Heart for the Lost

Ben Stein has put together a documentary that looks fantastic. He starts with such a fair premise that he even shows the arguments for and against Intelligent Design. The problem is Darwinian Evolution is a religion and if you do not believe in it people have lost their jobs, careers, children etc. I have personally been involved and dealt with situations like this. Even if you do not believe that God created everything, (which I do) a better premise to work from for the non-believe is anything but Evolution and Dual lineages with earlier species around today. Anyway check out this new movie and go see it!

http://www.expelledthemovie.com

Frankly all Christians should get behind Huckabee. I heard a portion of a sermon he did on Way of the Master Radio last week. You should listen to it. This guy does not hold back, he answers all the questions even the tough ones and does not obscure the answers. I have a few friends who like Ron Paul, but I cannot see why anyone would do that. Romney is not who he says he is, the guy has flip flopped and just recently he said his morality lines up with the Mormon Church so this means he is Pro Choice. I hope that the Christian Community will wake up and see what an amazing blessing we have to have Huckabee as a potential President.

You should check this out from Wallbuilders
http://wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=5386

I wanted to examine this claim a while back..... however rather than reinvent the wheel so to speak I found this very well done article and yep you guessed it Mormon Coffee.

Here is a snipet

Gordon B Hinckley said “It is ironic that many state that ‘Mormons are not Christian,’ when the name of the church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Sharon does a great job of citing some examples as to why this does not work

• Mormon Coffee is neither Mormon nor a beverage.
• Mitt Romney is not, in reality, something to be worn on the hand.
• A Ford Taurus is not a constellation comprised of star clusters including the Hyades and the Pleiades.
• Long Island Iced Tea contains vodka, tequila, rum, gin and triple sec; but, in fact, it is not, nor does it contain, tea.
• Los Angeles, often called the City of Angels, has a population of approximately 4 million people; it is not truly populated by celestial beings.
• The World Church of Jesus is Satan, founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1993 by Thayalan Reddy, is not a Christian church despite the name of Jesus in its title.

So back to my last post then when Mormons claim to be Christian is it deceptive since even they know the difference? If they all follow the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and Hinckley said at one point:

The LDS Church News reported: "In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints 'do not believe in the traditional Christ. No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fulness [sic] of Times'" (June 20, 1998, ).

Does that not then contradict his prior statement about Jesus in the name of the Church and validate the claim that it is in fact A DIFFERENT JESUS. Based on the facts there must be a resounding YES.

If you do not read the Mormon Coffee Blog then let me highly recommend it to you. There are so many Christians who do not understand the differences between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity. I would contend that there is NOTHING and I mean NOTHING alike between the two. They are as opposed as fire and water. From Salvation to who Jesus Christ is; the differences are glaring. Even the morality issues we have completely different motives and have even differences in why they are important. I read this article on the Mormon Coffee Blog and I think Sharon lays it out very well.

Myths Be Gone
January 9, 2008

By Sharon Lindbloom

Myths & RealityThe LDS Church has posted a 10 minute video on it’s web site titled, “Myths & Reality.” Originally produced to answer common questions from journalists during the 2002 Olympics, the video has been updated and is now available to the public.

“Myths & Reality” opens with a minute and a half of man-on-the-street clips of people stating what they “know” about Mormons. Most of the statements are incorrect; the video subsequently seeks to dispel three of the “misunderstandings” raised. The spokesman, Steve Young, explains,

“In the next few minutes we want to show you some things we hope will dispel some myths about us, because the myths are still out there, alive and well.”

The first myth addressed is “Mormons Practice Polygamy.” The video spends 50 seconds on this topic, stating that Mormons discontinued the practice of polygamy over 100 years ago. Steve Young then explains that Mormons are “bothered” when Fundamentalist Mormons are called “Mormons” because these people are not Mormons. Gordon B. Hinckley “state[s] categorically that this church has nothing whatsoever to do with those practicing polygamy,” and the video moves on.

Myth number 2 is “Mormons Care Only For Their Own.” The video deals with this by spending 1 minute and 55 seconds highlighting the LDS Church’s laudable humanitarian efforts worldwide.

The final myth addressed is “Myth #3: Mormons Are Not Christian.” This topic is apparently considered the most important of the three; more time is given for this issue than the other two myths combined: about 3 minutes and 50 seconds.

The spokesperson during this segment is Sharlene Hawkes, a former Miss America. She says that it’s hard for Mormons to understand this myth because “We are Christian to our core.” Ms. Hawkes suggests one reason people might think Mormons are not Christian is because of the nickname “Mormon.” Mormons prefer that the full (correct) name of the Church be used because “it includes the name of the Savior” and that’s important to Mormons.

Ms. Hawkes tells viewers that Mormons love the Bible and try to follow the example of Jesus Christ, but that they are “different from other Christian faiths in important ways.” Ms. Hawkes talks about these important differences, including the Book of Mormon (a “companion to the Bible”), the belief in modern prophets and continuing revelation, the commitment to temple-building, the LDS Church as a restoration of the ancient church, the large missionary force, the focus on families, the work of compiling genealogies and how “even those who have passed on can be linked to us in an eternal family chain.” The video then concludes with Gordon B. Hinckley extolling Christ.

We can’t really expect much more than this in a 10 minute video. Still, it doesn’t seem to me that many bona fide myths were dispelled. In fairness, the LDS web site says these are the questions journalists were raising in 2002, but it also says the video “has been updated and posted on Newsroom today to help counter persistent myths about the Church.”

Are these really the questions people are asking today — the “misperceptions” they struggle with? How could anyone in America today who watches television or reads the newspaper think Mormons still practice polygamy? Are people really hung up on the misperception that Mormons aren’t actively engaged in humanitarian relief? In fact, the man-on-the-street which initially raised the issue spoke in glowing terms of how Mormons care for one another, not criticizing that they don’t care for others. Could this be a straw-man myth?

I do think “Myth #3″ is a current and persistent question coming from those outside of Mormonism. But the video did next to nothing to address the question and inform people in a meaningful way.

Journalists today clearly know and promote every “reality” contained in this video. The LDS Church’s Public Relations department has publicized all of these things many times over. I wonder if it has ever occurred to the LDS Church that perhaps the things they call “misperceptions” persist because they never adequately answer the questions.

Surely there is a better way, even in under 4 minutes, to clarify the charge, “Mormons Are Not Christian.” Maybe they could have done something like this:

“This is a complex issue and not easily explained in a short video. We believe we are — and define ourselves as — Christian. In fact, we believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the truest form of Christianity on earth today and that Mormons are better than any others at following the teachings of Christ. Though we share some things with other Christian churches, Mormonism is different and unique in important ways. The foundational differences that cause some to claim Mormons aren’t Christian are found in the way we define the nature of God, the nature of Christ, and the content of the Gospel. Mormons differ significantly from traditional Christians in each of these areas — and others. Our Prophet has explained that we worship a different Christ than the Christ worshiped in traditional Christianity. Some people believe this strips Mormons of the title ‘Christian’; we disagree. We are Christian to our core. That is, we accept our Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world; differences in theology — who or what God is, and who Christ is — don’t affect that.”

What are your ideas for a myth-buster reality-promoting video segment discussing “Mormons Are Not Christian”?

You should read this article from Pulpit Magazine, especially if the ambiguity and obscurity of the heresy that Rob Bell teaches has influenced your church.

Listen to Episode 6 now!

Especially because of where I live (Utah) and the Presidential Election there is an ongoing issue about who is a Christian and who is not. For example there are some who believe that Mormons are Christian. In addition there are plenty of other folks that claim "Christianity". Who sets the standard on who is a Christian? Do Christians? Do Mormons whose founder said "All Christians sects are an abomination" Does the media or the secular world get to define it. I would contend NO. I would say God and God alone defines a Christian. How has He done this.... two ways:

Almost 2000 years of Historical Christianity. There is a clear understanding of what it meant to be a Christian. You ascribed to the core principles of the belief, this after becoming Born Again. Let me list them for you.

1. The Trinity, God the Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, three persons yet ONE God. Just because you cannot wrap your mind around it does not make it untrue. Mormons do not believe this so they are not Christians, Buddists do not believe this so they are not Christian.

2. Jesus Christ is LORD, the deity of Jesus Christ as described in item 1 is essential

3. The Bible being the inspired inerrant Word of God.

4. Salvation by GRACE alone Not by Works

5. Man is sinful and rebellious to God yet God displays mercy and grace through the sacrifice and the imputed righteousness of His ONLY begotten Son Jesus Christ.

Ok so that is Historical Christianity so did they just randomly come up with this....... NO they got it from the Bible so here is part 2. These 10 questions have been used on Todd Friel's Decisions, Decisions, Decisions from Way of the Master Radio.

1. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
- You walk in the light, simple as that, in addition you long for fellowship with other believers.

2. 1 John 1:8 If we say we ahve no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
-We recognize that we are retched sinners and that is why we must humble ourselves before our great and glorious Savior

3. 1 John2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
- This is not saying that we are to be perfect, because point number 2 has been stated already that we are sinners. Yet as a believer we will bear fruits of repentance and may stumble into sin but does not mire and have a continuous lifestyle of sin. Sinners drink inquity like water the Bible says, Christians hate sin.

4. 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Do you love the world more than your savior? What are your priorities? Are they all about YOU?

5. 1 John 2:23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
-Have you denied Jesus? Have you confessed to others that he is your LORD?

6. 1 John 3:2 Beloved we are God's children now and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
-This one has been misinterpreted to think you can be "like" a god, but that is the oldest sin in the book, pun intended. What this is saying is do you long to see Jesus? Do you want to be with the Lord?

7. 1 John 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
-Self explanatory like most all scripture........... notice the phrase "makes a practice"

8. 1 John 3:!4 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
-Be careful here, sometimes love is a harsh rebuke. This is true love for one another not the fancy love we see conveyed in today's culture.

9. 1 John 4:6 WE are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
-Again many misuse or misapply this verse, but it is important to know that we must follow God's WORD which is thankfully written in the Bible.

10. 1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God.
-This is so critical, many today use the term "son of" in various ways. This command here is explicit, that Jesus is God. We see it again and again in scripture ie John 10:30-34. If you do not have the RIGHT Jesus Christ then you will not have God and you will not be saved. Jeff Noblit said the other day in a sermon, that "one of our biggest issues is that many do NOT know God". Not just in a saving sense but in an understanding of who God is. I think this is one of the Churches biggest issues. God is NOT an exalted man, so therefore those that preach it are HERETICS. This is a problem for most "religions" especially those that want to be called Christians. If you do not understand Jesus rightly then you do NOT have the Father and

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.^(A) Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that^(B) Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!