Here we go again. I don't know how many times I need to revisit this, but obviously some just don't get it. So , here I go again.
Personal attacks will not be permitted.
PERIOD.
If you have nothing better to do than attack me personally, maybe you have too much time on your hands? Might I direct you to the many wonderful organizations out there who would love your volunteer services. Big brother & Big Sister programs thru the YMCA is a great program, that always needs help! Most churches offer wonderful programs that would love your help too! So many causes, so little time.
I don't mind that people personally disagree. That is understandable and expected.
The focus of your arguments should be on the topic at hand and not on the person commenting.
I am not sure "why" this has to be revisited so often, but it does.
There are other places on the web where you can name call, attack a person, etc. but NOT ON MY BLOG. I will not tolerate it. If you disagree with what I am saying or what someone else says, then focus your comments on the argument presented. Good grief. Simple civility - is that impossible here?
ALSO from now on, NO more anonymous comments. Sign your name or screen name. Take responsibility for your comments you make. I find it odd that some of the personal attacks are most often left by anonymous people.... come on, if you have the courage to be rude, take ownership of it. If you don't sign a name or screen name, then your comment will not be approved.
Comments that contain personal attacks and anonymous comments will not be approved. They go in the "garbage can". Where they belong.
Kind regards,
gloria
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Fruit of the Spirit & Answered prayers
I have been blogging about Mormonism now for a few months. I also frequently visit other sites of other Christians who are witnessing to the Mormons. I have noticed one thing that I believe is very very telling.
For the most part, there is a great deal of hostility coming from the LDS towards we Christians who are blogging or commenting. I was a bit taken aback by that! In all honesty I would think it would be the other way around! LOL! I just want to send out a kuddos to my christian blogging buddies out there. You are doing a great job! You are witnessing in love and with respect and kindness... something that speaks volumes about you and about our awesome God we serve!
My heart aches when I read the comments left by many LDS here and other places. There is so much hostility, anger, frustration and condescension in their writings. I can feel and sense their angst. There lack of inner peace. It is so very sad.
I am reminded of a beautiful passage of scripture, from the book of Galatians:
" but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, faith, temperance" Galatians 5:22
My dear readers, if we truly confess Christ -- and have that filling of the Holy Spirit..... we will have these fruit.... we will have love, joy and peace, and self control.... we will be long suffering...
Not because we , in and of ourselves, are "naturally" this way.. but truly because Christ lives within us!! His Holy Spirit indwells and as a result there will be fruit .. fruit that is visible... fruit that tastes sweet and is wonderful and glorifies our great and awesome God!
I really thought when I began to blog about Mormonism, that it would be the Christians that would be nasty and mean spirited, etc. But that has not been the case! In the months I have been blogging , it has been the LDS who have name called, been rude, attacked me personally or my family or my relationship with my husband, or have just been down right discourteous.
My goodness! How telling this is friends.
I also want to say there have been exceptions to this. A few LDS, and you know "who" you are can engage in debate without resorting to such things. Kuddos to you too!!!
Friends, if you visit my site, you will quickly notice I am not " Ed Decker" or " Bill McKeever"... I am just a former mormon, who has been redeemed and purchased by my great God, Jesus. My heart's desire is to see LDS won over to the real God, who is more than able to save. I don't want to get nasty, mean and name call...... why? Because God calls me to live differently. Because I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to show forth love, long suffering , kindness, and self control.
This is the ONE SINGLE thing I notice so glaringly now between the LDS and Christians... the gifts of the Spirit....... I am amazed at the joy I see in the lives of believers, even in the midst of heavy trials.... I am shocked by the long suffering they have for the lost in the LDS church..... how patient and kind they are... how they won't stoop to personal attacks against a person, but will focus on the argument and the facts.
Friends, it is all so telling.
You can't fake "fruit"....
There is good fruit......
And then there is stinky rotten fruit.......
For the LDS, do you really think it helps your cause when you name call and personally attack a person? Is that what your faith produces?
Something to think about.
My friends, I continue to pray for the LDS and I hope my Christian friends will join me.
This week I had a sweet experience. I have been praying for a friend of mine who is serving an LDS mission. I have been praying that the Lord would lead her to the home of born again believers who will witness to her in love. She is serving in the Midwest. She is a sweet young woman who has lived her entire life in Utah. I have been praying that God would lead her to the home of a pastor who would open the doors of his home to share Jesus with her and the good news.
This week I found out that just this very thing has happened! She has been befriended by a born again preacher ( her words not mine) and he has been sharing with her and her companion. She also has had no success in converting souls to Mormonism, but has run into a lot of Christians, saying " we have Jesus!".
Isn't that AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friends, we have a great BIG GOD who is the business of doing GREAT BIG THINGS!
Keep praying for your LDS friends, and family.
Never give up hope for them!
And when those LDS missionaries come by, open your home to them and share the GOOD NEWS!!!!!
I am so excited to hear how God is working in this young woman's life! He has answered my prayers and knocked my socks off!
I just had to share this, to encourage my Christian readers!
God is working....
God is working.....
He is parting the "red seas" in the lives of our Mormon friends and neighbors........
Praise His holy holy name!!
gloria
For the most part, there is a great deal of hostility coming from the LDS towards we Christians who are blogging or commenting. I was a bit taken aback by that! In all honesty I would think it would be the other way around! LOL! I just want to send out a kuddos to my christian blogging buddies out there. You are doing a great job! You are witnessing in love and with respect and kindness... something that speaks volumes about you and about our awesome God we serve!
My heart aches when I read the comments left by many LDS here and other places. There is so much hostility, anger, frustration and condescension in their writings. I can feel and sense their angst. There lack of inner peace. It is so very sad.
I am reminded of a beautiful passage of scripture, from the book of Galatians:
" but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, faith, temperance" Galatians 5:22
My dear readers, if we truly confess Christ -- and have that filling of the Holy Spirit..... we will have these fruit.... we will have love, joy and peace, and self control.... we will be long suffering...
Not because we , in and of ourselves, are "naturally" this way.. but truly because Christ lives within us!! His Holy Spirit indwells and as a result there will be fruit .. fruit that is visible... fruit that tastes sweet and is wonderful and glorifies our great and awesome God!
I really thought when I began to blog about Mormonism, that it would be the Christians that would be nasty and mean spirited, etc. But that has not been the case! In the months I have been blogging , it has been the LDS who have name called, been rude, attacked me personally or my family or my relationship with my husband, or have just been down right discourteous.
My goodness! How telling this is friends.
I also want to say there have been exceptions to this. A few LDS, and you know "who" you are can engage in debate without resorting to such things. Kuddos to you too!!!
Friends, if you visit my site, you will quickly notice I am not " Ed Decker" or " Bill McKeever"... I am just a former mormon, who has been redeemed and purchased by my great God, Jesus. My heart's desire is to see LDS won over to the real God, who is more than able to save. I don't want to get nasty, mean and name call...... why? Because God calls me to live differently. Because I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to show forth love, long suffering , kindness, and self control.
This is the ONE SINGLE thing I notice so glaringly now between the LDS and Christians... the gifts of the Spirit....... I am amazed at the joy I see in the lives of believers, even in the midst of heavy trials.... I am shocked by the long suffering they have for the lost in the LDS church..... how patient and kind they are... how they won't stoop to personal attacks against a person, but will focus on the argument and the facts.
Friends, it is all so telling.
You can't fake "fruit"....
There is good fruit......
And then there is stinky rotten fruit.......
For the LDS, do you really think it helps your cause when you name call and personally attack a person? Is that what your faith produces?
Something to think about.
My friends, I continue to pray for the LDS and I hope my Christian friends will join me.
This week I had a sweet experience. I have been praying for a friend of mine who is serving an LDS mission. I have been praying that the Lord would lead her to the home of born again believers who will witness to her in love. She is serving in the Midwest. She is a sweet young woman who has lived her entire life in Utah. I have been praying that God would lead her to the home of a pastor who would open the doors of his home to share Jesus with her and the good news.
This week I found out that just this very thing has happened! She has been befriended by a born again preacher ( her words not mine) and he has been sharing with her and her companion. She also has had no success in converting souls to Mormonism, but has run into a lot of Christians, saying " we have Jesus!".
Isn't that AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friends, we have a great BIG GOD who is the business of doing GREAT BIG THINGS!
Keep praying for your LDS friends, and family.
Never give up hope for them!
And when those LDS missionaries come by, open your home to them and share the GOOD NEWS!!!!!
I am so excited to hear how God is working in this young woman's life! He has answered my prayers and knocked my socks off!
I just had to share this, to encourage my Christian readers!
God is working....
God is working.....
He is parting the "red seas" in the lives of our Mormon friends and neighbors........
Praise His holy holy name!!
gloria
Thursday, August 6, 2009
How does God answer our prayers? New poll!
I have posted a new question that I am polling. " How does God answer our prayers". Please take a moment and vote! I am interested in what you believe. This poll is on the right side of the blog. Just scroll down.
Thanks,
gloria
Thanks,
gloria
On a personal note...
Dear Readers,
I just want to write and share that I appreciate you taking time to stop, read and share your thoughts about what is shared here. Please know I read each comment before I post them.
With that said, I am not always able to respond to your comments. I thought it might be helpful to share some personal insights into what goes on in my life so you can understand "why".
Some of you may not know that I :
1. am the mother of 10 children! Yes, 10!! That keeps me busy folks! My oldest is 16 and my youngest is 5 yrs old ( we have a set of twins in there too!)
2. I homeschool my children. Yes, in addition to being the " mom" ; I am also my children's school teacher. We school all year round, so life is busy to say the least! :)
3. We live on a small farm. ( 66 acres to be exact!) I keep a garden , and a large yard.. that means full time yard work on top of the above responsibilities!
4. I am a married woman. So that means I take time to nurture my relationship with my husband as well .One more stewardship the Lord has blessed me with.
5. I am a full time home keeper. I take my job seriously. I cook all our meals from scratch and work with the children to keep a tidy and organized home. ( as well as one can possibly do with 10 children!!)
My day begins at about 7 am and I usually am in bed by 11 pm.....
As you can figure from reading what I shared above, my plate is "full".
God placed a burden on my heart to blog about my thoughts and experiences about the LDS faith. I pray daily for His leading in this endeavor. I take seriously what I share here. Sometimes I am led to be silent and sometimes I am led to speak. What I write is directed by the Lord. No one tells me what to write or share. God does.
With that said, sometimes I am not able to respond to every single comment left here. :)
Please don't take that as a personal offense. If your comment is offensive, I don't post it. If you find your comment is published here, then I am not offended. :) For LDS readers, I understand not everything I share will be agreeable to you. I understand, but my allegiance is to God first, not my readers. You will most likely not read things here that will tickle your ears. I don't expect you to be pleased with me or even like me for that matter. That's OK.
So, please understand.... I will respond to your comments if I can. Sometimes it may take a few days to get back to you. Please forgive me if you are frustrated by this, but it's what works for me at this time in my life. Hopefully readers will be able to understand now a little more as to "why" sometimes I don't respond to their remarks. It's not that I am ignoring you.
In any case, thanks for reading, leaving remarks and for sharing.
God bless,
gloria
I just want to write and share that I appreciate you taking time to stop, read and share your thoughts about what is shared here. Please know I read each comment before I post them.
With that said, I am not always able to respond to your comments. I thought it might be helpful to share some personal insights into what goes on in my life so you can understand "why".
Some of you may not know that I :
1. am the mother of 10 children! Yes, 10!! That keeps me busy folks! My oldest is 16 and my youngest is 5 yrs old ( we have a set of twins in there too!)
2. I homeschool my children. Yes, in addition to being the " mom" ; I am also my children's school teacher. We school all year round, so life is busy to say the least! :)
3. We live on a small farm. ( 66 acres to be exact!) I keep a garden , and a large yard.. that means full time yard work on top of the above responsibilities!
4. I am a married woman. So that means I take time to nurture my relationship with my husband as well .One more stewardship the Lord has blessed me with.
5. I am a full time home keeper. I take my job seriously. I cook all our meals from scratch and work with the children to keep a tidy and organized home. ( as well as one can possibly do with 10 children!!)
My day begins at about 7 am and I usually am in bed by 11 pm.....
As you can figure from reading what I shared above, my plate is "full".
God placed a burden on my heart to blog about my thoughts and experiences about the LDS faith. I pray daily for His leading in this endeavor. I take seriously what I share here. Sometimes I am led to be silent and sometimes I am led to speak. What I write is directed by the Lord. No one tells me what to write or share. God does.
With that said, sometimes I am not able to respond to every single comment left here. :)
Please don't take that as a personal offense. If your comment is offensive, I don't post it. If you find your comment is published here, then I am not offended. :) For LDS readers, I understand not everything I share will be agreeable to you. I understand, but my allegiance is to God first, not my readers. You will most likely not read things here that will tickle your ears. I don't expect you to be pleased with me or even like me for that matter. That's OK.
So, please understand.... I will respond to your comments if I can. Sometimes it may take a few days to get back to you. Please forgive me if you are frustrated by this, but it's what works for me at this time in my life. Hopefully readers will be able to understand now a little more as to "why" sometimes I don't respond to their remarks. It's not that I am ignoring you.
In any case, thanks for reading, leaving remarks and for sharing.
God bless,
gloria
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
How to witness to an LDS missionary
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
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
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A question for my readers
Hello, all. I have been in prayer seeking the Lord's guidance on what to share here on my blog. As I have been led to be quiet and still and wait for the Lord's lead.... it came to me today... the nudge to ask those of you who read my blog, who are Christians, "what" you would like me to share that may help you in your witness to the LDS or perhaps help you to better understand their theology or culture.
So please, if there is a question you have had on your heart, but haven't been comfortable in asking your LDS friends, or if there is something you would like to better understand, please leave a comment.
I also invite LDS readers, is there something you wish to ask me concerning Biblical teachings, etc. I invite both LDS and Christian readers to please feel comfortable dropping me a comment and letting me know if there is something you wish to see discussed in more detail here.
This is something I have felt nudged by the Lord to do, so please feel comfortable sharing.
I look forward to hearing from you,
gloria
So please, if there is a question you have had on your heart, but haven't been comfortable in asking your LDS friends, or if there is something you would like to better understand, please leave a comment.
I also invite LDS readers, is there something you wish to ask me concerning Biblical teachings, etc. I invite both LDS and Christian readers to please feel comfortable dropping me a comment and letting me know if there is something you wish to see discussed in more detail here.
This is something I have felt nudged by the Lord to do, so please feel comfortable sharing.
I look forward to hearing from you,
gloria
Friday, July 10, 2009
And another thing....
Upon re-reading my post I left yesterday, I wanted to add that the content of what I post here on my blog is just that *mine*. It is not up for discussion. That is, I blog about what *I* chose to blog about folks. If you don't like what I have to say here, I respect that, but in no way does that give anyone the right to tell me what I shall share or not share. That's simply not any one's call to make but the Lord's. I have mentioned this before, but I will say it again... I pray about what I write hear. I don't just write. Sometimes the Lord leads me to be quiet. Sometimes He lays something on my heart. He leads and directs, I follow. It's that simple. I understand that LDS readers may not appreciate what I share here, but that doesn't give them the right to tell me what I shall write or not write -- it's just not your call folks. It's God's call.
Thanks for taking time to stop by and read my thoughts,
Gloria
Thanks for taking time to stop by and read my thoughts,
Gloria
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Kind Reminder
Hey all, just want to post and say thanks to all of you who take time to share and leave courteous remarks. I appreciate both those who are LDS and non LDS, who take time to share their thoughts. I may not always agree, but I do appreciate your taking time to share what you believe. I generally will approve messages you leave here, even if I don't agree. Be warned though, that I will be reading the "tone" and if it hints of condescension or rudeness, it will not be posted.
I also want to say once again ( I think I said this once before) that I will not post comments that are in any shape or way critical or demeaning about my family, my children, my husband etc. That will not be accepted and your comments will not be posted. Period. This is my blog, and as such I will not tolerate remarks about my personal life.
If you wish to share a remark about how you disagree with my beliefs, I will not be offended, but I will not accept remarks geared at my family or my relationships.
I hope that clarifies things and hopefully this won't become an issue.
Thanks for letting me get that off my heart,
gloria
I also want to say once again ( I think I said this once before) that I will not post comments that are in any shape or way critical or demeaning about my family, my children, my husband etc. That will not be accepted and your comments will not be posted. Period. This is my blog, and as such I will not tolerate remarks about my personal life.
If you wish to share a remark about how you disagree with my beliefs, I will not be offended, but I will not accept remarks geared at my family or my relationships.
I hope that clarifies things and hopefully this won't become an issue.
Thanks for letting me get that off my heart,
gloria
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Can our hearts be trusted?
A few days back, my 10 yr old daughter had found some money. She didn't know if the money was hers or not. She had found it in an old purse my daughters' share. She wondered whether the money was hers or one of her sisters.... what to do, what to do..... keep it ... or not.....
She came to me and explained her situation. I listened and told her to pray about it. I told her if the money wasn't truly hers and she "knew" it, then she would most likely have little joy in spending it! I told her to ask God and wait for an answer. That seemed to appease her and she did just that. A few minutes later she came downstairs and said she was going to "keep it" and upon asking her if God had told her to do that, she said "well, no.... but I sure feel like it!" I encouraged her to let the Lord lead her on this one. For the next few hours she went back forth wondering if she should keep the money or not... one second she "felt" she should ... the next minute she didn't.... the result: confusion!
She also talked to my husband about it. ( he is a practicing LDS) He encouraged her to pray about it too.... but instead of telling her to wait for God to answer, he told her to see how she "feels about" it after praying. If she feels "good" about keeping it, then she should. If she doesn't "feel good" about it then she shouldn't. My daughter , told her daddy that it doesn't work that way. She shared w/ him her struggle to give this issue to God and *not* rely on her feelings.. because her feelings were "selfish" and wanting to keep the money, regardless of "whose" it was. Her daddy didn't agree and a discussion ensued. She got out her Bible and shared the following verse with her daddy:
" The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9
My daughter then proceeded to tell her daddy that she can't trust her heart, because her heart is selfish and wants to keep the money regardless of what God would want her to do.
My husband and I later discussed the situation. He is a practicing LDS and believes that thru the promptings of the Holy Spirit ( thru feelings given to the heart) a person is able to know what to do in a given situation. That means, if a person feels peace and good about something then they can know that God is approving of that. I explained to him, that the bible does not teach such a thing, but rather teaches us that our heart is "deceitful" and desperately wicked. How can we trust our hearts in making choices, when our heart can deceive us? Our hearts naturally, apart from God's redeeming grace, is described as "deceitful". Therefore man can not trust his own heart solely, but must leave all to God.
Because my heart feels "good" about something then that means God is giving me the go ahead? How can I be sure my heart isn't being selfish? Lots of times I may feel "good" something.. but that doesn't mean God views it that way.
As a Christian, I make sure to check what God has to say about things before I make a decision. I check my views with what God has revealed, and if my views are not in harmony with God's revealed Word, then I can be *sure* that I have been deceived.
" The hearts of men, moreover are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live and afterward they join the dead." Ecc 9:3 NIV
The Lord speaking of the children of Isreal whom He had brought out of Egypt:
" But they did not listen or pay attention, instead they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts." Jer. 11:8
When I was an LDS missionary, I taught those who were investigating the LDS faith to "pray about" the things I was teaching them. I told them that if they prayed with a sincere heart, with real intent , the Holy Ghost would manifest the truth of what I was teaching them. ( Moroni 10:3-5) When I returned to their homes, one of the first things I would ask them was "if they had prayed" and if they had, how had they "felt" while they prayed and after they prayed.
We used the passage from Galatians 5:22-23, as a gauge to teach those investigating Mormonism that if they felt "peace, love, joy, etc" they were receiving an answer from the Holy Ghost telling them that the things I was teaching were true. They had received a "testimony" . I encouraged investigators to focus on their "feelings".... did they feel peace upon praying? Did they feel any physical manifestations like a warm heart or did they begin to cry and get emotional? All of these manifestations were taught to be from the Holy Ghost. Interestingly I never taught those investigating to compare the teachings of Mormonism with the Bible and it's teachings . I never once told those whom I taught to "test" out the Mormon's claims and research out the back round of it's church, history, leaders, etc. No, most definitely the focus was on the "feelings" people were experiencing.
The same rules are used today by many LDS for receiving answers to prayers. If they feel peace,and good about something, then that is a "yes" answer. That was what my husband was trying to tell my daughter about her issue with the money she had found. If she felt "good" about it, then that was the Holy Ghost confirming to her that she should keep it.
My concern with that pattern is 1. it's not biblical. 2. it opens one up for being emotionally driven instead of being driven by solid truth and 3. it's leads to confusion
For LDS readers , you may ask "how so"?
1. It's not biblical: No where in the Bible does the Lord tell us to use our feelings as a guide to determine truth, or find answers to questions. On the contrary we are told to "trust the Lord with all our hearts"..... Proverbs 3:5-6 and "lean not unto our own understanding. Be not wise in thine own eyes and depart from evil." We are being warned in this passage to trust GOD , not our own understanding, our own hearts. We are not to be "wise" in our own eyes. Why? Because we are naturally interested in our own selfish ways! As believers, we are to trust GOD, not ourselves. Not our hearts, not our feelings but God.
2. It opens one up for being emotionally driven: When we focus too much on our feelings... we can become immune to what God has already revealed and spoken. For example, if God says we are not to fornicate or commit adultery, it doesn't matter how much I "feel like" I may be in love with another person. I am a married woman. Regardless of my feelings, I am to not look at another man, for to do so would be to commit adultery. Not even to peek at a man to lust after. God's word is pretty clear. I don't need to "pray" about such a thing or focus on my "feelings" . Focusing on feelings has led many many a soul into adulterous relationships. Our feelings are simply not safe enough to trust. We need God's wisdom.
3. It leads to confusion: Simply put our God is not a God of confusion. He does not work in confusing ways. If we are confused, we can now for a surety God is not in it. If we trust our feelings for answers, we may find ourselves confused. In all honesty, especially for women, our feelings are constantly changing! Our feelings are effected by how much we sleep, eat, the weather, stresses in life, etc. They can change from one hour to the next... how can we possibly trust our heart to lead us? We can't. God is to lead us. We are to trust in God, not our feelings.
Recently a good friend of mine, who was born and raised LDS mentioned to me , after attending my church for prayer meeting, that she had felt the "tingling up the back , goosebumps, and a burning in the heart" while at the prayer meeting .... according to her LDS beliefs, she then could conclude that "my church" was the correct church to attend, right? She sincerely wanted to know what I thought. I told her that the "feelings" she experienced at prayer meeting, were simply that... "feelings". Emotional expressions and responses to the heartfelt prayers she heard offered up. They were not to be taken as any manifestation from the Holy Ghost. They were the tender feelings of her heart, but not to be equated with "truth" .
Many LDS stay LDS because of their "testimonies". They have felt the goosebumps, chills, and a warm fuzzy feeling in the heart. They sincerely believe this is how God reveals truth to them. As sincere as they may be, and I don't deny in any way that they experience these feelings, I would point out that they are simply that... "feelings" nothing more and nothing less. My concern is that many souls are basing truth on feelings, instead of God's Word.
So how does one know truth? How can one know what God's will is for you? May I share with you a passage from the book of John, these are red letter verses:
" If ye continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32
Jesus identifies the true disciples as those who believe in Him, and continue in His word, unlike the Jews who did not believe, disciples will be freed from sin by the truth. ( Jesus it the TRUTH) They will not be sinless , but blameless -- free from the power and eternal effects of sin ( death & hell).
We can know God's will for us , by reading what He has said and spoken in His revealed word , the Bible. I am constantly amazed at how much ground God has covered! I have yet to face a problem that has not already been dealt about and written about in the Bible!! When I have a problem, I turn to the Lord and seek for answers in His Word. I also wait for God to open doors and close doors. That is, if something is not for me, God will close the door. Literally. We must ask according to His will.
Never, am I told to rely on my heart or my feelings. This is precisely what my daughter my husband that day with her money issue. The heart is a deceptive thing. To trust our hearts, we could be led to sin. We should seek out God's will, continue in His Word, and trust in Him with all our hearts. My 10 yr old daughter has also learned to trust God, not her heart. God is growing her in HIS Word and revealing Himself to her daily as she studies His Word. As tempting as it may be, our hearts can not be trusted. We need God's wisdom, guidance and direction in our lives if we hope to navigate our lives. I am so grateful God is teaching my 10 yr old daughter that as well as me!
God bless,
gloria
She came to me and explained her situation. I listened and told her to pray about it. I told her if the money wasn't truly hers and she "knew" it, then she would most likely have little joy in spending it! I told her to ask God and wait for an answer. That seemed to appease her and she did just that. A few minutes later she came downstairs and said she was going to "keep it" and upon asking her if God had told her to do that, she said "well, no.... but I sure feel like it!" I encouraged her to let the Lord lead her on this one. For the next few hours she went back forth wondering if she should keep the money or not... one second she "felt" she should ... the next minute she didn't.... the result: confusion!
She also talked to my husband about it. ( he is a practicing LDS) He encouraged her to pray about it too.... but instead of telling her to wait for God to answer, he told her to see how she "feels about" it after praying. If she feels "good" about keeping it, then she should. If she doesn't "feel good" about it then she shouldn't. My daughter , told her daddy that it doesn't work that way. She shared w/ him her struggle to give this issue to God and *not* rely on her feelings.. because her feelings were "selfish" and wanting to keep the money, regardless of "whose" it was. Her daddy didn't agree and a discussion ensued. She got out her Bible and shared the following verse with her daddy:
" The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9
My daughter then proceeded to tell her daddy that she can't trust her heart, because her heart is selfish and wants to keep the money regardless of what God would want her to do.
My husband and I later discussed the situation. He is a practicing LDS and believes that thru the promptings of the Holy Spirit ( thru feelings given to the heart) a person is able to know what to do in a given situation. That means, if a person feels peace and good about something then they can know that God is approving of that. I explained to him, that the bible does not teach such a thing, but rather teaches us that our heart is "deceitful" and desperately wicked. How can we trust our hearts in making choices, when our heart can deceive us? Our hearts naturally, apart from God's redeeming grace, is described as "deceitful". Therefore man can not trust his own heart solely, but must leave all to God.
Because my heart feels "good" about something then that means God is giving me the go ahead? How can I be sure my heart isn't being selfish? Lots of times I may feel "good" something.. but that doesn't mean God views it that way.
As a Christian, I make sure to check what God has to say about things before I make a decision. I check my views with what God has revealed, and if my views are not in harmony with God's revealed Word, then I can be *sure* that I have been deceived.
" The hearts of men, moreover are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live and afterward they join the dead." Ecc 9:3 NIV
The Lord speaking of the children of Isreal whom He had brought out of Egypt:
" But they did not listen or pay attention, instead they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts." Jer. 11:8
When I was an LDS missionary, I taught those who were investigating the LDS faith to "pray about" the things I was teaching them. I told them that if they prayed with a sincere heart, with real intent , the Holy Ghost would manifest the truth of what I was teaching them. ( Moroni 10:3-5) When I returned to their homes, one of the first things I would ask them was "if they had prayed" and if they had, how had they "felt" while they prayed and after they prayed.
We used the passage from Galatians 5:22-23, as a gauge to teach those investigating Mormonism that if they felt "peace, love, joy, etc" they were receiving an answer from the Holy Ghost telling them that the things I was teaching were true. They had received a "testimony" . I encouraged investigators to focus on their "feelings".... did they feel peace upon praying? Did they feel any physical manifestations like a warm heart or did they begin to cry and get emotional? All of these manifestations were taught to be from the Holy Ghost. Interestingly I never taught those investigating to compare the teachings of Mormonism with the Bible and it's teachings . I never once told those whom I taught to "test" out the Mormon's claims and research out the back round of it's church, history, leaders, etc. No, most definitely the focus was on the "feelings" people were experiencing.
The same rules are used today by many LDS for receiving answers to prayers. If they feel peace,and good about something, then that is a "yes" answer. That was what my husband was trying to tell my daughter about her issue with the money she had found. If she felt "good" about it, then that was the Holy Ghost confirming to her that she should keep it.
My concern with that pattern is 1. it's not biblical. 2. it opens one up for being emotionally driven instead of being driven by solid truth and 3. it's leads to confusion
For LDS readers , you may ask "how so"?
1. It's not biblical: No where in the Bible does the Lord tell us to use our feelings as a guide to determine truth, or find answers to questions. On the contrary we are told to "trust the Lord with all our hearts"..... Proverbs 3:5-6 and "lean not unto our own understanding. Be not wise in thine own eyes and depart from evil." We are being warned in this passage to trust GOD , not our own understanding, our own hearts. We are not to be "wise" in our own eyes. Why? Because we are naturally interested in our own selfish ways! As believers, we are to trust GOD, not ourselves. Not our hearts, not our feelings but God.
2. It opens one up for being emotionally driven: When we focus too much on our feelings... we can become immune to what God has already revealed and spoken. For example, if God says we are not to fornicate or commit adultery, it doesn't matter how much I "feel like" I may be in love with another person. I am a married woman. Regardless of my feelings, I am to not look at another man, for to do so would be to commit adultery. Not even to peek at a man to lust after. God's word is pretty clear. I don't need to "pray" about such a thing or focus on my "feelings" . Focusing on feelings has led many many a soul into adulterous relationships. Our feelings are simply not safe enough to trust. We need God's wisdom.
3. It leads to confusion: Simply put our God is not a God of confusion. He does not work in confusing ways. If we are confused, we can now for a surety God is not in it. If we trust our feelings for answers, we may find ourselves confused. In all honesty, especially for women, our feelings are constantly changing! Our feelings are effected by how much we sleep, eat, the weather, stresses in life, etc. They can change from one hour to the next... how can we possibly trust our heart to lead us? We can't. God is to lead us. We are to trust in God, not our feelings.
Recently a good friend of mine, who was born and raised LDS mentioned to me , after attending my church for prayer meeting, that she had felt the "tingling up the back , goosebumps, and a burning in the heart" while at the prayer meeting .... according to her LDS beliefs, she then could conclude that "my church" was the correct church to attend, right? She sincerely wanted to know what I thought. I told her that the "feelings" she experienced at prayer meeting, were simply that... "feelings". Emotional expressions and responses to the heartfelt prayers she heard offered up. They were not to be taken as any manifestation from the Holy Ghost. They were the tender feelings of her heart, but not to be equated with "truth" .
Many LDS stay LDS because of their "testimonies". They have felt the goosebumps, chills, and a warm fuzzy feeling in the heart. They sincerely believe this is how God reveals truth to them. As sincere as they may be, and I don't deny in any way that they experience these feelings, I would point out that they are simply that... "feelings" nothing more and nothing less. My concern is that many souls are basing truth on feelings, instead of God's Word.
So how does one know truth? How can one know what God's will is for you? May I share with you a passage from the book of John, these are red letter verses:
" If ye continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32
Jesus identifies the true disciples as those who believe in Him, and continue in His word, unlike the Jews who did not believe, disciples will be freed from sin by the truth. ( Jesus it the TRUTH) They will not be sinless , but blameless -- free from the power and eternal effects of sin ( death & hell).
We can know God's will for us , by reading what He has said and spoken in His revealed word , the Bible. I am constantly amazed at how much ground God has covered! I have yet to face a problem that has not already been dealt about and written about in the Bible!! When I have a problem, I turn to the Lord and seek for answers in His Word. I also wait for God to open doors and close doors. That is, if something is not for me, God will close the door. Literally. We must ask according to His will.
Never, am I told to rely on my heart or my feelings. This is precisely what my daughter my husband that day with her money issue. The heart is a deceptive thing. To trust our hearts, we could be led to sin. We should seek out God's will, continue in His Word, and trust in Him with all our hearts. My 10 yr old daughter has also learned to trust God, not her heart. God is growing her in HIS Word and revealing Himself to her daily as she studies His Word. As tempting as it may be, our hearts can not be trusted. We need God's wisdom, guidance and direction in our lives if we hope to navigate our lives. I am so grateful God is teaching my 10 yr old daughter that as well as me!
God bless,
gloria
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Who is God?
It's been a busy two weeks since I last posted here.... lots of things going on the home front. As I pray about what I should share here, the Lord has been laying something on my heart continuously. I need to spend some time sharing about "who" God is. Understanding the very nature of God is so important to being able to truly have fellowship with Him. Let me share an example -- many people have heard about God, know of a few facts about Him, but don't know Him personally. Many people say they "know" God but sadly may have the wrong ideas about "who" He is, and what He is all about. I truly believe understanding who God is, is critical to truly having fellowship with Him.
I was what I would call a "Christian" for 40 yrs of my life. Having been raised Catholic, and spending 19 yrs as a Mormon, I thought had a grasp on "who" God is. I thought I had a relationship with God. As a Catholic I was told God is a "mystery" as a Mormon I was told God "was once a man and you can become like Him". As sincere as I was in my beliefs -- I was dead wrong. God is neither a mystery, ( although His ways are often mysterious to us ) and neither was He once a man who progressed to becoming God.
How did come to the point that I truly began to understand "who" God was and is?
The answer is simple -- I read the Bible cover to cover.
Here is what God has to say about Himself.
Jesus says this about God His Father. He was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. He tells her that she doesn't "know" who she worships. He then tells her the "time has come" when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. John 4:22-23
He then goes on to define to her "who" the Father is:
" God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth." John 4:24
The woman then goes on to tell Jesus that she knows the Messiah is to come. He then reveals that HE is the Messiah.
Isaiah -- my favorite Old Testament writer, also spoke a great deal about the nature of God.
He beautifully sets forth that Jesus is the only redeemer , the only God.......
" I am He. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. "
Isaiah 43:10
" I , even , am the Lord and beside me there is no savior." Isaiah 43:11
" Therefore you are my witnesses , saith the Lord, that I am God." Isaiah 43:12
"Ye before the day was, I AM He." Isaiah 43:13
Not only is Jesus our Redeemer, He is GOD. Before the world was, the day was HE WAS.
Speaking about false gods and the folly of worshipping false gods:
"Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is NO God, I know not any". Isaiah 44:8
" I am the first, and the last, and beside me there is NO God". Isaiah 44:6
And who is that God? JESUS. " I am the Lord that maketh all things". Isaiah 44:24
Not only is Jesus GOD -- there is NONE ELSE.
" I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me," Isaiah 45:5
" There is none beside me, I AM the Lord, and there is none else." Isaiah 45:6
Jesus is clearly stating the fact that HE IS GOD.
" And there is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior there is none beside me". Is.45:21
" Look unto me, and be SAVED, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is none else."
Isaiah 45:22
It is a folly to worship anyone else but the ONE true God.
" For I am God, and there is none else. I AM God, and there is none like me." Isaiah 46:9
" Unto thee it is showed, that thou mightest know that the Lord HE IS GOD, there is none else beside Him". Deut. 4:35
Jesus, along with God the Father, and God the Spirit make up the ONE TRUE GOD. There is none else. That is what I discovered upon reading the Bible! What an enlightenment!! God is manifested in 3 persons: 1. God the Father - a personage of Spirit, God the Son - JESUS, and God the Holy Spirit ( or comforter as Jesus spoke of Him). Please take note the only one in the godhead that has a physical body is JESUS. They all work as ONE God. For LDS readers, I explain that the godhead works like the First Presidency: 3 distinct persons acting as one presidency.
Once I understood "who" God was, and is .... well it made a huge difference!
As sincere as I had been when I was LDS -- I had my facts about who God was all messed up. He was not a resurrected man, who lived on a planet with his celestial wives, and had progressed to becoming GOD. No, according to the Bible, God has always been. He didn't "become".
Man, can tell you how awesome that is??? To know that God didn't become , but always has been? !!!
After reading the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation I had to ask myself : "who is right"... the Bible or Joseph Smith? I prayed. I studied. I prayed and I studied some more. The conclusion: I had my facts messed up, and God was teaching me about "who" He is thru reading the Bible.
The LDS Church teaches that : " as man is, God once was, as God is man can become". -- Joseph Smith Jr. King Follet Discourse
God has shown me that this teaching is simply false. As sincere as I was in my beliefs, I was incorrect. As sincere as Muslims are in their belief systems, they are incorrect about "who" God is... and the same goes for LDS. As sincere as they are in their beliefs about "who" God is, they are simply incorrect.
Jesus told us we should worship God in Spirit and truth.... we can't do that when we don't have the facts about "who" God is. The Bible clearly teaches us the basic simple truths about God.
I for one am so thankful that God opened my eyes and showed me the error of my ways!
I now know my God is the most awesome God who has always been God, who is not restricted by a human body, who did not progress to becoming a "god" but is the only true God that ever has been and who ever will be.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!
I was what I would call a "Christian" for 40 yrs of my life. Having been raised Catholic, and spending 19 yrs as a Mormon, I thought had a grasp on "who" God is. I thought I had a relationship with God. As a Catholic I was told God is a "mystery" as a Mormon I was told God "was once a man and you can become like Him". As sincere as I was in my beliefs -- I was dead wrong. God is neither a mystery, ( although His ways are often mysterious to us ) and neither was He once a man who progressed to becoming God.
How did come to the point that I truly began to understand "who" God was and is?
The answer is simple -- I read the Bible cover to cover.
Here is what God has to say about Himself.
Jesus says this about God His Father. He was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. He tells her that she doesn't "know" who she worships. He then tells her the "time has come" when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. John 4:22-23
He then goes on to define to her "who" the Father is:
" God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth." John 4:24
The woman then goes on to tell Jesus that she knows the Messiah is to come. He then reveals that HE is the Messiah.
Isaiah -- my favorite Old Testament writer, also spoke a great deal about the nature of God.
He beautifully sets forth that Jesus is the only redeemer , the only God.......
" I am He. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. "
Isaiah 43:10
" I , even , am the Lord and beside me there is no savior." Isaiah 43:11
" Therefore you are my witnesses , saith the Lord, that I am God." Isaiah 43:12
"Ye before the day was, I AM He." Isaiah 43:13
Not only is Jesus our Redeemer, He is GOD. Before the world was, the day was HE WAS.
Speaking about false gods and the folly of worshipping false gods:
"Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is NO God, I know not any". Isaiah 44:8
" I am the first, and the last, and beside me there is NO God". Isaiah 44:6
And who is that God? JESUS. " I am the Lord that maketh all things". Isaiah 44:24
Not only is Jesus GOD -- there is NONE ELSE.
" I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me," Isaiah 45:5
" There is none beside me, I AM the Lord, and there is none else." Isaiah 45:6
Jesus is clearly stating the fact that HE IS GOD.
" And there is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior there is none beside me". Is.45:21
" Look unto me, and be SAVED, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is none else."
Isaiah 45:22
It is a folly to worship anyone else but the ONE true God.
" For I am God, and there is none else. I AM God, and there is none like me." Isaiah 46:9
" Unto thee it is showed, that thou mightest know that the Lord HE IS GOD, there is none else beside Him". Deut. 4:35
Jesus, along with God the Father, and God the Spirit make up the ONE TRUE GOD. There is none else. That is what I discovered upon reading the Bible! What an enlightenment!! God is manifested in 3 persons: 1. God the Father - a personage of Spirit, God the Son - JESUS, and God the Holy Spirit ( or comforter as Jesus spoke of Him). Please take note the only one in the godhead that has a physical body is JESUS. They all work as ONE God. For LDS readers, I explain that the godhead works like the First Presidency: 3 distinct persons acting as one presidency.
Once I understood "who" God was, and is .... well it made a huge difference!
As sincere as I had been when I was LDS -- I had my facts about who God was all messed up. He was not a resurrected man, who lived on a planet with his celestial wives, and had progressed to becoming GOD. No, according to the Bible, God has always been. He didn't "become".
Man, can tell you how awesome that is??? To know that God didn't become , but always has been? !!!
After reading the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation I had to ask myself : "who is right"... the Bible or Joseph Smith? I prayed. I studied. I prayed and I studied some more. The conclusion: I had my facts messed up, and God was teaching me about "who" He is thru reading the Bible.
The LDS Church teaches that : " as man is, God once was, as God is man can become". -- Joseph Smith Jr. King Follet Discourse
God has shown me that this teaching is simply false. As sincere as I was in my beliefs, I was incorrect. As sincere as Muslims are in their belief systems, they are incorrect about "who" God is... and the same goes for LDS. As sincere as they are in their beliefs about "who" God is, they are simply incorrect.
Jesus told us we should worship God in Spirit and truth.... we can't do that when we don't have the facts about "who" God is. The Bible clearly teaches us the basic simple truths about God.
I for one am so thankful that God opened my eyes and showed me the error of my ways!
I now know my God is the most awesome God who has always been God, who is not restricted by a human body, who did not progress to becoming a "god" but is the only true God that ever has been and who ever will be.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!
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