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The Real Heart of the Matter:
Where Biblical Christianity Meets the Bible!
By Dr Matt
Here are Dr Matt's Responses to Shawn McCraney's Version of Biblical Christianity:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Something NEW from Dr Matt:
Ironic Witness of the Week:
What is in the Book of Mormon?
Supreme Irony: The following False Witness comes from the June 9 Heart Of The Matter program. Shawn speaks words that reveal his narrow-minded bias; words that reveal a supreme irony. His words are analogous to a modern-day Jew, who might be heard to say: "Take a stand against this man named Jesus, and proclaim to the world that you believe in the true Messiah, who is yet to come, and not this impostor from Nazareth who was justly crucified."
All faithful Christians know that the "the chief priests and the scribes" (Mark 14:1; Luke 22:2) spoken of in the New Testament, literally crucified the Son of God. Now, I am going to unfold to you, a a similar irony in Shawn McCraney's words — yet another False Witness:
Shawn McCraney says: "When LDS president, Gordon B. Hinckley, was alive, he wrote something, sold a book called, 'Stand For Something.' I would like to borrow this title and suggest the same, that the LDS stand for something and abandon ship!
Send a message right over the bow of the LDS records department that you refuse, or you are no longer willing to be counted as someone who supports the ideologies of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the modern-day Mormon books like the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Book of Mormon. Send a message that says: Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the author and finisher of your faith."
Why this is a False Witness? First, Shawn's words need to be organized into two parts:
1) The so-called "ideologies of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young" versus
2) Words of scripture that guide Latter-day Saints: "the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Book of Mormon."
I'm a Mormon — a Latter-day Saint — and I do not believe in the "ideologies of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young" at all; instead, I keep my focus upon the words of Christ. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: God's truth is not to be found in its purity . . . by way of "isms" and "ideologies." Instead, it is the "isms" and "ideologies" of this world that represent the "wisdom of men." On this idea, I whole-heartedly believe in what the Apostle Paul preached:
"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men,
but in the power of God." (1 Cor. 2: 5)
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."
(1 Cor. 3: 19)
Along these same lines, I am also NOT interested, at all, in hearing the opinions and ideologies of Moses, but only the words that Moses spoke and wrote by the Power of God, and thus, represents the word of God — not the word of the world.
Even the prophet Moses had his moments where he came short of what the Lord required of him; and for this reason, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, but instead, that Divine assignment of leadership was given to Joshua.
The point is this: not every word and deed that prophets do reflects the will and wisdom of God. Hence, in those times when even a prophet falls short of doing and speaking the will of God, I am not interested at all in the "isms" or "ideologies" that Moses might conjure up by the strength of mortal might. So, it goes without saying that I am not interested at all in the "isms" or "ideologies" conjured up by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. I am only interested in words inspired by the Spirit of God, which represent the Will and Wisdom of the Almighty.
The Supreme Irony. McCraney asks Latter-day Saints to "stand for something" by being a person who is" no longer willing to be counted as someone who supports . . . the Book of Mormon. Send a message that says: Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the author and finisher of your faith."
Why is McCraney so adamant about this "stand"? Because of what the scriptures say about Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World:
" . . . to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith."
" . . . there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.
"And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."
And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?
" . . . I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, . . . yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Here's the irony: The previous passages that testify of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation, come from . . . the Book of Mormon.
For those who have never actually read the book — but instead, prefer to believe biased and false reports, unchecked — let me share with you what is written on the Title Page of the Book of Mormon:
"Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation . . . to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.
So, for those who have never bothered to read the word of the Book of Mormon — thus, have no clue what it contains — I am telling you today, that this book is all about the Son of God, the Savior of the World, Jesus the Christ. And there is your supreme irony in Shawn McCraney's False Witness of the Week.
False Witness of the Week
Here are Dr Matt's Responses to Shawn McCraney's Version of Biblical Christianity:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
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Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor