Good Samaritan Mormons
April 28, 2008

I've learned some things about God from personal experience, that I
never would have known any other way. One of the biggest of these
lessons is that pleasing God is a whole lot easier than pleasing folks. 

Hey it only took me 20 years of service but I'm not totally clueless.

People change churches all the time, often several times, for this very
reason. Because pleasing God just takes faith, but pleasing church
folks,|oh my. Let me see- there's often the pastor's list, the elder's list,
the deacon's list and so on.

Now where did I leave these? (Must have lost them by and by!)

While earnestly searching your recycling bin you might have had this
great insight- if Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah of Israel, is head of
His church, why do so many of us church attending and church
serving folk feel like we're primarily serving church folks with lists,
rather than the living God of Israel? Hmmn.

Then I heard God's voice say "Forget their lists. Get out while you
still can."  So after this happened a couple-three times, I took my
bible out on the front porch until God gave me a word on a better
place to worship him. So there I was having church one day, minding
my own business, studying the Hebrew Scriptures, and sure enough
two of the sweetest Mormon missionaries, not paid at all but still
joyful, inched their way down the street crowded with dog
worshippers, I mean dog walkers, and looked for a strategic place
to park.

They pulled up in a very sensible Toyota Corolla,  parked real nice,
grabbed their handy books of Mormon, and strode directly to a
certain neighbor's door across the street. They knocked and looked
about, but their appointee seemed to have left them in the lurch.

So they dallied, and considered between themselves, strategically
looked at me from across the street, then they got an inspiration.
From where I can't reckon! Then they crossed the street, boldly
introduced themselves, and invited me into their world.

I first thought to myself "hey this is my church and you git" but
something Godly was going on so I rolled with it.

They don't use their first names. That would be too familiar. But
their official rectangular black pendants with white block letters
announced that Miss _______ and Miss _______ (not their real
names) were official missionaries for the Church of Latter Day
Saints, aka "Mormons."

Mormon was the guy who supposedly wrote the book of the same
name, officially and gently but boldly described as [just] "Another
Testamant of Jesus Christ." Wow, what a claim! Joseph Smith
found this mere "other testamant" on Cumorah Hill near Palmyra
New York in September of 1823, as led by the Angel Moroni.

This book was etched in an unknown language on gold plates
(since dissapeared) which Smith then translated on paper into
English to make the "Book of Mormon." Joseph Smith, as a very
young man, so the story goes, didn't know what church to go back
to, because they all seemed jealous, vain and contentious, so
simultaneously people-pleasing and people-displeasing, if you get
what I'm saying.     

So, as the story goes, he sat on his front porch, or somewhere
like that, refusing to go to church until God told him not to join any,
and later, to found his own, based on the aforesaid, and heretofore
buried third book of testamentary revelation.

The Mormons have a fantastic story. But, I'll let them cross your 
street to tell you the rest.

I don't believe any of it. It's as American as Apple Pie, but quite
foreign to God's final Israel (which will include faithful Jews and
Gentiles). But months went by and all these visits and reading their
stuff I sort of saw these zealous representatives- with no first names-
as missions work, my mission to the Mormons.

I remember one night sitting at the dining room table and asking
God to come down and baptize them in the Holy Ghost. I know that
would help. Only now do I ask "Could a Mormon get baptized in the
Holy Ghost?" Hey that's an interesting question. I had no idea, but I
was searching for an affirmative answer as I prayed, out of gratitude
for their concern. Oh they were having some church too, sort of a
battle of missionary wills, and a non fellowship fellowship developed.

It's been at least two years since they gave up on me, and I lost my
mission to them but I saw two more out and about and was
reminded God hasn't given up on them. And neither have I, grateful
as I am (in fact I have trouble that way because from what I gather,
God never has given up on me).

So if you are reading this as a Christian, I ask you to pray that my 
brief mission  to the Mormons might one day bear fruit for the
kingdom. If you are a Mormon, well ask again for Jesus' Spirit
baptism for yourself, and I'm trusting He'll teach you all things. 

And by the way thanks for your encouragement.

I learned a great lesson from my Mormon friends and God- that
there are certain times in our lives when it doesn't matter whether
the person giving us a drink of water, wiping our brow, or listening to
our God quest is like us or not (Proverbs says "a friend close by is
better than a brother far way."), or is dead set in making us one of
their ilk. When it doesn't matter what we call oursleves. Times when
listening and caring are more important than running back to one's
particular Temple to have another meeting, or light another candle.

It's the oddest thing- these Mormon Missionaries were about the 
closest thing to Jesus that I had experienced in a  long time, after
several churches, and that's my guess why they are so successful.
I also learned that many times doctrine and where you worship
misses the point, and the grace. These Mormons and I didn't miss
the grace, and we had "church" for three months on my front porch.
Praise Jesus!

We even had a church supper, in the driveway, owing to
proprietary  and all! (And I even was gifted with wholesome churchy
photos of my three new sister companeras). So, I'd like to think
they almost got baptized in the Holy Spirit, and one day will like that
foreigner Cornelius, having experienced the living God of Israel, who
shows up wherever he chooses. 

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, there are the times in our lives when 
the church outsider, the pagan, the friend with the whacked out
doctrine, has done way better and been way more Godly than my
brother or sister church insider. 

In fact, I faintly recall that perhaps our brother Jesus has a
testimony Himself about this matter.

Prayer:

Oh pagan Cyrus of today come rebuild the temple God's insiders
destroy. 

Oh Rahab today help Joshua and Caleb take the promised land
while the other ten tribes sit on their hands in fear.

Oh arabic Ruth remind us how much we have received from the
God of Israel.

Oh Good Samaritan come again today for all those left for dead
on the side of the road.

Oh Jesus knocking on our church doors, would that we let you
in and learn the wisdom to once and again to welcome strangers
onto our front porch and into our church, that we would become in
YOU a sanctuary that really does welcome all.

http://www.zionpentecostmission.com/first-look-at-what-Mormons-believe.html