Sunday, March 3, 2013

Oculi - The Third Sunday in Lent. Luke 11:14-28.
Can Satan Drive Out Satan?

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Oculi, The Third Sunday in Lent, 2013

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time

Mid-Week Lenten Services are Wednesdays at 7 PM.

The Hymn #175 Hamburg 2.43
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual             Ephesians 5:1-9
The Gospel          Luke 11:14-28
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #172:1-5            Herzlich tut mir 2.55

The Stronger Man

The Hymn #172:6-10 Herzlich tut mir 2.55

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #151 Christ the Life 2:78

KJV Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

KJV Luke 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Third Sunday in Lent

Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast sent Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh, that He might overcome the devil, and defend us poor sinners against the adversary: We give thanks unto Thee for Thy merciful help, and we beseech Thee to attend us with Thy grace in all temptations, to preserve us from carnal security, and by Thy Holy Spirit to keep us in Thy word and Thy fear, that unto the end we may be delivered from the enemy, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

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The Stronger Man

Luke 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Luther:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2013/03/luthers-sermon-for-oculi-third-sunday.html

In the first place, like all the Gospels this one teaches us faith and love; for it presents Christ to us as a most loving Savior and Helper in every need and tells us that he who believes this is saved. For we see here that Christ had nothing to do with people who were healthy, but with a poor man who was greatly afflicted with many ills. He was blind, as Matthew says; also dumb and possessed with a demon, as Luke tells us here. Now all mutes are also deaf, so that in the Greek language deaf and dumb are one word.

By this act Christ draws us to himself, leads us to look to him for every blessing, and to go to him in every time of need. He does this that we also, according to the nature of love, should do unto others as he does unto us.

The first thing we notice after the miracle is opposition – true hatred about what Christ has done and how He has done this. Some wondered, but others said, He has done this with the power of Satan. A third group wanted to see another miracle (sign from heaven). Although Jesus performed miracles time after time, some always wanted more.

The same is true today. God performs miracles that many never see, and He provides for us in ways that should make us thankful. Our nation could enjoy many blessings, with peace and prosperity, but we have turned away from the fruits of the Spirit to follow the gods of this age. And the church organizations have joined the stampede.

One young woman visited a college class and wondered why her top-rated university was such a depressing place to study. I was guessing that her school was a church school originally – and it was. Now it is much bigger and richer, with many honors and programs. But the original Christian purpose is gone. I mentioned my own experience with a more recent change in a church college.

In this miracle Jesus addressed the people who assigned His power to Satan. This is an important introduction to the second part of the lesson. At first the two parts seem distinct and separate, an odd selection for a Gospel. But they are the same lesson told in two different ways.

Jesus’ argument is that Satan did not give him power to drive out Satan. If that were so, it would be a kingdom divided against itself, and it would have to fall.

Jesus turned the accusation around and asked if the opponents cast out demons the same way, with the help of Satan.

20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

He finished this part of the debate with a positive statement of His work. With the power of God He cast out devils, so the Kingdom of God has come upon them.

This is a compelling image to remember about the battle between Satan and Christ. The mysterious verses take on great clarity when we realize that the strong man is Satan, who controlled earth until the advent of Christ. Through the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus—the stronger man—overpowered Satan, robbed the devil of his trusted armor, and gave away the spoils of the earth to believers.

Luther:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2013/03/luthers-sermon-for-oculi-third-sunday.html

10. He answers them in the third place, by a comparison taken from life, namely that of a strong man overcome by one stronger, and robbed of all his armor and goods etc. By this he testifies also that no one but God can overcome the devil, so that again no man can boast of being able of himself to drive out either sin or the devil. Notice how he pictures the devil! He calls him a mighty giant who guards his court and home, that is, the devil not only possesses the world as his own domain, but he has garrisoned and fortified it, so that no one can take it from him. He rules it also with undisputed sway, so that it does whatever he commands. Just as little as a house or court may withstand or contend against the tyrant who is its master, can man’s free will and natural powers oppose sin and Satan, that is, not at all; but they are subject to them. And as that house must be conquered by a stronger man and thus wrested from the tyrant, so must man also be ransomed through Christ and wrested from Satan. We see again, therefore, that our works and righteousness contribute absolutely nothing toward our salvation; it is effected alone by the grace of God.

This has always been the typical battle scenario between opponents. The stronger man takes over the castle, uses the spoils, and reigns triumphant. In the Bible are there two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. They are perpetually at war. Those who believe in Christ are members of the Kingdom of God. Those who do not believe or stop believing (apostates) are members of the Kingdom of Satan.

This is a passage of great comfort for all Christians, because it teaches that faith in Christ means participating in the victory over Satan. The devil will still threaten and torment, through our frailty and sinful nature, even through the propaganda of the unbelieving world. But the victory has been won and the price has been paid. Faith in Christ overcomes Satan.

KJV 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

All the false teachers have so many methods for overcoming Satan, and they all involve “doing something.” Acts of piety and acts of contrition are prescribed, but the two foundational methods are ignored (the Word and faith). First of all, the Word of God is best fumigant against Satan, as Luther teaches in the Third Commandment (Large Catechism).

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http://bookofconcord.org/lc-3-tencommandments.php

100] For let me tell you this, even though you know it perfectly and be already master in all things, still you are daily in the dominion of the devil, who ceases neither day nor night to steal unawares upon you, to kindle in your heart unbelief and wicked thoughts against the foregoing and all the commandments. Therefore you must always have God's Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears. But where the heart is idle, and the Word does not sound, he breaks in and has done the damage before we are aware. 101] On the other hand, such is the efficacy of the Word, whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, that it is bound never to be without fruit, but always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness, and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts. For these words are not inoperative or dead, but creative, living words. 102] And even though no other interest or necessity impel us, yet this ought to urge every one thereunto, because thereby the devil is put to Right and driven away, and, besides, this commandment is fulfilled, and [this exercise in the Word] is more pleasing to God than any work of hypocrisy, however brilliant.

Faith in the Word naturally accompanies the power of the Word. Here there is a great gap, because trust in the Word is constantly diminished by an emphasis on doing. One example is – you must join a cell group to be a real Christian. And everyone is directed toward marketing and selling with human wisdom. Eventually there is not trust at all in the Word. The same has happened with those who pick and choose what they believe in the Scriptures. Eventually the same person who began with some qualms is busy with open attacks on the Word of God.

That decline is best explained by this lesson. The warfare never stops, so anyone who begins to play on Satan’s side, ever so little, willl be drawn back in and redouble his previous efforts – only in the opposite direction.

Jesus made it clear that there are only two sides, no compromising middle of the road position. This is the first area of attack, when people insist on some compromise and become greatly offended at those who insist on no compromise about doctrine itself. People are willing to go to war for non-essential, trivial matters (such as synodical elections today) because those issues are ways to avoid the important ones.

Jesus’ warning here is quite clear – there are those who gather and those who scatter. If someone has become a believer, he is all the more susceptible to a renewed attack. The unclean spirit (false doctrine, unbelief) comes back with all his demonic associates. The house (person) swept and decorated is occupied, worse than ever before, and so the last state of the man is worse than before. I have seen this with people who saw the light about UOJ and went back to it with frantic attacks on justification by faith, mounting worse attacks than they easily answered a few months before.

Bill O’Reilly, a self-proclaimed expert on the Bible, has declared that the Scriptures are full of error.

Someone who goes down this road misses all the spiritual treasures of the Scriptures because they are present and yet hidden. Soon the question is asked over and over, “Did Jesus really say this?” and “Does this contradict another passage?”

Tricks are easy to use on people. When I played Trivial Pursuit with our son on the other team, I knew he had the right answers. When he began to urge his answer on his team, I asked them, “Are you going to trust a ten year-old kid?” Instead of thinking I was the opponent, they let my suggestions take over. Time after time they went against his answer and took the wrong one. My side won.

There are many places where Marian worship is anticipated and refuted by Jesus. This is another example.

The woman says, sentimentally, Blessed is Mary’s body.

Jesus replied, “No, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and guard it.” The word “keep” can also be used to guard a jail. So those who value the truth of the Scriptures believe it and guard it from adulteration.

That can also be called “faith.”

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Quotations on Satan and the Devil for Oculi Sunday.

Satan and Devil for Oculi Sunday in Lent

"Hence the Pope is the true Antichrist, and his high schools are the devil's own taverns and brothels. What does Christ signify if by effort of my own human nature I can obtain God's grace? Or, having grace, what more will I desire?"

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 284. New Year's Day, Galatians 3:23-29

"So when we see a bishop assuming more than this text gives him warrant for, we may safely regard him as a wolf, and an apostle of the devil, and avoid him as such. Unquestionably he must be Antichrist who in ecclesiastical government exceeds the authority here prescribed."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 65 Third Sunday in Advent, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

"Observe, however, what the devil has accomplished through the Papists. It was not enough for them to throw the Bible under the table, to make it so rare that few doctors of the holy Scriptures possessed a copy, much less read it; but lest it be brought to public notice they have branded it with infamy. For they blasphemously say it is obscure; we must follow the interpretations of men and not the pure Scriptures. What else is their proceeding but giving Paul the lie here where he says the Bible is our manual of instruction? They say it is obscure and calculated to mislead."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 41 Second Sunday in Advent Romans 15:4-13

"THE DEVIL'S DIRTY DOZEN: TWELVE WAYS (AND MORE) TO KEEP YOUR CHURCH FROM GROWING..."Limit worship experience only to pages 5 and 15...Bulletin should be 'worship service' oriented rather than 'announcement oriented'...Expect unchurched to accept traditions as though they were doctrine." School of Outreach IV, Notebook, WELS Evangelism Commission p. O-1.

"Several of our brothers have been warning us to be careful about the leaven of The Church Growth Movement and the insidious Reformed doctrine contained within. Not a few of us have heard their warning and have thought to counter the danger by saying we will weed out the erroneous material and use only that which is proper and beneficial to the Lord's work in our congregations. Fellow-shepherds, there is some evidence to show that that is exactly what the devils wants us to think. That seems to be used to lull us and our members into sleep, and without our intending it, the soul-harming false doctrines creep in undetected, under the guise of religious printed materials and programs."

Michigan District President Robert Mueller, (WELS), "President's Report to the Conferences, Spring, 1991, p. 2.

"Let us, then, prepare ourselves to be patient and lern to bear the furious attacks and the blows of Satan, who is trying to tear the church of Christ to pieces and to establish his own church. We are not any better than the fathers. At the cost of much sweat and labor they, too, scarecely succeeded in their effort to preserve the Word and to snatch a few souls from the jaws of Satan."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 280. W 42, 425. Genesis 11:10ff.

"Therefore nothing but a satanic, seductive, and sinister strategy is involved when we are called upon to yield a bit and to connive at an error for the sake of unity. In this way the devil is trying cunningly to lead us away from the Word. For if we adopt this course and get together in this matter he has already gained ground; and if we were to yield him a fingerbreadth, he would soon have an ell."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1411f. Ephesians 6:10-17.

"The devil has the advantage of being able to find pupils for a doctrine or a dream no matter how absurd the doctrine or the dream may be. The more absurd it is the sooner he finds pupils."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 632. WLS #1940 Mark 7:31-37.

"If the devil were to identify himself and show himself as black as he is, who would want to follow him? But now he peddles his poison and false doctrine under the cover of God's name and does so with an impressiveness greater than that with which the true doctrine is presented."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 633. 2 Corinthians 11:14.

"All the others also say that they are teaching the Word of God. No devil, heretic, or sectarian spirit arises who says: I, the devil, or a heretic, am preaching my own views. On the contrary, all know how to say: This is not my doctrine; it is God's Word." Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 640. "As Luther says: You 'cannot remain in the same stall with others who propagate false doctrine or are attached to it or always speak good words to the devil and his crowd.'" [XVII, 1477; probably St. Louis edition]

Francis Pieper, The Difference Between Orthodox And Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 49.

"When you preach or confess the Word, you will experience both without, among enemies, and also within, in yourself (where the devil himself will speak to you and prove how hostile he is to you), that he brings you into sadness, impatience, and depression, and that he torments you in all sorts of ways. Who does all this? Certainly not Christ or any good spirit, but the miserable, loathsome enemy...The devil will not bear to have you called a Christian and to cling to Christ or to speak or think a good word about Him. Rather he would gladly poison and permeate your heart with venom and gall, so that you would blaspheme: Why did He make me a Christian? Why do I not let Him go? Then I would at last have peace."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 928.

"All this is the old devil and old serpent, who also converted Adam and Eve into enthusiasts, and led them from the outward Word of God to spiritualizing and self-conceit, and nevertheless he accomplished this through other outward words. Just as also our enthusiasts [at the present day] condemn the outward Word, and nevertheless they themselves are not silent, but they fill the world with their pratings and writings, as though, indeed, the Spirit could not come through the writings and spoken word of the apostles, but [first] through their writings and words he must come. Why [then] do not they also omit their own sermons and writings, until the Spirit Himself come to men, without their writings and before them, as they boast that He has come into them without the preaching of the Scriptures?"

Smalcald Articles, VIII., Confession, 3-5, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 495. Tappert, p. 312f.

"In a word, enthusiasm inheres in Adam and his children from the beginning [from the first fall] to the end of the world, [its poison] having been implanted and infused into them by the old dragon, and is the origin, power [life], and strength of all heresy, especially of that of the Papacy and Mahomet. Therefore we ought and must constantly maintain this point, that God does not wish to deal with us otherwise than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments. It is the devil himself whatsoever is extolled as Spirit without the Word and Sacraments. For God wished to appear even to Moses through the burning bush and spoken Word; and no prophet, neither Elijah nor Elisha, received the Spirit without the Ten Commandments [or spoken Word]. Neither was John the Baptist conceived without the preceding word of Gabriel, nor did he leap in his mother's womb without the voice of Mary."

Smalcald Articles, VIII. Confession, 9-10 Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 497. Tappert, p. 313. 2 Peter 1:21.

"The nice, envious person who is sad when another prospers, and would gladly have one eye less if thereby his neighbor had none, is the product of Satan."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 102. Third Sunday after Easter John 16:16-23.

"Faith is a tender, subtle thing, and we so easily make a mistake and are liable to stumble; but the devil is watchful, and unless men exercise watchfulness, he quickly gains his point."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 265. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

"For this reason one should not be too credulous when a preacher comes softly like an angel of God, recommends himself very highly, and swears that his sole aim is to save souls, and says: 'Pax vobis!' For those are the very fellows the devil employs to honey people's mouths. Through them he gains an entrance to preach and to teach, in order that he may afterward inflict his injuries, and that though he accomplish nothing more for the present, he may, at least, confound the people's consciences and finally lead them into misery and despair."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 322. Easter Tuesday Luke 24:36-47.

"Even the history of the world shows how great is the power of the devil's kingdom. The world is full of blasphemies against God and of wicked opinions, and the devil keeps entangled in these bands those who are wise and righteous [many hypocrites who appear holy] in the sight of the world. In other persons grosser vices manifest themselves. But since Christ was given to us to remove both these sins and these punishments, and to destroy the kingdom of the devil, sin and death,it will not be possible to recognize the benefits of Christ unless we understand our evils. For this reason our preachers have diligently taught concerning these subjects, and have delivered nothing that is new, but have set forth Holy Scriptures and the judgments of the holy Fathers."

Apology Augsburg Confession, Article II: Of Original Sin Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 119. Tappert, p.

"The deeper a person is sunk in sadness and emotional upheavals, the better he serves as an instrument of Satan. For our emotions are instruments through which he gets into us and works in us if we do not watch our step. It is easy to water where it is wet. Where the fence is dilapidated, it is easy to get across. So Satan has easy access where there is sadness. Therefore one must pray and associate with godly people."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1243. 1532

"It is not the devil's aim to plague us physically; he is a spirit who is always thirsting for the tears and the drops of blood that come from our hearts. He wants us to despair and to perish from sadness. This would be his joy and delight. But he will not succeed."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1244. John 15:19.

"One day I overheard my stepmother say to my father: 'The only real devil that exists in this or any other world is the man whose business is that of making devils.' I accepted this statement instantly and never have departed from it."

Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, New York: Fawcett Crest, 1967, p. 212. [Hill is greatly admired by Church Shrinkers like Robert Schuller.]

"Having ascended Mount Carmel and having met the monks there, Saint Louis [Louis IX of France] is astounded by the account of a most unusual tradition. The saintly monks say that they are the descendants of the Prophet Elias and call themselves 'Hermits of Saint Mary of Mount Carmel' because the fiery prophet, whom they imitate, had beheld, in a foot-shaped cloud that had divinely soared from the sea below them, a prophetic image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary who was to bring forth man's Salvation and to conquer the pride of Satan with Her heel of humility." [GJ - LCMS pastors eat this up?]

John Mathias Haffert, Mary in Her Scapular Promise, Sea Isle City, NJ: The Scapular Press, 1942, p. 5. Genesis 3:15.

"Therefore we should not be afraid of powers. But we should fear our prosperity and good days which cause us more harm than our anguish and persecution; and we should not be afraid in the face of the wisdom and the shrewdness of the world, for they can do us no harm. Yes, the more the wisdom of the world opposes the truth, the purer and clearer does the truth become, consequently the Gospel can experience nothing better than that the world rise up against it with all its force and wisdom; yea, the more my conscience, sin and Satan attack me, the stronger does my righteousness become."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 299. Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:15-22

"Lastly, it is nothing else than the devil himself, because above and against God he urges [and disseminates] his [papal] falsehoods concerning masses, purgatory, the monastic life, one's own works and [fictitious] divine worship (for this is the very Papacy [upon each of which the Papacy is altogether founded and is standing]), and condemns, murders, and tortures all Christians who do not exalt and honor these abominations [of the Pope] above all things. Therefore, just as little as we can worship the devil himself as Lord and God, we can endure this apostle, the Pope, or Antichrist, in his rule as head or lord. For to lie and to kill, and to destroy body and soul eternally, that is wherein his papal government really consists, as I have very clearly shown in many books." Smalcald Articles, Part II, Article IV, The Papacy, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 475. Tappert, p. 301. 2 Thessalonians 2:4. [Marks of the Antichrist: the falling away, apostasia, verse 3; seat in the temple of God, verse 4; acts godlike, verse 4; works have the power of Satan (also see John 8:44); will remain until Judgment Day, verse 8.]

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 463f. 2 Thessalonians 2:3ff.

"Satan torments you until you conclude that you are lost and ruined, that heaven and earth, God and all the angels, are your enemies." Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 247. Exaudi Psalm 6:7-8. "For that rogue, the devil, has a sharp vision and easily becomes conscious of the presence of a true Christian. Therefore he exerts himself to entrap him, and surrounds and attacks him on all sides; for he cannot bear that anyone should desert his kingdom."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 264. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

"Neither is he [Satan] truthful; he is the spirit of lies, who, by means of false fear and false comfort having the appearance of truth, both deceives and destroys. He possesses the art of filling his own victims with sweet comfort ; that is, he gives them unbelieving, arrogant, secure, impious hearts...He can even make them joyful; furthermore, he renders them haughty and proud in their opions, in their wisdom and self-made personal holiness; then no threat nor terror of God's wrather and of eternal damnation moves them, but their hearts grow harder than steel or adamant." Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 302. Pentecost, Third Sermon John 14:23-31.

"Thus also the devil is angry because God wants to trample him under foot by means of flesh and blood. If a mighty spirit were opposed to him, he would not be so sorely vexed; but it greatly angers him that a poor worm of the dust, a fragile earthen vessel defies him, a weak vessel against a mighty prince. God has placed his treasure, says St. Paul, in a poor, weak vessel; for man is weak, easily aroused to anger, avaricious, arrogant, and weighed down with other imperfections, through which Satan easily shatters the earthen vessel; for if God would permit him, he would soon have utterly destroyed the whole vessel."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 268. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

"The devil does not sleep, he will do many more such things, he looks around and exerts himself to exterminate the pure doctrine in the Church and will finally, it is feared, bring it to this, that should one pass through all Germany he would find no pure pulpit, where the Word of God is preached as in former days. He tries with all his might to prevent the pure doctrine from being taught, for he cannot endure it."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

"The devil also is able to present to the factious spirits the idea that they regard themselves as right, like the Arians who thought their cause was right."

"The reference [the Votum] is simply to a disposition to trust and love God sincerely, and a willingness of heart and mind to serve God and man to the utmost. The devil seeks to prevent this state by terror, by revealing death and by every sort of misfortune; and by setting up human devices to induce the heart to seek comfort and help in its own counsels and in man. Thus led astray, the heart falls from trust in God to a dependence upon itself."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 111. Fourth Sunday in Advent, Philippians 4:7

"If Satan were only prudent enough to keep quiet and let the Gospel be preached, he would receive less injury from it; for if the Gospel is not attacked it completely rusts and has no occasion or reason to make its power and influence manifest."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 300. Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:15-22

"When one heresy dies, another presently springs up; for the devil neither slumbers nor sleeps. I myself--though I am nothing--who have now been in the ministry of Christ for twenty years, can truthfully testify that I have been attacked by more than twenty sects. Some of these have entirely perished; others still twitch with life like pieces of dismembered insects. But Satan, that god of factious men, raises up new sects."

Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1270. Preface, Galatians Commentary Galatians.

"Indeed, more factious spirits shall arise and it shall come to pass that they will not regard Christ as God, nor as the son of a virgin. For the devil is so cunning and skilful that, if one thing is taken from him, he makes use of another. Thus it has been from the beginning, and it will continue to be so in the future."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 269. Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12

"In like manner must all come to shame and be overthrown who rise up against this divine wisdom and the Word of God. Consequently no one should fear even if all the wisdom and power of the world oppose the Gospel, yea, even if they plan to suppress it by the shedding of blood; for the more blood is shed, the more Christians there will be. The blood of the Christians, as Tertulian says, is the seed from which Christians grow. Satan must be drowned in the blood of Christians, consequently there is no art that can suppress the Gospel by force."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 299. Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 22:15-22

"We have now sowed a little of the Word, and this the devil cannot stand, for he never sleeps; the worms and the beetles will come and infect it. Yet so it must be, Christ will prove His Word, and examine who have received it and who not. Therefore let us remain on the right road to the kingdom of Christ, and not go about with works and urge and force the works of the law, but only with the words of the Gospel which comfort the conscience: Be happy, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 201. Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matthew 9:1-8

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Vatican will have two Popes - Telegraph

Vatican will have two Popes - Telegraph:

By Nick Squires, Rome

2:03PM GMT 26 Feb 2013

126 Comments

The honorific title added further confusion to Benedict’s exact status after his historic resignation, muddying the lines between his papacy and that of his successor.

The Vatican had earlier indicated that his most likely title would be Bishop Emeritus of Rome, so as not to give the impression that the Catholic Church has two Popes – a scenario that has led to damaging schisms in past centuries.

The 85-year-old German pontiff will continue to be addressed as “His Holiness” after he abdicates and goes into retirement.

His official papal ring, which shows St Peter fishing, will be destroyed with a hammer according to Vatican tradition.

The task of smashing it is entrusted to the ‘camerlengo’ or chamberlain, in this case Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State.

The custom dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was feared that if the ring fell into the wrong hands, documents could be falsely approved in the Pope’s name.

Benedict will give up wearing the soft red leather shoes he has become fond of and will instead opt for brown loafers given to him by shoemakers during a trip to Mexico last year.

Benedict announced earlier this month that he had decided to resign because of dwindling physical and mental strength, becoming the first pontiff since 1294 to willingly give up the papacy.

The resignation has thrown up difficult questions of etiquette and procedure for the Vatican, with officials initially flummoxed as to what he would be called, what he would wear and where he might live.

After long discussion with Benedict, they have decided that his title after retirement will be either “Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI" or "Roman Pontiff emeritus Benedict XVI".

People will be required to address him as "Your Holiness," and refer to him as "His Holiness".

Benedict’s replacement will be elected in a conclave of 115 cardinals, to be held in the Sistine Chapel.

The date on which the conclave starts will be determined by the College of Cardinals when they meet in the days after the papacy becomes vacant at 8pm local time on Thursday.

The cardinals are expected to meet on March 4 and to set the date for the conclave then.

On Monday Benedict issued a special decree, known in Latin as a motu proprio, which gave the cardinals permission to bring forward the conclave, rather than wait for 15 days, as Vatican law stipulates.

The Pope spent Tuesday sorting through his papers – he will take personal correspondence with him into retirement, while official documents will be sent to the Vatican Secret Archives and other repositories of the Holy See.

He will hold his final general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday, with crowds of more than 200,000 expected.

On Thursday he will be flown from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence, where he will stay for two months before moving into a former nunnery inside the Vatican walls.

'via Blog this'

Discussing the Bar Episode Would Violate the Eighth Commandment -
Said Joel Lillo in Discussing the Bar Episode

In the Synodical Conference and ELCA, discussing an issue is a violation of the Eighth Commandment. No other Commandments need apply.

But according to one Lutheran author, there are three reasons for removing a pastor from his position:

False doctrine.
Refusal to do his work.
Moral turpitude.

But if all three apply to a Church and Changer, nothing at all is done. If you object, you have violated the Eighth Commandment.

---

Joel Lillo has left a new comment on your post "Pastor Joel Lillo Did NOT Answer My Question, But ...":

Greg,

My question to you is this: "Why would you expect me to provide you with ammunition so that you can break the Eighth Commandment?" You should be thanking me that I'm not being an enabler for your sin.

Antinomian, indeed! Pshaw!!!!

Opus Dei Did This Long Ago.
Vatican admits secretly bugging its own clergy - Telegraph

Vatican admits secretly bugging its own clergy - Telegraph:

Vatican admits secretly bugging its own clergy

The Vatican admitted on Thursday that it had secretly bugged clergy within the Holy See as part of the investigation into the Vatileaks scandal, which resulted in the Pope's butler being imprisoned for stealing confidential pontifical documents.

Sir David now has the public support not only of Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, but also the leaders of the NHS

Paolo Gabriele's scandal rocked the Catholic Church and reportedly contributed to Benedict's decision to resign Photo: AFP

By Nick Squires, Rome

5:31PM GMT 28 Feb 2013

Like much of the rest of his papacy, Benedict's last day in office was overshadowed by claims of secrecy and intrigue.

An Italian news magazine, Panorama, claimed that Vatican authorities had conducted, and are still conducting, an extensive covert surveillance programme, tapping the phone calls and intercepting the emails of cardinals and bishops in the Curia, the governing body of the Catholic Church.

The surveillance operation was to weed out Vatican insiders who may have helped Paolo Gabriele, the butler, steal and leak to the press compromising papal documents, in a scandal that rocked the Catholic Church and reportedly contributed to Benedict's decision to resign.

The Vatican confirmed that secret surveillance had indeed taken place, but on a far smaller scale than that portrayed by Panorama.

In response to a question by The Daily Telegraph at a press briefing, Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said surveillance had taken place but "not of the dimensions described".

"In the context of Vatileaks, some intercepts and checks were authorised by the Vatican magistracy," he said.

It was investigators from the Vatican magistracy who led the prosecution against Mr Gabriele in a lightning-fast trial which resulted in his conviction for aggravated theft.

He was sentenced to 18 months behind bars but spent only a few weeks in a Vatican "secure room" before receiving a pardon from Benedict just before Christmas.

Father Lombardi said the secret surveillance operation involved the wiretapping of "two or three" telephone lines, but did not specify who they belonged to.

The Vatileaks scandal exploded last year when it emerged that the Pope's personal valet had been stealing documents from the papal apartments and leaking them to journalists in what he said was an attempt to expose "evil and corruption" within the Church.

Benedict personally appointed three elderly cardinals, including a prominent member of Opus Dei, to investigate the leaks, amid suspicions that the butler had not acted alone.

Many of the documents damaged the standing of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who as Secretary of State is equivalent to the Vatican's prime minister and is second in authority only to the Pope.

^{Federico Lombardi said surveillance had taken place but 'not of the dimensions described' (Getty)}

Panorama claimed it was he who authorised the secret bugging operation but that was denied by Father Lombardi.

The surveillance operation was carried out by the Vatican Gendarmerie, the papal police force, which is headed by Domenico Giani, a former officer in the Italian intelligence services.

"For more than a year, emails, telephone conversations, meetings and discussions were meticulously placed under observation by the Gendarmerie," said Panorama's Vatican expert, Ignazio Ingrao, in what amounted to "a sort of Vatican Big Brother" operation.

"Everyone was spied on in the Vatican. In the shadow of the cupola of St Peter's Basilica, the biggest and most detailed wiretapping operation ever conducted in the sacred palaces was conducted," the magazine said.

"Even the email accounts of bishops and cardinals were sifted through and their phone lines placed under scrutiny." The three cardinals delivered the results of their investigation to the Pope in December, but the hunt for moles within the Holy See was still going on, Panorama claimed.

Father Lombardi has previously said that the investigation is still formally open.

'via Blog this'

Martin Luther Sermons

Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog

Bethany Lutheran Church Sleepy Eye Assisted Living. 1100 1st Ave S. Apt 243. Sleepy Eye MN 56085-1863Pastor Gregory Jackson, PhDUSA, Canada, Australia, Philippines10 AM Central - Sunday Service
**We use The Lutheran Hymnal and the King James Version**

Luther's Sermons: Lenker Edition
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Sunday, March 3, 2013

Oculi - The Third Sunday in Lent. Luke 11:14-28.
Can Satan Drive Out Satan?

Third Sunday in Lent

The Stronger Man

Quotations on Satan and the Devil for Oculi Sunday.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Vatican will have two Popes - Telegraph

Discussing the Bar Episode Would Violate the Eighth Commandment -
Said Joel Lillo in Discussing the Bar Episode

Opus Dei Did This Long Ago.
Vatican admits secretly bugging its own clergy - Telegraph

Vatican admits secretly bugging its own clergy

The Vatican admitted on Thursday that it had secretly bugged clergy within the Holy See as part of the investigation into the Vatileaks scandal, which resulted in the Pope's butler being imprisoned for stealing confidential pontifical documents.

Martin Luther Sermons

Bethany Lutheran Church Sleepy Eye Assisted Living. 1100 1st Ave S. Apt 243. Sleepy Eye MN 56085-1863Pastor Gregory Jackson, PhDUSA, Canada, Australia, Philippines10 AM Central - Sunday ServiceWe use The Lutheran Hymnal and the King James Version

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Third Sunday in Lent

The Stronger Man

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Related Articles

Vatican admits secretly bugging its own clergy

The Vatican admitted on Thursday that it had secretly bugged clergy within the Holy See as part of the investigation into the Vatileaks scandal, which resulted in the Pope's butler being imprisoned for stealing confidential pontifical documents.

Related Articles

Bethany Lutheran Church Sleepy Eye Assisted Living. 1100 1st Ave S. Apt 243. Sleepy Eye MN 56085-1863Pastor Gregory Jackson, PhDUSA, Canada, Australia, Philippines10 AM Central - Sunday Service
**We use The Lutheran Hymnal and the King James Version**