LONG AGO FEAR

I am old enough to remember the noise around the Election of JFK. He was a CATHOLIC! The word was the POPE would run the USA. That blood would run in the streets. That Catholicism, which for many was considered a Mary worshiping cult, would become acceptable because JFK was elected. I heard it and if you as old as I am you will remember that as well. Remember? WELL, he was elected and none of that happened. IN FACT, if you lived in those days, it became a very fruitful time for evangelism particularly in the Catholic Church. The communication with formerly shunned people by charismatics grew many huge Assembly of God Churches. I was part of a church of a couple thousand in Chicago that was mostly ex Catholics.

Today we have the same debate. Mormon President? Romney will get his orders from Salt Lake City. This will make Mormonism acceptable. I am here to tell you that this may be the greatest day for the Church of Jesus to rise and shine and hold out a hand of fellowship to people who need to get right with God and who do NOT now have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. It happened in spades with the Catholics. Now we have the same thing all over again. The arguments by so called theologians that a christian can't vote for a Mormon are as empty as the against against JFK a generation ago.

One other thing... are we so insipid and fearful of the influence of another gospel that we cannot counter it with the truth of God and succeed? OR are we put to shame by a lifestyle of righteous living, moral centered certitude, holiness in flesh, charity in community and wider and evangelistic fervor that we are fearful that they will take over. Do we really believe that the election of Mitt Romney will precipitate all that? Maybe the external righteousness of the Mormon people will cause those of us who name the name of Jesus to come up higher. Maybe we need to examine ourselves.

If you fear the influence of the Mormon Church versus the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what a tiny God you serve. The one I know is MUCH bigger than that.