Once Upon a Time

Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again.” Once upon a time there was a great city, shining on top of a hill. Once upon a time people asked, “How can we serve our nation?” and not demand, “My nation needs to serve me?” Once upon a time we were told that this nation would never become a socialist country. But, an opportunity has arisen that may destroy that shining city on a hill, create a generation of people dependent upon the government for everything and the reality of living under “democratic socialism” may only be an election away. These great United States may just be on the way to ruin as every other nation that has embraced this failed economic doctrine. This opportunity was not part of the leftist plan to “fundamentally transform our nation”, but any crisis can open that door.

The COVID-19 pandemic is that window of opportunity. The fear of COVID-19, stoked primarily by the mainstream media and the democrat party, has in a few short weeks transformed this great nation into a frightened, huddled mass, willing to give up Constitutional freedoms in exchange for the government keeping us “safe” from this invisible enemy. Many have accepted, without question, what should simply be guidelines, lockdown orders from our State governors. Originally, these “orders” were explained as a way to “flatten the curve” in order that our health system can manage the outbreak and not be overwhelmed by the thousands of persons expected to be infected if we failed to use mitigation methods. But, the goalposts continue to be moved. These orders mandate social distancing, wearing masks, washing and disinfecting our hands, counter tops, homes, etc., the closing of “unessential businesses, and to stay at home under penalty of law. And now these orders must remain in effect until the threat is gone and a vaccine is produced. The models that originally predicted 2.2 million deaths have continually been revised downward, more closely mirroring the mortality and infection rate as the seasonal flu, as we continue to collect data on this Novel Coronavirus.

Our fear and complete submission to the authority of the medical experts has created an economic downturn that makes the Great Depression seem like no more than a bump in the road. This economic crisis has in turn created much more devastation than the cost to our investments, lost jobs and closed businesses. Loss of income, loss of physical contact with family, friends and co-workers has led to an uptick in mortality rates, suicidal tendencies, mental disorders, changing eating habits and overuse of tobacco and alcohol products. Hospitals and medical clinics have discontinued in person medical visits and elective surgeries and procedures, leading to patients being denied continuing treatments of pre-existing conditions. And we accepted this on-going quarantine for the good of our nation and citizens.

States with democrat governors have arbitrarily decreed that these stay at home orders and a shutdown of our economy are in the best interest of their citizens, necessary to protect their safety. “If we end the stay at home orders, people will die!’ is their rallying cry. They will do nothing of the sort. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China on November 17th, 2019. We now know that the vast majority of COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic, so this initial confirmed case may not be the first. International flights continued out of Wuhan and mainland China until President Trump banned them on January 31st. According to an article from April 4th in the New York Times, approximately 1300 flights and over 400,000 people traveled to the US directly from China, with over 4000 directly from Wuhan, during that time. Not included are those who departed Wuhan and China to other countries and then traveled to the US during that time. There was likely, at least two full months that COVID-19 was in the US and community spread had already begun. In essence, the lockdown of our population that occurred in mid to late March was well into the onset of the pandemic, not, as many would have you believe, before the community spread of the disease had begun.

So, how does a viral pandemic lead us to socialism? Is it such a long stretch to presume that it could be used to initiate a massive shift to an entirely new economic model? Not so much. As our economic downturn continues, democrats in Congress continue to mortgage our future by providing economic incentives to encourage people to rely upon government handouts. No longer are the welfare recipients the only takers, now those who work in non-essential businesses and are not allowed to work receive benefits. Even those who continue to work are eligible and receive those same benefits. Sweetheart deals, or pork as they were once defined, are included in these economic relief packages. Now, if you are fearful of returning to work, don’t worry, the COVID-19 relief package enables you to refuse to return to work and receive upgraded unemployment benefits for an additional 14 weeks. This enables those who refuse to return to work to receive benefits they would normally not qualify to receive. This incentivizes many to refuse to return to their place of employment. Additionally, another $3 trillion package that includes a version of universal income is being proposed by our democrat controlled House of Representatives as further economic relief to those adversely affected by COVID-19. The descent into socialism is already underway.

Should this economic downturn continue and democrats retake the presidency and the Senate, they will ride to the rescue and “fix” the economy by instituting government control of our economy. Corporate taxes will increase, leading to more jobs leaving again as did under former President Obama’s administration. To prevent a future pandemic, a single payer healthcare system would be the first order of business for this new and enlightened government. But, it won’t stop there. Student debt is the next order of business. That means the forgiveness of more than $1.5 trillion in outstanding loans, which leads to free college tuition. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the architect of the Green New Deal, is Joe Biden’s pick to oversee the climate change task force. Forget about a wall or any kind of enforcement of our border with Mexico. Uncle Joe opposes any wall and favors a kinder and gentler immigration policy which includes citizenship for the Dreamers. Sixty years ago Nikita Khrushchev made a prediction that communism and the Soviet Union would “bury” democracy, capitalism, and the United States. “Your children’s children will live under communism. You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright; but we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you will finally wake up and find you already have Communism. We will not have to fight you; we will so weaken your economy, until you will fall like overripe fruit into our hands. The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”

The Soviet Union has fallen, but those words ring far too applicable to what we are witnessing first hand. Wake up America, or it will be too late. If we fail to heed these warning signs, visible in plain sight, then the vision of the United States and the freedom it offers, may very well become a fairy tale.

Words That Speak

"We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.  For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:19-21 (NIV)

As I spend time in Your Word, I am amazed by how the words speak to my current situation. Each time I read Your Word You can show me slightly different things about myself or the world around me. To read of actual people's trials and seeing how prophecies actually came true show Your faithfulness to people throughout the ages and prove that You continue to be faithful today. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You that it is alive and real and relevant. Thank You that You have provided such a wonderful resource where You can show history, demonstrate Your love, teach life lessons, and embrace the world with Your Gospel Truth to lead all people to salvation. Help me to continue to delight in Your Word the rest of my life. Amen.

This prayer, written by my wife Sandy, articulates just how important and relevant God’s Word is to us yesterday, today and tomorrow. I often find more than just words of wisdom, but God speaking directly to my heart. And those verses can speak in different ways in different times according to the situations I face in my daily life. As I read my daily devotions, it is sometimes difficult for me to take the time to really sit back and listen. God does indeed speak through the Word and we need to be quiet and listen for His voice. My grandson Jack, at age 5 was staying overnight at grandma and grandpa’s house with his twin brother Ian. As my wife prayed with them before bed, she chose to not pray the standard “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer. After finishing the prayer, Jack piped up and said, “Grandma, if I am really quiet, I can hear Jesus talk to me.” Sandy responded that she agreed. He then said that he knew what words she would pray because Jesus told him so. Out of the mouths of babes! Perhaps we need to listen with the innocence of a child to truly hear Him.

Far too often, God’s Word is minimized by many of our mainline churches, particularly the protestant denominations such as the ELCA, UCC and Episcopal churches, as they try to fit in with the world. New doctrine is adopted while the refrain that God is telling us new things is used to justify the rebuttal of God’s Word. Jesus said, “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.  For truly I tell you, 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.  Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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.  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. Matthew 5:17-20 (NIV) So those churches can continue to rationalize their drift away from God, but these “new” doctrines ring hollow when one truly dwells in His Word and listens for Him.

As I hear more and more of God’s people are led astray by these false gospels that sound so inviting, so loving and so enlightened, it truly saddens me. Our foremost task is to preach the Word so that all may hear and come to faith in Jesus Christ. These “new things” simply drive God’s people away from Him, as they lift up the self and minimize our Lord and Savior. Placating the desires of us sinful human beings is not the task of God’s church. These new doctrines are all about “feeling good about ourselves” and not about loving God. When we place our needs, desires and cravings as foremost in our lives, we entirely miss the point. This world, this universe, all that we are and have is a gift from God. Everything you see, feel, hear and touch was made for you by a loving God. We cannot lose track of what that means to us. We are to share the joy of our salvation with everyone in an effort to bring them to Christ. Being a disciple of Christ is not an easy task. Just ask believers who live in other parts of the world that are not simply persecuted, but place their very earthly lives in danger when they worship Him. We are truly blessed to live in a country where we can share our faith without the fear of losing our lives. The next time some “new things” are promoted by those uninspired by the Holy Spirit, take the time to dwell in His Word in order to properly examine whether it is truly inspired by God.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is already in the world at this time. You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.” 1 John 4:1-6

Lowest Common Denominator

In mathematics the lowest common denominator is the least common multiple of the denominators of a set of vulgar fractions. Ie; 4/16 divide each number by the lowest common denominator, 4 and you come up with 1/4. Use the smallest positive integer that is a multiple of each denominator in the set. This term has entered popular culture and now denotes the least sophisticated person(s) in a particular situation. The term is often used as a figure of speech indicating the most basic, least sophisticated level of taste, sensibility, or opinion among a group of people. Most reality TV shows tend to appeal to the lowest common denominators among us. If you tend to gravitate to “Honey Boo”, “Jersey Shore” or the “Kardashians”, you just may fit into the category of lowbrow, uncultured, or low information individuals looked down upon and considered to be on the fringe of society.

Of our own accord, many of us would stoop to our lowest common denominator and sit for hours and watch “Dancing with the Stars” instead of taking time with our God in prayer or meditation on His word. ELCA teachings step away from the words of our God and decide that, “the times, they are a’ changin’” and tweak the words our God decided were the best path for His children to take. Our more enlightened friends that lead the apostate ELCA decide to modernize God’s word and contrive all sorts of “new things” that they believe that God must have really meant in that “book of faith stories”. Take Christ out of Christianity and we engage in doctrine that lifts up the true selfish nature of humanity. Christ died for all humanity, so why not neglect to emphasize that faith in the Risen Christ is necessary to gain salvation. It’s hard to deny oneself and so demeaning to admit to our selfish and sinful nature. Think that the producer of “Noah” took creative license with the story of the flood, think again. These supposed men and women of God have, with the stroke of a pen and the vote of a fallen humanity, attempted to change God’s will forever. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-19, “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. For truly I tell you, 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. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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.”

Disobedience is so easy. We are all rule breakers at heart. We expect the leaders of God’s church to preach the pure Gospel, as it is stated in God’s word, the Bible. Having the very persons charged to uphold sound doctrine, contrive ways around our Lord and Savior’s teaching is beyond the pale. We do quite a fine job of finding ways to displease our God all by ourselves, we don’t need the church affirming us within our sin. But, Luther himself said to sin boldly, so what is the problem? He also said that we are at once, both saint and sinner. In other words, we remain a sinful humanity that continually falls short of the glory of God. We need to recognize our sinful nature and how easily we fall into disobedience. We need to recognize that we need a Savior, because we can never earn the grace that is so freely bestowed upon us. We need to recognize that, because of our faith in the Risen Christ, we are forgiven. What the leaders of the ELCA fail to understand is that, if there is no sin, there is no need for forgiveness. If there is no need for forgiveness there is no need for a Savior. If there is no need for a Savior, there is no need to attend a church that is welcoming, tolerant and affirming of sinful behavior.

More of Luther’s letter to Melanchthon. “Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong (sin boldly), but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign. It suffices that through God’s glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins? Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.” The false gospel of tolerance and affirmation trivializes Christ sacrifice upon the cross. Essays published in the “Lutheran” magazine and what is being taught in ELCA seminaries attest to the fact that the leaders of the ELCA are deliberately fomenting a revolution against sound Lutheran doctrine and the authority of Scripture. This battle against God is extraordinarily insidious as the ELCA promotes all sorts of unsound theology at its’ seminaries and then persecutes and silences any and all seminarians that resist its’ false teachings. Bound conscience is truly a one way street, contrived to silence any opposing, traditional voices.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ adrift in ELCA churches need to wake up and smell the roses. They are being led onto a path towards destruction. Accepting the false doctrine of bound conscience is tantamount to worshiping themselves. Believe what the snake oil peddler is selling and you will fall to your lowest common denominator, the sinful human being lavishing even more sinful behavior upon yourself, secure in the fact that your church says that it is okay. Pray long and hard for our brothers and sisters to realize that fact before it is too late.

House of Cards

Jesus spoke about the importance of building a house on a solid foundation. Why then would God make the very truths of His Kingdom built upon a house of cards? It would be much easier to simply base His word on solid, scientific ground. Think about it for a minute. God created the universe by simply speaking it into existence and did it in 6 days no less. The “Big Bang” and following that, evolution, or that life sprang into existence by random comingling of certain molecules, is considered settled science. Well, actually there is no proof that the universe began with a big bang, nor that life simply created itself. It actually takes a leap of faith to believe that it is the intelligence of man that has allowed us to formulate a process by which we, and all that is around us, has come to be. But, belief that an almighty God, who loves us without end, created this world and everything in it, for us, His children, somehow is implausible to this enlightened society.

Then God sends His only Son to take the punishment meant for us. The word made flesh. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary, an unmarried teenage virgin accepts the word of God and is chosen to carry our Savior. Is this proclaimed to King Herod? Caesar Augustus? In the temple to the High Priest? No, Mary receives this gift without a witness. Her betrothed, Joseph, is told in a dream. When the time of our Savior’s birth arrives, He is born in a stable and the announcement is made to shepherds, the lowest and most untrustworthy of that time. When Jesus hangs on the cross, no angels come to save Him and he is sacrificed as a lamb, accepting His death without any struggle. When He rises after 3 days in the tomb, who is there when the angel of the Lord proclaims that He is not here. He is risen? Three women are the primary witnesses to Christ’s resurrection. Realize that women in Jesus’ time did not even have the right to testify in court. Jesus did not arrive in the center court of Jerusalem or Rome and proclaim His resurrection. God trusted what were considered unreliable witnesses to pronounce the arrival of the Risen Lord. Even the twelve Disciples were quite a motley crew.

Last Christmas, Exposing the ELCA posted an article found on Bishop Michael Reinhart’s blog, written by Dr. Rev. Don Carson, assistant to the Bishop. This article called into question the Virgin Birth. I made a comment on both blogs. At Exposing the ELCA I used Paul’s invocation in 1 Corinthians that without belief in the Virgin Birth Jesus’ resurrection was meaningless and your faith would be useless. On Reinhart’s blog I asked him why he would choose to give a platform to a person of faith that was questioning foundational Christian beliefs when there are enough skeptics in the secular world. Not surprisingly, he chose to not publish my comment. I made a second comment to him thanking him for reinforcing my belief that bound conscience is a one way street and the only diversity allowed was what the leadership of the ELCA allowed. Another commenter, Chad Silverman, had 3 comments published, calling those that frequent the Exposing the ELCA blog site irrational fundamentalists, apologizing for entering into the moronic discussion there, and chastising me for being in error in my comparing an invalidation of the Virgin Birth to Jesus’ resurrection.

See, the problem is that our faith is built upon a house of cards. When we proclaim our faith in the Apostle’s Creed, we believe that Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died and was buried: He descended into hell: The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. The timeline of the Gospel is intrinsically linked. Remove the Truth of the Virgin Birth, and Jesus is no longer Son of God. If He is not the Son of God, His resurrection is meaningless, although still miraculous. If He is not the Son of God, God did not come down to earth in flesh to be a sin offering to cleanse us of our sin. If He is not the Son of God, we are still under the law and the condemnation that it brings. Remove or minimize any of the Truths of the Christian faith and it all falls down and our faith is useless. Our faith is not useless. God gave us the greatest gift imaginable. He made the greatest sacrifice ever made. His love for us is without measure and we should be forever grateful, not question or pervert His word. His word is timeless and true.

The Truth never needs to be sugar coated. The written word that chronicles God’s commands and Jesus’ life is what it is. Faith is not about grandiose stories. Faith is not about what we would want God to do. Faith is about what He has done for us. The Creator of the universe is not confined to what man determines is possible. Science is irrelevant to the God of all power and glory. It does matter where the 23 chromosomes Jesus received came from. It does matter that Christ’s resurrection was physical and not some sort of apparition. It does matter that the Bible is God’s Truth for His children. Nothing is impossible for our God. These learned, enlightened leaders of wayward churches like the ELCA continue to cast stones at the Lord in order to ingratiate themselves with the world. They may get the invitations to the popular parties, but the true host of those parties is Satan himself. The ELCA, UCC and Episcopal church make it easy for the evil one to pervert sinful hearts. They are willing accomplices for the evil one and do not please the Lord. 2 Corinthians 13:7-8, “Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.”

Righting Wrongs

The old proverb goes, “Two wrongs do not make one right.” Stating otherwise is simply advancing a faulty argument. To advocate that when one is wronged it is appropriate to commit another wrong to that person to in order to even things out is illogical, at best. This misconception has been fully discredited since committing a wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to rectify a previous wrongful action. Thomas Hobbes, a 16th century liberal philosopher, conceived a notion that if a moral standard or common social rule is violated enough in society, then an individual or group within society can break that standard or rule as well, because this prevents them from being unfairly disadvantaged. Apparently, Saul Alinsky was not the first to come up with rules for radicals. In the real world this way of thinking can only serve to get one in trouble. See how this way of thinking will work with your local police. “Officer, everyone else goes 20 MPH over the speed limit on this road” will not justify your actions and will definitely result in a speeding citation for you.

There are many erroneous assumptions one may make to justify wrongful conduct, but fact of the matter is, as Christians, we are called to a higher standard. Our Lord and Savior did not tell us to strike out at those that would harm us, Jesus said in Matthew 5:39-42, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Unfortunately, illogical arguments permeate our society as from those who choose to surrender to their human cravings, yet argue that those cravings, no matter how depraved, must be accepted by society and even God’s church. Murdering an unborn child becomes acceptable because a woman has the right to choose what to do with her body. Too bad the child is left without a voice in the matter. Homosexuality morphs from an abomination to a “loving monogamous relationship between two persons of the same gender.” And most troubling of all, many progressive churches have minimized our Lord and Savior and pushed Him to the back of the bus in our all-knowing, enlightened new world religious order.

The ELCA promotes a “Big Tent” embracing any number of interpretations of Scripture and welcomes diverse opinions on theology, even some that deny the very truths of the faith. Jesus dealt with those on the fringe of society, in need of healing of mind, spirit and body. He embraced those shunned by society, healing lepers, eating with tax collectors and walking with Samaritans. Each of those He encountered were made whole again, not by affirming them within their sin, but forgiving their sin, lifting up their faith and leading them to embrace obedience of God’s law. The leaders of the ELCA deceive those searching for God and craving forgiveness by reaching out with their imperfect love and affirming behavior that is prohibited by God. Instead of reaching out and leading them to Christ, they direct them to the wide road that leads to destruction. Repent is not a word that has any meaning with this heretical church. Ignoring sin while affirming the sinner is far easier, although falling membership numbers indicate that not all agree it best to deny our Savior in order to lift up the selfish desires of humanity.

The leaders of the ELCA wrong the faithful, by leading them to believe that their desires for themselves are the same as God’s desires for His children by adhering to the false doctrine of bound conscience. They further commit the gravest wrong of all to their membership when they choose to promote a social gospel rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, two wrongs do not make a right. It serves only the evil one when they promote a gospel that leads God’s children astray. Zephaniah 3:1-5, “Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.” While these verses refer to the people in the city of Jerusalem, they follow perfectly the path that the leaders of the ELCA have chosen from their tower in the city of Chicago. How is God's sanctuary defiled by improper teaching and preaching? And how vile are the comments to those who offer correction? Who says the Bible is not pertinent to today? From this, less than well known, book of the Old Testament comes a prophesy meant for today. Continue in prayer for our brothers and sisters adrift in the apostasy that so permeates the ELCA. Pray that God opens their hearts and minds to His truth and leads them to a safe haven away from these false gospels.

The Devil is in the Details

Often big plans are derailed by those small things that are routinely overlooked but frequently cause serious problems later on, or leading to what can be called unintended consequences. President Obama has found this out with the myriad of failures brought about by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Again, it is the small things that disrupt these new and grand experiments. The ELCA birthed the doctrine of bound conscience in 2009. It was to be the vehicle by which behavior strictly prohibited by God, could be overturned by man and eased into mainstream Lutheranism. As with the problems associated with socializing medicine for a nation with a population of over 300 million, the grand design of this new way of interpreting Scripture is rife with false assumptions and contradictions. The Devil truly has his fingerprints all over the underlying opinions that are cited in order to prop up this misguided doctrine.

The entire premise behind the doctrine of bound conscience is to elevate man’s experience when interpreting Scripture. Societal evolution becomes a determining factor when inferring that the author apparently misunderstood the intent of the Holy Spirit because they were unaware that this generation would become so enlightened as to transcend the authority of God Himself. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America disregards the very articles of the Lutheran faith by accepting the flawed logic of bound conscience. The new and apparently improved official ELCA website no longer contains the “what we believe” section, instead it is replaced by a new faith section where it explains what is taught by ELCA churches. It states that the ELCA confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that they proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That in their preaching and teaching the ELCA trusts the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. It further states that ELCA teaching or theology serves the proclamation and ministry of this faith. Teaching or theology prepares members to be witnesses in speech and in action of God’s rich mercy in Jesus Christ. Apparently, no longer does the ELCA proclaim that the Bible was inspired by God's Spirit and that God spoke through their authors, who recorded and announced God's revelation centered in Jesus Christ.

The ELCA’s official Confession of Faith identifies the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (commonly called the Bible); the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds; and the Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord as the BASIS (emphasis mine) for their teaching. ELCA congregations make the same affirmation in their governing documents, and ELCA pastors promise to preach and teach in accordance with these teaching sources. Just wondering out loud here, but does not “Her Church” teach outside of those boundaries? Promises apparently are meant to be broken by some ELCA pastors. I would guess that their guidelines on human sexuality and bound conscience are found within those teaching sources. They’re not either??? Well, never mind then, they must just be some of those “new things” that the Holy Spirit is revealing to a select few of the more enlightened among us. Since the Father of Lies uses all kinds of wordplay to appeal to our innate selfishness, it would appear that the Devil is surely in these details.

With the ELCA further watering down their statement of faith, one needs to ask, why would they do this? As the leaders of the ELCA become more and more enamored of the world, they conform more and more to what they believe the world expects of them. The more they seek the approval of the world, the further away they drive themselves and their members away from God. Rather than submit to God and understand and teach that all human beings are sinful and cannot free ourselves from the burden of that sin without the saving grace of our Redeemer, ELCA members are called to enable their bound conscience and do what they believe is right. Rather than knowing that human beings are enslaved to sin and continue to engage in evil and immoral conduct, the leaders of the ELCA proclaim that God made you as you are and God does not make evil and immoral beings. I guess Satan was a spontaneous combustion or something like that according to the logic of some ELCA leaders. Rather than denying oneself and pleasing the Lord, the leaders of the ELCA promote that you should please yourself and deny the Lord.

Romans 3:28, 31, “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” The doctrine of bound conscience serves to nullify the law, replacing it with human sensibility. The Apostle Paul was called by Christ Himself to serve to proclaim His Gospel throughout the world. I think he nails it right on the head, exposing all of us as frauds. Without first submitting to our Lord and Savior, we remain on the outside looking in. While the righteousness bestowed upon believers in the Risen Christ grants them salvation, the law serves to remind us of our sin and teaches us what is wrong in the sight of God. The leaders of the ELCA would have you temper your acceptance of the authority of Scripture and replace it with what they determine is a more sensible approach. This church has fallen so far it is unlikely to ever regain footing on the solid ground that is our Lord and Savior. And unfortunately, there are over 4 million of our brothers and sisters in Christ that are subjected to these false teachings. Pray unceasingly for their eyes to be opened to the Truth.

As For Me and My House....

In an article printed in the Guardian on September 11th titled, “Pope Francis tells atheists to abide by their own consciences” the head of the Roman Catholic Church was quoted, "Given – and this is the fundamental thing – that God's mercy has no limits, if He is approached with a sincere and repentant heart," the pope wrote, "the question for those who do not believe in God is to abide by their own conscience. There is sin, also for those who have no faith, in going against one's conscience. Listening to it and abiding by it means making up one's mind about what is good and evil." It would appear that the dialogue that the ELCA has been having with the Roman Catholic Church has been making quite an impression. The inference that somehow, one’s conscience can trump faith is charting a course down the slippery slope of apostasy. When leaders of God’s church chart a new course, seemingly apart from God’s will, how many will nod their heads in agreement? Of course, a spokesperson for the Pope backpedaled and tried to spin Pope Francis’ comments as no change from the long standing Roman Catholic doctrine. “The pope had had "no intention of provoking a theological debate on the nature of salvation", it said, adding: "They cannot be saved who, knowing the church as founded by Christ and necessary for salvation, would refuse to enter her or remain in her." Looks like this guy can jump right in and replace President Obama’s creative spokesperson, Jay Carney, without missing a heartbeat.

Pope Francis’ other statements regarding homosexuality and abortion were largely misinterpreted by the media. His emphasis, albeit stated somewhat disjointedly, was that we, as Christians, should refrain from judging others outside of the community of believers. And even those within the church should not be judged by fellow sinners, even if they have fallen prey to homosexual desires or had undergone an abortion procedure. While his message was unclear and apparently widely misunderstood, we Christians do have a habit of falling back into overemphasizing the law while minimizing the redeeming forgiveness of the Gospel. Perhaps, it would be more beneficial for our church leaders to refrain from comments that muddy the waters of the redeeming grace of the cross. That Jesus came to save all sinners and to open a door to salvation to all who simply believe that He died for each one of them should be the persistent message from the church. Leave the social justice agenda for those in politics. Save the lost and bring them to Christ and discover just how much better this world becomes.

Mainline Christian churches are hemorrhaging members at an unprecedented level. There is a clear reason why. Contradictory doctrine that minimizes our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ’s role in salvation leaves those searching for the Truth confused, wondering how they could possibly find answers at those institutions. Many believers become disillusioned when their church leaders question long standing doctrine and are forced to look for a new church, one that preaches the pure Gospel. It is clear that these misguided leaders of God’s church are dividing the faithful, forcing them to choose between their friends and familiar surroundings or remaining faithful to the Lord. Why is it so difficult for those who have allegedly dedicated their lives to serving the Lord, to preach the Truth? Why is it so easy for them to fall in love with the world? When the leaders of the ELCA promote their tolerance and welcoming to the world, who are they looking to please, the world or God? Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Certainly, proclaiming these errant doctrines do not please the Lord. Certainly, they do nothing to save the lost. And most certainly they fail to give all the glory to the Lord our God. No, these elites long to accept accolades from the world when they demonstrate how modern and enlightened their new religion has become.

Progressives argue that organized religion, in particular Christianity, is dying in part due to the perceived exclusivity. After all, not all will be welcome in heaven and far too many Christians remain trapped within the Law calling out sinners as rule breakers. But, God is very much alive and believers are growing in numbers, just not in the traditional mainline churches, so only part of their conclusion is legitimate. The Gospel saves, the law condemns. We are forgiven, even of our gravest sins because our Savior redeemed us with His precious blood. Why do we find it so hard to forgive as we are forgiven? Jesus called us to love our neighbor. Helping a brother or sister come to Him is the greatest gift that we can offer to our Lord. If we continue to remain trapped in the law, we do nothing but become an impediment to those searching for Him. When one truly accepts Christ, the law that is written upon their hearts is obeyed joyfully in order to properly please Him.

So, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord by loving Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and with all our mind. And we will show our love to our neighbor by sharing the joy that having one’s heart filled with the love of Christ brings. If this means stepping on the toes of those in positions of authority in God’s church when they stray from sound doctrine and fall in love with the world, it will be shouted from the mountaintops. Isaiah 40:8-9, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid.”

Kinder and Gentler

Since the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin trial, there has been much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands. The race baiters continue to prattle on, all in the name of justice for Trayvon. Little has been discussed about the culture of violence that permeates our society, particularly in the inner city. The “unfairness” doctrine is cited whenever violence rears its ugly head, with blame cast at a society that leaves minorities without an equal chance to succeed. Few have the courage to discuss the inherent reasons why these terrible outcomes occur over and over. What those who espouse a more progressive agenda often fail to understand is that actions do produce consequences. While some of these consequences are unintentional, some are calculated and very intentional. In an effort to create a kinder and gentler society, progressive activists use tactics that sound so very inviting. How could one challenge government programs to take care of the poor? How could one not support giving minorities a leg up when applying for jobs and college since so many have suffered discrimination for far too long? How could one possibly dispute protecting our environment? A women’s right to choose what to do with her body? Striving for social Justice? Combating bullying? Fighting obesity? The list goes on and on, each objective more appealing to the sensibilities of society than the last.

Disproportionate numbers of minority offenders housed in prisons cause activists to rave on about the inequities of our criminal justice system. While it is true that the prison population does not mirror our society’s racial composition, little emphasis is given to the reasons that cause this disparity. Those advocating to “fix” our broken justice system look to lessen the penalties for law breakers, especially for those who commit “non-violent” crimes, to cut the prison population rather than determining why it is that criminals choose to commit crimes. Bill O’Reilly produced an op-ed piece entitled The Color of Hope that addressed one of the root causes of criminal behavior in the inner city and called on minorities to take responsibility for their lives. This brought out the race baiters in force, calling O’Reilly a racist and worse. It’s easy to point fingers and place the blame on everyone but those who should be held accountable. It’s also easy to find real solutions, if we simply open our eyes, hearts and minds.

73% of all births to African Americans are out of wedlock, setting the stage for a life of poverty. Many of those children are raised without the influence of a father. Lacking the direction a father could give, many black children, especially males, are drawn into gangs in an effort to replace the vacuum in their lives. There is a reason that the Lord intended a family to consist of a mother and father, and that they, together raise their children. Deuteronomy 11:18-21,  “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.”Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Progressives look to the government to supplant the role of the father by granting entitlements that provide little more than a living wage to families in need. These subsidies bestowed upon them by a “caring” government are not enough to provide a way out of poverty, subjugating those who have become dependent upon government to remain in poverty with little or no hope of ever breaking those chains of bondage. Progressives not only desire to remove fathers from the family, God is also prohibited. So, where does God’s church stand and how are they responding to the violence that so permeates society, especially in the inner city. The largest Lutheran church in America, the ELCA, has this to offer. No statements from the bully pulpit of the new presiding Bishop rallying the troops to encourage men to take responsibility for the children they father. No affirmation of marriage to combat broken families dependent upon government for their livelihood. The 2013 ELCA churchwide assembly simply issues another social statement, passed overwhelmingly by the way, decrying the large number of those incarcerated and especially the disparity in the racial proportion of the prison population. Does the leadership of the ELCA truly believe that those incarcerated did not truly commit the crimes for which they are being punished and that society is not safer with criminals off the street?

In order to solve a problem one must determine exactly what is causing that problem. Why would one choose to commit a crime knowing that their actions will likely have negative consequences? Does lessening the criteria for punishment do anything to rectify the underlying issue? Not at all. The prison system is overcrowded because too many decide to break the law and commit crimes. Simply releasing non-violent offenders is not an answer. Reducing penalties does nothing to diminish the resolve of a person that chooses to commit a crime. Instilling the values and morals of a loving and just God is the answer. All these supposed men and women of God that spew nonsense about inequalities and social justice need to start doing what they committed to do when they chose to serve the Lord. It is only through the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ that the solution to society’s ill resides. Preaching the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is not as popular with the "In Crowd"as promoting homosexuality or protecting creation, but He is the way and truth and the life forever.

Who will have the courage to stand up to the progressive elites that now seem to populate so many churches hierarchies? John 8:42-27, Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” It has become obvious that the leadership of the ELCA is no longer listening to God and have refused to do so for far too long. The “new” things that they are promoting lift up human desires and are simply the evil one’s bidding.

Pray unceasingly for the eyes, hearts and minds of those trapped within the apostasy of the ELCA to be opened to the Truth before it is too late.

Shades of Gray

In almost thirty years as a police officer in a Milwaukee suburb, I learned that the law had few exceptions or what could be called “gray” areas. The law is invariably black and white; choose to break the law and you will pay the consequences. As the saying goes, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.” If an officer failed to properly conduct an investigation, the only gray area was that in which the perpetrator’s attorney found a loophole in the law and the guilty walked away from his or her just punishment. The law is pretty plain for the police. Observe someone break the law and take appropriate enforcement action. Investigate crimes, identify a suspect and make an arrest. Prepare reports, appear and testify in court. Of course, there were those minor issues, such as speeding, where an officer could actually use his or her discretion. But, as the years rolled on, more and more discretion was eliminated from the police officer’s role in law enforcement. Mandatory arrests were required in every domestic violence situation. Every traffic stop was video recorded. Most interactions with citizens were also recorded for further review, requiring every officer to make certain to dot every “I” and cross every “T”. Police officers now operate in a fish bowl, with every decision made picked apart by the public, media and the administration.

The law in Scripture is quite clear. God declares a number of behaviors immoral, or more commonly referred to as sinful. The hot button issue of our time, homosexuality, is clearly defined as behavior that is unacceptable to God. No gray area here. Look no further than the 6th Commandment, You shall not commit adultery. Adultery is defined as sexual relations outside of marriage and God defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Jesus said so in Matthew 19:4-6, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

The leaders of the ELCA would have their membership believe that Scripture is chock full of gray areas and is not relevant to this new enlightened age of man. In lifting up R. Guy Erwin the first openly gay as bishop in the ELCA Southwest California Synod, they disregard their own contrived doctrine, specifically adopted to normalize homosexuality within the ELCA. Resolution 4 passed by the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly explicitly states, “This resolution called upon members to respect the bound consciences of those with whom they disagree; declared intent to allow structured flexibility in decision-making about candidacy and the call process; eliminated the prohibition of rostered service by members in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships; recognized and committed to respect the conviction of members who believe that the ELCA should not call or roster people in committed same-gender relationships; called for development of accountability guidelines; directed that amendments to ministry policy documents be drafted and approved; and stated that this church continue to trust congregations, bishops, synods and others responsible for determining who should be called into public ministry." (Adopted 667-307 as amended)

Well, those of you in the Southwest California Synod who disagree are given no choice but to accept Bishop Erwin as their pastor. So much for bound conscience and allowing those who disagree to not call or roster people in committed same-gender relationships. From ELCA website, Conference of Bishops; "Each of the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America elects a bishop to serve as the synod's chief pastor and to exercise administrative oversight of the synod's work." When redirecting the authority of God’s church to advocate for those engaged in behavior prohibited by God Himself and place willful sinners that have no intention of repentance for their actions in a position of authority, the ELCA relinquishes any authority to remain as a church of God. No, it is not about disobedience. It is why the choice is made to disobey. Human authority replaces God’s authority. Human desires replace God’s will. Humans worship themselves, their identities and accomplishments instead of worshipping the Lord our God. When your doctor tells you that certain behaviors will end up costing you your life, either you change and eliminate those risky behaviors or the prognosis will come to fruition. Is it not more important to acquiesce to God’s will since it is your eternal life that is at risk? 1 Peter 1:24-25, “For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.”

Those that succumb to homosexual desires are no worse a sinner than any other supposedly faithful Christian. After all, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:28, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” We don’t need to act on our desires. We commit the sin as if we actually indulged in the act. 1 John 1:8-10, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” When we choose to refuse to repent of sinful behavior, we deceive ourselves and make our God out to be a liar. When we deny our sin, we diminish the gift of life given through the death of our Savior. When we refuse to deny ourselves, we fail to give our Father the glory and praise that He deserves. It is not about us. It is not only about the love of the neighbor. It is about what He did for all of us, even though we deserve nothing less than what our Savior suffered upon that cross. Place your love and trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and not in this apostate “church”.

Pulling Out All the Stops

When seeking to make a good impression you just may decide to pull out all the stops. This may entail buying a dozen roses for your beloved, taking your boss or a client out to the city’s best restaurant, or deciding to spend your money on that once in a lifetime trip. We place our frugalities on the back burner in order to curry favor in the hope that it will elevate your standing with that person. This saying actually has its roots in the church. Pipe organs, so prevalent in older churches, were equipped with what were called stops that controlled the air flow of the organ, in fact, controlling the volume. Organists would pull out all those stops to finish with a flourish. In our faith journey, pulling out all the stops is not part of our plan.

While we often shower those close to us with gifts and love, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ gets less than our best, often becoming merely an afterthought. The one who gave His life so that we may live is relegated to a place secondary to our selfishness. The one who should be celebrated as King of Kings stands outside patiently waiting for us to allow Him to enter our hearts. The one who lavishes His love upon His children is rewarded with disrespect and indifference from those who owe everything to Him. Why are we so quick to prattle on about our children and then ignore the opportunity to share our faith and give praise to our Lord and Savior? Has our secular society that so looks down upon those that “cling to their Bibles” causing us to be ashamed of our God? Jesus said in Luke 9:26, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

As our faith is assailed by the liberal media, academia and even by “progressive” churches such as the ELCA, it is our responsibility to stand up and proclaim His praise unending. Those that stand by and acquiesce to the all-out assault on Christianity are just as much to blame as those who wish to destroy it. While this so-called new progressive and all enlightened generation chastises Christians for being purveyors of the most exclusive of all the world’s religions, nothing could be further from the truth. Christianity is by far the most inclusive religion. After all, Jesus died for all humanity, one needs only believe in the one true Son of God took your sins to the cross, died in your place and rose so that all who believe can live eternally with the Father. Works are not required. Mandatory daily prayer is not required. Attaining enlightenment is not required. Faith in the Risen Christ is the only task required.

It is not important who is “in” or who is “out”. All are in if only they accept that the blood of the Savior cleansed their sin and accept the grace of salvation from the Father. When one accepts the gift of grace, we are filled with joy. When we first believe, we want to share our joy with everyone and bring the world to Christ. As we mature as Christians, it certainly seems that that joy and enthusiasm wanes when it should be just the opposite. As “baby” Christians our immature joyfulness, buoyed by our limited knowledge of Scripture, often would turn off potential believers. As we build up our spiritual armor through hearing and reading His word, we are much better equipped to be a Disciple of Christ, yet we balk when the Holy Spirit offers opportunities to share our faith. It is time to pull out all the stops and start proclaiming His glory, everywhere and to everyone. Every opportunity should be eagerly awaited and prayers made to have the Holy Spirit guide us in advancing His Kingdom. Share your joy!

Yet, the greatest impediment to those thirsting for the Lord is us. Yes, we are all too often the road block that turns potential believers away from God. Our propensity to remain trapped within the law by overemphasizing sin is the greatest obstacle. If engaging in sinful behavior would be  a disqualifier, I’m sorry, but we would all stand condemned. That is why we look to the cross. We are saved not because of what we do, but because of what Christ did for us. We tend to put the cart before the horse and turn off those willing to accept by our self-righteousness. Are believers better than any other child of God? No! We are, in fact, worse if our behavior turns even one of His children away. 1 Peter 2:24-25, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” We all were once lost. We all are a fallen humanity. We all fall into disobedience. We all need a Savior and Redeemer. Jesus calls on us to teach the Gospel and to make disciples of the world. That final crescendo is waiting to be played. Will you pull out all the stops, listen to our Lord and work to bring the lost to Him?

Boxing God

Those “unenlightened, traditional Christians that adhere to the doctrine of “Sola Scrptura” and uphold the authority of Scripture are often accused of putting God in a “box”. The progressive Christian looks upon those traditional Christians as “Bible Thumpers” that simply are following a book of outdated rules. Those progressives look at Scripture and see an archaic book, written by uneducated men, that contain interesting stories that are, unfortunately, wedded to the time and place where they were composed. That the authors of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit is something that only weak minded individuals would believe, say those enlightened by this modernistic religion where God is doing all kinds of new things. Jesus said in John 16:13-15, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” That our Lord and Savior told the Disciples that He would guide the Spirit in revealing the truth to them is of far lesser importance to the leaders of the progressive ELCA than striving for social justice.

Fact of the matter is that these so-called enlightened progressive Christians that currently hold authority within the ELCA do not put God in a box when they refuse to acknowledge anything that does not fit with what their expectations of God are. They infer that God is doing "new" things that, astonishingly, tell them only what they want to hear. Their doctrine of love, acceptance and tolerance extends only to those who think and believe as they do. Those progressive Christians that create a god in their own image are doing nothing short of fighting God. They are so hung up on the “law” that accepting the authority of Scripture is simply not tolerable. Listen to Nadia Bolz-Weber in her rant against the Christianity that has boundaries that she happens to personally disagree with. I don’t want to judge a book by its cover, but there she is, addressing the national youth gathering of the ELCA, in jeans and a tank top, showing off all of her tattoos that were etched upon her skin by a fellow drug addict. She proudly displays those signs from a former life that almost cost her life on this earth, but fails to use them to teach the young and impressionable a lesson. Yes, she extols the fact that it was by God’s grace that He lifted her out of a life of drugs and despair, but she offers nothing about faith in the Risen Christ and why God so loves His children. The story of her finding an appropriate church had nothing to do with God’s love or repentance, but all to do with feeling welcome in a “tolerant and enlightened” church replete with the appropriate diverse membership that was acceptable to her expectations. Her ideal church is not one that welcomes all sinners, but one that recognizes no sin, has no need for repentance, and has a god that meets her expectations, made in her own image.

So, while those that uphold the authority of Scripture supposedly place God in a box, progressive Christians literally punch Him in the mouth as they deny the very truths they are called to uphold. Bishop Mark Hanson was the keynote speaker that addressed the Lutherans Concerned conference in July of this year. In that address he stated, “I am so grateful for the church we are today—a church committed to welcoming all while valuing our differences and respecting diversity. Through this unity in diversity we show forth the body of Christ.“ Let me take creative license here and interpret for you Hanson’s real intent in this message. “I am deeply disturbed at the state of the church today. So many traditional Lutherans fail to see the advantage of secularizing our church. Affirming members within their sin allows us to take the high road and fit in with society, rather than undertaking the daunting task of bringing the lost to Christ. Lifting up the gospel of radical inclusiveness over the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings the ELCA greater respect in the eyes of the world, rather than being viewed as a backward thinking organization that clings to their Bibles. And becoming a new creation when Christ fills your heart, well that is overrated. Denying oneself has such a negative connotation, people feel much better pleasing themselves without having to give up those things that the selfish nature desires. Unity begins and ends with the diversity that is the ELCA.”

It is true that the leaders of the ELCA do not put God in a box. They continue be engaged in a battle, fighting against Him, striking our Lord with body blow after body blow with each “new” thing that disregards our Lord’s will. But understand this, Psalm 145:17-20, “The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” Continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and seek the lost in order to lead them to Him. Pray for our brothers and sisters who remain lost within the ELCA, that their hearts, eyes and minds be opened and that they return to the path that our Lord has set before them.

See No Evil

See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil is a phrase typically meant to describe someone who wants to avoid being embroiled in an uncomfortable or difficult situation. The three monkeys in a row covering their eyes, ears and mouth are universally recognized as the symbol of those that try to deal with misconduct or wrongdoing by refusing to acknowledge it, or by simply feigning ignorance. There are others, like the ELCA, do not simply feign ignorance. The leaders of the ELCA acquiesce to the cravings of a corrupted humanity, ignoring God’s word and create their own interpretation of Scripture, one that is deliberately contrary to God’s intent. Apparently it is easier to affirm sinful behavior than acknowledging that there is, indeed, evil in this world. Confession and absolution, once a mainstay of Lutheran doctrine, has become a casualty of the goal of affirming their members within their sin. What was once so very important in the Lutheran worship service to emphasize that humankind is by nature sinful and needs to acknowledge that fact, is made optional in ELCA churches, to be replaced with a celebration of baptism. Apparently, the leadership of the ELCA believes that to acknowledge that anyone can possibly fall short of the glory of God is much too harmful to the self-esteem of their membership. Proverbs 28:13, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

For those in the ELCA, it is no longer necessary to admit one is sinful. The doctrine of bound conscience allows ELCA members to hold to their own interpretation of Scripture, and even if it is in obvious error, all are called to respect that opinion. So those that wish to uphold their selfish nature are allowed to lift themselves up and over the authority of Scripture. As Christians, we are ever indebted to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because He took upon Himself the punishment meant for us. When we want to prove our love to the One who gave His life for us, we should want to please Him in all we do. Jesus said in John 14:15, 21, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” We are called to obedience. Even though we are no longer under the law, Jesus commands us to obey. So, where does that leave the leadership of the ELCA that decides that God’s law is no longer relevant in this enlightened age? It is becoming increasingly clear that the ELCA has denied that any authority rests with Scripture, unless it fits with their misguided aspirations to place man’s worldly desires before the will of God.

The leaders of the ELCA see no evil when they disregard Scripture to affirm homosexual behavior. They hear no evil when bound conscience allows their members to disregard the word of God. But, they DO speak evil when they brazenly question the very tenets of our faith; the Virgin Birth, Jesus’ Resurrection, the deity of Christ, the existence of hell and promoting the concept of universalism. Of course, these are not the official teachings of the ELCA, but ELCA biblical scholars pen essays that are not only tolerated, but are published in official ELCA publications and on their websites. (see The Lutheran, Digging Deeper on the ELCA website) Furthermore, these heretical essays are given theological approval, indicating that many biblical scholars believe this way. The false gods of tolerance, diversity, and welcoming are paramount in the ministry of the ELCA. Members accept decisions made by the leadership of the ELCA because Jesus called all Christians to love your neighbor as yourself, and accepting and affirming those within their sin sounds so loving. It is nothing of the sort. Allowing fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to go on believing that their church affirms what God rejects, drives them away from Him and into the arms of the evil one.

The leaders of the ELCA blind their membership with the promise of acceptance without regard to repentance. Once we come to know God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become a new creation. What we once were is no more. Whatever sin we engaged in, whatever wrongs we committed are forgiven and we endeavor to leave our life of sin behind, living to give Him all the glory. Worldly desires please no one but the evil one. Activists for the LGTBQ community place conditions upon our God, which is nothing more than selfishly refusing to leave their life of sin behind. They refuse to give up engaging in behavior prohibited by God. “Full inclusion” in the church is selfishly requiring God to change to meet their expectations. Excuse me, but that is a little like having the tail wag the dog. God loves His children beyond measure, but we are called to obedience, not the other way around. God is our Father and He has the authority to require His children to meet His expectations. Now, none of us is without sin and no one is righteous, but;

Romans 3:21-26, “But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”

I love my brothers and sisters in Christ in spite of their sin and I hope they would love me in spite of mine. No one knows what is truly in our hearts except our God, and He does love us unconditionally. Will humankind’s preponderance to commit sinful acts jeopardize the grace extended to those with faith in the Risen Christ? No, but when we obey, our Father will be pleased. But, sin is disobedience and disobedience leads to lawlessness, which in turn feeds our selfishness, which ultimately leads us to deny our God the proper place in our lives. Our brothers and sisters in Christ that remain trapped within the progressive churches of the ELCA , Episcopal, and United Church of Christ need our prayers more than ever. As the leaders of these wayward churches advocate for the things of this world and lead their membership away from Christ, so many are at risk of losing their salvation. Pray unceasingly for their deliverance, continue to uphold the authority of Scripture and proclaim the Gospel, so that those that have not heard will come to Him and those who have become lost will return.

What's New?

There are so many new things happening in the ELCA these days. Even though Jesus said that it is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law, the leaders of the ELCA proclaim that God is saying all kinds of new things that apparently invalidate His law. One of the evil one’s most commonly used ruses is to stroke the egos of those wanting to be affirmed within their sin, using our inherent selfishness to place our desires first. The supposed enlightened leadership of the ELCA falls for this deception and proclaims that, somehow, this is God speaking to us in “new ways”.  Using this erroneous (or perhaps deliberate) assumption enables them to reinterpret Scripture to fit societal norms. These “new things” are prompting them to reconsider their very relationship with God. The Bible is looked upon as a book of faith stories, with tales that are wedded to the time and place they were written, and often no longer pertinent to our new enlightened society. Scripture is no longer accepted as the word of God, but is described as a book that “tells the truth” in that the Bible tells the story of God’s relationship with the world. But, to the leaders and scholars of the ELCA, human experience, tradition and knowledge lifts up one’s bound conscience above the authority of Scripture and allows them to disregard verses that do not correspond to their terms and allows members to make Scripture say whatever it is that one desires.

Repentance? That is so old school. Repentance requires changing our point of view. We need to see things as God sees them. God simply asks us to turn away from our selfishness and turn to Him. This is how we accept His gift of grace and salvation. However, the leadership of the ELCA has a different point of view.  The ELCA preaches that the affirmation of those within their sin is the way to reach out to truly love our neighbor. Believe and preach the Gospel, are you kidding? They believe that those looking to be accepted as they are must be welcomed without any obligation to repent and turn to God and away from sin. The idea that God is good and only good, and everything He has created is also good, leads to the ELCA to affirm any and all sinful proclivities. There no reason to be “made new” by the act of giving your life to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Somehow, playing into mankind’s inherent sinful nature and granting license to act as one chooses by affirming those that disregard God’s word, will bring them closer to God? This “Big Tent” that the ELCA has been striving to fill, continues to play to smaller and smaller audiences, leading this church into a steep decline as they move farther and farther away from our Lord’s teachings. How many congregations and members have been lost since the 2009 CWA and the "great diving" into the deep end of the pool of heresy, declaring that God’s children now make the rules? Hebrews 6:4-6, “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”  Surely, the ELCA must believe that these verses of Scripture do not pertain to their actions as they deepen the chasm between their membership and our Lord.

So, the leadership of the ELCA has decided that their target audience does not want to be told that they are sinful beings, unable to prosper without God taking control. They decide to tell those seeking to fill the emptiness within their very souls, that can only be filled by Jesus Christ, that it is not necessary to made new. Those lost are told that God made you that way and there is no reason to change, and if God can’t accept you as you are, then we will create a god in your image, one that meets mankind’s expectations and allows one to be whatever one wants to be. They proclaim freedom for all to sin without remorse, without the need to ask for forgiveness, and without the need for a Savior. Even in this new and modern age, God’s people fashion for themselves graven images to worship. Problem is, the people have placed themselves upon the altar, worshipping themselves, their identities and accomplishments. And this church not only condones this, it promotes and proclaims that this makes their church stronger. How many people will be led into the abyss with these false teachings, all the while believing that their hands are doing God’s work? Jesus quoted the book of Isaiah in Matthew 15:8-9, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” Jesus is the truth and the way and the life. Without repentance, we become like the weeds to be thrown into the fire along with the chaff from the harvested wheat.

The Enemy Within

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

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

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

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

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

Spoiled Rotten

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

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

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

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

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!

Nobody's Perfect

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

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

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

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

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