The Lutheran Librarian, Alec Satin, Is Providing a New, Free, Online Postils Volume. Here Is the Old Introduction - Printed Version

 Younguns do not know Planet of the Apes. Taylor lands on a planet ruled by apes and finally realizes it is his own planet, nearly destroyed by nuclear war. In the movie, the Stature of Liberty, half-buried, reminds Taylor that he is seeing the future. The graphic is more true of Lutherans than ever before. We blew it up through neglect and listening to false teachers like the current synod presidents and faux-bishop.

Alec - The acknowledgements page on volume 4 is sweet. Here’s a refresher from your book:

This volume is dedicated to Gary and Alicia Meyer, who were married 52 years before he passed into eternal life. Gary was a Lieutenant in the US Air Force and flew refueling aircraft for six years. He then flew overseas for United Airlines for 30 years, and later served in the Air National Guard. Their sons are Kurt, Eric, and Brett. Gary and Alicia were early supporters of our Internet services and publications at Bethany Lutheran Church. We look forward to Alicia’s cheerful, monthly, handwritten notes.

Volume IV was a challenge in editing. The almost final version was lost twice, once through file corruption. Three people helped in removing errors from the basic text. Virginia Roberts, Terry and Lori Howell went over every line. That is time consuming and requires great patience and attention to detail. No book is free from human error, but their labor of love made it so much easier for future readers.

Reading each sermon is also a way to find gems, which will be gathered in the ninth volume, to promote interest in Luther’s timeless sermons.

My wife Christina is a constant source of encouragement, and quite an expert in German. She is a major reason why I am putting together a lengthy series of books – she considers it a valuable use of time.

Norma A. Boeckler has designed the Biblical art and cover for this volume. She has a world-wide group of followers who love her work and find inspiration in her Scriptural illustrations and books.

Janie Sullivan is our invaluable editor for finishing the book for Amazon and Kindle e-books. She has improved each volume with her skills. —Gregory L. Jackson, The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, October 2017.

Upcoming Publishing and Educational Events

 Treasures from Luther's House Postils - full color - is only $3.65 when ordered directly from the Ich-abode. Copies might used as extra Christmas presents - sent stealthily to OJ fans. The Kindle version of Treasures is only 99 cents.

But Wait! There's More!

 A coffee hobbyist showed me how much could be put on one Kindle, so I asked Janie Sullivan to create a Kindle with all the House Postils and the Treasures. $2.99. That means 1,000 pages of Luther with Norma Boeckler's beautiful illustrations.

I will be checking to make sure both versions are in the free PDF folder for downloading from Dropbox. You do not need Dropbox to download those files.

My author's price is always about 40% of Amazon's non-profit price, because they add an extra amount for their profit.

I am thinking about how to treat the Ichabod Lutheran Lectionary, and I think I have a plan to limit it and make it useful - dealing with disputed topics and not trying to cover everything. Writing condensed topics is hard, slow work, so trying to write another RGG would never end.

Likewise, a history of American Lutherdom has to be focused rather than flitting from name to name, date to date. For that reason I am treating that as earlier (General Synod) and later (Walther cult) Pietism, since both branches come from Halle University Pietism and Rationalism.

But first, I am working on two projects.

1. Updating the language of a public domain Luther's Galatians Commentary.
2. Writing CFW Walther, The American Calvin.

 Pilgrim's Progress - the most read book in the English language, after the Bible, and translated into 200 languages.

Educational Programs

We are finishing the Gospel of Mark in Greek this Wednesday.

I am planning on teaching Pilgrim's Progress (Ustream) from January to Ash Wednesday, about 8 sessions. There will be a separate Facebook page for the alerts and the links.

The Gospel of John in Greek (Ustream) will start after Pilgrim's Progress, aiming for beginners but welcoming the veterans. There is nothing like having some knowledge of this Gospel in Greek and then repeating the process, reading it all over again. We will start slowly and complete the entire Gospel in Greek.

Reasons for Veterans To Return to the Fourth Gospel in Greek

• First, there is the added knowledge of the Fourth Gospel, aka the Gospel of Faith, aka the Doctrinal Gospel.
• Second, starting over with a reading knowledge means no longer wobbling along like a kid on his first two-wheeler.

Lutheran seminarians, they are fooling you if you think an introduction to Greek in summer school is going to be worth much. It takes time with the Greek text, no written-in words, no ponies (jimmies) to use while pretending to translate. Grammar and vocabulary are derived from reading, but translating is not derived from memorizing lists of vocabulary words and obscure grammar rules.

Some Possible Future Projects

Pastor Jordan Palangyos has asked about future book projects, and I am thinking about some Biblical booklets that can be used in English and also translated and and printed in Ilocano.

 Glen Kotten is our ambassador to the Philippines. We met him and worshiped with Chris and Pastor Jim Shrader in Sioux Falls in October. His church is also helping with the Philippine mission.

One Small Step for Amazon, One Giant Leap for Lutherdom

 This was the final goal, to have Luther's House Postils in color, merged into one place with the Treasures (quotations) from those volumes - on Kindle $2.95 - and on a free PDF.
At least it was the final goal, until Luther's Galatians came up as a new project.

Janie Sullivan and Norma A. Boeckler always humor me when I aim at publishing on the cutting edge of media. This was a big project, starting with:

1. Warren Malach asking for the three-volume Postils set, 
2. Alec Satin getting the basic text together, a major task,
3. Virginia Roberts helping with editing and the Treasures,
4. Norma A. Boeckler illustrating all four volumes in color and designing the covers,
5. Janie Sullivan drawing it together for print, Kindle, and free PDFs, and
6. HAL at Amazon finishing the work and approving.

As the educational expert from the Left Coast wrote, "The day may come when we will have much more suppression of materials. It is good to have them distributed in advance, in many places." (paraphrased) Various experiences led to making everything from here public domain and non-profit (not that much profit ever piled up). Alec Satin does this with free eBooks (Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry) and low cost printed books (Lutheran Librarian).

Some were not able to read all eight volumes of Luther's Sermons merged on Kindle (though Janie and others could), but I found this House Postils set plus the Treasures could be read easily as one unit on my version of Kindle. That means 1,000 pages of Luther's household sermons, plus some of the best passages from those sermons.

Why Spend Money To Publish and Make No Money on Kindle?

First of all, I am appalled at those who rob fellow Lutherans by charging outrageous prices for their Kindle versions. They could make a modest profit and facilitate an enormous interest in Luther and other great authors. We are publishing at the lowest price possible, sending books out at the author's price (no profit and a much lower price than Amazon's set amount) - and also for free. Yes, we gladly send out free books.

And if we want to read their own hateful bilge, like David Scaer's Surviving the Storm, we would not have to miss a meal to read it on Kindle. (Waldo Werning's niece asked WW before he died, "Are you training someone to take your place?") We have the answer - Yes, David Scaer - Waldo reborn - from The Fort, sometimes pronounced with the St. Louis Irish dialect.

The main reason for Kindle, now that I have had some fun - is the world-wide distribution. We heard from Africa, "Your PDF does not open on my cell phone." This made Mrs. Ichabod laugh, because we only have a flip phone. As digital devices get cheaper and more widely used in the Third World, Kindle is the natural bridge to those people.

Kindle Version - Treasures from Luther's House Postils - 99 cents.

The Treasures from Luther's House Postils - Full Color - Print, Kindle, and free PDF

Why print, Kindle, and free PDF the Treasures by itself?

This volume had to come at the end, after the three volumes of sermons were published. The quotations cite the page number and volume of each one of the selected passages from Luther. The idea is to provide a lot more reading of Luther rather than quips snatched out of the air and left without a source. ("I dunno. I heard that he said that.")

Secondly, some might want to own or give away the full color, illustrated printed quotations for only $3.95. The sermons are like phone books (remember those?). The Treasures are slender, in large print, and far less expensive to obtain in color.

The free PDF of the Treasures alone is easy to share with someone not familiar with Luther.

The free PDF of all the House Postils plus the Treasures is found here at this Dropbox link.

Between the Gems Mined from the Lenker Luther Sermons and the Treasures from the House Postils, a pastor or seminary student has a wealth of passages to quote. He might want to make Luther familiar to those otherwise assaulted by the wisdom of Fuller Seminary, Willow Crick, and the professors too lazy to earn a real doctorate.

Schedule - Missionary Booklets - Then Luther

The English missionary booklet is done, and we are finishing Pastor Palangyos' translation.

Another translation (the second Philippine language) will be done. My teaching schedule interferes with the medical appointments, which conflict with getting things done.

The next projects are:

1. Treasures of the House Postils - some of the best quotations of Luther, to introduce this often overlooked set of sermons.
2. Then we will merge the three volumes in color with the Treasures into one free PDF for distribution everywhere (public domain).

Pastor Warren Malach suggested the House Postils and Alec Satin made it happen. When I last looked, the House Postils were hard to find in the latest combo of Lenker + House Postils, owned by CPH. A typical Luther volume from CPH costs $50 and up.

Luther on the Difference between One Party and the Smaller Group

From # 16. Sunday After Christ's Ascension. Second Sermon. John 15:26 — 16:4. House Postils

 

[40] From the analysis given, you may decide for yourself in which group you are to be found; for you must be on one side or the other, and it is useless to wait for human council in this matter. It has already been unalterably determined that the two divisions can never agree. The larger body, which has the recognized authority, will always persecute the minority, even to the extent of excommunication and murder, as practiced from the beginning. Those who know Christ — the true Christians — will accept Christ's classification and be numbered with the minority, who have the Word and the knowledge of Christ, and they will suffer persecution for the faith rather than, for the sake of the friendship and honor of this world, to belong to those who, condemned by Christ, are the bitterest foes of God and of the Church, and who cannot see the kingdom of God, nor be saved.

 

[41] In this article of faith, distinction must be made between the true Church and the false; for it is the command of God and of Christ that one shall not be confused with the other. Therefore, we must separate ourselves from the papal Church, regardless of the fact that they trust in their Church authority and condemn us as apostates.

 

[42] If they excommunicate and persecute us because of our evangelical preaching and our knowledge of Christ, we already have the decision of Christ that they are not the true Church, and their office and all the authority of which they boast cannot avail against us; that rather our teaching and judgments against them shall avail before God in heaven. We are certain, by reason of the test which Christ here applies, that the true Church is with the few who know Christ and are united in doctrine, faith and confession of him. And where the true Church is and abides, there remain, also, the offices of the Church, the sacraments, the keys and all things given to it by Christ; it needs neither to ask nor to receive them from pope or council. In the true Church, not only is the office pure in itself, but those who exercise it use it lawfully.

Working on Edits of The Path To Understanding Justification. Luther's House Postils, 3 Volumes Are Almost Done

Luther's House Postils, Volumes 1-3 are finishing at Amazon, but the House Postil Gems will have to wait a bit. Then the four PDFs will be merged and given away for free.

The most unlikely person took home the first Gems.

Tonight I am doing more editing of The Path To Understanding Justification. God willing, that will be sent to Janie Sullivan soon.
It also needs illustrations. The covers are done.

Next Three Books

Janie Sullivan has Luther's House Postils II and III, so they are very close to being done. Volume II needs a little adjusting on the cover.

The Path to Understanding Justification is roughly done, so I sent a PDF of the Q version. Yes, that happened by accident - or was it? - because the pain is coming to the Objective Justification snake oil salesmen.

People are becoming wise to the forgiveness-without-faith swindle that has decimated the Lutheran synods. ELCA felt it first and the others thought, "Oh boy. We can work with ELCA and share the loot and fancy conferences, but soak up all their members they are losing."

But that never happened. By fastening themselves to ELCA, like lint on velcro, they took on the same characteristics and the same doom for the faithless.

Upcoming Books - Martin Chemnitz Press. Scaer - Moses and Paul Were Synergists!

 According to David Scaer, Moses was a synergist, because he described Justification by Faith. No Objective Justification! Not only that, lacking OJ, nothing is left but sanctification. Moses was a Romanist too.

Volume 2 of Luther's House Postils is at Amazon and requires a little tinkering.

Volume 3 is read to upload there this week.

The Path to Understanding Justification is almost done, rough draft.

The next two titles will be:

The Ichabod Lutheran Dictionary

American Lutheran Doctrinal History

Logically, the phrase subjective justification can only have meaning if there is objective or some other kind of prior justification. Remove “objective” from the justification equation, then subjective justification becomes nothing other than sanctification, God’s work within the sinner to make him a believer. That is the Roman Catholic position. If subjective justification completely defines God’s justification of the sinner, then Christ can be seen as the cause of justification, but not the one who completes it. This can only be done by faith. If this is so, all theology is not Christology.

Scaer, David P. Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer (Kindle Locations 5575-5580). Luther Academy. Kindle Edition.

Luther's Household Sermons 1 Is Done, Volumes 2 and 3 Are with Janie Sullivan

Janie Sullivan had some eye surgery, so she needs some rest before she finishes the last two House Postils, but she does have them.

• One set of three will be in color.
• One set will be in black and white.
• Kindle ebooks, in color, will be set at the lowest price.
• Gems will be mined for a one volume sampler.
• All four will be merged for a free, color PDF.

More Luther on the Way

Luther

Janie Sullivan has Volume 1. She will work on the next two volumes as she finishes this one. I should be able to get the next two to her pretty fast. Alec Satin did most of the work and Norma Boeckler designed the covers and illustrations.

Each volume will be printed

1. in color, 
2. black and white, and 
3. as a Kindle ebook.

Each PDF will be posted a free, public domain volume.

From the printed copies we will gather House Postil Gems, publishing that in color only. Virginia Roberts is helping with this, her second Gems.

I warned Janie that I will ask her to merge volumes 1-3 and the Gems into one PDF.

Dictionary

I have started the Ichabod Lutheran Dictionary and will be working on that until I finish the Zs.

Justification by Faith Exegesis

This has a priority deadline, because of my wife's birthday on July 20th. It falls on the anniversary of the moon landing, and the start of the LCMS convention.

I know how Lutherans avoid real research outwardly, but it spreads inwardly, stealthily nevertheless. The great and wise did everything short of a book-burning with Thy Strong Word, but it got around and is still read.

The Otten-McCain-Harrison regime is the most toxic ever, so I hope that Lutherans will recognize the truth of the Chief Article, the swindle of Objective Justification, its crafts and assaults.

American Lutheran Doctrinal History

Someone asked me to summarize American Lutheran history, and I countered with - Yes, if I deal mainly with doctrine. My plan is to deal with the ELCA side as one movement, the Stephan-Walther side as the other.

Upcoming Books - In Order

Some Lutheran Books made available by Alec Satin.

The current books  have been ordered for the intended readers. That does not mean they have all arrived. In another week, if you feel like an actor whose name was not announced at the Oscar's, let me know. Amazon's method of printing and delivery can only be interpreted at Delphi.

Priority

Luther's House Postils are the priority now, and Volume 1 is close to being sent to Janie Sullivan. They will be available in color, black and white, free PDF, and combined PDF with the House Gems. Thus Luther fans could search 11 volumes of Luther's Sermons from two free (color) PDFs. Thanks to WM for suggesting the House Sermons and Alec Satin for jumping on the project.

Next Two Books

I will writing the Ichabod Lutheran Dictionary next, a way to explain basic concepts in one volume.

Saddened by the pathetic Biblical knowledge of the Lutheran leaders, I am putting together exegesis of the Justification by Faith passages. The LCMS convention starts on Mrs. Ichabod's birthday, July 20th, so I want the exegesis out and available before then, hoping the McCain-Otten-Harrison triumvirate will be allowed to retire with dignity, grace, and contrition for their grave doctrinal sins.

Future Projects

Another request came in, over the transom - a history of American Lutheranism. I countered with a doctrinal history, because pure history gets rather tedious and does not lead anywhere by itself. Many church historians are atheists or indifferent.

Other things may develop.

Oh Jay! -- Still Looking for Luther's OJ? - Objective Justification?

Here is that other quote I mentioned the other day!

"We can therefore very appropriately describe the world as a crowd of men on earth who do not believe in Christ, but abuse and despise His Word, who internally and externally, with thoughts, words and deeds, kill, steal, rob, and practice all manner of wickedness, often abusing for this purpose the blessings and merciful gifts of God.

Christ in our text instructs His apostles, and all ministers of His Word, to battle against such iniquity, powerfully to reprove the world of sin by telling it unceasingly, as long as time lasts, that it has no part in the kingdom of Christ, because it does not believe in Him, but is assuredly the devil's property, not so much on account of outward, gross sins as on account of the source of all sin, unbelief. We cannot remedy this by becoming monks, nor by many good works, for as long as unbelief remains in our hearts we are accursed sinners beyond all hope of redemption. The only remedy in this our desperate condition is to thrust aside our unbelief, to have faith in Christ, and in Him alone to find consolation against sin and death."

From Luther. House Postil vol. 2. "Fourth Sunday After Easter. (Cantate.) John 16:5-15."

Completely different gospel from UOJ!

 "Lord Buchholz, I should have written a longer paper..."
LB: "No."

Luther's House Postils - Three Volumes - Are in the Finishing Stages

1. Warren Malach encouraged us to pursue this project.
2. Soon - the text was prepared by Alec Satin, The Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry.
3. The covers are being completed by Norma A. Boeckler for the full color and black and white editions.
4. There will also be a Kindle ebook edition, 99 cents for each of the three volumes.
5. Janie Sullivan will work on the print and Kindle editions.
6. A Gems book will be compiled from the best long quotations in those three volumes, to be called tentatively - Household Sermon Gems from Luther's Postils. I hope to make it full color and shorter for inexpensive, beautiful gifts, the best kind of education and evangelism.
7. God willing, a combination PDF will be made of all three color volumes and the Gems, one file, offered free and public domain for anyone and everyone to share.

The people in world missions are very pleased about our free, public domain distribution of an increasing number of titles.

Alex Satin already has 72 books I have used, would use again,  and "new ones" I would gladly have in my print library. These are old Lutheran classics that should be known by pastors and laity but fall into neglect. Why? The ALC/LCA ignores their faithful scholars from the past. The LCMS-WELS-ELS leaders favor Walther, Fuller Seminary, and Willow Creek.

My books are all being made available as free, public domain ebooks. I will get more of them posted if I can get off this D5 avalanche for a few days. Yes, I have a welcome break from online teaching coming up for a few weeks. That will work out fine.

Here is your one-stop place for everything mentioned above:

Luther's Sermons, Lenski's Commentaries, Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry, and Gregory L. Jackson books - free and also public domain.

Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry - Over 72 Titles - Free EBooks. Back Covers of Luther's House Postils

Luther's House Postils, Volume One 

Over 72 free ebooks from the Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry, including:

• Loehe's Small Catechism 
• Sayings of Charles P. Krauth 
• Martin Luther, by Henry Eyster Jacobs 
• The First Free Lutheran Diet, by Jacobs 
• The Life of Melanchthon, by Joseph Stump 
• Luther Examined and Re-Examined, by William Dau 

 ---

Luther's House Postils, Volume Two
Over 72 free ebooks from the Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry, including:

• Life of Passavant, by G. H. Gerberding 
• Election and Predestination, by R. C. H. Lenski 
• The Story of My Life, by Matthias Loy 
• The Doctrine of Justification, by Loy 
• First Principles of the Reformation, by Luther 

---

Luther's House Postils, Volume Three 

Over 72 free ebooks from the Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry, including:

• Churches and Sects, by J. L. Neve 
• Life of Theodore Schmauck, by G. Sandt 
• The Confessional Principle, by Schmauk 
• Church History for Lutheran Young People, by Peter Stromme

lutheranlibrary.org

This collection is constantly growing - free to all users - invaluable for laity to become more informed and for pastors and seminary students to have and use a portable library.

The Big Reveal for Newcomers to Classic Lutheran Books. House Postils in All FormatsT

 The three volumes of the House Postils (sermons for Luther's household) will be produced in print, Kindle, and free PDF - all public domain.

We have had so many join the Classic Lutheran Books page on Facebook that I wanted to bring everyone up to date.

I began the Facebook page to let people know about all the great, classic Lutheran ebooks being offered by the Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry.

Meanwhile, I decided to make all my books public domain, so anyone could reprint, use, and translate those books without asking permission, paying a fee, or dodging my attorney, Glen Kotten.

The next logical step was - identify sources for other free or inexpensive books, including those in other languages. I am putting them on one Ichabod page for now. I may have to do some sorting in the future as the list grows. The titles I have are accessed by Dropbox links, whether the reader has that software or not.

Here is the Ichabod page for free, public domain books:

1. Luther's Semons and Gems in one file.
2. Lenski's Commentaries in individual files.
3. Some of my books - the rest will be added.
4. Additional resources, such as Luther in many languages.

So the big reveal today is that the complete Luther's House Postils will be produced, as public domain books:

• Full color, illustrated by Norma A. Boeckler.
• Black and white print.
• Color Kindle, 99 cents for each volume.
• Combined color, all three volumes plus Household Gems, free PDF.

One volume is almost ready for the finishing editor and Amazon.

 Our artist-in-residence, Norma A. Boeckler, has contributed vast amounts of art to illustrate the Scriptures and hymns. She has helped others with their books as well.