Building Bridges Between Spirit-filled Christians and Latter-day Saints (Mormons): A Translation Guide for Born Again Spirit-filled Christians (Charismatics / Pentecostals / Renewalists and Third Wavers) and Latter-day Saints. Rob Ph.D Datsko

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СКАЧАТЬ Father, Thanks for this food. Please bless it. And please help me and anoint me to share Christ with Justin. He always seems so nice and maybe even open to spiritual things… but I’ve heard he’s MORMON. Jesus, I love you, and I want to share Your love. Holy Spirit, give me the words to say that will minister to Justin’s heart, and draw him to the Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. “So, how was your weekend?”

      Justin: “It was great. I went to the temple with my family.” I really want to bear testimony to Eve. She’s such a good person, and we share so many of the same values.

      Eve: “Temple?” HOLY SPIRIT, HELP ME!!!!!

      Justin: Heavenly Father, please help me bear pure testimony, in Jesus’ name. “Yes, the temple is a place where we can learn about Heavenly Father’s plan, and receive special ordinances so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father again. We can be sealed and our families can be together forever. My brother came with us. It was a very special time.”

      Eve: Families together forever? What’s he talking about families for? I want to talk about Jesus! ‘Heavenly Father’? That sounds so stilted. God’s not distant and uncaring! Yikes! I wonder if he even knows God? What was it that I heard about Mormons … that they put their trust in Joseph Smith and don’t believe the Bible? I don’t think that’s right. Justin seems OK to me… “Um … what was that about ‘Heavenly Father’s plan’?”

      Justin: “There’s a reason we’re here on earth. Heavenly Father wanted us to have the opportunity to have joy and become more like Him. This plan is described in the scriptures. “This is My work and My glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Dear Father, may Eve feel the Spirit as we talk.

      Eve: Become more like God? That sounds horrible. Wait a minute … Maybe he means we’re supposed to become more like Christ. That would be OK. What else did Justin say? What’s the difference between immortality and eternal life? I have no idea what he’s talking about. At least he mentioned God. But he hasn’t even mentioned the name of Jesus yet! Maybe I can try to understand some of the basics of his beliefs, to help him come to Jesus. “Um … do you know Jesus?”

      Justin (hesitates, confused): How can someone be so bold as to claim to completely know the Savior? Isn’t that presumptuous? I certainly don’t want to fall into pride …but I want Eve to know I’m thankful for Christ’s Atonement… “Well, uh, yes …”

      Eve: If Justin knew anything at all about Jesus, he would have immediately answered with a strong “Yes!” I heard Mormons aren’t Christians, but I’ve known Justin for awhile, and I think he knows at least a little bit about what Jesus did for us. … “Are you born again? Have you been saved?” It’s OK if he has some weird beliefs, as long as he’s born again. If Justin knows he’s saved, if he’s got the assurance of his salvation, then that means he’s repented of his sins and placed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he’s a Christian, no matter what church or denomination he attends.

      Justin: How can I be so prideful to say that I am guaranteed entrance into the Celestial Kingdom? I know the Atonement of Christ will cleanse me if I repent of my sins and bring forth fruits showing repentance. But I cannot be absolutely sure that I will not sin again. I don’t want to be boastful. I’d better be positive, yet stay on safe ground … “I hope so.”

      Eve: ‘I hope so??’ There is no way Justin can be a Christian if he doesn’t even understand the plan of salvation. That must be why he’s hesitating when he answers these simple basic questions. Lord, how can I help him understand that you must repent of your sins and place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved? “Justin, if you were to die tonight, what do you think would happen to you?”

      Justin: “Well, I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…”

      Eve: It doesn’t matter what name you stick on the door of your church. What matters is if you personally place your faith in Christ! This is the first time he’s even mentioned the Name of Jesus. If Justin knew and loved Jesus, he wouldn’t talk about his church, he’d talk about Jesus! Dear God, Justin’s farther from You than what I thought!

      Justin: “ … and we believe that the Atonement of Christ has provided immortality for all mankind, and eternal life for those who will repent and come unto Christ. The temple is a holy place where we can go and make eternal covenants so we can return and live with Heavenly Father with our families forever.” This is a really good opportunity to bear my testimony. I wonder why Eve looks so stressed? Why does this seem so hard? Why do I feel this confusion? Heavenly Father, help me. I pray in Jesus’ name.

      Eve: ‘The Atonement of Christ’? ‘Come unto Christ’? – Justin sounds like he’s trying to distance himself from Jesus! If he knew Jesus, he’d know how loving He is, how awesome He is. He’d want to draw near to Him! OK, I’ve got to calm down. Anger does not achieve the purposes of God. Remember God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. The Lord loves Justin, and He loves me. Love is the only way to reach someone. If I can remember this, I can stay calm. Jesus, help me!

      Justin: I want to bear strong testimony. “I know Jesus is the Christ.” Why do I feel this tension? Eve’s not getting angry or contentious. I know that she’s the same sect – she’s the same religion as Michael, and he got furious when I tried to bear testimony to him last month. I want to keep this simple and peaceful so that Eve can feel the Spirit as we talk.

      Eve: OK, it looks like maybe Justin knows something about Jesus. But why would he say ‘Jesus is the Christ’? That’s so weird sounding. He also mentioned our Heavenly Father. I believe in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost, which is one God. I think I read that Mormons don’t believe in the Godhead. “Do you believe in the Trinity?”

      Justin: No. Heavenly Father is separate and distinct from Jesus Christ. The Savior is a separate and distinct Personage from the Holy Spirit. Of course They are united as one in purpose; They work in deep covenant together. They are all part of the Godhead. But there is no way They are all blended together in some nebulous oneness called ‘the Trinity.’ “No. We don’t believe in the Trinity.”

      Eve: Yikes! O dear God, help me stay calm, and remember that Justin is Your kid, and You love him … If he doesn’t believe in the Trinity, I wonder which Person of the Godhead he doesn’t believe in? He mentioned God the Father. He talked about the Atonement of Christ, so he must know something about Jesus. He probably doesn’t know the Holy Spirit, because he hasn’t talked about Him yet. But lots of Christians don’t really know the Holy Spirit. I remember I didn’t really recognize the Holy Spirit until a couple of years after I got saved. But every Christian believes in the Trinity. Justin must have this view of God as some gaseous spirit-like substance that morphs back and forth between the three Persons of the Godhead. He must believe in some kind of untouchable spirit-cloud mass of weird God Beings. That’s gross. Lord, how can I help him understand the Trinity? If I focus on Jesus, maybe I can help him see how awesome the Lord is, and His incredible plans for us. “What do you believe about Jesus?”

      Justin: “He is the Christ. He is the Savior. Through the Atonement, He has provided immortality for all mankind. Lord, help Eve feel the Spirit.

      Eve: Why does Justin call Him ‘the Christ’ and ‘the Savior” instead of “Jesus” “our Lord” or “my Savior”? It sounds so standoffish and aloof. He must not understand the awesome price that Jesus paid for us at Calvary, because he keeps saying ‘the Atonement.’ Why would he want to distance himself from Jesus? Hasn’t Justin СКАЧАТЬ