Why Mormons Are Not Christians

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 Recently I posted on my Facebook page that I would not vote for a Mormon to to be President of the United States.  I want a Christian to be president.  It caused a bit of controversy with one saying that Mormons are Christians.

The reason Mormonism is not Christian is because it denies one or more of the of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity.  These include that there is only one God, Jesus is God in flesh, forgiveness of sins is by grace alone, and Jesus rose from the dead physically, the gospel being the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  Mormonism denies three of them: how many gods there are, the person of Jesus, and His work of salvation.

Mormonism teaches that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones and that Jesus is a creation.  It teaches that he was begotten in heaven as one of God’s spirit children (See the Book, Jesus the Christ, by James Talmage, p.8).  This is in strict contrast to the biblical teaching that he is God in flesh (John 1:1,14), eternal (John 1:1,2,15), uncreated, yet born on earth (Col. 1:15), and the creator of all things (John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17).  Jesus cannot be both created and not created at the same time.

Though Mormonism teaches that Jesus is God in flesh, it teaches that he is “a” god in flesh, one of three gods that comprise the office of the Trinity (Articles of Faith, by Talmage, pp. 35-40).  These three gods are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  They do not accept the truth of the “Godhead” with there being only one God (Isaiah 44:6,8; 4:5).

Because Mormonism denies the biblical truth of who God is, who Jesus is, how forgiveness of sins is attained, and what the gospel is, the Mormon is not Christian — in spite of all his claims that he is Christian.

It is interesting that you do not find Christians calling themselves Mormons; but you find Mormons calling themselves Christians.  Could it just be the politically correct thing to do?

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“Did I Marry the Wrong Person?”

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 Marriage breakups have become epidemic, and an oft-used excuse is “I just don’t love her (him) anymore.”  It matters very little that a few years earlier in from of a church full of witnesses the couple pledged to live together as husband and wife “for better for worse,. . .’till death us to part.”  It is only important that now the loving feelings have fled, replaced by doubts and dislike.

It is important to realize that the question “Did I marry the wrong person?” has probably crossed the mind of most people that ever been married.  The idealism of dating and engagement sooner or later crashes in the reality of marriage.  No matter how hard we try to be ourselves during courtship, we still play games, wear masks, and hide our real selves to a degree.  Then, after the honeymoon when day-to-day work of living together begins, the pretenses fall and we begin to see each other for real.  Some begin to think that they made a mistake and did not marry the person God had chosen for them.

There are at least two problems with this way of thinking.
1. It limits God.  He doesn’t make mistakes, but neither does he spend his time catering to our selfish needs and whims.  Analyze this statement: She’s the right person for me. Doesn’t it sound self-centered?  It sounds as if I expect God and everyone else to meet my needs.  It turns love into a noun–something I fall in and out of, something I receive from others and possess.  Real love, however, is primarily a verb.  It involves action and conscious choices to meet the other person’s needs.  You do not “fall into love”, you “grow into love.”  Yes, God wants the best for us, but on his terms not ours.

2. It ignores the clear teachings of Scripture.  The Bible emphasizes in unequivocal terms the sanctity of marriage.  The principle is clear from Genesis (2:24) to Jesus (Matthew 19:4-6) and Paul (Ephesians 5:31).  The marriage commitment is a covenant that must not be broken while both members live, even if they think they may have made a mistake.  Knowing God’s will may be determined by reading what He says in His Word.  I should be asking, “How does my life line up with God’s will for the world?”

The bottom line for successful marriage is commitment.  My wife and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary recently.  Christ has been and is the center of our home.  Don’t fall for the lie that the grass is greener elsewhere.  Don’t let yourself think that your present marriage is a big mistake, and that somewhere else there is someone who is perfect for you.  God has a great plan for you and your spouse, but he must be the center of it.

Dr. Adrian Rogers said, concerning marriage, “There are no problems too large to solve, just people too small to solve them.”

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A Funny Story About Hymns and Praise Choruses

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was

“Well,” said the farmer. “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.”

“Praise choruses?” asked the wife. “What are those?

“Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.

The farmer said, “Well it’s like this … If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, in the CORN, CORN, CORN, COOOOORRRRRNNNNN,’ then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus.”

As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday a young, new Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the young man, “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.”

“Hymns?” asked the wife. “What are those?”

“They’re okay. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different,” said the young man.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.

The young man said, “Well it’s like this … If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I were to say to you,

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry

Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.

Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by

To the righteous, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain

There in their heads is no shadow of sense,

Hearkenest they in God’s sun or his rain

Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,

Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.

Then goaded by minions of darkness and night

They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by,

Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn

Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry

And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn,

then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and change keys on the last verse, well that would be a hymn.”
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“Can a person that commits suicide go to heaven?”

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 A pastor friend of mine told his wife that he was going to the hospital to visit some members that were sick.  He got into his automobile, drove a few miles and stopped along the highway.  He then put a pistol to his head and killed himself.

Most of us know someone that has taken their own life..  Is this an immortal sin?  Can they go to heaven?  The answer is yes!

The Bible says that Samson killed himself.  He had been taken into a large Colosseum to be made a spectacle by the Philistines.  He put his arms around the two middle pillars that supported the building.  He prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.  And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein.  So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”  (Judges 16:30)

In “God’s Hall of Fame” in Hebrews chapter 11, Samson is listed along with David, Samuel, etc.  (vs. 32)

I personally believe that a Christian that commits suicide is at that moment in time, insane.  This may be caused by many different issues.  I do know that if they had truly been born again, their soul goes to heaven.

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“What does the Bible say about tattoos/body piercings?”

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 Many of my Christian friends have tattoos.  Some of my family members have them.  Many Christian ladies have their ears pierced to wear pierced earrings.  Young people have made tattoos and body piercing very popular.  It has gone to the excess with some covering arms, neck and ankles with tattoos or having rings in the nose, lip and tongue.  What does the Word of God say about this?

The Old Testament law commanded the Israelites, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”  (Leviticus 19:28)  Christians are not under the Old Testament law.  (Romans 10:4; Ephesians 2:15)  While we are not under this law, because God commanded this to the Israelites, we should pause and think.  The New Testament does not say anything specifically about tattoos and body piercing.

The Bible is not a book of minute laws, it is a book of general principles. This is good because if it were a book of minute laws it would take a train with several cars to carry them.  It is also good because you may find a loophole in a law, but you can not in a principle.   For example:  The Bible does not say, “thou shalt not watch X rated movies.”  The Bible does say that a man is not to look upon a woman for the purpose of lusting after her. (Matthew 5:28)

An important scriptural principle about how we treat our bodies is recorded in I Corinthians,  “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  (I Cor. 6:19-20)

Each Christian should personally seek God’s permission before doing anything to his body that might be offensive to other Christians or God.

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“What happens to people that never hear the Gospel?”

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

 Recently my Sunday School teacher informed that of the six billion people on earth some 1.5 billion were Christians and that of the 4.5 billion people who were not, about one billion of these have never heard the Gospel.  There was interesting discussion on what happens to these people.  It is true that millions of people in the history of civilization never heard the Gospel.  What happens to their souls?

1. THE CALVINISTIC POINT OF VIEW

The Calvinist believes that people who never hear the Gospel go to hell because they simply were not one of the elect (chosen to be saved by God).  They cite many verses of Scripture to warrant their conclusion.  One example of this is:  “For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”  (Rom. 9:15)

Of the four viewpoints being considered, this seems to be the most consistent with their overall interpretation of the Bible.  They are not constrained to make their their theology jump through hoops to be systematic with the problem of those who never hear the Gospel.

Critique:  Many Bible students/scholars do not subscribe the Calvinistic interpretation of the Bible.  They believe that man has a free will and may choose God to be their Father rather than God choosing them to be His child.  They also have many verses of Scripture to sustain their persuasion.  One example of this is:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)

2. THE PRAGMATIC FOREKNOWLEDGE POINT OF VIEW

Those who embrace this viewpoint believe that God foreknows those that will accept Christ as Savior if they hear the Gospel and those who will not accept Him if they hear the Gospel.  They then pragmatically conclude those that would accept the Gospel will be born in a place where they hear the Gospel.  They affirm that those who never hear the Gospel are people who would reject it if they hear it every day of their life.

This viewpoint contends that man has a free will to accept or reject Christ.  God does not force man to be saved.  They conclude that, while God does not force man to be saved, He knows how each person will respond to the Gospel.  Those born in a place where they never hear the Gospel would have rejected it.

One verse of Scripture used to advocate this point of view is:  “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father . . .”  (I Peter 1:2)

Critique:  This viewpoint has some merits, but is as much philosophical as theological.  It seems to soften the Calvinistic point of view with the end result being the same.  It attempts to combine the exclusivity of Jesus and the Calvinistic points of view.

3. SALVATION THROUGH GENERAL REVELATION POINT OF VIEW

This viewpoint holds that people who never hear the Gospel can be saved by accepting the general revelation of God provided by nature.  They contend that when a person who never hear the Gospel, accepts the fact of God by viewing what He has created, he will be saved and go to Heaven.

One verse of Scripture used to promote this point of view is:  “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”  (Rom. 1:20)

Critique:  Believing that God exists takes very little faith.  The evidence of nature and logic conclude this.  Jews and Muslims believe in God.  The faith to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is a gift from God.  (Eph. 2:8-9)

If people that never hear the Gospel are saved because of general revelation, it would be a mistake to ever preach the Gospel to them in that then they would be accountable to God for their accepting or rejecting it.

This viewpoint presents two plans of salvation:  Ignorance (never heard the Gospel) and Information (have heard the Gospel).  Of course, the plan of salvation through ignorance would be much more successful than that of information.

4. THE EXCLUSIVITY OF CHRIST POINT OF VIEW

This viewpoint teaches that believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only way anyone can go to Heaven.  People who embrace this interpretation of Scripture point out that after Adam sinned an innocent animal was slain (it’s blood was shed) so that Adam could be clothes.  According to them, this was a picture of Jesus shedding blood on the cross that we might be clothed in His righteousness.  This picture is then seen throughout the Old Testament with blood sacrifices.  They cite Job saying, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”  (Job 19:25)

Proponents of this view point out the fact that the Jews believed in and were looking for the Messiah.  In a nutshell, this persuasion holds that, those in the Old Testament were saved by looking forward to Calvary and those since Christ are saved by looking back to Calvary.

One verse of Scripture used to support this view is:  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Critique:  This point of view is difficult to refute using the Bible.  The prophets told of the birth and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  It leaves no room for salvation through general revelation or any other way.  This persuasion teaches that those who never hear the Gospel will not go to Heaven.  I have noticed that when it comes to the question about those who never hear the Gospel, they seem to waffle and invoke some of the arguments from one or more of the other three views given.

My personal belief:  I have studied the four points of view above at great length.  They provoke much thought and questions.  Many verses of Scripture confirm that Jesus Christ is the only way to Haven.  These assertions about Christ are absolute and not relative.  I believe this.  I am humbly grateful that I got to hear the Gospel; was convicted and drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit; and was saved by the grace of God.

We should be motivated to be faithful in sharing the Gospel with others around the world.  We can not understand the mind of God.  He would be a puny God if mortals could understand His thoughts and ways.  We can understand His Word.  We are to share the Gospel with the world.  (Matt. 28:19-20)  That is crystal clear, which leads to the question,  “What in the world are we doing for Heaven’s sake?”

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“Why did God allow incest in the Bible?”

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


There are numerous examples of incest in the Bible. The most commonly thought-of examples are the sons/daughters of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4), Abraham marrying his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12), Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19), Moses’ father Amram who married his aunt Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), and David’s son Amnon with his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13). It is important to note, however, that in two of the above instances (Tamar and Lot) one of the parties involved was an unwilling participant in the incest.

It is important to distinguish between incestuous relationships prior to God commanding against them (Leviticus 18:6-18), and incest that occurred after God’s commands had been revealed. Until God commanded against it, it was not incest. It was just marrying a close relative. It is undeniable that God allowed incest in the early centuries of humanity. If Adam and Eve were indeed the only two human beings God created, their sons and daughters would have had no other choice but to marry and reproduce with their siblings and close relatives. The second generation would have had to marry their cousins, just as after the flood the grandchildren of Noah would have had to intermarry amongst their cousins. The reason incest is so strongly discouraged in the world today is the understanding that reproduction between closely related individuals has a much higher risk of causing genetic abnormalities. In the early days of humanity, though, this was not a risk due to the fact that the human genetic code was relatively free of defects.

It seems, then, that by the time of Moses, the human genetic code had become polluted enough that close intermarriage was no longer safe. So, God commanded against sexual relations with siblings, half-siblings, parents, and aunts/uncles. It was not until many centuries later that humanity discovered the genetic reason that incest is unsafe and unwise. While the idea of incest is disgusting and abhorrent to us today, as it should be, we have to remember why it is sinful, that is, the genetic problems. Since this was not an issue in the early centuries of humanity, what occurred between Adam and Eve’s children, Abraham and Sarah, and Amram and Jochebed, should not be viewed as incest. Again, the key point is that sexual relations between close relatives must be viewed differently pre-Law and post-Law. It did not become “incest” until God commanded against it.

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“What does the Bible say about bestiality?”

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

The Bible mentions bestiality in four different passages. Exodus 22:19 says, “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death.” Leviticus 18:23 declares, “Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.” Leviticus 20:15-16 commands, “If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal. If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Deuteronomy 27:21 agrees, “Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal.” From these verses, it is abundantly clear that, according to the Bible, bestiality is a horrible, unnatural, and abominable sin.

Why is bestiality condemned so strongly? First, it is an unnatural perversion. Clearly, human beings were designed/intended to mate with other human beings, not animals. In the creation account, none of the animals were “suitable” for Adam (Genesis 2:20). Second, bestiality represents the ultimate of sexual deviancy. The fact that the animal was to be put to death (Leviticus 20:15-16), despite the fact that it would be “innocent,” indicates how wickedly perverse bestiality is. Third, and perhaps most importantly, bestiality essentially denies the uniqueness of humanity which God created in His image (Genesis 1:27). Bestiality lowers humanity to nothing more than an animal, a beast which is unable to distinguish right from wrong, natural from unnatural, love from lust.

The New Testament nowhere mentions bestiality, but that should not be interpreted as an allowance for bestiality or a weakening of how strongly God condemns bestiality. While the Old Testament Law was fulfilled with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:4;Galatians 3:23-25;Ephesians 2:15), the Law, in most instances, is still a guidepost for what is right or wrong, moral or immoral. Unlike some of the other Old Testament commands, there is nothing in the context of the biblical condemnations of bestiality that in any way limits the applicability to Israel as a nation or to any particular time period. While the death-penalty aspect of the command does not need to be enforced, the fact that bestiality is still a horrible, disgusting, perverted, and abominable sin is abundantly clear.

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GRIN AND SHARE IT: “Clocks in Heaven”

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon

Clocks in Heaven

A man passed away and went to Heaven. Upon arriving at the
pearly gates, St. Peter said, “Come on in. I’ll show you around.
I really think you’ll like it here.” Walking through the gates,
the man noticed that there were clocks everywhere. It appeared
that Heaven was nothing more than a giant clock warehouse.

Surprised at how Heaven looked, the man asked St. Peter, “What’s
the deal with all the clocks?”

St. Peter replied, “They keep track of everybody on earth.
There is one clock for each person. Every time someone tells a lie,
his clock moves forward one minute. For instance, this clock belongs to
Sam, a used car salesman. If you watch it closely, it will move any
second.” Click. The minute hand on Sam’s clock moved forward one
minute. Click. It moved forward another minute. “Sam must be closing on
a deal right now,” said St. Peter. “The minute hand on his clock moves
all day long.”

The man and St. Peter continued walking and soon came across a
clock covered with cobwebs. “Whose clock is this?” asked the man.

“That clock belongs to the Widow Mary. She is one of the finest
persons on earth. I bet her clock hasn’t moved in a year or two.”

They continued walking and touring Heaven. The man enjoyed watching
the clocks of all his friends. When the tour was finally finished, the man
said, “I’ve seen everyone’s clock but one. Where is President Obama’s
kept?” St. Peter smiled and said, “Look up there. We use his for a
ceiling fan.”

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“I want a baby, but my spouse does not. What do we do?”

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Dr. Mike Harmon


The Bible declares children to be a blessing. Psalm 127:3 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” This is contrary to the way much of the world views children—as a hindrance and a burden. Children should not be viewed as a liability.

The lack of desire to have children often stems from selfish motives. Some people do not want children because they want to focus on themselves, their careers, and their money. They do not want to be “tied down” or give up their expensive cars, homes, or vacations. This kind of attitude is sinful. Others do not want children because of fears about not being able to parent successfully, not being able to afford to raise the child properly, or fears about childbirth itself.

Without knowing the reasons for not wanting to have children, it is difficult to determine whether or not the feelings are “wrong.” Are there health issues? Are there unresolved issues from childhood? These are things that should be discussed between spouses, and if need be, Christian marriage counseling should be sought.

As Christians, our devotion should first be to God, who says that children are a blessing. After that, the most important relationship is with our spouse. If it is very important to a spouse to have children, it should definitely be considered, with an attitude of respect and submission (see Ephesians 5:21-33). Practically speaking, this is a topic that should be thoroughly discussed before marriage.

If we devote ourselves to prayer, Bible reading, and meditation, God will reveal His will if we put Him first. Romans 12:2 declares, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

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