What God you talking bout Willis?

Recently Glenn Beck had a "Restoring Honor" conference in Washington D.C. to promote getting back to American core values; hope charity and love. Now in no way am I going to focus on the political aspects of this gathering, but what has interested me is that so many Evangelical and conservative Christians rallying behind what he says in regards to religion. The gathering was described more as a giant revival, where Beck constantly referenced biblical passages and getting back to God and Jesus Christ to guide us in our country.

This brought me to the thought that Glenn Becks idea of who God is, is NOT the same God that Evangelicals and Conservatives love and serve. So then why is he the spokesperson now for Conservative churches???
Most of you know that Glenn Beck is a Mormon. So when Beck refers to getting America back to God, as foundation, he isn't talking about the God of the Holy Bible.
I think people get so wrapped up on hearing what that their itching ears want to hear that they simply shrug off the fact that he isn't talking about our God. (2 Timothy 4) Glenn Beck is saying all the right things to people who love this country while intermixing his message with biblical ideas, and concepts to tug on the hearts of evangelicals and Christians alike. But these ideas and concepts of God are far from the God of the Scriptures.

Here is a short, general overview of Mormon Beliefs from carm.org:

1. Scripture:
Believed to be the Word of God, yet the book of Mormon is more correct than the Scriptures (History of the Church 4:461)

Devil:
-spirit born brother to Jesus
-both Jesus and the Devil offered a plan of salvation to the 'Father" and Jesus' plan was accepted, as the Devil wanted to be the Savior but was denied.
(Mormon Doctrine pg 192-193)

God:
-used to be a man on another planet
-God has flesh and bone qualities
-God had sexual relations with Mary to make the body of Christ
-God the Father had a father
-"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man" (Teachings of Prophet Joseph Smith pg 345)
-There are many gods
-There is a mother god, (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443)
-God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 516).

Salvation:
... man is NOT saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation is ridiculous," (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206).

Now I am for religious freedom, but the Christian churches of the United States to be rallying behind a Mormon and their theology just so that a political deal can be made. Tisk Tisk. You can plainly see that what is mentioned above is no where near a picture of the Most High God. Mormonism does not offer the salvation that comes through the death and resurrection of JEsus Christ. Mormonism does not provide the Almighty God the Father who is sovereign over all things and in control of all things. SO then why do we make one the spokesman when we dont have the same God?
1 John 4:1-3
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

My concern is this:
1. We (American conservatives/evangelicals) will just take any reference to God, or Christ that a celebrity throws out and then throw our support behind them without thinking.

2. That Truth will be compromised for the sake of rallying people together for a common cause just so that we have support in one area.

3. That we quickly forget the gospel, the life saving gospel from whom it is only from


I encourage you to open your Bibles, submit to its truth, and know who Jesus Christ is.

If you really want to know more I encourage you to go to Carm.org or read Mormonism Explained by Andrew Jackson
Link

**And here is an excellent article from Dr. Russell D. Moore on this very subject that I found after I wrote this:
Be Blessed

Dying for Christ?

Have you ever wondered if you would truly die for Christ if the situation presented itself? Trust me I am not trying to be morbid, but just trying to ask an honest question. I recently thought of this again as one of my friends from the beginning of my Christian walk, endured this.

Recently in the news there was an attack on a small group from the International Assistance Mission (IAM). They gathered a group of dentist, eye doctors, and regular doctors who were traveling to Panjshir provinces in northern Afghanistan to provide health type aid in that region. After they were finished, they traveled back and were ambushed by Islamic militants. From here the details are still being flushed out but from a survivor of this attack said that they were surrounded by men with guns. Some reports have said that they were searched by the militants and many were found to have Christian bibles on them. The IAM is a Christian funded agency but they do not promote nor have them proselytize or try to convert people. Convinced that they were spies and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, the fired upon some of them while some were placed on their knees and shot.
One of my friends from 2003-04, was among those people (1 of the 2 Americans killed). His name was Brian Carderelli. Now I am not going to say we were best friends or that we hung out all the time, but I did know him, and I did enjoy his love and humor. I spent most of the summer of 2004 getting to know him at Grace Bible Camp. He was a counselor and I visited frequently. I would get to hang out with the counselor's on their time off and Brian and I would joke about...well anything. He had a great sense of humor and a gentle spirit about him. When I had heard he was dead and how he died it sent me into contemplation. I knew he was in the presence of God, but I wonder what he was thinking at the time. Was he scared? Probably. Did he know what was going happen? Maybe, maybe not. But I would have to think that he knew the risk, and he knew where he was going. Though Brian had a Bible on him, he wasn't looking to be a martyr. He didn't go because he wanted to be that but to do a documentary on the aid work done by this organization. But he could have lied, said he was a Muslim too, or said that the others were but he wasn't. I know this sounds crazy but what would you do if several guns were pointed at you? Brian stood firm not because he was spouting theology or anything but he had to make a decision in his mind to stand firm and take the repercussions of having a Bible on him and owning up to it or lying to possibly save his life.

I don't know what he would wanted from his life, but I do know what he would want from his death: for people to see Christ. That they would know where he is at, and that they themselves would draw closer to His ever loving presence. As believers, we have to think about dying for Christ. Maybe not in some remote part of the Middle East but even where we live currently. And it may not be a physical death, but a death of compromise, a death of shame, a death of not speaking out or standing firm due to fear.

His death reminds me...
.......that I cannot be attached to the things in this world. The pursuit of possessions, the gross materialism type attitude I fallin to is not really true life. Jesus once said in regards to living this way that, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (Luke 17:33) Brian lived a life just focused on serving others and Christ. He was prepared for Christ' return by serving and illustrating the kingdom here on earth. Hopefully his story will be able to help family and friends see where his passion was: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

On a lighter note, here is a goofy pic of the things Brian and I used to do. Brian is on the left.
Be Blessed!

There is a season for everything...

We constantly live in a world of transition. Whether you are preparing to enter elementary school, middle school, high school, college, master's or the working world. Some are getting married, are married, or worse having kids??!!! (Just kidding-sort of) It seems like we are constantly moving from one chapter of life to the next. Some of us are very excited about starting new chapters in our lives while others wish for the good old days. I felt that transition when I graduated college. I spent 3 years getting to know people, knowing where everything was, and being involved in off campus activities only to leave it all and start something completely different and new. The realization is and was then that college is but a season in my life, a good season, but a season nonetheless. Whatever your going through, season's will change.
Let's take a look at the book of Ecclesiastes.
In this book, the "Teacher" who we assumed to be King Solomon, is reflecting back on his life. That has been on eof the primary themes of this book. Old Solomon looking back on his life, and realizing the emptiness for which man chases after (meaningless things-toil, success, money women, life without God). In chapter 3, he begins speaking of the fact that there is a time for everything.

Let's examine it:
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven."

1. There is a predetermined season for everything...

Solomon points out that man is bound by time, and that all seaons are predetermined by God. He illustrates this with a cyclical time pattern of the behavior in life. Well what does that mean? If we continue past this verse it describes all aspects of life: birth, death, planting, uprooting, weeping, laughing, etc... They come and go, enter and leave our lives. College was that for me. Everything has a beginning, and an end. That is the nature of things on earth isn't it?

2. A fixed time for every activity...
Like the seasons in nature: fall winter, spring and summer.......life is broken up into fixed seasons or time periods. They are periods of time where there eventually is a transition into another season or period of life. Anyone who has been on this earth long enough can tell you this. I am constantly taught and shown this at my church, where a lot of our congregants are in the 70's and 80's.
Solomon speaks specifically: birth ( a fixed time to be born) and death ( a fixed time to die) and the rest of the activities he mentions all have fixed points. What does that mean to us? Well first as mentioned earlier seasons are fixed. Never are our seasons eternal. For example I love the camp counselors I worked with in 2003 and never wanted it to end. The reality is that season had to end, I couldn't be with that same group, at that same camp for the rest of my life. That time period was used specifically to show me and affirm my call to ministry. It was one of many seasons to illustrate that.

3. The meaning of seasons...
Lastly, I think once we understand the meaning of seasons or periods or chapters (whatever you wish to call it) in our lives it becomes much clearer of what seasons mean. At several seasons, I learned a lot about myself, others around me, and even biblical concepts like grace, compassion, mercy, patience and justice. I also think based off of the Old Testament and New Testament, seasons are meant to teach us of our dependency on Jesus Christ as our Source for all things. It would be easy me to want to be in a utopia season, yet I tend to forget Christ in those times. And even during difficult seasons, I am reminded that I need Christ and can't put so much my dependency toward my friends, or relatives or other people who need the exact same thing.

I have always been fascinated by the thought of life being like seasons. I'm not that old but I have experienced several already. With friendships, with leaving home, having new opportunities in ministry, with learning new things about myself, and even getting outside of my comfort zone to embrace a new season. At the same time, I try not to neglect the joy that I can have in every season. I think it is too easy to dismiss a season that I do not enjoy

In the end, seasons are good for our growth, as people, and most importantly followers of Christ. Maybe you are currently in a season, or transitioning out of a season, or entering a new season. The most important element with new seasons of life, and current ones is to always remember that our great God and Savior Jesus Christ is the constant (immutable=unchanging God) through all of our life's seasons.

Be Blessed

To mosque or not to mosque: that is the question

Okay so this has been in the news for quite a while and in no way am I interested in a political debate about this subject. Rather I want to look at it from the perspective that was written in a Relevant article. I understand that some people are emotional about this issue, but I am taking the question that Relevant asked in relation to how Christians should handle the placing of this mosque and its effects. The question was asked what should we do as Christians?

As Christians there is no debate, instead we should focus on serving and expanding the kingdom, focus on glorifying Christ in our daily activities. We should be more concerned that the divorce rate is no different than those who DON'T know Christ. Or that atheist and agnostics stick with their husband and their wives better than conservative Christians. (Read through Barna research group on this) Or that our churches are slowly on the decline, or that the gospel continues to be watered-down in many pulpits and churches. Let's help the needy, and the widows, homeless, supporting justice, love and mercy, (Ex. 23:6; Matt. 19:21; 1 Tim. 5:3; James 1:27) etc... Unfortunately this doesn't make the news because it's not controversial enough. We need to get our priorities straight, don't let the media get you all hyped for political news when we need to take that energy for all this and direct it toward telling people about God's wonderful gift of salvation and His kingdom.



Matthew 6:33:
"But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness and all these things (clothing, food, not worrying but trusting God) will be given to you."

Contextually Jesus told his disciples not to worry about the troubles in life because there was point to worry about things of this world. Jesus also spoke specifically about food, and clothing but did not limit it to only those two things. Jesus instead tells his disciples not to worry but to put their energies into focusing on the things above or of the kingdom. (which is repeated by Paul)
I like the New Living Translation:
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, l and he will give you everything you need."

Colossians 3:2:
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

Paul reiterates the notion of keeping our focus on the things above not the earthly things. In the context of Colossians 3 he speaks specifically about the regulations that more Judiazer's were trying to put on the Colossian people. He says because they are in Christ, raised with Him they should be keeping their focus on the things above (where Christ resides) and not below. The concept is the same keep your focus on the things above/on the kingdom, don't get caught up in the earthly things!

Be Blessed

Taken for Granted

I remember when I was a kid and we traveled a lot and I was able to see some of the most beautiful places in the world: German castles, salt mines, Austrian ruins, etc... Now I usually get up early and take a walk around where I live. Walking and looking around I am usually awed by how beautiful creation is (even if its in Stafford). But as I walk I think of how much I take for granted on a daily basis. I (like other people) ask God to bless me. There's nothing wrong with that, but I truly forget in the midst of a busy day at work, lunches, classes, readings, meetings that I am already blessed BEYOND my wildest dreams.

I'm reminded of Psalm 103:2-5:
"Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not His benefits--
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things..."

Here is a list of blessings of such a great magnitude (I could also have used the spiritual blessings mentioned in Ephesians 1 or the covenant promises (blessings) mentioned in Galatians 3-4).

The psalmist says we should give praise for these reasons:
1. we are forgiven of all sin--The beauty of the gospel (the good news) is that we are forgiven of the sin that deserved death (Rom. 6:23) or destruction (Eph. 2:1-3).

2. we are healed of all disease--disease mentioned here covers a large variety---physical, mental and spiritual. Charles Spurgeon says on this verse, "When the cause is gone, namely sin, the effect ceases. Sicknesses of the body and soul came into the world by sin, and as sin is eradicated, diseases bodily, mental and spiritual will vanish." Christ's forgiveness of our sins, through His sacrifice on the cross has healed us and given us new life.

3. we are redeemed from the pit----redemption means purchased, primarily the payment of a ransom. Pit here is the Hebrew word sahat (sorry couldn't get Hebrew accents on there). Sahat unlike the common word we know Sheol (hell, pit, death), this word actually means corrupted, to decay, destruction, and ruined. Like what sin has done to the earth, and to all human beings. Again the picture comes clear the blessing of being forgiven by Christ, which heals us and redeems us from the ruin, the destruction of sin by purchasing us!!!

4. He satisfies your desire----what a word! This Hebrew word (saba for those who care) implies more than simply satisfying your desires, but implies an overflowing!!! It means to have enough, to fill, but to also overflow. This fits perfectly within the context of the Psalm (praising God for all His benefits or blessings) and within the framework of what the coming Messiah would do.

As a fleshy, non-perfect human being, I'm constantly seeking things I do not have, or wondering if God will bless me. Though I know this Psalm well and meditated on it several times , I still forget it it often, I don't appreciate it as much as I should, and I definitely take it for granted. Like creation, which I see daily as I go to work, or to lunch, or even to class, I take for granted the fact that I am forgiven, healed, redeemed, and completely satisfied in Jesus Christ and what He has ALREADY done for me. Thankfully I am a work in progress!

Be Blessed.