Common Sense for a Senseless World

The Bigger They Are

2012-02-08T09:21:00.000-06:00

The bigger they are the harder they fall. When facing an opponent that is physically imposing, these words are often uttered. Perhaps young David thought this before standing before Goliath. His trust and faith that God would protect him allowed David to step out and face a giant of a man that seemed invulnerable, especially to the rest of the Israelite army. With a stone and a sling, David felled the giant of a man, something that the entire Israelite army could not accomplish. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is the largest Lutheran body in the United States, with over 4 million members, and not unlike Goliath, they are the big bully on the block. Rules have been changed making it more problematic for those that have no place in a church that has rejected the very tenets of their faith. Bishops push their way into the pulpits of congregations before they can even consider investigating their relationship with the ELCA.

Confessional Lutherans that look to break fellowship with this misguided denomination are subjected to all sorts of persecution. Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 1 John 2:9-11, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” Apparently, the “new things” that God is telling the leaders of the ELCA includes disregarding these verses of Scripture, too.

Invoking their “bound conscience” the leaders of the ELCA, so enamored with the world, have enlisted additional secular weapons in their quest to maintain control over member’s properties and finances. They have decided to use the judicial system and have begun filing lawsuits against those congregations that dare to break fellowship or seek dual affiliation with other synods. These firm believers in separation of church and state only believe when it is to their advantage. Those that worship in ELCA congregations mean little to those greedy leaders of this church that disregards our Lord’s teachings. The assets of those congregations mean everything to them. Without the resources accumulated by those congregations, the bureaucracy of the ELCA suffers. It takes a lot of money to grease the skids of the powerful lobbying machine that is the ELCA. Drumming up support for the “Dream Act”, justice for Palestine, denouncing Israel, eco-faith, genetics, and human sexuality, to name a few, takes a lot of cash. One way to recoup monies lost from congregations leaving and redirecting benevolence was slashing the budget for missionaries, that are to preach the word to the world and make disciples of all nations, in order to use that money to support their ambitious social justice agenda. Anyone else see a problem with this line of reasoning for an organization that proclaims that they are God’s church?

Those that uphold the authority of Scripture and desire to break fellowship with the ELCA do so with great trepidation and sadness. Those that have been given no choice but to leave and join a synod true to the Lord, pray that those trapped within the ELCA have their hearts and minds opened to the fact that ELCA doctrine drives them away from our Lord. There is only a righteous anger toward the leadership of the ELCA that consistently preaches a false gospel to their members. Yet, the leaders of the ELCA attack and debase those that reach out to lead them back to the Lord. How dare us! We are called to not only make disciples, but to rescue those who have fallen from the Lord’s path. By showing their true colors, the leaders of the ELCA do nothing but vindicate those who have discerned that the Lord is leading them away from the apostasy that permeates the ELCA. While the organization of the ELCA dwarfs the reforming Lutheran Synods, we have faith that our Lord will protect and lead us. Even though we are equipped with just a stone and a sling, we trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So we cast our small stones, exposing the heresies promoted by the ELCA, and we will continue to make dents in the Giant that defies our Lord and leads His people astray. Continue to proclaim the Truth and pray that those who remain within the ELCA awake and discover that they are being fed a false gospel and turn back to the Lord.

Rules, Rules, Rules

2012-01-30T23:00:00.000-06:00

Some people think that being a Christian involves nothing more than simply obeying the rules of a condemnatory and unfair God. They charge that Christians are nothing more than hypocrites, judging others for the same shortcomings they possess themselves, while breaking all the rules they profess to honor. Then there is the dilemma of how a loving God could sacrifice His only Son to satisfy His anger against a sinful humanity. “Forward thinking” churches chide those that continue to respect the authority of Scripture as Biblical literalists that use God’s word as a war club to disparage those that have an opinion contrary to their own. Modern “Christians” have become so smitten with the things of this new and enlightened religion that they fail to see the plank stuck in their collective eyes. Those that lift up the love of the neighbor above the love of our Lord have indeed blinded themselves to the cost of this misguided love. Without first filling our hearts with the love of our Lord and Savior, we will find only an imperfect and unwise understanding that is steeped in human selfishness.

By allowing their members to have their cake and eat it too, the leadership of the ELCA encourages its’ membership to place themselves above our God. If they could just understand how much harm they are doing by affirming sinful behavior. It’s not the point that God has prohibited certain behaviors. It’s the point that by disobeying we place our desires before God’s will. Disobedience is willfully placing ourselves above God, believing that it is man that is in authority. Our sins are no longer held against us because our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ paid for all of our sins with His precious blood. So, even though we rebel and disobey, our Father still has a place in His heavenly home for those that have faith in the Risen Christ. When we sin, it is not about breaking rules. It’s about the chain of command. Every time we sin, our selfishness supersedes our Lord. We place ourselves in authority, rather than looking to conform to His will. We need to turn our lives over to our Savior and that means placing Him first. Without Him, we are the nonproductive branch that is pruned, left to wither and thrown into the fire. If left to our own designs, we consistently make a mess of things. Without our God’s guidance we are nothing but human animals, looking to satisfy every worldly desire without regard to our neighbor.

Every single one of us Christians continually fall short of the glory of our Lord by breaking the 1st commandment over and over. God made us selfish creatures and that is in stark evidence throughout our lives. There was once a little boy whose friend asked him, “If you are such a good Christian, why do you need to go to church every Sunday? The little boy answered his friend, “Practice!” We need to be regularly filled with the word of God and to hear the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ preached so that with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can come to better love and serve our Lord. We need to continue to meet with other believers and dwell in His word, to lift up, and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The only time Scripture is to be used as a war club is when using it in battle with the evil one.

As for the vengeful God whose bloodlust cost His only Son His life, Jesus said in John 10:20, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus is one with the Father. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one and three, together, yet separate. Jesus was with the Father from the beginning, the word made flesh. When Jesus hung on the cross, God experienced every ache, every pain, suffering the punishment meant for a sinful humanity because He was on that cross. Tim Keller, from The Reason for God, “Why did Jesus have to die in order to forgive us? There was a debt to be paid — God himself paid it. There was a penalty to be born — God himself bore it. Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering.” Forgiveness is the ultimate surrender. To forgive means relinquishing any claim of recompense, in fact refusing to accept restitution for any damage incurred. Rather than punishing those that wronged Him, God took upon Himself the punishment meant for us, His children. He took the bullet for us and forfeit His life in order that we may live. He is a loving God.

Once we come to realize that our selfish nature places us at odds with our God and decide to submit to His authority, our lives will start to fall into place. We will gladly obey, for that is what is pleasing to our Lord. John 14:23, “Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” We will begin to transform our selfish nature into one who gladly serves the Lord and proclaims His glory. When we reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ to correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction, we do so, not to call them out as rule breakers, but to save them from themselves. Our love of our brothers and sisters in Christ compels us to keep them on the narrow path.

The Enemy Within

2012-01-24T12:33:00.000-06:00

In 1948 Walt Kelly created a comic strip entitled “Pogo”. Pogo was an opossum living in the Okefenokee Swamp with his numerous friends, including Albert the Alligator, Howland Owl, and Churchy LaFemme the turtle. This comic strip was seeped in social and political satire making many of the politicians and organizations of that day targets of the clever wit of Mr. Kelley, as told through his characters. Pogo coined one particular philosophical phrase that still resonates today, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The ELCA has met and actually embraced the enemy. The enemy is the sin of lifting up the self over our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This love of the self is how Satan leads us to sin, by inferring that we are equal or more important than our God. In the garden of Eden, Satan as the snake, led Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. How? Genesis 3:4-5, “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan tempts Eve with the implication God lied to her and that she will become like God if she simply eats the fruit. How often do we also eat of that fruit?

The deepest and darkest sin that man can commit is placing possessions, identity, and the self above the love of our Lord. When we come first, necessarily our Lord comes in second. When we truly love our Lord, our greatest goal should be to please Him. The leaders of the ELCA seek the things of this world instead of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and seeking the souls of the lost. When they reach out with their imperfect human love to the LGTBQ community in order to be more welcoming, tolerant and diverse, they fail those that need to come to the Lord, repent of their sin and make themselves right with Him. Affirming those who choose to please themselves, not God, and lead a sinful life, only bestows upon them the errant blessing of the church to continue to love themselves, their possessions and their identities above the love of the Lord.

The Lutheran rite of confession and forgiveness, that has now become optional in the ELCA, comes from 1 John 1:8-10, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” Then we continue, “Most merciful God, we further confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.”

We are all sinners, no better or no worse than any other. When we fail to acknowledge our sinful nature, we make it even easier to partake of the forbidden fruit, fooling ourselves into believing that we are, somehow, like God. Even though these words and this prayer is spoken each worship service by confessing Lutherans, it now in the process of being eliminated by the enlightened leadership of the ELCA. Apparently, God is lower in the pecking order according to the enlightened elites of the ELCA. Of course, those backward Bible thumping churches are still allowed to use these obsolete rites, but those elightened churches that choose to be more diverse and incorporate other religion's rites are lifted up by this wayward denomination. God has become an afterthought as it is grace for all, believe as you want, just make sure to come to our church and lay your money down. How sad it is for those thirsting for His word to fall into the trap that the leaders of the ELCA have laid.

The ELCA has been faced with the reality of falling membership because the leaders have decided to make social justice, intrinsically wedded to the love of self, the overriding emphasis of their ministry. Problem is, that this social activism that the ELCA continues to engage in, does little to lift up our Lord’s ministry on this earth. This far left agenda has placed the ELCA at odds with those that cling to traditional or classic Lutheranism. As more and more Lutherans that adhere to the authority of Scripture leave the pews of ELCA churches, someone needs to replace them and the financial support that has left with them. So, the leaders, ever aware that their left leaning doctrine pushes the traditional Lutheran away, decide to move even further left and court those that want to be affirmed within their sin, rather than to seek Him. Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The ELCA continues to lift up the love of self, citing that their diversity of beliefs somehow adds to the strength of their church. This does nothing but trick those who place their trust in this misguided church, just like the serpent tricked Eve. Continue in prayer that more deny themselves and seek the Lord with all their hearts, that they open their hearts and minds to the Truth and return to Him.

Reconciled in Christ

2012-01-17T11:04:00.000-06:00

To: Mark Hanson, presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

On Sunday, January 16, 2012 our congregation sang a praise hymn entitled Speak, O Lord. I can’t recall the last time this praise hymn was used in one of our services, but the Holy Spirit spoke loud and clear through this hymn of praise. If you haven’t experienced the words in a while, here they are for you. “Speak, O Lord as we come to know You, to receive the food of Your Holy Word. Take Your Truth and plant it deep in us. Shape and fashion us in Your likeness, that the light of Christ might be seen today in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak O Lord and fulfill in us all Your purposes for your glory. Teach us Lord, full obedience, holy reverence, and true humility. Test our thoughts and our attitudes in the radiance of Your purity. Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see Your majestic love and authority. Yours are words of power that can never fail and let their truth prevail over unbelief. Speak O Lord and renew our minds and help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us. Truths unchanged from the dawn of time that will echo down through eternity. And by grace we'll’ stand on Your promises and by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us. Speak, O Lord till Your church is built and the earth is filled with Your glory.”

Now, you may wonder why this letter is entitled reconciled in Christ, because in the ELCA, this phrase denotes those churches that reach out to the LGTBQ community. Well, if you really read the words above and let the Holy Spirit fill your heart and allow you to discern what “new thing God is saying”, you will discover that there really are not two hermeneutics or paradigms at work that are irreconcilable in the interpretation of God's word. His words are timeless and everlasting. His words are true and most assuredly pertinent to our lives today. Obeying His commands bring us great joy, because we truly want to please the One we love. Because it is when we abandon our goal to please ourselves and decide to turn our lives over to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we find true fulfillment in the goal of pleasing Him. When we give our lives to Christ, we will find that we need not fulfill ourselves with the things of this world, our fulfillment is simply leading a life pleasing to our Lord and Savior. This means abandoning our identities and becoming Disciples of Christ. And Disciples of Christ love everyone, even if it means correcting, rebuking and encouraging--with great patience and careful instruction.

Bishop Hanson, please reconcile the doctrine of bound conscience when we are called to let Scripture lead us in all matters of faith and in our Christian lives. Tell us how this false gospel teaches us full obedience when those that accept this doctrine place themselves in authority of Scripture. Explain how this allows His Truth to remain unchanged from the dawn of time and echo through eternity. Defend the ELCA officially disregarding Scripture and overturning God’s law by enacting doctrine to declare homosexuality right in God’s eyes. Enlighten us on the method in which bound conscience allows us to let His truth prevail over unbelief. Justify how this shapes us in His likeness and does not, in fact, open the door for man to try to make God in his own image.

Bishop Hanson, describe just how a diversity of beliefs causes our faith to rise and to see and understand His majestic love and authority. Illuminate us how those who declare that faith in the Risen Christ is unnecessary to gain salvation can still walk as God walks with us. Rationalize to us poor uneducated, unwashed masses that accept that without faith, we cannot enter into His kingdom. If our Lord and Savior told us that He is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him, how does the ELCA acquiesce to this misguided belief and not reach out in true Christian love to bring back those who have gone astray?

As the leader of a church of over 4 million, you sir, have the responsibility to preach the pure Gospel so that those that hear can be inspired by the Holy Spirit to come to accept the Truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You must help feed the food of His holy word so that Truth can be planted deep within us. By appeasing every wayward belief under the sun and allowing those to fall off the narrow path is certainly not what the Lord called you to do. With great authority comes great responsibility and every brother and sister lost to the Lord because you choose to neglect the responsibilities of your office pleases no one but the evil one. His are the words of power that can never fail. With those words our Lord will fulfill in us all His purposes for His glory. His words can renew our minds and help us grasp the heights of His plans for us. Bishop Hanson, it is time to lead your flock back to the Lord. Jesus said in John 17:15, 17, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Our prayer is that you return to the true Gospel and uphold sound Christian doctrine so that all of God’s children come to Him.

Bite the Hand

2012-01-13T08:39:00.000-06:00

As a person who shares his household with three Siberian Huskies, I understand how important it is to make certain that my dogs understand and acknowledge that I am the alpha male of our pack. The alpha dog has first priority at feeding time and any treats or toys must be surrendered without question. (no growling allowed!) Any protestation from the dog must be answered and corrected. The dog must submit to the authority of the alpha in order to maintain control of the animal. Some humans, however, are not as easily trained and do in fact, bite the hand that feeds them. ELCA presiding Bishop Mark Hanson has the temerity to challenge the very truths he is charged to uphold. The office that he holds is one of great responsibility. The Presiding Bishop acts as the chief ecumenical officer of the church and supervises all of the synodical bishops. The presiding bishop chairs the biennial Churchwide Assembly and approves the agendas for the assembly, the Church Council and its executive committee. The Presiding Bishop has the responsibility to establish policy and doctrinal direction, and oversees the administration of the entire church. The presiding Bishop also is charged to maintain sound doctrine and to enforce discipline against pastors engaging in heretical teaching. So, if the ELCA loses its way, the buck stops with the presiding bishop, since the responsibility to “keep the ship afloat” ultimately rests with that office.

Revelation 22:12-13, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” God offers His grace freely, to anyone who has faith in the Risen Christ. ELCA scholars endorse, and some teach, the idea that man is saved by grace alone, regardless of faith or belief. This gospel of universalism is not the official doctrine of the ELCA, but those that choose to believe this false gospel are welcomed and accepted without the slightest effort to correct this errant belief. John 16:7-10, Jesus said, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” Luther explained these verses in one of his sermons. “However, here the Lord speaks quite differently, and says, “The Holy Spirit will convict the world in respect of sin, because they believe not on me.” Unbelief only is mentioned here as sin, and faith is praised as suppressing and extinguishing the other sins, even the sins in the saints. Faith is so strong and overpowering that no sin dare put it under any obligation. Although sins are present in pious and believing persons, they are not imputed to them, nor shall their sins condemn them.” Although we are no longer bound by the law, it remains valid and violations continue to be sins, no matter what this errant denomination teaches and believes. But, when we believe in the Risen Christ, those sins will no longer lead us to condemnation.

Our Lord and Savior gave His life for us, and the leader of the ELCA decides that he is the one who makes the rules and rejects the conditions of the One who offers salvation. Hanson and the leaders of the ELCA refuse the gift of grace by faith to embrace the gospel of universal salvation, or grace alone, no faith necessary, deceiving the faithful with appealing and pleasant words. They uphold the love of the neighbor over the love of our God, advocate that we should strive to fix our broken world, and emphasize the goal of social justice. These things sound so right, but what is truly missing in their ministry is the most important thing, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How much longer will the Master tolerate these impudent and presumptuous children that continually bite His benevolent hand? 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”

Spoiled Rotten

2012-01-06T11:27:00.000-06:00

Our society has embraced the practice of providing whatever it is that our children want without question. Play Station, Xbox, and WII with all their inherent violence is offered as a substitute for the responsibility of parental nurturing and direction. Cell phones and any and all technological advances are offered as bribes so that parents need not bother themselves with “quality time” with their kids. It used to be that the television was called the babysitter, something to keep the kids attention while we attend to our own desires. Now there is so much technology to occupy our kids, we don’t even need to talk to them personally, as we can now simply text the daily instructions. Somehow this is considered adequate. Facebook, Twitter, and text messaging have replaced one on one conversation and include information that was at one time considered private and personal. Not only are our children spoiled, the ease in which we lavish gifts upon ourselves is utterly mind boggling. We lack for nothing in our modern society. Or do we?

Public school systems in major urban areas in the US typically have graduation rates less than 30%. Those institutions produce high school students that, on average, are reading at a 6th grade level or less. Many of these urban children come from impoverished single parent families that lack a father as a role model. Federal and state governments attempt to fill this void by subsidizing these low income families, apportioning them just enough to get by, but failing to provide enough assistance to eliminate the poverty that surrounds them. The government has decided to replace the ”nuclear family” by offering a subsistence existence by providing financial aid that, in effect, preserves a state of poverty. Politicians and advocates call our school system broken and look to place more public funding to “fix” the problem. This “new” single parent family, dependent upon government assistance, does little to install the values and morals that our God has placed before us. Deuteronomy 6:5-9, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

This self-centered society of ours relies upon secular values while it diminishes the role of our God. Placing God secondary to oneself is a recipe for disaster. The doctrine of bound conscience, so integral to the “new things” that the ELCA pronounces that God is telling them, is rooted in the worship of the self. This doctrine places man in authority of Scripture and in effect, of our God. God’s spoiled rotten children have become so enamored of themselves that they have the audacity to tell Him that they will not feel welcome in His church unless their immoral behavior is accepted as good in His sight. Some of us are apparently so used to getting our way, that they demand that God meets their criteria and the leadership of the ELCA bends over backwards to placate those who complain about “outdated rules”. Those unwashed and uneducated Apostles, overflowing with the power of the Holy Spirit, compile God’s word in the Holy Bible, and the ELCA is quick to proclaim that they would have no idea how modern man understands human sexuality. I’m sorry, but God made, not only the entire universe, but He created humankind with a word. Our God is intimately aware of human sexuality and took the time to inform those Apostles and other authors of Scripture of the importance of human sexuality and that it is a gift to be shared by one man and one woman within the bonds of holy matrimony.

Our God comes to us, offering eternal life, simply requiring that we believe and have faith in the Risen Christ, and there are those who will only accept this gift on their terms! And the ELCA is a willing accomplice to those who do not want to give up their sinful lives. Even though we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, He welcomes us in spite of our shortcomings. The ELCA welcomes sinners, but deceives them with the promise to affirm them within their sin. There is no need for forgiveness for the leaders of the ELCA teach that there is no sin. Galatians 6:8, “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. “ By falling into the trap set by the evil one and placing human desires before our God’s law, the leaders of the ELCA sows to please the sinful nature, putting their membership at risk. Continue in prayer for those lost within the ELCA that they will see the Truth, turn away from the things of this world and return to the calling of pleasing the Spirit.

Obedience of Faith

2011-12-22T21:27:00.000-06:00

Mary, not yet 16 years old, betrothed to marry Joseph, is alone when an angel of the Lord appears to her. Luke 1:28-35, “The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” So, Mary was faced with the prospect of being the mother of the Messiah, the Son of God. Was this a reason to rejoice or of great apprehension? Becoming pregnant out of wedlock was an offense that could be punishable by banishment or death by stoning. Knowing that her betrothed was not to be the father should have caused great anxiety for the young woman. But, how did she answer the angel? Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” This is obedience without question. God asks her to turn her life completely upside down and she answers, Your will be done.

How often have we answered the Spirit by simply ignoring the gentle tug to serve Him? To obey our Lord is not a leap of faith. We obey out of our love and trust for the one who gave His life so that we may live, eternally with our Father in heaven. But, to simply obey is not enough. One must freely give that obedience with a joyful heart. We are Disciples of Christ. If we truly love him, it should be our greatest desire to please Him in all that we do. And in Scripture, our Lord and Savior, called on His Disciples to obey His teachings. “Is it not written” was mentioned by Jesus whenever He cited Old Testament law, confirming that the law remained valid and was to be obeyed. Even though we are no longer under the penalty of the law, we are called to remain obedient. Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, the New Testament had not been completed, so the Scriptures he referred were the Old Testament.

When one chooses to use earthly experience, knowledge and tradition to interpret Scripture to be more pleasing is selfish disobedience that greatly displeases our Lord. Deceiving their membership by adopting the doctrine of bound conscience, the leadership of the ELCA allows their members to place themselves in authority of God Himself. Any interpretation of Scripture, no matter how erroneous is acceptable to this misguided denomination through the doctrine of bound conscience. One is free to determine what is or is not sinful in the eyes of the Lord. This is just one more example of disobedience of a selfish human race that revolts against our God far too often. Romans 1:3-6, “His Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

Joyfully obey the word of God. Romans 2:13, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” May our joyful obedience be pleasing in our Lord’s sight. Continue serving the Lord faithfully, giving Him all the glory. Give thanks to the Lord for the opportunity to be a faithful servant and a willing vessel to do His will. Prayers for a blessed Christmas and joyous new year for all.

For You

2011-12-19T13:28:00.000-06:00

As Christmas fast approaches, we need to keep this in mind. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was born for one purpose. He was born to die for us, a sinful humanity. That little baby in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger, was born under a death sentence. Because of the evil in this world, committed by a sinful humanity, He had to suffer the penalty that each and every one of us fully deserves. We rejoice that His sacrifice enables those who believe, to gain eternal life with our Father in heaven. We truly owe a debt of gratitude to our Lord. While so much of the world decries the Truth, instead placing their faith in this world, those who truly believe are filled with the joy of the promise of everlasting life. How empty this life must be for those who have no expectation of life after this inconsequential life on earth that we live. This makes our Lord’s command of the Great Commission to make Disciples of all nations, even more important. Our joy is meant to be shared. Our Father desires all of His children to come to Him. Just think, if every Christian simply shared the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with one person who does not know Him, just how many more may come to know the Truth and be saved. How many more brothers and sisters in Christ would there be in this world?

Many who do not know Him claim that a God that sent His son to die is truly not a God of love. Know this, our God, who is one with the Son and the Holy Spirit, came down in human form and experienced all the pain, suffering and death Himself. A sacrifice such as this is truly an example the greatest love. To give one’s life, especially in such an agonizing way, is the ultimate sacrifice. The Son, God incarnate, humbly offered Himself as atonement for our sin. John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Our sacrifice as Disciples of Christ is to simply step outside of our comfort zone and proclaim the Truth to the world. We need to break out of the routine denial of our faith. Even Peter, the rock on which the Christian church was built, denied our Lord. When we have the opportunity to testify to the Truth and choose to ignore that opportunity presented by the Holy Spirit, and to be sure, God’s plan consists of many opportunities for the faithful, we deny Him just as Peter did. When we fail to share the joy that the love of Christ provides us, because we “don’t want to come across as too religious, we deny our neighbor the chance to come to Him. Every sermon you hear, every word of Scripture you hear and read, and every prayer you offer to the Lord is used to prepare you to serve the Lord. The Lord is constantly grooming you for the task of proclaiming His glory.

2 Peter 3:8-10, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” One day, God will call the faithful home. He wants none of His children to fall into the abyss, so it is incumbent upon us to put on our spiritual armor and become Disciples of Christ. And Disciples are charged to bring the lost to Him. As John the Baptist proclaimed, Luke 3:4-6, "As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.” We are called to prepare the way for our Lord. It is the least we can do for Him, who gave everything for us. If we choose to withhold our testimony today, will tomorrow be too late?

Upside Down

2011-12-12T17:51:00.002-06:00

Our world as it exists today no longer applies to the rules of normalcy and things have become even more upside down as the days progress. The current administration of the United States has abandoned this country’s core principals in an attempt to institute the “democratic socialist” values embraced by Europe that are failing, country by country. Lavish entitlement programs force the US government to borrow forty cents of every dollar it spends, creating a national debt of over 15 trillion dollars. Public assistance per capita is higher today than any other time in our history, including during the Great Depression. Now the government employs or supports more than 50% of the population. The dwindling work force employed by the private sector, is no longer large enough to pay the bills to run this country. US debt is growing at a pace that will greatly expand beyond even the most optimistic economic growth estimates, creating a debtor nation. If the dollar is replaced as the standard currency for world trade will necessarily initiate double digit inflation for this nation, or worse cause another great depression.
In Wisconsin, union activists are attempting to overturn an election because the elected Governor, Scott Walker, enacted legislation to honor his promises made during the election. No malfeasance in public office, no sex scandals, nothing but passing legislation that makes public employees responsible for a portion of their pension contributions, instead of burdening the taxpayer with the entire bill for their generous benefits. Taking these and other reasonable steps to reduce spending has allowed Wisconsin to balance its' budget after the previous democrat administration left a deficit of over 3 billion dollars. Rather than being thankful for receiving such generous benefits for over fifty years, these "activists" lie, cheat and try to steal an election using thuglike tactics, including unscrupulous parties that obtain false and duplicate names on recall petitions.
The Occupy movement is hailed by the mainstream media as a grass roots uprising while the Tea Party movement is derided as a Republican backed scheme to undermine the Obama administration. Islam is continually cited as a religion of peace as more and more are murders are committed by radical Islamists shouting “Allah Akbar”. The attack at Fort Hood that took the lives of 14 of our brave soldiers is reclassified as “workplace violence”. ATF allows guns to "walk" to Mexican drug cartels leading to the death of a US border agent and the administration stonewalls the investigation. Crime is rampant and the vast majority of the perpetrators come from homes without a father present, yet the “nuclear family” is considered outdated and unnecessary. Christians that dare to speak out for the Lord and publicly declare their faith are mocked and ridiculed. And churches that call themselves “Christian” promote that faith in Jesus is not necessary to gain one’s salvation, instead preaching tolerance and advocating that “other paths” to heaven are just as valid.
How did this happen? Are we all asleep and this is just a terrible dream? Unfortunately, no. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ told us to turn the other cheek and while we have heeded His command, the world has taken full advantage. We are not only struck on the cheek, but Christians are literally attacked and brutalized by the so called compassionate and tolerant left. What is so hard to understand is, that the leaders of God’s church are actually out in front of the attack on the truths of Christianity, the very truths they are charged to uphold. We are called to be in the world but not of the world. When Israel was in bondage in Babylon, the Lord was clear in his commands to His chosen people. Jeremiah 29:7, 11-13, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This country is on track, not to prosperity, but to ruin, both economically and spiritually even as many of His churches fail to seek the Lord, instead seeking the approval of the world.

Through a reckless embrace of secular ideals and a misguided attempt to fix our broken world, many of God's churches forgo their responsibility to bring the lost to Christ. Our world is broken because of our disobedience. We cannot fix this world any more than we could create it. Only God can repair what we have spoiled. From the beginning man’s disobedience has wreaked havoc upon this world and himself. God gave us a clear set of rules to guide us in this life on earth, but we continually choose to disregard His law. Now many of His churches have enacted doctrine to allow their membership to ignore His will with their blessing. Romans 2:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

When we think that we are so enlightened that we can reinterpret our Lord’s word to fit in with our modern society, we widen the chasm that exists between us and our Father. These new things that the leaders of the ELCA say that they are hearing are not from God. They are exactly what the evil one wants us to hear. Is all lost? Absolutely not! But, the onus now falls upon the faithful to be our God's hands and feet because many of the leaders of His church no longer listen to Him. We need to be the proclaimers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to dwell in His word and listen to the Spirit as you meditate on Scripture. Continue to meet with other believers and study and learn His word. Let the Holy Spirit equip you with the spiritual armor necessary to fight Satan and rescue those who foolishly listen to those pleasing words that they long to hear. Preach the Gospel to all who will listen so that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, they will come to understand His Truth and realize that the ELCA is preaching a false gospel. Pray unceasingly for those trapped by the false teaching of the ELCA to have their hearts and minds opened to the Truth. And always trust in the Lord. Even though we may not understand His plan for this world, His Truth and His kingdom will prevail, so hold fast to our Lord's commands, continually praying that His will be done.

The Ten Suggestions

2011-12-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

Well, we’ve certainly been busy here on Higgins Road these last few years. Disregarding Scripture, upholding everyone’s bound conscience, figuring out that Jesus really wasn’t quoted appropriately in that book of faith stories, debunking the ~~truths~~ myths of Christianity and trashing God’s chosen people, Israel. And of course we have been engaged in the continual assault on all those pesky pastors and congregations that believe in the authority of Scripture and try to follow all those archaic laws handed down from those uneducated men that obviously did not compile accurate data from God. Keeping in line with our new modern and progressive religion, we have proposed an update to the now mostly obsolete “Ten Commandments”. So here is a compilation of some of the “new” things that ~~Satan~~ God has been telling us. So, for an early Christmas present, we present this new document, formerly known as the Ten Commandments, handed down from God to Moses on Mount Sinai, now to be called the “Ten Suggestions”, so as not to cause any consternation for those who choose to allow their “bound conscience” to disregard our God’s commands.

#1 You know that God thing where you are supposed to have no other gods, well it’s really ok to worship other gods, heck, even worship yourself, your identity and your possessions if you want to, just kind of keep God in the background and mention ~~His~~ Her name once in a while, especially when you want to argue about the unity of the church, redirecting benevolences or congregations that want to break fellowship. And make sure you invoke the name of God if some intolerant Bible thumper lays down some Scripture that disagrees with whatever questionable activity you happen to be engaging in.

#2 Image, schmage. Go ahead and make whatever image you want. We don’t know what God looks like anyway and you can have any view of what He She is, so go ahead and use goddess beads or any other religion’s icons for that matter.

#3 Oh, and that thing about using God’s name in vain, we already think ~~His~~ Her chosen name is offensive, so call God Mom, Mother Earth, Rumplestiltskin or whatever else trips your trigger.

#4 What’s different about one day or another? Any day is a good day and why keep one day Sabbath (what the heck does that mean anyhow?) and holier than any other, because we change the rules as we go along anyway, so live it day to day.

#5 Honor your parents?? Of course we have reached the pinnacle of enlightenment and already know more than our parents, so maybe it’s the parents that should be seen and not heard. After all, they only want to correct (and that harms our self esteem) and encourage. We are infinitely more intelligent than them already, so there is absolutely no need to correct ourselves.

#6 Yeah, this one is somewhat problematic. You probably should not kill anyone, of course. Well, unless they object to your alternative lifestyle or try to correct your way of interpreting Scripture, we just may make an exception in that matter. But perhaps it is better to just shout them down, or belittle them, sue to confiscate their property or generally make a mockery of Christian love. At least this way no jail time is involved if you get caught.

#7 Now adultery, what to do about that one? Oh, I know! We’ll pass a resolution stating that as long as you truly believe it’s ok, it’s ok with the church and by osmosis or something, it will be ok with God, too. And of course, adultery without a “loving monogamous relationship” is strictly forbidden.

#8 Well, stealing is bad, unless of course you want to take land from those no good Israelites and give it to those godly Palestinians.

#9 And that lying thing. At least try to be a little discreet about it. No bald face lying and if you testify falsely, just make sure that the ends justify the means.

#10 Finally, the last one. Didn’t know if we could make it through all of these unreasonable rules, written by those ancient, dirty and uneducated men that most certainly were not inspired by God. Coveting your neighbors stuff. Covet, now that’s an old fashioned word for you. Take all those rich-fat cat-corporations-that steal the world’s resources-destroy the planet-don’t share-don’t use their evil profits to pay for all the government handouts that able bodied individuals choose to steal from society. Go ahead and covet their stuff because it rightly belongs to you. Who the hell are they to think that they can work hard to make something of themselves so that they can create jobs and pay for all the stuff that makes the world go round. Don’t just covet their stuff. Take it away from them. Advocate for the things of this world! Disrupt society so that you can get their stuff! That’s the ticket! Then it will be fair for everyone.

Well, I guess that’s that. Got all our bases covered so we can all feel good about ourselves no matter what we do. Never did much like rules anyway and since we are all about love (mostly of ourselves) that is good enough. Now it’s off to church to say our prayers to Mother Earth and see what our next new and improved social statement is going to be. Remember, these new ideas make us all stronger and diversity and acceptance is the real answer. Merry ~~Christ~~ Xmas!

Good Cop, Bad Cop

2011-11-28T14:38:00.000-06:00

After retiring in 2008 after 29 years of service as a police officer in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin suburban department, one of the worst things to happen to anyone in the profession was to discover a corrupt cop that was wearing the badge. It is essential that police officers be trusted to uphold the law with the utmost loyalty and dedication to the citizens and community that they serve. One bad apple can spoil the whole batch if the police lose the trust of the citizens. After all, every person a police officer comes into contact with is subject to the authority that is entrusted to them. Police officers can take away the freedom of a citizen engaged in or suspected of criminal activity. Police officers are charged to protect and serve. A police officer will place his or her own safety in jeopardy to protect the weak and sometimes, even those guilty of criminal acts. Being a cop is much more than a job. It takes dedication and sacrifice, working on weekends, holidays, missing family functions and working hours when any normal person would be asleep. The saying goes that police officers are not paid for what they do, they are paid for what they may have to do. And some of those calls for police are not what anyone would want to experience or endure.

There are other professions that, by the very nature of their reputation, invoke the highest of confidence and trust. When one is called to serve the Lord as a member of the clergy, they are necessarily believed to be guided by the Holy Spirit in, and through their service. To fail to properly serve the Lord faithfully by preaching “something new” that undermines the Truth, is not even on the radar screen for those that love the Lord. In Presiding ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson’s address to the ELCA Church Council on November 11th this year, he said that ELCA members are "called to be part of God's reconciling and restoring community" in the world. 1Timothy 2:1, 3-6, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.” When we are called by the leader of the largest Lutheran Church in North America to “be a part of God’s reconciling and restoring community, one has to determine what our role is to be as reconciler. As Paul wrote, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was the only one who could reconcile God and humanity. Perhaps by proclaiming the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as He taught the Apostles, by praying for and interceding on their behalf may just be the way to save them and lead them to understand the Truth. Additionally, concentrating on what our Lord called us to do in the Great Commission would go a long way to restoring community in the world.

At this time in the life of the ELCA, mission to bring the word to the world has fallen prey to loss of membership and benevolence. Social statements and advocacy for the things of this world have a higher priority for this misguided denomination and funds normally directed to mission have been cut. The doctrine of “Accompaniment” is being lifted up as the ELCA’s way of watering the seeds of mission they have already planted, rather than starting new mission work. Hanson tried to further illustrate the ways the ELCA is deeply rooted in God’s mission. He highlighted the process by which the ELCA adopts social documents, which "informs our public witness, but not bind our conscience, to help us live as responsible people of faith in a complex world." It is interesting how cavalierly that Hanson uses the term “bind our conscience” as a tactic to give the impression of marginalizing their true objective, secular ambitions, rather than our proclaiming the Gospel to the world. Social statements only act as barriers, set in front of faithful ELCA members that blind them to the call of our Lord and Savior to save the lost. How could God’s church place a higher calling on advocating for things such as the “DREAM” act while they choose to abandon their responsibility to reach and save the lost?

Hanson also called to “affirm the vocation of political service as being a calling from God and therefore need to hold public servants accountable.” It is true that God places those in positions of authority and we do need to respect those in office. We are similarly called to hold those in office accountable to the public trust. Police officers that fail to conduct their duties in a lawful manner will be held accountable by the authorities within their respective departments or if the conduct merits it, the criminal justice system. Politicians that fail the public trust will be held accountable at the ballot box or, if necessary will also face potential criminal actions. For those in the clergy that deliberately lead their flock astray, Jesus said in Mark 9:42, “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” Bishop Hanson continually advocates for the things of the world and emphasizes their importance in trying to "fix" our broken world. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ gets no more than lip service in the mission of the ELCA. For certain, there are ELCA churches that do not buy what Hanson is selling and remain true to the Lord, but we all are known by the company we keep. Those that decide to remain a light within the darkness of the ELCA, are simply on a fool’s errand that will only lead them to the understanding that the leadership of the ELCA has truly abandoned our God. Jeremiah 5:30-31, “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”

Useful Idiot

2011-11-19T23:43:00.002-06:00

Useful idiot is a derogatory adage, describing a person either too naïve or ignorant to understand that their advocacy of malevolent organizations only allows those organizations to conduct their business with impunity. Confused and misguided, the “occupy” movement is used by the labor unions and left wing radicals to conduct their bidding, disrupting the very business activity they need to support them. Gay rights advocates lobby to legitimize behavior that is contrary to God’s will, rather than loving their neighbor enough to lead them back to the Lord. Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union, soviet sympathizers used their influence to promote socialism and in several instances, used their positions to steal sensitive information and forward it to soviet agents. What they did not know, however, was that although the Soviets used the information, they actually reviled the sympathizers as traitors. Neville Chamberlain, the prime minister of England, used the policy of appeasement in an attempt to placate Hitler and Nazi Germany, only showing a weakness that gave Hitler the confidence to mount a sustained military campaign, almost bombing England out of existence. Those trapped in poverty by social programs that provide nothing more than a meager existence, continue to vote for those that would keep them trapped in a life of poverty. So, the list goes on and on with these supposedly well intentioned individuals and groups foolishly working toward goals that actually happen to be destructive to themselves and society.

Bishop Mark Hanson uses his office to appease the LGBTQ community by affirming their sinful behavior. Hanson proclaims that the authors of Scripture would not have an understanding of homosexuality as do the enlightened leaders of the ELCA, and as such, we need to reevaluate what Scripture says about sexuality. Mark 10:6-9, Jesus said, “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.” So, that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ taught that marriage is between one man and one woman is overruled by the 2009 ELCA churchwide assembly. Those gullible human beings, using their imperfect love, overturn our God’s command. Bishop Hanson, whose duty is to safeguard sound doctrine, chooses to abdicate his responsibility to uphold God’s will and allows the inmates to run the asylum. Now, what God considers sin is no longer sinful in the official policies of the ELCA and homosexual relations are even acceptable for clergy as long as they engage in a “loving monogamous relationship” because God’s children are apparently wiser than their Father in heaven.

Hanson uses his office to denounce God’s chosen people, Israel, while offering support for Palestine and their terrorist leaders, Hamas. “Peace” activists attempt to violate a legal blockade of Palestine by Israel, attack Israeli forces attempting to board their vessel and Hanson delivers a scathing rebuke of Israel when, in fact, the Israeli forces acted with incredible restraint. Hanson advocates that ELCA members and Americans as a whole, support an embargo on all goods made in Israel. Hamas showers Israel with rockets, targeting civilians, causing casualties and fatalities, yet Hanson stands mute to those atrocities. Romans 9:4, “They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.” Yet, Hanson persists in his affirmation of Palestine, while condemning Israel at every opportunity.

Hanson welcomes diversity within the ELCA. While we should welcome a diversity of people in our church, we should hold fast to the truths of Christianity, not welcome a diversity of beliefs. Universal salvation, the gospels of affirmation and radical inclusiveness, questioning the Virgin Birth and Jesus’ resurrection are just some of the “new things” that Hanson proclaims that God is now telling us. Throughout Scripture, we are warned to “not change a single word of Scripture”. Jesus said in Luke 16:17, “It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.” Who is Hanson obeying when he, as the presiding bishop of the ELCA, decides to rewrite Scripture to placate those that want their worldly desires affirmed by the church? As Satan works on our worldly desires to lead us to sin against our Lord, Hanson decides that these “new things” are from God, but those true to the word realize that this is exactly what the evil one wants us to believe. Those being used by Satan to do his bidding have found a place in leadership positions at our Lord’s church. Just as the Politiboro used unwitting idealists to betray their country, he has found willing servants in God’s own church. After all, how better could Satan infiltrate God’s church, but to use words that sound so appealing, so welcoming, so tolerant and so diverse to those intending to use their imperfect love to create a new religion, based upon what they want to believe, rather than what our Lord has taught.

Knowledge is the way to understand when the evil one is attempting to use you. Dwell in His word and put on the full armor of the Lord. Jude 17, “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” Learn to recognize the useful idiots working in league with Satan that are proclaiming a gospel other than the one our Lord taught.

We're Not Worthy

2011-11-12T23:35:00.000-06:00

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey created the Wayne’s World characters Wayne and Garth for a 1988 skit on Saturday Night Live. (When it was still relatively funny) The premise of the skit entailed a couple of slackers that hosted a public access cable show. Whenever they interviewed someone of note, they would both do an exaggerated bow, stating, “We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy.” Well, we just may be able to learn from their example, because we are certainly not worthy of the grace that our God bestows upon us. Martin Luther wrote the explanation of the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer in the Small Catechism, “We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins, nor deny such petitions on account of them; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them; but that He would grant them all to us by grace; for we daily sin much, and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So will we verily, on our part, also heartily forgive and also readily do good to those who sin against us.” We should always be eternally grateful that our Lord can overlook our numerous shortcomings and grant us eternal life, in spite of our blemishes.

Since we are forever unworthy of our Lord’s love, should we decide to simply rest on the laurels of our faith in the Risen Christ? Should we sit idly by and humbly accept the grace that grants us our salvation? Should we merely be happy that our Lord and Savior took upon Himself all of our sins and generously accepted our punishment, died in our place and rose, defeating death so that we should live? Or should we rejoice in the knowledge that faith in the Risen Christ is the only way to salvation by sharing the Good News with our neighbor? If we fail to abide by our Lord’s command to preach the Gospel to the world, we fail as Christians. The responsibility that comes with being a follower of Christ is that we simply can't not share the love that God has for all His children. Everyone should come to know Him and if we fail to take that responsibility, we fail our Lord. For certain, this does not affect our salvation, but any of His children that are lost bring sorrow to our God. If it is our goal to please our Lord, we must take up His cross and become a Disciple of Christ.

We must endeavor to not only reach those who have not heard, we need to reach those who are misled by false teachers, such as the ELCA, the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ, that accept and promote errant doctrine. As these churches lead their members away from our Lord, placing their authority above our God, we must proclaim the true Gospel. To simply run away, clinging to sound doctrine, is to abandon our responsibility to gently correct in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to know the Truth. Every soul that does not know our Lord is a soul longing to hear the word. Those that have been properly instructed in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ have the solemn duty to “preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2.

Satan is alive and doing very well in this modern, accepting, tolerant society of ours. He has infiltrated our churches, particularly through the misguided leaders of the ELCA, Episcopal, and UCC churches. Satan must be dancing with glee when hundreds of pastors sign documents lifting up sexual immorality and support for reproductive rights (abortion). When the leader of the ELCA, Mark Hanson, denounces God’s chosen, Israel, while lifting up Palestine, led by the terrorist organization Hamas, Satan must be so proud of his work. If we choose to sit by idly, many may be at risk of losing their very salvation. They may only need to hear the truth from fellow believers to turn back to the Lord. We can all leave these errant churches, join new organizations true to the Word, but it doesn’t change the fact that those left behind are your brothers and sisters in Christ. If we leave and let them be led away without trying to bring them back, we are just as guilty as those that lead them away. We must be diligent in our proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that not only those who have not heard come to Him, but that those who have fallen off the path can have their hearts and minds made right with God, so that they can return to Him. James 5:19-20, “My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.” Let the Lord help us not only to save the lost who have not heard, but to save those that have been unknowingly led to accept a gospel other than the one our Lord preached.

Wishful Thinking

2011-11-05T13:15:00.002-05:00

Those that hope for an outcome that would be most pleasing to them often use wishful thinking when making decisions, rather than considering real evidence, logic or truth. This pattern of thinking continues to persist throughout human society and now is being embraced by “mainstream” religion. When one decides on a course of action which is deliberately guided by wishful thinking, things may actually go well for a time. But, fantasy can never be reconciled with reality. As things start to go south, the wishful thinker will often make an even more determined effort to keep their dream alive. Then, as reality closes in and everything starts to unravel, the illusion crashes back to earth. For the leadership of the ELCA, their “new things”, such as bound conscience, are in the process of falling apart. As more and more congregations discover the direction that the ELCA is heading, more are taking steps to disassociate. The ELCA’s leadership is currently engaged in a very determined effort to keep their dream of an all welcoming, tolerant, accepting and appeasing religion that does not recognize sin, alive. They have changed the rules for congregations that are in the process of discerning whether or not to continue in their relationship with the ELCA. They have taken a hard line with the faithful, seeking to maintain unity in their wayward church by using threats and subterfuge.
The leadership of the ELCA persists in adhering to two different hermeneutics that are irreconcilable, promoting that man is in authority of Scripture, while also proclaiming to profess the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, or Scripture alone. Unfortunately, because they so foolishly wish that their “bound conscience” will give them license to justify any worldly desire, they have also deliberately led their unwitting membership along the path of unintended consequences. This wishful thinking leads the misguided that long to have their lifestyle affirmed by the church, to ascertain that because Jesus did not specifically comment on homosexuality, one can derive that this indicates that He does not disapprove of that lifestyle. No matter how much one would want this to be true, Jesus over and over cited the Old Testament laws as valid. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, 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. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” So, although we are no longer bound by the law in order to gain our salvation, it still is important to not only obey, but to uphold the law by teaching sound doctrine.

Another “new” concept that intrigues the leaders and scholars of the ELCA is that hell somehow no longer exists, or is at least irrelevant, apparently since hell is cited only 53 times in the Bible. This is just one more example of wishful thinking. To encourage teaching that God is a God of love and nothing but love breeds a dangerous assumption. Promoting the idea that God would never punish His children and that since Jesus died for everyone it is not necessary to know or even believe in the Risen Christ to gain salvation, is more than simply wishful thinking. It is a perilous notion that jeopardizes the salvation of those foolish enough to trust a church that promotes or at the very least, acquiesces to this errant doctrine.

These are nothing more than false doctrines that the leaders and scholars of the ELCA have concocted and illegitimately foisted upon their trusting members. These leaders and “Biblical scholars” claim that God is now telling them a new thing, appealing to the emotions of those who want a God who affirms them within their sinful behavior. Bound conscience is no different than saying, “If only I want something bad enough and truly believe it, then it will come true.” This type of thinking will only lead one to a bitter disappointment. I’m sorry, but being a follower of Christ carries great responsibility. It’s not about us and what we want; it is all about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Expose the heresy of those that seek to redefine Christianity. Reject those that preach a gospel other than the one our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ taught. Pray that those lost or that have fallen from the path of righteousness return to the Lord. Proclaim the true Gospel with all your heart and with all your might, praying that the Holy Spirit gives you the wisdom and strength to persevere.

Let it Be

2011-10-29T20:28:00.002-05:00

Let it Be was a song written in 1970 by Paul McCartney, but credited to both McCartney and John Lennon, and recorded by the Beatles. McCartney, and especially Lennon were not particularly spiritual, even though Lennon was much more conservative that he led on. McCartney based the song on a dream he had where his deceased mother, Mary, visited him during the troubled times just before the band broke up, and told him that everything will be alright, just let it be. While McCartney looked to his mother for guidance, Christians look to our Lord and Savior for direction, through the word of the Holy Scriptures.

When we find ourselves in times of trouble, Jesus comes to us, speaking words of wisdom, “Come to Me for comfort.” In our hours of darkness, He is standing right in front of us, speaking words of wisdom, “Give yourselves to me and I will lead you to salvation.”

When the broken hearted people living in the world agree, they will find that Jesus is the answer, the way, the Truth, and the life. For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see, there will be an answer, let it be the Risen Christ.

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me, but shine not just until tomorrow, let His light shine forever. When I wake up to the sound of music, my Savior comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, “Come to me and share My kingdom.”

We must also “let it be”. We must let ourselves, our time and our possessions become secondary to our love of our Lord and Savior. For if we persist in placing our needs before our Lord, we withhold that which He desires of His children. Failing to give ourselves to Him will only lead us on an empty pursuit of worldly things, leaving us unable to find the love and fulfillment that a deeper relationship with Jesus will overcome. When we truly give in and let God control our lives and strive to simply please Him, we will have found the answer. No matter how much wealth or fame we have, it can never be enough and will ultimately only lead to disappointment and emptiness. If we find that our identities are the driving factors in our lives, we can never reach a height that will truly satisfy. There will always be someone better, with more skills that we covet, and there will always remain a void in our lives.

With Jesus in control, whatever it is that we do is good enough for Him. Whenever we fail, He loves us unconditionally, no matter how far we fall. When we give up control, we find comfort in His direction. We please our Lord by simply loving Him, thankful for the life He gave for us. We do not need to be broken hearted. We can all agree that Jesus is truly the Way, the Truth and the Life. We can also agree that we need to share the joy that the love of Jesus brings. We must share that which the Lord has blessed us with. We must shine the light of the Lord upon the world. We must give those that do not know, the chance that they too, may see. The Good News is meant to be shared. True Discipleship will require sacrifice on our part, but everything we have is a gift from God. In times of trouble, Jesus is there for all, they only need to have His love and wisdom shared to rescue them. When darkness is all around, He is standing there, waiting for the words, “I believe” to extend that liberating salvation. When the night is cloudy, be the light that shines the light of Jesus to those in need. With the sound of music, lift up your praises to the Lord and reach out beyond the safety of your comfortable church and share that joy with those who have not heard. Ephesians 6:19, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,” Pray that we Christians will also be given the words and the courage to proclaim the Truth and become Disciples of Christ.

Truth, No Consequences?

2011-10-18T00:59:00.000-05:00

Truth or Consequences was a game show that originated on the radio in 1940, then graduated to television in the early 1950’s, lasting until 1988. Contestants were asked to correctly answer a trivia question or “Truth”. Typically there was either no correct answer, or the allotted time, often two seconds or less, would elapse. An incorrect answer or failure to beat the clock would subject the contestant to "Consequences," usually a zany and/or embarrassing stunt. Many contestants deliberately answered the question incorrectly in order to face the consequences. Stunts often included a surprise family reunion and many active military personnel were brought home to reunite with their families. When we accept the Truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we no longer are subject to the consequences of our sinful lives. The punishment that our sinful behavior warrants has been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

So, once our lives truly belong to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the consequences of our sinful behavior are no longer counted against us, we are home free, right? Actually, there are many more consequences once we believe. We are no longer in control. When we are filled with the Spirit, our wants and desires become secondary to our Lord’s will. We truly become a new creation, placing our Lord in control of our lives. It’s not “What Would Jesus Do”, it’s what would our Lord want us to do to bring Him the glory. We cannot simply become a Christian without the desire to be a Disciple of Christ. And being a Disciple brings with it much responsibility, the greatest being to make disciples of all nations. This unconditional grace that grants us eternal life with our Father must be shared. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.“ If we selfishly keep the Good News to ourselves, we not only neglect our Lord’s command to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also to love our neighbors as ourselves. For if we truly loved our neighbor as ourselves, we would want to share the gift of salvation with everyone.

The leaders of the ELCA have neglected their responsibility to engage in the mission to reach out to save the souls of those who do not know our Lord. So much money has been lost due to congregations leaving, by members who uphold the authority of Scripture and have left to join other denominations or began a new mission start, and by other ELCA members that have redirected their benevolences to Christ centered mission, that the ELCA mission budget has been slashed. The ELCA has budgeted less to mission in 2011 than what was budgeted in 1988. This is more than simply a sluggish economy. Something had to give if the ELCA was to continue their drive to transform the very foundation of Lutheranism. Something would have to be cut since the social justice agenda continues to be of utmost importance to this wayward denomination. Since the largest Lutheran denomination in North America has abandoned its’ duty to save the lost, it is even more important that more Christians step up and become Disciples.

Now is the time to get involved in mission. Now is the time to step out of your comfort zone and start sharing the peace of the Lord with someone outside of your secure and cozy church. There are so many missions looking for volunteers. There are many churches looking for partners in existing mission ministries and others wanting to share the Good News, but need partners to help them get started. Putting a few extra dollars in the collection plate is way too easy. It is time to “get some boots on the ground” and those boots belong to you. It is easy being a Christian. Will you step out and be what God calls you to be and become His Disciple? Matthew 4:19, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Use the gifts that God has blessed you with and reach out to the world. Take that first step and truly give yourself to Him. Don’t take the easy way out. Accept the consequences that come with being a Disciple of Christ, the Truth that sets you free.

Joyful Spirit

2011-10-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

Constructive criticism given by a friend rubs you the wrong way. You respond in anger or withdraw, mumbling under your breath, shaking your head, thinking “How could you”. The drive for perfection leads you to accuse those around you of not carrying their weight. Feeling hurt or betrayed by the one you love, you draw into a shell and cut off communication. Acrimony, jealousy, pride, tension, and bitterness are just a few of the negative emotions or moods that allow Satan to poison our relationships with others. As children of God, we have one thing that others do not. We have a Savior that gave Himself for us. We have the promise of eternal life with our Father if only we believe. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11, “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Sometimes, we do not, in fact, lift each other up. When the evil one takes advantage of our failings, we become the selfish beings that rebel against our God. Instead of filling our heart with His Spirit, we allow our own selfish cravings to let Satan in and ignore the Spirit.

Psalm 147:1, 7, “Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! 7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.” Praise Him with a joyful heart. Every time we sing praise to our Lord, let our hearts be filled with His love and let us share that joy with everyone in our Father’s house. Romans 15:32, “Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.” As Disciples of Christ we need to encourage our brothers and sisters, and it is so important to do so with a glad and joyful heart, for we praise the God of all creation that sent His son as a sin offering in our place. So, put aside those things of this world and proclaim the joy that our Lord has placed within our hearts. Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Let us hold fast to the words of the Holy Spirit inspired authors of Scripture. Whenever two or more are gathered in our Father’s name the Spirit will also inspire us to give glory to Him. We should not simply sing praises to God, but use our voices to open hearts and minds to the power of the Holy Spirit, to lead them to understand God’s will and open an avenue to begin or enrich a personal relationship with Him.

Relationships can become strained when the Spirit becomes secondary within that relationship. Endeavor to fill your hearts with the Spirit, leaving no room for the evil one to upset that balance. We sing our praises to God and not any earthly authority. There is no room for disagreement when we fill our hearts with the Spirit. There is no room for petty bickering when we lift us our songs of praise to the Lord. Pray that His Spirit guides us to offer praises worthy of our God. Psalm 113:1-3, “Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2 Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” Dwell in His word and meet regularly with other believers in prayer and praise. When we follow our Lord’s will, there is no room for the things of this world that Satan can use to cause us harm. Idle minds are the Devil’s workshop, so fill your heart and mind with the love that can only come from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Once we are truly at peace with our God, the things of this world simply no longer seem so important. Reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ with a heart filled with the love that can only come through a right relationship with Jesus. Sing to the Lord with a joyful heart and joyful spirit. All glory and honor to the one who gave His life so that we may live.

It's Raining Grace

2011-10-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

Believers stand before God and literally bask in the grace that flows from heaven above. As believers we lift up our arms and open our hearts to let the Spirit fill our souls, falling upon us like a gentle, warm rain. Yet, there are still so many that do not have faith. There are those who simply do not understand the gift offered by God or have never heard the Good News. There are those who know about God, but open their umbrellas to deflect the grace that rains down, refusing to listen. There are those who choose to accept alternate paths that lead them away from Him. And then there are those who teach that everyone will be granted salvation, regardless of faith. John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Our God so loves His children that He wants all to be saved. His grace falls indiscriminately upon this world. It is there for all. We have the choice to accept His grace by simply believing in the Risen Christ.

But, there are scholars within the ELCA that promote a very different understanding of salvation. Though not taught as official doctrine of this wayward Lutheran denomination, the concept of universalism is gaining steam and is being taught in ELCA churches and seminaries. From the June 21, 2011 Living Lutheran, an article penned by Paul Lutter, a visiting instructor at Gustavus Adophus College, working towards his PHD at Luther Seminary. “Fully, Luther came to understand, God forgives, loves and saves us completely apart from anything we do or do not do. When this came to light, it was for Luther as if “the gates of heaven were opened to me.” Such news clangs in our ears, however. “I have to do something,” we retort. “God isn’t going to do God’s thing with or for us without our first believing, right?” When faith — or anything else God gives — is turned from a gift God gives to something we need to do first to earn God’s favor, we reveal something rather telling about ourselves. We do not trust that God gives as God promises. We do not trust God. God comes down the staircase, gifts in hand, ready to dole them out to us who are caught empty-handed. When God reaches us, God hands them out, as the one who sews seeds. God throws caution to the wind and hands out God’s gifts with wild abandon. Foolishly. Freely. For us. When we speak of grace alone, we mean to say something unconditional about the way God gives to us who are not ready and yet waiting for God’s presence and work among us. God gives. We receive. Fully and completely.” Like most ELCA teachings, some of Mr. Lutter’s analogy is correct, God’s grace is given freely to those who believe. Faith is the missing link in this essay. It is apparent that the instruction given to seminarians by this man is tainted with his interpretation of grace without the condition of faith. This is not what our Savior taught us and certainly not what Martin Luther preached.

From the March, 3, 2011 Huffington Post, an article by David Lose, Director of the Center for Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, commenting about Rob Bell’s book “Love Wins”, “But I think the importance we attach to hell today has more to do with the allure of certainty than fear of punishment. A clear sense of the rewards and punishments for having or lacking faith in Christ offers a compelling logic regarding our eternal destiny that reduces ambiguity from the life of faith. After all, and as many Evangelical Christians have argued, if you can go to heaven without believing in Christ, what's the point of faith in the first place? This certainty, in turn, lends believers a sense of authority, even power, as they have a clear standard by which to judge "who's in" and "who's out." Talk about seductive!” Again, we find a professor at an ELCA seminary who looks upon those who have faith in the Risen Christ as self righteous and judgmental. Are believers somehow more special than others? No, God loves all of His children unconditionally. This is why Jesus charged His Disciples, and also all believers, to make disciples of all nations, so that everyone would find eternal life with the Father.

The initial printing of the ELCA Study Bible, included this footnote, written by Wartburg Seminary professor, Duane Priebe regarding Matthew 28:16-20: “...In contrast to 10:5-6, 23, Jesus now sends the disciples to make disciples of all nations. That does not mean make everyone disciples. Most people who are helped by Jesus and believe in him never become disciples. Jesus includes in salvation people who do not believe in him or even know about him.” Our Lord and Savior does not agree. Jesus said in John 6:40, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Why do these enlightened scholars of the ELCA continue to teach that faith is somehow optional? Our God does not force us to believe. We have the free will to choose to believe. Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Share the gift that God has given you. Proclaim His word to those who have not heard and especially to those who are acceptant of false gospels. God wants all of His children to come to Him. We are His disciples on earth and we are charged to share the Good News and make disciples of all nations, so that all will be saved.

Conscientious Objector

2011-09-24T21:13:00.000-05:00

"God wants our conscience to be certain and sure that it is pleasing to Him. This cannot be done if the conscience is led by its own feelings, but only if it relies on the Word of God." - Martin Luther. It is the doctrine of bound conscience that drives all other doctrine within the ELCA. It is the tie that binds all the other errant teachings of this misguided denomination together. It is the linchpin that locks out the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, replacing it with secular, not heavenly ideals. For without this bound conscience, one could not lift up their own opinion above the will of our God. Without bound conscience the false gospel of affirmation falls like a house of cards. Without bound conscience the concept of universalism is proven to be a lie, perpetrated by those who simply want to abandon their responsibility to save souls. Without bound conscience sexual relations are a gift, granted by our Lord, consummated by one man and one woman within the confines of the Sacrament of Marriage. Once man has granted himself authority over of the word of God, it is easy to replace it with their modern sensibilities. It becomes effortless to reinterpret Scripture to satisfy the longings of a depraved humanity.

The leadership of the ELCA has replaced reason with the deliberate confusion of the intent of our God in order to appease those who want a God on their own terms. Hebrews 12:22-25, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?” Those who decide it is incumbent upon themseves to disregard Scripture in order to be more welcoming, tolerant and accepting, turn away from the commands of our Lord and encourage the faithful to follow errant doctrine. Those that accept this bound conscience may well be placing their very salvation at risk.

1 john 2:3-6, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” To accept the premise of bound conscience one must necessarily disobey God’s commands, either by deliberately choosing to disregard His will or by acquiescing to or ignoring those that choose to do so. To truly love the Lord we must want to please Him above all else. To truly please our Lord is to walk as He did and follow His teaching, not place our needs before His. We all have our failings and fall into sin all too regularly, but if we deliberately defy our God, how long will His patience last. As a follower of Christ, my conscience compels me to object to the intentional rejection of God’s word by placing man’s opinion above His will. From the Formula of Concord, “when under the title and pretext of external adiaphora (Adiaphora refers to matters not regarded as essential to faith, but nevertheless are permissible or allowed in church.) is such things are proposed as are in principle contrary to God's Word (although painted another color), these are not to be regarded as adiaphora, in which one is free to act as he will, but must be avoided as things prohibited by God.” The doctrine of bound conscience does not fall under the auspices of adiaphora, even though the leaders of the ELCA paint it as such. It must avoided, as are all things that are prohibited by our Lord.

This church, that so prides itself on its great diversity, always falls back on its “official” doctrine when the faithful call out to correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. What does their official doctrine say about allowing those who stray and teach a gospel other than the one our Lord taught? From the Epitome of the Formula of Concord, which is declared by the ELCA as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church, “all doctrines are to be conformed, and what is, contrary thereto is to be rejected and condemned, as opposed to the unanimous declaration of our faith. In this way the distinction between the Holy Scriptures of the Old and of the New Testament and all other writings is preserved, and the Holy Scriptures alone remain the only judge, rule, and standard, according to which, as the only test-stone, all dogmas shall and must be discerned and judged, as to whether they are good or evil, right or wrong.” The doctrine of bound conscience is contrary to Scriptural intent and violates our Lord’s commands. And since one must necessarily invoke this bound conscience to accept other false gospels promoted and/or accepted by the leaders of the ELCA, it must be rejected and condemned.

1 Peter 3:14-16, “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” Continue to proclaim our Lord’s Gospel and to speak out to expose the heresies promoted by the leaders of the ELCA. Wear the slander that they speak against us as a badge of honor and continue to fight the good fight. There are far too many of our brothers and sisters that are too easily accepting these false doctrines.

Never, Ever Give Up!

2011-09-18T22:55:00.000-05:00

The saying, never, ever give up always reminds me of the cartoon of a frog being eaten by a heron. His legs are holding the beak open and his hands are around the bird’s neck, fighting valiantly to not become that bird’s next meal. As Christians we are called to be vessels for our Lord. We are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. We are also called to gently correct our brothers and sisters in Christ that fall into sinful behavior. Those true to our Lord have discovered that one of His churches has strayed from the Gospel that He taught. The leaders of the ELCA have taken the easy road that leads to the ruin of their membership. Doctrine that is contrary to our Lord’s teachings has replaced sound Lutheran doctrine that has stood for centuries. The primary mission of the ELCA has placed humankind’s experience, knowledge and tradition over the proclamation of the Gospel to the world.

Those of us that hear and yield to the Spirit and have challenged these false teachings are experiencing many hardships. They are called troublemakers, zealots, and now the leaders of the ELCA accuse them of being misinformed or just plain liars. We follow our constitutions and ask that our councils investigate the direction that the ELCA is heading. Many of us are disheartened when our congregations refuse to listen, choosing to remain faithful to a church, not to our Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 4:1, “Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.” We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. There is a veritable revival occurring within the Lutheran church. More and more congregations are listening and discovering just what the ELCA is doing and voting to leave this errant denomination. Many more individual Lutherans are standing up for our God, sometimes leaving congregations that they have called home for decades and have started new mission churches that preach sound Christian doctrine.

So, for those that are afraid to lose their church and the friendships they have made over the years, we are called to proclaim His word, but it is His will as to where our evangelizing ultimately takes us. After all, it is not what we want that matters. For every church united in upholding the authority of Scripture, there are those that don’t want to hear it. For every church that votes to leave the ELCA, there are those that vote to stay. We cannot be motivated by the end result, but our motivation is to do His will. Our Lord will lead us to where He wants us to be. The goal is to proclaim His word and that by the power of the Holy Spirit, those that hear will come to believe and/or return to the Lord. We are merely soldiers for the Lord, to be used to give our God the glory. Once we give up on those earthly things, we will better accept what is our Lord’s plan. That plan may be to save your church, to lead you to leave and join another congregation true to the Lord, or take up the daunting task of starting a new mission church to proclaim His glory.

Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” So we will fight for our Lord and pray that those close to us will listen and discover that the ELCA is, in fact, leaving our Lord behind. We will fight for our Lord no matter how difficult it is for us. We will put on the armor of our faith and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and as Paul instructs in 2 Timothy 2:24-26, “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

We need to be that good example for our Lord and no matter how much we would like to have the outcome that pleases us, it is more important to do our Lord’s work for His glory and be patient, waiting for His will to be done. Hebrews 10:35-39, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” Do not lose heart and give up. We are not one of those who shrink back and are destroyed. We are those that believe and are saved and we will continue to proclaim His word until we can speak no more. Amen.

Stop Making Sense

2011-09-12T22:15:00.004-05:00

In 1984, the new wave rock band “Talking Heads” produced a movie/album entitled, “Stop Making Sense”. It contains most of their greatest hits and remains one of my favorite classic rock CD’s. Much of their music delved into rather mundane subjects, not usually associated with traditional rock and roll. Their lead singer/songwriter David Byrne, a rather eclectic individual, did this intentionally so as not to fall into the category of normalcy. He was, to say the least, unorthodox in not only his music, but in his lifestyle as well. The presiding bishop of the ELCA, Mark Hanson, continues to forge ahead in the promotion of unorthodox doctrine. Those that uphold the authority of Scripture and disagree with the direction that he is leading the ELCA, are told, in effect, to stop making sense.

In order to accept the errant doctrinal shifts that the ELCA is foisting upon its’ members, one would have to actually suspend belief. In order to believe and accept these doctrinal shifts, one would have to read Scripture with eyes that do not see, ears that cannot hear, and a mind that does not understand. How else could one read 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers not male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards not slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Or Leviticus 18:22, “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” And somehow the leaders of the ELCA, after years of careful study, determine that homosexuality meets with God’s approval and same gender unions are appropriate to be blessed in ELCA churches that choose to do so. Bishop Mark Hanson said, “The understanding we have of homosexuality today does not seem to be reflected at all in the context of the biblical writers. Therefore, Lutherans should consider more modern views on sexual orientation.” You really have to read between the lines in order to come up with this conclusion.

Bishop Hanson believes and promotes that “there is a “traditional approach” and a “contextual approach” in interpreting Scripture, both of which are valid and irreconcilable.” Think about that statement for a moment. What Hanson is stating is that all interpretations of Scripture, no matter how off base they may be, are considered valid by the ELCA. Please ignore that ancient document behind the curtain! Does Hanson actually think that we are living in the land of Oz and that he is the supreme wizard? It is the churches’ responsibility to teach sound doctrine, not placate those that want to hear what their itching ears want to hear! So, when some new enlightened and popular teacher, such as Rob Bell, writes a book questioning the existence of Hell, the leaders of the ELCA are all over it, embracing this “new thing” and proclaim that a loving God would never subject His children to an eternal existence apart from Him, no matter what.

From the Christian Universalist Association; “Meanwhile, there has been a trend toward universalist beliefs in several other denominations and traditions that have not historically taught universal salvation. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is one of the best examples of this, because Martin Luther himself never embraced Universalism, but the ELCA today is one of the major Lutheran denominations and some of its ministers openly teach the salvation of all -- although this is not an official teaching of the church.”

From the American Spectator, 08-17-2007, written by Lars Walker, a former employee of the ELCA, “The ELCA, like other "mainline" denominations, is effectively Universalist today. Universalists, after all, get invited to the nice parties and are almost never made fun of in movies. The ELCA still talks about the Cross, for the benefit of the rubes who actually sit in the pews and pay the bills, but the people in the upstairs offices mostly agree that there's really no such place as Hell. This reduces the Cross to a metaphor at best, an artifact which they'll quietly relegate to the attic once the old people have died off (leaving their money behind).”

Because Christ died for all humankind and God wants all His children to be saved, somehow the condition that one must believe, is relegated as unnecessary to obtain God’s grace and our salvation. The leaders of the ELCA deride those that are traditional or “literalists” and accuse them of “placing God in a box” and who are we to decide who God is going to save. I’m just a poor lay person who has not attended seminary, but as Lutherans we believe in “Sola Scriptura” or Scripture alone in all matters of faith, and when my Savior says that He is the way and the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father, except through Him, that is good enough for me.

Official ELCA doctrine, (wink, wink, nod, nod) is cited whenever congregations question the direction of this misguided denomination. It is not what is officially stated as ELCA doctrine, it is the fact that teaching a gospel other than what our Lord and Savior taught is not only tolerated, it is welcomed. What those misguided leaders fail to realize is that Jesus called upon us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” So, it is true that Jesus died for all and God wants to save all of His children, but one must have faith in the Risen Christ. There is no other way. And with the ELCA slashing the budget of mission to less than they spent in 1988, it would appear that the mission to bring His word to the world is no longer a priority. Since Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are no longer under penalty of the law and by faith alone, we are saved. Those that have not heard or do not believe continue to be at risk of eternal damnation. The leaders of the ELCA call for their members to suspend belief and “stop making sense” as they lead them away from the path that our Lord has set before them. Too many of our brothers and sisters are still unaware of the heresies promoted by the ELCA and think that the ELCA is on the proper path. It is incumbent upon us to proclaim His truth and expose the errant doctrines of the ELCA so that those trapped within can have their spiritual hearts and minds opened.

The Path of Least Repentance

2011-09-03T23:25:00.000-05:00

I am a sinful human being that continually falls short of the glory of our Savior. Without my Lord and Savior, I can accomplish nothing. John 15:5-8, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” I so look forward to confessing my sinful behavior to my God and receiving the assurance that I am forgiven. As much as I would like to behave in the manner that my Father in heaven demands, by myself, I always fail. That my Savior took upon Himself all my sin and received the punishment I deserved is such a solemn relief. I am liberated from the punishment of the Law by our Lord’s grace, simply because I have faith in the Risen Christ. Because of that faith, I will still have a place in my Father’s house no matter how many times I fall from the path my Savior intends for me to follow.

For ELCA Lutherans repentance is optional. Apparently, the concept of sin is such a negative connotation and those that stand accused of sinning may have their feelings hurt, so doctrine is enacted by a vote of imperfect human beings that believe that they have more wisdom than our Father in heaven. Confession and absolution becomes an optional part of ELCA services and is allowed to be replaced by a “Celebration of Baptism”, because this is much more positive and loving. Those portions of Scripture that show that our God is not only a God of love, but a God that is to be feared, are eliminated from the Revised Common Lectionary, because a loving God would never punish His children. Hebrews 12:4-11, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 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, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Parents that coddle their children and offer no direction or discipline often find that their children will be improperly equipped to survive in the real world. God’s children are no different, except those that belong to ELCA congregations that choose to follow errant doctrine.

The leaders of the ELCA promote new doctrine that allows those that choose to remain in sin to invoke their “bound conscience” and use their human experience, tradition and knowledge to interpret Scripture to fit their fancy. Those that uphold the authority of Scripture are allowed to disagree, but are called to not, as is written in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.” They are called on to respect that person’s interpretation, even if it is in obvious error. This doctrine calls on the faithful to ignore our responsibility to reach out to save those in error and lead them back to the path of righteousness.

So, the choice remains, do we accept the authority of Scripture and truly believe that we are nothing without our Lord and Savior, or do we follow an errant church that diminishes the Word of God, rewrites Scripture to placate those that have no desire to repent of their sinful behavior, and calls on its’ members to refrain from sharing their faith by witnessing the true Gospel. Unfortunately, the church that we grew up in our faith is no longer on the path that our Lord demands. The leaders of the ELCA lead a rudderless ship that leads to the destruction of those that accept the errant doctrines that are overtaking its’ ministries. Pray unceasingly that those true to our Lord and Savior choose to leave this errant denomination and join a church that accepts the authority of Scripture.

Heaven on Earth

2011-08-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

Many eastern religions attempt to create a heaven on earth. Hinduism has reincarnation as a main focus. Buddhism teaches that life exists within itself, that there is no inherent meaning to life, other than to be happy and not suffer. The one thing that ties many of these religions together is the worship of the self, since they do not believe that there is a God. One of the reasons that a heaven on earth is necessary is that salvation is not a part of these religions. There is no Savior to stand in to receive the just punishment so rightly deserved, so one’s behavior on this earth must be exemplary. Many of these eastern religions have no expectation of life after death, so improving the world we live in must substitute for that heavenly aspiration. The leaders and scholars of the ELCA also promote that we must create a heaven on earth. They abandon their responsibility to bring the lost to Jesus while they engage in a headlong rush to lift up the goal of social justice over the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The false gospel of affirmation that the ELCA embraces has no need for a Savior, since eternal life with our Father is a foregone conclusion.

As Christians, faith in the Risen Christ is the only requirement necessary to be granted salvation. For ELCA Lutherans, it is entirely up to you whether or not you believe or how you want to believe. For ELCA Lutherans, new doctrines allow the individual to believe as they wish, because God so loves us that we all are going to heaven regardless of faith, chosen religion or non-belief. Jesus Christ, true God from true God, of one with the Father said in John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” The leaders of the ELCA again convict themselves by choosing to disregard our Lord’s command, hide their lies in the darkness, all the while encouraging their membership to accept a false gospel that sounds so very appealing. Those appealing words lead their members away from the Lord. Overemphazing the love of neighbor over our love of the Lord places their membership at risk. After all, we are called to love our neighbor as our Lord and Savior loved us. Romans 15:7, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” And by very definition, our neighbor is anyone who happens to live on this earth, regardless of any differences among us.

Why is the ELCA so preoccupied with the things of this world and so driven to in their quest to create some kind of Utopia here on earth? Why is the crusade for social justice the overriding element of their mission? As the leadership of the ELCA continues to drive a wedge between themselves and our Lord, earthly preoccupations take precedence over their true calling to save the lost. Would it not be more appropriate to teach those that have not heard the true Gospel of Jesus Christ rather than to dilute our faith in an effort to placate those that only want to believe on their own terms? Once one truly surrenders to our Lord, we and our sinful desires are no longer important. For certain, all who surrender continue to sin again and again, but if we truly desire to become Christ like, we will endeavor to place our needs secondary to our Lord’s will. In 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, the Apostle Paul wrote about a believer’s freedom, “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” If social justice is to truly prevail in this world, we must fill our hearts with the true love of Christ, striving to follow His law and the fulfillment of His will 2 Corinthians 3:4-6, “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Share the Good News of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and work to bring all who have not heard to Him. Only when all come to Christ will we even approach anything remotely resembling a heaven on earth. Our great reward is an eternity with our Father in heaven. Whatever it is that we accomplish in this world, it is done to give glory to our God.

Nobody's Perfect

2011-08-21T09:49:00.001-05:00

Make a mistake or fall short of someone’s expectations and you may find yourself using the phrase; ”Well, nobody’s perfect.” As a fallen, sinful humanity, we should be using this phrase often. Only one human being in all history was perfect, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, true man and true God, being one with the Father. None of us, even on our best of days, even approaches the perfection of our Lord. Psalm 19:11-17, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

Amy Grant penned a song, Perfect People that broaches this subject. From the lyrics of this song: “There's no such thing as perfect people. There's no such thing as a perfect life. So come as you are, broken and scarred. Lift up your heart and be amazed and be changed by a perfect God. Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted when you hear the words that you are loved. He knows where you are and where you've been and you never have to go there again. So, be changed by a perfect God who lived and died to give new life to heal our imperfections. So look up and see love and let grace be enough.” The real message in this song is that God is perfect and we need to be changed by a perfect God once we give ourselves to Him.

So much of this new and modern Christian theology really looks to change God, not the believer. This new theology seeks to remake God in humankind’s image and has the audacity to place conditions upon God. When we place conditions upon the Lord, we do not truly love Him, but still place the love of self ahead of our God. This is where the leaders and scholars of the ELCA fail our Lord and lead their membership away from Him. Consider the misguided new doctrine that preaches that all are saved, or what is commonly called universal salvation. Now this particular belief is not part of the official doctrine of the ELCA, but is becoming increasingly involved in mainstream discussions. That all are saved regardless of belief is extremely appalling. That a church would even consider that faith in the Risen Christ is optional is pure apostasy.

Other “new things” that God is supposedly telling the leaders of the ELCA revolve around the mistaken assumption that since God is perfect, everything he has created is also perfect. Those created by a perfect God are assumed that any proclivity that drives their being is considered good by the Lord, because He created them that way. One needs only to look around the world and realize that humankind is inherently evil, not good, and certainly not perfect. Using the doctrine of bound conscience to justify homosexuality can also be used to justify any aberrant behavior that one may be involved. People afflicted with mental diseases that trigger behaviors that are unacceptable to God and society were also made that way by a perfect God. Should we also institute doctrine to make those behaviors acceptable to the church? Not being as enlightened as the Biblical scholars and leaders of the ELCA, the answer is quite clear.

Our Lord is perfect, we are flawed. We need to look to our perfect God for guidance and the best place to find that knowledge is in the Bible. His word is made clear for us. Those that preach the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ, without the secular political correctness that permeates the ELCA, will allow those that listen to hear His word, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, they may come to know the Lord and understand the path He desires us to follow. When we place our Lord’s will before our own, only then will even approach the perfection that He intends for His children. Colossians 1:21-23, 28-29 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. 28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Fill yourself with His spirit and love. Place our Lord first and foremost in your lives. Let God’s spirit flow like a river through you, a vessel that lives to serve and adore Him that gave His life so that you may live forever. Amen.

Sweet Surrender

2011-08-15T15:06:00.000-05:00

To fall in love is to give oneself completely to that person. That person becomes central to your world, your very reason to live. We feel that we are not worthy of that person’s love and we fall all over ourselves to make certain that we meet that person’s every need. We will do whatever it is that is necessary to make our lover complete. We put aside our own desires to try to anticipate the wants and needs of our lover. We surrender completely to our lover. The term “sweet surrender” is usually applied to the absolute submission of a bride to her husband and husband to his new wife on their wedding night. As lovers of Christ, we are called to surrender ourselves to His will. We are called to follow our Savior’s lead and endeavor to become “Christ like”. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, 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. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” While the Gospel frees us from the penalty of the law, we are still called to not only obey God’s law, but the church is charged to promote the truth of God’s word, not promoting that God is now saying a "new thing" in order to placate worldly desires.

The new doctrines promoted by the leaders and scholars of the ELCA surrender not to our Lord, but to the proclivities of the flesh. Bound conscience allows one to choose their own interpretation of Scripture and directs those that disagree to respect that interpretation, not to gently correct, rebuke, or encourage those that are in obvious error. This doctrine places human opinion and experience above the authority of Scripture. There are those that place conditions upon God, that their chosen lifestyle must be affirmed by His church in order that they feel welcome. In order to more politically correct the leaders of the ELCA brush God’s law aside and proclaim that He is now telling them a new thing, and by a vote of imperfect and sinful humans, God’s law is amended. Galatians 3:23-25, “Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” So, where does this “new thing” lead those that accept this doctrine? If the law leads us to Christ, where does deliberately disobeying His law lead? It is clear that this “new thing” is of man and not of God and those that accept this errant doctrine are sure to fall away from Him.

Bishop Mark Hanson naively supports Palestine when their leadership, Hamas, has the stated intent to eliminate Israel, God’s chosen, from the face of the earth. Psalm 14:4-6, “Will evildoers never learn—those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? 5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. 6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lordis their refuge.” The leadership of the ELCA continues to support immorality and disparage our Lord’s word while promoting “new”doctrine that disregards His word. Human depravity is rampant and the leaders of the ELCA are preoccupied with the things of this world, or political correctness, instead of performing the tasks our Lord has placed before His church. All humankind has the opportunity to gain the knowledge of God if they so choose. The leadership of the ELCA has chosen to deliberately neglect those opportunities and allow those in sin to remain apart from God. That the leadership of the ELCA would choose to promote the welfare of Palestine while promoting actions against Israel is unconscionable and contrary to God’s will.

The leaders of the ELCA provide insurance to their employees that subsidizes abortion procedures, tacitly authorizing the murder of unborn children. In Matthew 5:21, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago,‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” What is troubling is that the leadership of the ELCA does not understand or simply chooses to ignore the contradiction of that policy. Continue to pray for those trapped within the ELCA. Pray that their leadership opens their minds, eyes and hearts and choose to surrender their lives back to the Lord. Pray that one day the leadership of the ELCA will uphold their responsibility to their membership. Far too many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are at risk to simply walk away.

Praises after the Storm

2011-08-03T00:38:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, May 22, 2011 at approximately 5:30PM a category 5 tornado, the product of the convergence of three massive storm systems, touched down in Joplin, Missouri. The wind speed of the tornado was over 300 MPH as it touched down, then decreased to about 220 MPH as it slowly moved through the heart of the city. Tornados typically travel at ground speeds of 25-50 MPH. This storm crawled at 10 MPH, literally destroying everything in its path. The tornado carved a path of destruction one mile wide and more than 5 miles long through the heart of Joplin. Tornado touchdowns always leave wreckage in their path. This storm absolutely leveled the city, leaving it looking more like Hiroshima or Nagasaki at the end of WWII. Piles of rubble where homes once stood, trees twisted into shards of wood, still rooted in the ground. No words can appropriately describe the devastation to this community. 1 Peter 1:6-9, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” More than 150 of our brothers and sisters in Christ perished on that day. Many more are still hospitalized and the death toll is expected to continue to rise. But, the spirit of so many of those affected by this tragedy still remains fixed upon our Lord.

So many are thankful for the blessings received from the Lord, even in the midst of so much destruction. Even though over 9000 homes were completely destroyed and many more damaged extensively, there are so many thankful to have survived and have loved ones that survived this calamity. As we drove through the devastation that was once Joplin, we observed signs spray painted on the foundations of homes, often the only part of the house left standing. “Thank you Jesus for sparing us.” “Thank you Lord, we survived.” “I love you Jesus.” “Thank you to all the volunteers.” We observed the pouring out of God’s love by the numerous volunteers that came to Joplin to help in the cleanup and rebuilding. I was approached numerous times by residents of Joplin that stopped and thanked us for coming to help and how much we were appreciated. The 16 Wisconsinites from Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church that partnered with the 24 Missourians from Lee’s Summit Methodist Church were accepted and welcomed in true Christian love. The Holy Spirit is alive and well in Joplin, Missouri. The Holy Spirit is alive and well in the over 50,000 volunteers that descended upon Joplin in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy. The Holy Spirit is alive and well when God’s children can continue to praise Him, even after experiencing great personal loss.

Romans 8:16-21, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Joplin will be rebuilt. The Holy Spirit fills those who have endured great loss. Praises to our Lord continue to radiate from Joplin in spite of the toll from the storm. Do not forget our brothers and sisters in Joplin. Continue to pray for them and contribute what you can to help them rebuild. Everything we are, everything we have is a gift from God and we should share what we can with our brothers and sisters. Praise be to God!

Fool Me Once

2011-07-14T12:35:00.000-05:00

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. If someone pulls one over on us, we can chalk this up to our naivety, learn from it, and not be fooled again. When that person attempts to deceive us in this manner again, that person should know better than to try to mislead one who has already experienced this same deception. If you fall prey once again, there is no one to blame but yourself. This old saying fits in well with the false teachings of the ELCA. They use the doctrine of bound conscience to fool their membership into believing that they can reinterpret Scripture in order to empower themselves within their chosen sin. This doctrine contradicts the very foundation of Lutheranism, that the Bible is the written word of God, our sole authority in matters of faith and theology. This errant doctrine is used to not only justify sinful activity, but serves to question the reality that we are by nature sinful and unclean. So, those that choose to engage in sinful activity and don’t want to give up that behavior, are fooled into believing that they can continue in that sin because the false gospel of affirmation teaches that God loves and affirms you within that sin. The leaders of the ELCA promote that bound conscience allows one to believe just about anything. They deliberately deceive their members into believing that since God created them, they are inherently good and any and all proclivities that feed the flesh are acceptable. This "new thing" promotes that there is nothing that is unacceptable in the eyes of the Lord, since He loves and affirms us unconditionally..

One of the verses excluded from the Revised Common Lectionary is the last verse of the story of the paralytic that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. John 5:14, “Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” Our God does not affirm us in our sin, but He will forgive us of our sins if we only ask for His forgiveness. For if we fail to confess our sins to our Father, believing that we are without sin, or that somehow, it doesn't matter what we do, will only allow our sinful acts to lead us away from Him. Over and over again, those that believe that they are acting in true Christian love, are fooled by the deceitful leaders and scholars that foist these errant teachings upon the faithful. It is terribly wrong for a church to lead its people astray by pursuing doctrine that is contradictory to God’s law. It is the responsibility of the church to preach the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ and that through the Holy Spirit, those that hear may understand and accept.

Even though our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ died on that cross, suffering the punishment that was meant for us, we must not engage in the willful disregard of God’s laws with an unrepentant heart. We all fall short of God’s glory and our feeble attempts at righteousness are met with abject failure. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, so we fall into a myriad of sinful activity, intentionally and unintentionally. 1 John 2:1-6, “But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” There is no truth in the false gospel of affirmation. We cannot turn to our modern sensibilities and reject our Lord's teachings and still remain a good Christian. Although we try to walk as Jesus did, we all continue to fall into sin. But, we know that we have our Savior to intercede on our behalf, to plead our case, who aids and defends us, and who represents our interests before the Father. It is when we decide that our Father is not the authority in our lives and place ourselves and our own opinion and experience above the Lord that brings us all kinds of trouble.

When the leaders and scholars of the ELCA concocted the doctrine of bound conscience, confessional Lutherans disagreed. This doctrine, explained as a way to welcome more of God’s children who view themselves as on the fringe of society, who felt it was necessary for them to be truly loved by the church, their lifestyle choices needed to be accepted. It has become nothing of the sort. This doctrine calls upon the faithful to recognize differences of opinion in spiritual matters and to respect the opinions of others, even if that opinion is contrary to Scripture. In the matter of human sexuality the ELCA went even further. Now those that uphold the authority of Scripture and accept God’s word that marriage is between one man and one woman, and that sexual relations are acceptable only within this relationship, actually hold beliefs contrary to official ELCA doctrine. A synod bishop of the ELCA tried to explain that Scripture is not clear on the matter of homosexuality and questioned whether it is actually sinful. He also said that since God loves us all and because we all fall short, God accepts us as we are, no matter what our sexual preference may be. He further explained that this doctrine was never intended to pertain to matters affecting the salvation of one’s soul. But, since the leaders of the ELCA have already fooled so many of their members, it is being cited to bolster arguments that deny the existence of hell, promote universal salvation, questions the truth of the Resurrection, casts doubt upon the Scriptural account of the Virgin Birth, and even the deity of Christ was debated in the featured Easter essay in the Lutheran in April of 2008.

The definition of synod is to “walk together”. Shame on those that continue to walk together with a synod that denies the very truths of Christianity. Shame on those that accept bound conscience in order to place their own opinion over the will of our Lord. Shame on those that continue to lead the faithful astray with false doctrine. Ecclesiastes 10:2, “The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.” We won't be fooled again! Choose to walk the right path with our Lord and expose the heresies promoted by the leaders of the ELCA. Pray unceasingly for the ELCA to return to the Lord.

Under Penalty of Law

2011-07-07T23:52:00.000-05:00

It is very troubling that more and more of these so called modern and enlightened preachers proclaim that God is love and only love. So many of those responsible to save the lost have become so enamored of themselves and of this world, that they actually teach unsound doctrine that can and does affect the very salvation of those who accept their false teaching. These "new age" preachers proclaim doctrine that supports the "new thing" that God is allegedly saying and pen essays that sound so appealing, especially to those thirsting for a church to approve and welcome them and their lifestyle choices, in spite of what our God commands. Just like the evil one revels in half truths within his lies, these teachers are only partly correct. Yes, when Jesus Christ took sin to the cross, suffered and died, He freely received the punishment we so rightly deserved. When His death and resurrection was complete, we were freed from the judgment of the law. We are no longer due punishment for our never ending sinful behavior. Jesus suffered our punishment and through His death we are sanctified before God. By faith, we are freely justified and are granted eternal life.

So many teachers in the ELCA and others embraced by the ELCA preach that this justification is freely given without condition and with or without faith. They teach that God would never place conditions upon His children, and promote the doctrine of universalism. From the Defense of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV: Justification, “they condemn us, for teaching that men obtain remission of sins not because of their own merits, but freely for Christ's sake, through faith in Christ. [They reject quite stubbornly both these statements.] For they condemn us both for denying that men obtain remission of sins because of their own merits, and for affirming that, through faith, men obtain remission of sins, and through faith in Christ are justified.”

In the Augsburg Confession, Article III: Of the Son of God, “He ascended into heaven that He might sit on the right hand of the Father, and forever reign and have dominion over all creatures, and sanctify them that believe in Him,” Article IV: Of Justification, “Also they teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight.” Article V: Of the Ministry, “That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ's sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ's sake.” Article VI: Of New Obedience, “It is ordained of God that he who believes in Christ is saved, freely receiving remission of sins, without works, by faith alone.” Article XII: Of Repentance, “Now, repentance consists properly of these two parts: One is contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin; the other is faith, which is born of the Gospel, or of absolution, and believes that for Christ's sake, sins are forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors.” (All emphasis mine.)

Over and over these enlightened scholars ignore Scripture and doctrine to promote a god in the image that they desire. It is abundantly clear that faith in the Risen Christ is necessary to gain one’s salvation. Without faith, we remain apart from our God. The last command Jesus gave to His disciples was to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” If it is not necessary to have faith, why would our Lord and Savior tell us to make disciples of all nations? God grants us the gift of grace, by faith alone. God loves all His children, and that means everyone who lives upon this world, but requires that we believe to receive the gift of eternal life with Him. Those that teach otherwise, simply utter pleasing words that lead their flock astray, in the same manner as the evil one deceives the world.

The unaltered Augsburg Confession is cited by the ELCA as the true witness to the Gospel and acknowledges it is as one with it in faith. The Bible is cited by the ELCA as the written word of God. The ELCA continues to accept teaching that makes faith in the Risen Christ optional and then has the audacity to state that these diverse opinions make the church stronger. This clearly contradicts their statements of belief and is contrary to God’s command. Further, teaching that all are saved regardless, renders Christ’s command in the Great Commission moot. For if all are saved, it is no longer necessary to proclaim the Gospel or lead the lost to Him. Without faith, we are not washed clean by the blood of Christ and are not justified before God. Without faith, we remain under penalty of the law. By accepting this errant doctrine, the leaders of the ELCA make their own compelling argument that they are no longer functioning as a Christian Church.

Unless you are more interested in supporting social statements and the things of this world, rather than worship of the Lord, why would one look to attend an ELCA church? Continue in prayer for all the lost souls trapped within the ELCA. Mark 10:27, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Now What?

2011-07-06T11:20:00.000-05:00

It may be someone you've just met or it may be a life long friend. A lively discussion turns to religion. Then that person asks you about your relationship with Jesus Christ and salvation. During the discussion the Spirit inspires that person to be open to giving their life to Christ. Now what? Sometimes that gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit is more like a kick in the teeth. Someone is searching for Christ and the Holy Spirit has chosen you to bring one of the lost to Him. How do I help lead this baby Christian to the Lord? We can simply pray for the Lord to give us the words and not to let us mess this up or we can prepare ourselves for that eventuality. 2 Timothy 4::3, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." The following may help you if you are ever faced with the task of leading one of the lost to Him.

Prayer For a New Christian

The Lord has been waiting patiently outside, and now you have chosen to let Him in.

Let us pray together,

Lord,

“Father, I know that I am broken and my sinful nature has separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life and toward you. Please forgive me, and lead me on the path you have set before me. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ suffered the punishment and died for my sins, That He was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to lead me to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

The Holy Spirit now dwells within you, and you have been reborn to life in Christ.

You have begun an incredible journey and an exciting new life in Christ! I pray the Lord will bless you wondrously.

The Lord has entered fully into your life; your sins are now forgiven from your past; Let us pray that you turn away from your past sin and don't look back. The Lord has granted you eternal life; Let us pray that you share it joyfully with Him. You have become a blessed child of God. Let us pray that you and I strive to do our Father's will. A great adventure lies ahead for you; Let us pray that you will triumph in His love.

And when the Great Deceiver tries to tempt you, let us pray that you resist his every move.

We pray this In Jesus' name, Amen.

Conditions of Occupancy

2011-06-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

In order to be granted residency in a college dorm, one must agree to a number of conditions, including the requirement to enroll with a full credit load, maintain good academic standing, and to comply with all university rules regarding conduct. A new or remodeled building must be granted an occupancy permit by the building inspector and must have been built in accordance to the building codes of that state. Low income housing requires that the occupant earn less than the prescribed amount to be eligible to reside in that residence. So many rules and regulations apply to all walks of our life in this world. Most of us have no problem meeting those conditions. To be granted eternal life with our Father in Heaven, there is but one condition that must be met. John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We are required to have faith in the Risen Christ, to believe that He is the only Son of God, that He went to the cross bearing the sin of the world, died as a sin offering for us, and defeated death, was resurrected, and sits at the right hand of the Father. By this faith, and this faith alone, God grants us our salvation. Nothing else, it is by faith in the Risen Christ alone. No matter how many good works in our Lord’s name you may complete, without faith in Christ, you are lost. Pretty straight forward, or so it would seem.

But, the leaders and scholars of the ELCA would have you believe that faith in Christ is optional. In order to promote their belief that God is love, and nothing but love, they teach the false idea that God affirms us, no matter what we believe, and there really is no need for a Savior. The erroneous assumption that since God loves us unconditionally and would never withhold the gift of salvation, gives birth to the concept of universalism, contrived to support that there really is no sin, or that sin really doesn’t matter at all. Hell is relegated to the status of an obsolete notion, and those that still believe that God will punish those that are not saved are considered behind the times, trapped within 16^th Century reasoning. The explanation of Jesus' descent into hell from the Formula of Concord states, “we simply believe that the entire person, God and man, after the burial descended into hell, conquered the devil, destroyed the power of hell, and took from the devil all his might. Thus we retain the substance [sound doctrine] and [true] consolation that neither hell nor the devil can take captive or injure us and all who believe in Christ.” (emphasis mine) The Augsburg Confession, cited by the ELCA as the true witness to the Gospel, states, "He also descended into hell, and truly rose again the third day; afterward He ascended into heaven that He might sit on the right hand of the Father, and forever reign and have dominion over all creatures, and sanctify them that believe in Him, by sending the Holy Ghost into their hearts, to rule, comfort, and quicken them, and to defend them against the devil and the power of sin." It is clear that faith in the Risen Christ is not merely a suggestion or optional. It would appear that the ELCA's tacit acceptance of the false gospel of affirmation and universalism are contrary to their stated beliefs and further, places anyone who accepts this errant doctrine in jeopardy of losing their very salvation.

We have seen that the ELCA will accept pretty much anything in the way of doctrine, Christian or not. Far too many members that follow the misguided leadership of the ELCA have fallen into the evil one's trap. What kind of audacity does it take to place conditions upon the Creator of the universe? Who would demand that they will only accept God on their own terms? Jesus said in Matthew 10:37-39, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” When one puts conditions on our Lord, they place themselves before Him and by finding themselves, lose their lives. Must we not give ourselves to Him? We are made in His image and are subject to His word. Come as you are, with all of your sins, with a repentant heart and God, who is forever just, will cleanse your sins and lead you toward righteousness. We must live to please the One we love, not place conditions on God to make us feel more “comfortable, accepted and welcome”. All are sinners and try as we might, we continue to fail our Lord and Savior over and over again. Only God has the authority to place conditions upon His children and if we truly love Him, we will, with His help, endeavor to please Him with our obedience.

When children place conditions upon their parents, they will soon realize that either they will become subjected to parental discipline or if the parents, using their imperfect love, erroneously acquiesce to the child, that child will have difficulty surviving in the real world. The ELCA acquiesces to any and all “new doctrine” intending to remake God in their own image, disregarding those rules that they deem “no longer pertinent” in this new enlightened society. The numbers of those accepting these false teachings continues to grow. More and more of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being deceived by the false teachers of the ELCA. Continue to proclaim the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and pray unceasingly that those that are or have become lost hear and understand until everyone meets our Lord’s conditions and will live in His house forever!

Breaking up is Hard to do

2011-06-21T09:59:00.000-05:00

On June 5th of 2011 my church, Shepherd of the Hills, in Richfield, Wisconsin had its final vote to leave the ELCA. One hundred and sixty one congregants attended the special meeting and one hundred and fifty eight voted to leave the ELCA, affiliate with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ and become members of the Augustana District of the LCMC. While I praise God for the unity our congregation showed to uphold the authority of Scripture, it still saddens me that the church body that I grew up with has fallen so far away from our Lord’s teachings. One of the things that drew my family to an ELCA church was the fact that they welcome anyone who is baptized and wishes a deeper relationship with Christ to partake in the sacrament of communion. Who knows when someone is on the verge of coming to the Lord, but doctrine prohibiting non-members to take communion may turn them away from Him? But, this welcoming spirit has replaced the Holy Spirit in the ELCA's ministry. Acceptance of secular ideals has replaced the authority of Scripture. Tolerance of diversity of beliefs has replaced sound Lutheran doctrine. And worst of all, the misguided love of neighbor has been lifted up and substituted for the love of our Lord.

How could we continue to “walk with” a denomination that places themselves in authority of Scripture? While it would have been much easier to simply remain within the ELCA as a congregation true to the Lord, we knew that the errant teachings that have seemingly replaced the normatives of our faith, would eventually appear at our church’s doorstep. We had already recently experienced a sermon by an ELCA pastor that our congregation has been supporting as a missionary for 8 years, who actually believes that there are many ways to heaven and that all religions offer a valid path to salvation. Another ELCA pastor was upset that our congregation was so united in the decision and that so little dissent was actually unhealthy. 1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” That so many held true to the very foundation of our faith should be commended, not criticized. As so many pastors and members have accepted the false doctrines promoted by the leadership of the ELCA, we realized that it would become increasingly difficult to remain as a member of a church body that no longer held to the classic Lutheran teaching.

When our bishop attended a meeting of our church council two weeks prior to the final vote, he could not understand why we felt it was necessary to leave the ELCA. He said that our differences made the ELCA stronger and that there was a place for Lutherans that believe in the classic teachings of our faith. While he was angry with us and said that it would be his prayer that our vote failed, we were sad that the decisions of the leadership of the ELCA forced us to seek a new synod to walk with and further pray that he would come to realize why we sought to break fellowship. He stated that he believed in the Creeds and the Augsburg confessions just like us. Problem is, there are fewer and fewer of those who uphold the authority of Scripture within the ELCA. And as more and more congregations and pastors that adhere to the tenets of our faith leave, the rocket sled to hell is picking up speed. Soon, there will be no one left within the ELCA trying to turn the leaders back to the narrow path. So many of our brothers and sisters are at risk, we cannot simply turn our backs and walk away. Our congregation intends to maintain some of our relationships with those ministries of the ELCA that continue to preach the Gospel of Christ and reach out to the lost. This decision was not universally approved, with one blogger likening that decision as leaving, but keeping one foot in the door. Some of the ELCA’s ministries actually do God’s work and those that have a connection with those ministries should consider preserving those relationships, even if the congregation votes to breaks fellowship with the ELCA.

As universalism, the false gospel of affirmation, bound conscience, and social justice overtake the doctrines proclaimed in the Augsburg confessions and creeds, the ELCA will drift further and further away from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The black and white instructions given to us by God in the words of the Holy Bible are becoming more and more blurred by the decisions to alter doctrine to placate the worldly desires of those that liken themselves as more enlightened than God Himself. 1 Corinthians 1:18-20, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” To maintain that these doctrinal shifts are due to “God saying a new thing” only promote that the belief is that man himself is superior to God. Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” The “new things” that the leaders of the ELCA advance, are lies that do nothing but prop up secular ideals and lead those that accept them closer to Satan’s doorstep. Our help is in the Lord. Every word of Scripture is flawless and we rely on His word in all matters of faith and theology, not some church that is doing nothing more than denying Him!

Paved With Good Intentions

2011-06-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

The old proverb declares that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. When one judges their own intentions, the tendency is that one will see more value in their own decision making than in others. One will always be able to justify their actions as a way to reach a desired goal. It is when a particular goal allows one to justify any action to obtain that intended goal, unintended consequences are likely to occur. Those following this course of action will often find that the outcomes achieved do not lead to the intended goal, in fact, these unintended consequences often exacerbate the problem it was intended to correct. This type of logic permeates the decision making process of the leadership of the ELCA. They feel compelled to go out of their way to welcome those that they feel are at the periphery of society, most notably the LGTBQ community. Secular society has been embracing that demographic of our society and has even enacted laws to protect the rights of individuals that choose that lifestyle. On the other hand, the leadership of the ELCA, using their flawed idea of love, takes this a step further. They believe that the LGTBQ community will not feel welcome unless the church ignores God’s law and pronounces that homosexual behavior is considered good in God’s sight. Using the doctrine of bound conscience, they insist that God is now telling them a new thing, and that since God loves us all, the ELCA will no longer consider homosexuality sinful. Although it is very troubling that a church chooses to place human understanding at a higher plane than God's will, using this doctrine to accept homosexuality, in and of itself, does not place a person's salvation at risk. If this is where this bound conscience stopped, we would not be having this conversation. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, but we are also called to obey God's law.

Unfortunately, bound conscience has opened a Pandora’s Box of new heretical teachings in the ELCA. John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” For members of the ELCA, faith in the Risen Christ is no longer necessary to gain salvation and they are taught to accept that there are many paths to heaven, although Christianity is considered one of the better paths. With the false gospel of affirmation, God loves us unconditionally, is never angry or disappointed with us, and there is no need to repent of your sin, because there is no sin. With the false gospel of universalism, everyone is going to heaven anyway, so there is no need for a Savior. These particular teachings are not listed on the front page of the ELCA website, but are becoming increasingly prevalent in mainstream discussions in ELCA seminaries and publications. So, a doctrine with the misguided goal of being more tolerant, welcoming, and loving of our neighbor, is actually being used to undermine the Christian faith that the leaders of the ELCA are called to uphold. And this is not coming from some atheist declaring in a lawsuit against school prayer that there must be a separation of church and state, but is being allowed (promoted?) by the leadership of the largest Lutheran denomination in America.

Do we take the ELCA at its’ word that they confess the Apostle’s Creed and that the Augsburg Confession is the accepted normative of the Lutheran faith? It would appear that the normative of the Lutheran faith is only used when it suits them, especially when they chide those that accept the authority of Scripture. We are accused of being intolerant every time one of the “new things" that they tell us that God is saying, is exposed as false doctrine. During His ministry here on earth, Christ loved everyone, especially those on the fringe of society, since they were most in need of spritual healing. This fact is misused by the leaders of the ELCA to desecrate and pervert Scripture in order to placate those with cravings that are contrary to God’s word. We are reprimanded when we seek a synod that upholds the authority of Scripture and are accused of breaking the unity of the church. Christ is the church. Our hope is in the Lord, not some church that abandons the responsibility to reach the lost for Christ. John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” When a church refuses to hold to our Savior’s teachings and allows all kinds of false teachings to be acceptable, they do not know the truth and they do nothing but place their membership in bondage to the evil one. And the unintended consequence of the ELCA's misguided foray into apostasy is the breaking of fellowship with those that remain true to God's will. Are we to remain in fellowship with the ELCA so that we continue to support an organization that promotes these false teachings? Hundreds of congregations have already said "No, we stand with our Lord!" and have left with many more in the process of leaving. We must save those trapped by the pleasing words of these purveyors of false Christian doctrine. We must expose the heresy that permeates the ELCA and bring the lost back to Christ.

The ELCA and Unity

2011-06-07T19:36:00.000-05:00

Below, an update on Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire from the congregation's president,

Below is her note, and below that is her official president's report to her council and congregation.

Greetings,

I have attached the President's Report that I delivered to our May Council meeting last week. While you are free to do with it what you will, I am not asking you to do anything except read it and act as a witness to the continuing challenges at Grace. You have all been tremendously supportive to me as I have tried to find a path through all of the obstacles that have been thrown at our church. The fraudulent Facebook page and the attempt to get our Council person fired coupled with Bishop Pederson's severing our ties to the church in Malawi and now his removal of Pastor Nestingen from the synodical council re-enforce to me what a big battle we are in.

Despite these efforts, the attendance at Grace is up. Our finances are in great shape. We have had many inquiries about new membership. The spirit of Grace is one of excitement for all the good that has come our way and anticipation for all the great things the Lord has in store. This has been a fascinating experience for us all.

Thanks for your past encouragement. Please continue to pray for us - that we are creative and energetic and positive; especially as we face a hearing next week to remove a different Council member for persistent trouble making. That meeting should be full of fireworks.

Hope this finds you all well and enjoying the warmth of summer.

Singing God's praise in Eau Claire,

Anne

John 1:1-2. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

As Christians we believe that the Word spoken of here is Jesus the Christ and Scripture at the same time. Somehow they are interwoven. We do not separate one from the other. The words of God in the Bible and the person of Jesus each possess the power of almighty God to reach and to teach. Jesus is our Hope, and the Word is our guide. They are interconnected. To take from one is to detract from the other.

About 18 months ago, we were told by Bishop Pederson that if 10 people are sitting around a table studying a Bible passage they could come up with 10 different interpretations of that Scripture. We were told that all of those interpretations were valid and that we must each of us respect the views of the other. We were told there was no unity in Scriptural understanding. Bishop Hanson supports this view by saying that “irreconcilable interpretations of Scripture are acceptable”. Each of us then gets to pick and choose what we want out of God’s words. We get to form our own god and worship it as we will, and no one can tell us that we are wrong in our “Scriptural interpretation”.

Some would say that this is liberating. Some would say that this offers freedom and empowerment. But freedom without responsibility leads to chaos. Empowerment without a guide leads to lawlessness. The license to do what I want when I want is selfish and arrogant. Procedures and guides are set up in society to protect all citizens from such behavior. For each of us to go our own way is destructive to the body as a whole. The lack of commonality in purpose and the absence of coherence in principle is the classic definition of anarchy. When we throw away Scripture, we throw out our moral compass.

And this atmosphere is what Grace has been living in for quite some time.

It first began about a year ago when letters were being written complaining about our pastors. The complaints were not just submitted to our Council or our Personnel committee – the proper procedure. The letters were also sent directly to the Bishop with requests that he discipline our leaders.

Then it was discovered that a member of Grace, without authorization, used our tax exempt number for personal purposes. The action is fraud. That person has been reported to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Instead of volunteering to take some of the six empty Council seats available in February and working through our current system, Grace for All was formed to represent the ELCA. The group sent out unauthorized mailings and passed petitions with misleading information. They resisted revealing information about their finances and membership; and when they didn’t get what they wanted, they formed their own church.

Rumors were circulated that Grace would not open its doors on May 22 for worship because all the real members had left, and the pastors no longer had a congregation. It was told that there would be no more music department. No more choir. No organist. The best and the brightest had joined the synodically authorized worshipping community and there was no one left to offer God’s praises at Grace. Her doors would be shut.

And last week two more incidents of lawlessness came to my attention.

On May 18, a person identifying themselves as a female born in 1990 named Grace Lutheran who had no college education but was employed by Amazing Grace Worshipping Community opened a Facebook page. She has posted worship services for the worshipping community and for GLC and advertised the youth play and the service honoring our high school graduates. Then she posted the names of all our graduates. The creation of the site is fraud. The posting of the names of those students is an invasion of their privacy. The site has been reported as being fraudulent and steps are underway to discover the identity of the person who set up the site.

And last week, someone approached the employer of one of our Council members and tried to get them fired from their job – not because of this person’s job performance, their expertise in their field or company loyalty. The attack came directly at this person’s character because they sit on Grace’s Council and have dared to ask questions about the ELCA. Now, this person’s employer knew the character of this employee and would not entertain any thought of dismissal. Their job is safe, but after such a personal attack and such a violent threat, it will be a long time before they feel any sense of security.

Why is all this happening? Don’t let anyone ever say that it has anything to do with the Social Statement passed in 2009. It has nothing to with that and everything to do with power and control. It has nothing to do with the ministry of Christ and everything to do with personal ego. It has nothing to do with spreading the news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and our own assured salvation through Him and everything to do with the appearance of suffering for social justice. There are some who think they have the right to do whatever they want and get away with it. That simply cannot be because that is not the way true Christians live their lives. It is not always an easy way to live, but we do it nonetheless.

We speak this truth: Jesus loves us. Jesus died for us. Jesus expects us to honor Him through our living a life of personal responsibility, honesty, faithfulness, self-control, patience, humility and, most of all, love. We will continue to expose falsehoods. We will continue to protect Grace Lutheran Church from those who would use her to advance their own interests. The Church does not serve itself, it serves Jesus Christ who is the center of our faith. He is the beginning and the end. If we must suffer for speaking that truth, then we will suffer gladly.

Because without Him, we are nothing.

Another Successful Vote

2011-06-05T17:30:00.000-05:00

The following is the official statement of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church of Richfield, WI.

On June 5, 2011, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, of Richfield WI, voted 158-3 to change its synodical affiliation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), to the Augustana District (AD) of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).

We look forward to working with LCMC, an association of congregations which share our primary commitment to reaching others for Christ. Through the Augustana District, we will be working with congregations which share our strong commitment to classic Lutheran theology and practice.

We want to express our gratitude for our many years of partnership with the ELCA, and will continue to work with them in a variety of ministries.

In many ways we are happy that our congregation remained unified throughout the discernment process that led to the vote to leave the ELCA and join the LCMC. We are also saddened that so many are still at risk of the errant teachings that are overtaking the church that many of can thank for helping lead us to Christ. I pray that one day, those leading the ELCA will turn away from the world and look to our Lord for guidance. In the meantime, I for one, will continue to have them in my prayers, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ that remain within this wayward church.

Spiritual DNA

2011-05-31T13:26:00.000-05:00

Man has made quite a leap forward in the field of genetics. The key to the human genome has been unlocked and medicine has used this knowledge to create drugs to fight and treat deadly diseases, increase life spans, and generally improve our lives. All this new information will help humanity live more productively so we can maintain our dominion over the earth. The advancements in the field of genetics have not gone unnoticed by the ever meddling ELCA. Since the leaders of the ELCA are quite enamored with most of the things of this world, the ELCA feels they must chime in, whether or not it is any business of theirs. In another social statement that has nothing to do with the responsibility our Lord has given His church, the result of more than five years of study, consultation and deliberation throughout the church, Genetics, Faith and Responsibility was developed by an 18-member task force with broad experience in science and ethics. Ethics is not a word that is usually associated in a positive manner with this wayward denomination.

While the leadership of the ELCA continues to dabble in science and other worldly concerns, those that search for a relationship with the Lord are left thirsting without appropriate direction from this church. Their spiritual DNA is not cultivated, fed or given proper direction. His word is not being shared when the things of this world take precedence over the mission that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ instructed us in the Great Commission. 1 Peter 1:18-25, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you.”

Now the leaders of the ELCA preach that God is telling them a new thing, allowing them to reinterpret Scripture to fulfill the worldly desires of man. Scripture tells us that we are made a new creation once we give ourselves to the Lord. See how the leaders of the ELCA have twisted the intent of our God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

How much more clearer could this be made to us. This new creation that occurs when we turn our lives over to Christ yields a clear change in not only our behavior, but places loving and serving our Lord as the new priority in our lives. This is not about us and our desires, it is about our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Once we give ourselves to Him, we give up our selfishness and begin to live to please our Lord. Our spiritual DNA is awakened and is set upon the path that our Lord invites us to travel with Him. We are made into a new creation, a new person, tossing aside the things of this world in order to please our Lord. God is not telling us that we should satisfy our worldly desires as the ELCA promotes with all their social statements. This “new thing” that is promoted by the leadership of the ELCA is not from God, it is of this world, and this world is ruled by the evil one. Follow the false teachings of this misguided church and you may not only find yourself at odds with God, but doing the bidding of the evil one himself. Continue in prayer that the Lord speaks to and opens the hearts, minds and eyes of our brothers and sisters that remain lost within the ELCA.

I am Nothing

2011-05-25T00:44:00.000-05:00

The contemporary praise hymn, I am Nothing, by Jeremy Camp realistically portrays our part in all of this. Without our Lord and Savior, we are indeed nothing. From the first verse, “I realize I'm still clay, And this piece that's being shaped, Will be a beauty you create.” Of our own volition we tend to tarnish the beauty instilled in us by our Creator. In our vain attempts to express our inner self, we engage in foolish behavior and indulge in decadent pleasures. In our arrogance we deceive ourselves into believing that we are superior beings, but in reality we truly are lost without our Lord. Without a potter, the clay remains a formless lump. With our Father’s help, we all can be made to be a thing of beauty. Isaiah 64:8, “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.“ When we take it upon ourselves to disregard our God and decide to go it alone using our own imperfect judgment, we will invariably end up making a mess of things. We must deny the self, surrender our selfish cravings, give ourselves to our God, and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with our Savior’s love. Only then will we be able to approach that which our Lord desires.

Yet, the leaders of the ELCA continue to celebrate the self and minimize our Lord’s role in their ministry. Why is it so difficult for the leaders of the ELCA to realize that it is Christ first? When you please yourself instead of pleasing God, you worship yourself. Why do they not understand that our primary purpose as Christ’s church is to bring the lost to Him? Why do they continue to accept that which God prohibits, and place a greater emphasis on simply maintaining fellowship? When God’s church allows doctrine that deemphasizes sin and cares not about repentance, it places its’ member’s very salvation at risk. If the ELCA allows doctrine promoting salvation without Christ, how can they still be part of Christ’s church? 1 Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Many in the ELCA chastise those obedient to God’s word, calling them hateful and intolerant. Obeying God’s word does not make one intolerant. We are called to be obedient to God’s word. God’s word also commands us to love one another, as He loves us. No sinner is any better than the next and we are all sinners. Why do those that consider themselves so tolerant, also the one’s spewing hatred at those who try to remain obedient out of their love for the Lord? Romans 3:21-26, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,i through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

The ELCA proclaims God’s work, our hands as their mission statement. Is it really God’s work when social justice is promoted above the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? So much of what the ELCA calls God’s work is contrary to His will. It is difficult to understand the logic used by the leaders of the ELCA when they promote universalism, the gospel of affirmation and bound conscience. Yes, most members of the ELCA still hold to the foundational beliefs of Christianity, but these false gospels lurk in the wings and are more frequently emerging in mainline denominational assemblies, conferences, retreats, and are prevalent in theological discussions, writings and seminaries. How long before more are convinced to accept these improper doctrines? We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Why is the ELCA so obsessed with reaching out to those whose identities they believe are at the fringe? Our identities should be as Christians, disciples of Jesus Christ, not some earthly definition of ourselves. When we place identities as central to our existence, we only reject our God and worship ourselves.

I am Nothing finishes with the chorus, “I am nothing without Your love. I'm unworthy but Your death has been enough. I'm completed by Your touch, But I feel like I've been given so much. I am nothing. You are everything. So I thank you. I thank you. Lord I thank you.” We have been given so much by our Savior. We truly are nothing without Him. It is time to abandon the identities that we create for ourselves and elevate our Savior to His rightful place. No one is on the fringe. We are all God’s children, brothers and sisters in Christ. We must reach out to everyone with the Good News of Jesus Christ and help bring them to the Lord.

Where's the Beef?

2011-05-17T11:38:00.000-05:00

In a 1984 commercial a group of elderly women complained when looking at the size of a hamburger, “Where’s the beef?” This clever ad by Wendy’s poked fun at the McDonald’s Big Mac and Burger King’s Whopper, pointing out that the bun and the condiments overwhelmed the central reason one purchases a burger, the beef. Now those of us true to the Word cry out to those involved in all of the periphery that permeates the ELCA, where’s our Savior? The core of Christianity is our faith in the Risen Christ, God’s only son, our Savior who took the sin of the world to the cross. Why are the issues of this world so important to the ministry of the ELCA? Why is the bun of social justice and the condiments of bound conscience replacing our Savior’s role in their ministry? While our Lord’s name is always mentioned by the ELCA in their ministries, He often is no more than an afterthought, simply given lip service. So much emphasis is on the self, not on our Lord and Savior, it would seem that this is an organization promoting self improvement. 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” This supposedly outdated manuscript that the leaders and scholars of the ELCA discredit is as relevant today as it was when it was written. For one to read Scripture and come to some of the conclusions arrived by ELCA scholars is beyond comprehension.

As the leaders of the ELCA proclaim that God is now telling them a new thing so that they can reinterpret Scripture in a way that will please their itching ears, they boastfully promote the love of self. Don’t take the word of a simple blogger to reveal the heresy promoted by the leaders of the ELCA, read their own words posted on their website. Their own words convict them. The Lutheran Magazine, Seeds of the Parish, Living Lutheran, and the now under construction “Digging Deeper” section of the ELCA website. These writings contain articles that are spiritually uplifting along with others that are filled with heretical teaching. No disclaimers over opinions contrary to God’s word, only the encouragement to offer one’s opinion, no questions asked. Is it not the church’s role to lead the lost to Christ and to uphold proper Christian doctrine or is it more important to allow God’s children to formulate beliefs that lead them away from our Lord? The ELCA promotes that it is more important to have fellowship with each other, regardless of belief or opinion. The doctrine of bound conscience allows one to twist Scripture to justify any worldly desire that you may wish to partake. Fill your heart with Christ and there will be no room for selfishness, only the goal to please our Lord.

The leaders of the ELCA want to create a God in their own image. They want a God that will allow them to conduct their lives by their own rules. Our God is who He is. His word provides us with His law and boundaries for our acceptable behavior. His word is clear. His love for us is never ending. Beware of those that promote a gospel other than the one our Lord preached to you. Jude 1:17-23, “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” Stay in the word and know His truth. Preach the Gospel everywhere and to everyone. Expose the lies perpetrated by the leaders of the ELCA and pray that our brothers and sisters in Christ will hear, understand and reject the false gospel of the ELCA.

Just one more, Please....

2011-05-10T16:44:00.000-05:00

As children we always asked for one more cookie, to stay up just 10 minutes more, or stay outside to play with our friends, even though it was dark. But, our parents knew what was best for us and made those decisions that kept us safe from ourselves and our selfishness. Humans are dependent upon their parents for food and protection throughout childhood. If we were left to our own devices, most of us would never survive to reach adulthood. Our parents nurture us and provide love, encouragement, boundaries and rules that we cannot understand as children. As children of God, we fall under the auspices of our Father in Heaven. When we revert back to the selfishness of our childhood, God has provided the boundaries and rules to keep us safe from our eternal damnation. He provides the path toward righteousness and our salvation. 1 Peter 1:8-9, 13-15, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”

When we give ourselves to our Savior, we empty our hearts of the desires of this world. We are made a new creation, formed by our Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The leadership of the ELCA contends that God is now saying a new thing, one that supports the direction they wish to lead their membership. What is truly unfortunate is that they are leading their members away from the Lord, back to their selfish ways, placing human needs and desires in authority of Scripture. Using the doctrine of bound conscience, sin no longer has any meaning to those that choose to believe that their behavior is acceptable to God. Unfortunately, their chosen sin remains sinful in the eyes of the Lord. His law remains, no matter what the leaders of a wayward denomination want their membership to believe.

When we decide that God’s law is no longer important, we revert back to the child that does not have any boundaries and decides to eat that whole bag of candy. Although it is pleasant to eat, the stomachache that follows reminds us of our foolish decision. While the good news of the Gospel offers forgiveness, the law of the Old Testament keeps us safe and on the path toward righteousness. Although we never truly attain anything close to righteousness, we certainly can manage to make a mess of things when we disregard God’s law. The Gospel and law work hand in hand. When we truly accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and turn over our lives to Him, we will joyfully obey. To think that humankind can ignore the law set down by the Creator and giver of life, and comprise doctrine that rejects the word of God, is truly apostasy. Isaiah 40:6-8, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” We are called to obey the God who gives us life and sustains us throughout our lives. Fill your heart with the love of Christ and it will be obvious that His word is the Truth that we must follow. Many of our brothers and sisters accept these false teachings that sound so appealing and have become lost within the ELCA. It is our responsibility to rescue them from the false teachings of the ELCA. Expose these heretical teachings and proclaim the Truth. Pray unceasingly for the Truth to become known to them so that many more will rise up and return to the Lord and leave this misguided church behind.

Neither Rhyme nor Reason

2011-05-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

The term, neither rhyme nor reason, usually credited to Shakespeare, was first coined in 1460 by John Russell in the “Boke of Nurture”. This quaint saying means that which has neither rhyme nor reason makes no sense, from either a poetic or logical standpoint. As the leaders of the ELCA pilot their church into the raging sea of apostasy, so many of their membership blindly accept false doctrine. ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson states that the gospel of radical inclusiveness is equal to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, explaining that one cannot exist without the other and many accept this as sound doctrine. The leaders of the ELCA proclaim that God is now telling them a new thing, that the Bible is simply a book of faith stories written by men that could not possibly understand this enlightened present age and this also resonates as truth to those that trust their church's leaders. So, armed with this new "truth", God’s law is voted out by man and instead of standing up for God’s word, the leaders of the ELCA fiddle away while Rome burns. This makes no sense whatsoever.

While the ELCA publicly pronounces that they profess their faith in a manner that pleases God, in reality the leadership accepts many versions of Christianity, including pagan goddess worship. Up is down and down is up. As Christians we are freely offered the grace of God, eternal life with our Father in heaven, if only we believe and have faith in the Risen Christ. In the ELCA that is not necessarily true, since the leadership will also accept other paths to one’s salvation, but do include the caveat that Christianity is a “better way”. I’ve been taught and accept that there is only one way. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When my Lord and Savior tells me that He is the way and the truth and the life and without faith in Him there is no salvation, that’s good enough for me.

There are those that are much too trusting of this church and accept these new and modern doctrines that contradict our Lord's commands. There is a reason that we need to dwell in His word to discover what our God is really telling us. Failure to engage in regular Bible reading or Bible study will make us vulnerable to false teachings. Learn and know His truth and you will be better equipped to recognize false teachings. We are made a “new creation” when we allow God to mold us in His image. He is not now telling us something new, He has told us what He expects of us in His word. He, who made the whole universe and created the earth and all that is in it, justly has all authority to place His laws before us. God has every expectation that His children will endeavor to obey His laws. In this present age we are not so enlightened to disregard that which our Father has commanded. Every generation seems to believe that they have reached the pinnacle of enlightenment until they are proven woefully wrong. This generation of progressive religious leaders that direct the ELCA think that they know more than God Himself, are sadly mistaken.

So, for what reason would the leadership of the ELCA accept as appropriate doctrine, that which God prohibits? Why would paths other than through faith in the Risen Christ be acceptable? Why do we pray the Lord’s Prayer and the Creeds if they are not that important to the ELCA? Jesus said in John 8:31-32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” His truth is written in the words of the Holy Bible. His word is there for all ages. The word is alive and speaks to each one of us if only we read and accept. Our God, through the Holy Spirit is with us always and we need only to listen with our hearts. Plain and simple, the leaders of the ELCA have watered down the Christian faith that they profess by accepting that which God does not. It is all well and good to publicly state their faith appropriate to what has been taught by our Lord. It is problematic that they also consider and support doctrine that places the very salvation of their members at risk. Paul said it well in 1 Timothy 1:3-7, “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” It has become obvious that by accepting doctrine that is contrary to God’s law the ELCA is engaged in meaningless talk, confidently affirming their false teachings, all the while betraying themselves and their membership. The time has come to turn away from this misguided denomination, continuing to pray that they will come to understand their error and return to the Lord.

Creation or Creator?

2011-04-25T22:38:00.000-05:00

Earth Day originated in Wisconsin, the brain child of then US Senator Gaylord Nelson, in 1970. This “holiday” is considered by some as the birth of the environmental movement. In 2011 the 41st anniversary of Earth Day coincided with Good Friday. Not to worry, the leaders of the ELCA have approved a Good Friday substitute service that will satisfy our environmental sensibilities. The Tenebrae service is reserved for the most somber of occasions, the day that our Savior gave His life for us so that we may live. “A Tenebrae for the Earth” is an optional worship service for use during the Lenten season. This service was developed by the Women of the ELCA in 2009. First of all a globe is placed at the center of the altar, apparently giving it equality with our Savior. James 4:4, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Don’t worry about this and other troublesome passages of Scripture that warn us to be in the world, but not of the world, this service places the earth where the ELCA believes is at its’ rightful place. Since Bishop Hanson is on President Obama's task force on faith and community, perhaps that is why our President offered an official notice acknowledging Earth Day, but was mute on Easter, the most important event to Christians. Some excerpts from this service include;

• During this time of solemn reflection, we will ponder the passion of our Lord as joined to the ongoing passion of creation. The format of this “worship” service follows the pattern of a traditional Tenebrae service, where a series of seven reflections are each followed by a diminishment of the light. The seven reflections used will lift up the ongoing suffering of the Body of Christ on Earth – both within God’s people and God’s created world. As we acknowledge and ponder the passion of the Earth, the passion of God’s creation, let us look deeply into our hearts and prayerfully ask ourselves:

• In what ways do we deny (like Peter) that we even ARE followers of Christ, when we look away from or deny the degradation of creation, which God so loves? In what ways do we continue to add to the wounds and suffering of Christ, in the ways we treat one another and this precious Earth? How are we, through our action or inaction, contributing to the degradation of God’s beloved creation?

• The Passion of the Earth: “Seven Degradations of Creation” include the degradation of the land, global toxification, degradation of the oceans, extinction of species, degradation of fresh water, global climate change & air pollution, and human social & cultural degradation.** Mud is placed on the globe and one light is extinguished after each petition.

• A series of prayers of sorrow about how we are destroying the earth complete with petitions such as; We pray for the resolve to change our habits and for the courage to speak out for public policies that will ensure cleaner water, air, and soil. (It really would be something if they asked us to speak out for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.) Further petitions accuse humankind of disgracefully misusing creation.

Although we are charged as stewards of this world, this service accuses humankind of cruelty to God’s creation simply by living on this planet. If only our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ held as high an honor to this misguided denomination as saving the planet, I wonder how many souls could be saved and brought to Christ? If only Jesus was as important as social justice to the leaders of the ELCA. What is particularly troubling is that so many fall prey to these false gospels. 2 Peter 2:18-21, “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” Even though the leadership of the ELCA is well aware of what our Lord commands, it would appear that the things of this world are more of a priority for them. One must fill their heart with the Truth that is our Lord and Savior before going out to try and save the world. Save enough souls and there will be many more good stewards of God’s creation. Only then will you be properly prepared to work for true justice in this world.

The Real Thing

2011-04-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes lost in our disagreements within God’s church are the things that really matter. We argue about doctrine, but often fail to realize that we are justified by our faith in the Risen Christ, alone. Not by our works and not because we cling to sound doctrine. But, sound Christian doctrine does matter, and it matters greatly. When we are marked by our Lord as His, we no longer are dead within our sin. We are a new creation. We turn away from the flesh and reach for the Spirit. In our efforts to please the One we love, we endeavor to obey His commands. We fill our lives with all the things that bring us closer to our Savior. Even though we are no longer under the law, we obey out of our love for Him who took our sins to the cross, suffered and died so that we may live. Whatever your sin, it does not matter to our Lord, who forgives us if we only ask for His forgiveness. Jesus said, Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Some would cite this as a reason to allow those who fall into sin, to continue in sin because we are also sinners, no better than they, with no authority to offer correction. On the contrary, if a brother or sister falls into sin, it is our responsibility as a child of God to encourage that person back to the narrow path.

This is why it is so disturbing to those true to the Lord when they see a church fall away from Him, enamored with the things of this world. Our Lord and Savior hung on that cross, bearing the sins of all humanity for all time. He sacrificed Himself, suffering a horrible, excruciating death, receiving the punishment that we so justly deserve. And part of that punishment entailed God totally withdrawing from Jesus, leaving Him utterly alone, having to endure the awful burden of the past, present and future sins of the entire world. He offered Himself for us, each and every one of us. His blood bought us our salvation. Try to understand the suffering our Savior endured for us. Pilate had Jesus scourged as part of his punishment. A scourge was a cat of nine tails whip with wide metal hooks that actually tore out pieces of flesh with every lash. Every sin we commit caused those pieces of flesh to be torn out of our Savior. And death by crucifixion was slow and extremely painful. One had to hold up their entire body weight to keep from suffocating, then when totally exhausted, their own body weight would cause them to suffocate. And Jesus had to hold up His weight with limbs that were nailed to the cross. All this because he loved each and every one of us, with only one string attached, that we believe.

But, out of this terrible suffering came something so wonderful, so amazing that the world has been changed forever. Jesus defeated the powers of death and rose from the dead, paving the way for us to also defeat death. Once we believe, we are no longer under penalty of death. This world too shall pass away, but when we leave this world, something so very special awaits us. Our Lord and Savior promised in John 14:1-4, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” The way to our Father’s house is through faith in the Risen Christ. When we believe. we are born again and become a new creation. When we believe we die to this world and begin our new life as a child of Christ. Nothing is the same. We live differently than we did before. We live to please our God.

John 14:23-24, Jesus said “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” As Christians, we love our Lord above all else. We follow what He has taught. We joyfully obey God’s law. We look forward to our new life with our Lord. Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Divide and Conquer

2011-04-17T00:27:00.000-05:00

In the science of computers, divide and conquer is an important process used in problem solving. This method breaks down a problem into two or more sub-problems of the same type, until these become simple enough to be solved directly. The solutions to the sub-problems are then combined to give an answer to the original problem. In politics and society, it is a combination of strategies that are used to gain or maintain power. Most effective is the strategy of breaking up opposition that organizes into groups. This will limit, reduce or eliminate any power that they may have gained. Apparently, the leaders of the ELCA have been doing their homework. ELCA congregations that have discovered that the leadership of the ELCA is engaged in an effort to minimize or eliminate classic Lutheran teaching, have found that their path to engage in prayerful discernment is being obstructed by their synod bishops, and in some cases, other ELCA pastors that are sympathetic to the ELCA’s direction.

Some of the tactics that the leadership of the ELCA are using is not unlike the union thug-like behavior witnessed in Wisconsin over the bill to limit public union collective bargaining privileges. Apparently the descent into the dark ages by invoking “Inquisition” tactics needed an upgrade. Non-members that support the ELCA have been showing up during congregational meetings. Pastors from other ELCA congregations are contacting members of other congregations that are discussing the doctrinal shifts of the ELCA, attempting to cause dissention. Synod bishops are attempting to force their way into the pulpit to preach pro-ELCA sermons while relegating the presiding pastors to assistants. Congregants that question the actions of the ELCA and are vigilant in their efforts to inform others are called before their respective pastors and church councils and cited as persistent trouble makers. Many who respond to news items about churches that are in discussion or have decided to vote about their affiliation with the ELCA are filled with derisive comments from those that support the ELCA, whether or not they are members of that congregation. Pastors in congregations that are in the discernment process are chastised and threatened by synod bishops. And the ELCA would have you believe that they are doing God’s work!

Titus 1:15-16, “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” We are to love our God with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our strength and with all our soul. And secondly, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Does the leadership of the ELCA show love to those that question their quest to redefine Lutheranism by placing man in authority of Scripture? Isn’t it just better to agree to disagree and part ways amicably? Apparently not. So many congregations are leaving or redirecting benevolence, it is putting quite a large dent in the revenue stream of the ELCA. And without your donations, how will they be able to issue all their social statements and offer support for Palestine, led by the terrorist organization Hamas, that has a stated goal to eradicate Israel and kill every Jew. Even though the leadership of the ELCA disparages and minimizes those traditional Lutherans that believe in the authority of Scripture, they do love your financial contributions. For the love of money is the root of all evil and the leaders of the ELCA do nothing to persuade us otherwise.

1 John 2:9-11, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” The leaders of the ELCA guide their membership into darkness. The leaders of the ELCA cry for unity in their religion of acceptance, tolerance and diversity, while they disregard the Truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For, if the leaders of the ELCA truly followed the teachings of Christ, they would not conspire to destroy those that are true to our God. Those that accept the authority of Scripture want only for the ELCA to return to God. Pray unceasingly for the Spirit to open the hearts and minds of the leaders of the ELCA so that they abandon their foray into apostasy and return to the Lord. There are far too many of our brothers and sisters in Christ that are lost within the ELCA, truly believing that they are following the proper path.

What Does God Require?

2011-04-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite contemporary praise hymns, "The Heart of Worship", acknowledges our failure to attain that which our Lord requires. The refrain declares, “I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song is not what you have required. You search much deeper within, through the ways things appear, you’re looking into my heart….I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made, when it’s all about you, it’s all about you Jesus.” Our faith is all about Jesus. For without His death and resurrection our faith is meaningless. 1 Corinthians 15:14-17, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” When we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, we are made new. Our lives are indelibly altered. We are no longer content to please only ourselves, we want above all else to please our Lord. It is when we continue in our selfish ways and fail to place Him first in our lives that trouble befalls us. We are sinful, selfish creatures that continually fail our Lord and the reason we fall short of God’s expectations, is that we continually place our needs ahead of our Lord.

Our God requires that we worship Him above all else, that we hold Him above our possessions, our identities, our family, and above even ourselves. Our God is a jealous God and when we place the things of this world over Him we do not worship Him, we worship ourselves. Taken from one of the Books excluded from the revised common lectionary; Nahum 1:2-3, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. 3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.” What of those that see their sexual identities as all important, so important that their identity as LGBTQ takes precedence over our God? What of those misguided churches that betray our God’s law and accept what He has prohibited? Scripture is clear in these matters. When we have the audacity to challenge our God’s law and to place our own opinions above His, we commit the gravest of all sins. We place ourselves, our possessions and our identities as our god. We indeed worship ourselves. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

We will all be called to testify and stand ready to accept the just reward or punishment for our deeds. 2 Peter 2:4, 9-10, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.” The leadership of the ELCA apparently despises the authority of Scripture, since they falsely proclaim that God is telling them a "new thing", and rewrite God’s law to satisfy their worldly desires. This "new thing" that places love of self over love of our Lord is simply a recipe for disaster. Since the ELCA began promoting love of the secular world, concentrating on social justice instead of the Gospel of Christ, over 1 million have fled this misguided denomination to join churches that place our Lord first in their ministries. The tsumani of congregations leaving continues as the leadership of the ELCA complains that we must remain in fellowship, since our diversity makes us stronger. When diversity and the things of this world are favored over our Lord's will, it is time to walk away. We must make certain that the Truth is proclaimed, so that those deceived by these false teachings will have their hearts and minds opened and find their way to the path that our Savior is leading.

You Can't Have it Both Ways

2011-04-04T14:38:00.000-05:00

You can’t profess your morality in one particular way and then disregard those beliefs when you don’t want to apply them is a particular situation. To do so would be hypocritical. When one has a set of values that they espouse, those values should hold true, in all circumstances. We cannot abandon our core beliefs if the situation changes or if it is inconvenient for us. If a vegetarian has chosen to forgo the consumption of meat in his or her diet, with the exception that he or she likes to eat bacon, that person is not a true vegetarian. You can’t profess to be strict with your children, yet allow your child to do whatever they please. You can’t be a good example for others when your failings are all too apparent. You can’t say one thing and mean another. Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.“

The ELCA continues to serve two masters. On one hand the ELCA’s Confession of Faith states that this church confesses the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and the Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. That Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation. That the proclamation of God's message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing judgment and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ. That the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God, inspired by God's Spirit and speaking through their authors, they record and announce God's revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them God's Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship for service in the world. They accept all three creeds and all the confessional writings of the Book of Concord. All is in order in the ELCA, or is it?

But wait, they also accept the doctrine of “bound conscience” which allows one to have their own interpretation of Scripture, as long as they truly believe in their hearts, placing them in authority of Scripture and thereby relegating God’s word to a lesser standing than their own experience and tradition. Others are called to respect their interpretation, even if it is in obvious error. The gospel of affirmation is also acceptable to the ELCA, accepting the belief that God will affirm us within our sin with no need to ask for forgiveness. Universal salvation, the belief that everyone is going to be saved, regardless of faith, is also accepted by the ELCA. Congregations may engage in goddess worship and still maintain their “good standing” with the ELCA. The Lutheran Magazine, the ELCA’s official publication in an April 2008 feature article on Easter, questioned the deity of Jesus Christ and cast doubt upon the Resurrection. Other Essays, published on the ELCA’s website at the Digging Deeper section, since removed for clarification, also casted doubt upon the Virgin Birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The ELCA revels in its’ diversity of opinion and beliefs. Nothing is out of bounds for this misguided denomination.

What is it going to be then? Do we take the ELCA at their word that their confession of faith is placed ahead of their social agenda and drive to be diverse and all accepting, or have they fallen in love with one doctrine while hating the other? Or do the leaders and scholars of the ELCA say one thing, but really believe something else? Unfortunately for the ELCA there are absolutes in this world. No matter how hard you try or how much you want it to be different, when you add two plus two, the answer will always be four. It would certainly be nice if we could follow any old whim and believe whatever we wanted. But, that is not what our Lord has asked of us. God has given us a number of absolutes and no matter how hard the leaders and scholars of the ELCA proclaim that He is now telling us “something new”, these truths remain. John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” So, for a church to accept doctrine that denies that faith in the Risen Christ is not necessary to gain our salvation, to accept sinful behavior specifically prohibited by God’s word and to accept those that practice their faith contrary to their stated confession of faith, is not a church at all. For if the absolutes that our Father has placed before us do not matter to this church, this church should not matter to anyone who professes their faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Christian family that remains trapped within the ELCA is another matter. We must be diligent in our prayers that more will be rescued from this wayward denomination so that no more fall prey to these false teachings. The salvation of too many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are at risk to simply walk away.

The Great Deceiver

2011-03-28T23:08:00.000-05:00

Genesis 2:16-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” God gave free rein to man with only one condition, that he must not eat of just one tree in the entire Garden. Man was given dominion over all the earth with only one law given to him by the Lord. Sounds pretty easy. Not so much. Genesis 3:1-7, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” The first time humankind is tempted by Satan, the decision is made to accept those words more pleasing to their ears, believing that they could be as enlightened as God Himself. And by using their limited experience and knowledge, original sin is given birth and thus begins humankind’s continuing discord within our relationship with God.

Jesus said in John 14:5-7, “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” No one comes to the Father except through faith in the Risen Christ. But, the leaders of the ELCA promote a kinder, gentler way. They want to please all those that want what their itching ears long to hear. They promote that all faiths have a path to heaven and all faiths are to be valued, even to the point of embracing the tenets of other faiths and blending them into their own. Their false gospels of univeral salvation and affirmation deceive their members with lies. These false gospels do not recognize sinful behavior and do not require a Savior, because this deceitful doctrine promotes no repentance for sin and salvation for all, regardless of your faith. If one would accept these false teachings, why then should we accept and have faith in the Risen Christ? Because, the leaders of the ELCA promote that although there are many ways to gain one's salvation, Christianity is a “better” way than some of the other world religions. So, according to the doctrine of universal salvation, one is free to accept Christ or not, just continue in fellowship with the diversity that is the ELCA and continue to give your money to help them spread their message. Does this sound like the church that Jesus commanded us to build?

In the Great Commision, Jesus commanded His disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The leaders of the ELCA have determined that it is inappropriate for those appointed as missionaries to proselytize. In other words, they are not to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations where they serve the Lord. Using the concept of "accompaniment” they forgo their responsibility to proclaim the Gospel, instead deferring to their mission partners and decide that they better accomplish their mission for the Lord as a facilitator, not as evangelists. The leaders of the ELCA claim on their website, that in the past they established, funded, and directed mission around the world. Now as a result of missions established around the world, they have become a partner in the global mission. These newly established churches will take on the command of the Great Commission and proclaim the Gospel. Apparently, the ELCA views it’s work around the world as done, needing only to supervise the few seeds they have planted. This is apparently why the mission budget for the ELCA took the brunt of the loss of revenue due to many congregations leaving and those redirecting benevolence. There is much more to do in this world since our Lord's message has yet to be heard by all.

Incest, adultery, bestiality, and homosexuality were forbidden by God. Numerous passages reiterate these laws against sexual immorality. Homosexuality was called detestable. Bestiality was a perversion. Incest was called dishonorable. Adultery was wickedness. Using clever and appealing words the leaders and biblical scholars of the ELCA have contrived doctrine to deceive their membership into believing that homosexuality is acceptable to God. Bound conscience was invented to legitimize “same gender oriented individuals living in loving monogamous relationships”. The ELCA enacts doctrine that disregards Scripture in order to placate those that wish to remain in sin without remorse, free to continue to feed the desires of the flesh without the need for repentance. Wouldn't it be nice if all could engage in their chosen sinful behavior without the necessity of asking for forgiveness? Wouldn't our children be happy if we allowed them to eat as much candy as they wanted?

Just as Satan appeals to our innermost desires and uses words that are so convincing, the leaders of the ELCA would have us believe that God is now telling us something new and we are within our rights to put aside those obsolete laws from the Bible. With friends like this, who needs enemies? This misguided denomination continues to uphold the things of the world while minimizing our Lord. There are so many well intentioned Christians that are falling into the trap set by the leaders of the ELCA. We must accept the responsibility to expose the heresy that is so prevalent in the doctrine of this church. We must continue in prayer, asking God to open the eyes and hearts of His children that remain trapped within the ELCA and errantly acquiesce to these false doctrines. These leaders and scholars of the ELCA use the same tactics as the “Great Deceiver”. We must remain diligent in proclaiming the true Gospel of Jesus Christ since we can no longer rely on the ELCA to conduct God’s business as He has commanded.

The Power of Prayer

2011-03-22T06:59:00.000-05:00

Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Matthew 21:22, Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Mark 11:24, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Prayer can be particularly powerful. Those of us who have experienced answered prayers can attest to that.

My wife and I are dog lovers and have always had at least two Siberian Huskies in our family since our kids were little. In April of 2008 one of our huskies bolted out of our home and ran away. Siberian Huskies are notorious runners and many runaway huskies, when found, are sometimes recovered more than 100 miles away from home. This was a particularly tough time for us since two of our huskies, Digger and Nikka, had recently succumbed to cancer within months of one another. Sakari was adopted from Adopt a Husky, Inc. in July of 2007, and since there were highways with speed limits over 45 MPH all around, we prayed that she would be found and returned safely to us. Several weeks passed and even though we searched every day, notified every animal shelter, veterinarian's office and police department within a 100 mile radius and all of the Adopt a Husky volunteers were searching, we heard nothing.

A woman who lived about 8 miles away from us and had no knowledge that Sakari was missing, was praying on her drive home. She was asking God for an answer. As she passed beneath the train overpass on a state highway near our home, she felt the Spirit nudge her that she would find an answer there. She ignored the nudge and continued on home. The next day the same thing happened, again she ignored the Spirit's nudge and continued home. For the third day in a row the Spirit finally compelled her to stop. She got out of her car, climbed up the steep incline to the train tracks and started walking down the tracks. About 50 yards from the bridge, she found the remains of a dog wearing a pink leather collar with tags. Sakari had been struck by a train and killed. She removed the collar and tags and called us to inform us that she had found Sakari. God used this woman to give us an answer to our prayer. It was not the answer that we had hoped for, but at least we were able to find closure.

1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all of the Lord’s people.” We must continue to pray for our brothers and sisters held hostage by the false teachings of the ELCA. Pray continually that the Lord will lift up leaders within the ELCA that will rise up, defend the authority of Scripture and condemn this false teaching. Pray that God will open their hearts and minds and that they will ignore those that seek to discard Scripture and replace it with their own selfish cravings. James 5:15, “And the prayer offered in faith will make them well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

Prayer can move mountains. Prayer can and will save God’s children that are trapped in the ELCA. When we give ourselves to the Lord in prayer, He will listen to our petitions. We must remain diligent in our prayers believing that the Lord will answer us and save his children.

God's Truth Will Prevail

2011-03-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

As the leadership of the ELCA races to re-invent Lutheranism one thing is clear, the truth is not in them. Where our Lord has cautioned us to remain in the world, but not of the world, the leaders of the ELCA are in a headlong rush to instill worldly desires above the law that our God has set before us. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:17-19, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven." Our Lord makes it abundantly clear that we are to obey God’s law. Jesus said in Luke16:16-17, “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. 17 But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.” It was so easy for the leaders and scholars of the ELCA to overturn Scripture by placing man’s opinion and experience above God’s intent by invoking the doctrine of bound conscience.

1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” The leaders of the ELCA would have you believe that it is so very important to lift up the things of the world over the commands of our God. They proclaim that God is now telling them a “new thing’. They are overly influenced by the enlightened opinions of man to the point of disregarding our God’s will. They are so determined to be everything to everyone and to promote the love of self, our Lord’s command to go and make disciples of all nations is a less than an afterthought. In fact, ELCA missionaries are not allowed to proselytize. Restricting missionaries from doing the work our Lord has commanded is beyond inappropriate. Doing good works without taking the opportunity to preach the Word is absolutely inexplicable.

How can a church fall so far astray? When the leaders of what was once our Lord’s church become so enamored with their role in modern society and fall into the trap of political correctness, God’s plan becomes secondary to the pleasing of those enlightened elites of this world. James 4:4-6, “Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” So, in effect the leadership of the ELCA has decided to ally themselves with the things of this world and become an enemy of God. There is much more at stake than mere heresy within a church body. The leadership of the ELCA is widening the chasm between their membership and God by promoting the false gospel of love of self and of the world. So many are accepting of this false gospel and are unwittingly consenting to disregard God’s law to be more accepting, welcoming and tolerant of their neighbor, not realizing that we need to love the sinner, not their sinful behavior. Galations 6:1-2. “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

It is indeed unfortunate that we can no longer trust the leadership of our church. But, if we trust in the Lord and dwell in His Word, we will know His Truth and indeed, God’s Truth will prevail. Continue in prayer that those trapped within the ELCA will find their way back to the Truth and find a church that is true to our God.

Pray for Lutherans in Ethiopia

2011-03-10T17:38:00.000-06:00

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what follows is an email received from Gemichis Buba, mission director for the North American Lutheran Church. This is an urgent call to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia who are once again experiencing persecution, this time at the hands of Muslim extremists. Please lift up our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia in prayer that the Lord may protect them from the evil confronting them and to allow them to worship in peace. See the Christian Today article.

From: Gemechis Buba
Date: March 9, 2011 8:44:02 PM CST
Subject: Prayer Call from Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia

Dearly beloved,

Grace and peace to you,

I am sure by now you have all come back to your normal routines and back to the family and ministry you love. Thanks be to God for the privilege of having most you in Ethiopia on those historic few days in Addis Ababa.

I am writing this email to share with a prayer call I am asked to pass on to you by the President of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, the Rev. Dr. Wakseyoum Idossa.

In the last few days over 41 churches and several evangelical mission stations or mission congregations were burned down. There are thousands of people expelled from their homes and some who are even badly beaten and killed. The perpetrators are Radical Islamist and Jihadist elements who are now operating in the western and south western parts of Ethiopia. I have spoken with Rev. Wakseyoum as he was visiting Mekane Yesus Churches and Synods close to the border of Sudan. The Voice of America (VOA) called, got in touch with him and interviewed him today and he spoke to the world from that remote spot through this international VOA radio streamed out of Washington DC.

On that interview given in Amharic he stated that, the Mekane Yesus have intentionally worked hard to establish good relationships with Muslim Ethiopians and that work have resulted in so much good and positive relationship. However he is shocked and saddened by this outbreak lashing out in heartbreaking atrocities. This brutal act is not the first of its kind. Three years ago Muslim fundamentalists have burned down several churches, killed evangelists, pastors and lay leaders. They are now repeating the same attacks. Today thousands have lost their homes, churches, family members and their rights to safely worship and conduct their ministries.

The Ethiopian government officials and security forces have intervened. The out come of their work is yet to be known. Some leaders from the central office of the Mekane Yesus Church in Addis Ababa have traveled to the area today to start getting help to the victims. There are many people who are now waiting to get some emergency aid in a camp. President Idossa is going to release another statement in the next few days as the investigation continues and as the government tries to bring these acts under control and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Please pray about this!! I also suggest that we send letters carrying words of encouragement and stating our commitment to pray for them. In order to do this in a coherent form I suggest that these letters come from;

Lutheran Church - Canada; Rev. Robert Bugbee or Rev. Dr. Leonardo Netzel
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ LCMC; Rev. Mark Vander Tuig
North American Lutheran Church; Bishop Paull Spring

Persecution is not new to our church, however every time it happens it opens up old wounds and breaks the hearts of many. In the middle all these our brothers and sisters are walking into this holy Lenten season not with ashes on their forehead but carrying the cross of Christ and confessing their faith in the words of Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd!"

May God renew our world in this Lenten season through the Holy Word of God and through power grace of God through Christ, Amen!!

Peace and Blessings,

The Rev. Dr. Gemechis D. Buba
Living in God's Amazing Grace

Create in Me

2011-03-08T08:43:00.000-06:00

Realizing that we are by nature sinful and unclean, one of the traditional hymns that addresses our need for God's forgiveness, is taken from Psalm 51:10-12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” By incorporating various ELCA quotes (see; Her Church, the mother god's prayer, the worship of self and the affirmation of sinful behavior), extrapolating from current ELCA doctrinal shifts and emphasis on social justice, a hypothetical ELCA version of the hymn may go something like this;

“Create in me an enlightened mind O Mother God, and uphold the power and courage within me. Cast me not away from the presence of secular ambitions and take not away my selfish desires. Restore unto me the joy of self esteem and affirm me within my sinful behavior.”

What is truly unfortunate, is that these words are actually derived from ceremonies, writings and churches that have the approval of the ELCA. They welcome heretical teachings and proclaim them as a new and diverse opinion appropriate to their doctrine of open dialogue. The leadership of the ELCA promotes this type of discourse as a means to add to and strengthen their misguided denomination. This fits right in with the gospel of affirmation that is promoted by the leaders and Biblical scholars of the ELCA. Too many of our brothers and sisters in Christ deceived by these false teachings, have mistakenly accepted errant doctrine believing that they will be more welcoming, tolerant and loving of their neighbor. Those that fall prey will find that to accept this false gospel will require that they disregard our Lord’s commands. God’s word will be folded, stapled and mutilated in an effort to expand this “Big Tent” denomination that only desires to quench the cravings of a sinful humanity.

Where the Christian realizes that our sinful behavior directs us away from our God’s presence, the leaders of the ELCA promote that all are affirmed within their sin. The truth is that we need our God to cleanse us from our sin and to have the Holy Spirit lead us back toward righteousness. As Christians we want to remain within the radiance of our Father in Heaven and be filled with His Spirit. Having our God re-confirm His covenant so that we can revel in the promise of eternal life with a willing and serving spirit is what all Christians truly espouse. For those that lead the ELCA and promote radical doctrinal change, this appears far from their goal. It seems that the leadership of the ELCA advocates the elevation of human reasoning and understanding or what they promote as "bound conscience" as the pinnacle of religious enlightenment. By placing themselves in authority of Scripture, they imply that God does not fully understand how progressive this new age denomination has become. They repudiate the method that our Lord used to teach us how to pray and cast doubt upon the very truths that have guided the Christian faith for centuries.

Hebrews 10:19-25, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We must accept and embrace all the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to maintain our faith against all temptation and opposition. The Evil one will continually attempt to test our faith, but we must hold to God’s Truth resolutely, without doubt and remain strong in our faith in the Risen Savior. Accepting doctrine that challenges the authority of Scripture and tends to cause one to “dive into the pool of heresy” only leads toward apostasy. God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins if only we ask for His forgiveness. God’s promise of grace to those who believe is the truth that leads to our salvation. Titus 2:1, “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” A false promise by a misguided church to affirm those engaging in sin without the requirement of repentance, offer nothing but a lie that leads their members away from God and toward spiritual destruction.

Walk the Walk

2011-03-01T21:20:00.000-06:00

A popular wrist band seen on Christians over the last several years read WWJD, or What Would Jesus Do. This wrist band was to remind the wearer, when faced with decision making, to temper their choice by pondering what our Lord would do if faced with the same circumstances. The wrist band has waned in popularity as of late, but its message remains true. As we dwell in His Word we learn how our Lord responded to the people and the circumstances that he encountered. Jesus was compassionate, loving and kind, especially to those in need. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick and lame, gave sight and hearing to the blind and deaf, cast out demons and instructed us about God’s Word throughout his ministry on the earth. Even death was not a barrier to His healing ministry. Not only did Jesus heal those afflicted by physical ills, He healed those that were suffering in their spiritual life. But, Jesus did not simply heal their infirmities. He forgave them and cleansed them of their sins. Jesus then guided them toward the path of righteousness.

Jesus taught about God’s Word using parables that were very pertinent to the people of that day. They identified with Jesus’ teachings because He included references that were applicable to the daily lives of the people He taught. Some of these parables are not as easily understood using our modern sensibilities. Simply reading the parable and considering it literally does not always afford the reader the capacity to properly understand the lessons Jesus was teaching. This is where a good study Bible is necessary to help one understand in today’s terms the lessons that Jesus was communicating. You will find that even though Scripture was written long ago, it continues to speak to each one of us and remains just as relevant to our daily lives today as it was to the people living in Jesus’ time. Thessolonians 2:13, "And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." Engaging in regular Bible study is also a very important step to take in your faith journey. The fellowship afforded and the insights gathered by two or more meeting in our Lord's name will allow for His Spirit to positively influence your understanding of the Word.

It is so very important to spend time in God’s Word on a daily basis. We all can set aside ten minutes of quiet time that we can share with our Lord. Every time we read God’s Word, our Lord is speaking to us. Hebrews 4:12-13, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Each and every verse of Scripture is written for our benefit. In these troubling times we need to rely on what our God has put to writing, rather than what the enlightened leaders of the ELCA and other misguided churches would want us to believe. God's truth is there for us. He is not telling us something new in order to satisfy selfish human desires. If we fail to dwell in His Word, we may just fall prey to these "new" teachings. So, rather than hit that snooze button again, use that time to commune with our Lord and read His Good News for us. Use a daily devotional guide to help you get started, or you may just want to open the Bible randomly and begin reading. God speaks to each of us, individually, through His Word. We need only to take the time to open His Word, read it, and open our hearts and minds to hear Him.

We don’t need a wrist band to remind us how our Lord wants us to conduct ourselves in this world. We have His instruction manual for us and if we simply read and study His Word, we will have all the information we will need to walk the walk with our Lord. Learn to live out the words of the Sunday school song, “Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by HIS love.” When we explore God's Word we will grow in our Christian faith and love. As we begin to understand His plan for us, we will discover how to share the abundant and unending love our Lord has for us. 2 Corinthians 4:13-18, "It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Praise be to God!

The Exclusionary Rule

2011-02-22T12:57:00.000-06:00

In United States law the exclusionary rule is used when the police make an error in their investigation, such as interviewing a suspect without properly informing him of his constitutional rights. Any evidence gained from that interview will be considered “fruit of the poisonous tree” and excluded from the evidence allowable in court proceedings. So, it is very important that the police follow all procedures faithfully and according to the rules that the courts have set in place. Any errors can, and often do, allow a guilty party to go free on a “technicality”. Even though the leaders of the ELCA pride themselves on being all inclusive, accepting, welcoming and tolerant, they actually practice and embrace a system that is inherently exclusionary. By placing human understanding and opinion, otherwise known as bound conscience, in authority over Scripture, the Biblical scholars of the ELCA exclude our Lord’s intent from their interpretation of His Word. ELCA scholars debate the authority of Scripture while promoting a diminished role for God in the compilation His Word. These scholars have decided that the Bible’s writers were “limited by their times and world views, even as we are, and that the Bible contains material wedded to those times and places. It also means that writers sometimes provide differing and even contradictory views of God’s word, ways and will.” By this rationale, these learned scholars have determined that the exclusionary rule can apply to any portion of Scripture that is not pleasing to their itching ears.

ELCA scholars continue and state that, “we sometimes conclude either that the writer’s culture or personal experience seems to have prompted his missing what God was saying or doing, or that God now is saying or doing something new.” Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” God’s word was written for us through all eternity by the Holy Spirit inspired authors of Scripture. That these enlightened scholars and leaders of North America’s largest Lutheran Church have the audacity to promote otherwise is contemptible. Unfortunately, there are those that accept this flawed reasoning. Those new and returning to church were prompted to visit the “Digging Deeper” section of the ELCA website. Although this link has been removed for “clarification”, these links contained essays casting doubt upon the foundational beliefs of Christianity. Although the disclaimer cited, “the articles express the viewpoints of the individual writers; they do not constitute the ELCA’s official Confession of Faith”, they also stated that they, “were written by ELCA theologians and have foundations in scripture.” Why would those looking for Christ be directed to these links? These types of doctrinal discourse should be limited to theologians, not recommended to someone who is new or returning to faith. Unless the leadership of the ELCA intends to reform our Christian faith into a new and different type of religion, there cannot be a reasonable explanation for this.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10,”We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” As the ELCA deconstructs our faith and transforms it into their ideal religion, we must remember why we believe. We believe that we are justified, through Jesus Christ and that His death on the cross was atonement for our sins, that He was resurrected into life and that when we believe, we receive grace and are granted our salvation and eternal life with our Lord. Since the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to be excluded from the ministry of the ELCA, why would we wish to remain in fellowship with a church that denies the very faith that this church is charged to uphold and proclaim? Inform your friends and neighbors that are trapped within the ELCA. Warn them of the apostasy that is overtaking their church. Advocate for our Lord, reject the gospel of social justice and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Help lead our brothers and sisters to a safe haven and to join a church that lifts up the Gospel of Jesus Christ and walks with, not against our Lord.

If Only....

2011-02-15T07:10:00.000-06:00

We all did it as kids. That one thing that was so cool, so important to us. We dreamed about it, even prayed about it. We saved our money. We did extra chores so we didn’t have to wait so long to get it. We begged, cajoled, whined, and generally made a pest of ourselves in the effort to get that one special thing, that new thing that would make our life complete. Then the day arrived and we finally got that most important thing in the whole world. But, eventually the newness wore off and we were off to the next great thing and started the process all over again. When the scholars and leaders of the ELCA concocted the doctrine of bound conscience to satisfy the selfish desires of man, they’ve led their membership down a road that leads to the same trap as those young children that just must have that new thing. Now that the ELCA has affirmed the homosexual lifestyle by voting to disregard God’s law, those who have been given this one great thing that will finally make their lives worthwhile, have indeed become tired of this new thing and are no longer satisfied with simply having their lifestyle affirmed.

Although the Episcopal Church has gotten a head start on the ELCA in disregarding Scripture, the natives are becoming restless. From the Out-Smart, Houston’s gay magazine article posted on September 1, 2010, "While the Episcopal Diocese of Texas is in no danger of having any openly gay bishops anytime soon (although the General Convention allowed for that possibility), there are groups of Episcopalians in our state who are not content to stand by as others develop the rites for same-sex marriage. This development will not be speedy—there is a lengthy process for approving new rites— but members of Integrity, the Episcopal organization that works for LGBT inclusion in church life, have organized a two-day conference on October 1 and 2 at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston. “Our conviction is that we don’t have to wait for the diocese to take leadership,” Hunt explains. “We are the diocese, and we very much want to be part of the process of the development.” Now that the authority of Scripture has been overturned, it is time to continue to roll back these outdated laws that our repressive God has set before us. It is time to charge to the ecumenical forefront and take our rightful place that has been denied to those who are too selfish to lower themselves to obey a God that has the audacity to forbid them their lustful desires. I am sorry, but being a follower of Christ requires sacrifice. Yes, there are many delights within this world that I would love to partake, but the morals and ethics instilled in me by my Father in heaven tell me that I must deny myself and behave in the manner that He commands.

Many LGTBQ blogs and magazines accuse evangelicals of using the Bible and its condemnation of homosexuality as a way to spread hate and use it to push away children of God. The bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA used the words “using Scripture as a war club”. Brothers and sisters, we do not accuse the LGTBQ community of a sin greater than any sin that any of God’s children commit. The argument is about God’s word and the authority of Scripture. Our brothers and sisters in Christ that happen to have a proclivity towards a sexuality that is not within the context of a marriage between a man and a woman, are no worse than any of us that continually fall into sin. Why the LGTBQ community continually attacks those that adhere to Scripture only shows that they are obsessed with having society and the church accept and affirm their lifestyle. We are to love our God with all our hearts and all our minds and all our souls. If one’s lifestyle and having others accept that lifestyle is the most important thing to them, then they simply do not love God as our Lord commands.

Christian groups that support and affirm LGBTQ behavior complain that they have been forced to the margins of the church and have felt unwelcome. It’s not easy to overcome our sinful behavior. When we refuse to repent of our sin, no matter what that sin may be, the truth is not in us. 1 John 2:3-6, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” When we willfully engage in behavior that we know is sinful, refusing to acknowledge God’s law, we are not God’s children, we are indeed children of the evil one. 1 John 3:7-10,” Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”

These are strong words. Our God loves us, but this does not give us license to willfully disobey. There are consequences to our sinful behavior. We must acknowledge our sins before our Father and ask forgiveness. If we decide to continue in that sin regardless of what our Lord commands, then the judgment will be upon us and we prove ourselves to serve the evil one. It is when we ask for forgiveness for our sinful behavior, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. No, we do not use Scripture as a war club against our sinful brothers and sisters. We love and accept all children of God who come to Him and repent of their sin. The issue with the LGTBQ community is not with those that remain true to Scripture. The real issue is that they need to make themselves right with the Lord

The Formula for Failure

2011-02-09T08:09:00.000-06:00

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people, all of the time.” A quote sometimes attributed to P. T. Barnum and sometimes to Abraham Lincoln. One of the surest methods one can choose that will inevitably cause one to fail, is to try to please everyone. Just as one cannot fool all of the people all of the time, one also cannot please everyone. The leadership of the ELCA wants to affirm anyone who wants their sinful behavior accepted as good and normal, in an effort to please them and add them to their diversity. Vocal minorities have caused the leadership of the ELCA to go out of their way to try to “grease the squeaky wheel”, by willfully choosing to disregard God’s law and deciding that homosexuality is no longer sinful. The Bible is no longer the authoritative word of God, according to the enlightened leaders of the ELCA, since they declare that they know better. Now according to the Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust statement, it is no longer enough to love our neighbor, who happens to belong to the LGTB lifestyle, we must also accept that behavior as right with God. Oh, but the doctrine of bound conscience will allow those of us that remain true to the Word, the right to disagree, but the synod accepts the LGTB lifestyle as normative and has made it acceptable by enacting doctrine. Love the sinner, but hate the sin is no longer pertinent, because the church wide assembly voted to disregard God’s law and the leadership decided to stand and watch the ship sink even deeper into heresy.

Radical feminists have complained openly about the audacity of a God that refers to Himself in the masculine gender, so the leadership of the ELCA accepts a member congregation that worships a pagan goddess and allows it to remain in good standing with the synod. The Lord’s Prayer is altered to offer praise to our “Mother God” and the “power within us”. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ taught us how to pray to our Father and now the leaders of this misguided denomination decide that our Lord and Savior was wrong or perhaps misquoted. Matthew 6:9, "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." It seems abundantly clear that in this verse Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in heaven. Some ELCA Bishops and pastors now offer prayers that His or Her will be done. The Biblical scholars of the ELCA continue to debate that the authors of Scripture misunderstood God’s intent or were adversely affected by their biases and lack of education. Our God made it clear to those authors of Scripture what they were to write, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Yes, those men were not recording devices, but they were driven by the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit as they wrote each verse.

Bishop Mark Hanson stated that he has spent more time addressing the Palestinian issue than anything else during his term as the Bishop of the ELCA. The ELCA has led efforts to rebuke Israel while they attempt to protect their citizens from the terrorist attacks that target them daily. Bishop Hanson supports an effort to place an embargo on goods made in Israel to force them to cede land to the Palestinians. Benevolences, given in good faith, by ELCA congregations to reach out to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, heal the sick, and preach the Gospel to the world are being redirected to support a terrorist organization that has a stated goal of eliminating the Jewish nation from the face of the earth. The Holy Land was given to the Jewish nation by God Himself. Genesis 17:8, “The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." Yet, the enlightened leadership of the ELCA would serve as co-conspirators to evict Israel from the land promised them by the Lord.

As the leadership of the ELCA goes “off the beaten path” and advocates for social justice while relegating our Lord to a place secondary in their ministry, their membership will continue to dwindle. Since they are not trying to please the Lord, but trying to please man, they are destined to fail. Not placing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ at the center of this church, is the formula for failure. This wayward denomination is not only displeasing to God, they are likely disappointing and angering Him. The leadership of the ELCA is no better than disobedient children, who think they know better than their Father. Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” Our God is faithful and just. Our God is without fault. Psalm 18:30, “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” Serve the Lord and please Him alone. This is our calling as Christians. Our Lord will be well pleased with those who hold fast to His Truth.

Ignorance is not Bliss

2011-02-02T07:20:00.000-06:00

When we hear the old saying that asserts that ignorance is bliss, we often fail to realize that statement is far from the truth. Those that remain ignorant will be easily taken advantage of. Much like the belief that closing your eyes will somehow make trouble or evil go away, it will only lead one to discover that you just won’t see the misfortune approaching. When there are issues that need to be addressed, we often ignore our responsibility and file it away for another day. Ignoring important matters will, more often than not, cause us much more trouble than just dealing with them in a timely fashion. Those that ignore the heretical assertions of the ELCA leaders and scholars, because they think that they are somehow insulated from the national synod, are in for a rude awakening. Mark 7:6-8, Jesus replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” The leaders of the ELCA have abandoned the commands of God and are replacing them with the experience, understanding and traditions of men. Those that sit by idly while the leadership of the ELCA hijacks God’s church are complicit in the crime.

Ephesians 5:6-7, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.” The doctrine of bound conscience deceives those that accept this false teaching. Allowing ones personal experience and understanding to place man in authority of Scripture only allows a sinful humanity to disobey God’s law with the blessing of an errant church. God’s church has the responsibility to preach the pure truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to uphold the authority of Scripture. The church is to lead people to the Lord by the clear and concise Word of God, preached truthfully and effectively so that people will understand and through the Holy Spirit, come to believe. John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” There are many organizations that strive for social justice, to feed the hungry and to try to save the planet throughout the world, but there is no other organization, but His church, that is charged with the responsibility to save souls by bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ.

So, the leadership of the ELCA strives to create a “Big tent” complete with a diversity of opinions, some of which deny the very truths they are charged to uphold. Open and varied dialog, acceptance of other religions and spiritual beliefs are considered so very important to add to the strength of the ELCA’s organization. The faith that has been instilled in us since childhood is being phased out by the enlightened elites of the ELCA. It is no longer necessary to deny yourself and place Christ first in your heart. It is no longer necessary to be filled with the Holy Spirit, since we can provide all the love that the world needs ourselves. Heaven, well that is right here, we only need to make it perfect here on earth and Heaven will be all around us. Don’t feel the least bit guilty of sin because this wayward denomination will affirm your behavior and pass resolutions declaring God’s Word null and void. This diversity of opinions does not make this church grow stronger, it diminishes our God and renders our faith empty and worthless.

2 Timothy 2:11-13, “If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” Our God has freely offered us the gift of His grace. Accepting the false gospel that the leaders of the ELCA peddle as truth will cause us to spurn our God and reject His grace. This enlightened ELCA may see itself as a fresh and new version of the church that God intended, but those that hold fast to the Truth can see that this new version no longer has the approval of our God. God is not telling us something new. We are cautioned to resist false teachings and to have nothing to do with the things of this world. 2 Peter 3:17-18, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity.” The evil one uses deceit and deception to encourage us to engage in sin. The leaders of the ELCA deceive their membership by contriving doctrine, making it seem so appropriate, to allow them to engage in behavior that dishonors our God.

The Wages of Sin

2011-01-26T07:49:00.000-06:00

Those that choose to accept the gospel of affirmation that the ELCA is peddling need to look to Scripture to understand just how our God will deal with those that choose to willfully disregard His law. The ill advised belief that our God is simply all loving and not to be feared, is a very dangerous assumption to make. Yes, we are justified by grace when we truly believe in the Risen Christ, but we are still subject to God’s law. Romans 7:7-12, “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”

Evil remains as part of our human nature. It is much easier for us to disregard God’s law and do what we think is best for ourselves. Without God’s law we, as sinful human beings that continually fall short of God’s glory, would be like a rudderless ship at sea, lost and floundering upon the waves. While the law does open our eyes as to what behavior is prohibited by God, it is our evil nature that chooses to disobey. Without God’s law one may covet someone else’s possessions., steal, lie, or commit adultery, but not understand that those behaviors are wrong. God’s law creates boundaries to help us rein in our desires, and teaches us what is right and what is wrong. It teaches where mere overindulgence ends, and where sin begins. Without God’s law, we are left without a moral compass and will only attempt to justify our wickedness as good in our sight.

So, when a church decides that God’s law is not applicable because it does not fit in with this new and modern society, they choose to willfully disobey and declare that God is now telling them something new. This is as if God, who created the very universe with a word, could not envision what was to come in this age. Our God is all knowing and all powerful throughout all time, and for the leaders and scholars of the ELCA to infer that He did not realize what our society would become today, is demeaning our God and is promoting heresy. When the leaders of Gods’ church decide that God is wrong and that the church should acquiesce to a society that accepts aberrant behavior, they lose their standing as one who speaks for the Lord. We need to be examples for the world, not put down our God in order to lift up the desires of the world.

So many have fallen prey to this misguided doctrine promoted by these self proclaimed enlightened leaders of what will soon no longer be the largest Lutheran Church Denomination in North America. Those that promote the disregard of God’s law and proclaim that all are saved, no matter what you believe, are leading those that accept this new religion away from God. The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Those teaching that God’s law is no longer valid teach a false gospel. Those accepting this teaching stand to lose their very salvation. Romans 6:15-16, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" When one fully gives their life to Christ, obedience replaces our sinful desires. When one continues to be estranged from the Lord, it is much easier to remain selfish and disobedient because it comes so naturally to the imperfect human being that God created. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.” God sets rules and boundaries for His children. He also administers the just punishment for those that choose to willfully disobey.

The leaders of the ELCA encourage those that defy God’s law to continue in their sin and enact doctrine to vindicate their behavior, while they admonish those that remain true to the Lord. How unfortunate for those that place their own sinful conduct ahead of God’s commands. Romans 2:6-7. “God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Continue in prayer for those that mistakenly accept these false teachings, that they may find and accept the truth. Pray that the leadership of the ELCA abandons this love affair with the things of this world, returns to the Lord and once again proclaims the true Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Counterfeit Truth

2011-01-19T18:27:00.000-06:00

A teenage runaway is alone in the city, out of money, with nowhere to sleep but the street. She meets a man, who asks about her, but does not understand that he has ulterior motives. He offers her food and shelter. Once he gains her trust, he leads her into the world of prostitution. All she wanted was to be loved and accepted by the very person that has led her into a life without hope. The inner city youth that does not fit in at school or in society, falls for the lie that he can belong to something important and find companionship by joining a street gang. He then becomes involved in criminal activity, losing any hope to live a normal life. The outcast who is not accepted by the “in crowd” is befriended by someone who offers drugs to help him feel better about himself and escape from the reality of this cruel world. He accepts this gift, but as he becomes dependant, the drugs are no longer complementary. He becomes a drug addict, steals to pay for his habit, and is lost in hopelessness. When one hungers to be accepted and loved, they will often grasp at anything or anyone that welcomes them, even those that only want to use them.

The false hope that arises from the counterfeit truth of bound conscience draws those that want their sinful lifestyle accepted in order to feel welcome and loved by the church. They do not want to give up their selfish desires and refuse to seek God’s forgiveness. The ELCA entices them with the false offer that their lifestyle choice will be no longer be sinful to God and His church if only they accept this “truth”. We know that this doctrine is not of our Lord because it circumvents the authority of Scripture. The ELCA uses this false doctrine as an excuse to pass resolutions and to adopt doctrine to affirm homosexual behavior as normative and acceptable to this denomination. In doing so, they disregard Scripture in the name of being more welcoming, tolerant, and loving of our neighbor. We surely can love our neighbor as our Lord commanded without disregarding His word. This doctrine that attempts to legitimize aberrant behavior only serves to distance this church from God’s will.

Unfortunately, this doctrine will allow those engaging in homosexual behavior to continue in their sin, with no need to repent before the Lord. This doctrine will also lift up the self while diminishing our Lord. If we truly love the Lord, we will sacrifice for Him. We will place our own needs and desires secondary in order to please our Lord. If one's desire for their lifestyle to be accepted and affirmed is more important than their love of the Lord, then they love themselves more than they love Him. Is it so difficult to understand that as Christians, as Disciples of Christ, we are to place Him foremost in our lives? Any doctrine that relegates our Lord to a secondary role is, plain and simple, promoting a false gospel. For God’s church to lead their membership astray in this way is unconscionable.

This misguided denomination takes a cue from the George Orwell novel, Animal Farm, in their interaction with the LGTB community. In the novel, when the pigs took command of the barnyard, they also took more for themselves, while other animals had to do with less. When some of the other animals protested, the pigs contrived a doctrine that stated that although all animals were equal, some of them were more equal than others. In the June 2010 edition of the Lutheran Magazine, an article entitled, Rite and Bound conscience appeared in the news section on page 8. This news article stated that “The ELCA church council authorized a rite that synod bishops can use to receive 17 pastors from Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries onto the ELCA roster. ELM credentials candidates of all sexual orientations and gender identities for ordained ministry. The rite, “Reception to the Roster of Ordained Ministers with Prayer and the Laying on of Hands,” was recommended to the council by the ELCA Conference of Bishops and is authorized for “no other use,” the council said.” It would appear that some pastoral candidates are more equal than others in having their own exclusive ordination rite.

Additionally, a working group was convened to study the concept of bound conscience, especially relating to same-gender relationships. It also has a goal to engage people across the denomination in conversation about the theological foundation of the ELCA decision making and respect for people whose consciences are bound to different understandings of Scripture. 1 Timothy 1:5-11, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God” While there is still much good to be found in the ELCA, it is obviously rotting away from the top down. Those that choose to remain and accept these destructive doctrinal changes will eventually be swept into the abyss with the enlightened elites that lead this misguided denomination. Continue in prayer, that more will be saved from the false teachings of the ELCA.

The Evolution of Theology

2011-01-16T13:15:00.000-06:00

For years the great divide between science and religion has been the theory of evolution. Christianity professes that God created the universe and all that is in it. Science believes that random events caused universe to come into being and that life originated as a single cell organism, created by a chance comingling of amino acids. The theory of evolution further states that over the millennia natural selection caused this single cell organism to evolve into the varying plant and animal life we have in this world. Christianity believes that God created the earth and filled it with plants, animals, and human beings, created in His own image. For the ELCA theologian, much discussion and argument ensues about, not only the interpretation of Scripture, but the very theology of Lutheranism. Theology is defined as the study of the nature of God and religious truth, or the rational inquiry into religious questions. The primary doctrine of Lutheranism is simply justification by grace alone through faith alone because of Jesus Christ alone. Lutheran Theology teaches that the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God, but that every word has been inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore, is the divine command of God. When ELCA theologians challenge the authenticity and authority of Scripture, they indict our Lord. In fact, they are insinuating that God is a liar.

In the December 2009 edition of the Lutheran Magazine, the featured article, written by Heidi Ernst, and entltled “Our Worldwide Church, Global contexts challenge Lutheran Theology”, she cited Karen L. Bloomquist, an ELCA pastor and director of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for Theology and Studies since 1999. Bloomquist addressed the LWF Theological Conference, in Augsburg, Germany, March of 2009, in what Ernst described as, one of its’ largest and most diverse gathering of Lutheran Theologians. Ernst wrote, “In her welcome at the event, Bloomquist made a case for continual theological evolution: “A Lutheran identity cannot be based only on coded Lutheran formulas, or historical legacies brought by missions, or on the basis of ethnic or tribal identities, or historical accidents. Instead, sifting through, reconceiving and transfiguring Lutheran theology is a dynamic movement.” Sadly, we are all experiencing this transfiguring of our Lutheran faith into something that no longer resembles the faith that has been handed down for centuries. Theologians are charged to raise rational questions about religious questions, not to promote a paradigm shift away from the foundations of our faith. Yes, we need to temper and adjust our proclamation of the Gospel to different cultures and other parts of the world, but the central truths remain intact, as we have believed through the word of God and has been reinforced through the Creeds and Augsburg Confessions.

Those of us that remain traditional and orthodox in our theology are accused of lagging behind in this enlightened movement to redefine Lutheranism in the 21st Century. Those of us that cling to our Bibles and truly believe that we are justified by faith in Christ alone are looked upon as obsolete. Those that dare to speak out for our Lord are jeered at, mocked, called hateful and accused of spreading malicious gossip. We are chastised and accused of breaking the unity of God’s church. Our unity is in Christ, not a church that places their own selfish understanding in authority of Scripture. We must choose to expose the heresy that these enlightened leaders of the ELCA are promoting. We must choose to stand up and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ until we can speak no more. The intellectual elites of the ELCA are chipping away at the very core of the Lutheran faith. It would appear that the primary goal is to eliminate God from His church and replace Him with themselves and the things of this world.

For what reason would the leaders of the ELCA talk about the love of the Lord when all the while they promote these heretical assumptions? Why would they choose to serve a master that leads to sin and death? Understand that the great majority of ELCA members are true to the Lord and have no idea how these elitists are plotting to weaken their faith. Most are filled with the Spirit and love of the Lord. Most pray the Lord’s Prayer and recite the Apostle’s, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, truly believing every word. Most accept the Augsburg Confessions as a true testament of their faith. Why are so many blind to what is happening to their church? Why are so many defending the actions of the misguided leadership of the ELCA?

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Let us be eager to do God’s will and to proclaim His word. Continue in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ, that they too, will awaken from their slumber and realize that the leaders of the ELCA are preaching a false gospel.

Straight and Narrow

2011-01-12T09:32:00.000-06:00

In our youth we were cautioned to walk the straight and narrow path. We were called to make decisions using the morals and values instilled in us by our parents and by our Father in Heaven. In other words we were counseled to conduct ourselves with integrity and to choose our actions wisely. It is when we make poor choices and fall from that path that trouble befalls us. Our Lord, Jesus Christ taught in the parable of the “Narrow and Wide Gates” in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Following our sinful nature is easy for us. It comes naturally, because human beings are inherently self centered and inconsiderate toward others. This is why it is so easy for so many to accept the ELCA’s teaching of the “gospel of affirmation”. Having one’s weaknesses and imperfections affirmed as good and correct, allows that person to feel good about himself. Having no one to criticize or condemn your transgressions, allows you to continue in your sin without remorse or the need to repent. Feeling guilty about one’s behavior and having to confess that they fall short of expectations is difficult in this society that is so concerned about maintaining positive self esteem.

The ELCA has adopted doctrine to make sinful behavior acceptable in their church, directing those that accept this doctrine to the wide road of destruction. Their Biblical scholars challenge the authority of Scripture and accuse the Spirit inspired authors of bias, misunderstanding God’s true intent and conclude that they often offer conflicting and contradictory views. Why does the leadership of this misguided denomination persist in casting doubt upon the very truths they are charged to uphold? Our Lord calls us to deny ourselves and to take up His cross. These progressive leaders of the ELCA lift up the self and deny our Savior. Why is it so important to lift up the sexual identities of the LGTB community if our call is place our Lord above all else and deny our very selves. Matthew 10:37-39, Jesus said, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” If we insist upon lifting up the self, we will be unworthy in the sight of our Lord. When one’s life becomes more important than our Savior, they will lose their life and their salvation.

The leaders of the ELCA are deliberately leading their membership to ruin. Emphasizing the self while minimizing our Lord in their ministry, puts their membership at risk when they accept this false doctrine. The leadership of the ELCA preaches love and unity, while they debase and chastise those that reveal the truth of their apostasy. So it is obvious that the ELCA has chosen a path that is in conflict with the path that our Lord has directed us to take. Now what? Should we stay with an organization that does not uphold our Lutheran values? As difficult as it may be, we need to break fellowship with the ELCA and find that synod that embraces the Lutheran core beliefs, not one that only gives lip service to God’s word while challenging the authority of Scripture. We need to find a partner that shares the values that our Lord has instilled in us and upholds the authority of Scripture. We need to find a synod that proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ and embraces the Great Commission. We need to find an organization that doesn’t look to offer a “big Tent” in order to maintain fellowship despite a variety of opinions, but one that embraces Jesus Christ, while striving for justice, not placing justice ahead of our Lord and Savior.

If you considered joining an organization, would it not be important to you that the organization shares the same values and beliefs that you do? Would you become a member of an organization that believed and behaved contrary to the values and beliefs that you espouse? While many would argue that it doesn’t matter what the greater church believes; that it only matters what one believes in their own hearts, it does matter greatly. Being a member of any organization carries with it the assumption that you, as a member of that organization, accept and practice what that organization preaches. So, to say that we belong to an organization, but don’t believe as they do, is nothing short of being hypocritical. John 5:22-23, Jesus said, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” The false doctrines promoted by the leaders of the ELCA dishonor our Lord. Those that accept these false doctrines place their very salvation at risk. Those that choose to remain in fellowship with the ELCA take the very real risk that they too, will be overtaken by these false gospels.

Searchin'

2011-01-09T12:21:00.000-06:00

This comment on the post "Spare the Rod" was received from a person troubled by the content of the article. My first impulse was to simply delete the comment as inappropriate. But, after much prayer and contemplation, I felt it was better to respond to this comment point by point since it appears that the writer is searching for something. I believe that she may be searching for the Lord, but does not know how to find Him. This post is made to reach out in Christian love to my fellow sister in Christ.

“The bible was written in a time of self mutilating, murder and incest. It is a book of laws to instill fear so we can basically behave.”

The Bible was indeed written long ago by uneducated men. In the first book of the Bible, Cain murders his brother Abel. Lot’s daughters had children by their father. The Bible contains the Ten Commandments and many other laws pertaining to the Israelites. So some of the assumptions above are valid. But, we are free to disobey God’s law, without consequence in this life, and to live our lives as we choose. God came to us as human being, took the burden of our sins to the cross, suffered horribly and died in our place, so that we may live. We rightly deserved that punishment, but God took that punishment upon Himself and forgave us all our sins. And all we have to do is believe and He offers us salvation, eternal life with Him in Heaven. When one accepts the truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we obey God’s law because we love God and truly want to please Him.

“The law of nature is that we evolve as a society and since such is so, the bible's meaning must also be evaluated and adjusted to fit today's life.”

Many of the laws of today's society mirror those handed to Moses on Mt. Sinai, so many years ago. Many of the laws that society consistently ridicules from the early books of the Old Testament were given to the Israelites to protect them from pestilence and disease. As modern society looks upon the Bible as archaic and tries to amend God’s word we fall further away from the Truth. Much of the great works of art and literature are hundreds of years old and are still considered masterpieces. The Bible is no different. Pattern your life along the path that Jesus walked and you will find much joy in this life.

“Organized religion is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children. The Bible may, indeed does, contain a warrant for trafficking in humans, for ethnic cleansing, for slavery, for bride-price, and for indiscriminate massacre, but we are not bound by any of it because it was put together by crude, uncultured human mammals and it is time that we admitted that faith is nothing more than the license religious people give one another to keep believing when reasons fail. It is terrible that we all die and lose everything we love; it is doubly terrible that so many human beings suffer needlessly while alive. That so much of this suffering can be directly attributed to religion—to religious hatreds, religious wars, religious delusions and religious diversions of scarce resources—is what makes atheism a moral and intellectual necessity.”

It is true that many wars were fought in the name of religion. We are affected to this day by Muslim extremists that use religion as a justification to murder innocents. It is indeed unfortunate that it is man, yes man, that twists God’s word and lashes out against his fellow man in the name of religion. Those that hold fast to the truth that is Jesus Christ have no need for the evil ways of this world. Man is inherently evil. That is our nature. Without the morals and values instilled in us through God’s word, we would be uncultured human mammals. With God’s word to guide us, we can have a society that can coexist. Unfortunately, the evil in this world is not caused by God, it is caused by man. Man, when left to his own devices will inevitably turn the world upside down. If we would choose follow God’s word and obey His law, the world would live in harmony. It is when we choose to not believe and consider ourselves too enlightened to believe a book written thousands of years ago, that we will fall into sin and cannot free ourselves. So if anyone is to blame for societies ills, we need look no further than the mirror. We have met the enemy, and it is us, not the God who created everything that is good.

“Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.”

Without the laws given to us by our Lord, we would become the uncultured human mammals described by the commenter. Love your neighbor as yourself, feed the hungry and thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe those in need, visit those who are sick or in prison. If someone slaps you, do not strike them, turn the other cheek. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. These are not society’s laws, these are the commands of Jesus Christ. It is when we choose to disregard our Lord's commands that cause us trials and tribulations.

“Beat your children and you only teach them to beat their children. Please read your post again maybe then you will see that your form of "equal" punishment is not only barbaric but steeped in ignorance.”

The posting “Spare the Rod” was not intended to advocate that parents beat their children. Children that receive no guidance or boundaries from their parents typically do not grow to become responsible adults. Without structure and discipline a child will have difficulty determining the proper way to behave in society. As parents we want the best for our children, so we try to teach them the proper values and behaviors that will help them be successful as they grow into adults. So, yes, it is imperative that our children are taught the proper behaviors and sometimes we need to punish inappropriate behavior so that the child will not repeat those actions. But, these actions of discipline are not done out of anger, they are done out of our love for our children. Our Lord also taught us to reach out to others in Christian love. Many of the questions raised above are answered much more eloquently in the writings and insights into Scripture by Timothy Keller. I would recommend his book “The Reason for God, Belief in an Age of Skepticism” to anyone searching. I would also request prayer for this person that she does find the Lord and with that find the peace that she is searching for.

All Things Made New

2011-01-05T07:29:00.000-06:00

When the leaders and biblical scholars of the ELCA try to justify their radical agenda, such as the Human Sexuality-Gift and Trust statement, they typically cite 2 Corinthians 5:17, saying that God has made all things new. Again, this is only part of the truth, since the leadership of this wayward denomination revels in half truths. Just as the evil one uses only the parts of truth that are pleasing in order to tempt us into sinful acts, the leaders of the ELCA use the same tactic. Taken out of context, this verse would lead one to believe that everything is new and maybe the old things, such as God’s law, written so long ago, must be updated and made new to better relate to our modern society. But, when one delves into the word and discerns the truth of God’s will, one will have a different idea of “new”. 2 Corinthians 5:15-21, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Once we take the entire portion of this passage and listen to the word, we have a much better understanding of God’s will. While the leadership of the ELCA would have you believe that God is now telling us something new and that we should disregard portions of God’s law because we are now more enlightened, this is a false message. We are a new creation because we have set aside those things of the world that came between us and the Lord. We now deny ourselves and place His will before our own. Jesus said that we must be willing to take up His cross and love Him above all else, our families and especially ourselves. The doctrines promoted by the leaders of the ELCA lift up the self above our Lord and place human reasoning and experience in authority of Scripture. This is worse than heresy. This is a clear violation of the First Commandment, because to accept these doctrines is to worship yourself, your identities, and your worldly desires.

Revelations 21:1-5, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” The time to make all things new in this world is when our Lord and Savior comes in glory to begin His new kingdom. For the leadership of the ELCA to lead their flock astray with the false promises that their sin is somehow now acceptable to God is beyond reprehensible.

The evil one uses deception in order to convince us that our sinful behavior is justified. The leaders of the ELCA do no differently. For if we continue as slaves to sin, we will die in that sin. We need to become slaves of Christ, for only then will we be truly alive in Him. Romans 6:19-23, “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we follow the false gospel promoted by the leaders of the ELCA, we will become slaves to ourselves and wallow in our own sinful behavior. If we reject this false gospel and follow the Truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we will be set free from sin and truly be able to accept the gift of God’s grace. There will come a time when we will all be made new and sin will be no more, and that is when our Savior returns in glory, not when the misguided leaders of a church proclaim that certain sins are no longer sinful because they believe that now God is telling them something new!.

Spare the Rod

2011-01-02T12:59:00.000-06:00

The old adage, spare the rod and spoil the child, is no longer acceptable in our modern society. Corporal punishment is frowned upon since it may negatively affect the child’s self esteem. The more modern and enlightened parent will simply try to reason with their child, sometimes treating them as if they were equals. As we can see from our dysfunctional society, this weak handed approach is seldom successful. When there are no consequences for inappropriate behavior, there is no deterrent to prevent the child from continuing to misbehave. Our responsibility as parents is to make certain that when our children engage in behavior that is dangerous or inappropriate, that we reinforce that those types of conduct are unacceptable. The punishment meted out must be equivalent to the severity of the objectionable actions of the child. Any punishment must serve as a deterrence, so that the improper behavior will not be repeated. We must also explain why those acts are considered improper and reinforce that we love the child.

Our God has provided us His rules of conduct, delivered to us in His word, the Bible. As disciples of Christ, we are obligated to obey these rules of conduct. Although these laws were written thousands of years ago, they remain authoritative to this day. Many laws adopted by society mirror those laws that our God gave to the Israelites long ago. So, why would a church adopt doctrine to ignore those rules of conduct that are so plainly set out by our God? The leadership of the ELCA wants to preside over a truly enlightened church, complete with a variety of opinions, thereby allowing a “Big Tent” where many people that have a wide variety of beliefs can have fellowship. They feel that the similarities among them are larger than their differences, and that somehow a diversity of opinion can make them grow stronger. Well, the first foray into the diversity pool has left the ELCA in the deep end, realizing that they don’t know how to swim and are without a life preserver. What’s worse though, is that those trusting members of the ELCA that accept this false gospel are dragged under by the leadership’s plunge away from the Lord.

Lifting up the identities of the LGTB community, thereby placing the emphasis on the self, not on our God, the leaders of the ELCA have rejected Scriptural intent and have reinterpreted God’s word to feed worldly desires. By invoking the doctrine of bound conscience they have opened the door to sin freely and have placed human reasoning, experience and understanding in authority over Scripture. By accepting the validity of other religions and agreeing that there are alternate ways to Salvation, they encourage those who do believe in the Risen Christ to look elsewhere. By promoting the false gospel of affirmation, they advance the opinion that there truly is no sin, no need for repentance or forgiveness and that a Savior is unnecessary.

It would appear that this experiment into “diving into the pool of heresy with both feet” isn’t working out so well for the misguided leaders of the ELCA. Congregations are leaving at a rate that may cause this enlightened new world order of Lutheranism to fall by the wayside before the end of this decade. Pensions to retired ELCA pastors are being reduced, the operational budget of the synod has been reduced 40%, synod staff have been let go, and losses from congregations that have left or have redirected benevolence has cost the ELCA well over 14 million dollars this year alone. When will they realize that those that are searching are not looking for a social club to gather with those that they have little in common with? Those that are searching are looking for the only thing that can truly fill their longing hearts, the love of Jesus Christ. Only He can fill that empty place in our hearts. Only when we come to accept the truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ will we truly be fulfilled. As the petulant child that receives no guidance or discipline from their parents continues to misbehave, the leaders of the ELCA promote this new religion that has no consequence for sinful behavior and leads their membership away from the Lord. Romans 2:12-13, “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” Without the rod that is God’s law, we shall truly be like a spoiled child and be disobedient to the Lord. While we have God’s grace through our faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, we must also adhere to the law that our God provided for us. Continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will open the hearts and minds of all to the truth that our unity is in Christ, not to a church that surely denies Him.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2010-12-29T12:35:00.002-06:00

This modern world of ours has its’ 24/7 news cycles that flood the airwaves with breaking news events and opinions. We have easy access to streaming videos on Youtube downloaded and ready to view within hours of breaking news events or of anything else you could imagine. Wikileaks has obtained and has downloaded sensitive and confidential government information on the internet. People on Facebook reveal a never ending stream of intimate information about themselves. Any sexual perversion one would want to access is available on the web in pictures, on videos, or in chat rooms. Communication is available to anyone without actually engaging in real one on one conversation through, texting, Facebook, Twitter, and the like. There is so much information available at the click of a button that many have disclaimers to not attempt to perform these acts. Far too many people attempt to emulate the actions of others that they see on the various media outlets available to them. The old adage, monkey see, monkey do, fits right in with our modern and enlightened society.

And here we have the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America falling into the same trap as those juveniles that break their bones imitating the reckless actions of those skateboarders attempting jumps and tricks that are next to impossible. Because the intellectual elite of this enlightened society embrace a “new age” theology, the leadership of the ELCA stumble all over themselves to be accepted by those secular elites and attempts to “re-invent” itself by professing and teaching a new understanding of Scripture. Since modern science would tend to discount the veracity of the account of Jesus’ immaculate conception, the leaders of the ELCA promote a new version of the Virgin Birth that placates those who are far too intelligent to accept such an idea. The Resurrection becomes visions or apparitions of the Risen Christ or that the Apostles just really wanted to believe in a bodily resurrection of Christ, so they embellished their stories. It becomes appropriate to believe that because God loves us, He also affirms us, so there is no need to ask for forgiveness and no need for a Savior, since everyone is going to heaven anyway. Now it is more desirable to have a diversity of opinions about the very foundational beliefs of Christianity than to defend them, and all opinions are considered appropriate. By virtue of the doctrine of bound conscience, any and all Scripture is subject to anyone’s particular interpretation.

Bishop Hanson covers his eyes, ears and mouth and stands by idly, while the church wide assembly votes to disregard God’s law and place man’s opinion, experience and understanding in authority over God’s word. Then, instead of defending the authority of Scripture, he questions God’s word and accuses the authors of Scripture of not having the same understanding of sexuality that we have today. When Hanson accuses the authors of Scripture, he also accuses our Lord. Matthew 19:4-7, Jesus said, “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Our Lord created us man and woman, He created us for a purpose. Genesis 1:27-28, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Our God makes it abundantly clear as to what He expects of His children.

Whatever it is that is deemed acceptable to our modern society is considered as appropriate doctrine for this misguided denomination. The leadership of the ELCA continues to twist God’s word to be pleasing to society’s appetites, while deliberately ignoring our Lord’s will. The purpose of our God’s church is not to lift up the things of this world. God’s church is to uphold His word, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world, and welcome sinners to God’s house, not disregard sin so those that are slaves to sin continue in that sin. We all fall short of God’s glory. It’s not easy being a Christian. We have to deny ourselves many things that are pleasing to us in order to fulfill and obey God’s law. Anyone can ape the actions of a society run amok, obedient only to the evil one. We must put aside ourselves and our desires in order to place our Lord at the center of our lives. The leaders of the ELCA are truly leading their membership on a path to ruin. There is a reason that so many are leaving this wayward church and affiliating with a synod true to the Lord. It is just unfortunate that so many fail to see and understand. Continue in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ, that their hearts and minds be opened to the truth.

Flawed, but Made Perfect

2010-12-26T16:20:00.000-06:00

I am a Christian, yet I am terribly flawed. As a disciple of Christ, I know what my Lord expects of me. Yet, try as I may to be what God wants me to be, I continue to fail miserably. I am indeed fortunate that God is faithful and just and will forgive my sins, because I need to ask for His forgiveness over and over again. I am often a poor example. Many who see my faults, cite those shortcomings as excuses to not accept Christ and not engage in fellowship with the church. I am to be an ambassador for my Lord and people are watching, and they often don’t like what they see. I am judgmental. I criticize what I perceive as the inadequacies of others, but fail to recognize my own shortcomings. I will look down upon those that are different or have opinions that are different than mine. I hold an inflated opinion of myself and will perform my good works in a way that others can see, so that I can take the credit for those good deeds.

I am a Christian, yet I am selfish. I will, more often than not, ignore that little nudge from the Holy Spirit to complete a task for our Lord, and instead, take the easy way out and do what it is that I want to do for myself. This is my biggest failure and my gravest sin against my Lord. For when my wants and desires take precedence over my Lord and Savior, I deny Him and worship myself, my identity and my possessions. I fail to remember that everything that I have, even life itself, is a gift from God. When I fail to welcome others, to share what I have with those in need, and to give of my time to those who are lonely, I also deny my Lord and Savior. Mark 8:34-38, “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

I am a Christian, yet I continue to commit sins against my Lord. My proclivity to feed the desires of the flesh, more often than not, cause me to err and to fall into sin. I take for granted my gifts from my Lord and I am often much too eager to accept the praises of others when I step out and serve the Lord. I fail to acknowledge God for the gifts He has given me and then selfishly keep them to myself. I am called to tithe, to give to my Lord only one tenth of what He has given me, yet I often only place a few dollars in the offering plate. Levitiicus 27:30, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD”. My world revolves around myself, not God, making me an idol worshipper, lifting myself up as the idol.

I am a Christian and a child of God. Even with all of my faults and failings, my God loves me beyond my understanding. 1 John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” I am made perfect in Christ. Colossians 1:22-23, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven..” Jesus took upon Himself all of my sins, suffered and died on the cross in my place, and defeated death so that I may be granted salvation and eternal life with my Lord.

I am a Christian and I am saved. Hebrews 9:15, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” The only true universal salvation is that God wants all of His children to believe and be saved, that everyone comes to Him through faith in the Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. There is much sacrifice to be made by a disciple of Christ. There is nothing easy about the tasks our Lord sets before us. But, when we obey our Lord and trust in His will, we will be made perfect in His sight. All of us unworthy, sinful human beings are sanctified in God’s eyes by the blood of our Savior. And the cost to us to be able to receive this offer of grace from our God; nothing more than faith in the Risen Christ. Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”