A Warning


It is my concern that we have become so smug, make so little real use of the Word and Sacrament, that we should seriously consider our spiritual state before the Lord. My father used to say, "You are running around like a chicken with its head cut off." That is the picture I have as I reflect on the state of the church. It seems the more occupied we are with new programs to meet needs, the further we depart from faith and the Word.

Here are some Scriptures and quotes from Luther for you to consider. God bless you as you examine yourself.

I Corinthians 11:29-31 For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Revelation 3:16 So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold, nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth.

I Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

(Joel 2:12) If every devil were to fall upon a righteous man, they would still accomplish nothing against him. His conscience is safe before God if he knows that God still intends good for him, that God will not desert him. But when the Lord utters His voice, when He takes away our courage, He has an easy time fighting against us. Here no man will be able to stand firm.

(Joel 2:13) The righteous use threats and promises correctly, for they are bruised and cast down by the angry threats of God; they bear divine judgment; they recognize their sin and their damnation. So, whenthey hear God's promises, they turn to the mercy of God. In this way their consciences again are lifted up and become peaceful. The wicked are hard-hearted anvils; unmoved by all of this, they never act differently.

(Joel 2:14) The conscience tenaciously guards the hope it has about God so that even in the greatest desperation, , in the greatest tribulation and anguish, it grasps for the goodness of "God, it still hopes for good things from God. Especially does it perceive the wrath of God upon all creatures. Yet it does not despair. It still believes that there is a bit of mercy and reconciliation left for it. This we must particularly note. You see, this passage is a very common word for service in every temptation. Therefore this passage ought to be recommended to us so that we can use it in any sort of temptation at all.

(Joel 2:17) Undoubtedly today for the sake of His own glory He also spares us who hold His Gospel in contempt. Otherwise He would have punished us long ago already.

(From the introduction to Amos) Because we are flesh and blood, because we have very hurtful foes against whom we battle zealously, and because Satan in the meantime does not cease his work, we need extensive instruction and a wealth of the Word of God, lest, misled by the flesh and surrounded by Satan, we extinguish the Spirit—which can happen very easily. The apostle therefore gives us careful admonition that the Word of God dwell in us richly. Col. 3:16.

(Amos 3:2) It is as if He were saying: "You think that I ought to spare you because you are My People. I will, however, punish you the more, that you may learn to know Me and to have faith in Me." Thus He also disciplines His saints whom He loves. This is what Ezek. 9:6 says: "Begin at My sanctuary"; and I Peter 4:17: "For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not believe the Gospel of God?" This is the way the puppy gets flogged so the wolfhound may live in fear. God chastises His own children so that He may afflict even more severely the wicked who do not come to their senses, so that He may rage against them even more harshly.

(Amos 5:13) "Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time." To this, all of Ps. 11 pertains: "For lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Let him perish who does not want to be saved. Let him who is filthy continue to be filthy.

(Amos 8:12) He is threatening to take away the genuine prophets and the true Word of God. So that there is no one to preach, even if men wee most eager to wish to hear the Word and wold run here and there to hear it. This happened to the Jews in the Assyrian captivity and in that last one. We must watch and pray lest that same famine be sent on us, too. Now we are by the brace of God overwhelmed with a manifold abundance of God's Word. But we must watch and pray that it may not be taken again and that palpable darkness and the foulest errors may not be sent upon us, so that even if we wanted to hear the Word, there would be no one to preach it, as happened to the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, who once abounded in the Word of God. For when the Word has been taken away, what else remains but the most terrible darkness of human reason which wants to be our mistress and which can teach nothing else than the doctrines of the demons? After all, what else would darkness teach except darkness and errors? ?There is no light except through faith in the Word. What happens next the prophet here adds:

(Amos 8:12) "They wander from sea to sea." That is, they will look for the Word. They will run here and there, and they will not find it. This we experienced well enough before the Word was published through the grace of God. This is why we have the countless sects of monks. One becomes a Carthusian, another a Franciscan. One establishes one kind of life, another another kind by which he believes he is pleasing God, but there is no peace of conscience. One runs to Rome, another to St. James. So we ought to be thankful now to almighty God and we should use that invaluable gift correctly lest it again be taken away from an ungrateful people and we fall into greater errors than ever before; lest we who are now fed with dainties again lie in the gutters, as Jeremiah says in Lam. 4:5. After all, before the Gospel again was spread, what else did we eat but the filth of the pope—and this at the expense of both money and soul? But we are ungrateful. The princes go on to play the role of Midas. Their responsibility ought to be to stir up and nourish the studies of learned men. Here they ought to be using their great resources that the Word and correct studies thereof be widely taught. Before, these princes had spent large amounts of money for the ministry of Satan, but no one listens. We are telling a tale of a deaf man. But if we go on to be such people, the same judgment will come upon us which the prophet is threatening here.

(Amos 8:13) That is, that fine young manhood will perish. Had it been taught and brought up in the Word of God, it could have been placed in leadership roles for the state, it could have taught others, it could have administered the state correctly through God. But because the Word of God has been taken away, the young people are misled by errors, they perish, they are useful to no one. Up to now what have our universities throughout the world been except devourers of our finest youngsters? When they were sent away by their parents to learn godliness, to learn good skills in order to be able to serve in positions of leadership in the state, they learned nothing else but to excel in drinking and fornication.