ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
"A tornado nearly two miles wide was ripping through their property.
That night, at least 11 other tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses, felled trees and upended the lives of hundreds across northern Arkansas. Seven Arkansans were killed, according to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (the state initially said the death toll was eight but later revised the figure downward). The same storm system caused more than a dozen more deaths in Oklahoma, Texas and Kentucky."
"Behold, how simply faith proceeds, and acts joyfully, securely and effectively. Treat all your troublesome evil spirits in the same way." Luther's Sermons, Lenker edition, ending of the first Trinity 1 sermon.
The latest Trump trial did not surprise me. Anyone who has been invited to a WELS or CLC (sic) kangaroo court would cheerfully agree with that. Doc Cruz would probably consider the name insulting to kangaroos everywhere.
Let's not overlook, the equally cultish LCMS. They recently excommunicated someone from a congregation when that person was no longer a member. Moreover, Matt the Fatt invented a new term for bishops to use - "alt-right." There must be a good Latin legal term to apply - alt dextera.
Matt is so vain that he sends around photos from his Slim Masters graduation but he shows up live as their worst result. LCMS delegate - "I thought he was still running. Who is that guy at the podium?"
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| Enchanted Peace |
There are lots of things to do while waiting for common sense to return to America. Here are some cheerful projects:
Complete Sermon - First Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:19-31. Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus
32. Therefore be prudent and know that God will not let us know how it is with the dead, so that faith may retain its place in the Word of God, which believes that God will save the believers after this life and condemn the unbelievers. If now a familiar spirit present itself before you, take no notice of it; but be assured that it is the devil, and conquer him with this saying of Abraham, “They have Moses and the prophets,” and likewise with the command in Moses, “Thou shalt not be a consulter with a familiar spirit;” then he will soon be gone. If he leave you not, then let him make a noise until he is tired, and in firm faith suffer his wantonness. And if it were possible that it were indeed a departed soul or a good spirit even, then you should neither learn nor inquire anything of him, since God has forbidden you to do so; because he has sent his Son himself to teach us all that is necessary for us to know. What he has not taught us, that we should gladly not wish to know, and be satisfied with the teachings of the holy Apostles, in which he is preached to us. However, I have further written on this subject in the Postils on the Gospel for Epiphany and in my booklet on the Misuse of the Mass; where you may read more along this line.
34. Likewise, to give an example, we read in the Historia Tripartita (A History in Three Parts) of a bishop, who came to Corinth where he had come to attend a Council, and as he could not find a suitable lodging for himself and his attendants, he saw a house unoccupied and condemned as uninhabitable, and he asked if he might not be allowed to occupy it. Then they told him in reply that it was infested with nightly ghosts, that no one could live in it, and often people were found dead in it in the morning.
Then the bishop said but little and immediately entered and lodged there the same right, for he very well saw that the devil was the author of all these ghost stories, and as he had firm faith that Christ was Lord over Satan, therefore he was not moved by his stratagems and he entered to lodge with him. And thus that house was made free by the prayers and presence of a holy man from infesting ghosts and horrifying spectres. Behold, you see that the ghosts are Satan, and there is little use to dispute with them; but one should despise them with a cheerful spirit as nothing.
35. A similar story we read about Gregory, the Bishop of Cappadocia, that he crossed the Alps and lodged with a heathen sexton or clerk of the church, who had an idol, that answered him the questions he asked; and he made his living by telling the people secret things. Now the bishop knew nothing of this, and proceeded the next day as soon as it was morning on his journey. But Satan or the evil spirit could not endure the prayers and presence of the holy man, and at once he betook himself out of the house, so that the heathen sexton could no longer receive answers as before. As soon as he felt his great loss, he set up a great howl to call back his idol, which appeared to him while he was asleep, and said, it was his own fault because he had lodged the bishop, with whom he (the evil spirit) could not remain. The sexton hastened to overtake the bishop and complained to him that he had taken his god and livelihood, and returned evil for the kindness extended to him. Then the bishop took paper out of his pocket and wrote these few words: “Gregory sendeth greetings to Apollinius. Be thou at liberty, O, Apollinius, to do as thou hast done before. Farewell.” The sexton took the letter and laid it by the side of his idol; then the devil came again, and did as before. Finally the sexton began to think, what a poor god is he, who allows himself to be driven away and lead by my guest who was only a man. And at once he started to the bishop, was instructed and baptized, and grew in his faith, so that he became the eminent bishop of Caesarea, a city in Cappadocia, upon the death of the bishop that baptized him. Behold, how simply faith proceeds, and acts joyfully, securely and effectively. Treat all your troublesome evil spirits in the same way.
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| We won! "In the case Scopes v. State (1925), Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but, on appeal, the Supreme Court of Tennessee, pointing to a technicality in the issuance of the fine, overturned Scopes’s conviction, while finding the Butler Act constitutional." |
KJV Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
The piggies run off the cliff.
KJV Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
The piggies run off the cliff.
1. We have plenty of reason to be fearful - the so-called Federal Reserve, wild spending sprees, the Baby Boomers are suddenly changing into Silver Sneakers, politics, ignoring and betraying the Bill of Rights, etc.
2. Luther said, "The opposite of fear is not courage, but faith."
3. We know but forget the divine nature of Christ, who can accomplish anything and is always helping us in all our needs.
4. Dwelling on fear only makes us more fearful, because we are very limited by our perspectives, some unnaturally bad predictions, others being good but not great, in the future but not yet soon enough.
5. The disciples in the storm knew too well that they faced drowning and that Jesus did not seem to care, which made them more fearful.
6. The answers are found in the Beatitudes, assurances of how blessed we are, not only in many kinds of abundance, but also in bearing the cross.
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Complete Sermon - First Sunday after Trinity, Luke 16:19-31. Examples of Unbelief and Faith. The Rich Man and Lazarus
PART III. QUESTIONS SUGGESTED AND ANSWERED.
21. This Gospel lesson suggests several questions. First, what is the bosom of Abraham, since it cannot be a natural bosom that is meant? To answer this, it is necessary to know that the soul or spirit of man has no rest or place where it may abide, except the Word of God, until he comes at the last day to the clear vision of God. Therefore we conclude that the bosom of Abraham signifies nothing else than the Word of God, where Christ was promised, Genesis 22:18, to Abraham, namely: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” In these words Christ is promised to him, as the one through whom every person shall be blessed, that is, shall be delivered from sin, death and hell, and through no one else and through no other work. All who have believed this passage, have believed on Christ, and have become good Christians, and have also through faith in this Word been released from sin, death and hell.
22. Thus were all the fathers before the birth of Christ carried into Abraham’s bosom; that is, at their death they were established in this saying of God, and they fell asleep in the same, they were embraced and guarded as in a bosom, and sleep there until the day of judgment; excepting those,. who have already risen with Christ, as Matthew 27:52 teaches, where they also remained. In like manner we, when we face death, must lay hold of and trust in the Word of Christ with strong faith, as John 11:26 says: “Whosoever believeth on me shall never die,” or like passages; and thus die in this faith, fall asleep, be embraced and guarded in the bosom of Abraham until the day of judgment. For the word spoken to Abraham and the word spoken to us is the very same word; both speak of Christ, that we must be saved through him. But the former is more particularly called Abraham’s bosom, because it was spoken first to Abraham and began with him.
23. Likewise on the other hand the hell here mentioned cannot be the true hell that will begin on the day of judgment. For the corpse of the rich man is without doubt not in hell, but buried in the earth; it must however be a place where the soul can be and has no peace, and it cannot be corporal.
Therefore it seems to me, this hell is the conscience, which is without faith and without the Word of God, in which the soul is buried and held until the day of judgment, when they are cast down body and soul into the true and real hell. For just as Abraham’s bosom is God’s Word, in which believers rest through faith, and fall asleep and are guarded there until the day of judgment; so must that on the contrary ever be hell, where God’s Word is not, into which the unbelievers are cast until the day of judgment. That can be nothing else than an empty, unbelieving, sinful, and evil conscience.
24. The second question is: How then did Abraham and the rich man converse with one another? Answer: It could not have been a conversation with the natural voice, since the bodies of both were lying in their graves; likewise as little was it the natural tongue that complained of being tormented; nor was it natural fingers and natural water that were desired from Lazarus. Therefore this all must be in the conscience thus: When the conscience is awakened by death or by the agonies of death, then it will have a testimony of its unbelief and will see then for the first time the bosom of Abraham, and those embraced by it, that is, the Word of God, in which it should have believed and did not; from which it has the very greatest pain and anxiety as in hell, and finds neither help nor consolation.
25. Then thoughts arise in the conscience, which held such a conversation, if they could speak, as this rich man did with Abraham, and seeks then whether the Word of God, and all who have believed in it, would help; and with so much anxiety that it would receive the least comfort from the very meanest of men, but even that cannot be granted to him. Then Abraham answered him, that is, his conscience took such a view of the Word of God, that it cannot be; but he had his portion of good things in his life, and he must now suffer; while the others are comforted, whom he despised.
26. At last he feels, that it is declared unto him: There is a great gulf fixed between him and the believers, that they will never be able to come together. These are the thoughts of despair, when the conscience feels that the Word of God is withdrawn forever from him; accordingly the thoughts of his conscience rage and would gladly have the living to know that such are the agonies of death, and he craves that someone would tell it to them.
But it is to no purpose; for he feels an answer in his own conscience, that Moses and the prophets are sufficient, whom they ought to believe, as he himself should have done. All such thoughts pass between the condemned conscience and the Word of God, in the hour of death or in the agonies of death; and no one can perceive what it is, except the one who experiences it; and he who experienced it wished that others should know it, but all is in vain.
27. The third question is: When did that take place, and if the rich man still daily without ceasing suffers thus until the day of judgment? That is a subtle question and not easily answered to the inexperienced. For here one must banish the idea of time from the mind and know that in the other world there is neither time nor hours, but all is an eternal moment or wink of the eye; as 2 Peter 3:8 says: “A day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day,” Psalm 90:4. Therefore it seems to me that in this rich man we have an example of the future of all unbelievers, when their eyes are opened by death and its agonies; which can endure but for a moment and then cease until the day of judgment, as it may please God; for here no definite rule can be established. Therefore I dare not say that the rich man suffers still at present as he suffered at that time; and I dare not deny that he still suffers thus; for both depend upon the will of God. It is sufficient for us to know that his example and the beginning of the suffering of all unbelievers are here clearly set before us.
28. The fourth question is: Shall we pray for the dead; since here in the Gospel there is no intermediate state between Abraham’s bosom and hell, and those in Abraham’s bosom do not need it, and it does not help those in perdition. We have no command from God to pray for the dead; therefore no one sins by not praying for them; for what God does not bid or forbid us to do, in that no one can sin. Yet, on the other hand, since God has not permitted us to know, how it is with the souls of the departed and we must continue uninformed, as to how he deals with them, we will not and cannot restrain them, nor count it as sin, if they pray for the dead. For we are ever certain from the Gospel, that many have been raised from the dead, who, we must confess, did not receive nor did they have their final sentence; and likewise we are not assured of any other, that he has his final sentence.
29. Now since it is uncertain and no one knows, whether final judgment has been passed upon these souls, it is not sin if you pray for them; but in this way, that you let it rest in uncertainty and speak thus: Dear God, if the departed souls be in a state that they may yet be helped, then I pray that thou wouldst be gracious. And when you have thus prayed once or twice, then let it be sufficient and commend them unto God. For God has promised that when we pray to him for anything he would hear us.
Therefore when you have prayed once or twice, you should believe that your prayer is answered, and there let it rest, lest you tempt God and mistrust him.
30. But that we should institute masses, vigils and prayers to be repeated forever for the dead every year, as if God had not heard us the year before, is the work of Satan and is death itself, where God is mocked by unbelief, and such prayers are nothing but blasphemy of God. Therefore take warning and turn from these practices. God is not moved by these anniversary ceremonies, but by the prayer of the heart, of devotion and of faith; that will help the departed souls if anything will. Vigils, masses, indeed help the bellies of the priests, monks and nuns, but departed souls are not helped by them and God is thus mocked.
31. However, if you have in your house a spook or ghost, who pretends that the departed can be helped by saying masses, you should be fully persuaded that it is the work of Satan. No soul has yet since the beginning of the world reappeared on the earth, and it is not God’s will that it should be so. For here in this Gospel you see that Abraham declares that no one can be sent from the dead to teach the living; but he points them to the Word of God in the Scriptures, Deuteronomy 31: “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” By these words Abraham turns to the command of God in Deuteronomy 18:11, where God says: “Thou shalt not be a consulter with a familiar spirit.” Isaiah 8:19. Therefore it is surely nothing but the contrivance of Satan that any spirits should let themselves be entreated and that they should require so and so many masses, such and such pilgrimages or other works, and appear afterwards in the clear light and pretend that certain persons are saved. In this way Satan has introduced error so that the people have fallen from faith into works, and think their deeds may accomplish such great things. And thus is fulfilled what St. Paul declared in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11, that God would send upon them powerful error, and temptation to unrighteousness, because they have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved.
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| The ELS and WELS theologians declare that everyone in Hell is a guilt-free saint. Did they mean "a guilt-free Satan"? |
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| No, this is not a cross-dresser in WELS. This cross-dresser did his dance at the Luther Seminary chapel, with his buddies laughing and clapping, much like the WELS video party. |
Explore Lutheran Values in Election Year: Join the Social Teachings Series
Join the ELCA’s online workshop series from June to October to delve into how our faith informs our actions and voting on critical social issues. Sessions include topics like corporate social responsibility, abortion, and climate crisis, led by esteemed speakers. View a PDF flyer and register now to engage deeply with our social teachings and lead community discussions.
As we navigate through this election year, the ELCA invites you to engage deeply with our social teachings through an online series of workshops. These sessions aim to explore how our Lutheran faith informs our thinking, acting, and voting on major social issues. Recognizing that “faith is active in love [and] love calls for justice in relationships and structures of society” (ELCA, Social Statement on Church in Society, 1991), we are called to be a community that prays, deliberates, and acts together on complex social matters.
Join Us for These Vital Discussions:
June 25: Introduction to Social Teachings with Dr. Roger Willer, Director of Theological Ethics for the ELCA.
August 27: Corporate Social Responsibility with Rev. Kaari Reierson, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for the ELCA.
September 10: Abortion with Dr. Caryn Riswold, Professor of Religion/McCoy Family Distinguished Chair in Lutheran Heritage and Mission at Wartburg College.
September 24: Faith, Sexism and Justice with Dr. Mary Streufert, Director of Gender Justice and Women’s Empowerment, and Heather Dean, Program Coordinator of Theological Discernment at the ELCA.
October 8: Earth’s Climate Crisis Study Guide with Dr. Ryan Cumming, Program Director of Theological Ethics, Education, and Community Engagement.
October 22: Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture with Dr. Richard Perry, emeritus faculty at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Each session will be held from 7:00 to 8:30 pm online via Zoom and will be recorded for later viewing. The cost is $20 per individual or $80 per congregation, with no limit on the number of attendees. Check with the synod office for possible funding assistance.
Register Today!
To register, please click here. This is a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of our faith’s social teachings and to lead discussions in your community effectively.
Why This Matters:
In times of political and social uncertainty, grounding our actions in faith and justice is crucial. This series will provide tools and insights to help you navigate and influence the societal structures around us, reflecting the core values of our Lutheran tradition.
Stephanus Greek - John 15
15:1 εγω ειμι η αμπελος η αληθινη και ο πατηρ μου ο γεωργος εστιν
George
2 παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο, και παν το καρπον φερον καθαιρει αυτο ινα πλειονα καρπον φερη
Polykarp Catherine
3 ηδη υμεις καθαροι εστε δια τον λογον ον λελαληκα υμιν
4 μεινατε εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν, καθως το κλημα ου δυναται καρπον φερειν αφ εαυτου εαν μη μεινη εν τη αμπελω ουτως ουδε υμεις εαν μη εν εμοι μεινητε
5 εγω ειμι η αμπελος υμεις τα κληματα; ο μενων εν εμοι καγω εν αυτω ουτος φερει καρπον πολυν οτι χωρις εμου ου δυνασθε ποιειν ουδεν
poem/do or make
6 εαν μη τις μεινη εν εμοι, εβληθη εξω ως το κλημα, και εξηρανθη, και συναγουσιν αυτα, και εις πυρ βαλλουσιν και καιεται
ball, ballo xerography, synagogue
7 εαν μεινητε εν εμοι, και τα ρηματα μου εν υμιν μεινη, ο εαν θελητε αιτησεσθε, και γενησεται υμιν
8 εν τουτω εδοξασθη ο πατηρ μου ινα καρπον πολυν φερητε και γενησεσθε εμοι μαθηται
In a verb, the theta θ suggests a passive verb
9 καθως ηγαπησεν με, ο πατηρ καγω ηγαπησα υμας μεινατε εν τη αγαπη τη εμη
agape love, father
10 εαν τας εντολας μου τηρησητε, μενειτε εν τη αγαπη μου, καθως εγω τας εντολας του πατρος μου τετηρηκα, και μενω αυτου εν τη αγαπη
15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (george) .
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
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?
17. Do you not think that this rich man himself, had he not been so blind and had known that such a treasure, a man so precious in the eyes of God, was dying at his gate, would have run out, and dressed and kissed his sores, and laid him in his best bed; and made all his purple and riches to serve him? But at the time God’s judgment went forth, he did not see that he could do it. Then God thought, truly, you are not worthy to serve him. When later the judgment and work of God were accomplished, the wise fool begins to come to himself; and since he suffers now in hell he will gladly give his house and land, to whom before he would not give a crumb of bread; and wishes now that Lazarus might cool his tongue with the tips of his fingers, whom before he would not touch.
18. Behold, even at the present day God is filling the world with such judgments and works, but no one sees it; yea, everybody despises it. There are continually before our eyes poor and needy persons, whom God lays before us as the greatest treasures; but we close our eyes to them, and see not what God does there; later, when God has done his work, and we have neglected the treasure, then we hasten and wish to serve, but we waited too long. Then we begin and make sacred relics of their garments, shoes and furniture, and make pilgrimages to and erect. churches over their graves, are occupied with many like foolish deeds and thus ridicule ourselves in that we permit the living saints to be trodden under our feet and to perish, and we worship their garments, which is neither necessary nor of any use; so that indeed our Lord will let the judgment fall as he did in Matthew 23:29-33, and say: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?”
19. All believers are like poor Lazarus; and every believer is a true Lazarus, for he is of the same faith, mind and will, as Lazarus. And whoever will not be a Lazarus, will surely have his portion with the rich glutton in the flames of hell. For we all must like Lazarus trust in God, surrender ourselves to him to work in us according to his own good pleasure, and be ready to serve all men. And although we all do not suffer from such sores and poverty, yet the same mind and will must be in us, that were in Lazarus, cheerfully to bear such things, wherever God wills it.
20. For such poverty of spirit may exist in those who have very great possessions; as Job, David, Abraham were poor and rich. For David in Psalm 39:12 says: “I am a stranger with thee, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.” How could that be, since he was a king and possessed extensive lands and large cities? Thus it came about; although he indeed possessed these, yet his heart did not cleave to them, and they were as nothing compared with the riches he had with God. Likewise he had said of the health of his body that it was as nothing compared to the health of his soul before God, and he would indeed not have murmured, had God afflicted him with bodily sores and sickness. So Abraham also, although he had not the poverty and affliction of Lazarus, yet he had the mind and will to bear what Lazarus did, if God had visited him thus. For the saints should have one and the same inner mind and spirit, but they cannot have the same outward work and suffering. Therefore Abraham also recognized Lazarus as one of his own and received him into his bosom; which he would not have done, were he not of the same mind and had he not taken pleasure in the poverty and maladies of Lazarus. Thus is set forth the sum and meaning of the Gospel, that we may see, how faith everywhere saves and unbelief condemns.
1. The Two-Source Theory. This has Mark as the most primitive and earliest of the Four Gospels. The "other source" was made up of sayings parallel to Matthew and Luke.
2. No one can really say all the things that the modern liberals claim to be true. Authority piles up on authority and theological faculties claim this or that perspective - all speculation. The foundation was their unbelief, or rationalism, or bias.
3. Left alone is the text itself. That is what we need to study thoroughly. A Yale PhD was given to someone who translated a German work by Rudolph Bultmann, doubtless to make many more people gush over Bultmann's personal statements. On the resurrection of Christ - "Any schoolboy knows that a dead body cannot raise himself from the dead." So that was not even research, just a fan eager to translate. I saw the book at the Yale Divinity library.
4. We have relatively little knowledge about the individual writers because the New Testament and the Old Testament are about Jesus Christ the Savior, not the Biblical Theory Fanclub.
5. To this day, even at a LCMS church (remember Seminex? I do) - a pastor can say "The Gospel of John was written 300 years after Christ." Some facts:
I always sit up straight and murmur something profound when I see that someone has earned a D.Min. at Fuller Seminary, which is as popular as Bud Lite. A Budweiser chemist told me that Bud Lite was simply Budweiser with water added. Years later, he denied that fact with some authority, but then conceded the truth.
Fuller Seminary is pondering its future with pansexual pastors, where the demographics are headed. WWII Baby Boomers have seen their grandchildren grow up, so that supply is running low. Long ago, Fuller Seminary had its own kill squad to discipline any student who denied women's ordination. The school's warning was part of their official description. Fuller opened up the mainline minister demographic for women pastors and denominational staffers.
"What's NEXT!?" my vicar supervisor often said with fury, upon hearing about the latest cool fad. Now the same church - being refitted for low-cost house apartments - is saying "What's next!"
Those who pay for a D. Min. degree insist on the title "Dr." - which is odd considering that two years of study are good only for an STM. They dropped the STD because nobody wanted to say "I got my STD at our seminary."
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Fuller sold the D.Min. designation to draw in pastors for a quick, easy, but costly superficial degree. They paraded their Bachelor of Gimmicks degree as worthy of velvet stripes on the arms of their Geneva gowns.
Fuller and its clones (Concordia St. Louis and Concordia Ft. Wayne) both market their D.Min. degrees and Church Growth.
They are all engaged in business practices which have proven to be complete and devastating losses of membership. Why are no Church Growth Enthusiasts
God's Word is the master of more than 100,000 arts, far more than Satan can attempt. The problems are compounded in the Walther Four - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - because they teach against faith, as they argue with pride. Wayne Mueller bragged at the WELS youth gathering in Columbus - "Evangelism is easy. All you have to do is to tell them - you are already forgiven."
Fuller Seminary’s current president, David Goatley, came to the nondenominational school in 2022 from Duke Divinity School, where he served as associate dean for academic and vocational formation, research professor of theology and Christian ministry, and director of the Office of Black Church Studies.
Recently, Goatley appointed a task force of administrators and faculty to facilitate “the community’s consideration of issues related to human sexuality.”
In 2019 and 2020, two former students sued Fuller, alleging they were expelled for being in same-sex marriages. In October 2020, courts affirmed Fuller’s right to uphold its sexual standards policy.
Fuller’s website describes the school as “an evangelical, multidenominational graduate institution committed to providing indispensable, formational education for diverse Christian leaders everywhere.”
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| Jack Kilcrease, trained by Jesuits, is consistently anti-faith. |
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| Here is Lazarus, waiting for a grant from the Rich Guy Foundation or Thrivent, or both. |
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.