August 2020 – The Cross Newsletter
BIBLICAL PEACE vs. FEAR
By Gary Keating
Normally our Newsletter communications deal directly with our purpose of helping you with your knowledge of the LDS corporation. However, today I have a very heavy concern on my heart. I am concerned about those of us calling ourselves Christians. What do you believe about the Biblical concept of peace? What do you comprehend about the Biblical description of fear?
Before Jesus was crucified His followers had very real concerns about their condition. Today we have world-wide concerns about our condition. In John 16 Jesus addresses the concerns the disciples had and it relates as well to us today. Please take the time to read all of John 16. In the meantime I want to quote some excerpts for you.
(John 16:5-15) But now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement; about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it’s from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you. . . .
(John 16:33) I have told you these things, so that in me you may HAVE PEACE. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
The importance of John’s account of Jesus’ directions to his followers cannot be understated. Emphatically he tells them that the ‘prince of this world stands condemned’. Also he states, ‘I have overcome the world’. He did this so that you and I MAY have peace. He could have stated, ‘that you will have peace but he used the subjunctive ‘may’. This indicates that the choice of peace is up to you. If you totally trust him, you WILL have peace.
I take this passage of scripture very seriously. If I have followed Jesus and accepted him according to his direction, then I have Jesus and Jesus has me. This passage is a guarantee for my future. When I was born into this life I found out later that two things are for sure; death and taxes! The first one no longer has power over me because my Lord paid the price to redeem me. The second one will follow me the rest of my earthly life. The passage tells me I do and will have PEACE. Peace is the opposite of FEAR. My heavenly-granted peace supersedes any possible fear that this earthly life might bring!
So how does this apply to today and why is my heart heavy about Christians? We are experiencing a pandemic which the media is spending much time describing. There has been an absolute development of fear across our whole nation and the whole world. I am afraid that the fear of death has even become part of our ‘believer’s world.’ We all have the responsibility to consider others in our society, so honoring others with masks and distance has become the normal mode of living. But Christian friends, do not despair about death! The passage above tells us we have a guarantee. This life is nice but it is not the important life. Eternity, now that is important! Paul said ‘to live is Christ, to die is gain.’ Being logical about how we conduct our lives during this crisis is important and sensible. Fearing death according to the Apostle is not an option.
(1 John 4:13-19) This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.
The Apostle John’s logic is not difficult to follow. If fear has seized you during this current virus or any other severe life-situation you need to re-read the Gospel of John chapter 16. Finally, in John’s letter he further explains regarding peace and fear. The two, peace and fear, do not exist simultaneously in a Christian’s life.
I appeal to my friends in Christ to think about this. Do not fear death. Make the most of this life which God has given you. And last of all, be respectful of others who may believe differently and do your best to be Christian support for them. Love one another and be at peace!
Also remember, your LDS friends and neighbors do not believe John’s account of Jesus’ message is literal. According to their theology you must continue to ‘work out your salvation.’ Trust in His promises are not a factor. Be their friend during these trying times.
| NO COMPARISON The differences between Mormonism & Christianity by Judy Robertson  Mormonism GOD IS: |
| 2. AN EXALTED MAN, WAS ONCE LIKE US AND DWELT ON AN EARTH. |
| “Joseph Smith said: ‘God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens’. I am going to tell you how God got to be 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…..It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwell on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ once did; and I will show it from the Bible.” (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie. p.321) “…That God is a personal Being in whose image man is created, an exalted, perfected, and glorified Man of Holiness, and not a spirit essence that fills the immensity of space…” (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R, McConkie, p.589) “As man is God once was, as God is man may be.” (The Life of Lorenzo Snow by Dr.Thomas C.Romney, p.46) |
| Christianity |
| GOD IS: |
| 2. NOT LIKE MORTAL MAN AND NEVER HAS BEEN. |
| “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such as one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” (Psalm 50:21) |
| “Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts , and creeping things.” (Romans 1:22-23) |
| “God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”(Numbers 23:19) |
| “…For I am God, and not man;…” (Hosea 11:9) |
| “Before the mountains were brought forth, or even thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2) |
REACHING POLYGAMISTS FOR CHRIST CONFERENCE
This event sponsored by a shield and refuge ministry
Mark your calendars for an interactive day to find out more about what God is doing among polygamy groups here in Utah and hear testimonies from those who have left polygamy for Christ.
SATURDAY, September 19th 2020
LOCATION: The Salt Mine, Sandy, Utah
7984 S 1300 E ~ Sandy Utah 84904
COST: $20 (includes continental breakfast and lunch)
Hosted by Chris R. DeMorell
Learn from ministries that will be sharing current opportunities to engage these communities with the Gospel.
Find out how your church can pray more effectively for this needy mission field and even become actively involved.
Questions? Chris DeMorell – (801) 754-3442 or [email protected]
Schedule · Saturday, September 19, 2020
8:30 AM – Continental breakfast
9:00 AM – Welcome attendees,
9:15 AM – Session 1 – Brody Olson –
Grace Reigns, Colorado City
9:55 AM – Session 2 – Chip Thompson –
Tri-Grace Ministries to Polygamists
10:20 AM – Session 3 – Tonia Tewell –
Holding out HELP to Polygamists
10:45 AM – Session 4 – Gareth Evans –
Reaching Polygamist Teens for Christ
11:10 AM – Session 5 – Doris Hanson –
A Shield and Refuge for Polygamists
11:35 AM – Salvation Testimony 1 – Vaughn Huffman – Former AUB Member
12:00 PM – Catered lunch
12:30 PM – Session 6 – Mike Menning –
1:15 PM – Testimony 2 – Bud Cooke – Former FLDS
1:50 PM – Q/A Panel with Group Session Speakers
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/232049141212931
| If you would like to share your testimony from Mormonism to Christianity send it to us using our e mail address. Please keep it roughly 200 words or less if possible. Submissions to the newsletter must be attributed to the author. |
WITNESSING TIPS
THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER
We must not fear to follow Paul’s counsel and wrestle spiritually with the LDS principalities and powers (Eph.6:12).
“Mormo” and “Moroni” are two key demonic principalities which blind Mormons; also priestcraft and possibly generational bondage. We must take authority over them as a believer in Christ and bind their influence away from him or her (Matthew 16:19, 18:18),
A key strategy in this combat is to find others in a prayer group or your church to agree in prayer with you (Matthew 18:20) This makes for a dynamic spiritual assault which the Lord has promised to honor.
Use your authority as a Believer to bind the lying and deceitful spirits of Mormonism(1 Tim.4:1) which are oppressing the person, at least for a season (Mark 16:17). You can intercede that the deceitful spirits be restrained temporarily to give you a “window” of opportunity in which to minister.
You need to pray against the familiar spirits of the LDS church and the Book of Mormon, perhaps for days. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2Cor.10:4-5). That captivity applies to Mormonism, which exalts itself against God by claiming to lead men to godhood(exaltation)l (See also Romans 16:20 /2 Cor. 2:11 /James 4:7,8 /1John 3:8 /Rev.12:11)
SOFTENING THE SOIL
This “softens the soil” upon which you are going to scatter your seeds. Remember in the Lord’s parable (Luke 8:6), ~ seed was the same. It is the preparation of the soil that made all the difference.
Another softening” tactic is to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you in your talks with your friend. The Spirit knows the hearts of all, their deepest innermost needs and their sorrows. Though many Mormons seem to be happy and assured, we know that inside there is lurking a profound sadness because they lack a relationship with the true JESUS. Ask the Spirit to give you the words to say, the right scriptures to use, to minister to the person’s unique pain and questions!
Ask the Spirit to pour out upon you the love of JESUS for the lost cultist; that you may treat him/her with gentleness, discernment and the respect that the Lord had for those to whom he ministered. Mormons are often amazed and disarmed by the agape(real) love of a real Christian, and that kind of love can only come through JESUS.
This was part three of three and is attributed to Bill Schnoebelen. www.withoneaccord.org
| Well, folks, here it is. I’m so excited. After months, actually years, of working on this book, Freedom for the Latter-day Soul, is finally in book form. I interviewed many ex-Mormons and their stories are all there, the “What holds the Mormon Heart” is all explained and all that is waiting is for you to order the book and perhaps an extra or so as gifts for friends and family. Christmas or birthday presents all done in August! The website will be up soon, http://www.judyrobertson.com where you can order the Freedom book. And if you can’t wait, please email me at [email protected] Coming in close behind Freedom is When God Shows Up. It’s about mine and Jim’s seven year journey in the South Pacific and how God met our needs at every turn. We weren’t “old salts” by any means but the experiences on the Amazing Grace working yacht transformed us quickly. After sailing the high seas and entering a world we could never have imagined on remote Tongan islands, God pulled us out of many Potholes. Judy Robertson | |
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| Here are other books by Judy: Out of Mormonism, Witness to Mormons, Understanding My Mormon Friends’ Faith and Mine and Potholes | |
We at Concerned Christians meet every Monday evening for an hour of prayer at 6:30 p.m. If you are not local, please set that time aside to voice your concerns from your prayer space. If you are local and would like to attend, we ask you to call 480-833-2537 for directions. We truly look forward to meeting and praying with you in the War Room. We ask that you add Concerned Christians to your prayer list along with any other Mormon witnessing group you are familiar. The importance of intercessory prayer cannot be stressed enough. We have seen God grant many blessings to us over the years. If you have a ministry related request please send us a short email. [email protected]
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I Thessalonians 1:2
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