Just Sayin'

One is often judged, fairly or unfairly, by the company they keep. Hang with someone who is a thief and it may be assumed that you are also a thief. Affiliate with an organization and those values espoused by that organization are assumed to be yours. Fair or not, it is what it is. While our Lord and Savior hung around with those judged not acceptable by society, He came to heal their spiritual shortcomings. Jesus healed the sick, both physically and spiritually. So, when Jesus sat down with prostitutes and tax collectors, He did so to heal their hearts and lead them back to righteousness. Unfortunately, in this new enlightened age, the leaders of the ELCA conspire with the world and enlist the law to enforce their idea of justice.

The leadership of Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin was troubled by the doctrinal shifts of the ELCA. Discerning their role in a denomination that no longer held fast to traditional Lutheran doctrine, they chose to allow their congregation to decide if they wanted to remain affiliated with the ELCA. Their first vote passed, but the second failed to reach the required two thirds majority. After the vote, the leadership of Grace decided to affiliate jointly with the LCMC and ELCA, since the majority of the congregation had voted to leave the ELCA. Now, the plot thickens. About 70 disgruntled ELCA supporters left Grace and began to do whatever they could to disrupt the congregation that they once worshipped with. Anonymous complaints made against a council member at their place of employment. An unauthorized Facebook page purporting to be the official Grace Lutheran worship community was set up announcing that worship services would no longer be held at the church. Some would call this persistent troublemaking, but the all welcoming, all inclusive and tolerant ELCA not only allowed this behavior, they encouraged it.

Out of a few angry congregants, "Amazing Grace" was born and dubbed the “synodically authorized worship community”, to be led by none other than Bishop Duane Peterson, himself embroiled in a messy divorce. Now the ELCA specifically and strongly recommends that clergy involved in divorce refrain from ministering to congregations, since they may be negatively affected by the stress and proceedings of their divorce. Not this champion of the ELCA. Peterson filled the void in his life by leading the small break away congregation out into the world of legal proceedings. Not satisfied with the daunting task of beginning a new mission church, Peterson, the "Amazing Grace" malcontents, and the ELCA decided to take Grace to court. New territory here, but as you know, the ELCA has been claiming to be hearing God saying all kinds of new things, so they deem it is best to avail themselves of worldly laws and to use them against the people of God in spiritual matters.

The first court proceeding ordered Grace to end its affiliation with LCMC, of which Grace complied. The ever forgiving ELCA then decided to judge the pastors at Grace harshly, and removed them from the ELCA roster. It gets even more convoluted. The final court proceeding ordered the leadership of Grace to step down, turn over the keys and assets to the 70 malcontents, and removed the other 1700 members, (no, this is not a typo) from the active membership roll, making them associate members with no voting rights. Judge Molly GaleWyrick, one of the lowest rated judges in the state of Wisconsin, presided over one of the most illogical judgments ever rendered in a Wisconsin court. To make matters even worse, an appellate court refused to issue a stay, giving the ELCA free rein to dispose of the ample assets of Grace. Justice is truly blind and in this case, the best friend of the court was none other than the evil one himself.

Now, this case mirrors another instance of the un-evenhandedness of the ELCA. Although many ELCA churches are dual affiliated, only a few are challenged by the ELCA and not allowed to leave. Some are allowed to dual affiliate, others are removed from the ELCA roster as discipline for violating the ELCA constitution, such as St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Marion, IA. St. Peter Lutheran Church in Fort Pierce, FL, like Grace Lutheran, had ample assets, with property holdings worth some $5.5 million. The ELCA challenged their two unanimous votes to leave and the synod council prohibited them from leaving and taking their valuable property with them. Eventually, St. Peter Lutheran Church did leave and is now a LCMC congregation. Just my humble opinion here, but these actions seem more like those a devious and unethical organization would choose to use to swindle good and trusting people.

For those who choose to remain in this apostate denomination, hear this. While Jesus sat with sinners, those sinners were led to repentance. The ELCA is scrambling to maintain their power and refuses to repent of their sinful actions. Sit in the pew of an ELCA church and turn over the gifts God has blessed you with is the equivalent of funding the evil one’s mischief in the world. These tax collectors will not only fail to apologize for their actions and make amends, they will continue to take money and resources from the willing and the unknowing, not using it to further God’s Kingdom, but to build up and maintain their own earthly wealth and status. By choosing to remain in unity with this errant church, you choose to hold on to the things of this world, rather than being united in Christ. Ephesians 5:5-7, “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.”
Just sayin’.

Cruel to be Kind

Back in the 80’s when MTV actually played music videos, Nick Lowe performed his one and only hit song, Cruel to be Kind. This song is based on the old adage that you’ve got to be cruel to be kind. This expression is typically used when you say or do something to a friend or family member, (most often your spouse or significant other), that will usually cause them anger or dismay, but, at least you believe that you did that act in that person’s best interests. We often find that constructive criticism will cause resentment from the person that is subjected to that criticism and that resentment is directed right back at the criticizer. Even though we have the best of intentions when pointing out that particular shortcoming or suggesting that perhaps an alternate approach would be wiser, our helpfulness is often perceived as unwelcome and meddlesome. Truth of the matter is that one would indeed be cruel if we would fail to correct our loved ones, because failing to do so could place them at risk to harm themselves, physically or perhaps spiritually.

As disciples of Christ we are often called to step out of our comfort zones to advance the Kingdom of God. Scripture teaches us how important it is to lead a godly life, endeavoring to achieve some level of righteousness that would be pleasing to our God. Scripture also teaches how critical it is to continue to meet with each other, sharing our prayers and encouraging each other, making certain that we all grow and remain strong in the Spirit. One of those tasks our Lord would have us undertake is correcting our brothers and sisters in Christ that have gone astray, no matter how well intentioned they believe they are. 2 Timothy 4:2-5, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

So many comments from our more enlightened brethren in the progressive ELCA are directed at traditional Christians that uphold the authority of Scripture, chastising them for, what they perceive, as an overemphasis on the Law, while accusing them of failing to properly understand Christian love and unity. Luke 6:41-42, Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” We are not called to judge, but to correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. Our brothers and sisters in the ELCA are faced with the ever present doctrine of bound conscience. Bound conscience is used by the leaders of the ELCA to affirm any number of worldly desires and opinions that are at odds with God’s written Word.

This bound conscience allows one to not only question the long held tenets of our faith, but to also disregard those statutes handed down through the words of the Bible. Maintaining the unity of the ELCA takes precedence over maintaining unity in Christ. We are called to be of one mind in matters of our faith, and bound conscience, in and of itself, leads the faithful to themselves instead of to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is no unity when we cannot agree on proper Christian doctrine. When one can believe whatever it is that suits them, there is no unity in Christ. When all are called to respect a brother or sisters opinion that is in obvious error, how can we possibly maintain the unity of the body? When the presiding bishop of the ELCA fails to maintain sound doctrine and allows lay people to undermine God’s authority, he betrays his pledge to our Lord.

Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” For many years, Lutheran Core and the Word Alone Network have been in discussion with the leaders of the ELCA in an effort to lead them back to traditional Lutheranism. They have been fought with, marginalized, and flat out ignored, leading to a schism in the church that eventually birthed the LCMC and NALC, safe havens for Lutherans that continue to uphold the authority of Scripture.

It continues to greatly grieve many former ELCA members that the church that they grew up with has left the Lord behind. And it is so troubling that so many of our brothers and sisters that remain fail to understand why so many have left the ELCA. Many who remain steadfast in their support of the ELCA continue casting their anger toward those who have left to walk with a church true to the Gospel. 1 Peter 3:15-16, “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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” Pray that our brothers and sisters that remain in the ELCA choose to dwell in the Word, rather than to simply listen to those who would turn them away from God and toward a closer relationship with the evil one. Continue to pray that the collective plank in their eyes be removed so that they can truly see where the leaders of the ELCA are leading them. It may seem cruel to them that so many brothers and sisters have chosen to leave, but it may be the greatest kindness to lead them away from the wide path of tolerance, acceptance and diversity that the ELCA would have them travel upon.

The Devil's Advocate

In the 1997 movie, Devil’s Advocate, Al Pacino skillfully plays the role of Attorney John Milton, the human form that Satan has taken. Near the climax of the movie, Satan was attempting to convince his son, attorney Kevin Lomax, played by Keanu Reeves, to join forces with him. Pacino was describing how he, Satan, was going to take over the world and win the battle against God through the law profession. Reeves asks him, “Why lawyers? Why the law?” Pacino answers, “Because, the law my boy, puts us into everything. It's the ultimate backstage pass. It's the new priesthood, baby. Did you know there are more students in law school ...than lawyers walking the Earth? We're coming out...guns blazing! The two of you...all of us, acquittal after acquittal after acquittal...until the stench of it reaches so high and far into Heaven...it chokes the whole f----g lot of them!” The ELCA, in an effort to maintain their grip on the things of this world, while disregarding God’s law, have decided that man’s law can be used to their advantage. Following in the footsteps of their ecclesiastic bothers in the Episcopal Church, where church property belongs to the greater church organization, they have decided to attempt to seize the assets of churches that choose to leave. Those congregations attempting to break fellowship are taken to court in an effort to wrest whatever assets this greedy organization can take. After all it takes a lot of money to run their bloated bureaucracy. Abandoning their responsibility to preach the Gospel to the world and bring the lost to Christ is also apparently quite expensive.

Some of the churches affected by this new approach are Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, WI, where Bishop Duane Peterson, is leading 70 congregants that support the ELCA, into court in an effort to seize the congregation’s ample assets. Initially, Peterson offered support to the "Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community" by starting a mission church, sharing facilities with First Lutheran, another ELCA church in Eau Claire, agreeing to find an alternate worship site by February 1st 2011. When the pastor of First Lutheran held fast to the deadline, he was removed by the synod, throwing another congregation into turmoil. Peterson then decided to facilitate, what became known as Amazing Grace Lutheran, into bringing legal action against Grace Lutheran. While Peterson fights Grace Lutheran from breaking fellowship with the ELCA, he himself is embroiled in a divorce action with his wife. Even though ELCA church policy advises clergy involved in divorce proceedings to refrain from active ministry, this does not deter this champion of the ELCA from his attempt to cause strife, division and suffering for this congregation that voted unanimously (322-0) to break fellowship with the ELCA.

Redeemer Lutheran in East Falls, Philadelphia, PA was sued by the Southeastern Pennsylvanian Synod of the ELCA in an attempt to take control of congregation’s assets and property. In 2007, Synod Council assessed the fragile status of Redeemer, including its diminished attendance records, income and expense figures, and approved a resolution authorizing Bishop Burkat to take Redeemer under "involuntary synodical administration" in accordance with Section 13.24 of the Synod Constitution, in effect, ordering the church council to turn over the keys, checkbook and vacate the property. The ELCA ultimately locked out the Redeemer congregation and there are still counter suits by the Redeemer congregation to regain their church property, valued at over $1.5 million. I’m certain that the property value had little to do with the ELCA effort to seize that church and its assets.

Life Lutheran Church in Richmond, CA, an ELCA congregation, one of only two congregations serving Chinese-Americans in the area, were given a building that was closed by the ELCA and formerly served by the current pastor of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, also known as “Her Church”. After beginning the process of breaking fellowship with the ELCA, Life Lutheran was taken to court by the ELCA in an effort to reclaim the property and evict them from the building. Life Lutheran left the ELCA in 2011 and joined LCMC. Life Lutheran continues to worship at their church, but legal proceedings are still in process.

So, perhaps the stench of these legal actions, initiated by the so very tolerant, loving and welcoming organization commonly referred to as the ELCA, is reaching the realm of Heaven. This just may be the new priesthood for this family of believers that cling to an organization while relegating our Lord to what they consider His rightful place, just below the enlightened leaders of this misguided organization. Reject the apostasy preached by the leaders of what was once one of God’s churches. Hold fast to the truth so that you can recognize Satan at work in this world. Pray unceasingly for God’s children to be rescued from the pit that has become the ELCA. 1 Peter 2:7-10, “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Fear and Envy

In 2008, Barak Obama was swept into office as our 44th president, riding on the wave of hope and change. As he faces a difficult reelection, he has resorted to preaching a doctrine of fear and envy, pitting classes against one another and promoting racial strife. His policies attack the very foundations of Christianity, in one instance, forcing the Catholic Church to provide abortion coverage to employees, a direct assault on the doctrine of their faith. Progressive churches, such as the ELCA, continue to worship this president and support this attack on Christianity by their silence. Perhaps, this is due to the fact that the ELCA offers “reproductive services” that include coverage for elective abortions in their employee health insurance plan. The murder of the unborn does not bother the enlightened leaders of the most wayward of the “mainstream” Lutheran churches. Mention advocating for the LGTBQ community or immigration reform and ELCA leaders stand right up and jump into the fray. Murdering unborn human beings is defended as a woman’s right to choose while the leaders of the ELCA ignore any responsibility to protect the lives of those who cannot protect themselves.

Deuteronomy 6:13-15, “Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.” No longer is the fear of God important in the teachings of the ELCA. Other gods are accepted and other religions are acknowledged as offering a valid path to salvation. Of course, this is not the official teaching of this apostate church, but is becoming increasingly acceptable in numerous ELCA churches. The ELCA also welcomes those that teach a gospel other than our Lord taught, inviting controversial teachers to speak at many events, including their national youth gathering. Why not begin with the indoctrination of the young to emphasize these errant teachings in order to fundamentally change the face of Christianity?

Envious of the peace and tranquility of the State of Israel, the leaders of the ELCA advocate for the sworn enemies of Christians and Jews alike, the Arab State of Palestine. They encourage the terrorist organization Hamas, decrying Israel as a villain when they attempt to build housing communities on Israeli land. As rockets rain upon Israel, targeting innocent civilians, the leaders of the ELCA choose to ignore these acts of war, instead accusing Israel of committing atrocities when they retaliate, even while Israel shows remarkable restraint. The leadership of the United States, Israel’s one and only ally, stands idly by as Iran works feverishly to produce nuclear weapons, with the stated intent of eradicating Israel and the “Great Satan”, as they refer to the United States.

Christianity is under assault, not only by the secular elites, but by our own government. The Department of Justice continues to broaden its’ interpretation and enforcement of the separation of church and state. Student’s personal Bibles are confiscated at public schools, while implements of Islam are embraced and welcomed. Christian prayer is challenged in the courts while Muslims are allowed to leave their jobs and answer their five daily calls to prayer, citing somehow this will serve to foster tolerance. Any other religion is not only tolerated, but welcomed, while Christians are shouted down and looked upon as backward and uninformed. Daniel 8:23-25, “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.” This interpretation of one of Daniel’s visions rings eerily pertinent to today. Yet the leaders of the ELCA call Scripture outmoded and irrelevant to today’s society and work overtime to rewrite God’s word.

The leaders of the ELCA, in league with the government, use fear in an effort to destroy those that have the audacity to uphold the authority of Scripture. Churches undergoing the process of breaking fellowship are now being assailed in the courts by the leadership of the ELCA. Since the ELCA is so invested in this secular world, why wouldn’t they avail themselves of the tools of the state by bringing lawsuits against churches that have the nerve to want to break fellowship. As we turn the other cheek, those seeking to diminish the influence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, strike again and again. Michelle Obama compares her husband to Jesus Christ, proclaiming that he has brought us out of the dark and into the light. There is no light where there is no truth. As this President continually pits our citizens against one another, with lie after lie, leaders of God’s church join in, signing on to documents such as the Dream Act and accepting positions on presidential committees that only legitimize attacks on the very truths they are charged to uphold. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” Proclaim His truth until all have heard and believe! Dwell in God’s word and remain in the light. Shine bright with the light of Jesus Christ and expose the darkness that fills our world.

Willfully Ignorant

Jesus said to His Disciples in Matthew 8:17-18, “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” When one engages in willful ignorance, one must actually suspend belief by ignoring any information that tends to contradict one’s own standard of reality. If you choose to seek out only that which confirms your opinion, you just might be willfully ignorant. Ignorance, in and of itself, is simply being unaware, but adding to that fact, being willfully ignorant, involves refusing to acknowledge any fact which may prove one’s preconceived notions are in error. Many in the secular world, especially in politics, adhere to talking points, deliberately ignoring any evidence that may lead them to a conclusion other than the one they choose to accept. Preexisting beliefs often lead one away from solutions to problems, in fact, often creating additional complications for that person. We see this happen over and over in many liberal groups. The occupy movement, preconceived racial injustice marches, environmental protests, just to name a few, often act without a full accounting of facts, causing untold damage to society. But, being liberal means never having to say you’re sorry. This type of thinking has been embraced by the liberal, or what some now call, progressive churches, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church in America. The enlightened leaders of these wayward churches choose to take a road less traveled. In order to deliberately disregard God’s written word, they proclaim that God is speaking to them today and has said “new things” that obviously overturn accepted Christian doctrine.

Apparently these new things that God is saying advise the enlightened leaders of these apostate churches to lift up the longings of a depraved humanity as good in His sight. These religious elites believe that God is telling them “Nevermind” as Emily Littella (Gilda Radner from Saturday Night Live, back when it was actually funny). would say. To these misguided church leaders, a God that uses masculine terms to describe Himself is now somehow offensive to the radical feminist that must be placated. Scripture is no longer the sole and normative source to be used to determine matters in our faith life and the doctrine of bound conscience allows it to be tempered with our human reason, experience and traditions. The Virgin Birth and even the resurrection of our Lord and Savior is questioned by these elites, as, at least confused, or just plain inaccurate.  They explain that the authors of Scripture may have misunderstood what God was saying or they simply did not possess the reason necessary to properly explain these events.

These new things disregard that which our Lord commanded. Yes, God commanded. The authors of Scripture were inspired by the Holy Spirit and for thousands of years have been accepted as the word of God. That God’s churches would proclaim these heretical teachings as if God actually changed His mind and decided to reconsider the laws He gave us for all time. As the leaders of these misguided churches forge ahead through paths unknown, they willfully ignore that which our Lord taught. One wonders what these leaders truly believe and why do they insist upon ignoring God’s will. They disregard established tenets of Christianity in order to appease the secular world’s vision of a tolerant society. Rather than promote that discipleship entails rejection of the self, new doctrine places self ahead of our God. When one can place conditions upon God’s church, such as when the LGTBQ community demands that they be accepted, not as a sinful being that all of us are, but somehow above those that choose to endeavor to obey God’s law. And when they decide that being LGTBQ is more critical than their identity as a Christian, they indeed place themselves and their identity ahead of God. Deuteronomy 11:26-28, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” And still these leaders encourage their membership to place themselves upon the altar and worship themselves, their identities and their good deeds.

Jeremiah 5:21-22, “Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: 22 Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD. “Should you not tremble in my presence?” When will God’s people listen to His reason and decide to simply obey. For when one truly loves the Lord, the goal to please Him should be paramount, not the goal in looking for excuses to disobey when Scripture does not please them.  Pray that more will have their hearts and minds opened so more will be saved from these errant denominations.

Sweating the Small Stuff Part II

When one gives in and lets God take the reins of our life, several things happen. We accept that God has a plan for us. We may not know the reasons why events transpire as they do, but rest assured, God has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives. We are comforted in the knowledge that God will provide, even in the darkest of times. We accept that it is His will and we are reassured that His plan is best for us. So, when we experience a life altering moment, or a big thing, we can more readily accept that God’s will is being done. Unfortunately, the small things tend to bring out the worst in even the most ardent believer. The evil one uses those mostly insignificant events to needle and cajole us, causing even the most ardent believer to fail to live up to God’s standards. That vehicle in the left lane going the speed limit elicits that expletive; if not uttered aloud, our impression of that particular individual will not be very favorable. The elderly person searching her purse for the exact change while there are 10 people waiting in line to check out, garners that contemptuous glare, rather than prompting empathy for her financial situation and the fact that every penny she has may be in that purse. Pet peeves, minor irritations, and all those other trivial annoyances that tend to get under our skin are the perfect avenues for the evil one to prod us to engage in those behaviors that we know cannot be pleasing to God. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Even though we make ourselves right with God and endeavor to accept His will, we are continually tripped up by the small stuff. Typically, these things are not even on our spiritual radar. But, the evil one uses many other ruses to tempt rather than simply appealing to our selfish nature. Those at peace with God’s plan and submit to His will have many weak spots that the evil one can take advantage. One of my weak spots occurs when I am behind the wheel of an automobile. Perhaps it is due to 30 years of traffic law enforcement, but I am particularly annoyed by those drivers who do not pay attention to their surroundings. Even while listening to Christian music on the radio, I have been known to mutter under my breath, certain unpleasantries to those drivers that, if still on the job, I would pull over and cite for inattentive driving. The things of this world continue to affect us and if we are not vigilant, we fall directly into the center of the evil one’s trap. 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Even when we think we are doing God’s will, we fall off the path of righteousness. We make certain that we are being fed the bread of life through the proclamation of the true Gospel, leaving the apostasy of the ELCA. But are we abandoning those who have been blinded to false gospel of acceptance, tolerance and welcoming by leaving them behind? Those brothers and sisters that trust in the leadership of the ELCA to maintain proper doctrine need to hear the truth. When our goal to maintain our personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, causes us to leave our brothers and sisters to fall away, this is not what our Lord would have us do. It is our responsibility to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the world. When it is our brothers and sisters in Christ that are at risk of falling away, we have the duty to reel them back in. This is no small thing. Every Christian lost to the evil one is one less soldier for our Lord. We must not forget our brothers and sisters in the ELCA. We must continue fighting the good fight and proclaiming the heresies promoted by the leaders of the ELCA. 1 Timothy 6:11-12, “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” While we are called to flee from the ungodliness that has overtaken the teachings of the ELCA, simply fleeing and saving ourselves is not enough. Continue in prayer that our brothers and sisters wake from their slumbers and realize just where the ELCA wants them to go and they also flee to find a denomination true to the Lord.

The Bigger They Are

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

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

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

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

The Ten Suggestions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Cop, Bad Cop

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

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

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

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

Never, Ever Give Up!

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

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

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

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

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

Sweet Surrender

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

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

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

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

Under Penalty of Law

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breaking up is Hard to do

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

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

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

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

Paved With Good Intentions

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

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

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

The ELCA and Unity

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

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

Greetings,

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

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

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

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

Singing God's praise in Eau Claire,

Anne

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Because without Him, we are nothing.

Another Successful Vote

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual DNA

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

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

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

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