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Saturday, March 27, 2021

He'll Always Catch You



One of my favorite songs is "Broken" by Lifehouse. Just by listening to the song, you can just feel lots of emotion. 

When I first heard it in 2007, I was hooked. I was convinced it was a Contemporary Christian song, written from the perspective of a dying Jesus on the cross.

But after researching and reading comments, I found out the story behind the song.

Jason Wade, Lifehouse's lead singer, had a friend who lived in Nashville. His friend needed a kidney transplant. Wade flew out to Nashville to see his friend while he was in the hospital. When Wade spoke to him, the chorus of this song is what his friend told him. It was basically his friend's words to God:

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain there is healing
In your name I find meaning

So, here's someone who is at the end of their life, breathing their last breaths, and the only thing that they are holding on to, the only thing that is keeping them alive, is God. 

I love that so much, because it doesn't only have to apply to someone who is at the end of their life, but it can also apply to all of us. No matter what we are going through, it can be a reassurance for us to know that we can always hold on to Yeshua, we can always find meaning in His name. 

Another section in this song says:

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I would, would be ok

More meaningful, powerful words. 

It is so amazing to know that through anything we go through, and through anything that happens, we can hold on to Yeshua. We can be assured by his words that say we'll be OK. 

There is nothing else in this whole world that has that reassurance. There is nothing else that we can hold onto with our lives besides Yeshua. His hand is holding all of ours.

If you wanted a mental picture, it's kind of like falling off the edge of a cliff (popular movie scene). When you look down, the fall is endless and you know you would die, but right when your last finger slips off the edge, a bigger, stronger hand catches you and keeps you from falling. You hold on to that hand with your whole life. 

It's that same way with Yeshua. No matter how hard our lives get, no matter how often we think we're going to fall off the cliff, Yeshua always catches us and we can always hold on to Him.





Sunday, March 14, 2021

The Gift of Healing Part 4: The Oft-Neglected Link in Healing Yourself...and Others


Light as a Feather

Anyone who knows me knows that I love sports-related movies (ironic considering I don't watch sports at all; I have no idea who played in the SuperBowl, World Series, etc). 

In the movie Rocky III, Clubber Lang had just defeated Rocky Balboa. Soon thereafter, Rocky announced that he'd fight Clubber Lang again. His trainer, Apollo Creed, worked with Rocky to prepare him for what promised to be a brutal fight. 

It was soon apparent that Rocky's top nemesis wasn't Clubber Lang, but himself. He had so many doubts, so much self-negativity. He had literally lost the will to fight again, despite his being in probably the best shape of his life. He wanted to quit. "How did everything that was so good get so bad," he asked his wife, Adrian. "You wake up after a few years thinking you're a winner, but you're not. You're really a loser."

"Nothing is real if you don't believe in who you are!" Rocky yelled to Adrian. "Don't you understand?"

When you watch this scene, you can just feel all the emotional and psychological rocks Rocky was carrying. Maybe not rocks. Boulders.

"But none of it's true," Adrian said. "And you can't live like this. Look what it's doing to you now. Apollo thinks you can do it (take on Clubber Lang). So do I. But you gotta do it for the right reasons."

"And if I lose?" Rocky asked.

"Then you lose, but at least you lose with no excuses," Adrian replied.

In the next scene, we see Rocky and Apollo jogging on the beach. Rocky punching. Practicing, and as he does so, he is practically dancing on air. As he gets lighter, he also gets stronger, faster, more powerful...exceeding his own expectations.

Eventually, Rocky would knock out the man who decisively knocked him out months earlier.

The psychological, emotional and mental boulders Rocky had been carrying from his prior loss to Clubber Lang were formidable to Rocky. But the others in Rocky's life saw those boulders as lightweight, practically nothing, if Rocky chose to offload them. Once he did, he became light as a feather yet as quick and lethal as a cobra.

Give Him Your Rocks

You, too, likely carry a lot of rocks with you. 

We humans are so adept at burdeneing and weighting ourselves down. All our past screw ups, stupid tendencies, sins and more. 

Rocks, definitely. Boulders? Quite possibly.

Sometimes I think that one of the hardest things about the Gift of Healing is "Letting Go and Letting God." We don't give Yeshua near as much credit for his eagerness and enthusiasm in taking our burdens from us. So, we choose to carry our burdens rather than (supposedly) weight down He who loves us the most.

And when we knowingly, willingly choose to do this, we not only weight ourselves down, but we also reject the single-greatest gift God has even given mankind: His atonement. 

That's right: When you choose to carry your own burdens, you blatantly reject Yeshua, His atonement and His mission. You turn your back on God and the greatest manifestation of love in the history of history.

How can you possibly help another heal -- or maybe even expect yourself to heal -- via the Gift of Healing when you're rejecting the greatest gift ever?

A friend of mine had a dream two years ago about the rocks she was carrying:

"This was given at a time when I struggling to work through some really painful and hard things that had happened to me years before. These were things that had always brought me a lot of pain and suffering for a long time, and had also kept me feeling very alone and completely isolated wherever I went. 

In the dream, I was sitting on the ground, heavy and plagued by sorrows that draped my body. I thought the sorrow and sadness must be that I was very, very innately bad and irrevocably hurt. I felt like I did in life, that maybe that my whole eternal identity was forever hurt or altered.

Then, from my right, Christ came near me very softly. When I registered that it was him, his presence was just as natural and comfortable and calm as if he had been in the “room” of my life the whole time. He had a backpack that he gently showed to me, the top already unzipped, as he knelt down closer to my level.

He addressed me with the softest gentle dignity and said, so extremely kindly and tenderly “You carry so many heavy things. Why not put them in my backpack and let me carry them for you?”

I was so touched and surprised that he would not mind coming near me, and talking to me. I was also so amazed that ANYONE would spend time expressing a desire to help me.  

I was now surprised that I really *could* give him my heavy things, and I started to look for a way to do it. In the dream, I started handing him these rocks as big as softballs, that each represented different kinds of hurt, sadness or pain. I knew that I had SO many rocks like this, that all of them would never fit in a backpack. I also knew I could never remember all of my terrible traits, sorrows, and hurt to to hope to be able to remember them all. 

I felt shameful in my heavy perception that I had so many more terribly abundant rocks than all the other more “normal or special” people that I seem to know.  But I did give him as many as I felt able to give. After a little while of handing rocks over, I did NOT feel like I could ask for him to take any more, because I knew that I had too many and I did not want to ask too much, or be greedy to someone perfect and kind. 

I looked around and sadly saw that there were still rocks of my sadness and hurt everywhere on the ground for a many foot radius, but I was grateful that he would take the ones that I had been able to name and hand to him. So rather than ask for too much, I said thank you and signaled that this was as many as I felt able to ask for him to take.

I just really felt ashamed and hopeless that I still had so many more rocks, strewn about the ground all around me. But again, I didn't want to be greedy, or bad, and I pretended that partial relief was going to be enough, since I believed I SHOULD NOT ask for more (those “modest” expectations).

 (My self worth felt SO low! He has really helped me with this since then, in such loving and sustained ways).

Jesus was so kind, and treated me with so much respect. He did NOT look at all the other rocks that I felt so hopeless and ashamed about and embarrassed of. It was like he didn't even see them. (He wanted me to feel dignity). I knew he saw them, but was not looking at them. He did not want me not to feel unworthy or self conscious or bad. It was VERY noble and kind and gentlemanly.  

When he saw I was done giving rocks, he didn't comment on how many I had been able to give. He just quietly zipped the pack, stood up, and put it on his back. 

I looked at him in his white robe, with the backpack on his back and I thought. “Wow. he looks like a normal man, wearing a backpack filled with rocks.” I wonder what this meant to me, for my sadness and for all these rocks. I also noticed that so far, I felt the same way inside as before. With the difference of feeling so much kindness and dignity, interpersonally. 

As soon as I was done noting that thought, Jesus looked at me in the eyes, and while holding eye contact, He slowly raised both of his arms high into the air. As he did, every rock on the ground in every direction unanimously lifted off of the ground several feet, and floated, now weightless. Every single one just hung, completely still, and suspended. 

My jaw dropped, and even my mind gaped open in awe and amazement. It was so unexpected and so incredible. Everything held so still. 

To see the rocks so still, and so silent in the air, raised by him, I could feel his supreme and law-defying strength. By feeling it, I felt SO MUCH RELIEF. 

Every weight was now lifted by him, and all of them now irrelevant to me.

I remember that in the dream I was so shocked and amazed by the lifted rocks holding so still that I even looked at the backpack and it was also looking lifted and weightless. EVERY rock was lifted and suspended. All of the weight was made irrelevant to me, by Him!

The BEST part was that as Jesus watched my expressions and my experience of his lifting of all my sorrows and weights, every terrible sorrow and pain and hurt, he smiled the most joyful and radiantly pleasure filled smile that I had ever seen (up to that moment in time). He was so filled with joy and personally deep and gratified pleasure and happiness to see my relief. This was his greatest pleasure and happiness and delight. And it was plain to see that He LOVED his experience of watching my awe and relief. 

He was just so filled with life and happiness and joy to watch me “know” his miracle, and for me to experience His rest and relief. He was SO HAPPY to do what he was doing, with the ability that he has, and was *loving* to use to help me.  

His smile was so warm and so real. In it, I knew he wanted me to know and experience how joyful he was to preform it through the power of his strength. His joy was personal, REAL, radiant, joyful, bright, happy, expressive, and amazing. It was SO personal. He LOVED showing me the ease and joy with which he lifted every sorrow and pain for ME. 

It was emotionally incredible to experience this in contrast with the heavy and exhausting many previous years during which I had suffered in silence, very greatly."

Uncondemned

If you'll recall, Yeshua never condemned the woman at the well. He never condemned the woman caught in adultery. He never, ever said, "Well, read these scrolls and come see me weekly for six months, then we'll see if you're sufficiently repentant enough." No. Did you read what I just wrote? HE DIDN'T CONDEMN THEM!

Yet today, we allow ourselves to carry equal or even lesser burdens, and somehow justify it...all while demeaning and diluting the power of a non-delaying atonement.

All things are created first spiritually, then temporally (D&C 29:31-32). That includes healing. And that healing starts with you, for "God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also." (Alma 60:23).

If you want to ensure, with a 100% guarantee, that you have made Yeshua smile, then start by valuing His atonement. Give Him ALL your rocks. Every one of them.

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)

And as you'll see in your mind's eye His joy, His indescribable pleasure, in YOUR giving true value to His atonement, you'll not only feel lighter...

...but also in your spiritual healing, you'll discover a newfound spiritual lightness about you, and an enhanced ability and enthusiasm to heal others, too.

Want to dive into the concept of "Dropping Your Rocks" in more depth? Click here to join our Facebook group!




Tuesday, March 9, 2021

The Gift of Healing Part 3: The Urgent Need for the Gift of Healing


Yeah us!!!!

COVID-19 cases and deaths dropping! More and more people worldwide are returning to work and beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy! Entire states are contemplating lifting mask mandates! Businesses are reopening! People are getting out in the springtime weather and visiting cafes, movie theaters, sports events and more.

Because of these circumstances, I think it’s perfectly natural and expected that people are optimistic about the COVID-19 trendlines these days. 

Yet despite all the COVID-19 demise celebrations remains many alarming facts:

  • Leaders and judges pass and endorse laws allowing the murder of unborn children. 
  • They accommodate and fund countries who are violently opposed to God, Christians and freedom. 
  • They corrupt our laws, processes and procedures and eliminate divinely-inspired constitutional rights, provisions and principles, leaving a country founded upon principles which consider good/legal as evil, and evil/illegal as good.

Along with the mass media, these leaders and judges also:

  • Ignore and remain silent as anarchist groups foment riots and violence in our neighborhoods. 
  • Espouse sexual education and even genetic sexual manipulation of kindergarteners and encourage them to reconsider their God-given genders.
  • Give preferential treatment for individuals based on the color of their skin, not the content of their character. 
  • Embrace socialist and communist ideologies.
  • Mock, degrade and even inhibit the free exercise of religion, especially Christianity.

Within the church, 

Did you get that? Our nations are murdering babies, boldly challenging sexual and even gender-based norms, stamping out not only Christianity but also religion, morals and ethics. And the priesthood is increasingly powerless to stop it.

So, what has God done historically when mankind defiantly chooses evil over good?

He sends us warnings.

The First Wave

Typically, God has sent prophets to urge people to turn away from sin and cast themselves upon the mercy of God. He did this with Samuel (1 Samuel 7:3), Isaiah (Isaiah 1:24-27), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 4:1-4), Lehi (1 Nephi 1:18-20), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 33:11), Daniel (Daniel 2:18; 9:3, 9, 17-18, 23), Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:2), Joel (Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-17), John the Baptist (Matthew 3:5-12), James (James 5:1-6), John the Revelator (Revelation 2:5, 16, 21-22), Yeshua (Luke 13:1-5), Nephi (1 Nephi 7:13, 11:36), Jacob (Jacob 2:33, 3:1-3), Mosiah (Mosiah 7:31, 29:27), Alma (Alma 1:12, 4:11, 9:18, 10:18-27), Helaman (Helaman 8:5, 26), Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman 13:5-6), Mormon (Mormon 6:22), Ether (Ether 8:23-25) and Moroni (Moroni 8:27, 9:22).

About a year before COVID-19 hit, in his April 2019 General Conference address “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” President Nelson actually said “I plead with you to repent.” Yet I haven’t observed any major course corrections in humanity nor the church.

The Second Wave

Yet when prophets’ pleas have been ignored -- even after a short time -- God has sent a second wave of warnings. They may come in the form of plagues (Zechariah 14:12, 15, 18; 2 Chronicles 21:14; Exodus 9:14; Numbers 11:33; Revelation 16:9, 21) or pestilences (Exodus 9:14). 

The conditions for the alleviation of these divine calamities is three-fold: mankind must repent of:

  • Its sins (Mosiah 12:2-7; Helaman 11:15; D&C 97:26)
  • Its unbelief in God (2 Nephi 6:15) and 
  • Not remembering Him (Helaman 12:3). 

The remedy for these plagues and pestilences: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

It’s interesting to note that in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14, it’s “my people” who are “called by my name” who are the fulcrum in healing lands.

Let’s assume for a minute that we can and should take God literally, and that we, His people, can help turn this thing around.

Are we, as a church membership, humbling ourselves?

Are we praying more than ever?

Are we seeking -- and encouraging others to seek -- the face of the Lord?

Are we turning from our wicked ways?

If we are not, if things seem to be drifting more in the direction of evil than good, darkness than light, faith in the arm of flesh over faith in God, then how can we possibly expect the Lord to heal our land?

The Third Wave

"And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land." (Mosiah 29:27)

  • I see no evidence that we, collectively, as church members, are humbling ourselves. 
  • Seeking the face of the Lord is considered “a familiar tactic of the adversary.”. Many who do so are considered zealots, troublemakers and even apostates.
  • If we had turned from our wicked ways, then we would be seeing greater manifestations of priesthood power, which we are not (see Pres. Boyd K Packer, “The Power of the Priesthood,” April 2010 General Conference; and Pres. Russell M Nelson, “Ministering with the Power and Authority of God,” April 2018 General Conference)
  • I am also convinced that the voice of the people (elected officials?), in many countries, now chooses iniquity over righteousness, and many laws which have and are being passed are corrupted.

"For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted." (Helaman 5:2)

If these points are accurate, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon us. Then is the time God will visit us with more great destructions.

What should we be looking for in these judgments?

"For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness.

And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness" (D&C 84:96-97; emphasis mine)

When will they hit?

"For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming." (D&C 5:19; emphasis mine)

Where will it hit?

"for a desolating sickness shall cover the land" (D&C 45:31; emphasis mine) (Note: COVID-19 was bad, but it wasn’t “desolating,” which is defined as “to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of”

How bad will it be?

"The Lord’s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come; For the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works." (D&C 97:23-24; emphasis mine) (Note: “vex” means “to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts”)

What is the nature of this plague / desolating scourge / desolating sickness?

“So the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth, and a foul, loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.” (Revelation 16:2) (Note: The word 'sore' in the Greek is helkose, which means 'ulcer'. It may be very foul-smelling, painful ulcers that are malignant)

"Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet." (Habakkuk 3:5)

What should we do during these plagues / pestilences / scourges?

"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Isaiah 26:20-21)

How long will we need to stay in our “chambers”?

"And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man." (Revelation 7:5)

Interestingly, a friend of mine who is very close to the Lord had the following dream last year:

“Last night, I had a very vivid dream about the next pandemic.

In it, I was attacked by about 10,000 demons. When they first appeared, I was able to fight them off. But soon thereafter, all the demons -- one sector at a time -- got a unique and customized upload of information (almost like a wifi signal). I actually watched them get the upload, and I knew what it was. As it was ending, I thought "Oh crap!" And sure enough, they were far tougher and smarter.

I knew during the dream that each demon represented not COVID-19, but the NEXT virus. Each demon had barbs or hooks on them which released poison when touching someone. When they touched me, the poison was released and immediately started negatively influencing each cell in my body. (I could see what was happening inside my body as well as the sensations; it was excruciatingly painful). As I fought them, each sector of demons would get a new information upload and adapt to my counterattacks. The poison changed my blood cells so they would look like the current COVID-19, only instead of viruses with spikes with suction-looking ends, there were barbs, like a scorpion or a wasp. It seemed during the dream that this battle lasted for about a day and a half. I was able to wake up during one of their upload times. After waking up, I was severely traumatized and it took a while to begin shaking it off.

How do you fight a virus that mutates and adapts to any counterattack? You don't. Mankind doesn't. Only God can. And the #1 thing God says to do, throughout all the scriptures, is to humble yourself, turn your heart to God and repent. 

You know how when you look at a tree, you know it's a tree? Or you look at a mountain, and you know it's a mountain? When I saw this virus, I knew what it was. The next one.”

“the torment of a scorpion”...”there were barbs, like a scorpion or a wasp”...Interesting!

“Exercising Faith” -- The Best (and Perhaps Only) Viable Option

According to the General Handbook of Instructions, members should be “Seeking competent medical help, exercising faith, and receiving priesthood blessings” which “work together for healing, according to the will of the Lord.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126)

Via the scriptures, we know that COVID-19 isn’t the last pandemic we’ll have to survive. Regarding the next pandemic, 

  • Do you want to “roll the dice'' that the “wisdom” of man -- modern medical science -- will know what to do about it (the preceding scriptures imply medical science will be powerless against these “desolating scourges”)? Or that you’ll even have access to doctors even if they did know? Or that there will be enough doctors even alive to treat the living?
  • Do you want to “roll the dice” that a fellow ward member will have the requisite power in the priesthood, faith in God and (most crucially) a tight enough relationship with Him to clearly hear, understand and articulate His will, while using first-person pronouns, to bless you?  Or that you’ll even be able to access another priesthood holder in the event of another lockdown (which the scriptures clearly state will happen again)?

Yes, “seeking competent medical help” and “receiving priesthood blessings” are important considerations. But in the path of an incurable curse upon mankind, can you guarantee they will be enough?

The only thing that’s left is “exercising faith” -- specifically, the Gift of Healing...

...a gift that, as you may be sensing by now, you urgently need.

Neither you nor I know when the next pandemic is going to hit. But we do know that (1) it will, (2) because mankind generally remained spiritually deaf to God’s warning this time around, it’ll likely be worse than COVID-19, and (3) 

“if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30)

Prepare Yourself for THE Wedding

“Every bride seeks to appear beautiful in the eyes of her groom. But it's often an involved process, an expensive and a long process. 

In the ancient Hebrew marriage, the bride and groom would stay separated for a year. The groom would prepare a place for the bride. And the bride would prepare herself for the groom. Her mission was to get ready and make herself beautiful. 

That's why you and Messiah are separated, because this is the time given you to prepare for marriage, to become beautiful in His eyes. 

If you're looking at yourself, your heart, your attitude, your spirituality... it can be pretty ugly... but don't be discouraged. For it's in seeing her lack of beauty that the bride becomes beautiful in the Lord. 

This is the time of your preparation. You have to become beautiful.” (Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Message #405 “The Sound of The Bridegroom,” March 8, 2021)

The Lord has been crystal clear not only about how to survive these future waves of plagues / pestilences / scourges, but also how to spiritually beautify yourself prior to the wedding of the Groom and His bride:

  • Pray
  • Call upon God’s name
  • Humble yourself
  • Repent of your sins
  • Repent of your unbelief in God
  • Repent of your not remembering God
  • Seek His face

Here’s another scripture which I believe meets this criteria:

“Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;” (D&C 93:1)

Want to dive into D&C 93:1 in more depth? Click here and scroll down to the sections which begin with “D&C 93:1.” There, you’ll see dozens of posts to help you start beautifying.


This post is just the "tip of the iceberg" in our discussion of "The Gift of Healing Part 3." Want more in-depth insights? Click here to start the process of joining our Facebook group today! (Be sure to follow the instructions to a tee).