LÖHE ON 1.JOHN 2,5.15-17

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

Beauty of this worldBut if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him…Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1Jo 2:5.15-17 NIV)

What do you love? Do you love the world? It will pass away and its desires too. Acknowledgement with people? That’s blowing mere bubbles and great nothingness. Honour? That’s just a passing shadow. A big name in this world? Soon it is forgotten. Favour with the high and mighty? Then your really clutching at straws. Friends? They come and go like the tides of the oceans, like summer rains or the seasons. Father and mother? They are but mortal and will have to leave you sooner or later. Your children? They’re not yours really, they belong to the heavenly Father. Your own life? That’s a weaver’s coil and will be unravelled in no time. Your house? That’s about as an abiding abode as the whale was to Jonah.  It will spit you out naked with nothing to go with it. Your fields, forests and pastures? Who knows how soon somebody else will call it his own? What do you love? Vanity? That suffocates anybody in the long run. Do you love yourself? That’s probably the biggest disappointment of all in the end. Choose what you want here on earth. It’s all not more than a loss and bound to lead to serious disenchantment.

Only with God and his love do you never loose out. Therefore all saints have loved the Lord, their God. Yes, o good Lord, my soul sticks to your commandments and clings to your promises with faith, love and hope.

Proceed you soldiers from denial to enjoyment. Elect and of noble birth your called to live according to your high calling. As bride of Christ don’t get lost with temporary distractions!

We laugh at these and deride them outright. Beautiful this and that – we don’t regard it as ultimate – quite the contrary. What appears to be high and mighty, big and important too often is but burden- and cumbersome.

Money and stuff trouble and burden hearts, minds and conscience. Praise or flattery, bowing low, feigning, shaming, blaspheme even – its but blowing against the wind. Desires are sweet poison that even on the highest level of human achievement and success you find but passing fancies.

Our longing and our tears are better than worldly joys. Can you envision and grasp the hidden bliss? You’d rapidly neglect all stuff to join the wretched and despised bunch on its way to eternity.

(Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697-1769. The translation of this hymn is rather literal, but not poetical. The preceding devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Friday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 122 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Friday, the 22nd February 2013

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

The Fowlers SnareWe have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. (Psalm 124:7 NIV)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 NIV)

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Seminary has space to let

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

DSC_0417Seminary has space to let with immediate effect. Venter & van Wyk are doing this for us. Both houses are independent units, have good security and private garage(s) plus own access to the road. This is within walking distance to Lutheran Churches, the University of Pretoria, Schools, Parks, Union Buildings, Museums & Art galleries and shopping malls.

1. Farenden Strasse 345 (Dube House = 95m²) has 4 rooms and is available for 4 months i.e. up to the 30th June 2013.

Hokaai 12. Arcadia Street 768 (St. Mary’s = 244m²) is available for 10 months with the possibility to extend the rental.  This is a double story house with 4+2 rooms.

Anyone interested can call Venter & van Wyk or contact the Seminary during office hours: 012 344 2302.

 

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LÖHE ON JAMES 1:14

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

temptation of Jesus2Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. (Jam 1:14 NIV)

Temptations signal a sorry time, and often it’s even more sorry, because we tend to fall in them. Be it bread, honour, power – most often they don’t tempt us in vain. Each of these has been idolized and countless souls have fallen victim to their alluring. Don’t people go extreme distances to get these and make them their own? I’m not talking about others, but rather about you and me. My own heart and those whom I am most closely and friendly associated with, make me admit this as bitter experience. Oh bread has become for many the reason of great sin. Honour has given too many a big head and swollen ego. Power corrupts even in poor and lowly circles due to excessive ambition and ugly passions. We and our children, our neighbours and people to whom we belong have often seen the temptations of Jesus afflict us too with that difference that we were not as steadfast as he, but failed rather to often and most dismally and shamefully. It would be a good and fresh start if we could realize this and then go on to use bread, honour and power for what they are and not idolize them. It would help to achieve this if we put on Christ’s armour, with which he triumphed victoriously. Do we want that?

Nobody can serve two masters if the service is to be appropriate. He, who came for our salvation, isn’t happy with a half-hearted approach. Full salvation is for those, who belong entirely to him and are not still half-way attached to the world.

It is very dangerous to sit on the fence in this matter. You can’t serve two masters. Here you can’t keep middle ground, you have to go the way of the Lord all the way.

If security has overwhelmed you, temptations of this world are not far. This life is so enticing that you imagine that your in perfect happiness already. It’s the broad way, where first love diminishes fast and sanctified perception dim quickly.

If you feel this predicament, make sure you flee the threatening danger and rush towards the truth and saving grace of the Lord. Ask him for spiritual guidance and he will see you overcome! (Ludwig Böhringer, 1841-1928. The translation of this hymn is rather literal, but not poetical. The preceding devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Thursday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 121 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Thursday, the 21st February 2013

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

LiturgyMy soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. (Psalm 34:2 NIV)

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name. (Hebrews 13:15 NIV)

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… great cloud of witnesses (Hb.12,1-7)

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

ADuerer on ApokTherefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (Heb 12:1-7 NIV)

A wonderful confessional! As so often I find that the lectionary fits the occasion tailor-made. This week is under the watchword from 1.John 3,8b: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work and the theme given by Sunday Invocavit’s gospel is temptation and how to overcome it. Just as we heard in the previous devotions on Monday and Tuesday. Today this again is the theme of our confessional.

  • Goal:    To overcome temptation! Endure hardship as discipline!
  • Malady: Hindered and entangle by sin! Shame! Opposition from sinful men! Growing weary and loosing heart! Forgetting the word of encouragement: Lord’s discipline
  • Means: Discipline is a sign of God’s love and that he has accepted you as sons and that he is treating you as sons. (Story of the two brothers playing ball in the park!)
    • Go about your calling as sons of God!
      • Pray and Read his word +
      • Do your homework & tasks
      • Live friendly together with your brothers, housemates and fellow Seminarians and even outsiders.
  • Trouble of sin, shame, opposition, growing weary & loosing heart
    • Illness – accidents do happen!
    • Opposition/stumbling blocks
    • Forgetting word’s of encouragement, our calling, our destiny
  • Examples from holy Scripture (great cloud of witnesses!)
    • Joseph in Egypt
    • King David
    • Job – and all the Prophets: Starting off with Amos right through Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah.
    • Apostle St. Paul
    • Jesus himself – and his holy passion.

Read the first part of the reading again Heb.12,1-3. Confessional: Weary/losing heart/forgetting God’s goodness, mercy and love – that’s our sin, isn’t it? Now God wants to forgive, justify and heal + Revive our joy and place us under his gracious hand, protection and blessing +

The blood shedding has been accomplished by his son – under Pilates’ soldiers. Whipping, scorning, shaming, hurting, bleeding, thirsting, falling, pierced, stabbed, tortured and finally put to death – for us and our salvation. He did that for you + So that you would not lose heart or grow weary under the burden of your sins. Look up and see him on the right hand of the throne of the Father. Consider him and what he did for you. He proclaims with all authority in heaven and on earth: I forgive you all your sins + Depart in peace + joy of the Lord, your God. Amen.

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LÖHE ON HEBREWS 12:4

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

AquilaIn your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Heb 12:4 NIV)

Our Lord is prepared to instruct us to use his weaponry and with this armor triumph. However these weapons do not necessarily fit our preference. We resist their proper use even if the Holy Spirit reminds us with some insistence that victory could easily be ours, we’d overcome most serious afflictions if we’d use what he offers us. However we tend to resist with indignant vehemence. Oh how easily we put off God’s word and crystal clear commands! Daily the powers of the coming Age are there to refresh us in showers of grace and vitalize us by submerging us in them. We are encouraged to dress up daily with Christ’s armaments and attain one crucial victory after the other. Yes, move from strength to strength as we battle in the name of the Lord. Yet too often we just don’t feel like it. We’re not up to the struggle against the enemy, whose just out to get us and destroy us for ever. We lazily remain in our afflicted state and hesitate precariously instead of moving decisively from the broad onto the narrow way to our salvation. This is playing with fire.

We’re double sinners really. On the one side we can’t say that the enemy is to powerful and we are incapable of standing up to him, because we have only had to deal with human struggles up to now. In no temptation did we have to fight to the point of shedding our blood. We always had a word of God at hand, with which the old evil foe is put into a corner and down and out. The Holy Spirit was always there with vigorous help indeed – to carry us up and away as on eagle’s wings miles above the long stretch of deserts, treacherous precipices and insurmountable cliffs of temptation. Yet, we have to confess that we did not take our refuge solely in him, but were distracted from his goodness and instead attracted fatally to evil and its empty promises. Too little regret and far too late as well.

Up, up o my soul get on with the fight. Get up and off you go to triumph! In this world and age you’ll find no rest. If you don’t fight here, you’ll not bear the crown of glory there.

The devil stirs with treachery, the world joins in with its vainglory and our desires play their part to pull us on their side, o my soul! Watch out they’re out to get you and if you don’t resist bravely like a man, you’re half gone and have already lost.

Remember that you’re bound by your baptismal oath to stand at your Lord’s side. Remember that you’re called to fight like a man; remember that without a fight and eventual victory nobody ever came to triumph yet.

Whoever overcomes and crosses the track triumphantly, will eventually eat of the tree of life in paradise eternally. Whoever overcomes will not taste sorrow or death in eternity. Amen

(Johann Scheffler, 1624-1677. The translation of the hymn is rather literal, but not poetical. The preceding devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Wednesday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 120 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Wednesday, the 20th February 2013

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

Jesus healsI will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry! (Isaiah 57:16 NIV)

Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:20 NIV)

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LÖHE ON 1.CORINTHIANS 4:16

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

faith and truthTherefore I urge you to imitate me. (1Co 4:16 NIV)  It is a stain on our protestant congregations otherwise impressive slate that they generally choose their examples from too lowly spheres. Many protestants have the idea that they are just a bit too plain for holiness and sainthood and they often make that impression on others too. Is this wrong inclination not sinful even and should we not rather contemplate seriously where we should aspire to follow more challenging models in a meaningful, blessed and sanctified Christian life? No doubt, a Christian needs demanding examples, that he can strive to emulate. It depends on these examples whether this striving will serve to elevate or just stagnate or even deflate the desired sanctification and edification and growth in Christian faith, hope and love. It might sound feasible to take the Lord himself as only example, but this claim often turns out to be just an empty phrase and might even reflect an unreal relationship to the living Lord. Nobody will deny that following Jesus is a biblical concept, but perhaps too few have contemplated whether this is truly desirable and doable to follow Jesus in all aspects and what it actually means to follow Jesus. If a person genuinely wants to follow Jesus and if we truly want to imitate our Lord, then it should be in self-denial and humility. However it might be that quite rapidly we become truly grateful for somewhat lesser models like for instance that of the apostle St. Paul, who presents a model that is challenging enough for sure. In the letter to the Corinthians he is described as a true example to follow and we soon recognise our relative poverty in comparison with him. This should motivate us to strive even more and consistently to follow his shining example.

May we have eyes to see this model character of his live, ears to listen to his motivating admonitions, endurance and strength not to receive God’s grace in vain.  May repentance thrive in us, righteousness flourish in our midst and the imitation of St. Paul ripen as a timely fruit of the tremendous work of the apostle amongst us in this our time and generation.

O Lord, all stars shine just for you in the heavens above. Compared with your brightness they are put pale and frail. All glory be to you o Lord . The fellowship of the saints leads us on to worship you there and follow your directions here. Help us towards this by the true teaching and living example of your holy apostles St. Paul, who focused his eyes, heart and being on you primarily and lived first and foremost in expectation of your kingdom. Grant that we follow his example on the way to our true home and finally reach our heavenly abode that you have prepared in your grace and goodness for us and our eternal salvation +

Give to your Church the spirit of faithful witness, which moved your apostles and prophets of old, to proclaim your saving cross and justifying sacrifice to the world, which despises and even persecutes these blessed messengers. Let us confess the truth, that liberated us and made us rejoice; grant that we can’t let this gospel be, but rather carry it and us to victory. (Karl J.P.Spitta 1801-1859. The translation of the hymn is rather literal, but not poetical. The preceding devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Tuesday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 119 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.

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Herrenhuter readings for Tuesday, the 19th February 2013

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Wilhelm Weber

right lega“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”(Jeremiah 6:13-14 NIV)

For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. (2. Corinthians 8:21 NIV)

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