Great and Unsearchable Things

Things the Lord gives me, and then I write them.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

"Cheap Grace" or the Real Thing?

      I've been plumbing the depths to find True Grace, by first of all asking God to lead me in the true ways and bring His revelation to me. After that, I've been reading what others have said about "grace" all the while having my antennae up towards the Holy Spirit's truth indicator. Sometimes I get a sort of "bingo" in my spirit whenever He is revealing a truth to me, and a "red light" on things that are error.
     Today in our hedonistic society, grace is being purported as a ticket to some kind of fairy land of God, and presented in such a way as to secure everything we've ever wanted. When I read the writers of old, I find that same kind of grace, "cheap grace" they called it, being offered also. This is an old trick of satan.
     Now, it has caused me to seek further on this almost non-descript gift God offers us. I want to receive what He has to offer me, and I believe that I have, but I don't want to change the truth into a lie, and alter His true grace and define it by the lusts of the flesh. That is what I think has happened today in rich America, and is being imported around the world.
     So, I am excited about my quest because I know that if I seek His will and truth in this, then He will open up my spirit and lead me to the truth, and this truth, as all truth, will set me free. I know that the renewing of my mind is part of the process to be able to see clearer and clearer in this process He's taking me through.
     So when you hear about the new (but old) "grace" doctrine out there, take it to the Lord and ask Him to help you seperate truth from error, because it's that 10% error, or that little leaven, that spoils the whole batch. It is very deceptive, subtle and clever.(in a bad way)
     Yes, God offers us Grace; grace to save, grace to deliver and grace to grow and overcome. Tweeking His gift to suit our desires, though, cheapens the value and perverts the saint who eats of this belief. Help us, Lord, bring everything to you for your inspection and guidance for you are our Good Shepherd and will protect us from the food of the enemy. It could be laced with poison, although the meat looks so good on the outside. These are perilous times indeed!!!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Father Make Us One

    " Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, and even more so as you see the Day approaching."  I know "the Day" here is speaking of that "great and terrible Day" when the Lord comes back again; "great" for believers, "terrible for unbelievers," but I see another day for America which will preceed "the Day." The coming storm clouds are quickly gathering, and frankly, it scares me.
      In fact, I was talking with a sister in Christ the other day, and she said," I hope I'm not a chicken and can stand firm in my faith, "referring to a future time in our country when perhaps we, as Christians will be persecuted. I remarked that I am a chicken, and that is why I can only depend on the Lord's help and strength during that time.
     When I see all the ducks getting in a row for this to occur, I am having the urge to assemble myself together with my brothers and sisters in Christ; not in terms of sitting in a church building necessarily, but in terms of laying aside our differences for the sake of Christ and true fellowship. I was wondering if coming up with different doctrines is a luxury of the "rich" so to speak. In other words, when we have freedom, we roam around and write books, articles, blogs, and record our teaching, go on TV, and speak about the things of the Kingdom. This is a good thing, as we in America, are saturated with resources in our understanding of these things.
     But persecuted Christians, probably dispense of all this rankering, and "hunker down together" in the name and person of Jesus Christ. And that is what I  personally experiencing. I am having a great desire to be united with others who love the Lord by laying down what I formerly held onto as "my convictions." God is using these perilous times to do this inner work. Maybe that is what it took for me. Maybe I had to be scared enough (by what I see coming) to embrace more fully my brothers and sisters, and united we stand, divided we fall makes more sense now.
     With that unity, we will be able to encourage each other in the Lord daily, while it is yet called day. We will make it, as our Lord will guide us, as He has said, as He has in the past, and as He will continue to. Keeping our eyes on Jesus is the key. Lord, help us do that!
    

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Time Is Not

     Eternity is a strange thing. We have nothing to compare it with in our way of thinking, and so it's hard to comprehend. Even using the word "comprehend" , meaning to grasp with one's mind, doesn't fit, because eternity is a spiritual concept.
     I want to try and put into words, however, what I "see" as I gaze into that realm concerning our salvation, and in particular a certain aspect of that salvation, which is our deliverance, or being set free from what holds us captive.
     In this realm, there is not time as we know it. So, the past, the present and the future are all wrapped up into one. Take our salvation: We were saved, we are saved and we are being saved. What has happened in what we know as the past, has happened in the now and will continue to happen in the future, as we know it.
     With our deliverance being a part of the salvation, the same is true. Jesus came to set the captive free, and He died so that we could be set free. We are free from the power of sin, we are free from obeying the law perfectly to earn our own salvation, and we are free from the things that formerly held us back or hindered us from walking in the new life He has given to us. This is our sanctification, (cleansing that makes us whole) and being delivered from our former ways, is certainly part of that.
     Many people in Christ remain oppressed of the devil, simply because they don't know that they don't have to be. They don't know that their deliverance has been secured at the cross, as well as other aspects of their salvation, and that they can receive it. He overcame death and the devil when He finished the "work" of the cross. And so, because they don't know the truth, they stay in their former state, when all they would have to do is to come to Christ, acknowledging their present deliverance because of what He completed in the past on their behalf. Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord.
     Why is this important? Not only does knowing this truth, and appropriating it set us free in real time (in the spiritual realm), but it secures our future deliverance as well. In other words, we can be sure of what He started in us , that He will complete it. We have been delivered, we are delivered and we will be delivered, and so as it was then ("it is finished")  and so it will be.
     When we see what we consider ourselves as  slipping back, or judge ourselves after the flesh and it seems like we haven't or aren't going to be delivered from our former behaviors, attitudes or actions, we accept the lie that what Jesus paid for on the cross on our behalf, didn't really happen. Of course, it would be the enemy of our souls who would plant such a thought in our head, because he knows if we receive that thought, we will become discouraged, and maybe even depressed, or under oppression again. Our behavior then will mimick the old man which has been buried with Christ, and we will think that is who we are. In doing so, our lives begin to reflect the enemy's ways instead of Christ, and not glorify Him to others.
    So, knowing this truth, no matter how it appears to our senses and fleshly judgements against ourselves sometimes, we can be assured that He secured our deliverance (which involves being delivered from the schemes of the devil, because he was defeated there), and the outcropping of all of that.  IT IS FINISHED and WILL BE FINISHED (our actualized) in us until the day of Jesus Christ, as He tells us in His Word. HE IS NOT A MAN THAT HE SHOULD LIE!!!
     Be encouraged, brothers and sisters! Jesus did it on your behalf, so you could be free of the devil's torments and it's subsequent behaviors! Let him who steals, steal no more. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, our Lord who has defeated him. Rest in that!!!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Value of Worship to Us

  
Lately, I've been examining the value of worshipping in song, and 2 things in particular have come to my mind:

1) When we are worshipping, our minds are engaged in focusing on Jesus, and when we disengage this activity, our minds usually go back to the things of this world, or our own world. Just as the worship song says: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace." I experience peace when all my faculties are focused on Him.

2) It's the only time I feel that I'm united with the Body of Christ. Again, when we aren't worshipping Him, our minds get active and many times we are disagreeing on doctrine and other things, and disunity results.


Hello, Panama and the Ukraine!!! Thanks for stopping by!! God's peace and love to you!!!

 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Who is God?

     Recently, I became interested in attending a Sunday School class at a church because of the topic they were going to study, which was "Knowing God." At first, I thought how elementary that was, and then upon second consideration, I realized that it was not. Who can plumb the depths of who God is? Who can know Him through and through? And, isn't getting to know Him better what it's all about? Even people who are married for decades keep finding out new things about each other; how much more with God, the eternal One.
     I remember studying the attributes of God at some point in my life, but this was different than knowing Him for myself. When I first started a relationship with God, I knew Him as Rescuer and then as Savior. I was in such deep darkness, that I could not rescue myself. He came to me when I was in that state of being, and presented me with an offer that I would have been foolish to refuse. He gave me an offer of new Life, and Restoration. So you could say I then knew Him as Life-Giver and Restorer. By His Spirit, He showed me two paths: the one I was presently on, and the one that He was on, and invited me to join Him. Then He showed me the outcome of walking on each path; one of destruction and one of Life. So, I guess you could say I then knew Him as a Prophetic See-er, and as the Merciful One.
     One of the main things I know about God in my relationship with Him is as My Sanctifier, or the One who makes me clean and whole. Most of my life, (even before I knew Him) I have been dissatisfied with me, and my behavior.  I read many self-help books, thinking if I could get the picture of how I was "supposed to be" then I could become that. Now, I realize how foolish, (knowing what I have since learned) to think that the sin nature in me could become "good," because in it is "no good thing," God's Word reveals. Only by God's nature in me, when I accepted Him, is the only thing Good. My old nature then died, and in Him I became alive. That continual death process in me now,  is the only way I can "walk in newness of life," understanding that it is His Life in me that "is walking." Recently, He has shown me more of what it means to "consider myself dead," and this understanding and believing is setting me free!!!! God is my Sanctifier; I have experienced Him in this way.
     And He goes on and on. Each one of us could relay how we have known God, and each one can know Him in different ways in their own personal walk. In one sense, I'm glad the Sunday School class didn't work out, as I fear it may have been a checklist of God's attributes, and not a personal survey of how each child of His has known Him. A doctrine of who God is, is stale, and a personal testimony of who He is to us, is living!!!

P.S.-Please read the post before this and respond. Thank you.
    

Monday, September 24, 2012

Asking a Favor

     If you are viewing my blog today, could you say "hi" in the comments section and tell me what country you are from. I recently discovered that stats are kept each day as to how many view the blog, and tells what countries the audience is from. I am just curious if the stats are correct, and interested in what country is viewing it.  Also, since there are hardly any comments, it makes me wonder about the stats. Thank you.
Hello, Botswana!!!!

I will continue my blogging tomorrow. I hope some of you are getting encouraged and strengthened in the Lord!!!

 

Not Easy Believism, But a Faithful God

    Whatever happened on the cross for us, I believe it. But it's not because I believe it that makes it true. It's true and that's why I believe it. Why is it true? Because the One who has declared it, God Himself, is faithful. And so, I believe Him because I believe in Him. He cannot or would not lie. End of discussion.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

On the Seventh Day God Rested


     When God brought things into being through creation, He rested. I don't think that necessarily meant He took a break, as God really doesn't need to do that. Instead, consider that it meant He was finished, or it was completed. In the same way that we are a new spiritual creation, He finished us on the cross, referring to the sanctification (or our being perfected) He purchased for us, besides our justification, and redemption. This means He did all He could do for us in making us new, and He finished us, assuring us of the completeness or perfection or wholeness He will bring to pass in the manifestation of that reality. So we don't have to worry about it; just believe that what occured because of Jesus' death will be played out in us. He has made all things new, and so it was, and so it shall be. And God rested. And so should we.

How Dark is that Darkness

     I have observed something some people do in "exegeting" the Scriptures as they formulate their doctrines. They come up with a postulate based on what they want to believe, or on a supposed revelation. They hold to it with all their might. They begin to read Scripture through the eyes of this belief in order to reinforce it in their minds at the neglect of obvious contradictions in other Scriptures, except it is not obvious to them, as their minds are deluded.They have successfully allowed themselves to be brainwashed. At this point, every Scripture they read seems to justify this original belief. Scary!
     I know you've heard about comparing Scripture with Scripture. I believe in it. It's kind of like a check and balance on truth.
     Forget about sharing other Scripture with them; they already have their belief system ready for debate and will not listen to you. The only thing that will be left is to pray that God, by the Holy Spirit, will open their eyes and be led out of their deception.

"And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do their will." 2 Timothy 2: 24-26.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Look At the Light

     I'd like to try and explain one of the reasons that I don't concentrate on, by reading, everything there is about the Islamic terrorist activity that is going on in the world today. It may at first appear that I am apathetic or ignorant or even sticking my head in the sand, but I'm not. I fully realize that there is an agenda, and I believe, that unless God intervenes, this agenda will be actualized, even here in America.
    And that's a scary picture!!!!! It reminds me of the time that my husband and I were traveling in the car and the sky was so dark and green and the wind was blowing hard with low-lying tornadic looking clouds. It was ominous!!! I began to pray for God to protect us, and for Him to help me not be fearful. He spoke softly, "Look at the light." I looked around in the sky, and in one tiny section there was still light. So, I just stared at it, and the fear began to subside.   
     It's not that I didn't remember the darkness and the threat all around me, it's just that when I looked at the light, it calmed my fears. Just like what is going on in the world; it's dark and scary, but when I don't read and/or think about it, but instead look into the face of Jesus (the Light) it calms me. I believe we must learn how to get up under His wing now, and when the storm does come, we will be safe in His loving care.(I'm talking here about eternally safe, not necessarily physically safe) 
     So, He prepares us now for the tribulation to come. Look at the Light, for He is our Hope and Salvation!!!!!!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Be You, and Walk the Walk

     God says in His Word that it is not wise for us to compare ourselves with ourselves, or with one another. I have a bad habit of doing that, and it has not produced good results. I see my own life, and than look at other Christians' lives by comparison, and the games begin. What results is I end up feeling less than, or greater than, and both are "evil." So, not good.
     Being settled with who God created me to be, even if others don't understand or reject me, and being settled with the life God has given me to live, even if the same thing occurs, are things the Lord is currently working in me. I fight this sometimes, unknowingly, because (now I'm realizing) that I don't want to be different, and misunderstood. I want to be received into people's hearts and lives, as the popular, pleasant and good ol' Joes' are. But, God constructed me differently. He gave me a mind that is not a standard one, if there is a standard one. I even have rejected myself many times because I didn't like the "me" He's created. Of course, than He quickens my spirit, and His Word comes to me which says, "Why does the clay say to the Potter, 'why have you made me like this?'" And I think, "I know You're right, God. Why do I do that? Why can't I just accept myself and the life that You've chosen for me on this earth?"
     My sister-in-law mentioned the other day that she wondered if people who had delusions of grandeur or wanting to be somebody special, had mental illness. Is that me, I thought? Why can't I just live my life like others? Oops, there I go again-that comparing thing.
     I know that underneath alot of this struggle is me trying to avoid being rejected  and judged, and so I subconsciously try to conform to others' expectations, so that won't happen. Alot of my being different, though, has to do with following what I see and hear God revealing to me in being His daughter, and/or servant, and so the stakes are high, whenever I don't respond to that. In Hebrews, He tells me that if I don't respond, that over time, my heart will get hardened to His voice, and I won't enter His rest. This means that I will be at odds with His will for me and my life and this never brings peace.
     But, praise God, He keeps me from falling!! I may go off on the comparing thing, mimick other peoples' lives for awhile, but then He somehow (as only God can) brings me back to the "me" He's created, and the strange path He's placed before me, and I begin to walk that path again.             
There was a Christian book many years ago that put this experience of this inconsistent walk many of us have, saying it was "two steps forward, one step back." I had to think about this for a second, and then, "whew" I realized that it was a progessive walk. I also realized that some people, (well, atleast the author) had this same somewhat inconsistent walk, as I do.
    I know when I lay this to rest finally, I will be empowered with the reality of the truth that "if God be for me, who can be against me." For it is Him I desire to be at peace with and to live for. Lord, get me there. I know you will.
    

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Fleshly Sons or Spiritual Sons?

     There is much being taught in certain Christian circles concerning the Sons of God. Of course most know that when we receive Jesus as our Lord we are born again  of the Spirit, as God's word says. At that point, our development begins. If we willingly submit to the Father of Lights and Live, we enter into a process of being conformed to His image. If we haven't truly submitted to Him in our hearts, we may think we are His sons and daughters, but in reality we are not. If we proceed to live our own lives, we operate in and develop more fully our fleshly nature. If we are in that category, we may do many of the things we see Christ do, except it will be according to our flesh. One day, if we keep on living an unsurrendered life, He will proclaim that He never knew us.
    God's true sons are those who allow Him to crucify their flesh, teaching them to die daily by many trials, tribulations and sufferings to the flesh. Their own fleshly wills are denied willingly, and as they grow according to His image, His will becomes theirs gladly. As it was Jesus' delight to please His Father, so it is the true sons of God delight also.
     The suffering of our flesh is part of the process of becoming more like Christ. As we walk in His Spirit, we won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. (what our flesh or our natural man wants) The fleshly "son" or the "son" who was conceived by fleshly contrived means and are therefore in bondage to the control of the flesh, is in God's eyes, cast out. The sons of the promise, or the sons free to do and want to do God's will, are truly His, as they are just following the pattern of the first-born Son as He submitted His Life to His Father.
     Could that be what is meant by the one who came to the Bridal Supper, and God asked him what
he was doing there, and why he was not wearing the proper clothes, or the fine-linen of righteousness? We can only be God's true sons if we accept what Jesus did for us on the cross by dying for our sins, and then letting His righteousness come forth in us, by dying to ourselves. Any other Gospel that excludes our death on the cross and all that entails is only trying to obtain the promise by one's own means in preserving one's own way. True sons or false sons? Only we can decide.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Who Do You Say that I Am?

     As we continue our walk with the Lord, we begin to see Him  and His Will more clearly. The bumps along the way, and the setbacks ,it seems, are often used by Him to accomplish that. Even when "wolves" try to come close and offer their "truths" to us on a silver platter, if our hearts are genuinely turned to Him, He is able to use that temptation and pressure too, to turn our hearts even more fully to His, and to fine tune our spiritual eyes and ears. Oh, the work of God on the inside of us! How mysterious and marvelous are your ways. Going through the darkness can cause us to be afraid, and then suddenly a ray of light at the end of the tunnel, and we come out of it even more secure in Him!!! Amazing!
     Standing secure in what He has shown us as we walk this walk is so important, while at the same time holding it loosely. This sounds double-minded, but it's not. Let me explain. If He has revealed truth to us concerning His Will, we can believe it, but we don't have to try and convince others of the truth He's shown to us. This could really be unbelief on our part, and we are wanting consensus to help us be sure of the truth we really have doubt about. If it is True, we can rest in that, and we can know the Spirit of God leads into all truth, and He will lead others in this also, so we don't have to pressure them to believe it. God will do the work, so we can be at peace in it. He may have us present the truth in word and deed, but to continue to show them "until they break," is not from the Spirit of God: it is an attempt to control them.
     "Who do you (the reader) say that I am?" Christ asks us today as He did Peter many years ago. We must all answer that question, stick to it in rest, but be humbly opened to His voice to correct and fine tune our understanding, as we all see through a glass darkly. The refining of our soul must be a part of this process of hearing and seeing, as when He changes us we change the way we hear His truth. It sounds complicated, but it's not. If our desire is to do the will of God and we have surrendered to Him and His ways, it will be done in us. He will keep us from falling!!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Discovering the Treasures He Offers

     He has brought us out of the darkness and placed us into His marvelous light! We were born and raised in a dark place or in the sin -filled world. When we accepted Christ, we were immediately translated to the Kingdom of God! What a mysterious and marvelous miracle. We then became aliens of the world; foreign to it's ways.
     The walking out of that reality is an awe inspiring and sometimes confusing thing. The reason I am using the word "confusing" is that when we are placed in the Kingdom of God  our minds still have to be renewed, and for many years we operate from  our former faulty perspectives and mindsets, which have been programmed by self-protection. Because we were without Christ then, we were all we had to find our way, and we worked out ways to take care of ourselves. We believed that these ways were right and good and wise.
     Enter Christ in us, and the Kingdom He is Lord of. All the treasures of salvation seem strange and foreign to us at first, almost unbelieveable!!! We continue to fight for ourselves when we don't have to. We are offered things from His hand we think we don't deserve, so on some level, we reject them, even unknowingly.
     Take mercy for example. In James 2:13 it says, "Mercy triumps over judgement." I've often wondered just what that means. Today God opened up a ray of light to me, as to the understanding.
Let's say someone has judged themselves guilty in a matter. Their  unrenewed reasoning says, "If someone is guilty, they don't deserve to receive. It just doesn't make sense. It seems like they are being rewarded for bad behavior."
     What if living on this side of the cross, Jesus offers mercy to them in the form of something He has died for on the cross? First He renders us guiltless in giving us His righteousness, and then He wants us to receive the many aspects of His salvation He offers to us. The  "guilty" person is stuck in their old covenant thinking of an eye for an eye, and they are applying that against themselves.
    But "Mercy triumphs over Judgement," in the New Covenant!! We need His mercy the most when we have done wrong, He knows that, and offers us what will heal our sinfulness in the form of forgiveness, or mercy. Pushing that away is stubbornly relying on our own justice system, and denying that which will truly help us. He does this all in Love, as He looks beyond what we deserve, and gives us what we need: His Love in the form of His Mercy. We don't need to be shamed so we don't do it again. It doesn't work. It's not helpful. It keeps us under.
     That person has been me. I thought I needed to do things right and then it would seem fitting that I could receive. (All of this was happening on a level I couldn't see, and so it was only God who had to show me what I was operating under.) I thought it made more sense, but He knew I couldn't (be perfect) and offered me a way out! What kind of love is that? A love beyond compare,and the only kind that brings the Kingdom ways into us as we receive them. I am in awe of His rescuing, life-giving Love today. I am grateful that His mercy has triumphed over my judgement. I am now feeling more at home in His heart, and as He continues to renew my mind, I will know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I belong there because He's welcomed me unconditionally.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

When a person lets go of control in a certain area of their life, and gives it to the Lord in trust, IT FREES THEM!!! They are no longer chained to the responsibility to fix, rescue, or restore. As God takes what you've handed Him, only then can any real, lasting and eternal change happen. If we believe we can out think God in our well-intentioned solutions, and keep trying to do so, the result will be frustration, sadness, anger, fear, or something else negative to us and those around us. I sound like an expert in this area, and regretfully I am. He has been showing me lately what I wrote in the first sentence, and He's touched the eyes of my heart to where I am beginning to truly believe it. By His grace, He's increased my trust in Him.

Saturday, September 08, 2012

Ears to Hear

     I was in the bathroom this morning, combing my hair when suddenly I understood the meaning of "those who have ears to hear." God speaks by His Spirit to us. If you have accepted Him as your Savior and Lord, you have been born on the Spirit, and with that comes getting spiritual eyes and ears. So, when the Lord says "those who have ears to hear," He's not saying some do have them and some don't. He's saying that you can hear, if you will hear. God speaks and says many things people don't want to hear, and so they ignore it, choosing to revert to hearing instead what they want to hear because it's so much more comfortable. This is where the hardening of their hearts, and subsequent deception/delusion comes in. What they think is them being at rest is actually a false rest because they don't experience the tension anymore of the flesh warring against the spirit within them. They have acquiesced to the flesh, and they now hear what they want to hear, and see what they want to see, and all is well, they think. In reality, they are choosing themselves as Lord over God. Now, that's scary! At what point does God give them over to their own delusions?

"Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." Heb. 3:15

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Islam and Mormonism

In light of the candidates running for President, I give you this outline sent to me by someone who attended a talk about Islam and Mormonism. Are both candidates on a path to the same destination? Something to consider and to ask the Lord about.



Islam and Mormonism:  Two Branches of the Same Tree
 
 
1.       Why Study A Cult Alongside Islam?
 
a.         Origins of Islam:  Judaism, paganism, Christianity, and especially Christian heresies
 
            Muhammad took these, along with his own “revelations” to create his own brand of religion.  What he produced is…
 
b.         Islam = an overblown cult
 
c.         Islam and LDS
 
            1)         Many have noted similarities[1]
 
a)         Contemporary newspapers of Smith’s day counted Joseph Smith as a false prophet, usually mentioning Muhammad as one previous example to be compared with.  This was true of the Palmyra Freeman and the Palmyra Reflection[2] writing c. 1829-30.
 
b)         In 1842 Smith was again enflaming the populace, this time in Illinois.  The editor of the Sangano Journal likened Smith’s aggressive stance to his “taking Mahomet’s part.”[3]
 
b)         In August of 1843 a convention was convened in Carthage, IL to deal with what the local residents saw as the growing threat of Mormonism.  They felt their rights were being threatened, and that the Mormons wanted to take over.  They were afraid of what they called this “latter-day would be Mahomet.”[4]
 
This is such a common comparison that there is even a Wikipedia article entitled “Mormonism and Islam.”
 
            2)         Joseph Smith himself referenced Islam
 
a)         Joseph Smith was aware of Islam, and must have been at least somewhat familiar with it. 
 
b)         Joseph Smith compared himself to Muhammad on at least one occasion.  This occurred in 1838, during a time of unrest with the people of Missouri.  Smith, speaking at a Mormon gathering at Adam-ondi-ahman, declared:
 
            “If the people will let us alone, we will preach the gospel in peace.  But if they come on us to molest us, we will establish our religion by the sword.  We will trample down our enemies and make it one gore of blood from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.  I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Alcoran or the Sword.’  So shall it eventually be with us—‘Joseph Smith or the Sword!’”[5]
 
c)         We do know that in Nauvoo the religion of Islam was listed as a
protected belief system, whose followers were allowed “freedom of religion” in the Mormon city.[6]
 
d)         One writer notes that Smith’s views of both polygamy and sensual joys of heaven as being very similar to the views of Islam and Muhammad.[7]


 
 
            3)         Other LDS leaders have referenced Islam
 
We also know that some Mormon leaders looked on Islam with favor.  For instance, in 1855 LDS Apostles George A. Smith and Parley Pratt delivered speeches in which they asserted that Islam had been raised up by God to “scourge” apostate Christianity and to aid in stopping the spread of idolatry.[8]
 
Note these further words from Apostles Smith and Pratt:
 
“As early as 1855, at a time when Christian literature generally ridiculed Muhammad as the Antichrist and the archenemy of Western civilization, Elders George A. Smith (1817–75) and Parley P. Pratt (1807–57) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered lengthy sermons demonstrating an accurate and balanced understanding of Islamic history and speaking highly of Muhammad’s leadership. Elder Smith observed that Muhammad was ‘descended from Abraham and was no doubt raised up by God on purpose’ to preach against idolatry. He sympathized with the plight of Muslims, who, like Latter-day Saints, found it difficult ‘to get an honest history’ written about them. Speaking next, Elder Pratt went on to express his admiration for Muhammad’s teachings, asserting that ‘upon the whole, … [Muslims] have better morals and better institutions than many Christian nations.’”[9]


 

The official LDS website has an article dealing with the issue of Mormonism and Mormonism.  Essentially, the LDS position is that Islam has some light and truth to offer to the Christian/LDS believer. 

 

Listen to a few excerpts from the article:

 

How, then, might Latter-day Saints regard the Muslim community? The most helpful approach is to recognize the truths and values we share with our Muslim brothers and sisters, even while politely acknowledging that theological differences exist. Certainly Latter-day Saints do not agree with Islamic teachings that deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, the need for modern prophets, or the principle of eternal progression. But by being humble and open to spiritual light wherever it may be found, we benefit from the religious insights of Muslims and affirm similarities in belief such as faith, prayer, fasting, repentance, compassion, modesty, and strong families as cornerstones of individual spirituality and community life.

 

In a recent meeting with Muslim dignitaries, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles focused on the common spiritual heritage of Mormons and Muslims. After quoting a verse from the Qur’an, he observed:

 

“God is the source of light in heaven and on earth. We share the belief with you. We resist the secular world. We believe with you that life has meaning and purpose. … We revere the institution of the family. … We salute you for your concern for the institution of the family. … Mutual respect, friendship, and love are precious things in today’s world. We feel those emotions for our Islamic brothers and sisters. Love never needs a visa. It crosses over all borders and links generations and cultures.”[10]

 

 

 

2.       Some Background Material

 

A little Islamic history

 

           

 

A little Mormon history

 

Terms:  Mormon, Latter-Day Saints, Saints, LDS

 

 

 

 

 

3.       The Parallels

 

            a.         As noted above,  many have noted parallels.

 

                        The first, and probably most obvious, is polygamy.

 

                        The second most obvious is the person and character of Joseph Smith himself.

 

            b.         An overview of many parallels

 

 

4.       Why Is Such A Comparison Important to Consider?

 

a.         The Common Source of both Religions

 

            1)         Idols = demons

 

                        False religions originate in the spiritual realm

 

            2)         Satan’s kingdom is organized

 

                        a)         Biblical allusions

 

b)         Satan’s realm is a “kingdom,” suggesting rulership, hierarchy,

authoritarian structure

 

c)         What happens to demons who were once assigned to certain regions, religions or peoples?

 

1>        What about Thor?  Rock and roll?

 

2>        Islam… could it be the same spiritual influence?

 

** Is it not likely that two group with so much in common, though seemingly with nothing in common as to their human beginnings, must indeed have common spiritual origin?

 

3)         Lesson for us:  The battle is spiritual!

 

a)         We are engaged in a well-planned, strategically detailed SPIRITUAL WAR. 

 

b)         The forces arrayed against us are not primarily political, military, social, or even religious… they are spirits of great power and cunning.

 

c)         We must remember Ephesians 6:12

 

 

b.         We learn the lesson of the dangers of spiritual experience and mystical revelations apart from the grounding source of God’s Word.

 

1)         Note the power of the Prophet.

 

            a)         Examples

 

We see the power of the prophetic role in…

 

Muhammad

Joseph Smith

David Koresh

Jim Jones

Etc.

 

b)         The commitment of the “true believer”

 

c)         The influence of hearing the current, living “voice of God”

 

1>        Muhammad as an exemplar of the perfect life.  Do what Muhammad said and did.

 

2>        The concept of the living prophet in LDS theology.  Doctrine can be fluid and transitory—what matters is what the living prophet declares.

 

 

2)         The Word must always be our standard and our guide

 

§  Judge prophecy:  1  Cor. 14:29

§  Prove all things:  1 Thess. 5:21

§  To the word:  Isaiah 8:20

§  Only one Gospel:  Gal. 1:8

 

 

c.         Developing Workable Methodologies for Evangelism

 

Understanding the essentially cultic nature of Islam gives us a clue to evangelism. 

 

There are obviously certain cultural, social and religious distinctives to be considered in Muslim evangelism.

 

However, alongside of these, we can take what the church has learned about witnessing to cultists, and apply this to Muslim evangelism.

 

For example, consider some of the practical advice Walter Martin offers about witnessing to someone in a cult… and notice how applicable these are to Muslim evangelism:

 

1.         Understand that you are dealing with someone who has been psychologically and socially conditioned.

 

            a.         Their entire worldview is codified in their faith.

 

            b.         They will believe even if presented with contradictions and

                        anomalies.

 

2.         It is important to define terms.

 

            a.         They will use our terms with their meanings.

 

            b.         Develop a grasp of their basic terms.

 

3.         Maintain the initiative in a conversation.

 

4.         Use Scripture.

 

            a.         Use it in context.

 

            b.         Show them the written word.

 

            c.         Depend on the intrinsic power of the Word of God.

 

5.         Be persistent.

 

            Most cultists are not won in a single encounter.

 

6.         Be sure you are prayed up.

 

            Never forget, we are in a spiritual WAR.  We are not really battling flesh

            and blood, but spiritual forces.

 

7.         Always show love.

 

 

 

 

 

5.       Conclusion

 

Islam is attempting to present itself in the West, and in America in particular, as a basically peaceful, benevolent religion.  Even as radical Islamists have terrorized our world, the propaganda machines of so-called moderate Islam has been promoting this view of the Islamic faith.

 

Does Mormonism have a role to play in this.  Could Mormonism be a bridge between Islam and “Christianity”?

 

It is interesting to note that in recent years the LDS church has sometimes a number of conferences with Muslim leaders and clerics.  As noted earlier, in these times of dialogue, the LDS church as gone to great lengths to emphasize the similarities between the two faiths.

 

As one Mormon writer has observed:

 

In recent years, respect for the spiritual legacy of Muhammad and for the religious values of the Islamic community has led to increasing contact and cooperation between Latter-day Saints and Muslims around the world… The Church has sought to respect Islamic laws and traditions that prohibit conversion of Muslims to other faiths by adopting a policy of nonproselyting in Islamic countries of the Middle East. Yet examples of dialogue and cooperation abound, including visits of Muslim dignitaries at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City; Muslim use of Church canning facilities to produce halal (ritually clean) food products; Church humanitarian aid and disaster relief sent to predominantly Muslim areas…  academic agreements between Brigham Young University and various educational and governmental institutions in the Islamic world; the existence of the Muslim Student Association at BYU; and expanding collaboration between the Church and Islamic organizations to safeguard traditional family values worldwide….  The examples of Latter-day Saint–Muslim interaction mentioned above, together with the Church’s establishment in 1989 of two major centers for educational and cultural exchange in the Middle East (Jerusalem and Amman), reflect the traditional attitude of respect for Islam that Church leaders have exhibited from earliest times. These activities represent tangible evidence of Latter-day Saint commitment to promote greater understanding of the Muslim world and witness an emerging role for the Church in helping to bridge the gap that has existed historically between Muslims and Christians.

 

…[He continues by saying, I am] grateful to state that we belong to a church that affirms the truths taught by Muhammad and other great teachers, reformers, and religious founders. We recognize the goodness reflected in the lives of those in other religious communities. While we do not compromise revealed eternal truths of the restored gospel, we never espouse an adversarial relationship with other faiths. Rather, in accordance with modern prophetic counsel, we seek to treasure up that which is virtuous and praiseworthy in other faiths and to cultivate an attitude of “affirmative gratitude” toward them. As Latter-day Saints, we believe that it is vital to respect and benefit from the spiritual light found in other religions, while seeking humbly to share the additional measure of eternal truth provided by latter-day revelation.[11]

 

 

In conclusion, note the following quote from the LDS website:

 

“A cabinet minister in Egypt, aware of the common ground shared by Muslims and Latter-day Saints, once remarked to Elder Howard W. Hunter of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that ‘if a bridge is ever built between Christianity and Islam it must be built by the Mormon Church.’”[12]

 

 

 

 



[1] Cf. Richard Lyman Bush in Joseph Smith:  Rough Stone Rolling.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, pp. xxi-xxii.
Also, opinions of sociologist Rodney Stark in Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling.  Mormon America.  San Francisco:  Harper Collins Publishers, Inc., 1999, p. 162
James Bennet compared Smith to both Muhammad and Odin.  See Brodie, p. 284.
[2] Richard Lyman Bush in Joseph Smith:  Rough Stone Rolling.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, p. 88.
[3] Fawn M. Brodie.  No Man Knows My History.  New York:  Vintage House, 1995, p. 286.
[4] Richard Lyman Bush in Joseph Smith:  Rough Stone Rolling.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, p. 510.
[5] Fawn M. Brodie.  No Man Knows My History.  New York:  Vintage House, 1995, p. 230-231.
[6] Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling.  Mormon America.  San Francisco:  Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.,
1999, p. 67.
[7] Ray B. West.  Kingdom of the Saints.  New York:  Viking Press, 1957, p. 113.
[8] Article:  “World Religions (Non-Christian) and Mormonism:  Islam.”  Encyclopedia of Mormonism.  Daniel H.
Ludlow, ed.  NY:  Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992, p. 1592.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Howard W. Hunter, “All Are Alike Unto God,” Speeches of the Year (1979), p. 36; quoted on the above
mentioned lds.org page.

Freeing Yourself to Share the Gospel

     The countdown for the Presidential election of the United States is upon us. By seeking God, I have heard him tell me to remain neutral. Of course, I'm not neutral in my leanings if I totally operated from my natural mind. But I don't. I have been born of the Spirit, and now have the mind of Christ.
     How could you be neutral, many sincere Christians would say? This, many believe, is the election that will make or break our nation. I am neutral because I am a part of a "holy nation. I am a peculiar people. I am an alien, looking for a city whose kingdom is God's." This nation includes all the people of the world who not only call themselves His, but who desire to walk in His ways all the days of their lives, as they know they have been bought with a price."
     When others who don't hold my natural political beliefs find out that I am "apolitical", they cannot put me in a box. I am free then to share the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ with them, as the Spirit  leads. If I am identified only by my political beliefs and/or party, then I am choosing to put that first over my identifying with my citizenship in another kingdom. It is more important to me to have an opened door to be able to share Jesus Christ with them, then to be judged by my natural beliefs, and have the opposing person be closed to what the Holy Spirit might have me share with them because of who they think I am by my political stance.
     Jesus calls us to come up higher, and to live in the kingdom of God while on earth; to set our eyes in heavenly places instead of being so earthly minded.
      Whoever gets elected won't be our Prince of Peace anyway. He will split the Eastern sky one day and save the day! My Word tells me things will get worse and worse as time goes on. We might as well be about His business until He returns, so we won't be ashamed at His appearing!!!