Aesop’s Fables contain the story of the ant and the grasshopper. If you can recall from your childhood, the ant toiled to prepare for the coming winter, saving his food and building shelter for the anticipated storm. The ant chided the grasshopper for not planning for the future, while the grasshopper ridiculed the ant for not living for today. The grasshopper fiddled away the summer, partying, binging, eating all of his food and failed prepare at all for the future. When the harsh winter arrived, the ant was warm and cozy while the grasshopper starved to death in the cold. Our Lord and Savior would call on us to open our homes and feed and clothe the grasshopper, even though he did nothing to deserve our compassion. So it is with our brothers and sisters of the ELCA. The doctrine of bound conscience and the gospel of radical inclusiveness allow those that choose to do so, to create a god on their own terms and believe as they wish, simply disregarding any and all Scripture deemed to be troublesome. Those true to the authority of Scripture plan for a future with our Lord by reading and listening to the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ, believing through the Holy Spirit, and endeavoring to obey our Father’s rules for us.
The long hard winter will eventually arrive and our brothers and sisters in the ELCA that accept and believe these false gospels are very much at risk of falling away from God. When one chooses to interpret Scripture to placate their personal desires, they risk being charged and convicted of placing themselves above our God. When one chooses to raise up the gospel of radical inclusiveness over the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or as Bishop Hanson proclaims that one cannot exist without the other, they risk rejecting the grace of God and losing the very salvation that our Lord offers them. Those that have left behind the heresy of the ELCA and decided to “walk together” with a church that upholds the authority of Scripture have planned for and secured their salvation. What of those that continue to trust a church that preaches a gospel other than the one our Lord preached? Will those who have attended to their own spiritual safety sit back and allow our brothers and sisters in Christ to starve?
James 5:19-20, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” Christians are called to proclaim the Truth to the world so that they too may be saved. What of those who fall away, chasing the pleasing words of affirmation, welcoming, and tolerance? What are we if we sit by, safe and secure, and do nothing to save our brothers and sisters? It is all well and good to save yourself, but once saved, do we not burn to share our joy? We cannot simply stand by and watch fellow Christians be led down the path that the leadership of the ELCA would have them travel.
This fight is for the souls of those that belong to Jesus Christ. We are the Lord’s soldiers and we are charged to love our neighbor as ourselves, and that means sharing the Gospel with everyone, especially those who are being led astray. Bishop Mark Hanson leads his merry band of grasshoppers, choosing to advocate for those wanting the affirmation of their sinful lives rather than the daunting task of denying themselves and turning their lives over to the Lord. His two-step dance of the gospel of radical inclusiveness and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, omits the need for self-denial. This leaves his flock simply hopping around on one foot, not dancing to the Gospel that our Lord taught. It is time that Christians take the lead in this dance and lead them back to the Lord. Most that choose to accept and believe these false teachings, still have the love of Jesus burned in their hearts. It is our responsibility to make sure that flame continues to burn, overwhelming those false gospels so that the love of our Lord brings them back to path our Lord wants them to follow.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Follow the Money
When police investigate crimes, it often becomes important to follow the money. Many a drug dealer has been done in by accountants. Al Capone was not indicted for murder or extortion; he was charged with and convicted of income tax evasion. Many terrorist organizations have been exposed when the trail of money leads to their benefactors. People protect their money and make appropriate accounting of their business transactions, so many criminals, dishonest politicians, and anyone involved in dubious dealings almost always keep a record of their financial transactions. The ELCA, for instance, leaves a wide money trail that exposes the priorities of this misguided denomination. Since the church is charged with doing God’s work, one would expect that much of their benevolence is dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel, since it is the church’s primary and most solemn responsibility is to bring people to Christ and save their souls for the Lord. This is obviously not important to the ELCA. The budget amount for the mission to proclaim the word to the world has dipped below the level of the 1988 budget amount. Missionary staff has been cut to less than 200. This is a church with a membership of over 4 million and a budget in excess of 100 million dollars. Anyone else sense a discrepancy here?
The ELCA now uses what they call “accompaniment” as a response to the changing context of global mission. Now that the seeds of their ministry have been planted throughout the world, they can step back and allow those churches to support themselves. This probably has nothing to do with prioritizing the funds left after the drastic loss in revenue due to so many churches leaving the ELCA. Let’s see, what should we cut, social justice or saving the lost? Apparently, the lost are going to have to be on their own for a while. The ELCA states that today, 70% of their missionaries are lay people who are invited by companion churches to serve as specialized medical personnel, development workers, librarians, accountants and teachers of English, science, math and computers. They typically serve two to six years. Funny, I remember that missionaries are those charged by the church to reach out to those who have not heard the word so that they too, may believe and be saved. Of course, in the ELCA, the word has been toyed with, been juggled, and has been made to submit to being explained, twisted, stretched, and revised to suit people and to achieve peace and union. The leaders of the ELCA have eliminated any secure or stable foundation on which human conscience might rely. – paraphrased from a sermon by Martin Luther.
If the missionaries of the ELCA wish to reach out to the lost and proclaim the gospel of radical inclusiveness and the doctrine of bound conscience, perhaps we should be glad that the ELCA budget for missionaries has been slashed. If the missionaries, like the one my congregation supported for eight years, believe that there are many paths to heaven and that there is no hell, then perhaps it is best that they not preach a false gospel to the world. This is why it is even more important for those churches that submit to the authority of Scripture and preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to step up and serve. A new mission clearing house has been established by Lutherans Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) where all Christians can get involved in mission work. The site is http://www.augustanadistrict.org/forum.html. This site is for congregations looking to help or partner with existing missions, for those looking to start missions, and for those looking for help or partner with missions they are currently involved with. Our Wisconsin LCMC congregation partnered with a Methodist church in Missouri to provide mission relief work in Joplin, MO and will partner with them this April in Indiana, both areas that were hit hard by tornados. So, there are many opportunities to get out and do God’s work.
Continue to pray that God will lift up and make strong leaders within the ELCA that will help turn them back to the path that our Lord wants them to travel. With the help of God, nothing is impossible. Proclaim the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ that remain in the ELCA, with true Christian love.
The ELCA now uses what they call “accompaniment” as a response to the changing context of global mission. Now that the seeds of their ministry have been planted throughout the world, they can step back and allow those churches to support themselves. This probably has nothing to do with prioritizing the funds left after the drastic loss in revenue due to so many churches leaving the ELCA. Let’s see, what should we cut, social justice or saving the lost? Apparently, the lost are going to have to be on their own for a while. The ELCA states that today, 70% of their missionaries are lay people who are invited by companion churches to serve as specialized medical personnel, development workers, librarians, accountants and teachers of English, science, math and computers. They typically serve two to six years. Funny, I remember that missionaries are those charged by the church to reach out to those who have not heard the word so that they too, may believe and be saved. Of course, in the ELCA, the word has been toyed with, been juggled, and has been made to submit to being explained, twisted, stretched, and revised to suit people and to achieve peace and union. The leaders of the ELCA have eliminated any secure or stable foundation on which human conscience might rely. – paraphrased from a sermon by Martin Luther.
If the missionaries of the ELCA wish to reach out to the lost and proclaim the gospel of radical inclusiveness and the doctrine of bound conscience, perhaps we should be glad that the ELCA budget for missionaries has been slashed. If the missionaries, like the one my congregation supported for eight years, believe that there are many paths to heaven and that there is no hell, then perhaps it is best that they not preach a false gospel to the world. This is why it is even more important for those churches that submit to the authority of Scripture and preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to step up and serve. A new mission clearing house has been established by Lutherans Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) where all Christians can get involved in mission work. The site is http://www.augustanadistrict.org/forum.html. This site is for congregations looking to help or partner with existing missions, for those looking to start missions, and for those looking for help or partner with missions they are currently involved with. Our Wisconsin LCMC congregation partnered with a Methodist church in Missouri to provide mission relief work in Joplin, MO and will partner with them this April in Indiana, both areas that were hit hard by tornados. So, there are many opportunities to get out and do God’s work.
Continue to pray that God will lift up and make strong leaders within the ELCA that will help turn them back to the path that our Lord wants them to travel. With the help of God, nothing is impossible. Proclaim the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ that remain in the ELCA, with true Christian love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)