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“As much as ever, evangelism isn’t just about saving the unsaved, but reminding ourselves that this stuff matters, that the Bible is trustworthy, and that Jesus changes everything” (Kinnaman, 2019, Christianity Today).
Hello!
I’m here to tell you that sharing our faith in Jesus matters! Is it difficult to approach people who believe differently than us? Yes! But, Jesus changes everything and He is able to take our words and actions and use them to change the hearts of others!
Those of you who have not yet had a chance to view my review of the documentary The Gate, please take a look here. And, as promised in my last newsletter, here is the link to my book review of Baha’I Faith: An Introduction.
As you are witnessing to others, don’t forget these Scriptures when talking to others about their beliefs regarding the second coming of Christ:
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“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” Acts 1:9-11.
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“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” Matthew 24:36.
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"’Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’ So shall it be! Amen’” Revelation 1:7.
Baha’i World Faith (BWF) / Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW)
William Miller, an American pastor, is not a popular name in the 21st Century; yet, his influence is monumental. He is an American pastor that predicted the second coming of Jesus in 1844. While his prediction was false, his prophecy influenced many religious sects including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, and the Christadelphians.
I have been talking with Kevin (BWF) for many months. He recommended that I read Thom Thompson’s work from 2002. Thompson is a former Christian that joined the Baha’i faith in the late 1950’s. I told Kevin that I enjoyed the book, but much of what is taught about Baha ‘u’ llah being the incarnate second appearance of the Christ is in error. Baha ‘u’ llah was born in 1817 and died in 1892. Scripture states that “every eye will see him” (Rev 1:7) and clearly not every eye saw Baha ‘u’ llah.
Both JW and BWF believers believe that Jesus has already returned. The Watchtower teaches that Jesus returned in 1914 invisibly. To see how they came up with the year 1914 please see here. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how the Watchtower came to the date of 1914. There is no way that anybody can predict when Jesus will come because predicting the second coming of Christ is futile.
I met Sam (BWF) in Toronto. He and I have been discussing Miller and his influence on BWF. Sam told me that Miller was correct on the date of 1844, but he was wrong that he expected Jesus because the Bab did appear at this time. The Bab is equivalent to John the Baptist or Elijah in BWF.
The Bab declared his mission in Persia in 1844. I do not believe that the Bab is a manifestation of God for many reasons, but one reason is that John the Baptist already came to show who the Savior is, Jesus Christ. BWF believe that different manifestations of God have appeared throughout history. Baha ‘u’ llah came after the Bab and BWF consider him to be the savior for our dispensation.
What I found interesting while talking to Sam is that he considers JW’s to be a false religion; yet, BWF teach that we all worship the same God. I asked him, “How can everybody worship the same God when you believe that the Jehovah’s Witnesses follow a false god?”
LDS
I have been talking to 2 missionaries about the nature of God. I brought up Moroni 8:18 from The Book of Mormon which says, “For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. This is my favorite passage from The Book of Mormon because it goes against current LDS theology. Current theology teaches that God was once a man who had to obtain godhood. Lorenzo Snow said, “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.” While the missionaries saw what I saw they still stayed true to Snow’s Couplet. While many bad explanations on how God could be everlasting and once a man I was able to leave them with the question, “If God was once a man; did he have a savior on a different planet similar to earth?” They told me that they will get back to me for next conversation. Fellow newsletter readers, “How would you explain the nature of God?”
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Second Coming of Christ has not occurred in the form of Baha ‘u’ llah with the BWF or in 1914 as the JWs teach. Baha ‘u’llah was not the Savior who went up to heaven and did not come down in the clouds. The return of Jesus as taught by JWs did not happen either because this “Jesus” was not seen by all. Remember that not even Jesus knows when the Second Coming is to occur.
The nature of God is of big importance. It is to be known. Next time you talk with your LDS friends ask them why the LDS Church does not agree with Moroni 8:18.
In Christ,
Trevor Wolfe
P.S. I am still in need of money in order for me to go to Utah this summer. I will need money for a plane ticket, lodging, gas, food, etc. Please go to http://havenministry.com/missionaries/ and choose my name to donate. I am not able to do this without your support. You may also send your donation via cash or check made payable to “Haven Ministries” with “Trevor Wolfe” in the memo line and send it to:
Haven Ministries, PO Box 460366, Aurora, CO 80046-0366
Haven Ministries is a 501(c)3, and all donations are tax deductible.
References
Faizi, G. (1971). Baha’I Faith: An Introduction. Bahai Publishing Trust of India.
Kinnaman, D. (2019). As quoted in Christianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/february/half-of-millennial-christians-wrong-to-evangelize-barna.html
Snow, Lorenzo (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-lorenzo-snow/chapter-5-the-grand-destiny-of-the-faithful?lang=eng
The Gate: Dawn of the Baha’i Faith (2018). Directed by Steve Sarowitz.
Thompson, T. (2002). Questions from Christians: About Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith, Xlibris Publishing.
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