Mormons (LDS) teach that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones. And Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) say Jehovah has a “spiritual body” that prevents Him from being omnipresent. While these unbiblical views from our LDS and JW friends are not surprising, it may come as a shock to hear that some leaders of the Christian Word-Faith movement hold a similar view – and quote the Bible to support it. A case in point: Kenneth Copeland and Isa. 40:12. Copeland, perhaps more than any other … [Read more...]
How Islam makes and defines peace
In the wake of 9/11 and subsequent acts of terror in the name of Allah, many Muslim leaders labor to buff the tarnished image of the religion Mohammad founded nearly 1,400 years ago. Their key message: Islam is a religion of peace. No doubt many of the world’s Muslims prefer peace to the sword, decrying the acts of Islamist terrorists as perversions of true Islam. And to be fair, Islam is a religion of peace, as long as peace is defined in Muslim terms. A case in point: … [Read more...]
Divine interruptions
MBC Executive Director John Yeats was part of a six-person team of Missouri Baptist volunteers on Gibitngil last month. He reflects on God’s sovereignty in the midst of uncertainty: “Divine interruptions are the handiwork of God and we have to learn to listen. For example, just prior to this trip, we learned that my wife Sharon will most likely have a surgical procedure when we return. The outcome will be huge and it could have derailed our participation on this mission. “Then we learned … [Read more...]
Missourians minister to typhoon survivors
GIBITNGIL ISLAND, Philippines – To many of the 451 families on the tiny Philippine island of Gibitngil, Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Disaster Relief (DR) Specialist Dwain Carter is simply known as “Pastor Dwain.” To Mayor Ricardo Ramirez of nearby Medellin, who oversees Gibitngil, Carter is a welcome sight and a Facebook friend. To those on the island who have watched Carter lead four teams of disaster relief volunteers here since Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the central Philippines last … [Read more...]
Is Mormonism really necessary?
As the official version of the story goes, in 1820, 14-year-old Joseph Smith went into the woods near his home in rural New York to pray. There, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. Caught up in the Protestant revivalism of his day, Smith inquired as to which of the Christian denominations he should join. None of them, he was told, because they were all wrong. “The Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight,” Smith later … [Read more...]
Thank God for earthquakes
The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 changed everything. In minutes this thriving, affluent city was brought to its knees. Roughly 50,000 people died. The sky turned black. Fires raged. Then tidal waves washed over the port, drowning hundreds more. Later, Voltaire wrote a poem challenging the prevailing view that this was a divine act of judgment. “Whilst you these facts replete with horror view, will you maintain death to their crimes was due?” he penned, adding, “Can you then impute a sinful … [Read more...]
Does the Bible prove preexistence?
Our Mormon friends teach the doctrine of eternal progression. Among other things, it means that all people were born into the spirit world – through sexual relations between God and one of his wives – prior to taking on earthly bodies. As Mormon.org puts it: “Your life didn’t begin at birth and it won’t end at death. Before you came to earth, your spirit lived with Heavenly Father who created you. You knew Him, and He knew and loved you. It was a happy time during which you were taught … [Read more...]
Will a man dare rob God?
If we don’t tithe, are we robbing God? Doesn’t the Old Testament teach tithing, while the New Testament stresses giving? These are important questions, and every sincere Christian wants to get the answers right. The Bible is our authority – and the last word on this issue. While it isn’t possible in this article to conduct an exhaustive study, we may highlight what the Old and New Testaments have to say. The Old Covenant The Mosaic Law required Israelites to give tithes … [Read more...]
There’s death in that box
When the Rev. Jamie Coots died recently, it made national news. The co-star of National Geographic Channel’s reality TV show, “Snake Salvation,” was bitten on the hand by a rattlesnake as he led services at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus’ Name in Middlesboro, Ky. He died less than two hours later after refusing medical treatment. Coots and his followers represent a sect of Christianity that incorporates snake handling into worship, relying heavily on Mark 16:17-18 for support. … [Read more...]
What good is Christian apologetics?
Apologetics simply is a reasonable defense of the Christian faith. The word is derived from the Greek noun apologia and means “a defense.” Apologia and its verb form apologeomai are used nearly 20 times in the New Testament, often in the classic legal sense, but more importantly to describe the call of God to all believers to defend the Christian faith with gentleness and respect (1 Pet. 3:15-16). But how is sound doctrine applied practically? Put another way, what good is Christian … [Read more...]
The value of painful memories
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that scientists have zapped an electrical current to people’s brains to erase distressing memories, part of an ambitious quest to better treat ailments such as mental trauma, psychiatric disorders and drug addiction. Author Gautam Naik explains: “In an experiment, patients were first shown a troubling story, in words and pictures. A week later they were reminded about it and given electroconvulsive therapy [ECT], formerly known as electroshock. … [Read more...]
When the Bible speaks to Mormons
Lynn Wilder and her husband were quintessential Mormons. Lynn had served for eight years as a professor at Brigham Young University, the flagship school of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Michael was a high priest, temple worker, seminary teacher and Sunday School president. Their eldest sons had completed two-year missions assignments, and their daughter was demonstrating a strong faith in the LDS Church’s founder, Joseph Smith. Then, as Lynn explains it, … [Read more...]
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