Friday, July 27, 2007

Taking Care of Business?

The message goes something like: "Let's all quit being so concerned about how what we are doing reflects on God's Word and just get along no matter what for the sake of our mission." This is another way of saying that it is our effort rather than the specific teachings God has given us to teach others by which "all nations" are saved.

The words recently seen on the marquee of an LCMS church sign are evidence that the Gospel message we bear is suffering from our incessant need to be ABLAZE!, to wit: "God takes care of our living when we take care of His business."

So God does not take care of our lives if we are not doing His business? Whatever happened to Matthew 5:45 & Romans 5:8? And exactly what is our Father's business if not faithfully teaching what His Son first taught us? It is by the right teaching and living (read practice) of the faith that God takes care of our lives for eternity (1 Timothy 4:16), which is the sole/soul reason the church exists.

Shame on the LCMS and ANYBODY for ever thinking, let alone publicly claiming, otherwise.

What follows are a couple of items regarding the LCMS Convention as published in the LCMS Enews service, Stewardcast, along with my satirical look at the meaning behind what is being said.

From LCMS *Vice* President Paul Maier’s Bible Study comparing the LCMS to Corinth:
“'St. Paul's remedy in Corinth,' Maier said, 'is the same remedy the LCMS should use today-unity in Christ and following Christ's example.' Maier said his dream for the LCMS is that, 'if Jesus were addressing this convention today, He might say something like, "I understand your concerns about communion, church, ministry, worship, the roles of women and men, and your outreach to the world, but in the name of the cosmic God who created this marvelous universe, get over your quarrels and be about your Father's business!"’"

According to the Stewardcast report, the LCMS Convention 2007 Resolution 4-01a states: "Personal opinions and differences regarding practical application of clearly stated doctrine have made for continued discord, . . . Such discord has and is hindering the mission and is disheartening to God's people to the point of withholding their support for 'the common good.'"

I suppose the Maier nightmare must then conclude:
“Oh, and that bit about ‘ . . . And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ -- Never mind! Now that I think about it, you guys are right. I didn’t realize how much discord and mistrust that would cause. Just make sure you go out and get everybody to give you lots of money to do something, ANYTHING, in My name as long as you are engaging the world and I’ll hang with you. And to think I’ve been causing all this dissension all these years by my silly and incessant concern and warnings about keeping my teachings holy. Thank you Missouri! -- your 2007 Convention, and hopefully the Special Convention to come, is straightening out the mess I left you. My Father will be so pleased.”

Father forgive us!

6 comments:

anguskohler said...

When will the faithful see that the LCMS has left them? When will the faithful finally shun the apostacy of the current LCMS" leadership"? I saw the PSK got re elected emperor of the LCMS again. I have heard that the LCMS made overtures to rejoin fellowship with WELS? Can it be? I understand that the first thing WELS said was first we must talk about what you are teaching and preaching.
I understand that there was quite a doing at a church in Ogden and a particular faithful Pastor was conspicuous by his absence. Makes on wonder if that absence was due to a lack of invitation.

I have been out of pocket for a while. Congratulations Grandpa. The pictures show you have a lovely family. God bless you all. When was Kevin married? I missed that in your blog.

I. M. Abaldy II said...

Good to hear from you again Angus. Thank you for your kindness. I hope all is WELS with you and yours.

It seems you are very much back in pocket again, and know and care about me and my situation quite a bit. If you would be so kind as to identify yourself and give me an email address (both will be kept off the blog as all comments are moderated), I may respond to you off blog re your questions about the shindig at SP and the festivities for KH & CH. The answers are related. Otherwise I guess you'll have to be satisfied to know that Dates Conflicted.

Izzy
. . . or ain'ty?

anguskohler said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
anguskohler said...

On the money issue these two things seem quite familiar. The large rich churches allow the smaller Orthodox congregations die in favor of the ABLAZE congregations. When has a large congregation in the RMD ever given to a smaller more meedy congregation. Reminds me of the last part of a parable I learned in Sunday school. When a small church goes needy is Christ not knocking? It would seem to me that he is knocking. Would your congregation let him in? Would it feed him? Clothe him? Or send him away for fear that you own soft bed might get mussed? I have seen it my friend.
Matthew 25:
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Interesting article from another blog that you might be interested in. Sounds like the rich LCMS churches despite the fact that it is LDS. Even to the point of having the Michelin man pointing at the lamb is paralleled.



http://www.mormoncurtain.com/topic_money.html


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DATE POSTED: Jul 11, 2005, at 09:21 AM
TOPIC: MORMON MONEY -LINK ARTICLE-
ORIGINAL AUTHOR: n/a




Many in the older generations of Mormonism believed we worked jobs and used the free market system because it was available and convenient. The ultimate system was a pure form of communism called the Law of Consecration. Money was viewed as a necessary evil that the church will use until times change and the Law of Consecration can be used.

My mom grew up through the great depression and her small Utah town didn't have much money. Funny, most Mormons then had no money. They grew and produced their food, or bartered a skill or an agricultural good for a service or good.

As much as Mormonism makes me sick, the one aspect of it I do like is our Mormon ancestors could literally take nothing and make something out of it. I don't think the Mormons today could do that. They throw money at the problem. They turn Nauvoo and Martins Cove into tacky tourist traps. If they were smart, they would build a world-class roller coaster on these sites to attract more people.

One thing I see in the young married TBM couples is they are all about money. If you have money, they like you, well maybe, you still have to have the TBM personality from a can. If you have a work ethic but happen to have a blue collar job that doesn't meet their level of approval, you carry the pee bucket in the ward. Yup, they treat Brother Williams the plumber like a guy who makes his living fixing pipes full of dung and can't believe that low life can charge $45/hr and get away with it. My gosh, young TBM Elders Quorum president has a masters degree in church history and can't make that kind of dough. Brother Williams does all his church assignments but occasionally says, "damn!" and "shit!" when mad but it's not fair! I know the scriptures better than him and don't say damn! He doesn't deserve that nice ski boat we took the youth on last Saturday!

The Mormons constantly yak about how the Book of Mormon was written for our times. Back when Ezra Taft Benson was a prophet, he warned us the latter day saints could easily become like the Nephites of old. Stuck up on themselves and only concerned with wealth while they think they are God's own special people.

Well, from what I see, the modern day LDS Church is a bunch of corrupted Nephites at every level. Not that I'm saying the Book of Mormon is true or that it really matters but the Mormons are dropping their own ball and think God loves them for doing it.

I've never seen the membership of the church so dysfunctional and greedy. President Hinckley thinks it's great. As he said in the last general conference, “The church is in the best shape it has ever been!" Hmmmmm. Go to any LDS ward and compare the activities and people to a ward 30 years ago. The members now are sloppy, lazy, ill mannered, in debt up to their ears, and conceded as hell. Everything they are not supposed to be but Mormons are too busy patting each other on the back to notice.

Yup, the modern day church has indeed fallen. They have become the Nephites. Oh how I wish they would disappear like the Nephites did. Funny, nobody can even find any Nephite DNA they so disappeared.

The Book of Mormon may be fiction but the point is, the members of the Mormon Church do horribly when they try to follow their own fictional value system.

It's all about the money. Be a nice person in the Mormon corridor with no money and see how you are treated. You only can be poor in Africa. They like poor people there, lots of programs available to save you. If Bono won't help you, Hinckley will. At least if the cameras are on. LOL!

Even the prophet likes bling. He's into building a huge Conference Center that cost as much as the Belagio Hotel/Casino in Vegas. He's into building brightly lit temples in highly visible areas. The buildings may be tacky but who can miss the San Diego temple on I-5? It looks like it belongs in Vegas. In a way, the Mormon church is like a boring casino. Lots of gimmicks used to get you in and they try and keep you there until you're broke.

I. M. Abaldy II said...

Angus asks, "When has a large congregation in the RMD ever given to a smaller more meedy congregation?"

Izzy answers, "In the giving of a man no longer wanted by the larger congregation to the smaller congregation for their entertainment pleasure."

anguskohler said...

Ah yes, but the purple coolaid is being made as we speak. Who does the larger congregation worship? God or the man? I assert that many worship the man. Who does the smaller congregation worship? God. Methinks they gave more than an unwanted man. They gave the small congregation salvation and the truth and left themselves with.....

Funny my error ended up on topic...misthos (Greek)