tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-147834502024-03-07T16:26:59.112-05:00Tear Down the High Places...In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan. )Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-8716224290830732372009-10-03T22:19:00.002-05:002009-10-03T22:34:38.297-05:00Where does the Light come from?I was just watching episode number 9 of Defying Gravity, a show that was running on ABC until a couple of weeks ago. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defying_Gravity_%28TV_series%29">Click here to learn more information about the show.</a> Now, why am I interested in this show? Because there seems to be some theological questions being asked that are interesting, at least to me. Without spoiling that much of the storyline of the show, I'll tell you this; The "beta" object, as it represented on the show, is as much like God as you can get without actually calling it God. It can heal on whim, and can also cause arteries to develop plaque. It can induce visions. It can manipulate gravity, reality and DNA. And, it would seem, it can reveal itself to whomever it wants, while hiding itself from others.<br /><br />Pretty amazing.<br /><br />But the reason I mention this is because the last scene in Episode 9 features two of the astronauts looking at the beta object. As it turns out, all the astronauts, save one, can see it, has had visions, and can hear the music that seems to serve as it's method of communicating. The one astronaut who can't see it can only see the light that is coming from it. <br /><br />This made me think. When we "see" the light, which is Christ, we also see God by eyes of faith. The unbeliever sees the light, but can't see God at all. In fact, the unbeliever wont even entertain attributing God as the source of the light, literally because they CAN'T see it. They'll find anything as an explanation of why the light is there, even suggest that the light is us. But since they can't see the object of faith, they will always attribute the light to something other than that which it comes from, thus shunning the light itself. After all, what good is light if you can't actually nail down it's source?<br /><br />This should give pause to any unbeliever. The light of Christ is upon you, but because you can't see the source of the light with natural eyes, you reject the light. Those who can see the light and know it's source have had the source revealed to them by the source itself. You who cannot see the source, conversely, cannot know the source because the source has not revealed itself to you. All you can see is the light, and you attribute that light to everything but the source of the light itself. <br /><br />How sad.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-39863719006010283882009-09-03T23:19:00.006-05:002009-10-03T22:35:15.512-05:00When do we make an idol a "real" idol?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMzAOp1NX5bQ71mnNyBu0bOlSOfA2Te90YzZb_ZF-QHNlnJUiqN5d8weFqpVlrIGvOT0_W5Y2-tpqUG7F64xVawG9MmcLWUxAUBQdgn1QgwWE567eo42KeE0X2x7dVTNaAtFBkw/s1600-h/idols.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMzAOp1NX5bQ71mnNyBu0bOlSOfA2Te90YzZb_ZF-QHNlnJUiqN5d8weFqpVlrIGvOT0_W5Y2-tpqUG7F64xVawG9MmcLWUxAUBQdgn1QgwWE567eo42KeE0X2x7dVTNaAtFBkw/s320/idols.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377469605859835650" /></a><br />I was just preparing to do this blog post when I decided to find some clip art to illustrate the point that I'm going to attempt to make concerning idolatry. I did a Google search, and then clicked on "images" (how ironic), and found myself presented with a number of pictures, many of which pertain to American Idol. <br /><br />Now, I find that funny, because it's my sincere doubt that anyone who follows the program actually trusts their favorite "idol" to rescue them from times of need and distress. They do, however, trust in their favorite idol to give them pleasure. And herein begins the point I want to try to make.<br /><br />Anytime we trust in something other than God, we make that something into an idol. Boy, it's not like no one else on the planet or in history has ever said that, right? But the simple statement "anytime we trust in something other than God, we make that something into an idol" cannot convey the true power of the sin behind it. So we have no other choice but to either attempt to unpack the statement, or to try and restate it in a way that actually can convey the sin behind that statement. <br /><br />Now I could spend some time unpacking this statement, or some time trying to restate it, but instead I think what I'll do is look at what it's not saying. I don't think it's that bad a thing that you "trust" that your car will start and be able to go in gear in the morning to get you to work. I don't think it's even about spending a Saturday afternoon cleaning said car, getting into every nook and cranny and removing every speck of dirt; shooing off the birds as they attempt to drop avian fecal matter on the fresh wax; I don't think that watching your television, or waiting in anticipation for your favorite TV show, or even setting up the DVR to record it; I don't think ANYTHING like that is a problem of idolatry. <br /><br />Oh, but brother Matthew... OK, hold your horses, don't get yer undies in a bunch... These things can get in the way of your relationship with God. To which I say, sure, the world has a tendency to do that, doesn't it? It get's in the way. Just like wondering what you're going to make for dinner gets in the way, or having to sit down and pay the bills gets in the way. <br /><br />No, we can drop all pretense and false dichotomies now! Here are the things we Idolize: The volunteer work we did at the local food bank. The cleanup work we did around the neighborhood. Or how we show up in Church to worship God. And how many times we pray in a day, or even an hour. Or how much we read our Bible. Or how many trips we made to the latest revivals. Or how many youth gatherings we helped to plan. Or how many years we were in the choir. Or how many praise bands we helped to form, or how many songs our bands could play. When we trust in our works before God in the grand scheme of things, we make our very works in the supreme idol that, with time, will eventually get us out of trouble. Or worse, we see our works as divine currency with which we buy or sell blessings from God in the very temple that God put forth on the Cross!<br /><br />And worst of all? Some of us worship mans reason and knowledge. There in lies apostasy. Elevating such things above God will do nothing more than bring wrath and destruction on us for it is the very fallen reason of man that makes us believe such ignorance. This is why when I hear the words "we need to" feel a cringe ready to happen because I know that the next lines will be something other than "trust God who gives us all good things". (And before the word of faithers rejoice, see to it that you understand that the word "trust" and the phrase "speaking to the situation" are as diametrically opposed to each other as apple pie and arsenic.) <br /><br />I was reading in Luther's Larger Catechism: <br /><br />"And just because of such hardened heads who imagine because God connives and allows them to rest in security, that He either is entirely ignorant or cares nothing about such matters, He must deal a smashing blow and punish them, so that He cannot forget it unto children's children; so that every one may take note and see that this is no joke to Him. For they are those whom He means when He says: Who hate Me (Exodus 20:5), i.e., those who persist in their defiance and pride; whatever is preached or said to them, they will not listen; when they are reproved, in order that they may learn to know themselves and amend before the punishment begins, they become mad and foolish so as to fairly merit wrath, as now we see daily in bishops and princes."<br /><br />Do we not see it daily now?Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-3590849494453674072009-07-17T07:10:00.000-05:002009-07-17T07:11:38.642-05:00Lazy and overwrought pastorsI was just watching a "Sermon Jam" of a sermon by Paul Washer. In this message, Pastor Washer asks the question, "How do you know that you believe"... Paul Washer is another of those preachers who are law light, but he fancies himself a Neo fire and brimstone preacher. He often admonishes his congregation to look inside themselves, examine themselves, which is good as far that will take a Christian. But he goes too far in asking the question, "How do you know that you believe?" <br /><br />Now, why do I say that? Because Paul Washer hasn't thought his argument through. All of his arguments start with the idea that a sinful child of Adam can hear the law and obey it. He thinks that the law is user friendly, and mixes the Law and the Gospel in his sermons. He tells his parishoners, for instance, that they should be reading God's word and applying it to themselves while he doesn't realize that his congregation isn't really qualified to do that.<br /><br />What do I mean, "the congregation isn't qualified to do that?" The Bible tells us that we are like sheep. We wander far afield. We do things that sheep do and act like sheep do. Left to our own devices we'll follow the herd to our deaths. Sheep are incapable of taking care of themselves. In fact, it would have been an insult to call someone a sheep in Jesus' day. Similarly, a congregation is just as incapable of doing for themselves. Where Sheep cannot take care of themselves physically, fallen sinners are incapable of taking care of themselves spiritually. They need a shepherd. One who will do for them what they themselves cannot do. The congregation does not have what it takes to properly apply God's Law to themselves. Left to their own devices, they will dumb down the law, especially if their example is a preacher who dumbs down the Law himself. Their fallen sinful hearts will tell them they are keeping the Law when in fact they are breaking the Law. They need a Pastor who will preach the Law of God in all it's severity and properly apply to his congregation.<br /><br />But what Paul Washer and Pastors like him do is rely on their congregations to do what he should be doing for them. At Willow Creek, Bill Heibels does exactly the same thing. When a poll of his congregation told him that his people are saying they are not being fed, Bill Heibels concluded that he needed to teach them to become "self feeders". Paul Washer and pastors like him do this all the time. His commandment to his congregation is to read the word of God themselves and apply it to themselves. These types of Pastors, who think they are the new fire and brimstone preachers, have fallen for the idea that as long as the Holy Spirit is there to witness to his congregation, everything will be fine. But, everything is imperically not fine. The Law is regularly dumbed down by congregations and believers to the pointed that many of them believe they are keeping the Law. <br /><br />Pastors like Paul Washer are fond of telling people they need to be careful if they say they know they are saved because they believe it in their hearts. Paul Washer is right when he points out from Jeremiah that "the heart is exceedingly wicked above all things and who can know it?" (Jer 17:9) But the heart doesn't just decieve us into false hope Paul. It also decieves us concerning the Law. When we tell people to merely open God's word and apply it to themselves, we encourage a problem called heterodoxy, which basically means to be at variance from the accepted positions of orthodoxy, namely what the Bible teaches clearly. Anytime a pastor becomes lazy and relies on his congregation to do what he should have done himself, he encourages his parishoners to come to conclusions for themselves, which leads them often times to conclusions that at variance to what is accepted orthodoxy.<br /><br />A Pastor, as charged by St. Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy, Chapter 4, should "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." But Pastors like Paul Washer are anything but careful. They confuse Law and Gospel and most startlingly, the only time they will pull authority on a person is if someone disagrees with them... Like I'm doing right now. In fact, many will come at me and say, "You're not saved. You teach that all you have to do is believe. You teach false hope". <br /><br />But similarly, I rarely hear from Paul Washer and his types a clear preaching of the Gospel, namely Christ and him Crucified for sinners. All I ever hear them preach is "The believer and him obeying". Do any of you think that God will put up with that in the end? Do you think that the Father is happy when we usurp the Glory of His son? We will not be saved by crying over our sins, we will not be saved by examining ourselves, we will not be saved by reading the Bible, we will not be saved by spending time in fervent prayer, for there is no other name under heaven by which we will be saved. And that name is Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Our Sinful nature resonates with the law. But the Gospel is not something that we resonate with. Only after having the law rightly preached to us and properly applied to us will the Gospel make sense to us, and it is the solemn duty of a pastor to do exactly that. The answer to the problem of sinners do wrong things is not to preach a lighter for of the law for them to keep, but rather to give them the only thing that will work faith in them and therefore save them, and that it preach the Gospel. Anything else is pure laziness.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-82346623660807150572009-06-17T21:41:00.003-05:002009-06-17T23:26:12.211-05:00Law and Gospel: The special Brillian light<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgir6DdedjoLVmZiAXqZfDf6KFAopOqblFuZQVXAXSuL60Up6VL7XFlhPqQeJfXjDwn-3iA4GmU1fEzMlufTgdB7-4UUs9_vdn4FsX6r7hP6_885KT_HQ0T-vPu5fCzKRVRfV7kZg/s1600-h/Walther_cfw_young.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgir6DdedjoLVmZiAXqZfDf6KFAopOqblFuZQVXAXSuL60Up6VL7XFlhPqQeJfXjDwn-3iA4GmU1fEzMlufTgdB7-4UUs9_vdn4FsX6r7hP6_885KT_HQ0T-vPu5fCzKRVRfV7kZg/s320/Walther_cfw_young.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348492586399563106" border="0" /></a>C.F.W. Walther wrote a series of Lectures on Law and Gospel, but not to be overlooked are the essays that are recorded in the CPH editions called <span style="font-style: italic;">Essays for the Church, Volume 2. </span>On page 64 we find <span style="font-style: italic;">Theses on the Distinction of Law and Gospel</span>, given by Franz Pieper* at the Iowa District Convention in 1880. What we find listed there is a great presentation of nine ways in which law and gospel are confused.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The first and certainly the most obvious and most flagrant way of intermingling Law and Gospel is to make Christ a new Moses or lawgiver and thus turn the Gospel into a doctrine of works, meanwhile condemning and cursing those who teach the Gospel as a message of God's free grace in Christ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second, God's Word is not correctly divided when one does not preach the Law in its total severity nor the Gospel in its full sweetness, but instead minges Gospel elements with the Law and Law elements with the Gospel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Third, God's Word is not correctly divided when one preaches first the Gospel and then the Law; first sanctification and then justification; first faith and then repentance; first good works and then grace.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fourth, God's Word is not correctly divided when, instead of directing sinners who are struck and terrified by the Law to Word and Sacrament, one tells them to work their way into the state of grace by prayer and striving--that is, to keep on praying and striving until they feel that God has pardoned them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fifth, God's word is not correctly divided when one preaches concerning faith either as if the mere acceptance of faith justifies before God and saves in spite of mortal sins, or as if faith justifies and saves because of the love and renewal that it works. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sixth, God's Word is not correctly divided if one wants to comfort with the Gospel only those who through the Law have come to repentance not out of fear of God's anger and punishment, but out of love for God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seventh, God's Word is not correctly divided if one teaches in such a way as if repentance, besides faith, is a joint cause for the forgiveness of sins. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eighth, God's Word is not correctly divided when one makes a false distinction between awakening and conversion, and not being </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">able</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> to believe is mistaken for not being </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">permitted</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> to believe.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ninth, God's Word is not correctly divided when one tries to move the unregenerate by the demands or threats or promises of the Law to put away sins and do good works and thus make them pious, and tries to drive the regenerate to the good by commanding them legalistically instead of admonishing them evangelically.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span>Obviously in the first statement we can see strains of Rome, whose theologians have often revered to Jesus as "the most perfect lawgiver" while at the same time condemning in the council of Trent those who would preach this Gospel. And we can easily see many of today's teachers such as Joel Osteen, who commit what is recorded in the second statement. But these other theses seem to be more subtle. I'm going to make a study of the Evangelical horizon to see how the preaching and teaching stacks up. We're already planning a program on Law and Gospel in the scriptures themselves. I've been doing a study on how the New Testament writers often make Law and Gospel distinctions themselves, and it's been quite and eye opener. <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>*<span style="font-style: italic;">Walther had apparently given a presentation on these 13 Theses two years earlier at a Southeastern Pastor's Conference.</span>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-88791801819973519212009-05-24T20:43:00.002-05:002009-05-24T20:54:43.434-05:00Show Digest, Episode 89Hello everyone,<br /><br />This afternoon episode 89 of Radical Grace Radio went out over the airwaves. First out of the gate was listener emails. We get some really good ones, and some with some good questions. One was about our Calvinism show where Pastor Gary Held used an analogy where salvation is like a valve that we turn off and God turns on... The listeners may not like the answer to that one, but we gave an honest answer.<br /><br />But on the back half of the show Pastor Greg LeSieur told us about his experiences at at ELCA Seminary in Gettysburg, and this is one where everyone needs to hear what goes on in these schools. <br /><br />http://media.libsyn.com/media/lutherandifference/Episode_89.mp3Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-45467056478658542672008-05-22T00:18:00.002-05:002008-05-22T01:33:22.146-05:00Conflict of interest: How the LCMS is killing itself.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzetcLFV0AUuC4cjud5yAldEQQmG09cMdc-AX7ytSyx-iq1DbWrxlv6YWFMti5xDHhc8o7B0gChTJPF1b-HUXes3ZejDlHovqmyxmJ0E2jfveS1TN0ky9rcnOQpDSfd5YFpNy5A/s1600-h/7249,1113413853,3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzetcLFV0AUuC4cjud5yAldEQQmG09cMdc-AX7ytSyx-iq1DbWrxlv6YWFMti5xDHhc8o7B0gChTJPF1b-HUXes3ZejDlHovqmyxmJ0E2jfveS1TN0ky9rcnOQpDSfd5YFpNy5A/s320/7249,1113413853,3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203086357504738578" /></a><br />As a former Evangelical, I have been witness to may different types of "Christian" worship over the years. Some of it has merit, while others have some particularly devastating consequences on the souls of those who participate. For instance, there are some aspects of Pentecostal worship that can stir the mind, usually manifest in their tendency to emphasize the <em>Imago Dei</em>, by way of expressing that we are children of God called to worship Him and to express that worship in daily service to others. But keep in mind, I'm expressing to you now this aspect of Pentecostal worship using language more common to the theologians of our past than to the theologians of our day. Yes, how I'm expressing it would confuse most Pentecostals, but once you unpack the language for them they typically understand it. A Pentecostal would say "I'm a child of God and I can do what God does in my neighborhood because it gives Glory to God and Jesus! Amen!"<br /><br />The reason I bring this up is thus: The LCMS is inadvertently killing itself. It's death by conflict of interest. Now what do I mean by that? It's simple. Although a Pentecostal can be made to understand the concepts behind the <em>Imago Dei</em> and to understand the implications behind it, I wouldn't expect them to adopt that more precise way of expressing it just because I told them to. No, that would be ridiculous. I would expect them to try to understand it in the same way I'd expect them to understand one of the Ecumenical Creeds, but I wouldn't expect them... Well, I might as well say it. I wouldn't expect them to just become Lutheran.<br /><br />It doesn't seem at this point like I'm unpacking this very well, but hear me out. There was a time when the Lutheran Heritage was closely tied to German Heritage. The congregations were German, they spoke German, the liturgy was in German... But as time has gone by, the German Heritage has been falling away and to some extent the Lutheran Heritage goes with it. Fair enough. This is what happens with the passing of generations and time. But to a growing number of former outsiders, the "Lutheran Heritage" has quite an appeal for a number or reasons.<br /><br />Let's look at one of the primary reasons why the idea of "Lutheran Heritage" would appeal to someone becoming Lutheran. First and foremost, the appeal comes from the fact that it's fundamentally different from everything else. Evangelicals who are fed up with what is going on in their own churches look outside and recognize something authentic, and they cling to it because they get a sense of having moorings in a ecclesial culture that is all too often infatuated with itself. <br /><br />But after that, there's another reason. Beyond authenticity, there is quickly recognized a maturity of the Faith. A maturity that wishes to understand all aspects of the faith, however intimidating much of it may be at first glance. This reason soon reaches beyond mere liturgical matters, and soon begins to expose the raw doctrine of what it means to be a Lutheran. Scratch the liturgical surface of Lutheranism and you have what the Formula of Concord calls, "that special brilliant light" beginning to ooze out like the life blood of Christ himself.<br /><br />Law and Gospel. Not much is said these days about this. We hear a lot about Peace, unity, compassion, speaking truths with love... But not much about God's law or God's Gospel. The practices of the historic Lutheran Church reflect a proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Our pastoral edge often is grounded in this distinction. In fact, there would absolutely be no Lutheranism whatsoever if there were no right division of God's word. <br /><br />The minute someone begins to tell us, as a synod, that there is something else that is more important than dividing Law and Gospel, the Synod is in conflict of interest with itself. Without God's word rightly divided, we have no heritage to speak of, for God's word confused by the acts of sinful men can be dangerous. The practices of the Lutheran Church, when cut loose from Law and Gospel, are nothing but a confused mess of laws to keep. If they are just laws to keep, then they can be set aside under the same premise that all laws are ultimately disobeyed. The Historic Liturgy can be set aside in favor of Rock concert style worship, or theatre worship, or pseudo Buddhist/Islam/Judaism stylings... All of which amounts to a slow death of Lutheran Heritage, and perhaps even <em>Christian</em> heritage. A death, I might add, that is totally unnecessary.<br /><br />So why talk about Pentecostalism and aspects of the worship practices of those who call themselves by that moniker? To highlight the fact that there are only <em>aspects</em> of their worship that is beneficial. Scratch the surface of Pentecostalism and you don't have Law and Gospel rightly divided. For the most part, there is nothing but confusion of Law and Gospel evidenced in their worship practices. The same emphasis on the Imago Dei also winds up resulting in an emphasis on the person and work of the children of God over the person and work of Jesus Christ. That's a very dangerous place to be.<br /><br />The LCMS is in that same position even now. There is a conflict of interest. Law and Gospel is not rightly divided. The latest communiques from many of our leaders, be they congregational pastors, district presidents, or synodical leaders, betray a steadfast forgetfulness of what it means to be who we are. As a layperson, I don't expect those who don't use the language of our Lutheran heritage to adopt such language, but I do expect them at least understand it. Understand what it means to divide Law and Gospel. Understand that the Cross has, as it does Christ's own blood, the Law of God and the Gospel of God splattered upon it. Understand that the Law of God condemns and instructs but does not have the power to create a Church. Understand that the Gospel of God Forgives and instructs and has all power to create faith, to create hope, to create believers and to build a Church on that foundation alone. <br /><br />It is a conflict of interest to hold anything above the Gospel. May it never be with us that the Gospel be forgotten.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-43074125749803827892008-05-15T20:47:00.004-05:002008-05-15T21:27:59.479-05:00Crushed by God's blessing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm6EufRHTkj0AqM8UEs3E2FgaX3PILYTAYE1RYJcyU5Tu3zcFXgbOpf_D2T0UhwpfTw_f6ZhwiSlGPCJ8L8RrIbTbbFEX-kXDbck4MXCaWFLJXxNK_lKf_VOouEmVf0GTnNUDpA/s1600-h/Candle-out-redo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200796052961440242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm6EufRHTkj0AqM8UEs3E2FgaX3PILYTAYE1RYJcyU5Tu3zcFXgbOpf_D2T0UhwpfTw_f6ZhwiSlGPCJ8L8RrIbTbbFEX-kXDbck4MXCaWFLJXxNK_lKf_VOouEmVf0GTnNUDpA/s320/Candle-out-redo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>This evening I'm sitting here, listening to an old episode of Issue's etc. It's a Sunday night episode, and Dr. Rod Rosenbladt is the guest. The topic is "Justification". It's one that I called into, mainly at first because it was Rod on the show. It was before I was on the Radio myself.</p><br /><p>It was a devastating night. The reason it was devastating is because I was on the phone, listening to Rod say something to this effect: "There is something about the work of Christ in us that is so gentle and so loving, like the scripture says, 'A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.' " By the time it was my turn, I was an emotional wreck. But it was good, because once again, the blessings of God had crushed me.<br /></p><br /><p>That sounds weird, but it's true. For this Christian, God's overwhelming blessings and goodness toward him daily are part of what causes repentance. God blesses me with lots of good things, and sometimes I'm floored because... How could he give these things to me? I'm such a broken reed, I don't deserve his good blessings at all. I deserve eternal condemnation. I sit in front of a radio microphone, and I'm crushed. Lots of people would kill to get in that position, to talk on the radio, to be in the driver seat. But for me, each blessing is another crushing blow. And when the Gospel hits my ears again, and I hear "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory", I realize the depth of His riches and goodness.<br /></p><br /><p>Without the doctrine of Justification, one can't have a true relationship with Jesus. You don't understand his goodness towards you till he crushes you with his blessing. You don't know his mercy till he lifts you up from that sorrow and weeping, and gives you new life. And it's not even about temporal tears most times, but rather a sense of awe and wonder. Tears can be involved indeed, but the word remains the same.<br /></p><br /><p>This smoldering wick is forever thankful. </p>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-54900800563287791982008-05-13T19:53:00.002-05:002008-05-13T20:29:52.813-05:00Evangelicalism at a Crossroads.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq4JOvGYbJu8UK9k47wBhCSM-mLcooZYkXf5q8fHgrgM7YLkJpZrRrjS5NxxsweQI9M4tQbMj0ysWKCWV9QPz_3J_V8InNlveWNSdzF61gL0AsCD2F0B5lXjTCJPhzdxxbpNN0w/s1600-h/95thesis.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200039597551464914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq4JOvGYbJu8UK9k47wBhCSM-mLcooZYkXf5q8fHgrgM7YLkJpZrRrjS5NxxsweQI9M4tQbMj0ysWKCWV9QPz_3J_V8InNlveWNSdzF61gL0AsCD2F0B5lXjTCJPhzdxxbpNN0w/s320/95thesis.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I used to be an Evangelical. What that means is, I subscribed to all the doctrines that Modern Evangelicals believe. Whether is was the doctrine of "make a sincere decision for Christ" doctrine, or the "age of accountability" doctrine, or "believer's baptism" doctrine, I was staunch in not only believing them, but in proclaiming them.<br /><br />But with all of my certainty over these teachings, there was something about all of this that made me worry. After all, as much sense as everything made, all the doctrines seemed to line up very well, I didn't seem to have any peace. I remember back during my days as a moderator at Christianity.com, that with all the people who would sign up daily to the forum and start posting, the majority of them were almost looking for a fight, and many of them actually were looking for a fight.<br /><br />Now being what I called a "thinking evangelical", I liked taking on the ones who were spoiling for a fight. I remember one individual who billed himself as a "Messianic Jew", who called himself <em>SolaScriptura</em>. He was all about proclaiming to everyone that they needed to start being Jews as soon as possible because that is what pleases God. Of course, when you tried to pin him down for proof that being a Jew, keeping all the commandments and Holy Days and Festivals actually is pleasing to God, he had none. Not pragmatic proof, anecdotal or biblical proof. We eventually wound up banning him from the forums altogether for teaching false doctrines.<br /><br />But the thing that got me about all of that was, no matter how many times you banned them, they would sign up again and come back for more. The fighting still goes on at the Forums at Christianity.com. There's a thread there that is a debate between so called "Arminians" and "Calvinists" that is currently on 29379 replies with no end in sight! Nothing solved, no doctrines ironed out.<br /><br />But, after a while of having to deal with this kind of thing, I was challenged by someone to listen to "the White Horse Inn". I accepted the challenge, and that led me to Issues etc, which led me to the confessions and the LCMS. That's the nuts and bolts of it, but the reality was that I was tired of the bickering, tired of always having to defend something that I knew wasn't robust and fully fleshed out... That being Evangelicalism.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, there are some wonder Evangelicals out there who know there stuff pretty well. In such cases you can tell talk about the finer points of doctrine; The Lord's supper, Holy Baptism, Monergism, the Holiness of God... But for the most part, Evangelicals are either one of two types: They are as close to perfectly happy as they can get with where they are spiritually, or they are growing tired of what's going on. The ones who are growing tired of Evangelicalism are the ones I identify with the most.<br /><br />They are like me. I started down the Wittenberg Trail because I was tired of all the shallowness, lightness and frivolity that was going on around me. I was tired of feeling beat down. I was tired of seeing people being destroyed by weird doctrines, talk of annointings, extra blessings from God... I was tired of being told how to manipulate God, even though they wouldn't put it in such stark terms as that. I was tired of hearing someone say, "if you do A, B, and C, you will begin to see the hand of God move in your life"...<br /><br />I'd imagine that there are people out there just like me. I've talked to them a lot in the last couple of years. People like that are at a crossroads. What will they do? Will they find a robust faith? Will they find people to challenge them to dig deeper into God's word than they ever have before? Will they find someone who will enthusiastically proclaim Christ and him crucified, <em>for them!</em><br /><br />Oh Heavenly Father. Let me be your sounding board. Let me be the watchman at the Crossroad to point the true way. In the name of your son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God forever and ever. Amen.</div>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-28715016954621976342008-03-30T14:21:00.005-05:002008-03-30T14:54:07.420-05:00Issues etc. with the Numbers Game<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFB9MaT7aNTShl72Q2MWBlUSd88TuD42nVpaQtAMIruV5LAcbJNC4YhBE4bUA20taCPz0rNlYfvK2C_L7Hsix5IWpQoClqKR8I4UvR_LFDvTISHukZx1etwEtbuaRyEP4un8BLQ/s1600-h/graph.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183622517465744306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFB9MaT7aNTShl72Q2MWBlUSd88TuD42nVpaQtAMIruV5LAcbJNC4YhBE4bUA20taCPz0rNlYfvK2C_L7Hsix5IWpQoClqKR8I4UvR_LFDvTISHukZx1etwEtbuaRyEP4un8BLQ/s320/graph.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>Recently, a letter was posted on the official LCMS website purporting to explain why Issues etc. was canceled. The reasons, in my opinion, are rather spurious, and as someone is more familiar than most what Internet download numbers mean, I have to address something important concerning the reason by David L. Strand, Executive Director Board for Communication Services on the recent canceling of Issues etc.</p><br /><br /><p><em><blockquote><em>Some may also be under a misapprehension about the size of the “Issues” audience. In 2005, station management decided it could no longer justify paying for expensive ratings reports in light of the predictably low and static nature of KFUOAM’s audience numbers. At the time, a blending of the spring 2004 and spring 2005 “books” showed an average listening audience during the “Issues” Monday-Friday timeslot of 1,650. There is no indication these numbers have grown appreciably since.</em> </em></blockquote></p><br /><br /><p>First of all, Mr. Strand, if you aren't keeping track of the numbers because it's not justifiable in your mind to keep track of the numbers, you shouldn't be saying anything about numbers in the first place. If you don't know what the numbers are, don't talk about what the numbers are.</p><br /><br /><p><em><blockquote><em>As for the audio streaming of “Issues, Etc.” via the Internet, the numbers are similarly low. During the last full month (February 2008) for which we have reports, the average number of live, streaming listeners during the “Issues” Monday-Friday timeslot was 64.</em></blockquote></em></p><br /><br /><p>That's actually pretty high numbers considering people absolutely have to arrive at the KFUOam.org website to access the feed. What should have been happening is the station streaming audio should have been <em>MADE</em> accessible in as many places as possible. Plus, someone should have been looking other popular ways in which streaming media is distributed on the Internet. <a href="http://www.stickam.com/">http://www.stickam.com/</a> is a place where many radio stations and shows are broadcasting their content, live as it happens.</p><br /><br /><p>Also, are you saying that the people who were calling the show, some regularly, and some not so regularly, were not pretty amazing numbers? Shawn Hannity doesn't get as many callers as Issues etc. did, but he's doing rather well for himself.</p><br /><br /><p>Now, I want to address an issue that David Strand didn't even address. Radical Grace Radio lives and breaths by downloads per month. We can find out what are ratings are for on the air if we want to, but I personally have decided not to worry about that until after we've been on the air for at least a year. Pastor Gary and myself frequently check our downloads daily, and lately for a show so new and still relatively unknown, we're posting impressive numbers, especially since it's mostly been word of mouth that drives our numbers. I recently came upon numbers by a friend at Wittenberg trail that shows that Issues etc. was having around 300,000 downloads per month, and that figure was very steady. If we at Radical Grace Radio had one quarter of that right now, we'd be considered a huge success in the secular world. Your average secular radio station doesn't do anywhere near that size of downloads for any given show nor for the most part combined downloads for the entire station!</p><p>Again, I have to ask... What's happening here people?</p>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-26210814632941287762008-03-21T16:39:00.003-05:002008-03-21T16:48:40.159-05:00What happening people?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6Ds73i14mC9Mt2O9J0OfgrGHMlKx1cKYsbH9QSR442eCjZmuxSfL5ctfSl99PiHUSZjqjZ-AVxSaUAENrQJx9CuTIrBvA4N1pXbkrsN8x6avGxCKkMEu33jYzLEBiej1-zHLJA/s1600-h/broken-logo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180313000351040402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6Ds73i14mC9Mt2O9J0OfgrGHMlKx1cKYsbH9QSR442eCjZmuxSfL5ctfSl99PiHUSZjqjZ-AVxSaUAENrQJx9CuTIrBvA4N1pXbkrsN8x6avGxCKkMEu33jYzLEBiej1-zHLJA/s320/broken-logo.jpg" border="0" /></a> This has to be the cheap shot of all time. Let me say something here folks, this isn't about a talk show or the hosts thereof. It's about a Church Body, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, wanting to throw away it's Lutheran heritage along with the trappings of old world German Culture. In doing so, they are turning from Grace and leaving the word behind. <br /><br />What am I talking about? Unless I'm sorely mistaken, this is the current model for Lutheran Church.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.watersedgefrisco.com/">http://www.watersedgefrisco.com/</a><br /><br />Take a look at the sermon videos, all the band instruments dwarfing the alter, no space set aside for the work of God, a "youth pastor" styled pastor who's yelling and screaming and giving good advice. He tries to placard Christ and him crucified up before the people, but he winds up driving the verbs the wrong way. It's subtle, but it's there.<br /><br />Pastor Todd Wilken has taught me too well. Where other world religions are growing by remaining authentic, we're throw any chance at authenticity we have out the window. While Islam and it's Imams still say that Allah is not the Christian God, we are comprimising the Triune God's identity to attract people. While other religions are not concerned about numbers, we are counting the heads and the beans.<br /><br />What's happening people?Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-56624278438372612792008-03-19T23:11:00.006-05:002008-03-19T23:44:26.530-05:00Issues etc... RIP<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R9KkZAZv9RtlrlfpTU234F7t2wV1et68nmZRTzlFbWjqLtJX9x3cuH-ZzU6lCaGFJDq3p90dDMdFqNrmNhAIgY2YeJPbAtO-Baj3h62Gg6zuBnj4Q6LDATEpotOGfmrPNh-nEQ/s1600-h/issues-etc.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179675511240196978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R9KkZAZv9RtlrlfpTU234F7t2wV1et68nmZRTzlFbWjqLtJX9x3cuH-ZzU6lCaGFJDq3p90dDMdFqNrmNhAIgY2YeJPbAtO-Baj3h62Gg6zuBnj4Q6LDATEpotOGfmrPNh-nEQ/s320/issues-etc.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Apparently, somebody high up in our Synod has decided to pull the plug on the most successful outreach and news program that ever was produced by our Church body. Issues etc, was cancelled Tuesday, March 19th. Rev. Todd Wilken, who was serving his call to be the show's host, and Jeff Schwarz the producer of the show, were fired. The buzzword that's being bandied about is "terminated". This happened during Passion Week.<br /><br /><p>This blogger, who has been busy with a radio show of his own, is appalled that a pastor could be ripped from his call so easily. I'm equally appalled that a program, that aired for 14 hours a week and was the premier catechisis for many of us new Lutheran Converts, was taken down when it was so successful and was such a money maker for the station it ran on, KFUO in St. Louis. Nearly everyone you talk to who has become a Lutheran in the past five years will mention the profound impact that Issues etc. had on their walk of faith, and now that it's gone, there's a huge void left behind. Who will pick up the mantle?</p><br /><br /><p>There's been talk on Wittenber Trail of continuing the show via the internet. I'm all for that, but I'm all for us lay people and pastors taking a greater role in the future of our Synod. We can, as has been proven in so many internet venues today like Youtube, Stickam, and others, as well as numerous podcasting services, make a huge difference in the world today. Since our message is the message of the Gospel, it's not beyond God's ability to bless this world with a huge outpouring of materila with a polished and professional look, while all the time proclaiming our Risen Savior and standing by our confessional heritage.<br /><br /></p><p><br /><br />What we need is resolve. I've learned that God is interested in doing what he wants to do, and not to argue with him when he wants us to do what he wants. He's already, literally, <em>thrown</em> a radio show at us. He's throwing more. It's going to happen whether we want it to or not. We're just caught up in the drama of God's work.<br /><br /></p><p><br /><br />Peace to you all. Let's show these emergent/evangelicals types how we do things down town!</p></div>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-5107993508433241022008-03-04T18:11:00.000-05:002008-05-13T19:52:28.118-05:00Blogger just shut down my Pastor's Blog...<a href="http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x201/lutherandifference/Witnesses.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 539px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 165px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="165" alt="" src="http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x201/lutherandifference/Witnesses.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The new blog I opened for my pastor and co-host, Pastor Gary Held, was shut down by blogger supposedly due to "terms of service violations". I'm concerned that someone out there is flagging our blogs in an attempt to shut down Radical Grace's web presence. If this happens, everyone needs to have this feed saved. <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~u/lutherandifference">Radical Grace Feedburner Feed</a><br /><br /><br />I'm posting this on all the blogs. Link this feed.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-63655335241075412812007-11-06T00:18:00.000-05:002007-11-06T00:29:26.689-05:00It's official... John Hagee is a heritic.Personally, I don't know much about John Hagee. I've heard a few of his sermons via KFUO on Issue's etc. but other than that, all I knew about the man was he is a staunch defender of Modern Israel. Apparently, he's gone off the deep end.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F0CyolAOeWQ&rel=0&color1=0xd6d6d6&color2=0xf0f0f0&border=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F0CyolAOeWQ&rel=0&color1=0xd6d6d6&color2=0xf0f0f0&border=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />His new book, In Defense of Israel, should be an interesting read.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-45743715703904287002007-10-05T15:23:00.000-05:002007-10-05T16:10:31.565-05:00Atheists Pwned by Upstart Theologian, part 2Here is Doug Powell, once again, refuting the Rational Response Squad's (RRS) silly arguments. Doug is far from an "upstart", indeed, he's a published theologian and appologist. He just put up another video continuing and explaining his argument for a transcendental God.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NO5mnif4lsg"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NO5mnif4lsg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><span id="fullpost"><br />I'm especially fond of his renaming the Rational Response Squad, the <em>Irrational Response Squad</em>, or more ironically(?), the IRS! <br /><br />Thought I'd just hide that one out of sight. <a href="http://www.dougpowell.com/">Go and visit Doug Powell's website Here</a>. He's a musician who's toured with Tod Rundgren.<br /><br />Either way, for those who don't know what the RRS is, it's led by a young man named Brian Sapient, who believes that anyone who believes in God is delusional. In fact, he and his cohorts would like to have belief in God classed as a mental illness in the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The fact that groups like the RRS exist is exactly why we need good appologists today. We might not be able to convert people with standard appologetics, but at least we can stand in the left hand kingdom when people try to make an end run around the law and class us as delusional. <br /><br />Rock on Doug, Rock on.<br /></span>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-83415044142395145712007-08-11T18:50:00.000-05:002007-08-11T19:02:16.224-05:00ELCA permits homosexuals to be pastors<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28IFtSYIUyOaWQ8_PBRjl_jgz9hwN9-m0p6F6rnfN1_H8ghOG5wp1uiC-5dm6wrTJtL0sdbK_bGahcSSkKUnhhde86hIgbvwPjuxZ5B1RrknVkhQrbAKNckMmvDETuMQyraPI4g/s1600-h/anti-ELCA.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097597251010059490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28IFtSYIUyOaWQ8_PBRjl_jgz9hwN9-m0p6F6rnfN1_H8ghOG5wp1uiC-5dm6wrTJtL0sdbK_bGahcSSkKUnhhde86hIgbvwPjuxZ5B1RrknVkhQrbAKNckMmvDETuMQyraPI4g/s320/anti-ELCA.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>This is in response to a certain ELCA Lutheran's justification for "inclusiveness".</strong><br /><br /><br /><blockquote>"Check out their hearts: the hearts of a loving, committed gay couple look just like the hearts of a loving, committed heterosexual couple.<br />Something tells me that THAT is where God looks first."</blockquote><br /><br /><br />That is true. God looks on the heart. But what does He see there? Even in the hearts of a "loving couple", He sees idolotry, bigotry, sexual immorality, deceit, malice, adultery, stealing, vanity, covetousness... People idolize their churches because those churches make it ok for them to sin, practice bigotry against those they do not agree with, hop from bed to bed on Saturday night before coming to church on Sunday, then lie about all of it with malice aforethought to make others look bad... They take illegal drugs, lying, cheating and stealing to get them, steal intellectual property and refuse to pay for any of it, covet their best friend's wives and plot how to get in their pants. They say they are 'good', but their hearts are open graves before God, wicked and deceitful above everything else. All this they practice, and more, all the while slowly abrogating God's law with doctrines of men, screaming at God while shaking their collective fists, "but this is my nature, why can't I sin as much as I want?"<br /><br /><br /><br />The reason you can't sin is not because you'd better not sin, but because God has buried you in Christ in baptism, and raised you to newness of life. Praise God that this sinful flesh I inhabit will die one day, and along with it all that is impure. Those who would choose to sin, using as their excuse "this is who I am", are missing the point. I sin, but I hate my sin. It's in my nature to kill, steal, blaspheme, commit adultery, lie, cheat, desire evil, and worship false gods... It's who I am, but I shouldn't be allowed to do those things, anymore than anyone else should be allowed to sin.<br /><br /><br /><br />I'm an LCMS Lutheran. I will not tolerate someone telling me that their sin is OK while mine is not. It's wrong for people to do that. Practice what you will, but when you turn around and make me into the outcast because you want to practice your sin, then you have put a heavy burden on us. Pretty soon you'll be picketting outside our churches, calling us bigots, tearing down our alters... All the while using as your excuse, "it's in my nature to sin, why can't I sin as much as I want?"<br /><br /><br /><br />God's gospel is not "it's in your nature to sin, so I'll look the other way because you're not perfect". God's gospel is, "I am both just and the justifier of the wicked, and have not spared even my own son in order to forgive". Our response to that should not be to sin more, but to love God because he has reconciled us to himself through the death and blood of Jesus Christ. When <em>sin</em> requires that much blood and suffering to reconcile us before God, I as a child of God have every right to hate that sin. </div>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-49717532267829862212007-07-14T14:40:00.000-05:002007-08-11T19:12:55.439-05:00Nulla Salus Extra Christus!!Of late, Pope Benedict XVI has made a couple of interesting decrees. The one on the Latin mass is interesting in and of itself, but the latest decree is one affirming St. Cyprian's Dictum "Nulla Salus Extra Ecclesiam" (No Salvation outside the church). Actually it's not so much a decree as it is a restatement of what has already been said and understood as official Roman Doctrine.<br /><br />Having said that, what is most interesting about this is how The Pope makes a move concerning both Easter Orthodox Churches and Protestant Churches. In Reaffirming his document, "Dominus Iesus" and over and against what the 5th Lateran Council said (and Cyprian), he calls the Eastern Orthodox Churches "defective", a point that has never been made as far as I can find. He then lumps every other church body into one box, calling them "ecclesial communities". In that particular box he lumps all reformational churches as well. He has stated in the past that Protestant Theology is "gravely Deficient", and called Protestant churches "not true churches", and reaffirms these notions firmly.<br /><br /><br /><br />What I'd like to do is show to both my Lutheran Brethren and any modern evangelical what it is that Rome still holds to. From the Council of Trent...<br /><br /><blockquote>CHAPTER IX<br />AGAINST THE VAIN CONFIDENCE OF HERETICS<br /><br />But though it is necessary to believe that sins neither are remitted nor ever have been remitted except gratuitously by divine mercy for Christ's sake, yet it must not be said that sins are forgiven or have been forgiven to anyone who boasts of his confidence and certainty of the remission of his sins,[47] resting on that alone, though among heretics and schismatics this vain and ungodly confidence may be and in our troubled times indeed is found and preached with untiring fury against the Catholic Church. Moreover, it must not be maintained, that they who are truly justified must needs, without any doubt whatever, convince themselves that they are justified, and that no one is absolved from sins and justified except he that believes with certainty that he is absolved and justified,[48] and that absolution and justification are effected by this faith alone, as if he who does not believe this, doubts the promises of God and the efficacy of the death and resurrection of Christ. For as no pious person ought to doubt the mercy of God, the merit of Christ and the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments, so each one, when he considers himself and his own weakness and indisposition, may have fear and apprehension concerning his own grace, since no one can know with the certainty of faith, which cannot be subject to error, that he has obtained the grace of God.<br /></blockquote><br />Stunning... Absolutely stunning. The <em>heretics</em> are us, my friends. Because we believe, teach and confess that Salvation is by <em>Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria</em>, and reserve no credit for ourselves whatsoever, Rome considers us <em>anathema.</em> In this, Rome's Tridentine Catholic teaching tells us that no one should ever say <em>nor</em> believe that they are saved. This is a weird type of Pietism that robs the believer of any kind of comfort in this life. Even more so...<br /><br /><blockquote>CHAPTER XI<br />THE OBSERVANCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS AND THE NECESSITY AND<br />POSSIBILITY THEREOF<br /><br />But no one, however much justified, should consider himself exempt from the observance of the commandments; no one should use that rash statement, once forbidden by the Fathers under anathema, that the observance of the commandments of God is impossible for one that is justified. For God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding admonishes thee to do what thou canst and to pray for what thou canst not, and aids thee that thou mayest be able.<br /></blockquote><br />Rome would have us be, at the very least, <em>Semi-Pelagians. </em>Note that Pelagius' teachings began because he believed that God would not nor could not command of anyone something that is impossible. "For God does not command impossibilities" Rome says. Pelagius said that same thing.<br /><br />Grace alone? Rome will affirm this one, though grudgingly. Their doctrines of prevenient grace teach that it's God's grace alone that saves. But look...<br /><br /><blockquote>Canon 11. If anyone says that men are justified either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost,[116] and remains in them, or also that the grace by which we are justified is only the good will of God, let him be anathema.</blockquote><br />Rome teaches that grace is something more than God's good will. It's understood that grace is a substance that is literally poured into us. Note also that those of us that understand that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, and that sole imputation alone is all that is needed for justification, are condemned.<br /><br />Let's witness Rome now condemn the Gospel of Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><blockquote>Canon 12. If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in divine mercy,[117] which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies us, let him be anathema.<br /></blockquote><br />I deliberately refrained from bringing scripture in until now because I was interested in making people think about what <em>they</em> believe as opposed to what Rome teaches. But right now, I'm going to let St. Paul talk to this particular Canon...<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.<br /><br />Gal 2:16-17 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!<br /><br />Ro 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Indeed, Jesus tells us this...<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><p>Lk 18:10-14 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ </p><p>"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." </p></blockquote><br /><br />Again, Because we believe, teach and confess that Salvation is by <em>Sola Gratia</em> (Grace alone), <em>Sola Fide</em> (Faith Alone), <em>Solus Christus</em> (for Christ's sake Alone), <em>Soli Deo Gloria</em> (For the Glory of God alone), and reserve no credit for ourselves whatsoever, Rome considers us anathema.<br /><br /><em>Nulla Salus Extra Christum</em>.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-7580945322072040312007-07-12T16:04:00.000-05:002007-07-12T16:15:05.585-05:00The Lutheran Church makes a Christian Difference<a href="http://lutherandifference.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086419591132483714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r6n4MjKmrbPa8Tx9leBvotiGTDAdvGm4B0NAtBPAX6mek0nuijiyfOyFtNmwZccwZLpJpDhtwVoU_LumcewCtb-r5a3vCVkwL2ohGgoELTsMZWgyvim9Wigi6XqyCFesGI5dUw/s320/iTunes-rose.jpg" border="0" /></a> After a month long break from <em>High Places</em>, I'm back and announcing the blogsite is completed for our Church's Podcast, <a href="http://lutherandifference.blogspot.com/"><em>The Lutheran Difference</em></a><em>. </em>Four People enter, only one leaves... No, I'm only kidding. The show is a discussion of Lutheran Theology in light of today's modern evangelicalism. <br /><br />It's been a blast working on this. I'll be posting here again as well as at the show's blog. When you go to the site, you'll find you can listen right from the site, download the show as an mp3, subscribe to the show in RSS and iTunes, as well as find out about future programs and find programs you missed in the archives. <br /><br /><a href="http://lutherandifference.blogspot.com/">Surf on over to listen to the show. I have a meeting later today with the participants to plan for more programs and such.</a><br /><em></em>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-45597173068150471332007-06-04T18:23:00.000-05:002007-06-04T19:31:48.350-05:00iSlam: The feelgood religion of the new mellinium...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Mb8DzQrMcsg19Ld_NOwfpwqMiMzc-l4cG3TWPBtVtN1A2W6m9cBoi_AAX9wMMdkp1Y8dwZjpFlsyNYkCRqHyESgO_bTyHEJysW7CS9H8IVxQsyBCZKxXdYnmMrAuo5AYnSm5KA/s1600-h/iSlam.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072362860316657538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Mb8DzQrMcsg19Ld_NOwfpwqMiMzc-l4cG3TWPBtVtN1A2W6m9cBoi_AAX9wMMdkp1Y8dwZjpFlsyNYkCRqHyESgO_bTyHEJysW7CS9H8IVxQsyBCZKxXdYnmMrAuo5AYnSm5KA/s320/iSlam.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is the ultimate in natural religion.<br /><br />What do I mean by this? It has all the natural human tendencies for religion simplified to the point of elegance. Here's how it works. First of all, since "Allah" is unknowable and far away, he is a very safe distance from his followers. Second of all, iSlam gives you all the rules you need to follow to keep "Allah" happy, which keeps him unknowable and at a safe distance. Third, if something goes wrong in your life, it's because you didn't follow the rules or someone nearby you didn't follow the rules. If it's not you breaking the rules, all you need to do is find out who around you did and deal with them.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br />By the way, there are rules on how to deal with people near you who are sinning and messing up your life. And if it's not anyone near you, it must some evil "great Satan" that is messing up your life. And by the way, there are rules for dealing with that as well.<br /><br />OK, there's a possibility I'm setting up a huge strawman here, but what I'm doing is applying the average american's tendencies to make everything either thereputic or about status. Think about modern Evangelicalism's view of God. It's been called by people way more intelligent that I "Moralistic theraputic deism", God is a commodity, present to make you happy, make you prosperous, and make you moral. When things are not going well, you go to God who is very far away in any other case and ask for help. Once you do that, the next step is to locate the source of your problem and eliminate it. If it's sin in your life, you deal with it, and there are rules you need to follow to deal with that sin. If it turns out there isn't anything wrong with you, it must be someone around you or the world in general, so you need to lash out against either that someone or the world. That means getting interested in politics, running for office, joining the "moral majority", fighting the latest "moral outrage" that will make God angry... Wow, this sounds an awful lot like Islam.<br /><br />That's why I'm calling it iSlam. Now, Steve Jobs is probably going to sick his lawyers on me, but I don't care. He should have thought of this! iSlam! It's the new "Moralistic Theraputic Deism", with a god who gives you the sharia law and makes it easy to keep him happy! Who tells you how to deal with those who make him mad!<br /><br />Unlike the Holy Triune God who cannot be appeased by anything we do. Who has judged the world and in his love has poured out his wrath on his Son, Jesus Christ to appease that wrath against us. The Holy Triune God who is so just and so holy that he didn't spare even his own Son in order to forgive us. The Triune God who, before the foundations of world, set his will for his people and placed them in his Son's hands who lose none of them. Who, by His mercy and grace, through faith only He can give, for the sake of the innocent and bitter sufferings of His Son, Jesus Christ, has reconciled the world to Himself.<br /><br />To Him be the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.<br /></span>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-62418651676603751342007-05-22T11:03:00.000-05:002007-05-22T11:48:09.204-05:00Podcasts and how-to drills...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uLXtnQoTUWvPGcG8qIA8B7EC1rWRHkrWtiGsKyjxwfg_muRUob2AAZC0ULUfoCiZ4wTzKOAWKL-nxvOzL4Le22qZNeU-7-ILFH35TxBGmPTZp5tqp4Tlg5JkPR981L05tJAGYQ/s1600-h/7249,1113413853,3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067427649595963122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uLXtnQoTUWvPGcG8qIA8B7EC1rWRHkrWtiGsKyjxwfg_muRUob2AAZC0ULUfoCiZ4wTzKOAWKL-nxvOzL4Le22qZNeU-7-ILFH35TxBGmPTZp5tqp4Tlg5JkPR981L05tJAGYQ/s320/7249,1113413853,3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This past Saturday we taped our first ever podcast. We used the pastor's laptop, a 4-channel mixer from radio shack, four microphones plus a backup, four table microphone stands, and of course <em>windscreens</em> for the mikes to keep from popping the p's. It went well, although pastor felt that we wandered around too much... We had some good stuff come up in the conversation, and there's a lot there to edit and make good use of.</div><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><div></div><br /><div>We used <a href="http://www.download.com/Audacity/3000-2170_4-10606824.html?tag=lst-0-1">Audicity</a> to record the show. I didn't used to think too much of audacity as an editor, and indeed I still don't. But audacity has a few tricks up it's sleeve. Apparently, while we were taping the show, there was some interference that caused a low level buzzing noise in the recording. My heart sank when I auditioned the recording later at home. But audacity has a noise filter program that allows you to identify the noise and remove it from the audio tracks. I was able to rescue the recording!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Now, the other end of the spectrum is another program called <a href="http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/">MixCraft</a>. This program is a fully functional recording studio with an interface not unlike photoshop. I'm using it right now to edit the audio and create music tracks for the breaks. It's been interesting, but it's also a great learning experience. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>God is busy with us and this new technology. For less than 200 dollars, any church can begin using this in outreach and evangelism. I'll post the results as we go. Maybe I'll look into the idea of writing a book on this subject. </div><br /></span>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-60425376119314460942007-05-22T10:56:00.000-05:002007-05-22T11:02:27.465-05:00This week, on the Whitehorse Inn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy0JKedPMG4OA6IfyDHU-261zh2FVzSnpmXX5AREfIcgQVwKBRl5zW2BrtwhOEGQJaQkPszncBuHgNxxfij4ZKEgWOPBjhZclNg4ssxHxHI7JWaO9ELeoLd98_k52EodZ5X9IZw/s1600-h/logo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067414816233682658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy0JKedPMG4OA6IfyDHU-261zh2FVzSnpmXX5AREfIcgQVwKBRl5zW2BrtwhOEGQJaQkPszncBuHgNxxfij4ZKEgWOPBjhZclNg4ssxHxHI7JWaO9ELeoLd98_k52EodZ5X9IZw/s320/logo.jpg" border="0" /></a> This week, the boys at the inn take on the question that Jesus asks us all: Who Do You Say That I Am? Of special note is Rod Rosenbladt talking about how the Jesus of protestant liberalism would never have been crucified. To protestant liberals, Jesus was just going around telling people to do right and be good rather than pointing out people's sins and proclaiming he was God... The would have given him the keys to the city!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.oneplace.com/common/player/oneplace/CustomPlayer.asp?bcd=05/20/2007&url=http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/swn/oneplace/wm/wi/wi20070520.wax&MinTitle=White+Horse+Inn&MinURL=http://www.oneplace.comhttp://www.oneplace.com/ministries/the_white_horse_inn/&MinArchives=http://www.oneplace.comhttp://www.oneplace.com/ministries/the_white_horse_inn/archives.asp&Refresh=&AdsCategory=MINISTRY.WI&Show_ID=26" target="_blank">Click here to listen to the show!</a>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-11767174028106296902007-05-14T06:24:00.000-05:002007-05-14T19:10:30.768-05:00Mother's day...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprNUnsQtzkcrhUyhlgKd0-aj2bZdn57SppcRJ7k3E0iGitqZ53SubZAn3b-aBcQ8bXM8FTdg8HNzDn-gkoczF-D-HRSfnkTOyxdF0X55BYBKxXr0Wln53MrvCPacEZtbchaznXQ/s1600-h/7249,1113413853,3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064380694692932594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprNUnsQtzkcrhUyhlgKd0-aj2bZdn57SppcRJ7k3E0iGitqZ53SubZAn3b-aBcQ8bXM8FTdg8HNzDn-gkoczF-D-HRSfnkTOyxdF0X55BYBKxXr0Wln53MrvCPacEZtbchaznXQ/s320/7249,1113413853,3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUMHfLyBhJSeuUBDIqfIIhDLe4lWoF1WtU9vF-BXz5l8kJlnnxGDaGDbOTalFJFpYKyZWUrGDyxS6dvEIEEsT4HNbaEJinuWLeBuREEZfhEX9OCDbJgSiHEbYgUjQ9I4tJKcaCw/s1600-h/7249,1113413853,3.jpg"></a>My mother and I didn't get along very well. I really don't want to get very deep into why, since she is dead. She's been gone since August of 1995, in fact. There is a lot that I could say about her, but most of the time it's very difficult to think of anything positive... There were some good times here and there but most of the time there was trouble.</div><div></div><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><div>Either way, the reason I'm doing this post is because of the guilt I carry concerning my relationship with her. Yesterday my church, like many others around the world, was doing a service based around mother's day. Had I remembered what day it was I might not have gone to church. There was a children's message about mother's day, and the sermon consisted of one of our member pastor's asking people to stand up and give stories about their mothers... I would have liked to give one, but I couldn't remember anything that would have been good. I felt terrible, and remorse was all I could muster. I know full well that no one had anything else in mind other than good intentions, as does God in all his ways. How could anyone know? In fact, I wouldn't want to burden them with my problems in light of what they are called to do.</div><div></div><br /><br /><div>The problem is simple... I can sort of forgive my mom for everything, and there was a sort of reconciliation before she died between me and her. Our relationship wasn't one where I or she refused to speak to one another, but rather one of walking on egg shells... Where basically a lot of unsaid anymosity was laid aside in favor of polite talk and a smile... Now, that she's gone, every mother's day that comes around is only a reminder of how I can't ask her to forgive me for all the trouble I caused her. So, yesterday at church was especially rough, because the reason we are called to church is to hear the proclamation of forgiveness of sins... And I listened intently for a word of encouragement for me, but there wasn't one... Everyone else I guess got along with their mom's just fine all their lives and aren't in a place where they need to hear something good about it. </div><div></div><br /><br /><div>I'm guessing I need to make time to ask the Pastor to hear my confession. It's been 12 years and this isn't going away. I'm feeling desparate... I just wish I could tell her I'm sorry!!!</div><div></div><br /><br /><div>I miss you mom!!!</div></div><br /><br /></span>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-68731004881056635582007-05-08T06:32:00.000-05:002007-05-08T06:40:38.331-05:00A Concert from Afar...This is a video shot in the Philipines of a Piano Concerto Competition. The winner in the under twelve catagory was eight year old Hannah F. Hua playing Mozart's Concerto number 1 in F major. The orchestra needed some tuning, but little Hannah is amazing.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V3ELl-oj2rc"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V3ELl-oj2rc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />What strikes me is two things. One is how incredibly far behind we are here in the US in terms of education. How so? Apparently most of the world still believes there's merit in teaching kids classical music, and studies show that studying music makes for better grades...<br /><br />But the second thing that strikes me is the Philipines is a high ranked destination for men from the US to go and have sex with underage kids. How did our culture get into this mess?Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-33214711115624821172007-05-07T19:56:00.000-05:002007-05-07T20:16:18.062-05:00The Lutheran Church makes a Christian Difference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6bDmLm6r9B4rgvL9wNPLUUzHPjfsP9dT0YRaWm0i2qbZGIeZLR4sEnonH7ZOoBXpc6rg1umwIfe4ua05TZwvxuwrLNLzYGViNtInGffPLUmRIsVLHonodqBamR6nmAl1o_h76Q/s1600-h/7249,1113413853,3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061987959822396370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6bDmLm6r9B4rgvL9wNPLUUzHPjfsP9dT0YRaWm0i2qbZGIeZLR4sEnonH7ZOoBXpc6rg1umwIfe4ua05TZwvxuwrLNLzYGViNtInGffPLUmRIsVLHonodqBamR6nmAl1o_h76Q/s320/7249,1113413853,3.jpg" border="0" /></a> I've been struggling. As a result, I stopped posting to this blog for the last seven days (among other things). What am I struggling with?<br /><br />One is an old man/new man struggle inside me concerning people hearing the Gospel. I've been working on two projects for our church, the most pressing of which is the radio program. This has involved both technical issues and programming issues. The program will, at first, be a podcast, which will be recorded in house using cheap but good equipment, which includes a mixing board, four headset microphones, a laptop, mixing software, and storage. There's still a couple of interface issues, both unforeseeable, but they can be worked out. In the programming area, I've worked up a schedule of topics, and have been trying to think up radical ways to "drop bombs" on the listener so as to get them thinking. <br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br />Not the easiest thing to do. I'm just a layman. But the struggle isn't there, but rather inside me. On the one hand I want the whole city (and by extension, the whole world) to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all want that. But on the other hand, there's a lot of people out there that are downright mean-spirited... I find myself realizing that by going this route I'm opening myself up to all sorts of harassment and trouble. I myself have reveled in my anonymity all these years. If you had told me a year ago I'd be working on a radio program, let alone a <em>Christian </em>radio program, I'd have told you "you're nuts".<br /><br />So, what to do? Do I press on with this and take whatever may come? I know that there really isn't much choice but to go forward, but... This isn't easy at all. It's funny, because I can hear Luther's words at Worms: "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me". <br /><br />Maybe this is the same issue as the old "someone puts a gun to your head and says 'deny Christ or die', what do you do?" question. Do I say, "you're going to have to kill me", or do I deny him?<br /></span>Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-46473741407604038252007-05-01T07:27:00.000-05:002007-05-01T07:40:35.329-05:00Issues etc.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDG9GAfi8N8OSkXM-TzwFxnFIEHjds0GUi6rNNoLJ_48XRxNZkJDgI2y9v5e58RJd24vRTofSPnlXL2UBxPlv4xRa8d1St2E2rnE-LkLhdkoI2-P43VXTB6fIPS9Z0PGy2VEo1w/s1600-h/montgomery.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059568231082404802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDG9GAfi8N8OSkXM-TzwFxnFIEHjds0GUi6rNNoLJ_48XRxNZkJDgI2y9v5e58RJd24vRTofSPnlXL2UBxPlv4xRa8d1St2E2rnE-LkLhdkoI2-P43VXTB6fIPS9Z0PGy2VEo1w/s320/montgomery.jpg" border="0" /></a>This past Sunday evening, John Warwick Montgomery, author of <em>How Do We Know There Is A God?</em> (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1973), and <em>Where is History Going?</em> (Grand Rapids: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zondervan</span>, 1969), joined Host Todd <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wilken</span> on <em>issues etc </em>for a discussion on "the new atheists". The number one and two arguments that today's atheists make are, respectively, that the "God of the bible is (insert ad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hominem</span> attack here)", and it would seem the age old accusation of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">antinomianism</span>. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">argument</span> goes "God likes to forgive, I like to sin... let's go kill some infidels". Both <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">arguments</span> are nonsense, of course, but "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">field marshal</span>" Montgomery makes short work of both of these and other arguments used by today's atheist.<br /><br />I find it to be very important to answer the claims made by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Dawkins</span> and Harris. <a href="http://www.kfuo.org/mp3/Issues7/Issues_Etc_Apr_29a.mp3">Click here to listen to the program</a>.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14783450.post-46606191448939815632007-05-01T06:54:00.000-05:002007-05-01T07:15:55.265-05:00The Reformation, by Diarmaid MacCulloch<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reformation-Diarmaid-MacCulloch/dp/014303538X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0789518-4372039?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178020468&sr=8-1"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059559963270359986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEEX6_DOn8hzdOEvNcIt2BGZgoNs489udITY5iyQuICD51A7MphsWL35eR65dRRLoLJga0rIJBIivYAdwD2tc1ldgCIQs7paGYYi3QVKpiEiZNYd56dxTBf9RDabfBh1YH9fiAQ/s320/reformation.gif" border="0" /></a><br />I have to highly recommend this book. Not only is it authoritative, highly detailed, and a good read, it's also a great reference book. The chapter on Luther is very good, although not exhaustive.<br /><br />Moments of revelation in this book include how the black plague had a lot to do with the innovation of the "sacrifice of the mass", and the number of churches all around Europe with many alters where the Eucharist was performed several times a day as many times as possible to appease God. Also, the author gives us quite a vivid picture of the politics of the times, including Jacques Lefèvre d'Etaples, who published commentaries on Paul's epistles in 1512, using language that described human works as "irrelevant" in God's salvation of humanity, as well as profiles for Cardinal Gesparo Contarini and others who joined Luther's reformation.<br /><br />More importantly, the book traces the aftershocks of the reformation all the way to the 1700s. This book takes a bit of time to read (708 pages), but it's worth every page.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09323238670840371258noreply@blogger.com0