I would like to take some time and answer some questions that readers have left for me.
The following question was left by Anna ~~
" My best friend just left on his mission to Peru. It honestly is heart breaking. Do you have any advice on how I can minister to him through letters? To help him understand who the real Jesus is. "
Dear Anna,
Thank you for taking time to share what is on your heart!! God bless you for your sincere desire to see your friend won for Christ! You sound like you have a burden placed in your heart to witness to your friend. I am thankful he has you there to share the good news and the liberty and grace that awaits those who surrender their lives to the King of Kings!
First of all, I want to say the greatest thing you can do, and you probably are doing this already is P R A Y. Remember, that fervent prayers of those that are right with God, availeth much!! Continue to go before the throne of grace boldly in behalf of the salvation of your friend! Pray specifically that God may lead him to the homes of believers. Pray that when he knocks doors and tracts , he will be led to people who know the Lord and the Word of God, who can testify to him of the truth in Jesus. Pray that he will have a desire to read the bible -- specifically the book of John . Pray that God will draw him. Pray!!
I want to encourage you in this, because there were members of my family that prayed for me for 19 yrs to come to the Lord!!! 19 yrs!! God heard their prayers all those years. Looking back I can see how God was drawing me to Him... showing me and leading me one step at a time closer to Him! It took 19 yrs for those prayers to come to fruit, but they did!! Praise the Lord they did! My parents prayed every night for 19 yrs for me! When I called them and told them I had given my life to the Lord and left the Mormons, my father broke down and wept... thru tears he told me how he had prayed each night for this very thing!
The Lord is faithful! He does hear our prayers! Take time each day for prayer for him!
The second thing I would encourage you to do is to write him!!!! Yes, write!! There is much you can share in letters, you may not be able to share in person. I would encourage you to write weekly if you can or as often as you feel led by the Lord to do. Share passages from the Bible. Share how much Jesus means to you! Share how good God is and how He is working in your life!
I want to share another experience from my own life. My mom, had a cousin. Her name was Doris. Doris loved the Lord with all her might mind and strength. She radiated Jesus. Doris had been afflicted with MS for many years. She had been abandoned by her husband and left by herself after many years of marriage. But thru it all, Doris just sang! Yes, sang.. the Joy of the Lord was so evident in her life! Doris was a born again believer! She felt a burden in her to share Jesus with me while I was on my mission in Argentina. Often I would receive letters from cousin Doris. She would never tear down or mock Mormonism. What she did do though , was share the JOY she had in Jesus with me! Her letters were full of " Jesus, this and Jesus that.... full of scriptures and verses, etc." Full of her faith and love for the Lord.
She was faithful in writing me often on my mission. I never spoke to cousin Doris again, because she died soon after I arrived home from my mission. The other day I was mowing the grass and praying ( I love to mow the grass and pray!) and the Lord brought cousin doris to my memory. I thanked the Lord for what Doris did. I can't wait to meet Doris one day and hug her and tell her how she impacted me!
Write your friend, Anna.. share passages from the bible. Speak of Jesus and how wonderful and faithful he is! Share the JOY of the Lord with your LDS friend!
I recently heard the testimony of some young men, who had come to the Lord while they were serving their LDS missions!! Amazing! These young men have started a worship band by the name of Adam's Road. God is so faithful! He is not limited! He is not bothered by circumstances! These young men had been brought to the Lord because they began to read the Bible on their missions, in particular the New Testament! God doesn't need us to save souls..... He can use His word to bring souls to Him! He is all powerful. He is not dependent on us to save these precious souls. We do get the blessing of praying for them and witnessing to them, but rest assured He can draw souls to Him without our help!
Ana, I hope what I have shared can be an encouragement to you in some small way!
I am thankful that the Lord has placed you in this young man's life. When the time is right, this young man and you need to have a face to face talk where you share with him the real Jesus. So that he knows that there is a difference. Perhaps you have done this already? In any case, as hard as it is, our LDS friends and loved one need to know where we stand and they need to be lovingly shown that the god of Joseph Smith is not the God we worship and adore.
Anna, I will be praying for your friend!! God moves in mysterious ways, and just because your friend is on an LDS mission does not mean he can not come to saving knowledge that Jesus is the WAY , the TRUTH and the LIFE... not a religion, or a denomination, but Chris the Lord!!!
Thank you for posting and sharing your concerns.
For those of you who are Christian and wondering "how to " witness to those LDS missionaries that stop by at your door, I want to encourage you as well to open your mouths and hearts and share the good news of the Lord with these young people! They need to hear from us! They need to hear the passages in the Bible that speak of salvation and what one has to do to receive eternal life. Please prayerfully consider studying up on those passages so that when they come you may be prepared and equipped to share the good news! Don't turn them away, but share with them who Jesus really is and how one does receive eternal life. Some may be afraid to open their homes to the LDS missionaries, and there are some biblical mandates about such, but I would encourage you to at least share a verse with them or two and testify of the real Jesus who died on Calvary so that all men may be free. Perhaps even have a tract or two available for them to read about the differences between Christianity and mormonism. Pray that God will help you to witness in love and with boldness. Lastly, pray for them when they stop by ... ask God to open their eyes to the truth and to set them free. I just want to encourage you my brothers & sisters in Christ to share the good news. We don't need to go to Africa to bring the truth to the lost, we can do so right from our very homes.
God bless you and help you as you minister to those who have not yet received the free gift of eternal life thru Christ our Lord,
gloria
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THANK YOU! That was such a blessing!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat was so encouraging! Yes i have been praying for him and i have been trying to send him many verses in my letters to him and praying that God would inspire me to send him ones that will speak directly to his heart. Thank you for praying for him as well that means so much to me!
-Anna
Anna ~~
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing back!! I am encouraged & so glad to hear that my blog encourages you!!!
I have some more to share with you, and will email you personally with that ok?
God bless you!
Gloria
ps. I will be praying for your friend! I also have 2 LDS young people who are on missions that I am praying daily for! Keep the faith, God is working!!
Great post! Great advice!
ReplyDeletePray and share Christ. Hand Him over, with no charge. The oure sweet sound of the gospel message will do what it will do.
I'll pray for your friend, as well.
The Oldadam,
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by my blog and for your encouraging note!!!! Thanks so much for the prayers as well, God is working!!
In Christ alone,
gloria
What a timely subject for me. My daughter leaves for her mission in September. She is coming this week for a short visit before she returns to Utah for final preparations.
ReplyDeleteIn the two years since I left the church, we continue to have a good relationship but have only talked twice in a meaningful way about the issue.
First, we talked about my story of grace that led me out of the church.
Second, we talked about why I could not support her financially on the mission since she would be spreading a gospel that I do not believe.
To be honest, I think she is upset because she perceives that I don't support her or I am not proud of her as a person for making such a momentous choice. I have tried to let her know that I love her under any circumstance.
But what should I talk to her about during the short time she is here? I feel like I need to give some "advice" for her mission. I served an LDS mission, too. But I would like to give her some advice from a Christian perspective.
For example, I want to tell her to present the church "honestly." That is, don't play into some of the tricks missionaries use to overcome objections just to get in the door. One that we used was "...we come with a program that is proven to improve families." Just be honest. You are Mormon missionaries. You want to tell them about the Church. You want to convince them to join.
Also, don't dismiss the "hard" questions (polygamy, Blacks and the priesthood, etc.) if investigators really want answers. Be honest. If you don't want to (or can't) give them answers, tell them you won't (or can't). But do not push them to be baptized without those answers using the "milk before meat" sales pitch.
What else should I say to her? I know that I am not going to convince her not to go, but I want her to go with her eyes wide open and to know that I understand what she will run into.
With this approach, I hope that when she does run into tough times and trials of her faith, she can turn to me to help guide her through those trials and toward a true faith in the true Christ.
Any advice?
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. My heart goes out to you. What a tough walk you are walking right now.
I am going to print out your comments and give it some prayer. I know you are praying for your daughter. That is the single most important thing you can do right now. It also sounds like you are just giving her lots of love, and that too is so important. That is how they will know we are HIS disciples, by our love. If anything that unconditional love will speak volumes.
I am going to print this out and pray and get back to you. I really need to make sure that what I share is on the same page as the Lord.
God bless & please know I will be praying for her too!!!
gloria
"Perhaps even have a tract or two available for them to read about the differences between Christianity and mormonism."
ReplyDeleteIs there any tracts you would recommend?
ThankS
Kendall,
ReplyDeleteA great place to print out tracts on the differences between Biblical Christianity and Mormonism is www.irr.org
The institute for religious research.
Fabulous site!!!
God bless,
gloria
Gloria,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a nice person to take the time and be so thoughtful and charitable! Keep up the great work.
Good luck with all that you do.
Rob
Hello Gloria,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say what a great thing you are doing. I am a Utah native who is also a minister. I have never been LDS but have several family and friends who are. God is moving in the hearts of our mormon friends.... we are gaining ground and people like you are a VERY IMPORTANT PART of what he is doing. Keep the FAITH and keep up the good work....
God Bless....
Alex
Dear Alex,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking time to stop by my blog and for sharing a word of encouragement with me!
My heart continually cries out to God for my friends & loved ones in the LDS faith. I am glad to know others feel the burden as well.
God bless,
gloria
Dear Rob --
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and leaving a note of encouragement. I checked your blogger profile and noticed you are moving or moved to Utah. Please let me know how it fares for you there in the land of the Mormons. :)
God bless,
gloria