Saturday, December 3, 2016

Less about Moore is better. . .

Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball, TX, (LCMS) is hosting Baptist Evangelist Beth Moore of Living Proof Ministries.  According to their web site,  

Salem Lutheran Church is proud to host an exciting women’s ministry event on December 3, 2016. You are welcome to join us in this annual Christmas celebration, the Salem Women’s Advent Brunch. While the “Brunch” portion of Advent Brunch with Beth Moore is now completely sold out… tickets for Beth Moore Live (11:30-1:00) are still available.  Beth Moore will be speaking about “Hope… Courage… Christmas” in Salem’s worship center immediately following the meal.
   
If you have tickets to Salem’s Advent Brunch, it will be served in Salem’s Community Center from 10:30-11:30 – but come as early as 9:30 to view the beautifully decorated tables!  Beth Moore’s team will be at the Brunch just to say hello, but she will NOT be speaking at the Brunch; instead, everyone will meet in the worship center at 11:30 for her presentation.  

Beth Moore Live tickets are $10 each (plus a processing fee) and are available online beginning November 1 at 8am for as long as they are available.  Light refreshments will be served outside the worship center as you enter the lobby.  

As an incredibly generous gift, Beth Moore’s Living Proof Ministries is DONATING her time to Salem’s Advent Brunch that day.  That allows Salem to designate 100% of the profits to be donated for the purpose of providing malaria bed nets for families living in western Kenya.  If you would like to learn more about what we do with these nets, check that out here

Come and hear Beth Moore speak… and save a life at the same time!
Beth Moore is certainly a cash cow for LifeWay and a personality sensation.  However, she is not Lutheran and her positions contradict Lutheran doctrine. 

Beth Moore believes in direct revelation from God in addition to or even in place of Scripture:
In my own attempts to distinguish my desires from an authentic word from God, I find that what God reveals to me in my ‘spirit’ is deeper than what I feel or sense in my emotions or, for the sake of distinguishing the difference, my ‘soul.’ In other words, when I can put aside my feelings for a moment, what I still consistently sense as the leading of the Holy Spirit I assume to be a clearer word from God. Feelings come and go, but do I have a greater certainty at a deeper level that I have heard from God on a matter?
Moore describes her views on the end times and Christ’s return as dispensational premillennialism.

She believes that before or during a seven year period of earthly tribulation, Christians will be “raptured” in a secret return of Christ. At that point, the judgments and promises of God will “fall on unrepentant humanity and national Israel.” Following a seven year tribulation, she believes that Christ will return with his saints to reign on earth for a thousand years. At the end of this millennial period, Satan and his forces will rebel and suffer defeat. The resurrection of unbelievers, the last judgment, and eternal life will then follow.
Moore is a Baptist who does not believe that Baptism does anything but demonstrate the obedience of the believer to the salvation God has given and the Holy Spirit.  She believes in free will with regard to salvation and sanctification.  She believes that a successful life is the mark of a living faith.  While she affirms that Jesus' death alone accomplishes salvation, she spends much of her time on the role of obedience as the key to a successful and satisfying life.

I know exactly why Beth Moore is a draw but I do not know why a Lutheran congregation would feature her or, by her speaking, give tacit approval and sanction to her teaching.  I know that there are many times when we Lutherans listen to those whose faith does not align with our own in an effort to engage them but I do not know why we as Lutherans would showcase a Bible teacher whose position is so fraught with question and confusion when confronted with faithful Lutheran teaching.

If you want to know more about Moore, check this out.

5 comments:

Rich Kauzlarich said...

Is this any different than using material like Max Lucado's The Story for bible study or a sermon series?

John Joseph Flanagan said...

Normally, Baptists and Lutherans differ too widely in doctrines and do not host interdenominational seminars. I agree that the Salem congregation should not be hosting this event. Indeed, it is true that Baptists do not regard Baptism as Lutherans, and they certainly oppose infant Baptism. Baptists are normally dispensational in their scriptural views, and believe in a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth, while Lutherans and Reformed faiths are amillenialists. From the Lutheran view, the thousand years revealed in scripture is a picture of the time between Christ going to the cross and the second coming, which happens at one time. We believe the seven year tribulation period is figurative, not literal, as the Bible frequently uses numbers to reflect meanings. We believe there will always be tribulation and persecution right to the end, although it will intensify in the final period. Baptists also follow " decisional regeneration' and attribute one's salvation to a choice where one "accepts" Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Bible clearly states one is elected to salvation and the "decision" to follow Jesus is expressed in the gospel of John: Jesus said, " It is the work of God that you believe on Him who He has sent." As for Beth Moore's receiving messages from God, we do receive guidance from the Holy Spirit in the prices of sanctification, and unless it is an extra-Biblical word or something incompatible with the written word of scripture, we cannot say it may not be from God. The Bible clearly states that the Spirit witnesses to our spirit. I think we should not have Baptist speakers at Lutheran conferences, but we can still share many hymns and gospel songs, and consider them brothers and sisters in Christ.

Rev. Anthony Masinelli said...

Beth Moore is an enthusiast who proclaims "Jesus is My Boyfriend" theology into itching ears, in addition to the errors noted in the post and comment above. In 1883, C.F.W. Walther wrote to a Lutheran pastor, “Now, however, since our church itself has everything it needs, it is unpardonable when a preacher of our church causes little ones to suffer the shame of eating foreign bread.” ("Response to a Lutheran Pastor Regarding the Use of Methodist Hymns," Lutherans Online, n.d., web, www.lutheransonline.com, March 2016.) Scripture clearly tells us to "avoid" those who spread falsehood and division (Rom. 16:17; 2 Tim. 3:5), and to "have nothing to do" with them (1 Tim. 4:7; Tit. 3:10). For the average person, embracing a false teacher and assuming, "I can strain out the bad and take in the good," is a bit like drinking from a glass of water laced with Draino and hoping one's teeth will only let in water.

John Joseph Flanagan said...

Rev Masinelli, lest we become too harsh and legalistic, we have to consider these things wisely. Referring to other denominational doctrines contrary to Lutheran distinctives, we must speak our peace. We cannot embrace that which we know to be untrue or a false interpretation of scripture, however, we must also understand that some brothers and sisters in Christ may follow incorrect theology yet still love the Lord and hold the foundational and redemptive principles of the faith. In ignorance, some may follow false doctrines....but God...who knows the heart, still counts them among the saved from each generation. As for Beth Moore, I would stand by what was said earlier. As for hymns with a Methodist or Baptist origination, I would part ways with Walther. Unless a hymn is doctrinally wrong, I see no problem singing it inside or outside of church. Many songs and hymns are really very uplifting and Biblical, and many were not written by Lutherans, and we cannot be at fault in using them.

Unknown said...

Might one, perhaps, before offhand and without foundation accusing Pastor and Master of Divinity Anthony Masinelli of not having considered things wisely and being harsh and legalistic, and before dismissing Dr. Walther, consider applying both some humility and some wisdom so give some thought to what is actually being discussed, and what is actually being said about it?

For example: might it be that the term "Methodists hymns" not only means that hymns happen to have been written by Methodists, but also that they reflect Methodist (that is: un-Lutheran and un-Biblical) attitudes and approaches to the faith, and thus would have to be covered by the phrase "doctrinally wrong"?

I would not consider that impossible. I would not even consider it unlikely.