My encounter with Mormons in my neighborhood

I was mowing my lawn today when I glanced to my right and saw two young men walking down the street in my direction. They were wearing the standard white shirts and pocket ID's so I knew they were Mormons. I thought that if I ignored them they would pass by. 

So, I made another swipe across the length of my lawn and when I came back, I noticed that they weren't on the street. I looked for them and couldn't see where they had disappeared ... until I saw movement at the side door to my house. They were ringing my doorbell!

I shut off the lawnmower and walked toward them as I introduced myself. Sure enough, they were Mormons (although they introduced themselves as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).

Ordinarily, I may have simply told them I wasn't interested and sent them on their way. But today, I wanted to engage them in conversation. I wanted to brush up on my understanding of Mormonism. So, I was completely upfront at the beginning of our conversation and told them I was the pastor of Westside Baptist Church (they noticed my shirt with Westside's logo). I let them know I'd love to talk with them about their beliefs and my own if they had time. They graciously agreed.

Without making this a longer post than it already is, I want to simply point out one major point that I was reminded of during our conversation - how two people can use the same word(s) and mean two totally different things!

In "The Princess Bride" (one of my favorite movies), one of the main characters named Inigo Montoya had a perplexed look on his face as he looked at his boss, Vizzini, who had just said "Inconceivable!" for the umpteenth time. Inigo says, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

That's exactly what I felt like telling those Mormons today. For instance, I asked them how they believed they would get to Heaven. One of them said, "Have faith in Jesus, repent of my sins and then get baptized and obey the Lord's commandments."

Well, I thought that didn't sound so bad on it's face. But those words don't mean what you think they mean. As I probed, they acknowledged that they didn't believe that Jesus is God. They believed that he was created by God (further reading here). They soundly disagreed that Jesus is God in the flesh.

Regarding baptism, they don't believe that it is simply the first step of obedience after being saved (as the Bible teaches). They believe that it is absolutely essential to salvation (further reading here). If you don't get baptized, you aren't going to Heaven. 

Regarding obeying God's commands, they don't believe (like the Bible teaches) that we will obey God's Word after being saved because of our love for God. No, they believe that if they don't do a lot of good things for the Lord, they aren't going to Heaven (further reading here). They really do believe that having faith in Jesus and repentance isn't enough. You MUST get baptized and work or you won't get to Heaven.

Upon further discussion, they acknowledged that the Bible isn't their only source for knowing what God requires. One of them pointed out that since much of the Bible is up for interpretation (in their estimation), then there needed to be a further source to clarify what God actually meant. [Enter, the Book of Mormon.] They believe that The Book of Mormon is the Word of God and definitively explains what the Bible says (further reading here).

And what do they believe about Heaven? Well, it's not one earth and new heavens like the last two chapters of Revelation tell us. Instead, each person (male) who has made it will get his own planet and will essentially be the "god" or ruler over that planet (begin studying on this here). There is much more that Mormons believe about this but you can do your own research.

All of this to say that when you talk to someone about their faith and they use words that you use, don't automatically assume that they MEAN the same thing.

It very well could be that those words don't mean what you think they mean.

A cure for loneliness

One emotional response common to virtually every single one of us is loneliness. If we get to a point where we feel neglected or abandoned by others, we can slip into that horrible emotion of feeling like we're all alone in a big world.

Those who struggle with loneliness don't have to stay there. There are actions that can be taken that can help greatly.

For one, do the hard but rewarding thing by developing relationships with other people. A church is a fantastic place to build those relationships. If your church is large, then you absolutely must find a small group (e.g. Sunday School, etc.) and spend time getting to know the folks around you. Do things with them outside of church, too. Limiting relationship-building to one day a week just won't satisfy. But, if you do the hard work, you may find that your loneliness will soon begin to dissipate.

Another remedy for loneliness is found in a verse I read only moments ago. As I was reading through John 16, I watched in my mind's eye as Jesus began to forewarn His disciples about the troubles ahead. He would be crucified, the lost world would celebrate and Jesus' followers would begin to experience tough times of persecution.

But, Jesus also noted that during His trial and crucifixion, His disciples "will be scattered" (John 16:32). When times got tough, Jesus would be abandoned. He would be left alone. Talk about a recipe for loneliness!

How did Jesus survive being all alone when life was crashing in around Him?

John 16:32 (English Standard Version)

Jesus said: "Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me."

Jesus was able to enjoy and benefit from the relationship with His Father (through the primary disciplines of Bible-intake and prayer) in spite of the fact that everyone had abandoned Him. There was no loneliness even though He was alone ... because He wasn't truly alone. He was enjoying fellowship with God.

This remedy is only possible to those who have trusted in Jesus to forgive and save them and who have developed a real, vibrant relationship with the Lord. But, to those who have pursued Him, this is simply one of the incredible benefits!

Movie Review: War Room

I took my family to see War Room recently and loved it! The Kendrick brothers have done a great job with their previous movies (and their growing skill at movie-making is obvious) so my excitement as I stepped into the theater was well placed.

Here are just a few of the reasons that I loved this movie:

It is about prayer. 

There is one spiritual discipline that most Christians know we should engage in. Yet, that same discipline is a source of defeat. We know we should be praying more than we are so we live with disappointment. This movie helps to highlight this spiritual discipline by pointing out the power of prayer and providing some principles of effective prayer.

It is encouraging and not condemning. 

Rather than beating Christians over the head for not praying more, this movie encourages and motivates Christians to get back into the prayer closet. Honestly, people tend to respond much better to encouragement than condemnation. This movie tapped into that.
 
It leaves the viewer with a desire to create a "war room." 

Folks who left the theater weren't simply talking about how good the movie was. Many left with a desire to do something about what they had just watched. They want to pray more. They want to empty out a closet and turn it into a war room where they do battle on their knees.

It is culturally relevant.
 
Many Christians are greatly concerned that our country is in desperate trouble. Immorality seems to be growing exponentially on every front. This movie provided the solution found in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Most of it's main characters aren't white.
 
I LOVED the fact that most of the main characters didn't have the same skin tone as me. (What must the black community feel like when most of the movies they see are cast with white people?) Yet, in celebrating our differences, I relished the fact that the men and women on the screen were my brothers and sisters-in-Christ.

The actors performed incredibly.
 
Most of the actors weren't "actors." Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer are well known speakers at women's conferences and are prolific writers ... but they aren't actors. Yet, the Kendrick brothers cast them and allowed them to excel in yet another area of influence. They did incredibly well as did each of the other actors.

My absolute favorite was "Ms. Clara!" Karen Abercrombie did an incredible job in her role as the older lady who would essentially be the hero of the movie. It was through her masterful acting that the writers were able to share much wisdom and inspiration about prayer with the viewer. (As an aside, I was a little disappointed when I found out that "Ms. Clara" was played by a much younger actor. I honestly found myself wishing that Ms. Clara was real to life. But, that just goes to show how incredible of a job that Karen did to make "Ms. Clara" believable and likable to the viewer.)

The characters became our friends.
 
The movie was 2 hours long but I've sat in movies that long before where I just didn't feel a connection with the movie characters. Not so with War Room. I left the theater feeling as if I had come to know and really enjoy the persons in the movie. They had become my friends as I "lived life" with them for a couple of hours.

There was a sense of community in the theater.  

Even though it may not have been said, I couldn't help but feel a kinship with those around me in the theater as War Room was playing. (I don't feel this with other movies.) Why? Because most of the folks in the room, even if we don't know each other's name, are brothers and sisters-in-Christ. So, it kind of felt like a family night in the living room around the tv.

It was a movie the whole family could watch.
 
It's often extremely difficult to find a movie that I enjoy that the rest of my family enjoys as well. I've got a wife and sons in 5th grade, 9th grade and 11th grade. And each of us has our specific taste in movies. Yet, War Room is a movie that all of us loved. I especially loved that my 5th grader could watch it knowing that there was absolutely no objectionable content.

It is a prophetic warning for America. 

In the Old Testament, God sent prophets to warn His people of their sin, call for repentance and encourage them to follow Him. In our day, I believe that God is not only using preachers and ordinary Christians to sound the alarm, He's also using fantastic movies. I can't help but believe that God is calling our nation back to Himself so that He does not have to administer His judgment upon us. He's calling His people to humble themselves and pray. I can't help but think that one of His "prophets" is War Room. Through this movie, God is calling for Christians to wake up and pray like we've never prayed before in hopes that our nation can be healed.


So, these are a few of my reflections. If you haven't yet seen War Room, you owe it to yourself to see it this weekend. Do your faith a favor - watch the movie!

Reflections on the jailing of Kim Davis

I learned a few moments ago that Kim Davis was taken out of a courtroom by U.S. Marshalls. Apparently, she will remain jailed until she either begins complying with U.S. law by issuing marriage licenses to all couples (including same-sex couples) or resigns from her position as Rowan County Clerk.

And so it begins...

When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage recently in all 50 states, Pandora's Box was opened for Christians. Any smidgen of contemplation will lead folks to the conclusion that this isn't a small issue with minor consequences. In actuality, it will have long term, far reaching consequences that will reach into virtually every area of American life.

For Kim Davis, who is a government employee, American law now requires her to issue marriage licenses to any legally approved couple who asks for one. For years, Ms. Davis has performed the duties of her office because her conscience, informed by her religious beliefs, did not conflict with the law of the land.

Yet, now that same-sex marriages are sanctioned in the U.S., her conscience is at odds with the laws of the land. For her, this poses a huge problem in which there are really only 3 viable options::

1) She could comply with the law of the land and issue the marriage licenses and violate her conscience, or
2) She could live according to her conscience, refuse to issue the marriage licenses and risk the inevitable (fines and/or jail), or
3) She could quit her job as county clerk and allow someone to step into her position who could issue the marriage licenses.

So, essentially, she has to violate her conscience, or go to jail or quit her job.

Do you see the dilemma that she has been put in? This is a no-win situation for someone who believes she cannot perform her duties without violating her Christian beliefs.

The problem is compounded by the fact that we live in a culture where the influence of Christianity is diminishing while pluralism is growing. The problem stated in the form of two questions would be: "If Kim Davis can indefinitely violate U.S. law because of her Christian views, must we also allow untold thousands of other Americans (Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, atheists, etc.) to refuse to do their duty because of their particular religious views, too? At what point does society break down because everyone is refusing to do their duty because of conscience?"

So, it begins. It is yet to be seen whether the momentum of the same-sex crowd will continue to steam roll down the tracks and force their agenda upon every segment of society - including places of worship. It is my hunch that this will be the case unless God's people find the true source of their power ... on their knees in prayer.

If our nation does not experience a national revival where many, many souls are saved and hearts are changed, then Christians should anticipate persecution. Kim Davis is showing us what it will look like. Violate your conscience, face stiff legal penalties or step aside and shut up.

Acts 5:29
"But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'"

Obedience and following Jesus

I was reading yesterday about the driverless Google cars that have recently been spotted on public roads. The article noted that those vehicles are programmed to obey every single traffic law. 

And yet, those Google cars have been in crashes. Do you know what those crashes were credited to? Human error. One crash took place when a Google car stopped at a crosswalk (as it was supposed to) and was rear-ended by someone.

It was noted in the article that if the Google vehicles are to survive on the road with humans who are constantly pushing the limit of the law, the driverless vehicles will have to be reprogrammed to do the same. Obeying the law completely will only cause problems.

It's that way in life, isn't it? God has give us His Law but there's never been a single person who has obeyed it completely (except, of course, Jesus). In fact, some of those who claim to follow Jesus never intend to get too serious about complying with God's Word. As far as they are concerned, "salvation" keeps them out of Hell but doesn't call them to holiness.

So, what happens when God's Word is spoken and compliance is expected? We see the answer in John 6:66-69.

In John 6:66, we see that when the rubber meets the road and push comes to shove, some "disciples" will abandon Jesus. They don't want to hear the truth about their lack of compliance with God's standard. When compliance is demanded, they get offended and leave.

In John 6:67-69, we see that there will be some who have come to truly believe that Jesus is who He says He is and even though He often proclaims truth that requires major paradigm shifts and life adjustments, they can't imagine going anywhere else. 

John 6:66-69

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

So, what's your relationship with Jesus like? Have you put your complete trust in Him to forgive your sin debt against a holy God? If so, are you studying His Word and being confronted with truth that requires you to change your thinking, attitudes or behavior? Are you making those adjustments?

A true follower of Jesus will periodically be confronted with truth from God's Word that is difficult to swallow and obey but they'll make the adjustments because their relationship to Jesus is so precious that they will want to comply no matter how difficult.