Daily Lutheran Sermon Quote - "We Must Look into the Heart of Lazarus Also, And Seek the Treasure Which Made His Sores So Precious. That Was Surely His Faith and Love."

 

Link to Complete Sermon - First Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:19-31. Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus.

PART II. POOR LAZARUS.

12. Likewise we must not judge poor Lazarus in his sores, poverty and anxiety, according to his outward appearance. For many persons suffer from affliction and want, and yet they gain nothing by it; for example King Herod suffered a great affliction, as is related in Acts 12:23; but afterwards he did not have it better before God on account of it. Poverty and suffering make no one acceptable to God; but, whoever is first acceptable to God, his poverty and suffering are precious in the eyes of God, as Psalm 116:15 says: “Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints.”

13. Thus we must look into the heart of Lazarus also, and seek the treasure which made his sores so precious. That was surely his faith and love; for without faith it is impossible to please God, as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews says, Hebrews 11:6. Therefore his heart also must have confessed that he even in the midst of such poverty and misery expected all good from God, and comfortably relied upon him; with whose blessings and grace he was so richly satisfied, and had such pleasure in them, that he would have heartily and willingly suffered even more misery, if the will of his gracious God had so determined. See, that is a true, living faith, which softened his heart by the knowledge of the divine goodness; so that nothing was too heavy or too much to suffer and to do. So clever and skillful does faith make the heart, when it experiences the grace of God.

14. From this faith follows now another virtue, namely, love to one’s neighbor, so that he is willing and ready to serve everybody; but since Lazarus is poor and in misery himself, he had nothing with which he could serve others; therefore his good will is taken for the deed.

15. But this lack of service in temporal things he abundantly makes good by his services in things spiritual. For even now, long after his death, he serves the whole world with his sores, hunger and misery. His bodily hunger feeds our spiritual hunger; his bodily nakedness clothes (or feeds, as some editions read) our spiritual nakedness; his bodily sores heal our spiritual sores; in this way he teaches and comforts by his example, how God is pleased with us, when we are not prosperous here upon the earth, if we believe; and warns us how God is angry with us, even if we are prosperous in our unbelief; just as God had pleasure in Lazarus in his misery, and was displeased with the rich man.

16. Tell me, what king could have rendered a service to the whole world with his possessions, like poor Lazarus has done with his sores, hunger and poverty? Oh, the wonderful works and judgments of God! In what a masterly manner he puts to shame the cunning goddess and fool of this world, namely, reason and worldly wisdom! She stalks abroad and fixes her eyes rather upon the beautiful purple of the rich man, than upon the wounds of poor Lazarus; she would rather center her eyes upon a healthy, handsome person, as this rich man was, than upon a revolting and naked person like Lazarus; yea, she holds her nose before the stench of his wounds and turns her eyes from his nakedness. Thus the great goddess and fool of this world overlooks God in the very presence of such a noble treasure, and always quietly passes her own judgment, and at the same time makes this poor person so precious and dear, that all the kings hence are not worthy to serve him or to dress his sores. For what king, do you think, would not now with his whole heart exchange his health, purple and crown for the sores, poverty and misery of poor Lazarus, if it were possible for him to do so? And what person is there who would now give a snuff for the purple and all the riches of this rich man?

The Lutheran Church No Longer Exists in North America. Jump on Rome's Bandwagon - Charon's Ferryboat

 

I was thinking about how many Lutheran clergy have swooned and 

1. Joined the Church of Rome as priests
2. Tried their best or worst to copy the sacrilege of the Mass
3. Spent their money on robes, hats, and vaping incense
4. Disparaged the Biblical teaching of Luther while calling themselves orthodox and confessional
5. Venerated the Virgin Mother rather than the Son, mocked the Bible while assuming papal inerrancy.

The quickly fading Lutheran Forum letter wiped its dirty footprints on my mailbox this week. Inside was an article about the former editor of the little newsletter, Leonard R. Klein, who became a Catholic priest under the watchful eye of Father Richard J. Neuhaus (LCMS, AELC, ELCA, Rome).

Neuhaus was guided into Rome by Avery Dulles, SJ, though it started at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Dulles was famous for his converts and Neuhaus joined the proselyte glee club.

We liked James Crumley, who was secretary to the LCA, then Synod President, then Bishop. Unfortunately, he pushed the boundaries by lining up with the Vatican.

Christina and I met Leonard Klein and his wife at Ad Fontes, where we also spoke with Neuhaus and LCA President James Crumley. The title of the conference was no doubt aimed at the Roman trend in the LCA. Crumley supported playing footsie with the Pope while being disturbed at losing Neuhaus, who became a priest soon after the event. Klein also became a priest and he was allowed to stay married (dabbing my eyes) to Christa, PhD.

I find it disturbing that a Lutheran newsletter would promote an ex-Lutheran Roman Catholic priest's book of sermons, lavishing praise on Klein as a priest and as an ideal preacher. 

The Hypocritical Trend

The cool Lutheran pastors (LCMS-ELCA-ELS-ELDONA) do everything they can to copy Romanism, which is clearly against the Book of Concord, yet they call themselves "confessional Lutherans." That entire group of apostates joins WELS in repudiating the Chief Article, Justification by Faith, and the tradition Bible known for its precision and accuracy - the King James Version.

I doubt ELDONA's sincerity in previously switching to Justification by Faith when they have started to split already from Heiser's long-felt addiction to Rome.

ELDONA Denied That Their Baylor Alumnus Studied at a Babtist School.Baylor Says Otherwise, Although They Spelled Babtist Wrong

Transformation Takes Time

The revised charter retained Baylor’s official relationship with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and stipulated that the president and all members of the board of regents would be Baptists. The university would continue to be operated according to the “the aims and ideals of Baptists, which included the Baptist Faith and Message Statement of 1963” — a statement of faith that was later amended in 1998 and 2000 by conservatives. Bylaws were revised, providing for the Texas convention to elect a quarter of the board. 

The Right Reverend Bishop James Heiser was not wearing Roman Catholic finery in those days, and the hay-bail beards were absent or at least trimmed.

Why Luther's Sermons? Why Sermons at All?

 

A number of people have responded to the Daily Luther Sermon Quote. They look forward to it, as much as I do. Here is a little history:

1. I began going through the eight-volume Luther Sermons (Lenker), marking the best quotes, then putting them into Megatron, my DOS database. Christina helped by marking the best quotations with some of her wry comments about synods. Typing the quotes in and correcting them made me much more familiar with Luther.
2. Much later, I found a crude set of those sermons published on the Internet, so I copied them into Ichabod.
3. When the synods began to mock the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, I decided to put the Lenker edition into print. I had a lot of help with editing and graphics (Norma A. Boeckler, artwork; Virginia Roberts, editing; Terry Howell, editing; and some other helpers).
4. I almost always post the appropriate Luther sermon with the sermon for the week.
5. Luther is a much better writer, so I decided to cull quotations from the sermons, not quips with no citations, but at least a paragraph or two, almost every day.
6. I enjoy reading Luther each morning and using the Norma A. Boeckler artwork plus a few works of classic artists.
7. There are good reasons to know Luther's sermons, which a Roman Catholic nun praised when we were in the same program at Notre Dame, almost 50 years ago. "How can a man from 500 years ago speak to me - a nun -today?" I answered, "Because he is explained the Word of God, which never changes."

The great Karl Barth and his Marxist cupcake.

"I am not a cupcake. I am the main writer for this bum's systematics. His work will stop when I die." And it did! And he finally dedicated a volume to his wife, what's her name. Nelly, I think.

Deadly Systematics

Systematics are a deadly disease, going back to Augustine, a real windbag. It got worse with Aquinas, who did his best to re-invent Aristotle.

The German Reformation did not produce systematics, but the Zwingli-Calvinists did their best to crank them out. Unfortunately, the post-Reformation Lutherans fell into that style in answering the Zwingli-Calvinists, which led into an attitude of sacred awe toward anyone who produced a set. After Chemnitz and Gerhard, who were not dogmaticians, there is not much to enjoy. I suppose that is why Walther picked Baier as his back-up, because it was much farther from Luther. Does anyone study Baier today? Walther was not only a criminal leader of a cult, but also a prolific theological tyrant, kidnapper, and grand larceny thief. 

Knapp's  Calvinist-Pietist translator thought up the two justifications - objective and subjective - and Walther liked them, one heretic following another.

Always look for the crooked smile. The camera does not lie, but synod leaders do. David Preus was the most malleable Preus and also lived the longest of the three - David, Jack, and Robert.

Walther, the control freak, made sure that Pieper took over after him.

Walther plucked Francis Pieper from the Wisconsin Synod, which began its work in Lutheran-Calvinism, a fact unknown to Spineless Schroeder today. Pieper cleverly merged Walther's bombastic fantasies with Lutheran terminology.

Dogmatics became popular in the 20th century, because some academics wanted to merge Christian vocabulary with their invented philosophies. Karl Barth was a Marxist who installed his young female assistant in his own home, though he was married with children. Paul Tillich was a seriously disturbed philosopher who used his students' wives and anyone else available, as described by his wife. 

Two Courtesans and the Evangelist

For the sake of simplicity, out of an abundance of editing, I place the Church into three categories.

1. Rome with tag-along Eastern Orthodoxy
2. Calvinism and its rationalistic baggage
3. Luther

Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy have seduced the entire Protestant world (especially the so-called Lutherans) into their corporate structure. If the Lutheran synods would examine themselves, they would agree that everything they do in their organizational structure, false doctrine, and criminal abuse is learned from Rome.

Calvinist is the simplest way to describe the rationalists who use the terms but do not believe the meaning of those words. Their "Easter faith of the disciples" means that the Apostles imagined Jesus rose from the dead, so the Twelve promoted faith as something never experienced, except in their hearts. Calvinism is an all-purpose courtesan that goes well with Marxist activism and Peter Drucker sales mechanics. All the modern Bibles - especially the Beck Bible - are Calvinist. Deal with it. Their answer to - You don't agree with Evolution and deny Creation, do you? - is YES!

Luther

Martin Luther is the label for those pastors and laity who make the Scriptures their foundation for faith and salvation. The Reformation swept over German and Europe on the strength of Biblical exposition, simply teaching the Bible. That was accomplished by Luther, his circle of Scriptural scholars, and the next generation or two.

Those who agree with Luther's teaching belong to the work of the Holy Spirit in the Word and Sacraments. They ex-communicate with those who play kissy-face with Rome, rationalism, and other spiritual maladies.

Daily Lutheran Sermon Quote - "So We See Now in the Example of the Rich Man That It Is impossible To Love, Where No Faith Exists."

Link to Complete Sermon - First Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:19-31. Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus.

9. But the nature of unbelief is that it does not expect any good from God. By which unbelief the heart is blinded so that it neither feels nor knows how good and gracious God is; but as Psalm 14:2 says: he cares not for God, seeks not after him. Out of this blindness follows further that his heart becomes so hard, obdurate and unmerciful that he has no desire to do a kindness to his fellow man; yea, he would rather harm and offend everybody. For as he is insensible to the goodness of God, so he takes no pleasure in doing good to his neighbor. Consequently it follows that he does not look after the sick, poor and despised people, to whom he could and should be helpful and profitable; but he casts his eyes upward and sees only the high, rich and influential, from whom he himself may receive advantage, gain, pleasure and honor.

10. So we see now in the example of the rich man that it is impossible to love, where no faith exists, and impossible to believe, where there is no love; for both will and must be together, so that a believer loves everybody and serves everybody; but an unbeliever at heart is an enemy of everybody and wishes to be served by every person and yet he covers all such horrible, perverted sins with the little show of his hypocritical works as with a sheep’s skin; just as that large bird, the ostrich, which is so stupid that when it sticks its head into a bush, it thinks its entire body is concealed. Yea, here you see that there is nothing blinder and more unmerciful than unbelief. For here the dogs, the most irascible animals, are more merciful to poor Lazarus than this rich man, and they recognize the need of the poor man and lick his sores; while the obdurate, blinded hypocrite is so hard hearted that he does not wish him to have the crumbs that fell from his table.

11. Now all unbelieving people are like this rich hypocrite. Unbelief cannot do nor be different than this rich man is pictured and set forth by his life.

And especially is this the character of the clergy-, as we see before our eyes, who never do a truly good work, but only seek a good time, never serving nor profiting any one; but reversing the order they want everybody to serve them. Like harpies they only claw everything into their own pockets; and like the old adage runs they “rob the poor of his purse.” They are not moved in the least by the poverty of others. And although some have not expensive food and raiment, yet they do not lack will power and the spirit of action; for they imitate the rich, the princes and the lords, and do many hypocritically good works by founding institutions and building churches, with which they conceal the great rogue, the wolf of unbelief; so that they become obdurate and hardened and are of no use to anybody.

These are the rich man.

Kein Licht! - The Headline in Berlin and the Communist News Network (CNN)

 

 One of these dogs is the derp.

The Atlantic is a magazine I avoid, but they sent me a link to their front-page story on the head of CNN - Licht. I was hoping it was spelled with the h - Licht. Then I could headline the story Kein Licht - No Light!

I was sure from the first page or two that this guy was cooked and soon to be served up to the masses. When the news makes the news, it is time to do another executive search.

I was going to post the link, but that was a NO! I thought, maybe a few thoughtful people would want to enjoy the roast. NO-o-o-o! The more I read, the more I realized that top drawer journalists had the vocabularies of gutter snipes, street-walkers, and illiterates in general. Punctuating an enormous story with f-bombs and the like - that is so obnoxious a Marine short on sleep would cringe.

Here is the cast of characters -

• Licht is a self-pitying moron so helpless he could be a district president, or worse, a seminary professor.
• The journalist who interviewed Licht sounded just like the raging feminist Kaitlan Collins, who blew all her circuits on the CNN open forum, because Trump easily stepped on her toes and the audience loved it.
• Licht replaced Zucker, who was suddenly loved by all the journalists upon leaving his post.
• Licht has been fired - as if it was intended for their network's Renewal Refuel Tribunal.

Weeds of the World

 

Poke flowers turn into poke berries with the help of flying insects.

Stalks of poke berries feed 61 bird species, and yet this tall, graceful plant is scorned by many. My rule is - cut at the base in the Rose Garden, let it spread in the back gardens.

Poke greens are usually boiled twice. 

When something is unusually expensive, it holds our attention. I found Weeds, Guardian of the Soil mentioned in another book and looked up the price. $600 - and that was when $600 was a lot of money.

I got a Dow Library copy and studied it, definitely a classic. Later I bought Weeds of the West to understand what was growing in my Arizona back yard.

By now I should know the weeds of my yard, but they have accomplices. Poison hemlock is easily found here, and I had one robust example, which I removed carefully.

Yesterday I found two somewhat familiar weeds growing like I planted them there - or even better. I put a few words in Google and "mullein" appeared. It has many nicknames, like Indian blanket. It takes a second year to send up its stalk of flowers, which go to seed. Birds must have brought it in, air express.

 Mullein also has medicinal uses.

A few more words indicated "wild grape vine," a prolific weed known for growing grapes and spreading its seeds via birds. My grass alley was already under siege and the bee balm up front was showing off a start of wild grape.

Wild strawberries are loved so dearly by birds that they plant them everywhere.

God's Creation must have a purpose, but many miss it. One Facebook friend said she was furious with the four dandelions on her property and called them weeds. I pointed out their nutritious greens, their flowers used for hummingbird nests, and their roots a substitute for coffee. They are herbs that escaped the colonial gardens and they only do good things for us. A yellow dandelion flower is free but a yellow daisy has a price - so we curse the no cost dandelion? 

Wine for the wine-bibbers, lining for the hummingbird nests, nutritious greens for salads, and Scotts Lawn and Gardens wants everyone to shrivel them enough so they can bloom every year.

A good rule is to leave mystery plants alone, especially since home garden culture is mostly stocked by no-nothings at Walmart and hardware stores. A true gardening center will explain plants and how they grow.

Birds enjoy sharing their favorite foods with us. They distribute poke weed and wild strawberries for me, yielding even more poke berries and strawberries. A neighbor disparages poke because it is so common in the South (and also loved as a salad, twice cooked). I enjoy poke as a domineering backyard garden flower and free bird feeder. Their berries feed more bird species than any other.

Wild strawberries also travel by air and find places to grow whether in shade or sunshine. They spread out looking for open soil and often get their start under tree branches or next to tree stumps.

Homely hollyhocks will always have women saying, "I made doll dresses out of them when I was a little girl!" They are another landing zone for bumble bees.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - "But the Nature of Unbelief Is That It Does Not Expect Any Good from God."

 

Link to Complete Sermon - First Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:19-31. Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus.

7. From this now follows the other sin, that he forgets to exercise love toward his neighbor; for there he lets poor Lazarus lie at his door, and offers him not the least assistance. And if he had not wished to help him personally, he should have commanded his servants to take him in and care for him. It may have been, he knew nothing of God and had never experienced his goodness. For whoever feels the goodness of God, feels also for the misfortune of his neighbor; but whoever is not conscious of the goodness of God, sympathizes not in the misfortune of his neighbor.

Therefore as he has no pleasure in God, he has no heart for his neighbor.

8. For the nature of faith is that it expects all good from God, and relies only on God. For from this faith man knows God, how he is good and gracious, that by reason of such knowledge his heart becomes so tender and merciful, that he wishes cheerfully to do to every one, as he experiences God has done to him. Therefore he breaks forth with love and serves his neighbor out of his whole heart, with his body and life, with his means and honor, with his soul and spirit, and makes him partaker of all he has, just like God did to him. Therefore he does not look after the healthy, the high, the strong, the rich, the noble, the holy persons, who do not need his care; but he looks after the sick, the weak, the poor, the despised, the sinful people, to whom he can be of benefit, and among whom he can exercise his tender heart, and do to them as God has done to him.

9. But the nature of unbelief is that it does not expect any good from God. By which unbelief the heart is blinded so that it neither feels nor knows how good and gracious God is; but as Psalm 14:2 says: he cares not for God, seeks not after him. Out of this blindness follows further that his heart becomes so hard, obdurate and unmerciful that he has no desire to do a kindness to his fellow man; yea, he would rather harm and offend everybody. For as he is insensible to the goodness of God, so he takes no pleasure in doing good to his neighbor. Consequently it follows that he does not look after the sick, poor and despised people, to whom he could and should be helpful and profitable; but he casts his eyes upward and sees only the high, rich and influential, from whom he himself may receive advantage, gain, pleasure and honor.

10. So we see now in the example of the rich man that it is impossible to love, where no faith exists, and impossible to believe, where there is no love; for both will and must be together, so that a believer loves everybody and serves everybody; but an unbeliever at heart is an enemy of everybody and wishes to be served by every person and yet he covers all such horrible, perverted sins with the little show of his hypocritical works as with a sheep’s skin; just as that large bird, the ostrich, which is so stupid that when it sticks its head into a bush, it thinks its entire body is concealed. Yea, here you see that there is nothing blinder and more unmerciful than unbelief. For here the dogs, the most irascible animals, are more merciful to poor Lazarus than this rich man, and they recognize the need of the poor man and lick his sores; while the obdurate, blinded hypocrite is so hard hearted that he does not wish him to have the crumbs that fell from his table.

11. Now all unbelieving people are like this rich hypocrite. Unbelief cannot do nor be different than this rich man is pictured and set forth by his life.

And especially is this the character of the clergy-, as we see before our eyes, who never do a truly good work, but only seek a good time, never serving nor profiting any one; but reversing the order they want everybody to serve them. Like harpies they only claw everything into their own pockets; and like the old adage runs they “rob the poor of his purse.” They are not moved in the least by the poverty of others. And although some have not expensive food and raiment, yet they do not lack will power and the spirit of action; for they imitate the rich, the princes and the lords, and do many hypocritically good works by founding institutions and building churches, with which they conceal the great rogue, the wolf of unbelief; so that they become obdurate and hardened and are of no use to anybody.

These are the rich man.

More Fun Than One Rescue Dog - Two Rescue Dogs - Or More!

 

We were lucky to have a professional photographer at the dog park one day, and Sassy Sue adored a crowd.

Treasure (Treshy) was a medical mess, but we took her on and had a riot of fun with her, Sassy, and Precious II . I think Norma A. Boeckler took this photo.

Ranger Bob recently spotted an abandoned dog at the cemetery and took her in, naming her Lady. She had serious ear infection problems, but that was cured with antibiotics. Lady's antics at the Ichabode were hilarious, because she loved her superhero Bob and found so many ways to  have fun and be funny.



More than one person said to me, "Rescue dogs are special, because they always have that unique attitude from being given a forever home."

Friends asked me when I would fill the void left by Sassy Sue, who died from kidney failure. Looking quickly changed to visiting Lowell Animal Shelter to have a walk with Charli, a female Patterdale Terrier.

"When can I take her home?" They said, "Now is fine." They were wonderful with Charli, who wanted to stay there.



Charli's ambiguous name repeated the question asked about Sassy - boy or girl? I added Sue. Everyone is noticing that Charlie Sue is almost identical to Lady, except she is much smaller. 

The two of them got along at once, and they love tearing around the backyard. Christina asked me to create a green fence in the middle of the backyard, because we were looking right into the backyard of neighbors. A variety of dogs saw a rival dog facing them and barked their terrible threats whenever possible.

I followed the idea of stretching logs across the center of the backyard, letting the birds plant seeds for a green fence. I added elderberries earlier, and soon some large hostas and lambs ears.

I never saw the backyard as a race track, but Lady and Charli Sue did. First they were running up and down the fence with Porchi (aka Snowflake, a Great Pyrenees). Charli Sue demands running because Patterdales were bred for catching moles and rabbits. Charli Sue turned a bit of tag into a madcap race, around the oval formed by the green fence. Nothing is funnier than a small dog identical to a larger dog, racing full speed. To add to the fun, Charli took short-cuts through the green island and practiced zig-zag and spin around running, grinning all the time.

Reason To Study Luther's Sermons - Even Memorizing If Possible

 

People who read - an increasingly small number of the population - realize that the content becomes embedded in our minds and we crave for more of the same. That is just as easily true for trivia as it is for the foundational truths of the Scriptures.

I had undergraduate classes where no one could answer the obvious academic items yet every arm shot up when I stumbled over the name of a famous celebrity. As I have said before, the day came when no one wanted excellent free books, because everyone had a "smart" phone and a laptop. Undergrads laughed at my flip phone; I secretly laughed at their smartphone bills.

Eating good nutritious food leads to craving more of the same, setting aside and even forgetting what we once thought was good. I eat from one tiny area of the Supercenter - frozen foods and fresh produce - and almost nothing else (some meat each day). 

Ideas are like food. Luther is mocked today - especially by Lutheran leaders, the worst rascals calling themselves 

1. Orthodox
2. Confessional
3. Conservative.

Luther's unified view of the Bible enabled him to open the Scriptures to the eyes of all, the same agenda as William Tyndale who wanted everyone to know the Word of God and recite it while working. Luther was close to execution for a long period of his life. Tyndale was snatched back to England so King Henry VIII could have him executed, burned at the stake.

The persecutions failed because they spread the Word of God even faster than before. Religious clashes made it necessary for English Protestants to find refuge in Switzerland, then America. My ancestors came from England and from France, for the same reason - freedom of religion, the Bill of Rights Article completely ignored during the Covid melodrama.

The Christian Faith does not fade from persecution but from substituting trivia and Romanism for the Gospel. WELS, Missouri, ELCA, and the CLC did not die for the Church Growth Movement, but they were certainly eager to kill for it. Likewise, they put up with any false doctrine that sooths their itching ears, and any alcoholic, adulterous artificial pastor scattering the flock, but opposing Objective Faithless Justification fills them with murderous rage. 

I can write without fear or favor that the collapse of the Lutherans will continue and grow. Their stats are entirely fake, so look for the real numbers of traditional men at the seminaries. They are the canaries in the coal mine, increasingly small in number, like a Boy Scout troop stationed at an almost empty Army base.

This is your historic leadership.

This is your current leadership.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - "Where Faith Is, There Is No Anxiety for Fine Clothing and Sumptuous Feasting"

Link to Complete Sermon - First Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:19-31. Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus

5. Here one traces the secret sins of his heart as the evil fruit. For where faith is, there is no anxiety for fine clothing and sumptuous feasting, yea, there is no longing for riches, honor, pleasure, influence and all that is not God himself; but there is a seeking and a striving for and a cleaving to nothing except to God, the highest good alone; it is the same to him whether his food be dainty or plain, whether his clothing be fine or homespun. For although they even do wear costly clothes, possess great influence and honor, yet they esteem none of these things; but are forced to them, or come to them by accident, or they are compelled to use them in the service of others.

Thus queen Esther says, that she bore the royal crown against her will, and that she had to wear it for the sake of the King. David also would rather have lived a private life; but for the sake of God and of his people he had to become king. In like manner all the saints considered that they were constrained to fill their stations of influence, honor and glory; and their hearts were never entangled by them, and labored in these external things to be helpful to their neighbor, as Psalm 62:10 says: “Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery; if riches increase set not your heart thereon.”

6. But where unbelief reigns man is absorbed by these vanities, he cleaves to them, seeks them and has no rest until he has acquired them, and after he possesses them, he feeds and fattens himself with them as the swine wallow in the mire, and finds at the same time his happiness and felicity there. He never inquires how his heart stands with his God and what he possesses in God and may expect from him; but his belly is his God; and if he cannot get what he wants, he imagines things are going wrong. And lo, these dreadful and wicked fruits of unbelief the rich man does not see, he covers them over, and blinds his own eyes by the good works of his pharisaical life, and hardens himself until no teaching, exhortation, threatening nor promise can help him. Behold, this is the secret sin which today’s Gospel punishes and condemns.

Canada's Lutheran Education Has Moved into Stealth Mode, Eh?

 

ELCiC Bishop since 2007 - Susan Johnson. Her bio? So far I have not found it.

My alma mater in Canada was formed to provide Lutheran pastors there. One man walked down to the States to get that dream started in Waterloo, Ontario. Waterloo Lutheran Seminary started small and remained small, yet it built a university around it, WLU. That became Wilfred Laurier U. to obtain more government financial support. The seminary barely exists but offers more degrees than it has students.

"In Fall 2022, Martin Luther University College established Luther’s Queer Space, a social extracurricular program aimed at creating drop-in events for 2SLGBTQQIA+ identified students to connect, have fun and de-stress throughout the year."

Apparently, the building is mostly devoted to counseling. The chapel offers dog days where students sit on floor cushions and pet dogs.

 Note - Keffer Chapel, not dog pound.

An excellent - probably little used - pipe organ graces Keffer Chapel.

These are WELS women dancing with gossamer wings or carpet protectors. The pews seem almost empty. This is where everything is going. Dogs and cushions will be next.

 

LCMS Partners Falling Apart

"The LCC currently has two seminaries, CLS-Edmonton, and Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario.

According to The Association of Theological Schools Commission on Accrediting, Concordia Theological Seminary-St. Catherines has 18 full-time students and 4 faculty."

Susan Johnson (Waterloo Lutheran Seminary graduate) was voted in as ELCiC Bishop - ELCA with a kick. All the Lutherans up north will barely amount to statistic soon.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus

 

Link to Complete Sermon - First Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:19-31. Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus

1. We have hitherto heard in our Gospel lessons of various examples of faith and of love; for as they all teach faith and love, I hope you are abundantly and sufficiently informed that no human being can be pleasing to God unless he believes and loves. Now in this Gospel text the Lord presents to us at the same time an example of faith and of unbelief or of the state of the godless, in order that we also may abhor the contrary and the opposite of faith and love, and that we may cleave to faith and love more diligently.

For here we see the judgment of God upon the believers and the unbelievers, which is both dreadful and comforting. Dreadful to the faithless and comforting to the faithful. But in order that we may the better grasp the meaning of this text we must picture to ourselves both the rich man and poor Lazarus. In the rich man we see the nature of unbelief and in Lazarus the nature of belief.

PART I. THE RICH MAN.

2. We must not view the rich man according to his outward conduct; for he is in sheep’s clothing, his life glitters and shines beautifully, while he tactfully conceals the wolf. For this Gospel text does not accuse him of adultery, of murder, or robbery, of violence or of having done anything that the world or reason would censure. Yea, he has been as honorable and respectable in his life as that Pharisee who fasted twice a week and was not as other men, of whom Luke 18:11f. speaks. For had he committed such glaring sins the Gospel would have mentioned them since it examines him so particularly that it describes even the purple robe he wore and the food he ate, which are only external matters and God does not judge according to them. Therefore he must have led outwardly an exemplary, holy life; and according to his own opinion and that of others, he must have kept the whole law of Moses.

3. But we must look into his heart and judge his spirit. For the Gospel has penetrating eyes and sees deep into the secret recesses of the soul; reproves also the works which reason cannot reprove, and looks not at the sheep’s clothing, but at the true fruit of the tree to learn whether it is good or not, as the Lord teaches in Matthew 7:17. Hence if we judge this rich man according to the fruits of faith, we will find a heart and a tree of unbelief. For the Gospel chastises him that he fares sumptuously every day and clothes himself so richly, which reason never considers as especially great sins. Besides, the work-righteous people think it is right, and that they are worthy of it, and have merited it by virtue of their holy lives, and they do not see how they thus sin by their unbelief.

4. For this rich man is not punished because he indulged in sumptuous fare and fine clothes; since many saints, kings and queens in ancient times wore costly apparel, as Solomon, Esther, David, Daniel and others; but because his heart was attached to them, sought them, trusted in and chose them, and because he found in them all his joy, delight and pleasure; and made them in fact his idols. This Christ indicates by the words “every day,” that he lived thus sumptuously daily, continuously. From this is seen that he diligently sought and chose such a life, was not forced to it nor was he in it by accident, or because of his office or to serve his neighbor; but he only thereby gratified his own lust, and lived to himself and served only himself.