Liz Eaton and Matt Harrison and Doubtless Mark Schroeder - Propping Up the Immigrant Numbers and Cash

 

Before the hissy-fits begin, please remember that my sainted wife's family came over after WWII. Christina's dad helped Patton's troops. They lived in a Displaced Person camp and flew to America on funds they paid back over time.

ELCA and LCMS are busy declaring their joint disapproval of the elected President and Congress - no doubt with WELS involved. They are deeply involved in big money. Thrivent has bragged about US.AID, which alone is a pot of gold for those who milk the generosity of the posturing helpers.

ELCA

"Without these resources, 6,000 newly arrived refugees we are currently serving may face the prospect of eviction and food insecurity at a time of critical need," said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge. "It is particularly shameful to leave newly arrived Afghan allies to fend for themselves after the tremendous sacrifices they've made in support of American interests. This is the antithesis of what it means for the United States to keep its promise of protection to the allies of America's longest war."

Federal support for resettlement nonprofits is a key driver of community integration. The sudden cessation of these services risks shifting the burden onto local communities ill-equipped to address the urgent needs that are likely to arise from this decision.

"Without this support, towns and cities across the country are poised to face greater responsibility with fewer resources to help families who have resettled here through this longstanding legal pathway," added Vignarajah.

For 85 years, Global Refuge has been a steadfast advocate for refugees, working collaboratively with federal, state, and local governments to provide life-changing services. While this stop work order limits operational capacity, it does not diminish the organization's resolve.

"We are urgently reviewing all legal and operational options to continue supporting the families we serve. We will not abandon our mission or the people who rely on us," Vignarajah emphasized.

Global Refuge urges policymakers to reverse this harmful decision and calls upon all Americans to stand in solidarity with refugee families.

"Refugees enrich our communities and contribute significantly to our economy. Upholding their dignity and ensuring their success is not just a moral imperative; it's a reflection of who we are as a nation," said Vignarajah.

Matt the Fatt at His International Center

As many of you are aware, General Mike Flynn (retired) publicly took to task Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and several other Lutheran social ministry agencies for receiving large federal grants for work with immigrants. That got the attention of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). I was surprised at the dollar amounts involved. The post on X accused LIRS and the other agencies bearing the name Lutheran of “money laundering.” I am writing to provide you with some facts about this complex and confusing situation.

The LCMS is a law-abiding and patriotic church body. We don’t invite or support illegal immigration. We don’t say much to or about the government. We don’t have government contracts. Not one. We leave issues of government to our 1.8 million members and 5,700 active pastors, who act in the civil realm according to their Christian consciences as good citizens. We have spoken as a body to certain issues. The Bible and reason teach us that the unborn have the God-given right to life (Luke 1:39–45). The government has no right to infringe upon religious freedom, including the free exercise of religion. “Thoughts are tax free!” said Martin Luther. All our people are trained from Sunday school and catechism class, and every Sunday sermon, to be good citizens and advocate for just laws, punishment for evildoers and mercy for those in need. Specific views on the details of how the government is involved in this are left to the individual as a citizen.

The LCMS uses legal means to fight for First Amendment rights when those rights are under attack.

***

GJ -  Thrivent, the nursing mother of ELCA-LCMS-WELS, has already published their boasting about working with the corrupt US.AID machine. Clergy love getting on the gravy train when so much of it falls into their laps, pockets, funds, committees, and deluxe world travels.

One sob-sister was telling my mother-in-law about how they suffered as a missionary family. I described the current "hardships" in advance. After the missionary lady made her work sound like Purgatory, my mother-in-law mentioned

• Free education for the children
• Cooking and cleaning for the family
• Shopping for the food for the family, and 
• PS - They were totally spoiled and had trouble coming home to reality.

In the Midst of Storms - Hyacinths Treasured by Neighbor

 

The daffodils are in full bloom in the rose garden, the backyard, and anywhere they were planted. My neighbor was not looking for what she already had - daffodils in the front yard. Instead, she walked across the street to find the aroma of another plant. She said, "It was there. Perfume." What she wanted was not appearing, and I was not sure of the invisible plant she remembered.

I kept looking and saw them in a couple of days. Hyacinths! They bloom best the first year, but they maintain a powerful perfume the following years. I put all of them in a plastic cup and left them on my neighbor's porch. The perfume cannot be missed.

Hyacinths are tiny and expensive for bulbs, but they have that one trait. I remain perplexed that so few people spend time, money, and effort with flowers. I have heard this various years: 

1. You have enough roses. 
2. You have enough daffodils. 
3. You have enough Joe Pye Weed.

Long ago, Christina said, "Get rid of the front lawn. Grass is boring. Plant roses." Sassy Sue inspected the first eight holes readied for eight roses. They came from QVC, almost free. Since then people have driven over to spot the wonders, not at all organized but filled with many different plants and weeds.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 3 - Oculi - "But when the stronger man, the Gospel, comes, peace flees, and he rages like a madman, for he resents being condemned, unmasked, punished, and publicly branded. Then he gathers up his armor, the powerful, wise, rich and holy people, and sets them all to attacking God’s Word, as we see in the persecution of the teachers of the Gospel."

 

Oculi. Third Sunday in Lent. Luke 11:14-23. Jesus Casts out a Demon, or Christ’s Defense against his Blasphemers

II. THE ALLEGORICAL OR SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THIS GOSPEL.

14. This dumb, deaf, blind, and demon-possessed man represents all the children of Adam, who through the flesh are possessed of Satan in original sin, so that they must be his slaves and do according to his will. Hence they are also blind, that is, they do not see God. They are deaf, for they do not hear God’s Word, and are not obedient or submissive to it. They are also dumb, for they do not give him one word of thanks or praise, nor do they preach and proclaim Christ and the grace of God. But they are all too talkative about the teachings of the devil and the opinions of men. In these things they see only too well and are wiser than the children of light in their undertakings, opinions, and desires. In these things they hear with both ears and readily adopt the suggestions of flesh and blood. So then, whatever we do, in word and deed, as to both body and soul, is of the devil, whether it be externally good or bad, and must be redeemed through the work of God. We are in his kingdom and therefore we acknowledge him, see, hear, and follow him and praise and proclaim his name. All this takes place through the Spirit of God in his Word, which casts out the devil and his kingdom.

15. The Jews called the chief of the devils Beelzebub. The Hebrew word “sebub” means a fly; “baal” or “beel,” a man or ruler, as a householder.

When the two words form a combination, they mean an arch-fly or chieffly, or, in plain German “Fliegenkoenig oder grosse Hummel,” that is, kingfly or the great drone. They gave Satan this contemptuous epithet as though they were entirely free from him, secure against him, and lords over him. That is the way all conceited, corrupt hypocrites do; they imagine they are so pure and holy, that the devil is a helpless, feeble fly compared with them, and that they do not need the grace of Christ nor the Word of God.

Still they think he is strong enough for others, yet, that whatever godfearing people teach and do must be the devil’s own work, and they consider it such a trifling thing as though it were a dead fly. The devil can well endure such contempt, for by it he is placed above the true God in their hearts.

16. The tyrant in the court or palace is the devil, as I said before. He is in peace, however, as long as God’s Word and finger do not oppose him, and just like this deaf-mute, his people do whatever he wishes, for they know no better. His weapons and armor are the carnal conceit, doctrines and traditions of men, by which he terrifies the conscience and protects himself.

17. But when the stronger man, the Gospel, comes, peace flees, and he rages like a madman, for he resents being condemned, unmasked, punished, and publicly branded. Then he gathers up his armor, the powerful, wise, rich and holy people, and sets them all to attacking God’s Word, as we see in the persecution of the teachers of the Gospel. Such rage and persecution signify that the devil retires very unwillingly and raves in his whole body; for as he acts in the body and its members when he must depart, so he also behaves in the whole world, resisting with all his power when he is to give place to the Gospel; but it is all in vain, he must be expelled.

18. For a Stronger One, that is, Christ, comes and overpowers him and takes away his whole armor, that is, he converts some of those same persecutors, and to that extent makes him weaker, and his own kingdom stronger. He divides the spoils too, that is, those he converts he uses for various offices, graces, and works in Christendom, of which Paul writes in Romans 12:6. He is also in the court yard or ante-room of the palace, for the devil’s kingdom consists in outward appearances and pretences of wisdom, holiness, and strength; but when it is captured by the Gospel it is found to consist of pure folly, sin and weakness.

19. The text continues, “When the unclean spirit has gone out, he wanders through dry places, seeking rest,” etc. This means as much as the saying, “The devil never takes a vacation” and “The devil never sleeps,” for he is seeking how he may devour man. “Dry places” are not the hearts of the ungodly, for in such he rests and dwells like a mighty tyrant, as the Gospel here says; but there are dry and waste places here and there in the country where no people live, as forests and wildernesses. To these he flees in wicked rage because he is driven out. You will remember that the devil found Christ in the wilderness. Now, in Judea, there is not much water, hence we read that it contains many arid wastes. In other countries, however, as in our own, which are well watered, the devils stay in rivers and lakes, and there they sometimes drown those who bathe or sail upon them. Furthermore, at some places there are water spirits, who entice the children from the shores into the water and drown them. These are all devils.

20. That he comes again and finds the house swept and garnished (Matthew adds “empty”) signifies that the man is sanctified and adorned with beautiful spiritual gifts, and that the evil spirit clearly sees that he can do nothing there with his familiar tricks, for he is too well known. Thus when the worship of idols was driven from the heathen, he never attacked the world with that device again. But what did he do then? He tried something else, went out, took with him seven spirits, more evil than himself, and entered in with them and dwelt there, and the last state of that man was worse than the first. So he has dealt with us. When Christ had become known in the world and the devil’s former kingdom with its idol worship had been destroyed, he adopted another plan and attacked us with heresy and introduced and established the papacy, in which Christ was entirely forgotten, and men became worse heathen under the name of Christ than before he was preached, as we can see now with our own eyes.

Such also was the lot of the Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the Greeks under the Turks. And so all will fare, who at first hear the Word of God and afterwards become secure and weary of it. St. Matthew says, in Matthew 12:14, that Satan finds the house empty. And in Matthew 13:25, he sowed tares among the wheat, by night, while men slept. Therefore it is necessary for us to watch as the apostles always admonish us, especially St. Peter in 1 Peter 5:3: “Brethren, be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”; for wherever he overthrows faith, he easily restores again all former vices.