043 - God's Word finds Doris

You pick up your Bible and one is there more here than meets the is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right it may look like just print on the page but it's more than eight. Join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than the Bible literally stood up and shouted well not quite like that. But I was excited on Time that happened to our friend Doris Hansen working here tell that story today. Yes, I think.

And I'm Jim and we're sitting here in our dining room table back to do what we always do every week open the word of God begun to talk about it except a little differently this week because we can talk about it with a friend of ours and not her story is such an interesting one. She grew up in a in a Mormon polygamy group we have known Doris Hansen for old maybe 12 or 13 years and enjoyed very much working alongside her in ministry and well I pick it up. Well, she someone who, since she said she came. The Lord has become quite a student of the Bible, but more because she talks to a lot of a lot of people were still in polygamy, who were were misled about what God desires and intentions for them so so she pulled out the word of God and she says look this is where the truth is what's really well so she's she's masterful at handling the word of God but but more than that is fascinating when you ask her what was the role the word of God took in your life in your exit from the polygamy Mormon groups and like I was stopped because I think we lose we lose some of you out as we as Christians, we read the Bible. It seems like I'm an optional thing for us to sit down with the Bible but with people like Doris and last week you heard from Earl and Carla.

The word is of his critical component in every aspect of their lives in ministry and we want you to see up close and personal.

The actual effects of the word of God on people's lives, which we tend to forget about while endurance is very adept at spotting the twist right is very easy for false teachers or deceived people to take words that are familiar from the Bible and just put enough of a spin on that they mean something other than what God intended them to me and so Doris is very quick at spotting those deceptions and she's very good at twisting the twist right so I appreciate that very much about her and now that'll come out in a conversation while doing so she's fulfilling what Jesus said about the true setting free the word of God and like I said, living active is powerful, said it. I mean, it really doesn't mean anything. As to the divisions between heart and soul and and bone marrow so we talk about looking at this page has words on it is more than think of something incredible going on in the lives of people.

And when you stop and asked them, tell us what the word of God in your life how to good use that you can usually get amazing stories and that's part and parcel of what's coming up right here with Doris. So without further ado let's talk to Doris so were sitting here with Doris Hansen, a very good and beloved friend of ours who has a fascinating story and so before we dive into topics Bible oriented, which is why were here today, just give us a brief thumbnail of your past and present and future on well I don't know the future. Yeah, I do know how the Bible lands that I know last month I was born and raised in Mormon polygamy group and death course they do teach just like Mormonism does, that you can't trust the Bible, you can't believe everything that it says that you can trust Mormon scriptures Mormon history and I rejected rejected Mormonism, as well as the polygamy idea of how to get to heaven. Yeah I'm back its original Mormonism. Yes, it certainly isn't an offshoot from an apostate viewpoint. It is Orthodox Mormonism and I like it so I didn't get out of that. I ran away when I turned 18 I didn't turn to anything. I just left everything behind anything that has to do with religion or the Bible. I can one have anything to do with 25 years without any input that I knew love from God or seeking him in any way. I didn't want name and I didn't want religion in my life so I'm clear S except for what I had been told growing up that the Bible what they said. The Bible said right people only know what somebody told him. The Bible said right and that a lot. Even in my 25 years of nothingness.

We would yell get philosophical conversations in the Bible says Bubba was only repeating what somebody told me know if it said that a lot of people do that is a big book. It must be in there somewhere, but you but you never read the Bible yourself before you today at the house and in our Monday home evenings. I wish we had.

My mother would teach teach Bible stories she would teach Cain and Abel and Jonah and the prodigal son, and all of these Bible stories, but they always had the twist twisted to make it sound like it undergirded that the polygamy religious beliefs and is one of the great things when I was studying the Bible.

When I finally did become a Christian.

This is reading those stories myself and finding the true meaning each of those stories that my mother had twisted so badly. Actually, very badly. So what made you want to start reading the Bible in the first place where you already Christian.

At that point all know now something that attracted you to the Bible.

I don't wear long. I look back at it now.

I didn't know what time that I look back at it now I know it's just all the sudden the Holy Spirit decide to move on my life and I remember one day I was sitting at table's thinking would be like to read the Bible while Joe is seeking and I didn't understand what I was reading that was the end of that.

But it was one scene. Time. God is drawing me so I just me that all yearning to be here you go to church but you know be like to start so I guess it's true that God is the one who draws his death done on my own right when he started opened Job fair you know you keep reading if you start I remember right now I do not remember anything I read it was a closed book to me that the Holy Spirit that it was him.

I know now that it was him doing right now. So then we were there scriptures that led up to you, Lord, or at the time of the Lord is coming back historically think what I have to do is understand that Mormonism isn't true.

Before I could believe the Bible is true. But that's the road that the Lord let down because he knew that to a negative experience in the religion of Mormon polygamy. Growing up in the polygamy home that that I had to know that the Bible was a positive thing and gone to heaven course he left so so got me on the road to discovering how to discover the Mormonism was not true, and once I discovered that once I was sure that Mormonism was not God's religion that freed me up. It gave me permission, I noticed time that had given myself given me to give myself permission to start looking into what the truth really is something vacuuming away right and and just the right time God had somebody leave some reading material in the office.

I was working in, and it is religious stuff was it was you convince with that is part of that part of it and organism mom and me is really the biggie is also some of the material to a lump sum audiotapes of Walter Martin had made and he was a powerful preacher and he was the first Christian preacher I ever listen to other than Billy Graham and saw that Walter Martin he got went to the point, every single time and I was fascinated, fascinated, so I discovered start into the Bible and I came across Isaiah chapter 40 verse eight the word of our God stands for, and I thought what worse it got sick.

Miraculously, I knew that anything I read in the Bible from when I can trust and I started understanding what is reading and I went and I didn't go to because I later Mark 1331 for Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away and just kind of like concreted is no way the Mormons could say that the Bible wasn't true, because God in the Old Testament Jesus in the New Testament promise to you and so I got you, and then I started reading with passion and everything I read I can I automatically compared with what I've been taught growing up as patently visible right but that what you have been taught not Greg is not true. When you encounter the correct now exactly exactly. I still didn't know what was going on with me.

I just thought I was on the curious road here. I didn't understand the spiritual patient was really going on. I know now that the Holy Spirit was just drawing me with lifting age words I needed to see that I got saved in the day I realized how much salvation came by I was reading the final work and the slow and I was alone in the office do whatever I wanted and I have this minor reading the Bible. I was really and I came across moments can nine and 10. It says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved will be saved all the new stuff to me that I looked at that. I thought I have always believed that Jesus is Lord. I did not make God that time that I thought that and that he was resurrected, way down this road I was on the way and then I came across Ephesians chapter 2 verse eight and nine and that is what did it for me. For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God not a result of works, so that no one can boast. And I see him sitting.

I was like hello to the office and ice.

I am going works thought my sister no you don't have to do these things because she still in the group and and and I was just right then that just drew me up on the cloud nine and I rode there for the next year to just not my work is not a race, not by works is awesome experience to really grasp what grace was, but you but you knew that it wasn't about a company, not spyware yeah rings to be because we just talked with our friends Earl and Carla just last week and Carla cited the same as that not by works is what penetrated the religion demands works religion lease because you're under that burden all your life and you think what this is just which required and then God says no my work yet. It is such a shock, shock, and then that's when McAlpine's book came and I swear I read what I needed to do to get saved – Jesus in my life, but in reality we already have been saved well giving me insight into his word, and so there was a point somewhere along maybe had to confirm it in my cell rang with the prayer never thought I would get a better understanding what was going on. After I prayed. I didn't understand what was going on. I didn't know any Christians you know anything just to go to. I had no idea what to do from this point, I didn't even know as a Christian. So was the word of God itself. God's Spirit himself through his word that brought you an understanding of salvation for most people. We have been witnessed to by somebody and they speak with us or pray with us or somehow I need a salon, but in your case, it was God's word itself was God all my all my courses is God anyway all by himself, but I think that if a person in person had come just trying to speak to me about religion. I would've left them off the planet. I would accept that I was my dream all my life and use them so.

But when he did it through a book.

What can you do that that's true, and it was I was first the first several weeks I didn't know any Christians. I knew no one, and I didn't know what was going on and there was immediate spiritual battle and things just went from bad to batter and then from there to worse, and I know now courses spiritual taxes the devil doesn't attack an unlit lawn. I finally been lit up. I didn't know was going on. No idea what God had not abandoned know but again I didn't know the Holy Spirit is living in me. I didn't know that I just knew that I could go to heaven without works is gradually reading the word us. Of course, what, what helps you understand see these things, but it wasn't until I got under a Christian preacher that that the application and drawing it out real breaks make the connection is very powerful in my own life.

So, since that's what scriptures of do you keep coming back to will during that time of not understanding what happens and why I was going through such spiritual battles I memorize Proverbs chapter 3 verses five and six where it says trust the Lord with all your heart rate down the road on your own understanding that in all your ways acknowledge him and him make your paths straight or direct you memorized also Psalm 23 the Lord is now my shepherd, I need to know this and so those two those two scriptures. The first few weeks that after I became a version for powerful in me because when I get these attacks. Are these negative things were going on that I didn't understand. I would say them out loud under my breath.

I would say things were going on to trust you. I don't understand what's going on. I'll trust you with all my heart and I got me through some of the real rough times in the beginning is perfect for someone who's isolated and not. I'm uniting the church you just like your drift now away re-training your mind right exactly 6 of the truth. God is my shepherd, he is enough in my cup runneth over, I realized that meant somebody to sit is your saucer full system. So, are there sections that you did you gravitate to today bring big in your mind or is it just all I love it all. I love and all the Gospel of John was the first the first book I studied in depth first. My first race bike and sometimes it was an end and meriting in-depth study and I did it at home on but from a tape recorder tape-recording as I didn't do it from my church and that was where I first really got insight into who Jesus is before that but I didn't understand the way John had presented it and I was so excited to learn who Jesus is that he is God and that he is the only Savior and that believing in him is all I am required to do because in believing in him truly having faith in him.

I will follow him and obey him, and I still go to some of those rooftop first love, John 10, the whole contents chapter. I love the John and so I still gravitate to some of those verses.

Sometimes just out of sweet remembrance is I go back to John most often anything else. What we just finished 38 weeks talking about the Gospel of John. Programs I know know we are that also is our go to idiots. It's the place we go when we need to be reminded who is this Jesus himself is soak one it starts out so big you know you have Jesus in John one and you go. While this is a big claim. I wonder if John can approve this and talks about you get the other guy. I jumped right in saying race so that you will only write this Jesus. I just presented to you right works.

We recommend John to be full-time at where we start why John brings the big picture Jesus in the intimate picture Jesus just Galatians is pretty big to me to so much on their price versus works with the Jesus importance of grace as it is relates to his cross. Yeah, I think for someone who doesn't know about grace and there might be people listening is such a remarkable not just a concept but a core character who God is that he gives and has nothing to do their merit, there is almost nothing else we can connect that to. In our experience so we start to grasp that and you see how many ways, especially Paul says it so many different ways to understand and for him. It was centrally him, which makes sense because he was a law-abiding work work for him.

You and is voice.

Grace is an extraordinary thing so hard for me to grasp. Okay now that I'm saved by God saying this to myself. Now I've been saved by grace after really cool. I am being saved by grace, but then right remains thinking works keep you keep the grace of being good by works in us, and that's where Galatians Paul's really connected help.

While there is a friend of ours and she said she bet she can do and she said I'm I'm trying to I'm trying to be a good Christian doctrine said well that might be your problem is really angry automatically especially someone from a works oriented people may say well, but this natural, or room, you get a job you payback for what you accomplish is an accomplished structure. But that's not entirely true because you don't have a relationship with your parents or someone you love for your children. You have a lot of relationships that are actually built on grace, not merit, and so I so take that idea and expand that by about my relationship with my parents was merit exam. I did not love from them unless I deserved it and thought to weasel constant is hard to move from one to the other through God's word. You can get that you understand look were almost out of time and and I like the listeners to hear something about what you do in ministry that that's you know that's based on your experience coming out of Kingston's and stuff like that and how they can find out more about that like websites and stuff so site is shielded refuge.org and I have a ministry that reaches out to people in polygamy groups to show them that they can be saved by grace, not likely to replace the Savior with polygamy for salvation, and so my basic premise is to bring biblical truths to polygamist people today so they go online and you can check out a lot of shows on hundreds of shows now thousand and 7008 sorry and every week we produced show you still do still do so we just were delighted to be involved in that way. We continue to do this is just a great blessing will thank me in with a friend around once in a while will ensure love Doris's comments.

You knew one of things I love about it so much is that she was persistent over a long period of time.

She wasn't aware that God was drawing her but she kept being drawn to the Bible, and even you know what that false start Job and seeing nothing and yet still wondering what is there must be something here, something true here. I love that casino sometimes we think we we should just be able to open the Bible any page and point guards can change our lives. Maybe he certainly could do that, but for most of us it's a longer subtler process than that right, but it's accessible what were trying to hear the Bible is accessible in the Holy Spirit works in conjunction with his word and amazing things happen lives. Listen next week or to go different directions when old world time so excited really cool. We start into a week by week discussion of the letter to the Hebrews and big book and fascinating book and why are we going to do. Hebrews 12 yeah, and part of Mark my rational lease is the fact that when you read Hebrews in the New Testament. You sorta have to have 1 foot in the New Testament world and 1 foot in the Old Testament world and the two complement each other so well. Probably unlike anywhere else in the Bible so it's going to be sore or backdoor introduction to the Old Testament has restated the New Testament well and were going to touch on all kinds of things that are pertinent to where we live like that like the high priesthood of Jesus. Things like like the temple like God's purpose for speaking his word.

His final complete word in his son. So we are excited about this but it's going hard work and we take it in tiny chunks. If it's been daunting to before. Be no more going on, but it's a fascinating so we hope you join us next week on this adventure on Jim Dorothy next morning