Ken Blue Ministries

WHY PASTORS AND MISSIONARIES FAIL TO TRAIN LEADERS

May 8, 2017 by Ken Blue

WHY PASTORS AND MISSIONARIES FAIL TO TRAIN LEADERS

^“And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.” Nehemiah 2:12-18.

MANY DON’T KNOW HOW TO TRAIN LEADERS
MANY ASSUME NO ONE WANTS TO SERVE
MANY ASSUME NO ONE IS SPIRITUAL ENOUGH TO SERVE
MANY WANT TO DO IT ALL, THAT WAY THEY GET THE GLORY
MANY ARE TOO INSECURE TO TRAIN OTHERS. THIS MAY BE THE #1 REASON
MANY FEAR THAT OTHERS WILL EXCEL THEMSELVES IN LEADERSHIP
MANY LOVE DOING IT ALL. THAT IS THEIR SELF-FULFILLMENT
MANY WANT TO KEEP THE CHURCH SMALL FOR SELFISH AND PERSONAL REASONS
MANY HAVE WIVES WHO DON’T WANT LEADERS WHO MIGHT COMPETE WITH THEIR HUSBANDS
MANY DON’T REALIZE THAT JESUS SPENT MOST OF HIS MINISTRY TRAINING LEADERS

THE MORMON CULT

March 26, 2017 by Ken Blue

MORMON SCIENTIST DISPROVE MORMONISM THROUGH DNA, AND THE LACK OF LINGUISTIC, AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.

By Ken Blue

Did you know that Mormons believe in millions of gods? These gods are dispersed throughout the universe and have their own world, just like the Mormon god of the earth. The god they worship has a multitude of spirit wives. Their god has sex with his wives, and you were born a spirit baby. The reason they taught polygamy, was so the earthly wives could have as many children as possible to provide bodies for the spirit babies. When Mormons speak of Jesus as the “Son of God,” and of a virgin, they mean that their god literately had sex with Mary, thus Jesus is a son of god. They also believe Jesus and the Devil are brothers, having the same father. Below, you have it from their own mouth. They are a deceptive cult.

The picture of Brigham Young and his wives.

Mormon.org
“Your life didn’t begin at birth and it won’t end at death. Before you came to earth, your spirit lived with Heavenly Father who created you. You knew Him, and He knew and loved you. It was a happy time during which you were taught God’s plan of happiness and the path to true joy. But just as most of us leave our home and parents when we grow up, God knew you needed to do the same. He knew you couldn’t progress unless you left for a while. So he allowed you to come to earth to experience the joy—as well as pain—of a physical body.”

Let us break down what they say, and then fill in the blanks with the real truth.“Your life didn’t begin at birth…your spirit was created by…” What you aren’t told is that your spirit “creation” was a birth resulting from the gods having intercourse with their many celestial wives. All these gods and their wives were once human just like you. Now you too can become a god with your own world and your multiple wives if they have pleased you on earth, and you call them from the grave in the resurrection.

“Your life won’t end at death.” You aren’t told why you are here, and what you are supposed to do. You see, Mormons believe the god they worship and talk about, was at one time a man (Perhaps Adam). Through “progress” he attained the status of a god and was assigned to populate the earth and make more gods. So, when you die, if you are “lucky,” you and your many wives will be assigned a planet, yes, and a planet to populate and keep the process of making more gods. The only way that can be accomplished is moving through a process of progress. Some of these rituals are public knowledge, much is secret. The more you study Mormonism the more you understand that it was built on sex in this life, and in the afterlife, somewhat like Islam.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I challenge any Mormon to refute what we have said.[/perfectpullquote]

Mormons use Bible and Christian terminology for two reasons. One, they believe they are the only true Christians. They are the “Latter Day Saints.” In other words, there was no true gospel from the time of the first Apostles, until Joseph Smith discovered golden plates. Thus, the truth was rediscovered, and the “Latter Day Saints” emerged.

Also, Mormons are avid “missionaries.” That is one of the requirements, plus mandatory tithing, for a special place in the heavens. They use Bible language to make naïve Christians think they have much in common. I assure you that Mormons and Bible Christians have absolute nothing in common.

Lastly, Mormonism is an ever evolving religion. That is if you point to what their prophets and founding fathers said in the beginning, more recent prophets may get newer revelations to negate what they object to. The example is their teaching that the black race came from following the Devil. However, when Civil Rights came along, they got an updated revelation from their god and adjusted their theology.

I challenge any Mormon to respond and refute what we have said.

DON’T BE DECEIVED!!!

THE PLANNING STEPS

March 25, 2017 by Ken Blue

THE PLANNING ARROW

planning By Ken Blue

NEED, THEN PURPOSE GO IN THE TARGET. OBJECTIVES GO ON THE LINES ON THE SHAFT. THESE MUST SUPPORT YOUR PURPOSE. GOALS ARE DETERMINED FROM THE OBJECTIVES.

GOALS MUST BE:

S – specific, significant, stretching.
M – measurable, meaningful, motivational.
A – agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented.
R – realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented.
T – time-based, time-bound, timely, tangible, trackable.

The Book of Mormon

March 19, 2017 by Ken Blue

The Book of Mormon –Part 1

Those who call themselves Mormons, or Latter Day Saints, point to Ezekiel 37:15-20, Isaiah 29:11, and John 10:16 to prove that the Bible prophesied about the book of Mormon. Could you give me some insight into what these passages are talking about?

“The verses you cited are the most common verses in the Bible that Mormonism uses to try to show that the coming of the book of Mormon was prophesied about. As you are undoubtedly aware, Mormonism contains many teachings which are contrary to what the Bible says, (e.g. Adam was our God and Father; Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost; men are not spiritually dead by nature in Adam; Lucifer was a spirit brother to Jesus). It also is full of teachings of which the Bible makes no mention, (e.g. their doctrine of celestial marriage; the Army of Redeemers).

However, it is also interesting to note that many of Mormonism’s cardinal doctrines and teachings cannot be found in the book of Mormon either. For example, the book of Mormon does not speak of ‘baptism for the dead’; of celestial marriage; of progression to godhood; or of a host of other essential Mormon teachings, ordinances, and the like. These teachings are found in the subsequent writings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and in the so-called other revelations given to them through their priesthood.

In truth, though the book of Mormon is by necessity honored by them, it is not their main source of faith and practice. Nor is the Bible. Their other books and writings are actually their main source of faith and practice. Mormons naturally deny this. However, their doctrines, ordinances, and practices say otherwise.

In my experience with their doctrines the book of Mormon is primarily used by them as a tool to bridge the gap, so to speak, between the Bible and their other books like “Doctrine and Covenants” and the “Pearl of Great Price,” in which their essential doctrines and ‘gospel ordinances’ are to be found. And what they want converts to Mormonism to do is to pass from the Bible to their other books of revelation by going over the bridge that the book of Mormon functions as. Hence the last of their Articles of Faith states, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.” With this statement, they first of all pay lip-service to the Bible, while at the same time impugning the reliability of the Bible, since to them it has not been consistently ‘translated correctly.’ By so saying, they also conveniently leave themselves the ability to discard, disregard, and/or adjust any of its teachings that they don’t like, or that they want to adjust to say something different, by simply saying that a particular statement, or verse, or passage in the Bible has not been properly translated. They then translate it, or interpret it, in such a way as fits their needs. So though this particular Article of Faith professes the Bible to be the word of God, it does not state this to be so unreservedly.

However, no such reservation is made in connection with the book of Mormon. This, the Article states, is simply “the word of God,” with no question as to whether it is translated correctly or not. And later on, the reason for this becomes apparent when the book of Mormon is used to move a convert’s confidence away from what the Bible says, to what the book of Mormon says, and then to move it ultimately to what their books of other revelations have to say. The Bible is honored by them; the book of Mormon is revered by them, but their other books of revelations are what are actually believed and followed.

Nevertheless, the book of Mormon is essential to Mormonism. And as such it goes to great lengths to persuade people that the Bible prophesies about its coming; that it is ‘another testament of Jesus Christ’; and that it is the testament of Jesus Christ that not only pertains to those in the Americas, but to all men, seeing that (as they teach) it contains the “everlasting gospel in its fulness” and Mormonism is the only “True church on the earth.”

Now with respect to the verses and passages in the Bible that Mormonism uses to promote the book of Mormon, an honest handling of them in their particular contexts makes it plain and clear that they do not say what Mormonism says they say. (However, Mormonism is not counting on anyone handling the verses honestly within their contexts. It doesn’t do this itself, and it figures others will not do so, or be able to do so.) So by paying attention to their contexts, and by paying attention to the outworking of God’s program and dealings with Israel, the following briefly and simply sets forth what the verses are talking about.”

The Book of Mormon –Part 2

Re: Ezekiel 37:15-20 — The immediate context of this passage, along with the overall context of the outworking of God’s program with Israel, make it plain and clear that “the stick” that is written upon with the words “For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions” is not the Bible, and “the stick” that is written upon with the words “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for the children of Israel his companions” is not the book of Mormon. Nor does the joining of them “one to another into one stick” in Ezekiel’s hand prophesy about the Bible and the book of Mormon becoming the combined word of God in the latter days.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Mormonism is not counting on anyone handling verses honestly within their contexts.[/perfectpullquote]

This is basically what Mormonism teaches, but the context forbids any such interpretation. For the context itself interprets what God “meanest by these” in verses 18-25ff, and it is plain and clear what they mean in the interpretation that it gives.

As verses 18-25 set forth, the “sticks” with the names of the two particular tribes of Israel written on them, along with the reference to the other tribes that became “companions” of either Judah or Joseph/Ephraim, represent the “two nations” “divided into two kingdoms” that the whole nation of Israel had become following the death of Solomon. As I Kings earlier on recorded, the whole nation was divided into two nations, and two kingdoms, after Solomon’s death.

The prophecy and meaning of the two sticks is self-interpreting in verses 18-25. And as such, it is blatantly obvious that what Mormonism says about it is a deliberately corrupt and false interpretation. What Mormonism says is of their own concoction. It is a lie that is dishonestly forced on the passage, and it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the immediate context, or with the doctrinal role of Ezekiel’s prophecies in the outworking of God’s program and dealings with Israel.

The Book of Mormon- Part 3

John 10:16 — According to Mormon publications, “the promise concerning ‘other sheep’ was realized by the appearance of Christ to the Nephites,” and it is the book of Mormon that testifies to this. However, God’s program with Israel says that John 10:16 means something else.

God had already identified the “other sheep” when He prophesied in Ezekiel about coming to “search my sheep, and seek them out”; when He prophesied about He Himself being “the good shepherd” in contrast to “the shepherds of Israel” who have been cruel to the Lord’s flock; and when He prophesied about setting up “one shepherd” over them when they are no more “two nations.” In Ezekiel 34 God begins prophesying about these things and begins describing His actions as Israel’s “good shepherd.” Then in chapter 37, (where we have already noted that He describes reversing the “two nations” judgment of the Second Course of Punishment of Leviticus 26), God goes on to describe how when all Israel is no longer “two nations” but “one nation in the land,” that at that time “they all shall have one shepherd.” The nation therefore, will no longer be “two nations” with two folds of sheep.

So then in view of this prophecy, the Lord in the opening portion of John 10 is describing those aspects of His ‘shepherd ministry’ that were in effect at that time in accordance with the fulfillment of Ezekiel 34. But as He said in verse 16, “other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.” In accordance with Ezekiel 37, those “other sheep” are the sheep belonging to Joseph/Ephraim and the house of Israel his companions, who are also known in the Gospel accounts as the Samaritans.

These “other sheep” were not being dealt with at the same time as the rest of the sheep of Israel because God had said that He would deal with Jerusalem and Judea first. The “other sheep” are the Samaritans, and in perfect accordance with the prophesied outworking of God’s program with Israel, the time would come in the program when these “other sheep” would be called. But not until the sheep of Jerusalem and Judea were dealt with first.

So then these are the issues that are being spoken about in these three particular passages. It is plain and clear from their respective contexts, and from the outworking of God’s program with Israel, that what Mormonism teaches from these passages is not only false but a deceitful lie.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREACHING, TEACHING, AND TRAINING

March 13, 2017 by Ken Blue

PREACHERS SHOULD PREACH, TEACH, AND TRAIN

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” Matthew 4:23.

“Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.” Acts 15:35.

“Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” Acts 28:31

Preaching is the message announced by preachers and is primarily for the purpose of conversion. We could say, with accuracy, Jesus preached to the multitudes, and taught His Disciples. Perhaps the Twelve taught the Seventy and the Seventy, the hundred and twenty.

Teaching consist of the message taught by preachers that explains, clarifies, and applies, with exhortation. It is primarily for building faith, Christian conviction, and character. One of the qualifications of a pastor is he must be “apt to teach.” (I Tim. 3:2. II Tim. 2:24). Paul seemed to have his greatest success by teaching. Many pastors are excellent preachers, but they also need to distinguish between the two, and master teaching.

Training is a task whereby preachers develop skill sets in trainees. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of training is: the act, process, or method of one that trains. The skill, knowledge, or experience acquired by one that trains. The state of being trained. A young doctor who’s still in training. She’s in training for the Olympics.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Training others may be the greatest weakness of many good preachers.[/perfectpullquote]

Synonyms: drill, practice (also practice), routine, exercise, workout, assignment, homework, lesson; brush up, refresher, review, spring training, a process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for an art, profession, or job. The process by which an athlete prepares for competition by exercising, practicing, etc. It is the skill, knowledge, or experience acquired by a person or animal who has trained. Thus, training is showing how, assisting in the task, the trainee performs the task. Correction and encouragement are given as necessary. Training others may be the greatest weakness of many good preachers.