Löhe on Leviticus 11:45

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

confessionI am the LORD… your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. (Lev 11:45 NIV)

Remain confessing until the End! He remains absolving. He says the same again and again. That doesn’t bother and concern him really as it serves a good purpose, namely to confirm us in the true faith of the full validity of Christ’s merit and vicarious salvation. Therefore remain faithful confessors of your sin and adherents to his holy absolution by which he remits all of your trespasses and forgives all your iniquities! That’s how you remain standing in this struggle and that’s how you enter through to victory finally. That’s how you get admitted to the victor over death and devil so that you too can fall down and worship him, who alone is worthy of praise, honour and glory + Let us strive in this way and desire to reach there, where no shadows taint our faith and where at last we will see the fulfilment of the clear demand and promise: I am the LORD… your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

Lord Jesus, you are the life and light of your people. We ask you to illuminate us with your Holy Spirit so that we may recognize ourselves and you properly – us in our sinfulness and you in your holy love and grace. Help us self-centred people to earnestly and realistically deny ourselves. Lord Jesus, in our lives we have take far too much time away from you and for idleness and spiritual sloth and laziness. Enlighten and strengthen us through your Holy Spirit, that we seriously resist our sin and strive to give up all sinfulness. That we will no longer embellish or whitewash our corruption and rather crucify ourselves onto your cross. Tear us away from our own sinful being o Lord Jesus. Wherever this struggle of self-denial is fought amongst us – even in privacy and hiddenness, there assist and enter the fray to strengthen the embattled and grant victory to those under attack. Where you find pride and false security among us, come and destroy all that can’t live up to your ways and good will. O Lord Jesus, create in us a new heart and grant us willing spirit to commit ourselves entirely to you – even unto death. Amen. (H. Lauerer)

Let me be Thine forever, Thou faithful God and Lord; Let me forsake Thee never, nor wander from Thy Word. Lord, do not let me waver, but give me steadfastness, And for such grace forever Thy holy name I’ll bless.

Lord Jesus, my salvation, my light, my life divine, My only consolation, oh, make me wholly Thine! For Thou hast dearly bought me with blood and bitter pain. Let me, since Thou hast sought me, eternal life obtain.

And Thou, O Holy Spirit, my comforter and guide, Grant that in Jesus’ merit I always may confide, Him to the end confessing whom I have known by faith. Give me Thy constant blessing and grant a Christian death. (Nikolaus Selnecker, 1532-1592 tr Matthias Loy, 1828-1915)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Saturday after the thirteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 312 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Saturday, the 31st August 2013

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

baptism 1You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. (Psa 86:5 NIV)

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (2Th 3:5 NIV)

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Seminary Open Day: Saturday, the 7th September

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

2013 Invitation ProgramIn a week’s time the Seminary Open Day is to be held at the LTS. Here is the planned program.

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Dikgang tse di Khutshwane tsa Kereke ya Lutere

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

LCSA Letterhead-002And here is the Church news in seTswana too. Dikgang tse di Khutshwane tsa Kereke ya Lutere September 2013 (Tswana): wt130828 Kga September 2013. Thanks to my father Rev. E.A.W.Weber DD for writing these updates for the LCSA! 

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IziNdaba eziFingqiweyo for September

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

LCSA Letterhead-002And here is the latest news from the LCSA in isiZulu: IziNdaba eziFingqiweyo zekerike ngokobuLuthere September 2013 (Zulu) emiBhalweni naseziVumeni zeKerike ngokobuLuthere: wz130827 NDA Septembe 2013

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Löhe on Galatians 3:22

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

forgiveness 1But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Gal 3:22 NIV)

At Sinai God through his legislation had the very clear intention of damning sin in a clear and impressive way. He condemned sin and the sinner too and everything that got into contact with sin in some or other way. That’s what is meant when St. Paul acknowledges: “Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin.” Everything – not just people or mankind. Just as the lightning at Sinai illuminated the desert, so the word uttered on Sinai  illuminates our hearts and lives with regards to sin. Just as the thunder roared over the wilderness at Sinai so too God’s curse thunders over all who transgress the law. The law clearly reveals the condemning consequences of disobedience and contravention against God’s will. Yet that is not the final goal of God’s revelation of the law.  Rather the apostle clarifies that God gave the law with the intention “so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.” So the locking up of all under the control of sin was not final nor conclusive, but rather to prevent anybody of trusting in the law to help and save on the one side and to encourage everybody to look for help and salvation only in grace. This promise does not point to an earned compensation, but rather a free gift of the almighty God to those poor and miserable sinners seeking help and salvation with Jesus Christ alone.

We are a people swallowed up in a tide of guilt. Yet our pilot has patiently wrested us free from death’s grip. His mission saved us from the stormy sees in which now stands tall and strong the saving cross of Golgotha.

We are a people tired from our toils and struggles. Yet our Lord is strong and stands tall above all else. His pastoral staff comforts me and all still tired and strained. The comfort in death’s grip is the cross of Golgotha.

We are your people even in passing ages. You remain the master of all time. We are yours in eternity – you the Alpha and Omega. The zenith of all ages, periods and epochs remains your saving cross of Golgotha.

(Hugo Reich, 1854* tr Wilhelm Weber)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Friday after the thirteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 311 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Friday, the 30th August 2013

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

DSC_0135Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. (Isa 2:5 NIV)

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. (Phi 2:14-15 NIV)

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Löhe on Galatians 3:21

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

moses and the law chagalIs the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. (Gal 3:21 NIV)

Old and New Testament, old and new ages arranged next to each other, although they are so different. It’s one of those great mysteries how these two belong and fit together. St. Paul addresses enemies of the gospel. They make life and salvation dependent of legal requirements and not grasping the gospel, which lifts high the cross for veneration and trusting faith. His enemies did not understand the difference between law and gospel properly. The apostle St. Paul works hard at clarifying this so that all might recognize that neither life nor righteousness emanate from the law. At best the law can protect and guard given life and righteousness, but it can never give it to those, who have lost these precious treasures. This is a given handicap of the law and legalism. God – our Lord – did not have the intention of sharing life and righteousness when he pronounced his commandments. Everybody can experience the truth of the apostles saying in his own life, because who ever saw his spiritual life and willingness to do good grow when the law of Sinai was proclaimed and pressed home? The louder and clearer the trombone of the law sounds, the more the hearers feel their own poverty and lack of righteousness. The more demanding the law pushes its requirements, the more the hearer is conscientized regarding his sinful being.

We bow down before you, o God and Lord, weighed down by our sin, our anxiety and our desire. Forgive us all our trespasses. Forgive our hastiness with which we have tended to not hear your word and soft-spoken admonition as carefully and attentively as we should have. Take all guilt away from our soul. We seek your grace and forgiveness. Grant peace to our hearts o Father. You know what is good for us. You see to it that you don’t load up burdens too heavy for us. Enter the fray of our thoughts, where we accuse and excuse ourselves, and grant to us, who don’t even understand ourselves, gracious pardon and rest. Show us that, which is needful and grant to us that peace that the world does not know. Amen. (Arper-Zillessen)  

All civil and legal righteousness is of no avail to reach the heavenly goal. Trusting our own endeavours, we are lastly but shamed and disappointed. The work of Jesus Christ alone saves me and all, who believe and are baptized. (Johann Heermann, 1585-1647)  

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Thursday after the thirteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 310 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Thursday, the 29th August 2013

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

rising sunThe LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. (Deu 28:12 NIV)

Your Father in heaven causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Mat 5:45 NIV)

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Löhe on Galatians 3:19

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

law and gospel1Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. (Gal 3:19 NIV)

The law has a preliminary meaning. St. Paul emphasizes that in more than one place. To the Romans he writes: Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (Rom 10:4 NIV)He has fulfilled the law and has thus set its goal. These words seem to stand in somewhat stark contrast to the sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ recorded by the synoptic gospels: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Mat 24:35 NIV) This holds true especially of his word in the Old Testament. Furthermore Jesus Christ confirms that he did not come to suspend or cancel the law or the prophets, but rather to fulfil them – and whoever does this against his express command will be the least in God’s kingdom: For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Mat 5:18-19 NIV)

Is this not a stark contradiction as pointed out above already? Not in the least! The divine law remains valid as God’s holy determination for us throughout the ages. We are subject to this law as God’s creatures and people of his Church and calling. Even at Sinai God already had both a short- and a long-term purpose – a temporary one and a permanent one. Giving life, sharing justification and creating blessed salvation – that’s not part of the law’s occupations and benefits. Rather it is to reveal God’s most holy and binding will for us throughout the changing times and seasons. This is a lasting purpose of the law. Besides that there is also the purpose of letting all people know, that there is no other way to salvation than faith in the gracious promises of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The Law of God is good and wise And sets His will before our eyes, Shows us the way of righteousness, And dooms to death when we transgress.

Its light of holiness imparts The knowledge of our sinful hearts That we may see our lost estate And turn from sin before too late.

To those who help in Christ have found And would in works of love abound It shows what deeds are His delight And should be done as good and right.

But those who scornfully disdain God’s Law shall then in sin remain; Its terror in their ear resounds And keeps their wickedness in bounds.

The Law is good; but since the fall Its holiness condemns us all; It dooms us for our sin to die And has no pow’r to justify.

To Jesus we for refuge flee, Who from the curse has set us free, And humbly worship at His throne, Saved by His grace through faith alone.

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Wednesday after the thirteenth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 309 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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