Love Wins

By a ruling of five justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, marriage is no longer the sole domain of one man and one woman. Gays and lesbians can now legally marry in all 50 states. As Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority, “They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The constitution grants them that right.” Many are cheering this decision and many are as equally disturbed and disappointed. For those who continue to hold fast to God’s truth, this is not the end of the world, so don’t give up hope just yet. Several concerned congregants asked our Pastor to hold a meeting to discuss the ramifications of this decision on churches that believe that marriage is a holy and divine covenant before God, for one man and one woman to enter into that commitment in order to serve God. When they become “one flesh” they reflect the image of the Trinity, equal within this covenant, sharing a common purpose and intimacy, even though each possess different personalities and roles within this relationship. It is within this relationship that procreation takes place and both mother and father share the responsibility to properly raise their children, even though each may have differing responsibilities within that role.

Several quotes from Rosaria Butterfield’s new book entitled, “Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ” were mentioned by Pastor Jay. One in particular, really caught my eye. “God is calling us to so greatly love others that we do not desire for them anything that might separate them from God.” Even though this should be the most overriding concern for Christians when endeavoring to “gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth”, far too often we trip all over ourselves and end up building a wall rather than opening a door. You see, if the person you are trying to save ends up being pushed away by your lack of ability to properly articulate the Gospel message, you end up being that person that slams the door on grace. Been there, done that, don’t want to do it anymore. We are all sinners. Let that soak in for a while. Those engaging in behavior that we know to be frowned upon by our God are the same persons looking back at us in the mirror, so if there is to be any finger pointing, look no further than yourself. All are forgiven if only one believes.

Man’s law is for this world and for those living in this society. One need not despair that this decision discards God’s command and diminishes the institution of marriage. As Christians, our task remains unchanged. We are to give glory to God by forgiving as He forgave us. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to spread the Good News to all the earth. We are to love our God with all our heart, all our soul and with all our mind. We are to act in a manner that reflects favorably upon our Lord and Savior. We are not to judge, especially those who are not Christian. We must, by our actions, be a positive influence upon all those around us. Take those families of the nine Christian African American men and women who were shot and killed by a white man who targeted them because of their skin color at a bible study in Charleston, South Carolina. At the suspect’s initial appearance, one by one they had the temerity to face the murderer of their loved ones and offer him forgiveness, ask him to repent and come to faith in Jesus. This is truly the Holy Spirit flowing through them. This is how Jesus would want each and every one of us to react to someone who strikes us on the cheek.

Those brothers and sisters in Christ that remain in fellowship with churches like the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church in America as they celebrate this decision need to carefully assess their relationship with these wayward organizations and see just how it fits with the way our Lord and Savior wants us to walk in this world. Another quote from Butterfield’s book; “You can’t bypass repentance to get to grace. Christ is manifest in our humility, not in our disobedience.” When one celebrates their sinful behavior without repentance, Christ is not in them. Romans 1: 32, “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” We are sinful human beings, unworthy of the gift of grace our God so graciously bestows upon those who believe. Perhaps, even more unworthy than those who engage in homosexual acts. Do not judge those who are lost because it is they that our Lord commands us to reach with the Gospel.

God makes it abundantly clear that He expects His children to act in a manner that is pleasing to Him. One small price to pay as gratitude for all He has done for us is to be obedient and properly reflect His love through our words and actions. Let us reach out to those who are lost, our brothers and sisters in Christ that acquiesce or even celebrate deceitful doctrine in a way that can open doors to conversation and reach out in Christian love those who do not yet believe, no matter what is their sin. Romans 3:22-25, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”

We're Not Worthy

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey created the Wayne’s World characters Wayne and Garth for a 1988 skit on Saturday Night Live. (When it was still relatively funny) The premise of the skit entailed a couple of slackers that hosted a public access cable show. Whenever they interviewed someone of note, they would both do an exaggerated bow, stating, “We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy.” Well, we just may be able to learn from their example, because we are certainly not worthy of the grace that our God bestows upon us. Martin Luther wrote the explanation of the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer in the Small Catechism, “We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins, nor deny such petitions on account of them; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them; but that He would grant them all to us by grace; for we daily sin much, and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So will we verily, on our part, also heartily forgive and also readily do good to those who sin against us.” We should always be eternally grateful that our Lord can overlook our numerous shortcomings and grant us eternal life, in spite of our blemishes.
 
Since we are forever unworthy of our Lord’s love, should we decide to simply rest on the laurels of our faith in the Risen Christ? Should we sit idly by and humbly accept the grace that grants us our salvation? Should we merely be happy that our Lord and Savior took upon Himself all of our sins and generously accepted our punishment, died in our place and rose, defeating death so that we should live? Or should we rejoice in the knowledge that faith in the Risen Christ is the only way to salvation by sharing the Good News with our neighbor? If we fail to abide by our Lord’s command to preach the Gospel to the world, we fail as Christians. The responsibility that comes with being a follower of Christ is that we simply can't not share the love that God has for all His children. Everyone should come to know Him and if we fail to take that responsibility, we fail our Lord. For certain, this does not affect our salvation, but any of His children that are lost bring sorrow to our God. If it is our goal to please our Lord, we must take up His cross and become a Disciple of Christ.

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

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

Wishful Thinking

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

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

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

Stop Making Sense

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fool Me Once

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

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

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

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

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

Paved With Good Intentions

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

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

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

The Great Deceiver

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

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

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

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

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

If Only....

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

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

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

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

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

The Formula for Failure

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

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

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

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

Counterfeit Truth

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

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

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

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

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

Shock and Awe

The war in Iraq began with a campaign entitled “Shock and Awe”. The attack was to be so swift, so intense, and so decisive that the enemy would be overwhelmed. Communications, supply lines, and military equipment was targeted and destroyed with the goal of eliminating the Iraqi Army’s will to fight. Much of the Iraqi army was scattered without any connection to their battle leaders and this strategy did lead to the surrender of numerous Iraqi battle groups in the field. The Iraqi army was easily defeated, with few Coalition forces lost. The attack on the foundations of our faith has been much more deliberate. The ELCA has been moving toward the creation of a new Lutheranism for decades. Using the hot button issue of homosexuality as a smoke screen, the ELCA has contrived doctrine to allow us to commit sin without remorse. Many were shocked after the 2009 ELCA Church Wide Assembly actions. The leadership of the ELCA stood by and allowed the Assembly to vote to disregard God’s law, knowing full well that all that chose to speak out against these actions would be looked upon as homophobic, intolerant and hateful. The leadership of the ELCA then used this to their advantage. The doctrine of bound conscience, invented to bolster the argument for the Human Sexuality statement, was utilized in a much more insidious way.

Bound conscience is the ELCA's way to justify their argument that we must not break fellowship simply because we have “differing viewpoints.” This false doctrine enables the ELCA to have a "Big Tent" and to draw in a new and diverse membership. You see, the ELCA has been hemorrhaging members almost from the day that it began. The ELCA has lost almost one million members since their inception in 1988. As they have moved further left, pursued a stated goal of social justice, and have left our Lord behind, there is little left to attract new members. Those looking for Jesus need not look to the ELCA to advocate for our Lord when there is so much else that is more important in this world. Filling your heart with the love of Christ is not on the radar screen of these enlightened leaders of the ELCA. It is indeed shocking, that a Lutheran Church would betray the Lord, relegate Him to a place secondary in their ministry, while publicly refuting God’s word, the Holy Bible. This is just beyond our comprehension. This church, in which many of us found the Lord, has fallen away from Him. As shocking as this “fall from grace” that has overtaken the ELCA, know this, God has a plan for us and nothing happens that is not part of that plan, including the troubling times in the ELCA.

Part of that plan is the work that the Holy Spirit is doing with Christians that were complacent in their faith. This includes many of us that attended Sunday services regularly but did not take the time or have the interest to dig into God’s word. I am awestrck as to how, in these troubling times, so many Christians have awakened and have been invigorated in their Spiritual lives. You can count the writer of this blog as one those Christians that has been awakened from his slumber. So many traditional, Bible based congregations have seen a marked increase in congregants reassessing their relationship with the Lord and are now attending Bible studies and getting involved in the church. You see, sometimes it takes a veritable slap in the face to awaken those that take their faith for granted. Indeed, when times are tough, it is difficult to discern why God does the things that He does. Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Everything that happens, does so because God intends for it to happen in that way. God’s purpose may not always be evident, but rest assured, He does those things to benefit those that love Him.

The direction that the leadership of the ELCA is taking their membership is contradictory to what faithful Christians have been taught since they were old enough to attend Sunday School. This attempt to transform the ELCA into this welcoming, tolerant, and all accepting social club that denies the very foundation of our faith has fueled the righteous anger of many faithful Christians. Ephesians 3:10-12, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Now that this church, the ELCA, is ignoring our Lord’s intent and is spreading a gospel other than the Gospel our Lord taught, we must seek out a new church, true to the Lord, in which we can “walk together” in our faith journeys. We must also be diligent in our efforts to expose the heresies being promoted by the leadership of the ELCA so that no more of God’s children will fall prey to these false teachings. Continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ so that they too may see the truth.

God's Law IS Important

The adoption of the doctrine of bound conscience has caused many people to accuse the ELCA of disregarding God’s Law and replacing it with a version more acceptable to modern society. Others believe it to be a way that people with differing opinions can still remain in Christian fellowship without conflict by respecting the opinions of others. "The world maintains, as do many people who do not understand, that we should not fight so hard about an article and thus trample on Christian love; rather, although we disagree on one small point, if we agree on everything else, we should give in and overlook the difference in order to preserve brotherly and Christian unity and fellowship. No, my dear man, do not commend peace and unity to me when thereby God's Word is lost...The Word was given unto us for eternal life and not to further outward peace and harmony... Therefore, do not talk to me about love and friendship if that means breaking with the Word or the faith, for the Gospel does not say love brings eternal life, God's grace, and all heavenly treasures, but instead 'the Word" - Martin Luther. Apparently the ELCA scholars considered only the first part of this statement. Keeping harmony in the church at the expense of disregarding God's Word should be an anathema to the church. As Scripture is challenged by these ELCA Biblical scholars as the infallible Word of God, they cite Bible verses in order to support this new doctrine. On one hand the argument is made that the Bible is a “Book of Faith” and not always relevant to our society, but Scripture is always cited when it appears convenient to prop up secular ideals.

Bound conscience is obviously viewed quite differently by the opposing camps. The ELCA believes that bound conscience is primarily directed at those that feel that Scripture prohibits same sex relationships. They believe that those that adhere to Scripture and believe that homosexuality is sinful are to be allowed to have that opinion, even if the church doctrine determines otherwise. The traditional Lutheran is convinced that this doctrine places man in authority over Scripture and allows man to interpret Scripture in any way they so choose. Those traditional Lutherans believe that bound conscience falsely allows the church to legitimize those engaging in same sex relationships, a practice that is specifically prohibited by Scripture.

When Scripture was written, mortal men were inspired by the Holy Spirit to chronicle God’s own words for us. Some Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, can be somewhat troubling to this society that believes that it has reached the pinnacle of enlightenment. Some of the passages that seem to cause the most consternation are those involving the role of women in the church, human sexuality and slavery. The argument is made that these few passages, that are disconcerting to our more modern sensibilities, prove that the Bible is out of touch with our society. On the contrary, a church that embraces secular and progressive values is disconnected from and denies our Lord the proper role in their ministry.

It is very troubling that such a few in the vocal minority can have so much influence over not only the values embraced by our society, but on churches that have adopted doctrine to mirror this enlightened philosophy. In addition, our own ELCA has taken many of these secular causes and lifted them up as central to their ministry, prioritizing the J of (social) Justice instead of Jesus. With the adoption of the bound conscience doctrine, those that interpret Scripture are to have their opinions respected, even if that opinion is in error! Although this bound conscience doctrine is not meant to be applied in matters that affect salvation, it is already is being used to question the foundation of our faith. The ELCA already recognizes alternate ways to salvation, in other words, Jesus is not the only way. ELCA scholars cast doubt upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Birth in text explaining their disagreements over the "proper" interpretation of Scripture. Nothing in Scripture gives this doctrine of bound conscience any credibility. This bound conscience is of man and not of the Spirit.

Romans 6:15-18, “Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed you allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and become slaves to righteousness.” Since we are saved by our faith alone, it appears that some believe that the law is no longer relevant. This attitude, though, will lead to a lack of moral restraint. We need look no further than the actions taken at the 2009 ELCA assembly to see what happens when we lift up our earthy desires and disregard God’s law. We need to substitute our disobedience and sinful ways by placing our Lord first in our lives, which will lead to the path of righteousness. With our Lord as the central purpose in our lives, we will have no need for the sinful ways of this world.

Speak the Truth in Love

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

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

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

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

Father Knows Best

After decades of political infighting, the ELCA has, with a total disregard of Scripture, altered doctrine to allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained and same-sex unions to be blessed. There are so many that are all worked up over this issue alone. For some this is the overriding factor when deciding whether or not to break fellowship with the ELCA. Some in the LGTB community are still angry that there are those that cling to Scripture and continue to disapprove of their lifestyle. Anyone who stands up for God’s Word is derided and mocked as a homophobe, hateful or hypocritical by those who state that they only want to be loved and accepted for what they are, God’s children. When one reads from some of the progressive blogs, there is so much anger in the LGTB community that one would be led to believe that the 2009 Church Wide Assembly voted NO! Brothers and sisters know this, the evil one is in utter bliss over what has transpired within the ELCA. Sex is not the major issue. It is only the tip of the iceberg in the ELCA’s misguided assault on the Christian faith! We all fall short of the glory of our Lord and we all fall into sin regularly. Yes, all of us! But, we are no longer under the law-we are under God’s grace. If we simply fail to obey His law, we will not fall from the path of salvation because our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin. His ultimate sacrifice was the final atonement that permanently paved a path to our salvation, as long as we truly believe. No matter what we do, so long as we truly believe, that path will remain open for us.

But, when one truly places Christ at the center of his or her life, that person will gladly obey His law and live one’s life according to God’s will. Our selfish desires, whatever they may be, will lessen in importance. We will do whatever we can to please our Lord and begin to live our lives to give glory to Him. When we look to prop up our selfish nature by using our “bound conscience” to believe what we want, contrary to God’s intent, we commit the gravest of sins against our God. We place ourselves above our Lord and worship, not the God of all creation, but ourselves, our identities and our accomplishments. Thou shall have no other gods before me. Matthew 22:37-38, “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” This just may be the deal breaker for our Lord. How sad this is for those that accept and are led astray by this false gospel. Man’s law forbids certain behavior and if you choose to disobey, you get arrested and go to jail. Our Father’s law forbids certain behavior, but now we are told that we can disregard His law because some ELCA scholars believe that God is telling us something new. But, because God loves us so much, He forgives us and invites us to live with Him in His house despite our willful disobedience. The leadership of the ELCA has, by adopting the doctrine of bound conscience, placed man in authority over God. These petulant children, the leaders and scholars of the ELCA, think they are more enlightened and know better than God, who can with a word, create the universe or destroy it. It appears that they are playing with fire here.

Nothing that is happening now, has not happened before. Our Lord has dealt with His disobedient children all too often. When the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Scripture, it was all part of His plan for us. His plan is made known to us through the Scriptures. Those that choose to ignore God’s Word do so at great peril. The ELCA is called to safeguard our church's doctrine, or that which we believe and profess, not question the long held truths of the Christian faith. The ELCA is called to enforce discipline against those that teach false doctrine and to guard the historic and orthodox Christian faith, not adopt doctrine that contradicts Scripture. As the leaders and scholars of the ELCA question the long held truths of the Christian faith, their arrogance betrays them. The leadership of the ELCA is engaged in this self-destructive pursuit of secular values while denying the very God they profess to worship. Luke 17:1-3, “Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.” Unfortunately, there are those that are falling prey to these heretical teachings. Pray for those unaware of these destructive teachings, that their hearts and minds be opened to resist this false gospel. Pray that those true to the Spirit awaken and rise up to leave this misguided denomination. Continue to reach out in Christian love to all our brothers and sisters so that all will come to believe and know the Lord.

It's Not About You

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

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

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

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

Agree to Disagree?

1 Corinthians 11:19, “No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.” In this verse the Apostle Paul explains that even when believers have differences of opinion that cause division among them, those differing factions do serve a purpose. They will serve to separate those that are faithful and true in God’s light from those that are not. The ELCA promotes a doctrine that causes division and promotes conflict among the faithful. The doctrine of bound conscience fosters the development of varying interpretations of Scripture, giving credibility to those interpretations, even if those opinions are contrary to Scriptural intent. The well intentioned delegates that voted on the various resolutions at the 2009 ELCA assembly, did not consider the unintended consequences of their actions, whereas, the leadership of the ELCA knew full well that these votes would cause a deep schism among the membership. It is very troubling that the leadership of the ELCA would continue to pursue this dangerous agenda, risking the very foundation of this Synod and the salvation of those that fall prey to these false teachings.

Regrettably, the ELCA leadership has been influenced by the clamor of social justice activists and have abdicated their responsibility to defend the Lord’s Word and guard traditional Lutheran doctrine. The temptation to broaden their worldly kingdom has blinded them and compelled the leadership of the ELCA to disregard God’s Word and replace it with progressive secular values in order to ingratiate them with this modern and enlightened society. 2 Peter 2:1-2, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” Bound conscience is a destructive heresy, instigating a deep division among the faithful. This divisive teaching will only result in the moral and spiritual destruction of those who accept it. To properly uphold our Christian faith is to obey and live according to our Lord’s direction and the morals that He has instilled in us, not by our personal opinion or by some earthly authority.

Jude 4, “For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” And there are still those that say the Bible is not pertinent to today’s society. Those that embrace this doctrine of bound conscience will assume that by grace, our Lord will freely forgive them even if they willfully engage in every self indulgent sin they choose. 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If you love the world, love for the Father is not in you. 16 For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes, and their boasting about what they have and do – come not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” This bound conscience leads us away from God’s Word and causes us to lift up earthly desires. The world is the dominion of the fallen angel and he delights in his ability to control sinful humans with the promise of granting to us those earthly desires that can overcome our self control. This world will, all too soon fade away, but our Lord and Savior will be with us for all eternity. We can try to change God’s Word so it is more pleasing to us, but the truth of the matter is, by doing so, we only drive a wedge between us and our Savior.

Jude 21-23, “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear- hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” The Bible is God’s Word, written for each and every one of us, infallible and valid for all time.

Shake the Dust from your Sandals

Many congregations within the ELCA are prayerfully discerning where the Lord is leading them. Many of those traditional congregations are struggling with the direction that the ELCA is heading and many believe that they are leaving our Lord behind. The things of this world seem to be held in a much higher regard than our Lord, and the “J” word has little to do with Jesus. God’s work, our hands, is proudly proclaimed as “Our Brand” by the ELCA. Unfortunately, there is little emphasis on reaching out to our brothers and sisters who do not know Jesus. Good works and the acknowledgement of those doing them are nothing without declaring that we do these things in Jesus’ name. The ELCA introduces false doctrine and disregards God’s law in order to more welcoming, accepting and tolerant. God’s Word is amended by Biblical scholars and passed by the votes of His children, using their imperfect love in the name of God’s perfect love. When do children’s opinions take precedence over their Father in heaven?

Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus said, “If a brother or sister sins, go and point out the fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Jesus teaches that we should try to correct our brother or sister, but if they continue to refuse to listen, we are to treat them as a pagan or tax collector. Tax collectors, for one, were reviled in Jesus’ time, since they were typically dishonest and considered traitors. Our Lord introduces, in this teaching, that those that fail to respond to the church’s discipline should be excommunicated. Further, in 2 Thessalonians 3:14, “Take special note of those who do not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as fellow believers.” These verses are meant that the disassociation with the believers in error, will cause them to realize their error and come back to the Lord. This is not meant to be a punishment, but an avenue to repair the fellowship with those in error. In regards to disassociation with the ELCA, there have been fellow believers that have tried over and over to lead the ELCA back to the Lord and the ELCA continues to pursue this path of promoting a false gospel. Would it not be appropriate in Christian love to turn away, hoping that this will awaken the ELCA and bring them back to the Lord?

1 Corinthians 9-11, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy or swindlers, or idolators. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with any who claim to be fellow believers but are sexually immoral, or greedy, idolators, or slanderers, drunkards, or swindlers. With such persons do not even eat.” In these verses Paul refers to those affiliated with the church that are engaging in immoral conduct. Calling oneself a Christian while leading an immoral life is reprehensible and by doing so they give false testimony to Christ. If Christians associate with other Christians that continue to disregard God’s law by engaging in immoral conduct, non-believers will see this and assume that this is the proper way for a Christian to conduct himself, dishonoring the name of our Lord. Does not the ELCA promote immorality by condoning the homosexual lifestyle? Is placing the social justice agenda above our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ tantamount to idolatry? When the leaders of the ELCA complain openly about the loss of revenue, causing reductions in staffing and compensation, does that not fit the definition of greed? When we are told that we don’t need to turn the hearts of non-believers to Jesus and all are saved regardless of their faith in the risen Christ, we truly need to pray about our continued affiliation with this Synod. We need to continue to prayerfully discern where God is leading. We need to dwell in His Word and let His will be done. If enough of God’s children turn their backs on the ELCA, it may just be enough to open their hearts and bring them back to the Lord. If SOTH decides to remain with the ELCA as it continues on this path, we will not only be guilty by association, but we may be just as well be guilty of dishonoring our Lord.

The Spirit of Truth

Much wailing and gnashing of teeth has transpired within the membership of the ELCA since the adoption of a doctrine designed to justify the reinterpreting of God’s Word to meet their goal of social justice. Some of the ELCA biblical scholars believe and are teaching that the Bible is an outdated collection of anecdotes and stories written by simple, uneducated men specifically for the people of that time. Some say that the Word is clouded by the attitudes and perspectives of a people that were culturally predisposed to prejudices against practices that were acceptable in other societies. These misguided opinions have supported the ELCA’s attack on Scripture and are the principal rationale used to defend their effort to supplant Scripture with man’s more enlightened version. This modern and secular interpretation of God’s Word has brought us the doctrine of bound conscience.

Many of the activists that have fought for the full inclusion of the LGTB community in the church are still angry that many traditional Lutherans continue to believe that homosexuality is sinful and that the actions of the 2009 ELCA assembly violate God’s law. Simple inclusion without the acceptance of their lifestyle is not sufficient enough.  This sinful traditional Lutheran knows of no congregation that prohibits anyone from the LGTB community to worship and have full communion with the church. As a matter of fact, no sinners are prohibited from fully participating in worship, fellowship and Communion at any Lutheran church. We need to remember that we are all sinful beings and need to regularly ask God for His forgiveness. Most of us are not proud that we fail our Lord on a regular basis and realize that our Lord suffered greatly for each and every sin we commit.

Unfortunately, the ELCA has invented doctrine that allows one to disregard language in the Bible if one only has an opinion contrary to God’s intent and further, allows it’s membership to engage in acts that defy God’s law. In doing so, their selfishness and arrogance separates them from our God. That the ELCA would voluntarily adopt doctrine that, by its nature, distances us from our Lord is beyond belief. There are many excuses one can use to justify engaging in sinful behavior. With bound conscience, the ELCA provides a doctrine that legitimizes that excuse for anyone to engage in sin if only they believe in their own interpretation of Scripture. It is when we deny our sin that we betray ourselves, convincing ourselves that we are indeed good and have no need to confess to the Lord. We need to realize that we are all equals as sinful human beings. No sinner is better than or worse than any other. No sin should cause any brother or sister in Christ to be rejected or treated any differently than any other child of God.

Then why is there so great an outcry about the actions of the 2009 ELCA assembly? This dispute should not be exclusively about human sexuality. The fact of the matter is that the new doctrine of bound conscience elevates man to a position to be in authority over Scripture and, as such, places all of God’s word in jeopardy. Argue about the other matters all you want, but when it comes down to the ultimate authority, God has the final word, not us. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ told his disciples in John 15:26-27, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” and John 16:13-14, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” The testimonies of the Apostles are, indeed, the inspired Word of God, received from the Holy Spirit as directed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Peter testified, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” All Scripture, in this instance the Old Testament is the subject of Peter’s testimony, is God’s Word and therefore, His truth and law for us.

It is more than unfortunate that some of God’s children believe it to be appropriate to disregard our Lord’s word and replace it with the words they long to hear. It is heartbreaking that some of God’s children feel the need to place their sexual identities above their love of our Lord. Our salvation was paid for in Jesus’ blood and suffering. Those that refuse to obey our Lord and cling to their own selfish desires will only place their salvation at risk. The leaders of the ELCA that encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to ignore God’s Word are leading others away from the Lord and jeopardize their own salvation as well.