False witnesses and slanderers are within the Church Body today 533-1 - 5 - 3

I am currently working on an article for the Issachar course I620. I selected as my subject the Mormon Law of Eternal Progression. I have been overwhelmed with information through the Internet both pro and con and numerous books including the New Translation of the Bible by Joseph Smith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is a parallel Bible having the inspired version of Joseph Smith and the King James Version of the Bible side by side. Joseph Smith claimed that “Sweet and Precious” things were deliberately left out of the Bible. He changed John 1:1 from the” Word was God” to “the son was with God and the son was of God.” This reduces Jesus to a creative being rather than God.

Mormonism with its “Law of Eternal Progression” is attempting to evangelize the world. The major heresy of Mormonism is summed up in its central theological, "As man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become; that trillions of planets scattered throughout the cosmos are ruled by countless gods who once were human like us. Elohim and one of his goddess wives came to Earth as Adam and Eve to start the human race. Thousands of years later, Elohim took on human form once again and journeyed to Earth from the star base Kolob. He had physical relations with the Virgin Mary in order to provide Jesus with a physical body.”

While it is easy to denigrate the Mormon belief in eternal progression, some in the emergent church are promoting their version of godhood. Then there is the recycled “New Age” with its self-proclaimed gurus. The Give examples of false witnesses and slanderers within the Church Body today? and Eastern religions might not be an issue, however, some churches welcome them In the name of diversity and tolerance.

Paraphrase Bibles such as The Message deviate greatly from the KJV. Yoga, which may open participants to the dark side, is being promoted in many churches. As I understand, the Kingdom Now Movement promotes the theory that the church will remain on the earth during the tribulation to bring the Kingdom to the earth. IMO, this could be equated not only to false witness but to the very slander of the Word itself.

Then there is the New Apostolic Reformation movement. The self-anointed anoint each other and so on. I’m not quite certain what all this means except the few times I have watched Word of Faith tele-evangelists the word anointed is freely thrown around.

As for me, it is Sola Scriptura.

Re: DQ#7. What is the central message of the Biblical Text and how is that being attacked today?

Full disclosure and a little tongue-in-cheek, I played around the edges of the New Age/ New Thought movements about 20 years ago. I even sold crystals and tried to keep a straight face as buyers would pass their hands over the crystals waiting for the right “vibes.” I could never take the new age very seriously; however, I joined a “New Thought” church where about anything short of crystals goes. Nights I studied at their seminary for two years and was ordained as a ministry. My record with weddings wasn’t so good. The only marriage that I officiated at outside of prison ended in divorce. Perhaps since the other husbands were in prison, no time to argue with their wives.

I got firmly back on the right path that I started on as a little kid. I belonged to Jesus from a very early age and thankfully, he never let go of my hand.

The time I spent on the edge of the New Age/ New Thought movements taught me to be very discerning and very aware of how very seductive they can be. I now have Bible believing friends that I think are getting caught up in what I would call circling the new age drain. I was asked if I’d like to attend the leader’s seminar. NO! Been there, done that. These friends are very Bible centered so I pray they well take the good and ignore the throwing of balls of light and the gold teeth.

BTW, I’ve long felt a call to establish a prison ministry, perhaps someday.