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Archive for the ‘Mormonism’ Category

from Worldview Weekend:

Please understand that this article is written out of my Biblical concern for the church and in defense of the Gospel. I have endeavored to be as gracious as possible. A few years ago I had to repent of raising the flag above the cross and I want to speak from my mistakes and plead with you not to make the same mistake and thus waste the precious time we have left for what will really count for eternity. With that being said let me tell you as lovingly as I can that I believe pro-family groups and evangelicals that united up with false teachers for one prayer rally and spiritual event after another in hopes of defeating Obama not only failed politically but they also failed Biblically. Thus, I believe the New Religious Right bear some of the responsibility for the re-election of President Obama and for what appears to be God’s hastening in His giving our nation over as described in Romans chapter one.

God’s Word tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:17 that if Christians unite with false teachers then God will not welcome, receive, or have favor on them. God has not shown favor with the re-election of President Obama and I believe one reason is due to the Biblical compromise of the New Religious right and modern-day evangelicalism in aggressively uniting up with false teachers in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

In an August 2010 article I warned the New Religious Right that they were going to hasten God’s judgment on our nation with their unbiblical spiritual enterprises, with New Age Mormon Glenn Beck in clear violation of 2 John 9-11, 2 Corinthians 6:14, and Romans 16:17. Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally was described as a spiritual event by Beck Himself. It was in 2010 that I wrote:

The compromise by evangelical leaders and pastors by spiritually uniting with “all faiths” with the theme of “looking to the one god”, as described by Beck, has laid the foundation for untold numbers of self-professing Christians to now embrace pluralism and pagan spirituality. Pastors and evangelical leaders literally locked arms with all faiths, including Imams, in a spiritual endeavor despite the clear Biblical warnings of 2 Corinthians 6:14.

Again in August of 2011, I warned the New Religious Right about taking part in and organizing Governor Rick Perry’s “The Response” prayer rally that included a mixture of the New Religious Right and some of the world’s most popular false teachers. In a 2011 article I warned:

I do not believe this event will aide in reclaiming the country, restoring liberty, or prosperity and it certainly will not prompt God to bless America. I believe such an event will actually hasten God’s judgment on our nation…God is watching and I contend that our efforts are being thwarted by God as Divine judgment for setting aside Scriptural warnings and uniting with false teachers in spiritual enterprises intertwined with our Christian activism. 

In my book Grave Influence that was published in 2009, I wrote that God was giving America over as described in Romans 1. Romans 1:28 tells us that one of the signs that God is giving over a nation is that they become debased. Debased means that they don’t pass the test spiritually and one of the signs of a debased mind according to Romans 1:32 is that people lack discernment. Why is it that we have so many people, including religious leaders, lacking discernment?

When the New Religious Right and evangelicals unite up with false teachers then I believe that this is proof they lack discernment. In my latest book Religious Trojan Horse I wrote:

If embracing false teachers is how you reclaim the culture I don’t want to be a part of it. Besides, there is no reclaiming the culture apart from God. Romans 1, explains that compromise and uniting with those who embrace and promote pagan spirituality is how you destroy a culture and speed up God’s judgment. When God finally brings judgment upon America, I believe you will be able to point to some of America’s favorite “evangelical” and pro-family leaders and say, “you and your organizations are as responsible, if not more responsible, for the Divine judgment on our nation than any secular company or organization in America, because you gave credibility and rise to Satan’s number one tool-false teachers-to wage war against Satan’s number one earthy adversary, the true Church.” 

Let me give you some examples of why I believe this is a true statement:

Jerry Falwell Jr., on Glenn Beck’s radio program in 2010 declared, “If we don’t hang together we’ll hang separately. I mean, that’s what my father believed when he formed Moral Majority, an organization of Mormons, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, people of no faith. And there are bigger issues now. We can argue about theology later after we save the country. ” Just a few days before the Presidential election, The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association removed the reference to Mormonism as a cult from their website.

In 2012, Shirley Dobson appeared on New Age, Mormon Glenn Beck’s radio program to talk about prayer and God. In the process, she praised Beck for his “great job” and “good work.” Again, how can Beck’s promotion of another Jesus and another gospel be a good work, and why do “evangelical” leaders seem eager to compromise the admonishments of 2 Corinthians 6:14, Romans 16:17, and 2 John 9-11?

According to news reports, in 2008, James and Shirley Dobson joined New Apostolic Reformation personality and assistant pastor at the International House of Prayer, Lou Engle, for “The Call” in San Diego.

In March 2012, James Dobson interviewed Lou Engle on his radio program. He praised Engle and his “ministry.”

Numerous New Religious Right personalities and evangelicals have defended or praised Glenn Beck, or talked with him about God, or joined him in one of his spiritual enterprises. Christians and Mormons do not follow the same God. Why would self-professing Christians unite in a spiritual enterprise with non-Christians? The answer seems to be to reclaim America but how is that working out for them? They are not reclaiming America but I believe compromising the church and the Gospel and hastening God’s judgment.

Pat Roberston has also expressed doubt on how much his culture war activities have really accomplished:

In a reflective mood for Easter, evangelical icon and onetime presidential candidate Pat Robertson echoes the Rev. Billy Graham’s recent acknowledgement that he wished he had spent less time on politics and more time on the ministry and his family.

“When you get it all said and done, what did my work accomplish in the political realm?” Robertson wondered rhetorically during an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV in which he offers an inspirational Easter message.

The pragmatic and ecumenical strategy of the New Religious Right has failed and I believe President Obama’s re-election is proof of this fact. In Matthew 23:13-29, Jesus uses the word “woe” eight times when speaking to the scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees. “Woe” means “judgment upon you,” and Jesus pronounced judgment on them because they were more interested in moralizing and legislating morality than in understanding, accepting, and preaching the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christians should be involved in good works such as defending the lives of the unborn, caring for widows and orphans, and running crisis pregnancy centers. The reason, though, is that people will see the transforming power of the Gospel in our lives. Good works when used as a platform for the Gospel offers unbelievers the chance to see the light of Christ within our lives and to give glory to our heavenly Father. This is the Biblical meaning of being salt and light. The light is the Gospel not good works or moralizing.

Christian activism apart from the Gospel has no eternal value and is, in fact, a sin because we are not obeying God and fulfilling the Great Commission. Uniting with false teachers in spiritual enterprise for political gain is not proclaiming the Gospel but compromising the Gospel.

It is past time that we follow the example of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, where he declares that his first priority is the gospel:

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

Christian pro-family leaders would do well to examine every initiative, project, book, speech, broadcast, and conference in light of whether it will further the proclamation of the biblical Gospel or compromise scriptural principles clearly laid out in God’s Word.

If the New Religious Right were truly committed first and foremost to sound biblical theology and doctrine, they would not be involved in spiritual enterprises with those who participate in the New Age Movement, the New Apostolic Reformation, ecumenicalism, globalism, communitarianism, the Church of Rome, the Word of Faith movement, social justice, and the social gospel.

Most pro-family organizations claim to be Christian and boast that they embrace “Christian values” because the majority of their supports call themselves “Christian.”  However, when it comes to defining what it means to be a Biblical Christian, most of the New Religious Right will not reflect Biblical Christianity because they don’t want to offend their Catholic, Mormon, Word of Faith, or New Apostolic Reformation donors. So, in the end, I believe the New Religious Right betrays the Gospel in deference to “another” gospel embraced by these disparate groups.

Yes, I voted, and I hope you did as well but post-election I have read where pro-family and “evangelical” leaders are lecturing Christians that the election of President Obama is what happens when Christians are not committed to Christian activism. Wrong! This is what happens with Christian leaders are committed to ecumenicalism, pragmatism, and give credibility to false teachers all in violation of God’s Word and God’s warning.

I think the question that needs to be asked now is who will you follow going forward? How will you respond when New Religious Right leaders try to convince you that you need to continue to follow them in order to win the culture war? I for one rejected the culture-war industrial complex for what I think it is really all about some time ago.

The first sentence of my 2009 book Grave Influence was “We’ve lost the culture war.” The culture war is the symptom of the problem and unless we preach the Gospel and defend the Gospel there is not only no hope for the culture but no hope for the lost.

Do you really think God is pleased by political pragmatism over Biblical truth? Uniting with false teachers in spiritual enterprises for political pragmatism is not defending the Gospel but giving credibility to a false gospel. 

It is time for true Christians with Biblical discernment to follow the instructions of Romans 16:17-“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”

The election results do not change the fact that God is still in control. Our mission has not changed; we are to continue to preach the Gospel and disciple fellow believers. Our mission on the day before the election was the Great Commission and today is still the Great Commission. If your life is largely committed to the culture war then you will feel very defeated by the re-election of President Obama-and well you should be because your life is not going to have an eternal impact and your focus is also not a good sign of your spiritual condition.  However, if your life is committed to the defense and proclamation of the Gospel and Biblical discipleship then you realize that our success is not defined by earthly elections which have nothing to do with God’s plan for eternity.

Our main focus should be preaching the Gospel to the lost, defending the gospel, and protecting the church from false teachers and pro-family leaders that have allowed certain men to rise from within (Acts 20:28-31).

If you want to pull the rug out from underneath the same-sex marriage agenda or the abortion agenda then preach the gospel to the unsaved. If they hear the gospel and respond through faith and repentance then just watch as their worldview changes, their values change and ultimately their conduct.

We cannot reclaim the culture but we can contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). This involves exposing today’s religious Trojan horse that has breached the walls of modern-day evangelicalism through patriotic ecumenicalism and other such schemes of the evil one.

So, to my fellow Bereans, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14).

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from Now The End Begins:

The coming One World Religion

The bible teaches that, during the time of the Great Tribulation, there will be a One World Government headed up by the Antichrist, and that he will also be the object of worship of the One World Religion that will also be set up. The last time that the Vatican was in world power was during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. This was a time of great persecution of bible believing Christians by the Catholic Church, with the killings and the slaughter carried out by Rome’s alliance with Spain. We believe that during the Great Tribulation, the Vatican in Rome will form an alliance with Islam, and the killings and slaughtering of bible believing Christians will once again be carried out.

Live Broadcast 10.21.12 On NTEB Radio: The Coming Alliance Between The Vatican, Islam And Mormonism

With that in mind, please note the story below. The Vatican has just realized how huge the world’s Muslim population is, and we say that according the bible, Rome will soon form an alliance with Islam and bring them in as their “muscle”. Once this happens, the Vatican will once again become a world theocratic power and will fulfill the prophecies about the Catholic church found in chapters 17 and 18 of the book of Revelation.

From Yahoo News: VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A Roman Catholic cardinal has caused an uproar at the Vatican by screening a spurious YouTube video that makes alarmist predictions about the growth of Islam in Europe.

Reuters/REUTERS – A cardinal arrives to attend a mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI marking the opening of the Synod of bishops in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican October 7, 2012. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

The seven-minute clip, called “Muslim Demographics,” was the talk of an international gathering of bishops on Monday, two days after Cardinal Peter Turkson screened it during a free discussion period.

Turkson, a Ghanaian who is based in the Vatican and is president of its Council for Justice and Peace, sparked consternation among his fellow bishops over the clip.

“As we were arriving this morning I was asked several times ‘Who planned it? Whose was it? Who is behind it?” Father Thomas Rosica said at a briefing for journalists, who are not allowed to attend the synod sessions, the first since the screening.

He said the clip had sparked “the most animated” discussion so far at the three-week conference, and one bishop said he would rebut Turkson by presenting a report with contrary data.

The clip has brought Islam to the top of the agenda at the synod, attended by 262 bishops. “Islam is the buzzword,” Rosica said.

Turkson could not be reached for comment on why he chose to screen the video during the Vatican meeting, where the bishops are discussing ways of winning back lapsed Roman Catholics in developed countries.

The clip, which has been viewed over 13 million times on YouTube since it was uploaded by an anonymous user in 2009, combines dramatic music with skewed population statistics to make claims about various European countries such as “In just 39 years France will be an Islamic republic.”

Critics have pointed out that the fertility figures used in the video, which claim French women have an average of 1.8 children while French Muslim women have 8.1 children, cannot be genuine as France does not collect statistics by religion.

According to a study by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center there were 2.18 billion Christians in 2010, half of which were Catholics. The total number of Muslims of all denominations was 1.6 billion and forecast to increase 35 percent to 2.2 billion by 2030, according to the research group.

The Holy See’s relations with Islam have not always been smooth. In 2006 Pope Benedict gave a speech in Regensburg which was perceived by some Muslims as an attack on Islam.

“It’s our shared responsibility as brothers and believers in the same holy God,” he said.

Asked about his reaction to the cardinal showing the video at the Vatican, Yahya Pallavicini, vice president of the Islamic Religious Community of Italy, warned against a numbers war based on scare tactics by any side.

“I think that we should focus, Muslims and Christians, on our common challenges, rather than challenging each other in scary attitudes on who is going to increase or decrease in numbers,” Pallavicini told Reuters. source – Yahoo News

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from Now The End Begins:

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. “ Galatians 2

RELATED STORY: What The Mormon Church Won’t Tell You

Most of us have had a Mormon Missionary knock at our door. If you have ever invited them in and listened to a presentation of their beliefs, you probably found most but not all of what they said very similar to those beliefs held by Christians.

However, while trying to convince you that your Church is wrong and the Mormon Church is right, there are several points they intentionally leave out. Below is a list of Mormon beliefs the missionaries will be reluctant to tell you about

 God was not always God – “We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345)

Jesus and Satan are brothers – The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning. Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind.” (Milton R. Hunter, Gospel Through the Ages, pg.15)

Jesus was a polygamist -”I discover that some of the Eastern papers represent me as a great blasphemer, because I said, in my lecture on Marriage, at our last Conference, that Jesus Christ was married at Cana of Galilee, that Mary, Martha, and others were his wives, and that he begat children.” (Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses 2:210)

The grand reason of the burst of public sentiment in anathemas upon Christ and his disciples, causing his crucifixion, was evidently based upon polygamy, according to the testimony of the philosophers who rose in that age. A belief in the doctrine of a plurality of wives caused the persecution of Jesus and his followers. We might almost think they were ‘Mormons’”(Jedediah M. Grant, Journal of Discourses, 1:346)

Adam was God – “Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is Michael, the Archangel, the Ancient of Days! about whom holy men have written and spoken–He is our Father, and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 1:50)

“I have learned by experience that there is but one God that pertains to this people and he is the god that pertains to this earth–The first man. That first man sent his own son to redeem the world…”(Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:1)

Brigham Young said only polygamists become gods – “The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy.” (Journal of Discourses 11:269)

The bible cannot be trusted – “I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph smith, pg.327) 

“But the Bible has been robbed of its plainness; many sacred books having been lost, others rejected by the Romish Church, and what few we have left, were copied and recopied so many times, that it is admitted that almost every verse has been corrupted and mutilated to that degree that any two of them read alike.” (Orson Pratt, The Seer, pg.213)

You must accept Joseph Smith as a prophet to be saved – “There is “no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. The word “salvation,” used in this context, must really mean “exaltation” because former Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie stated in his book Mormon Doctrine that general salvation is given to everyone regardless of belief. Personal salvation or exaltation to the highest form of Mormon heaven comes only by accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of god and by following the laws of the LDS church.” (Tenth LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith in his book, Doctrines of Salvation

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Matthew 24:5, 23-25:

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.

from CNN:

Famed pastor Joel Osteen reiterated his position that Mitt Romney is a Christian on Tuesday, saying as long as the likely GOP presidential nominee believes that Jesus is the Son of God then he subscribes to the Christian faith.

“When I hear Mitt Romney say that he believes that Jesus is the Son of God–that he’s the Christ, raised from the dead, that he’s his Savior–that’s good enough for me,” Osteen said in an interview to air on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”

While Osteen described the Mormon faith as “not traditional Christianity,” he said he believes Mormons fall under the Christian tent.

“Mormonism is a little different, but I still see them as brothers in Christ,” the pastor argued.

Romney’s faith has largely remained an outlier in this presidential cycle, though some have expressed skepticism at the likely Republican nominee’s religious views

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Everytime this man opens his mouth he displays his ignorance and proof that he has zero knowledge of God’s Word

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from The Guardian:

The stone-clad building stands on a busy intersection in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. There is little to distinguish it from any other modern place of worship in New York: it has a simple design, subtly decorated windows and a modest spire – one topped by a golden statue of a trumpet-wielding angel. And that is the difference: the angel, unfamiliar to most Christians, is called Moroni.

The building is the Manhattan temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known around the world as the Mormons. There are other temples scattered throughout New York, serving a growing community in the city of one of the world’s youngest but fastest-spreading faiths. Normally associated with the desert mountains of Utah, where it has its headquarters, the church’s 6 million-plus members are rapidly rising to prominence in America’s consciousness: two Mormons are running for the Republican presidential nomination. Indeed, Mitt Romney is a frontrunner in that race and by 2013 the US could have a Mormon president.

There are already 15 Mormons in Congress, including Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid. Rightwing media firebrand Glenn Beck is a Mormon. So is rock star Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the Killers, and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, contending with Romney for the Republican nomination. Mormons run businesses such as hotel chain Marriott International, and shows about them – such as the HBO drama Big Love – are television hits. For a faith that has often been persecuted, Mormonism, it seems, has never been more American.

“I am not only a New Yorker and a Mormon, but I am proud to be so. I have raised a family here,” says David Buckner, a business consultant who worships at the Manhattan temple. For Buckner, 48, who has called New York home since 1995, the city and Mormonism are a perfect fit. “There is a deep respect for different religions here in New York. People are respectful of our mores and values.”

That is not true everywhere. Robert Jeffress, a leading conservative Baptist minister with links to Romney’s rival for the nomination Rick Perry, recently launched a blistering attack on the faith, calling it a “cult” and saying it is “not Christianity”. Others appear to view the emergence of Mormonism into everyday life with nervousness: a poll in June found one in five US voters would oppose a Mormon candidate for president.

Nor is that a reflection of concern only on the religious right. Mormonism takes a strong view against gay marriage: it has provided financial backing for campaigns to stop same-sex couples getting full married rights, notably in California in 2008. The church’s actions triggered nationwide protests by campaigners.

Fred Karger, a gay Republican running at the back of the pack in the 2012 nomination race, has become a vocal critic of Mormonism. “My major concern with the Mormon faith is the basic tenet of obedience. If a President Romney got a call from the president of the LDS [Latter Day Saints], he has no choice but to obey. It is obedience over family and country,” he says.

That comment echoes criticisms levelled at President Kennedy, when his Catholicism – and theoretical obligation to the papacy – came under attack. But it also raises the questions of just what Mormons believe in and where the swiftly spreading religion comes from. “In general, a lot of Americans know very little about the Mormon faith,” says David Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron.

It began in the 1820s in upstate New York when the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, claimed to have discovered a holy work, inscribed on a set of golden plates, called the Book of Mormon. It included an account of Jesus appearing in the US. Smith drew together a group of followers and, fleeing persecution, began a movement west before being killed by a mob in Illinois. His successors  settled in Utah and continued the church’s controversial acceptance of polygamy, allowing men to take multiple wives.

The modern church, however, has long condemned plural marriages, though it continues with several practices at variance with other Christian faiths. For example, many members wear special underwear, known as “temple garments”. The church also places special emphasis on converting the dead: because of their belief that families are eternal, Mormons feel a duty to posthumously baptise ancestors so that all may be together in heaven. That is why the church is behind a huge genealogical effort to collect family histories.

Sometimes boundaries are overstepped in the tracing of ancestors. The church became embroiled in controversy after Holocaust victims were found on its databases. In 2009, it was discovered that Barack Obama’s recently deceased mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, had been posthumously baptised.

Of course, while to non-Mormons much of this can seem strange, the same could be said about many traditional practices of other faiths. What Mormonism is dealing with is not its beliefs, but its newness. Other religions’ prophets lived hundreds or thousands of years ago and have become an accepted part of human culture. Mormonism was born in the industrial era. Its expansion is coming at a time of iPhones and the internet, and its entry into the mainstream is bound to involve scrutiny of its agenda.

“The church is eager for it to be better known and a bigger player. They see that as part of their churchly mission,” says Matthew Burbank, a political expert at the University of Utah.

The LDS is also nothing if not media-savvy. It has launched an ad campaign to “normalise” its image, with portraits of people from diverse backgrounds under the slogan “I’m a Mormon”. “There’s a national conversation going on about Mormonism and we want to be a part of it,” says LDS spokesman Eric Hawkins.

But it is not hard to find Mormons in Manhattan. Take Natalie Hill, 30, a Broadway dancer. She does not drink or smoke, which the faith discourages, but that does not interfere with her enjoyment of New York; she even pens a blog called Mormon in Manhattan. “People are sometimes afraid of what they don’t know,” she says. “I am just like every other New Yorker, but I have a deep faith that roots me in where I come from.”

She is happy to confirm that she wears temple garments – though not when she is working. “I know people call them ‘magic underpants’, but I don’t wear them on stage,” she laughs.

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Humanism teaches that man can be a God or be like God. Mormonism is nothing more than Humanism cloaked with Christian sounding words!

from Got Questions:

The Mormon religion (Mormonism), whose followers are known as Mormons and Latter Day Saints (LDS), was founded less than two hundred years ago by a man named Joseph Smith. He claimed to have received a personal visit from God the Father and Jesus Christ who told him that all churches and their creeds were an abomination. Joseph Smith then set out to begin a brand-new religion that claims to be the “only true church on earth.” The problem with Mormonism is that it contradicts,modifies, and expands on the Bible. Christians have no reason to believe that the Bible is not true and adequate. To truly believe in and trust God means to believe in His Word, and all Scripture is inspired by God, which means it comes from Him (2 Timothy 3:16).

Mormons believe that there are in fact four sources of divinely inspired words, not just one: 1) The Bible “as far as it is translated correctly.” Which verses are considered incorrectly translated is not always made clear. 2) The Book of Mormon, which was “translated” by Smith and published in 1830. Smith claimed it is the “most correct book” on earth and that a person can get closer to God by following its precepts “than by any other book.” 3) The Doctrine and Covenants, containing a collection of modern revelations regarding the “Church of Jesus Christ as it has been restored.” 4) The Pearl of the Great Price, which is considered by Mormons to “clarify” doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and adds its own information about the earth’s creation.

Mormons believe the following about God: He has not always been the Supreme Being of the universe, but attained that status through righteous living and persistent effort. They believe God the Father has a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s.” Though abandoned by modern Mormon leaders, Brigham Young taught that Adam actually was God and the father of Jesus Christ. In contrast, Christians know this about God: there is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6-8), He always has existed and always will exist (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17), and He was not created but is the Creator (Genesis 1; Psalm 24:1; Isaiah 37:16). He is perfect, and no one else is equal to Him (Psalm 86:8; Isaiah 40:25). God the Father is not a man, nor was He ever (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Hosea 11:9). He is Spirit (John 4:24), and Spirit is not made of flesh and bone (Luke 24:39).

Mormons believe that there are different levels or kingdoms in the afterlife: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, and outer darkness. Where mankind will end up depends on what they believe and do in this life. In contrast, the Bible tells us that after death, we go to heaven or hell based on whether or not we had faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. To be absent from our bodies means, as believers, we are with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Unbelievers are sent to hell or the place of the dead (Luke 16:22-23). When Jesus comes the second time, we will receive new bodies (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). There will be a new heaven and new earth for believers (Revelation 21:1), and unbelievers will be thrown into an everlasting lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). There is no second chance for redemption after death (Hebrews 9:27).

Mormon leaders have taught that Jesus’ incarnation was the result of a physical relationship between God the Father and Mary. Mormons believe Jesus is a god, but that any human can also become a god. Mormonism teaches that salvation can be earned by a combination of faith and good works. Contrary to this, Christians historically have taught that no one can achieve the status of God—only He is holy (1 Samuel 2:2). We can only be made holy in God’s sight through faith in Him (1 Corinthians 1:2). Jesus is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16), is the only one ever to have lived a sinless, blameless life, and now has the highest place of honor in heaven (Hebrews 7:26). Jesus and God are one in essence, Jesus being the only One existing before physical birth (John 1:1-8; 8:56). Jesus gave Himself to us as a sacrifice, God raised Him from the dead, and one day everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:6-11). Jesus tells us it is impossible to get to heaven by our own works and that only by faith in Him is it possible (Matthew 19:26). We all deserve eternal punishment for our sins, but God’s infinite love and grace have allowed us a way out. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Clearly, there is only one way to receive salvation and that is to know God and His Son, Jesus (John 17:3). It is not done by works, but by faith (Romans 1:17; 3:28). We can receive this gift no matter who we are or what we have done (Romans 3:22). “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Although Mormons are usually friendly, loving, and kind people, they are deceived by a false religion that distorts the nature of God, the Person of Jesus Christ, and the means of salvation.

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This is an interesting case and it highlights a misnomer in what is considered a “church” today. All of the organizations listed in the suit as supporting the Lutherans, and the Lutherans themselves are really nothing more than non-profit coporations. Non-profits that are registered with the IRS and federal government as such. And in doing so they have given themselves over to be regulated by the Federal Government and all its laws!

from CNS News:

In yet another stunning attack on freedom of religion, President Barack Obama’s Justice Department asked the Supreme Court last week to give the federal government the power to tell a church who its ministers will be.

The case involves a former teacher at Lutheran school, who along with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is pushing a claim that a Lutheran congregation should be forced to restore her ministry position.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State and American Atheists, Inc. have filed briefs siding with the Obama administration against the church.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, and the American Center for Law and Justice are among those who have filed briefs supporting the Lutherans.

In 1999, the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Redford, Mich., hired Cheryl Perich to be a lay teacher on a one-year contract in its kindergarten.

The next year, Perich became a “called” teacher at the school after she became a commissioned minister in the church.

“To receive a call, a candidate must be selected by a local church congregation,” said a brief the church submitted to the Supreme Court that was prepared by lawyers at the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty and Douglas Laycock of the University of Virginia Law School.

“At Hosanna-Tabor, the school board typically presents a choice of candidates to the congregation, and after prayerfully considering the candidates, the congregation extends a call via congregational vote,” the brief said. “Once the call has been accepted, the candidate is installed in office via the public rite of ‘commissioning,’ and is recognized as a ‘Minister of Religion, Commissioned’ — also known as a ‘commissioned minister.'”

As a minister in the school, Perich taught religious classes, led students in prayer and performed other religious tasks. She was also expected to integrate the teaching of the Lutheran faith into all so-called “secular” classes, including math, science, social studies and art.

In 2004, Perich was diagnosed with narcolepsy and was unable to teach the fall semester. In January 2005, when she could not return, the school hired another teacher to take her place during the spring.

Later that month, according to a brief filed by the Justice Department’s Office of the Solicitor General, Perich informed the school’s principal, Stacey Hoeft, via email that she would be able to return to work the following month.

The principal informed her they had already hired a replacement teacher for the rest of the year.

The congregation then voted to ask Perich for a “peaceful release from her call.”

“‘Peaceful release’ is a religious act by which a congregation and a called minister agree to release one another from the mutual obligations of the call,” says the brief submitted by the church.

“Peaceful releases are common, and they leave the called minister in good standing and eligible for a new call.”

Perich declined to be peacefully released. In late February, she showed up at the school and met with Principal Hoeft.

“Later that day, Perich told Hoeft that if she were not reinstated, she would sue the church,” said the church’s brief. “Hoeft immediately asked Perich if that were what she really meant, because a lawsuit would clearly violate the church’s conflict resolution policy applicable to called employees. Perich repeated the threat.”

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod explained this teaching in its own brief: “St. Paul teaches in his first letter to the Corinthians that Christians should generally resolve their disputes internally without going to the secular courts for relief.” For this reason, the church has developed procedures for settling internal disputes.

A few weeks after the meeting between Perich and Hoeft, the Hosanna-Tabor congregation voted to “rescind Perich’s call” because she had threatened to sue the church contrary to the church’s teaching.

“The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a complaint against the church under the Americans With Disabilities Act, alleging a single count of retaliation,” says the church’s brief. “Perich intervened, alleging the same retaliation claim and adding a retaliation claim under state law. Neither complaint alleges disability discrimination. Both complaints request an order reinstating Perich to her former position as a commissioned minister, together with back pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and injunctive relief ordering new ‘policies, practices, and programs’ at the church.”

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod told the court in its brief that its views on the ministry and the settlement of disputes may not be “widely shared” or “widely understood.” “But,” the church said, “they have been the views of orthodox Lutherans for centuries.”

Acting Deputy Solicitor General Leondra Kruger told the court, during oral arguments, that the federal government should be able to trump the church on these decisions.

“Their submission is that the hiring and firing decisions with respect to parochial school teachers and with respect to priests is categorically off limits,” said Kruger. “And we think that that is a rule that is insufficiently attentive to the relative public and private interests at stake, interests that this court has repeatedly recognized are important in determining freedom of association claims.”

Kruger contended this did not mean the government could order the Catholic Church to ordain female priests. But, even then, according to her argument, it would be a matter of the government weighing “the relative public and private interests at stake.”

What is at stake is the First Amendment and the religious freedom of all Americans.

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The Pastor was wrong about Perry and Prerry was wrong about Mitt Romney!

The Evangelical Presidential “Poster Boy” Candidate shows once again why he is no different than the Universalism touting George W. Bush!

When will Christians STOP allowing themselves to be mislead by Politicians?

from The Denver Post:

The pastor who introduced Texas Gov. Rick Perry​ at a conservative gathering Friday said rival presidential candidate Mitt Romney​ is not a Christian and is in a cult because he
is a Mormon.

Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, endorsed Perry at the Values Voter Summit, introducing him as “a proven leader, a true conservative, and a committed follower of Christ.”

After his remarks, Jeffress told reporters that Perry’s religion is different from Romney’s.

“Rick Perry’s a Christian. He’s an evangelical Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ,” Jeffress said.

“Mitt Romney’s a good moral person, but he’s not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. It has always been considered a cult by the mainstream of Christianity.”

Romney is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are commonly called Mormons.

Perry’s campaign said the Texas governor disagrees with Jeffress.”The governor does not believe Mormonism is a cult,” said spokesman Mark
Miner.

Jeffress had made similar comments about Romney before, during the former Massachusetts governor’s first presidential run in 2008.

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from Worldview Weekend:

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