Would You Sign It?

   We live in a society that doesn’t ‘count the cost.’ By and large, most people don’t consider how much something will impact their lives. Most choices are made on whether ‘I want it’ and not so much on ‘can I afford it.’ It’s no wonder why the average American credit card debt is over $15,000 per household? And in 2010, The U.S. Consumer had over 609 million credit cards in their wallets. We live with multimedia constantly invading our lives with the promotion of immediate gratification. After all, they say, you deserve it! Buy it now and enjoy it now, and you’ll have no interest for 12 months, and hopefully you’ll be able to pay for it later.

    In addition, we try to avoid pain and discipline at all costs. This is why it is so foreign to the American consumer to hear the words, ‘Sacrifice now, put up with hardship and persecution in this life and when you step into the afterlife, you’ll have eternal rewards.’  God doesn’t say, ‘Come to me and all your health issues will go away, or follow me and you’ll be happy and never go hungry again.’ What God offers through Jesus Christ is: ‘Come and die to yourself so that you can find everlasting joy and purpose in a relationship with Me. This life will be hard, but the pay-off is HUGE!’  

   A Christian missions agency in South Asia listed a series of questions that church planters ask new believers to faith to consider before baptism. For the safety of the church and those trying to reach them, the country and location are not mentioned. However, we’re told that the country is primarily Hindu, and over the past 20 years, Christianity has grown among its poor. Here are the seven questions that are asked to help gauge the individual’s readiness to follow Christ:

1.       Are you willing to leave home and lose the blessing of your father?

2.      Are you willing to lose your job?

3.      Are you willing to go to the village and those who persecute you, forgive them, and share the love of Christ with them?

4.      Are you willing to give an offering to the Lord?

5.      Are you willing to be beaten rather than deny your faith?

6.      Are you willing to go to prison?

7.      Are you willing to die for Jesus?

   If the new believer answers yes to all of these, they are invited to sign on the bottom of the paper signifying that of their own free will they are a follower of Jesus.

   This isn’t all. If the person who signs the paper is caught by the government, he/she will spend 3 years in jail. The missionary or leader who helped them make their decision faces 6 years in prison as well (Mission Network News, January 2012).

   Again, this is so foreign to us who live with the freedom to choose our faith without the threat of persecution. So the question should be asked, “If you knew you would lose everything, your house, job, family, and eventually even your life, would you sign the paper? Would you be a follower of Jesus regardless of the price?” Before you quickly respond, yes, and move on, let me ask one more question. When was the last time you gave anything away sacrificially? Meaning, when was the last time you gave something away that forced you to change your lifestyle as a result? If you’re not willing to give part of your material possessions away, you’re certainly not ready to give away your life. And that’s what Jesus is asking for because that’s what He gave us.  

Are Mormons Christians?

   A few years ago, my wife and I were in the mall. She was walking on my left with a couple of our younger children between us as we made our way past some smaller shops. At one point, something in the window of a store to our right caught my eye and I began to engage my wife about the item while looking at the display. For about the next 15-20 seconds I walked next to her telling her my thoughts about this store and its products. Normally by this time, I would've received some kind of response so as I continued to speak, I turned toward her to see why she was ‘ignoring’ me. I quickly realized the reason. Earlier as I turned towards the display, one of our children needed to be attended to. So without me noticing, she stopped with the children as I kept on walking. It just so happened that during all of this, a young lady started walking beside me in the same direction. And you guessed it. When I turned to see my wife, I found this young lady looking back at me with a smile that told me she knew of my mistake. I nodded embarrassingly to her as I stopped and thought to myself, ‘Okay, I’m going to go talk to my ‘real’ wife now…thanks for the conversation.’

   I tell you this embarrassing story because I genuinely thought that I was walking with my wife. My peripheral vision confirmed that I was walking next to someone, and I sincerely believed it was her. But when I took a closer look, I realized I had been mistaken.

   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka ‘Mormons’) claim to be Christians.  When asked this question, Mormons will likely retort, ‘Jesus Christ is in our church’s name…of course we’re Christians.” And at first glance, it appears that the LDS church is just another denomination following the teachings of Jesus Christ. But one must look further to accurately gauge if this is indeed the case.

   In the Bible, we get our first introduction to the term Christian. “…The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:26b. The church in Antioch began calling the disciples Christians. Who were the disciples? They were those who believed and followed the teachings of Jesus (The Christ) of Nazareth. They were so passionate in their pursuit of Jesus that most of the original twelve died for their faith and teachings about Him. From this first occurrence and the two other times the term is mentioned in the New Testament, we can conclude that a “Christian” is someone who has a relationship with Jesus Christ and is obedient to His teachings as outlined in The Bible. So the question is better stated, do Mormons follow the historical Jesus of the Bible? The following chart outlines the differences between what The Bible teaches about Jesus and what Jesus looks like to the Mormon faith:

The Mormon Jesus Christ	The Biblical Jesus Christ
A created being, & the elder brother of Lucifer (Satan)	Uncreated God (John 8:54-59; 10:30; 14:9)
Common (one of many gods)	Unique (the Second Person of the one and only Godhead) and of supreme importance throughout time, eternity, and all creation
Conceived by a physical sex act between God the Father (Adam or Elohim) and Mary, thus not through a true virgin birth	Conceived by the Holy Spirit, who supernaturally ‘overshadowed’ Mary, thus a true virgin birth
Once sinful and imperfect	Eternally sinless and perfect
Earned his own salvation (exaltation to godhood)	He’s God, and never needed salvation
A married polygamist	An unmarried monogamist

   Clearly, there are major differences between the two belief systems. You cannot claim to follow the same person and describe them in conflicting ways. Therefore, Mormons are following someone other than the Jesus of the Bible.

   This is a result from differences between The Bible and The Book of Mormon. Which is to be trusted? Can the Book of Mormon withstand scrutiny? Does it compliment or negate the Bible? While the manuscript evidence for the Bible is abundant (in the thousands) and has withstood critical review for almost two-thousand years. The Book of Mormon was the work of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and has been around less than 200 years. During which time, there hasn’t been one shred of evidence (historically or archeologically) that proves that this ancient American civilization, its pages describe, ever existed. Furthermore, Emma Smith, one of Joseph Smith’s wives wrote to their children, ‘In writing for your father [compiling the Book of Mormon], I frequently wrote day after day…He sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.’ (The Saints herald, May 1888) It is quite apparent that the Book of Mormon was produced through the fabrication of Joseph Smith’s mind and crystal gazing (a known occult practice). As well, former Mormon, now excommunicated, Dr. D. Michael Quinn (Ph.D. in History from Yale) stated, ‘Astrology was important to members of the Smith family…Brigham Young stated in 1861 that ‘an effort was made in the days of Joseph [Smith] to establish astrology.’’ (Quinn, ‘Early Mormonism’) [Parens. added for clarity].    

   There are numerous other similar instances that are too extensive for this post, but further prove occult practices in the making of the Book of Mormon. And as a result, it cannot be trusted.

   People may call themselves followers of Christ. They may even place Jesus Christ in the title of their church’s name. But The Christ Who The Bible speaks about is not who Mormons are following. The founders of the Mormon religion have ‘made up’ their own god and named him Jesus Christ. They have convinced many that it's the same Jesus of The Bible. But like me in the mall, they're 'walking' with a different person. 

How to Measure Love

   It’s the greatest ethic that exists in the world. People have searched their whole lives for it; wars have been waged and kingdoms have fallen as a result of it; and countless people have given everything they have in hopes of obtaining love.

   Today, Valentine’s Day, many choose to express love through songs, poems, jewelry, and CHOCOLATE (If you're a husband, give her chocolate...trust me!). But how do we define what love is? To most authors, love is described as this overwhelming, euphoric emotion that comes upon its host. And when one is ‘bitten by the love bug’ or struck by ‘Cupid’s arrow,’ they’re ‘infected’ with love. In addition, our verbal expressions at times describe this same belief when we say someone has ‘fallen in/out of love.’ But is love only an emotion? Is it only a feeling? Am I only capable of loving someone when I feel a sense of elation when they’re around? Or, can I only love people who love me back?

   I believe for many years of my life I’ve missed the mark when it came to love. Too often in my life, I loved with conditions. In other words, as long as I had received love, I would give it. But if I didn’t receive love from someone, it was only a matter of time before I cut the strings of that relationship. Sadly, I went through a time in my life where I placed boundaries on my love. It was done in the attempt to guard my heart from being hurt. But when you close yourself off to avoid hurt, you also close yourself off from giving love and being loved.

   Love is a risky business. You’re vulnerable because you’re open to future hurts. Think of a mother to a newborn. She's up all hours of the night rocking, feeding, changing, and soothing her child and never once does this infant say thank you or I love you. Why does she do it? The mother does it because she loves her child without condition. As well, she loves because she knows her child doesn’t understand that they’re being selfish and only thinking of their needs. It is true; there is a benefit as well. The mother looks forward to the day when the child begins to mature and when they'll run into the room and look up at her and say, ‘I wuv you, mommy!’ All of the sleepless nights and tireless work fades when a loving relationship blossoms.

   Likewise, during our times of selfishness and immaturity, God loves us. He doesn’t wait for us to clean up our act, or get all of our issues worked out. When we repent, He forgives and loves us in spite of these shortcomings. And a new relationship between us and Him begins.   

   Afterwards, I see God requiring us as His followers to grow our love in the same manner. Too often, we surround ourselves with only those people who think, act, and talk like us. We have very little tolerance, if any, for someone who might be struggling with addictions, or appears to be ‘too needy.’ But God thinks differently than we do. Look at what Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount: ³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. Matthew 6:32-33 NIV

    How are we any different than the world if we only love certain people? Many people speak about love, but only show love to their family and close friends. They rarely give love to strangers or those who can’t give love back to them. God desires that our love remain active…that our love for Him and others grows from moment to moment.   

   How do you measure love? If you start to put a limit on love, when you say I will only love up to this point, you cease to love because authentic love never relents. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, “…love never fails.’ Don’t give up! God still loves you…and so do I. Make it your life's ambition to love people. The pay-off is spectacular!

Is Tebow on a Mission from God?

  This past Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow's latest casualty. In the first round of the NFL Playoffs, the Broncos won a ‘nail-biter’ on the first play in overtime with a pass from Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas for an 80 yard touchdown. The stadium erupted. Many were stunned. No one expected Denver to make the play-offs yet alone beat the Steelers to advance. And before the night had ended, news reports began to offer up the notion that God was behind it. After all, Tebow threw for 316 yards; his coach's name is John; the average yards per completion for the game was (you guessed it) 31.6 yards. In college, Tim would often write the Bible verse John 3:16 below his eyes. However, the NFL put a stop to that when he began his professional career. But it looks like God had the last say in the matter, chimed many of Tebow's supporters Sunday evening.

    If your new to the story, Tim Tebow went from obscurity as a second-string quarterback at the beginning of the season, to national fame a few weeks later. His style of play and outspokenness about his Christian faith has brought Tim many critics. Thus, when his name is brought up in conversations, it brings a firestorm of responses from all sides. His name has even turned into a verb. Kids are 'tebowing' in school (bowing down on one knee with their fist on their forehead in a prayer-like pose). Some students even got into trouble for blocking the hallway while 'tebowing' at their school. This brought the prayer in school debate back in full swing of course. And all the while, When Tim comes to the press conferences, he begins with thanking his 'Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.'

     Whatever you believe about the recent events, there's no doubting that this man has created a national dialogue on the issue of faith and God. But is his success on the field tied to God's favor? Is God taking someone who 'lacks the skill to be an NFL quarterback' (some critics report) and proving that He (God) can make anyone a winner? In other words, is Tim Tebow on a mission from God?

   I would say, YES. Tim Tebow is definitely on a mission from God, but not because of what you may initially think. He's on a mission from God because every follower of Jesus should be on a mission. We're all called to let our 'light shine' (being a good example) before men, so that others may see our works and give God the glory (see Matthew 5:16). Tim's mission gives God the glory through his outspoken words in front of TV cameras. He's using the 'platform' God has provided to thank Him for the abilities and opportunities that he (Tim) has been given. His example proclaims that God is worthy to be praised no matter if you're on a football field or in an office or school building.

   Some may complain and say Tim is wearing his 'religion on his sleeve.' But isn't that what you do when Jesus truly penetrates your entire life? God and Christianity are not something to be 'tried on' like some coat at a department store. Some people believe when we're at church on Sunday, we put the 'religion coat' on, but as soon as we leave church, we take it off so we don't 'stand out and/or offend others' in the secular world. Jesus warned us about living double lives though (ref. Matthew 6:24). And if our lives are to be surrendered to God completely, we're going to make some people uncomfortable. And you may be surprised to find that the ones complaining the most might be professing Christians. In a recent article, a former NFL quarterback was said to have criticized Tebow for his bluntness in regards to Christianity. Yet, I remember not too long ago when this same man won a championship and was selling his book wherein he declared his faith in God as well. I don't know today where this man's walk with God is, but one thing is for sure. When you bring up the name Jesus Christ, it's going to cause uneasiness in others. And it will convict those leading double lives who hear it.   

   We don't know if God worked out all of those numbers Sunday to make people think of spiritual matters. I know He's capable of it. But more importantly, God doesn't just use famous people for His work. As a matter of fact, one could argue that He uses the less notable people in the world because it brings him more glory. No matter who you are, God wants to do a mighty work through you as well. He will only use you, though, to the extent of how far you're willing to go for Him. Are you willing to be criticized like Tim from your co-workers or classmates? If the answer is no, you must ask yourself, 'How much do I really love and trust God with my life?' Be bold in your life for when you come to the end of it, you will be glad you did.