Response to General Assembly (Belvidere, Illinois)

Friends,

This is a special edition of L&M Undershepherd Script (221).

With permission/encouragement of the elders of First Presbyterian Church in Belvidere, Illinois, the following statement will be read at both services on Sunday (6/22/14), included in our next newsletter, posted on www.belvpresbyterian.org and www.koppdisclosure.com, and broadcast over www.bnnsradio.com.  We are also giving permission to www.churchandworld.com, www.layman.org, and www.pcusa.org to post it at their discretion as an encouragement to sister particular churches and judicatories within the PCUSA who are called to remain faithfully:

"You've probably heard disturbing news in recent days from Detroit about our denomination.  Our elders remain steadfast in declaring, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'  While our denomination increasingly drifts from Jesus by the book, we will, depending upon God's grace, order our life and ministry on the corner of Lincoln and Main with prayer, proclamation, and passion for Jesus by the book.  While confessing our sins against our Lord and each other, we will not affirm, condone, or cooperate with any actions of our denomination that insult God's holiness as personified by Jesus and prescribed in Holy Scripture.  When we are wrong about Jesus by the book, we will confess and repent.  When we are right about Jesus by the book, we will remain steadfast.  Please join us in praying for the knowledge, wisdom, strength, and courage to look up, stand up, speak up, and act up for Jesus alone as above all others."

If you would like to investigate the results of the recent meeting of General Assembly in Detroit, I recommend www.churchandworld.com, www.layman.org, and www.pcusa.org.

A special edition of our weekly Deeper Discipleship (Wednesdays from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in the summer) this Wednesday (6/25/14) will allow for Q&A and prayer regarding the ramifications of GA decisions for our family of faith.

Personally as your undershepherd to the Good Shepherd, I remind everyone that I have spoken and written consistently and extensively about my call to remain faithfully and I remain faithful to that call in the spirit of Luther, Bonhoeffer, McCord, Gillespie, and others concomitant to our Lord's high priestly prayer in John 17.

I will not hide, run away, or quit.

I will salt, shine, and allow for correction according to Master Jesus according to our manual Holy Scripture.

My trust is in the Lord alone (Psalm 62) whose ultimate triumph is certain regardless of our/my/their stupidities, sins, and apostasies.

Blessings and Love!