Faith and Fear Are Opposites. Ye Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic). "Being faithless makes us fearful; being faithful makes us fearless."

 

I never expected much of a response from blogging. I knew the clergy would be afraid to say anything, especially under the glaring light of Circuit Popes, District Popes, and Synod Popes. I had a few sources who wanted me to write what they would not say for fear of the popes. The only way the popes can stay in office, eat fancy food, and make the pastors afraid is to freeze them out, hate them out, or send them far away.

I had a phone call from a pastor who learned that my facts came from his fellow clergy. He screamed and slammed down his church phone. That was before the omnipresence of cell phones, iPhones, and big phone bills. A lot of disguised emails came through, and some said, "You can't quote me!" 

Christina thought the hate messages were horrible, so how could I laugh? I pointed out that the anger was simply the second stage of denial. "What comes next?" I said, "Silence." I knew that some, especially WELS, would polish their synodical merit badges and brag that they had shut me down. Unfortunately, two things worked against them. Others could identify their style, and response emails - though anonymous with funny names - were copied by me onto permanent posts, not the erasable kind. Jack Kilcrease (Jesuit PhD) was so quick to erase his own responses that I had to stop and permanently upgrade them. Someone coined the term "kilcreasing," which means posting a negative response and erasing it.

The third stage is silence. That may be the only skill of WELS clergy and laity. They do not just push the shun button. They smash it down with both hands. WELS and the Missouri Synod consider shunning to be a sacrament, their only sacrament, because it reduces Holy Communion and Holy Baptism as ordinances, something that should be done but could be ignored. I am not exaggerating. WELS/ELS reject the efficacy of the Word in favor of neat tricks and gimmicks from the Church Growth ninnies. The ELS and CLC (sic) may be their equals but they are on a fast train to oblivion, so that does not matter.

Attend some LCMS clergy gathering. They will hardy-har-har their fellow pastors, especially those from one seminary, not the other. (Gettysburg and Philadelphia pastors used to do the same thing in the LCA, but now they are united under the leadership of an Osage Indian and his husband.) The LCMS clergy wear the same suit with a clergy collar - both seminaries. I have never seen clergy so precisely uniformed outside of the Missouri Synod. What they teach - everyone knows, anything goes.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) have become so faithless that they live in constant fear. They must continue their obedience to their Father Below or be struck down. They have no spiritual values so they rely on material success.

I have established, through exploring the materials and "spoiling the Egyptians" that The Big Five have ignored the gold and silver of the Bible. Instead, they fight over the entrails of people slaughtered by such genius theologians as C. Peter Wagner (faith healer), Donald McGavran (Columbia sociologist), and Robert Schuller (He started Church Growth, lost everything.)

"Being faithless makes us fearful; being faithful makes us fearless."

The remedy for fearfulness is to dwell on Psalm 1, the introduction to all the Psalms.

Psalm 1

KJV Psalm 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law [Torah means teaching] of the Lord; and in his law [teaching] doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) Major in Blasphemy, And Hate the King James Version.

Dear Pastor Jackson,

I have been pondering what you said on your podcast about the blasphemy against God the Holy Ghost.  You said that it is making fun of the Word of God, Holy Baptism, and Holy Communion, and miracles. 

That reminds me of a LCMS pastor making fun of the words in the King James Bible such as "thee", "ye", and "thou". But God knows we need these precious little Words to understand the Bible.

The cut up Bible, verses, phrases, even the Resurrection in Mark 16:9-20 - thanks to the work of Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, and the Bible business - RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV, and Beck. In the past, the Church governed the Bible. Now the Scriptures are a business to see who can print the most outlandish perversions in the name of Dynamic Equivalence. 

Christ our Lord rose from the dead and stood in the midst of the apostles and said,:

"Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." John 20:21-23

Notice that Christ said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost;" which is plural. That means Christ gives the Holy Ghost to all Christians especially pastors. So God the Holy Ghost abundantly forgives our sins when a pastor or laymen says, "I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". 

Some LCMS pastors do not believe in these clear Words of Christ our Lord. They do not believe in the Office of the Keys so they change what Christ said.  Instead of saying, "I forgive you" they say, "I assure you". Saying, "I assure you" does not forgive sins."

Pastor Jackson, I remember you said that the Holy Spirit is never without the Word and the Word is never without the Holy Spirit.

The King James Bible is never without God the Holy Ghost, and God the Holy Ghost is never without the King James Bible. This is true for all Bibles translated from the Greek TEXTUS RECEPTUS into many other languages. God the Holy Ghost has attached Himself to these Bibles for more than 500 years. 

Christ our Lord said:

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Luke 21:33

O Lord, look down from heav'n, behold 

And let Thy pity waken;

How few are we within Thy fold,

Thy saints by men forsaken!

True faith seems quenched on every hand,

Men suffer not Thy Word to stand;

Dark times have us o'ertaken.

With fraud which they themselves invent

Thy truth they have confounded;

Their hearts are not with one consent 

On Thy pure doctrine grounded.

While they parade with outward show

They lead the people to and fro,

In error's maze astounded.

May God root out all heresy

And of false teachers rid us

Who proudly say: Now where is he

That shall our speech forbid us?

By right or might we shall prevail;

What we determine cannot fail;

We own no Lord or master.

Therefore saith God, I must arise,

The poor my help are needing

To me ascend my people's cries,

And I have heard their pleading.

For them my saving Word shall fight

And fearlessly and sharply smite,

The poor with might defending.

As silver tried by fire is pure

From all adulteration.

So thro God's Word shall men endure.

Each trial and temptation 

It's light beams brighter thro' the cross,

And purified from human dross,

It shines through every nation.

Defend Thy truth, O God, and stay.

This evil generation;

And from the error of it's way

Keep Thine own congregation.

The wicked everywhere around

And would Thy little flock confound;

But Thou art our Salvation. (Martin Luther; O LORD, Look Down From Heaven, Behold; The Lutheran Hymnal; CPH; Hymn 260)

In Christ,

Tom Fisher 

 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Easter 4 - "Such a faith makes me acceptable unto God; Christ gives me the Holy Spirit into my heart, who makes me willing and happy in the doing of every good work."

 

Complete sermon -> Cantate. Fourth Sunday After Easter. John 16:5-15. How the Holy Spirit Convicts the World of Sin, Righteousness, Judgment

16. Wherever Christ is now preached and acknowledged, there he reigns in us, from the right hand of his Father, and is himself here below in the hearts of men. There he reigns with might, power and dominion over you and all your enemies, and guards you from sin, death, devil and hell. Thus is his resurrection and ascension our comfort, life, blessing, righteousness and everything in one. This is what the Lord means when he speaks of righteousness, that the people thereby should become pious and righteous, that he ascends to heaven to the Father and we see him no more. This the world does not know, therefore the Holy Spirit must come and convict the world of it.

17. How does this come to pass? Just as we have heard. Am I to become pious, it will not be enough for me to perform outwardly good works, but I must do them from the bottom of my heart, gladly and willingly, so that I may be free from the fear of sin, death and the devil; be joyous, and with a good conscience, and all confidence stand before him and know how I stand with him. This no work, no creature can give unto me, but Christ alone, who has ascended into heaven — there, where one cannot see him, but must believe that he sits yonder and wishes to help one. Such a faith makes me acceptable unto God; Christ gives me the Holy Spirit into my heart, who makes me willing and happy in the doing of every good work. In this manner I become righteous, and in no other; for the works themselves make me more and more unwilling, the longer I occupy myself with them.

18. But the longer one is engaged in this work, the more willing it makes one’s heart; for wherever there is such knowledge, there the Holy Spirit cannot be wanting. When he comes, he makes the heart willing, joyful and happy, so that one may be free and willingly do what is pleasing to God, with joyous courage, and suffer whatever there is to suffer, yea, and even die willingly. And in proportion as this knowledge is clear and great, in that proportion the willingness and joy will also be great. Thus the commandment of God is fulfilled and everything done that one is to do, and thus thou art righteous. Who would ever have thought that this would be righteousness and that thus it should be. This question we have hitherto often heard about and considered, and although the words here be different, yet the sense and meaning are the same.

19. In the third place, the Holy Spirit is to convict the world in respect of judgment , that is that the world does not know what right is. For who has ever heard the definition of this right to be, because the prince of this world hath been judged? The prince of the world, to be sure is the devil, which one may readily see in his government.

20. If now I have learned to know what sin is and am free from it, and have obtained righteousness, so that now I stand in a new character and life and have become another man — have now the Lord Christ and know that something else than our works is required to get rid of sin — if these have come to pass in me, it then follows that I may have a correct judgment, having learned to judge differently before God. For, according to such understanding, I know how to discuss, conclude and judge of all things in heaven and upon earth, and to pass correct judgment; and when I have passed such a judgment, I can live accordingly. This no one else can do.

Tom Fisher - "I Live by the Faith of the Son of God, Who Loved Me And Gave Himself For Me."

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

A verse I memorized in eighth grade came to me as soon as I woke up at 6 AM this morning:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Galatians 2:20,21

Pastor Jackson, I remember you explaining on your podcast how the Greek definitely says we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. The Greek plainly says Jesus had faith and the faith of Jesus Christ justifies us. 

The phrase, "I live by the faith of the Son of God" really stood out for me this morning. I was so relieved "I live by the faith of the Son of God" and not by some invented work of reasoning that I had to do such as "making a decision to accept OJ / SJ lie, or "asking Jesus into my heart", or "dedicating my life to God", or "keeping God first", or "accepting Jesus as my personal Savior", or Oh my the list is endless.

Christ is risen from the dead and ascended into heaven for us to make His Father our Father and His God our God. 

"I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." John 20:17

Jesus Christ took all our sins on Himself and was crucified, dead, buried, risen from the dead the third day, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father for us. He will send us the promise of the Father, even the gift of the Holy Ghost, the gift we need the most!

"Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!

Be all Thy graces now out poured

On each believers mind and heart;

Thy fervent love to them impart.

Lord, by the brightness of Thy light

Thou in faith do men unite

Of every land and every tongue;

This to Thy praise, O LORD, our God, be sung.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" (Martin Luther, Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord; The Lutheran Hymnal; CPH; Hymn 224)

In Christ,

Tom Fisher

The Missing Elements in The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)

The ones who ignore the Means of Grace are the same ones who like to talk about grace apart from the efficacious Word.

The missing elements in The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - are easy to discuss from the correct sources.

The efficacious Word is central for all of this talk about Christian theology. Another way of saying it is The Word never without the Spirit; the Spirit never without the Word (A. Hoenecke).

If the efficacious Word is dismissed, then so are the Instruments (or Means) of Grace. Those means are:

• The Word when preached, taught, and remembered.
• Holy Communion.

God's grace comes to us only though faith in Jesus Christ. So many clergy are aping Rome that they overlook both. In fact, one self-appointed bishop was in close contact with Missouri's Higher Things, which centered on Objective Faithless Justification. These two verses are worth remembering when people talk about grace but do not believe the Scriptures -

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

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

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Faith in Jesus Christ - The Center of All Teaching and Worship

If people are really interested in teaching and living God's grace, then they must be taught faith in Jesus Christ. Lutheran pastors today seem to be aping the Church of Rome or the MBA denizens of Fuller Seminary.

The twin fallacies are so poisonous among the management bullies that pastors and congregations need to escape from the two traps - Rome and Fuller - and return to Luther's sermons and Biblical teaching. 

If the congregation is promoting everything except faith in Jesus Christ, its purpose vacated, erased, forgotten. That has come about through the efforts of 

• incompetent and unbelieving college/seminary professors, 
• political synod managers - all the way down to synod president - 
• and lost, bewildered parish pastors. 

The matters should be addressed by the pastor and congregation. These would be typical changes:

1. Sermons are always about the Savior, the meaning of His Gospel, His sermons and miracles. He is the most important part of both Testaments, which are really one. 
2. Adult classes are about the Bible and how people understand and appreciate the Gospel.
3. Children are trained at various levels in their knowledge of the Gospel.
4. The Sacraments are observed without becoming a show - either through silliness or Romanism.
5. The pastor visits members who are sick and shut-in and in various other ways. The Internet connects everyone on websites, blogs, and Zoom. Blogs are free and Zoom is around $15-20 a month. Cello phones cost more than Zoom so get over it.
6. Because of Zoom, the worship services and classes can be broadcast around the world, converted into YouTube videos quickly and easily. 

Pastors - Read these quotations carefully. 

Download them and share them.

The Word is always efficacious and God knows before we even begin to ask.

Pastoral training can include being denied food, driven out, chased by dogs, and pelted with manure.

There can be a lot of sorrow in life. The bottom half of this graphic is from the tornado, in Joplin, Missouri. We heard the storm howl all night, 50 miles away. The Christian Faith is a great comfort to those who are taught it.

Why Are The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - Remarkably Alike? Affinity Is More Powerful Than Divinity to Them.

 

Slick dark roads, take me home, to the Hell where I belong!
Church Growth Movement, nursing mother,
Take me home, Church Growth song.

I was drinking some Earl Grey tea and pondering the hypocrisy of the Little Three -WELS-ELS-CLC (sic). They live on being shocked by how loose Missouri and ELCA are. That is so hilarious. They were silent when Marvin Schwan gave so much "orthodox Lutheran" money to the Missouri Synod. I was writing about Marvin when several news organizations asked me about Schwan's investments in gambling. I knew nothing about that, but the news people were hot on that trail. 

Kids putting make-up on men who all wore dresses? That's so ELCA!
No, that is so WELS, from the cross-dressing "pope" in their hazing week
to the Party in the Fire Island Pines plagiarized video (but worse).

We all know how family oriented the Little Three are. Marvin dumped his wife and married the wife of one of his executives. Schwan was featured in Forbes magazine laughing uproariously about giving up $1 million and a Cadillac to leave his wife and marry his employee's wife. The Little Three did not make a peep, chickens as they are. I sent the story to Herman Otten and he reproduced it. Pastor Jay Webber (of Objective Faithless Justification fame) denounced me on the phone for doing that. I said, "It is a national publication, not a secret." He responded, "Nobody reads Forbes." The Little Three are not used to reading more than CN and their synodical publications.

Two out of three gained weight, andThrivent builds.

Earlier, Otten invited us to the dedication of the St. Louis seminary church. He had some Russian visitors along. Christina also went in our Aerostar van. I never overlook possible evidence, so I checked out bulletin boards and saw - gasp - Marvin Schwan being a major donor to their new cathedral. If anyone has heard a WELSian roar about the apostasy of the Missouri Synod, the silence was telling. The previous pastor at Shepherd of Peace (WELS) said he left the table during his LCMS brother saying the prayer. How many souls were saved by that gesture of purity? One should read his books and study his "ministry" in WELS.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - did this, not just WELS.
Hartman gave the dates.

Nobody had any problem with Marvin's shenanigans in WELS or the ELS. I think the CLC (sic) focused on the evil of using the wrong insurance company, because they had no other distinct object of their stink-a-thons. And yet there is more on that topic.

Marvin spread his money around for the ELS, LCMS, and WELS. As those buildings age and accumulate the costs for shrinking populations, some will admit they spent a lot on nothing and now must pay. And yet, the WELS and ELS are building spectacular gyms for their colleges, somewhere around $15 million each, 35 miles across. That is no farther than Bella Vista to Fayetteville in Arkansas, 36.5 miles. 

The strangest addiction of the Walther Four - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - has been their intoxicated, dreamy devotion to the Church Growth Movement. Who among the Lutherans are more caustic and sanctimonious about the Calvinists than the Walther Four? Yes, you got that on the first try - Walther and his idolaters! The best anyone can say about them - is Peter Drucker remains their idol. I was hearing his nonsense already in the LCA, when they used his snore-a-thons for clergy meetings. At least the Walther Four kept God out of their reveries. It was and still is a perfume of money, buildings, praise bands, and empty sermons. 

Oh! Oh! Oh! Let's hear it from the LCMS Purple Palace - another white elephant.

I knew the Church Growth lingo before I left the Lutheran Church in America. Their evangelism meetings were besot with Fuller dogma. I found WELS even more intoxicated. The ELS and CLC (sic) were anxious to do the same and deny it, because they were so pure. Instead of confessing their doctrinal sins, they hushed up anyone who dared to mention the sacred words of Pasadena, McGavran, and Wagner. They welcomed anyone who hated Luther's Biblical doctrine and gloried in their apostasy.  As Wayne Mueller (WELS CG star) said at a youth meeting, "Evangelism is easy. All you have to do is say, You are already forgiven." 

No one wants to admit now that they wrecked their synods in the name of GROWTH!

1. They chose rah-rah language over the Means of Grace.
2. They made fun of Luther but never looked in the mirror about their fantasies.
3. They wasted money and pursued the elderly to give even more with irrevocable charitable trusts.
4. They never examined their motives and lusts.
5. They loved to kick out those who even suggested their fallibility.
6. They drove the youth out of the churches.
7. They hated the KJV and promoted the NIV-RSV-NRSV-ESV-Beck bogus Bibles.

Reformation Seminary - New Testament Greek Second Lesson - 11 AM Central

 

The Gospel of John in Greek, Traditional/Stephanus

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=TR1550

The Gospel of John, KJV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201&version=KJV

John 1

1 εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος

2 ουτος ην εν αρχη προς τον θεον

3 παντα δι αυτου εγενετο και χωρις αυτου εγενετο ουδε εν ο γεγονεν

4 εν αυτω ζωη ην και η ζωη ην το φως των ανθρωπων

5 και το φως εν τη σκοτια φαινει και η σκοτια αυτο ου κατελαβεν

John 3:16f

3:16 ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

17 ου γαρ απεστειλεν ο θεος τον υιον αυτου εις τον κοσμον ινα κρινη τον κοσμον αλλ ινα σωθη ο κοσμος δι αυτου

18 ο πιστευων εις αυτον ου κρινεται ο δε μη πιστευων ηδη κεκριται οτι μη πεπιστευκεν εις το ονομα του μονογενους υιου του θεου

All Videos - Link at the Bottom of the Masthead Area

 

This is how I felt about Zoom.

One of our members created the link to include all our videos. They are in reverse order - the newest ones at the bottom of the masthead area.

The link is - Click here for all previous YouTubes.

I was shocked to find out how easy it is to convert the Zoom file into a YouTube video. Therefore, it was easy to post the video with the worship services and with the lectures. That takes about 10 minutes after the event is over.

The posts in the left column are one way to find essays.

"Control f" is useful for finding topics.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Easter 4 - "What wilt thou do now in order to be helped? This thou must do: Believe on the Savior, the Lord Christ, that he has taken away thy sin. If thou believest this, he is thine and thy sins will disappear; if not, then thou wilt never get rid of sin, but wilt always fall into it deeper and deeper."

 

Complete sermon -> Cantate. Fourth Sunday After Easter. John 16:5-15. How the Holy Spirit Convicts the World of Sin, Righteousness, Judgment

Therefore, on this account alone, thou wilt be condemned, because thou hast not Christ.

11. This sentence, then, is given for the honor and glory of the high grace, which God has given us in Christ the Lord. What reason would have ever been so wise as to discover that this was done for man’s sake? Reason is not able to rise higher in its thoughts than to say: I have sinned in deeds done. I must make good by doing other deeds. I must blot out and pay for the sin, in order that I may thus obtain a gracious God. If reason comes so far, it has reached its climax. Still it is nothing but foolishness and blindness.

12. But God speaks thus: If thou wilt be rid of sin, thou must do other works wherewith to pay the price. But with all the works which thou dost, thou canst do nothing but sin, even with the works wherewith thou thinkest to reconcile me and to do penance for thy sins. How wilt thou then, thou fool, blot out sin with sin? For even in the works which thou considerest the best and which thou canst do, thou sinnest if thou dost not do them willingly and from the heart. For if thou didst not fear punishment, thou wouldst rather not do them at all. Thus thou dost no more than that thou seekest to blot out little sins by doing greater ones; or else to commit such great ones that thou mayest lay aside others.

13. Wherefore, it is ever great blindness that a man does not see what sin is, nor know what good works are, but accepts sin for good works. When the Holy Spirit comes, he convicts the people and says: The works which thou hast done, as well as those which thou art still doing, are nothing but sin; therefore, it is all in vain that thou dost attempt to make satisfaction for thy sin according to thy ability. Then they feel compelled to say: Behold, this I did not know. Then says he: For this purpose I am here, in order to tell thee this. If thou hadst known it, it would not have been necessary for me to come and make it known. What wilt thou do now in order to be helped? This thou must do: Believe on the Savior, the Lord Christ, that he has taken away thy sin. If thou believest this, he is thine and thy sins will disappear; if not, then thou wilt never get rid of sin, but wilt always fall into it deeper and deeper.

14. Thus, with this passage everything has been completely overthrown that has hitherto been preached about penance and satisfaction for sin, and all else that has been practiced and urged. For this reason there have been founded many orders and masses, and on this account we have become priests and monks and have run to and fro in order best in the world, which the world considers pious and holy, to get rid of sin. Therefore, it also follows: Whatever is that is nothing but mere sin and a damnable thing. Thus we have considered one part of this Gospel.

15. The second thought then follows: “The Holy Spirit will convict the world in respect to righteousness, because I go to the Father,” says Christ, “and ye behold me no more.” Righteousness means piety and a good and honorable life before God. What is this now? It is, says Christ, “because I go to the Father.” We have often said about the resurrection of Christ that it came to pass not for his sake, but for our sakes, in order that we may apply it to ourselves as a blessing which is our own. For this reason he is risen from the dead and has ascended to heaven, that he might begin a spiritual kingdom, in which he reigns in us through righteousness and truth. Therefore, he sits above; he does not rest and sleep, does not play with himself, but, as Paul says, Ephesians 1:22, has his work here upon the earth, governing the consciences and the souls of men with the Gospel.

Tom Fisher on the Small Catechism

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

I was watching your podcast titled 30 minutes with Luther and suddenly realized Luther perfectly shows us the faith we must have to be justified in his Small Catechism:

"I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord; who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood, and with His innocent suffering and death; that I should be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness; even as He is risen from death, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true."

I am carefully studying Luther's Large Catechism regarding his explanation of the Creed and Holy Baptism.

 

In Christ,

Tom Fisher

Reformation Seminary Lecture - Faith, Forgiveness, Grace

https://thekingsbible.com/Concordance/footstool

YouTube appears after the lecture.

Faith

KJV Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

KJV Matthew 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Forgiveness

KJV Psalm 130 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

3 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Mark 3:29	But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Act 5:31	Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Grace

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Ps 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

John 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

1:17	For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

KJV Matthew Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: - The Greek clearly says the faith belonging to Jesus three times. He had faith.

Where Have All the Numbers Gone, Long Time Passing? Ask The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)

 

WELS SP Schroeder's henchmen (aka District Popes) were sent out to end the Intrepid Lutherans, much like the previous effort from another group when SP Karl Gurgel showed up as a wet blanket.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)

Synod Popes enjoy the lion's share. (Definition - the lion's share is not some of the food, but most of it!) Like Matt the MDiv, they enjoy glowering at others who might take their luxuries away. Beware of the kiss-ups who share and growl at anyone who might question the infallibility of the popes. There are two levels of Antichrist in the New Testament. The main one works from Rome. The secondary popes, noted in the Scriptures, are all over the planet.

The Synod Popes are more accurately described as chameleons, who can change into any color - except white. They get enormous salaries compared to parish pastors, plus Santa's Sleigh full of extras, tax free because their synod buddies and Thrivent want to have the most leverage.

This paroxysm was brought on by WELS posting some numbers too narcotized to ignore. Their total numbers are only slightly down from 30 years ago? They liked saying 400,000 in 1992 or so. Now they are 370,000? The earlier number came from people coaxed out of the Missouri Synod. I also see this link on Google, saying 340,000 and 370,000...

About WELS

WELS is a group of nearly 400000 men, women, and children in ...

Seminex was initiated by two WELS professors (Jungkuntz and Gehrke) - and the LCMS gang. They vowed to take over their synods, one way or another, and both cults did. 

Both synods - LCMS and WELS - are model Seminex makeovers. They are not so far from ELCA as they pretend. Both are the One True Holy Mother Synod in their propaganda, but a den of thieves in reality.

The trouble with pastors 50 years after ordination is this - they can measure 2024 against what they saw and heard in the 1970s. The laity are just as appalled. They are more likely to be attached to the KJV as the hip guys are with their Anything Goes Bibles - Beck, RSV, NRSV, NIV, or ESV.

LCMS and WELS churches are as anti-Lutheran and anti-Christian as the worst Church Growth numbskulls. Just as CPH mocked the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, so WELS churches are selling abominations on their church websites.

Amazing Love Swag

Hurry! FREE shipping over $50!

Not Today Satan

Prayer Warrior - typical Reformed gimmick

God Squad