Lutheran   Central "Connecting Lutherans"
	WA Man Responds to "Jesus Disliked Piety"
Home For Members For Pastors/Leaders Helpful Secular Sites Contact Us Suggest New Links Our Purpose Advertise on L/C Frequently Asked	Dear Bernie Schaeffer, I must remind you that though liberal theologians emphasize the LOVE of  GOD ALMIGHTY, that is NOT the only quality that GOD has. HE is also a Righteous God. HE HIMSELF said, "I am a Jealous GOD? What is HE jealous about? HE is jealous about idolatry - worshipping GOD along with other gods which ancient Israel was guilty of the very reason why GOD's judgment fell upon them. Read the Old Testament and you will discover that God's greatest anger against man was because he worshipped other gods along with GOD ALMIGHTY. That's why HE proclaimed "I will share MY GLORY with no one. Reverend Benke was not only guilty of syncretism, he was guilty of idolatry. Have you read or viewed Rev. Benke's message in front the gathering in Yankee Stadium? He did NOT mention the NAME JESUS once. That should let you know he was ashamed of the name there, thinking that it would offend some people there. He offended GOD ALMIGHTY & JESUS CHRIST by not offending the gathering at Yankee Stadium by not mentioning the NAME that is above all NAMES, the NAME of JESUS. "For at the Name of JESUS, EVERY knee shall bow, and EVERY tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD to the Glory of GOD THE FATHER." He would rather offend GOD and JESUS rather than the people gathered at Yankee Stadium. That tells me where his priority lies. He would rather please men than GOD and JESUS! And because of this, he is not fit to be a leader nor even a pastor UNTIL he repents of his sin against, not to the Lutherans, nor the Body of Christ, BUT his sin against GOD ALMIGHTY and JESUS CHRIST. His compromise with the world is unacceptable. It's as if he wanted notoriety for himself and not uplift the NAME of JESUS at that "Interfaith" service where is name was not invoked by Benke or any other minister there except ONE, who was not even and American, but of African nationality. The believers in Allah was invoked many times, so were other gods, but only ONE minister invoked the NAME of JESUS. That should tell you what kind of service that was, and that no decent Christian should have been part of it. It was not brought together by a minister or a denomination. It was brought together by a man who was cheating on his wife and eventually divorced her in favor of his mistress, and paraded her in front of his audience as mayor of New York. So the service was not brought together by a Christian Organization, Church, or Denomination. It was brought together by a non Christian adulterer. We can and should forgive him, but we should not defend his actions of idolatry and syncretism. You say that we should not judge others. Well then why did God Almighty leave us laws whereby we are to judge others. Read what GOD says is to be done with people who break his laws. God didn't judge them, man judged him according to GOD's laws, and in most cases, man carried out the judgment through stoning, or killing everyone in a city, including children, cattle, sheep, goats, and everything that had breath. God does not change. He's still a Just, Righteous, Forgiving and Loving God. But just because He forgives us doesn't mean he let's us get away with sin. We have to face the consequences for our sin. That's what laws are all about. Otherwise we would have total anarchy on the entire face of the Earth just like in the days of the life of Noah, and we all know what God did with that generation. If no one is allowed to tell another person, especially in the Body of Christ that they are being disobedient to the Scriptures, then how will he know that he is doing wrong? Everyone would be allowed to believe what THEY believe is right in their OWN eyes because they will believe that their interpretation of scripture is correct. That's what Rev. Benke believed and apparently still does. That is why there are laws that God laid down, and why there are laws that Governments lay down, and why Church Organizations lay down. It brings unity, and order. If you break these laws whether man made or God's, you must face the consequences, and Rev. Benke did. In Christ, Ron Shimono Issaquah, WA To read the letter of reaction that this letter is in response to, click here .