Alaskan WELS Circuit Pastor - Same Old Playbook in the Love Letter and Christmas Card Scandal. Certain Pastors Can Do Anything They Want

Guenther claimed he never saw the Christmas card, which was even
more over the top.
He kept asking if I did - typical.
Am I the circuit pastor?

WELS Circuit Pastor Rob Guenther is a typical bully
in the mode of GA hazing, playing soft or hard:
gaslighting is a good description of what they do.

The District President - another bully.
John Steinbrenner flew to the congregation to reverse
the firing of the pastor for writing a six-page love letter
and a very personal Christmas card to a minor girl in his congregation.

WELS Alaskan Circuit Pastor Rob Guenther finally called me, two weeks after asking for my phone number.

After appearing to be friendly,  he asked about my source for the infamous meeting. Step Two is always a vicious slander attack, which supposedly renders the entire episode null and void. That always happens when something is brought up about WELS. The WELS speaker starts attacking me so quickly that it has become a running joke in the abusive sect.

One WELS layman brings up my name just to laugh at the reaction.

I asked Guenther if he read the Christmas card. He said he had not.

"You were not at the meeting and you have not read the Christmas card sent to the girl? How are you going to straighten me out about the facts?"

Guenther launched into his line, which he repeated many times. "I read the letter and there was nothing wrong with it."

How many pastors write six-page, hand-written letters to young girls in the congregation? That sort of behavior is right out of the grooming behavior of Bill Gothard and other perverts.

Did he report the episode? Guenther insists there was no reason. "I found nothing wrong." I interjected, "That is not your role to play the judge. You have a legal duty to report according to Alaska law, even if there is just a question.

"There was nothing there" - repeating what the bully John Steinbrenner insisted to everyone.

----

Who are mandated reporters? 

The following persons who, in the performance of their professional duties, have reasonable cause to suspect* * that a child has suffered harm as a result of abuse or neglect, must immediately (as soon as reasonably possible-no later than 24 hours) report that information to the nearest office of the state’s Department of Health & Social Services, Office of Children’s Services:

• Practitioners of the healing arts, including chiropractors, mental health counselors, social workers, dentists, dental hygienists, health aides, nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse aides, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, optometrists, osteopaths, naturopaths, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, physicians, physician assistants, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychological associates, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, hearing aid dealers, marital and family therapists, religious healing practitioners, acupuncturists, and surgeons;
• Administrative officers of institutions, including public and private hospitals or other facilities for medical diagnosis, treatment or care;
• Paid employees of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs, and crisis intervention and prevention programs;
• Paid employees of an organization that provides counseling or treatment to individuals seeking to control their use of drugs or alcohol;
• School teachers and school administrative staff members, including athletic coaches, of public and private schools;
• Peace officers and officers of the state Department of Corrections;
• Child care providers, including foster parents, day care providers and paid staff.
• Members of a child fatality review team established under AS 12.65.015 (e) or 12.65.120 or members of a multidisciplinary child protection team created under AS 47.14.300

The law encourages the persons named above to also report cases that come to their attention in their nonprofessional capacities. 

---

"He and Mark Schroeder also have a duty to report to the authorities, but WELS is used to covering up crimes, like the Al Just murder of his wife, the Tabor murder of his wife."

When Al Just murdered his wife in bed, his story became that she rolled over on a steak knife many times. When anyone in WELS questioned this malarky, the loyalists looked at them like they were the criminals. Al Just was found guilty, and he did confess to one of his relatives. But he only served five years. He married his children's baby-sitter after the murder.

When District President Ed Werner was arrested for molesting girls in his own congregation, WELS put out a cover-up story. Keith Free said, "That is what they are saying, he just slapped two girls who got rowdy in confirmation class. I hope that is the truth." Werner went to state prison because the mothers in the congregation did not want another cycle of abuse - the same they had experienced. No one told and everyone knew - just like Bill Gothard, mentor to the Duggar clan.

Daddy Free was a District President, which means he was part of the grapevine to put out the false stories.

Gaslighting 
Guenther was not getting anywhere, as he admitted, so he said, "The reason I called was - I am concerned for you."

I said, "Tears are dripping down my cheeks and shorting out my cell phone."

The WELS leaders are entirely full of themselves, especially when they have a minor position. He kept claiming his judgment was final when he had not read the card - as if a hand-written letter was innocent and normal.

Scandals play into the hands of the perpetrators. Who wants to spread letters like that around? Who wants to subject the victim to even more harm? In a cult like WELS (or the JWs or the Mormons), the abuse infection is encapsulated and festers.

Guess what, gaslighting fans? Wall was never fired. No, it never happened. Nothing happened. Two council members quit after seeing Steinbrenner in action, live, face to face. The council members who quit the congregation - and WELS, I presume - are the bad guys.

Guenther seemed to gasp when I asked about the parish constitution being changed all of the sudden. The council members had the power to fire the pastor, and the meeting was just a follow up on the decision already made - solidified by the Christmas card.

The rest of the WELS liars will say, "I know nothing about it. Don't believe anything on Ichabod."

I said this while Guenther was practicing his lines on me. "Either Wall did this before or he will again. And you will have this hanging over your head the rest of your sorry life. Your job is not to protect the synod but to protect the children under your supervision. You have a legal and ecclesiastical duty to do that, and you have not."

WELS pastor Wall, married with children.

The Michigander Writes about the LCMS-WELS-ELS Document

The LCMS did not like the WELS idea that everyone is a minister, a called worker.  The LCMS seems to be getting there.  The link is to the smaller LCMS church in Jackson.

http://www.redeemerjackson.org/staff

Except for the director of the men's choir, all the 'ministry' leaders are women.  I suppose Lyle Schaller's ideas have gotten in everywhere.  He was the "we're all ministers"-guy for the ELCA decades ago.  And here I thought that the leader of a church library was the Librarian. 

It amazes me to read that agreement is seen when The Brief Statement (1932) and common belief in Objective Justification can be listed with a quia subscription to the Book of Concord, and an inerrant Bible text when the text being used is a 20th or 21st century "translation".  All the statement proves is that all three synods should be forced to stop using Luther's name anywhere in their organization.  Luther, if around today, might only say, "It was the pope's crew that called us Lutherans.  I call us Christians."

When the apostles wanted to censure those others who were preaching and baptizing in His name, Jesus did say if they are not against us they are for us.  He also said he would say He never knew some who called Him Lord.  I guess that means those others never did come around to faith in Him and the Word.  They were just doing that to benefit themselves.

The Michigander

http://www.redeemerjackson.org/staff

Staff

Shown below is the staff, and some of the leaders and other volunteers of Redeemer Lutheran Church. If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to send an eMail.

Staff, Leaders and Volunteers

Pastor Michael Geml eMail Pastor	Craig Britton Dir of Ministries eMail Craig	Deb Fall Dir of Worship eMail Deb	Diane Scouten Office Manager eMail Diane
Tom Gamet Chairman eMail Tom	Paul Rumohr Vice Chairman eMail Paul	John Highlen Secretary eMail John	Al Dicks Head Elder eMail Al
Glen Speed Leadership Bd eMail Glen	Blair Bennitt Phys Properties eMail Blair	Linda Kline Treasurer eMail Linda	Peggy Bennitt Family Ministry eMail Peggy
Ted Miller Dir Men's Choir eMail Ted	Lynette Luksan Financial Sec eMail Lynette	Kris Nowak Dir Early Srvc Music eMail Kris	Deb Rockwell Library Ministry eMail Deb
Ed Faris Prayer Ministry eMail Ed	Carol Faris Prayer Ministry eMail Carol	Dave McFarland Education Ministry eMail Dave	Tina Dixon Kitchen Manager eMail Tina

ELS-LCMS-WELS-ELCA: Together Again. Complete Agreement on Universalism Disguised as UOJ

Some of our finest leaders
could not attend the meetings
because they were tied down.

A Report on the Meetings of ELS, LCMS, and WELS Leaders 2012–2015 - Before the Final Edit

Background 
In 2012 the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) decided to hold an informal meeting, which was held in December 2012. The impetus behind the meeting was the election of Rev. Mark Schroeder as president of WELS in 2007 and the election of Rev. Matthew Harrison as president of the LCMS in 2010, providing a new opportunity for discussions. Since all three synods are almost insolvent, we pooled our resources to find another guilt-ridden billionaire so we could sell more indulgences and name more chapels and libraries.

It had been many years since any meetings had taken place between these synods, which were once in fellowship as members of the Synodical Conference. When fellowship was suspended (ELS/LCMS in 1955 and WELS/LCMS in 1961), it was understood that contacts should continue to be made to try to overcome the differences. Thanks to AAL/LB/Thrivent, this has continued under the leadership of ELCA. The WELS convention in 1961 resolved “that under conditions which do not imply a denial of our previous testimony we stand ready to resume discussions with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod with the aim of reestablishing unity of doctrine and practice and of restoring fellowship relations, these discussions to be conducted outside the framework of fellowship.” Now that we all train our leaders at Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek, we can talk the same language again.

Mark Jeske is proving to be a heaven-sent midwife to give birth to total reunion with ELCA, funded by the insurance business and various foundations and gambling resorts.

Since the preliminary, get-acquainted meeting in December 2012, all three synods have passed convention resolutions that have encouraged continued informal discussions. Additional meetings were held in December 2013 focusing on the doctrine of church and ministry, in December 2014 focusing on the doctrine of church fellowship, and in December 2015 focusing on hermeneutics (methods of biblical interpretation). With this document, we as participants want to give a mutually approved report to our respective synods about the status of these informal meetings. We hope they continue at these snazzy resorts.

The left hand of whatever.

Surprises
There have been many surprises for all participants in our meetings. When did Matt Harrison gain all that weight? His  media photos have him 50 pounds lighter. Even though the ELS and WELS have not been in fellowship with the LCMS for over 50 years, we found—as we shared our situations openly and honestly—that we have much in common as leaders and as synods. We were able to put to rest some myths and legends about our respective synods.

For instance, Luther was not much of a theologian or Biblical scholar. We are going to continue our campaign of forgetting him so we can lift Walther, Pieper, Larry Olson, and Waldo Werning to the heights they deserve as our latter day prophets.

In particular, LCMS participants were surprised to learn how much pain was still being faked in the ELS and WELS because of the dissolution of the Synodical Conference in the 1960s. LCMS participants were happy to hear about the nominal esteem that is present in the ELS and WELS for the public ministry and the pastoral office, and to learn about the nuances of the ELS and WELS fellowship doctrine and that it is not applied in a legalistic way. We can all talk out of both sides of our mouths on all issues. WELS GA hazing has taught us a lot about how to fool the gullible and shun the thinkers.

ELS and WELS participants, on the other hand, were surprised to see the conservative and confessionally faithful stance faked by the LCMS leaders, and how oleaginous they are in listening and "understanding" the viewpoint of others.

ELS and WELS participants learned much about the structure and operation of the LCMS, including the fact that the documents and statements of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR), unless adopted by the synod in convention, do not constitute the official doctrinal position of the LCMS. Now you see it, now you don't. That works much better than tying everyone down with these infallible decrees and solemn declarations.

Missouri rejoiced that WELS and ELS leaders do not take anything seriously, except for themselves. They also thanked God that Jay Webber was not invited to these sessions.

ELS and WELS participants were heartened to hear LCMS leaders acknowledge with sadness that the ELS and WELS were compelled to break fellowship with the LCMS to avoid the tragedy of the doctrinal controversy that befell the LCMS in the 1970s, and that LCMS leaders are continuing to work for faithfulness in Scriptural doctrine and practice in their synod. [Secretary note - Can we get away with this knee-slapping humor, or is it  raw sanctimony? OK - more raw meat for the base. Got it. Please don't mention that WELS formed the backbone of Seminex.]

Most of all, it was a pleasant surprise to recognize that doctrinal agreement exists in many areas, some of which we will document here. The big one - Universal Forgiveness and Salvation - will enable to do anything we want with any denomination, sect, or polka society we want.

"Face it, Brett, ELCA is winning this one."

2 Agreement 
First and foremost among areas of evident agreement is the fact—quite astonishing in our world today and not at all to be taken for granted among those who claim to be Lutherans—that we all pretend to agree wholeheartedly on the formal and material principles of theology. We publicly agree that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the only source of authority for doctrine and practice. Of course, we all have our unspoken rules, traditions, and third rails. We agree that the chief message of the Bible is that faith is bad, a work of man, so God declared the entire unbelieving world forgiven and saved. This eliminates all that needless chatter about worship, closed communion, and other adiaphora. In light of this agreement, it seems that there is reason to continue to discuss doctrine together with the hope that we may be able to come to full agreement under the guidance and manipulations of our Father Below.

All of us also confess without reservation (quia) that the Lutheran Confessions are a correct exposition of the Holy Scriptures - which is good, because most of us have not even glanced at them since seminary, if we did then. When discussing hermeneutics, we found that we say basically claim to say the same thing: Our doctrine is based on Scripture, and when we compare Scripture with the Lutheran Confessions, we find that they agree. Therefore we subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions and use them as normative for teaching in the Lutheran Church. [Secretary - Are you pulling my leg? The three are more Seminexy than the old Seminex guys were.]

Mark Jeske cast a vision for us, a day when we will
not only ordain women and gays, as we already do,
but also animals.

In our sessions, we identified a number of biblical doctrines or practices where we acknowledge that we teach the same thing in our three synods, including the following:

• The Trinity as defined by the Braaten Jenson Dogmatics
• The person and work of Christ
• Universal forgiveness and salvation, without faith
• Genesis 1–11 is actual history, for example with a six day creation, Adam and Eve, and the fall
• The real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, unless we are communing with ELCA
• Baptism except when we study with Babtists
• Law and gospel, making Moses the Savior and Jesus the lawgiver
• Means of grace, by which we tell people they were already forgiven and saved before being born
• Eternal election of grace, another way to deep six "faith"
• Conversion of the ELS to a circuit because it is so tiny and growing smaller
• Two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Schwan and the Kingdom of Jeske
• End times
• Resurrection of the body
• Antichrist clearly identified as that blogger we will not name
• Third use of the law
• Rejection of women’s ordination for now
• Rejection of infant communion for now
• Worship as entertainment
• Need for ecclesiastical visitation and doctrinal supervision

We also called to mind how all three synods expressed agreement with A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod when it first appeared in the early 1930s. This doctrinal statement still reflects areas of agreement today. We still wonder why everything began falling apart after we supplanted the Book of Concord with the BS 1932.

Of special note in our discussions was the doctrine of the church, because, to the surprise of ELS and WELS participants, it seemed that we agreed with each other on this doctrine. We are equally mixed up between the Fuller Enthusiasts, the Walther Enthusiasts, and the Roman Enthusiasts. We also acknowledged agreement in regard to current social issues, such as the sanctity of life except when working with ELCA, human sexuality except when working with ELCA, and religious freedom except when we are clobbering, firing, and shunning any dissent from our hybrid dogma. Last but certainly not least, there was special joy to understand that we all hold to objective justification—that God declared the world righteous through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and that we all recognize it to be the urgent mission of the church to take this  Universalism disguised as gospel to the entire world.

Bivens, Brug, and Wendland ask,
"Why are our students so dumb?"

3 Challenges 
In spite of the above areas of agreement, a number of significant differences (real or perceived) remain that need to be thoroughly addressed. It should be stated clearly that we do not expect to reestablish church fellowship in the near future. All of us are convinced that church fellowship requires complete agreement in doctrine. OK, to be honest, we already agree about how much we covet every doctrine except Luther's, but PR is PR, and our WELS PR guy is still in the slammer.

For example, in our discussions on the ministry, it has become evident that we carry on church life in very similar ways. We all want well-trained, male pastors to shepherd our congregations and female ministers by decree, and we all have other church offices such as Lutheran school teachers that serve together with pastors. But we talk about the necessity of the pastoral office in different ways and present the scriptural basis of the doctrine differently, in part due to our different histories and the different concerns that we face and which wild hair programs we have attended. We recognize that further discussions on this topic will need to take place.

In our discussions about church fellowship, we have found that we agree on the general principles and on the practice of closed communion, so we can ignore them. But we differ on what we say about prayer fellowship, especially since we have various factions and fanatics.

There also are other potential issues that we have not yet discussed fully, including the roles of men and women and transgenders, cooperation in externals, and international church relationships. There is ongoing concern about the consistency of practice in our church bodies. None of us sees an easy path to fellowship, and none of us wants to compromise any part of God’s Word in the process. The New NIV will take care of that in a few years, seamlessly changing from moment to moment, anticipating all societal changes.

Let our sexual harassment team
take over your church service.
No children allowed.

Plans and Hopes for the Future
In view of the progress we have made, we intend to continue to meet to pursue additional topics. The tone of our discussions has been positive and friendly, and we have come to a level of mutual respect and trust. We have been in fellowship with each other and ELCA for decades so why not formalize our morganatic marriage?

Perhaps God may guide us to a reestablishment of fellowship at some point in the future, a goal for which we pray and work. But even if we are not able to practice church fellowship, we have found benefit in talking together about church work, in patiently trying to understand the issues better, and in providing a measure of encouragement in our lives of repentance and fidelity to Fuller Seminary and Willowcreek. Gradually we may also look for ways to include others from our synods in these inter-synodical discussions, but not Jay Webber.

Around us in America we see a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christianity. It is good to be in conversation with the few who are still committed to faking confessional Lutheranism. This is something that the LCMS especially has been trying to do around the world, bringing Lutherans together and encouraging them to be faithful to Stephan, Walther, Pieper, and Halle University.

Anyone who has advice in regard to ELS/LCMS/WELS relations is invited to direct it to one of the undersigned participants, so we can start an excommunication file. Certainly, all who read this report are encouraged to remember our discussions and our respective synods in prayer.

"God bless and keep them - far away from us."

This report was approved by the following meeting attendees on December 2, 2015 in Jacksonville, FL- WELS, ELS, and LCMS:

WELS Leaders

Dress for success in WELS.

LCMS Leaders

ELS Leader

Why do they want to call my synod - "just a circuit"?

Luther Academy (sic) Sinks to New Low in Dishonoring Martin Luther. Jack Kilcrease and Rolf Preus as Proven False Teachers

Jack Kilcrease said he wanted his own Photoshop,
but he did not seem to enjoy this one.

Jack Kilcrease
The so-called Luther Academy is issuing a "Lutheran Dogmatics" which promises two new titles.

One is on the Scriptures, by Jack Kilcrease. Jack grew up in a WELS parsonage, but attended an ELCA college and graduated from an ELCA seminary - Luther (another ironic name).

Jack is a part-time professor at a Roman Catholic college and also at an online school founded by an ELCA professor. They boast about the women pastors they graduate - and get this - it is a "Confessional Lutheran" school.

One does not simply title a book Justification,
but signifies its meaning - Justification without Faith,
or Justification by Faith Alone.

Rolf Preus
If Rolf's book - Justification - is half as bad as his late brother's, then the volume will truly be a carbuncle in the series, overshadowing Kilcrease in it follies, contradictions, and errors.

Love the title, Rolf. We know the agenda.  You dream that the Chief Article of the Christian Faith is Universalism, in harmony - concordia - with ELCA, the Presbyterians, the Methodists, and the liberal Baptists.

As an alleged editor of Justification and Rome, you missed the quotations repudiating your dogma.

Spooked - Yet Nothing Is Done. Schroeder "Knew Nothing about Felon Joel Hochmuth" But Knows When a WELS Member Touches Non- WELS Pipe Organs

The district president's circuit pastor contacted me
to explain how a pastor sends a love letter to
a minor girl in his congregation.
No phone call yet - many days later.
The CP is also required to report anything out of the ordinary involving a minor.

11/23, 9:37pm

Rob Guenther

Is this the Pastor Jackson who runs the Ichabod blog? If so, I know Pastor Wall and more of the events that took place at Christ Lutheran in Juneau, Alaska recently. Let me know if you want to talk, and, if so, what's a good number to reach you at and when would be a good time to call.

Who are mandated reporters? 

The following persons who, in the performance of their professional duties, have reasonable cause to suspect* * that a child has suffered harm as a result of abuse or neglect, must immediately (as soon as reasonably possible-no later than 24 hours) report that information to the nearest office of the state’s Department of Health & Social Services, Office of Children’s Services:

• Practitioners of the healing arts, including chiropractors, mental health counselors, social workers, dentists, dental hygienists, health aides, nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse aides, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, optometrists, osteopaths, naturopaths, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, physicians, physician assistants, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychological associates, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, hearing aid dealers, marital and family therapists, religious healing practitioners, acupuncturists, and surgeons;
• Administrative officers of institutions, including public and private hospitals or other facilities for medical diagnosis, treatment or care;
• Paid employees of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs, and crisis intervention and prevention programs;
• Paid employees of an organization that provides counseling or treatment to individuals seeking to control their use of drugs or alcohol;
• School teachers and school administrative staff members, including athletic coaches, of public and private schools;
• Peace officers and officers of the state Department of Corrections;
• Child care providers, including foster parents, day care providers and paid staff.
• Members of a child fatality review team established under AS 12.65.015 (e) or 12.65.120 or members of a multidisciplinary child protection team created under AS 47.14.300

The law encourages the persons named above to also report cases that come to their attention in their nonprofessional capacities. 

Synod President Mark Schroeder has a duty to report,
as an administrator of an institution.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/10/22/five-women-sue-bill-gothards-ministry-that-has-ties-to-the-duggars/

Five women have sued the Institute in Basic Life Principles, once a leader in the Christian homeschooling movement, charging that the organization and its board of directors enabled and covered up sexual abuse and harassment of interns, employees, and other participants in its programs.

Each of the plaintiffs — Gretchen Wilkinson, Charis Barker, Rachel Frost, Rachel Lees and a Jane Doe — seeks $50,000 in damages, alleging that the organization and its board acted negligently, with willful and wanton disregard for them, and engaged in a civil conspiracy to conceal the wrongdoing.

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a long-simmering scandal that has engulfed the ministry once admired by conservative Christian parents for teaching them how to raise obedient, devout and chaste children since the 1960s. The ministry has found dedicated followers in politics, including Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), who sought to replace Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) as House Speaker, and in entertainment.

Bill Gothard, founder of IBLP. (photo via RNS)

Last year, IBLP’s founder and longtime president, Bill Gothard, resigned amid allegations by more than 30 women that he had sexually harassed them. Former followers have said that Gothard was revered as an almost saint-like figure, and that members of IBLP’s homeschooling arm, the Advanced Training Institute, feared questioning him.

Earlier this year, IBLP was once again in the headlines after the gossip magazine In Touch reported that Josh Duggar, the eldest son of reality television stars and longtime Advanced Training Institute members Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, had been sent to an IBLP training center as a teenager after he admitted he had sexually abused four of his younger sisters and a family friend.

[Duggar sisters Jessa Seewald and Jill Dillard to star in TLC specials]

The new lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in DuPage County Circuit Court in Illinois, where IBLP’s headquarters is located, charges that IBLP, its employees and directors “frequently received reports” of “sexual abuse, sexual harassment and inappropriate/unauthorized touching.” But, the lawsuit said, they never reported “these serious, potentially criminal allegations to law enforcement authorities or the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services” as required by state law.

David Gibbs III, the attorney representing the women, said in an interview the women decided to litigate only after unsuccessful efforts to address the issues with the IBLP board of directors, who are also named in the lawsuit. Gibbs added that his clients did not want to sue, but that the board “rather stubbornly and in my opinion rather arrogantly basically challenged the girls to bring the case.”

The board, he said, “is not operating in a spirit of transparency or openness,” and has not discussed the allegations with the victims.

IBLP did not respond to a request for comment.

Autumn Tepees - Maple Leaves Create Snuggle Blankets for Plants

Autumn Leaves, by Norma Boeckler

We are experiencing light frosts at night and sunny days - 60 degrees - during the daytime.

We have piled the autumn leaves into a tepee under the crepe myrtle bush and under the maple tree, for that rose garden.

Leaves are fairly dense on the main rose garden, but that will get more donations if all goes well. We need a little more raking and some donations from neighbors. Leaves fell very late this year, followed by exceptionally heavy rain. I had about 8 inches in the garbage pails sitting out in the open.

The maple leaves interlock and form an unmoving snuggle blanket for the plants. Snow and rain contribute to the rotting process and keep the soil warmer.

I am hoping the tender bulbs will survive the winter, snuggled beneath the blanket.

Second Sunday in Advent, 2015. Plain, Clear Words of the Bible

The Second Sunday in Advent, 2015

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Time

The Hymn # 58 – Gerhardt              O Lord  How Shall I Meet Thee  

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      Romans 15:4-13

The Gospel                           Luke 21:25-36 

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #71                            Watchman Tell Us    

The Plain, Clear Words of the Bible

The Hymn # 304                                      An Awe-Full of Mystery            

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 # 647                                          O Little Town of Bethlehem    

Second Sunday In Advent

Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son hast revealed to us that heaven and earth shall pass away, that our bodies shall rise again, and that we all shall appear before the judgment seat: We beseech Thee, keep us by Thy Holy Spirit in Thy word; establish us in the true faith, graciously defend us from sin and preserve us in all temptations, that our hearts may not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, but that we may ever watch and pray and, trusting fully in Thy grace, await with joy the glorious coming of Thy Son, and at last obtain eternal salvation, 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.

KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

The Plain, Clear Words of the Bible

KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

We have established standards in the US and in the world. The idea of the inch or millimeter is confusing unless a standard exists for that measurement. That is an issue with Noah's ark. Exactly how long was that measurement - a cubit? It makes a difference when calculating the length and width of that ship.

Thus we have many standards - distance, temperature, and weight. That also applies in other areas, such as computer science, where standards are set for such things as wiring and network connections. They are called protocols, and we use one term - IP address - all the time. Internet Protocol.

Given this great book we have - this Bible - how can we be clear about its meaning? Various groups have solemnly intoned that the Bible is infallible - the word was changed in meaning - so now it is inerrant. And they come to a rest at that point. The opportunities for mischief are vast and many have not resisted the temptations.

But there is a protocol within that standard called The Word of God. The Scriptures are the canon, the ruling norm of Christian faith and practice. But how do we keep form wandering away from the meaning of that ruling norm?

The answer is clear. The protocol is simple - stick to the clear, plain meaning of the words.

I discussed this with a person last week and decided to borrow his complaint. He asked why do we need a new set of words for forgiveness. Suddenly, in history, after the Reformation, long after the meaning of the Bible was established with many great volumes of Bible study (aka the orthodox theologians - Chemnitz, Gerhard, Chytraeus, and lesser lights) - new terms crop up and people insist on those terms being used.

As we can see from this one verse alone, the Scriptures are written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

So we have directions, much more than directions, because they are the voice of God Himself, spoken by the Holy Spirit through various scribes. The directions do not mean much if the words keep changing in meaning.

Roman Catholic Leaders in the Reformation

Roman Catholic leaders tried to argue from the Scriptures in the early part of the Reformation, as Chemnitz observed. They were quite naive about the meaning of the Scriptures and thought their commentaries or glosses handled everything. They were wrong and got trounced in the early debates.

They switched tactics. The Scriptures were no longer clear and plain. They were not even sufficient. They were so incomplete, so confusing, that they were insufficient to teach people the meaning of Christianity. No, the people, even the priests and bishops, needed a final authority - the pope - to tell them the meaning of the Word of God. There was a struggle at first, with the pope maintaining primacy over all the other leaders, and he won that battle, so in time the infallibility of the Word was attached to the pope, and the Word of God became unclear, insufficient, and confusing for the ordinary person. Indeed, without the guidance of the Roman Catholic Church, nothing could be understood properly.

That is really the beginning of modern Biblical criticism, the art of saying that a given passage means exactly the opposite of what we think by reading it.

Example - miracle. Most people think of a miracle as an event where God intervenes and changes everything to create something out of the ordinary, against our reason and science - changing water into wine, raising the dead, curing leprosy with a Word.

But no, the critics say, we all know there are no miracles, so the word "sign" or "wonder" or "miracle" must meant that the observer is so impressed with Jesus that he takes an entirely different view of the world. Nothing has happened. He only thinks something has happened.

Those miracles witnessed by many people are dismissed as the attempts of the disciples to show how swell Jesus was. That shows their faith in Him. Aww. And so the empty tomb is not empty at all, but it is a fine example of the "Easter faith of the disciples."

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 

A group cannot be likeminded when they are confused about the message. When confronted about their new words, they say, "The Trinity is not found in the Bible. That is a new term." And of course the word itself is not found in the Bible, but there are hundreds of references to the Trinity in the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament.

So the Mormons say, "And we believe in the Trinity." So I asked, "Do you believe in three separate gods?" They said, "Yes we do." So I countered, "That is not the Trinity. You say the Book of Mormon is in harmony with the Bible, but the Bible says, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One God."

That made them confused and very angry. When people invent new words and stick to those new terms, they react strongly against the truth. "They believe, but their hides bristle. (James)" They know enough about God to deal with the language, but they only feel the power without the mercy and react against the truth. They have already fallen into 2 Thessalonians 2, one of the most powerful passages in the Bible.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

People cannot be likeminded when they see two different meanings to the same passage of the Bible. The Mormons said, "One verse of the Bible can have 100 different meanings." I said, "True. 99 wrong ones and one right one." That upset them. I went on to say, "God created the world and sent His Son to die for our sins, and yet He cannot speak to us clearly enough to let us know the truth! Is that what you mean?" More anger and confusion followed.

As one reader commented, we are being flooded with paganism and false doctrine because we have neglected our study - which is commended in this passage. Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Strength comes from unity, so the Christians are scattered like the builders of the Tower of Babel, because they are speaking different things at the same time.

If we listen to what others are saying, we can tell who their authorities are. They will always fall back on their favorites. Thus they say, "This is your opinion." Some pretend to be gracious by saying, "You are entitled to your opinion." But they retreat back to a source that is their comfort and source of confusion. Yesterday, that meant "I agree with Jack Kilcrease," who was educated by ELCA and is a part-time teacher of Roman Catholics and future ELCA pastors, many of them women candidates.

I responded, "I agree with St. Paul and the Holy Spirit." We should be so firm in our understanding of the Word that we listen to no other authority than the Scriptures and are firm in being students of the Holy Spirit. 

This is the great advantage of doctrinal conflict, which will always exist as long as Satan enters into every discussion and works on dividing people. That conflict should drive us to know the Word better all the time. 

There are two impacts that motivate us to hunger and thirst for the real meaning of the Word. One is the need to teach children or adults. The other is conflict, when people try to deny the meaning of the Scriptures.

As long as there is no need to teach and no turmoil to confront, we take for granted the great lessons of the Bible. But when teaching requires us to answer difficult questions and turmoil attacks the truth, the Word is especially appealing and we remember the Psalmist's words.

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

The hymn -

As pants the hart for cooling streams
when heated in the chase,
so longs my soul, O God, for thee
and thy refreshing grace.

7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 

This use of receive could be translated as "welcome," which is the opposite of shun. Just as Christ received or welcomed us through grace, mercy, and forgiveness, with all our sins and weakness, so we should see the Christian Church as a gathering of fallible people. Therefore, we welcome those especially who believe in Christ and receive their forgiveness and salvation through Him alone and not through their own merits.

We can be completely confident of our understanding of the Christian Faith when we rely on the clear, plain words of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit teaches us through the Word. No fad, trend, or philosophy can set aside that meaning.