A Man after the Heart of God

4      One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27)

    David in my opinion was the most God centered man in scripture.  David was not perfect mind you, in fact he sinned greatly.  But David had a relationship with God at a young age.  David faced adversity at a younger age than most individuals. I believe that those closest to God will face the most adversity.  Show me an individual serving the Lord and I’ll show you a target for the devil.  But remember Job! Every challenge isn’t always just devil generated, some are God allowed.  David like Job was up to the challenge of facing the onslaught of Satan because of his hunger for God. David didn’t do everything right, but he did love God like no one else.

  When David faced Goliath he boldly proclaimed, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that challenges the Army of God.”  David focused on his relationship with God by acknowledging that Goliath did not know God.  When will we get it through our thick religious heads, that our relationship with God is the most precious thing we have?  It tears my heart apart when I hear these preachers of prosperity treat God like He is some cosmic ATM machine.  Yes God blesses us materially…but!  The real blessing is in knowing Him.   Do you recall when the 12 disciples ran to Jesus all excited because they could cast out demons in His name?  Jesus reply to them was, (paraphrased) don’t get excited because demons are subject to you in my name, rejoice because your name is in the Lamb’s book of life.  I am sad to see so many Christians that their happiness is based on material blessings.  In reality the spirit realm we are awaiting is more “real” than the here and now because the here and now is going to fade away.  Only what we do for Christ will last.  Paul said he wanted to know Christ in the fellowship of His suffering.  Let’s examine Christ suffering:

26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,

2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

3  Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

4      And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him.

If you preach the truth of Jesus Christ you will face persecution.  No one will persecute you for preaching a prosperity gospel, which tickles the hearer’s ears.   Preach repentance and salvation by grace through faith and watch the devil attack.  I personally am not a very popular preacher. Why? I primarily preach repentance and salvation messages.  When I preach to a saved crowd I try to preach what the Lord gives me for them.  Sometimes it can cause me angst but like Paul said “woe unto me If I preach not the gospel.”  I have been criticized for preaching against homosexuality in the church, pre-marital sex, and the traditions of men in the church. I have been called "too hard”.  Please read some of Paul’s sermons! I’m a cream puff compared to him.  Paul was so adamant about the truth being preached he publicly rebuked Peter for straying away from the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith.  Truth has to be more important than our feelings.  Paul never apologized to Peter either.

11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision.

13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

15 we who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

17     But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

Salvation by grace is one the enemies’ main doctrine he attacks. Why? It infuriates Satan that man; a creature of dust can receive not only redemption but also an inheritance from the Lord.  We don’t deserve eternal life in glory, but because of GRACE!  Oh I love the sound of that word…GRACE! It almost brings tears to my eyes when I hear it because I know how wretched I am. I know how capable I am to commit some of the most evil of sins, yet God extended to me His grace.  The enemy for preaching the gospel will attack you. But don’t be afraid; be encouraged in the Word of God:

17    No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. (Isa. 54)

18    So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun? When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.  (Isa. 59)

29  For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30  As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

31 For who is God save the LORD? Or who is a rock save our God?

32  It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

Because we are emissaries for the Lord, He will protect us from the enemies’ onslaught.  The righteous WILL be attacked! The Word tells us many are the afflictions of the righteous, BUT the Lord will deliver us from them all.   We may not want to deal with the issue, but suffering is very real scenario for the people of God.  Something many Christians fail to remember is that the rain falls on the just and the unjust.

Hab 1:1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

2  O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

3      Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are those raise up strife and contention.

13:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? Forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2 how long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

3      Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

The testimony of David and Habakkuk both prove that godly men are not exempt from stressful moments.  God’s answer to Habakkuk was simple; “The just shall live by their faith.”  Our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is what sustains us, just as His relationship with His Father kept Him through His trials.  The spirit of the martyrs is long gone in our society.  We want prosperity and power, but no cross.  We must be willing to bear our cross daily.

 If the disciples had the attitude of today’s believers the Gospel of Jesus Christ would have never been spread.  Peter was crucified upside down for the Gospel sake.  John was boiled in oil and banished to the Isle of Patmos.   James was beheaded and Stephen stoned to death.  Horses dragged Mark till he died.  Nero beheaded Paul.   What is my point?  These men were all devoted and sold out for the cause of Christ and they paid the price for it…their lives.  Can we do any less? 

10  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

9      Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (Jas. 5)

22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14)

People with a heart after God cannot avoid trouble because they have become public enemy number ones for the enemy.  Look at David again; he received an anointing from God, and WHAM! Here comes a Goliath.  Anointed people will always have to face the enemy.  We aren’t anointed to sit still; we are anointed for battle.  David had a relationship with the Lord at an early age. I believe we are sadly mistaken if we think God fills us with the Holy Ghost just so we can go to church and brag about being “spirit-filled”.  We are filled to fight!  The church has established a “Members Only Club”; we asked each other questions like “are you Spirit-filled?” “Do you speak in tongues?” or “Are you Full-Gospel?”  And if you don’t answer the question right you are not really saved or you are lacking spiritually.  The reason we are Spirit-filled is for SERVICE! (Acts 1:8)  In the Old Testament when the Lord anointed someone it was time to get busy! Gideon was anointed to go to war, Samson was anointed to kill Philistines, and we are anointed to win souls and cast out devils in Jesus name.  The power of the Holy Ghost is for all that call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

12      If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:13)

19    And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Eph. 5)

9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

10 And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

10 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. (Acts 13)

13      For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. (Luke 1)

In 25 years of ministry I have seen demonic activity in a variety of ways. The most chilling account I will share happened when I was leading a team of street evangelist in Song Tan, Korea. We went down an alley called “Aragon Alley”, it was dark and there where night clubs on either side of the alley. As we witnessed and handed out tracts to the GI’s and Koreans on the street, I noticed a man staring at us in a doorway, every where we walked he glared at us. I started towards him and my pastor (who normally didn’t go with us) grabbed my arm and said wait! In my zeal I didn’t notice the man was growling like an animal. In a low guttural voice he said “You cannot stop me!” and he kept growling. We just ignored him and kept walking and witnessing to people. Later I asked my pastor why didn’t we approach him, and that is when I learned that it wasn’t always smart to engage the enemy publicly and also he helped me realize it was just a diversion from our mission…winning souls! That was a rare occasion when the enemy presented himself openly. As scary as that was it is IN THE CHURCH where the enemy really distracts and distorts the truth and deceives many.

 Demons are evil spirits that are opposed to God and God's people.  They appear to be fallen angels:  2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6 and are primarily referenced in the New Testament.

• Matt. 4:24, "And the news about Him went out into all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them."
• Matt. 8:28, "And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road."
• Mark 3:22, "And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.'”
• Luke 4:35, "And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm."
• John 8:48-49, "The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” ⁴⁹ Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me"

    Demons seem to be able to cause illness, paralysis, blindness, and violence combined with great strength in the one possessed.  Demons apparently strongly desire to reside within people (Matt. 8:28) and even animals (Matt. 8:32).
    In the future there will be a judgment of the demonic forces: Matt. 8:29, "And behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

At least some of the angels that sinned long ago have been bound and put away:

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; (2 Pet 2:4)

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home -- these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (Jude 1:6)

It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." (Rev 9:14)

Pagan religions "sacrifice to demons":

They sacrificed to demons, which are not God -- gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. (Deut. 32:17)

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. (Psa. 106:37)

Thousands of demons grouped together inside one person begged Jesus:

The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." (Mat 8:31)

A Christian has spiritual authority to drive out demons:

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (Mat 10:1)

Some people know this as "exorcism." Note: a wooden cross and/or holy water is NEVER used, in the Bible, to drive a demon out of a person.

Some spirits (demons) are more wicked than other ones:

Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation. (Mat 12:45)

Jesus cast out demons or evil spirits:

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching -- and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." (Mark 1:27)

For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. (Luke 8:29)

Jesus drove out demons by the Spirit of God:

But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Mat 12:28)

Demons know Jesus is the Son of God, unlike some people:

Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." (Mark 3:11)

Evil spirits can speak through a person! In our dark day, some might call this by the New Age term "channeling" and the person with the [evil] spirit a "channeler." Devotees of "spirit guides" need to ponder what Scripture says about a spirit being speaking through a person.

A fortune teller might be possessed by a demon spirit:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone ... (Acts 16:16-19)

When the demon spirit was cast our of that girl, her special powers to predict the future were totally gone. This was also apparent to the owners of that slave.

Unlike some people, demons believe there is a God and "shudder":

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that -- and shudder. (James 2:19)

Mary Magdalene had seven demons in her before she became a Christian:

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. (Mark 16:9)

And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out (Luke 8:2)

Evil spirits can torment people:

Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. (Acts 5:16)

Worshiping demons will be a characteristic of the end of this age:

The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons , and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood -- idols that cannot see or hear or walk. (Rev 9:20)

Evil spirits in John's vision looked like frogs: Frogs are creatures of the night and they lurk in darkness, often you can hear frogs and never know where they are.

Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. (Rev 16:13)

This does not mean that a frog is a demon!

Demons can perform miracles:

They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. (Rev 16:14)

NOTE: Demons can produce miracles! Not all spirits are from God. Some spirits are deceitful and are trying to mislead us:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Tim 4:1)

There are many ways in which demons can deceive people, but the more common ones are through occult involvement, Ouija boards and séances. Dear reader, don't ever dabble with such, even out of curiosity or amusement. If you have already, ask God to forgive you and renounce all such behavior.

JESUS GOES TO CHURCH

Perhaps you never thought of Jesus going to Church, but He did. The first time that something is mentioned in Scripture, it is often very instructive. Although it was the habit of Jesus to attend local synagogues during His life, the first time the Scriptures mention Jesus going to the temple as a adult is in Matt. 21:12:

"And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to CAST OUT them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And He taught, saying unto them, ‘Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the House of Prayer? But ye have made it a DEN OF THIEVES [Gk: ‘burglars’ cave’].’ And the SCRIBES and CHIEF PRIESTS heard it, and sought how they might DESTROY HIM: for they feared Him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine" (Mark 11:15-18).

What a revelation of the church of God we have in these three verses!

Jesus was so angry with the leaders at the temple for turning it into a money-making flea market, that he:

1. "cast out them that sold and bought in the temple"

2. "overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and seats of them that sold doves"

3. "suffered no one to carry vessels [of merchandise] through the temple"

Jesus said that they "made the House of Prayer a DEN OF THIEVES"!

Say, did you notice that they were buying and selling "…in the Temple?" Do you think that just maybe this has anything to do with the fact that,

"…NO MAN might BUY OR SELL, save he that had the MARK OR THE NAME OF THE BEAST, or the NUMBER OF HIS NAME" (Rev. 13:17)?

We will cover the Mark of the Beast in a later installment.

But this is all ancient history, isn’t it? The modern Church of God has not been turned into a "den of thieves" has it? Were the High priests and Scribes, going against the law of either their own religious beliefs or of Rome? No. No, they weren’t. So they were not "thieves" according to the Church or the Roman government. But were they thieves, nonetheless? Yes, they were, Jesus Christ SAID THEY WERE THIEVES, a whole "DEN OF THIEVES"!

At least the modern Church of God is not a "den of thieves," is it? I’m sure not all; you can be the judge:

One of the major factors in the Reformation was the disdain over the practice of the Church selling INDULGENCES. The American Heritage College Dictionary, "indulgence n. 6. Roman Catholic Church The remission of temporal punishment still due for a sin that has been sacramentally absolved."

Make no mistake about it:

"For the love of money is the [Gk. ‘a’] root of all evil" (I Tim. 6:10).

Before the Reformation, it was thought by some that one could practically "buy" one’s salvation.

Jesus "CAST OUT them that sold and bought in the temple." Is there, "buying and selling" going on in the Church today? Excuse me…does a cat have a tail?

Now don’t think that I am against money. Jesus Himself used money in his ministry (but he never sold in the temple, neither did He ever collect a penny in tithe money).

I couldn’t count the number of e-mails I have received in response to my article on tithing being unscriptural under the new covenant, in which they ask how they should pay their church utility bill if the people don’t tithe? I tell them to pay it with a check backed by money in the bank. All those interested in paying the utility bill should contribute voluntary offerings of money for that expense. This is not difficult. But no one under the New Covenant is obligated by law or conscience to pay ten percent of their salaries to a church! People under the Old Covenant, likewise, were not under law to pay ten percent of their salaries to the Levites. And, Yes, they did have money back then.

After Jesus THREW OUT those who "bought and sold" in the temple, did they ever return? Not only did they return to the temple after Christ’s resurrection, but they also came into the very Church, which Jesus said HE WOULD BUILD. The whole temple system in Jerusalem was so utterly corrupt that they corrupted the people of Jerusalem and Judea as well.

In and around 70 AD the armies of Titus surrounded Jerusalem and there was an awful slaughter. You can read of these horrible events in the writings of Josephus. But even before the temple with its corrupt religious system was demolished, it had already spread its ugly tentacles into the Church which Jesus built.

A QUICK HISTORY OF THE CHURCH BEFORE REVELATION

Jesus Christ said,

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [a movable stone], and upon this rock [Christ, the immovable boulder] I will build MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell [Greek: hades, the unseen realm of the dead] shall NOT prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).

What did Jesus mean that the "gates of hades would not prevail against it?" This word "prevail" was translated from the Greek word katischuo and it means, "to overpower." It is used but one other time in Scripture and here we shall see exactly what this word means:

"And they [the chief priests] were instant with loud voices, requiring that He [Jesus] might be crucified. And the voices of them of the chief priests prevailed… And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they CRUCIFIED Him…" (Luke 23:23 & 33).

The chief priests "prevailed" [katischuo] by putting Jesus Christ TO DEATH. But Jesus said that the "gates of hades [realm of the DEAD] will not prevail [katischuo] against it." In other words, His Church would NEVER be overpowered to death.

And so, the Church that Jesus Christ built is still around today.

On Pentecost, Jesus Christ came back to His disciples just as He said He would. He came back as the Comforter. Jesus said that they absolutely could NOT receive the Comforter until He went away. Why? Because Jesus Christ IS THE COMFORTER, but not in the flesh, but in THE SPIRIT!

It was on Pentecost that the first members of the Church of Christ received the Holy Spirit Comforter, just as He symbolized to them when He blew on them, showing that He Himself would come to them in spirit by the will of God. Now for the first time, His disciples were truly converted, baptized in Holy Spirit, possessing the mind of Christ, lead into all Truth (Jesus) by the Comforter—Jesus was NOW BUILDING HIS CHURCH!

"But the Comforter [Greek, parakletos, also called the Consoler, and in I John 2:1, Advocate in KJV, and Entreater in the CLNT] which IS the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).

The Advocate or Entreater in I John 2:1 IS the parakletos, The Comforter or Consoler of John 14:26 IS the parakletos,. and we are told that it is Jesus Christ Himself. Furthermore, the "Holy Spirit" that is said to come AS the Comforter is also Jesus Christ,

"Now the Lord IS that Spirit: and where the Spirit OF THE Lord [Jesus Christ] is, there is liberty" (II Cor. 3:17

A Biblical Response to Mormons

      Witnessing to a Mormon is like trying to climb Jell-O: it's hard to get a foothold. But, if you know what Mormonism teaches then you are already well on your way. Following are basic approaches that should aid you in witnessing to a Mormon. Though none of these approaches are fool proof they will provide you with the basic framework you need to be able to witness to a Mormon. It will be up to you to use what you have learned, develop more skill in witnessing, and perfect your method as you go. Remember, the best way to learn to witness is to witness.
      There are two important things to know before you begin evangelizing Mormons. First, you need to understand their definitions to the same biblical words that you use: Trinity, Jesus, Salvation, Heaven, etc. Second, you must be able to show them that they believe in a wrong Jesus. This is important because only the true Jesus gives eternal life (John 10:28), reveals the Father (Matt. 11:27), and sends the Holy Spirit (John 15:26).
      For the first part you really need to study the The Terminology of Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Once you understand what it is that they are saying, you will be much more able to witness.
      To witness means you must teach. To teach means you must understand. To understand means you must know not only what you believe, but also what they believe.

1. Terminology
   1. When a Mormon says he believes in the Trinity he does not mean the historical orthodox Trinity of one God who exists in three persons. To a Mormon, the Trinity is an office held by three separate gods: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
      1. Remember, the correct doctrine of the Trinity is that there is only one God who has existed for eternity. This one God exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are not three separate gods, but only one God.
   2. When a Mormon says he believes in God he does not mean in the one true God, the creator of all things, the One who has always existed from all time. He means he believes in a god who used to be a man on another planet, who followed the laws and ordinances of that god on that planet and became exalted to godhood. And, to top it all off, he has a wife who is a goddess.
   3. If you are in a witnessing situation with a Mormon you might be using the same words, but you won't be speaking the same language. So, it is a very good idea to study Terminology Differences where the definitions of Mormon terms (and Jehovah's Witnesses) are explained and contrasted with true definitions.
2. They Have a Testimony
   1. Mormons will bear their testimony to you and tell you that they know the Mormon church is true and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God.
   2. There are two basic approaches you can take.
      1. Ask them where their testimony is.
         1. "In my heart." They'll say.
         2. You say, "Did you know that the Bible says not to trust your heart because it is deceitful?"
         3. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9).
      2. Second, you can ask them how they get their testimony. They will say by the Holy Spirit.
         1. Ask, "Who bears witness of the truth?"
         2. They will say that the Holy Spirit does.
            1. Correct him gently by showing him that the Holy Spirit Bears witness of Jesus (John 15:26) and that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit (John 15:26).
            2. Once you've shown them that the Holy Spirit is sent from Jesus ask them if a false Jesus will send the true Spirit of God. The answer, of course, is no.
      3. The point is that only the Jesus of the Bible will send the Holy Spirit. If they don't have the right Jesus they can't have the true Holy Spirit, and their testimony is invalid.
3. Praying about the Book of Mormon
   1. Mormons believe that if you read the Book of Mormon and then pray and ask God whether or not it is true, you will receive a testimony from the Holy Spirit verifying its truth. If it is true, then Joseph Smith is true and so is Mormonism. Many Mormons claim to have this testimony.
      1. First of all, God never says to pray about truth. He says to search the Scriptures to find truth (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 3:16).
         1. So, what the Mormon is doing is unbiblical.
      2. Second, it doesn't matter what you feel. If what you feel contradicts the Bible, then what you feel is wrong.
      3. Third, ask them if they ever had to pray about the Bible to see if it is true. Of course they haven't. So why are they supposed to pray about the B.O M.?
         1. Their answer will be that the B.O.M. says to pray about it.
         2. Still, the Bible says to study God's word for truth, not pray about it.
   2. A common verse that Mormons use to support their belief that you can pray about the B. O. M. is found in James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." They say that because since they believe they're sincere, God will answer them.
      1. First of all, the problem with sincerity is that it becomes works righteousness because the person is saying "Because of my sincerity, God will listen to me." In other words, because of what's in the person God will look favorably upon him. God does not look into a person and find something good because there is no good in anyone (Rom. 3:10-12; Eph. 2:3).
      2. Second, this verse is about wisdom, not about praying to see if the Book of Mormon is true.
      3. In James 1:1 it says, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings." So, the book of James was written to those who were believers and already had the truth. That is why James calls them "brothers" in verse 2.
   3. Third, wisdom is the proper use of knowledge, not the acquisition of knowledge. You acquire true spiritual knowledge from the Bible, not your heart. You don't pray about the B.O.M., you pray about the truth you've learned from the Bible and ask God to teach you more, and how to apply properly what He's already shown you.
4. What is the Gospel?
   1. The following approach is direct and hard hitting. Sometimes it is necessary to be blunt in order to get their attention. Ask a Mormon "What is the gospel?".
      1. He will say something like, "The gospel is the laws and the ordinances of the Mormon church."
      2. Ask again what it is and listen closely for any hint of the free forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. You usually hear an answer dealing with works, obedience, doing something, etc.
      3. After the person has answered, explain that according to the Bible, the gospel is what saves us, what cleanses us of our sins, and enables us to stand in the presence of God the Father. Explain that Bible specifically defines the gospel and that the gospel is what makes you a Christian and then ask again, "What is the gospel?"
      4. After you've heard a works-righteousness-type answer, turn in your Bible to 1 Cor 15:1-4 and read: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
         1. Explain that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus...for sins!
      5. Then turn to 2 Cor. 4:3-4 and read again. "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
         1. Say something like, "You clearly did not understand the gospel message of Jesus the Savior and the Bible clearly shows you why. It is because your mind has been blinded."
5. The Apostasy
   1. Mormonism maintains that the true gospel message was lost from the earth shortly after the apostles died.
      1. The Mormon Apostle Orson Prat said, "Jesus...established his kingdom on earth...the kingdoms of this world made war against the kingdom of God, established eighteen centuries ago, and they prevailed against it, and the kingdom ceased to exist." (Journal of Discourses. Vol. 13, page 125).
      2. But Jesus said, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, KJV).
      3. As you can see, Mormonism contradicts what Jesus said. That is why they must say that the Bible is not trustworthy. That is, it isn't trustworthy wherever it disagrees with Mormonism.
6. Authority and The Mormon Priesthoods
   1. Since Mormonism claims to be the restoration of the gospel, it also claims to have the authority to perform priestly duties and, therefore, properly represent God here on earth.
   2. All offices of the Mormon church grow out of the priesthoods.
      1. Melchizedek - This is the greater priesthood. It consists of several offices:
         1. Elder, seventy, high priest, patriarch or evangelist, and apostle.
         2. Aaronic - a part of the greater Melchizedek priesthood.
      2. Aaronic priesthood - This is the lesser priesthood 
         1. Is synonymous with the Levitical Priesthood (D.&C. 107:1,6,10)
         2. Performs the administration of the ordinances (D.&C. 107:13-14)
         3. Deacon, teacher, then priest.
   3. Quite simply, the Bible contradicts what Mormons believe concerning the priesthood.
      1. Jesus is the only high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 3:1; 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:11,15,17,21,24,26; 8:1; 9:11).
         1. "Where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:20).
         2. "And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life" (Heb. 7:15-16).
      2. The Melchizedek Priesthood is unchangeable and untransferable
         1. "but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood" (Heb. 7:24).
7. Many Gods
   1. One of the truly dividing lines between Christianity and Mormonism is their doctrine of the plurality of Gods.
      1. Mormonism teaches that there are many many gods. (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie, page 163; Teachings pages 348-349).
      2. In there desire for legitimacy they will even quote 1 Cor. 8:5 to say that the Bible also teaches many gods. 1 Cor. 8:5 says, "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods' and many ‘lords')."
         1. They will say, "see even the Bible says there are many gods."
         2. You can say, "It says there are many that are called gods. It doesn't say they really are gods. It is saying that they only called gods. The Scriptures recognize that there are false gods (Gal. 4:8).
         3. Besides, the Bible flatly denies the existence of any other gods.
            1. "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "...Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me" (Isaiah 43:10).
            2. "This is what the LORD says -- ...I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God...Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one" (Isaiah 44:6,8).
            3. "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God" (Isaiah 45:5).
8. Errors in the Book of Mormon
   1. Saved by grace after all you can do? (2 Nephi 25:23)
   2. How could Moroni "read" Heb. 13:8 and James 1:17 when the N.T. never reached America? (Mormon 9:9).
   3. Helaman 12:25-26, written 6 B.C. says, "we read," quoting 2 Thess. 1:9 and John 5:29, 90 years too early.
   4. Jesus, a son of God (Alma 36:17).
   5. Mosiah 21:28 says King Mosiah had a gift from God, but original B. of M. manuscript reads "King Benjamin".
   6. Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:1-2; Matt. 2:1). In the Book of Mormon (Alma 7:9,10) it says it was Jerusalem.

Why Should We Witness?

      Have you ever asked yourself, "Why should I witness?" Several reasons should come to mind. First, because Jesus commands you to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Matt. 28:19). Also, Ezek. 3:11 says, "and go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not..."
     Second, you must witness because you love the unsaved (if you don't, you should). The most loving thing you can do is present the gospel in hopes of bringing others to salvation. Galatians 5:22 lists love as one of the fruit of the Spirit. It is love's nature to give. Take for example John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Love gives, and if you have only a small portion of His love, you will want to give to others.
      Third, witness because it is a wise thing to do. Prov. 11:30 says, "...he who is wise wins souls." Now, I know I am not a very wise person. But, since God says I'll be wise to win souls, or try to, then great, let me at it. I want to be wise in God's sight.
      Fourth, witness to keep people out of hell. Hell is a terrifying place of utter anguish and eternal separation from God. Those who are not saved go there. Witnessing is an attempt to keep them out of hell.
      Fifth, witness because it pleases God and brings glory to His name.
      And finally, witness so they may find the love and fellowship of God (1 John 1:3), the greatest of all treasures. I can think of no greater gift than salvation. It frees the sinner from sin, it delivers the lost from damnation, and it reveals the true and living God to those who don't know Him.
      The angels of heaven rejoice greatly when anyone passes from judgment into salvation (Luke 15:10). Shouldn't we as Christians rejoice too? Shouldn't we weep over the lost? Shouldn't we ask the Lord of the field to send laborers into His harvest (Luke 10:2)? Certainly! The salvation of others is the goal of your efforts. The love of God is your motive. Is there anything greater? So, give.

Biblical Names of Satan =his Schemes and Plans: By knowing his names, we know how he behaves! 

Apollyon & Abaddon (Rev. 9:11): These Greek and Hebrew terms mean he is the destroyer.  

LUCIFER (Isaiah 14:12): This term means the morning star. It literally means a "light-bearer", the shining one, a picture of Satan’s original position in heaven with the angels. He is able still to masquerade as a beautiful being to snare Christians! 

SATAN (1 Chr. 21:1; Job 1:2f;Job 16; Zech 3:1-2; Matthew 4:10): This term means “adversary”; he is the chief adversary both to God and to humans. 

DEVIL (Matt. 13:39; Ephesians 6:11): This term occurs in the New Testament only.  It comes from the Greek language, meaning to accuse and slander. He accuses and slanders (Rev. 12:10). 

DRAGON (Isaiah 51:9, Revelation 12:3,7; 13:2): The term dragon means literally “Serpent” or "Sea Monster".  A dragon is a terrifying and destructive beast who seeks the total devastation of God's people. This image is not meant to terrify us..

SERPENT (Genesis 3:1; Isa. 27:1; Rev. 12:9; 20:2): This term refers to his “crookedness”, "craftiness", and “deceitfulness.” This name reveals the first reference to Satan in the Bible, as he stalked and deceived Eve. His intention is malice, fury, cruelty, all directed toward God's truth and God's people.  

BEELZEBUB or BEELZEBUL (Matt. 10:25; 12:24,27; Mark 3:22): The exact meaning of this term is not known. It is suggested that it means "lord of the house" and may refer to Satan's authority over the demons.  

BELIAL or BELIAR (2 Cor. 6:15):  This term was used in the Old Testament in the context of “worthlessness.” 

THE WICKED ONE OR THE EVIL ONE (Matt. 13:19,38; Eph. 6:16): A description of his character and work. 

THE TEMPTER (Matt 4:3; I Thessalonians 3:5): This name indicates that his constant purpose is to cause people to sin. This term seems to indicate that he presents the most plausible excuses and suggests the most striking advantage for sinning.  

THE GOD OF THIS WORLD (2 Corinthians 4:4): He sponsors false religion and all the false cults and systems which are against Christianity; he presides over our anti-God life style.  

THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR (Eph. 2:2; 6:12): As such, he is the leader of the evil angels and prince over this vast host (army) of subordinates (demons) which carry out his orders. He rules with tyrannical power. 

PRINCE THAT SHALL COME (Daniel 9:26): This is a picture of a military commander of an army, occupying the front, doing horrible atrocities. Also see II Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Revelation 12:7-9. 

SON OF PERDITION (John 17:12; II Thes. 2:3): Satan can and will cause ruin or loss in physical, spiritual or eternal arenas. He will destroy you fully if you let him and refuse Christ’s love and mediation.  

STRONG MAN (Mt 12:29): Satan is powerless to prevent the Kingdom of God because he has been bound. We do not have the power to do it as some teach; only Christ does and did!  

THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD (Daniel 10:12-11:1; John 12:31; 14:30 16:11): This seems to refer to his influence over the governments and political arenas of this world, that he is the one who is the ruler and guards his position. 

ANGEL OF LIGHT (2 Cor. 11:12-14): This phrase best describes Satan’s masterful ability of imitation and his counterfeit proposals given to individuals. He is cunning as a wolf in sheep's clothing, disguising evil in a good-looking package.   

LITTLE HORN (Daniel 7:8): This is just symbolic power, a horn (as an extrapolative); by implication, a flask, a cornet; by resembling an elephant's tooth (ivory), a corner of the altar, or a mountain peak, or a ray of light.  

ROARING LION (1 Peter 5:8):  This “word picture” emphasizes Satan’s continual persecution and his role as a persecutor of believers. 

FATHER OF LIES (John 8:44): Satan’s opposition to God includes a vast host of fallen angels and his counterfeit proposals, which do not derive their source from the Lord. It describes Satan as the source (father) of all that is untrue (lies) (1 John 3:8.).       

KING OF BABYLON (Isaiah 14:4): This name means confusion; ‘Babel’, i.e., “he keeps babbling about…” (i.e., Babylon = nonsense). This also refers to Babylonia and the Babylonian empire.  

KING OF TYRUS (Ezekiel 28:12): refers to a rock; ‘Tsor’, is a place in Palestine. Satan is the false rock. Christ is the One true Rock!

WICKED ONE (1 John 5:18): This description is self evident!  

MEPHISTOPHELES: is not a biblical name; it is found in German folklore. The most notorious of the spirits of evil, it is identified with the exploits of "Dr. Faust Goethe", who defines Mephistopheles as, "part of the power that still works for good while ever scheming ill."  Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Tale called “Faust”: I am the spirit that denies! And justly so; for all things from the void called forth deserve to be destroyed; “Twere better, then, were naught created. Thus, all which you as sin have rated, Destruction, caught with evil bent. That is my proper element.”  

Satan’s Descriptions=Satan’s Strategies!

Liar: He is the father, inspirer, and creator of lies.  His goal is to steal God's glory and plan through God's people (John 8:44) and to stimulate us to lie (Acts 5:3)! 

Enemy: He is totally dedicated to the opposition of the children of God with destructive ferocity (I Peter 5:8). 

Counterfeiter:  He is able to present an innocent “front” 2 Corinthians (11:14,15). 

Misleader: He uses evil spirits to mislead Christians in Bible truth and doctrine (I Timothy 4:1). 

Deceiver: He seeks by all possible means to create false impressions and misunderstandings, and use innuendoes, to cause us to fight amongst each other (Revelation 12:9; II Thessalonians 2:9,10). 

Promoter of pride: He stimulates humanity’s high appraisal of itself (Genesis 3:5; I Timothy 3:6). 

Outwitter (Luke 22:32; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:3-15; Eph. 6:16):  He probes us for weakness, then misleads, misdirects and undermines our strengths, hopes, faith and love in the wrong direction, away from God's will.   

Blinder of people’s minds: His purpose is to keep individuals in darkness (ignorance) of the light of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). 

Ruler of darkness: His kingdom is totally without the light of truth, peace and love (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Colossians 1:13; I John 2:9-Il). 

Director of demonic activity: He controls an army of evil spirits, not limited to "demons". Remember he controls only a third; God has 2/3rds (Matthew 12:24; Ephesians 6:12)!!! 

Suppressor of the Word of God: He constantly seeks to block the proclamation, acceptance, and use of the Scriptures Matthew 13:38,39). 

Hinderer: He seeks to put things in the way of the Christian seeking to do God’s will (I Thessalonians 2:18). He also is opposed to our prayers and fights against them (Dan. 10:12-11:1). 

Oppressor: He uses depression and discouragement as weapons to undermine the Christian’s sense of purpose (Acts 10:38; 1 Kings 19). 

Troubler: He seeks to invade the physical realm and to limit the strength of God’s children (2 Corinthians 12:7). 

Accuser and slanderer: His name, Devil, or "diabolos" (Greek), means a person who throws things at people (Revelation 12:10). 

Creator of division: He is out to cause dissension and disagreement between Christians (2 Corinthians 2:10,11; James 3:13-16). 

Trickster: He uses subtle ways and means of confusing the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:11).                          

Tempter: His plan is to persuade us to take an alternate course to God’s way (Matthew 4:1 - 11; Luke 4:1-13; I Thessalonians 3:5).

Ensnarer: He is out to trap the Christian to commit sin, thus ruining and spoiling his testimony (I Timothy 3:7).                                                                                   

Stimulator of lust: He distorts normal desires, by taking God's design and inflaming it; uncontrolled sensuality (emotions) is a tool of Satan (Ephesians 2:2,3). 

Counterfeiter: He is capable of presenting an innocent “front” (2 Corinthians 11:14,15). 

Murderer: He is the destroyer and devourer.  He is intent upon the callous and calculated destruction of God’s children (I Peter 5:8; John 8:44; Revelation 9:11). 

Angel of bottomless pit (Rev 9:11): Same context as murder.  

God and prince of this world: He stirs up the three cravings described in I John 2:16 (foolish pride, selfish desires, & worldly desires) and focuses Christians on the worldly desires (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31; 14:30; 1 6:15; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). 

HOSTILE OPPONENT: He is the grand adversary to everything good and is dedicated to the opposition of God's plans (Zech. 3:1; I Thess. 2:17-18). 

Our response to Satan's lies (Eph 2:8-9; 1 John 4:1; James 4:7): 

·     We are to submit to God's will (2 Cor. 11:3, 14-15).  Satan's ways look good and appealing, but God's way is the way that is best; Satan's way is death. It is better to be poor and honest than rich and dishonest!  

·     We are to obey God's will (2 Tim. 3:16). This is our sure-fire response to temptation, just as our Lord used!  

·     We are to focus on the Cross (John 14:6).  We are to ignore the human standards, remember that Jesus died for us, and know that no sin is too big for Him to deal with and forgive. No matter what we have gone through, He is there for us, loving us. Satan wants us to diminish the cross by adding to it with penance; Christ wants us to repent!   

·     We need to commit to God's Purpose (1 Timothy 4:1-3; Luke 8:11-12; John 11:25-26), not our will and dreams and aspirations, but need totally to surrender to Christ all of our plans and desires no matter where it takes us.   

·     Remember Satan’s pride brought him down (How is your pride doing?) to the lowest of levels, and he is certain of his fate. His current ambition is to deceive as many of humanity as possible, to share with him in his fate. 

·     God gives all of the armor we need to defend ourselves (2 Cor. 10:4).  

         So, we are to trust Him and use Him and His gifts and tools! We are to have them on and be holding them, and using them, especially militant prayer! It is our responsibility to have the armor of God on and to be ready to be attacked.  If we are watchful and prepared, then we are ready for the attack of the devil, his demons, and those fiery darts. We may not all know how to attack with the Sword of the Spirit, which is why we have the rest of the armor. If we are not ready to properly use the Sword of the Spirit, then we need to do as II Timothy 2:15 calls us to do: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." When we have all of the gear of the armor, then we are to, "With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Eph 6:18)

Are you a Christian woman who has had an abortion?

Are you a Christian woman who is still dealing with the guilt of having had an abortion? If so, then you might need to know you are forgiven so you can receive full healing, forgiveness, and release.  Maybe you were a Christian when you had your abortion, knew it was wrong at the time, have since confessed and repented, and yet you still have feelings of guilt and remorse. Then again, maybe you are a Christian now, but were not when you went through with an abortion and you have guilt that saps your Christian joy.  Whatever your situation, whether you know you have been forgiven in Christ and are healed and are released, or you are still fighting the seeds of guilt and remorse, abortion is a difficult emotional experience for any woman to go through. 

Can you be forgiven? Yes, you can.  Of course you can.  More importantly, the question is are you forgiven right now?  If you are in Christ, if you are born again, then you have already been forgiven.  Your abortion was a sin, but no sin is so big that the Lord Jesus cannot forgive it.  He saved you knowing exactly what you have done, are doing, and will do...and He still loves you.  He loves you not because of who you are, but because of who He is.

If you've had an abortion, you're not evil.  You are not someone who hates babies or can't be a good mother, and you certainly don't need to be called names by anyone or be stigmatized by people, especially Christians.  What you are is a sinner, just like everyone else.  We all have our weaknesses and failures and we must all face Jesus with them.  The place we need to go is to the cross where He took all our sins and paid the penalty for them.

Punishing yourself with guilt

There is an important lesson you need to learn about forgiveness that begins with understanding two things:  justification and sanctification.  Justification is God's legal declaration upon a sinner that the sinner is declared righteous in God's sight; this is also known as salvation. Sanctification is God working in the Christian, through the Holy Spirit, to make the Christian more like Christ.  Justification is instantaneous.  Sanctification lasts a lifetime.  Justification is easy because we receive it by faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8).  Sanctification is difficult because it is something we do in cooperation with God as He works in our hearts daily.  If we are not very sanctified in our actions, thoughts, and words, we are still justified; we are still saved because of Jesus.  Justification does not depend upon our sanctification.  In other words, our salvation is not dependent on our works in any way.  This justification (salvation) is based upon what Jesus did.  Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24).  Jesus paid for our sins, all of them.  They are gone because He removed them.  It is all because of Jesus and what He did and not because of what we have done.  Praise be to Him.
     Now, I have a question for you.  Can you earn your salvation or do anything at all to merit forgiveness from God?  No.  Of course not.  That is why salvation is by faith and not by works or faith and works.   If you did not get your salvation by your works, then you do not keep it by your works, either.  In other words, you do not keep your salvation by doing good or by suffering for your sins so that you might, somehow, be made good enough to be with God.  It can never happen!
     Finally, to the point.  Some Christians, after they have committed a sin, punish themselves by retaining the guilt of their sin and do not receive the full forgiveness of Christ until they have put themselves through enough suffering that they have then "earned" the right to be forgiven.  Of course, this isn't the intention of holding on to guilt, but it sometimes is the underlying reason.  It is a danger because it is nothing more than trying to earn the forgiveness of God through our works, in this case, through suffering.  This is an insult to the cross of Christ.
     Now, I am not saying that we should never feel guilty for doing something wrong.  I am saying that you should confess your sins and be forgiven (1 John 1:9).  Once confessed and forgiven, it is wrong to harbor the feelings of guilt as a way to punish yourself so that you might thereafter feel you've done enough to "feel" good enough to have fellowship with God.  That is what is wrong and it is sin.  If that is what you are doing, then you need to realize that God does not require you to pay for your sins through feeling guilty. He has already paid the full price.  Your part is to humbly and truly confess your sin to the Lord, turn from it, and leave it.  By looking to Jesus and what He has done, you can let the guilt and the guilty feelings fall away from you.  Put your eyes on Jesus.  Praise Him for His great love and forgiveness and continue in your walk of sanctification.  Lay it all before the cross.

"I will remember their sins no more"

God says, "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more," (Heb. 8:12).  If God chooses not to remember your sins anymore, why should you?  Why should you harbor the guilt of a sin that has been forgiven and washed away by the blood of Christ?  That is what He means when He says He will not remember it anymore.  He simply will not bring it up again once it is confessed and forgiven.  So, if He has forgiven you and He will not bring up the sin of abortion again, then from where does your guilt come?  It isn't from God.  It is from you.  You are punishing yourself.

Let it go.  Receive the full forgiveness of Christ that comes from a loving and holy God who has saved you knowing exactly what you are and what you have done.

Three scenarios

If you were an unbeliever when you had your abortion, but have been beating yourself up with guilt, confess your sin and let it go.  Let the forgiveness of Christ wash over you and be released.  You are forgiven and set free in Christ.  If you were a Christian when you had your abortion and feel even more guilt because you knew better, confess your sin and let it go.  Let the forgiveness of Christ wash over you and be released.  You are forgiven and set free in Christ.  If you are a Christian woman who has had an abortion, but you have found release and freedom from guilt, then glory be to God who has worked His wondrous grace in you.

"For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more," (Heb. 8:12).

______________________________
Scripture References:

• Rom. 5:1, "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
• Eph. 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."
• Heb. 8:12, "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more."
• 1 Pet. 2:24, "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
• 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Refuting arguments supporting abortion

1. The life in the womb is not human because it is not fully developed.
   1. This disregards the fact that the nature of the life is human.  It has human DNA and is alive.  How can its nature not be human if it is alive and has human DNA?
   2. This asserts a false premise that someone is not human until he/she is fully developed.
      1. What constitutes full development? One hour before birth or one hour after? Is there really a difference?
   3. This is saying that value of humanity is based upon development.
      1. At what point does the life (that is human in nature) suddenly develop value?
      2. If value is dependent upon the choice of the mother, then how is it possible that the choice of the mother changes the nature of the life from valueless to valuable since there is no change in the condition of the life in the womb?
   4. But is its nature human or something else? 
      1. If it is not human in nature, then what is it? 
      2. If it is human in nature, then what gives anyone the right to kill it?
   5. Then when does the nature change into human? When does the non-human nature develop into a human nature?
      1. This is important since we would not want to accidentally kill a life that has become human at some point.
      2. If you cannot determine at what point the life becomes human, then should you risk killing it at all since it may very well be human?
   6. At what point does it become human and by what criteria do you make this judgment?
      1. If you cannot decide when, then you are risking killing a person.
      2. If you say that the life becomes human at birth, then what in the birth process changes the nature of the life from non-human to human?
2. The human tissue produced in the woman is the property of the one who produces it.
   1. But if what is growing in the womb is a person, it cannot be owned.
   2. Is the life in the womb property like a cat or a dog that can be owned?
   3. Then when does the child stop being the property of the mother? At birth? At one year old? Two? Ten? Twenty?
      1. It is animals who are owned, not people -- unless you want to reintroduce slavery.
   4. If the tissue is not human, but just like an internal organ, it belongs to the one in whom it dwells.
      1. But, an internal organ is meant to be an internal organ and not a person.  The life in the womb is meant to be a person. They are different by design and nature so the claim that it is the property of the mother is invalid.
      2. They are different in nature, because an internal organ does not have the ability to become a human. 
      3. An internal organ is not the totality of a person nor the totality or essence of what makes someone human. 
      4. But a human has the ability to produce an organ.
         1. Therefore, being human encompasses its own body but is not defined by it.
3. The life in the womb is really part of the woman and the woman has the right to do as she wills with her body.
   1. If it is part of the woman then does the woman have four arms, four legs, and 2 heads, four eyes?  Is that what a human is?
   2. It is part of the woman only in the sense that the life is living and growing inside the mother.
      1. Her body is feeding the life. Her body is separate from the life growing in her.
      2. The life growing in the womb can have a different blood than the mother and has separate brain waves. It is, therefore, an independent life with human DNA, its nature is human, and its life is separate from the mother.
   3. People are free to do as they please within the confines of the law.  For example, the law says the people do not have the right to take illegal drugs into their bodies.
      1. Though abortion is legal, that does not mean it is right.  Slavery was legal but that did not make it right.
4. In abortion, no one is hurt since the fetus is not a person.
   1. This is simply begging the question.  You assume it isn't human, even though it is alive and has human DNA, and then pass judgment that it is not a person. 
   2. You must define what makes a person before you can attempt to make such a claim.
      1. Is being a person limited to attributes of thought, walking, awareness, etc., or is it ontological; that is, is it an issue of the nature and essence of the life?
      2. A person is still a person even if he cannot think, walk, or be self aware, as someone in a coma.
      3. Personhood is not defined by function alone, but also by essence and nature.  To divorce the two, function and essence, is to improperly define what a person is.
   3. Saying that the fetus is not a person, does not make it so.
   4. The fetus has the nature of a human and is injured by killing.
   5. Then does that mean the mother should have no feelings about the life that has been removed from her womb?  If it isn't a person, then there should be absolutely no guilt at all with killing the life in the womb, correct?
   1. If you affirm that no guilt at all is necessary, then why do so many women have the feeling of guilt after an abortion?
   2. Does this abortion really leave the woman uninjured?  Countless women are psychologically harmed when they kill the child in their womb.
5. Rape is a condition that justifies abortion.
   1. Rape is horrible. But why should the child in the womb pay for the sins (wrong doing) of another?  The baby is innocent of the offense and his life need not be taken because of the act of another. To do this is unjust.
   2. If what is in the womb is human, then killing it because of the act of another would be wrong.
6. To restrict a woman's right to choose is to deny her rights as a woman.
   1. This is a self-centered reason that ignores:
      1. That the life in the womb is human in nature.
      2. That the woman has a responsibility to protect and guard life.
      3. That it puts the woman's personal interests and comfort above the value of life of the baby.
      4. That it is not denying a woman's rights anymore than she does not have the right to murder, steal, or lie.
   2. This is not denying a woman's rights anymore than prohibiting her from murder, stealing, or perjury is denying her rights.
   3. Rights come with responsibilities. Choosing to kill another is a great responsibility that needs to be taken seriously. This is why we have trials.
      1. However, in the womb, no trial is necessary, just the desire of the mother to take the life that is growing in her womb.
7. There are too many people in the world.
   1. Since when does the value of human life depend upon how many people there are?  Besides, if the number of people is the issue, maybe they should then start getting rid of the sick and old.  Maybe they should get rid of those who aren't intelligent or good looking.  Where will it stop?
8. Abortion is legal, therefore, it is okay.
   1. Slavery was legal 150 years ago, but that did not make it right.
   2. Just because something is legal doesn't make it right.
9. We don't know exactly when the fetus becomes human in the womb, so we can abort it.
   1. If you do not know when it becomes human, then should you risk killing it since it might very well be human -- since you don't know?
   2. If there were 500 pills on a table and one of them was a deadly poison, would you randomly take one of the pills and swallow it?  Why not?  After all, you don't know which is the poison, so you can take the chance and not worry about it, right?  Likewise, if there is a chance that the life is human, should you take the risk of killing it?
       

What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
 

     There are those who like to say that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality.  Various verses are cited (out of context) and the verses that people use to show that homosexuality is wrong are explained away.  The world wants to change God's words and meanings into something more suitable to its sinful desires.  Nevertheless, the truth stands:  The Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin. Let's look at what it says.

Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"

1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, ²⁷and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. ²⁸And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."

      Homosexuality is clearly condemned by the Bible.   It goes against the created order of God.  He created Adam and then made a woman.  This is what God has ordained and it is what is right.  Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple: They are given over to their passions. That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Romans 1:18ff). As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing. Without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

What should be the Christian's Response to the Homosexual?

      Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.
      As a Christian, you should pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same you would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God -- even though he is in grave sin.  Therefore, you should show him same dignity as anyone else you come in contact with. However, this does not mean that you are to approve of their sin. Don't compromise your witness for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness.

____________________

   note:  All Bible quotes are from the NASB Bible.

PASTORAL ACCOUNTABILITY

A filing cabinet drawer full of objections can be raised against pastoral leadership by a board of elders. For the Bible-believing Christian, however, the real issue is this: is pastoral leadership by a board of elders biblical? Is it apostolic? It is my belief that it is! Both the apostles, Paul and Peter, mandate that the local church elders pastor the flock of God (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1, 2; cf. Titus 1:5). We have no right, then, to take away the elders’ God-given mandate. Yet that is precisely what most churches have done by applying the apostolic mandate to shepherd the local church to a single, professional pastor and by subordinating the eldership to the pastor. Where in the New Testament do we find references to the ordained (reverend-clergyman) pastor and his advising elders? We don’t! We find only pastor elders mentioned.

     We must admit, however, that most traditional, clergy-led churches will find pastoral leadership by a plurality of qualified pastor elders to be difficult if not impossible to implement. So, to try to implement biblical eldership will require two conditions. First, each local church and its leaders must be firmly convinced that eldership is a scriptural teaching. Second, the local church must be committed to make the difficult, personal changes necessary in order to make eldership work for God’s glory.

These two conditions, of course, are essential when implementing any unfamiliar or difficult biblical practice or doctrine. If you were to ask, for example, "does marriage work?" many people would answer that it doesn’t appear to be working. So should we discard the institution of marriage and look for something better? No! The marriage institution is God’s will for the human race, as revealed in the Bible. So, in order to make marriage work we must first believe it to be a biblical teaching and then be committed to making it work. Only then will marriage work. The same conditions hold true for implementing a biblical eldership. We must believe it is scriptural and be committed by God’s help to making it work effectively.

    To be sure, the incorporation of pastoral eldership into the local church is not the cure-all for every problem. Eldership creates its own problems, and these must be understood and continually addressed. However, when properly implemented, biblical eldership allows the church to be what God designed it to be, fosters the spiritual development of the leading men within the church family, and honors the teaching of God’s precious Word. It is for the spiritual safety of the saints to have a church led by a board of Elders rather than one man.

    Cults usually start because a church or group put all of their trust in one person to lead them and interpret the Word for them. (Sounds like the Catholic Church?) A pastor HAS to be accountable too! This why so many church congregations are like the Stepford Wives! God wants us to support our leaders, but when they not Gods! The Bible is the plumb line that we measure doctrine by to see if it is true. We must never choose a personality over Bible truth!

THE SPIRIT OF MARTIN LUTHER

    When Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door of the church, he did so not to create a denomination, as some believe. Martin Luther wanted to correct anti-biblical practices being promoted in the church. The main theme revolved around the practice of “selling indulgences”. What the church was doing was convincing people that they could “pay” their family members out of purgatory. The church did this primarily to finance the Popes greed and desire to finance the Cistene Chapel in Rome. Now we Protestants read this stuff in Church History books and we gasp, yet how many of us “enlightened” Spirit-filled Protestants that know of Bishops, Pastors, and Preachers in our Protestant churches that “sell blessings” today.

      We have condemned Catholics for centuries, yet we have the same skeletons in our closets. From Reverend Ike, Robert Tildon, or to the pastor in the storefront in the inner city, we too have been guilty of “selling blessings”. Every Protestant denomination (and non-denomination) has had it share of “Greedy Popes”. I really admired Martin Luther’s guts, but where are the Martin Luther’s of today?  When Oral Roberts said he would die unless he got 80 million dollars in donations, where was the outrage from Christians? Of course the world ridiculed his nonsense, but there was no moral outrage from any Christian leaders. Why? Well I’ll tell you why! It is a very lonely position when you stand on the truth of scripture. We are quick to condemn Catholics trust in traditions and church doctrine, but we are equally guilty! How often have you seen and heard things done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in your church, but in your gut (spirit) you knew it was against the Bible? And why didn’t you say something is the more disturbing question.

     Jim Jones was able to take hundreds of lives in Guyana because someone refused to listen to their gut (spirit). I firmly believe in supporting the local church and helping pastors, I want to make that clear. However there is a real epidemic of spiritually stupid “saints” that don’t study their Bibles and try every spirit by the Spirit. We were given the ability to discern so we WON’T end up giving our money to crooks and drinking poison Kool-Aid! Many of today’s most prominent preachers would be labeled heretics hundreds of years ago because MOST clergymen were devout Theologians and serious students of scripture. Today ordination papers and licenses are given to anyone that say’s they are called to preach.  I agree that being Spirit-filled and called is the first priority of being a preacher, but ALSO there has to be training…SERIOUS TRAINING! A lack of understanding of just the basic Bible doctrines of the faith can lead to the types of abuses I am talking about. Martin Luther was able to stand up to the lies of Rome because he was filled with the knowledge of the truth. I am a Pentecostal preacher, I believe in the Charismatic Gifts of the Spirit, but that doesn’t negate the fact that we must have a scholarly approach to the scriptures and its teachings.

      I have heard PREACHERS say stupid things like, “I don’t know the Bible that well but I am filled-with the Holy Ghost and fire!” This person is a prime candidate for deception and a good whipping from the devil! The Bible say’s in 1^st Timothy 4:4 “In the last days some shall DEPART from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and DOCTRINES of devils.”  The Devil will fill your head with HIS doctrine (teaching) if your head isn’t filled with sound Bible doctrine. Martin Luther unlike other priest actually studied the Bible for truth and not to support a man made lie. We must as individual believers have reformer’s courage to stand up to the church when it strays from the truth of scripture. I know it sounds crazy to say stand up AGAINST the church, I am of course talking about organized denominational/non-denominational institutions that profess to be of Jesus Christ, yet stray away from the truth of Jesus Christ.  I have seen enough heresy in the church in the last 25 years of my life to make ones head spin and the majority of it went unchallenged.

     We allow “preachers” to say anything in our pulpits and we say AMEN! We are afraid to be attacked for standing up for the truth. In 1980 I was stationed at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. While there I heard a Baptist preacher (Who was also a Freemason) tell a group in Bible study that “all roads lead to Rome” meaning every religion can get you to heaven. I was a new believer, but I knew this was wrong! I challenged him, because NO ONE else would say a word. He was a popular preacher and I was a new convert so you can imagine whose side everyone lined up on. My point is this, when you hear false preaching or teaching SAY SOMETHING! The Apostle Paul was the new kid on the block (Read Galatians) yet he challenged and corrected the Chief Apostle Peter for treating the Gentile believers wrong.

Ministers are NOT infallible, only the Word of God is! No matter how popular or how powerful a preacher is, they are NOT above reproach! 

But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word.   (Acts 6:4 Amp)

     This is one of the key verses in the Bible to help a novice minister be a successful tool for the Master.  Preaching has nothing to do with popularity, titles, or position.  The successful minister is the one that realizes that sharing God’s Word is a divine call and privilege that can’t be done in one’s own strength.

The Apostles took this charge so seriously that they knew total devotion to prayer and study was paramount.  A preacher that doesn’t devote his life to prayer and study is a potential false prophet.  Satan loves preachers that say “I’m to busy to study” or “I don’t think preachers need formal Bible training.” 

The gospel preacher must devote his (or her) life to purity of doctrine.  Paul warned Timothy to avoid fables and old wives tales. It’s very easy for preachers to get involved in the “flavor of the month” teachings.  In last 20 years we have been bombarded with the “faith” message, “prosperity gospel”, “Spiritual Warfare”, and “Prophecy”.  Every one is an “Apostle” or “Bishop”; no one is simply a Gospel preacher.  Don’t get caught up in trends and hype.  Be lead by the Holy Ghost and walk in your calling. I have been preaching 23 years. I have done the work of an evangelist, and served in pastoral capacities, but I am called to teach.  My anointing is that of a teacher.  It would be foolish to try and be anything else.  I live to study and teach the Word of God. We need more “Martin Luther’s” in the church today. Too much of our teaching today is unbalanced. We have churches teaching crazy things like you have to speak in tongues to be saved, Christians should never get sick, or you can only be saved in MY church! Wake up saints and speak out against false teaching! There are churches that teach everyone has a demon, yes some people need demons cast out! However some problems are not demon powered but human error! Teaching the truth can solve more problems in the church than by casting out a “demon”.

(Note: I am not picking on any particular denomination, there is enough heresy in every Protestant denomination)