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.
Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Good Works or God’s Work?
Many Christians give of their time, talents, and possessions to serve those that are in need. Our Lord instructs us to reach out to the hungry, the lonely, the imprisoned, and anyone else in need as we would provide for our Lord Himself. But, are we truly fulfilling Christ’s mission if we fail to do this to the glory of our Savior’s name. What differentiates those that perform these tasks in Jesus’ name and those that simply do this out of the goodness of their hearts? One does not need to know the Lord to give of oneself much more than many Christians would ever do. Those Christians that fail to nurture the spirit of those that they serve, do them a great disservice. If one fails to fill their heart with the Holy Spirit when doing good works, one can easily fall into the trap of the evil one and become enamored of oneself and those good works that we accomplish. Romans 15:18, "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me." Something as simple as telling someone that Jesus loves them while serving in a soup kitchen is even more important than providing food for them. We don’t need to proselytize to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our actions can serve as a beacon to those we serve. But, we must do these things in Jesus’ name and be selfless as we serve. Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Luke 22:26-27, “But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Just as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ came to serve, so should we be servants of our Lord. It is not our willingness to merely perform these tasks; it should be our willingness to serve the Lord.
Matthew 6:1-4, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” It is so easy to forget why we reach out to those in need. When we do justice toward our fellow man, we tend to congratulate ourselves for reaching out and expect, to not only impress our neighbor, but to impress our God. When we are so wrapped up in doing good deeds, we often lose sight that our Lord taught us that this is what He expects us to do, in His name. For everything that we have and are is a gift from God. Our good deeds are merely a faint reflection of our Lord’s love for us. Every day the Holy Spirit taps us on the shoulder, offering us opportunities to serve Him by reaching out to our brothers and sisters. We are not to take credit for doing what our Lord taught us. John 7:37-39, “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” When we truly believe, we will be filled with the Spirit so that we become the instruments by which the Holy Spirit uses to minister to the world. All our good works flow from the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we can joyfully reach out in true Christian love to our neighbors, and proclaim the glory of our Lord.
There are many agencies that reach out to the world in need. Some are Christian, some are not. Some Christian missions tend to downplay the Lord’s role in their mission, instead choosing to be politically correct and tolerant with the emphasis on demonstrating their love for their neighbor. There will always be secular agencies that reach out to feed the poor, but as Christians, we are not only called to feed the poor, we are to pronounce our love of our God by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. When we engage in our good works, we do so to bring the glory to our Lord and to bring those we serve to God. So, we must remember that this life is but a mere whisper of what lies ahead. John 6:32-35, “Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Feeding the body without feeding the soul with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will only lead to spiritual starvation and death. “The first and highest, the most precious of all good works is faith in Christ.” - Martin Luther from Chapter II of the Treatise on Good Works. So, fill your heart with the love of the Lord and let the Spirit flow like a river while you go out and do God's work. Praise be to God!
Matthew 6:1-4, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” It is so easy to forget why we reach out to those in need. When we do justice toward our fellow man, we tend to congratulate ourselves for reaching out and expect, to not only impress our neighbor, but to impress our God. When we are so wrapped up in doing good deeds, we often lose sight that our Lord taught us that this is what He expects us to do, in His name. For everything that we have and are is a gift from God. Our good deeds are merely a faint reflection of our Lord’s love for us. Every day the Holy Spirit taps us on the shoulder, offering us opportunities to serve Him by reaching out to our brothers and sisters. We are not to take credit for doing what our Lord taught us. John 7:37-39, “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” When we truly believe, we will be filled with the Spirit so that we become the instruments by which the Holy Spirit uses to minister to the world. All our good works flow from the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we can joyfully reach out in true Christian love to our neighbors, and proclaim the glory of our Lord.
There are many agencies that reach out to the world in need. Some are Christian, some are not. Some Christian missions tend to downplay the Lord’s role in their mission, instead choosing to be politically correct and tolerant with the emphasis on demonstrating their love for their neighbor. There will always be secular agencies that reach out to feed the poor, but as Christians, we are not only called to feed the poor, we are to pronounce our love of our God by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. When we engage in our good works, we do so to bring the glory to our Lord and to bring those we serve to God. So, we must remember that this life is but a mere whisper of what lies ahead. John 6:32-35, “Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Feeding the body without feeding the soul with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will only lead to spiritual starvation and death. “The first and highest, the most precious of all good works is faith in Christ.” - Martin Luther from Chapter II of the Treatise on Good Works. So, fill your heart with the love of the Lord and let the Spirit flow like a river while you go out and do God's work. Praise be to God!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Called to Christ's Mission
The April 2010 edition of the Lutheran magazine contained an article entitled Sexuality, issue causes division, sadness – and hope, by Sandra D. Guy. This article discussed the fallout from the 2009 ELCA assembly actions. Nine bishops responded to questions from the Lutheran. Each had a distinct and unique interpretation of the varying responses to the assembly actions. Their responses can give us insight as to how they may prioritize the role of mission in the Synods that they lead.
One bishop bemoaned the fact that the assembly actions were a distraction to the church’s ministry. Another likened the reactions to a divorce and a sense of grief over the loss of community. Two commented on the reduced financial support leading to staff cutbacks and one of them complained that rancorous partisan sniping has invaded the church. Three commented that the assembly actions send a message that the ELCA is an inclusive, welcoming and hospitable church. One bishop senses that the people who are angry “want someone to pay” and that he also noticed that “we claim that the Holy Spirit is present if a vote goes one way, and that the Spirit is absent if it goes against what we think is right.” One bishop said that the ELCA needs to focus on rediscovering a passion for evangelical outreach and putting mission at the heart of our life and at the center of our identity. At least one of the bishops seems to be on the right track. The church’s mission is not about the amount of money needed to pay for staff, it is not only about being inclusive, welcoming and hospitable, and it is not about voting to change doctrine. It is important, in this context, to explain what the mission that Christ calls on us to undertake is all about.
We know that our belief and faith in the risen Christ is the only way to our salvation. John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In John 17:20-23, Jesus prays for all believers, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one. Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one – 23 I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” This prayer is for all future believers, calling us to preach His Word and spread the Gospel throughout the world. A point of emphasis is our spiritual unity as believers, that Jesus wants us to be unified in His mission as He is unified with the Father. We are to share our love with one another as God loves us all. Brothers and sisters, this prayer was meant for each one of us.
We, as believers, are also our Lord’s disciples. Our Lord places before us the task to reach out, share the Good News, open the eyes of unbelievers, and to bring them to the Lord. Our mission in this world is to follow Jesus’ example and teachings, and to preach the Good News of the Gospel to all we meet. We must use our good works to minister to the spiritual longings of God’s children who do not know Him. When we have unity in Christ and are led by the Spirit, we will be able to guide unbelievers to the Lord and to their salvation. We need to be the branch that bears fruit for our Lord. With unity in His love we can uplift and encourage our brothers and sisters to be fruitful and serve the Lord. Our Lord is the vine and we must always keep Christ first and foremost in our hearts to remain faithful servants. John 14:23, Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone 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.” We must keep our Lords commands and strive to lead godly lives so that we may be a light to lead others to our Lord. This is the mission that our Lord expects His Church to accomplish and without Christ as the primary focus, we will only lose our way.
One bishop bemoaned the fact that the assembly actions were a distraction to the church’s ministry. Another likened the reactions to a divorce and a sense of grief over the loss of community. Two commented on the reduced financial support leading to staff cutbacks and one of them complained that rancorous partisan sniping has invaded the church. Three commented that the assembly actions send a message that the ELCA is an inclusive, welcoming and hospitable church. One bishop senses that the people who are angry “want someone to pay” and that he also noticed that “we claim that the Holy Spirit is present if a vote goes one way, and that the Spirit is absent if it goes against what we think is right.” One bishop said that the ELCA needs to focus on rediscovering a passion for evangelical outreach and putting mission at the heart of our life and at the center of our identity. At least one of the bishops seems to be on the right track. The church’s mission is not about the amount of money needed to pay for staff, it is not only about being inclusive, welcoming and hospitable, and it is not about voting to change doctrine. It is important, in this context, to explain what the mission that Christ calls on us to undertake is all about.
We know that our belief and faith in the risen Christ is the only way to our salvation. John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In John 17:20-23, Jesus prays for all believers, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one. Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one – 23 I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” This prayer is for all future believers, calling us to preach His Word and spread the Gospel throughout the world. A point of emphasis is our spiritual unity as believers, that Jesus wants us to be unified in His mission as He is unified with the Father. We are to share our love with one another as God loves us all. Brothers and sisters, this prayer was meant for each one of us.
We, as believers, are also our Lord’s disciples. Our Lord places before us the task to reach out, share the Good News, open the eyes of unbelievers, and to bring them to the Lord. Our mission in this world is to follow Jesus’ example and teachings, and to preach the Good News of the Gospel to all we meet. We must use our good works to minister to the spiritual longings of God’s children who do not know Him. When we have unity in Christ and are led by the Spirit, we will be able to guide unbelievers to the Lord and to their salvation. We need to be the branch that bears fruit for our Lord. With unity in His love we can uplift and encourage our brothers and sisters to be fruitful and serve the Lord. Our Lord is the vine and we must always keep Christ first and foremost in our hearts to remain faithful servants. John 14:23, Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone 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.” We must keep our Lords commands and strive to lead godly lives so that we may be a light to lead others to our Lord. This is the mission that our Lord expects His Church to accomplish and without Christ as the primary focus, we will only lose our way.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Find Your Strength in the Lord
We can find our strength in the Lord in three ways;
Through the talents he blesses us with,
Philipians 4: 13 “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” No matter the task that is set before us, we can, through our faith in the Lord, accomplish God’s work. Every talent that we possess is a gift from God. Skills that the Lord has given us can truly make a difference in this world. Even those skills that we may view as unimportant may make the difference in someone else’s life. The Lord provides us with the tools necessary to enrich his kingdom and lead others to His Word. It is our responsibility to use those gifts to the glory of our God. Through the Spirit, He provides us with the opportunities to perform His work in this world. Remember the Sunday school song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” This song reminds us that we need to share the gifts that the Lord has given us. It is not enough to just put your offering in the collection plate each Sunday. The Lord instructs us in the parable of the talents. Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” Do not waste your talents by not sharing with those in need.
With His Word that strengthens us,
Psalm 23: 1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” We are the sheep of His flock. Our Lord protects us, provides for us, and nurtures us. But, the Lord does not want us to be the sheep that stand and are led to slaughter. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” God gives us the tools to counter the arguments against the knowledge of God and to expose the faulty reasoning of those that would promote a false gospel. If we choose to dwell in His Word, God will give us the counsel required to speak out for Him. Matthew 10: 16, 32-33 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 32 Whoever publicly acknowledges me I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever publicly disowns me I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Our Lord has made it abundantly clear that, as Christians, we are expected to be faithful witnesses. A faithful witness is compelled to stand up for God’s Word, not sit back and be “on the fence” or “not get involved’. Many of God’s sheep are trapped within the ELCA and are being led away from Him. If we do not speak out against this false gospel of bound conscience, we acquiesce to that doctrine and are no better than someone who denies our Lord.
By His love which He shares with us and invites us to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Lord also charges us to love one another, Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love is a great responsibility. To love someone is to give oneself to them, place their needs before your own and to protect them above even yourself. If we truly wish to love one another, we need to support our brothers and sisters in Christ, not only with our prayers, but in action. Many sheep will be led down the easy path of destruction, by those invoking the terms tolerance, acceptance, and social justice that they use to fuel their ambitions in the secular world. It is not enough to stay true to our faith and remain an island within the ELCA. As fellow children of God, it is our responsibility to help lead our brothers and sisters back to the narrow road that leads to salvation.
Through the talents he blesses us with,
Philipians 4: 13 “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” No matter the task that is set before us, we can, through our faith in the Lord, accomplish God’s work. Every talent that we possess is a gift from God. Skills that the Lord has given us can truly make a difference in this world. Even those skills that we may view as unimportant may make the difference in someone else’s life. The Lord provides us with the tools necessary to enrich his kingdom and lead others to His Word. It is our responsibility to use those gifts to the glory of our God. Through the Spirit, He provides us with the opportunities to perform His work in this world. Remember the Sunday school song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” This song reminds us that we need to share the gifts that the Lord has given us. It is not enough to just put your offering in the collection plate each Sunday. The Lord instructs us in the parable of the talents. Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” Do not waste your talents by not sharing with those in need.
With His Word that strengthens us,
Psalm 23: 1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” We are the sheep of His flock. Our Lord protects us, provides for us, and nurtures us. But, the Lord does not want us to be the sheep that stand and are led to slaughter. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” God gives us the tools to counter the arguments against the knowledge of God and to expose the faulty reasoning of those that would promote a false gospel. If we choose to dwell in His Word, God will give us the counsel required to speak out for Him. Matthew 10: 16, 32-33 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 32 Whoever publicly acknowledges me I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever publicly disowns me I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Our Lord has made it abundantly clear that, as Christians, we are expected to be faithful witnesses. A faithful witness is compelled to stand up for God’s Word, not sit back and be “on the fence” or “not get involved’. Many of God’s sheep are trapped within the ELCA and are being led away from Him. If we do not speak out against this false gospel of bound conscience, we acquiesce to that doctrine and are no better than someone who denies our Lord.
By His love which He shares with us and invites us to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Lord also charges us to love one another, Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love is a great responsibility. To love someone is to give oneself to them, place their needs before your own and to protect them above even yourself. If we truly wish to love one another, we need to support our brothers and sisters in Christ, not only with our prayers, but in action. Many sheep will be led down the easy path of destruction, by those invoking the terms tolerance, acceptance, and social justice that they use to fuel their ambitions in the secular world. It is not enough to stay true to our faith and remain an island within the ELCA. As fellow children of God, it is our responsibility to help lead our brothers and sisters back to the narrow road that leads to salvation.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
How does Sin Separate Us from God?
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Yes, we are all sinners. No matter how hard we try to live a godly life, we all fall woefully short. Before you fall into despair, know this; John 3; 16 “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.” Does this mean that sin is irrelevant? Even though we are saved by the grace of God and need only to believe, we are still expected to endeavor to follow God’s law to the best of our ability. But, sin is much more than our disobedience of God’s laws. Timothy Keller explains in The Reason for God “Sin is the despairing refusal to find your deepest identity in your relationship and service to God. Sin is seeking to become oneself, to get an identity, apart from Him.” Our relationship is damaged with God when we give our own self identities, whether you view yourself as a conservative, liberal, police officer, LGBT, business executive, etc., precedence over our true calling, being a faithful servant of God. We must relinquish our own identities in order to place God first and foremost. If we fail to do so, we will remain apart from Him.
When our Lord suffered and died on the cross for us, He took with Him all our sin, all that had been committed and all that were yet to come. Without our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dying in our place, we would be forever prevented from entering His kingdom. In addition to His death on the cross, our Lord felt the terrible aloneness when God the Father abandoned the personal relationship with Him as the atonement for our sinful natures. All the sins of the world and the abandonment by His Father brought our Lord Jesus Christ to a deep despair beyond all comprehension. But, when we place self above the Lord, we bring the same despair and aloneness to ourselves. We must also learn to suffer for our Lord. 1 Peter 3:14-15 "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. 15 But in your hearts revere 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.”
While we are called to respect and love all our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must still recognize that the path that the Lord has set before us is not the easy path. 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.” There is much division in the ELCA. It may seem that the leaders of the ELCA have taken the broad road of acceptance and entered the wide gate of tolerance, and by doing so are leading many fellow Christians away from God. David S. Yeago said, while addressing the schism that has developed between the traditional and progressive factions of the ELCA, “What the law demands, the gospel bestows.” The law demands righteousness, the gospel bestows righteousness, and it does so by bringing Christ to us and us to Christ. He is the living fulfillment of the law, the one in whom all that the law requires is fully and unquestionably realized. His righteousness covers our sin, when we become one with him by faith, but at the same time, he lives in us, which means that righteousness dwells in us, alive and triumphant, and we begin to live a new kind of life. But, if the gospel bestows what the law demands, then without agreeing substantially on what the law demands, we cannot agree on what the gospel bestows. And pushed to the end, such disagreement will easily turn into disagreement about Jesus Christ and his saving righteousness.”
When we fall out of communion with our Lord by placing one’s self above Him, we reject God’s laws and replace them with our own selfish set of principles. Once we begin to reject God’s laws that don’t fit in with our modern, enlightened view of the world, we begin to die in our sin. Glorifying the ideals of social justice over and above God’s law just increases the distance between us and our salvation. If we seek to be welcomed into the Lord’s kingdom, we must humble ourselves before Him. We need to dwell in the Word and grow nearer to our Lord, not reject the Word and replace it with our foolish desires. We need to share with those weak in the Spirit and lead them into communion with the Lord. We need to pray, long and hard, for those that lead the ELCA so that they reject their secular identity and rekindle their relationship with the Lord.
When our Lord suffered and died on the cross for us, He took with Him all our sin, all that had been committed and all that were yet to come. Without our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dying in our place, we would be forever prevented from entering His kingdom. In addition to His death on the cross, our Lord felt the terrible aloneness when God the Father abandoned the personal relationship with Him as the atonement for our sinful natures. All the sins of the world and the abandonment by His Father brought our Lord Jesus Christ to a deep despair beyond all comprehension. But, when we place self above the Lord, we bring the same despair and aloneness to ourselves. We must also learn to suffer for our Lord. 1 Peter 3:14-15 "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. 15 But in your hearts revere 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.”
While we are called to respect and love all our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must still recognize that the path that the Lord has set before us is not the easy path. 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.” There is much division in the ELCA. It may seem that the leaders of the ELCA have taken the broad road of acceptance and entered the wide gate of tolerance, and by doing so are leading many fellow Christians away from God. David S. Yeago said, while addressing the schism that has developed between the traditional and progressive factions of the ELCA, “What the law demands, the gospel bestows.” The law demands righteousness, the gospel bestows righteousness, and it does so by bringing Christ to us and us to Christ. He is the living fulfillment of the law, the one in whom all that the law requires is fully and unquestionably realized. His righteousness covers our sin, when we become one with him by faith, but at the same time, he lives in us, which means that righteousness dwells in us, alive and triumphant, and we begin to live a new kind of life. But, if the gospel bestows what the law demands, then without agreeing substantially on what the law demands, we cannot agree on what the gospel bestows. And pushed to the end, such disagreement will easily turn into disagreement about Jesus Christ and his saving righteousness.”
When we fall out of communion with our Lord by placing one’s self above Him, we reject God’s laws and replace them with our own selfish set of principles. Once we begin to reject God’s laws that don’t fit in with our modern, enlightened view of the world, we begin to die in our sin. Glorifying the ideals of social justice over and above God’s law just increases the distance between us and our salvation. If we seek to be welcomed into the Lord’s kingdom, we must humble ourselves before Him. We need to dwell in the Word and grow nearer to our Lord, not reject the Word and replace it with our foolish desires. We need to share with those weak in the Spirit and lead them into communion with the Lord. We need to pray, long and hard, for those that lead the ELCA so that they reject their secular identity and rekindle their relationship with the Lord.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Great Moral Conflict
Over the past two years our pastor has chosen a number of people from our congregation to be lifted up as leaders of the church. Teaching laity to be leaders of the church is no small undertaking. I commend our pastor for having the fortitude to work to open the spiritual eyes, hearts and minds of those four leadership groups that he has chosen for this daunting task. Being a leader carries with it a great responsibility, not only to serve the Lord, but to serve their church and church family. Reading, learning and living the Word as God directs us, becoming prayerful, and leading by example are just a few of the responsibilities that a leader is expected to fulfill.
1 John 2:4 “Those who say, “I know him,” but do not do what he commands are liars, and the truth is not in them.” 1 John 4:5 “They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.” The leadership of the ELCA has lost its way and is promoting a false gospel, emphasizing the secular while leading our brothers and sisters on a path away from God. Social justice is the rallying cry while God’s Word is debated, voted on, and disregarded. Many pastors are using the “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach and hoping to avoid any discussion of the matter in order to remain “on the fence.” What does God expect from the leaders of His Church? Scripture is quite explicit in this matter. As leaders, our Lord expects us to make a stand for Him and His people. 1 Peter 5:2 “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.” Those who are not strong in the Spirit must be lifted up so they do not follow blindly into the abyss.
Whether a congregation chooses to leave or remain within the ELCA church body, we all must work to bring the ELCA back to the true Gospel. It is not good enough to be only a faithful witness; we all must actively fight for our Lord. The Spirit compels us to obey God’s law and to do what is right. Galations 6:1-2 “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Those that remain in the ELCA cannot just sit on the sidelines or be neutral; they must take up the Cross and speak out for the Lord at ELCA functions and assemblies. Those that choose to leave must continue to pray for the people who remain and challenge the false gospel. Let God’s Word be heard. Ephesians 6: 11, 18 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Through prayer, anything can be accomplished. A small minority of those who wish to hijack the church in order to promote their worldly desires cannot prevail against the Word of God if we are strong enough in the Spirit to proclaim His Word, loudly and proudly!
1 John 2:4 “Those who say, “I know him,” but do not do what he commands are liars, and the truth is not in them.” 1 John 4:5 “They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.” The leadership of the ELCA has lost its way and is promoting a false gospel, emphasizing the secular while leading our brothers and sisters on a path away from God. Social justice is the rallying cry while God’s Word is debated, voted on, and disregarded. Many pastors are using the “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach and hoping to avoid any discussion of the matter in order to remain “on the fence.” What does God expect from the leaders of His Church? Scripture is quite explicit in this matter. As leaders, our Lord expects us to make a stand for Him and His people. 1 Peter 5:2 “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.” Those who are not strong in the Spirit must be lifted up so they do not follow blindly into the abyss.
Whether a congregation chooses to leave or remain within the ELCA church body, we all must work to bring the ELCA back to the true Gospel. It is not good enough to be only a faithful witness; we all must actively fight for our Lord. The Spirit compels us to obey God’s law and to do what is right. Galations 6:1-2 “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Those that remain in the ELCA cannot just sit on the sidelines or be neutral; they must take up the Cross and speak out for the Lord at ELCA functions and assemblies. Those that choose to leave must continue to pray for the people who remain and challenge the false gospel. Let God’s Word be heard. Ephesians 6: 11, 18 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Through prayer, anything can be accomplished. A small minority of those who wish to hijack the church in order to promote their worldly desires cannot prevail against the Word of God if we are strong enough in the Spirit to proclaim His Word, loudly and proudly!
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