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Mission
To Mormons Cindy Bauer must have wept in the summer of 1998 when she heard the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) would build a temple on the Big Island, Hawaii. The 8,500-square-foot Kona temple became the 70th Mormon temple worldwide, when a delegation from Salt Lake City, Utah, conducted a dedication ceremony on January 23, 2000. Cindy Bauer lived in Utah until she was in the second grade. She moved to California but continued to spend her summers in Utah, an unwitting link between these two states were the bulk of the Mormon population of the United States resides. Her mother was a "Daughter of the Utah Pioneers." Her Latter-day Saint family ran the gamut from the name-only 'jack Mormons," to the active non-temple-marriage-members, to her uncle, who was a high priest. Her uncle baptized her when she reached the age of eight, and the memories of being lowered into the baptistry by his strong arms, the swirling of the water around her little white dress, and the impact of the words of her confirmational blessing are still fresh in her memory. Surely this must be of God?" I was raised not to question the Mormon faith, and I didn't. Mormonism was my life and my heritage. My ancestors converted to it over a century ago. I was loyal to Joseph Smith's teachings and worked diligently to prove myself worthy of becoming a god. "As I pursued life in the Mormon church, my efforts did not go unnoticed. In fact, my accomplishments set me apart from the average Mormon. At the age of 17, I first started teaching in the church. I taught in every auxiliary including Seminary and genealogy, except the exclusively male priesthood." Cindy recalls that even in high school her identity as a Mormon was very high profile, as was that of many of the other school leaders and class officers. The two young men she dated during high school, as well as her best friend in college, all joined the Mormon church due to her influence. At the age of twenty-one Cindy made a commitment to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover. "When I asked God to reveal its truthfulness to me, I literally saw my chest on fire. Mormon tradition promised a burning sensation in one's bosom, but this was more confirmation than ever imagined. Surely this must be of God!" FIRST SEED OF DOUBT For years Cindy had believed and openly taught such things as the Mormon doctrines that God was having sexual intercourse with his celestial wives to produce spirit babies. She believed that he had had intercourse with the young girl Mary to produce the body of Jesus. She had taught that when one is baptized into the Mormon church one receives an actual transfusion of new blood, making him or her a member of the twelve tribes of Israel. "So this tract did not shock me. Then I turned the tract over. There, on the back, was my first view of the simple plan of salvation, one that did not include those 'essentials' such as temple worship or priesthood or even a strictly organized church. It was a simple plan that emphasized Jesus Christ and His dying for the sins of each person." MORMONISM EXPOSED "It gnawed at my conscience. My friend knew God and I didn't. It was then that I began to question Mormon doctrines, which claimed to possess the fullness of the Gospel. Over the course of a year and a half, my Christian friend discipled me by exposing the beliefs I had never really questioned. "Driving home one evening I became acutely aware of God's presence. As I stopped at the light at the corner of Cherry Avenue and Market, the Lord spoke to my inner self and said, Mormonism is false. Everything within me cried out, "It can't be! It just can't be!" but the message was unyielding, Mormonism is false! The next morning Cindy devoted herself to prayer before going to church. At the end of that time, she was left with the firm conviction that she would have to swallow her pride and admit publicly that she knew Mormonism was wrong. She knew the necessity of publicly professing faith in Jesus Christ as Savior in order for Him to confess me before the Father. NOTHING BUT JESUS The Lord continued nudging Cindy's heart that morning as later in the service the pastor announced that "there are five more people who God has spoken to, who need to respond. One of you knows if God has spoken to you in your car." No one else had been there! How could he have known? Coincidence? I think not... "When I went forward, I'm sure my mascara was running, my slip was probably showing, I felt completely humiliated and humbled before the cross of Jesus Christ and those Christians who had been witnessing to me. But nothing mattered but Jesus. For the first time in my life I wanted to declare before everybody who Jesus Christ was, who he was for me, my Lord and my Savior, and that he died for my sins. I was a sinner, in need, needing His forgiving grace and power." After a battle that had lasted a year and a half, Cindy Bauer surrendered to the one and only true God of the Bible, breaking the silence in her life. LOOKING BACK "It's a silence perpetuated out of fear. The deception hindered me from asking questions. I realize now how deadly that silence is, and how subtle the lie." Deception's sting is that you are unaware you're being deceived. Don't fall into that trap! Just because you believe a principle does not necessarily make it true. The Word of God can only establish truth. "My testimony is the simple testimony of grace - God's grace." Cindy Bauer and her husband Tom are now living in Honolulu where they are pioneering a Christian Training Center with Grace Bible Church. They have four daughters, Carla, Christy, Cari and Charis). What Trish Received... Here is Something Wonderful and True God gave me By His Spirit in Jesus in me and me in Him... I pray daily.
Yes at times we fail in doing God's Will and we fail ourselves and others... But God Never Fails. As My Father in Jesus says "Freely ye receive, so freely give. Personal revelation from Our Father God and I am asking You Father to let the ears hear and eyes see and hearts receive this your free Wisdom in Jesus Name. Trish All good work in me and in other is All Done By the Indwelling of The Holy Spirit of Our Father God in Jesus in us and we in Him. Not one of us has a thing to boast of but God Our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, for in them is Life, Love, Fruits of the Spirit and Gifts from Daddy. I thank You Father in Jesus Name. Trish The Revelation Is: I can read and hear scriptures But it is God's Spirit who brings them to Life in me. Recently My Father in Jesus by His Spirit brought to Life Isaiah 26.3 "I will keep him in perfect peace who's mind is stayed on Me." James 4:8 Draw Near to God and He will draw near to me. James 4:7 Submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee. I thank You Father and I pray for Your Spirit to remind me as often as I need these Your Life giving Words and yes Father God I ask in Jesus Name for these Your Words to bring Life to all peoples everywhere in Jesus Name and as Jesus says Answered Prayers Bring You Praise.
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