WELS Administration - The Good Old Days

A pastor described the WELS administration in the Good Old Days: Carl Mischke had an office at the bottom of the stairs at the Northwestern Publishing building. Carl's wife Gladys was his secretary. That was the administration.

The faster WELS shrinks, the bigger the administration has become. They even hired a new person to find out where all the money went! And they bought $250,000 in software. I could have sold them a copy of Excel for $100, but no, they needed $250,000 so they did not misplace $8 million again.

The hilarity of this - WELS will teach stewardship to congregations and families!

UOJ and the Sixth Commandment for WELS Clergy

Kokomo Statements

I. "Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinner's attitude toward Christ's sacrifice, purely on the basis of God's verdict, every sinner, whether he knows it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of saint."

II. "After Christ's intervention and through Christ's intervention God regards all sinners as guilt-free saints."

III. "When God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ, He individually pronounced forgiveness to each individual sinner whether that sinner ever comes to faith or not."

IV. "At the time of the resurrection of Christ, God looked down in hell and declared Judas, the people destroyed in the flood, and all the ungodly, innocent, not guilty, and forgiven of all sin and gave unto them the status of saints."

***

J. P. Meyers created the first three Kokomo Statements. Sig Becker endorsed all four of them. WELS still promotes UOJ. Ditto the LCMS, ELCA, ELS, CLC, and LCR. Another component of the WELS clergy attitude toward the Sixth Commandment is their need to prove they are not Pietists.

Sig Becker used to express his disgust to Herman Otten about the adultery and drunkenness of the WELS clergy.

If a District Pope is famous for forcing pastors out of the ministry for no Scriptural reason, then why would he refuse to discipline a pastor for violating the Sixth Commandment? Right is wrong; wrong is right - that is the WELS DP motto.

Jeff Is Pumped - at CrossWalk

NEW SERMON SERIES

You’ve heard it. So have I. Church is boring. Church is for weak people who need a crutch. Church is for do-gooders. Church is a business. Churches just want to grow on your back, and worse, on your buck. If that’s what you’ve heard about church, come and experience our upcoming sermon series—Mythbusters. It’s not easy to separate fact from fiction, but beginning on Sunday, August 19th, we’ll tackle these myths about church head on. We’ll show you what’s real about church, and what’s not. Check out this challenging sermon series. You won’t regret it.

August 19 – Church is for Good People
August 26 – Church is a Crutch
September 2 – Churches—Bigger is Better!
September 9 – Church is Boring
September 16 – Church—Show Me the Money!
I'm really pumped to see all of you tomorrow for the conclusion to our Sermons from Hell series! The message is one everyone will want to hear. I guarantee it!

God bless!

Jeff

Jeff Gunn is pastor of CrossWalk Church. Jeff and his wife Julie have five children, Aaron, Abbie, Andrew, Audrey and Abel. Both Jeff and Julie grew up in Phoenix, but have also lived in South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Zambia. They returned to Arizona in 1996, and Jeff became the first pastor of CrossWalk in 2004.

***

GJ - Would this be a Church Growth congregation of the Wisconsin Synod?

See more from CrossWalk below, which has yet to offer a Holy Communion service in three years.

***

God has a claim on you!

God has valid reasons for making that claim. He not only made us, he made us for himself. You and I have no other purpose of existing on earth than God's purpose. Our lives have no independent value. God refers to us as "the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise." We are called by God "the work of my hands, (created) for the display of my splendor." (Isaiah 43:21 and 60:21, NIV)

But there is something greater about God's claim on us. It's not simply that he created us. He also paid the ultimate price so that we could have life after death. That makes us doubly his, as he reminds us, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19,20, NIV)

God does not need your gift.

But, since who we are and everything we possess leads back to him, God asks us for a portion of our possessions as an expression of thanksgiving. Your gift is a way to thank God, and a way to exercise your faith in God.

In considering our offering of thanks to him, God asks us to apply spiritual yardsticks to our giving, not mathematical ones. Here are some of those yardsticks:

God asks for regular gifts. As often as he blesses us with income, he asks that we set aside a share for him.
God asks for first-fruits gifts; that is, we are to thank him from the first and best of our income and possessions.
God asks for proportionate gifts. That means God doesn't look at the size of the gift, he looks at the size of the income it came from.
God asks for joyful gifts, offerings that flow from a cheerful heart.
And finally, God asks for gifts that are considered prayerfully in dialogue with him.
It is our desire to honor God's trust in us.

As his followers, we want to use his resources wisely and for his purposes. We operate within his provision and recognize our responsibility to manage the resources he provides with joy, integrity and faithfulness.

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT GOD AND OUR MANAGEMENT OF HIS GIFTS.

Christian Stewardship Is Taking God At His Word

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Wallace Schulz LCMS Essay

Schulz was a speaker for The Lutheran Hour and a synodical VP for the LCMS when he took over the Benke issue, which was earlier and adroitly avoided by Barry-McCain. Schulz was fired from The Lutheran Hour for disciplining Benke, then voted out of office.

His essay on the LCMS is here.

Lutheran Monastery, Oxford, Michigan

Foundation

"The Congregation of the Servants of Christ" was established at St. Augustine's House in 1958 when some other men joined Father Arthur in observing the monastic life and offices of prayer. These men and others came and went over the years. The community has always remained small; at times the only member was Father Arthur himself. During the 35 years of its existence over 25 men tested their vocations to monastic life by living at the house for some time, from a few months to many years, but at Father Arthur's death in 1989 only one permanent resident remained.

A Quonset hut erected in 1958 has served as a chapel ever since. It is named for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as part of a wish to restore Mary to the piety of reformation churches and appropriate to a place of worship with many visitors. It is a humble building with a small pipe organ and simple appointments. After all these years of service it is constantly in need of repair. The highest priority for the community and its friends right now is its replacement by a more adequate and dignified structure.

***

This Lutheran monastery for Marian devotion was linked from the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, an organization for liberal LCMS members and ELCA.

St. Boniface Lutheran in Niles, Michigan (ELDONA - Archbishop James Heiser) has a link to this monastery as well - Confessional Lutheran Links.

ELDONA pastors were so shocked by the unionism of the Yankee Stadium event that they left the LCMS. The solution to this apostasy is to visit a monastery founded by a liberal Lutheran - who was cosy with Roman Catholic monks - to foster Marian piety.

Check out the other Confessional Lutheran Links at St. Boniface. Three out of the first four are about clerical garb - a burning issue for crypto-Romanists.

Check out the FAQs at St. Boniface:

Why does our Pastor dress up in vestments?
Vestments help cover the man and proclaim Christ. Vestments are a sort of uniform, indicating that the person wearing them is not acting as a private citizen, but as one who has been given a certain role and authority to act in it, almost like a police officer's uniform, or a military uniform. Here the office is that of speaking and giving the Gospel in the stead and by the command of Jesus.

Why do people bow and genuflect?
The Scriptures teach that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. Bowing and genuflecting (or kneeling) is an ancient posture of worship, a gesture of humility and of giving honor to the one being worshipped. People traditionally bow and genuflect at specific points in the service, for example, at the confession of sins, during the speaking of the creed, and at holy communion.

Why does the Pastor sometimes use incense?
Worship is intended to encompass the whole person, body and soul. Ideally, every sense should be incorporated in the experience and pointed to the places where Jesus is present. Hence, there is art for the eyes, music for the ears, water for the touch, bread and wine for the tongue, and incense for the nose. Why incense and not some other smell? Because incense is the smell most closely associated with Jesus in the Scriptures. He is given incense at his birth by the magi. He is anointed with incense and perfume before His passion. He is buried with incense on His body. Incense is used in the church, then, to indicate the places where Jesus is present - the Holy Gospel, Holy Communion - and is offered up with our prayers as it is Christ who makes these prayers pleasing to God the Father.

Ichabod prediction: Many churches and pastors who call themselves Lutheran today will be Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or ChurchGrowth-Unitarian in the next decade. This is not divergence, as Grey Goose thinks, but convergence. Watch for the discussion on Enthusiasm, Smalcald Articles. Because the Lutheran synods have all abandoned and rejected the Means of Grace, Enthusiasm has swept in with all its foul errors. Enthusiam can go several directions but it is the proto-toxin of all false doctrine.

Note well, noble readers - The ALPB (Lutheran Forum, Lutheran Forum Letter) boasts two editors who became Roman Catholic priests. And they link St. Augustine's Monastery. When Mary, robes, smells and bells are primary, the efficacious Word is forgotten.

Bailing Water Has New Material

If you are interested in WELS issues, check out the Bailing Water Blog.

WELS Stewardship Reports

WELS news for September --- the big news is stewardship. They are going to have programs. These programs offer workshops to help pastors, church leaders and individuals set goals and develop plans for financial stewardship. They will focus on developing a stewardship culture within the congregation. So says the synod. Bottom line is WELS needs its members to give more money. They have new a web site online payment center for WELS schools. They are gathering funds for a goal of $300 million by 2018. This is an endowment fund began in 06. Members and the Schwan Foundation have contributed $3.5 mill in current gifts and $33.1 mill in deferred gifts.

Diablo

Great Hymns from The Lutheran Hymnal

"Yea, as I Live, Jehovah Saith"
by Nikolaus Herman, published in 1560
Translated by Matthias Loy, 1828-1915
Text From:
THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)

This is best sung to Old Hundredth. The omitted verses, 5, 7, 9, are provided by the obsolete and forgotten Pollack TLH companion and added by Ichabod. Would someone please tell me how UOJ can be harmonized with this great hymn from the Reformation?


1. Yea, as I live, Jehovah saith,
I would not have the sinner's death,
But that he turn from error's ways,
Repent, and live through endless days.

2. To us therefore Christ gave command:
"Go forth and preach in every land;
Bestow on all My pardoning grace
Who will repent and mend their ways.

3. "All those whose sins ye thus remit
I truly pardon and acquit,
And those whose sins ye do retain
Condemned and guilty shall remain.

4. "What ye shall bind, that bound shall be:
What ye shall loose, that shall be free;
Unto My Church the keys are given
To ope and close the gates of heaven."

5. The words which absolution give
Are His who died that we might live;
The minister whom Christ has sent
Is but His humble instrument.

6. When ministers lay on their hands,
Absolved by Christ the sinner stands;
He who by grace the Word believes
The purchase of His blood receives.

7. All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
For absolution full and free,
In which Thou showest forth Thy grace;
From false indulgence guard our race.

8. Praise God the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
As 'twas, is now, and so shall be
World without end, eternally!

From Pollack:
5. They who believe when ye proclaim
The joyful tidings in My Name
That I for them My blood have shed,
Are free from guilt and Judgment dread.

7. However great our sin may be
The absolution sets us free,
Appointed by God's own dear Son
To bring the pardon He has won.

9. This is the power of Holy Keys
It binds and doth again release;
The Church retains them at her side
Our mother and Christ's holy Bride.

_______________________________________________________
Notes:
Hymn #331 from The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Ezek. 33:11
Author: Nikolaus Herman, 1560, cento
Translated by: Matthias Loy, 1880, alt.
Titled: "So wahr ich leb', spricht Gott der Herr"
Composer: Jeremiah Clarke, 1707
Tune: "St. Luke"
______________________________________________________________
This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.

E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu
Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA
Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126
______________________________________________________________

Nicolaus Herman's hymns were written primarily for children, to supplant the secular songs they loved. When his pastor Johann Mathesius "preached a speically good sermon, Herman straightway embodied its leading ideas in a hymn." Pollack, The Handbook to The Lutheran Hymnal, p. 521.

Trinity Thirteen Sermon

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

KJV Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

KJV Luke 10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.


TLH Hymns
209 - Who is this who comes from Edom
331 - Yes, as I Live, Jehovah Saith
503 - Rise Crowned with Light, Imperial Salem Rise
479 - Zion rise, Zion rise

The Parable of the Means of Grace
This Gospel selection starts with some verses we should not ignore.

Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Jesus is the turning point in history. For centuries people longed for the Savior of the world. Any glance at world religion shows how people were lost and confused, walking in darkness. Some of the more savage expressions of religion are beyond comprehension.

We are just as blessed as the people in Jesus’ audience because we hear those Words of Christ. We have a more certain knowledge of Him because centuries of faithful believers have confessed the truth of the Gospel. We should never lose the sense of that blessing whenever we hear a single phrase from the Scriptures.

I wonder sometimes if people think of the blessings in the Votum – the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That is a real prayer from the New Testament. And the blessings of the benediction – a three-fold blessing from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you.
The Lord lift up His countenance and give you peace.

God the Holy Spirit is at work whenever the Word of God is spoken, read, or remembered. That divine work is either in converting or hardening, in enlightening or in making dark. God does the positive work while men do the negative. When they make fun of the Atonement of Christ, they harden themselves against it until they are so blind that nothing can penetrate their hardness of heart. Nowhere is that more obvious than among the professional theologians and world religion professors who know everything and believe nothing.

Jesus taught the Word of God to people, leaving no middle ground. There was no moderate, middle position. People believed and followed Him or they hated His message of righteousness from God rather than from works.

A lawyer asked how he might inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him about the Law, which the lawyer repeated in summary form. Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus’ answer is one of those shocks that make people think. “Do this and you will live.”

Is Jesus advocating salvation by the Law? Just the opposite is true. His reply is an example of irony. No one can possibly fulfill the Law, either the First Table (Love God with all your heart) or the Second Table (Love your neighbor as yourself). If man could keep the Law completely, he would inherit eternal life, but he cannot.

The lawyer did not pause to think he was incapable of fulfilling the First Table. Instead he skipped to the Second Table and asked, “Who is my neighbor?” With a proper definition, he could plan on fulfilling that command as well.

Jesus’ definition of neighbor is not what activist liberals want people to think. Instead, the Parable of the Good Samaritan is an allegory of the Gospel mission of Jesus. We have a portrait of the sinner, the Savior coming to him with the Law and Gospel, and the Means of Grace generously provided.

First we have to dispense with the mainline version, which is studiously wrong in all parts, an obnoxious example of salvation by works. Notable is the Princeton experiment where seminarians were invited to preach on this parable. I believe it was to be taped. Then, as planned, they were told they were late and forced to rush across the campus for their little talk. On the way was planted a derelict. Most if not all the students rushed pass the derelict to give their sermon on the Good Samaritan. Get it? They did not live what they were preaching! At this point the congregation is supposed to hang its collective head in shame, knowing they too would rush past. And they file out slowly, feeling nothing but guilt. If only they could save the world.

Yet another apostate version of this parable is the declaration that the Church is not to take care of the man beaten and lying on the side of the road, but to make the road to Jericho safe. Political activism. Any atheist could believe in that.

The parable concerns a man, who represents all of us, beaten and robbed, left half-dead on the highway. This shows us the condition of the sinner who is dead to Christ. He is impoverished, weak, dying, and soon to be lost entirely without the help he needs. A priest comes by and passed him on the other side of the road, consciously avoiding him. A Levite does the same. Both examples show us that ritual worship and ritual works could do nothing to aid him.

For years the Roman Catholic Church raved about Mother Theresa as a modern day saint, rushing her into sainthood with unholy haste. Her personal letters show that she did not experience the Gospel she was supposed to represent. Few people realize that she was more of a Universalist, treating all religions as the same. Many times people become involved in ritual forms and works that promise redemption but offer nothing at all.

The Samaritan, who is Jesus, had compassion on the half-dead man when He saw him. The designation Samaritan is significant because Samaritans were hated by the Jews and rejected by them. This can be seen both in the historical sense but also in a representative way. What does Jesus owe the world beyond Judaism? Nothing. He is the outsider to us, yet He comes to us. As Luther said in another sermon, the actual message of the Gospel is so fantastic that no human being could make it up. God alone can reveal such mysteries to us.

The man does not reach out to the Samaritan. The Samaritan comes to him. The man is too weak to do anything, so the Samaritan helps him and brings him back to life. So this parable eliminates “making a decision for Christ.” It eliminates the two-way covenant language favored by the Reformed. For instance, it is common for them to say, “God has done all this for you. What are going to do to complete the transaction.” The man in the parable does not complete the transaction. He does not cooperate. He receives and trusts, implicitly.

The first actions of the Samaritan are to pour wine and oil into the wounds of the beaten man. As Luther related, the wine represents the sharpness of the Law, the oil the healing of the Gospel.

Those who complain about the many Means of Grace seem to have missed the end of this parable:

and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

There are several additional actions –
1. Setting the man on his beast.
2. Bringing him to the inn.
3. Paying him money.
4. Giving him over to the care of the host.
5. Promising to give even more for the man’s care.

All these actions are God’s actions, just like:
a. Holy Baptism.
b. Holy Communion.
c. Absolution.
d. Preaching and teaching the Word.
e. Mutual consolation of the brethren.

God’s abundance of grace could be described in other ways as well, providing ministers and teachers, preserving the Word, sending missionaries throughout the world.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is not a parable about salvation by works, but a story to show us God’s active care for us. We love and trust God because of His actions to take care of us in this life and more importantly in the life to come.

The relationship between the Gospel and good works is also spelled out in this parable.

At the end, Jesus asked the lawyer, “Which one was the neighbor.” The lawyer said, “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus answered, “Go and do likewise.” That is to say – Be like the Samaritan. Think about your neighbor’s needs and actively provide for him, before he even asks. Even if you and your neighbor are oil and water, Jew and Samaritan, show compassion.

Thus God spreads His blessings, first giving us the Gospel through many instruments or means, then blessing us with the fruits of the Spirit.

ELCA Shrinking: Too Much Church Growth? Or Too Much WELS-ELS-LCMS?

Here is an interesting article on ELCA shrinking.

A major reason is that, in 20 years, the ELCA hasn't achieved a clear identity. Ask anyone what an ELCA Lutheran is - including ELCA Lutherans - and they will be hard pressed to tell you.

Ask someone what a Baptist or a Roman Catholic is and right away, you have a pretty fair idea what those terms mean. Not so with these Lutherans.

Inskeep says one reason is the ELCA never has come to terms with what it takes to live in the modern world. The endless debate about the role of gays and lesbians in the church is an example. Other denominations - Roman Catholics, Reformed, Baptists - have, for better or worse, addressed the issue and moved on.

Tradition also plays a big role. An unspoken commandment: "We've always done it this way. Why change?"

Some ELCA churches are growing and doing well. But Inskeep says overall, 72% of congregations lost worshipers between 2000 and 2006, and the number of churches where less than 50 people worship regularly jumped from 18% in 1988 to 26% in 2005.

Two decades ago, a few observers feared the ELCA would become the "General Motors of Lutheranism."

Turns out they were right, but not in the way they intended.

Lie Down With Dawgs Get Up With Puppies

The WELS-ELS-LCMS combine works with ELCA on a host of religious projects, including worship and evangelism. Look at the links for ELCA's full communion partners:

News from Full Communion Partners Episcopal News Service/Episcopal Life Online Moravian Church in North America Presbyterian News Service Reformed Church in America News United Church of Christ News

Why work with ELCA, WELS leaders? Do they feed your faith?

Why work with ELCA, LCMS leaders? Do they feed your faith?

Why work with ELCA, ELS leaders? Do they feed your faith?

The WELS AnswerMan says no.

In View of Faith

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fruits of UOJ":

Dr. Jackson:

Since you don't agree with the old Synodical Conference on objective justification, what is your position on election? Are you a follower of the "intuitu fidei" theology?

Thank you.

***

GJ - It does not follow that rejecting one false doctrine means embracing another one. I know many are on the lookout for intuitu fidei while comatose about Reformed doctrine and Church Growth marketing madness, not to mention UOJ. I can usually predict where someone is going in an essay when the experts cited are Walther, Pieper, Walther, more Pieper, and a recent seminary professor or two. Daniel Preus has an essay posted where he embraced the magical and non-existent Easter Absolution (from Walther's sermon). Am I the only one to think it strange to base a doctrine on a recent sermon? I know the Methodists do that with Wesley's sermons, but at least they admit how weak they are in doctrine.

"In view of faith" comes from truncating the original formula, that we are saved "by the merits of Christ apprehended by faith." Leaving the merits of Christ out left a phrase "saved in view of faith"

From Thy Strong Word, Justification by Faith:

If the new Lutherans are correct in claiming ancient truths, then their doctrine should be found consistently in dogmatic statements about justification. Error is not proved by its popularity or unpopularity, but we can expect that the central doctrine of Christianity has been taught properly by various church fathers through the ages. However, we can also assume that some statements are misunderstood or distorted in time, perhaps in spite of good intentions or as a result of doctrinal shorthand. The issue “in view of faith” (intuitu fidei) began with a correct statement truncated and repeated until it became institutionalized.[46]

a. Correct – We are saved in view of faith apprehending the merits of Christ.

b. Incorrect – We are saved in view of faith. The shortened version made people think that faith itself saves, as if faith were a virtue or a frame of mind generated by man.

If we are to avoid being tangled in endless disputes about words, we must avoid being wedded to each word of every single dead Lutheran, since our confession rests upon the Scriptures as the ruling norm of faith (norma normans) and the Book of Concord as the norm ruled by the Scriptures (norma normata).


The false view was promoted by the catechism of Erik Pontippidan (1698-1764), the same catechism used later to justify the Church of the Lutheran Confession’s “holy self-love” doctrine. Pontippidan was a Danish-Norwegian Pietist. The truncated “in view of faith” issue led to the formation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in 1918 when the majority of Norwegian Lutherans merged by compromising on this topic. In time, “in view of faith,” became the majority view in the larger Norwegian Lutheran Church. The larger Norwegian church eventually became part of the ELCA.

I have not involved myself in denominational history for some time, so feel free to correct me if I am rusty on the details.

I was asked about this in WELS colloquy, but I should have questioned the people questioning me. Professor Brug has supported the Church Growth Movement and women's ordination (women's ordination in the Quarterly, no less). DP Mueller supported Church Growth, stealth missions, but rejected the Sixth Commandment as obsolete in practice.

Fruits of UOJ

Universal Objective Justification (grace without the Means of Grace) bears fruit, in a manner of speaking.

The UOJ Gestapo police the synods and discussion boards so they can attack anyone who questions their toxic opinions. They do not defend their notions because they cannot.

UOJ fanatics are always angry. If they found peace in their apostasy, they would be mellow instead of agitated, furious, and spiteful.

UOJ is like mercury, a heavy metal that attaches itself to gold and silver. When the UOJ leaders speak about justification, they are promising gold and silver while offerig a heavy metal poison.

KJV John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

In contrast, to John 3:36, which UOJ fanatics cannot answer, the Wisconsin Synod ran a failed evangelism campaign where they said, "I am saved, just like you" to everyone - via banners, etc. Luther said that proclaiming the Gospel without the Law will make someone stare at you the way a cow looks at a newly painted fence. If there is no knowledge of sin, there is no need for forgiveness.

On LutherQuest (sic) one UOJ fanatic claimed that he told this to people who confessed their sins, "You were forgiven before you came in here." What a powerful motivation for all kinds of evil!

"In like manner Moses must precede and teach people to feel their sins in order that grace may be sweet and welcome to them. Therefore all is in vain, however friendly and lovely Christ may be pictured, if man is not first humbled by a knowledge of himself and he possesses no longing for Christ, as Mary's Song says, 'The hungry he hath filled with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away,' Luke 1:53."
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 149. Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 1:53.


One District Pope told his adulterous VP pal, "You are forgiven and I will lie for you, as you requested."

UOJ lends itself to complete doctrinal apathy. Take away the Means of Grace and all denominations are much the same. Look around at the Lutheran synods. They let Pentecostalism and Evangelicalism run rampant. They work gladly and continuously with the Universalist-Unitarian-papal ELCA leaders. But these same synodical leaders have no forgiveness for those who doubt that everyone is forgiven already. WELS says everyone in Hell has the status of a saint, but WELS damns anyone who questions this bizarre opinion.

To Justify Believers
"The Third Article the adversaries approve, in which we confess that there are in Christ two natures, namely, a human nature, assumed by the Word into the unity of His person; and that the same Christ suffered and died to reconcile the Father to us; and that He was raised again to reign, and to justify and sanctify believers, etc., according to the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, III. #52. Of Christ, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 119. Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:19ff. Tappert, p. 107. Heiser, p. 32.

UOJ Filter - Very Useful
"They [the false teachers] fared like a man who looks through a colored glass. Put before such a man whatever color you please, he sees no other color than that of the glass. The fault is not that the right color is not put before him but that his glass is colored differently, as the word of Is. 6:9 puts it: You will see, he says, and yet you will not see it."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 644. Isaiah 6:9.

Can Bivens, Valleskey, Wayne Mueller Say This?
"The apostle says 'our,' 'our sins;' not his own sin, not the sins of unbelievers. Purification is not for, and cannot profit, him who does not believe. Nor did Christ effect the cleansing by our free-will, our reason or power, our works, our contrition or repentance, these all being worthless in the sight of God; he effects it by himself. And how? By taking our sins upon himself on the holy cross, as Isaiah 53:6 tells us."
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 180. Hebrews 1:1-12; Hebrews 1:3.

Two Roads Diverged in the Wood and I

There are two types of church people, whether they are clergy or laity. The normal division (clergy and laity) is all wrong.

The two estates really are:
1. Political.
2. Apolitical.

The political clergy and laity do a lot of posturing, but they will never endanger their perks by taking a stand on anything. They are constantly apologizing for the synod, defending error, attacking anyone who questions His Holiness the District Pope, His Eminence the Circuit Pope, or His Awesomeness the Synod Pope.

They have their recognition signs, so the other politicians know they are safe. They will say:
A. "That could be interpreted correctly" (when a blatant false doctrine is mentioned).
B. "That is one of the g - r - e - y areas of Scripture." It is important to draw out the word grey, to show how absolutely ambiguous the Word of God is. In fact, God is so unclear that it will take a synodical commission several years and $10,000 to figure out one verse.
C. "Do you have proof of that?" - then they quickly change the subject when the proof is offered. The ability to change the subject in two shakes of a lamb's tail is greatly admired by all who covet a higher office.
D. "Are you equating the Book of Concord with the Word of God?" This howler was forged in the dark recesses of Vice Pope Kuske's mind, useful for any mention of the Confessions, which the Wisconsin Synod rejects. Such statements are more powerfully communicated with a red face and quivering jowls.

The political laity are eager to serve as synod minders. They are picked because they are safe, reliable, and quick to report to the synod. The more unstable a lay-minder is, the more valuable he or she is to the synod. Influence only seems to work one way today. If someone has a powerful friend or relative in the synod structure, that only seems to work against the faithful. Powerful lay-dad will pound his pastor-son into conformity with the synod - instead of son-pastor influencing his father to straighten things out. That is why the synods love corporate types on committees, commissions, and appeal boards. Corporate types know how to pivot, duck, weave, conform, and knuckle under. If they do not, they can be out-maneuvered by others and ousted for having a bad attitude.

The more political the laity or clergy, the less studious the individual is. The more political they are, the more they will be advanced in the synod structure.

The political ones are always on email or the phone. They do as little parish work as possible and cannot wait to escape it forever. Far better to be the visiting bigshot, giving the same sermon (for extra cash) at Steam Corners, Ohio or Buffalo Chip, Kansas.

Meanwhile the apolitical study, preach, teach, and visit. They are the true workers of the Kingdom, the poorest paid, the least regarded. They alone are worthy of double honor (double pay in Greek).

KJV 1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

***

Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.

The Road Not Taken


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

My Walther Idol

Somebody made little statues of Walther for Christian News to sell. I got one for free. The statue sits overlooking my computer, a good replacement for St. Christopher, who was erased by the Church of Rome.

I do not have a quia subscription to the writings of Walther (or Luther, for that matter). Walther had some good points, but he was completely wrong about UOJ. Unfortunately, many pastors and some laity are still messed up over UOJ - forgiveness without faith, without the Word, without the Means of Grace.

Nevertheless, some of Walther's sayings are good and worth following:

1. The nearer to Luther, the better the theologian. Notice that the Church Growth leaders and the crpto-Catholics are united in avoiding Luther. The Reformer is the greatest theologian of all time because of his integrated knowledge of the Bible, church history, and literatue. His unified view of the Bible is enough by itself to make him one of the greats in theology, but God granted him an overflowing of talent in church history, literature, and music as well.
   
2. Not many, but much. That means - Do not read all the books, but a few books over and over. The older I get, the less I want to read all the new books in theology, the more I want to re-read the best books of the past. I never tire of Luther's sermons. When I finish reading one of his sermons to my wife and write my own, people email me: "That was a great sermon." Pastors and laity would do well to lay aside most books and read the KJV (or a version thereof), the Book of Concord, Luther's Sermons, What Luther Says, Chemniz Examination of the Council of Trent. Synod leaders should be studying instead of traveling around the world at the expense of members who cannot afford such luxuries.
   
3. Attend to your reading. All pastors and synod leaders must be "apt to teach." They must study. Augustine is the foundational theologian for the Church. His City of God and Confessions permeate all theology. City of God is more of an encyclopedia, not a book to read through. People who appreciate Luther will see how much of Augustine is in Luther's thought.

The Artist for Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant

Norma Boeckler, the artist for Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, has her own art website:

Norma Boeckler

She designed the entire website for Jesus, Lord of Creation. Her art illustrates the book and the website:

Jesus, Lord of Creation

She lives in Midland, Michigan, so you may be able to see her work at various art fairs and galleries around the state.

Doctrinal Discipline: LCMS Style

I knew about the Kokomo Statements before I joined WELS, but they were never discussed afterwards. When I was in Panning's Romans class (Mequon) I do not recall him insisting that "God has declared the whole world forgiven." At the Hartman farm I learned Panning was on the appeal committee for Kokomo. The families spoke well of him.

So, after five years of WELS Church Growth and adulterous pastors, I resigned and joined a Missouri congregation recommended by Herman Otten. I got to know Larry Darby and his family at Trinity Bridgeton, Missouri. He was on a board at Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, at one point. Larry ran into the Kokomo Statements and began studying them. At first Pastor Bischoff agreed that UOJ was poppycock. Read the UOJ quotations on this blog and judge for yourself.

Soon Bischoff changed sides. The UOJ Gestapo came out in force. They kicked out Larry, his wife and children. I wrote to an elder, asking him, "In your role as the Torquemada of Trinity, what made you think this little girl deserved excommunication?" The result of my innocent question was a refusal by Trinity to give money to Christian News because Otten printed my articles.

Darby and I agreed about the fallacy of UOJ, but he went his own way with doctrine. Thereafter I heard he was my disciple or I was his. Liars never tire of their lies. The UOJ people are especially fiendish.

I learned that Paul McCain got involved with Trinity. He sent a "confidential" letter to Bischoff, which was read to the members of Trinity. Then McCain did his best to distance himself from that letter. I heard I was mentioned in McCain's letter, so I asked him for a copy. No response at all.

I have two letters sent by McCain. One is dated January 3, 1995. The second letter from McCain states:

Therefore, in light of its inappropriate use by Pastor Bischoff, and in light of the apparent harm which Pastor Bischoff's reading of my letter caused, I want it clearly understood that I wholeheartedly retract my letter. Therefore, my letter must have no bearing on your congregation's decisions in regard to any member, present or former, nor should it every (sic) had any such influence.

Darby added this note to the copy of the letter:

Gregg - He slams you also in his so-called confidential letter - says you contributed to my "fall from truth." I can't send a copy on advice of lawyer. L.D.

Thus a minister is inflated by being a campaign manager for the synod president, after having an M.Div. and three years parish experience on his resume.

Meanwhile - Who Was Watching DP Benke?

During the time (roughly) that McCain was meddling in Trinity's affairs and pronouncing judgment in a most underhanded way, who was watching DP Benke?

The office of Synodical Pope should begin and end with supervision of doctrine, yet everyone admits Barry did nothing about DP Benke's earlier crimes. McCain-Barry dodged their duty and left it to Wally Schulz to discipline Benke, leading to Schulz' being fired from The Lutheran Hour (as I predicted).

Religious Tolerance has a brief summary of the Yankee Stadium incident.

Doubtless McCain is burning with wrath against DP Benke, for worship with all kinds of religion at Yankee Stadium. Not at all. In his capacity as Number Two at Concordia Publishing House, McCain is soliciting a book from Benke.

I wonder if McCain has ever written to DP Benke, the Apostate, "I feel sorry for you."

Dividends from Dishonesty

The various synods are reaping dividends from their decades of dishonesty. The organizations are not run with integrity, and they are not Lutheran.

One successful businessman left the Lutheran Church. He said, "Synod officials make sure the Scriptures are not being followed."

When I was in the Michigan District, WELS, two members of the praesidium were engaged in adultery. One was promoted to an administrative position, his adultery covered over with a smokescreen of lies. The other one left with "all the divorced women in the church bawling their eyes out."

When District Popes like Janke (WELS) oust faithful pastors from the ministry, they start a series of reactions that will be felt for generations to come. The pastor's family is completely disrupted and disgusted. Will the children take up church vocations, knowing the sacrifices of their parents have been regarded as worth nothing?

When Pope John the Malefactor (ELS) tosses pastors and congregations around like wooden soldiers in a toy-bin, what does that do for trust? Because synods have taught synod-worship and fidelity to their popes/antichrists, people think they have lost the Kingdom of God when they are shunned by the synod.

People have told me how they became non-persons after their excommunication for daring to say the synod was less than perfect. One seminary student got the finger from his seminary professor.

Luther advised that it was good when church people disappoint us, because it shows we should trust in God's Word alone. Unfortunately, the poverty of Lutheran training has left people weak in faith. When every church or synod anniversary is labeled "Grace Triumphant" rather than "Bumblers Survive," people think grace comes from the institution, not from the Means of Grace.

Notice how adroitly the LCMS-ELS-WELS combine took away the Means of Grace in the last 30 years and substituted secular marketing from Fuller Seminary. Now if someone doubts their beloved Church Growth Movement, the synods react with fury. That is why nothing is ever said and errors continue to grow.

Where is David Jay Webber (ELS), the Lion of Scottsdale? He wants all the heretics punished, as long as someone else does the work for him.

Where is Kincaid Smith (ELS), God's Pitbull? Smith learned early that questioning Carl Mischke for meeting with ELCA (Snowbird Conference) was enough to bring on the WELS Ice Age. Mischke refused to endorse What's Going On Among the Lutherans? because of Kincaid's folly. So, instead of a version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, we got Rev. Smith Bows to Milwaukee.

Please do not say, "There is no discpline anymore.: There is plenty of discipline, all aimed at those who are faithful to the Confessions. As their predecessors used to say in concert, "Anathema sit! Anathema sit! Anathema sit!"

Pope John the Malefactor - On the Road Again

Pope John the Malefactor is taking a trip to Ukraine, only a few months after his syond-paid trip to Korea. The Little Sect on the Prairie must be a rich synod, to lose so much in offerings from kicking out congregations and pastors - and yet to afford so much international travel for His Holiness.

On the Road Again (with apologies to Willie Nelson)

Got a mission trip
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The synod life is spendin' money with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again
Got a mission trip
Goin' places that you've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to spend your offerings again.

Got a mission trip
Like a band of bishops we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world is turnin' our way
And our way
Is on a mission trip.
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is spendin' money with my friends
And I can't wait to get on a mission trip.

Ludwig Fuerbringer, an earlier president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, said he refused to take trips because they took him away from his studies. If only synodical leaders would attend to their studies today!

Use the Labels

The labels at the bottom of each post are good for finding similar posts. Look at the label list on the left side. Clicking on a given topic will list every single post with that label.

If there are a number of verbatim quotations on a post, it is labeled quotes.

Is Fuller Seminary Next?

WELS AnswerMan may be showing symptoms of Lutheran doctrine:

Q: I have been invited to attend a Women of Faith conference. According to their website they are an Interdenominational women's ministry committed to helping women of all faiths, backgrounds, age groups, and nationalities grow emotionally and spiritually. How does WELS feel about attending such conferences?

-----------------------------------------------

A: "Interdenominational" in effect means that they agree to disagree on doctrines of the Bible which they do not regard as essential. In reality, "interdenominational" usually means a kind of non-Lutheran, non-sacramental Evangelicalism. We can't feed our faith with teaching that is deliberately diluted.

Ichabod wonders - cannot the same be said of Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek Community Church, Trinity Deerfield, and InterVarsity Press? Obviously the faith of such Church Growth heroes as - Wayne Mueller, Lawrence Olson, James Huebner, Ron Roth, Frosty Bivens, David Valleskey, Wally Oelhaven, Fred Adrian, and their mentor Floyd Luther Stolzenburg - has not been fed, but starved.

The Love Shack has been running on this mish-mash of Pentecostal-Evangelicalism for decades. Why deny it to the women?

I call WELS headquarters The Love Shack because the heretics therein think they can convert people with love. Luther said that the Word, not love, converts the unbeliever to Christ.

***

WELS Statistics Down Again,
September FIC

Page 24: NEWS: WELS membership declining. That's the headline. We learn WELS, between 1990 and 2006, has lost 25,449 souls. But only 5,743 were communicants. Maybe not so oddly, 19,706 were non-communicants. Some 162,942 children and adults were confirmed in those 16 years (mostly children by about 10:6), but more than 150,000 were released either by removal or by request. This is a colorful recap of the stats on the website complete with pretty bar charts.

Vote the Poll - Bottom of Page

Vote in the poll at the bottom of the page. Six days are left.

Following WELS standards, all results will be ignored, unless they fit my agenda.

How the Wisconsin Deals with Its Scandals

The GOP has its senator problem at the moment. Next year we will have all forgotten his name.

How does the Wisconsin Synod deal with its scandals? Here is a recent example.

The word got out that a pastor was committing adultery out West - nothing was being done. In most Bibles there is a commandment against adultery, but not in the WNIV (WELS New Ignorance Version). A reporter went up to SP Gurgel at the convention and asked him about this scandal.

WELS went into "pound the leaker" mode, interrogating various people. One pastor even asked me, "Did you tell the reporter?" He was friendly, but intrigued.

1. I do not deal with reporters. They are probably more drunken and adulterous than the WELS ministerium. That bad? Probably.
2. I had no direct knowledge of the situation. I heard of the name from a layman, the non-discipline, but that's all. The laity know. The pastors know. The DP does nothing. The old SP wants to find the leaker. That is WELS discipline.
3. DP Janke, for example, has driven six pastors out of the ministry. I know of two cases where it was pure spite. Janke was second in the race for SP (but nowhere close).

WELS leaders - you can fool the ignorant, but that number is diminishing fast. Everyone has email, even the blue-haired great-grannies. And the clergy have their own group email lists. The faster you thugs lie, the faster people find it out.

Even if you could fool everyone for a few more years, God will not bless your corruption. God has not blessed any of your schemes.

Ichabod prediction - WELS attempts to stop the gushers of red ink will get nowhere until there is a concerted drive to deal with false teachers and predatory clergy (often the same names).

PS - A. Nony Mouse is offended that I did not name the clergy adulterer. There are three sins in WELS:
1. Not naming names.
2. Naming names.
3. Suggsting that Holy Mother WELS is less than perfect.

Herr Mouse is full of suggestions. He wants me to name names, but he never gives his. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Are They the Same Person?

When Karl Rove resigned as Bush's political advisor, I was struck by his resemblance to Paul McCain.

God-Willing Schedule for Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant

Earlier this year my teaching schedule slowed down, so I rewrote Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, using the original as the base. The final version is virtually ready to go. This second edition is 99% like the first one, with some changes for clarification and adult/youth class use. Norma Boeckler has contributed her artistic skills to this version. I had excellent editorial assistance from laity and pastors.

During the last year I began scouting for work to balance the ups and downs of teaching. I decided to return to insurance sales while limiting when and where I taught. That change took a little time and energy; then my main school threw a bunch of courses at me all at once. And, a new school asked me to teach New Testament history online (and learn a new technology for online). That was hard to resist.

In last few years I have taught several thousand students all over the world. They do not seem to have suffered. My school picked me to show other professors how to teach - and to introduce new students to the college. Both distinctions are limited to very few professors. Still, the schedule is theirs and not mine, so complications arise with my wife's care.

Mrs. Ichabod has been quite ill during this time, first with Valley Fever, which can be deadly. Then with cardiac failure and other problems. She has been at one or another hospital four times in the last week. So the following schedule is a God-willing one, as all schedules are.

I hope to get CLP ready for Lulu.com publishing this weekend. That will give me an ISBN number, which I need for regular printing. Since Christian News wants to sell it, I will also have my Michigan printer produce copies. If all goes well, copies should be available toward the end of September.

I plan to publish and re-publish other books through Lulu.com. I can also publish supplemental material for CLP at Lulu.com and at the Martin Chemnitz Press blog.

New Poll Started - See Bottom of Page

To make Ichabod more scientific, a poll has been added at the bottom of the page.

Anony-mouse has left a new comment on your post "New Poll Started - See Bottom of Page":

I enjoy the fact that you've worded the poll so that any answer ultimately fits your predetermined viewpoint. Very scientific. The professional pollsters couldn't have done it any better.

GJ - I followed the scientific model of WELS for amalgamation (die dreckische Anschluss):
1. WELS had district conventions vote on amalgamation, closing down Northwestern College. The districts voted against it.
2. WELS sent out a mail survey. The responders voted against it.
3. WELS had a national convention narrowly defeat amalgamation, so WELS reported it as a victory and went ahead.
4. WELS insisted that the districts had to amen their plans, going ahead with construction before the WELS constitution was followed in having district conventions approve the decision.

Bailing Water Is Back

Bailing Water is back. Just click on the embedded link.

Bailing Water is written by a WELS layman. The Fiends will do everything possible to shut him down. They are already murmuring about the 8th Commandment! Telling the truth about published false doctrine and public false practice (a little girl preaching to a congregation) - those are not violations of the 8th Commandment. Falsely accusing people of slander is a violation!

History of Bailing Water: Aaron Peders a WELS delegate started the post after the WELS cut his imprint blog on wels.net. After about a week he just disappeared. Then a guy named Jared took up the site. He wanted to mostly receive posts about MLS. But he then dropped it this weekend. Another person is now the blogger.

***

One person was very mocking toward me when I showed how a WELS pastor copied Presbyterian and Baptism sermons (bad ones at that) and claimed them as his own on his church website. This anonymous person wanted to know if I had talked to the plagiarist. My question would be - has the District Pope? That is illegal - to claim someone else's work as his own. Yet the WELS CG pastors do it with impunity.

Thou shalt not steal - that's a commandment too.

***

Anony-mouse had this seething comment, which - according to his logic - I wrote:

Greg, I wouldn't be surprised if you posted your own comments on your blog. You make all these accusations and start all these rumors, but you offer no proof, no names, no documentation (such as the "WELS Curia" still trying to close MLS, or the pastor who used Baptist sermons, etc.) Nothing has really changed since your days on the pages of Christian News, has it Greg? I really feel sorry for the poor souls who take everything you say as gospel truth. I would only hope they could really get to know you and what kind of "professor" and "pastor" you really are, before it's too late for them.

No documentation about plagiarizing the Baptists? I copied the "WELS" sermon and the Baptist sermon, the "WELS" sermon and the Presbyterian sermon. All posted.

If you want to know what Michigan District pastors are thinking, ask them. My source is from the Michigan District, WELS.

I am the same person. I document the facts while cowardly synod minders attack anonymously. You only hurt yourself, Anony-mouse. You are angry, full of false ideas, and probably potty-trained at gunpoint.

I appreciate the opposition, Anony-mouse. I sign my material, unlike you. I document with verbatim quotations and my eye-witness experiences, such as talking to the Kokomo excommunicants. I have published many books and hundreds of articles in 30 plus periodicals. I have earned six degrees from accredited institutions most people have heard about, so I must know something.

Here are some recent comments, sent by email and signed:
WELS pastor - "I love Ichabod. I read it every day."
WELS layman - "Time will tell. we think you deserve alot of credit for bringing issues to the attention of many. And that's putting it mildly."

WELS Curia Still Trying to Close Michigan Lutheran

This just in - from one source in the Michigan District, Diablo.

WELS pastors in the Michigan District are furious because The Love Shack is once again trying to close Michigan Lutheran Seminary, in spite of the convention vote and the election of Luther Prep president Schroeder.

Grow up, boys. Convention votes mean nothing unless they support the apostate wing of the synod. Then they are Law, the very oracles of God. The unelected Curia will continue to protect their salaries. That is how so much money disappeared. Designated funds were decimated to pay their generous salaries and benefits.

I thought the news was rather slow in coming. The new Synodical President will need the support of pastors and laity if he is going to accomplish anything.

The one and only issue is doctrine, not money, not schools. A genuine effort to study and renew sound Lutheran doctrine would boost every area of the synod.

ELCA Silent 12 Days after Convention

The ELCA News Archives have been as quiet as the library at Mequon, ever since the convention. That's surprising: ELCA normally puts out daily
the latest news on a host of topics.

ELCA pastors at ALPB Online were hoping no one noticed the vote to keep bishops from disciplining homosexual and lesbian couples in the parsonage. All the wire services noticed. LCMS SP Kieschnick noticed and frowned. No gratitude! ELCA communed Kieschnick and yet he posted an objection to the ELCA convention decision.

Correction. ELCA did post some news after the convention, but precious little. That could mark vacation time or everyone hiding under the desk to survive the incoming artillery barrage.

NAE
Meanwhile, Ted Haggard, the former National Association of Evangelicals president, has moved to Phoenix and enrolled at the University of Phoenix. His wife has moved with him to Phoenix and has also enrolled at UOP, both in the master's program. He will be in counseling. The announcements did not mention the whereabouts of his boyfriend. In spite of his enormous salary before he resigned, Ted has sent out an appeal for funds from his followers.

Anonymous Wants To Know More About UOJ

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "UOJ - No Wonder WELS Loves Willow Creek":

1. For the benefit of your newer readers, could you briefly restate your position on justification? How do you define justification? In your view, when and how does it occur?

2. Both the Beckman and Zarling papers state that the Kokomo statements are inadequate representations of the doctrine of objective justification as interpreted by WELS. The statements were taken out of context from the Meyer book, and became a sort of de facto "litmus test" during the controversy. Are they really still used by WELS today?

Thanks for the clarification.

***

The Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions are very clear about justification by faith. The Holy Spirit works through the Gospel to plant faith in the hearts of those who hear the message (including infants being baptized). Faith receives the Promises of God and the blessings offered: forgiveness of sin, the fruits of the Spirit, eternal life.

Faith is not the cause of salvation. Faith is the result of Gospel proclamation. The statement below is a perfect expression of what I believe and a complete repudiation of UOJ and its bastard child, the Church Growth Movement.

"On the one hand, it is true that both the preacher's planting and watering and the hearer's running and willing would be in vain, and no conversion would follow, if there were not added the power and operation of the Holy Spirit, who through the Word preached and heard illuminates and converts hearts so that men believe this Word and give their assent to it. On the other hand, neither the preacher nor the hearer should question this grace and operation of the Holy Spirit, but should be certain that, when the Word of God is preached, pure and unalloyed according to God's command and will, and when the people diligently and earnestly listen to and meditate on it, God is certainly present with his grace and gives what man is unable by his own powers to take or to give. We should not and cannot pass judgment on the Holy Spirit's presence, operations and gifts merely on the basis of our feeling..."
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article II, Free
Will, 55-56, The Book of Concord, ed. Theodore G. Tappert, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959, p. 531f.

***

Obfuscation by WELS

WELS is both for and against its own position, depending on the audience. Another exponent of ambiguition on justification is Rolf Preus, who switches back and forth with regularity.

Any quotation or paraphrase that reveals the real WELS is "taken out of context." Long verbatim quotations are "taken out of context." UOJ is the constant drumbeat of WELS today, but Meyers-Kokomo is "taken out of context." Every so often FIC will repeat the false doctrine of God declaring the whole world righteous, free of sin.

I know of a WELS pastor who periodically grills a member on whether that person adheres to the Kokomo Statements.

UOJ is taught in the ELS (Pope John the Malefactor), LCMS (early Robert Preus, but repudiated in his last book), and above all - in ELCA. UOJ is Universalism in another dress.