I was born a LUTHERAN, I remember as a child of nine leaving church and having this warm feeling rush over me, tingling, Did not know it then that was the Holy Spirit, But I had a thought that it was. And through my life worshiping with my grandmother Helen. I loved sitting with her and reciting the Liturgy. I love Lutheran Liturgy, and now we have the NEW Red book ( My Pastor refuses to call it red, she calls it Cranberry) I think I might like the red book as long as it isn't Blasphemy. We cant de-gender the Creeds and the Lords Prayer.
I have thought deeply of quitting Luther, and joining the Baptist or even the Evangelical Free Church. I desire worshiping in a church where there are absolutes. Good/Evil, Salvation/damnation. I want to go to a church where I can hear that Salvation is a gift from God and that through his son alone we find Heaven. I want to worship in a Christian Church and not a inclusive bastardization of whatever feels good now.
I love singing contemporary hymns, I love raising my arms high in Praise, I love shouting," Praise Jesus," "Amen," and "Thank you God" during service,
You see, I have seen behind the curtain, I have worshiped with my brothers at many multi Denominational services. The men I worship with, from all different churches from all over Michigan, are my family. We Minister in Prisons together, over 50 of us. God is Good, All the time, All the time, God is good. I love those guys.
But I'll stay Lutheran, Why? The Liturgy.
And now I know something else. I know that in the coming years I can become a voter during Synod Assembly, and I Pray that I can help Keep the ELCA from becoming a non Christian church.
Salem
Rick
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Rescue Shop near Hell
A quote I really like is from C.T. Studd who during the first of this century was a missionary in China, Africa, and India. He said
"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
A rescue shop within a yard of Hell! Imagine that! Waiting for the dammed to arrive, I have waited for the dammed to arrive, and after forgiveness and love are given along with the gospel, I have seen salvation for the dammed. It is most gratifying to be used by the Holy Spirit.
So Who is Saved and who aint? A man on a blog once asked me If I have saved souls, (It was a trick) And so I said the truth, It really does set you free, I said that " The Holy Spirit saves, God save, Jesus saves, I am nothing, a person of no importance, BUT the Holy Spirit uses us to be the hands and feet of Christ in this world.
Ephesians 1:
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.
This is definitely a Lutheran thing, Both Luther and Calvin believed in Predestination, Tons of Christians do not, The misinterpret Free will and all that. We profess that God's grace saves. It saves perfectly on the basis of the work of Christ, I am saying that if God's grace saves, then ...God chooses to save certain individuals."
John 15:
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
I believe that God chooses you. God certainly choose me, I tried to run, It did not work. God Opens doors for his good works and all we really need to do is fall through.
I have to say this about Predestination though, Do not believe anything I say, Nothing I say. The Bible is near go and read it, Go and find the truth that God will reveal to you.
God Bless
Rick
"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
A rescue shop within a yard of Hell! Imagine that! Waiting for the dammed to arrive, I have waited for the dammed to arrive, and after forgiveness and love are given along with the gospel, I have seen salvation for the dammed. It is most gratifying to be used by the Holy Spirit.
So Who is Saved and who aint? A man on a blog once asked me If I have saved souls, (It was a trick) And so I said the truth, It really does set you free, I said that " The Holy Spirit saves, God save, Jesus saves, I am nothing, a person of no importance, BUT the Holy Spirit uses us to be the hands and feet of Christ in this world.
Ephesians 1:
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.
This is definitely a Lutheran thing, Both Luther and Calvin believed in Predestination, Tons of Christians do not, The misinterpret Free will and all that. We profess that God's grace saves. It saves perfectly on the basis of the work of Christ, I am saying that if God's grace saves, then ...God chooses to save certain individuals."
John 15:
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
I believe that God chooses you. God certainly choose me, I tried to run, It did not work. God Opens doors for his good works and all we really need to do is fall through.
I have to say this about Predestination though, Do not believe anything I say, Nothing I say. The Bible is near go and read it, Go and find the truth that God will reveal to you.
God Bless
Rick
Monday, April 2, 2007
Who is Saved
It's Raining,
I like it, I cannot see rain and not think of Gods Grace,
The Grace that God extends to all. As I look out over lake Michigan, the sky and lake melding as one on the horizon in a gray blue haze, I am also reminded that the Religious community today has melded together with the secular world to make Christianity a pot of luke warm spit.
It is vogue in many churches to chastise Believing or Confessing Christians as non-Inclusive Bigots and to be reprimanded as not fallowing the walk of Jesus. Imagine that a church that doesn't believe or preach salvation saying your not showing the Love of Jesus!
As a Saved Christian who loves Lutheran Liturgy, I get a little excited when people call them selves Christians and yet do not take the whole of Christ. They accuse us of cherry picking scripture as they cherry pick scripture. :) And yet
What of the new to Christ believers? what of them? DO we scare them off with the HARD TRUTH? or do we nurse them along weaning them from the secular world and into discipleship?
Who is saved and who is condemned?
Is a baptized Lutheran who recites the creeds and believes them but who runs out of church and never does good works, Is he/she saved?
OR is it a baptized Lutheran who recites the creeds and believes them and does good works out of love for the Father Is he saved?
Or is it the Christian who lives the creed, Lives for Christ Jesus and follows the WAY and yet stumbles into sin occasionally, Is he saved?
What do you think?
I like it, I cannot see rain and not think of Gods Grace,
The Grace that God extends to all. As I look out over lake Michigan, the sky and lake melding as one on the horizon in a gray blue haze, I am also reminded that the Religious community today has melded together with the secular world to make Christianity a pot of luke warm spit.
It is vogue in many churches to chastise Believing or Confessing Christians as non-Inclusive Bigots and to be reprimanded as not fallowing the walk of Jesus. Imagine that a church that doesn't believe or preach salvation saying your not showing the Love of Jesus!
As a Saved Christian who loves Lutheran Liturgy, I get a little excited when people call them selves Christians and yet do not take the whole of Christ. They accuse us of cherry picking scripture as they cherry pick scripture. :) And yet
What of the new to Christ believers? what of them? DO we scare them off with the HARD TRUTH? or do we nurse them along weaning them from the secular world and into discipleship?
Who is saved and who is condemned?
Is a baptized Lutheran who recites the creeds and believes them but who runs out of church and never does good works, Is he/she saved?
OR is it a baptized Lutheran who recites the creeds and believes them and does good works out of love for the Father Is he saved?
Or is it the Christian who lives the creed, Lives for Christ Jesus and follows the WAY and yet stumbles into sin occasionally, Is he saved?
What do you think?
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Wheres the meat
I find it wrong, the latest Quiznos commercial, the two pretty girls at the end of the commercial allude to a sexual connotation. If your old enough to remember the old Wendy's commercial where the grandmother yells, " Where's the BEEF!" I guess some folks really want to know, where is the Meat!
That is what I see in the Lutheran Church, Where's the Meat. We certainly have filler, Pastors following the path of not preaching the Gospel because it might make someone not feel accepted.
We have lard, Pastors preaching Social injustice, Environment, or Sexual ordination rather than Salvation, Condemnation, Forgiveness, or what I see as the most important task in the church today,,,,,,Teaching
"A Relationship with God."
The Church today forgets what they are on earth for. To bring people to God, Through Christ Jesus.
To Proclaim Salvation, to literally save souls.
If your Lutheran I want to ask you, Is there a Bible in your pews? Do you or your congregation believe in hell, and if so what are you doing to Work Out Your Salvation? Do you worship God, or do you worship Luther?
And If your a Pastor, When you die, and are walking into heaven will you look down at the souls you recognize in hell from your life, and what will you do when they scream out, " Why did you not tell us about the requirements for salvation?" Ezekiel 3 chapter.
Maranatha
Rick Weiss
That is what I see in the Lutheran Church, Where's the Meat. We certainly have filler, Pastors following the path of not preaching the Gospel because it might make someone not feel accepted.
We have lard, Pastors preaching Social injustice, Environment, or Sexual ordination rather than Salvation, Condemnation, Forgiveness, or what I see as the most important task in the church today,,,,,,Teaching
"A Relationship with God."
The Church today forgets what they are on earth for. To bring people to God, Through Christ Jesus.
To Proclaim Salvation, to literally save souls.
If your Lutheran I want to ask you, Is there a Bible in your pews? Do you or your congregation believe in hell, and if so what are you doing to Work Out Your Salvation? Do you worship God, or do you worship Luther?
And If your a Pastor, When you die, and are walking into heaven will you look down at the souls you recognize in hell from your life, and what will you do when they scream out, " Why did you not tell us about the requirements for salvation?" Ezekiel 3 chapter.
Maranatha
Rick Weiss
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