MeetTheExMormons.org
Last month we had Karen Bradshaw speak at our monthly fellowship. She is from a fundamentalist Mormon group, and has a wonderful story of how God brought her to Himself. You can see the pictures and the video on the site linked above.
JWs at Oceanside HarborCalifornia Trip
While we were headed to our flight in the Salt Lake airport bound for Southern California, I was able to tell several people about my website, JosephLied.com. We met a Christian mission team spending a week here from South Carolina, and I also met several LDS missionaries.
While in CA, I also spoke to a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were displaying their sign on the grass at Oceanside Harbor. I told them about my site, JWinfo.org, and how it deals with Jehovah’s Witnesses devaluing Jesus. There was a woman and a young man, and the woman did all the talking. She said, “We don’t devalue Jesus at all. He’s the savior who died for our sins.” So I told her, “You have devalued him from the position that traditional Christianity has always esteemed Him, viz., as ‘God over all blessed forever’ as Romans 9:5 says, the creator of all things from the beginning. Instead, you have made Him ‘a god.’” She replied, “Oh no, we don’t treat Jesus as ‘a god.’” “Of course you do,” I said. “Your own translation, the New World Translation, says that Jesus is ‘a god’ in John 1:1. Further, your translation goes on to qualify that Jesus created all ‘other’ things, since Jesus was the first created by Jehovah. However, no translation inserts the term ‘other’ into those passages. In fact, all Greek scholars find your translation to be horrible.”
“Well, we don’t want to argue,” she said. I replied, “Well I want to believe what’s true.” She said, “We are not here to convince you.” I said, “The Bible is clear that we’re always to be ready to give an answer, a reason for what we believe in gentleness and respect, so if what you’re believing in is true, then you’re supposed to persuade me.” Then I said, “Look, if Jesus did any creating, then according to Isaiah 44:24, He must be Jehovah, since Jehovah said that He laid out the heavens and earth alone and by Himself.” The New Testament is clear that Jesus is the One who created the heavens and the earth (e.g., Col. 1:13-18).
With that, they picked up their sign and walked to their car to leave. I followed them as they got in their car, which they weren’t happy about, but I thought I might as well give them as much as I could before they took off on me. I pleaded with them to be a little more open-minded and that they were in a cult that was leading them to hell.
The situation was very reminiscent of the last time I spoke with Jehovah Witnesses outside our public library almost a few years ago. I had about double the time with them, but they still packed up and left. It is very difficult to confront them on the street and be able to have a good, long conversation. Then again, it really doesn’t take much to plant a seed! God must give the increase.
Rob speaking to LogosA few days later, I shared that experience to our church family at Logos Christian Church, Escondido. My talk was on “The Biblical Trinitarian God vs. Certain Non-biblical Isms.” Those isms were Pantheism, Unitarianism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Modalism, and Mormonism. I find that having a working understanding on what these groups teach about God is very helpful for understanding what our Trinitarian God is and is not. Here’s the little over an hour talk if you would like to watch it.
When we went back home to Utah, we had a first-hand experience of all the airline staff shortages. Our flight was delayed again and again for a total of 4 hours! However, our taxi driver, Samuel, who picked us up in Salt Lake,
had a “Tri” (LDS scriptures of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) in his cab, so of course I asked if he was LDS. He said that he was and that he was a leader in a local African ward. I asked him how long he’s been LDS and how he got into it. Then I asked how he knew it was true. The missionaries got him into it about 20 years ago and he prayed about it after he read the Book of Mormon. I asked him again how he knew it was true. I asked, “Do you ever make mistakes?” He seemed confused. Well, since he was Black, of course I went right into the subject of the racism in the Book of Mormon and read to him a few passages (Alma 3:6, 2 Ne. 5:21ff., and 3 Ne. 2:14-16). I asked him how these passages could be of God, since we know that God’s not a racist. The God of the Bible doesn’t show partiality (Acts 10:34ff.) and there are no racial distinctions in Christ (Gal. 3:28). He agreed that God isn’t a racist, but it was like no one had ever challenged him on this before.
It was a short trip to pick up our car. I tipped him, thanked him, and encouraged him to check out JosephLied.com some time.
We Need Your Partnership
If you’re looking for ways to store up for yourself treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-20), may I suggest investing in our ministry? We not only need your prayers, but we need your financial partnership as well. Keep in mind that your investment is not simply for us, but for the lives of others we reach with the gospel. The standard way to financially invest is by writing a tax-deductible check to Courageous Christians United (CCU). For more information on various ways to invest in this ministry, including online giving, please see our “Invest” page on our sites. If you’re not a partner and are blessed by these monthly updates, please consider joining our team and let us know soon. We’d love to be your missionaries here in Utah. Many thanks to those of you who hold us up in prayer and/or in your financial giving!
Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6),
Rob Sivulka
President, Courageous Christians United
P.O. Box 1374
West Jordan, UT 84088
(801) 792-6373 (leave voice message or text)
MormonInfo.org
MeetTheExMormons.org
JWinfo.org
MuhammadLied.Info
AbortionIsMurder.Info
Mailbag
Awesome stuff Rob! Love the JW story! And your conversations with the Missionaries
_____________
Brother Rob again loved your newsletter,and am so thankful you all are continuing to be faithful to the call on your lives as you share the real Jesus with the LDS community:)
_____________
Hello,
I came across your resources today about mormonism and Chrsitianity. I am a Baptist with and interest in witnessing to the LDS and I have a question about that.
In my research before I go speak to them, how important is it to read the book of mormon? Should I read the whole book to maximize how prepared I can be? Or should I just research their arguments as I hear them and take it a case at a time?
Thank you for your time,
[I replied:] Great question! God always honors His word getting out, but you will have one less excuse for LDS not to listen to you if you can say that you read the BM. So continue with both and pray that God will continue to give you wisdom with both. If an LDS asks if you've read it, tell them you're in process, but right now you still have questions. Please let me know if you need help as problems come up.
God bless!
______________
[If you’d like to read some of my interaction with Mormons, please see https://www.facebook.com/groups/MormonInfo.org.]
|
