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(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
The most recent edition of Living Lutheran, the national magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has an article about “Seeking the Spirit Within”. It states “Prayer can include coloring mandalas, using beads, meditating over a piece of Scripture, walking a labyrinth or repeating a name or phrase.” A mandala is a ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe, which is used for the purpose of meditation and trance induction. So why is the ELCA promoting this? Repeating a name or phrase over and over is also part of Buddhist meditation (think “Om”), but where does Jesus ever teach us to say a word over and over in order to meditate? This is called syncretism, taking non-Christian practices and beliefs and mixing them together with Christianity. It is what got the ancient Jews in trouble when they tried to mix Baal worship with the worship of Jehovah. The ELCA needs to remember the words of the First Commandment regarding syncretism: Thou shalt have no other gods. June is gay pride month and Living Lutheran devotes a whole article to ways your church can be gay-friendly. Don’t talk in Sunday school materials about mom and dad since we need to “remember your same-gendered-married couples.” Get a gender-neutral bathroom in your church. Celebrate gender identity and transition (changing one's sex) in your fellow Christians. Don’t say Christian “brothers and sisters” since this excludes non-binary and transgender people. It appears the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has swallowed the GLBT agenda whole. Living Lutheran no longer allows the conservative view on homosexuality to be even heard. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock
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(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Pro-transgender advice from ELCA Lutheran magazine: Say "siblings in Christ, instead of brothers and sisters in Christ; parents and guardians, instead of mom and dad; and all genders, instead of both genders" These pro-transgender articles from Living Lutheran keep coming, without a hint that there is another side to the issue, namely, that rejecting one's appointed sex is a rejection of God's plan for one's life. No one is ever allowed to say that in this official magazine of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The church I attended as a teenager in Omaha used to support the camp referred to below. My old pastors would weep to see what the ELCA has become. In Christ, Pastor Tom Brock (See article here)
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has chosen a transgender boy and his transgender advocacy activist mom to be speakers at the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering. (see below and this link)
The boy (who wants to be a girl) is just 12 years old and has been carted around the United States to speak for transgender rights.
Kevin DeYoung writes, "The Bible teaches that God made us male or female, and no matter our own feelings or confusion, we should act in accordance with the biological reality of God’s good design. Transgenderism falls short of the glory of God and is not the way to walk in obedience to Christ." (see here)
God does not desire children or adults to reject their God-given genders, mutilate their bodies and pretend to live as the opposite sex. They need to be helped out of their confusion and embrace the truth of their biological sex. But that will not be taught at the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering. Sadly and infuriatingly, the trans-advocate mother and son are not the only troubling speakers the ELCA has hired to speak to the 30,000 impressionable teens. ELCA's Rev. Tuhina Verma Rasche is one of the Gathering keynote speakers. She is an outspoken radical and controversial pastor, who gained fame in the ELCA for co-authoring the (please excuse the vulgarity) "Fuck This Shit" devotional, is an advocate for premarital sex, and when you read her tweets, you will find it displays lots of anger, swearing, demonitization of white males, racist comments about white people, liberal politics, gay pride, trans pride and anger at the United States of America. (see here) ELCA Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber is another keynote speaker at the ELCA Youth Gathering. She is a foul-mouthed, proponent of premarital sex, supporter of Planned Parenthood, who has many theological beliefs that run contrary to Scripture. She is a universalist who has presided over a transgender re-naming ceremony and has had a drag queen emcee her church's children's program. (read more about Rev. Bolz-Weber here and here) If you are sending your youth to the ELCA National Youth Gathering, please consider cancelling their trip. Below is the transgender advocate mother's tweets about speaking at the Youth Gathering.
Luther Seminary has a website that provides advice and help for pastors writing sermons. An article on the ELCA seminary website shows you how far the denomination has departed from Scripture and how the secular world mindset has taken over the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The article's authors edited the following Bible verse to say: “They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and Ze delivered them from their distress; Ze brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart” - Psalm 107:13-14.
The article's ELCA affiliated authors replaced two pronouns for "He," used to refer to God in the verses, with the recently invented word "Ze." According to the Cambridge Dictionary, 'ze' is "a pronoun sometimes used instead of 'he' or 'she' because it does not show a particular gender." (see here) This is all part of the gender fluidity lie, transgenderism embrace, rejection of calling God "Father" and rewriting of God's Word that is dominating the culture. Again, this is an article for pastors posted by a website of Luther Seminary, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America institution. (see here) The article was co-authored by Rev. Jennifer Chrien and Jessica Davis. Jennifer Chrien is the senior pastor at the ELCA's Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Simi Valley, CA. Jessica Davis is a chaplain for #decolonizeLutheranism, an organization formed of mostly ELCA leaders, and a signer of the "Naked & Unashamed Statement" which was also written by ELCA leaders. Interestingly, last year Jessica Davis was part of a discussion panel that included the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and is obviously in a position of influence in the ELCA.
The apostate church, the world and ultimately the devil want to destroy the life, faith and souls of our youth. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is part of this: injecting sexual perversion and evil into the hearts and minds of young people. They are justifying and encouraging sexual sin and denying the clear reading of scripture against it.
Take a look at some of what the the ELCA has been doing lately that is aimed at the youth of the church: - The ELCA's Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, in their newsletter, invited LGBT youth on a youth retreat - 
- Lutherock is a camp of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in Newland, NC. They hold all kinds of gatherings for children and teens. Below Lutherock posted this message and picture of a same-sex wedding of their past staff members. It gives us clear indication as to the mindset and beliefs taught to the children who attend the camp. 
- A large gathering for ELCA high school youth in regions 1-4 was held at California Lutheran University (CLU), June 28 - July 2, 2017. One of the featured speakers was transgender ELCA pastor, Megan Rohrer. (see here) 
Below is the transgender pastor's post on Instagram while at the youth gathering.
Of course, this ELCA gathering for youth had "All Gender Bathrooms."
- Lastly, we have the #ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza. This is a gathering for ELCA persons who work with the youth of the denomination. The following are tweets from the ELCA Youth Ministry Network and people at the "Extravaganza." Most are related to the session given by a transgender child's mother. 
On a different topic, we have the ELCA Youth Ministry Network tweeting this gender-avoiding reference to the Trinity.
You can not change your sex. You can not change your gender. Those are facts. Trying to do so goes against God's will for you and is a sin against God. (see here)
It is also a sin to encourage sinful behavior. The ELCA is guilty of this. They do this regarding homosexuality and transgenderism. This week the ELCA's St. Matthew-Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoboken, New Jersey, announced that one of their pastors is "transitioning" from female to male. They will be holding a renaming service for this pastor. The bishop of the New Jersey Synod, Tracie Bartholomew, will be the featured preacher that day. 
Here is Pastor Rose Beeson, the transitioning woman who is having the renaming service.
Pastor Beeson's church will also be holding LGBT Etiquette Training. The church newsletter describes it this way, “a refresher course on terminology used by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to equip us with more tools and resources to make St. Matthew Trinity an even safer and more welcoming congregation. This builds on SMT's historic commitment to be a Reconciling in Christ congregation, welcoming people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” (See here) Here are a couple excited St. Matthew-Trinity members sharing the news of their pastor's renaming ceremony. 
This isn't just a case of one wayward church or one wayward ELCA leader embracing transgenderism. It is happening throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. - Not long ago a ELCA website published an article by an ELCA pastor about her transgender child. (See here)
- The ELCA's Sierra Pacific Synod 2016 Assembly Handbook tells us how the synod had a workshop called “The Story of Gender.” Here are the first few sentences describing the workshop:
“Gender is no longer just male and female. As a church we need to know and understand the language around gender identities and be able to include this language into our liturgy. Now that many people are getting the language needed to help them understand who they are, such as transgender, people are now able to live into authenticity.” (See here, page 18) - Also in the Sierra Pacific Synod 2016 Assembly Handbook you can read all the changes being recommending to the synod and the ELCA by the Committee on Gender Identity Inclusivity in response to two resolutions that were passed at the 2015 Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly. (see previous link and go to page 71) - Fittingly, I just came across this tonight.
- Then there is this from the ELCA Youth Ministry Network:
As part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's observance of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, the denomination conducted a survey of ELCA members. The survey said "...we are interested in learning your current knowledge of the Reformation and participation in the 500th anniversary, including Reformation worship, education and service activities." (see here) If you took the survey you would have come across this page:  A concerned ELCA member, Matt Reisetter, sent me this screenshot of the ELCA survey. The ELCA's list of answers to the question, "What is your gender?" included the option "Not listed." This survey answer option is certainly consistent with the radically liberal view held by the ELCA on sexuality. The ELCA Presiding Bishop recently made this statement, "When we take a look a people’s sexual orientation or gender identity, it’s not completely binary. Everybody isn’t male or everybody isn’t female. There’s a whole spectrum to that." (Listen here) Mr. Reisetter decided to write to ELCA leadership and share his thoughts in this regard:  Exposing the ELCA agrees with Mr. Reisetter's assessment. I would like to encourage readers to stand up for the Truth of God's Word and like Matt Reisetter, or Martin Luther himself, challenge pastors and leaders when they are teaching contrary to Scripture. I would also encourage you to share the ELCA's maleficence with ELCA members and encourage them to consider whether they are abiding with God in staying with this heretical denomination. (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Today I talked with an elderly Lutheran woman who left her church because it hired a lesbian pastor who has a partner. The church is not far from where I live, and I went to its website to see what such a pastor would preach. The website says it is a progressive church, then says (repeatedly) how much they welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The elderly woman had told me that her last visit to her church was when they were celebrating "Gender Identity Sunday". In her blog the pastor begins by quoting Jonathan Edwards' famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and then says: "His words and approach do not represent the God of love that I follow, just like we don’t beat our children in the shed anymore...As for Hell, Hell isn’t a place. It’s an experience: Hell is what the families in Flint Michigan are going through. Hell is a child going to bed hungry, their parents frantic and broken not knowing where their next meal is coming from. Hell is hoping the war in the Middle East doesn’t claim more children-our children. Hell is standing at the border of an unfamiliar country, holding a sick child, only to be turned away." She is wrong. Jesus talked about Hell as a place where there will be "eternal punishment" (Matthew 25:46). In fact, Jesus talks more about Hell than anyone else in the New Testament. And the Bible teaches that people who live in impenitent sin, including fornication, idolatry, drunkenness, homosexuality, etc., will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Perhaps the pastor has a vested interest in denying the reality of Hell. The elderly woman I spoke to was upset that the ELCA synod leadership promoted this person to become the pastor of her church. Not too many years ago, someone living in impenitent sin would be lovingly challenged to turn from sin, and if they refused they could be excommunicated. Instead today such people are made pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The good news is the elderly woman has found a very biblical Lutheran Church that she now loves. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock Pastorsstudy.org Head ELCA bishop: "Everybody isn't male or everybody isn't female…There is a whole spectrum"9/13/2017 (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here. At the end of his article, you will find a few additional comments by me.)
In the same interview in which Elizabeth Eaton, the head Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said that she believes Hell is empty, she also supports a spectrum of sexualities--not everyone is male or female. Jesus said otherwise in Matthew 19:4. Bishop Eaton also recently made it clear that she wants transgendered people in the military. Tap the below for the whole story from a pro-homosexual Lutheran group which is rejoicing. Please, if you are a Bible-believing Lutheran and still in the ELCA, ask yourself what more it would take for you to take your money, time, and talents and join the more Biblical denomination? Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://www.reconcilingworks.org/bp-eaton-interview/ -- Here is the quote from the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - “Our church has done work for years thinking about this. And we have come to the understanding that God’s creation is diverse and that the diversity of God’s creation is actually a gift and then when we take a look a people’s sexual orientation or gender identity, it’s not completely binary. Everybody isn’t male or everybody isn’t female. There’s a whole spectrum to that. I think that’s something that’s new for a lot of our people to think about, but it’s the truth…we’re very clear that everyone bears the image of God and everyone is considered precious in God’s eyes.” (listen here) In contrast, (as Pastor Brock pointed out) Jesus said, "'Haven’t you read,' he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female...’" - Matthew 19:4 Last week hundreds of Christian leaders signed a statement that stood in accord with Biblical sexual guidelines, the “Nashville Statement.” (see here) The “Christian” left threw a fit. They do not agree with Biblical standards on sexuality and gender.
Enter the darling of the ELCA, beloved by bishops and highly sought after speaker, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. She quickly reacted with a counter statement, called the “Denver Statement,” that outlines how far the ELCA has slipped from God and His truth. In the statement Pastor Bolz-Weber writes: - “WE DENY that God intends marriage as a gift only to be enjoyed by those who happen to be heterosexual, cis-gendered and fertile.” - “WE DENY that the only type of sexual expression that can be considered holy is between a cis-gendered, heterosexual, married couple who waited to have sex until they were married.” The popular ELCA pastor seems to be saying homosexual sex and heterosexual premarital sex can be holy. She goes on: - “WE AFFIRM that the glorious variety of gender and sexual expression is a reflection of God’s original creation design and are aspects of human flourishing.” So according to Nadia Bolz-Weber, God made people homosexual and a host of different (made-up) genders. - “WE DENY that sexual attraction for the same sex is outside the natural goodness of God’s original creation…” - “WE DENY that it is sinful to approve of queer identities and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness.” (see here) After reading Nadia’s “Denver Statement” a signer of the “Nashville Statement” wrote, “It is always good to see what someone who has little ability to understand Scripture in its historical and literary context has to say about God's will. (I say this seriously, not sarcastically.) It gives us a window into her own theology divorced from the witness of Jesus and the apostles.” Another person commented, “I knew exactly what I was getting into when I saw it was Nadia Bolz-Weber. The unabashed way in which her statements discard even the semblance of Biblical alignment, and merely package regressive humanism, is still pretty bracing. I find the Luciferian (and I use that word advisedly) manner in which she recasts and perverts the Biblical perspective to be quite brazen. It's one thing to hold an incorrect and confused view, but to stand up and make a declaration like that... plainly rewriting truth before your eyes... stunning. And lest anyone think I overstate the case, her Luciferian alignment is proudly displayed in para 1 of her rewritten preamble where she expresses agreement with the spirit of this age - clearly flaunting it before the scripturally literate by putting herself on the other side of 2 Cor 4:4.” Not one ELCA leader signed the Bible-abiding Nashville Statement.
This is an ELCA church, an ELCA pastor and his wife holding a "blessing" for their son who they say is a transgender girl. The son's mother (pastor's wife) said the gathering was to affirm "her" (the boy's) "forever name." This is the way today's society is going and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seems to be leading the way.
(The following was written last week by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
ELCA Lutheran homosexual pastor is thrilled that the ELCA in Texas offers three options for sexuality in registrations... Tragic to see how far things have fallen so quickly. Another reason to leave the ELCA. Pastor Tom Brock Pastorsstudy.org |
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
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