dame Law in 1997. I finished the PhD in theology at ND in 1982. My dissertation advisor Yoder and the ND president Hesburgh have passed away. Stanley Hauerwas, another advisor, is still active. I met Hauerwas at Augustana College, in the library, where I was repairing old books.

Stanley Hauerwas

What matters most in this cultural struggle is our support of the unborn, who are the weakest of the weak, the poorest of the poor, a good reason for liberals to support life too.

MA, 1978; PhD 1982

Grape Hyacinths and Daffodils - In before the Storm

The grape hyacinth has a pleasant sweet fragrance and multiplies on its own.
The flowers push their way up in early spring.

We made numerous attempts to plant all the bulbs. Ordering them is so much easier than planting in dry clay soil. I knew enough to water for two hours the day before digging, but that hardly registered.

It took four two-man digging teams to get them in, and I happily gave some extras to Digger. He has been absorbing leftover plants, and now their yard boasts - roses, crepe myrtle, wild ginger, and daffodils. I enjoy having extra roses to give away with the rainbow clearance sales in June.

As I wrote before, planting true bulbs is the same as planting flowers. That flower is already there, ready to emerge in the earliest part of spring. Bulbs slowly grow and divide, so the early investment will yield dividends until they are too crowded to bloom well.

I weighed the bag to estimate what was left. The weather was getting very chilly and a week of rain was posted on the weather maps. Saturday morning was quite cold, and it was our last chance. The temperature warmed up perfect for digging, and Digger came over to plant. That was really exhilarating, to see the bag become empty, save for the bonus for our friends. They had their original dozen bulbs in the ground already.

The rain has started, ideal for settling the soil and waking up the bulbs. They will form their roots and even grow to the surface, only to become dormant for the right weather in spring. They bloom when bugs are few, sunshine is abundant, and rain helps them build bulb power for the next year. Many expensive bulbs (tulips, true hyacinths) diminish in time. Many bulbs and corms are delicious to wildlife. Daffodils are not tempting, so they have all the virtues and none of the setbacks.

Nothing in Creation is so intricate as the timing of all the calendar events involving microbes, soil creatures, roots, plants, trees, insects, and birds. 

One church building committee, heavy with engineers and chemists, did not want the carpet in the new part glued to the floor. That was viewed with alarm, so the rug layers took back the glue and tacked the carpet down for the very large room.

The upright piano was pushed into the room later, for Sunday School and choir rehearsal. The result was epic, an enormous expanse of carpet wrinkled and wavy, a sight to make the stomach sink. So are the ways of the great and wise. 

In contrast, everything in God's Creation is so organized and involved that each form of life has a purpose and a schedule. 

Given the revelation that God's will is only accomplished through God's Word, it should motivate everyone to employ God's Word rather than the schemes of carnival barkers at Fuller, Willow Creek, Groeschel-land, and Stanley Steamer.

"This anointed program will pay for itself. Why there was a congregation in Schnitzville that bought into this and was blessed by the Lord many times over."

Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet!

Glen Kotten, Chris Shrader, and Pastor Jim Shrader, Sioux Falls.

"Pastor Shrader continues his battle with cancer." Pastor Shrader phoned me to say he is cancer free. I happened to copy this sentence from last's years bulletin. Copy and paste can lead someone into terrible errors. Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet.

That reminded me of what newspapers, polls, and surveys are claiming at this moment.

Once again, I have to talk people off the ledge because they believe what they read on the Internet. See the caption for this article. Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet!

Public polls are purchased by the "winner" of that poll to shape public opinion. Candidate B has a lot of money, much of it with funny writing on it, and that pays for polls to come out in his favor.

The Scientific and Credible Jackson Poll (non-profit and completely objective) measures the crowd at a parking lot. 

• If Candidate B can only get 70 people and former President B can do no better.
• And if Candidate T can get 30,000, 10,000, whatever, plus spontaneous boat and car parades.
• Then Candidate T will win by a landslide.

We do not get to see Internal Polls, because they are fashioned to tell the candidate what is really happening. The candidates pay for the polls and they keep the results to themselves.

The way to guess those Internal Polls is to see where the candidates go for last-minute votes. If Candidate B is going to faithful Democrat voter-land, he is in big trouble.

Some trends help too. Early voting has been tilted toward the Democrats in the past, but there are reports of massive Republican voting and also large numbers of people voting for the first time. This may also be the biggest voter turn out in a long, long time. Where would all that excess come from? - the tiny group at the parking lot? I hardly think so.

Nothing can stop this. Nothing.

"Joe Biden will not be doing any more in person campaigning through the election, according to a member of Trump’s campaign staff." Gateway Pundit.

Previous prediction - "They will not be able to walk down the street. They will not show their faces."

Reformation Sunday, 2020. The Scriptures versus the Errors of the Papacy

The Festival of the Reformation, 2020

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time - 

Daylight Savings Ends Next Sunday, November 1, All Saints Day

Hymn # 262      A Mighty Fortress         

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 Hymn #387     Dear Christians One and All            

The Scriptures Judge the Papacy

The Communion Hymn #267   If God Had Not Been on Our Side                    

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 #259  Flung to the Heedless Winds 

In Our Prayers

• Christina Jackson is undergoing radiation therapy for the next 9 weekdays. Randy Anderson is preparing for surgery on his leg. Mary Howell is being treated for Hodgkin's. Rush Limbaugh having cancer setbacks.
• Seizures - Callie, Gavin, and Jeshra. 
• Pastor K and Doc Lito Cruz - dealing with diabetes  
• Pastor Shrader continues his battle with cancer. Pastor Shrader's congregation is in fellowship with us and the Bethany Philippine Mission - they are also contributing to the effort. 

Ministries of Bethany Lutheran Church 

1. The Christian Art of Norma Boeckler and Norma's print books.
2.  Martin Chemnitz Press - Kindle and print books, and free pdfs.
3.  Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry and Lutheran Librarian - low-cost print books - Alec Satin.
4. Audio Gutenberg - Travis and Lauren Cartee.
5. Bethany Lutheran Mission - The Philippines, Pastor and Mrs. Jordan Palangyos. The rice goal of $1,000 has been met. The laptop needed for the congregation's media ministry, teaching, and broadcasting is $500.

           

KJV Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

KJV Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Romans 5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Collect

O almighty, eternal God: We confess that we are poor sinners and cannot answer one of a thousand, when Thou contendest with us; but with all our hearts we thank Thee, that Thou hast taken all our guilt from us and laid it upon Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and made Him to atone for it: We pray Thee graciously to sustain us in faith, and so to govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may live according to Thy will, in neighborly love, service, and helpfulness, and not give way to wrath or revenge, that we may not incur Thy wrath, but always find in Thee a gracious Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Background for the Sermon - Reformation Day

A superficial glance at the Reformation is the usual response to this moment and this era that changed the world. The most important factor was not the printing press, but that Luther - with a doctorate in the Scriptures and vast knowledge his religion - trusted the Word of God and fearlessly taught the Word, without regard to the consequence. He knew that his organization, the only Church in Europe, would be happy to murder him for his teaching. He also knew that many people around him were inclined to sway with public opinion, so he was very much alone at times. But Luther's endless trust in the power and efficacy of the Scriptures fueled the Reformation, threw off the shackles of Medieval superstitions, and showed people the real Gospel - Justification by Faith, apart from the works of the Law. 

The Scriptures Judge the Papacy

I. Forgiveness

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

This is the first and most important break from the Papacy, and yet the Protestants - including many Lutherans - are willing to surrender this truth to any form of false teaching they encounter and admire. All false religions are invented by man, and they revolve around man earning forgiveness - or almost earning forgiveness.

The genius of the Papacy is keeping most of the Bible complete while gutting its meaning by adding and requiring works. Works must be added to faith for the forgiveness of sin, but those works are never enough. The only promise of eternal peace is dying for the Catholic Faith, though no one is certain.

Medieval Catholic doctrine found a friend in the pagan concept of a Purgatory cleansing people of their sins after death, through the soul's suffering and the faithful praying and donating for their ultimate rest in Heaven. They are glad to say that they agree with Plato's concept of Purgatory, but so much more has been added. Fear is the best ingredient for conformity, as we have seen with Wuhan Flu. This fear moves evil people to donate their estates to the Church (not unlike Schwan Food's founder) to pay for their sins.

The effect is to torture people who are already in anguish about their sins. Almost every message is our culture is the Law. The wise of this age will list a host of sins, some real some fad sins (like using plastic grocery bags), but their answer is to cure the sins revealed by the Law with more Law. "You have to do this!..."

The Holy Spirit teaches us throughout Scriptures that faith in Jesus the Savior is access to God's grace, forgiveness, and love. This faith concept has been weakened, almost removed, by rationalists armed with horrible translations of corrupted texts. Increasingly, more is erased by the great and wise.

The Papacy tried to argue the Scriptures when dealing with the Reformation, but they were shellacked every time, so they removed the authority from the Bible moved it to the visible Church. The highest teaching authority became the Pope and whatever he taught from his throne. That was an enormous temptation to increase fear and promote financial solutions for removing that fear, but never entirely. Purgatory is wonderful as a type of trust fund where there is a torture for centuries for any given sin remaining after a lifetime - or a dying moment - of contrition.

The Gospel is not for the proud and arrogant, but for the sorrowful, the meek, the anguished souls that long for the righteousness of faith. The Pope says he will provide that service, partially, with the rest of the payments coming due after death. That means the Son of God did not do enough for us when He died on the cross, so we must finish the work of forgiveness. But access to this grace is by faith in Jesus Christ. The Papacy offers a lifetime and then some of bearing the burden of sin ourselves. The Gospel promises forgiveness each and every day through this Gospel of the Savior.

II Power and Authority

Many ancient writers taught the power and authority of the Scriptures, but when the Western Roman Empire collapsed around 400 AD, the Church gained control by being the government of Europe with the same language - Latin. Although this varied with the leaders, the Pope was often the primary authority for all things secular and religious in Europe.

To keep people in line and giving generously, the Papacy invented the authority of the Pope as being ultimate (a long struggle, but fully acknowledged now). The Papacy instilled fear, endless obligations, and entertainment.

What do we see as the greatest folly in Christendom now, so obvious that a journalist will spot it and call it "McChurch?" - food and fun and grand buildings! Like the failure Robert Schuller, the current ringmasters tell everyone - "We have IT! Look at our buildings! Look at our grounds! Look at our endowments!" The Pope and the little Antichrists see themselves as significant, relevant, powerful - if everyone is in awe of their material success.

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: 

a - it shall not return unto me void, 

b - but it shall accomplish that which I please, and 

c - it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The entire cycle of weather and food is briefly condensed to show the rain and snow are like the Word of God. Three Promises teach:

a. God's Word never returns empty - the double negative excludes all exceptions.

b. God's Word accomplishes His purpose.

c.  God's Word prospers His purpose.

The have-to laws are completely contrary to Isaiah. No institution is grander than the Papacy in abandoning the Word for these have-to laws:

We have to have a world figure as our leader.

We have to have the world's largest and oldest institution.

We have to have splendid buildings with the richest features.

We have to gather people in enormous numbers.

We have to depress the others with our grand Papal Mass.

We have to have money and endowments beyond all human dreams.

Luther wrote out his books by hand. Sometimes they were created from notes by faithful associates. He simply responded to the needs of the moment and used the Scriptures to address the issues. When we think in terms of material success and institutions, we betray the Scriptures and the Reformation. 

The Church without Walls slipped off the tracks and ended up with mortgages of 29 million dollars.   They also teach financial planning, which is like WELS and Missouri teaching fellowship principles and financial planning.

III Papacy - The Scriptures Are Confusing and Incomplete

The outcome of the basic papal errors is to claim that the Scriptures are confusing, contradictory, and incomplete. This was their answer to the Reformation saying that the Scriptures are clear, in perfect harmony, and inerrant. Most of what the Reformation taught was already known or taught some of the ancient fathers, but that was eroded as the Papacy grew stronger and even more when the Reformation mortally wounded the Vatican.

The modernists took the NT volume called Vaticanus and used its errors to corrupt the New Testament text. This made playing with the NT text a game for a limited field of liberal scholars who loved the readings that contradicted the vast majority of all witnesses. It is like saying "redheads have freckles." Then one in a thousand has no freckles. So the new rule is "No redheads have freckles." If someone argues, the new thinker says, "Scholars agree that redheads do not have freckles. You must be mistaken or just a trouble-maker."

Anyone can see where this Papal attitude takes people. 

They give up studying the Bible on its own.

They are fodder for any crazy Biblical theory.

They become confused about doctrinal fads and practices.

They see no reason to get the best Bible and to read the best sources. All opinions matter.

The opposite is true, because the Word always has an effect, one so powerful in the long run that we cannot deny its divine effectiveness. 

As the General Council emphasized, the purer the teaching, the more powerful it is. The farther away from Biblical truth, the weaker and less effective the message is.

Calvin and His Invented War on Election - Walther the American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies

The Election War Invented by Walther

The war about Election developed only because of Walther’s leadership. The self-serving jibe is that one man did not get elected to a position, so he created the battle on his own. That should remind people that Zion on the Mississippi was written by “a disgruntled LCMS pastor,” and In Pursuit of Religious Freedom was not written by church history professor. The three complaints have something in common – they are irrelevant and illogical. The question is whether the three men presented their information as truthfully as possible.

By 1877, Walther was supreme in the Missouri Synod and highly respected in other synods. Each group had a unique origin and they worked through various doctrinal and practical struggles within their ranks. On the Masonic Lodge issue, the question was not who was pure – because no synod was – but who was outwardly more critical.[1]

Once Walther reached the issue of predestination in his theses, others noticed the Calvinistic language and objected. Readers should be reminded that Objective Justification already suffered from those shortcomings, but they were overlooked for the same reason they are ignored now.

1.      People could assume that Objective Justification was simply another word for the Atonement.

2.      They could also think that Subjective Justification was an expression for believing the Gospel.

3.      Walther held such a powerful position – synod, seminary, and publications head – that his perspective was monopolistic and respected.

4.      Justification itself was a word skillfully used to imply one thought (Justification by Faith) while declaring the opposite (Absolution of the World, Without Faith): General Justification, Justification of the Sinner, Justification by Grace, Objective Justification, Universal Objective Justification.

5.      The fact remains that Objective and Subjective Justification were terms used by the Calvinist translator of Knapp’s Halle theology lectures, an important book for all Protestants, German and American.

6.      Halle University and the Halle charities were so influential that their unionist (Lutheran-Reformed) doctrine was easily spread but refuted with difficulty. Spener was simply beyond criticism, so Pietism was practiced but Luther’s name was emphasized.[2]

Professors of German literature love the term Wendepunkt – turning point. The Election controversy is often described in view of history, but the Wendepunkt is Walther’s embrace of grace without the Means of Grace, world absolution without the Word, separation of the Holy Spirit and its exclusive work through the Word. Walther’s weakness on Justification was the evil tree that bore the corrupt fruit of Calvinistic double-predestination.

Walther was so eager to deny anything in man contributing to salvation that he parroted Calvin’s concept of a minority being predestined to glory while the majority were predestined to eternal damnation. Walther’s odd and fatal notion of faith being a “work of man” meant that one Enthusiasm (Objective Justification) would easily foster another – Double Predestination. God alone works, as the Scripture teaches and Book of Concord confesses, so faith is the work of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel Word.

Nothing is quite so heinous pitting grace against faith when the Holy Spirit says through St. Paul –

Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Looking at the history of this topic will take us back to Augustine versus Pelagius, the Molinists against the Jansenists, Calvin and Luther. The next stage would include Walther’s own history and the Election debates, including The Errors of Modern Missouri. That is its entirely would not focus on the real issue – the poor Biblical foundation of Walther’s dogmatics. When the Chief Article is presented in a hazy and deceptive way, lacking the key points of Biblical teaching, nothing claimed for Election is going to be sound doctrine.

---

[1] One WELS seminary professor told me about taking in Masons because “they were all Masons in Pennsylvania.” A Missouri Circuit Pastor said the same thing. Frosty Bivens admitted in his book that WELS took in Masons as soon as they were removed by Missouri congregations. The former head of the ELS, George Orvick, was known for the Masons in his congregation. St. Paul in German Village (Independent, finally WELS, earlier Reformed-Lutheran, ALC, and Masonic) had a policy of not communing Masons except for the one who was privately communed when I was serving in Columbus.

[2] My Christology professor at Waterloo Seminary (LCA, now ELCic), Otto Heick, graduated from a German Pietistic seminary, belonged to a local Pietist congregation and an LCA congregation. My vicarage supervisor regarded Heick’s other congregation as “a bunch of trouble-makers.” They called themselves, in German, Separated Christians. My home congregation had been Augustana Synod, where Pietism was highly regarded instead of being denied. They had little regard for Bishop’s Hill, an extreme Pietistic group.