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February 2012
“Homosexuality: The Christian Perspective”
By Pastor David Hodgin
I had prepared another article for this month’s newsletter, but in light of Olympia’s pending vote on same-sex marriage I decided to shift gears and write on that. Some of this article is taken from a larger article: “Homosexuality: The Christian Perspective” by Lehman Strauss and posted on www.bible.org.
The discussion of whether Homosexuality is right or wrong for a society is based on where society finds its morality. If a person is guided by statistical research, public opinion, popular vote or legislative action then their conclusion is based on those findings. For the Christian, the Bible is the final authority for our belief and behavior.
The Bible has much to say on belief and behavior. Here is a brief overview of some sexual-sins mentioned in the Bible: First, adultery is sex by a married person with someone who is not his or her own spouse. It is condemned in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 20:14; I Cor. 6:9, 10). Fornication is sex between unmarried persons, which is also forbidden (I Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; Ephesians 5:3). Christ even forbids thinking about such things (Matthew 5:28), this speaks to pornography. Then there is homosexuality which, like the other sexual-sins, is condemned in Scripture. One sin is no worse than the other, in the Old Testament violators of the sexual-sins were stoned to death by city leaders. Which leads me to believe this is a very serious topic to God. (Lest you think I’m picking on one sin above another, know this, I’m only picking on the one that’s headlining the news this week.)
The Bible says in I Corinthians 6:9-10, “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.” Hopefully you don’t read this and say, “those terrible sinners will never make it,” because verse 11 continues, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” This leaves us with Jesus’ words, “Let him without sin cast the first stone.” Homosexuality is an illicit lust forbidden by God and people need to avoid it. Yes, some in our culture have embraced and encouraged some of the sins on that list, but embracing more sin does not pale any previous sin.
One question often asked is, “Why do some Christians condemn and others embrace homosexuality?” The answer is complex, but to explain it briefly, some people including some ministers, understand the Bible to be only a book of advice from God and must be interpreted within the frame work of the current times and social environment. Others (like me), understand it to be God’s very Word that gives life, hope and peace. The first group conform God’s word to their lives, the second conform their lives to God’s word. Each person decides for themselves how much they will let God into their life.
Another question I hear is, If God didn’t like it, why does He allow it? That’s the million dollar question! Why did God put the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” in the Garden of Eden? Why did God allow people to become so corrupt that He had to destroy them with a flood? Why did God allow the people to become so close that He had to confuse their language and spread them over the face of the earth? In short, why does God tolerate evil? He doesn’t. It’s just that before He permanently destroys the earth, He wants to give everyone the opportunity to receive Christ and gain eternal life in heaven (2 Pt 3:9).
Does this mean that homosexuals will not go to heaven when they die? Romans 1:18-32 records 34 different ungodly beliefs and behaviors. Then verse 32 ends by saying the people who commit such sins “deserve to die”. But it’s not as gloomy as it sounds, as long as there is life there is hope and according to Matthew 4:17, Jesus’ message was to “Repent for the kingdom of God is near.” Repent from what? Repent from sinning, which is something every person must do as the spirit of God leads them.
Some ask, “Why would God create some people to have same-sex interests and cravings? Because all of us were created self-centered and demanding. When we were infants we wanted our milk now! and our diapers changed on our schedule. Over time we learned to respect others and to put the need of the community ahead of our own cravings. For some, as time passed, they also became enlightened to the knowledge of a life after this life and a personal responsibility to live to the standards that God calls us to live. Other people remain in darkness, “abandoned to their foolish thinking” (Romans 1:28). Some cry out, “That’s not fair!” I think that must be what God says too. After all, He sent His Son to die for our sins and all He asked us is to do is to lead good lives and build a strong community.
God’s judgment on this world is impending and as time expires for our world, we should be expecting things like same-sex marriage to increase. 2 Timothy 3:1&2 says, “You should know this … that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.” Then Jesus, in describing the end times said, ““When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes” (Matt. 24:37-39).
There is a standard of belief and behavior God created for us to live by. God is also in control of our eternal destiny and our reward or judgment. God does not judge us for being tempted, but we are judged for our response to temptation. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus makes it clear that there are two different rewards, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:46). Choose life.
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December 2011
Tis the Season
By Pastor David
It’s cold wet and rainy, it must be nearing Christmas in western Washington. In 1985, a group put together a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital, the lead song sort of became our own regional Christmas song. “Christmas in the Northwest” was written and performed by Brenda Kutz-White. Here is a portion of that song:
The wind may not blow
Might not even snow
But there's nothing like Christmas
Right here at home
It may not be white
Might be a rainy night
But there's nothing like sharing
The sounds and the sights of ...
Chorus,
Christmas in the Northwest
Is a gift that we can share
Christmas in the Northwest
Is a child's answered prayer
Take away the presents
And they still will have a dream
For Christmas in the Northwest
Is a gift God wrapped in green
That first Christmas night
Under just one light
In a small town, a child came down
The Father's gift of love and life
And so, I dedicate this prayer
To the children in our care
That we teach them of the gifts of love
He has planted everywhere
Just like ...
This lovely and popular song warms our rain soaked community and kindles a spark in our heart reminding us that Christmas is more than gifts, more than winter; it is a hope that burns within us.
Christmas is the time of year we remember that God became a man and lived with us. Imagine what the world would be like if God, in the person of Jesus Christ, had never come to earth. We would not have the classical music from men like Bach and Beethoven. We would not have Handel’s Messiah. Harvard, Yale and many other colleges would not exist, because they were started as Christian institutions of higher learning. Many hospitals like our own Jefferson General Hospital would not exist because people who had hearts of compassion for those who were ill began it. Our way of dating history would be completely different, since all of history is divided into the things which occurred before Christ and the things which occurred after Christ. There would not be churches. There would be no Y.M.C.A. We would have half a Bible. We would not have heard of John 3:16 and the love of a personal God. If God had not visited the world we would have no hope of His returning to the earth and no hope for the resurrection of the dead. There would be no Christmas, no gifts symbolic of God’s greatest gift. There would be no Christmas carols. The world without Jesus would be as C.S. Lewis described in Narnia, “always winter and never Christmas.”
Each year, in some fashion, we hear the slogan, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” We believe it, but do we really take time to let it sink into our hearts and our lives? Following is a list of things to help you keep Christ in your Christmas this year.
First, get into the Christmas spirit. Make a choice to enjoy the season. Decide now not to focus on the people or things that detract from the liberation of humanity from sin and separation from God. So make the cookies, buy the gifts, set up the tree, hang the lights and get involved in Christmas.
Next, God does not want us to enter into debt to buy Christmas gifts. God, who is our example of giving, gave what He had; He gave Himself. So give what you have, not what you hope to have. Keep your credit card in your pocket and give more thought and prayer to your gift giving.
Third, during the first Christmas, angels arrived and spoke to the shepherds. Angels are messengers of God. Ask yourself if God has a message for you this Christmas season. A message of peace and goodwill in your otherwise hectic life; I bet if you listen, you will hear it.
Fourth, ask yourself why you do the things you do to celebrate Christmas. If you always go to your uncle’s home, ask yourself why. If you always have stockings hanging from the mantle, ask why. Traditions are good, but over time, we can lose the purpose that created the tradition in the first place. Like what happened in the play, “Fiddler on the Roof.” So if you have traditions, pass on the reason for the tradition, don’t just stand on the roof and shout, “Tradition!”
Fifth, give your family a predominate place during Christmas. One reason Christ came to earth was to provide a way for every wayward soul to become a part of a family, so give your family special attention during Christmas. Add a few more phone calls to far away loved ones.
Finally add someone to your spiritual family. You can do this by giving a gift to someone lonely or hurting. A gift for someone who doesn’t deserve one and isn’t expecting one. A gift solely designed to bless that person and give it with no thought of what you might receive back. Just give for the joy of giving. Like God gave to us.
Here’s the last stanza of “Christmas in the Northwest” I think it’s a great way to end:
And I know it may not turn out white
But it's still 'silent night'
So gather those you love
And tell the story of the gift of living
Believe we see from the One who's giving
Giving us ...
Christmas in the Northwest
Is a gift that we can share
Christmas in the Northwest
Is a child's answered prayer
And even if you take away the presents
I still would have a tree
For Christmas in the Northwest
Is a gift God wrapped in green
I hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
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November 2011
Watch Your Mouth
By Pastor David
Recently I heard on the radio that someone was “a marked man.” I chuckled and thought how odd it was that a secular radio program was referencing the Bible. Then I thought of all the hubbub that took place a few years ago about whether people should continue to wish others a merry Christmas. So with that in mind, here’s a list of common expressions that come straight from the Bible. Perhaps we should inform society where these sayings come from and warn all government officials and employees to avoid using them as we would not want to blur the line between church and state. (Sorry for the sarcasm.)
Nothing but Skin and Bones & I Escaped by the Skin of my Teeth, both from Job 19:19-20, “All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
There's a Time and a Place for Everything, Eccl 3:1
Going the Extra Mile, Matt. 5:41
United we Stand, Divided we Fall, “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” Matt. 12:25
Scapegoat, Lev. 16:9-10
Red Sky at Night, “He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Matt. 16:2-3
Twinkling of an Eye, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15:52
A Man After his Own Heart 1 Sam. 13:14
Drop in the Bucket, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” Isa. 40:15
Powers that Be, Rom. 13:2
A Little Bird Told Me,
“Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy
bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath
wings shall tell the matter.” Eccl. 10:20
Stumbling Block, “Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but
the things of men.” Matt. 16:23
A Gentle Answer Turns Away
Wrath, Prov. 15:1
Time to be Born and a Time to Die, Eccl. 3:1-2
Rise and Shine, (surprised?) "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and
the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Isa. 60:1
Spare the Rod, Spoil the
Child, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he
who loves him is careful to discipline him.” Prov. 13:24 (But don’t beat your
children!)
A Leopard Cannot Change its Spots, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or
the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do
evil.” Jer. 13:23
Pride Comes Before a Fall, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov. 16:18
By the Sweat of your Brow, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:19
Out of the Mouths of Babes, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength…” Psalm 8:2
Bite the Dust, (Really it’s from the Bible) Psalm 72
The Blind Leading the Blind, Matt. 15:13-14
Eat Drink and Be Merry, Luke 12:19
Straight and narrow, Matt. 7:14
No Man is a Prophet in his Own Town, Mark 6:4
Head on a Platter, “And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou forthwith give me on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” Mark 6:25
Tearing Your Hair Out, “This news made me so angry that I ripped my clothes and tore hair from my head and beard. Then I just sat in shock” Ezra 9:3
The Truth Shall set you Free, John 8:32
He’d Sell His Birthright for a Bowl of Porridge, Gen. 25:31-34
Let Him without Sin Cast the
First Stone, John 8:7
Apple of his Eye, “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling
waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his
eye.” Appears twice: Deut. 32:10 & Zec. 2:8
East of Eden, Gen. 4:16
Filthy Lucre, 1 Tim. 3:3
I'll Pin Him to the Wall, “Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.” 1Sam. 18:11
Stranger in a strange land, “…I have been a stranger in a strange land.” Ex. 2:22
Seek and Ye Shall Find, Matt. 7:7
A Law unto Himself,
Rom. 2:14
Absent in Body, but Present in Spirit, Col. 2:5
At My Wit's End, “They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end.” Psalm 107:27
You Don't Know the Half of It, (oh yeah! From when the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon.) “Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.” 1 Kings 10: 7
Nothing New Under the Sun, Eccl. 1:9
Handwriting On the Wall, “In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” Dan. 5:5
Knees Knocking Together, “Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.” Daniel 5:6
A Merry Heart is Good Medicine, Prov. 17. 22
A Good Name is Better than Money. Prov. 22. 1
A Thorn in the Flesh, 2 Cor. 12:7
Turn the Other Cheek, Matt. 5:39 & Luke 6:29
No Man Can Serve Two Masters, Matt. 6:24
Reap What You Sow, Gal. 6:7
It Rains on the Just and the
Unjust, Matt. 5:45
Alpha and Omega, Rev. 1:8
Armageddon, Rev. 16:16
Fight the Good Fight, 1 Tim. 6:12
The Weaker Vessel, (hey, don’t blame me, I didn’t write it) 1 Peter 3:7
Fallen from Grace, Gal.5:4
Beat their Swords into Plowshares, Ish. 2:4 & Micah 4:3
Beat their Plowshares into
Swords, (yep, both ways) Joel 3:10
Set your House in Order, Isa. 38:1
Be Fruitful and Multiply, Gen. 1:28
As Old as Methuselah, Gen. 5:27
The Fat of the Land, Gen. 45:18
A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, Ex. 33:3
An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, Ex. 21:24
Your Sin Will Find You Out, Num. 32:23
Turn the World Upside Down, Acts 17:6
God Forbid, Rom. 3:4
Take Root, 2 Kings 19:30
No Rest for the Wicked, Isa. 57: 21
A Fly in the Ointment, Eccl. 10:1
I am What I am, (yes sir, even Popeye quotes the Bible) 1 Cor. 15:10
By the Grace of God, also from 1 Cor 15:10
Feet of Clay, Daniel 2:33
Refused to Give Up the Ghost Job 3:11
The Salt of the Earth, Matt. 5:13
You Can't Put Words in my Mouth, Ex. 4:15
The Land of the Living, Job 28:13
Sour Grapes & To Set One's Teeth on Edge, “In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.” Jer. 31:29
This is nowhere near an exhaustive list, one researcher counted 257 of these colloquialisms. If you recall, this started from my hearing, “A Marked Man” on the radio. That has to do with the mark of Cain in Gen. 4:15. This year is the 400th anniversary of the completion of the King James Version of the Bible. Over these 400 years, the Bible has influenced the English language in an irreversible manner. Quoting the Bible may not be politically correct, but it is a fact of our life. So whenever you hear anyone use one of the above Bible quotes, be sure to respond with a hearty, “and God bless you too!”
Hope you have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving this year!
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August 2011
Heaven: What’s the Bible have to say about it?
by Pastor David
A couple years ago Don Piper wrote a book titled, “90 Minutes in Heaven”. As the book begins, Piper is involved in a traffic accident. Piper was assessed by paramedics on two separate occasions and pronounced as dead. 90 minutes later, he was found alive but badly injured. During that 90 minutes Piper says he was in heaven. The story is very compelling and believable. The book is worth reading, though most of the pages cover Piper’s lengthy and difficult recovery.
Recently the book “Heaven is for Real” hit the store shelves. This is the story of 5 year old Colton Burpo who visited heaven. Colton had a terrible bout of appendicitis and during his surgery, he visited heaven. As I read this story it was difficult to believe, it is definitely heaven from a child’s perspective. But as the details are revealed, I found myself concluding there are just too many extenuating circumstance to brush it off as a dream or lie. Heaven is for Real is also worth reading and the chapter titled, “Two Sisters” is extremely moving. I suggest you read both of these small books.
With the old saying, “Believe half of what you see and nothing you hear” in mind, I thought it would be beneficial to consider some of what the Bible has to say about heaven. (Note all the italics in this article are mine and Scripture references are from the ESV.)
The Bible tells us that God is the one who created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” But does that mean God created a place of eternal dwelling or that He created the sky? To find the answer we look on. 1 Chronicles 29:11 says, “… for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” Okay, that seems to confuse the issue. “For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours;” does that mean everything in the sky is God’s? The clouds, the Sun, the Moon, the Birds, etc., or is it referring to a loftier setting?
Take a look at 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This passage is often quoted in the midst of a prayer-will-fix-the-nation article. That is a great application of the passage, but notice where the answer comes from, “heaven.” Next we read Matthew 23:9, “… for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” So that is more pointed, “Father in heaven,” does it mean God is in the sky? No. Add Ecclesiastes 5:2, “… for God is in heaven and you are on earth….” Once when looking at a beam of sunlight shining through the clouds, one of my grandsons asked me, “Is that what God looks like?” Sometimes the sky can remind us of God, but He lives beyond the sky.
The scriptures also refer to God as the "God of heaven." For example, Nehemiah 1:5 says, “And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.” And Ezra 1:2, “… The Lord, the God of heaven, has given….” Psalm 103:19 tells us, “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens….” Psalm 14:2 says, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.”
Jesus declared that he is establishing, "the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 4:17 is one example, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 5:19, “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Finally, Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:9 to address God the Father as “Our Father in heaven ….”
Matthew 5:11-12 tells us there are things going on in heaven, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven ....” Jesus instructed us to store up treasures in heaven in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven….” Jesus also said in Matthew 10:32, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.” Luke 15:7 adds, “… there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
There are not only things going on in heaven, Jesus came from and went to heaven. John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” In Acts 1:11 we read, “… why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” In addition, according to Acts 7:55 Jesus is at the right hand of God, “… [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”
Not only is Jesus in heaven, it is the destination for those who belong to Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:1 tells us, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Philippians 3:20 tells us, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:13 tells us, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” Revelation 21:1-3, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
What does heaven look like? Revelation 21 gives us a sneak peek,
2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 6And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 18The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. 22And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
Finally, who will see heaven? Not everyone. Rev. 21:27, “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” The faithless won’t see heaven. Neither will the “cowardly, … the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). If you have not received Christ, your name is not in the Lamb’s book. I encourage you to confess your sins, ask God for forgiveness, and pray that His Spirit would come into your heart and guide you to heaven!
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July 2011
12 reasons I’m not a Mormon
by Pastor David
There are many topics I love to speak about and plenty more I seldom mention. I bet you are the same. The old adage, “It’s not polite to speak on politics, religion or money” seems to be a good standard to hold, if your only interest is in not making waves. But if you don’t mind shaking things up a little, then those are the three you go for. As a pastor, it seems impossible to me to avoid these topics.
When it comes to speaking on money, I think church leaders need to mention it frequently. There are 31,102 verses in the Bible, 2350 are concerning finances. Though it’s not the main topic in scripture, it is a topic that’s addressed. If you want to read about finances this month you’ll have to turn farther back in the newsletter and see the article I wrote there.
Politics is another dandy topic. All you have to say is, “I vote Republican!” and instantly you will have a whole bunch of friends, just as many enemies and a bunch more that want to excuse themselves from the conversation. Of course a popular statement is, “I don’t vote for the party, I vote for the man” (or woman as the case may be). But a declaration like that will alienate the Republicans and Democrats. The results of all this is: it’s bad manners to speak on politics, just as it’s also bad manners to pick a fight. Certainly, a God fearing Bible loving Christian will always take note of Romans 13:1 before they trash talk the elected officials, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” So politics is a dangerous topic. Not only can you lose friends, you can also get God irritated with you.
This takes us to the third topic, religion. I like to speak about the wonders of God’s love for us. I enjoy telling misinformed people that God cares for them, loves them and guides them. I even like to officiate most funerals, because there I can remind people of God’s love and the hope of heaven that lays after this life.
Sadly, it never takes long until the topic of God’s love shifts to man’s religion. One opinion will often have an opposing opinion and the next thing you know you have gob of denominations and a church every two miles.
I don’t like conflict, I enjoy life more when I am without conflict but for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to speak the truth, without at least occasionally mentioning some things that make others angry. I don’t feel particularly bad about this because it seems Jesus had the same problem. Along with saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”1, He also said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves”2. So to model ourselves after Jesus is to know the difference between right and wrong and speak the truth about both.
This leads me to this month’s topic, that Mormons aren’t Christians. Mormons boast that they are Christians, do we take them at their word, or is there more to it than that? The Mormons are also called, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or LDS for short. Since I am writing an article instead of a book, this is not going to be detailed or exhaustive, but it will hit some of the high points and will hopefully prompt you to further research. I know that some will stop reading now because they don’t like the idea of someone (me) slamming someone else (LDS) and I understand why you would. Though the Bible teaches us not to be judgmental, it also teaches us to distinguish the truth from a lie and there are a lot of people who believe the LDS lie. Here’s my list of reasons why I’m not a Mormon:
1. LDS doctrine is like a cable with several twisted strands. Some of the strands are wonderful, like the encouragement of family and the sense of community. Some of the strands are corrupt. Corrupt enough to earn the label of #2.
2. The LDS is a cult. A cult is defined as a group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister. Who gets to decide what’s “strange & sinister? The original group. Just as Christians are not a branch of Judaism, because the Jews won’t have us, Mormons are not Christian because the original Christians won’t have them. What does LDS believe that is “strange or sinister? See #3,
3. Christians are never self-proclaimed, they are biblically defined. That is, a person is not a Christian because they say they are. A person is a Christian because they conform to and follow New Testament teaching. Such teachings as believing Jesus is the Messiah, they have asked Him into their hearts and they have become born-again.
4. LDS believe in the Bible, but only on their terms. To clarify the definition of a Christian various catechisms were written, most in the 16 &1700’s. Some by Catholics, some by Presbyterians, by Lutherans and Orthodox, there are certain variances and there are some decisive similarities. The purpose of the catechisms is to define what the Bible says about Christian beliefs. So in short if you agree with the basics of the catechisms you are a Christian, if not, you are not. For an example #5.
5. Failure to believe in The Trinity. The Bible teaches God has revealed Himself to us by three means: The Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. We call this The Trinity. Mormons are taught that the historic Christian position on the Trinity is false. They believe that the Godhead is like a president and two counselors, the president being first in authority. God the Father is the president, and the Son and Holy Spirit are His two counselors. That point alone disqualifies Mormons as Christians. As #6 explains
6. LDS believe God to be someone or something other than what the Bible teaches. People have no problem saying the Hindus and the Buddhists are not Christian because they believe in different gods. The Mormons also define God as something different. Why? #7.
7. Their sacred writings. According to their 8th Article of Faith, “the Bible is the inspired Word of God in so far as it is translated correctly”. But who gets to decide what’s “translated correctly”? In Protestantism, the individual is encouraged to decide based on their convictions and research, not by edicts passed down from headquarters. That sort of upper echelon control is scary. Why? #8 answers that.
8. More sacred books. Along with the Bible, the Mormons believe that there are four other inspired writings: the Articles of Faith, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. The Bible has undergone rigorous scrutiny in order to be considered God’s word. The scrutiny included, (1)written by people recognized as prophets and apostles, (2)inspired by God, (3)recognized by men of God and (4)collected and preserved by the people of God. The four LDS books fill none of this criteria. By accepting those books they bring the Bible down to their level, rather than taking their faith up to the Bible’s level. In addition #9.
9. The preeminent view of the KJV. Don’t get me wrong the KJV is a great version of the Bible, but limiting your followers to one version smacks of censorship, if not book-burning. Why trust scholars who were translating in 1611 and not ones who are still alive today? Perhaps the answer is that they wouldn’t like the answer. As in not liking #10.
10. The work of DNA. Mainstream education has taught for years the Native Americans descended from eastern Siberia. It is believed they traveled by way of an ice bridge to Alaska and migrated through the centuries south all the way to Cape Horn. The Book of Mormon has quite another tale, the account of Israelites who traveled to the Americas in 586BC. They sailed south around Africa past Australia and to Central America, over the generations these descendants became the “principle ancestors of the American Indians”3. DNA research has proven the Native Americans descended from Siberia and the foundation of Mormonism to be false.
11. I have heard LDS members say, “read the Book of Mormon, pray earnestly and experience a warm sensation in your heart.” As Christians, we are not called by God to follow feelings of intuition or warm sensations. We are called to follow a living God, who answers prayers and changes lives. Being born-again is not a feeling, it’s an event. It changes everything.
12. One thing I do believe about the LDS is that the angel Moroni did in fact visit Joseph Smith. Sound crazy that I would admit to that? It shouldn’t, it was prophesied in the Bible 2000 years ago. Galatians 1:6-9,
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
There we have it, “even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” I just don’t think it can be any plainer than that. Even The Book of Mormon boasts the subtitle, “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” (italics mine).
As a follower of Christ I have sought Him in many places and in many doctrines, that is why I believe what I believe. Not because this is the church I grew up in, but because I have researched it and based my conclusions on that research. LDS twists doctrines, discredit the Bible, accepts other writings above the Bible, believe in a god other than the God of the Bible, their entire faith is crumbled by DNA research, it is based on emotion and discredited by Holy Scripture. The conclusion is not only that I will not follow LDS teaching, but I cannot understand why any literate person would ever believe Mormonism could be credible.
1 Matthew 5
2 Matthew 23
3 Book of Mormon Introduction 2nd paragraph