I looked over at Sassy. Her eyes were fixed on me, her tail wagging in a friendly and encouraging way. How can I resist her silent request for a walk? I will be back in a while. This is our long walk time, relatively cool and quiet.
We had fun on our walk. One neighbor lost her foot to infection from diabetes, She was in a wheelchair for a long time. Now she has a prosthetic lower leg. She looked at Sassy, resting in the dew-soaked grass and said, "We get tired fast. don't we?"
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| This resting position lets Sassy enjoy some cooling wet grass. When she went outside after her bath yesterday, with a real feel of 100, she was as jumpy as a puppy,because she felt the cool effect of the wet fur. |
Study and Controversy
St. Paul commends doctrinal conflict, because that separates the bad from the good. The Pietists want everyone to get along and continue to lay their bug eggs in the good meal, like flour flies, and prosper their ministry of indifference.
If a pastor refuses to engage in doctrinal issues, he puts his study habits to sleep. Too many passages, even in the horrid NIV family, are too challenging, too much against the denominational fads running their sect into the ground.
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| The "confessional" leaders of the LCMS-ELS-WELS-ELCA rejoice in forgiveness without faith - contrary to St. Paul, Luther, and the Book of Corcord. Pass the plate and fund their missions (salaries) of apostasy. |
If someone says, "I am going to read the Book of Concord," that is not motivating for careful study. Required reading in a school is only a shallow introduction. But if someone wants to know what the Book of Concord teaches about the forgiveness of sin, that will take him through the:
- Augsburg Confession
- Apology of the Augsburg Confession
- Small Catechism
- Large Catechism
- Smalcald Articles
- Formula of Concord, especially the Righteousness of Faith
- Article on Election, and related passages.
Go ahead, prove me wrong about Justification by Faith being the Chief Article. But post it in public and give exact quotations and the correct citation, so I can check your work.
The answer from the UOJ/Church Growth Pietists is - "Do not listen to him. Do not read his work. Do not quote him."
I would not trade all the guns in the McCain armory for the pleasure and peace I have received from studying Luther, the Confessions, Chemnitz, and Gerhard.
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| Darth Vader, Leader of the UOJ Stormtroopers - "I find your lack of faith...uplifting." |