Refiner's Fire Ministries

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! NASB

A while back a friend gave me a little book entitled Winning Spiritual Warfare: Steps to Freedom in Christ, by Neil Anderson. Only forty-eight pages, it packs an amazing punch. On page 20 is a section called "Non-Christian Spiritual Inventory", where you can check all the occult practices or false religions in which you have been involved, even on a casual basis. The list is not comprehensive, but it does include more than sixty items, such as Hare Krishna, fortune-telling, automatic writing and Rosicrucian, to name a few.

I was surprised at the number of items I checked off, some of which I’d nearly forgotten about: Ouija board, self-hypnosis, Fetishism (objects of worship, crystals, good luck charms), Unity, Yoga and—Mormonism. Fortunately, I have since burned the Ouija Board, I no longer wear the crystals, and the good luck charms never worked anyway. I dabbled in Yoga in the seventies, and have not been near it since.

Mormonism is another matter, and that’s where renouncing becomes vital. I know I have renounced all kinds of Latter Day Saint(ism), but what about the literature strewn all over my house? That is where Cleansing Home/Apartment comes in:

“After removing all articles of false worship from home/apartment, pray aloud . . . ‘Heavenly Father, We acknowledge that You are Lord of heaven and earth. In Your sovereign power and love, You have given us all things richly to enjoy. Thank you for this place to live. We claim this home for our family as a place of spiritual safety and protection from all the attacks of the enemy. We renounce all curses and spells utilized against this place. . .’”

As I re-read the book I realized that we have more Books of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, and “Inspired” Bibles than you can shake a stick at, not to mention several of Inez Smith Davis’ insufferably boring The Story of the Church. Plus volumes 1-5 of The History of the Church, and numerous other RLDS/Restoration publications that have drifted in during the past five or six years.

Many of you still have loved ones who are immersed in the Joseph Smith muck, and I can certainly relate. Cecil, of course, is still caught up in the Restoration, and many of the books belong to him. I have tried to be scrupulous in ridding the house of all the books that belong to me alone—and there were dozens. However, I have no right to go through like the grim avenger and remove all of Cecil’s books ala Fahrenheit 451. So if I need one of these for my research, which is ongoing, I can borrow from him. Is that appropriate? I believe so. And, of course, I have kept the books written about Joseph Smith and his antics—also dozens. One Book of Mormon, which is particularly large and heavy, I’m using as a door stop in my bathroom.

Paul Trask, in The Long Way Home, describes the burning ritual he and Leslie enjoyed after they were reborn into the light of Christ. I would love to have done that, but didn’t have the wherewithal to perform that particular ceremony. Perhaps someday Cecil and I can do it together, with his books. What a blessed day that will be! Meanwhile, the Joseph Smith church is a jealous mistress and all I can do is try to be a godly wife.

In His amazing love

Jan

P.S. I seem to have taken the summer off and for that I apologize. Here come the excuses. Cecil was diagnosed with prostate cancer in June and the prayerful process of choosing a treatment has been a little distracting. The nursing home where I work has had a staffing crisis which has just resolved and at last I have some time off. Imagine, in this economy and job market, being overloaded with work. Praise the Lord!