Mormon Quotes To Memorize For Witnessing To The Mormon People

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ.
In this post are some Mormon quotes that are helpful to memorize for witnessing to the Mormon People. If you memorize these quotes, they can be useful as you engage Mormons to show the comparison of the god of Mormonism and the God of the Bible, etc. Mormon quotes will be in blue, and Scripture verses will be in italics. 

"We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see." ~Joseph Smith, King Follett Discourse

"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!"
~Joseph Smith, King Follett Discourse

"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible." ~Joseph Smith, King Follett Discourse

For a biblical response to the King Follett Discourse, please refer to this post: A Biblical Response To The King Follett Discourse By Joseph Smith

"Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test."
~Brigham Young

This is probably my favorite Brigham Young quote. I like using this quote when talking to Mormon missionaries. You can use it in this way: "Brigham Young said to 'Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test.' This is what I desire to do." If you have opportunity for further discussion, you can bring up passages of the Bible in comparison to Mormon teaching and show that the "religion of the Latter-day Saints" does not "stand the test" of being compared to the Bible. Always remember to do this is love. Our aim is to share the truth of God with these men and women, not to rudely destroy their religion and send them on their way without having heard the truth of the Word of God presented to them in love. Bashing their religion and prophets and not sharing the truth with them, is not godly, and it is not a good way to build friendships with Mormons either.

"The truth is, my beloved brethren and sisters, man is a child of God—a God in embryo."

 ~Marion G. Romney, Man- A Child of God

This quote is blatantly contradictory to the Bible. The Bible teaches that Man is of a different nature than God, and that their is only one God. Historically Mormonism has taught that men can become gods. This teaching is clearly unbiblical. Let me share some verses that show the truth that their is only One God.

Isaiah 43:10

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”

Isaiah 44:6

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god."

(Please refer to "A Biblical Response To The King Follett Discourse By Joseph Smith" and see the discussion on Acts 14:15 on the different nature of God and man.)

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."  ~2 Nephi 25:23, Book of Mormon.

"3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel." ~ Articles of Faith 3

The important phrase in the first quote is: "after all we can do".
The important phrase in the second quote is "by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."
The Mormon religion is works based. The true Gospel in contrast is not based on the works of man, but affirms that salvation is through the work of Christ alone.
Romans 3:28 says: "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."
Galatians 3:10-14 says: "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—  so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith."
Galatians 5:4 says: "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace."
The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is apart from works and that no one can be saved by works of the law. The law is our tutor to lead us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24). The law can never save us, it only shows us our sin and our need for the Savior. It also says in Romans 11:5-6 "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."
If as the Mormon Article of Faith teaches we are saved by grace after all we can do, then the grace would be based on our works, and thus would no longer be grace. Rather, the biblical teaching is that we are saved apart from works, based only on the work of Christ in His sacrifice and death for us, bearing our sins in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24) 

Please know that if you present these quotes to Mormons, they may or may not believe these teachings. You may want to present the quotes this way: "Joseph Smith taught in the King Follett Discourse that god is an exalted man, do you believe that?" You can use a similar format for other leaders and quotes. While it is recorded that past Mormons have taught these doctrines, we do not want to misrepresent the Mormons that we are speaking to and tell them what they believe. These quotes however are still good to bring up, especially from Joseph Smith and Brigham Young as they are past presidents of the Mormon church to show the conflict between their teachings and the Bible.

With love in Christ,

Virginia

A Biblical Response To The King Follett Discourse of Joseph Smith

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ.
In this post I will seek to equip Christians to give a biblical response to the false doctrine and false god that is taught by Joseph Smith in the King Follett Discourse as they speak with Mormons. This post will address some of the teachings of this discourse although it is not exhaustive. Let us begin.

Quotes from Joseph Smith are in Blue.

"It is necessary for us to have an understanding of God himself in the beginning. If we start right, it is easy to go right all the time; but if we start wrong we may go wrong, and it will be a hard matter to get right."

You may wish to bring up this quote when witnessing to Mormons to show that even as Joseph Smith thought that it is "necessary to have an understanding of God himself in the beginning" it is indeed important to get the character of God correct as the basis of our Theology and doctrine. You can then use this as a springboard to go into a discussion of how the god of Joseph Smith is not the God of the Bible and this is a matter that we must get right.

"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!"

"God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"

Numbers 23:19 (Emphasis added)
The Bible is clear that God is not a man. Joseph Smith taught that his god was an exalted man. This is a clear section where the God of the Bible is seen to be different then the god of Joseph Smith.

In Acts 14:15 it says: “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them." 

Let us consider the context of this passage; Paul and Barnabas are at Lystra and a crippled man is healed. "When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, :The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" The priest of Zeus wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds. When Paul and Barnabas heard this they tore their clothes and cried out and addressed the crowds with the statement quoted above from verse 15. Let us now consider our text with this in mind; people wanted to worship these men, in response to this desire Paul and Barnabas made a distinction between the nature of man and the nature of God. They say that they should not worship them, they are men of like nature with them, however these men should turn from these vain things to serve the Living God. The True and Living God is of a different nature then men. Only the True Triune God of the Bible (Yahweh) The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, is worthy of the worship and adoration of man. No man, regardless of how exalted they may seem, are worthy of worship. The god that Joseph Smith invented in his imagination is not worthy of worship and cannot save. There is salvation in no one other than the One True God, Yahweh. (Isaiah 43:11)

"In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how He came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."

In Psalm 90:2 The Holy Spirit inspired these words: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

As you can see in a comparison of the text of the Bible and the claims of Joseph Smith, we see an irreconcilable difference between the God of the Bible and the god of Joseph Smith. God never came to be God, from everlasting to everlasting He is God. He was never a man, He never needed to be obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, He never had a god before Him, He alone is God and He always has existed as the Supreme Ruler of all. 

"Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power."

Joseph Smith taught here that "you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves." This is pure heresy. Examine these verses on the fact that there in only one God. 

"“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,“and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." Isaiah 43:10

"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god."

Isaiah 44:6

"Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”
Isaiah 44:8

The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God. To say that men can become gods is blasphemy and expressly contradicts the teaching of the Bible. 

"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible."

While the above statement is false, I like the fact that Joseph Smith taught that this is the first principle of the gospel. The LDS people that you witness to, may not want to discuss the character and nature of God and prefer to speak of the restoration of the gospel and other topics. You may choose to bring up this section where Joseph Smith put such a great emphasis on this teaching. You can also point out the importance of knowing the character of the True God of the Bible as the basis for all of our Theology and Doctrine and that we must establish Who God is, before we can have a proper understanding of salvation and the Gospel.

I would also suggest finding the King Follett Discourse and other quotes that you discuss with Mormons, on www.churchofjesuschrist.org as the Mormons are more likely to accept the church's website as a trusted resource. 

While there is more that can be discussed from the King Follett Discourse, I hope that this post will give you some insight into topics and quotes to discuss and how to respond to this discourse biblically. 

With love in Christ,

Virginia

Malachi John Cowperthwaite

Hi everyone,
On October 13th our family welcomed my youngest brother Malachi John Cowperthwaite here to the outside of the womb. Malachi has been a human being created in the image of God since his conception and we have acknowledged his personhood ever since we found out that Mommy was pregnant. As abortion abolitionists we acknowledge the value and dignity of every human being from the point of conception, and we know that they are human persons. There is always much rejoicing in our household whenever we find out that God has blessed us with another child in our family.

Baby names are discussed by the family and we enjoy suggesting names although Mommy and Daddy always get the final say of course. Our family has been very purposeful in choosing names with good meanings for my youngest siblings. We had thought of the name Malachi John when my second youngest sibling was only a couple weeks old. Malachi John means "messenger of the grace that YHWH has shown". May God make Malachi to live up to his name. All of us are greatly enjoying our time with Malachi.

We enjoy sharing pictures of this little guy, so here are baby pictures.

He is super cute isn't he? Children certainly are a blessing from the LORD!
With love in the Lord,
Virginia

Persecution May Be Closer Than You Think: David Benham

Hello everyone,
Some of you may have heard of the twin brothers David and Jason Benham. You may seen their names in the news when HGTV canceled their show because of their Christian views. You may have also seen them as moderators on the National Bible Bee Competitions. Or others of you may be more familiar with their father Phillip "Flip" Benham and his work in the abolitionist movement over the past decades. These two brothers have been active voices in the Christian community.

Left to right: Jason and David Benham.
Photo taken from Benham Brothers Facebook page.

David  Benham is the co-founder of Cities4Life, a Christian ministry in Charlotte, North Carolina, that is active on the sidewalks in front of abortion facilities to proclaim the Gospel, to speak for the unborn, and to offer help to women.

On Saturday, April 4th, David Benham heard that there were a lot of police in Charlotte outside the abortion facility and that they were threatening to arrest some of the sidewalk counselors. Mr. Benham took his sons and one of their friends and went out to the abortion facility. Mr. Benham had talked to an attorney on the way to the abortion facility and knew his rights. Cities4Life is a federally recognized organization that provides essential services and is allowed to operate even under the stay-at-home order.

When Mr. Benham arrived at the abortion facility, there were many police officers there already. He was told that he was not allowed to be there. Mr. Benham did not give up his rights, but respectfully explained to the officer that he was allowed to be there, and continued reminding the officer that the officer himself knew that Mr. Benham was well within his rights to be there. The officer did not uphold Mr. Benham's constitutional rights, nor his rights under the stay-at-home order and Mr. Benham was unjustly and unconstitutionally arrested.

You can view the video of Mr. Benham's arrest here: David Benham Unjustly Arrested

Mr. Benham was taken to the jail and booked. He was released 4 hours later. While he was in jail, he had the opportunity to minister to 2 young men who were there. He was also joined in jail by his father "Flip", and his son, both of whom were also arrested for their stand for the Gospel and for the unborn.

Some may object to Mr. Benham's actions and some may believe that he should not have been out there at that facility on that Saturday morning. Mr. Benham however was within the laws of the land, he was within the stay-at-home orders, he had every legal right to be on that sidewalk, and he took precautions and practiced social distancing. What he did not do however, is stay home while innocent children were being murdered in his city, without standing up and being a voice for them. Mr. Benham was not disrespectful to the governing authorities, he told them even as they were arresting him that he appreciated them, and he was sincere in saying that. This is not a case of rude Christians being disrespectful to police and ignoring the law. They obeyed all the laws that applied to them. There were less than 10 people from Cities4Life present at the abortion clinic when Mr. Benham was arrested, and they followed all the guidelines they needed to in light of Covid 19. Mr. Benham was kind and respectful to the police officers, he obeyed when asked to step over to a different part of the sidewalk, and he did not resist arrest. Mr. Benham honored Christ in his actions, and serves as an example to others in balancing respecting the authorities, and yet obeying God even if that means they will be arrested. Mr. Benham's desire for going out to that abortion clinic on Saturday, not knowing when he got there what was going to happen, was to honor and glorify Christ and to fulfill his responsibility to speak up for the unborn who were being killed at that facility.

Mr. Benham has shown by example what it looks like to honor God and to respect the authorities while being an ambassador of Jesus Christ on the streets. As Mr. Benham has said, this situation can be boiled down to two words; Rights, and Responsibilities. Mr. Benham had the legal and constitutional right to be on that sidewalk that day. He also had a responsibility to stand up for the innocent children who were being slaughtered at that facility. The Church, as the body of Christ, has the duty to love their neighbors and to honor Christ and serve him with their lives. We as Christians are to "Rescue those being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter." (Proverbs 24:11) We are also to make disciples of all nations and to preach the Gospel to every creature. (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15).

Mr. Benham followed these commands of God. He spoke for the voiceless, and stood up to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although he was unjustly arrested, he was willing to endure persecution for the sake of obeying the commands of Christ. Even in the midst of a pandemic or healthcare crisis, the government does not have the right to exercise tyrannical, unjust and unchecked power. The governing authorities will have to answer to God for all of their actions, even those that took place in the midst of a crisis. Mr. Benham exercised his rights, and fulfilled his responsibilities.

I would also like to note that Mr. Benham and the other Christians who were arrested, were targeted, as there were other people out at a local park who were not arrested under the stay-at-home order. A man drove around Charlotte to see if the stay-at-home order was being enforced. What he saw, was crowded parks and riverbanks. There were clearly people in Charlotte who were out in public doing things, yet they were not arrested. Who was arrested? The Christians who were going about doing essential business in accordance with their rights and responsibilities. Those who were arrested were the ones who stood up to protect the rights of the unborn, who stood for justice, and stood up for the Gospel.

So was Mr. Benham right to go out to the abortion facility on Saturday? YES! He knew that babies were being murdered and that justice was not being served, and he was willing to give up his rights to defend the God-given rights of the unborn.

Was Mr. Benham going against Romans 13, and not submitting to the governing authorities? No. He was fulfilling the responsibility that he had been given to rescue those being taken away to death and to proclaim the Gospel. He was obeying God rather than man. (Acts 5:29) Remember that many Christians throughout the centuries have been arrested, persecuted, and even killed by the authorities for the sake of Christ. We are supposed to obey the governing authorities, however when the authorities unjustly tell you that you cannot stand up for the unborn, Mr. Benham chose to obey what he believed God wanted him to do, and obeyed God rather than man.

Was Mr. Benham not loving his neighbor by going out in public in the midst of Covid 19? No. He did love his neighbor, he kept his distance from others and had cleaned his hands. He was not doing anything that could have spread Covid 19. What he was doing was loving his pre-born neighbors as well and was pleading for their lives.

What good has come from this arrest and what should we as Christians learn from this? Mr. Benham has served as an example to Christians to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ even to the extent of giving up your freedom in order to obey God. He has also served as an example in how to show respect to the governing authorities even when you have to disobey unjust orders in order to obey God. Mr. Benham showed that he truly believed what he teaches about the value of the unborn and has lived out his words by his actions. We can all learn from this example in not just talking about what we believe, but actually obeying the commands of God in our actions.

May we as Christians be encouraged by Mr. Benham's example and seek to honor and glorify God in all of our actions.

Please be praying for Mr. Benham as this legal situation continues, and please be praying for all the Christians around the country and around the world who are standing for the Gospel and facing persecution for doing so.

In Christ,
Virginia

An Encouragement to Young Women To Be Preparing For Marriage With Our Attention On God, Not Man

Hi everyone,
In this post I would like to address the topic of preparing for marriage even before a man comes along that you may think you want to marry. As a young woman, I will be addressing this issue as regards women.

I am a young woman who is preparing myself for marriage whenever God sees fit for that to happen. I have been seeking to prepare myself for my husband and future union to him for years even though I have never been asked to enter a relationship. Young women: I believe it is important to prepare ourselves for marriage even before we have a man in mind. 

Let us look at 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 "I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord."

I would like to use a principle from this passage to support my position. "And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. " I believe that this principle can be applied to women who are preparing for marriage before a man comes along, and those who are preparing themselves thinking of a certain man whom they have already decided they will marry. 

The unmarried woman without a man in mind.

The woman who has not decided who she will marry can be busy about preparing herself for marriage without her emotions being as distracting and clouding her discernment as much. She can more fully evaluate her own heart and whether or not she is ready for marriage, without the clouded judgment that could occur if she had already grown attached to a specific young man. She can also set herself to preparing herself for marriage without trying to please a certain young man and devoting herself to spending time with him, etc. Instead of trying to prepare herself for marriage at the same that she is trying to decide whether or not a specific young man is the one that God has for her to marry, she can be setting her mind to make sure that she will be ready whenever that man does come along. One list of characteristics that we should seek to be cultivating in our lives is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

A good godly wife will be mature in her spiritual walk and will strive to live a holy life and to please God in all that she does. A woman who is kept for her husband alone will be pure, and when she is married she will be faithful to her husband as long as they both shall live. The single years are a great time for a woman to devote herself fully to growing in her spiritual walk and living a holy and pure life, while serving within her family and preparing to be a suitable helpmeet to her future husband. In Proverbs 31:12 it says: "She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life." One way that we as young women can do our husbands good all the days of our lives is to keep ourselves for him, and to prepare ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually to be his helpmeet.

Quite a while ago now, I began preparing a list of questions for potential suitors. This list consists of important questions ranging from questions of doctrine and Christian living, to questions of personal preferences that would matter on whether our personalities and lifestyles are compatible. Even without a man in mind, I am putting together this list in order to be able to evaluate any potential suitor that may come along in the future. I believe that this is useful in order to help us in our judgment as young women to ask a broad range of important questions to see whether a man will make a suitable husband, and to not have our judgment as clouded by only considering a small area of his character. 

If you have a broad range of questions you can hopefully avoid the error of desiring a man because he has really good _______ (fill in the blank,) while having horrible Theology or doctrine. The questions on my list are things that I have thought of over the years that I want to know the answers to before I marry a man. Having a list like this will also hopefully save me from regrets. I never want to regret allowing my heart to be attached to a man before I know whether he is a godly young man and would make a suitable husband. I never want to regret that I did not first evaluate his character and spirituality before I grew attached to him. I will specify that I believe that the advice of godly parents and strong Christian advisors are important in discerning who a woman should marry. I will discuss this more later. (The Bible teaches that children are to obey their parents and that we are to honor our father and mother. Ephesians 6:1-3)

I can devote my time to growing in my relationship with God and cultivating the qualities and skills that I will need in marriage without being distracted by a certain man. This is a great benefit to preparing before that special man comes along.

Another benefit to preparing for marriage before a man comes along is that you have more time then if you wait until a man asks your father to court you. Imagine the stress and how overwhelming it could be if you are not prepared for marriage until you are courting! Imagine all that you would have to get done during that time. Also, marriage is a lifelong commitment. Preparing for it for many years may seem like forever when you are in the midst of the preparing stage, but even without being married, I am sure all the preparation will pay off.
In Luke 14:25-33 Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship. I do not want to take this passage out of context, but I do want to see the principle of counting the cost. We as young women should sit down before we start a courtship and evaluate whether or not we are ready to enter a relationship.

Preparing for marriage before your husband comes along can also be helpful to avoid long courtships that could cause more temptation. If you want to be ready for marriage you should prepare yourself before you start courting so that you are not stuck unprepared for marriage, yet waiting to marry the man you are courting. Think again about counting the cost to see if you have what you need to be ready for a relationship. Instead of being stuck unprepared, if a young woman is prepared before she starts courting, she can then be ready and her courtship can be a time of evaluating whether this is indeed the man for her to marry, and once that is decided marriage can take place quickly since she is ready to be married. Long courtships can cause temptation as a man and woman grow attached to one another. There are many examples in Scripture of people falling into sexual immorality. I also know for me that I wouldn't want to spend years thinking about marrying a man and spending time with him and growing closer to him and becoming emotionally attached to him and yet knowing that we won't be married for a long time. I am advocate for taking however much time it needs to know whether a man is the right one or not, but once that is figured out, just get married. No more temptation, no more longing, just marriage. My parents have taught me the value of this. I have also seen that even David who is called a man after God's own heart gave in to temptation; even Christians can fall into temptation and it is best to avoid temptation.

The unmarried woman with a man in mind.

The unmarried woman with a man in mind can be tempted to please her future husband, like the married woman is anxious to please her husband. I am not saying that a woman who is courting a man should not try to please him. (She should however do this as serving a brother in Christ in all purity. 1 Timothy 5:2) However, in preparing for marriage we must be mature spiritually and also mature in how we conduct ourselves and care for that which has been entrusted to us, and also growing in our relationship with God and not putting those things on the back burner or lower on our priority list because we are trying to please a man. Pleasing God should be our highest priority.

Our judgment could also be clouded as to our preparedness for marriage if we already have our mind set on a certain man and want to be with him. If you don't have a man in mind you can prepare for marriage to whomever God may have for you without even knowing who he is; whereas if you have a man in mind you could be tempted to be preparing yourself just so that you can mark off everything on your list and finally be allowed to marry him already. Our first priority as single women should be to please God and to prepare ourselves to be a suitable helpmeet to whomever He has for us to marry.

Hopefully this can be an encouragement to single women who are desiring marriage, to be preparing themselves even now. There are downfalls to waiting to prepare and benefits of starting to prepare yourselves now. 

I would also like to encourage young women to start conversations with your parents about what you desire in a spouse. Let them know the things that are important to you. That list of questions that I mentioned earlier, have your father read that and let him add questions. It is important to have godly advice from people such as your parents when it comes to preparing for marriage and going through a relationship. God has given us parents to guide us and has given fathers the duty to both train their children in the fear and the admonition of the Lord, (Ephesians 6:4) and to protect their daughters. The advice and encouragement of other Christians that are closely connected to you are good too. I mean, for us young women it doesn't hurt to have extra brothers in Christ to examine a young man and grill him with all the hard questions! (In love, in love.) The Bible says that there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. Proverbs 11:14 says: "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." I would like to apply this principle to marriage and the wisdom in having an abundance of counselors in whether a man would be a suitable and godly husband. 

What are some ways that I have been preparing for marriage?

• I have conversations with my parents. I ask them what they see in my life that I need to work on to prepare myself for marriage. This can include character qualities that they see that I should be cultivating.
• I spend time with my family. I have many younger siblings so I get practice with babies and younger children which prepares me for caring for any children that God may give me in the future.
• I help around our home with cleaning, chores, cooking, etc, which gives me practice for being a keeper at home after marriage.
• I do Bible memory, personal prayer time, and family worship which grow me in my walk with God.
• I do evangelism within the context of my family which gives me a better understanding of my worldview and how to defend the faith and also drives me to study more so that I can give a reasoned defense of my faith. I do this under the the authority of my parents, yet they also give me the ability to study to build my own convictions based on Scripture and they guide me and teach me along the way.
• I minister alongside, and fellowship with mature Christian brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage me in my walk with God, in my evangelism, and in looking to God's Word. One good way to prepare for marriage is to strive to be a solid Christian and brothers and sister in Christ can be a benefit in this. The Bible teaches about the importance of the Church. The body of Christ is important to the Christian and Christians walk alongside one another and point one another to Christ our head.
• I ask God to be preparing me to be a godly wife and mother. 
• I have a good relationship with my parents and we discuss marriage and courtship often. We discuss these things beforehand so they won't seem like completely foreign concepts whenever I may start a relationship. (I am the oldest daughter, so I get to be the test case. I don't mind, I think they will do great leading me through a relationship as they have done amazing leading me so far in other areas of my life.)
• I listen to sermons, Christian radio shows, and read good Christian books to grow in my understanding of God and His Word.

I would encourage young women to keep yourselves pure in body and mind and to save yourself completely for the one special man that God has for you. I know for me that I do not want to have regrets about giving my heart away to a young man who will not be my husband. In 1 Timothy 5:1-2 it says to encourage younger men as brothers, and younger women as sisters, in all purity. This should be our attitude toward young men, we should encourage them as brothers in all purity, and avoid inappropriate relationships, affections, or desires.  Evaluate a man and have others evaluate him too, be constant in prayer, and be prepared for when the right man comes along.

May God keep us pure for our future husbands and be preparing us even now for our future marriages, with our hearts set on pleasing God in all we do.

~Virginia 

Roe vs. Wade Ezra Project

Hi everyone,

Below is the text of the script for the compilation video for the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. The text of the script is all Scripture. May God be glorified as His people proclaim the sufficiency and authority of the Word of God!

God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. (ESV) (1)

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (ESV) (2)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,” (ESV) (3)

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! (ESV) (4)

You shall not murder. (ESV) (5)

““Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image. (ESV) (6)

God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers.
2 How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
3 Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. (NASB) (7)

Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. (NKJV) (8)

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly...
9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, ...for murderers,
10 for the sexually immoral,..(NIV) (9)

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’;
28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.(NASB) (10)

an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (NKJV) (11)

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery (ESV) (12)

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. (NKJV) (13)

through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. (NASB) (14)

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.(NKJV) (15)

the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.(NKJV) (16)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (HCSB) (17)

The soul who sins shall die. (NKJV) (18)

God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day. (NKJV) (19)

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (NKJV) (20)

God is love. (HCSB) (21)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (NIV) (22)

For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. (HCSB) (23)

believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

25 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (HCSB) (24)

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (ESV) (25)

...the blood of Christ,.. (will) cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God (NKJV) (26)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV) (27)

Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

20 and that He may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah.
21 Heaven must welcome Him until the times of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about by the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning. (HCSB) (28)

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. (NIV) (29)

If... you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (NASB) (30)

Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow. (NIV) (31)

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—
9 for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth—
10 discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret.
13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear,
14 for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:
Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you. (HCSB) (32)

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? (NKJV) (33)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (NASB) (34)

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.
10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’
11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ (NIV) (35)

28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! (NIV) (36)

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (ESV) (37)

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (NIV) (38)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control;..(NASB) (39)

...if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (NASB) (40)

for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way,
since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (HCSB) (41)

And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (NKJV) (42)

Genesis 1:27


(2)Psalm 139:13-16


(3)Jeremiah 1:5


(4)Psalm 127:3-5


(5)Exodus 20:13


(6)Genesis 9:6


(7)Psalm 82:1-4


(8)Proverbs 31:8-9


(9)1 Timothy 1:8-10


(10)Matthew 5:27-28


(11)Luke 6:45


(12)Mark 7:21


(13)Psalm 19:7-9


(14)Romans 3:20


(15)Galatians 3:24


(16)Genesis 6:5


(17)Romans 3:23


(18)Ezekiel 18:20


(19)Psalm 7:11


(20)Romans 7:24


(21)1 John 4:8


(22)1 John 4:10


(23)Romans 3:28


(24)Romans 4:24-25


(25)Romans 10:9-10


(26)Hebrews 9:14


(27)2 Corinthians 5:17


(28) Acts 3:19-21


(29)Proverbs 24:11


(30)James 2:8-9


(31)Isaiah 1:16-17


(32)Ephesians 5:8-14


(33)Micah 6:8


(34) Titus 2:11-15 “


(35)Ezekiel 33:7-11


(36)Acts 5:28-29


(37)Romans 8:8


(38)Galatians 5:19


(39)Galatians 5:22-23


(40)Romans 8:13


(41)1 Timothy 4:8

(42)Malachi 4:6

Compilation Video Project For The Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, Will You Join Us?

We are seeking to put together a compilation video of Christian abolitionists from around the country reading Scriptures to show the truth about abortion, to proclaim the Gospel, to call people to repent, to call the magistrates to do justice, and to call the Church to rise up to action to rescue those who are being taken away to death. This video will be released to the public on January 22nd, 2020 the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. 

One thing that sets this project apart from the major “pro-life” approach of our day is that is it based on the Scripture. Many people in the “pro-life” movement today have set the Bible aside and tried to talk to people about abortion in a merely secular way. As Christians, the Bible is our ultimate standard. The Bible is sufficient in all matters of faith and practice. We must base our argument against abortion on the Bible. Some in the “pro-life” movement are also against using the word murder when speaking to women considering abortion. We however must go back to the Bible and see the value of human life from the moment of conception because it is created in the image of God and that whoever unjustly and purposefully takes that life with malice aforethought is committing murder, and that abortion must be abolished not merely regulated. This project is going back to the Bible and letting it speak as our ultimate standard. Through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God draws people to Himself and it is God changing people’s hearts that will bring about the abolition of abortion, therefore this project includes the Gospel message from the Scripture. Will you please join us in this project as we proclaim the truth of Scripture? Please participate by recording yourself reading a section of the Scriptures included in this project and please also share this message with fellow Christian abolitionists and share the video when it is released. May the Gospel of Jesus Christ be spread far and wide and may abortion be abolished in Jesus’ Name!

The document for the project as well as recording guidelines will Lord willing be released on December 1st 2019, please leave a comment here on this post if you are interested in participating.