tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33640120207975797502024-03-12T23:07:52.263-07:00The Clem: The Blog: The TruthJBrandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723417174022097549noreply@blogger.comBlogger373125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-30558488140845178282019-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:002019-04-30T11:55:41.957-07:00Hello, I must be going....So much has occurred in The Clem and on The Blog for the sake of The Truth. More posts to come. <br />
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John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-47898182459308464632015-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:002015-12-12T14:23:05.542-08:00On His side is pure grace and mercy...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A relative sent me this
quote from Martin Luther's sermon for the first Sunday in Advent, 1522.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">What could be more reassuring, more comforting, more important, more hopeful than hearing the preacher teach and preach Christ crucified for sinners? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? </span></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://ldsbookstore.com/resize/shared/images/product/Lost%20No%20More.jpg?lr=t&bw=1000&w=1000&bh=1000&h=1000" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://ldsbookstore.com/resize/shared/images/product/Lost%20No%20More.jpg?lr=t&bw=1000&w=1000&bh=1000&h=1000" width="145" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">He cometh, cometh unto thee. Yea, verily, thou goest not</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> <span style="background: white;">to Him,
neither dost thou fetch Him. He is too high for thee,</span></span> <span style="background: white;">and too far away. All thy wealth and wit, thy toil and
labour,</span> <span style="background: white;">will not bring thee near
Him, lest thou pride thyself that thy merit</span> <span style="background: white;">and worthiness have brought Him unto thee. Dear
friend, all thy</span> <span style="background: white;">merit and
worthiness are smitten down, and there is on thy side</span> <span style="background: white;">nothing but sheer undeserving and unworthiness, and on
his side</span> <span style="background: white;">is pure grace and mercy,
Here come together man in his poverty</span> <span style="background: white;">and the Lord's unsearchable riches.</span><br /><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Therefore learn here from the Gospel what happens when God</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> <span style="background: white;">begins to
build us into the likeness of Him and what is the beginning</span></span> <span style="background: white;">of saintliness. There is no beginning than that thy
king comes</span><span style="background: white;">unto
thee, and begins the work in thee. Thou dost not seek Him,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>He seeks after thee; thou dost
not find Him, He finds thee; thy</span> <span style="background: white;">faith
comes of Him, not of thyself; and where He does not come,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>thou must stay outside and
where there is no Gospel, there is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>no
God, but sheer sin and destruction.<br /><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Therefore ask thou not</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> <span style="background: white;">where to begin a godly life;
there is no beginning but where<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; orphans: auto; text-align: start; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">this king
comes and is preached. <i><b>- Martin Luther</b></i></span></span></blockquote>
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John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-59708676079886377522015-12-07T16:28:00.004-08:002015-12-07T16:28:48.977-08:00What Does the Name "Lutheran" Mean?<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reverend
Christopher Maronde wrote </span><a href="http://lutheranreformation.org/history/what-does-the-name-lutheran-mean/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">an excellent article</a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on LutheranReformation.org that
explains what it means to be Lutheran. The fifth excerpt is my favorite. There is nothing more important than confessing, teaching and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Christ alone. Grace alone. Scripture alone. Faith alone.</span></div>
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<a href="http://lutheranreformation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LutherSealColor_Big1-300x294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lutheranreformation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LutherSealColor_Big1-300x294.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here are a few excerpts:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">We
are uncomfortable with labels. We refused to be pigeonholed; we abhor being
placed into any category. Labels are simplistic, we say, they are too broad or
too narrow, they exclude or include. We want people to take us as individuals.
But what if a label has meaning, what if it can be tied to something specific
and concrete.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">What
does the label ‘Lutheran’ mean? This is a different question than, ‘What
do those who call themselves Lutherans believe?’ We are not looking at what
those who claim this name mean by it, we are trying to define what the label
actually means. Its meaning is simple: The name Lutheran refers to a person,
congregation, or church body who unconditionally holds to the teachings
contained within the Book of Concord, first published in 1580.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">A
Lutheran is not someone who worships Martin Luther; a Lutheran is not someone
who subscribes to every word that flowed from Luther’s pen.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">What
makes a Lutheran a Lutheran? Not the name on the church sign, not the
Luther’s rose on the wall, not hot-dishes and jello salads, but the
doctrine, the teaching. If it is the doctrine of the Book of Concord, then it
is Lutheran; if not, then the label is misleading not only you, but the one who
wears it.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">For
this label means that the Gospel is confessed, that Christ is confessed. This
label proclaims what the Book of Concord proclaims: it’s all about Jesus,
Christ alone given to us by God’s grace alone, revealed by the Scriptures
alone, all received by faith alone.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://lutheranreformation.org/history/what-does-the-name-lutheran-mean/">Read the rest of Reverend Maronde's article here.</a></span></div>
<br />
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-20982114246830278322015-11-29T17:04:00.002-08:002015-11-29T17:04:59.972-08:00Advent and Christmas Devotions<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Brothers of John the Steadfast has published an Advent and Christmas devotional booklet based on the hymns of Paul Gerhardt. Here is a description of the booklet from <a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/2015/11/devotional-steadfast-in-the-parish/">Brothers of John the Steadfast's web page</a>:</div>
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<a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SITP-270x270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SITP-270x270.jpg" /></a><span style="background: white;">This Advent and Christmas
devotional was written by the pastors at Our Savior Lutheran Church in
Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is focused on the Advent and Christmas hymns of Paul
Gerhardt as they are found in LSB and TLH. Each day goes through a stanza of
the hymn, a supporting Scripture passage, a short devotional thought, and then
a brief prayer. It is designed to be used as a part of your household’s normal
devotional or “family altar” time.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/pdf/parish/CauseForGreatJoyGerhardt.pdf">Download the devotional</a> for your Advent devotions.John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-62985413295946545962015-11-28T17:07:00.000-08:002015-11-28T17:07:49.834-08:00The deception of good words and fair speeches<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtiIRfVvoN0RN_gLg5daVIj2FCE0Zp_vEm_hd7zkcEYKs22sJLhQmB8AaR2hN8VjV40rkjVno3Caexn1t8bDftThGLderFPKBtNkGzuHLNM6JcvsMGhwudx9rJeNJ9KiH-U_uXbG8QTCK/s1600/Wolf+in+Sheeps+Clothing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtiIRfVvoN0RN_gLg5daVIj2FCE0Zp_vEm_hd7zkcEYKs22sJLhQmB8AaR2hN8VjV40rkjVno3Caexn1t8bDftThGLderFPKBtNkGzuHLNM6JcvsMGhwudx9rJeNJ9KiH-U_uXbG8QTCK/s1600/Wolf+in+Sheeps+Clothing.jpg" height="320" width="295" /></a></div>
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Romans 16: 17-20<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark
them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned and avoid them.<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></b></span>For
they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by
good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></b></span>For your obedience is come abroad unto
all men. I am glad, therefore, on your behalf; but yet I would have you wise
unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></b></span>And the God of peace shall bruise Satan
under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you! Amen.”</blockquote>
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The following explication of this text is from <i><a href="http://www.kretzmannproject.org/">The Popular Commentary of the Bible</a></i> by Dr. Paul Kretzmann: </div>
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This warning comes into the postscript in the nature of an
after-thought. Very likely the congregation at Rome had not yet been troubled,
but Paul feels it necessary to warn his Christians against a danger which might
strike them at any time. It is not the open enemies of the Christian Church
that work the greatest harm, but the false teachers that call themselves after
the name of Christ and purport to believe in, and to teach, the Bible, and who,
by insidious propaganda, subvert the foundations of sound teaching. </blockquote>
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St. Paul,
therefore, warns the believers at Rome and the Christians of all times against
such people as teach a doctrine at variance with the plain truths as he has proclaimed
them. He begs them, as Christian brethren, most earnestly to mark them,
literally, to keep their eye on them, to be on the constant lookout for them,
that cause factions and scandals contrary to the doctrine which they had
learned, which had been preached in Rome all these years, and to turn away from
these false teachers. </blockquote>
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The apostle may have had in mind such opponents and
disturbers of the peace as had attempted to hinder the course of the Gospel in
Antioch, in Galatia, and in Achaia. Such men would undoubtedly try to enter
into the congregation at Rome also and to spread their false teaching. <b>But Paul
distinctly tells the Roman Christians and the true believers of all times that
they are not only to reject the false doctrine, but also to avoid the false
teachers of every kind and degree.</b> It is the express will of God that
Christians and Christian organizations with sound Biblical basis must separate
themselves, and remain separate, from all denominations in which false doctrine
and false teachers are permitted. All unionism, which attempts to unite truth
and falsehood in the same church organization, is clearly condemned in this
passage. Cp. 2 Thess. 3, 6; Titus 3, 10; 1 Cor. 5, 11; 2 John 10.</blockquote>
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John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-61695334675748678472015-07-28T08:20:00.001-07:002015-07-28T08:20:10.093-07:00What, then, can daunt my spirit?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While the title of this post is short on clever, it's eternally long on comfort. Simon Dach, the author, referenced my favorite passage from <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A38-39">Romans 8:38 - 39.</a> There is no greater comfort than knowing that nothing can sever us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0416/1221/products/AC-P01-ER14-0009_large.jpg?v=1431464699" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0416/1221/products/AC-P01-ER14-0009_large.jpg?v=1431464699" height="400" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by Edward Riojas<br />www.adcrucem.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Although I have not yet penned the message for my first chapel for the upcoming school year, I do know this will be one of the hymns we sing because of the temporal and eternal comfort it offers in Christ our Lord and Savior.</div>
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<b>Through Jesus' Blood and Merit</b></div>
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Hymn 746 in the Lutheran Service Book</div>
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Through Jesus' blood and merit<br />
I am at peace with God.<br />
What, then, can daunt my spirit,<br />
However dark my road?<br />
My courage shall not fail me,<br />
For God is on my side;<br />
Though hell itself assail me,<br />
Its rage I may deride.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There's nothing that can sever
From this great love of God;<br />
No want, no pain whatever,<br />
No famine, peril, flood.<br />
Though thousand foes surround me,<br />
For slaughter mark His sheep,<br />
They never shall confound me,<br />
The vict'ry I shall reap.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For neither life's temptation<br />
Nor death's most trying hour<br />
Nor angels of high station<br />
Nor any other pow'r,<br />
Nor things that now are present<br />
Nor things that are to come<br />
Nor height, however pleasant,<br />
Nor darkest depths of gloom<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nor any creature ever<br />
Shall from the love of God<br />
This ransomed sinner sever;<br />
For in my Savior's blood<br />
This love has its foundation;<br />
God hears my faithful prayer<br />
And long before creation<br />
Named me His child and heir.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-69943701815953118342015-06-13T07:22:00.000-07:002015-06-13T07:22:29.042-07:00Is knowledge a mountain stream or a pump-filled ditch?<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGNYm4BCoLUPmhO0C1O7lsvRWWr9ua2lHFYV0ryxd_dNHo8Vv3bqJifg-ljri3YTJ_rPBlO_pVshnV6ocGv4Ug4XCCOLMp1_akNNvQmMEtYWUKRmqBhgnyo5xAjpteygbBvfvDpkr8YYT/s1600/seven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGNYm4BCoLUPmhO0C1O7lsvRWWr9ua2lHFYV0ryxd_dNHo8Vv3bqJifg-ljri3YTJ_rPBlO_pVshnV6ocGv4Ug4XCCOLMp1_akNNvQmMEtYWUKRmqBhgnyo5xAjpteygbBvfvDpkr8YYT/s200/seven.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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Motivating, nurturing and leading students to discover and understand the difference between these two attitudes concerning knowledge is every teacher’s arduous, yet worthy, goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The difference between the pupil who works for himself and the one who works only when he is driven is too obvious to need explanation. The one is a free agent, the other is a machine. The former is attracted by his work, and, prompted by his interest, he works on until he meets some overwhelming difficulty or reaches the end of his task. The latter moves only when he is urged. He sees what is shown him, he hears what he is told, advances when his teacher leads, and stops just where and when the teacher stops. The one moves by his own activities, and the other by borrowed impulse. The former is a mountain stream fed by living springs, the latter a ditch filled from a pump worked by another’s hands.” –Dr. Milton Gregory, <em>The Seven Laws of Teaching</em></div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-55800332948508687782015-06-08T07:50:00.000-07:002015-06-08T07:53:51.402-07:00Luther on card-playing, singing, dancing and... reading<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Replace "card-playing, singing and dancing" with travel soccer, baseball and gaming, and Luther's concerns still abound. </div>
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I wonder if the parents who spend the time, energy and money on getting li'l Franklin to his U-8 weekend soccer tournament in AcresonAcresofSoccerFields, Ohio, spend the same amount of time, energy and money on li'l Franklin's access to books, stories and human laps on which he can sit and listen to more books and stories.</div>
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"If we take so much time and trouble to teach children card-playing, singing, and dancing, why do we not take as much time to teach them reading and other disciplines while they are young and have the time, and are apt and eager to learn? For my part if I had children and could manage it, I would have them study not only languages and history, but also singing and music together with the whole of mathematics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For what is all this but mere child’s play? The ancient Greeks trained their children in these disciplines; yet they grew up to be people of wondrous ability, subsequently fit for everything. How I regret now that I did not read more poets and historians, and that no one taught me them! Instead, I was obliged to read at great cost, toil, and detriment to myself, that devil's dung, the philosophers and sophists, from which I have all I can do to purge myself." - Luther</div>
<o:p></o:p>John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-72175608437824259192015-05-18T10:47:00.000-07:002015-05-18T10:47:52.925-07:00The Gospel Trifecta<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. In order to complete the prestigious Triple Crown, American Pharoah must now win the Belmont Stakes. </div>
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For my last chapel of the year I arranged a Gospel trifecta around the truth that our sins are forever removed through Christ's atoning sacrifice.</div>
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<strong>The text</strong> </div>
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<a href="http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Jesus-Good-Shepherd-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_159716="null" src="http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Jesus-Good-Shepherd-06.jpg" height="200" lua="true" width="150" /></a>I John 2:1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> "</span>My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin <span class="text">But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." </span></div>
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<span class="text"><strong>The hymn</strong></span><br />
<span class="text">1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> graders from St. Peter, Macomb sang: "The King of Love my Shepherd Is"</span><br />
The King of love my shepherd is,</div>
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Whose goodness faileth never;<br />
I nothing lack if I am his<br />
And he is mine forever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In death’s dark vale I fear no ill <br />
With thee, dear Lord, beside me,<br />
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,<br />
Thy cross before to guide me.<br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><strong>The chapel's closing quote</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"></span><span style="color: #181818;">“So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: 'I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!' ” - Martin Luther</span></div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-45925672471667201842015-04-27T20:11:00.000-07:002015-04-27T20:11:05.953-07:00The Ugly, The Bad, and the Good in Good Shepherd Sermons<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>He has risen.</strong></div>
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<strong>He has risen indeed.</strong></div>
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In many churches this past Lord's Day the sermons, texts and hymns all revolved around preaching and teaching Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The text pastors used to feed their flocks was <span class="passage-display-bcv">John 10:11-18.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8m9cPLrn8eeBt9u5ouKhSVM0C_7_d4GEzT6JGs_FBIxFbwrWoqkx197F9sjA569xT5blXf8xXNw02Xq7EE-4FFB2rDZv1TS3Z3bYoXXTx__luaUb0owPm9HHc-hl8u6UpndLML_b-w_s/s1600/good+shepherd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_335445="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8m9cPLrn8eeBt9u5ouKhSVM0C_7_d4GEzT6JGs_FBIxFbwrWoqkx197F9sjA569xT5blXf8xXNw02Xq7EE-4FFB2rDZv1TS3Z3bYoXXTx__luaUb0owPm9HHc-hl8u6UpndLML_b-w_s/s1600/good+shepherd.jpg" iua="true" /></a><span class="text John-10-11" id="en-ESV-26481"><span class="woj">I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26481B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26481B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>lays down his life for the sheep.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-12" id="en-ESV-26482"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>He who is <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26482C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26482C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26482D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26482D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup>leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26482E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26482E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>scatters them.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-13" id="en-ESV-26483"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>He flees because <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26483F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26483F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup>he is a hired hand and <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26483G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26483G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup>cares nothing for the sheep.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-14" id="en-ESV-26484"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup><sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26484H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26484H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup>I am the good shepherd. <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26484I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26484I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup>I know my own and <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26484J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26484J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup>my own know me,</span></span> <span class="text John-10-15" id="en-ESV-26485"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup><sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26485K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26485K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup>just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26485L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26485L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup>I lay down my life for the sheep.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-16" id="en-ESV-26486"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>And <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26486M" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26486M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup>I have other sheep that are not of this fold. <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26486N" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26486N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup>I must bring them also, and <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26486O" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26486O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup>they will listen to my voice. So there will be <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26486P" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26486P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></sup>one flock, <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26486Q" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26486Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)"></sup>one shepherd.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-17" id="en-ESV-26487"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup><sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26487R" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26487R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></sup>For this reason the Father loves me, <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26487S" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26487S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></sup>because <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26487T" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26487T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></sup>I lay down my life that I may take it up again.</span></span> <span class="text John-10-18" id="en-ESV-26488"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"> </sup><sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26488U" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26488U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></sup>No one takes it from me, but <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26488V" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26488V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></sup>I lay it down <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26488W" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26488W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></sup>of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26488X" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26488X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)"></sup>I have authority to take it up again. <sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-26488Y" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26488Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)"></sup>This charge I have received from my Father.”</span></span></blockquote>
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Here are some very good, Good Shepherd Sunday sermons where the pastors preach<br />
the <b>ugly </b>- our wretched, sinful condition,<br />
the <b>bad </b>- our inability to do anything about it,<br />
and the <b>good </b>- as in the Good Shepherd whose atoning sacrifice delivers to His flock forgiveness and life eternal.<br />
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<a href="http://pastordent.uaclutheran.com/2015/04/27/the-voice-of-jesus-our-good-shepherd-gathers-his-sheep-into-one-fold/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rev. Matthew Dent of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Standish, Michigan</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://lmcusc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1026:sermon-for-the-3rd-sunday-of-easter-april-19-2015&catid=38:Recent&Itemid=66"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vicar Zachary Marklevitz of Luther Memorial Chapel in Shorewood, Wisconsin </span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://apastoralapproach.blogspot.com/2015/04/sermon-john-1011-18-april-26-2015.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rev. Lewis Polzin of Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, Minnesota</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.pastormattrichard.com/2015/04/three-violent-wolves-threaten-us-and.html">Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard of <span style="color: #1634a5;">Zion Lutheran Church</span> in Gwinner, North Dakota</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://stlukemi.org/~stlukemi/sermons.php"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rev. Bert Thompson of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Clinton Township, Michigan</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/voltattorni/john-1011-18-easter-4-42615">Rev. Anthony Voltattorni of Zion Lutheran Church in Marshall, Michigan</a></span><br />
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<b>These Good Shepherd Sunday sermons are suitable for grazing, feeding and inwardly digesting.</b></div>
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John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-47914318016467678912015-01-26T10:24:00.000-08:002015-01-26T16:25:13.529-08:00National Lutheran Schools Week: Part One<a href="http://www.lcms.org/image/2015_NLSW_Graphic_O.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.lcms.org/image/2015_NLSW_Graphic_O.png" height="200" width="161" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Today</span></strong> begins National Lutheran Schools Week. Thanks be to God, I have been a Lutheran teacher for twenty-nine years. Celebrating Lutheran Schools means sharing, promoting and teaching Christ's redemptive work on the cross. This year's theme is <strong><em>Standing in Christ, Serving others. Mercy Forever.</em></strong><br />
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It's a privilege and blessing to teach the young men and women sitting in my classes. Teaching in a Lutheran school means that while I am in the midst of teaching Shakespeare's Macbeth, I can also allude to this <a href="http://higherthings.org/myht/articles/homilies/cwirla-amen">Higher Things devotion from Rev. Cwirla</a>.<br />
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Sin has left its mark on you - on your soul, your body, your mind, your psyche, your robes. The damned spot of Adam, the original sin and the origin of all sins - your lies, your immoralities, your blasphemies, your idolatries, your greed, your coveting, your murders, your disobedience, insolence, arrogance, hatred - there’s no covering them up. They have all left a mark on you. You have blood on your hands. You search in this world for something that will wash that damned spot of sin away- drugs, alcohol, religion. You discover the terrible truth of Lady Macbeth. That damned spot doesn’t go away, no matter how hard you try. Your prayers and pieties won’t do it. Your guilt and shame won’t wash it away. The smell of sin is on you and all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten it. And then you hear Jesus say, “I am coming soon, bringing my recompense to reward everyone for what he has done.” So now what?</blockquote>
Not only do I have the blessed opportunity to share Shakespeare's literary treasures, I can also use those as launching pads into the eternal treasures of forgiveness, grace, mercy and salvation that are ours through Christ's death and resurrection.<br />
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The Spirit and the Church, say “Come.” You are invited. Come. Come, you sinners, poor, broken, needy. Come, young and old, torn by guilt and shame. There is living water to refresh you here, cleansing blood to wash away that damned spot. Flush it down the drain of your Baptism together with the old Adam and all his sinful desires and deeds. Let Jesus deal with it. He already has. Come, drink of that stream of forgiveness that flows from His cross to you. Come the church, God’s inn of mercy. Come to the ministry of forgiveness and healing, to your fellow priests clothed in Christ. Come, sons and daughters of Adam, no matter how great your sin, no matter how deep the stain, it’s all washed away by the slain Lamb who lives and reigns.</blockquote>
<br />John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-37133853673732739412014-12-15T11:36:00.003-08:002014-12-15T11:36:30.613-08:00Reading Buddy Basketball Night<div style="border-image: none;">
Each month seniors from my AP Lit class meet with my wife's 2nd grade students from St. Peter, Macomb to read and write books. During one of our recent meetings, students read Eric Carle books and then wrote and illustrated their own Eric Carle-esque creations.</div>
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Another event that does not involve reading, but lots of fun and laughter is Buddy Basketball Night. My students invite their reading buddies to a girls' basketball game. They sit with each other, eat lots of snacks and at halftime participate in the always intense uniform relay race. </div>
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Galloping out of the corral for this year's Buddy Basketball night was Lutheran North's mascot, Marty the Mustang. Marty cheered for the buddies and then posed for buddy pictures preserving a fantastic night.<br />
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A unique dimension to this year's Reading Buddies is that twelve of the second grade parents are Lutheran North alumni. It's a unique blessing to see my former students return to Lutheran North with their families and walk the hallways of their old high school. </div>
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It's even more important that all of these parents have selected Lutheran schools to help nurture their children's mind and more importantly, through the power of the Holy Spirit, their faith. </div>
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In his Large Catechism explanation to the Fourth Commandment, Dr. Martin Luther explains the important role parents have in their children's education:</div>
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For if we wish to have excellent and able persons both for civil and Church leadership, we must spare no diligence, time, or cost in teaching and educating our children, so that they may serve God and the world. We must not think only about how we may amass money and possessions for them. God can indeed support and make them rich without us, as He daily does. But for this purpose He has given us children and issued this command: we should train and govern them according to His will...Therefore, let everyone know that it is his duty, on peril of losing the divine favor, to bring up his children in the fear and knowledge of God above all things (Proverbs 1:7) <a href="http://bookofconcord.org/lc-3-tencommandments.php#para172">LC I 172</a></div>
</li>
</ul>
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John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-48665005245263104622014-09-07T15:01:00.000-07:002014-09-07T15:01:37.605-07:00"Feed my sheep; not try experiments on my rats" - C.S. Lewis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kurt.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Hearing the Word of God</span></b> was once a weighty phrase,
corresponding to an awesome reality. Today, in the thinking of many, the whole
thing can be taken care of without inconvenience or loss of time if need be, by
tuning in to the “Lutheran Hour” while devoutly chewing Kentucky Fried Chicken
on the way to Six Flags!" - Rev. Dr. Kurt Marquart</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, we <i>convenience</i>
church into our lives. It's a perfect fit as long as we can squeeze it between
Starbucks and soccer practice or a late morning's sleep and tailgating or fishing and the NFL preview show… or __________________ and ________________. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently Rev. Matt Richard posted a quote from Dr. Marquart’s
article, <a href="http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/marquartliturgicalcommonplaces.pdf">“Liturgical Commonplaces” published in <i>Concordia Theological Quarterly.</i></a> The quote was so intriguing it compelled me to
read the entire article. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps these excerpts will whet your appetite for a feast-filled
reading of Dr. Marquart’s article. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Richard Wurmbrand, having noted the frequent refrain in
church-bulletins that refreshments will be served after the service, asks
pointedly: “Why do you not provide refreshment in the service?”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The idea, for instance, that the Service should be “meaningful,”
that is, clear and obvious to any casual visitor who might pop in from the
street is short-sightedly pragmatic. A “service”
tailored to such a misguided ideal would comprise a mélange of threadbare
banalities, which even the casual visitor is likely to find unbearable after
the third time – not to speak of the faithful who attend regularly for
threescore years and ten. People who come to the church seeking divine truths
do not expect it to be huckstered like soap or soft drinks, with mindless
jingles.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>What then shall we make of the idea that “the youth” get
bored with sameness and therefore require constant innovations to keep them
interested? The sentiment is well-meaning enough but is essentially misguided…In
the long term, however, such an approach is bound to produce conscious or
subconscious contempt for the church. Who, after all, could respect an
institution which is, after two thousand years’ experience, so confused about
its functions as to say, in effect: ‘Dear Children, help us! We are no longer
sure about what we out to be doing.
Perhaps you might have some good ideas?’ Who could possibly take
seriously the play-worship prefixed with that horrid word, ‘experimental’?</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-76686801673714802702014-09-06T07:10:00.000-07:002014-09-06T07:10:18.594-07:00My AP Lit. trifecta: Huxley. Walther. Christ Alone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348828380l/1891418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348828380l/1891418.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">My AP Lit. class was recently discussing Huxley's <em>Brave New World.</em> The conversation focused on absolute truth vs. the fabricated truth present in Huxley's dystopia. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Me:</strong> If people don't believe in absolute truth does that mean it does not exist?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Student A:</strong> It doesn't exist for those people who don't believe it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Ever-Patient Me:</strong> That's not what I asked. Does absolute truth exist even if people don't believe it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Student B:</strong> It must. It's like Christianity. There are many who don't believe Christ is true God and true man. Believe it or not, Christ alone saves. Christ is <strong><em>the</em></strong> world's Savior. That absolute truth is undeniably true even if people deny its truth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At this point I strolled to my desk and picked up <em>God Grant It, Daily Devotions from C.F.W. Walther</em> and read from the day's devotion: Thursday of the Eleventh Week After Trinity:</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Whoever</span></strong> has
not experienced any of the pains of true repentance, whoever has not yet felt
the force of the Law and regarded himself as a sinner through the enlightenment
of the Holy Ghost, whoever has never groaned for the depths of his distressed
heart of Christ’s grace, and whoever still fails to recognize that a person
cannot believe in Christ by his own powers but alone by the working of the Holy
ghost is certainly still without faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The birth of faith in the soul of a sinner cannot leave him
unmoved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, it is a work that
transforms the whole person – from darkness to light, from spiritual death to spiritual
life – and brings him out of powerlessness into a divine strength.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> -Walther</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And this is precisely why I love teaching in a Lutheran school.</span></div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-44556312413017105722014-08-19T07:04:00.000-07:002014-08-19T07:04:13.712-07:00The Glory Without the CrossIn his book, Grace upon Grace: Spirituality for Today, Dr. John Kleinig discusses a problem with the Pharisees: <div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f8/a8/9b/f8a89b26cf909177130d8710c9b1fc1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f8/a8/9b/f8a89b26cf909177130d8710c9b1fc1b.jpg" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Their problem was that they put their own brand on their acts of piety; they claimed their achievements for themselves rather than for God. Their righteousness and their holiness, they thought and taught, were self-generated rather than God-given. They were so full of themselves that they displaced God. They refused to acknowledge their dependence on God and his gracious provisions for them...<br />We face the same dangers in our spiritual lives. We quite readily imagine that we are actors performing before God to gain His applause rather than beggars receiving His gifts. Nothing excites us more than the desire to do something great, achieve something extraordinary. Of course, we don't do this for ourselves but only for God! Since we secretly admire those who seem to be spiritual superheroes, devotional highfliers, we focus on our spiritual performance and our religious achievements. We use God's gifts to gain spiritual kingship, power, and glory for ourselves, though we say we use them for God and the growth of the Church! We therefore become blind to the depths of our sin and the extent of God's grace. All too quickly our spirituality becomes an exercise in blatant self-deception and glossy self-promotion. We cover up before God and advertise ourselves as our own creation. We want the glory without the cross. We avoid full exposure to the scrutiny of God's Law; we belittle the call to repentance; we protect the old self from demolition and reconstruction by Christ. And all this because, like the Pharisees, we want to be seen to be holy, approved, admired, and praised by those around us, rather than by God."</blockquote>
This is why preaching that skirts the Law and preaches about the Gospel but does not actually preach the Gospel is disturbing. Preaching that vaguely alludes to sin but does not horrify us is dangerous. However, it does make sense that if the Law is not preached in its severity, there is no need for the eternal comfort of Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's why LCMS president, Matthew Harrison's insight on the importance of Law/Gospel preaching is important. "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;">The Law should be preached like there is no Gospel and the Gospel should be preached like there is no Law."</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the solution? Harrison, Kleinig and God's Word proffer the only solution to the damnation of our sin:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>President Harrison:</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I want to hear declarative application that tells me my sins are forgiven right now and that I am directed to Christ and his comfort.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 16.631999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Dr. Kleing:</b></span></span></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.acnuk.org/data/images/products/Large_Holy_Land_Crucifix_450px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.acnuk.org/data/images/products/Large_Holy_Land_Crucifix_450px.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">God always </span>wants<span style="font-family: inherit;"> us to start where we are, rather than where w</span>e would like to be, on our spiritual journey. We are justified by God's grace and approved by Him. That's given! Our justification does not depend on our <span style="font-family: inherit;">piety and our spiritual performance but on Christ and His performance. We can therefore face up to our recurring failure to live as His holy people and people of prayer. In fact, our failure is meant to teach us to ask for what we lack and receive everything from Christ.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="text Rom-5-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">God's Word: </span></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-5-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28033B" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28033B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>we</span><span class="text Rom-5-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Rom-5-2" id="en-ESV-28034" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">Through him we have also <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28034C" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28034C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span>obtained access by faith</span><span class="text Rom-5-2" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">into this grace </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28034D" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28034D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">in which we stand, and </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28034E" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28034E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">we</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">rejoice</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">in hope of the glory of God.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Rom-5-2" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">-Romans 5:1-2</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-21882217714601020592014-08-03T09:33:00.000-07:002014-08-03T09:35:05.329-07:00Preaching Law like there is no Gospel. Preaching Gospel Like there is no Law.<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div>
Recently <a href="http://issuesetc.org/2014/07/29/1-back-to-basics-preaching-pr-matt-harrison-72914/">Issues, Etc. interviewed President Matthew Harrison concerning the basics of preaching.</a> President Harrison made some excellent points about the basics of preaching. This poor, miserable sinner agrees with President Harrison's points on preaching the severity of the Law and the cleansing assurance of the Gospel.</div>
<div>
<br />
Here are some of the points President Harrison made in the interview: </div>
<ul>
<a href="http://www.kunstkopie.de/kunst/lucas_cranach_d_ae/altar_der_peter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kunstkopie.de/kunst/lucas_cranach_d_ae/altar_der_peter.jpg" height="320" width="262" /></a>
<li>I think we are in a preaching crisis.</li>
<li>The biggest problems I see is very little dealing with the
actual text.</li>
<li>I think we have a great challenge because in preaching we hear
preaching that talks about Christ, about the Law about people who break the Law,
about the Gospel.</li>
<li>The sermon is a proclamation</li>
<li>I hear very little preaching of the Law that stings or hits
home. They will not hit at the gross
sins that adhere in every one of us.</li>
<li>Step into the office and say this Christ is for you and for
sinners just like you.</li>
<li>If I don’t realize the depths of my own sin how do I view
people around me when they sin against me?</li>
<li>Paraphrasing Luther, President Harrison said, “If the pastor
fails to give you the Gospel in a sermon you should on the way out say ‘You are
a thief and a liar. You have robbed
Christ from me.’”</li>
<li>I want to hear clear Law, clear damning Law in all its
severity. The Law should be preached like there is no Gospel and the Gospel
should be preached like there is no Law.</li>
<li>I want to hear declarative application that tells me my sins
are forgiven right now and that I am directed to Christ and his comfort</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://issuesetc.org/2014/07/29/1-back-to-basics-preaching-pr-matt-harrison-72914/">Listen to the interview and let me know what you think.</a><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-44351179749973859952014-03-27T11:09:00.001-07:002014-03-27T12:28:13.986-07:00Never be thirsty again<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.altusfineart.com/shop/wpimages/woman-at-the-well.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.altusfineart.com/shop/wpimages/woman-at-the-well.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></div>
This past Sunday the Gospel reading was from John 4, the Samaritan woman at the well. I've read or heard various sermons on this text and while each pastor's approach differed, each pastor's message was the same: Christ's cleansing water is unconditional, eternally cleansing and eternally satiating.<br />
<br />
<strong>John 4:16-17</strong><br />
<span class="text John-4-16" id="en-ESV-26162"><sup>1</sup><sup>6 </sup>Jesus said to her, <span class="woj">“Go, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26162O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup>call your husband, and come here.”</span></span> <span class="text John-4-17" id="en-ESV-26163"><sup class="versenum">17 </sup>The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, <span class="woj">“You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;</span></span> <span class="text John-4-18" id="en-ESV-26164"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">18 </sup>for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” </span></span><br />
<br />
Why would Christ point out the Samaritan woman's sins? In his commentary, Dr. Paul Kretzmann insightfully explained:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Lord told her all this, by His omniscience, for the purpose of making her realize her sinfulness, of making her see the depth to which she had fallen. She must become fully conscious of her guilt against the Sixth Commandment and the entire Law before she would have the proper desire and longing for the riches of Christ's salvation. Note: It is always thus when the Lord converts a sinner. At first there are only a few faint sparks of penitence, which would be extinguished without the aid of the Holy Ghost. But then He deepens the consciousness of transgression and guilt, in order that the longing for salvation may be instilled by the sweet message of salvation, by the Gospel. Very often the real battle in the heart of a person begins only after the desire for salvation has been felt. Then Satan tries to drive the sinner into despair. It is then that grace must much more abound. </blockquote>
In <em>The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel</em>, CFW Walther stated similar truths on the purpose of the Law and the Gospel: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
These two points must be made: The Law creates a thirst and leads us to hell; the Gospel, however, satisfies the thirst and leads to heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Law states what we must do, but that we have fallen short of doing it, no matter how holy we may be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus it produces uncertainty in me and arouses this thirst.</blockquote>
"but <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26160K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup>whoever drinks of the water that I will give him <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26160L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup>will never be thirsty again.<sup> </sup>The water that I will give him will become <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-26160M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup>in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” <span class="text John-4-15" id="en-ESV-26161"><sup class="versenum"></sup></span> - John 4:14<br />
<br />
If your are thirsty for more sermons on this text read <a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=36069">Rev. Charles Henrickson's sermon</a> or listen to <a href="https://soundcloud.com/voltattorni/john-4-5-26-lent-3-3-23-14">Rev. Anthony Voltattorni's sermon.</a>John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-41215920053833852552014-03-21T07:51:00.003-07:002014-03-21T07:53:34.797-07:00Strenuous attempts to gain adherents...<h3>
<a href="http://www.markmallett.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wolf-sheep1_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.markmallett.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/wolf-sheep1_000.jpg" height="266" width="320" /></a></h3>
<span class="text 1John-4-6"></span><h3 class="chapter-1">
<span class="text 1John-4-6">
Always test the spirits</span></h3>
<span class="text 1John-4-6">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="chapter-1">
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out
into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every
spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you
is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore
they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God.
Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us.
By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. - <span class="text 1John-4-1">1 John 4: 1-6 </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="chapter-1">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p>Dr. Paul Kretzmann's commentary offers worthy insights on why we should always test what is taught us:</o:p></div>
<div class="chapter-1">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p><br />
Good prophets are preachers through whom the Spirit of
God, the Holy Ghost, teaches and preaches, whether it be by direct inspiration,
as in the Old Testament, or whether it be by the teaching of the pure Gospel,
as in the case of all true ministers today. In that sense they are spirits. But
the Christians are here warned to use all care, to be on the lookout in
ceaseless vigilance; for unfortunately not every man that claims to be a true
prophet is able to present such credentials as the Word of God demands in such
a case. These men, who presume upon the rights and duties of true Christian
ministers, go out into the world, they display a remarkable missionary
activity, they make the most strenuous attempts to gain adherents for their
false tenets. Therefore Christians, as they value their soul’s salvation, must
examine, test, such spirits and their doctrines, whether they are of God.<br />
<o:p></o:p> </div>
<div class="chapter-1">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
One of the fundamental facts of Christianity is the
doctrine that Jesus Christ came into the world, became flesh. That is the
touchstone which enables the believers to distinguish between true and false teachers.
For in this doctrine is included the confession that Jesus Christ is the
eternal Son of God, who, according to the promise given by God, became man, and
by His vicarious suffering and death, and by His victorious resurrection and
ascension merited our righteousness and salvation. He that accepts and
confesses these truths unequivocally, with all that they imply, may be
considered a preacher from God. But every professed teacher in the Church or
outside of the Church that denies the incarnation of the eternal Son of God;
that denies that Jesus Christ is our only righteousness and salvation; every
one that teaches that we, in order to be saved, should not trust in Christ and
in His merits alone, but also in our own works: such a man is not of God.<o:p></o:p><br />
</div>
<div class="chapter-1">
</div>
<div class="chapter-1">
The apostle adds another reason for carefully examining
the claims and for guarding against the evil influence of the false teachers:
They are of the world, therefore they talk as of the world, and the world
listens to them. No matter what their pretense and their glamour, the false
teachers belong to the world, they have the world’s manner and mind. This is
shown also in their talking, in their teaching and preaching, for its substance
is not divine and leading to godliness, but it is inspired by the world, by its
manner of thinking and acting. False teachers usually have messages that tickle
the itching ears of their hearers. The children of the world will gladly hear
them, the world receives their doctrines with enthusiasm. It is an almost
unfailing criterion: if a certain preacher is widely advertised and acclaimed
as a prophet for our times, he has probably managed to accommodate the old
Scriptural language to some of his own philosophy in denying the fundamentals
of the Bible. Witness the so-called Christianity of the social gospel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="chapter-1">
</div>
</span><div class="chapter-1">
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="chapter-1">
</div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-4240353587828366452014-03-12T09:56:00.001-07:002014-03-12T09:56:14.343-07:00The steady advance of veterans...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, some more and some more and some more....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While many are snow-weary and snow-spent, I'm just one pull away from firing up my turbo-charged, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">XLT-Hubba-Hubba SnowThrower Deluxe</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">™. Bring it, Winter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With this recent blast, I've been granted another respite from the academic rigors of high school. Snow Day #8. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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In addition to grading some papers, I began reading Dr. Gregory's book, <i>The Seven Laws of Teaching.</i> When I discovered this literary nugget, I knew I had blog fodder. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDZMt9-CLwM4XSgvdt8FlRDKBrtJH3M_FUS2fksSz1eXUddo-0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDZMt9-CLwM4XSgvdt8FlRDKBrtJH3M_FUS2fksSz1eXUddo-0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDZMt9-CLwM4XSgvdt8FlRDKBrtJH3M_FUS2fksSz1eXUddo-0" style="cursor: move;" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">"</span><b>Unreflecting</b> superintendents and school boards often prefer
enthusiastic teachers to those who are simply well educated or experienced.
They believe, not without reason, that enthusiasm will accomplish more wi</span>th
inadequate learning and little skill than the best-trained and erudite teacher
wholly lacking in zeal. But why choose
either the ignorant enthusiast or the educated sluggard? Enthusiasm is not confined to the unskilled
and the ignorant, nor are all calm, cool men idlers. There is an enthusiasm born of skill – a joy
in doing what one can do well – that is far more effective, where art is
involved, than the enthusiasm born in vivid feeling. The steady advance of veterans is more
powerful than the mad rush of raw recruits.
The world’s best work, in the schools as in the shops, is done by the
calm, steady, and persistent efforts of skilled workmen who know how to keep
their tools sharp, and to make every effort reach its mark." </div>
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-Dr. John Milton Gregory, <i>The Seven Laws of Teaching</i> published in
1884.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Oh, this is going to be a good day and an even better read.</div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-50436816585873428462014-03-11T04:53:00.001-07:002014-03-11T04:53:50.190-07:00Retaining and defending the confession
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA17vjvq5WibNhD70hfFguB4roNKnLAuxn-sN9GGhQHwTBXtVnMmvjGIew_F4ZLRdXMw894MSZlfPSUDVtQ7Bs35xqbOSvAE7h8v87WmzsDLgI7dbENljKWk-viXEVovO4JVFLML41gzcw/s1600/Luther's+seal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA17vjvq5WibNhD70hfFguB4roNKnLAuxn-sN9GGhQHwTBXtVnMmvjGIew_F4ZLRdXMw894MSZlfPSUDVtQ7Bs35xqbOSvAE7h8v87WmzsDLgI7dbENljKWk-viXEVovO4JVFLML41gzcw/s1600/Luther's+seal.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">A</span></b>s
in war the banner and the one who carries it draws all the enemy fire - for
when the flag falls the enemy cries victory - , so in the great church battle
of our day everything is also directed at the flag of the confessions and
against those who carry it. Oh, so let us, then, raise that flag of our pure
confession that much higher, even as we are all the more reviled for it,
courageously battle under it, boldly proclaim it, and, when it is necessary and
possible, die a thousand deaths rather than to shamefully and cowardly concede
even the most insignificant part of the same to the enemy. “Hold fast,” the
apostle declares to our synod, “to the pattern of sound Words that you have
heard from me by the faith and the love in Christ Jesus. Guard this good deposit
through the Holy Ghost, who dwells in us.” Oh that our beloved Synod would not
finally grow weary in her retaining and defending the confession, but that she
might become ever more zealous and bold in doing so! So will she progress even
further in her victories, in all of her battles, which are appointed her in
these last times, that, finally, she be brought into the ranks of the eternal
triumphant host of God in heaven, as victorious warriors. To this end, may we
be helped by the Captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ, who is worship, loved
and praised to all eternity. Amen.” <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From CFW Walther’s 1877 Synodical Convention sermon</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-76458172943126005122014-03-08T07:31:00.000-08:002014-03-08T07:31:56.294-08:00A little Drano never hurt anyone.<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; letter-spacing: -0.05em; margin: 10px 0px 5px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 0px;">
Rev. Matt Richard posted this on <a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=35832">The Brothers of John the Steadfast blog</a>. Rev. Richard's essay is an excellent read. If you think just a little Beth Moore, just a dash of Rick Warren, just a weekend youth retreat to SpringHill, just a one-week VBS program from reformed denominations, or just a simple SpringHill week-long summer camp for our young lambs isn't harmful, then you need to read the article.</div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24px; letter-spacing: -0.05em; margin: 10px 0px 5px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 24px; letter-spacing: -0.05em;">Just Relax, A Little Liquid Drano Won’t Hurt Anyone</span></h2>
<div class="info" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, 'BitStream vera Sans', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 5px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="date" style="background-position: 0px -48px; float: left; margin-right: 15px;">March 7th, 2014</span><span class="author" style="background-position: 0px 0px; float: left;">Post by <a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?author=44" rel="author" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;" title="Posts by Pastor Matt Richard">Pastor Matt Richard</a></span><div class="fixed" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<div class="content" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, 'BitStream vera Sans', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.399999618530273px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 0px 0px 5px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<img alt="gas-mask-pictogram-5-1102838-m" class="alignright size-full wp-image-35833" height="300" scale="0" src="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/gas-mask-pictogram-5-1102838-m.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin-left: 10px; max-width: 600px; text-align: right;" width="300" />I can recall hearing, as a first year seminarian, one of my professors criticize Pastor Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life. Upon hearing this critical assessment, I was deeply angered. I thought that his actions were severely inappropriate and that it was not proper to disparage another fellow Christian who was simply attempting to promote the Christian faith. From my reasoning, the presence of a Christian voice was better than the absence of a Christian voice and it was certainly better than a voice speaking contrary to Christian truths. Even though my professor took the time to show me the countless errors in Warren’s book, I still concluded that a faulty Christian voice was better than no Christian voice at all. Besides, I felt that is was rude, insincere, and un-ecumenical to criticize those within the Christian sphere; we are all on the same team after all trying to do our best for God.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
The problem with my rationalization was that I believed that a Christian voice with small and subtle doctrinal errors was more advantageous and less of a concern than a voice that was obviously unchristian or a message that lacked a Christian message altogether. To me, subtle and small errors were less of a concern than obvious and blatant errors. I said to myself, “Why sweat the small stuff; why fuss over small errors that might upset the unity of a Christian community? Why quibble over every pixel of God’s excellent picture?”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
It was not until several years later that my faulty view was finally exposed and reversed. I can remember it so vividly. I had graduated from seminary and had taken several church youth to a conference. At the conference, the speaker gave a lesson while he baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. In his presentation he had several youth add flour, vanilla, chocolate, and eggs into a mixing bowl. Right before they were going to mix the ingredients together, the speaker subtly announced that he was going to add a teaspoon of drain cleaning Liquid Drano to the ingredients in the bowl. He said it quietly, did it quickly, and kept talking. Surprisingly, several of the youth sitting in the pews really did not even catch it. At the end of his session, he wrapped up his teaching from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians and invited all the youth to partake of freshly baked cookies. Some revolted! Others were enticed! The point had been made. The point being, what is worse than Liquid Drano in a batch of cookies? Answer, a ‘little’ Liquid Drano in a batch of cookies. Otherwise stated, it is the trivial comma placed after Jesus that should concern us; it is the small footnote attached to the doctrine of justification that should alarm us. Yes, there is tremendous subtle corrupting power in small errors.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Martin Luther captures this theme in his book, Bondage of the Will. To summarize his thoughts on this subject, let me phrase his assessment in the form of a question and answer.[1]</div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f4f5f7; background-image: url(http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/themes/inove/img/blockquote.gif); background-position: 3px 3px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 5px 0px; padding: 8px 12px 8px 36px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Question:</span> What is worse than <a class="external" href="http://pastormattrichard.webs.com/apps/faq/" style="background-image: url(http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/plugins/hunk-external-links/external.png); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: blue; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Pelagianism</a>?<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Answer:</span> <a class="external" href="http://pastormattrichard.webs.com/apps/faq/" style="background-image: url(http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/plugins/hunk-external-links/external.png); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: blue; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Semi-Pelagianism</a>.</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
In other words, what is worse than a heretic? Answer, a subtle or crafty heretic. Indeed this is true. The reason why? A Pelagian, one holding to the heresy of Pelagius, generally tends to confess and assert their beliefs candidly. They call a spade a spade. They teach openly what they believe. However, a Semi-Pelagian is a bit trickier. A Semi-Pelagian is indeed heretical; however, the emphasis of Pelagian theology is less candid, which results in people being more easily conned. Otherwise stated, Semi-Pelagianism is toned down Pelagianism, which results in the same theological ethos being purported, but it tends to be more palatable because of the de-emphasis of the outright heresy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Is this not the same tactic of the evil one that we see in the scriptures? Keep in mind that the scriptures say that the devil disguises himself as an angel of light (See: <a class="lbsBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="2 Corinthians 11.14" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Corinthians%2011.14" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 11:14</a>). Furthermore, in Luke chapter 4 and Genesis chapter 3 we clearly see that the devil’s scheme is not to entirely eliminate scripture (i.e., God’s Word), but to twist it ever so slightly. Did God really say?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
What we learn from Luther and the scriptures is that it is not the blatant lies that are of extreme danger, though they are dangerous, rather, it is the subtle lies that should be of great concern.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Looking back to my old professor from seminary, I now realize that this professor was not being divisive, insincere, or inappropriate. Rather, he was demonstrating love and pastoral care by attempting to protect me from elements of false truth. While I was ignorant to these errors, he was not. While I was metaphorically eating cookies with Liquid Drano, he was fighting to keep me from ingesting poison. You see, my old professor knew that these false truths would act like yeast and would spread through the whole batch of dough. He knew the danger of a small teaspoon of heresy; that a small error can corrupt and erode a Christian’s theological framework.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<img alt="cookie-782729-m" class="alignleft wp-image-35836" height="184" scale="0" src="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/cookie-782729-m.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: left; margin-right: 10px; max-width: 600px;" width="192" />I now regret how I branded this professor as an unloving, divisive, anti-chocolate chip cookie grouch. This could not be further from the truth. Metaphorically speaking, my professor did enjoy chocolate chip cookies, but he hated Liquid Drano and he hated the adverse effects of the poison upon the church. Frankly, he loved me enough to disrupt my enjoyment of Liquid Drano cookies and he was courageous enough to criticize those who baked these corrupted cookies for me, even though these actions would earn him the stigma as being unloving, nitpicky, and an anti-cookie grouch.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Honestly, I believe that what we need most in the church today is more anti-chocolate chip cookie grouches, for there are indeed a lot of individuals cooking up and distributing Liquid Drano cookies in our post-modern pluralistic context. Furthermore, I believe that it is truly dangerous and foolish when we rationalize in our minds that a little poison won’t hurt anyone and when we attempt to preserve tranquility within a community by applying <a class="external" href="http://www.pastormattrichard.com/2012/03/you-are-jerk-and-not-very-loving.html?q=ad+hominem" style="background-image: url(http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/plugins/hunk-external-links/external.png); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: blue; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ad hominem</a> stigmas to those who are attempting to expose stealthy poison.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Rather than naïvely consuming the plethora of ideologies in our world, may we hold steadfast to sound doctrine as Paul instructs Timothy and Titus in the Pastoral Epistles (See <a class="lbsBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="2 Timothy 1.13" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Timothy%201.13" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2 Timothy 1:13</a>and <a class="lbsBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Titus 2.1" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Titus%202.1" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Titus 2:1</a>). May we also recognize that it is truly good, right, and salutary when false doctrines are refuted, exposed, and laid bare (See <a class="lbsBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Titus 1.9" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Titus%201.9" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Titus 1:9</a>). Indeed, it is good when poison is exposed; it is good when yeast is prevented from fermenting the whole dough; it is good when the twisted-ness of the evil one is uncovered; it is good when God’s people are not tossed to and fro, blown about by every wind of doctrine; it is good when the church recognizes the trickery and deceitful scheming of man; and it is good for Baptized Saints to know what they believe and why, so that they are not a reed shaken by the wind.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
_______________________<br />[1] Martin Luther. Luther and Erasmus: Free Will and Salvation. ed. E. Gordon Rupp and Philip S. Watson (Philadelphia, PA; The Westminster Press, 1969), 311.</div>
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John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-59766327993717915212014-03-03T17:43:00.003-08:002014-03-03T17:44:55.783-08:00The Widow Bumbleshire is not smiling<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">While
the Widow Bumbleshire might not approve, I think this video by Hans Fiene is spot on. Ryan
Biese crafted this brief explanation:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">A superb
little satirical ditty that hits the nail on the head squarely for why so many
of the youth have abandoned the church: many ministers do not preach the gospel
AND many parents do not train their children in the way of Christ. It's much
easier to turn worship into a concert than go about the hard work of
proclaiming the unfathomable riches of God in Chr</span><span style="font-size: large;">ist.</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MP8tTXKzObc" width="560"></iframe>John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-49228699631337882182014-02-25T11:13:00.000-08:002014-02-25T11:13:52.771-08:00Keeping an eye on Common CoreIf you are keeping a close eye on the progress of Common Core State Standards, you have probably heard of Dr. Sandra Stotsky who served on Common Core's Validation Committee from 2009 - 2010.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaQqIHSCIuPSrtvPAaFioQUXwvA9oSG5AoL4CM4QVY0WgIJIGVW4OUcsrdiMpnoWP7ZbQSew5K4UaKGIR1U-y_H7DODEVOluGYWjmk9VomykadaGB3vg6kXqxtyTlscDwWTEuYkifQUiM/s1600/stotsky.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaQqIHSCIuPSrtvPAaFioQUXwvA9oSG5AoL4CM4QVY0WgIJIGVW4OUcsrdiMpnoWP7ZbQSew5K4UaKGIR1U-y_H7DODEVOluGYWjmk9VomykadaGB3vg6kXqxtyTlscDwWTEuYkifQUiM/s1600/stotsky.png" height="200" width="132" /></a>If you are keeping a close eye on the progress of Common Core State Standards, you have probably read<a href="http://www.uaedreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2000/01/Stotsky_Testimony_for_Colorado.pdf"> Dr. Stotsky's testimony </a>before the Colorado State Board of Education in December of 2012. <br />
<br />
If you are keeping a close eye on the progress of Common Core State Standards, you probably understand that <a href="http://www.uaedreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2000/01/Stotsky_Testimony_for_Colorado.pdf">Dr. Stotsky's educated testimony</a> centers are these four points:<br />
<ol>
<li>The low quality of Common Core's English language arts standards, especially in grades 6-12.</li>
<li>The Non-transparent process that was used to develop Common Core's standards.</li>
<li>How Common Core's ELA standards are already damaging the K-12 curriculum.</li>
<li>The superior quality of Colorado's own English language arts standards.</li>
</ol>
If you are keeping a close eye on the progress of Common Core State Standards, and haven't read<a href="http://www.uaedreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2000/01/Stotsky_Testimony_for_Colorado.pdf"> Dr. Stotsky's testimony</a>, at least read this excerpt:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
As empty skill sets, Common Core's ELA standards do not strengthen the high school curriculum. Nor can they reduce post-secondary remedial coursework in a legitimate way. As empty skill sets, Common Core's ELA "college readiness" standards weaken the base of literary and cultural knowledge needed for authentic college coursework, decrease the capacity for analytical thinking (as I will explain below), and completely muddle the development of writing skills.</blockquote>
<br />
If you are still not convinced that<a href="http://www.uaedreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2000/01/Stotsky_Testimony_for_Colorado.pdf"> Dr. Stotsky's testimony</a> is worth reading, you are not keeping a close eye on the progress of Common Core State Standards.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-41259069215068672062014-02-08T15:43:00.000-08:002014-02-08T15:43:26.496-08:00Two-bit Literary JargonThe closing paragraph from chapter six of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Killers-Common-Sense-Against-Common/dp/1493623370">Dr. Moore's, <i>The Story-Killers</i></a> should prompt every English teacher to be wary of the Common Core State Standards and realize the need for truly authentic, literary discussions.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.prsa.org/bin/z/j/gable_art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.prsa.org/bin/z/j/gable_art.jpg" /></a>The authors of the Common Core project the same false images on the walls of our intellectual cave that progressive education has projected for decades. What young people need and want is not a contrived conversation about "characterization" but a real conversation about character. What young men and women need and want is not a lot of hokum about "setting" but a genuine discussion of families and friendships and moral and civic duty and love and happiness. What interests every student I have ever met is not some artificial commentary on "plot" but the close study of actions and their consequences. These conversations are the result of the genuine reading of the great books and the great events - the great stories - of our tradition. If we kill off these stories by replacing them bit by bit with insignificant drivel, and by chopping up those stories that remain into a lot of two-bit literary jargon, we will lose those books, and in doing so we may very well lose the minds and hearts of our children (167-168).</blockquote>
John Brandthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06694520585756434122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364012020797579750.post-60335828913946778192014-01-31T14:02:00.000-08:002014-01-31T14:02:00.768-08:00Lutheran Schools Week: Day Five<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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