Question
How many times does Jesus come back, 2 or 3 times?

Answer
I believe the correct answer is once. His first coming inaugurated the Kingdom and his second coming will consummate the Kingdom. There have been many bottles of ink spilt on many hundreds of pages discussing this topic. In today’s popular theology (i.e., The Left Behind series with LaHaye and Jenkins in this timeframe and The Late Great Planet Earth with Hal Lindsey in ’70s of the last century) it is believed that there is only one coming but in two parts. Part A of the second coming is the rapture of the church. Part B is the actual coming of Jesus. This theology came from England in the middle 1800s. It is not a historic belief of the church.

You can read both sides of the subject in two older books (easy to read) that will give you enough material to make a clear decision for yourself: The Blessed Hope by George Ladd and The Rapture Question by John Walvoord.

Periodically I see some items online in newspaper church columns that are amusing to me, I thought I would share some of them without comment.

From an independent church: Pastor Garry concludes his message series “Armor All, Fighting Spiritual Battles”

Form a Foursquare church: Blessing Shoppe open 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

On one church page along I saw the following…[pastor’s name] preaches at [time] 14 times one right after the other.

On one page I saw: Sunday worship is at 10 a.m., with a flashing ad next to it from a local wine shop telling folks that 600 wines are just the start. At least the wine shop has some advertising sense (Ooops I forgot, no comments).

Here’s another sermon topic that really grabbed me: “Exodus - Fact, Fiction, or Something Else Altogether?” I’m sure folks will be lining up at the door to get in and hear this. (BTW: I gave up on the “no comment” idea.)

Here’s another “Everlasting Punishment,” I’m sure those folks will really be uplifted as they have lunch after this one.

“As I Think - So I Become.” I thought for a moment that I was lost and was reading a “Tony Robbins” ad.

How about this one: “On Sunday, Oct. 30, [name], a vibrational therapist will provide us with a message, music and meditation through the use of an Australian didgeridoo and it’s only $20 to boot to get in the door. A “vibrational therapist” at a church, this one’s got me worried!

“Life Under Construction,” Most folks I know might listen if the title was “Life Under De-Construction.”

Of course this one is a dead giveaway for where it come from: “Lutherans: Telling the World’s Story of Freedom.” Wouldn’t it actually be better to hear God’s Story of Freedom

I guess some of the Lutheran ladies in Nevada are trying to discover who they are. In one community they can attend a ladies Bible study two times a week with the title: “Who Am I?”

In a town in Tennessee food seems to be the calling card to get you inside the building, on one page there were several kinds of food being offered: BBQ pork or chicken, Chili, a Sudanese meal lunch after the “Old Fashion Day, and the generic refreshments, of course the last one is also offering an outside service with “no pews.” How novel! And finally a sermon title that must get the prize for being the longest: A Holy Ghost Takeover: Taking Our City For God, one person, one family, one street and one neighborhood at a time!” You might have thought that this was from a Pentecostal church, nope, it’s from First Baptist Church.

Some of these ads may draw folks in by the ones, while other folks would be kept away by the droves.

Question
I have been searching for answers about the book of Mormon. What is your view on the subject? “It reads funny” to me.

Answer
In June 1844 Smith met his death from an angry mob. He was tarred and feathered, beaten senseless, and left for dead according to one account, while another account states that he was shot to death in a gun battle along with his brother Hyrun. The Mormons believe he was martyred. A new leader arose, Brigham Young, who led the flock of some 1600 followers to Utah. Young set himself up as a divinely inspired prophet whose words were to be strictly obeyed.

The Mormon Church has many beliefs which do not meet with the established Word of God. Remember the conversation of Darrin and Angie? Darrin was about to speak. (more…)

Question
I have been searching for answers about the book of Mormon. What is your view on the subject? “It reads funny” to me.

Answer
The practice of polygamy began in 1831 after Smith moved his family and followers to Kirkland, Ohio. Smith inquired of the Lord if the principle of taking more than one wife was a true principle. It is not difficult to see that he simply wanted to have God justify adultery. In the 1840s polygamy came to an apex. Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife, opposed the practice bitterly. In response Joseph gave her a revelation, “And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord.” With convenience Joseph popped another revelation that further demonstrates his corrupt character and his need to place revelations above revealed Scripture. Of interest, this admonition to Emma not only approved of Joseph having adultery, but gave Emma a death threat. “And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord, for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abides not in my law.” Joseph is reported to have had twenty-seven wives.
To be continued…

Question
I have been searching for answers about the book of Mormon. What is your view on the subject? “It reads funny” to me.

Answer
The founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, called Mormonism for short, was Joseph Smith, Jr. Joseph was born in Vermont in December of 1805. Twenty-five years later in 1830, he began a religious odyssey that has fascinated historians and has grown from 30 people to more than 12 million members on its rolls (The Salt Lake Tribune).

Mormonism has been riddled with inconsistencies since its beginning. Joseph Smith recorded in The Pearl of Great Price, that in the spring of 1820 when he was fifteen years old, “an unusual excitement on the subject of religion,” produced a revival in the Methodist church. The end result of this revival was different groups stirring up division in the midst of revival. Upset by all the different convictions, Joseph asked God to grant him wisdom about his will. Immediately Joseph had a supernatural visit. Here is his account: (more…)

Over the next few days I will post my answer to the question below.

Question
I have been searching for answers about the book of Mormon. What is your view on the subject? “It reads funny” to me.

Answer
Below is a piece I wrote several years ago which may be of some help.

It was clear, cool, and calm outside the office, but inside the heat was rising. Darrin and Angie were in fevered combat! Darrin was a new believer who had just taken a course in his church about Cults. Angie was a Mormon. What was all the furor about? Angie had claimed to be a true Christian, leaving no room for Darrin’s new found belief in Jesus.

“I can’t believe that you can just stand there and tell me I am not a Christian,” snorted Darrin with a grim look on his face. The temperature was rising and others in the office were being drawn into the conflict.

“I am not telling you that you are not a Christian, Darrin,” responds Angie, as she proceeds to explain why only her church is the recipient of true Christianity.

“What I am telling you is that Christianity had become non-existent in the early nineteenth century. Into that vacuum God sent Joseph Smith as a true prophet for the restoration of true Christianity. The bottom line here is that you can only achieve true belief in God if you follow the path which was revealed to Joseph. All other paths are false.”

“Hold on for a minute,” Darrin said as he looked for a response…
To be continued…