Moral Clarity

 

Surviving in an immoral society.

“Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father. Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world. The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever. 1 John 2:15-17.

The shift in societal norms, predominantly driven by leftist ideology, is at odds with God’s will. An angry and selfish society, encouraged by the rantings of the leftist media, Marxist academia, and the democrat party, is the perfect breeding ground for leftist ideology to thrive. An epidemic of selfishness has spread that requires a rejection of traditional morality and Christian values, to be replaced with worldly “wokeness.” Misguided individuals have confused virtue signaling with altruism, leading many young people to embrace socialism, that excludes rather than benefits its supporters. 62% of today’s 18–29-year-olds have a favorable view of socialism. Scary stuff! Socialism breeds Marxism, that leads to communism. All three have embedded in their tenets, animosity toward God, capitalism, and meritocracy.

Christians enduring in this world in which we live without falling prey to the evils of the world is not as difficult as it may seem. While it is often far too easy to “go along to get along,” we are called to be that beacon of truth and light in this world. Traditional, or normal values, fall in line with God’s will. For too long, we have acquiesced to the manipulation that the left has imposed with guilt shaming. Our inaction has led to the subversion of the very fabric of civil society. Too afraid to be called homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, or any of the other phobias leftists use to accuse and shame, we stand down, denying our Lord and Savior. The rededication of this nation to its founding principles as one nation under God, is a step in the right direction.

Not only does our nation need to return to God, His people are in dire need of returning to Him. There is nothing more important than our relationship with Jesus Christ and we need to start acting as if it really is not most important thing in our life. We need to normalize our conversations and no longer be timid about our Christianity. There is no other way to the Father but through faith in the living Christ. If we hide our faith, we ignore Christ’s command in the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.

“Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38.

Making disciples is not about confrontation. Making disciples is not proving that you are right. Making disciples is not about excluding those who do not believe. Making disciples is all about reaching the lost, engaging in real conversation, listening, and asking those questions that can help turn them toward Christ.

 

These Days

 

God put us here for a purpose.

“Maybe we were made for these days.” These lyrics from a Jeremy Camp song fall short of God’s expectations for His people. Equipped with the time and talents provided to us, God did indeed put each of us in this time and in this place for His purpose. We were created to pursue justice. We were created to spread the Gospel to all the ends of the earth. We were made to take a stand against evil. We were made to worship and glorify our God by spreading the love of Jesus to all our neighbors. Yes, we were wonderfully made, specifically created for times such as these.

Evil thrives and violence spreads throughout our nation and the world. The current strategy employed that ignores the growing threat only encourages further escalation of that evil. Just as children who do not face consequences for their actions become spoiled and disobedient, today’s left pushes the boundaries of lawlessness as far as the consequences, or lack thereof, will allow. The left’s embrace of evil is metastasizing as if it were a cancer spreading throughout the human body.

Leftist ideology is attacking the most vulnerable as our children are indoctrinated with deviant sexuality. It is attacking the very fabric of this nation as the left calls for insurrection and disregard of the rule of law. It has infiltrated our churches, replacing the worship of our God with the worship of tolerance, diversity, and the things of this world. Our institutions have been polluted with antisemitism, the embrace of socialism, and hatred of opinions deemed inappropriate to their chosen wokeism tenets. There is a real danger that our nation, the last bastion of true freedom in the world, will be lost forever.

There is a great evil overtaking our nation and world. Evil thrives in an environment that allows it to grow. The silence of good people is deafening. We can no longer simply remain silent and “let someone else” confront this evil. If unchecked the left will destroy everything that is good and true. If unchecked the left will lead this nation down a path to destruction. The democrat party has not only embraced leftist ideology, but they have also doubled down on all things woke. Democrats must be voted out of office until they become an impotent minority. We must retake our schools to eliminate the indoctrination of our children. If we fail to hold the left accountable, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

The easy way to combat this rampant evil would be to respond in kind, but we cannot repay evil with evil. Hatred only begets more hatred that is certain to entangle us within the influence of the evil one. The easy path can often be the most dangerous path. We can only mend fences and open minds through and with the love of Christ. Christ died for our sins while we were still sinners and enemies of God, including those unduly influenced by the evil one today.

We are long past due to stand strong in our faith. We were made to be God’s hands and feet on this earth. We are called to plant the seeds of faith so that the Holy Spirit can nurture and grow those seeds within those we meet and receive. Sharing the love of Christ is our greatest calling and the best way to show God our gratitude for our undeserved grace. To share the joy of salvation with the lost is our sacred duty as Jesus called for us to make disciples of all the world in the Great Commission. We need to keep singing and sharing until all have heard!

The first step in reconciliation is forgiveness. Without forgiveness, doors will remain shut and walls cannot be overcome. Without forgiveness there is no avenue to engage in constructive dialogue. Without forgiveness both sides remain at odds. Once anger, bitterness, and resentment are eliminated on one side of the equation, one can truly love one’s enemy. There is but one bond that unites all humanity and His name is Jesus Christ.

“And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness.” Acts 4:29

 

Unto you a Savior is born

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

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 stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away, and who can recount His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was stricken for the transgression of My people.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53

Keep Christ in Christmas and first and foremost in our daily lives. By His blood we are healed and redeemed. Thanks be to God!

 

Enabled

 

Mainstream media promotes evil.

Most of the national media paints a narrative that favors democrats, liberalism, and some would argue, promotes leftist ideology. They denigrate all things Christian, conservative, and anything else they deem to be detrimental to their agenda. Cheerleading from “news” outlets MSNBC, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, New York Times, Washington Post, and others, has enabled evil to permeate our society and begin a path toward the fundamental transformation of this nation. If the mainstream media was fair and balanced, democrat policies would be exposed for the failures they truly are, and always have been. If the mainstream media was fair and balanced, a cognitively challenged Joe Biden would never have been elected President. If the mainstream media was fair and balanced, the vile rhetoric that led to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, would not have happened.

The 1^st Amendment is an instrument that can cut both ways. Those who pervert that privilege and hide behind the veil of free speech, profess that which the evil one favors. Words do have consequences when lies are repeatedly reported as facts. Weak minded individuals can be unduly influenced when they believe the propaganda spewed by media figures and politicians. When leaders, elected to serve the public, denigrate their opponents with disgusting and deceitful accusations to gain political advantage, they fail themselves and the nation. When the media abandons their responsibility to objectively report facts and choose to be cheerleaders for one political party, they fail their oaths as journalists and their obligation to hold the powerful accountable.

Democrat policies support the mutilation of children, vilifies people based upon skin color, purposefully open our borders to register illegals to vote as homeless, tacitly support antisemitism, vigorously defend the murder of unborn children, advocate for males to share public facilities with women, illegally launder money through “smurfing” prior donors to democrats, and, via executive action, force the military and every company doing business with the government to incorporate DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in their hiring practices, lifting up candidates by race and gender rather than ability to perform the job. If these policies are not inherently evil, nothing is. Yet, mainstream media is in lockstep with the democrat party, foisting this new “reality” on those vulnerable to this insanity. The father of lies is very happy these days.

Christians are called to resist evil and to strive to do good in this world. We are also called in the Great Commission, to make Disciples of all the world. Our God wants all His children to come to Him. The Good Shepherd does not want to lose even one of His sheep. How then do we endeavor to plant the seeds of faith in those who, overcome by Satan’s lies, believe that they are enemies of God and reject the gift of grace? God has made everyone in His image for a specific purpose. No matter how you look, what skills and talents, or lack thereof that you possess are all gifts from God to fulfill His purpose. No matter how confused, angry, or lost, each human being is made to love God and each other. We need to reach out in love to our “enemies” and find a way to open the door and not build a wall as we are wont to do.

Christians are extremely good at pointing fingers at those who are “sinners,” focusing on that speck in their eye as we ignore the plank in ours. While it is difficult to open dialogue with those we vehemently disagree, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves to open the door for the Holy Spirit to work in them so that they can become our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is all too easy to harbor ill will and ignore our responsibility to “preach the word.” Resisting evil does not mean that we condemn our neighbors. Evil abounds in this world that is the realm of the evil one. Every one of us fall prey to the lies of Satan. There is only one who was without sin and while we are called to be more like Christ, we cannot replace Him and save the lost ourselves. We are the farmers who scatter the seeds of faith, and it is the power of the Holy Spirit that can indwell and convince. Not all seeds will germinate, but we are called to continue to reach out and be the hands and feet of Christ, building His kingdom on earth in preparation for our eventual home with Him.

Identifying the evil that we are called to resist is only the first step in our discipleship. Confronting those unduly influenced by the evil one and his minions is the next step in our servitude of Christ. We must look past the evil in the person, recognize that person is a child of God, even though they may not realize it, and instruct, gently correct, so that they can be saved from the evil that has overwhelmed them. If we can even approach one iota of the love our Father has for us in our interactions, just maybe they can open their hearts, if ever so slightly, to fellowship with the Risen Savior.

Loving your Neighbor

 Is meaningless without first loving God.

Jesus declared, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40.

While these two commandments are the foundations of our faith, our love of our Lord supersedes the call to love our neighbor and ourselves. This current generation has lifted the love of self to transcendent heights. Mainline churches feed this narrative by affirming those who choose to elevate their desires above all else. We absolutely can love our neighbor as ourselves without affirming that which separates them from God’s love. Once our human desires supersede our identities as followers of Christ, we no longer worship Him, we worship ourselves.

In deference to the Beatles song, love is not all you need. The dichotomy of loving, while correcting, is a difficult road to travel. Our unrelenting judgementalism often closes the door while eliciting anger and resentment from the very people we are to be reaching out with love. While we endeavor to help the lost find Christ, our spiritual ineptness often shuts down any opportunity to do so. Question is, how do we “gently instruct” the misguided back to Christ before they are lost to the evil one?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 

Even though we were enemies of God, Jesus went to that cross and died for us, and through our faith in Him, grants us forgiveness of all our sin and guarantees a place with him throughout eternity. Is this too great an ask? By faith alone. He only wants our heart, nothing else. Heavy stuff. God wants all His children to be with Him in eternity. It pains Him greatly if even one of His children are lost to the evil one. God loves all His children unconditionally. By His grace and mercy, He forgives all sin, no matter what! But, in order to partake in His eternity, faith in the Risen Christ is necessary. If our well-intended actions push away those in need of God’s grace, we are not building God’s Kingdom. We have become an impediment to it.

Human sexuality is the vehicle used by the evil one to divide and conquer. Humankind’s innate selfishness is the tool that sharpens the sword that separates us from God. Perverting humankind’s diversities creates an easy avenue to divide and create dissention based upon insignificant differences, such as skin color, socio-economic status, political and religious beliefs. We are all God’s children. That makes us all brothers and sisters. Even that pink haired, nose ringed young lady who shouts out her distain for Christianity. Even that young man who identifies as a woman. Even those who spew hatred towards others that have different opinions than themselves. God loves and wants each and every one of His children to come to Him.

With Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, God opens reconciliation to all who believe. Without legitimate discourse, human to human reconciliation can never be reached. The goal is to engage in real discussion, which also includes listening without judging. It is not our job to judge. This is a tall task as it remains all too easy to remain bound by the law. While the Gospel frees us from the consequences of the law, the law teaches what God expects of us. Sexual immorality is mentioned over 6000 times in the Bible. Any sexual relations outside of the sacrament of marriage is called immoral. The sacrament of marriage is reserved for one man and one woman. What of our neighbors in a same-sex relationship? Those that identify as transgender? Those who have multiple sex partners in and out of relationships? We are wondrously formed by God, each designed for His purposes. No matter how we look, what our strengths or weaknesses, talents or lack of talents, or our status in life, God has a place for you in His plan for us. Just believe!

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  He died for everyone. His mercy and grace is available to all, no matter what. He loves the worst of us, even me and you.

We are called to testify to our neighbors about Christ’s love for them. We are to share the joy we receive from being loved by Him. We are called to plant seeds that the Holy Spirit can nurture and grow. We are not called to cast judgement or try to save the lost of our own volition. We must find a way to reach out in Christian love with the hope that the door may open, if just a crack, for the Holy Spirit to take root. The late Pastor Tim Keller had a way to disarm the most fervent denier. Listening, while posing questions about the person and their beliefs. Often, the person discovered that their own arguments lacked validity, opening the door to rational discussion. Be immersed in His Word. Pray for guidance. Wear your spiritual armor and listen to the Holy Spirit when an opportunity to testify arises.

“The whole being of any Christian is faith and love. Faith brings the person to God; love brings the person to people.” Martin Luther

 

 

 

 

In a Perfect World.....

In a perfect world there would be no disease, no hunger, no homelessness, no death, no left or right, no wars or conflicts of any kind, we would love and care for each other, but we do not live in a perfect world. Humanity is always looking for the next cure all for society’s ills. As much as we desire that this world would hold no malice toward any of God’s children, we are a broken humanity unable to use our vast knowledge and resources to perfect our earthly home. Although we think that we are at the peak of enlightenment, that humanity has this firm grasp on what ails us, we are not even close to being able to solve some of the simplest problems that we face. Of our own volition, we sputter about pointing blaming fingers at one another when we fail to resolve the myriad of issues that continue to plague us.

While COVID-19 may be the crisis of opportunity for some of us, our efforts to confront this invisible foe have failed miserably. The more data we gather about this novel coronavirus, the more we fail to adapt in the war against this hidden enemy. Granted, the initial response to an unknown disease, with lockdown orders made sense at the time, continued isolation has actually exacerbated the problem. Governor Cuomo of New York stated that more than 66% of the COVID-19 cases were people staying sheltered at home. He further stated that this made no sense to him and he could not understand how this could be. Renowned health expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci in a March interview, very cavalierly stated that wearing a face mask would not protect anyone from this disease. He has since done a 180 and face masks are now recommended and even being required at a growing number of businesses. Other studies show that wearing a face mask may actually increase your risk of infection by recirculating your breath and causing you to rebreathe contaminants.

Democrat leadership is exploiting our irrational fear, stoked by the mainstream media that delightfully provides the running death count, inserting leftist agenda policies into legislation intended to offer assistance to those harmed by the pandemic that may just be the first steps to fundamentally transform this great nation into a socialist state. Initially, the goal of these lockdowns was to “flatten the curve” so that there would not be a large spike in cases that could very well overwhelm our health care system. This plan was accepted by the vast majority of our population, even giving up their treasured Constitutional rights, if it meant giving our nation the ability to cope with this pandemic. What has become lost in the translation is that this strategy was never to eliminate the total infections or deaths, just to spread them out over a longer period and make the treatment and care of the infected manageable. Yes, this approach did not seek to reduce infection or death caused by COVID-19, just give us more time, but this plan has been altered to remain “safe at home” until a vaccine could be produced. SARS and MERS are coronavirus’ without a vaccine. The common cold is a coronavirus without a vaccine. Dr. Fauci has been working on a vaccine for HIV for 40 years without success. There may never be a vaccine developed and even if one is developed, it will not be 100% effective, vaccines never are. The seasonal flu shot is typically 40-60% effective.

We are faced with choices daily that place us in harm’s way. Deaths due to accidents approach 170,000 annually, with over 40,000 of those perishing in auto accidents. Drug overdoses kill over 70,000 people annually in the US. Almost 50,000 people took their own lives last year. In a perfect world, none of these things would happen. In a perfect world we would be safe, secure and happy in all we do. This world will never be perfect. No matter how hard we try, we can never make that a reality. But, there is one perfect place. There is one place where we never grow tired, old or die. There is one place where everyone delights in perfect love and we all can agree, even in our politics. That one place is not on this earth. That one place is prepared for all of God’s children, regardless of our differences. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” All of our questions are forever answered when we believe in God’s one true Son. All of our trials and troubles end with Him. All of our needs, wants and desires are forever granted if only we believe. There is nothing you can do to earn God’s love. There is nothing you can do to make God love you any less. We can’t perfect our world, but God offers perfection. Open your heart to the love that is eternal, unconditional and freely given. Open your heart to the one who died so that you can live, forever with our Father in heaven. Open your heart and be welcomed to the perfect, eternal life that your heart so aches to achieve.

The Land of Confusion

“There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.” Luke 21:25-28

In these verses Jesus describes the day of His coming, the day of judgement. Confusion similarly reigns today, not only in our nation, but worldwide. Ideological differences confuse and paralyze our government and threaten the very fabric of our nation. Governmental agencies are used to target political enemies and political leaders use fractured and false testimony against those they disagree. More and more seem confused about their gender identity when selfishness and progressive ideology persuade them to abandon their biological reality. Confusing and conflicting religious doctrines are acclaimed by “progressive churches”. Many of the world’s religions are overtaken by radical factions that twist the intentions of their founders, spreading death and destruction in the name of their god. Far too many of God’s “churches” are preaching a gospel unrecognizable from that which our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ taught. Even worse, some of those called to preach the word, reach out against the very God they have pledged to serve.

Case in point, ELCA Bishop, Kristen Keumpel shared an article calling the Reverend Franklin Graham’s ministry, Operation Christmas Child (OCC) that prepares shoeboxes with presents and a message about Jesus Christ to impoverished children around the world. The recommended article contains the assertions that "Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham spews ever more hateful rhetoric about immigrants and Muslims" and that Operation Christmas Child is one of the "more toxic forms of charity." She goes on further to recommend that donations be redircted to the ELCA Good Gifts program instead of OCC. Bishop Keumpel’s ire was also directed at the Salvation Army when she retweeted, "A reminder this holiday season that the Salvation Army is a homophobic, transphobic, uncaring, garbage organization." Seems to me that casting stones at legitimate mission outreaches, such at OCC and the Salvation Army, is counterproductive to what is God’s church mission is to the world. I thought we were supposed to be on the same team with a goal to reach the lost, but apparently that is lost to those drowning in the apostasy that is the ELCA. Apparently, Christian organizations that fail to tow the line of the heretical teaching of the ELCA, are to be reviled and rejected.

What do we tell the world when those who dedicate their lives to Christ become enamored of the world? When Christ becomes secondary in the church’s teaching to diversity, homosexuality, abortion rights, transgenderism, borders, gun control, and any and all leftist goals and programs, it ceases being God’s church. I’m sorry, but if a church is so inclined to abandon their core beliefs in order to be more welcoming, diverse and tolerant, it is no longer performing the functions that our Lord and Savior intended. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

There is one thing lacking in these progressive churches that is all too apparent. Jesus Christ is simply an afterthought within the walls of many of the ELCA churches. There is far more emphasis on virtue signaling to an already lost world. Without our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the world spirals into disarray and chaos. Without our Lord and Savior, our great nation and its’ founding are at risk to the progressive, leftist agenda that seeks to replace our God with ever burgeoning government overreach. Without our Lord and Savior, we fall back into our selfish nature and society suffers as a result. Without our Lord and Savior to guide us, we lose our way, scurrying about like roaches in the light.

We are at a crossroads in this day and age. The progressive left is taking over God’s church. The progressive left is taking over the democrat party. The progressive left is taking over academia and the media. The progressive left is advocating for a global form of government. The progressive left has the same agenda as the prince of darkness and if we sit by idly, more and more will be lost to him. The time has long past for good Christians to rise up and speak out for our God. It is not too late to stem the tide if God’s good people decide to “go and make disciples of all nations” by proclaiming His Word to everyone. Let the world see that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ by not only your actions, but by your words.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Ancient Words

“How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted. Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed.” Habakkuk 1 3-5. It’s not often that one hearkens back to one of the lesser known books of the Old Testament, but many of you may find yourself pleading to God to intervene amidst the wickedness of our time, similar to the petitions offered by the Prophet Habakkuk. It is often hard to accept the fact that God allows injustice to reign in our world without raising His almighty hand to deliver us from all those who encourage and promote evil against humanity. Even some of our elected leaders endorse violence and confrontation against those they disagree with. Civil disobedience has always been the best used tool for the radical left, but now some of our leaders revel in violating our Constitution and laws in an act of political virtue signaling while an ever growing segment of the public openly support this appalling behavior. When will God say enough is enough?

In Habakkuk’s time, God grew so impatient and angry at the disobedience and outright evil in His chosen people, the Israelites, that He allowed an even more evil people, the Babylonians to attack and defeat them, carrying them away into bondage. I can’t imagine God being more upset with His people as evil abounds in this present age. Abortion is celebrated. All types of perversion are lifted up and praised. God’s own church calls out and berates those who hold fast to the Word and uphold traditional Christian doctrine. Churches openly advocate against Israel and fall into league with terrorist organizations that would want nothing less than to convert them to Islam or kill them. The evil one must be very pleased in this world today.

Well, in this present age, the wicked do not outnumber the righteous. It may seem so, since they typically are louder, more confrontational and less encumbered by maintaining the societal norm of engaging in rational and acceptable behavior. Our tendency to respond without having all the facts present infects all sides of the political and religious spectrum. We have become our own worst enemies in dealing with conflict. The left continually blames President Trump and talk radio for the decline of our political discourse, but the left has too long been unchallenged in establishing the “acceptable political narrative”, all the while berating those with whom they disagree. Long established truths of our faith are being, not only challenged, but altered to fit in with the world. Many churches no longer teach that Jesus is the only way, that there are many other valid paths. In many ways the church has become enamored with and overcome by the world, no longer offering a path to salvation, but uplifting the selfish nature of humanity over the will of the Lord.

Listening and engaging with those who hold the same opinion without any discourse with others with differing opinions leads society to engage in group think or what is called the “silo effect”. Social media infects our discourse with quick hitting accusations from the safety of our devices without discerning all the facts. False and misleading articles from unreliable sources cause many to become enraged. Far too many simply look at headlines without even taking the time to read the article before asserting their opinion for all to see. The deliberate avoidance of any discussion about religion or politics among those holding differing opinions only leads us away from any common ground or agreement. We are trapped in our own version of reality and will discount any opinion that contrasts from our own. Left vs. right political views and the, dare I say, hijacking of religion by the left, in an attempt to dilute and minimize our faith, will continue to gnaw away at our society until we end up at each other’s throats.

So, how does a Christian live in the world, but not be overcome by the world? How do we bridge the gap and engage in respectful and meaningful dialogue with our neighbors? What would Jesus want us to do? As difficult as it seems to be, Paul declared, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21 Easier said than done, you may say. How can one engage in productive conversation with someone who will not listen? Ask questions in an attempt to better understand the other’s position. If someone is in obvious error, pattern your questioning to elicit a response that forces them to uphold their argument with logic and facts. When the wayward attempt to convince you of the validity of their argument, it likely will shine the light upon the lack of any logic to their argument. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 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.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Avoid arguments and let the lost find their way by attempting to explain the unexplainable. Any attempt to convince will often lead to a door closing, ending any possibility to reconcile them to God. It is not us that can convince, it is the Holy Spirit. We can only attempt to plant the seeds of reconciliation; it is up to God to bring it to fruition. Once we realize that God’s got this under control, not us, we can begin to lessen our worries and concerns. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 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. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

No Tears for the Fallen

There are two professions in which the practitioners understand full well that they may not return home from their tour of duty alive, soldiers during wartime and police officers. These brave men and women that wear the law enforcement badge upon their chests know full well their next call may be their last. Yet, they are willing and able to protect and serve the public at the risk of their own lives. I served for 29 years in a Milwaukee County suburb and the only time I ever shot my firearm was during training. Every day I prayed that God would guide my mind and body to take whatever action was necessary to protect the public. I prayed that if I was put in a position to use any type of force, I would be guided to use no more than what was lawful and necessary. Law enforcement officers are highly trained, skilled in more than just the use of firearms and are dedicated to placing their lives before those they are called to protect and serve, even those who break the law. Now those who put themselves in harms’ way to protect society are in the crosshairs of those that seek to gain political advantage over tragedies that deeply sadden decent citizens. President Obama’s first chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said it best when he declared that no crisis should go to waste.

No law enforcement officer begins his or her tour of duty with intent to cause anyone harm, no matter what color their skin is. To intimate otherwise is propagating a bald faced lie. As in any part of society, some people fall through the cracks, but 99.9% of the 800,000 law enforcement officers in the US treat everyone they meet with respect and want every contact with citizens to end peaceably. As I read the news stories today I am saddened by so many that are rejoicing that at least five Dallas Police officers were gunned down, simply because they wear the uniform and the color of their skin was white. During a peaceful protest, the officers assigned to keep the peace were executed by an assailant that was angered over some recent police shootings. Realize that the incidents are still under investigation and if the officers involved committed a crime they will be held accountable, yet due to the incendiary rhetoric from the left, this depraved individual felt compelled to commit these heinous crimes.

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear. They encourage each other in evil plans. They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the human mind and heart are cunning. But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; Psalm 64:2-5,7-8

What has become of our democracy? Evildoers use the freedoms granted by our constitution to create havoc and push our nation towards anarchy. Satan and his minions like Saul Alinsky, should be proud of the bitter hatred that is overcoming our society. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t make our country right again. Pre-judging police interactions with persons of color by our commander in chief simply emboldens those who choose to hate and harm our great democracy. As President Obama now tries to pick up the pieces over the dead bodies of five of our finest with his fine rhetoric at their funerals, it is too little, too late. He has fueled the fire beyond human abilities to quench it. The only way to bridge this societal upheaval is to turn to God. It is always when we think that we have the ability to fix problems of our own accord is when we spiral out of control. The experiment called the “Great Society”, put into place to end poverty, has been an abject failure, trapping so many African Americans into decaying inner cities, enabling men to father, then abandon their children, and pushing God out of their families. A return to God is in order, lest we continue our fall into the abyss.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Mark 12:28-32

Pray fervently that we come to see the error of our ways before it is too late to turn back. Pray for each and every law enforcement officer that the Lord protects them, as they in turn put their lives on the line to protect us. And finally, pray that those who come into contact with police simply comply, rather than try to escalate situations, based on false pretenses, that would otherwise end peacefully.

Rules, Rules, Rules

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. 

Conscientious Objector

"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.

Fool Me Once

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.

Where's the Beef?

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.

Unto You a Savior is Born!

After much prayer asking for the words to write a Christmas message, the Spirit remained quiet. After several less than fruitful attempts at composing the article, I came across this letter from the Augustana District of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, LCMC. His Spirit does communicate with us in many ways.

Shepherds Quake at the Sight

Well, yes, of course they did! They trembled and shook, and quivered and convulsed, and they did so with such ferocious terror that they became sore (as the old King James Version put it): “they were sore afraid.”

Nothing frightens us much anymore. Oh, we worry well. And we are well-aquainted with that villain we call dread. Tumbling 401k’s that don’t seem to recover, unpleasant diagnoses, an occasional terrorist threat, or a denomination run a-muck – to be sure, these bring worry and dread. But not fear. Not really. We’re too rational, too confident, too scientific, and too callous to “shake in our boots,” or “quake at the sight” of something rare. We’ve seen it all before!

But not the shepherds. Not that night. Minding their own business, they were, and doing what ne’er-do-well shepherds always do: lounging and lolling their way through yet another night (the scriptures, in their overly-generous and gracious way, credit them with a highly unlikely “tending” of their flocks). Then there appeared to them and above them and around them and in front of them, from out of nowhere, an un-named heavenly being flapping and fluttering, floating and flittering, while something called “the glory of the Lord” with its 1,000-watt halogens (yes, it’s derived from ‘halo’) “shone” – no, blazed! – “around them.” And sore afraid were they that they quaked at the sight!

And they should have! For the God who comes as a quiet, reticent baby to salvage sinners from death requires – somewhere! – an epiphany so entirely grand that a man’s only possible response is to quake at the sight. Quickly, when barely the last “and lying in a manger” words spilled from the angel’s mouth, a whole, holy heavenly host was dispatched not to Paris, Miami, or even Vegas, but to the quiet hillsides of Bethlehem, where the poor, unsuspecting shepherds were invaded by the brilliance of salvation. Such are God’s ways. Your salvation – yes, yours – had arrived… and the ne’er-do-wells were the first to know.

And lucky for us, they hastily quaked and quickened their way to the Baby, to “make known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.”

Whatever worry, dread, or even fear we may find ourselves encountering this Christmas, the brilliance of salvation overshadows it. In the Light of Christ, the villains of darkness, dread, and death have no choice but to scatter and flee into crevices of extinction, like bugs from poison. Such is his salvation.

Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav’nly hosts sing, Alleluia! Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!

Reprinted with permission from the Augustana District, LCMC

Luke 2:10-11, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Merry Christmas and Praise the Lord. Our Savior is born!

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Serve the Lord with all your heart. For whatever happens in your life, it is all part of God’s plan for you. It may not be apparent in what direction He is leading, but suffice it to say, for every season there is a reason. We tend to fret over things that are not within our control, but when we place our lives in His hands, we will never be led astray. Psalm 37: 7-8, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.” If we learn that every event, every person placed in worldly authority, every condition, right down to how much rain falls is a direct result of God’s plan, our every day worries will soon fade away. Every situation we are faced with, every trial or tribulation, the good things and bad times are often the tools our Lord uses to mold us for the tasks He has planned for us. There may be times that we may feel that some ordeals are too much for us to bear, but the Lord will never encumber us with a burden that is beyond what we can tolerate. Out of the worst of times come revelations that may completely change our frame of reference and make us all the better for it. We may never understand why those things happen, but when we trust in our Lord, we will be able to overcome any of the difficulties of this world.

When we depend upon our own selfish understandings and position ourselves and our desires ahead of our Lord, in fact rejecting Him, our problems will become magnified and start to spiral out of control. But, when we serve our Lord and gladly obey His law, our lives will come under His control. When we abide by God’s will and behave in the manner that He intended for us to conduct our lives, we will be filled with the joy of His Spirit. When we accept and believe that the risen Christ suffered and died in our place to redeem us of our sin and defeated death, our salvation is granted freely by God’s grace. If we compare life’s problems with an eternity in paradise with our Lord, we will come to realize what the really important things are. Fill your heart with the love of our Lord. Increase your faith and block out the things that are of this world. Romans 6: 11-14, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Paul teaches that we are no longer under that law as those who were under the law in the Old Testament era. During that time, those who sinned were condemned by the law, but the grace of God, through Christ, enables believers to reject ungodliness and joyfully accept God’s commands.

Titus 2: 11-12, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 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,” By placing Christ first in our hearts, we will be able to joyfully conduct ourselves with our Lord’s ethics and morals. Even though we do not deserve it, God freely grants us His grace, not because of our good works or deeds, but because of our faith in the Risen Christ. But, our salvation comes with responsibilities. By His grace, we are released from guilt and judgment, but we are directed to conduct ourselves according to God’s moral compass. We are also called to reach out to our brothers and sisters in helpful service, in our Lord’s name. Our faith is the cornerstone for everything we do in this world. Without our faith, anything we accomplish is worthless. Once our faith becomes the most important aspect of our lives, our purpose becomes clear and our consciences will be bound to the truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Speak the Truth in Love

Ephesians 4:15-16, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, that we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” The body that Paul refers to is the church and the head of the church is Jesus Christ. The church must grow according to the direction of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Lord gives us direction in His Word.  When we dwell in His Word, His Spirit will lead us in our understanding and we will grow in our faith.  We must also grow in unity and love of one another. Simply loving one another or living our lives in a Christian manner is not enough. One must believe in the truth that Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, went to the cross, suffered and died to atone for our sins, overcame death and was resurrected so that we may have salvation. Having unity is more than simply having a loving attitude or religious feeling. One must have a true understanding about Jesus Christ. To grow the whole body of the church is much more than merely doing good deeds. We are called to live as Jesus lived. We are called to reach out to those that do not have that personal relationship with our Lord. And we must bring those back to the Lord that have gone astray.

Many in the LGBT community are angry that the doctrine of bound conscience allows traditional Lutherans to disagree with the ELCA’s human sexuality statement. Many that choose to adhere to Scripture are derided and called intolerant and hateful. This does nothing to build up the church in Christ’s love. Instead, this posture causes division and strife among the community of the faithful. Is it more important to regard one’s sexual identity above the commands of our Lord to love one another? Christ’s disciples are called to reach out to those that have been led astray with Christian love and respect. Anger is not an option. James 1:19-20, 22 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, 20 because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” When we place our Lord first in our hearts we will joyously obey God’s law. If we place ourselves first and choose to disobey God’s law, we will become slaves to sin.

The leadership and scholars of the ELCA have lifted up the things of this world over God’s command. Sexual identities, good works, tolerance, minimizing sin by making confession optional, and falsely interpreting God’s Word to fit in with the secular world, have replaced our Lord as the cornerstone of their Faith. Isaiah 53:5, 12, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 12 because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.  For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."  Everything we do should be done to give glory to our Lord.  We are lost without our faith in the Risen Christ.  Nothing else in this world matters as much as what our Lord did for us.

The ELCA is all about promoting their struggle for social justice. They proclaim “God's work, our hands” as the mission of the ELCA. What about those that do not know our Lord. If we gain the whole world, but lose our souls, we are nothing. Being a Christian is not just about loving your neighbor and being accepting, tolerant, and welcoming. God’s law has been given to us in His Word as written by mortal men, inspired by the Holy Spirit. If we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will also joyfully obey His law. There will be no need to proclaim our own special identities. We are Christians, disciples of Jesus Christ and we will proclaim His Word to the world until we can speak no more. 1 John 3:11, 16, “For this is the message you heard from the beginning; We should love one another. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another.”

It's Not About You

In this modern society of ours, satisfying one’s personal needs often takes priority over the things that really matter. Jesus said in Luke 9:23-25, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self.” Our Lord expects that we deny ourselves in order to be His disciples. We must be obedient and totally dedicated to serving our Lord in our daily lives. How does one accomplish this daunting task in this modern, self serving world in which one can meet their every desire by the mere touch of a button? Philippians 2:5-8, “have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” Even though Christ was one with God and fully God Himself, he subjected Himself to serve others in humility. Christ did not use His authority to assume earthly privilege or take any advantage that should be granted to Him as fully God.

When we place Christ first in our lives, we will live our lives to please our Lord and Savior. Earthly desires will no longer hold us hostage. Romans 8:5-8, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The sinful mind is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” Our selfish desires are the sinful nature described by Paul. Our innermost selfish, sinful being is easily tempted to fulfill our own desires and neglect our Lord. Placing our own needs and desires before our Lord leads to disobedience and resentment and will only serve to make us unacceptable to God.

Which nature is served by the crusade for “full inclusion” and acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle by the ELCA? Is the Spirit leading the ELCA to use their bound conscience to reinterpret Scripture? Romans 8:12-13, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Paul explains that we are obliged to live according to the Spirit and if we surrender to the Spirit, worldly desires will wane in their importance, and we will delight in following God’s law. If we fail to follow the Spirit, we will fall into sin and turn away from our Savior. We gladly submit ourselves to God’s law because we obey out of our love for Him. Simply obeying God’s law will not, in and of itself, bring us to salvation, but God provides us with our moral and ethical boundaries in His law.

This life on this world is not about us, it is all about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When we finally surrender to the Lord and give our lives to Him, only then will we begin to truly live. Our sexual identities, occupations, and all the other worldly things will start to take their proper place in our lives, as secondary to our faith in our Lord, who took our sin and died for us, rose and defeated death so that we may live, forever with our Father in Heaven.

Our World, His Law

Genesis 1:27-28, “So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; 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 in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” So our God made this world for us and placed us as stewards over all the creatures that live upon this world. As stewards we have a great responsibility to care for this world, not misuse, squander or waste the resources of this world. We are to utilize the gifts of this world to give glory to our Lord, in the service of God and for all humanity. In particular, these verses of Scripture are very important to those that promote the environmental agenda, such as the Care for Creation task force of the ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod. God’s wisdom is obvious throughout all Scripture.

Why then do we fight our Lord and decide that our enlightened ideas supersede His authority and wisdom? Is it appropriate for us to pick and choose which parts of Scripture are valid for us and which we should disregard, based upon our modern sensibilities? By adopting the doctrine of bound conscience the ELCA has decided that, as a church body, they have the authority to decide what part of Scripture is valid for today. This doctrine allows those that have the audacity to believe that the Bible is God’s Word, true and infallible, for today and forever, to use their bound conscience to object to the sin of homosexuality. The ELCA actually believes that by allowing those that adhere to Scripture the right to object to this false doctrine, the ELCA will, by being so welcoming, tolerant, and inclusive, hold the moral high ground.

The definition of morality is as follows; conformity to the rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. The ELCA is deliberately obscuring those boundaries between right and wrong. By consenting to conduct that is specifically prohibited by Scripture, the ELCA sanctions those that choose to place themselves in authority of Scripture. In essence, they allow their members to be their own god and to make their own rules of conduct. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that all God’s people may be equipped for every good work.” All of Scripture is the subject of this verse in Paul’s letter to Timothy, not only those parts of Scripture that are agreeable to us. If, in society, we decide to disregard the laws that we disagree with, we will fall into anarchy and lose control of our society. If a church body decides that God’s law is no longer pertinent and advocates its membership to ignore those laws that are troubling to them, we fall from grace.

God’s grace is without measure. By His grace we are forgiven of all our sins, granted our salvation and a place in His house. Should we continue to act as petulant children and show disdain for our Lord by willfully disobeying His laws, we run the risk of losing that grace that is so freely given. The leaders of the ELCA need to turn back to God, respect and promote His Word, and begin leading their members on a path that leads to salvation. The ELCA must abandon this secular course of action and place Christ back as the center of our faith or it will surely endure a fall from grace that will ultimately lead to death.

Christ IS the Heart of the Matter

Until late in the middle ages man believed that the earth was the center of the universe. This was a tenet that the Roman Catholic Church enforced, charging those who dared to challenge this notion, as heretics. Many were brought before the inquisition and forced to renounce those beliefs or face judgment. Much of the thought behind this belief was that man was God’s ultimate success and, as such, we were much too important to be relegated to a place other than the heart of the known universe. The church was ultimately proven wrong. 500 years later we see much of the same attitude permeating from the leadership of the ELCA. Enlightened man and his goals for social justice are held in such high esteem that our Lord is relegated to a secondary position in the hierarchy of this misguided denomination.

While a Christian needs to deny oneself and place our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ at the center of our lives, the ELCA promotes social justice as the primary goal and denies our Lord the proper place in their church. As the ELCA pushes forward with social justice as the central ambition in their ministry, they deny Christ and withhold salvation from those thirsting for Christ’s love and acceptance. All this social justice and good works that the ELCA concentrates so intensely upon certainly appears as if they are answering to a noble calling. But, these good works mean nothing if they are not used give glory to our Lord and as a vehicle to bring people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Especially troubling is the fact that the ELCA delights in tackling the most controversial of social agendas. Sexuality, immigration reform, healthcare, environment, and education are a few of the social justice agenda items listed on the ELCA website. The emphasis on these social statements leads one to believe that the ELCA is a social services agency, not a Lutheran Church Synod.

It appears that the ELCA has successfully removed Christ from the heart of their beliefs and replaced Him with themselves and their fight for social justice. Without Christ as the center of our beliefs, to who then do we turn? How can a church make confession and absolution optional in the worship service and replace it with a celebration of baptism? How does eliminating sin and disregarding Scripture by simply passing resolutions help lead sinners to the Gospel of Christ? The ELCA has lost their way and are adhering to and promoting a false gospel. They place man’s opinion and authority over God’s Word using words that sound so accommodating and pleasant. Their Biblical scholars have found a way around Scripture that coincides with the secular values of this world. We must work to open the spiritual hearts and minds of those falling prey to this bound conscience. If we stand up to the misguided doctrine of the ELCA, we will be fighting the good fight for our Lord and His people.

In order for the ELCA to turn away from their ill-advised secular goals and doctrines that attempt to invalidate scripture, their membership must rise up and tell them so. The time to remain comfortable in our cozy local churches has come to an end. Our indifference in allowing others to take on our responsibilities has given the ELCA the means to disregard Scripture and replace it with their own selfish desires. 2 Timothy 2:25-26, “Opponents must be gently instructed, 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.” This bound conscience is of man and not Scripturally valid. The first step to eliminating this false gospel is to raise our voices and educate other members about bound conscience. There is a reason that so many congregations are not discussing the actions taken by the national assembly last August. If people are kept in the dark, this false gospel will be allowed to take root, grow, and eventually overwhelm the church, taking its members with it on a path to destruction. As Christians, we simply cannot sit back and allow this false doctrine to overtake the Lord’s Church.