IRR NEWS. December 2021

In this Edition (click to jump to the section of your choice) 

• Protecting Pastors with Online Courses
• Video: Thank You from Ugandan Leader
• Here’s a Quick, Easy Way to Identify False Teachers
• Video: Jesus is the Answer to our leaky righteousness
• New YouTube Series: Mormon Teaching Untangled
• Free daily devotional book on Grace by Randy Alcorn
• IRR Updates for Praise and Prayer

How To Protect Your Spiritual Life  

Pastors and leaders like Rodgers and Julius need help protecting the spiritual lives of their people. These men are gifted, passionate about the gospel, and hungry to learn. I’ve worked with them both, and many others like them in places like Cuba, Kenya, Mexico, and Madagascar. 

But they, like many leaders, face two serious problems.

First, they, and the people they lead, face a daily barrage of false teaching from radio, TV, and social media. It can be a struggle to find resources with biblical answers.

Second, their access to traditional sources of learning - Bible Institutes, conferences, and seminars - has been hindered by COVID-related restrictions in their countries.

The good news is IRR has the solution to both of these challenges, and with your help we can start solving these problems immediately.

Online Courses: Helping Overseas Pastors Recognize Fake Prophets and Apostles

IRR now offers college-level, online courses that combine weekly videos, readings, study questions, quizzes, and discussion forums that leaders can access from all over the world using a laptop or their phone.

We recently completed our first 8-week course titled: Protect Your Spiritual Life: Why we must not mix the Old and New Covenants. Besides Rodgers and Julius, we had 15 other Christian leaders from Kenya and Uganda taking this class.

After the class Rodgers sent me this short video thank you. If you’ve supported IRR in any way this past year his gratitude is for you also.

Here is the core concept for this course:  Understanding the dangers of mixing the Old and New Covenants will help you protect your spiritual life and the lives of others.

A Quick and Easy Way to Identify False Teachers

One of the quickest and easiest ways to recognize a false teacher or religious system is to ask this question:

Do they take elements of the Old Covenant or Mosaic Law and demand that Christians follow them to have a restored relationship with God?

If the answer is yes, it is false teaching that leads to a false gospel based on works rather than grace.   

For example: 

• Seventh-day Adventists prohibit eating pork and demand Saturday worship
• Jehovah’s Witnesses prohibit blood transfusions (as the equivalent of drinking blood)
• Mormons forbid drinking tea and coffee and make a 10% tithe mandatory
• Many prosperity gospel teachers demand a full 10% tithe from their followers so these will not be “robbing God” and come under his curse.
• Hebrew Roots religious groups demand a return to celebrating Old Covenant feasts and festivals and observing ancient Jewish dietary laws.

Each of these groups contradict the New Covenant teaching of Jesus and his apostles.

Here’s a short video from the course: How Jesus is the Answer to our leaky righteousness. I had to film this outside so I wouldn’t flood my office.  

Based on what our students are saying, the impact of this course has been life changing.  Here’s what Rodgers, the ministry leader from Uganda (mentioned earlier), wrote me about the course:

This course has been a refreshing one. It came right on time when we were dealing with a cultic group that was taking people back to the OT teaching/Jewish worship. It is like God has spoken to you to address this at this time. You have done a great job, Joel. It is clear that you took time to prepare ahead of time. The electronic platform is excellent, the notes and video are great enhancers.

Sarah Walusimbi wrote:  This is helping me to do my work better as an apologist.

Robby Muhumuza, a church elder in Kampala, Uganda, wrote this:

I think it’s time for me to unlearn some of the interpretation of Scripture I have been taught over the years and learn afresh what the Scripture really says and its implications for me and others who are in Christ. Thanks very much for conducting this very important course for us, and for free.

We Want to Keep Our Teaching Free – But We Need Your Help

Few pastors and leaders in Africa and Latin America have the extra income to pay for further education. Many of them already work outside jobs to supplement what little they get in ministry.

An eight-module course like Protect Your Spiritual Life costs around $8000-$9000 dollars to produce. It takes weeks of research, study, and preparation, and requires video scripting, filming, and production, as well as writing and formatting the course curriculum. We have three other courses in process, and another four waiting to be designed and produced. 

We also have requests from both Cuba and Mexico for our training and we anticipate producing at least eight courses in Spanish.

To produce these courses and keep them free, we are looking for churches and individuals who will help sponsor a course by making a donation to IRR.

To become an online course sponsor please Donate Here and designate your gift “Online Courses.” If you would like to sponsor a particular language, please add either English or Spanish to your designation.   For example: “Spanish Online Courses.”

Your donation to IRR will help men and women around the world grow in their ability to defend the truth against the onslaught of false teaching. When you help leaders like Rodgers and Julius grow in knowledge, grace, and truth that impact is multiplied when they teach and train others.

We are grateful for the prayers and financial support that allow us to create high quality content that leads to transformed lives and we are excited to deliver that content free of charge to those who need it most.   

FREE! This Season Share the Gift of Grace with People You Love

Get this inspiring daily devotional book free with any donation or pledge of monthly support.  Please provide your mailing address when you donate online, mail in, or call in your gift or your pledge of monthly support in any amount and we will send it to you. Keep it for yourself, or gift it to someone else. Use it to share the beauty of God’s amazing grace.

You can order additional copies for just $8 each* to share the gospel of grace with those you love. (221 pages, softcover, retail $14.95) *plus shipping and while supplies last.

New Video Series

Mormon Teaching Untangled: YouTube videos with the truth about important LDS doctrinal topics

View the playlist of videos here.

IRR Prayer and Praise Updates

We are so grateful for your prayers on our behalf. We need them and depend on them for wisdom, power and direction in ministry. 

• 546 members in our Mormons in Transition Support Group seeking to grow and heal spiritually.
• 304 members in our Spanish Support Groups
• 2 new transitioning Mormons who have requested mentors
• For our mentors who are working with hurting Mormons in transition
• Unveiling Grace Podcast weekly outreach. This is heard on the radio in Utah and via internet around the world.
• IRR financial needs. We depend on the generosity of God's people to to provide truth that transforms the lives of hurting people.

May you experience the grace and love of Jesus this Advent season,

Joel B Groat – for all of us here at IRR

IRR Contact Info:

Tel. 616.451.4562   Address:  550 West St, Cedar Springs, MI 49319 

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