Richard Abanes

The most joyous time of the year is here again - CHRISTMAS!!!! It is during this season that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by whose life, death, and resurrection we have been set free unto eternal life! Peace on earth; good will toward men!

This Christmas week, I offer to you a very personal gift -- my song of love, hope, and joy to you. It is The Christmas Song (live at Saddleback Church).

God bless all of you, and have a happy New Year!

Richard Abanes

Sharing Your Faith With Mormons

(This article first appeared in Southern Baptist Theological Journal, Summer 2005)

Christians are supposed to defend the faith (Jude 3), preserve the Gospel’s purity (Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Peter 3:15), test all things (1 Thess. 5:21), and correct those who have doctrinally erred (2 Tim. 4:2). Equally relevant scriptures include Eph. 4:15, which mentions speaking the truth “in love,” and 2 Tim. 2:24-26, which says to correct using “gentleness and respect.”

Unfortunately, these latter two passages often take a backseat to what becomes the overriding aim of witnessing—that is, make sure that someone realizes he is wrong. But this unbiblical approach never results in a person falling to his knees, repenting, and shouting appreciation for being shown the error of his doctrinal ways. Instead, emotional walls go up defensive arguments are launched (no matter how baseless or illogical they may be), and a golden opportunity to show Christ’s love is lost.

One of the most obvious places where some well-meaning Christians have failed to follow biblical mandates about sharing the good news has been in the area of witnessing to Mormons. I have myself, truth be told, been guilty of speaking to Mormons not so lovingly and not with so much gentleness or respect. And I have seen similar mistakes made by others.

Given the fact that the Bible says judg­ment begins in the church (1 Pet. 4:17), I believe it is time for all of us to stop for a moment and consider why we do what we do in the area of “cult” evangelism. This is especially relevant in connection to mem­bers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat­ter-day Saints (LDS), since we share with them a number of general concepts:

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(1) There is a personal God who cares about us (as opposed to either no God at all or an impersonal force).

(2) Jesus Christ was a real, historical person who lived, died, and physically rose again from the dead.

(3) A Christian’s life in this world should be marked by holy living, pure thoughts, and zeal for evangelism.

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The problem, of course, is that Mormons define doctrinal terms/concepts quite dif­ferently than evangelicals. For example, Mormons deny the traditional definition of the Trinity. “God” in Mormonism is an exalted man and is only one god among many gods in the universe. Additionally, Jesus is a created being whose nature is virtually the same as ours—the primary difference being that he has progressed to godhood. Mormons also teach that there are two salvations—general, which is merely resurrection life (a gift given by grace), and individual, which is godhood (a reward secured by a grace/works syn­ergy.)

Obviously, there are many issues to discuss with Mormons. But this can lead to many mistakes.

First, a good approach certainly would not include mocking Mormonism or depicting as profane those things that Mormons view as sacred (e.g., the under­garments that Mormons wear).

Second, it does no good to accuse twenty-first century Mormons of believing certain teachings/opinions/doctrines that were taught in the nineteenth century (e.g., the “Adam-God” doctrine taught by Brigham Young).

Third, one should not instantly assume the worst about a Mormon’s motives and/or arguments. Mormons are not always “lying” or “dodging the issues” or “seeking to deceive.” It is true that some Mormons resort to such tactics. But so do some so-called “Christians” whose main concern is advancing a personal agenda or idolized doctrinal notion. The average Mormon is very much like the average Christian in that they hold their faith dear, see things in a certain way, and voice arguments that to their minds make sense.

To avoid mistakes, a few things should be remembered.

First, God is in control. Those who are called by the Holy Spirit will come to Him (John 17:9-10). We are merely tools (Phil. 2:3-7) that God chooses to use in the conversion process (Rom. 10:15; 1 Cor. 3:1-8).

Second, every Mormon is a person, not just a representation of the corporate “Mormons.” Acknowledging this can help eradicate the “us vs. them” battle lines that are usually drawn during most witnessing encounters. Sharing the good news is not about winning a holy war. It is about Christ touching a person’s heart via our interaction with them.

Third, witnessing should be an enjoyable time of talking—not a shouting match—about meaningful truths.

Finally, the most important thing is to be Christ-like: show love; speak kindly; be patient; walk humbly; bear the burden of a broken heart. Nothing is more criti­cal. That is what witnessing is really all about—not conversions. Before, during, and after every Mormon encounter, we must ask: Am I just seeking another con­version badge? Do I want to hear “Uncle! Uncle!” more than “Jesus, I receive you”? What is the attitude of spirit that is moti­vating me? Witnessing to Mormons is in many ways just as much about us as it is about them.

Hopefully evangelicals will be able to do better than the admirable sentiments expressed in 2003 by Mormon apologist and Brigham Young University professor, Daniel C. Peterson, who happens to be a personal friend. In reference to discussing doctrinal differences, he said,

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Is there any reason why evangelicals should not follow such coun­sel—especially since we claim to have the true gospel? Certainly our Lord demands nothing less.

Frank Pastore
Thursday, September 11, 2008

Frank Pastore from KKLA in Los Angeles interviews Richard Abanes, author of “A New Earth, an Old Deception: Awakening to the Dangers of Eckhart Tolle’s #1 Bestseller.” Eckhart Tolle is the spiritual mentor of Oprah Winfrey. Tolle and Winfrey have collaborated for an online class on Tolle’s book “A New Earth.”

“God, in the essence of all consciousness, isn’t something to believe. God is. And God is a feeling experience, not a believing experience.”—Oprah Winfrey

Pastore: [When you hear Oprah say,] “You know it’s not about belief and doctrine,” and, “God’s a jealous God” and, “I couldn’t find a seat, so I left,” what’s going on Richard?

Abanes: Well, you know Oprah talks a lot about how she is a Christian and how she believes Christianity and all of these teachings from Eckhart Tolle are compatible with Christianity. Just by those few quotes that you had right there we can see that actually this guy is teaching things that are diametrically opposed to some of the foundational teachings of the Christian faith, such as on Jesus Christ, who God is, who we are, the nature of sin and forgiveness, issues of the cross what Jesus’ mission was. So, for whatever reason, she likes saying she is a Christian, she simply—and if I can be blunt—she isn’t. She isn’t a Christian anymore than she is a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Muslim because those words mean something when it comes to various beliefs.

Pastore: What is Eckhart Tolle’s basic teaching?

Abanes: His bottom line is, what’s made him so popular [is the idea that] you can escape suffering: You can have a happy life, fulfilling, peaceful, joyful, find purpose in your life if you understand who you are…. He is basically teaching Hinduism—this pantheistic view that everything we see is just an illusion and the only reality is the underlying essence of the universal life force in the cosmos and that is what everything is. And we are part of that. We are the essence of God, and that is how he defines God.

Pastore: How should a Christian respond to all of that? It sounds like it is all the New Age movement in a different suit.

Abanes: It is. It is a New Age movement, a classic New Age doctrine repackaged in this sort of feel good, practical living skills sort of package that he is giving to people. And Christians need to understand that he is not saying anything new and that is what the old deception is. They have to understand that when we confront people and talk to them, if we are talking to Christians we need to let him know about all the Christian doctrines that he actually denies. And if we are talking to unbelievers we need to let him know of some of the things that Tolle teaches that are pretty strange.

Pastore: When I hear him talking about the law of attraction and reincarnation I’m thinking, “Wait a minute so who’s running the law of attraction? Who set it up in the very beginning? Who’s running the process of reincarnation? Who decides the distinction between good and bad karma?” I mean is it an infinite regress? There is no beginning to time, matter and space? Or is it some kind of panel, or what? And he never engages these ultimate issues.

Abanes: No, absolutely not. And that is one of the things about New Agers—and especially Tolle—that they speak in terms that are contradictory. For example, he basically says there is no God out there, no personal entity to whom we can pray, who can lead us and guide us, there is just this impersonal life force essence that is god. Yet, he will at some times switch from talking about an impersonal god to talking about a personal entity that he prays to and asks for direction. So, many of these people want to have a personal God but not the accountability that goes along with it.

Pastore: I think a lot of people in a common sense way realize you can’t pray to electricity, you can’t pray to gravity, or a tree, or a rock. And so if it is impersonal, I mean I’ve got the question: How does something impersonal create the personal?

Abanes: Well that’s a great question. The only problem is the use of that word common sense and you’re thinking about this too hard. And that’s what’s fascinating about Tolle. He always tells his followers and the people who he’s speaking to, especially Oprah, “Don’t think too much about what I’m saying. Just listen to my words and let it resonate within you. That’s the truth.”

Pastore: So you’ve written this book, “A New Earth, an Old Deception,” what is the old deception?

Abanes: Well, the old deception is the oldest deception—that we are God. Basically, go back to Genesis 3 and that was the original lie, and you see it perpetrated again and again and again in all these false religious belief systems.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE - A New Earth, An Old Deception: Awakening to the Dangers of Eckhart Tolle’s #1 Bestseller

Today a memorial was unveiled in Oakland, California in remembrance of those who lost their lives thirty years ago at Jonestown, Guyana. It was there, under the cult leadership of a madman named Jim Jones, that nearly 1,000 souls died. Although most of the victims committed suicide in a deluded state of obedience and/or resignation to their messianic "Man of God," others were actually murdered as they tried to escape -- their understanding of the situation having come far too late for them to survive the assault by Jones and his henchmen.

Some individuals survived and were present at the ceremony, their memories still vividly haunting them as they looked at the Memorial's inscription: "In memory of the victims of the Jonestown tragedy. Nov. 18, 1978, Jonestown, Guyana." Marking the place where 406 unclaimed bodies lie buried (mostly children), the memorial wall forever will stand as a reminder the world that "cults" are real, they are harmful, and that can even be deadly -- not only from temporal perspective, but also spiritually.

According to Dr. Jynona Norwood, who lost 27 family members in the horrendous suicide-homicide, the memorial wall "will serve as a memorial for generations to come. It will raise public awareness that you never give up your free thinking ability to anyone. And, if it sounds too good to be true, more than likely it is."

We must never forget that a true man of God is measured by the Word of God—not a nice white suit, a charismatic manner, lots of money, or a big congregation (or a small congregation). And a teaching that might make you feel good doesn't necessarily mean it's scriptural.

There are false teachers and false prophets everywhere. But we shouldn't be dismayed. Jesus said it would be so, and also warned us to be discerning about such men (and women): "False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible" (Matt. 24:24).Peter agreed, warning us: "There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves" (2 Peter 2:1).

So as Christians, let us not step back from our responsibilities to not only share the gospel in a positive way (e.g., sharing our personal testimony, loving others, and doing good works), but also by correcting those who have slipped into error. We are commanded to do so by nothing less than scripture: "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3). Like Jude, Paul wrote: "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2).

Let us all join today in praying for the many millions of searching souls who are still lost in The Kingdom of the Cults (as Dr. Walter Martin called it)—pray that one day they will come to know the peace, joy, love, and truth available in Christ's wonderful Kingdom of Light! And may we, in our own small way, be part of their deliverance—whether we plant, water, or harvest. And to God be all the glory.

peace,

Richard Abanes
PoP CulTuRe MiX