Flashback of the week

Hearing God

One of my favorite TV shows is House. In the second season, an episode I love called House Vs. God features one of the most fun of all quotes. House says to his team: "You talk to God, you're religious. God Talks to you, you're psychotic."

The connotations of his statement are amazing. But the assumption is something we shouldn't overlook. The assumption is, based on his character, atheism. Of course an atheist would believe that you can't hear God. To them, that would be the same as someone saying they had a conversation with the tooth fairy.

However, I eventually find myself concerned that many 'Christians' feel the same way about hearing God's voice as House.

The Apostle Paul actually states talks about people with this theology. He says that they have "[A] form of godliness but deny its power," and warns, "Avoid such people" (2 Tim. 3:5).

I suggest that we follow Paul's command. I have seen, in church leadership, men and women appointed because of faithfulness to people rather than faith in God. There form of godliness elevated them, Paul says we shouldn't celebrate the form - but the power. I suggest to any (present or future) church leaders that may be reading this: watch carefully who you call 'elder.' Steward wisely your authority.

I think 'form' godliness is the biggest problem in the church today. Plenty of churches have plenty of attenders. But, perhaps our problem is that we've accepted the form of church attendance as godliness and denied its power to transform our communities, families, and own lives.

So what do we do?

We MUST be connected with Jesus Christ. We must pray, not just to speak to him, but to listen. We must grow in wisdom and in spirit. We must take faith risks for the hope of his fulfillment. Faith without works is dead, wrote James the brother of Jesus. Faith without power is as well.

Mormonism

Last night during our youth service I said some controversial things about Mormonism. Being what it is, a cult, Mormonism is no stranger to controversy. I said three statements about Mormonism, all of which ended up being contradicted by a mormon student who was present in our meeting.

In good faith, I said I would share where the information came from at a later time, this blog is that time.

The comments on Mormonism were in passing, though they had a key role in my sermon Jesus

According to Jesus. I shared views of cults, world religions, celebrities, and others about Jesus and I finally ended with things Jesus said about himself, so that those listening could hear what Jesus has to say - not just the critics.

Finally, to the statements I mentioned about Mormon "Christology."

First, in regards to Jesus being a man who became God:

"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man" (Teachings of Joseph Smith, 345).

"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's: the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit" (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

Finally, Joseph Smith wrote in an article for the newspaper Journal of Discourses:

"I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple and first principles of the gospel, to know for a certainty the character of God, that we may converse with him as one man with another, and that God himself; the Father of us all dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did . . . what did Jesus say? ... Jesus said, as the Father hath power in himself, even so hath the Son power; to do what? Why what the Father did, that answer is obvious. . . . Here then is eternal life, to know the only wise and true God. You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves; to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you-namely, by going from a small degree to another, from grace to grace from exaltation to exaltation, until you are able to sit in glory as doth those who sit enthroned in everlasting power." (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, 6:3-4)

To paraphrase: God became God by starting as a person and working his way up the ladder. Jesus is pretty high up the ladder. Now you should walk up the ladder and become God, too.

So, yes, Mormonism does believe Jesus was a man who became God.

The second statement: Jesus is portrayed as a polygamist

Official Mormon sources will tell you that whether or not Jesus married was unknown. However, Brigham Young, one of the most famous LDS 'prophets' taught this:

"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, p. 266). Also, "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p. 269).

In other words - Jesus whom we would call God, or the Son of God, in order to reach such a place must have been a polygamist. Though Mormons would not call Jesus the only God they would say he is a God. Do the math. No Mormonism doesn't say Jesus was a Polygamist, they just strongly imply that.

Finally, I said that Jesus is the half-brother of Satan.

"Jesus and Satan are Spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both." (Mormon Doctrine p. 163).

"The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus 'in the morning of pre-existance'" (Mormon Doctrine P. 192).

Finally, in the Pearl of Great Price a Mormon "Scripture" Satan's fall from brotherhood with Jesus is shown in Moses 4:1-4.

So, I will take the punch and say I was slightly off on this piece of Mormon Doctrine. The resource for the quote regarding Jesus being the half-brother of Satan is from Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears. However, since both are respectable scholars, I will leave myself open to correction on this retraction.

Based upon my best knowledge of this Mormon doctrine Jesus and Satan are fully "Spirit Brothers." Not half-brothers. My mistake, though I don't think it is an improvement for their stance for Jesus to graduate from half-brother to "Spirit Brother."

In this blog I owe the following source materials:

The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin

Carm.org

Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears.

Mark Batterson

The post below was taken from a blog by Mark Batterson. He's a pretty honkin' rad guy.

I shared a story this weekend about Honi the Circle Drawer.

He lived in the first century BC and he was famous for praying for rain. During one draught, the people of Israel asked him to pray and hedrew a circle on the ground and stood inside and prayed, "O Lord, of the universe. I swear before your great name that I will not move from here until you have shown mercy upon your children."

According to tradition, it started to sprinkle. Honi prayed, "Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill the cisterns, pits, and caverns." It began to rain with violence. And Honi prayed, “Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of goodwill, blessing, and graciousness.”Then it rained in moderation.

We need more circle drawers. Honi was almost excommunicated because his prayer was perceived by some as dishonoring to God. But the truth is this: God loves it when we pray desperate prayers, bold prayers, ridiculous prayers. I don't think its dishonoring, as long as we're praying them for the right reasons. In fact, nothing is more honoring. And God honors circle drawers.

Example

Have you ever thought about what it means to be an example?

A leader?

I do often. Years ago Pastor Brandon Berg would tell me about youth ministry - "You pastor who you are." This is kind of a chicken and egg type of conundrum for me.

What he meant was that your character shortcomings would be revealed in those who follow you, and your strengths will likely be theirs as well.

Well I can see that being created in those who follow you by virtue of their following you, I wonder how much of that is due to the fact that in many ways you are who you hang with. The people closest to you determine your future.

I've been wondering if I am who I want to see follow me.

I think it is time for a revolution in my soul.