tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89858589692879151972024-01-21T14:06:57.461-07:00The Perfect Day"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." -- D&C 50:24Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-84239390913994317392021-08-28T18:16:00.001-06:002021-08-28T18:16:31.819-06:00Underneath The Tip of the Iceberg<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="694" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hXDpyz99809S6FttwZtfYRHPTlmMBLVOaojB_uy4usCZf4jVaBz5aOXdBkTh8zAdx7LHw1KdAURfjanv78oAQgjntu-keSW_cKu79hukg2GF_hyphenhyphenFjSsnMCWSb8z2wM9lciokpudM0yWG/w536-h640/Iceberg.jpg" width="536" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>A good friend recently summarized two truths:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mormonism is supposed to be about seeking truth from all sources. </li><li>Deep spiritual growth is an individual path that organizations can't do for another and more. </li></ul><p></p><p>Over the years, The Perfect Day has cast a spotlight on many truths, sometimes using non-Mormon sources, and mostly scriptural sources and peoples' first-hand experiences, to give us better context of concepts. These truths have included:</p>
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<td style="padding: 5px 10px;"><p>Calling and Election<br />Casting Out Evil<br />Commanded Blessings<br />D&C 93:1<br />Doctrinal Boxes<br />Emptying Your Cup<br />False Prophets and Prophecies<br />Knocking on the Doors of Heaven<br />Love vs Obedience<br />Meditation<br />Mighty Prayer</p></td>
<td style="padding: 5px 10px;"><p>One Eternal Round<br />Proactive Charity<br />Prodigal Mormons<br />Rending the Veil of Unbelief<br />Sanctification<br />Second Comforter<br />Spiritual AIDS<br />Spiritual Alignment and Ascension<br />Spiritual Creation<br />Superfaith<br />The Gift of Charity</p></td>
<td style="padding: 5px 10px;"><p>The Gift of Discernment<br />The Gift of Faith<br />The Gift of Healing<br />The Lectures on Faith<br />The Pre-eminence of the Scriptures<br />Third Comforter<br />Traditions of Men<br />True Repentance<br />Visualizing<br />Walking and Talking with God<br />Wisdom<br />Zion</p></td>
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<p>And of course, getting to know The Best Friend You Never Knew, Yeshua HaMashiach.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Which "Sea" Are You?</h3><p>Yet no matter how edifying learning about these topics may have been, it's still not enough. What good is learning and maybe even knowing the truths of these teachings, if you haven't taught them as well?</p>
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<p>“There are two seas in Palestine. One fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing waters.</p><p>Along its shores the children play, as children played when He was there. He loved it. He could look across its silver surface when He spoke His parables. And on a rolling plain not far away He fed five thousand people.</p><p>The river Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine. And men build their houses near to it, and birds their nests; and every kind of life is happier because it is there.</p><p>The river Jordan flows on south into another sea.</p><p>Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children's laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its water, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink.</p><p>What makes this mighty difference in these neighbor seas? Not the river Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil in which they lie; not in the country round about.</p><p>This is the difference. The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it another drop flows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure.</p><p>The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps.</p><p>The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. It is named The Dead.</p><p>There are two kinds of people in the world. There are two seas in Palestine.” (Stephen R. Covey, "The Divine Center")</p><p></p>The two bodies of water serve as a good metaphor for a spiritual principle: When you share your knowledge, gifts and resources freely, you receive much more in return. Whatever you jealously clutch and keep for yourself stagnates and eventually chokes the life out of you.</div><p></p><p>“Sea of Galilee people” have an abundance mentality. They know that if they give freely, there will always be more coming their way. They never worry that the supply of blessings will dry up. And in fact, they're right. As they share these truths with others, others' lives are changed, enhanced, even transformed. As God sees this, He sends you more knowledge, gifts and resources. The process repeats, helping to ensure your -- and their -- status as Zionlike people.</p><p>“Dead Sea people,” on the other hand, are fearful. They say, "These teachings are too sacred," (a concept found nowhere in the scriptures) "Nobody will understand me" (a fearful assumption on your part) or "I just don't have the time or knowledge to share them." Yet I have found that if something is important, we CAN make time for it, and God WILL help you make time for it, too. Yet if you keep these things to yourself, you do not entitle yourself to futher knowledge, gifts and resources from God, thereby denying your ability to help others grow, too.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">“That man may last, but never lives,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Who much receives, but nothing gives;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Whom none can love, whom none can thank.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Creation’s blot, creation’s blank.”</div><div style="text-align: center;">— Thomas Gibbons</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What to do from here on</h3><p>You either have the desire to share or you don't. </p><p>If you're like, "I'd share what I learned, but I have no time," "I'd share, but I have no idea how to" or "I'd love to share, but I'm not a good writer," then that's an indication that you lack faith in God to help you do the right thing -- to share. You're either fine with making excuses to stay a "Dead Sea" person, or you're ready to strive to be a “Sea of Galilee" person. And it's all on nobody else's shoulders but yours. For eternity.</p><p>But if you're ready to become a “Sea of Galilee person," then be prepared for possibly the greatest adventure of your life -- an adventure where you hear Yeshua's voice and promptings to a much higher degree...an adventure where people on the other side of the globe praise your name to God for saying the right things at the right time to them...an adventure where you *know* you are growing in your spiritual development in ways you never even dreamed...and an adventure where your interactions with Yeshua, Father and Mother take a very real and significant upturn.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">May I offer you some free advice?</h3><p>This blog -- and its accompanying podcast -- is just the tip of the iceberg with respect to what's being discussed online about all the concepts I mentioned above. </p><p>The concepts are introduced here, on the blog; that's the tip of the iceberg. The vast majority of the iceberg, analysis -- the good stuff -- is discussed in our Facebook group, which is comprised of many members who are focused on deepening their relationship with Jesus Christ in a responsible, safe environment.</p><p>So, if you haven't joined the Facebook group yet, I invite you to do so today. Click here to start the process. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/toc.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="622" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yR6lbWfZHpH8znDh6hv5vx0oK7j8KObqHs4ZLNe6_IR_8JaSf3a6IO1-v3QM6GFG4vk9uS49RsjSVOuIplkc2-vAUsU6N89qBe_7Yh27ZxZph9XqwvWdNagXoRH66mvE24wTjOCGbzIc/w400-h81/FacebookIcon.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Don't wait another day, and potentially miss out on all the things being discussed. And if you don't interact on Facebook, then do what others have done -- create an account just to join our group. There is no other way to engage in the below-the-waterline iceberg of this blog than on Facebook.</p><p>Want to get close to God? Then quit the excuses. Study these concepts and actively engage in ways to share them with others. Don't have the time? God can easily help you. Not a great writer? God will help you with that, too. Don't know what to say? Then strap in your seatbelt; God's got other plans.</p><p>2,000 years ago, Yeshua started the ball rolling by showing us how to do it. Now, it's time to take off the training wheels and do what He would do, if He were alive today. Wherever you go, whatever you do, be a reflection or extension of Him. </p><p>The ONLY way to be a true disciple of Yeshua is to let Him live His life through yours -- to move in your moving, to love in your loving, to minister in your ministering, to speak in your speaking, to touch in your touching, to rejoice in your rejoicing. After all, it's His life anyway. Live it for His glory so that you can't tell where your life ends and His begins, so that when you look in the mirror, you don't see your life; but only that of THE Rabbi. </p><p>And to live His life means to love a life focused on others, not yourself.</p><blockquote><p>"A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." (History of the Church, 4:227; from a letter from Joseph Smith to the Twelve, Dec. 15, 1840, Nauvoo, Illinois, published in Times and Seasons, Jan. 1, 1841, p. 258; this letter is incorrectly dated Oct. 19, 1840, in History of the Church)</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>"Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of, who do the things that no one can imagine." (Alan Turing, "The Imitation Game")</p></blockquote><p>As you take these ideas seriously, as you take them to heart and act on them, you, too, will experience greater light within you and around you...until you, too, experience...</p><h1 style="text-align: center;">The Perfect Day.</h1><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1yBzIt_z8oY" width="320" youtube-src-id="1yBzIt_z8oY"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-60794295710138983302021-08-20T23:10:00.001-06:002021-08-20T23:10:51.095-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 11: Real-Life Examples of the Gift of Healing<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC6LB0Y7f9pxMkW0PuEErR63c5SOqajE33WytWdYRe7SruugsSE-sBCGyZx8wHy-v2K1fjXacNrVi07pmjQ8LyFtEHvt4EdivUJFgTsJLM5IP1QC9BFDials5Q2Vnj8c_bNv_YI1meSmp/s1024/woman+with+issue+of+blood.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC6LB0Y7f9pxMkW0PuEErR63c5SOqajE33WytWdYRe7SruugsSE-sBCGyZx8wHy-v2K1fjXacNrVi07pmjQ8LyFtEHvt4EdivUJFgTsJLM5IP1QC9BFDials5Q2Vnj8c_bNv_YI1meSmp/w640-h320/woman+with+issue+of+blood.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>The Gift of Healing was a big deal in the early New Testament church:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>"And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.</div></div><div><div>And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.</div></div><div><div>And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)</div></div><div><div>Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.</div></div><div><div>There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." (Acts 5:12-16)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>As you study the New Testament, you'll see that not all healings were based on physical causes. Sometimes, the true root cause of a physical abnormality can be emotional (Luke 4:18) or demonic possession (Luke 13:11). And of course, when it comes to physical dis-ease, the intervention of a licensed medical practitioner may also be the God-approved direction. </div><div><br /></div><div>Only someone who has the Gift of Discernment (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-gift-of-discernment-part-1-are-you.html">https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-gift-of-discernment-part-1-are-you.html</a>) can effectively know what to say in order to correctly exercise the Gift of Healing. That means if you don't hear God and His promptings (at least in your heart and mind), you might want to wait on healing people until you do. After all, do it right...or don't do it at all. Healing is serious business.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are several in our midst who have been healed not by doctors, nor by priesthood blessings, but by someone exercising the Gift of Healing. Their stories are profound:</div><div><br /></div><div>"G"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>"A few years ago I had a health issue arise, I went to my doctor and I tried several different medications. Nothing I was trying was helping and it just seemed to be getting worse. I prayed asking the Lord what I needed to do and felt the spirit answer saying that “all these things will be for thy good and experience.” I thanked the Lord for the health ailment because I knew He was teaching me and asked for strength. After 2 ½ months with no reprieve I awoke one night and the pain was worse, I kneeled down by my bed and began crying out in prayer pleading with the Lord, I explained to the Lord that if I was supposed to continue to suffer with this I would but if there was anyway it could be taken I pleaded that He would do so. I then saw clearly in my mind the woman in the bible who suffered for 12 years with a debilitating problem, I saw her reaching out to touch the Savior to be healed.</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>After all of the studying I went to the Lord in prayer. I then received personal revelation on how I should change my diet. He gave me specific instructions to strictly follow for 10 days and then fast on the last day and I would be healed. That last day fell on a fast Sunday. When I came home from church and ended my fast all my pain was gone, all symptoms had disappeared. I was truly amazed and overwhelmed with the love the Lord has for us."</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>"J"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"I was in the student audience listening to a speech delivered by one of the professors, a man known for being a very spiritual man. As he concluded his speech and we were filing out of the Little Theater in the Wilkinson Center, one of the members of the audience cried out, as if they were in great pain. It appeared to be some type of epileptic seizure. While most of us stood there in shock, the speaker calmly walked over to the person, silently took them confidently by the hand, and looked them in the eye. The screaming ceased immediately, and the person was calm."</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>"S"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>My son and daughter-in-law have been trying to get pregnant for the last 18 months. They finally began fertility treatment consisting of three attempts with IUI. If that didn't work they would try IVF. I have been fasting and praying for many months once a week and telling God to please heal them from infertility and to give them the power to fulfill His commandment to multiply and replenish the earth. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>The first treatment of IUI wasn't successful and our daughter-in-law was extremely disappointed, though trying throughout the whole process to trust in God and have peace. After the second IUI treatment my son told us that J was going to have a pregnancy test in two days, "but that she doesn't feel pregnant". When he said that, I knew a miracle of healing was going to happen. An expressed doubt always opens the way for a miracle by overcoming that doubt with perfect faith and trust in the Lord. He said this to us on a Saturday night and I knew I would fast and pray the next day, Sunday, and exercise my faith and trust in the Lord for a healing miracle for them. I was excited because I knew a miracle was very possible. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>While fasting the next day, I told the Lord that I was before Him in "mighty prayer" to plead for a healing miracle for my dear son and his wife. I had perfect faith that there was a child meant for them who was supposed to come to earth to be in their family and who would be their child for time and eternity. I told the Lord to send them THEIR child, one who belonged to them and was meant for them, and the moment I did, I felt a flood of peace, comfort, joy, light, and love, and I knew that God had healed them from infertility and that J was pregnant. It was such a beautiful opening of Heaven and I knew the Lord was present. J had her pregnancy test the next day which I had total peace about, not concerned at all, and later that day, my son and J came over to our house, walked in the door and said, "We're pregnant!". Glory to our great God in the highest, forever and ever!</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>"L"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>I just wanted to share with you my experience. I was listening to one of the recent healing podcasts, I can’t remember which one, and you spoke about a man who had three bad teeth that were healed through the gift. This was very ‘coincidental’ (if there is such a thing!) for me as I also have three bad teeth which were giving me a lot of issues and even though I had visited three dentists for different opinions they couldn’t find the problem. I was getting intermittent toothaches that were causing me great distress, and also a lot of emotional distress as I had a lot of anxiety due to my allergies and sensitivity to medications, which if I become unwell, can become very complicated for treatment. A small tooth problem can become a huge problem for me.</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>As I listening to the podcast, I felt the Lord was telling me that He wanted me to hear this man’s experience. I immediately prayed to the Lord about this and I asked Him to heal me. I touched each of my teeth and asked Him to heal them. Guess what? No more toothaches. He healed them, I know He did. I love the Lord so much and am so thankful that He talks to me in a way He knows I will hear Him. He truly used this man’s experience to help me.</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>When we make everything about Him, miracles do truly happen!</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>"C"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>Last year we were packing up and getting ready to move from X to Y in just a couple weeks. My two-year-old had broken his leg previously 6 months before. This particular morning, while I was rushing around telling my kids what to pack, my 2 year old started screaming uncontrollably. He has a beautiful wild and tough soul, and gets hurt often, but doesn’t cry for very long. I tried everything I could to comfort him. Nothing worked. This went on for about 20 mins. I tried to stand him up, but he would not put any weight on his leg. The screams sounded the same as the last time, and I knew it was broken. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>All I knew was I did not have time for this, I felt so overwhelmed. I told God, "I’m moving like u said, I’m trying to do what u want but I can’t handle this, I’m overwhelmed." I felt the prompting to lay my hands on his leg. I closed my eyes and immediately saw in my mind all these round things which I thought were cells flooding to his bone circling inside. I saw this fluid whoosh around and then he stopped crying. I opened my eyes and took my hands off of him. He climbed off the couch and ran off. I stayed kneeling and in awe. How grateful I was that my big boys got to be there. It was beautiful! It healed me too!</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>He does not care how long we have believed. He just cares that we believe today and He will capture our heart!</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>"A"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>I had allergies since I was little, and asthma too, although I mostly grew out of the asthma. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>I didn’t really think about my allergies too much, just accepted them as part of my life. Some of the things I was allergic to were my favorite animals: horses, cats and some dogs, various pollens etc. Most mornings I spent sneezing with a runny nose and eyes which made making breakfast and many packed lunches rather hard as I had to keep blowing my nose and then washing my hands! I remember being in tears at the prospect of visiting some of our dear friends because I was so allergic to their cat that I could hardly breathe when we were there, even when the cat was put in a different room. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>My husband, observing my discomfort, decided, unbeknownst to me, to pray to Heavenly Father that He would take my allergies from me and give them to my husband instead. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>A little while later, I flew to England with one of our daughters and our little toddler son, to visit my dear Mum who was dying of cancer, and also to visit other family members. One day when we were staying at my sister-in-law’s house, I got a call from home saying that my husband had gone into anaphylactic shock after eating some raw hazel nuts, and had to go to Emergency at the hospital. He recovered thankfully (the doctor said if he had waited before going to the hospital, his airways would have closed completely and he would have succumbed). He then developed more allergies to other raw nuts, to most fresh fruit, and to cats, as well as seasonal allergies. I really didn’t realize that I had been healed from my own allergies, until we were walking together one afternoon and he was sneezing like crazy and I wasn’t. Jokingly I said “I guess you have taken my allergies!” and in surprise he said “Wow, my prayer really worked then!” That was when he told me about his prayer. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>I was so impressed that he didn’t just pray that I would be healed from my allergies but that he would take them upon himself instead. A prayer of true love and willing sacrifice. </div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>"S"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>When I found out I was pregnant with our 5th child I also found out it was an ectopic pregnancy/tubal pregnancy (right fallopian tube to be specific). I went to the internet to look it up to learn more. What I discovered wasn't very promising. I wasn't willing to have the doctors surgically remove the fetus/baby, and didn't want my tube to rupture, either. As I sat at my computer, I remember thinking while shaking my head, no, I don't believe these are the only options available. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Suddenly 2 other thoughts came into my head: </div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Option #1: Pray and petition our Heavenly Parents and ask that the Lord come & physically move the fetus/baby OR </li><li>Option #2: The baby would be taken up into Heaven and given to us at a later time. My heart leaned on option #2 for various reasons, but as soon as I was choosing that, I heard the voice/thought again persuade me to choose choice #1 instead.<br /> </li></ul></ul></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>I was told by the Lord (probably because I had it in my head from reading the miracles and healings in the scriptures that it would be instant), "No, no snap of the fingers. No magic pixie dust. This is a human life, and it's delicate. It will take some time for me to detach and reattach him." That's when I knew we were having our 4th son.</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>About 4 weeks went by and I was about 12 weeks pregnant by now. One morning, as I was just starting to wake up, I knew we had a visitor on the bed, sitting between my husband and I on our bed. Instead of angels, it was the Lord himself, Yeshua! I was like a little girl at Christmas time excited to open gifts. I wanted to have a long visit with the Lord and found out he was saying goodbye. He was leaving and told me he had completed what he said he would. It was completed -finished. The fetus/baby was successfully moved into my uterus safe and sound. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>I was given this experience so later looking back, I could not deny that it was really a tubal pregnancy and that the Lord personally came and healed me and healed this little one. I was told to name him Xxxxx Xxxxxx. What started off as an ectopic/tubal pregnancy turned into an uneventful normal pregnancy.</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>"T"</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>I hope it's not too late for a story of healing as you requested of your audience. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>I was diagnosed with a mental illness called Bi-polar 1 and was put on two medications for it. I did not like the side effects of the drugs but I felt that they were important to take to keep me stabilized. After a year of taking the drugs I found a You Tube of this miraculous healing of a 3 week old baby who died of SID and was brought back to life. This true story was told by Becky Dvorak of her adopted child 20 years ago. She is now an author and a prophetic healer. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>So after watching this and reading several of her books I realized that I could be healed of my illness and go off my meds for good. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>I prayed, fasted and exercised my faith in Yeshua's healing power and went off my meds and I was healed. I didn't tell anyone for a month as I was afraid that they would convince me that I was wrong. But since after a month with no symptoms I was sure that they would believe me that it was a miracle and I was truly healed. It has now been 4 months with no symptoms and I want to shout it out from my rooftop. Miracles do happen and I'm living proof. The only thing that keeps my miracle active is my continual gratitude in my Savior Jesus Christ which I will never forget to do daily. </div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to all who sent me their examples of the Gift of Healing (not priesthood or medical healings) in which a person exercised faith which helped heal another or themself. Some I've included in the body of this post; others (because I can't have this post be miles long) I've included in a Google doc (<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J7lq8s1z7vJo4fcdXaGkF3oqqg-DiDEn_FOniyDGXfU/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>I leave you with my testimony that the Gift of Healing is a real thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've seen broken hearts mended in the blink of an eye. I've seen Stage 4 cancer healed on the spot. I've seen people healed of abnormalities which doctors and stake presidents had long given up hope of healing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yeshua is a real person. I know this fact independent of anyone else. I know His face, His hands, His feet and yes, especially His smile. He is so full of life and love and passion. If I were to guess what His favorite activity is, I think He would say "Healing." He loves to turn that which is seemingly dead or dying into something -- or someone -- full of life. He delights in shattering our mortal expectations of just how merciful and giving a God is, and in doing what's been called "impossible math." As we read in Ephesians 3:20, He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." </div><div><br /></div><div>I testify that what He says in Jeremiah 33:3 is true: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."</div><div><br /></div><div>And I know that He longs for the day when He gets to hold you, look into your eyes and say to you, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)</div><div><br /></div><div>If you REALLY want to experience a mind-blowing adventure with Him, then I invite you to re-read this series, as well as previous ones on <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-gift-of-charity-part-1-protecting.html" target="_blank">Charity</a>, <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-gift-of-discernment-part-1-are-you.html" target="_blank">Discernment</a> and <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/09/alignment-part-1-of-3-face-to-dirt.html" target="_blank">Alignment</a>. The future -- the *near* future -- needs all the true healers it can get.</div><div><br /></div><div>So go forth, and make sure that together with Yeshua, the fire that will burn within you will be more powerful than the fire that will burn around you.</div></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-66976254940513776212021-08-08T14:44:00.001-06:002021-08-20T23:10:15.673-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 10: Taking the Gift of Healing Beyond Mortal Expectations<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><br /></div><div>Was the Brother of Jared blessed with the Gift of Faith? Unquestionably so -- to such an extent that it was powerful enough to part the veil!</div><div><br /></div><div>Because God is no respecter of persons, He affords you with the very same, exact blessings as was given to the Brother of Jared. In fact, He's so desirous that we have this kind of experience, that He gave us further light and knowledge on the subject of faith, and how to develop it into "exceeding faith" or "superfaith" -- the same kind of active (not passive, not reactive) faith that holds armies at bay, raises the dead, causes the sun to stand still, calls down fire from the heavens, parts a sea, changes the course of rivers and creates food in just-empty baskets.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now here's the real interesting fact:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>In fact,</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>This is a significant verse because Jesus' "works" included displays of unspeakable power, like resurrecting the dead (John 11:43–44), controlling weather (Mark 4:38–40), matter (John 2:7–9), and the body (John 9:6–7). His "works" also included accurate teaching (Matthew 4:23) and righteous intervention (John 2:14–16).</div><div><br /></div><div>I definitely believe that at some point in the future, true disciples -- those who take God's revealed words seriously, without excuse or personal interpretation -- may also personally partner with Yeshua in similar supernatural blessings.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I "wind up" this analysis of the Gift of Healing, I'm reminded that God has granted others significant experiences with the Gift of Healing. And because He is no respecter of persons, you, too, may have an opportunity to personally experience these "Greater Things":</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Healing Great Multitudes</h2><div>We read in Matthew 15:29-30 that Jesus "came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel."</div><div><br /></div><div>Here we see that even though Jesus moved locations, He still ministered to those who were handicapped. His location changed but his focus didn't. The lesson for us: No matter where we are, we can still care for the sick, the lonely, the vulnerable. We still love the unlovable, we still reach for those who are tucked away in the corner. We still focus on the least of these.</div><div><br /></div><div>Brother Joseph got this concept, and acted on it. We read:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"July 22, 1839.—Joseph arose from his bed of sickness, and the power of God rested upon him. He commenced in his own house and door-yard, commanding the sick, in the name of Jesus Christ, to arise and be made whole, and they were healed according to his word. He then continued to travel from house to house from tent to tent upon the bank of the river, healing the sick as he went until he arrived at the upper stonehouse, where he crossed the river in a boat, accompanied by several of the Quorum of the Twelve, and landed in Montrose." (Brigham Young journal, in Debbie Birch, “ July 22, 1839: A Day of God’s Power ,” New Era, Mar. 1971, 17)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>But what about today? Could Christ’s believers cure diseases? </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course (and so much more)! </div><div><br /></div><div>But why don't we hear about such instances today? </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not talking about priesthood blessings nor doctors healing people. No; I'm talking about that third category which was mentioned in the General Handbook of Instructions -- “Exercising faith” -- which leaves all participants glorifying "the God of Israel."</div><div><br /></div><div>I see so many videos of people horribly, needlessly suffering. Shouldn't the disciples of God be overflowing with compassion (as Jesus did) and healing others (as Jesus did)? Not even those you would expect to be performing these healings are doing so in ways which leave masses praising God. This is a mystery to me.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Long-Distance Healings</h2><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." (John 4:49-50)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Can you just hear, even feel, the desperation in this poor father's cry for help? And for a nobleman to be doing so -- this was no small thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bust do you see what Yeshua did? He just spoke words of healing, and it was done! How cool is that?! </div><div><br /></div><div>No making frantic calls to find somebody with a significant calling. No changing into a suit. No flowery, 15-minute discourse as part of the healing prayer. He just said six words -- "Go thy way; thy son liveth" -- and it was done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Long distance.</div><div><br /></div><div>At some point either before, during of after that moment, Yeshua provided a miraculous healing. Yet the exact moment of the healing is not important; but what was important was: “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” (John 4:51)</div><div><br /></div><div>Are long-distance healings possible?</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe they are. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although it's not an exact duplicate of the above story, there is an amazing latter-day parallel:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"After healing the sick in Montrose, all the company followed Joseph to the bank of the river, where he was going to take the boat to return home. While waiting for the boat, a man from the West, who had seen that the sick and dying were healed, asked Joseph if he would not go to his house and heal two of his children who were very sick. They were twins and were three months old. Joseph told the man he could not go, but he would send some one to heal them. He told Elder Woodruff to go with the man and heal his children. At the same time he took from his pocket a silk bandanna handkerchief, and gave to Brother Woodruff, telling him to wipe the faces of the children with it, and they should be healed; and remarked at the same time: 'As long as you keep that handkerchief it shall remain a league between you and me.' Elder Woodruff did as he was commanded, and the children were healed, and he keeps the handkerchief to this day." (History of the Church Vol 4, ch.1 footnote 4; <a href="https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/museum/museum-treasure-a-day-of-gods-power">https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/museum/museum-treasure-a-day-of-gods-power</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"A man came to [Joseph] and asked him if he would go about three miles and heal two of his small children, who were twins, about three months old, and were sick nigh unto death. He was a man of the world, he had never heard a sermon preached by a Latter-day Saint. Joseph said he could not go, but he would send a man. After hesitating a moment, he turned to me and said, “You go with this man and heal his children,” at the same time giving me a red silk handkerchief, and said, “After you lay hands upon them, wipe their faces with it, and they shall be healed; and as long as you will keep that handkerchief, it shall ever remain as a league between you and me.” I went and did as I was commanded, and the children were healed." (“History of Wilford Woodruff,” Millennial Star, vol. 27, no. 1 (May 27, 1865), 326)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Here, we see:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A man approached Joseph Smith regarding dying children.</li><li>Instead of accompanying the man to his house to heal the children, he displays a supernatural faith in healing.</li><li>The man (and another) took Joseph at his word, and departed. Their trust in Joseph's words (which were ultimately from God) led to them seeing the children be healed.</li></ul></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Catalyzing the Incredible</h2><div>Another supernal exhibition of the Gift of Healing came when Yeshua raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:17, 39–44).</div><div><br /></div><div>These days, we don't hear of very many instances where a person raised another from the dead. But make no mistake: It has happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a talk given at a Church Educational System fireside in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on May 7, 2000 (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2001/06/miracles?lang=eng">here</a>), then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks described a type of genuine miracle specifically wrought "through the power of faith, without specifically invoking the power of the priesthood." </div><div><br /></div><div>Or, as I mentioned earlier, "Exercising faith.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, as if to reinforce the point that gender and church membership is irrelevant in such instances, Elder Oaks said, "Many of these miracles occur in our Church, such as by the prayers of faithful women, and many occur outside it." He then quoted 2 Nephi 26:13:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"As Nephi taught, God “manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith” (see also 1 Ne. 7:12; James 5:15).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>The Gift of Healing truly knows no gender nor denomination. It is a gift of faith, predicated upon one's belief in Jesus Christ. Not that these scriptures never say these healings are predicated upon righteousness or worthiness, because none of us are worthy before God. No, not one. But that belief, that faith in God, seems to be THE precondition which sparks the incredible.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Seeing Beyond the Hidden</h2><div>The movie "Moneyball" featured a scene where a baseball player (Jeremy Brown) could only envision making it to first base, and that's it. He was so focused on making it to first base that, when he actually hit a home run, he was oblivious to it:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xn7C6jgl0RI" width="320" youtube-src-id="xn7C6jgl0RI"></iframe></div><br /><div>We mortals tend to see healing opportunities in terms of first-base runs. But our God, and His perspective, continues to send YOU home run-level opportunities. Whether you just stay on first base, or take the run to home plate, is up to you.</div><div><br /></div><div>The story of Jesus Christ truly is the greatest story ever told. One of the greatest aspects of that story is the fact that it's not over. Though Jesus ascended to Heaven, He is still working here on earth. Jesus is still changing the hearts and lives of people, and still healing in truly miraculous ways. And He's using mortals to accomplish His work.</div><div><br /></div><div>What about you?</div><div><br /></div><div>If you want to get close to Him -- and have Him get closer to you -- then quit thinking about yourself. Focus on others. Focus on helping them get to home plate..and you will, too.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.241)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." (History of the Church, 4:227; from a letter from Joseph Smith to the Twelve, Dec. 15, 1840, Nauvoo, Illinois, published in Times and Seasons, Jan. 1, 1841, p. 258; this letter is incorrectly dated Oct. 19, 1840, in History of the Church)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"It is a time-honored adage that love begets love. Let us pour forth love-show forth our kindness unto all mankind, and the Lord will reward us with everlasting increase; cast our bread upon the waters and we shall receive it after many days, increased to a hundredfold" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:517).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:48)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"We should have before us a strong desire to do good to others. Never mind so much about ourselves. Good will come to us all right if we keep our minds outside of ourselves to a certain extent, and try to make others happier and draw them a little nearer to the Lord. … When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated" (Pres. Lorenzo Snow, Conference Report, Apr. 1899, 2-3).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Not all healings are physical. Many can be spiritual or emotional. Just a kind word at the store, the library, a class or at church can catalyze a great deal of healing. The only thing limiting these small but significant healing opportunities is our awareness (or lack thereof).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1oi2znw2z_ooTY3-R8XBO40Ya0gEoQZNyCS1exw7jbHjJONDY9lmWLg1S1Fc6uxLcGQB7FsmbjStzxYmAxpmSFwqbIXD42plkuGh1NVJeYORfq-R16YF3aOwozlgoh6yeEiWhTAmJ7yw/s720/macarism.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="720" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1oi2znw2z_ooTY3-R8XBO40Ya0gEoQZNyCS1exw7jbHjJONDY9lmWLg1S1Fc6uxLcGQB7FsmbjStzxYmAxpmSFwqbIXD42plkuGh1NVJeYORfq-R16YF3aOwozlgoh6yeEiWhTAmJ7yw/w400-h304/macarism.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">An Invitation</h2><div>Have you ever seen the Gift of Healing in action? Note that I'm not talking about a priesthood blessing; again, even <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126" target="_blank">the church's Handbook</a> differentiates between “priesthood blessings” (calling “the elders of the church” to “let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord”) and “exercising faith.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Do faith-based healings still exist today?</div><div><br /></div><div>You tell me. Erase any doubts people may have that such miracles don't exist today.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>I invite you to contact LDS Perfect Day via its <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/contact-perfect-day.html">contact form</a> or via email at <a href="mailto:ldsperfectday@gmail.com">ldsperfectday@gmail.com</a> by Saturday, August 15, 2021. Share your experience with me, and let's share it with others (don't worry; I'll delete any identifying information).</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>It's up to you to convince others that miracles have not been done away with, but still exist, among true believers of Yeshua HaMashiach!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wzymOB75u_M" width="320" youtube-src-id="wzymOB75u_M"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-53801824156503857872021-07-15T12:22:00.002-06:002021-08-20T23:10:01.519-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 9: Common Components of the Gift of Healing<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCB4oe7NGitcqNICuuY-RJbHrJ8h-aiUvJQwcl4I_2y7_yPYGUEdsijEBEyWF43ulbOovphFWgUqj8xlryfr_XCj7XuK9Od3jrasqxHIyrgD2gj9e2PNQc0tNeEFKfKgMm75TWbKgmUpX/s905/alone-with-God.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="905" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCB4oe7NGitcqNICuuY-RJbHrJ8h-aiUvJQwcl4I_2y7_yPYGUEdsijEBEyWF43ulbOovphFWgUqj8xlryfr_XCj7XuK9Od3jrasqxHIyrgD2gj9e2PNQc0tNeEFKfKgMm75TWbKgmUpX/s320/alone-with-God.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When all you're left with is trusting Him</h3><div><br />When you give the Savior your rocks (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-gift-of-healing-part-4-oft.html" target="_blank">part 4</a>), eliminate your reliance on man and his "wisdom" (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-gift-of-healing-part-6-limitations.html" target="_blank">part 6</a>), have proper motives, step out of the box and hearken to God (part 7) and peel away the false traditions (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-gift-of-healing-part-7-gift-of.html" target="_blank">part 8</a>), you should be left with only the Savior to turn to in times of healing. In my opinion, trusting Him and healing naturally go hand-in-hand. Here's how one subscriber to this blog's Facebook group put it:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"Anyone who knows me knows that I can experience some pretty severe and devastating insomnia. For the past couple of days, I was prompted to try to fall asleep in the living room instead of my bedroom. </div><div>I resisted this prompting because my bed is so incredibly soft and comfortable, and our living room couch is so incredibly hard and uncomfortable. I have back issues and my body melts into my bed, my bedroom is the perfect temperature, has the perfect night time lighting and is really quiet. It was all too easy to rationalize my reasons for not wanting to do this. I had plenty of reasons to disobey and only one reason to obey... TRUST. </div><div>I quickly realized that He wanted to help me but first I needed to qualify for that help... and that qualification was to simply TRUST and OBEY. </div><div>So, for the past two nights, I obeyed HIM and was able to fall asleep without much effort at all on my part. He helped to heal me by creating a situation that would prove I really did trust Him.</div><div>We've talked a lot about healing here lately, and I know we'll be discussing it a lot more this year. To me, one of the biggest takeaways thus far in my healing has been to simply trust Him, no matter how uncomfortable or irrational His way may seem at first. As we discussed here a few days ago, it really is a matter of first listening to what He tells us, then acting on it. When we pass THAT test, He rewards us immensely."</div></blockquote><div>Joseph Smith would likely agree:</div><div><blockquote>"For several days in October 1835, the Prophet made daily visits to his gravely ill father, attending to him “with great anxiety.” The Prophet’s journal records: “Waited on my father again, who was very sick. In secret prayer in the morning, the Lord said, ‘My servant, thy father shall live.’ I waited on him all this day with my heart raised to God in the name of Jesus Christ, that He would restore him to health, that I might be blessed with his company and advice, esteeming it one of the greatest earthly blessings to be blessed with the society of parents, whose mature years and experience render them capable of administering the most wholesome advice. At evening Brother David Whitmer came in. We called on the Lord in mighty prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, and laid our hands on him, and rebuked the disease. And God heard and answered our prayers—to the great joy and satisfaction of our souls. Our aged father arose and dressed himself, shouted, and praised the Lord.” (History of the Church, 2:289; from Joseph Smith journal entries, Oct. 8 and 11, 1835, Kirtland, OH)</blockquote></div><div>When we trust man, we start from a position of cursedness. When we trust Him, however, we do so from a position of blessedness: </div><div><blockquote>"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD." (Jeremiah 17:5)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34)</blockquote><p> </p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UJJDGPEEvkga6gTrgUxJ7Zy5aOAAx9yNdMl6HrcSGfPGXVg-0BolxmnAC6V-xZmuZnjgtCcNO3SsMzw1eUaEGHvTe4Uplfaqtz4H6FSpfUyJtsTcGo6XunH1QsIQhu9PPom2ksf11kR6/s1920/universe-1044107_1920.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UJJDGPEEvkga6gTrgUxJ7Zy5aOAAx9yNdMl6HrcSGfPGXVg-0BolxmnAC6V-xZmuZnjgtCcNO3SsMzw1eUaEGHvTe4Uplfaqtz4H6FSpfUyJtsTcGo6XunH1QsIQhu9PPom2ksf11kR6/s320/universe-1044107_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Opening up the universe of healing possibilities</h3><div><br />As stated at the end of my previous post, when you trust Him, a whole universe of possibilities opens up. And for some, this is a difficult proposition to grasp. That's because people say, "It's fine to have faith and dreams, but ultimately, you have to be a realist." </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, you don't have to be a realist. In fact, you shouldn't be a realist. </div><div><br /></div><div>We're supposed to be like God, and God isn't a realist. God doesn't just accept things as they are. God doesn't limit Himself by the reality of the world. He made the world. If He were a realist, He would've just looked at the situation and said, "Well, there's no light and we just have to accept that fact." Instead He said, "Let there be light!" And there was light.</div><div><br /></div><div>God never just accepts things as they are. He doesn't care how things are. </div><div><br /></div><div>The realist would say, "Well that's it for Christianity. They just executed Jesus." But God would say, "Oh yeah? Wait three days and see what happens."</div><div><br /></div><div>The realist would say, "God has said everything He's gonna say." But God would say, "Oh really? Watch what I do with this 14 year-old boy out in a grove of trees."</div><div><br /></div><div>The realist would say, "Well, modern medicine and priesthood blessings can't solve your medical problem. So I guess you're stuck with feeling like crap for the rest of your life." But God would say, "Look what I did with this leper, this blind man and of course, Lazarus. Oh and P.S. -- I change not. I'm still the same God who's anxious to turn death into life and darkness into light."</div><div><br /></div><div>If you call yourself a child of God, then you also can't be a realist. You can't be bound by what is real. You're not called to accept the world and its human-based conclusions; you're called to change the world! </div><div><br /></div><div>Whenever you're faced by a situation of darkness, fear, gloom, anger or sin - don't accept it. Whenever someone says, "Well, nothing can be done about it," Say, "Let there be light!" </div><div><br /></div><div>For your faith is found not in the real, but the unreal. Not in darkness, but light. (Inspired by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn's 2/24/21 Sapphires newsletter)<br /><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3zx1oK3qPCekSNkACeee5d0he1HCwVomQJ9dAnn4cjH7RlzL3SoxCQBFswbGYaHH27XAf8MD1OcBZ1Z9BTsI_waW0nByarcaOt4FolByPfMT9oYEFRj99ydnZPCxqcA-LyGu-R_ptWvf/s800/healing-image-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3zx1oK3qPCekSNkACeee5d0he1HCwVomQJ9dAnn4cjH7RlzL3SoxCQBFswbGYaHH27XAf8MD1OcBZ1Z9BTsI_waW0nByarcaOt4FolByPfMT9oYEFRj99ydnZPCxqcA-LyGu-R_ptWvf/s320/healing-image-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Common Denominators of True Healing</h3><div><br />We latter-day saints love our checklists. We get them all the time -- in church talks, Liahona articles, firesides, lessons, etc. They're everywhere, and show no signs of going away anytime soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is no checklist, no royal sequential list, for healing yourself or another. In its purest form, it's a pure blessing, which means it's entirely orchestrated by the Lord. As mentioned above, if you're correctly "dialed in" to the Lord (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-gift-of-healing-part-7-gift-of.html" target="_blank">see Part 7</a>) and have cast off the traditions of men (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-gift-of-healing-part-8-eliminate.html" target="_blank">Part 8</a>), then to a major extent, all you have left is the Lord to lead and guide you. This is EXACTLY where you need to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, when I read several scriptural and personal accounts of healings, some "common denominators" begin to surface. Here's my summary:</div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hear God's Words</span></b></p><div>When all you have left in the healing equation is the Lord, it becomes a heck of a lot easier to hear Him. Why? Because you're not trying to hear anything or anyone else. It's just you and Him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before we seek to utter one syllable of healing, we first seek God's own words, which will come to you in two directions:</div><div><blockquote>"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." (D&C 8:2)</blockquote></div><div>Note what I just said: you will be told not YOUR words, but God's words: </div><div><blockquote>"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men." (D&C 11:21)</blockquote></div><div>How do we obtain His words?</div><div><blockquote>“Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man” (D&C 84:85)</blockquote></div><div>Where do we find the words of life?</div><div><blockquote>“The Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and the book of Doctrine and Covenants... are like a lighthouse in the ocean or a finger-post which points out the road we should travel. Where do they point? To the fountain of light.... That is what these books are for. They are of God; they are valuable and necessary: by them we can establish the doctrine of Christ.” (Brigham Young, JD 8:219)</blockquote></div><div></div><blockquote><div>"Scripture reading may...lead to current revelation on whatever [subject] the Lord wishes to communicate to the reader at that time. We do not overstate the point when we say that the scriptures can be a Urim and Thummim to assist each of us to receive personal revelation.</div><div>Because we believe that scripture reading can help us receive revelation, we are encouraged to read the scriptures again and again. By this means, we obtain access to what our Heavenly Father would have us know and do in our personal lives today. That is one reason Latter-day Saints believe in daily scripture study." (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "Scripture Reading and Revelation," Ensign, Jan. 1995, p. 8)</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Or, as author Stephen R. Covey explained,</div><div><blockquote>"Obedience to General Commandments schools and prepares us to discern and obey the 'Personal Commandments' given us by the spirit." (Stephen R. Covey, “The Divine Center”, p. 247)</blockquote></div><div>Thus, as Brother Joseph said, we should</div><div><blockquote>"Search the scriptures -- search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God: nor will there be any room for speculation. No; for when men receive their instruction from Him that made them, they know how He will save them. Then again we say: Search the Scriptures, search the Prophets and learn what portion of them belongs to you." (Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 11)</blockquote></div><div>In summary: As you make God's already-revealed words pre-eminent in your life, you thus qualify for further light and knowledge via personal revelation.</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"Personal commandments are given by God through His Holy Spirit to His individual children. They are individualized, tailor-made to each individual in his or her particular situation.</div><div>Personal commandments come in the form of practices or specific things to do, which are largely based upon general commandments." (Stephen R. Covey, "The Divine Center", p. 247)</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Now, in being open to God's personalized words to you, you need to be open to any possibility. There may be times when God says, "Yeah, let's proceed with the healing." Other times, it may be "Healing? Yes. Now? No." And in fact, sometimes, you'll get, "Thanks for asking, but nope, there'll be no healings of this person at this time."</div><div><br /></div><div>Provided God's response is a green light, then you're permitted to proceed.<br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"First perceive with the Eye of Faith"</span></b></p><div>The spiritual creation FIRST precedes the physical creation in ALL things.</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"But remember that all my judgments are not given unto men; and as the words have gone forth out of my mouth even so shall they be fulfilled, that the first shall be last, and that the last shall be first in all things whatsoever I have created by the word of my power, which is the power of my Spirit.</div><div>For by the power of my Spirit created I them; yea, all things both spiritual and temporal—</div><div>First spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work; and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work—" (D&C 29:30-32)</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Here's what Elder Robert B. Harbertson of the First Quorum of the Seventy said about the "eye of faith":</div><div><blockquote>"What is this eye of faith? What does it mean? Can you actually see the things that CAN come to pass? I believe that you can. You must be willing, though, to spend enough time to think about what you want to do, what you want to be, how you will react and what you will say under given circumstances. When you work on it hard enough and have it firmly planted in your mind with the eye of faith, you will actually see it happen. I believe you have to develop this kind of faith in order to be successful. It’s something more than just saying you have faith. You have to work for it. You have to live for it. You have to do all you can..." ("The Eye of Faith", New Era, September 1988)</blockquote></div><div>Now, before you start thinking, "This is all great, but I can't do this," note that Pres. Kimball and I beg to differ:</div><div><blockquote>"Herein lies the genius of the gospel of Jesus Christ, perceived by only the spiritual eye. Under the gospel’s beneficent laws, everyone—rich or poor, learned or unlearned—is encouraged first to perceive with the eye of faith." (Pres. Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, London England Area Conference 1976, p. 36).</blockquote></div><div>So, before you endeavor to heal another, you actually EXERCISE faith. You make it not only an action verb; you make it REAL by envisioning what God wants to happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then you watch God work a miracle before your very eyes.</div><div><br /></div><div>This blog has extensively summarized the concept of visualization. Here's a listing of all the posts concerning visualization:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/05/13-spiritual-ascension-step-6-obey-aka.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">13. Spiritual Ascension Step #6: Obey (aka "Why Obedience Is Not The First Law of Heaven")</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2016/01/dont-just-know-about-christexperience.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">Don’t Just Know About Christ…EXPERIENCE Him!</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/07/overcome-seemingly-impossible.html" style="color: #0600ff;">Overcome the (Seemingly) Impossible!</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/07/rend-veil-of-unbelief-part-1-why-your.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">Rend the Veil of Unbelief, Part 1: Why Your Efforts to Part the Veil May Be Failing</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/07/rend-veil-of-unbelief-part-2-power-of.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">Rend the Veil of Unbelief, Part 2: The Power of Visualization in Parting the Veil</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/08/rend-veil-of-unbelief-part-3-they.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">Rend the Veil of Unbelief, Part 3: They Conversed with the Lord</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/08/rend-veil-of-unbelief-part-4-visualize.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">Rend the Veil of Unbelief, Part 4: Visualize Him</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/08/rend-veil-of-unbelief-part-5-hearing-him.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">Rend the Veil of Unbelief, Part 5: Hearing Him</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-3.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 3: Discover His true presence in your life at a whole new level</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-4.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 4: From now on, call upon Jesus by His real name</a></li><li style="line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-5.html" style="color: #0600ff; text-decoration-line: none;">The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 5: Envision the Real Yeshua</a></li></ol><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Pronounce the Commanded Blessing</span></b></p><div>When it comes to exercising the Gift of Healing, there shouldn't be ANY hint of indecision, weakness or uncertainty. If there is, then you haven't obtained God's words. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The phrase "Arise and walk" uttered by Yeshua was not couched in the phrase "If it's God's will" or "If it's acceptable to God" because Yeshua had already obtained God's word and knew for a fact that Father desired the blessing to be executed. This allowed Yeshua -- and us -- to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>When words come out of your mouth that aren't your words, they are decisive, conclusive and final, they are what I call "Commanded Blessings." </div><div><blockquote>“The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:8) </blockquote></div><div><blockquote>“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalm 133:1,3)</blockquote></div><div>Some of the most powerful examples of faith in the scriptures are found among those who pronounced commanded spoke the commanded blessing God put into their hearts and minds, and it happened: </div><div><blockquote>"We understand that when a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of physical force. It is by words, instead of by exerting his physical powers, with which every being works when he works by faith. God said, “Let there be light: and there was light” (Gen 1:3). Joshua spake and the great lights which God had created stood still (Joshua 10:12-13). Elijah commanded and the heavens were stayed for the space of three years and six months, so that it did not rain; he again commanded and the heavens gave forth rain (1 Kings 17:1; 18:1, 41-45). All this was done by faith. And the Savior says: “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove…and it shall remove (Matt 17:20); or “say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up…and… planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6). Faith, then, works by words; and with these its mightiest works have been and will be performed" (Lecture on Faith 7:3)</blockquote></div><div>Enoch learned and spoke the word of God by which he performed mighty miracles:</div><div><blockquote>"And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him." (Moses 7:13)</blockquote></div><div>Other prophets have testified of the power of the word of God:</div><div><br /></div><div>Paul: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3)</div><div><br /></div><div>Moroni: “Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought?" (Mormon 9:17)</div><div><br /></div><div>Nephi: “Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground.” (1 Nephi 17:26)</div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately, God's example from the very first moment of creation should inspire us:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"Y'hee Or!' </div><div>It's Hebrew for 'Let there be light!' It's what God said in the beginning. </div><div>This is His very first act of creation and the foundation of all His other works. </div><div>It was in the darkness of a Judean tomb circa the year 30 A.D. that God said again, 'Y'hee Or! Let there be light!' And there was light, in the resurrection. </div><div>So it's not just that God brings light, but that God brings light specifically out of darkness. </div><div>Most believers curse, fear or shun the darkness; or, at best, avoid the darkness. That may be you. Chances are, there is some darkness in your life, in your circumstance, or on the horizon that you fear or look upon as a negative thing. </div><div>But according to the scriptures, darkness is not something to be cursed, feared, shunned, or avoided. God doesn't fear the dark; He brings miracles out of it. And you need to be the same. </div><div>It's only in the dark that you might have the awesome privilege of performing a miracle by the power of God.</div><div>Let's hear it: "Y'hee Or! Let there be light!" </div><div>And there will be light." (Inspired by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn's 3/4/21 Sapphires newsletter, “The Darkness You Need for Light”)</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Want to learn more about Commanded Blessings? Click <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-fallacy-of-god-will-never-test-you.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-gift-of-discernment-part-8.html">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Experience the Blessed Presence of God</span></b></p><div>You've obtained God's word, you've envisioned what God wants to have happen and have approached His throne of grace with boldness to make it all happen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now it's time to see what God does!</div><div><br /></div><div>And there's no better example of this than John G. Lake. </div><div><br /></div><div>From 1908 - 1913, Lake served as a Christian, non-LDS missionary to South Africa. During that time, Lake buried many who had contracted Bubonic Plague. During that time, many nations sent ships with doctors and medical supplies to help stop this dreaded pandemic, which was so deadly, death was very likely if you even touched someone or something with the plague.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike other medical professionals, neither Lake nor his assistant were affected as they interacted with others who had contracted the plague. One of the doctors sent for Lake and asked, “What have you been using to protect yourself? Our corps has this preventative and that, which we use as protection, but we concluded that if a man could stay on the ground as you have and keep ministering to the sick and burying the dead, you must have a secret. What is it?”</div><div><br /></div><div>Lake answered, “Brother, that is the ‘law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus'. I believe that just as long as I keep my soul in contact with the living god so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul and body, that no germ will ever attach itself to me, for the Spirit of God will kill it.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The doctor asked, “Don’t you think that you had better use our preventative?” </div><div><br /></div><div>Lake replied, “No, but doctor, I think that you would like to experiment with me. If you will go over to one of these dead people and take the foam that comes out of their lungs after death, then put it under the microscope, you will see masses of living germs. You will find they are alive until a reasonable time after a man is dead. You can fill my hand with them and I will keep it under the microscope, and instead of these germs remaining alive, they will die instantly.” </div><div><br /></div><div>They tried it and found it was true. The plague bacteria instantly died in Lake’s hand. </div><div><br /></div><div>The doctor questioned, “What is that?” </div><div><br /></div><div>Lake replied, “That is ‘the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.’ When a man’s spirit and a man’s body are filled with the blessed presence of God, it oozes out of the pores of your flesh and kills the germs.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Lake believed the Word of God is stronger than any sickness or any disease. And his faith in God was proven to be powerful enough to stop plagues on contact.<br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thank God for your experience </b></span></p><div>If the commanded blessing of healing has truly been aligned with God, then it should leave you rejoicing in God, praising God, then praising Him some more.</div><div><blockquote>"And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive." (Alma 7:23)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things." (D&C 59:7)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"...give thanks in all things." (Mosiah 26:39)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"...in everything give thanks." (D&C 98:1)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God." (Psalm 147:7)</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 37:37)</blockquote></div><div>In sincerely expressing this gratitude, we can expect even more reasons to praise His name:</div><div><blockquote>"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." (D&C 78:19)</blockquote><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How it should be</h3><div><br />This post isn't intended to be a "How to" of the Gift of Healing. If you treat it as such, you're missing the point.</div><div><br /></div><div>Healing is a Gift of Faith. And whenever, wherever faith is truly present, so is God's power. Thus, the Gift of Healing should be, at the minimum, a clear manifestation of God's power.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have no words to describe the times I've witnessed blessings which incorporated all of the above characteristics. They transformed not only the person receiving the blessing, but also me (as the one giving or witnessing the blessing).</div><div><br /></div><div>How many times have you actually felt the power of God before a blessing, during a blessing and after a blessing? I mean, you could PHYSICALLY feel it?</div><div><br /></div><div>These are supposed to be events when God's knowledge, words and power are manifest in miraculous ways! </div><div><br /></div><div>As I have said since Day 1 on this blog, "Aim higher! Reach further! Attain greater!"</div><div><br /></div><div><b>UNLEASH THE POWER OF FAITH, THE POWER OF HEALING AND THE POWER OF GOD! (See 1 Kings 18:30-39)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>In doing so, you'll never, ever forget the experience.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKBj457ILUo&list=PLq3UZa7STrboo9EdZQcBizZNozCfQzaRn&index=35" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFQ0E3Vwk_rBkuBVLl7Md6-kzdXFfLtCv3wj8_ipX9kd9ck6RhCvSpfqeC2X0cg32FDO7ijQITUFSrmYwh8vsHXSxdiWEAR4a9_xez7l_T-7DU5ZvDzo-zIyAN6rXUH85v5ptMHxRq3mL/w400-h249/Lincoln+Brewster+-+God+Of+The+Impossible.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-4365207723909563702021-06-20T15:52:00.001-06:002021-06-20T15:52:52.071-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 8: Eliminate False Traditions to Move Forward in Healing<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><div><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-gift-of-healing-part-7-gift-of.html" target="_blank">In my previous post</a>, I summarized three pre-requisites to the Gift of Healing: Your ability to hearken to God, stepping out of the box and having a proper motive. All of this presupposes your having faith in God.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Say goodbye to false traditions</h3><div><br /></div><div>Today, the Spirit of God is bypassing many because they're too full of self to be filled with anything else -- pride and selfishness. It blinds and it binds the Saints from experiencing the outpouring that only comes upon the humble. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus Himself told us there would be those who do miracles in His name and He will declare that they do not know Him.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Matthew 7:15, He warns us there will be wolves who pose as sheep. Please understand, it is not ‘speculation’ to believe that these things will be so.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other words, over the decades, we church members have, by and large, picked up some awfully nasty habits which can erode, and even inhibit, our ability to perform miracles. Before we are able to perform these miracles, we must do more than think we can hearken to God, step out of the box and have pure motives. We need to make dang sure we are not perpetuating the foolish traditions of our fathers or the teachings of men mingled with scripture.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we embrace traditions which deviate from the doctrines and teachings found in the Standard Works, we make ourselves vulnerable to Satan stealing away our light:</div><blockquote><div>"And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers" (D&C 93:39)</div></blockquote><div>Conversely, </div><blockquote><div>"As we lay off our false traditions and foolish notions, we receive more and more light, and thus we grow in grace; and if we continue so to grow we shall be prepared eventually to receive the Son of Man, and that is what we are after.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 2:309-318).</div></blockquote><div>Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated,</div><div><blockquote>"when men believe the true word of the gospel, then God begins to manifest his power in their lives. They begin to enjoy the gifts of the Spirit, to work miracles, and to have those spiritual experiences which always and everlastingly attend true believers." ("Our Gospel Came Not Unto You in Word Only...", October 1968 General Conference).</blockquote></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #1: There are no more miracles.</h3><div><br /></div><div>A subscriber to this blog's Facebook group stated, “I have a friend that is no longer allowed to hold any teaching callings and is not asked to speak in church because she openly talks about seeking gifts, miracles that are happening, etc.”</div><div><br /></div><div>I've heard such talk come from church leaders first-hand, who said we should not be testifying of angels or spiritual gifts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Such uninspired beliefs, talk and even authoritative instruction can and often do lead to self-fulfilling prophecies, where spiritual gifts no longer exist. For example, Christ himself could not do miracles in his own hometown because nobody believed Him. Nobody had faith. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today, we are in sad, sorry shape. How often do we hear of miracles or healings which rival those of the Savior and His ancient apostles? How often do you see signs following believers?</div><div><br /></div><div>In referencing Mark 16:17, Pres. John Taylor asked,</div><div><blockquote>"What signs? Why, the sick were to be healed, the lame were to be made to walk, the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, and the poor were to have the Gospel preached to them (Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22)" ("Pretensions of the Saints, JD 23:368).</blockquote></div><div>Note that the Lord did not say these signs would precede, be a guide or testimony to us to prove in advance that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said that they "follow" those that believe.</div><blockquote><div>"But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe" (D&C 63:9)</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>“Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!” (3 Nephi 29:6) </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>“And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth—that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief. And wo be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one.” (Moroni 10:24-25)</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>"And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust" (Mormon 9:20)</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>"...for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain" (Moroni 7:37)</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>"And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues; Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them." (Mormon 9:7-8)</div></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #2: If you're broken, you need to be healed.</h3><div><br /></div><div>There are many instances where it's just not God's plan for a person to be healed. Yet because He has infinite compassion, He will heal us in other ways. Sometimes God calms the storm, and other times, He lets the storm rage, and calms His child.</div><div><br /></div><div>A subscriber to this blog's Facebook group said,</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"I think of people who are paraplegics or quadriplegics. It's kind of apparent (to me at least) that they're not growing back functional limbs anytime soon. But maybe God heals them in other ways.</div><div><br /></div><div>14 years ago, I realized one day that I had a ringing in my ears that just wouldn't go away. I've had tinnitus ever since. Sometimes it's almost intolerable, sometimes it's barely noticeable. God hasn't taken away my tinnitus, but He has enhanced my ability to cope with it."</div></blockquote><div><a href="https://deadline.com/2021/04/jordan-walker-ross-the-chosen-disability-role-inclusion-1234741697/" target="_blank">Please click here to read the story of Jordan Walker Ross</a>, a series regular on the historical drama The Chosen (he plays Little James, one of the 12 Apostles in the New Testament). It's a terrific story of why "not everyone needs to be healed.”</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #3: You need to rely on another to be healed.</h3><div><br /></div><div>My friend Vaughn told me about a time when he had three bad teeth. He cast out evil from one and sent healing to the other two teeth. He was feeling better the next day. A woman I know healed herself by exercising the Gift of Healing, and commanded a 5-day migraine to go away. It did in a few minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Such instances may sound incredible, and I suppose that with men, yes, they're impossible. "But with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26).</div><blockquote><div>“And again, it shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed. He who hath faith to see shall see. He who hath faith to hear shall hear. The lame who hath faith to leap shall leap.” (D&C 42:48-51)</div></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #4: The higher the church calling, the greater the gifts.</h3><blockquote><div>"It is not position in the Church that confers spiritual gifts. . . . Rather it is personal righteousness; it is keeping the commandments; it is seeking the Lord while he may be found. God is no respecter of persons." (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, "The Rock of Salvation", Improvement Era, December 1969, p. 85; Acts 10:34).</div></blockquote><div><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-fallacy-of-god-will-never-test-you.html" target="_blank">I invite you to read the story of Cheryl,</a> who repeatedly asked her ward and stake leaders to bless her with healing. Not only did they not do so, but they even doubted it could be done. Later, Cheryl's son -- who had just been set apart as an elder prior to a mission -- gave her the blessing she was seeking. It was the youngest, most inexperienced elder in her area who succeeded where other ward and stake leaders miserably failed.</div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #5: Healing is strictly a man's job.</h3><div><br />I could devote 3+ blog posts to this false tradition. But suffice it to say that spiritual gifts know no gender:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote><div>"The Lord offers to his daughters every spiritual gift and blessing that can be obtained by his sons." (President Joseph Fielding Smith, "Magnifying Our Callings in the Priesthood," Improvement Era, June 1970, p. 66). </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>"Where spiritual things are concerned, as pertaining to all of the gifts of the Spirit, with reference to the receipt of revelation, the gaining of testimonies, and the seeing of visions, in all matters that pertain to godliness and holiness and which are brought to pass as a result of personal righteousness in all these things, men and women stand in a position of absolute equality before the Lord. He is no respecter of persons nor of sexes, and he blesses those men and those women who seek him and serve him and keep his commandments." (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, Jan. 1979, p. 61; emphasis mine)</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>"Many of us already have spiritual gifts, but we sometimes fail to recognize them. We may think they are reserved for people with special needs or callings. For the same reason, we may neglect to earnestly seek spiritual gifts, even though they have been promised to us." (Relief Society General Presidency, "Seeking the Best Gifts," Ensign, Jan. 1997, p. 55)</div></blockquote><div>In 2018, Pres. Nelson encouraged the women of the Church to understand our “spiritual gifts—to cultivate, use, and expand them, even more than [we] ever have.” </div><div><br /></div><div>Regarding women healing the sick, Brother Joseph said, "Go ye into all the world” &c.— no matter who believeth; these signs, such as healing the sick, casting out devils &c. should follow all that believe whether male or female.”</div><blockquote><div>“Respecting the female laying on hands, he further remark’d, there could be no devil in it if God gave his sanction by healing— that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on the sick than in wetting the face with water— that it is no sin for any body to do it that has faith, or if the sick has faith to be heal’d by the administration.” (Joseph Smith, "Discourse, 28 April 1842, as Reported by Eliza R. Snow," p. [36], The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed February 21, 2021, h<a href="ttps://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-28-april-1842-as-reported-by-eliza-r-snow/2">ttps://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-28-april-1842-as-reported-by-eliza-r-snow/2</a>) </div></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #6: Healing is strictly an adult's job.</h3><blockquote><div>"Levi Hancock's children heard the devil telling their mother that she would be healed from her six-year convalescence if she would but deny the work of God. The mother resisted, and in the interim "the children heard the Conversation reached upon the bed and laid hands on their mother & the Devill departed at an instant"; (Utah Stake General Minutes, v. 10 [1855-], LDS archives)</div></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #7: Healing is strictly a Latter-day Saint gift.</h3><div><br /></div><div>Can one have faith in Jesus Christ and not be LDS?</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course! Gifts of the Spirit are based on faith, not gender or authority. So it is with the Gift of Healing; One who has strong enough faith in Jesus Christ should be able to perform, or be the recipient of, profound faith-based miracles.</div><div><br /></div><div>So it was with a friend of a friend, who shared the following (true) story with me:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"Miracles do exist! I was on the phone today with a friend talking about miracles. She told me how her friend Carol's 5 year old daughter was healed of blindness. She had gone up on stage and the (non-denominational) congregation was praying for her to be healed. As this happened, she said, "Mommy, Mommy I see Jesus!” </div><div><br /></div><div>“Do you see him?” said the mother.</div><div><br /></div><div>“He touched my eyes and now I can see!" the daughter said.</div><div><br /></div><div>The mom thought she was caught up in the moment of everything and got her home and did some tests with her to make sure she could see, like covering one eye, etc. She was healed of her blindness by the grace of God!" </div></blockquote><div></div><div>Then there's the story of Delia Knox:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKHMc_Orn5I" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcSSq6ujZ9edy8ciIsLSqI07Pi8zuIpHEenDsvbVqMc840Cj5wdfnQWIak3mzkHbt54OXmJZkc-S0-h457GS3poZvAVYZPv9Ijnnr1ZHm5r-gkxoYTebwprsp2qcMGYBoFuKz0L5QQkCP/w400-h249/The+Story+of+Delia+Knox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>You can also read more about Delia <a href="https://www.believersforchrist.com/2014/09/let-faith-arise-healing-of-delia-knox.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/search/label/Delia%20Knox" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://livinglifewithoutanet.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/how-do-you-explain-healing/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://does-god-exist.com/2012/10/08/delia-knox-healed-of-a-spinal-injury/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Tradition #8: Healing happens in set, predictable ways.</h3><div><br /></div><div>A friend on this blog's Facebook group said:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>“I think if we allow God, He will ALWAYS heal us. Always. But not necessarily in the way WE think we should be healed. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure all of us have stumbled with an issue for years, and we pray for healing, and have faith in Jesus that He will heal us. Then we don't see that miracle and think His timing is not now. </div><div><br /></div><div>But in reality, He is healing us in ways we haven't noticed. Maybe we have become a little more patient. Maybe we have trials placed in our path as gifts to greater growth. Maybe we have felt extra compassion for others. And maybe we have become more patient with HIM as He performs great miracles in our lives. </div><div><br /></div><div>I know for me, and it may be true for you, I need eyes to see the miracles that He is blessing with me with and not hold too tightly to my definition of what that miracle should look like.”</div><div></div></blockquote><div>Excellent analysis!</div><div><br /></div><div>Because God's ways are higher than man's ways, the method and timing of His healing is very likely bound to be different than what you'd suppose. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's my testimony that as we quit clinging to our false traditions and instead cling to the words of God, we'll be blessed and consequently have greater ability to bless others -- a true, Zionlike condition! I'm also sure there are other false traditions regarding the Gift of Healing that I haven't summarized here. If you know of one, I'd really like to read your comment (even anonymous one) below. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InsifiZxVXU" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacaEtBw7nMPKVC1fS0AU90A3rCpj0IYViSwnMAOMahDyAAFHgiTOcWSwxAQffjEu-ha2ov9ZQI_HXBNeoCz6bhawI527gsw7rootuvSbaQUvxgP1VY7WnEg_j-YmeTQhT0Gj23wqGM-iC/w400-h249/Jeremy+Camp+-+Same+Power.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-55438005121068899202021-05-23T19:21:00.001-06:002021-05-23T20:48:30.690-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 7: Gift of Healing Pre-Requisites<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><div>In my last post, we examined to methods of healing officially endorsed by the church: medical intervention by a licensed practitioner and priesthood blessings. </div><div><br /></div><div>While both are commonly known and relied upon by members, both have significant shortcomings. Even President Nelson blasted priesthood holders for their lack of priesthood power. It was enough for him to express profound disappointment, as well as an admonition to stake presidents and bishops to train priesthood holders on how to give blessings. Yet the problem persists, and entrenches itself further into latter-day saint culture.</div><div><br /></div><div>There remains one last, officially-recommended option for medical and health care: "exercising faith."</div><div><br /></div><div>"OK, great! How do we do that," you ask?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IMv8FFO4O-8I63aMekFmFR1yNU25DQUFu6a3KYy3-ao9MbZbkw_-RhDSwwsSbkOT6GCmvbb9M8t0HLDTCfRZdM9AadDvr9DILN1pZko2c_DI4Z1eoIyK7JhA2frzmkEgUusOD7_lfdG_//" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IMv8FFO4O-8I63aMekFmFR1yNU25DQUFu6a3KYy3-ao9MbZbkw_-RhDSwwsSbkOT6GCmvbb9M8t0HLDTCfRZdM9AadDvr9DILN1pZko2c_DI4Z1eoIyK7JhA2frzmkEgUusOD7_lfdG_//" width="320" /></a></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hearken to God</h3><div><br /></div><div>We latter-day saints are used to numbered to-do lists, bullet points, checklists and other formulaic methods to accomplish a goal. For example, we pay our tithing, don't drink tea, faithfully go to church, work on genealogy, and check off all the boxes we can so we can be perceived as being perfectly obedient. Here's what my friend John Pontius said about this:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"It is not uncommon for someone to make a list of everything they feel they should be doing in their lives, then select a few to begin working on. As wholesome as this sounds, it will only create feelings of impotence and frustration. Read all the scriptures, and nowhere is there an account of someone achieving spiritual power by making lists of needed improvements, and then working the list! They all did it by obedience to the voice of the Lord. You must also, there is no other way. Why is it more desirable to be obedient to a list than to the voice of God? Why would we try to accomplish a divine task without divine assistance? </div><div><br /></div><div>The Lord knows the exact course our lives should take, which sin should be eliminated first, which weakness should be addressed first, and which blessings, we will need to accomplish these things. There is no need for us to create a list He already possesses. Ours could never be as complete as His, or as gentle and caring. If we yield ourselves to His direction He will show us what to do first, and give us the power to do it. He will direct us, step by step, all along the way home. </div><div><br /></div><div>What is it you must obey? It is every word which proceeds forth from the mouth of God. It is the voice of the Spirit, which constitutes the words which are proceeding forth from the mouth of God unto you. Notice that I didn't say the commandments? This is not because the commandments are to be ignored. Obedience to the commandments by sheer determination and willpower has its reward, but it can be overwhelming. When you set your life in obedience to the voice of God, you will naturally, joyfully, almost without notice, be obeying all the commandments-every single one of them. </div><div><br /></div><div>How many commandments are there? If you include instructions to grow a garden, repair your fences, and paint your barn, then add all the written commandments-there are thousands. You won't live long enough to obey them all. There are just too many barns that need painting in your life. So how do you ever become totally obedient when you can't possibly get to every barn? It is simple, really. Listen to the voice of the Lord, and He will direct you. When you are totally obedient to the will of God, you are totally obedient-even if a barn or two remains unpainted. The reason you are totally obedient, even when a few things remain undone, is because you have an obedient spirit. If, and when, He sends you out to paint the barn you will obey. If He never sends you to paint the barn, you will also obey. You simply are obedient. In the end, the Lord will not judge us according to our barns, He will judge us according to our heart. When our heart is flawlessly obedient, we are judged as being flawlessly obedient, even if some obvious things never get done." (John Pontius, "Following the Light of Christ")</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Thus, being obedient and faithful (and especially "exercising faith") isn't necessarily a matter of checking off boxes. Instead, it involves being obedient to what the Lord is telling you in our mind and heart:</div><div><blockquote>"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation;" (D&C 8:2-3)</blockquote></div><div>This is where many get tripped up. Many are so single-mindedly focused on their checkboxes that they don't hear the voice of the Lord. Not only do they not hear His voice, but they don't even have a relationship with Him. Ask them when the last time was when the Savior made them laugh, or moved them to say an encouraging word to a stranger, or inspired them to say a prayer for someone suffering right there on the spot (as opposed to just saying you'll do so later on), and they get quiet pretty darn fast.</div><div><blockquote>"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible." (Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, IL Conference, April 7, 1844)</blockquote></div><div></div><blockquote><div>“Verily, I say unto you, It is not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.</div><div>For the day soon cometh that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works.</div><div>And many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name; and in thy name cast out devils; and in thy name done many wonderful works?</div><div>And then will I say, <i>Ye never knew me; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.</i>” (Matthew 7:30-33 JST; emphasis mine)</div></blockquote><div></div><div>In my opinion, 99.9% of "exercising faith" involves hearkening to God -- in other words, hearing God and <u>immediately</u> acting on what you're told.</div><div><br /></div><div>"OK, great! What boxes do I check off to do that," you ask?</div><div><br /></div><div>Arrrrrggghhhh! 😅</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">To see God in action, you gotta step out of the box</h3><div><br /></div><div>A friend recently messaged me about how they corresponded with another well-known blogger about a spiritual experience. The blogger discounted the validity of my friend's experience, saying they didn’t believe that kind of thing happened anymore. </div><div><br /></div><div>And yet my friend's experience was real. </div><div><br /></div><div>Quite a few people (even accomplished bloggers / authors) often get this notion in their heads that something can only happen one way, or the way they've read in the scriptures, or the way that they themselves experienced. </div><div></div><blockquote><div><i>"Receiving personal revelation can only happen a certain way, and if it didn't, it's invalid."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>"Baptism of Fire can only happen a certain way, and if it didn't, it's invalid."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>"The Second Comforter can only happen a certain way, and if it didn't, it's invalid."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>"The Gift of Healing can only happen a certain way, and if it didn't, it's invalid."</i></div></blockquote><div></div><div>What a bunch of horse manure! Who are we to determine the validity of others' experiences, or that God does things ONLY in a certain way?</div><div><br /></div><div>The fact is, God can do whatever He wants however He wants whenever He wants. </div><div><br /></div><div>Case in point: The New Testament is filled with stories of how Yeshua did the unorthodox, the unanticipated, and was even considered not only a maverick, but also a rebel. When you read the archeological accounts of Yeshua, you'll see that behavior exhibited in even more ways. I mean c'mon, seriously? A Jewish rabbi? Speaking with a Samaritan woman? ALONE? And she's had five husbands? You wanna talk about doing something off the beaten path! How about a Jewish rabbi forgiving a woman caught in adultery? Changing water into wine? Feeding 5,000+ with a few loaves and fishes? Telling church authorities that they're vipers? Healing a Centurion's child from long distance? Raising the dead???!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you see my point? </div><div><br /></div><div>Yeshua is THE Beautiful Outlaw! And if you're intending to be His disciple, then should you be any different? No.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you want to be in sync with Yeshua, then you better get used to different. The unorthodox. Even the rebellious. If you let Him, He WILL challenge many things you've long considered fact. </div><div><br /></div><div>And to many people, those facts, those truths, can be considered unfamiliar, weird, unorthodox and yes, even dangerous.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let me make myself crystal clear: God lives out of the box. So should you. Wanna find God? Wanna see God in action? Then identify the traditions of men, then say bye-bye to them</div><div><br /></div><div>Many avenues to healing which the Lord will introduce to you can and will be considered unorthodox. Keep yourself in a box, and you may not be healing very much at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>When you start putting God in a box, the only person you're really boxing up is yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzwUnb5l0WI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77YScPHUY9RhrlRrAgwjVBNIlVLVL0vhw8iC6ZCYX86vpKxHYX4uBoWhjodPXKaJMzvvUK_dAJDzT12iOcoWsQCLuTuSyQ1QNNB744eHXjrjGf6nkpjSUToEpLsVk9yAg9Bzq_PwGnSEo/w400-h249/The+Chosen+-+Jesus+Heals+the+Paralytic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Motive</h3></div><div></div><blockquote><div>"And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.</div><div>Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will." (D&C 88:67-68)</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzNO-RkU4Sl_JTWDI0F6ejZguDqEtGohKvkk2_t3CC96z9VMVEFiqpT3C10hK80mbXOUNkNJUQxpp6-n2zuhBfBknlQMdm3QK5c-rhCobS7sdOW2TXsny02oy9734RIi-s5ca5TtzqS6Y//" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzNO-RkU4Sl_JTWDI0F6ejZguDqEtGohKvkk2_t3CC96z9VMVEFiqpT3C10hK80mbXOUNkNJUQxpp6-n2zuhBfBknlQMdm3QK5c-rhCobS7sdOW2TXsny02oy9734RIi-s5ca5TtzqS6Y//" width="320" /></a></div>In my post, “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-1.html" target="_blank">The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 1: Introducing...the Church of the Latter-day Saints</a>,” we explored the very real phenomenon that’s taken hold of many members: a preference to focus on OUR accomplishments, OUR successes, OUR possessions, OUR titles, OUR callings, OUR stories…(and oh, yes that’s right! Jesus helped too).</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a very real habit / tradition / mindset in our church which is amplified and reinforced year after year. For example, every holiday season, I see hundreds of Facebook posts of people virtue signaling ("the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one's good character or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue") and humble bragging ("making an ostensibly modest or self-deprecating statement with the actual intention of drawing attention to something of which one is proud"). </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5ui1Bf6P2E1zeFWU8DqSdnG06ChBU9XGcItfMqCO3pF7-Z0xVT7FjUWqnsjlhUWpVCYUtjzY6BBKSMta6MfTY4PASOUDVJpUvHiqkDx8kNZS7PQ7sFh5RUJe5eG3gySJje5zs554mNDV//" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="497" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5ui1Bf6P2E1zeFWU8DqSdnG06ChBU9XGcItfMqCO3pF7-Z0xVT7FjUWqnsjlhUWpVCYUtjzY6BBKSMta6MfTY4PASOUDVJpUvHiqkDx8kNZS7PQ7sFh5RUJe5eG3gySJje5zs554mNDV//" width="316" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over<br />the sound of how awesome I am."</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-2.html" target="_blank">In the holiday season of 2019, I told the story</a> of a man who posted on Facebook how he used a “Giving Machine” to buy three chickens for those in need. To make matters worse, quite a few members gave him accolades for his efforts. And so, the man’s orientation towards or at himself was validated and perpetuated. Another person also posted, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has made the challenge to kick off the Christmas season with a world-wide day of service. Our family and some AWESOME friends collected kitchen kits and other kits for refugees in Bangladesh." (source)</div><div><br /></div><div>How can you be filled with true spiritual light when your inner (and therefore public) spotlight is so firmly focused on yourself?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mark this as fact: You'll never be able to hear nor hearken to the voice of God -- and therefore, never be able to exercise the Gift of Healing -- over the sound of how awesome you are.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Universe of Possibilities</h3><div><br /></div><div>Once you've demonstrated to God that you're spiritually living "outside the box" by having successfully identified and thrown away the traditions of men (which are often mingled with scripture)...</div><div><br /></div><div>Once you've acknowledged your nothingness before God...</div><div><br /></div><div>Once you've checked your motives and have essentially "lost yourself" with an eye single to the glory of God, and</div><div><br /></div><div>Once you're hearing His voice and relying on Him instead of a mortal-made checklist...</div><div><br /></div><div>then a universe of possibilities open up to you via the Gift of Healing.</div><div><br /></div><div>We'll discuss those in my next post in this series.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOg-1JjAdGk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDA_cy-PJK3qNN5dbRsFtuXGV6HDk-NVONHbqp9OgVCpI0FPXYC3H9z6Nku0ZzMKHiHs-0z8o1-6DKL5K1CfA6kNQNhu1xgd07yc2Al6rAAIs5f-WI8Z489Ov3K-3fy_MJojjqkw-HEbj/w400-h249/JJ+Weeks+Band+-+Let+Them+See+You.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-86424022379127133842021-05-02T17:11:00.001-06:002021-05-02T17:11:57.889-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 6: The Limitations of Medical Science and Priesthood Blessings<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<br /><div>As I mentioned in a previous post (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-gift-of-healing-part-3-urgent-need.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and per <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126" target="_blank">the church's General Handbook of Instructions</a>, we members have three official options for healing: (1) competent medical help, (2) exercising faith and (3) priesthood blessings.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_YsuoN7-4BNm6jGEASwSP2f1O6upYZEUUB9pK1PBU746VdVqFs71GhosGVnKfa7H4q36KrejYdWydxk8kQFC7VosEjSyPl7p9zgR7Q65tNDwOWwUXGcjDqEdXDDo_hEziDyAF3B7z44R/s490/Healing1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="490" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_YsuoN7-4BNm6jGEASwSP2f1O6upYZEUUB9pK1PBU746VdVqFs71GhosGVnKfa7H4q36KrejYdWydxk8kQFC7VosEjSyPl7p9zgR7Q65tNDwOWwUXGcjDqEdXDDo_hEziDyAF3B7z44R/w400-h127/Healing1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The handbook defines what church leaders believe are unacceptable avenues for healing: those which are ethically, spiritually or legally questionable. I agree; you can't bring about righteous ends using unrighteous means. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuME9g9dkQ-UrBjcB-gogtc2hLIpyGp2qpn0zto57kFcxGKrK86XCDffXRZkqwAOOhrVro2m_iiRCZZ1zQqwQ1Qet1mM-kmceAu-g_x6kbLkQvNWnUJdIBxy1LYJT6wOkTZwqHlk9ogyu/s526/Healing2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="64" data-original-width="526" height="49" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuME9g9dkQ-UrBjcB-gogtc2hLIpyGp2qpn0zto57kFcxGKrK86XCDffXRZkqwAOOhrVro2m_iiRCZZ1zQqwQ1Qet1mM-kmceAu-g_x6kbLkQvNWnUJdIBxy1LYJT6wOkTZwqHlk9ogyu/w400-h49/Healing2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Shortcomings of "Medical Help"</h3><div><br /></div><div>The Handbook then gives us a little more detail in the three options. The first, concerning "medical help," provides some common-sense advice: Consult a medical professional who's competent in their area of specialization.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dkoc90Ji0JNswW6JBmTKfPCdWNUYN8xoJbN8AGH_gdLne7Q-XvZob6nt0-c-nmVhUM-fQnx5mjTBEnZs3fawGmJqZGRLfuz_N0IUpaSoykYY6UCgtMs9vMlz6mZvbH8_lfAlZ4xM_4qI/s531/Healing3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="531" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dkoc90Ji0JNswW6JBmTKfPCdWNUYN8xoJbN8AGH_gdLne7Q-XvZob6nt0-c-nmVhUM-fQnx5mjTBEnZs3fawGmJqZGRLfuz_N0IUpaSoykYY6UCgtMs9vMlz6mZvbH8_lfAlZ4xM_4qI/w400-h69/Healing3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I agree. If you have a broken leg, earache, heart palpitations, kidney stones, or one of a bajillion medical conditions, then go to the doctor! Some may believe that doing so is somehow spiritually reprehensible. I disagree, because sometimes, God provides His healing through those He has gifted with remarkable abilities. While you may have some gripes with doctors, it's foolish to throw the baby out with the bathwater.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, you and I both know that in many cases, the medical profession has failed us. The barren are still barren, the deaf are still deaf and the blind are still blind. Yet we know that in the Bible, such conditions can be easily reversed by God.</div><div><br /></div><div>We still lack "standard of care" cures for cancer, heart disease, chronic pain, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, schizophrenia, manic depression, Alzheimer's, autism, Crohn's disease, tinnitus and chronic insomnia. Where can those with these conditions turn? See what I mean?</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church"</h3><div><br /></div><div>The Handbook gives us a second avenue for healing: priesthood blessings.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07nRFm5A3Ba1in6g47TG0DRQHCsbc12jUzOIYw2RGScl7rmVk-6_Y-DYQeQvy-K7FELqpIyUGfosJIHXlfKr5sAv8moLelENNttcsipMNA72O43cUSbX0W7_wVNu7QsF3MxelFzQxddtw/s533/Healing4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="533" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07nRFm5A3Ba1in6g47TG0DRQHCsbc12jUzOIYw2RGScl7rmVk-6_Y-DYQeQvy-K7FELqpIyUGfosJIHXlfKr5sAv8moLelENNttcsipMNA72O43cUSbX0W7_wVNu7QsF3MxelFzQxddtw/w400-h158/Healing4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>When it comes to administering to the sick and healing them, President Brigham Young was specific in what kind of expectations he had regarding results:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"When I lay hands on the sick, I expect the healing power and influence of God to pass through me to the patient, and the disease to give way. … When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord, a stream of power from the Almighty can pass through the tabernacle of the administrator to the system of the patient, and the sick are made whole." (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 251)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Imagine the reputation the church would have if all its priesthood holders were able to give miraculous blessings of healing! People with faith by the droves would flock to priesthood holders. It would be a regular occurrence to read or hear in the news about people cured of Covid, cancer, heart disease, depression, Alzheimer's disease and infertility by men through whom the power of God flowed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, that's not reality. </div><div><br /></div><div>Why?</div><div><br /></div><div>I think there are many reasons. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of them: Many members believe that the higher the priesthood office, the greater the efficacy of the blessing. Nothing could be further from the truth. In July 2018, I posted Cheryl's story (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-fallacy-of-god-will-never-test-you.html" target="_blank">here</a>). In it, she told how she received many priesthood blessings for two serious chronic medical conditions she had experienced for many years. Blessings from Stake Presidency members and bishops were ineffectual. But finally, she was prompted to ask for a blessing from her 19-year-old son who had just been ordained an elder. It worked. He was the youngest, the "least" of the priesthood holders in Cheryl's area. And it was he who got his mother the temporary respite from pain and insomnia she so desperately sought. </div><div><br /></div><div>Secondly, it's apparent that many priesthood holders don't know how to give a proper priesthood blessing. For example, I am nauseated - nauseated! - by three modern-day priesthood blessing dynamics:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol start="1" style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Blessings in which God refers to Himself in the third person.</b> Priesthood blessings are supposed to be the relaying of God's own words through a mortal agent who is attuned to God and His words. The instant, the very moment, God is referred to in the third person, it ceases to be a personal message to you from God. Somebody else has stepped in between you and God.</li></ol></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">I can't think of a single instance where a member of deity referred to themself in the third person. Can you? If you're receiving a blessing where God is being referred to in the third person, then from whom is that blessing really from? </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><ol start="2" style="text-align: left;"><li><b>All the priesthood blessings which sound more like CTR-A primary lessons.</b> "God loves you," "God is aware of you," "God knows your name," "God knows your circumstances." </li></ol></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">No duh! Are we not told that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/10.30?lang=eng&clang=eng#p30" target="_blank">Matthew 10:30</a>)? Are we not told time and again that God knows ALL things past, present and future? With these facts (all of which you've known since childhood), why are we expected to be amazed and astounded when we are told that God is aware of you?</div></blockquote><div><ol start="3" style="text-align: left;"><li><b>The fruits just aren't there.</b> I know hundreds who are literally sick and tired of priesthood blessings which are helpless, hopeless, impersonal, dispassionate, unfulfilling, impotent, barren, fruitless, infertile, sterile, unfruitful, depressing and even distressing.</li></ol></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><u>That's not to say all priesthood blessings are utter failures. Some have worked, and were even powerful.</u> Unfortunately, I know more than my fair share of members who've had so many dismal experiences with priesthood blessings, they've given up on them. </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">And when said blessings are given in the name of God, then tell me how this ISN'T a case of using the Lord's name in vain?</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Why is this so? President Nelson said in his April 2019 General conference talk, "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/36nelson?lang=eng" target="_blank">We Can Do Better and Be Better</a>":</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Brethren, we all need to repent. We need to get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber. It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth. It is time to "thrust in [our] sickles, and reap with all [our] might, mind, and strength." (D&C 33:7) The forces of evil have never raged more forcefully than they do today. As servants of the Lord, we cannot be asleep while this battle rages."</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Now, don't think that this is some kind of new dynamic in the church. It isn't. It's been a problem for at least 30 years:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"In recent years I have felt, and I think I am not alone, that we were losing the ability to correct the course of the Church. You cannot appreciate how deeply I feel about the importance of this present opportunity unless you know the regard, the reverence, I have for the Book of Mormon and how seriously I have taken the warnings of the prophets, particularly Alma and Helaman. Both Alma and Helaman told of the church in their day. They warned about fast growth, the desire to be accepted by the world, to be popular, and particularly they warned about prosperity. Each time those conditions existed in combination, the Church drifted off course. All of those conditions are present in the Church today. Helaman repeatedly warned, I think four times he used these words, that the fatal drift of the church could occur 'in the space of not many years.' In one instance it took only six years." (See Helaman 6:32, 7:6, 11:26.)" (Elder Boyd K Packer, address given at a Regional Representatives Seminar, March 30 1990)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Twenty years later, In the April 2010 General Conference, he also said,</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"We have done very well at distributing the authority of the priesthood. We have priesthood authority planted nearly everywhere. We have quorums of elders and high priests worldwide. But distributing the authority of the priesthood has raced, I think, ahead of distributing the power of the priesthood. The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be." (Pres. Boyd K Packer, "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/04/the-power-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng">The Power of the Priesthood</a>", April 2010 General Conference)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Eight years later, the situation hadn't changed at all. In his April 2018 General Conference address, Pres. Nelson gave a terrific example of this lack of priesthood power:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"Now, may I voice a concern? It is this: Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children.</div><div><br /></div><div>I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs. Some of our brethren, for example, act like they do not understand what the priesthood is and what it enables them to do. Let me give you some specific examples.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not long ago, I attended a sacrament meeting in which a new baby was to be given a name and a father's blessing. The young father held his precious infant in his arms, gave her a name, and then offered a beautiful prayer. But he did not give that child a blessing. That sweet baby girl got a name but no blessing! That dear elder did not know the difference between a prayer and a priesthood blessing. With his priesthood authority and power, he could have blessed his infant, but he did not. I thought, 'What a missed opportunity!'</div><div><br /></div><div>Let me cite some other examples. </div><div><br /></div><div>We know of brethren who set sisters apart as Primary, Young Women, or Relief Society leaders and teachers but fail to bless them-to bless them with the power to fulfill their callings. They give only admonitions and instructions. We see a worthy father who fails to give his wife and his children priesthood blessings when that is exactly what they need. Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That's a tragedy that we can eliminate." ("<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/ministering-with-the-power-and-authority-of-god?lang=eng" target="_blank">Ministering with the Power and Authority of God</a>"; also see D&C 84:19-22; 107:18-19; Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:30-31)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Pres. Nelson continued:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"Recently, Wendy and I were in a meeting where the organist was poised and ready to play the opening hymn. His eyes were on the music, and his fingers were on the keys. He began pressing the keys, but there was no sound. I whispered to Wendy, "He has no power." I reasoned that something had stopped the flow of electrical power to that organ.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, brethren, in like manner, I fear that there are too many men who have been given the authority of the priesthood but who lack priesthood power because the flow of power has been blocked by sins such as laziness, dishonesty, pride, immorality, or preoccupation with things of the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>I fear that there are too many priesthood bearers who have done little or nothing to develop their ability to access the powers of heaven. I worry about all who are impure in their thoughts, feelings, or actions or who demean their wives or children, thereby cutting off priesthood power.</div><div><br /></div><div>I fear that too many have sadly surrendered their agency to the adversary and are saying by their conduct, "I care more about satisfying my own desires than I do about bearing the Savior's power to bless others."</div><div><br /></div><div>I fear, brethren, that some among us may one day wake up and realize what power in the priesthood really is and face the deep regret that they spent far more time seeking power over others or power at work than learning to exercise fully the power of God." (Pres. Russell M Nelson, "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/the-price-of-priesthood-power?lang=eng" target="_blank">The Price of Priesthood Power,</a>" April 2016 General Conference)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Finally, Pres. Nelson said: </div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Stake presidents and bishops, please ensure that every member of the quorums within your stewardship understands how to give a priesthood blessing-including the personal worthiness and spiritual preparation required to call fully upon the power of God."</div> ("<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/ministering-with-the-power-and-authority-of-god?lang=eng" target="_blank">Ministering with the Power and Authority of God</a>")</blockquote><div><br /></div><div>It's no wonder that we read,</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"They draw near to me with their lips . . . having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." (Joseph Smith 2:19; 2 Timothy 3:5)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>So here you have the current church president and the immediate past Q12 President both saying the same thing. And those are relatively recent quotes.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's time for us to not stick our heads in the sand and assume that all is well in Zion. It isn't. Did you see how Pres. Nelson used the word "fear" in conjunction with this condition? OVER AND OVER AGAIN.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pres. Nelson doesn't take this situation casually, and neither do I. We have many members seeking healing, which should be rightfully theirs, and not finding it. That should concern all of us.</div><div><br /></div><div>I began this post discussing the things "that work together for healing, according to the will of the Lord." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126" target="_blank">source</a>) </div><div><br /></div><div>While there is a place for diagnosis and treatment by competent, licensed medical practitioners, we both know modern medicine has its fair share of shortcomings which, as the scriptures demonstrate, are nothing in the face of true healing by God. </div><div><br /></div><div>While we are encouraged to "call for the elders of the church," it's distressing how passionately and frequently worldwide church leaders have publicly pronounced their votes of non-confidence in priesthood holders. And because I, and many others, continue to see a lack of priesthood power in blessings given since Pres. Nelson requested local leaders to intervene in this issue, it's reasonable to conclude that the situation isn't improving.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Then there's that third recommendation given in the Handbook: "exercising faith."</h3><div><br /></div><div>The Gift of Healing is a merciful solution to the inadequacies exhibited by modern medical science and the lack of priesthood power. It works, too. We have oodles of scriptural accounts testifying of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the looks of it, we have very few Gift of Healing experts in the church - enough to cause the current church president to consistently use the word "fear." Show me another General Conference talk with those dynamics.</div><div><br /></div><div>You may think this is another person's problem. It isn't. You may think you can hurry and become an expert when world conditions warrant it. That's called "procrastination." <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-gift-of-healing-part-3-urgent-need.html" target="_blank">Just read this previous post to see how urgently you -- we -- need the Gift of Healing.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>I praise God for the experiences He's given me regarding the Gift of Healing. I've seen results which far exceeded my wildest expectations. And I have no notable church calling.</div><div><br /></div><div>How do you get on this course? You begin with prayer. You pour your heart and soul into it, begging God to immerse your mind and heart with ways you can gift Him back by serving your brothers and sisters with the Gift of Healing -- a gift which the Savior so freely offers us, male and female, young and old, to exercise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then start learning the basics. Grasp onto the iron rod. Turn to what God has already revealed in the scriptures. <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/tg/heal?lang=eng" target="_blank">Here's a link to the Topical Guide entry for "Healing."</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>As you read this and other topics associated with healing, ask God to illuminate your heart and mind with further insights and even experiences about this gift. You'll be tested and tried to demonstrate your dedication. Ace those tests. Keep turning to God directly - His written word and spoken word - and grasping the iron rod that leads to the Tree of Life.</div><div><br /></div><div>You and I both know that as you head down this path, Satan's going to try to trip you up, divert and discourage you. In my next post, we'll start confronting those obstacles to your fully understanding and exercising the Gift of Healing, where YOU are truly "exercising faith".</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1JBSQMkQEo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbopg6XzvHx2JQyOQzqGNYhXT1bBAgfDyteqoPy74PAMcmL1LYanGJKHliXJryQ0fcAjJMnLhNoiZo0kNIhvrmm-uDd2LOPw1atkjv3VdPyTzv-70pWVaHrPy6zl7QuPAF2IdnB0VkVjB0/w400-h249/Kutless+-+What+Faith+Can+Do.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-19182651903342048062021-04-11T21:23:00.001-06:002021-04-26T20:05:14.693-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 5: The Obscure Yiddish Word I Got in a Dream Which Opens Up A New Dimension of the Gift of Healing<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>On Friday April 9 2021, I awoke in the morning from a sound night's sleep with a strange word in my head:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Pushke"</div><div><br /></div><div>It took me a few minutes to Google this word and find out what it meant, but when I did, a whole new dimension of the Gift of Healing opened up to me:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A <i>pushke</i> (pronounced PUSH-kuh) is a little can or</div><div style="text-align: center;">container kept in the home. It's used for collecting money </div><div style="text-align: center;">that the family will use to donate to charity or the poor. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Historic Roots</h3><div><br /></div><div>In our church tradition, giving to the poor is considered an obligation, something we do every month. We fill out a form detailing how much of our donation is going to tithing and how much is going to fast offering, we write out a check, stuff both in an envelope and hand it to a bishopric member. Not much behavior required; just tithing slip, pen, checkbook and envelope. Badda big, badda boom, obligation met.</div><div><br /></div><div>Interestingly, simply paying one's fast offering is not necessarily a sign of charitable behavior. I've known plenty of people in my life who consistently paid their fast offerings, yet were well-known for not being very Christlike in their families nor professions. Their countenances usually were bereft of joy, happiness and love. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous obligation; it's simply an act of justice and righteousness. This custom originates with the Hebrew Bible, the Torah. In a number of passages in the Torah, God commands the Jewish people to perform acts of <i>tzedakah</i> (pronounced tseh-DUH-kuh), the Hebrew word for "justice" or "righteous behavior." Below are two passages which outline ways in which one can fulfill this commandment:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>"And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.</div></div><div><div>And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:9-10)</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>"If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:</div></div><div><div>But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth." (Deuteronomy 15:7-8)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>I'm convinced that both these passages served as inspirations for the great King Benjamin, who said,</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>"And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.</div></div><div><div>Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—</div></div><div><div>But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God." (Mosiah 4:16-18)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>When you read these scriptures, can't you see that the Old Testament authors as well as King Benjamin were thinking a little deeper than our filling out a little slip of paper and handing it and the check to a church leader? They were after transformation! They were after righteousness! Neither of those two ends are accomplished by the stroke of a pen, but the stirrings of the heart.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Interestingly enough, even modern-day Jews lament the demise of the pushke. As one rabbi stated, "To my enormous regret, the "pushke" has become somewhat obsolete. Not that Jewish people are not as generous as they once were. Philanthropy remains a hallmark of our community even where piety and traditional learning have waned. But the "pushke"? It is a relic, threatened not by frugality, but by inflation and technology. Alas, coins are not worth what they once were. "Pushkas," which must be distributed and collected, are not cost effective. It is more economical to give charity with a check, which, in turn, can be used for tax credits. The modern philanthropist is likely to charge his or her contribution to a credit card." (Rabbi Kenneth L. Cohen, "Tzedakah: The Demise Of The Pushka", <a href="http://www.rabbicohen.com/tzedakah-the-demise-of-the-pushke.html">http://www.rabbicohen.com/tzedakah-the-demise-of-the-pushke.html</a>))</div><div><br /></div><div>Whipping out the 'ol checkbook and paying fast offerings is great. But it requires no behavior, no Christian mindset whatsoever. That's why performing acts of tzedakah via a pushke, in addition to fast offerings, is much better.</div><div><br /></div><div>The above passages guided the Jews and Nephites to treat those who were poor and/or without food with dignity and to ensure that their basic needs were met. In fact, I'd say these commandments directed these cultures to create a social welfare system based on individual and communal responsibility to care for those who cannot care for themselves. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu67QUTs6XzQZjcHRLt1009llGyHWW2sIb79utS4JDYcydVQ5-SE-8tPMFGQcmk50vscg2IZjYOtmNknHlioPBMtzUHA0kEIUzuZPDLwsRhrYhA8tDIB1m5-W8E6GOSTDfPQZD8e7L__sE/s551/pushke-cropped.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu67QUTs6XzQZjcHRLt1009llGyHWW2sIb79utS4JDYcydVQ5-SE-8tPMFGQcmk50vscg2IZjYOtmNknHlioPBMtzUHA0kEIUzuZPDLwsRhrYhA8tDIB1m5-W8E6GOSTDfPQZD8e7L__sE/s320/pushke-cropped.png" /></a></div>Implementing modern-day acts of tzedakah with a pushke</h3><div><br /></div><div>The pushke is important to the commandment of giving tzedakah because it allows Jews to give anonymously. </div><div><br /></div><div>The medieval Jewish scholar, Rambam, organized the acts of tzedakah by merit, considering anonymous giving more credible than acknowledged giving. Anonymous donation maintains a dignified relationship between those who are giving and those who are receiving aid. It is also important because it signifies a community effort to aid people who need it and may not be able to ask for it directly. The pushke serves as a means for each member of a household to contribute, both children and adults alike, fostering the importance of giving among all age groups.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the most convenient ways in which to give money to people in need is to keep a pushke in one's household. The small box or container can be for one specific charitable cause or can be for general collection." (Jennifer Noparstak, "Pushke," https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/pushke)</div><div><br /></div><div>In some circles in Judaism, an organizational representative regularly comes to collect the contents of the pushke. That's not really the case with we LDS, because we're not in a habit of keeping a pushke in which we place our tzedakah.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I invite you to implement something which King Benjamin and even our Lord were aware of, and likely encouraged, in their lifetimes: Start today to keep a pushke into which you will place your tzedakah.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfxJyHguwyoweMPTdlHiFPdjm-J6uUT81kVZgAf6sNHYLZnezMtl8ridV3R5AEJ1zerpgiRryDi-0A4_kArR_C75PDfLjMJFRflVraznPtVsH58NFl2gSgfbqOukeLu8Jd16SVVouaKP-/s500/jonspushke.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfxJyHguwyoweMPTdlHiFPdjm-J6uUT81kVZgAf6sNHYLZnezMtl8ridV3R5AEJ1zerpgiRryDi-0A4_kArR_C75PDfLjMJFRflVraznPtVsH58NFl2gSgfbqOukeLu8Jd16SVVouaKP-/s320/jonspushke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Check out this picture. My friend, Jon, keeps this small plastic box in his car. Every time he gets change (in the store or under his couches), he puts it in this box. Every time he goes to the store, he gets and extra $5 in cash and puts it in the box. </div><div><br /></div><div>"I don't run into beggars at my home, so I keep it in my car with me. The Lord is always generous in giving me an opportunity to share what I've collected in my box," Jon said.</div><div><br /></div><div>I asked Jon, "How do you know how much to give the beggar?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"There's two things the Lord loves to communicate to us: What we need to do to be closer to Him and our Heavenly Parents, and how to serve others. In the latter case, as I'm approaching the beggar, He'll give me a number. That's how many dollars I'll give the beggar," Jon said.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Multi-generationally Transformed Together</h3><div><br /></div><div>Rabbi Cohen continues:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"The demise of the "pushke" is not a tragedy for philanthropy. But it is a tragedy for Jewish education. A child cannot help write a check. A three year old does not know what to do with a credit card. But a little fellow or a little lass can put coins in a box. In this way a child can be initiated into this great mitzvah (good deed). In this manner each boy and girl can learn, in a very real sense that charity begins at home."</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>Rabbi Yisrael Salanter was once asked: How do you take care of your spiritual needs? He responded, “By taking care of somebody else’s physical needs.”</div><div><br /></div><div>And therein is healing...in a whole new, marvelous way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes a person needs healing not by the touch of a hand or finger, but in other ways. Sometimes the beggar can be physically intact, but needs a meal. Sometimes a family isn't ailing, but is wondering how they'll pay for that month's power or water. When examined in a larger context, by distributing what you've gathered in your pushke, you can help alleviate suffering. You help to heal the world with acts of loving-kindness, benefiting both the giver and recipient.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Rambam said, "We do perform an act of Tzedakah when we fulfill our duties towards our fellow men; these duties develop within us a virtuous character: e.g., when we heal the wound of the sufferer." (<a href="http://nleresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-Power-of-Tzedakah.pdf">http://nleresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-Power-of-Tzedakah.pdf</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Imagine...all of that above...from one simple word as I awoke one morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Praise Yeshua for the truths He generously reveals to us, the benefits of which have no end.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hktP9LHaRI0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Okl5YifZ0SEQRnhsOSOwe8s4sHpdVs_I0jPy71f3g1IaArF1hkFr1L-BDzete-esWw2bkkneieoAvg0iC1vE0FUjfU5Ex8QFnQ10oaIenuyfuQQHdyaUrVQpS5zNZlyL1qpif7GxSod2/w400-h249/Casting+Crowns+-+One+Step+Away.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-86165605825814441392021-04-04T12:33:00.004-06:002021-04-26T20:04:50.613-06:00The LDS Perfect Day BookS are now ready for purchase!<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><br /></div><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChris+Sabian&s=relevancerank&text=Chris+Sabian&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" target="_blank">The LDS Perfect Day BookS are now ready for purchase!</a></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChris+Sabian&s=relevancerank&text=Chris+Sabian&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmb4AzFYIFjYTCpsEuZljRjRuo9yOfNKxMbpEXVeSDRX1OsaWqhzDIam6entnyTJpsmc8Tu0IXxKcWSg6Hjdd84WbOx-tjPBPWj6ADNsoEJQRvsseWJXnJnhKgh2zzp-o7bNHYqKZHVdAM/s320/BookBrushImage-2021-3-24-22-37.png" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChris+Sabian&s=relevancerank&text=Chris+Sabian&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5qyZ8O6Fo4D9m8h3ADjFPw0u4swNrS094ASWSEnQer8wxNmL0h2sc-ixtMA6QKYn3ceufblkEtsZfZDIIft0iDaevJVdm2AERjgf14Agjo1UPKC1T_lY2Mn5QSxqqiRXtXaD4NaTnuuM/s320/BookBrushImage-2021-2-24-21-5823.png" /></a><br /><br /></div></div><p>A little over nine years since its first article "Symphonies," LDS Perfect Day's 240+ blog posts have helped tens of thousands worldwide to elevate their relationship with the Savior of the world. As a result, they have cast aside the traditions of men, enabling them to better hear His voice, hearken to His words and enjoy a life far more transcendent than they ever imagined.</p><p>The new LDS Perfect Day Volumes 1 and 2 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChris+Sabian&s=relevancerank&text=Chris+Sabian&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" target="_blank">found here</a>) are compilations of these posts through the year 2020. They are intended to safeguard the blog's insights against a coming day when there will be no power and no internet. </p><p>Each book is over 500 pages long and 8.5" x 11" in size, making them real bargains for the $20 price. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChris+Sabian&s=relevancerank&text=Chris+Sabian&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" target="_blank">Both books are exclusively sold on Amazon.</a></p><p>Additionally, you can now print all the posts not included in the book – that is, all the posts since January 1, 2021. Each of those blog posts now have a button at the top of the page which allows you to view and print a PDF of that post. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChris+Sabian&s=relevancerank&text=Chris+Sabian&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" target="_blank">All posts prior to 2021 are included in the books and will not be converted to PDF.</a></p><p>There are no plans to convert the books to other readable formats or into an audio book (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/podcasts.html" target="_blank">many posts can be downloaded as MP4s via the podcasts link on the blog</a>). The priority has only been to convert posts into a printed format impervious to disruptions in power grids.</p><p>The softcover books can be purchased here:</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Day-1-Chris-Sabian/dp/B08ZVTSXCD" target="_blank">LDS Perfect Day Volume 1</a> (Contents: All LDS Perfect Day posts from Feb 5, 2012 through May 14, 2016)</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Day-2-Chris-Sabian/dp/B08ZDQRVKD" target="_blank">LDS Perfect Day Volume 2</a> (Contents: All LDS Perfect Day posts from May 15, 2016 through December 20, 2020)</p><p>Praise be to Yeshua HaMashiach, my best friend, who (to date) turned 1 post into 240, no podcasts into 73, and no interaction into a thriving, sharing, testifying, dynamic, technicolor Facebook group of over 800 dedicated followers of our Lord and Savior.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf8qQLGZ3o8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheITMt0IgIewl4RA8adT2wTL9tb6tiODfLQtREhHBz4vM9J3Yv1TdYb7QuROdCJKDg-wwobh8FX2v6_nKeGUV1IrFjDnnJeCG9TGgR9Pfh3rf7vDrPI-XzYqf9tlGIHumyPQPgoGVz6rW2/w400-h249/Newsboys+-+The+Greatness+of+Our+God.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-20984906542200283872021-03-27T22:34:00.003-06:002021-04-26T20:04:26.707-06:00He'll Always Catch You<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVPq6QPVCsFWWTY97qF4HZ1WGfHtp1X4TSgiJfeOjW1iecMHg2vkuegeemMT_yIa9kSPNt8-0I_DH0BYs7__F6l60DmDE_AsubcRGoUffWKss3IJ73DenoTVE1UZ7tKggOYPAoAZryVzY/s1113/Handhold.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="1113" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVPq6QPVCsFWWTY97qF4HZ1WGfHtp1X4TSgiJfeOjW1iecMHg2vkuegeemMT_yIa9kSPNt8-0I_DH0BYs7__F6l60DmDE_AsubcRGoUffWKss3IJ73DenoTVE1UZ7tKggOYPAoAZryVzY/w640-h306/Handhold.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>One of my favorite songs is "Broken" by Lifehouse. Just by listening to the song, you can just feel lots of emotion. </p><p>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.</p><p>But after researching and reading comments, I found out the story behind the song.</p><p>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:</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With a broken heart that's still beating</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In the pain there is healing</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In your name I find meaning</i></div><p></p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>Another section in this song says:</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm hanging on another day</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just to see what you will throw my way</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And I'm hanging on to the words you say</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You said that I would, would be ok</i></div><p></p><p>More meaningful, powerful words. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6cdPeYJh0s&ab_channel=LifehouseVEVO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XfSNNFg33cC3ZPKcjrWn_06496328HjAKpXYxFcrnP_5b6kTQ7SkogwAA7avs-ZGqkhJD5VhyphenhyphenNihvrFA1YsJsm35kVFbzQVM7dIthznegFzgykQVhutda0e-gzy8iUljfbc_c0Mdc7p9/w640-h398/Lighthouse+-+Broken.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-26838782752464680192021-03-14T20:13:00.003-06:002021-04-26T20:03:52.264-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 4: The Oft-Neglected Link in Healing Yourself...and Others<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ESS6HqOuoc&ab_channel=Movieclips" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlO7wZ8nrxqZGsgcqHFtedliZ8oRqtBuZDJufCaBHiO2673gfIcp-nmEtmtaHVy83X0G0CYzu8XocNCypog1_Hs0tNVLyyQe-Pa8adRmlGfjGQYEH-sShyphenhyphenfCRWqlpJQSWI8hUkO_n1vRPQ/s320/Rocky+III+-+Light+as+a+Feather.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Light as a Feather</h3><p>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). </p><p>In the movie <i>Rocky III</i>, 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. </p><p>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."</p><p>"Nothing is real if you don't believe in who you are!" Rocky yelled to Adrian. "Don't you understand?"</p><p>When you watch this scene, you can just feel all the emotional and psychological rocks Rocky was carrying. Maybe not rocks. Boulders.</p><p>"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."</p><p>"And if I lose?" Rocky asked.</p><p>"Then you lose, but at least you lose with no excuses," Adrian replied.</p><p>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.</p><p>Eventually, Rocky would knock out the man who decisively knocked him out months earlier.</p><p>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.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyytQh5CaXyckmuFpLGcYVdjjtuwLw8GGh1Xzh0-K2nA-HhKzQbuaEFCyON6I75xYFbtM-suCBygBQabF1yyoZyIgGey1HBgifU3_YPC4pHr3HzTxyocCN0YeKAg0z-Sv6yHuLn31F35by/s630/floatingrock.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyytQh5CaXyckmuFpLGcYVdjjtuwLw8GGh1Xzh0-K2nA-HhKzQbuaEFCyON6I75xYFbtM-suCBygBQabF1yyoZyIgGey1HBgifU3_YPC4pHr3HzTxyocCN0YeKAg0z-Sv6yHuLn31F35by/s320/floatingrock.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Give Him Your Rocks</h3><p>You, too, likely carry a lot of rocks with you. </p><p>We humans are so adept at burdeneing and weighting ourselves down. All our past screw ups, stupid tendencies, sins and more. </p><p>Rocks, definitely. Boulders? Quite possibly.</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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?</p><p>A friend of mine had a dream two years ago about the rocks she was carrying:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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?”</p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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).</p><p> (My self worth felt SO low! He has really helped me with this since then, in such loving and sustained ways).</p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>My jaw dropped, and even my mind gaped open in awe and amazement. It was so unexpected and so incredible. Everything held so still. </p><p>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. </p><p>Every weight was now lifted by him, and all of them now irrelevant to me.</p><p>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!</p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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."</p></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Uncondemned</h3><p>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!</p><p>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.</p><p>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).</p><p>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.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)</p></blockquote><p>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...</p><p>...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.</p><p>Want to dive into the concept of "Dropping Your Rocks" in more depth? <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/toc.html" target="_blank">Click here to join our Facebook group!</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY6VAy9y_iQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtLvsTK4oXaVOkvKi68HAshzUXd6x3JUfTbTMMPG15qRpMj3EXjuq453ZOLssbW43lagcjRrZVyOnFP3oCDu_jUZc1dV8XQT-TKP5Dr4bgnYUN2h608LIfC3QZJ8tM6x6tPquizw78W-T/w400-h249/Jesus+Friend+of+Sinners.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-12814766321096502172021-03-09T19:48:00.003-07:002021-04-26T20:03:02.223-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 3: The Urgent Need for the Gift of Healing<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<p>Yeah us!!!!</p><p>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.</p><p>Because of these circumstances, I think it’s perfectly natural and expected that people are optimistic about the COVID-19 trendlines these days. </p><p>Yet despite all the COVID-19 demise celebrations remains many alarming facts:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Leaders and judges pass and endorse laws allowing the murder of unborn children. </li><li>They accommodate and fund countries who are violently opposed to God, Christians and freedom. </li><li>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.</li></ul><p></p><p>Along with the mass media, these leaders and judges also:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Ignore and remain silent as anarchist groups foment riots and violence in our neighborhoods. </li><li>Espouse sexual education and even genetic sexual manipulation of kindergarteners and encourage them to reconsider their God-given genders.</li><li>Give preferential treatment for individuals based on the color of their skin, not the content of their character. </li><li>Embrace socialist and communist ideologies.</li><li>Mock, degrade and even inhibit the free exercise of religion, especially Christianity.</li></ul><p></p><p>Within the church, </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>We are still under condemnation for not taking the Book of Mormon seriously. </li><li>Headlines regularly highlight active bishops and local leaders for sex-related crimes.</li><li>Pornography has decimated huge swaths of Melchizedek and especially Aaronic Priesthood quorums. </li><li>Top church leaders (including and especially Pres. Nelson) have condemned priesthood holders for having oodles of authority, and very little (if any) power (I’ll be covering this in-depth in a future post).</li><li><a href="https://cumorah.com/index.php?target=view_other_articles&story_id=689&cat_id=30" target="_blank">The Church’s 2019 U.S. membership growth rate is 0.59% — the lowest annual membership growth rate for the United States in perhaps the past 100 years. </a></li><li><a href="https://cumorah.com/index.php?target=view_other_articles&story_id=689&cat_id=30" target="_blank">Low birth rates mean the annual increase in children of record for 2019 was a mere 94,266 — the lowest annual increase in unbaptized children under age 8 added to Church records since 2007.</a></li></ul><p></p><p>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.</p><p>So, what has God done historically when mankind defiantly chooses evil over good?</p><p>He sends us warnings.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ajHG7DjWG6pbE8hSi02QhjLK2iBLQjV42Zymce4YBFI6NlVGHCr6Fa43sa8evbrVeD-yRXKqmRTKvYEgdITgfPv9QgoHzYj6dYJQuQQh_pgxbbAA3pQoQJnKgkEKtH4Bfn4QtXgEt8yf/s183/wave+1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ajHG7DjWG6pbE8hSi02QhjLK2iBLQjV42Zymce4YBFI6NlVGHCr6Fa43sa8evbrVeD-yRXKqmRTKvYEgdITgfPv9QgoHzYj6dYJQuQQh_pgxbbAA3pQoQJnKgkEKtH4Bfn4QtXgEt8yf/s0/wave+1.png" /></a></div>The First Wave</h3><p>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).</p><p>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.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VvPPmBGBiirpr_hjRALsVr2AbwCkYOrtB0oz0xmd7HiezE0dYSAXa4nOIfLCH3h6y77_xpgBng6ob4wC72wt_EWmKC4wx370TeUY0r_aGqJLZtO7jCjhovX9aZ1THUC4wgO0UgTdA6aX/s398/wave+2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VvPPmBGBiirpr_hjRALsVr2AbwCkYOrtB0oz0xmd7HiezE0dYSAXa4nOIfLCH3h6y77_xpgBng6ob4wC72wt_EWmKC4wx370TeUY0r_aGqJLZtO7jCjhovX9aZ1THUC4wgO0UgTdA6aX/s320/wave+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>The Second Wave</h3><p>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). </p><p>The conditions for the alleviation of these divine calamities is three-fold: mankind must repent of:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Its sins (Mosiah 12:2-7; Helaman 11:15; D&C 97:26)</li><li>Its unbelief in God (2 Nephi 6:15) and </li><li>Not remembering Him (Helaman 12:3). </li></ul><p></p><p>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)</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Are we, as a church membership, humbling ourselves?</p><p>Are we praying more than ever?</p><p>Are we seeking -- and encouraging others to seek -- the face of the Lord?</p><p>Are we turning from our wicked ways?</p><p>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?</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXOuqtrZwbKxyTj-IF05nIiGCotBpMwk5JaV-bX8hYq4Zz0GnOB-qn2OJcslrETUtNMq7aSMFlf0ZlDOei5D7zJS8ZjcMvqHKQIDGnTQKqmgL3b6F_7RRuq2_8lH1Yc5-zcC52-D8yNex/s849/wave+3.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="849" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXOuqtrZwbKxyTj-IF05nIiGCotBpMwk5JaV-bX8hYq4Zz0GnOB-qn2OJcslrETUtNMq7aSMFlf0ZlDOei5D7zJS8ZjcMvqHKQIDGnTQKqmgL3b6F_7RRuq2_8lH1Yc5-zcC52-D8yNex/s320/wave+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>The Third Wave</h3><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"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)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p></blockquote><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I see no evidence that we, collectively, as church members, are humbling ourselves. </li><li>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.</li><li>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, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/04/the-power-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng" target="_blank">“The Power of the Priesthood,”</a> April 2010 General Conference; and Pres. Russell M Nelson, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/ministering-with-the-power-and-authority-of-god?lang=eng" target="_blank">“Ministering with the Power and Authority of God,”</a> April 2018 General Conference)</li><li>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.</li></ul><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"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)</p></blockquote><p>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.</p><p>What should we be looking for in these judgments?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to <b>scourge</b> them for their wickedness.</p><p>And <b>plagues</b> 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)</p></blockquote><p>When will they hit?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"For <b>a desolating scourge</b> shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and <b>shall continue to be poured out from time to time</b>, 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)</p></blockquote><p>Where will it hit?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"for <b>a desolating sickness</b> shall cover the land" (D&C 45:31; emphasis mine) (Note: COVID-19 was bad, but it wasn’t “desolating,” which is defined as <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolating" target="_blank">“to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of”</a></p></blockquote><p>How bad will it be?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"<b>The Lord’s scourge</b> 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: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vex" target="_blank">“vex” means “to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts”</a>)</p></blockquote><p>What is the nature of this plague / desolating scourge / desolating sickness?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“So the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth, and <b>a foul, loathsome sore</b> 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 <i>helkose</i>, which means 'ulcer'. It may be very foul-smelling, painful ulcers that are malignant)</p><p>"Before him went the pestilence, and <b>burning coals went forth at his feet</b>." (Habakkuk 3:5)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p></blockquote><p>What should we do during these plagues / pestilences / scourges?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Come, <b>my people</b>, <b>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</b>. 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)</p></blockquote><p>How long will we need to stay in our “chambers”?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that <b>they should be tormented five months</b>: <b>and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.</b>" (Revelation 7:5)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p></blockquote><p>Interestingly, a friend of mine who is very close to the Lord had the following dream last year:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“Last night, I had a very vivid dream about the next pandemic.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.”</p></blockquote><p>“the torment of a scorpion”...”there were barbs, like a scorpion or a wasp”...Interesting!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5tpSi5g6bNyuV4sVLXRhvQ0Ls-Khck7jv90YK3TtNBp1GMFsf427X_9HlT0BRZ4lA1Y4dqFZQsr05v6xeZirtVleia_GaLeY83zU9ckjfF-Fs_t8JYKsSWAZp8YRZ5_CzpfoYGN3hN39/s512/exercise+faith.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5tpSi5g6bNyuV4sVLXRhvQ0Ls-Khck7jv90YK3TtNBp1GMFsf427X_9HlT0BRZ4lA1Y4dqFZQsr05v6xeZirtVleia_GaLeY83zU9ckjfF-Fs_t8JYKsSWAZp8YRZ5_CzpfoYGN3hN39/s320/exercise+faith.png" width="320" /></a></div>“Exercising Faith” -- The Best (and Perhaps Only) Viable Option</h3><p>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.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126">https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126</a>)</p><p>Via the scriptures, we know that COVID-19 isn’t the last pandemic we’ll have to survive. Regarding the next pandemic, </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>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?</li><li>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)?</li></ul><p></p><p>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?</p><p>The only thing that’s left is “exercising faith” -- specifically, the Gift of Healing...</p><p>...a gift that, as you may be sensing by now, you urgently need.</p><p>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) </p><p style="text-align: center;">“if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30)</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGf-moAOoA_UoTilBej-CW-mPVlKRGz74OeZTTHutec-4VpcbTleu9Etptisw4W75FNFm9UnF6opUrVql50BZeGA8Kqfwrk8rmZ1unIhuRdPxMgXkhiK6jD2y5vJEm-KOmxkcEodtvBdo7/s794/il_794xN.2069526031_lj4r.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGf-moAOoA_UoTilBej-CW-mPVlKRGz74OeZTTHutec-4VpcbTleu9Etptisw4W75FNFm9UnF6opUrVql50BZeGA8Kqfwrk8rmZ1unIhuRdPxMgXkhiK6jD2y5vJEm-KOmxkcEodtvBdo7/s320/il_794xN.2069526031_lj4r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Prepare Yourself for THE Wedding</h3><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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)</p></blockquote><p>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:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pray</li><li>Call upon God’s name</li><li>Humble yourself</li><li>Repent of your sins</li><li>Repent of your unbelief in God</li><li>Repent of your not remembering God</li><li>Seek His face</li></ul><p></p><p>Here’s another scripture which I believe meets this criteria:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“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)</p></blockquote><p>Want to dive into D&C 93:1 in more depth? <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/posts-by-label.html" target="_blank">Click here and scroll down to the sections which begin with “D&C 93:1.”</a> There, you’ll see dozens of posts to help you start beautifying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xzaivDbu9c&ab_channel=MercyMe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilF1LmdYhDoCnpAvo1fjwhJTk_0yFh5XBotBCKLE6qZRXgI8n-5OAVaH-044NmzVA8CWWCvuYm80sUlSwivj-lI-Knn3m-Jlw0SQVHU5sK4aWnvhcXSLRPpNHioHhzH8NXqlYO6LAAtIEQ/w400-h249/MercyMe+-+The+Hurt+%2526+The+Healer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>This post is just the "tip of the iceberg" in our discussion of "The Gift of Healing Part 3." Want more in-depth insights? <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/toc.html">Click here to start the process of joining our Facebook group today!</a> (Be sure to follow the instructions to a tee).</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-50272158119332568652021-02-21T19:21:00.003-07:002021-04-26T20:02:27.793-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 2: What's Under the "Tip of the Iceberg" Regarding the Gift of Healing<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLpHVPDZr0hsU83kBwen1QgaDnPB6fKQl6Hp7QPQxCOSyU_j-Wq9bpUdAoss_Z7r9NggVaCEfK1VJJjIU8WHeAQd4KDr2syjCMIx6PVh-21Z2kDj3dEM7RZtBhtWYV9a-tUnuw3wrmc7I/s2560/tipoftheiceberg-scaled.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="2560" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLpHVPDZr0hsU83kBwen1QgaDnPB6fKQl6Hp7QPQxCOSyU_j-Wq9bpUdAoss_Z7r9NggVaCEfK1VJJjIU8WHeAQd4KDr2syjCMIx6PVh-21Z2kDj3dEM7RZtBhtWYV9a-tUnuw3wrmc7I/w640-h296/tipoftheiceberg-scaled.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>As we embark on this series of posts/podcasts regarding the Gift of Healing, I thought I should let you in on a little-known fact:</div><div><br /></div><div>These blog posts, these podcasts, are simply the opening stanzas of a beautful discussion on this profound gift. They are, to use an analogy, just the "tip of the iceberg."</div><div><br /></div><div>The <b><u>real</u></b> discussion, where some <b><u>real</u></b> meaty content is found, lies in our Facebook group. For example: just yesterday, a brand new subscriber posted their story of healing from scoliosis which involves two generations of women hearkening to the Lord's quiet reassurances, despite all medical advice to the contrary.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can't join "The Perfect Day" Facebook group by simply clicking Facebook's "Join the Group" button. There's also a form to fill out, which clearly explains what the group is and isn't about.</div><div><br /></div><div>We really look forward to your participation and engaging in the discussion about the Gift of Healing (and more!) on our Facebook group. Start the process today by clicking the button below, which will take you to our subscription form. And if you want to remain anonymous in our group, that's fine. Email me at <a href="mailto:ldsperfectday@gmail.com">ldsperfectday@gmail.com</a> for some suggestions on how to anonymously participate. </div><div><br /></div><div>We hope that our focus on the Gift of Healing will be meaningful not only to you, but those in your life as well. We know that as we turn our hearts, minds, hands and feet over to the Master Healer, He will give us ample opportunities to see that He is still enthusiastically healing people these days, and wants you to not only be a spectator, but also a participant, with Him in these healings.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/toc.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rN0adnxpbZPKN86rnxXfMBd_sF5dmVh5ahQ6ySiCa0iVvQK6KflnQvNfDoU84ceOYLsUHIrP_CxSv9T7YPJp9dM-vsASLR9Oyqv9_EGpi2Rjx5dlsLeDFm1Vv2Vx9sxLJRIj49MKQL8v/s320/FacebookIcon.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5YMN3eTPC4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_16VhCxBNDQC3U9qhe2BL9eByRn9nB_n0cbS2mKmj2jne_XU3SFWzWGOpxk1Cx2irA1Ne7d6w0vsPegqUfCxS2ePCZ_MammLa-Cg_xXbCt0Yiw_Kw_-phwI2xC5h8iCTbwakxCMuYTma/w400-h249/Natalie+Grant+-+More+Than+Anything.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-89603148506921407772021-02-15T08:45:00.002-07:002021-04-26T20:01:55.808-06:00The Gift of Healing Part 1: Let the Healing Begin<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolsKvshyS4t-z9JIYr6ufgACqbMajCjCvmtiekIPia1oINSIDzltcY843IRMhdaKglRYys5vmiis5snmK6U5oparct0ffZoKflhD-VQ9S0qnqlF0Ofn48OhQwU00dBL-J_65ASdYa74qa/s1024/134696700_910619853016232_6120402917962698062_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolsKvshyS4t-z9JIYr6ufgACqbMajCjCvmtiekIPia1oINSIDzltcY843IRMhdaKglRYys5vmiis5snmK6U5oparct0ffZoKflhD-VQ9S0qnqlF0Ofn48OhQwU00dBL-J_65ASdYa74qa/w640-h320/134696700_910619853016232_6120402917962698062_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"Jesus was walking to Jairus’s house, but he didn’t go alone. A crowd went with him. He was being jostled, pushed against, pressed into when suddenly he stopped and asked the seemingly ridiculous question, “Who touched me?”</p><p>A woman came forward. She too fell at his feet and told him, the scriptures say, “the whole truth." She had been bleeding for twelve years. She was getting worse. She had seen every doctor, done every treatment, and spent every dime. She knew only that if she could press through the crowds and even just touch Jesus’s garment, she would be healed.</p><p>It was illegal for this woman to be out with the people. She was bleeding. She was unclean. It was against the law that she, a woman, would touch Jesus, a man. But against all the laws and against all the odds, she reached out to Jesus, she pressed into him with everything she had, and she was healed.</p><p>And Jesus thought she was awesome. 'Your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'" (Stasi Eldredge, "Becoming Myself")</p></blockquote><p>It wasn't two men in suits, a little oil dabbed on her head or some trite statement about God being aware of her that healed her. No. It was her faith -- a faith so deep, so profound, that it pressed into Yeshua, and moved Him to compassion.</p><p>Just five words:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>YOUR</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>FAITH</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>HAS</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>HEALED</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>YOU.</b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee..." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/2-kgs/20.5?lang=eng" target="_blank">2 Kings 20:5</a>)</p></blockquote><p>We latter-day saints are, by and large, dismally inadequate in our knowledge (let alone usage) of spiritual gifts like the Gift of Healing. We tend to gravitate towards things we know and have been familiar with, instead of venturing into the unknown. It reminds me of that scene from Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail: When faced with traversing a deep canyon, he had to take a step into thin air in order to see the real path that lay before him. But we tend to not take that leap of faith into thin air...to our detriment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-JIfjNnnMA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh399zCAG3DvujA30n9741_KbB-BWnklO0SL6b7qbN-mQ-H_yfblVMTgqiWmNRF7MMUIteQp0Gc6G4U46_FZ2UwcWjtwUTaB16H7Yw-8ixtgDezQK3ZT5udmLU1iQifMAv5O0Bl7Ls9zLft/w400-h249/Leap+of+Faith.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">When competent medical professionals only take you so far</h3><p>When it comes to healing, many do what’s found in the <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126" target="_blank">General Handbook of Instructions 38.7.8 - Medical and Health Care</a>: We seek “competent medical help,” consulting “with competent medical professionals who are licensed in the areas where they practice.”</p><p>Competent medical professionals definitely have a role in our lives. It’s said that “God helps those who help themselves,” and sometimes, the raft that’s going to save us from the floods will be your doctor. If I break my arm, I’ll go to my doctor. If I need to get a blood test to see if my hormone levels are off, I’ll go to my doctor.</p><p>For all their expertise though, doctors and other medical experts have yet to cure cancer. Yet I have seen, with my own eyes, a man cured of Stage 4 cancer right on the spot by a person specifically exercising the Gift of Healing. Modern medicine can’t cure a debilitating migraine in a few minutes. Yet I know a woman who healed herself by exercising the Gift of Healing, and commanded a 5-day migraine to go away. It did in a few minutes. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">When priesthood blessings only take you so far</h3><p>Per <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number126" target="_blank">the General Handbook</a>, we also receive “priesthood blessings,” calling “the elders of the church” to “let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” </p><p>Yet as we’ll read in a future post here, President Nelson has been very critical about the quality of priesthood power (or shall I say the lack thereof) among today’s priesthood holders. It is he and other apostles -- not I -- who have proclaimed to the world that priesthood blessings aren’t bringing about the results they should be. Most, if not all, tend to be prayers and requests, not pronouncements of power. And in a church whose truth claims are predicated upon the maxim “By their fruits ye shall know them,” ineffectual priesthood blessings are a very problematic situation.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">“Exercising faith”</h3><p>But a third method for receiving healing that’s mentioned in that General Handbook section -- “exercising faith” -- is still a mystery to many, if not most.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“We know too little about spiritual gifts. This is evident in our communications, and it is also evident in our failure to seek after and use spiritual gifts.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Spiritual Gifts”, Brigham Young University Women’s Conference, March 28, 1986; <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1986/09/spiritual-gifts">https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1986/09/spiritual-gifts</a>)</p></blockquote><p>This is regrettable, because if Brother Joseph were alive today, he’d be saying we should be making faith our first solution with respect to healing, and not a two-word afterthought:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"I preached to a large congregation at the stand, on the science and practice of medicine, desiring to persuade the Saints to trust in God when sick, and not in an arm of flesh, and live by faith and not by medicine, or poison..." (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 4:414)</p></blockquote><p>In the New Testament, Yeshua promised His disciples that “signs shall follow them that believe,” including casting out devils, speaking “with new tongues,” and healing the sick. Note that the Lord said it would be those who believe -- not just men. It’s anybody who believes in Him. Let that sink in.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“During our time here on earth, <b><span style="color: red;">we</span></b> have been charged to develop the natural gifts and capabilities Heavenly Father has blessed <b><span style="color: red;">us</span></b> with. Then it will be <b><span style="color: red;">our</span></b> opportunity to use these gifts to become teachers and leaders of God’s children wherever they may be found on earth. To exercise these gifts, <b><span style="color: red;">we</span></b> must develop a purity of heart.” (Elder Robert D. Hales, “Gifts of the Spirit,” <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2002/02/gifts-of-the-spirit?lang=eng" target="_blank">Ensign, February 2002</a>)</p></blockquote><p>See that pronoun? “We”! It’s not just one specific gender. It’s not just anybody with the title “Elder,” “Bishop” or “President” in front of their last name. It’s ALL who believe.</p><p>OK, fine. So how do we proceed?</p><p>If you want to exercise your faith -- the same power that created the heavens and the earth, lit 16 stones for the Brother of Jared and parted the Red Sea -- via the Gift of Healing, then you’re going to need to exercise faith: an imperfect knowledge of things hoped and wished for, but not seen (see <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/2-cor/5.7?lang=eng" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:7</a>). </p><p>So, what’s required for you to exercise faith?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“Let us here observe that three things are necessary for any rational and intelligent being to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.</p><p>First, the idea that he actually exists;</p><p>Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes;</p><p>Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which one is pursuing is according to His will. For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive. But with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness unto the praise and glory of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (<a href="https://rsc.byu.edu/lectures-faith-historical-perspective/lecture-3" target="_blank">Lectures on Faith 3:2-5</a>)</p></blockquote><p>You need to not only know that God exists, but know His character, perfections, and attributes. And you need to know His will. The Lectures on Faith describe these three points as a “sure foundation for the exercise of faith in God.”</p><p>Want a really good example of how someone exercised that faith and turned it into a genuine, bona fide miracle? Then come with me, 2,000 years ago...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">He Left the Boat</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIW6HVl4qSE&ab_channel=SUPEREMINENTGOD" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuJkQwbjaVt6zUb4J6IzKSawmS7pfsens93MxGhYPEYU3Oo9wtG2wkJy240DccDQFHEtct7QVFTLpS6gVyOKHdNcSTh8MDf81hwRsya4zG71qgMGaI2AkXTitssARfZLObVHIxheFr4cC/w400-h249/Son+of+God+-+Peter+Walks+on+Water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Kayfa, also known as Simon Peter, messed up. We know more about his mess ups than the mess ups of anyone else in the New Testament. He messed up rebuking the Lord, denying the Lord, comparing the Lord to Moses and Elijah, and sinking into the water. Peter seems, often, to be stumbling through the New Testament. The main thing about Peter is not that he stumbled, but that he walked. He may have stumbled... but at least he walked. He was the only apostle who started sinking into the water, but at least he walked on the water. None of the others sank, but none of the others walked. Which had the better portion? It was the one who at least walked on the water. And Peter became the leader of them all. Most of the disciples and most of us would rather avoid the risk of stumbling, falling, and sinking by choosing not to step out in faith.” (Oswald Chambers, “Kayfah : A Man Called Peter”)</p></blockquote><p>We latter-day saints are told to stay in the “Good Ship Zion,” and so we do. But as Pres. Oaks’ aptly described above, perhaps we’re taking that in-boat orientation a bit too far. Collectively, we aren’t stepping out of the boat, pursuing (let alone exercising) gifts of the spirit. We avoid the perceived risk of sinking in the water, so we never leave the perceived safety of just going to medical professionals (who often just treat symptoms, not actual causes, of medical maladies) and priesthood blessings (many of which the church president has condemned as ineffectual).</p><p>We could be doing better, but we aren’t.</p><p>Want proof? Then fine -- message me back with how many people were publicly cured of Covid via the Gift of Healing. Many of Yeshua’s healings were public. Why should we, His followers, be any different?</p><p>Imagine if we were considered “The church that cures Covid!” Do you think our missionary efforts would become kind of effortless? But no, we are not. I haven’t heard of very many people cured on the spot from Covid. And why not? Well, we’ll get into that soon.</p><p>But what matters is, God is calling you to step out in faith! Don’t you think that it’s better for you to have stepped out in faith than to have never stepped out at all? Just ask Peter.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Gift of Healing on a Silver Platter</h3><p>This year, LDS Perfect Day will focus most of its posts on one thing: the Gift of Healing. Here’s what you can expect in the weeks and months to come as we present perhaps the most comprehensive examination of this gift found anywhere on the internet:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Why there’s an urgent, critical need for the Gift of Healing...more so than at any other time in mankind’s history.</li><li>Why church leaders are consistently saying why you can’t count on priesthood blessings.</li><li>The real reason why we don’t see the Gift of Healing being exercised in this, the restored church.</li><li>What traditions you must unlearn so you have a snowball’s chance of exercising the Gift of Healing.</li><li>At least six myths/traditions latter-day saints believe which inhibits the Gift of Healing in their lives and the church as a whole.</li><li>Knowing God’s will: A prime pre-requisite in exercising the Gift of Healing.</li><li>How to proceed in healing people.</li><li>One of the most important things one can do with the Gift of Healing (which most don’t do). </li></ul><p></p><p>Now, if you’re wanting or hoping for a step-by-step, bullet-pointed list of how to exercise the Gift of Healing, then I recommend revisiting this blog in about a year or so, when we’re done discussing healing. That’s because you’re likely not ready to implement it. Also, healing presupposes that you are able to discern God’s will regarding not only whether a person should be healed, but also how it should be done. God’s methods of healing are diverse and not subject to some kind of micro-managed, Pharisaical list.</p><p>The woman with the issue of blood had the faith to reach out her hand, and she was healed. Peter left the safety and security of the boat because he took Yeshua’s plea to “come follow me” seriously. In the process, he performed a miracle no other mortal has reportedly done. </p><p>At least for a moment, both of them were firmly transfixed on the Savior, and as they were, they experienced a miracle. </p><p>How about you? Are you willing to focus everything -- everything -- on Him, so you can experience a miracle, too?</p><p>Are you ready and willing to do what it takes to exercise the Gift of Healing?</p><p>If so, are you ready and willing to leave the safety and security of what you *think* you know...and to trust in He who knows all things?</p><p>You may feel you’re not worthy enough to heal another of some significant physical or mental condition. You’re not a scriptorian. You’re not a leader. You have tons of problems yourself. </p><p>But you know what? None of those things matter! What matters is, Do you believe in God? Are you familiar with His characteristics? Is it His will that you heal another? If so, then congratulations: You’re qualified.</p><p>And once you’re qualified, He’ll put you to work. He’ll start you in the shallow end of the pool, so to speak. You’ll pray for someone to heal, and He’ll put you in their path. Sure, you may not heal a broken bone, but a healed heart. You’ll get a lot of those. Then you’ll thank God for the opportunity, and you’ll ask Him for more. </p><p>In time, you’ll heal two people in a day. Then it’s three a day, and four a day. It progresses to the point that you grow into the Gift of Healing. And you know -- you know -- that you are a healer.</p><p>And once you have that knowledge, that confidence, that you could only have acquired by working alongside the Master Healer, there is nothing, absolutely nothing -- not even the devil and hell itself -- can stop you.</p><p>I invite you to step out of the boat. Join me in planting your feet on the surface of the water. Join me in reaching out to Yeshua, and witnessing first-hand how He can heal you, and others, in ways and extents that are truly miraculous.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIaT8Jl2zpI&ab_channel=LaurenDaigle" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnq_LXG682s83uPSuvZ07CkLOjjkx3R3h7kV1o_NgreDTzY8bjyJhMVx0XK22R2aHuPSnSHzdAHYrqqpVoGMU7HqPzL7gGqBHg7BhjaSt2S4K-2puRtbAtOLOD9KOCqQfyxQkYCdH8jnW/w400-h249/Lauren+Daigle+-+You+Say.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-35746136801015659702021-01-20T10:04:00.004-07:002021-04-26T20:01:19.217-06:00False Prophecies, False Blessings and False Messages<center><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in ALL things." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2.11?lang=eng" target="_blank">2 Nephi 2:11</a>; emphasis mine)</p></blockquote><p>For every truly-pronounced prophecy, there are usually many, many more false ones. I mean, these are the last days! Why expect anything else?</p><p>Over the last few months, we've been exposed to quite a few prophecies about President Trump's "sure" and "certain" re-inauguration. And as of this minute, they were all proven wrong. Here's my proof:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M5RpZ9uiI68" width="320" youtube-src-id="M5RpZ9uiI68"></iframe></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>“First of all, I want to say without question, Trump is going to win the election,” and “The Lord told me the president is going to be re-elected.” (Pat Robertson, "700 Club," Christian Broadcasting Network founder)</li><li>“God has called President Trump to lead this next four years (a second term) in our country.” (Sid Roth, host of "It's Supernatural")</li><li>"This morning when I woke up, I didn’t even know there was an election because I had been in the future and I saw that President Trump had won.” (Kevin Zadai, YouTuber, author, speaker)</li><li>“There is no doubt whatsoever. (Trump) will win. That’s God’s plan,” and “The rocks are about to move and Trump will be president no matter what you hear. He will sit in office for four more years and God will have His way in this country.” (Kat Kerr, President of One Quest International, a for-profit religious corporation)</li><li>“Donald J. Trump would be re-elected.” (Jeremiah Johnson, founder of Jeremiah Johnson Ministries, author, minister)</li><li>“Tika hatta onda ora batta ronda aka aka ora manda rasa ta" (Paula White, televangelist, prosperity theologian, spiritual advisor to Donald Trump, prophesying a 2nd term in an unknown, uninterpreted tongue)</li></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">When Emotions Override Truth</h3><p>The above is just a small sampling of those who predicted what we now know is false: Biden, not Trump, was inaugurated today. There are many -- including some within our own faith -- who also gave similar/verbatim prophecies. In some cases, repeatedly.</p><p>Given that these prophecies are now officially "false," it's legitimate to ask why they were pronounced in the first place. The possibilities include:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>God was wrong.</li><li>Biden persuaded God to change His mind.</li><li>God changed His mind on His own volition, but deliberately/accidentally didn't tell these "prophets".</li><li>God changed His mind on His own volition, and told these "prophets", but they never passed that fact on to us.</li><li>These “prophets” never heard God in the first place, but instead heard their own emotions, thoughts and egos OR they heard a lying spirit.</li></ol><p></p><p>I vote option #5. You?</p><p>It's not like this is the first time this has happened.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.</p><p>Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.</p><p>And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/jer/14.13-16?lang=eng" target="_blank">Jeremiah 14:13-16</a>, also see <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/jer/23.16-22?lang=eng" target="_blank">Jeremiah 23:16-22</a>)</p></blockquote><p>Soon, many of these “prophets” may pronounce some convoluted excuses for their fake divinations: Trump can always run again and win in four years (aka "moving the goal posts"), we didn't pray enough for a Trump inauguration (aka it's our fault, which God's omniscience never took into account), they were just testing us to see if we'd fall for a falsehood...blah, blah, blah. </p><p>There are others who have pronounced prophecies via dreams or visions from God. In one case, the recipient described God as either tapping or pounding His fist on a calendar, underscoring horrible disasters and man-made tragedies which -- in the final analysis -- never happened. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.</p><p>And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?</p><p>When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/18.20-22?lang=eng" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 18:20-22</a>)</p></blockquote><p>Most of these frauds will do anything to get us to look the other way as they continue prophesying while they hold the scriptures, stand in front of a flag and in many cases, ask for more money. Perhaps a few will publicly repent and ask for forgiveness.</p><p>And we should forgive them, as well as pray that they be given experiences so they recognize their errors and resolve not repeat them. Beyond that, we leave it to Yeshua, who says, "To me belongeth vengeance" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/32.25?lang=eng" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 32:25</a>). The consequences He'll mete to these 'prophets" will be both just and merciful.</p><p>But what is the lesson to be learned for all the rest of us? </p><p>As was conjectured above, it's unlikely these "prophets" ever heard God in the first place.</p><p>"And therein," as the bard would say, "lies the rub."</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">A VERY Common Occurrence: When We Use the Name of the Lord in Vain</h3><p>I believe that good, old-fashioned wishful thinking is the prime motivating factor behind most false prophecies. We want people to like us, to love us. And the ability to give people hope and reassurance in a dark, confusing time can be a powerful, beguiling motivator.</p><p>False prophecy isn't the only place where this uninspired wishful thinking is manifest. </p><p>Let's talk about priesthood blessings.</p><p>For example, in Jack Weyland's book "Charly," the character Sam gives his wife (Charly) a blessing on her deathbed. There, he blesses her that she'll be better. Instead, she dies shortly thereafter.</p><p>This isn't an unusual occurrence. I've seen similar things happen so often, that the tendency among members is to just simply dismiss it by saying, "Well, I guess it wasn't God's will." That's interesting because I thought that's what blessings are supposed to be -- the relaying of God's words and will to a mortal via a mortal.</p><p>So let's consider these false prophecies and what I call "false blessings" what they actually are: "using the Lord's name in vain."</p><p>I know we LDS tend to think of "using the Lord's name in vain" in terms of profanity. As yes, that's applicable. But so is using God's name in such a manner as to produce no result: a futile, useless, ineffective, ineffectual, impotent, unsuccessful, failed endeavor.</p><p>Put into a religious context, when you pronounce a false prophecy, or give a false blessing, you are using His name to produce an unproductive, fruitless result. That's not what God does. That's not who He is. When God does something, He produces results. They bear fruit. </p><p>And when you let your emotions, your own supposed logic, your desire for someone to be healed or given hope to override God's true words -- and you do it in His name, no less -- then you are preaching, pronouncing and proclaiming an impotent, useless God. You're also breaking a commandment that ranks higher than breaking the sabbath day, murder and adultery.</p><p>That's why knowing God's voice and God's will -- a primary focus of this blog, especially over the last year -- is so important. Know His voice and will, and you can move mountains. Don't, and you break no small commandment.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">False Prophecies vs Misinformation</h3><p>Now, while you'll probably never publicly pronounce a prophecy anytime soon, and you'll be a little more on guard not to use the Lord's name in vain, you'll likely be faced with other, subtle opportunities to pass on information that can be just as destructive to others.</p><p>All throughout 2020, you and I were exposed to gargantuan amounts of "misinformation" -- "false information that is spread, regardless of intent to mislead." (We were also likely exposed to copious amounts of "disinformation," or "false information, as about a country's military strength or plans, disseminated by a government or intelligence agency in a hostile act of tactical political subversion").</p><p>2021 is quickly shaping up to be a banner year in terms of misinformation. Take, for example, this last week. Here's just some of the supposedly reliable information my friends passed on to me. Again, this is all within the last week:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Conclusive evidence will be released showing national wealthy elite and government leaders are pedophiles."</li><li>"Trump fled the U.S. for Europe."</li><li>"The Pope was arrested."</li><li>"The Italian government has collapsed."</li><li>"The entire Netherlands government resigned."</li><li>"Trump invoked the Insurrection Act. He will remain President until all domestic enemies are arrested."</li><li>"The Mayor of Oklahoma City was informed by POTUS via email that the Insurrection Act has been enacted and arrests will begin in that city."</li><li>(The weekend before the inauguration) "Trump will invoke the 'Stafford Act.'"</li><li>(The weekend before the inauguration) "Homeland Security is preparing to mobilize the National Guard. They will announce a nationwide, two-week quarantine for all citizens. All businesses will be closed."</li><li>(From someone’s nephew who is an ex-military naval officer, the weekend before the inauguration) "Trump announces that it is the 'calm before the storm.'"</li></ul><p></p><p>Although these friends didn't intentionally mislead me, and they (thank goodness) never pronounced these things in the name of the Lord, they did induce varying degrees of concern, uneasiness and even anxiety. All they needed to do was spend 30 seconds on Google. But no, they were lazy, they were sloppy and they diverted my time to have to confirm their unsubstantiated rumor.</p><p>I understand that these days, it's hard to differentiate between fact and fiction. But just like the false prophet and the false blessor, the false purveyor of information erodes their credibility with a lie for zero reason whatsoever. And the more they do it, the less credible I find them in all facets of their lives.</p><p>How about you? Will you resolve to check things out before you misinform others?</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">"The Truth Frequency"</h3><p>As I watched misinformation swirl around me last year (and to a greater extent this year), I developed a theory: </p><p>The truth is its own frequency. </p><p>Those who passionately seek the truth -- I mean, they are willing to put A LOT of effort into understanding truth -- tend to be more "tuned in" to the truth in all factors of their lives. And because of their appreciation of the truth, God blesses them with greater and greater degrees of the Gift of Discernment. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"PROVE all things; hold fast that which is good." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-thes/5.21?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:21</a>; emphasis mine).</p></blockquote><p>Conversely, those who don't put in the strenuous efforts to better discern truths tend to be a little more freaked out by just about anything, confused and even anxiety-ridden. They have chosen to not only tune out the truth, but often seek comfort from others who may or may not be as well. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:</p><p>And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/amos/8.11-12?lang=eng" target="_blank">Amos 8:11-12</a>)</p></blockquote><p>I won't pronounce a prophecy right now, but it's pretty safe to assume that as we approach the day of the Lord's return, we'll see more, not fewer, fake news stories, false prophecies, false memes and false messages. And to cope with it all, we'll see more, not fewer, false blessings. </p><p>We'll see more pronouncements that (despite whatever national or worldwide calamity is happening) everything's going to be fine, serene and secure. Just ignore whatever bad thing is happening, because it'll be OK. And as history demonstrates, sometimes those sources will exist in the unlikeliest places.</p><p>So if you want to not be a deceiver or to be deceived, if you truly want to develop your Gift of Discernment, then first, you may want to consider drinking more from the scriptures. Tune directly in to God’s frequency. Second, consider your sources -- who you listen to, watch and read. Shut off the flow of misinformation and disinformation that’s influencing your spirit, body and mind. Third, make darn sure you’ve verified any information you share with others.</p><p>Look -- it's nice to be optimistic, but to be optimistic at the expense of realism is always a dangerous proposition. </p><p>I understand and share people's hopes and dreams regarding the betterment of the United States. We want the Deep State snuffed out of existence, for the judicial system to convict America-haters, the rich and powerful who have gotten off scott-free and the Constitution and Bill of Rights to reign supreme. We long for the day when the press is truly fair and objective in its analysis and reporting, and social media upholds -- instead of abridges -- our freedoms.</p><p>Yet we know that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/2-tim/4.4?lang=eng" target="_blank">2 Timothy 4:4</a>). A time when people will "call evil good, and good evil," "put darkness for light, and light for darkness," "put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter," "who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/5.20-21?lang=eng" target="_blank">Isaiah 5:20-21</a>). Yet God will eventually turn "wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/44.25?lang=eng" target="_blank">Isaiah 44:25</a>). </p><p>Go read what Nephi, Mormon, Moroni, John the Revelator and Isaiah said about the ultimate destiny of America, the Gentiles and in fact our world. They're all in agreement with Jeremiah -- not these false prophets -- on one crucial fact: that God will "make a full end of all nations" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/jer/30.11?lang=eng" target="_blank">Jeremiah 30:11</a>). It's going to happen, ok? Just accept that fact. And those who want that delayed are, in essence, wishing for Christ's return to also be delayed.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Time to End the Waiting</h3><p>Your inability, and perhaps unwillingness, to be tuned in to "The Truth Frequency" may eventually cost you your physical and eternal life.</p><p>There's a story by an unknown author called something like "The Devil's Meeting." </p><p>He's meeting with a few of his demons, who are giving him ideas on how they can keep people from truly coming to the Lord. The devil said, "Listen up. As you know, the enemy has been too successful in recruiting mortals to his cause. We need to find a new strategy to keep them out of his clutches."</p><p>The first demon said, "I shall tell them that there is no God." The devil said, "Don't be an idiot. They only have to look at the wonders of creation, their own human form, even a tiny baby, the sun, moon and stars and planets each day on their perfect course, the constant cycle of the seasons to know without a doubt that a creator has had a hand in their making."</p><p>The second demon said, "I shall tell them that God is not good." The devil said, "That won't work either. They all know that God is the one who forgives even the greatest of sins."</p><p>The third demon said, "We can just tell them that they have plenty of time to make up their minds." The devil liked that decision and said, "That's true." </p><p>Over the decades, I've seen that many in our faith have zero sense of urgency regarding the last days. They think they have plenty of time. That the pre-millennial tribulations are something their kids or grandkids will have to grapple with. That they can come to God later, when it's apparent that they really need to do it or the ever-popular, "The Brethren will let us know when it's time to come to head for the hills."</p><p>Hey, if your confidence in your timing and in your security in trusting in the arm of flesh is endorsed by God, then see where it gets you. In the meantime, others will be sticking to the revealed words of God and assuming nothing, knowing that the Lord's return and the events preceding it will come "as a thief in the night" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-thes/5.2?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:2</a>).</p><p>You're no doubt familiar with developing relationships. You can't expect a deep, symbiotic relationship with a person you just met. Likewise, it's also illogical to assume you can not only hear Yeshua's voice, but also dialogue with Him, at the last possible minute. You're only fooling yourself if you do. And heaven forbid if you persuade others to think the same, too.</p><p>As history has shown, God is usually pretty swift to take such people, and their complacency, into the afterlife...in a place they'd rather not spend eternity in.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Do You Stand for Truth...or Not?</h3><p>Personally, I believe that today, we are witnessing the last gasps of mankind's appreciation of truth. Our "leaders" have abandoned it. Our media has abandoned it. Our courts have abandoned it. And in many ways, church members have abandoned it. And those who love liberty, freedom and all that our Founding Fathers fought and gave their lives for -- the truth -- well, they weep that fables now reign supreme. </p><p>When mankind turns its back on truth, then God will repeatedly warn us to repent and return to Him. That's why He sends us things like plagues and pandemics, which are allowed to continue until we repent. And if we turn our backs on that opportunity, then the end of all nations can't be too far behind. Just ask Ether and Moroni how that went for their nations.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:</p><p>Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:</p><p>Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.</p><p>Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:</p><p>Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/30.9-13?lang=eng" target="_blank">Isaiah 30:9-13</a>)</p></blockquote><p>Sometimes, I wonder why we don't hear more people talking about the one and only antidote to all these problems: Yeshua HaMashiach. I hear about leaders, men of renown, celebrities who encourage us to think nice things and do nice things. But do we hear an emphasis on humility? Turning to God? Repenting? Rejoicing in His mercy? No, not so much.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"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." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/2-chr/7.14?lang=eng" target="_blank">2 Chronicles 7:14</a>)</p></blockquote><p>As I've grown up in our faith, I was constantly fed a diet of a Lord who is unsmiling, quick to anger, unmerciful and unforgiving of those in unfortunate circumstances, a God who is now more concerned about administration than ministration. </p><p>Yet within the last 9 years (as I've been doing this blog), I've come to discover that He's quite the opposite of those attributes. He's so humble, full of life, laughter and love. But just as much, He's so eager to forgive at depths I can't fathom. All He wants is for you to wake up. Seek Him. Hear Him. Trust Him and His atonement, what He says...no matter the doubts by yourself and others. Then seek the forgiveness He desperately offers you...</p><p>...so that in your life, there will be no more false prophecies, false blessings and false messages.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9cKm_mYVPQE" width="320" youtube-src-id="9cKm_mYVPQE"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Also read: <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/01/false-prophecy-101_29.html" target="_blank">False Prophecy 101</a><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-60806495574420275762020-12-20T22:58:00.000-07:002020-12-20T22:58:42.804-07:00Know the REAL Yeshua HaMashiach<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<p>For centuries, scholars and Christians have debated the reality of Yeshua. They have searched for proof that He walked the earth 2,000 years ago. Many argue that Yeshua is a myth or invention. </p><p>There are hundreds of physical objects in Christian churches that have been linked to Yeshua. But is this evidence reliable? That's questionable and frequently problematic. The alleged fragments of the cross scattered around the churches of Europe are so numerous that, according to what the Protestant theologian John Calvin wrote in 1543, there are enough of them to fill a ship. A similar phenomenon has happened with the nails, which number up to thirty. There's also a crown of thorns and the Shroud of Turin, which has been carbon dated to well after the time of Christ.</p><p>But is there evidence of Yeshua outside the Bible? It turns out that the answer is definitely yes. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Personal Experiences</h2><p>The First Vision ushered in a revolutionary, transformative paradigm into Christianity: That mankind could approach God directly and have a physical audience with Him. Also, that such experiences need not be limited to an ecclesiastical elite limited by culture, church, gender, genealogy or age.</p><p>Since then, I have met or known about many unassuming, reserved, genuine people (both LDS and not) who have also been in the Savior's presence. </p><p>Sadly, their testimonies are frequently discredited because "they aren't church leaders," "they haven't been endowed," "they don't have a temple recommend" and the ever-popular, "they haven't been baptized." What's fascinating is that none of those qualifiers are found in the following scriptures:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/105.4?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalm 105:4</a>)</li><li>"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/27.8?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalm 27:8</a>)</li><li>"He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/24.5-6?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalm 24:5-6</a>) </li><li>"And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/101.38?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 101:38</a>) </li></ul><p></p><p>Unfortunately these days, there is far greater enthusiasm for buying Christmas presents than there is to seek the face of God. I often read that those who do are shunned and ostracized by fellow ward members. In fact, there are some in our church who have even equated seeing the Lord face-to-face in this life with the tactics of the adversary. </p><p>It's no wonder that many have forgotten the central thesis of the restoration and have instead turned into modern-day versions of the ancient Israelites:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ex/20.18?lang=eng" target="_blank">Exodus 20:18-19</a>; also see <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/84.21?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 84:21–26</a>)</p></blockquote><p>Also, it's been my experience that even among those who do seek the face of the Lord, fewer still are those who make establishing and deepening their personal relationship with Yeshua a paramount priority. Seeking His face without seeking a relationship with Him first is like a young adult at a dance, expecting marriage after just looking at that attractive man or woman across the dance floor. It's simply unrealistic.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Historical Evidence</h2><p>There is little to no definitive archaeological proof that Yeshua even existed. However, we do have the writings of a few unbiased historians who knew His contemporaries and associates.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoYCa5ENEPHVdwMX7tPwxPWyDgC3gHpg7m3csbWHDuSUjCShNaAY6PItLHWJR8eusAHCFeMHpTLtfTIn1NJLQ9IrhYb5qGCmy1kI3XrXe0kp4CZtiRkF-Cx8hQ_rg66Mlh-gF2pkJsZyX/s625/tacitus.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoYCa5ENEPHVdwMX7tPwxPWyDgC3gHpg7m3csbWHDuSUjCShNaAY6PItLHWJR8eusAHCFeMHpTLtfTIn1NJLQ9IrhYb5qGCmy1kI3XrXe0kp4CZtiRkF-Cx8hQ_rg66Mlh-gF2pkJsZyX/s320/tacitus.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tacitus</span></h3><p>There is an account of Yeshua which appears in Annals of Imperial Rome, a history of the Roman Empire. It was written by Tacitus, a Roman senator and historian, in 116-17 AD. In recounting the burning of Rome by Nero in 64 A.D., Tacitus said, </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"[N]either human effort nor the emperor’s generosity nor the placating of the gods ended the scandalous belief that the fire had been ordered [by Nero]. Therefore, to put down the rumor, Nero substituted as culprits and punished in the most unusual ways those hated for their shameful acts … whom the crowd called “Chrestians.” The founder of this name, Christus, had been executed in the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate."</p></blockquote><p>As a Roman historian, Tacitus did not have any Christian biases in his discussion of the persecution of Christians by Nero. </p><p>Bart D. Ehrman, author of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Did-Jesus-Exist-Historical-Argument/dp/0062206443" target="_blank">Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth</a></i>, said </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Just about everything he [Tacitus] says coincides—from a completely different point of view, by a Roman author disdainful of Christians and their superstition—with what the New Testament itself says: Jesus was executed by the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, for crimes against the state, and a religious movement of his followers sprang up in his wake.”</p></blockquote><p>Lawrence Mykytiuk, a Purdue University library science associate professor and author of a <a href="https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/did-jesus-exist/" target="_blank">2015 Biblical Archaeology Review article</a> on the extra-biblical evidence of Yeshua, said “When Tacitus wrote history, if he considered the information not entirely reliable, he normally wrote some indication of that for his readers. There is no such indication of potential error in the passage that mentions Christus.”</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3X1iADX4Hyt7728NQv7I2sdkIUpWdjQxJ6A4AeTwiCvePYBk8pRnZjpuIhI-gAg5drc4XP4UNtV6sp7WQSembNUGJrCmTlOSgWVctL40WDWCEOGPnq7jUTR86mT5TLHa7S8GThzj2x-C/s694/Josephus.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="694" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3X1iADX4Hyt7728NQv7I2sdkIUpWdjQxJ6A4AeTwiCvePYBk8pRnZjpuIhI-gAg5drc4XP4UNtV6sp7WQSembNUGJrCmTlOSgWVctL40WDWCEOGPnq7jUTR86mT5TLHa7S8GThzj2x-C/s320/Josephus.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: normal;">Josephus</span></h3><p>Flavius Josephus was born a few years after the crucifixion of Yeshua. He was a well-connected aristocrat and military leader in Palestine who served as a commander in Galilee during the first Jewish Revolt against Rome 66-70 AD. Although Josephus was not a follower of Yeshua, he was around when the early church was getting started, and personally knew people who had seen and heard Yeshua.</p><p>In one passage of his book Jewish Antiquities (widely considered our best source of information about first-century Palestine), Josephus mentioned the execution of Yeshua’ brother James (Hebrew: <i>Yakob</i>), the leader of the church in Jerusalem: </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Being therefore this kind of person [i.e., a heartless Sadducee], Ananus, thinking that he had a favorable opportunity because Festus had died and Albinus was still on his way, called a meeting [literally, “<i>sanhedrin</i>”] of judges and brought into it the brother of Jesus-who-is-called-Messiah … James by name, and some others. He made the accusation that they had transgressed the law, and he handed them over to be stoned."</p></blockquote><p>Few scholars have ever doubted the authenticity of this short account. On the contrary, the huge majority accepts it as genuine.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Personal Associates of Yeshua</h2><p>Wouldn’t it be cool to see a movie of the mortal life of Yeshua? His birth, infancy, teenage years and more?</p><p>We know very little about Yeshua’s mortal life; most of that information is found in the New Testament and a little bit in the Book of Mormon. </p><p>Biblical scholars are pretty unified in their agreement that there were many books which were not selected for inclusion in New Testament canon. Known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament_apocrypha" target="_blank">New Testament apocrypha</a>, these ancient non-biblical documents typically painted a more complete and accurate picture of Yeshua than is had in just the four Gospels. They often exhibited as much authenticity and insight as any canonized New Testament book you’ve read.</p><p>As we are told:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“And there are also many other things which Yeshua did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/21.25?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 21:25</a>).</p></blockquote><p>Do you see that gap there? We know very little about Him, despite there being potentially vast quantities of information about Him.</p><p>What if you could learn about these authentic, genuine insights into His life? Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear about His life from those who saw it first-hand (including His mortal family members, the "<i><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=desposyni&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS911US911&oq=desposyni&aqs=chrome..69i57.259j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">desposyni</a>,</i>" or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_of_Jesus" target="_blank">blood relatives of Yeshua</a>)?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fLZB4257iugKrzcfhsCi39jLF6fdGwSunLPM1zIcy-ezAyjpOMP7O08n-8OhxwmFEH_0Qf8PRlQD6g6CO97lxJ6BEMAxeNLr2delXG-mYn-sgIGxrfxVGJjzAnKeSVye-mu_57rj5KkN/s216/kimball2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fLZB4257iugKrzcfhsCi39jLF6fdGwSunLPM1zIcy-ezAyjpOMP7O08n-8OhxwmFEH_0Qf8PRlQD6g6CO97lxJ6BEMAxeNLr2delXG-mYn-sgIGxrfxVGJjzAnKeSVye-mu_57rj5KkN/s0/kimball2.jpg" /></a></div>Enter Glenn Kimball.<p></p><p><a href="http://xzonenation.blogspot.com/2010/06/glenn-kimball-passes-away.html" target="_blank">Although he passed away in 2010</a>, Glenn’s research into ancient Biblical manuscripts, including and especially the life of Yeshua, is fascinating to me. He published two books -- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Stories-Childhood-Jesus-Treasure/dp/096533273X/" target="_blank">Hidden Stories of the Childhood of Jesus</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Politics-Crucifixion-Treasure/product-reviews/1893548007/" target="_blank">Hidden Politics of the Crucifixion</a> -- which documents, with source citations, many accounts about Yeshua’s life. Between these two books and dozens of radio interviews, here are some of the things I’ve learned about Him:</p><p>Yeshua's birth</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In-depth details surrounding the "Immaculate Conception"</li><li>Where was Yeshua actually born?</li><li>The spectacular story of the midwife who delivered the baby Yeshua.</li><li>Who were the Magi, and what countries were they from?</li><li>Why did the Magi visit the baby Yeshua?</li><li>What was the Star of Bethlehem?</li></ul><p></p><p>Mother Mary</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Who were her parents? What were their names? What country were they from?</li><li>How old was Mary when she married Joseph?</li></ul><p></p><p>Father Joseph</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What are the details about the prophetic selection of Joseph as the husband or the Virgin Mary?</li><li>Was Mary his first or second wife?</li><li>What was his occupation?</li><li>How old was Yeshua when he died?</li></ul><p></p><p>Yeshua's family</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The story of Yeshua and His family when they were in exile in Egypt.</li><li>The untold story of the birth of John the Baptist, the murder of his father and the death of his mother.</li><li>Who were Yeshua’s brothers and sisters?</li><li>Was his family poor or rich?</li><li>Who in Yeshua’ family was the 3rd richest person in the world?</li><li>Whose writings about Yeshua were more popular than those of the apostles?</li><li>Who in his family was a personal friend of Tiberius Caesar himself?</li></ul><p></p><p>Yeshua's childhood</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The childhood playmates of Yeshua, including Judas.</li><li>Untold stories of miracles that Yeshua performed as a child.</li><li>What did he do and where did he go for all those years in between when He was 12 (at the temple) and adulthood?</li></ul><p></p><p>Yeshua's adulthood</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Did He go to college? If so, who were His classmates?</li><li>Was He married?</li><li>Did He have offspring?</li><li>What did He wear?</li><li>Did He like music?</li><li>Who was His best friend?</li><li>The story of when Yeshua healed the son of the prince of Pharaoh.</li><li>Yeshua performs miracles with his mother and father.</li><li>The death of Joseph in the words of Yeshua himself.</li></ul><p></p><p>Yeshua's death</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What were the justifications used to execute Yeshua?</li><li>The story of the first time Yeshua met the thieves who were crucified with him.</li><li>When was he actually crucified?</li><li>How old was He when he was crucified?</li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EQcm2hvK10Fi04OmJd2QWnPRNZmr6bi8gNXESKq86kE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO ACCESS A GOOGLE DOC</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EQcm2hvK10Fi04OmJd2QWnPRNZmr6bi8gNXESKq86kE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">WITH LINKS TO ALL KNOWN </a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EQcm2hvK10Fi04OmJd2QWnPRNZmr6bi8gNXESKq86kE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">GLENN KIMBALL INTERVIEWS</a></b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p><p>This last fall, I spent dozens of hours listening to these recordings and doing extensive research into the life of Yeshua. As a result, I feel far more familiar with Him. He is more real to me than ever before.</p><p>I know there are many who choose to just be satisfied with knowing only the four gospels and 3rd Nephi accounts of Yeshua. But if you truly desire to be immersed in all things Yeshua, then I invite you to take advantage of these two presents:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Listen to those Glenn Kimball interviews (linked above).</li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/toc.html" target="_blank">Join this blog’s Facebook group</a>. It’s a safe, moderated forum where we talk about one thing only: Yeshua -- all about Him, and how to become more like Him. There’s no other LDS-aligned forum on the internet whose sole topic is the Savior. Hundreds have testified that it’s helped them grow closer to Him. Are you pretty tight with Him now, or could you use all the help you can get? </li></ul><p></p><p>This holiday season, I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I’m excited about what we’ll be exploring on this blog, and discussing in our Facebook group, in 2021!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-44511126007605221732020-11-22T18:54:00.000-07:002020-11-22T18:54:34.032-07:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 16: Coming Down from the Mountain<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<p>This is my last post in this series about “The Best Friend You Never Knew.”</p><p>In this series, you learned that those who are close (and growing closer) to the Lord:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-1.html" target="_blank">Couldn’t care less about the praise of men. They have absolutely zero sense of self importance.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-2.html" target="_blank">Never, ever cast the spotlight upon themselves. They’ll never get close to humble bragging nor virtue signalling, no matter what everybody else is doing.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-3.html" target="_blank">Know the true characteristics of the Lord enough to be able to visualize Him.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-4.html" target="_blank">Know and use the real name of the Lord, and understand the symbolic and literal significance of it.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-5.html" target="_blank">Know the true personality of Yeshua, not the distorted one which is predominant among members.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-6.html" target="_blank">Look for opportunities to unleash the power of God in others.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-7.html" target="_blank">They remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, knowing that they will never be considered true disciples until they do.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-8.html" target="_blank">Know that it’s imperative to be non-judgmental of others. They avoid saying and even thinking lame statements like “I’m concerned,” “I’m worried,” “I just want you to be happy,” “I’m only looking out for you best interests” or “I’m only trying to protect the good name of the church.”</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-9.html" target="_blank">Are very passionate about seeking Him.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-10.html" target="_blank">Because they’re watching the signs of the times, they have a sense of urgency in establishing a meaningful relationship with the Lord.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-11.html" target="_blank">Sift out the voices of those who stand in between them and the Lord.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-12.html" target="_blank">Seek to hear the actual, direct (usually non-audible) voice of the Lord in their daily lives.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-13.html" target="_blank">Converse with Heavenly Father in the same direct, trusting, and sincere manner that you converse with friends and family members. They can also carry an ongoing dialogue with the Lord as long as they desire.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-14.html" target="_blank">Invite Father and Yeshua to visit and make their abode with them, as promised.</a></li><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-15.html" target="_blank">Seek the highest blessings one can receive in this life (which surpasses the Calling & Election and Second Comforter).</a></li></ol><p></p><p>Those who desire to stay on this path should not only know, but also expect, that they will have to pass through tremendous, soul-wrenching, even life-threatening, trials and tribulations -- “descents” -- in order to qualify for the ascents they seek. This is OK with them, because above all else, they seek to be one with Yeshua, as He is one with Father. They do this by making Father and His will their everything, just like the Lord did during His mortal ministry.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs. …” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-37?lang=eng" target="_blank">Teachings of Joseph Smith Manual, Chapter 37, p. 429</a>)</p></blockquote><p>This journey is often characterized in the scriptures as “mountains” or “valleys.” Indeed, even many songs have been written and sung which have described these heights and depths. Want a good example of what they’re like? Listen to some of the songs whose roots are found in slavery. While this is definitely a stain on mankind’s history, I believe these songs are full of light, for they acknowledge the pains and weaknesses of mortality and the strength which can only come from our Savior.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA6Q5-Ap3o8" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gA98fTKpqlgDVmMO3mGoHFewf4X0JTUJ-aGDe7biw-GiN35jf_4JJUr0NVqI6CM5qy0mDEOlQwDQbqPaXSGYYltXQcJ5AvSrpg5DEmJ4PZRUnOtYPReO6SfX1FZ8YhlyuDosNRhEsAVo/s320/Patty+Griffin+-+Up+To+The+Mountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Place of Exaltation</h3><p><br />Of all the places in the scriptures, none compares with the mountain tops. None. It was from there that God placed His hand over the eyes of the weak and lowly, humbled and beaten down, and showed the immensity and grandeur of a universe teeming with life and light. There, man knelt in utter amazement at God’s endless creations and limitless love. They often lamented how inadequate mortal words were in describing what they not only saw, but also experienced, as God unveiled Himself, and His creations, to them. </p><p>Mountains are consistently equated with righteousness, Zion, the glory of God and exaltation:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Now Moses...came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed." (Exodus 3:1-2)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain..." (Ezekiel 40:2)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain" (Exodus 19:3)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him" (Matthew 17:1-3; Mark 9:1-3)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him..." (Matthew 28:16-17)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21:10)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot" (1 Nephi 11:1)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me..." (1 Nephi 17:7-8)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"The words of God, which he spake unto Moses at a time when Moses was caught up into an exceedingly high mountain, And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence." (Moses 1:1-2)</p></blockquote><p>(<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h_eq9fMnlQANCXEYdHVE4SN9XloQdZVY3HQtrxFwQzw/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">For more mountain references, click here</a>)</p><p><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-14.html" target="_blank">If you want to see God face-to-face, then you are going to be dialoguing with the Lord way before you see Him.</a> And more than likely, it will not be just once or three times a day, but ALL day -- the literal fulfillment and fulness being known as "walking and talking with God."</p><p>Of all these instances, none compares with the story of the Brother of Jared (see here and here). His story gives us a pattern (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2014/03/22-spiritual-land-mine-8-missing-link.html" target="_blank">detailed here</a>) of what it took to see the Lord and His creations. The bottom line: The Brother of Jared was not only dialoguing with the Lord, but also solidifying the Lord’s trust in him, long before the Lord unveiled Himself.</p><p>We are no different. If you want the Lord to unveil Himself to you, then you’d better start dialoguing with Him regularly (after all, who wants to be chastised like the Brother of Jared for failing to regularly dialogue with God?). You’d also better be praying for the Lord to start introducing you to the mountains and valleys so that you, too, will someday be invited to the top of The Holy Mountain. </p><p>Once there, and because He is no respecter of persons, God will show you, too, the mysteries of nature, the mysteries of the universe and the mysteries of godliness...of things not written in the scriptures, of things we might consider science fiction, yet are real (and perhaps more real) than the nose in front of your face.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZr8637JkGw07ocxE97tAsUb8YPI-XLgUMFIL7dERf7iQ0s1FstcJ8BSi6A2tmiRQwGm43GnnYtISurrX67NmorFWELO3BDG2IPwO2HPmFfnujJv6-z8XwQhL427V-OoKiotY7jYpIjmiD/s612/oswald_portrait-min.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZr8637JkGw07ocxE97tAsUb8YPI-XLgUMFIL7dERf7iQ0s1FstcJ8BSi6A2tmiRQwGm43GnnYtISurrX67NmorFWELO3BDG2IPwO2HPmFfnujJv6-z8XwQhL427V-OoKiotY7jYpIjmiD/s320/oswald_portrait-min.png" width="320" /></a></div>Descending from the Mountain</h3><p> <br />I have a few favorite authors: Brother Lawrence, John Eldredge, Stephen Covey and of course my friend, John Pontius. Oswald Chambers is another. He was born in 1874 and died in 1917. Although he was not a member of the church, his insights into God have profoundly inspired millions globally. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/41469.Oswald_Chambers" target="_blank">You can read a huge collection of his quotes here</a>, or <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Mnd2wOpsbLYzrW9VXP2SafFW_Eyw1-cXP0T7oIyQCw/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">an abridged version of his quotes I assembled here.</a></p><p>The most successful of his thirty books is My Utmost for His Highest (1924), a daily devotional composed of 365 selections of Chambers’ talks, each of about 500 words. The work has never been out of print and has been translated into 39 languages. You can check out a blog based on this book at <a href="http://utmost.org">utmost.org</a>. Here are some quotes from it:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted friendship -- when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question -- then He begins to teach us.”</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“God gives us the vision, then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience.”</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life— those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character. The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a terrible trap in always asking, “What’s the use of this experience?” We can never measure spiritual matters in that way. The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God’s purpose.” (<a href="https://utmost.org/the-place-of-exaltation/">https://utmost.org/the-place-of-exaltation/</a>)</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhRAqvk13pwDgitcAK1QqZ3ee2xnYFtxexEBXoYQxfh4h4hBxU2GiVZKxg7nqnAJFRbIqBliybI472Z5TPZIdCHS4qhkYRzuVh6djBSzCtqB4aJONE8RWx3Jlnjgbx-UItol3eFc_H6i_/s480/moses-shining-face.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhRAqvk13pwDgitcAK1QqZ3ee2xnYFtxexEBXoYQxfh4h4hBxU2GiVZKxg7nqnAJFRbIqBliybI472Z5TPZIdCHS4qhkYRzuVh6djBSzCtqB4aJONE8RWx3Jlnjgbx-UItol3eFc_H6i_/s320/moses-shining-face.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>“Lifting up the demon-possessed people in the valley”</h3><p> <br />One could look at Chambers’ statement as telling us that yes, you can spend time on the top of the mountain with God while in mortality, but you can’t stay there. Your destiny lies in coming down from the mountain and lifting up the demon-possessed people in the valley.</p><p>As I’ve blogged before, I am blessed to interact with people all the time who want their calling and election made sure, or to have an audience with Yeshua in the flesh. While these are righteous desires, I think it’s important that you stop and ask yourself (as I did in <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/03/do-you-have-spiritual-aids-part-2-of-2.html" target="_blank">March 2017</a> and <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2016/11/major-announcement-and-lectures-on.html" target="_blank">November 2016</a>):</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Why do you want this experience? Is it because, in the final analysis, it's all about good 'ol you? Maybe to claim some degree of respect or legitimacy? Come on -- why do you want this experience? Is it because the Lord told us to seek His face, and you want to be obedient? Is it because He commanded us to? So how is this self-centeredness congruent with the terrestrial principles of Zion (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/moses/7.18?lang=eng#p17" target="_blank">Moses 7:18</a>)? Do you think He's inclined to reward selfish intentions which aren't even terrestrial in nature?”</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“When we want something, we often treat God as if He is a cosmic vending machine. We bargain with Him, saying, "If <b><i>I</i></b> do A, then can <b><i>I</i></b> get B? Please???? It's for <b><i>ME</i></b>, and <b><i>I'VE</i></b> been (or promise to be) so good!!!"</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">We prioritize, as high as possible, <b><i>OUR</i></b> Baptism of Fire, <b><i>OUR</i></b> spiritual gifts, <b><i>OUR</i></b> parted veil, <b><i>OUR</i></b> visions, <b><i>OUR</i></b> dreams, <b><i>OUR</i></b> conversations with angels, <b><i>OUR</i></b> Second Comforter and <b><i>OUR</i></b> Calling and Election. While these things are critically important, it's our prioritization of them -- our love affair with individualism -- which becomes the very reason why those blessings are often withheld from us.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">We wonder, "When the crap starts hitting the fan, where will I go? What about <b><i>MY</i></b> tents and <b><i>MY</i></b> food/clean water supply? What about <b><i>MY</i></b> kids and <b><i>MY</i></b> loved ones?" We have become the poster children for the "<b><i>I</i></b> / <b><i>ME</i></b> / <b><i>MY</i></b>" generation, and are baffled why successive generations are even moreso.”</p></blockquote><p>It’s no wonder that we’re told,</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"All we like sheep have gone astray; <b>we have turned every one to his own way</b>; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/isa/53.6?lang=eng#5" target="_blank">Isaiah 53:6</a>; emphasis mine) </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for <b>ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways.</b>" (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/12.5?lang=eng#4" target="_blank">2 Nephi 12:5</a>; emphasis mine) </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but<b> every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god</b>, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/1.16?lang=eng#15" target="_blank">D&C 1:16</a>; emphasis mine) </p></blockquote><p>So, I believe that one of the reasons that many (and perhaps you) don’t see God is that they have all turned away from God and prefer the warmth and comfort of their own wills. Oh sure, they may profess to want to do God’s will, but when you get right down to it, other things -- including and especially our own fears and apprehensions, dreams and desires -- get the best of us.</p><p>Ask yourself this:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Which do I spend more time doing: Watching TV/interacting on the internet, or with He who loves me the most?</li><li>Why do I really want my calling and election and Second Comforter?</li><li>Am I prepared to sacrifice my health, my reputation, my relationship with my family, friends, co-workers and ward members -- in fact, anything and everything -- to know Him? Am I prepared to go through (perhaps years of) loneliness, pain, sickness, humiliation and more as part of a descent phase?</li><li>Am I ready, willing and able to bear testimony to others now, or do I hide my testimony? Do I often use the phrase “It’s too sacred to share” when, in hindsight, I probably could have shared?</li></ul><p></p><p>That last point has direct relevancy to coming down from the mountain. To a one, those who have come down from mountains invariably testified of God, and in some cases, gave their lives for Him. NONE of them -- I repeat: NONE -- ever kept to themselves nor used the phrase “It’s too sacred to share.” </p><p><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-14.html" target="_blank">As I mentioned here</a>,</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“...we just don’t talk about them [spiritual experiences] anymore. It’s just too sacred to talk about! That makes the experiences even more and more rare, to the extent that -- over time and over generations -- when something legitimately spiritual happens, it's considered a myth or a heresy. We just don’t believe it’s possible anymore.”</p></blockquote><p>“We just don’t believe it’s possible anymore” = a self reinforcing status of “unbelief” (I’ll examine that word in a subsequent post).</p><p>It’s no wonder the Lord said,</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: red;">“But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have.”</span></b> (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/60.2-3?lang=eng#p2#2" target="_blank">D&C 60:2-3</a>)</p></blockquote><p>As Pres. Benson said,</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. (See D&C 3:6–7 D&C 30:1–2 D&C 60:2) “What will men think of me?” weighs heavier than “What will God think of me?” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1989/04/beware-of-pride?lang=eng" target="_blank">April 1989 General Conference</a>)</p></blockquote><p>As we’ll see in an upcoming blog post here, this general reluctance among church members to testify of spiritual things has turned the truth (of gifts and miracles) into fables, to where (as one friend once told me), “I have a friend that is no longer allowed to hold any teaching callings and is not asked to speak in church because she openly talks about seeking gifts, miracles that are happening, etc.”</p><p>So, if you’re wondering why spending time with the Lord at the top of the mountain seems a little elusive, you might want to consider the possibility that you’re currently unwilling to do what would be required of you upon coming down from the mountain. <b><span style="color: red;">The Lord literally has no reason to justify appearing to you, and expecting you afterwards to proclaim and testify of Him with more passion, when you’re not only passing up opportunities to testify of Him now, but you’re also actively doing your part (even by being silent) to help turn truth to fables by perpetuating unbelief in gifts, miracles, visions, dreams, appearances, etc.</span></b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“A man may betray Jesus Christ by speaking too many words, and he may betray him through keeping his mouth shut.” (Oswald Chambers)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Some of us are like the Dead Sea: Always taking in, but never giving out, because we are not rightly related to the Lord Jesus.” (Oswald Chambers)</p></blockquote><p>The great English scholar and writer C. S. Lewis was vocal throughout the years that followed his adult conversion to Christianity about his admiration for, and his debt to, George MacDonald. MacDonald once posed an important question and then answered it himself:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Is every Christian expected to bear witness?</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Answer: "A man content to bear no witness to the truth is not of the kingdom of heaven. One who believes must bear witness. One who sees the truth, must live witnessing to it. Is our life, then, a witnessing to the truth? Do we carry ourselves in [the] bank, on [the] farm, in [the] house or shop, in [the] study or chamber or workshop, as the Lord would, or as the Lord would not?" (emphasis mine)</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4320ArJMbrdLZa4owKM5W7tRZoXjzLLOaX6Ahj7-2ANPohCMXXTW_0_X2VEw9n2LsgyWDafYIcfhNFtlm4q8tMJs46kXrN3WSrG6GfkCw2ur8t4SmM9IncrFdJ7waF81vRzbE0sNq-cTc/s1486/Abraham.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4320ArJMbrdLZa4owKM5W7tRZoXjzLLOaX6Ahj7-2ANPohCMXXTW_0_X2VEw9n2LsgyWDafYIcfhNFtlm4q8tMJs46kXrN3WSrG6GfkCw2ur8t4SmM9IncrFdJ7waF81vRzbE0sNq-cTc/s320/Abraham.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>"Take now your son…" (Genesis 22:2)</h3><p><br />We also fail to obtain the Lord’s trust by not acting on His promptings without delay. “Oh, I’ll get to it in a minute. I have to finish _________________ first.” or “I’m sure He’ll be fine if I get to it later today.”</p><p>Here’s Oswald Chambers again:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“God’s command is, “Take now,” not later. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">It is incredible how we debate! We know something is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it immediately. If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later— it must be done now. And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“So Abraham rose early in the morning…and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3). Oh, the wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not “confer with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16). Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood” or even your own thoughts, insights, or understandings— anything that is not based on your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.” (<a href="https://utmost.org/classic/the-supreme-climb-classic/">https://utmost.org/classic/the-supreme-climb-classic/</a>)</p></blockquote><p>The gospel is practical because it’s as concerned with your doing something as it is with your being something. Good works alone won’t get you into heaven, but once you receive new life in and from Jesus, He expects you to do what he did for the rest of your life. It comes with the territory. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Godly people do godly things...or they aren’t godly.</b></p><p>As I close out this series about “The Best Friend You Never Knew,” I bear you my testimony that I not only know Yeshua lives, but He has also appeared to me. I not only know His eyes, His smile, His smirk and His laugh, but also His jokes, His love of music, His love of food and His love for His family and friends, especially our Father and Mother. Whatever I know, whatever I have been given, has been an unanticipated gift from He who is the source of all gifts.</p><p>I’m grateful to know He is, if anything, overly-anxious and overly-enthusiastic to spend time with us, to laugh and cry with us. Despite being all-knowing, He’s still very apt to ask you how your day is going. Because He is a God, He’s able to be in infinite locations at the same time, including beside you...</p><p>Not only on the tops of the mountains, but also on top of the water.</p><p>Ahhhhh, walking on water...now there’s an interesting topic we should discuss soon!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eLF_6neT2o&ab_channel=MatthewS.Nelson%26DanHaseltine-Topic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59pbPcPZt5n10UhZl4dm-RTiAgWvNUBJmn-Dk1hK4JYYna_aVwDMYZgXt09fhSLJw9g2vdXESfPi6RfTGTGflsFiRkT9LnnliT8agkfhyphenhyphenCUBjlKkeXZZhs7FMhPmSyCKNAB96mfColGif/w400-h249/The+Chosen+Soundtrack+-+Walk+on+the+Water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-1717860684109299662020-11-08T16:24:00.001-07:002020-11-08T16:29:38.636-07:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 15: The Third Comforter<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<p>What’s the greatest blessing one can receive in this life?</p><p>That’s a question I've wondered about, and asked others, my whole life. The answers have been fairly consistent: “Calling and Election”, “Seeing Jesus” or “Second Comforter”.</p><p>But over the years, I’ve come to discover that there’s a blessing that’s higher than these. It seems to happen only to those who have their calling and election, and have personally received profound blessings from our Lord.</p><p>I’ll let others explain the details and particulars of this blessing. But suffice it to say, it’s called The Third Comforter. It’s when you are introduced to Father.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj-8ZabnHoR5Jy_u4REsqlJnHqiJEdYouanJ0UraaJNCH9r75g-OYm9mps4rsFQODEePuyd4KJUN9n_y_iii0pH_Q7QbIzjz8bhbis1lh6EUEHDhbYMMC7TsgBHgFxD6lKPjAh30Sucxe/s1024/JesusBaptism.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj-8ZabnHoR5Jy_u4REsqlJnHqiJEdYouanJ0UraaJNCH9r75g-OYm9mps4rsFQODEePuyd4KJUN9n_y_iii0pH_Q7QbIzjz8bhbis1lh6EUEHDhbYMMC7TsgBHgFxD6lKPjAh30Sucxe/s320/JesusBaptism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The First and Second Comforters</h3><p><br />“In the New Testament, the Greek word parakletos, translated “Comforter” in the King James Version, appears only in the writings of John. The word is composed of para, meaning “beside,” and kletos, meaning “one who is summoned.” A parakletos is one who is summoned to another’s side as a helper, intercessor, or advocate. In John’s writings, the title parakletos is applied to two individuals: the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/new-testament-student-manual/introduction-to-the-gospel-according-to-st-john/chapter-26-john-14-16?lang=eng" target="_blank">New Testament Student Manual, Chapter 26</a>)</p><p>Before His ascension, Yeshua told His disciples, </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 14:16-17, 26</a>)</p></blockquote><p>It’s interesting that the Lord would say that there’s “another” Comforter, the Holy Ghost. Obviously, both He and the Holy Ghost are Comforters. Joseph Smith confirmed this fact:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“There are two Comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost, the same as given on the day of Pentecost, and that all Saints receive after faith, repentance, and baptism. This first Comforter [is the] Holy Ghost. …</p><p>“The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses.</p><p>“Note the 16, 17, 18, 21, 23 verses. …</p><p>“Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God” (History of the Church, 3:380–81).</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmisnE9Q3xA96jst2CHUlh62MOecQqqDh7oZytbWwqO5pX9RfVGkEjrAULxcbf0KVYQp771pYdn5cZAvn_AplKP5kfJtxeBa7GLiCqBkCDWZ3YQ7NJyasUuAnb9ARq7ZkskT_Cxzwpb_7/s1386/Star_of_David.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmisnE9Q3xA96jst2CHUlh62MOecQqqDh7oZytbWwqO5pX9RfVGkEjrAULxcbf0KVYQp771pYdn5cZAvn_AplKP5kfJtxeBa7GLiCqBkCDWZ3YQ7NJyasUuAnb9ARq7ZkskT_Cxzwpb_7/s320/Star_of_David.png" /></a></div>The Often Unacknowledged Factor: Profound Descent</h3><p><br />As I read Joseph’s excellent summary, I’m struck by the paths associated with the various blessings (which come later):</p><p>A person wades through sin --> repents/baptized/receives Holy Ghost --> First Comforter</p><p>Hazards and thorough proving --> found determined to serve Him through all of that --> C&E and Second Comforter</p><p>In my opinion, the path to obtaining one’s Second Comforter is one of hazards and thorough proving. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“God never bestows upon his people, or upon an individual, superior blessings without a severe trial to prove them” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe (1954), 338).</p></blockquote><p>How severe could this trial be? Elder Orson Hyde said, </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“True it is, that in the most trying hour, the servants of God may then be permitted to see their Father, and elder brother. But says one, “I wish to see the Father, and the Saviour, and an angel now.” Before you can see the Father, the Saviour, or an angel, you have to be brought into close places in order to enjoy this manifestation. The fact is, your very life must be suspended on a thread, as it were. If you want to see your Saviour, be willing to come to that point where no mortal arm can rescue, nor earthly power save! When all other things fail, when everything else proves futile and fruitless, then perhaps your Saviour and your Redeemer may appear; his arm is not shortened that he cannot save, nor his ear heavy that he cannot hear; and when help on all sides appears to fail, “my arm shall save, my power shall rescue, and you shall hear my voice, saith the Lord.” (JD 1:125)</p></blockquote><p>Why is it called a “Second Comforter”? Because nobody but the Savior can adequately comfort you.</p><p>I’ve heard of people say they received their Second Comforter for introducing someone to the church, after having crawled out of debt, watched an inspiring movie or had a warm, inspired feeling after a blessing. While all of these things may make you feel good, they are neither hazardous, proving anything nor suspending your very life on a thread. And <b><u>they do not demand the comfort that only a Savior can provide you.</u></b></p><p>Others have said they have felt a good yet invisible personage next to them, comforting them, even laying their hands on them. These experiences are also holy and inspiring, but they are not necessarily personal ministrations of the Lord. Angels and other heavenly messengers can have a similar effect on us.</p><p>But show me someone who has endured decades/a lifetime of pain, abuse, persecution, profound sickness, neglect, etc. -- all while staying true to God and praising Him -- and yes, those are hazards and can thoroughly prove one’s dedication.</p><p>As I've stated here several times before, you can learn a lot from someone who is going through tremendous depths in their life, because the exact and opposite inverse -- tremendous highs -- are often right around the corner.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Spiritual descent is necessary for spiritual ascent: When a man has to rise from one level to the next, prior to his ascent, he must first undergo a descent. The paradox is that the very purpose of the descent is the ascent. From this you can see how much strength is required in the service of God. Even when you fall or descend in any way, you must never allow yourself to be thrown off balance to the extent that you come to look down upon yourself or to hold yourself in contempt." (Rabbi Nachman, trans. Avraham Greenbaum, Likutey Moharan, "Restore My Soul" [Monsey & Jerusalem: Breslov Research Institute, 1980], p. 16-17).</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z-A4ozIZHdbYPQY7Db-FFKO-b5rwaubPPX31iZgyXERtALy0fLP2YuShQyBNHPMI-5GTs4N4cTm85trl4lT-dlIFgsTgbUjonIxyLZwpvxDI0ykh4cPI1D42X_w4QxWDmgsRWIO0qUVv/s535/32501_all_003_02-Elohim.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z-A4ozIZHdbYPQY7Db-FFKO-b5rwaubPPX31iZgyXERtALy0fLP2YuShQyBNHPMI-5GTs4N4cTm85trl4lT-dlIFgsTgbUjonIxyLZwpvxDI0ykh4cPI1D42X_w4QxWDmgsRWIO0qUVv/s320/32501_all_003_02-Elohim.jpg" /></a></div>“Seeing and Knowing” Father</h3><p><br />What’s the inverse of a profound, life-altering descent?</p><p>I believe it’s a profound, life-altering ascent.</p><p>Brother Joseph elaborated on this above, then he said what could happen to a person after they have had an audience with the Savior:</p><p>...he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God” (History of the Church, 3:380–81).</p><p>At some point, Yeshua Himself becomes a testator, and personally introduces us to Father. There’s nothing unusual about this, for all throughout Yeshua’s mortal ministry, He was steadfast in testifying of Father. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/11.32?lang=eng" target="_blank">3 Nephi 11:32</a>)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/1.18?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 1:18</a>)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 14:6</a>)</p></blockquote><p>And in a few recorded instances, Father has revealed Himself to His mortal children:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“There are few recorded instances of God the Father appearing to or speaking to man. The scriptures say that He spoke to Adam and Eve (Moses 4:14–31) and introduced Jesus Christ on several occasions (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28–29; 3 Ne. 11:3–7). He appeared to Stephen (Acts 7:55–56) and Joseph Smith (JS—H 1:17). Later He appeared to both Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon (D&C 76:20, 23). To those who love God and purify themselves before Him, God sometimes grants the privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves that He is God (Matt. 5:8; 3 Ne. 12:8; D&C 76:116–118; 93:1).” (“God the Father,” <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/god-godhead?lang=eng" target="_blank">Guide to the Scriptures</a>) </p></blockquote><p>There you have it -- that last sentence there. Let’s read it one more time:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“To those who love God and purify themselves before Him, God sometimes grants the privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves that He is God”</p></blockquote><p>So we CAN see Father. And the path there has also been detailed: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Have faith in Christ.</li><li>Repent of your sins.</li><li>Be baptized for the remission of your sins.</li><li>Receive the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands).</li><li>Continue to humble yourself before God.</li><li>Hunger and thirst after righteousness.</li><li>Live by every word of God.</li><li>Have the Lord say unto you, Son (or Daughter), thou shalt be exalted. </li><li>Be thoroughly proved by the Lord, and found that you are determined to serve Him at all hazards.</li><li>Find your calling and his election made sure.</li><li>Receive the other (Second) Comforter (have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend you, or appear to you from time to time).</li><li>The Lord will manifest the Father unto you.</li><li>They will take up their abode with you.</li><li>The visions of the heavens will be opened to you, and the Lord will teach you face to face, and you may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.</li></ul><p></p><p>(<u><b>Note that the Lord's manifesting Father to you is listed after the Second Comforter, which is itself listed after calling and election</b></u>).</p><p>I’d like to add that there’s at least one personality trait associated with those who are nearing Father:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs. …” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-37?lang=eng" target="_blank">Teachings of Joseph Smith Manual</a>, Chapter 37, p. 429)</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMv5qYJ_ngrPSz53OgaguYQtZfqIgT1Ipi7Jm_Cfx9bbXDooHg9l-J07-WeTTppMWIrYZgDlP0zT5ZBHrsJqZH1BkICBXv2JZ-rutM-bXv43JaI4s7LBCzhyqlxxT7c4caHKhz_V3k77n/s450/word-of-wisdom-revelation-corbett_1170282_inl.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMv5qYJ_ngrPSz53OgaguYQtZfqIgT1Ipi7Jm_Cfx9bbXDooHg9l-J07-WeTTppMWIrYZgDlP0zT5ZBHrsJqZH1BkICBXv2JZ-rutM-bXv43JaI4s7LBCzhyqlxxT7c4caHKhz_V3k77n/s320/word-of-wisdom-revelation-corbett_1170282_inl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When Father Spontaneously Appears</h3><p><br />Jeffrey Marsh wrote a really interesting article for Meridian Magazine last year on the “Visitations of the Father and the Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith” (<a href="https://latterdaysaintmag.com/visitations-of-the-father-and-the-son-to-the-prophet-joseph-smith/" target="_blank">found here</a>). One of those visitations was quite dramatic:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“In Kirtland, during the winter of 1832-1833, the Lord directed Joseph Smith to organize a school to prepare the brethren to serve missions, and to train them in all things pertaining to the Church and the gospel. The Prophet officially organized the First Presidency and the event was accompanied by revelation: “I exhorted the brethren to faithfulness and diligence in keeping the commandments of God,…with a promise that the pure in heart should see a heavenly vision; and after remaining in prayer, the promise was verified…Many of the brethren saw a heavenly vision of the Savior, and concourses of angels, and many other things, of which each one has a record of what he saw” (History of the Church, 1:334-335).</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">One particular morning, the Prophet asked the brethren to come fasting, having washed and wearing clean clothes. During the meeting, a marvelous manifestation of the Father and the Son occurred.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">John Murdock (whose twins were adopted by the Prophet Joseph and Emma, after his wife, Julie, died during their birth) recorded what he experienced: “During the winter of 1833 we had a number of prayer meetings in the Prophet’s chamber [in the Newel K. Whitney store]. In one of those meetings the Prophet told us if we could humble ourselves before God, and exercise strong faith, we should see the face of the Lord. And about midday the visions of my mind were opened, and the eyes of my understanding were enlightened, and I saw the form of a man, most lovely, the visage of his face was sound and fair as the sun. His hair a bright silver gray, curled in most majestic form, His eyes a keen penetrating blue, and the skin of his neck a most beautiful white and he was covered from the neck to the feet with a loose garment, pure white, whiter than any garment I have ever before seen. His countenance was most penetrating, and yet most lovely. And while I was endeavoring to comprehend the whole personage from head to feet it slipped from me, and the vision was closed up. But it left on my mind the impression of love, for months, that I never felt before to that degree” (John Murdock Journal, typescript, p. 13).</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Years later while living in Utah and speaking to a group of High Priests in Spanish Fork, Zebedee Coltrin recounted his experience: “I saw a personage passing through the room as plainly as I see you now. Joseph asked us if we knew who it was and answered himself, that is Jesus our elder brother, the Son of God. After the vision closed Joseph Smith told those present to again resume their former position of prayer, which they did. Again I saw passing through the same room, a personage whose glory and brightness was so great, that I can liken it to nothing but the burning bush that Moses saw, and its power was so great that had it continued much longer I believe it would have consumed us. After this personage had disappeared from the room Joseph Smith announced that the men had seen the Father of Jesus Christ.” Zebedee Coltrin concluded his testimony by saying, “I saw him.” (Zebedee Coltrin, High Priests Records of Spanish Fork, 5 Feb 1878, LDS Church Archives.) He added: “The appearance was so grand and overwhelming that it seemed I should melt down in His presence, and the sensation was so powerful that it thrilled through my whole system and I felt it in the marrow of my bones” (Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 3 Oct 1883, p. 60, LDS Church Archives).</p></blockquote><p>What Bro. Marsh didn’t mention is what that “former position of prayer” was. According to Zebedee Coltrin, it was “silent prayer, kneeling, with hands uplifted each one praying in silence” (<a href="https://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/Presentation%20Notes/Kirtland%20Endowment/School%20of%20the%20Prophets.html" target="_blank">Salt Lake School of the Prophets Minute Book 1883, p. 44</a>) -- <b><u>a posture specifically mentioned in my post about formal prayer to Father (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-13.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </u></b></p><p>In describing Father, Bro. Coltrin said,</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“I did not discover His clothing for He was surrounded as with a flame of fire, which was so brilliant that I could not discover anything else but His person. I saw His hands, His legs, his feet, his eyes, nose, mouth, head and body in the shape and form of a perfect man. He sat in a chair as a man would sit in a chair, but This appearance was so grand and overwhelming that it seems I should melt down in His presence, and the sensation was so powerful that it thrilled through my whole system and I felt it in the marow of my bones.” (ibid, p. 58-59; also see Calvin Robert Stevens, “The Life and Contributions of Zebedee Coltrin,” 1974, <a href="https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6137&context=etd">https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6137&context=etd</a>)</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHvaJXlH54fHD1Aeoi5dUmn9sp1ceJYnetpUfHcPYvKdjIa2XOfDyRzE3p1K4GCJvRRD08yEI0e-GpV5ZvMPBrHf79IcOcULH5RJvYry16dkc4zeJoMwr-WTJ83xd3WDVox0gw1Sg2Iuu/s555/First-vision1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHvaJXlH54fHD1Aeoi5dUmn9sp1ceJYnetpUfHcPYvKdjIa2XOfDyRzE3p1K4GCJvRRD08yEI0e-GpV5ZvMPBrHf79IcOcULH5RJvYry16dkc4zeJoMwr-WTJ83xd3WDVox0gw1Sg2Iuu/s320/First-vision1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Introductions Are in Order</h3><p><br />Sometimes, Father doesn’t just appear. Instead, the Lord introduces Him to us. Here is what one man communicated to me:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Years ago, I worked as a TV reporter. Where I worked, the TV newsroom’s head guy was the News Director. The #2 guy was the person who assigned what stories would be covered and by whom. This was the Assistant News Director/Assignment Editor. </p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I had a dream in which I was standing next to a man who looked just like the Assistant News Director, but I knew it was Jesus looking like this guy. We were ascending, and finally ascended into a white room with a round, white table and two chairs. As we walked to the table, I could see that the News Director was sitting in one of the chairs. If the table were a clock, the News Director was sitting at the 10 o’clock position, and the other chair was at the 6 o’clock position.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">When we reached the table, the Savior said my name and presented me to Father. At that point, Father invited me to sit down. Jesus walked about 10-12 feet away to my right, sitting in another chair. So essentially He passed me off to Father, then waited nearby while Father and I chatted.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I have no idea what we talked about, but I remember this dream like it was yesterday (I had it about six years ago).</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">As I awoke, I was left with two impressions: First, this was not a physical encounter, but being that all things are created spiritually first, then physically, I can look forward to the physical version of my meeting at some point in the future. Second, I feel I was promised to know many mysteries, which have been subsequently imparted to me since that encounter.” </p></blockquote><p><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-13.html" target="_blank">Two posts ago</a>, we read about how many prophets of old, and even Yeshua, formally prayed to Father. To me, it’s profound to see the symbolism of these prayers, as we totally subjugate ourselves to the level of the dust of the earth. Yet through it all, amidst all that lowliness, we reach with upraised/uplifted hands towards heaven, where Father is more attentive to us than ever.</p><p>It’s comforting to know that others, like John Murdock, Zebedee Coltrin, Joseph Smith and other members of the School of the Prophets approached Father in just this way, and saw marvelous manifestations of Him.</p><p>I’m also comforted by the facts presented in <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-14.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, where we read what Yeshua said in <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 14:23</a>:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."</p></blockquote><p>Joseph Smith’s words leave us a blueprint of how to make our way back to Father (I doubt he would have mentioned them if they were unattainable). The actions of Joseph and others show us what they did to beckon Father. And Yeshua gives us the promise, the hope, that these endeavors will not be in vain, but will produce profound fruits...which we call</p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Third Comforter</h3><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X29hPMgKUyM " style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDldMJ4_cg-nrRkrkqMU7QqwMpHzJUkmHrD0bDpRz4qYxJdtVR0ACI38Wt1-vUMNLHuJihxJ8eqYpG9VBBGDDhmvh0fFwuCDukVrTuMQIm4B6T2kSZKLz5FXQBm6S9mDr7DGhhoRSC9Qz/w400-h249/The+Afters+-+Well+Done.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-20335669578164375312020-11-01T13:06:00.000-07:002020-11-01T13:06:11.948-07:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 14: "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him"<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<br />
<p>In <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-13.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, you got all the tools you need to initiate contact with both Heavenly Father and Yeshua. Prophets of old likely performed many of the steps summarized in that post, and they parted the veil and conversed with God. Make no mistake: You can, too.</p><p>The response from the other side of the veil to your consistent entreaties may be immediate, or it may take a while -- a week, a month, a year or more. But respond they will. And when that day comes -- when you sense a message in your heart and mind that says “I love you so much” or “I’m so proud to be your brother/sister” or “Mom and I are so proud of the decisions you’re making,” you’ll know full well who that came from. And that day on your calendar will never be considered the same again. Your life will never be the same. Because you will know God spoke to you, you heard it and felt it.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.</p><p>Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.</p><p>And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/jer/29.11-13?lang=eng" target="_blank">Jeremiah 29:11-13</a>)</p></blockquote><p>But that’s not all God has in store for you! That’s just the beginning. It’s the first sentence of the first paragraph of the first page of the first notebook of dialogue God will have with you. <u>The more serious, the more consistently you take that relationship, the more God will, too.</u></p><p>And like any relationship here on earth, you are free to let it soar into the stars, with no limits to what your relationship with God can and will become in your life. And despite anything those <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-13.html" target="_blank">doubters and naysayers say to elevate their own standing while denigrating your own</a>, you’ll know, deep down inside, that you have a personal, intimate, close and daily-replenished relationship with Father, Mother and Yeshua.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqewcMIN8mklw_UOSPSmH-dSdkxpEHnR-njADc9BDhjlnP54xb2R5-5D9F1gEKRmsTMNSlTQ8H8XXaszTKHdNK8AbQRX6GJl-SXQsGXajczSdQjaAFIul_wuq3BSTpR1O4uOHCRPN1gyd/s2000/God_Knows_My_Name.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1948" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqewcMIN8mklw_UOSPSmH-dSdkxpEHnR-njADc9BDhjlnP54xb2R5-5D9F1gEKRmsTMNSlTQ8H8XXaszTKHdNK8AbQRX6GJl-SXQsGXajczSdQjaAFIul_wuq3BSTpR1O4uOHCRPN1gyd/s320/God_Knows_My_Name.jpg" /></a></div>The Junior Primary Line We Adults<br /> Continually Tell Ourselves...and Get Stuck On</h3><p style="text-align: left;"><br />I’ll let you in on a little pet peeve of mine. I cringe every time I hear “God loves you,” “God is aware of you,” “God knows your circumstances” or the ever-popular “God knows your name.” This is because after you’ve enjoyed such a close relationship with God, you know -- YOU KNOW -- that God is far, far more involved in your life than just those superficial stereotypes. Of course God knows your name! Of course He knows your circumstances! If God knows the number of hairs on your head (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/12.7?lang=eng&clang=eng#p7" target="_blank">Luke 12:7</a>), I think He’s got your name down pat, too. God is way, way, way down the road in terms of name identification with you.</p><p>(Imagine your being a child again and living with your parents. Your father is away on a business trip. You wonder if your father loves you. You ask your mom, and she says, “Sweetie, of course He does! He even knows your name!!!!!).</p><p>Still, like any relationship, your relationship with Father, Mother and Yeshua needs cultivation every day. Like a plant needs sunlight, food and carbon dioxide, your relationship with Deity needs light, communication and desire. </p><p>And like any relationship, it will grow and develop. Your closeness will be so real, so alive, that you’ll wake up each morning knowing that today, you will hear from God. In some way, He’ll leave you a love note wrapped inside a magnificent sunrise, a bird’s song, a spectacular sunset, a shooting star, or a million other variables.</p><p>Every day, you can live a life knowing that He wants to be your everything. And He will stop at nothing -- even to the shedding of His own blood and giving His own life -- to be your everything.</p><p>Hehe “He knows your name”???? Are you kidding me? He knows you far, far better than you know yourself. And despite all the screw-ups, mistakes, regrets and stupid things you’ve done in your mortal life, you may someday discover that all that realy kinda pales in comparison to one thing:</p><p>He just wants you back in His arms. And He will literally and figuratively move heaven and earth, blood, sweat and tears, to make it so.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKYme_MnU2xaTNXnmWDGqpanewXFWOxeIgAbeG0Gk2OwRs6JxgKT8ypUo07WLQi2hapeTDWcJhGEbfbxutuNMjFdEg5Xk1LHCAj7_6Dess6bwFB4t0ecNuCdaL19ZsTpaXK-cGExyFSx6/s1024/JesusinHouse.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKYme_MnU2xaTNXnmWDGqpanewXFWOxeIgAbeG0Gk2OwRs6JxgKT8ypUo07WLQi2hapeTDWcJhGEbfbxutuNMjFdEg5Xk1LHCAj7_6Dess6bwFB4t0ecNuCdaL19ZsTpaXK-cGExyFSx6/s320/JesusinHouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Visit</h3><p><br />As your relationship with God continues to develop, you may eventually be confronted with a thought:</p><p>“Invite Father, Mother and Yeshua into your home.”</p><p>When this is combined with real intent, nothing wavering, and many of the “Formal Prayer” concepts elaborated in my previous post, you’ll discover that this is no ordinary request. It is spirit-inspired. It’s God wanting you to boldly, yet humbly, take your relationship with them to an even higher level.</p><p>Are they willing to do just this? Absolutely! Check out <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14.23?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 14:23</a>:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."</p></blockquote><p>A couple of notes on this verse. In Greek,</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The word “love” is <i>agapa</i> -- a verb denoting “to love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem.” (<a href="https://biblehub.com/john/14-23.htm">https://biblehub.com/john/14-23.htm</a>)</li><li>“We will come’ is <i>eleusometha</i>, which is a 1st person plural, future indicative verb. At least both of them -- the Father and the Son -- will come.</li><li>“Make” is <i>poiesometha</i>, which means to make, manufacture, construct.</li><li>“Him” is <i>auto</i>, which is actually not gender-specific. It could mean He, she, it, they or them.</li></ul><p></p><p>The Lord also said,</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/rev/3.20?lang=eng" target="_blank">Revelation 3:20</a>)</p></blockquote><p>Again, like the previous verse, “him” in Greek is <i>auto</i> -- a non-gender-specific designation. </p><p>Thus, it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, married or single, old or young, black or white. You have the opportunity to invite He who loves you most to your abode. He may knock on your door, or just appear there. </p><p>And examine that invitation carefully. It doesn’t say, "I will come in if you are good enough" or "I will come in provided you have never done this or that" or “I will come in if you promise never to ......" It only says, "If you will open...I will come in.”</p><p>In fact, when you’re taking God up on His offer while knocking on the doors of heaven three times a day (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2012/11/three-knocks-day-on-door-of-heaven.html" target="_blank">see this post</a>), it would be ungentlemanly for Father or Yeshua to turn down such a consistent -- and heartfelt -- invitation. And it would also be ungentlemanly for the Lord not to return the favor. For He also has an outstanding invitation for you to sup with Him at His feast. The ultimate one, to be held at a future time (see <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/12?lang=eng" target="_blank">Luke 12:37</a>)</p><p>I seriously doubt that such inspired invitations would be given to someone who’s steadfastly lukewarm in their relationship with God. As one pastor once said, “God wants us to allow Him to consume us — God wants our all. We need to be on fire for Him. But as it turns out, many times we are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, for Him. Being lukewarm will keep us from a relationship with God and keep us from inheriting eternal life with God.” (<a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/hot-or-not-5-duane-wente-sermon-on-devotion-249559" target="_blank">source</a>)</p><p>Those who are not lukewarm, and are dedicated to taking God up on His gracious suggestion, can definitely expect spectacular results.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyRXBGVivUq2okGjRpmAPs4Hypv0plccxHfV6VQuFzRrlkj4IZUjuHgAcwG-1MR8VejcaMseHl2JDL5CJ3HAi5k_V0M8Gr2zvcQXOngUYNi4Q8ajehU4jV6Oy-du7oqq0_GYOhA-Uk1FO/s1024/door.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyRXBGVivUq2okGjRpmAPs4Hypv0plccxHfV6VQuFzRrlkj4IZUjuHgAcwG-1MR8VejcaMseHl2JDL5CJ3HAi5k_V0M8Gr2zvcQXOngUYNi4Q8ajehU4jV6Oy-du7oqq0_GYOhA-Uk1FO/s320/door.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>They Invited God into Their Homes...and Saw Their Wishes Fulfilled</h3><p><br />“we will obey: as on conditions of our obedience He has promised us great things; yea, even a visit from the heavens to honor us with His own presence.” (Joseph Smith, DHC 1:316–317).</p><p>Our first example is from a man who’s passed on, but while he was alive, he lived a life wholly dedicated to God to a very, very, high degree: </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"Brother G" was a tremendously devout Christian all his life. Sometime in the mid- to late-1960s, during his prayer and meditation time, a thought popped into his head:</p><p>"Son, would you spend time with me as a friend? I don't have anyone who will just spend time with me as a friend. Everyone always comes with a petition, with intercession, with various requests, but they never just want to be with me for who I am."</p><p>Brother G was a very busy man. His days were full. He considered what the Lord had said, and didn't want to commit to something he couldn't fulfill. Finally, Brother G said, "Lord, the only time I have is from 2:00am to 3:30am, but I'll do it."</p><p>Brother G kept his word. So every night at 1:50am, he would arise from his bed and go to his sitting room, where he could spend some time with the Lord. In doing this, he would practice "properly framing a picture" of Jesus sitting across from him. He wasn't worried about the accuracy of his mental picture of Jesus, but instead, he would sit down and talk with Jesus like a good friend. "How's your day been, Jesus? What do you think about this or that?" He would also listen to what was on the Lord's heart that evening. He so enjoyed spending time with the Lord, as a friend, that he looked forward and anticipated each evening, when he could be alone with the Lord.</p><p>About a year later, as Brother G was sitting down in his chair at 2am, he heard the back door open and close. Then he heard footsteps walking down the hallway.</p><p>Into his sitting room walked Jesus, who then sat down in a chair across from Brother G.</p></blockquote><p>How and why did this happen?</p><p>The Lord told Brother G that it was because he had been willing to spend that time with the Lord as a friend. It was also because Brother G practiced a very important principle:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>“What you focus on, you'll eventually connect with.”</b></p><p>Here’s another man’s (or should I say couple’s) experience:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“My wife has done a tremendous job over the last two years of filling almost every room with either pictures of Jesus or things that symbolize him. Everywhere we turn, Jesus’s pictured presence is there. Also, in our nightly couple’s prayers, we have invited and welcomed Father, Mother and Jesus into our home. We have reminded them of the scriptures in the Bible that says they will sup with us. We have pleaded with them to take our invitations seriously and to surpass our expectations.</p><p>They have done just that. Although they haven’t gone visual, their presences have been very obvious and defined. Mother, Father and Jesus have different personalities, different mannerisms, different ways of talking and expressing themselves. They have reached out to us, and we have responded back. Their responses impressed upon both our hearts and minds with insights far above what we would have come up with. </p><p>I have zero doubt that at a future time, they will go visual. It may be one or all three of them. To us, the important thing is knowing that they are intimately involved in our daily lives, and there to help us make our way back to them.” </p></blockquote><p>Sometimes it’s not a matter of being dedicated, but childlike. Here’s an experience one parent sent me:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>“In early 2019 our family was suffering and breaking apart at the seams. My youngest son (then 6) was in my room as he was afraid. We were all deep asleep. Around 2:00 or 3:00am my son woke me, very excitedly. Saying the same thing over and over, trying to whisper but too excited to posses a silent whisper. </p><p>Once I finally woke enough to understand, I see his big excited brown eyes staring in the dark. He said, “mom, Jesus was here.” I said, “how do you know?” He said, “because I saw him.” </p><p>He quickly jumped from the bed, to stand at the foot of our large bed. He put his arms in the air like wings. He said, “he came to the bottom of the bed, smiled big, raised his arms and said it’s going to be alright. Then as soon as he did this he backed up into the wall, which was actually a giant bright light, but I feel happy mom. It’s going to be ok.”</p><p>I will never forget the joy in my sons face that night or the peace I felt in the room.”</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVFCJAgsXE_DlAueaqL3Zajw7P2nz0-bshUdyhyn2l3qIifaFYAiYZPjT7EckMOViV-aj3nXXIvmz3-jkKWkgHlX0we4Gbqs0pEtHObsS72n6B6h9C2aGQFbxz_FybM4c9cTjFlDHKGmo/s682/leper.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVFCJAgsXE_DlAueaqL3Zajw7P2nz0-bshUdyhyn2l3qIifaFYAiYZPjT7EckMOViV-aj3nXXIvmz3-jkKWkgHlX0we4Gbqs0pEtHObsS72n6B6h9C2aGQFbxz_FybM4c9cTjFlDHKGmo/s320/leper.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Why God Likely Doesn’t Visit More Homes Very Much Anymore</h3><p><br />You see, it’s not a question of “if” Jesus comes knocking on your door, but “when” He comes knocking on your door. My bet: He knocks everyday on the door of your heart, wanting come in to you. As you consistently and passionately let Him through the door of your heart and mind, you can then explore further ways of Jesus entering your life.</p><p>The testimonies and scenarios I’ve just presented to you are, in my opinion, extremely unique. Although they’re meant for everybody, it seems like hardly anybody gets to experience them. There’s likely a bajillion reasons why not. </p><p>I think a huge reason why we don’t hear many more of these experiences is because, well, we just don’t talk about them anymore. It’s just too sacred to talk about! That makes the experiences even more and more rare, to the extent that -- over time and over generations -- when something legitimately spiritual happens, it's considered a myth or a heresy. We just don’t believe it’s possible anymore. (Does it seem to you like I’m not the first one to be saying this?)</p><p>Another possibility is that we just aren’t willing to pay the price for these experiences. As Joseph Smith stated, </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God... God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial kingdom of God" (Journal of Discourses, 24:197).</p></blockquote><p>A third possibility is that one just loses steam on the way to the destination. Other things become more important, we’re too selfish in our motives, or we just give up on God. We lose sight of the fact that by its very nature, faith must be tested and tried. But if you really examine His life, you’ll see that Yeshua preferred to spend His time not with the learned, the powerful, the esteemed, but the rejected, the outcast, the contagious, those caked and drenched in sin, even the despised. If He can prefer to spend His time with these kinds of people, then there’s likely very good hope for you as well.</p><p>Seek Him. Invite Him. Welcome Him. Expect Him into your heart, your mind, your life, your home. Never give up. Never diminish your desire. Always know that Yeshua is a perfect gentleman, and when the time is best, He’ll take you up on your offer. And when He does, your friend (who loves to spend time with you) will radically revolutionize your life filled with the cool and abundant springs of living waters that will rejuvenate you, your family and beyond.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNDEyxEMNp0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNkNGgMOZCh3FjFRkgRhbE_2UBRaj4rZcwr_D4E__l1bzLsfa4EqMfbx1slKyPjPhyphenhyphenYv6WvrmLKdBLFnP8NAjKwp03QSru-sMAEohE02EvV3AWm-ap6LSICHEAqcbcE_lQMNlazH15eaF/w400-h249/MercyMe+-+I+Can+Only+Imagine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-85999372313331999402020-10-25T19:32:00.000-06:002020-10-25T19:32:54.071-06:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 13: Formal and Informal Prayer<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjDK7M9EFMzIHH_3kYSLOdhKvT1xT6JZ1liGxBXFfxjTQXAhFSgCfOgCLXgcvCvKgTDqiySDfZBhk_BJ5AULlDmZ6Cq4k9wmz5pv35egAMAwWWUDKCKq5CPHgUpf0ZIJ1zRXfdUBgpO-L/s712/Dont-listen-to-the-naysayers-712x341.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="712" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjDK7M9EFMzIHH_3kYSLOdhKvT1xT6JZ1liGxBXFfxjTQXAhFSgCfOgCLXgcvCvKgTDqiySDfZBhk_BJ5AULlDmZ6Cq4k9wmz5pv35egAMAwWWUDKCKq5CPHgUpf0ZIJ1zRXfdUBgpO-L/w400-h191/Dont-listen-to-the-naysayers-712x341.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Negate the Naysayers</h3><div><br /></div><div>In my previous post, we detailed several humble, unassuming Christians who were blessed to walk and talk with God. This should come as no surprise to us, for we know that there have been several in history who enjoyed this profound blessing, and that "God is no respecter of persons" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/acts/10.34?lang=eng" target="_blank">Acts 10:34</a>), which means that what He offers to one He offers to all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet there are some, even within our own faith, who denounce, condemn and mock these facts. They say that they “worry when someone is speaking to Him [God] in too familiar a way.” They say that “Heavenly Father's words, His ideas, are not exactly ours. And so the idea of having really a conversation where you're chatting with Heavenly Father is probably a little bit of a lofty goal.” They themselves describe their interactions with God as “not in what you'd call a conversational mode.” They say that in prayer, “the way you do that is different than if you just say, ‘I'd like a chat. I want a conversation.’"</div><div><br /></div><div>These negative concepts do nothing to close and shorten the distance between you and God. They only increase and exacerbate it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Could you EVER imagine the Savior saying, “Sorry, Father and I are so far above you in terms of our powers that, well, we’re kind of lofty, so having a conversation with us is pretty tough.” He didn’t say, “Don’t expect a conversation with us.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Absolutely, positively not! He said, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.” (D&C 88:63) There are no limits imposed on this command.</div><div><br /></div><div>These distancing comments also fly in the face of facts delivered by the one mortal who knows more than anybody else about interacting with God -- Joseph Smith:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us;" (Teachings, p. 345–46, "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1971/04/the-king-follett-sermon" target="_blank">King Follett Sermon</a>", April 7, 1844; History of the Church, 6:305; as quoted in the church's "Doctrines of the Gospel" student manual).</div><div><br /></div><div>(Speaking about praying to our Father in Heaven), "Be plain and simple and ask for what you want, just like you would go to a neighbor and say, I want to borrow your horse to go to mill." (Joseph Smith, "Recollections of the Prophet Joseph Smith," <a href="https://archive.org/stream/juvenileinstruct275geor/juvenileinstruct275geor_djvu.txt" target="_blank">Juvenile Instructor</a>, Mar. 1, 1892, p. 151-52).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Others have said (in official church publications):</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"Individuals should converse with Heavenly Father in the same direct, trusting, and sincere manner that they converse with friends and family members." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1996/01/after-this-manner-pray-ye" target="_blank">Donald W. Parry, "After This Manner … Pray Ye", Ensign, January 1996</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>"Individuals should approach God in prayer similar to the way they approach their earthly fathers." (<a href="https://rsc.byu.edu/book-mormon-3-nephi-9-30-my-gospel/pray-always-learning-pray-jesus-prayed" target="_blank">Donald W. Parry, "'Pray Always': Learning to Pray as Jesus Prayed," in The Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9–30, This Is My Gospel (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, 1993), 137–48</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>(Re: the formalities of prayer -- Please read that BYU Religious Studies article mentioned above. It's interesting. You'll learn that such formalities (“thee/thine/thou”) were originally INformal language when the KJV of the Bible was written).</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, in none of these statements are we told to be irreverent or presumptuous in our relationship with Deity. God’s friendship and love for us should never be taken for granted. But neither should we increase our distance from Him.</div><div><br /></div><div>And how do we grow closer to God?</div><div><br /></div><div>You seek God’s will, receive it and do it without any delay. Repeat.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until <b>the perfect day</b>." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50.24?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 50:24</a>; emphasis mine because I like those last three words) </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Because all worthy endeavors begin and end with prayer, I believe there are two things you can do, which combined, thin the veil and your proximity to God:</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-clrXEiNPThjEIjG2fZ2LEoFA59xbhI0r91yz-EDzo9DZGx8cjh6YsQGKjqlhR0m3bui-5M-6GbPxeR1xVsEchIVMXDj07i9MSl2_vJiXmp7xlJm7IlGvgZSyQW9teFSzWTisHxZbc2iO/s1080/Yom-Kippur-upraised-hands-cropped.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-clrXEiNPThjEIjG2fZ2LEoFA59xbhI0r91yz-EDzo9DZGx8cjh6YsQGKjqlhR0m3bui-5M-6GbPxeR1xVsEchIVMXDj07i9MSl2_vJiXmp7xlJm7IlGvgZSyQW9teFSzWTisHxZbc2iO/s320/Yom-Kippur-upraised-hands-cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Personal Formal Prayers</h3><div><br /></div><div>In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul said, “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-thes/5?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:17-18</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div>There it is! God’s Will point #1: “Pray without ceasing”! “Give thanks”! I’m very confident that during His mortal ministry, the Lord did the same. There were also times when He broke away from His disciples and engaged in a deeper, more intimate form of prayer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Except for the “Lord’s Prayer,” we have no idea what Yeshua said and did in His personal prayers. Yet, we have some scripturally-based precedents:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>It was likely at least three times a day:</b> In <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/34?lang=eng" target="_blank">Alma 34:21</a>, Amulek advises us to “Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.” The prophet Joseph Smith added, "You must make yourselves acquainted with those men who like Daniel pray three times a day toward the House of the Lord" (TPJS, p. 161). This may be a reference to <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/dan/6.10?lang=eng" target="_blank">Daniel 6:10</a>: </li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God." </div><div><br /></div><div>There is evidence that Joseph Smith and his family practiced this teaching. Eliza R. Snow recorded that "three times a day he had family worship; and these precious seasons of sacred household service truly seemed a foretaste of celestial happiness" (Jayann Morgan Payne, "Eliza R. Snow, First Lady of the Pioneers." Ensign, September 1973, p. 62-67). </div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>He first knelt... </b></li><ul><li>"And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/22.41?lang=eng" target="_blank">Luke 22:41</a>)</li><li>"And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel.</li><li>And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/17.14?lang=eng" target="_blank">3 Nephi 17:14-15</a>)</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>...and then may have assumed a posture of deep humility: </b></li><ul><li>“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/26.39?lang=eng#38" target="_blank">Matthew 26:39</a>)</li><li>Also read the section, “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" in my September 6, 2015 post, “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/09/alignment-part-1-of-3-face-to-dirt.html">Alignment, Part 1 of 6: Face To Dirt</a>” and my November 8, 2015 post, “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/11/alignment-part-3-of-5-penetrate-veil.html" target="_blank">Alignment, Part 3 of 6: Penetrate the Veil</a>”</li></ul></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>...and in so doing, in this state of humility, He came boldly unto the throne of grace. </b></li><ul><li>“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/heb/4.16?lang=eng" target="_blank">Hebrews 4:16</a>)</li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Next, He may have approached God with “uplifted hands unto the Most High”: </b></li><ul><li>"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-tim/2.8?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Timothy 2:8</a>)</li><li>See my October 11, 2015 post, “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/10/alignment-part-2-of-4-hands-to-heaven.html" target="_blank">Alignment, Part 2 of 6: Hands to Heaven</a>”and my November 8, 2015 post, “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/11/alignment-part-3-of-5-penetrate-veil.html" target="_blank">Alignment, Part 3 of 6: Penetrate the Veil</a>”.</li></ul></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>...addressed God...</b></li><ul><li>"Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/28.2?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalms 28:2</a>)</li><li>"Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/5.2?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalms 5:2</a>)</li><li>"Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/54.2?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalms 54:2</a>)</li><li>"But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/66.19?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalms 66:19</a>)</li><li>"Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/86.6?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalms 86:6</a>)</li><li>See my November 26, 2015 post, “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/11/alignment-part-4-of-5-dialogue-with-god.html" target="_blank">Alignment, Part 4 of 6: Dialogue with God</a>” (especially the “Address God” section).</li></ul></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>...and then likely discussed how things were going...: </b></li><ul><li><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/enos/1.4-18?lang=eng" target="_blank">Enos 1:4-18</a> is a summary of the discussion Enos had with the Lord.</li><li>"As you kneel in humility before our Father daily, tell him openly of your progress, and also of your fears and doubts. As you draw near to Him, He draws near to us. He gives us peace and encouragement. He heals our souls." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1971/11/searching-inward?lang=eng" target="_blank">Bruce D. Porter, "Searching Inward," Ensign, Nov. 1971, p. 65</a>)</li></ul></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>...and reasoned together:</b></li><ul><li>“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/1.18?lang=eng#17" target="_blank">Isaiah 1:18</a>)</li><li>“And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand;” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50.10?lang=eng#9" target="_blank">D&C 50:10</a>)</li></ul></ul></div><div>Imagine what these fruits would bring about in your life if you did this three times a day...every day!</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h3><h3><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPL9Dh2_vlj9Q-Nvmkt66mv99GlLbiihNrIQMyJ4cxyz7MkFuebsC9zIPM8OI-Iiz0sRhS_OgBSkkrXBUWVUGIhgYyEHFRCbeUkBzTIqab2rcsRNg5QXzzoW08v0ud4zXkmmYIwd44tUc/s512/Walk+with+God.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="512" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPL9Dh2_vlj9Q-Nvmkt66mv99GlLbiihNrIQMyJ4cxyz7MkFuebsC9zIPM8OI-Iiz0sRhS_OgBSkkrXBUWVUGIhgYyEHFRCbeUkBzTIqab2rcsRNg5QXzzoW08v0ud4zXkmmYIwd44tUc/w320-h180/Walk+with+God.jpg" width="320" /></a>Personal Informal Prayers</h3><div><br />As was also mentioned in the previous post, some people have found it beneficial to not end their formal prayers, but to keep the lines of communication open with a different member of the Godhead -- Yeshua -- throughout the day. In these cases, they engaged in a less-formal, yet very real, ongoing dialogue with Yeshua.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">“Look unto me in every thought” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/6.36?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 6:36</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Yea, and when you do not cry unto <b>the Lord</b>, let your hearts be full, drawn out in <b>prayer unto him</b> continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/34.27?lang=eng#26" target="_blank">Alma 34:27; emphasis mine</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Prayer unto who continually? The Lord!</div><div><br /></div><div>With <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-thes/5.17-18?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:17-18</a>, we see that Paul is saying that there's simply never a time, there's never a circumstance, there's never an aspect of your life, that you should not be in conversation with the Lord. It means that there's not an area of your life, there's not a time or a season or a period, where you're not regularly repeatedly turning and bringing your needs to the Lord in prayer.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is probably why Yeshua counseled the twelve disciples and the multitude to "pray always" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/18?lang=eng" target="_blank">3 Nephi 18:15, 18</a>). The multitude was told that "they should not cease to pray in their hearts" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/20.1?lang=eng" target="_blank">3 Nephi 20:1</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>So it is today, that we see that "Prayer is often a brief communication, but it can also be <b>an open and continuous dialogue all throughout the day and night</b> (see <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/34.27?lang=eng#26" target="_blank">Alma 34:27</a>)." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2013/06/improving-your-personal-prayers?lang=eng" target="_blank">Elder Kevin W. Pearson, "Improving Your Personal Prayers", Brigham Young University–Hawaii devotional, May 17, 2011</a>; emphasis mine)</div><div><br /></div><div>Re: this form of "Constant Contact" -- we are instructed, </div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"<b>There are certain characters that walked with God, saw him, conversed about heaven &c. God is not a respecter of persons, we all have the same privilege. Come to God weary him until he blesses you</b> &c-we are entitled to the same blessings, Jesus, revelations, Just Men &-Angels &c. &c. not Laying again the doctrine of Christ go on unto perfection. Obtain that holy Spirit of promise-Then you can be sealed to Eternal Life." (Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839–C, as Reported by Willard Richards; <a href="https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-between-circa-26-june-and-circa-4-august-1839-c-as-reported-by-willard-richards/4">https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-between-circa-26-june-and-circa-4-august-1839-c-as-reported-by-willard-richards/4</a>; emphasis mine)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Only with that faith will we pray with the diligence God requires. When God has commanded us to pray, He has used words like “pray unceasingly” and “pray always” and “mighty prayer.”" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2001/10/prayer?lang=eng" target="_blank">Elder Henry B Eyring, “Prayer”, October 2001 General Conference</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"when we are not actually engaged in the formal act of prayer, we should always have a prayer in our heart, wherever we are or whatever we are doing." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1991/10/the-dual-aspects-of-prayer?lang=eng" target="_blank">Elder Francis M. Gibbons, “The Dual Aspects of Prayer”, October 1991 General Conference</a>) </div></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br />Now that you know these things...</h3><div><br /></div><div>...congrats! You may be judged with the information you’ve now received.</div><div><br /></div><div>I invite you to disregard any statements which increase the distance between you and God. Always remember that God wishes to converse with you as one man converses with another. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also invite you to do what Yeshua, and his prophets both ancient and modern have advised us to do: Stay in touch with Him continually, throughout the day. True, there may be times when you’re at work, and you can’t focus on a dialogue with God. There may be times that you’re working on homework with kids, and you’re more focused on algebra than the Almighty. That’s perfectly fine; just get back with Him when you can.</div><div><br /></div><div>As you do these things, as you tighten your relationship with Father and Yeshua, you’ll hear Father’s words to you, and you’ll heed them. You’ll hear Yeshua’s words to you, and you’ll heed those, too. You’ll find them drawing closer to you, because your heart (intentions) and hands (actions) are in sync with them. </div><div><br /></div><div>And as a result, you’ll experience the same fruits as the prophets of old did in which they parted the veil, conversed with angels and saw God. </div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14.23?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 14:23</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Those aren’t idle words. They’re real. They’re literal. As you cultivate these conversations, these connections, both Father and Yeshua will literally -- LITERALLY -- take up their abode with you, in your home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ready for the next post in this series?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8cJQMU9Q-U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhvon6jkn-stuuApdb_qG1y_2U2W4VusQBYh7UwzcWUNvQx0svcCW9QhK3F00XSx3E0N0WZxOvMlKhSy5wGJTZFV3ohHlgu9KMtestIsyy2XoM4PNDEQwh7QRW7huhCee0sINg3TaLLZb/w400-h249/Word+of+God+Speak.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-58211918210663523872020-10-07T19:47:00.001-06:002020-10-07T19:51:15.585-06:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 12: Dialogue with Yeshua Every Day of Your Life<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/ldsperfectday/episodes/2020-10-07T18_38_46-07_00" style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ACCESS PODCAST</a></div>
<br /><div><br /></div><div>You know, I've been doing this blog for eight and a half years. I've been doing the podcast for almost four years. And it just dawned on me the other day that this blog could be considered a blog about the last days. I mean, the <u>very</u> <u>last</u> <u>days</u> before He returns.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, there are many in our church who believe that the tribulations are many years, or decades, in the future. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are some who believe that Christians will be raptured away or LDS church members will be called out prior to these tribulations so they can somehow side-step or circumvent what's coming until the very last minute. Thus, they put their trust in the arm of flesh to save them.</div><div></div><blockquote><div>“President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel–said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church–that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls–applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints–said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall–that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 237-38). </div></blockquote><div></div><div>Still others believe that they can just go about their lives as usual, and essentially ignore what the prophets have said about <u>this</u> time, right <u>now.</u> </div><div><blockquote>"They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/101.7?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 101:7</a>)</blockquote></div><div>I've blogged about this before, and still believe these mindsets are dangerous because they invite complacency, smugness, laxity, laziness and worse. </div><div><blockquote>"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/rev/3.15-16?lang=eng" target="_blank">Revelation 3:15-16</a>)</blockquote></div><div>I believe that as the world continues -- and in fact, greatly accelerates -- its descent into total physical and spiritual darkness, we will be left with some choices to make:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Choice #1: Just give up and give in. </b>As the worst of the tribulations descend upon us, essentially expedite your return home. In my opinion, many will choose this option. </li><li><b>Choice #2: Stay and fear man.</b> When it comes to picking sides, those who choose this option will defer to and fear man, government, mobs -- whoever wields the most power and can offer a little food, water and safety. Sure, you might live a little longer, but your temporal and eternal lives will be filled with torment and pain. In my opinion, many will choose this option, too. </li><li><b>Choice #3: Stay and fear God, not man.</b> IMO, fewer will choose this option. Despite this choice, they will still be asked to lay down their lives as martyrs. </li></ul></div><div><blockquote>"And I saw the woman drunken with <b>the blood of the saints</b>, and with <b>the blood of the martyrs of Jesus</b>" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/rev/17.6?lang=eng" target="_blank">Revelation 17:6</a>; emphasis mine)</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDJnDvtLKBdowin4CYnkvgwhQGqYdF9xTjQ_0JMyrLbpEQR4Gv1B8KfsWu7bEMh27mLbCQnNvtp-nK1vkfsKMoyytv6O8dJvZe2k7Z6uJPcpBFMdAoyySXCZcAjXtLSBSEiXuiImyVv8b/s550/listening.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDJnDvtLKBdowin4CYnkvgwhQGqYdF9xTjQ_0JMyrLbpEQR4Gv1B8KfsWu7bEMh27mLbCQnNvtp-nK1vkfsKMoyytv6O8dJvZe2k7Z6uJPcpBFMdAoyySXCZcAjXtLSBSEiXuiImyVv8b/s320/listening.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Need to Hear God</h3><div><br /></div><div>Yet I believe there is a fourth option. It's composed of those who not only fear God (not man), but also hear God. Thus, when God invites a person to bless their home so it will be invisible to the mob walking past it, they hear that directive, and it is done. When God invites them to walk to a hill four miles away, they hear it, and obey. When God invites them to take four steps forward, then two steps to the left, then to wait there while crouching down for three minutes, they hearken, are safe, and praise God. </div><div><br /></div><div>Such circumstances require and demand that we hear God directly. <u>Only God</u> can give you these directives. <u>Only God</u> can give you immediate, person-to-person guidance, no matter where you are and without any means of communication with leaders. <u>Only God,</u> the Holy One of Israel, is mighty to save you.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is why Yeshua said (emphasis mine)</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with <b>my voice</b>, and is not of me." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/84.52?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 84:52</a>)</li><li>"And upon them that hearken not to <b>the voice of the Lord</b> shall be fulfilled that which was written by the prophet Moses, that they should be cut off from among the people." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/133.63?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 133:63</a>)</li><li>"And again I say, hearken unto <b>my voice</b>, lest death shall overtake you; in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended, and your souls not saved." <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/45.2?lang=eng" target="_blank">(D&C 45:2</a>)</li></ul></div><div>Conversely, those who do hear His voice will be spared:</div><blockquote><div>"And even so will I gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me, and hearken unto <b>my voice.</b>" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/33.6?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 33:6</a>)</div></blockquote><div>God will invite those who hear Him to survive the coming tribulations and be ambassadors of hope amidst a world gone criminally insane. Because they personally know God and His voice, and they're in the habit of instantly hearkening to it, it will be apparent that they are true men and women of God. And it will be astounding to many that -- just as the Lord's apostles were composed of ordinary men and women -- many of these people will have been church members but had no title in front of their names. Today, they sit on the back rows of sacrament meetings, always smiling, always volunteering to help others, always testifying of the goodness and greatness of God. There's something about them that's, well, just different than everybody else. There's an inner light within them that just can't be explained. And that's OK. Their time has not yet come.</div><div><br /></div><div>They will (metaphorically) be human candles of the Lord. And as they grow in numbers and capabilities, their light will grow brighter and brighter until The Perfect Day (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50.24?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 50:24</a>). As mankind is battered, bruised and beaten by the tribulations, they will be there to encourage us, strengthen us, empower us to also become candles of the Lord. Zion will be built down below, one person at a time, without hands.</div><blockquote><div>"For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/18.28?lang=eng" target="_blank">Psalm 18:28</a>)</div></blockquote><div>Such people have existed in our past, and exist even today.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZzmCrTsfrXZxNS_ycRknwi443VyN1-eC239uiNH__jPqzposeNn3YEl7YMLfV-0m49uzmcftHVCWEnFst5sKNIjk4kOHKMJ7tcdzx_-BGcotofDfHYdzzFWH3PdBWfIXWPfIpul0_K4I/s630/2940151543514_p0_v1_s1200x630.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZzmCrTsfrXZxNS_ycRknwi443VyN1-eC239uiNH__jPqzposeNn3YEl7YMLfV-0m49uzmcftHVCWEnFst5sKNIjk4kOHKMJ7tcdzx_-BGcotofDfHYdzzFWH3PdBWfIXWPfIpul0_K4I/s320/2940151543514_p0_v1_s1200x630.jpg" /></a></div>Walking Candles of the Lord from our Past</h3><div><br /></div><div>There's a belief that God only talks to those who have been baptized and confirmed church members. So if you haven't been baptized, then sorry, you're out of luck. This is ludicrous, because newspaper headlines galore prove that many who have been baptized have ignored the promptings to not commit heinous crimes, yet they did. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that in all the decades I've been a member, I've never known a church member who was as devoted to God as the non-member Brother Lawrence.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-10.html" target="_blank">In Part 10 of this series ("Why You Need to Dialogue with Yeshua Daily")</a>, I introduced you to Brother Lawrence. A common man, he lived around 350 years ago. He had no degrees, no riches nor a prestigious family. He worked in a monastery around monks and priests who were sought after by the people. Yet unlike many (even most, and perhaps all) of the people, he fell in love with God, with the Word and with others.</div><div><br /></div><div>Brother Lawrence wasn’t able to become a minister; he wasn’t qualified at that time. Most of the time he worked in the kitchen, in the garden and around the place cleaning it up. But all day long, Bro. Lawrence talked with Yeshua and allowed Yeshua to change him.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a while, a rather strange thing happened. The people who normally came to talk with one of the monks or priests started approaching him. They wanted to know what he thought about this or that. </div><div><br /></div><div>By the time Brother Lawrence was an old man, he was described as having "looks rough in appearance, and gentle by manners." Father de Beaufort recalled that "Lawrence was open, eliciting confidence, letting you feel you could tell him anything…Once you got past the rough exterior you discovered unusual wisdom, a freedom beyond the reach of the ordinary lay brother".</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet the monastery he worked at was better known as the place where one could hear the wisdom of Brother Lawrence and read the writings of Brother Lawrence than it was the place that one went to talk to a learned priest or monk. His character attracted many to him. He had a reputation for experiencing profound peace and visitors came to seek spiritual guidance from him. ("Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God", Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1994, p.xx-xxi).</div><div><br /></div><div>Brother Lawrence passed away on February 12, 1691 in Paris, France. Although he died in relative obscurity, his teachings lived on in the compilation of his words (his phrase "To give the all for the all" was a well-known phrase in 18th century France) as a book, <i>The Practice of the Presence of God. </i>The conversations which formed the basis of this book had been conducted and recorded by a notable cleric, the Abbé Joseph de Beaufort, who compiled this work after Brother Lawrence died.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cqqf7LMqFRGz4DVl3ZRwpiyaDkRApQcc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">You can download a PDF of this book here.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>As I read this book, I wondered what it would be like to interview Brother Lawrence. So, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nb2RYVKLkemfxxwvp7FNFt1c1d6dubf_L1ncMJJYZ90/edit?usp=sharing">I copied many of the phrases from <i>The Practice of the Presence of God</i> into a quasi interview, which I've posted to a Google Doc. Feel free to print it and share it. It's located here.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's what I have listed as Brother Lawrence's "parting thoughts":</div><div><blockquote>"Think often on GOD, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave Him not alone. You would think it rude to leave a friend alone, who came to visit you: why then must GOD be neglected? Do not then forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually, live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian; in a word, this is our profession, if we do not know it we must learn it."</blockquote></div><div>This is a man who not only said, "resolve to give the all for the All," but also practiced what he preached. Read what he said and did. He devoted every moment of his life to God. <b>EVERY.</b> <b>MOMENT. </b>And in return, the man walked and talked with God. And everybody knew it.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6MkyZwLUelXkeT-7qm9TL83EQZIlhV9N35U-ndzKR7X4svrpeigm9Sb9p5hBHApuUseMQpVDsutPQedpkl9kSfOhQSBg4trFk3HoZ5tbTbEDj5DSJHzJTqeJX4c8fflYGx0-ngSWaFq0/s500/candle-hand-dark-500x333.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6MkyZwLUelXkeT-7qm9TL83EQZIlhV9N35U-ndzKR7X4svrpeigm9Sb9p5hBHApuUseMQpVDsutPQedpkl9kSfOhQSBg4trFk3HoZ5tbTbEDj5DSJHzJTqeJX4c8fflYGx0-ngSWaFq0/s320/candle-hand-dark-500x333.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Walking Candles of the Lord from our Present</h3><div><br /></div><div>There are some who believe that God the Father and His Son Yeshua are so far above us in terms of their powers, that the idea of really having a conversation where you're chatting with deity is a lofty goal. Yet they ignore what Brother Joseph said:</div><div><blockquote>"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that <b><u><span style="color: red;">we may converse with Him as one man converses with another.</span></u></b>" (Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, IL Conference, April 7, 1844; emphasis mine)</blockquote></div><div><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/this-blog-is-fulfillment-of-wish-that-i.html" target="_blank">There are also others who believe that if God does speak conversationally, it would only be with leaders. Yet such opinions are without merit</a>, for it was Peter who said, "God is no respecter of persons" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/acts/10.34?lang=eng" target="_blank">Acts 10:34</a>). General authority statement after general authority statement reminds us that God reaches out to all of us, and seeks to develop a close, intimate relationship with all of us, regardless of our family genealogy, calling, race, age or gender. Why else does He use bride / bridegroom / wedding imageries throughout the gospels? Because that's how close He wants to be with you in a spiritual sense.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/theperfectday/" target="_blank">This blog has a moderated, secure Facebook group, comprised of over 700 good people who are dedicated to knowing Yeshua intimately, personally, and drawing closer to Him.</a> I asked them if any had had a personal conversation with God. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PEYsi3lZ3iwdpa4zncuaLmHGJ-u0sgZxCsejg3aNoNM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Click here for a compilation of people's personal experiences with Yeshua.</a> As a teaser, here are three excerpts:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div>“My greatest lessons have come from my times that I have talked with Christ. At times it is verbal and other times the communication is through images. The first time I heard him was when I was walking home from church when I was 20 and he told me I should consider going on a mission. I will be honest I argued over this one but guess who ended up going and knew why about 9 months in. Then I had one of my greatest spiritual experiences.</div><div>My conversations were only now and then for the next several years until I realized I could have them all the time. He wants to walk and talk with me.</div><div>I have always wondered why it is such a hot topic in church. I mentioned in gospel doctrine one day what I had learned about a particular topic when I was talking with God and the teacher couldn't stand that I said that. He wouldn't let me finish talking. I have raised my kids to talk with God. When I taught seminary, I taught them to know him like a best friend and to talk to him and be open to him answering them.”</div></blockquote><div><blockquote>“I’m one of those who was never taught to have a personal relationship with the Lord. It’s really only been the last 2 years that I have become close to Him. We chat all day long. He is my constant companion. Yeshua dictates these poems to me most every day. I can’t imagine now going even a day without “being “ with Him.”</blockquote></div><div><blockquote>“I talk to Christ every day, all day long. Sometimes in my head, sometimes out loud. He answers: I hear it in my mind. This began happening about two years ago when I read John Pontius books and realized there was so much more out there than I was accessing. My relationship with Christ is my favorite and most beautiful thing about my life. I love it and won't give it up. There isn't a possession that means a thing to me. There isn't a person on earth greater in my esteem than Him. If he asks me to give a guy on the street $10 I do it - and I always, always get the followup affirmation of feeling the Spirit tingling all over my body and my chest warming, and a heartfelt "Thank You" in my ear.”</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7899mXihFVtEidTDc2b8_yX5fC6iKumGziSFb8Q6uV6O_NDwRdb_VpXGWBy4W2nhEQ0AIGOFlC0sUFMPzlX_JSVfuSy0ORwALr4IpMEEtFlLjV-LUsmZsB5GvDd9dmJukAc0i-TIFxzr/s405/jesus-hugging-girl241.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="234" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7899mXihFVtEidTDc2b8_yX5fC6iKumGziSFb8Q6uV6O_NDwRdb_VpXGWBy4W2nhEQ0AIGOFlC0sUFMPzlX_JSVfuSy0ORwALr4IpMEEtFlLjV-LUsmZsB5GvDd9dmJukAc0i-TIFxzr/s320/jesus-hugging-girl241.jpg" /></a></div>Attention = Affection</h3><div><br /></div><div>When I was in my twenties, a friend of mine taught me a wonderful concept. If I wanted a serious girlfriend, I needed to spend time with her. Quality time. Memorable time. He said, "Attention equals affection." That's so true. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even Yeshua said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/6?lang=eng">Matthew 6:21</a>). He also said "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88.63?lang=eng&clang=eng#p63">D&C 88:63</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div>You just can't expect to see God if you don't spend time with Him. Quantity time. Quality time. You have to not only know Him, but also have an "intimate experiential relationship with God." </div><div><blockquote>"The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out." (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.137)</blockquote></div><div>Time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Careful and ponderous thoughts.</div><blockquote><div>"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ps/37.7?lang=eng">Psalm 37:7</a>)</div></blockquote><div>And act He will. When He does, it will be "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/eph/3.20?lang=eng&clang=eng#p20">Ephesians 3:20</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/PbREmRdjvTc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6xB0R370vxYyeefzrwJDV601voh-ZJDczZ9nqaziOYgdC65OYvbUUBYjG3_Iuf3XSICwxZjgyoymrWDIP8bKRq5xktvfjdENwm-Sk8VsqEdWtql66kBXJix9NVcUHFjvBP236IHJn_R1/s320/I+have+called+you+by+name+You+are+mine..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>To Know Him is to Love Him. And to Love Him is to Walk and Talk with Him.</h3><div><br /></div><div>It's been said that Yeshua's desire to manifest Himself to His people is greater than their desire to see Him. If that's true, then why is He not manifesting Himself more to His people? Perhaps the problem isn't with Him, but with us. </div><div><br /></div><div>To be honest, many people treat deity like a drive-by God. They want everything in a hurry. Or they treat God like a vending machine. In goes our obedience, our temple attendance and our tithing checks, and out comes your Second Comforter, your Calling & Election, or whatever it is YOU are wanting.</div><div><br /></div><div>The word "know" in Hebrew is <i>yada</i>. <i>Yada</i> means "having an intimate experiential relationship with God." </div><div><br /></div><div>That was the experience of the prophet Enoch, who walked with God. That was the experience of the prophet Noah, who walked with God. That was the experience of the prophet Abraham, who was called the friend of God. That was the experience of the prophet Moses, who stood in God's presence. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/acts/10.34?lang=eng" target="_blank">Again, God is no respecter of persons.</a> What He blessed with these men, He will bless you with as well. And if you can walk in the same manner as these four patriarchs, then it is absolutely possible for you to walk like Enoch. It is absolutely possible for you to be a friend with God, like Abraham. It is absolutely possible for you to work with God like Noah. It is absolutely possible for you to know God face to face like Moses.</div><div><br /></div><div>The key is knowing God, getting into an intimate experiential relationship with Him. </div><div><br /></div><div>How do you do that? </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not big on checklists. In fact, I despise them. But I have seen four common characteristics among those who know Him best:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. They seek Him.</b> They want to know the REAL Yeshua HaMashiach. They study the scriptures, read books (like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Outlaw-Experiencing-Extravagant-Personality/dp/1455525707" target="_blank"><i>Beautiful Outlaw</i></a>) and watch media (like <a href="https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen" target="_blank"><i>The Chosen</i></a>) that depict not a lofty, aloof savior, but a relatable, best friend who seeks to bless all that He comes into contact with.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>2. They dialogue with Him.</b> Like Brother Lawrence, they don't end or close their morning prayers. They keep them going throughout the day. And they know, by experience, that prayer isn't a monologue, but a dialogue. And these regular dialogues with Yeshua are not only the highlights of their days, but are also catalysts for transformation. These people have this glow, this presence, about them...because He is with them.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. They hunt for opportunities to emulate Him. </b>Being with Him isn't enough. Not by light years. They want to be <i>like</i> Him. They want to teach as He teaches, bless as He blesses, love as He loves. They are, if anything, impatiently passionate to be like Him. This is essentially seeking Him on a level very few are serious about, because they clear their calendars, their online time, their TV watching, and in fact their egos -- anything and everything that points to themselves. They will sacrifice their own self-interests, their own wills and anything that's valuable to them in their lives. Whatever it takes -- the gut-wrenching lows and highs, the agonizing descents and ascents -- to be like Him.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>4. Repeat.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>As you can imagine, eyeball-to-eyeball, first-hand encounters with the Savior do not last forever. He appears, you dialogue, and at some point, He is gone. Ask the Brother of Jared, Moses and Joseph Smith -- they'll agree. Second Comforter experiences are finite.</div><div><br /></div><div>But for those who seek Yeshua's common companionship on a daily basis, their interactions with Him are not finite, but infinite. They're frequent, continuous, transformative. And in them, you discover for yourself, independent of any other person, that these words (based on <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/43.1?lang=eng" target="_blank">Isaiah 43:1</a>) were written for you:</div><blockquote><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbREmRdjvTc&t=2s" target="_blank">"Thus says the Lord who created you, and He who formed you: Fear not. For I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You...are mine."</a></div></blockquote><p>Seek this dialogue with Him. Crave it. Yearn for it. Desire it more than anything else in your life.</p><p>I did. And the results…well, they’ve been far and away beyond anything I could have imagined.</p><p>Now it’s YOUR turn…YOUR moment. </p><p>He’s just waiting – RIGHT NOW -- to spend it with you.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74CNUExD4I8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWl_f_Tsg9T4LN0J9BvRo4BPdXPbOyjnVBJ8lG5zB6dUR1B2zYEko4Zrln4RQJJ6q4uHB1T-nK6706aqRJBD5sqr-0pYjQKifwJ-lbIRwpX9XFjbyLtygJ7q8A3POU3m1JptVTLdYM08jJ/w400-h249/Here+With+Me.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-56864400212326991232020-08-09T20:15:00.001-06:002020-08-09T20:15:50.545-06:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 11: YOUR Great “I AM”<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/ldsperfectday/episodes/2020-08-09T19_08_50-07_00" style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ACCESS PODCAST</a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p340pISvrTU" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vH8otyLagMdU9eRGcxIgHGOrmgD9ci6fcDnMCvc8-4NSnjYPAYgLBJ7GP3FzZyoIyyonJSOliPhyphenhyphen8uUsHJgObmVfk_RI2CqC72JTWWq8UXwE2vA4rz_3wlt0SDN92NaSnir8E3zaaFFD/w400-h249/Putting+the+wrong+gas+in+the+car.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Filling Up with the Wrong Gas</h3><p>Since 1830, over 100 splinter groups have developed on the foundation of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. In that time, many offshoots have been formed with a “strong man”: a single, solitary, charismatic leader who displays uncommonly advanced understanding of the scriptures. </p><p>In one offshoot (which is now forming), the leader (who would quickly deny such a title) holds near-daily video meetings with adherents for an hour or two, then a half-hour Q&A. </p><p>Its leader professes humility and weakness. Their command of the scriptures and doctrine is second to none. This combination can be intimidating, appealing and even inspiring to those desperately thirsting for further light and knowledge about doctrines like the baptism of fire and second comforter. Still, the leader maintains that their interpretation and/or experience with God’s words -- their way -- is the only one that’s legitimate. Thus, heed their words and their way, and you’ll be saved; neglect them, and you’re damned.</p><p>You’d think that such a theology could be easily spotted and rejected, but think again. This group has multiple dozens or maybe a hundred followers, and it’s gaining more every day. After witnessing another, larger movement within the last decade, this one may just succeed in breaking past the “gathering” phase of existence into a genuine, bona-fide movement.</p><p>These followers are neglecting, minimizing or considering themselves exceptions to two essential directives from the Lord:</p><p>They are trusting in the arm of flesh. Followers believe that the “strong man’s” way is more educated, more experienced and therefore wiser than their own, and therefore, should be trusted. </p><p>In so believing, the follower is encouraged to recount their spiritual experiences to the leader, who then judges whether the experience was valid or not. This can be quite disruptive for someone who has actually had a true spiritual experience with God, but is later told (by the leader) that it wasn’t, because it didn’t exactly align with the leader’s paradigm. This essentially positions the leader as the follower’s judge / intermediary / intercessor.</p><p>For example, this leader totally discounted another’s very sacred experience because there was no accompanying burning with fire (in their heart). Yet a burning in one’s bosom isn’t the only way divinity can testify of an event’s truthfulness. It can also send forth peace:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/6.23?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 6:23</a>)</p></blockquote><p>Since when is one mortal’s way of experiencing divinity the only way? Saul of Tarsus persecuted beyond measure the church of God, and consented to the death of Stephen (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/acts/8?lang=eng" target="_blank">Acts 8:1</a>). Later, Yeshua appeared to him (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-cor/15?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 15:8</a>). Does that mean that you need to persecute Christians, send them to jail and consent to an apostle’s death in order to see Yeshua? Do you need to grow up in upper state New York and be a 14 year-old boy, or perhaps even traverse the Sinai Desert, in order to see God, too? </p><p>You see, there’s no set way to experience God. No two baptisms of fire are alike. No two second comforter experiences are alike. If so, then the gospel of Jesus Christ would all be formulaic -- a condition which Yeshua himself found repugnant and emphatically condemned.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. " (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/jer/17.5?lang=eng#4" target="_blank">Jeremiah 17:5</a>) </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/4.34?lang=eng#33" target="_blank">2 Nephi 4:34</a>) </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/28.31?lang=eng#30" target="_blank">2 Nephi 28:31</a>)</p></blockquote><p>So, who IS directing your paths these days?</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/prov/3.5" target="_blank">Proverbs 3:5-6</a>)</p></blockquote><p>Followers end up focusing on themselves, not others. The leader’s preoccupation with doctrines like baptism of fire and second comforter legitimizes doing the same among their followers. Yeshua said, </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/10.39?lang=eng#38" target="_blank">Matthew 10:39</a>; see also <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/10.32-41?lang=eng#38" target="_blank">Matthew 10:32–41</a>; <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/16.24-28?lang=eng#38" target="_blank">16:24–28</a>; <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/mark/8.34-38?lang=eng#38" target="_blank">Mark 8:34–38</a>; <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/9.23-26?lang=eng#38" target="_blank">Luke 9:23–26</a>; <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/17.33?lang=eng#38" target="_blank">17:33</a>). </p></blockquote><p>But instead of losing their lives, they are hyperfocusing on it. They have replaced the pronouns “she / he / they” or “we / us / our” with “I / me / my”. </p><p>In all actuality, your focusing on YOUR baptism of fire and YOUR second comforter -- or a group leader’s / discussion leader’s / whatever they are’s teachings which focuses on such -- is an indication that you’re moving away, not towards, God. Now, don’t assume that I’m diminishing or disparaging these doctrines, because I’m not. They ARE important. However, God knows your desires. He knows what you want and actually need. But He cannot and will not force you to do the right things. And the right things begin when you start pointing the arrows away from, and not towards, yourself:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"It is a time-honored adage that love begets love. Let us pour forth love—show forth our kindness unto all mankind, and the Lord will reward us with everlasting increase; cast our bread upon the waters and we shall receive it after many days, increased to a hundredfold" (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:517).</p></blockquote><p>A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." (History of the Church, 4:227; from a letter from Joseph Smith to the Twelve, Dec. 15, 1840, Nauvoo, Illinois, published in Times and Seasons, Jan. 1, 1841, p. 258; this letter is incorrectly dated Oct. 19, 1840, in History of the Church)</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.241)</p></blockquote><p>You see, when you’re focused on others -- not yourself -- and developing and expanding love for them, it's not a matter of “if,” but “when” these transcendent experiences (like the second comforter) will happen:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, <span style="color: red;">pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart</span>, that ye may <span style="color: red;">be filled with this love</span>, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that <span style="color: red;"><u>when</u> he shall appear</span> we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that <span style="color: red;">we may have this hope</span>; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7.48?lang=eng#47" target="_blank">Moroni 7:48</a>; emphasis mine)</p></blockquote><p>[NOTE: “this love” is referring to “charity,” which Moroni is elaborating upon in Moroni <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7.44-47?lang=eng#47" target="_blank">7:44-47</a>. <u>One of the ingredients for “this love” is when one “seeketh not her own.</u>” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-cor/13.5?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 13:5</a>)]</p><p>Just to reiterate: Just because a person had a particular spiritual experience in a certain way doesn’t mean you’re obligated to repeat the same pattern. As far as I can tell, there are no step-by-step instructions in the scriptures. However, there are characteristics, attributes and qualities we must have, such as those found in the ten commandments and <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/93?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 93:1</a>. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l21qqYfDUQ" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEU3ME847_FIUqSoPuHJ_EB0ZzpKFPACSwagBqE3BHAnwiSWmEUHjl_29aPZHHja7Ftz481PfWhSzYsdfPj5KIzXBLGGaLiPKw53L1PHp7CGx0wSfvejjJrz-lGcYFZbqsWZPm89XTVNq/w400-h249/Jonathan+Cahn+-+The+I+Am+Mysteries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>YOUR One and Only</h3><p>Instead of spending hours on a video chat or listening to a lecture by a self-regarded “expert” who only validates others’ spiritual experiences which match his, why not cast him aside and have a one-on-one relationship with THE way, THE truth and THE life?</p><p>I mean, no matter how knowledgeable another person is, and no matter how well they can spin their own interpretation of God’s words, and no matter how awesome their past spiritual experiences may have been, they are not Yeshua:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and <u><span style="color: red;">he employeth no servant there</span></u>; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/9.41?lang=eng" target="_blank">2 Nephi 9:41</a>; emphasis mine)</p></blockquote><p>The scriptures make it abundantly clear that you must seek Yeshua daily. <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/6.34?lang=eng&clang=eng#p34" target="_blank">Matthew 6:34</a> tells us not to be focused on tomorrow (and perhaps not even the past), but instead focus on the now. The present. The current, for “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” That’s because if you want to find Yeshua, you must be focused on Him in the here and now. He’s not the god of “I was” or “I will be.” </p><p>Who was Yeshua in the Old Testament? “I AM” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/ex/3?lang=eng" target="_blank">Exodus 3:14</a>). Who was Yeshua in the New Testament? “I AM” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/8?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 8:58</a>). Who was Yeshua in the Doctrine and Covenants? “I AM” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/38.1,3,4,7,8,10,16,22,26,27?lang=eng&clang=eng#p1,3,4,7,8,10,16,22,26,27" target="_blank">D&C 38:1</a>).</p><p>As we read about Yeshua’s interactions with mortals in the scriptures, it becomes abundantly clear that to the meek and lowly, it makes no difference who you have been in your past. What matters is who you are, right now, before Him. You could have totally messed up your life, and He’ll still tell you not to focus on that, but who you ARE. When “I AM” comes into your life, the deadness and darkness of your life is transformed, and everything’s new and beautiful.</p><p>Here, let’s try an experiment. I want you to say “I AM”, and then your name. Maybe “I AM Sharon” or ‘I am Chris.” See? Before you say your name, you must first say His name. So it’s two names, always. That’s pretty cool.</p><p>Even when you say “I AM a mother” or “I AM a dad” or “I AM a grocery store clerk” or “I AM a secretary,” it always starts with His name. Are you going to the store? You say “I AM going to the store.” Going to the park? You say “I AM going to the park.”</p><p>Whoever you are, I AM is with you. Wherever you go, I AM is going before you.</p><p>All that you are comes from I AM. Your identity begins with I AM. You were created in the image of I AM. You’re redeemed by the blood of I AM. You only exist because of I AM. </p><p>And the most important thing about you isn’t that you’re old or poor or fat or have wrinkles in places you didn’t have a year ago or that maybe you’re lonely or sick or in pain. No. The most important thing above all those aspects of your life is that I AM is with you, and literally and figuratively goes before you. Even when you feel the least bit worthy of His presence, or you’re going through your own personal crisis or your own wilderness, what do you say? “I AM going through this.” I AM never leaves you. </p><p>Remember the sacrament prayers? What do you pray for? In the Book of Mormon, they prayed “that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/4.3" target="_blank">Moroni 4:3</a>, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/5?lang=eng">5:2</a>) In the sacrament prayers found in the Doctrine and Covenants, what do you pray for? “that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/20.78?lang=eng#p78#78" target="_blank">D&C 20:77-79</a>)</p><p>Ponder that for a minute. His spirit. I AM’s spirit. With you. How often? Not occasionally. Not every now and then, but ALWAYS.</p><p>Indeed, are you not commanded to “Pray without ceasing” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-thes/5.17?lang=eng&clang=eng#p11" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:17</a>) and to “pray always” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/18.15,18?lang=eng&clang=eng#p15,18" target="_blank">3 Nephi 18:15, 18</a>; <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/2-thes/1.11?lang=eng&clang=eng#p11" target="_blank">2 Thessalonians 1:11</a>; <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/31.12?lang=eng&clang=eng#p12" target="_blank">D&C 31:12</a>, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/32.4?lang=eng&clang=eng#p4" target="_blank">32:4</a>; <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/93.49,50?lang=eng&clang=eng#p49,50" target="_blank">93:49-50</a>)? And isn’t prayer supposed to be a dialogue, not a monologue? “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88.63" target="_blank">D&C 88:63</a>) -- how often? Always!</p><p>Sure, <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2014/04/02-walking-and-talking-with-god-part-1.html" target="_blank">Adam. Enoch and Noah walked and talked with God</a>. And of course people naturally say, "Yeah, but those were ancient prophets, not me."</p><p>But you’re wrong! Brother Joseph said:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"There are certain characters that walked with God, saw him, conversed about heaven &c. God is not a respecter of persons [<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/38.16" target="_blank">D&C 38:16</a>], we all have the same privilege. Come to God weary him until he blesses you &c-we are entitled to the same blessings." (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, p. 13-15)</p></blockquote><p>He also said:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"We trust that it will prove a stimulus, to the saints, to action, when they read of the great blessings enjoyed by the ancients and consider that they were men of like passions with ourselves, subject to all the evils and temptations with which we are surrounded; and that the same God, who conferred upon them such great privileges, 'is the same yesterday to day and forever,' and is 'no respecter of persons,' consequently is just as willing to hear and answer the prayers, and bestow as great blessings upon his children now, as in days gone by:" (The Prophecy of Enoch, Times and Seasons, vol. 2 (November 1840-October 1841), Vol. 2 No. 1 November 1, 1840, p.203 - 204)</p></blockquote><p>But how do you do that? How do you walk and talk with God? In fact, CAN you even do that -- walk and talk with God? </p><p>In my next post in this series, you’ll read about others who’ve done just that (including, as was promised earlier, some more about Brother Lawrence). You’ll read about real housewives, business owners, grandmas, store clerks and more who, in the middle of their busy, ordinary lives, put Yeshua to the test and reached out to Him. And what happened next was a breakthrough:</p><p>They heard, in their hearts and minds, a God who’s all-powerful yet has no ego. A god who’s not judgmental, and quick to forgive. A god who’s anxious to talk about your life, your pains, your sorrows and all those dark walks through the wilderness you’re going through, and with a flick of His pinky, gives you perspective and context. A god who never angers at you, but is instead light-hearted, playful and loves to make you smile and laugh and not be so weighted down with life.</p><p>I AM wants not only to be part of your life, but an active part of it as well. Wherever you go, I AM wants to go with you. Whatever you’re suffering, I AM wants to be with you. You draw close to Him, and He’ll draw close to you. </p><p>“Without ceasing.”</p><p>“Always.”</p><p>They have heard his voice (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/10.27?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 10:27</a>; <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/29.7" target="_blank">D&C 29:7</a>). </p><p>Praying always? Yes, these people have done that. Walk and talk with God? Not ALL the time, but yes, they have. And there’s nothing mystical or magical about it. You don’t need to be “just male” or have an impressive pioneer pedigree or church title. Walking and talking with I AM is a privilege offered to every man, woman and child. Paul taught, “as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-cor/7?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 7:17</a>)</p><p>Next time, we’ll read how they did it...</p><p>...and how you can, too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShZ978fBl6Y" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqE_P4Waf7jt3ZOVVff2mHqwd4tjNoLBe49CCtI0SHb_CRDkRPLVo_biynzJ4lFuAbQEZ2yaJAAtpxmnpYTmooLg3qkDpfVoQNnipHXxEFyKBzrYP2F1Leeh57Yr-Rsy75OrpyBOsjsP9U/w400-h249/Calum+Scott+-+You+Are+The+Reason.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-69817708275340863512020-07-22T22:30:00.007-06:002020-09-12T11:39:55.069-06:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 10: Why You Need to Dialogue with Yeshua Daily<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div>The Bible is full of passage after passage that instructs us to seek wisdom. For example,</div><div><br /></div><div>Passages like:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;</div><div>To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;</div><div>To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.</div><div>A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:</div><div>To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.</div><div>The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/prov/1.2-7?lang=eng" target="_blank">Proverbs 1:2-7</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.</div><div>But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/james/1.5-6?lang=eng" target="_blank">James 1:5-6</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>But what exactly is wisdom?</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Is it intellect? Having a high IQ?</li><li>Is it basic, everyday knowledge? Common sense?</li><li>Is it a collection of facts and data?</li><li>Is it a college degree? Is the PhD wiser than one with an Associates Degree?</li></ul></div><div>It seems to me that what the world calls wisdom is vastly different than what God considers wisdom. Divine wisdom, which comes directly from God, is different than intellectual knowledge:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Man's intellect can physically save a life, but not a soul.</li><li>Man's intellect can reach the moon and other planets, but not heaven.</li><li>Man's intellect can help bring forth a child, but not an immortal spirit.</li><li>Man's intellect can unveil new scientific discoveries, but not all things supernatural.</li></ul></div><div>You see, there is a limit to human intellect and worldly wisdom. After all, look at current events. Even with the collected human wisdom of our world, we are still a mess.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, today, those who consider themselves the most enlightened among us espouse policies which replace law enforcement with...well, they're not quite certain. </div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
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<div><br /></div></blockquote>I think the case can be credibly made that we mortals not only get a failing grade, but also barely get any grade at all, in terms of the quality of our wisdom. Perhaps that's why Yeshua said, “I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14.6?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 14:6</a>)<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote>In other words, the only way for us to have true wisdom –- the kind of wisdom that truly transcends the best of human understanding-- can only come from God.<br /><br />One of the saddest things I see is when members not only believe, but also tell others, that they never can have a personal experience with Yeshua. They may have high IQs, have tremendous common sense, be able to spit out fact after fact and even have notable church callings, yet never know what it means to be One with Yeshua, even as He is one with Father (as He requested).<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">"be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"</h3><br />Because we have been baptized and confirmed members, many believe that the influence of the Holy Ghost is automatic. But nothing further could be the truth. <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/18-priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng#title_number23" target="_blank">The statement, "Receive the Holy Ghost" pronounced upon you at confirmation wasn't a blessing, but a command.</a><br /><br />Unfortunately, many among us fail that command.<br /><br />I see members who promote and follow false prophets and prophetesses, whose supposed prophecies, dreams, visions and insights (which may be sprinkled with truths) have been proven false time and time again. <br /><br />I see members who believe that it's OK to be commanded in all things by trusting in the arm of flesh to warn them when times are about to be tough. <br /><br />I see members who judge others as unrighteous because the others don't wear masks and they do...and feel their judgmentalism is endorsed of God.<br /><br />I recently heard first-hand how this overconfidence in possessing divine wisdom has crept into the online, worldwide forums where church members regularly meet.<br /><br />Within the last year, a number of Ugandan men who either are or pretend to be members have contacted several members online. Over time, they have been subscribed to various online forums and groups. There, they establish relationships of trust so thoroughly, that if you ask them what their favorite scripture is, they'll send you back a multi-paragraph analysis that makes total sense. Gradually, they infuse statements about how they are desperate for funds in constructing an orphanage or some other worthy endeavor. <br /><br />Yet they aren't building orphanages or anything of the sort. They are scammers -- or, to be more exact, "Affinity Frauds":<br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Affinity fraud is a type of investment fraud in which a con artist targets members of an identifiable group based on things such as race, age, religion, etc. The fraudster either is or pretends to be, a member of the group. Often the fraudster promotes a Ponzi or pyramid scheme." (<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/affinityfraud.asp#:~:text=Affinity%20fraud%20is%20a%20type,a%20Ponzi%20or%20pyramid%20scheme" target="_blank">Source</a>)</div></blockquote><br />These pleadings have been unbelievably successful. According to the mission president over Uganda, dozens of members have fallen for these scammers. One member sent the scammers a thousand dollars. Others sent hundreds of dollars they really didn't have the luxury of parting with. Another pledged money every month to a scammer.<br /><br />One of those who was initially taken by a scammer (for $500) had many opportunities to send money to other scammers, being told that his money would help in some worthy endeavor. But every time, doubts would prevent him sending more money. He didn't, and began comparing notes with others and checking facts, until he learned that he -- and others -- had been scammed. It wasn't his wisdom, his knowledge, nor even the facts that gave him a moment of pause, but rather, the quiet whisperings of the Lord...that "receive the Holy Ghost" command in full force.<br /><br />If you ever run across "Ebong Daniel," "Harbart Bua," "King Sagacious," "Paul Oola" or "Joseph Oola" and possibly a few others supposedly hailing from Uganda, I would highly recommend blocking their profiles. That's because today, they are likely enjoying wealth obtained by defrauding good LDS members. But one fact remains certain: Ultimately, they will sow what they reaped. What goes around comes around. Justice will someday catch up with them.<br /><br />But what of the scammed? I know a few of them, and they are good-hearted saints. They are definitely "harmless as doves." But it's also apparent that they need to work on that "wise as serpents" characteristic. Have they learned their lesson? Good question.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Why the Saints (including you and your family) won't be spared from the upcoming tribulations</h3><br />Our sacrament prayers promise that those who [1] are "willing to take upon them the name of thy Son," [2] "always remember him, and" [3] "keep his commandments which he has given them" = "may always have his Spirit to be with them." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/20.77?lang=eng#p77" target="_blank">D&C 20:77</a>)<br /><br />Yet every day, as I am online, I'm floored by the apathy, ignorance, denial, naivete among a people who should be walking, talking examples of the Savior and should have His spirit -- and therefore His wisdom -- with them.<br /><b style="color: red; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />If these members don't develop this wisdom now,<br /></b><b>what will become of them when times are tougher?</b></div></b><br />And times WILL get tougher. But will these members personally have the God-given, divinely-directed wisdom to make it through what's coming?<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Point #1: Many Saints believe they can somehow eat, drink and be merry until the church president says it's time to head for the hills. </h3><br />Many believe that church leadership will announce a general "Call Out" to all members, or perhaps a special subset of them (like temple recommend holders who have a year's supply of food), immediately before the worst of the tribulations are upon us. The church may even provide trucks to haul food storage to an area of refuge. <br /><br />Maybe it'll happen. Maybe it won't. However:<br /><br /><b>Such an action will not be kept secret.</b> You can count on two things happening: <div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Many (if not most) members will not keep the destination of these "Call Out" locations secret. They will, understandably, want their sons and daughters, mothers and fathers to come to safety as well, and will act accordingly.</li><li>If hundreds or (more likely) thousands of church members are suddenly headed for the hills, local media will be reporting on how many left and to where. You just can't expect the media to turn its heads while thousands of members are suddenly rushing to the wilderness.</li></ul><b><div><b>There's not a stellar track record of leader-announced call-outs.</b> Look at the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon (which we are told to liken unto ourselves): </div></b><div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Lord didn't tell the people in Noah's time that an ark was being built for them.</li><li>Did prophets tell the Israelites of 600 BC that it's time to head to the desert? Not that we read. Instead, the Lord sent prophets out to the people and had them cry repentance, so the people would be able to spiritually discern needed directives straight from the Lord.</li><li>Church leadership didn't warn Lehi and his family to head to the desert. It was a spiritual call-out, pure and simple.</li><li>Did Samuel the Lamanite tell people that it's time to head for the hills? No. Again, he went among the people and cried repentance to them.</li><li>The Ten Virgins were never told exactly when the Bridegroom was coming. They knew they were supposed to prepare ahead of time, then wait. And when the Bridegroom tarried (for good reasons), those who didn't have enough oil were caught off-guard.</li><li>The Lord and church leadership did not tell members when to leave Jerusalem when the Romans invaded the city; they were given signs of what to look for so they could initiate their own actions (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/06/be-ye-also-ready-the-amazing-christian-escape-from-the-a-d-70-destruction-of-jerusalem?lang=eng" target="_blank">George A Horton, Jr., "Be Ye Also Ready," Ensign, June, 1989</a>).</li><li>Church leadership did not direct members in Europe or Japan to depart prior to World War I or II.</li><li>Church leadership did not warn people to move away prior to damns bursting (for example, the Teton Dam disaster), hurricanes, tornadoes or tsunamis, killing thousands.</li><li>Church leadership did not warn people not to go to work in New York City or fly in planes on 9/11.</li><li>Church leadership didn't tell members to take precautions for a pandemic prior to the flu pandemic of 1889-1890 (killed 1 million), the American polio epidemic of 1916 (6,000 deaths), the Spanish Flu (1918, at least 50 million dead), the Asian Flu (1957-1958, 1 million dead), H1N1 (2009-2010, between 151,700 and 575,400 dead), Ebola (2014-2016, 11,325 dead) and COVID-19 (2019-Present, 600,000+ dead) (<a href="https://www.livescience.com/worst-epidemics-and-pandemics-in-history.html" target="_blank">source</a>).</li></ul><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><div>Even President Kimball said "With no warning, no last-minute preparation is possible." </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Lwt7rrC7Ew" width="560"></iframe></div><br /><span>Look at it this way: If you're someday in the wilderness, and need immediate instructions on how to avoid mobs or avoid being shot (see below), you're not going to have the luxury of turning to the church president for counsel. The bottom line: Be able to hear the Lord's voice, or you'll die (</span><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2016/06/lectures-on-faith-2-part-1-why-its.html" target="_blank">see here for scriptures</a><span>).</span><br /><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Point #2: Many Saints believe they are somehow immune or exempt from the pre-millennial tribulations.</h3><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/rev/13.7?lang=eng" target="_blank">Revelation 13:7</a>)</div></div></blockquote> <br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">"And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.<br />And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.<br />And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations;<br /><div><div>That the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies." (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/87.4-7?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 87:4-7</a>)</div></div></blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">"That same God who gave the revelations to his servant Joseph Smith in regard to these matters, will fulfil every jot and every tittle that has been spoken, concerning that nation. What then will be the condition of that people, when this great and terrible war shall come? It will be very different from the war between the North and the South. Do you wish me to describe it? I will do so. It will be a war of neighborhood against neighborhood, city against city, town against town, county against county, state against state, and they will go forth destroying and being destroyed and manufacturing will, in a great measure, cease, for a time, among the American nation. Why? Because in these terrible wars, they will not be privileged to manufacture, there will be too much bloodshed--too much mobocracy--too much going forth in bands and destroying and pillaging the land to suffer people to pursue any local vocation with any degree of safety. What will become of millions of the farmers upon that land? They will leave their farms and they will remain uncultivated, and they will flee before the ravaging armies from place to place; and thus will they go forth burning and pillaging the whole country; and that great and powerful nation, now consisting of some forty millions of people, will be wasted away, unless they repent." (Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses 20:151)</div></blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">"I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of man has said that the mother shall be against the daughters, and the daughter against the mother. <u>These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city.</u> Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall I cry peace? No; I will lift up my voice and testify of them. How long you will have good crops, and the famine be kept off, I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand." (TPJS, 161; Emphasis mine)</div></blockquote><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Point #3: Many Saints believe it is foolish, it's a waste of money, to prepare for future calamities.</h3><br /></div><div>Famines...plagues...earthquakes...slaves rising up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war...<br /><br />Sounds like today's headlines. <br /><br />Yet it's amazing how many members don't want to think about these things, or believe that pre-millennial tribulations are so far off in the future, that they are irrelevant to them. Yet they may not be that far off after all:<br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">"The time would come wen the government would stop the Saints from holding meetings. When this was done, the Lord would pour out His judgments." (<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=jdkRAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA453&lpg=PA453&dq=%22The+time+would+come+when+the+government+would+stop+the+Saints+from+holding+meetings.+When+this+was+done+the+Lord+would+pour+out+His+judgments.%22&source=bl&ots=41zFv_lSRv&sig=ACfU3U2tkEG1Sjh2yi24xOprkXN6kuglxQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjyqMbcvdrqAhWTG80KHQIWAEYQ6AEwAHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22The%20time%20would%20come%20when%20the%20government%20would%20stop%20the%20Saints%20from%20holding%20meetings.%20When%20this%20was%20done%20the%20Lord%20would%20pour%20out%20His%20judgments.%22&f=false" target="_blank">Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 453</a>).</div></blockquote><br />Such an assumption is foolishness at best and dangerous at worst, because when the stuff really does begin to the hit the fan, those who think God's judgments are still years or decades off will know what it's like to be an unwise virgin.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Time to Develop a Dialogue with Yeshua is Now </h3><br />If you want true wisdom, then there's one and only one way to get it: Have an active, everyday, dialoguing relationship with Yeshua.<br /><br />It's that simple and that plain.<br /><br />Well, I say it's high time to take Yeshua up on His offer to always have His spirit to be with you, because without possessing a genuine relationship with Him, you are missing out on being able to be a truly wise person.<br /><br />The world and the Devil have done an excellent job in convincing us human beings that wisdom is only putting together a collection of statuses and/or facts, being able to argue your point in a convincing manner and being able to speak eloquently.<br /><br />Too many good people are falling for that lie.<br /><br />Stop being one of them. <br /><br />Want a good suggestion on what to do next?<br /><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKVz5Omj2eXlwWlR8LnkTCLJg73ESOWJs7hS8F_6S-71qlzgJpGXKO0GO6uudubrXhw8vLM2eMREoi2dSCp0m2ONYo6Ydq-dXGeN-CI5Vx751mBJmNMMHGVWn_TlghjccVee25ua4deLj/s350/Brother_Lawrence.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="321" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKVz5Omj2eXlwWlR8LnkTCLJg73ESOWJs7hS8F_6S-71qlzgJpGXKO0GO6uudubrXhw8vLM2eMREoi2dSCp0m2ONYo6Ydq-dXGeN-CI5Vx751mBJmNMMHGVWn_TlghjccVee25ua4deLj/s320/Brother_Lawrence.jpg" /></a></div>Meet Brother Lawrence</h3><br />Around 350 years ago, there was a man known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Lawrence" target="_blank">Brother Lawrence</a>. <br /><br />He was a common man, with no degrees, no riches nor a prestigious family. He just fell in love with God, with the Word and with others.<br /><br />Brother Lawrence wasn’t able to become a minister; he wasn’t qualified at that time. So, he worked in a monastery taking care of the monks. Most of the time he worked in the kitchen, in the garden and around the place cleaning it up. But all day long, Bro. Lawrence talked with Yeshua and allowed Yeshua to change him.<br /><br />After a while, a rather strange thing happened. The people who normally came to talk with one of the monks or priests started approaching him. They wanted to know what he thought about this or that. <br /><br />By the time Brother Lawrence was an old man, the monastery was better known as the place where one could hear the wisdom of Brother Lawrence and read the writings of Brother Lawrence than it was the place that one went to talk to a learned priest or monk.<br /><br />Today, you, too, can become a vessel of supernatural, God-given wisdom. All it takes is your willingness and ability to be open to Yeshua, to open your ears, your eyes and your heart to Him. To listen for Yeshua’s voice, to be ready to obey at a moment’s notice and to give your will and your way over to He who is my best friend.<br /><br />In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul thanks God that He has given the Corinthians wisdom, insight and discernment. He tells them that God has enriched them in everything, in every form of speech and in every form of knowledge (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-cor/1.5?lang=eng#p19#19" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 1:5</a>).<br /><br />The result: The Corinthians possessed all the spiritual gifts that they needed and were therefore able to receive all of God’s wonderful gifts.<br /><br />Were they perfect? Of course not. But when they allowed Yeshua to refill them, when they allowed Yeshua to lead them and when they allowed themselves to be open to Yeshua’s wisdom, their lives went up another level.<br /><br />So, too, will yours.<br /><br />You can start by waking up each day and asking Yeshua to reveal more of Him to you, to be infilled with more of His spirit and to be given more of His wisdom, insight, discernment and knowledge.<br /><br />If you do that, then you will begin to notice a change not only in yourself, but also in those around you. You will find yourself going up a step in your thinking, in your walking, in your conversations and in your spirit. You will find yourself developing the mind of Christ. You will find yourself enjoying life more and enjoying being in God’s holy presence. You will find yourself being more at peace, more kind, more gentle and more loving.<br /><br />And, you will be ready for the one thing you've always wanted to do:<br /><br />To walk and talk with God.<br /><br />Want to learn what Brother Lawrence did so he could walk and talk with God...straight from Brother Lawrence himself?<br /><br />Stay tuned for our next post in this series.<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></div></div>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mBcqria2wmg" width="560"></iframe></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-64117346155503259512020-07-05T19:35:00.001-06:002020-07-05T19:35:04.895-06:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 9: When God Seems Distant<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><br /></div><div><b><font color="#b51200">IMPORTANT NOTE:</font></b> As I've often mentioned on this blog, the Prophet Isaiah is the most-quoted prophet (aside from Yeshua) in our Standard Works. Even the Savior said "Great are the words of Isaiah." And for good reason: they've been described as the "Cliffs Notes of the Latter Days" which describe in detail the pre-Millennial tribulations. The Lord wants a prepared people, and Isaiah is one of his top recommendations to get you there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet I have observed that by and large, we saints are grossly unfamiliar with Isaiah. People complain that Isaiah is too complex, too hard to understand. Thus, they miss out on the blessings which come from reading Isaiah and understanding what he wrote about concerning today.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over a year ago, this blog started a Facebook group, "Great Are The Words of Isaiah." It's maintained by moderators who are ordinary members seeking to better understand Isaiah. Consider it "Isaiah for Dummies who aren't Dummies!" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LDSPerfectDayIsaiah/">I encourage you to click here to subscribe and partake of the wisdom of Yeshua as proclaimed by Isaiah.</a> You'll be glad you did.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><div><br /></div><div>As we read in the previous two posts (”<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-7.html">The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 7: ‘Ye Never Knew Me’</a>” and ”<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-8.html">The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 8: The Non-Judgmental Savior</a>”), we stand rejected by Yeshua the minute we withhold mercy, or unleash judgment, upon another (<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-gift-of-discernment-part-9-judgmentalism.html">see here for more</a>). Also, the more merciful you are towards others, the more merciful God is with you (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-cor/13?lang=eng">1 Corinthians 13:2</a>). The less judgmental you are towards others, the less judgmental God is with you. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, it seems to me that God’s primary judgment criteria regarding you is best summarized in <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/1-sam/16?lang=eng">1 Samuel 16:7</a>: “for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” The advantage of this criteria: “charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-pet/4.8?lang=eng#p8#8">1 Peter 4:8</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Judging or being uncharitable towards a person doesn’t define who they are; it defines who you are. And with the best possible definition you can have -- “he/she was non-judgmental and full of charity towards others” -- you are far more aligned with the Savior.</div><div><br /></div><div>In my opinion, it’s at this point that not only dialoguing with Him, but also seeing Him, becomes an inevitability:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7.48?lang=eng">Moroni 7:48</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIGfqcyrrcOjyvjgeEUHG63Ext5PPYYDLVp8RLlkur-5acJsmXEP2HFlRN8SV_sFyNox02neZ8upS3-xeet0yc6j-zU1xQjm33Gh4eVgq-g0fT7hAC1q5DorYoKRvWoGoF8th67gVokHL/s1024/relics_of_a_bygone_age__sounds_youll_probably_never_hear_again-1024x420.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1024" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIGfqcyrrcOjyvjgeEUHG63Ext5PPYYDLVp8RLlkur-5acJsmXEP2HFlRN8SV_sFyNox02neZ8upS3-xeet0yc6j-zU1xQjm33Gh4eVgq-g0fT7hAC1q5DorYoKRvWoGoF8th67gVokHL/w400-h164/relics_of_a_bygone_age__sounds_youll_probably_never_hear_again-1024x420.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When Heaven is Silent</h3><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, there are times when you may be exerting all of your heart, might, mind and strength towards being more charitable and less judgmental, and heaven is still silent. </div><div><br /></div><div>This blog has addressed this issue several times. Here are a few possibilities:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Your heart really isn’t in it: </b>"What more can be said, what greater case could be made than this: to find God, you must look with all your heart. To remain present to God, you must remain present to your heart. To hear his voice, you must listen with your heart. To love him, you must love with all your heart. You cannot be the person God meant you to be, and you cannot live the life he meant you to live, unless you live from the heart." (John Eldredge, "Waking the Dead")</li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/03/do-you-have-spiritual-aids-part-2-of-2.html"><b>You have selfish motives for wanting to be closer to the Lord, to dialogue or even see Him</b></a>. Or, you’re more focused on <i>your</i> needs, <i>your</i> wants, <i>your</i> desires instead of others (<a href="http://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/07/rend-veil-of-unbelief-part-1-why-your.html">see here</a>) or building up the Kingdom of God (<a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/jst/jst-matt/6?lang=eng">JST, Matthew 6:38</a>).</li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/1.16?lang=eng#p15">D&C 1:16</a>)</div></blockquote><div> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!</div><div>Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.</div><div>O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/12.4-7?lang=eng#p3">Helaman 12:4-7</a>)</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-gift-of-charity-part-3-are-you.html"><b>You are guilty of idolatry (and don't even know it</b></a>; <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2014/02/18-spiritual-land-mine-6-conquer-d-word.html">also see here</a> <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-gift-of-discernment-part-8.html">and here</a>): Pres. Kimball said that “We are, on the whole, an idolatrous people -- a condition most repugnant to the Lord.” (<a href="https://www.lds.org/study/ensign/1976/06/the-false-gods-we-worship?lang=eng">Pres. Kimball, Ensign, June 1976, p. 4</a>) This includes human idols (who <i>you</i> place in between you and the Lord) who accept praise without redirecting it to God. “Idolatry” also includes the idols of money and time. Yes, how you spend your money and time is a good reflection of what's in your heart. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/6.21?lang=eng">Matthew 6:21</a>)</li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/prov/3.5">Proverbs 3:5-6</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ps/37?lang=eng">Psalms 37:5-6</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. " (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/jer/17.5?lang=eng#4">Jeremiah 17:5</a>) </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/4.34?lang=eng#33">2 Nephi 4:34</a>) </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/28.31?lang=eng#30">2 Nephi 28:31</a>) </div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>You seek not the voice of the Lord:</b> Instead, <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2016/07/lectures-on-faith-2-part-2-recognize.html">you listen to and pay serious consideration to Satan’s pick up lines.</a> You should anticipate this because “The nearer a person approaches the Lord, a greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of His purposes” (The Prophet Joseph Smith, in Orson F. Whitney, "Life of Heber C. Kimball", Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1967, p. 132).</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2014/01/sacred-silence.html">You are more focused on the things that interest you (aka you haven’t "emptied your cup”)</a> or are focused on the things of this world:</b> "My testimony is that the Lord is speaking to you! But with the deafening decibels of today’s environment, all too often we fail to hear him." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1991/10/the-voice-is-still-small?lang=eng&_r=1">Elder Graham Doxey, "The Voice is Still Small", October 1991 General Conference</a>). As Elder Maxwell once said,</li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">“Perhaps we have grown too accustomed to the place [of Babylon]. Even if we leave Babylon, some of us endeavor to keep a second residence there...or we commute on weekends.” (Neal A. Maxwell, A Wonderful Flood of Light, BYU Devotional, March 26, 1989).</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-gift-of-discernment-part-10-put.html">You cling to the traditions of men</a> and/or <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2016/09/lectures-on-faith-3-part-5-could-you-be.html">cling to our “doctrinal boxes”</a></b> and are very proficient in making excuses why you should.</li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-gift-of-discernment-part-1-are-you.html">You do not believe in the primacy of the scriptures and/or you believe that God changes His mind on important doctrines.</a></b></li></ul></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>You’re impatient:</b> "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him..." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ps/37.7?lang=eng#9">Psalm 37:7</a>) Also, "The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out." (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 3:295–96</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDGA_dUX33gDR-wB9GLfHrTlVwVnqRITwpYD4GxiWuQWeilhGDYvm-4iJ3kQ5tQ3D3M4HuENwlQqgJ91ShD0vUxYHzVcvqWy9ZfdSmR7jQxndvJ5_fxX_Kb7kZiAdqLkvj6uy5VrARgPW/s773/Son+of+God+3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="773" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDGA_dUX33gDR-wB9GLfHrTlVwVnqRITwpYD4GxiWuQWeilhGDYvm-4iJ3kQ5tQ3D3M4HuENwlQqgJ91ShD0vUxYHzVcvqWy9ZfdSmR7jQxndvJ5_fxX_Kb7kZiAdqLkvj6uy5VrARgPW/w400-h210/Son+of+God+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Worthiness required?</h3><div><br /></div><div>Another common belief is that you’re not good enough, faithful enough, righteous enough, worthy enough to dialogue with God, let alone kneel in His presence. I encounter this mindset all the time, as exemplified by the following private message to me by a subscriber to this blog’s Facebook group:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCr0T3X7PKhlWGqlSD8yn-gX4G_OFTPMH2_snEJf1_u-pkHpJi7MQdN5vhnCxLYDHumWj2oVjY3v4C9J7zeoZkukBLA4zAH-eVAlgg62-6UJqN0IdpFVdkILcx2xGA4YeJBIykqmdmB0-/s555/repent1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCr0T3X7PKhlWGqlSD8yn-gX4G_OFTPMH2_snEJf1_u-pkHpJi7MQdN5vhnCxLYDHumWj2oVjY3v4C9J7zeoZkukBLA4zAH-eVAlgg62-6UJqN0IdpFVdkILcx2xGA4YeJBIykqmdmB0-/d/repent1.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As we read in my immediate previous post (”<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-best-friend-you-never-knew-part-8.html">The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 8: The Non-Judgmental Savior</a>”), Yeshua not only was non-judgmental regarding the woman at the well, but he also let her be the first one to publicly proclaim that the Savior had arrived.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fact of the matter is, as we read in “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/06/lectures-on-faith-5-part-1-prodigal.html">The Prodigal Mormon,</a>” none of us are righteous or worthy enough for God’s attention. Yet <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/p/this-blog-is-fulfillment-of-wish-that-i.html">all through recorded history, God has chosen to walk and talk with mortals.</a> </div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"each individual member of the Church can come to know of the divinity of the work, can have the whisperings of the Spirit in his heart and soul, and in addition, can see visions, entertain angels, behold the face of the Lord, and receive all the knowledge and wisdom that has been poured out upon faithful people in any age." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/1980/06/how-to-get-personal-revelation?lang=eng">Elder Bruce R. McConkie, "How to Get Personal Revelation," New Era, June 1980, pp. 46-50</a>).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Now I say that we are entitled to revelation. I say that every member of the Church, independent and irrespective of any position that he may hold, is entitled to get revelation from the Holy Ghost; he is entitled to entertain angels; he is entitled to view the visions of eternity; and if we would like to go the full measure, he is entitled to see God the same way that any prophet in literal and actual reality has seen the face of Deity." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/new-era/1980/06/how-to-get-personal-revelation?lang=eng">Elder Bruce R. McConkie, "How to Get Personal Revelation," New Era, June 1980, pp. 46-50</a>).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>When I posted the above Facebook group subscriber’s question, other subscribers chimed in with some viewpoints. Here’s one that stood out to me:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTdBrSkDNngNChD-JGLR6dos-ELxLhFEBkXtxBcVsOB3peY9_b5vcEZ4IbAcas6lBo4VaRvYTUfR87fE2EKeNxHD0Ju6chf2vgSSCMCx_F0GDOqhB-JX21jEess9oUttyTQ6Ci3Im_PFX/s449/repent2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTdBrSkDNngNChD-JGLR6dos-ELxLhFEBkXtxBcVsOB3peY9_b5vcEZ4IbAcas6lBo4VaRvYTUfR87fE2EKeNxHD0Ju6chf2vgSSCMCx_F0GDOqhB-JX21jEess9oUttyTQ6Ci3Im_PFX/d/repent2.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnK0oZ4yFGULZkPIemCbOufMinhdUBG3ZMvC9b7FJdIEIOxAdG2jZiEFplTUX86UIV0s9_29JCN6u19NHeN0SJLfOwA5ZJbQRhylKd08s3GX_hMaysOmJMlOZCr3m2QKDy2r4liIQ_Jr8/s300/imgingest-8546835326546864907.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnK0oZ4yFGULZkPIemCbOufMinhdUBG3ZMvC9b7FJdIEIOxAdG2jZiEFplTUX86UIV0s9_29JCN6u19NHeN0SJLfOwA5ZJbQRhylKd08s3GX_hMaysOmJMlOZCr3m2QKDy2r4liIQ_Jr8/d/imgingest-8546835326546864907.png" /></a></div>Descent, then Ascent</h3><div><br /></div><div>Some people take such interactions seriously. They’ve chosen to step their metaphorical foot off the boat, turn their backs on everyone and everything else, and focus on Yeshua. There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- that stands in between them and Yeshua. Not even Satan, nor the foolish things he says to us, has an effect on these patient, mercy-filled, non-judgmental people. </div><div><br /></div><div>They have zero idols in their lives. They have a profound unwillingness to rely upon the arm of flesh to any degree. They see God’s hand in their lives several times daily, and praise His name for it. Their eyes are firmly affixed and singled on Yeshua. Because of this, they are full of light (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/6.22?lang=eng&clang=eng#p22">Matthew 6:22</a>; <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/11.34?lang=eng&clang=eng#p34">Luke 11:34</a>). And to stay there, they ask Yeshua to immerse them in the atoning blood of his atonement every day.</div><div><br /></div><div>They would be the first ones to tell you that they aren’t perfect. But they will say that every time they fall and fail, they get back up and continue to try to be better in their lives. Like a baby who’s learning to walk and falls on her bum, they pull themselves back up and keep walking towards the open arms awaiting them. This is because they seek the Lord with all their hearts and all their souls (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/deut/4.30-31?lang=eng#p3030">Deuteronomy 4:30-31</a>) and passionately remind God of the promises He has made to them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of all the hundreds and hundreds of people I know, I think I could count these souls on my fingers, and still have a few left over. So why is it that these “super saints” not only haven’t had an audience with the Savior, but also can’t even hear Him? Why is it that they relate to Psalm 13:1-2 so well?:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>"How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?</div><div>How long will you hide your face from me?</div><div>How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?</div><div>How long will my enemy triumph over me?" (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ps/13.1,2?lang=eng#1">Psalm 13:1-2</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>If anyone is entitled to see God, it’s these people.</div><div><br /></div><div>So...why? Why no appearances? Why not even a voice in their heart and mind?</div><div><br /></div><div>Here, we see a few examples in the scriptures:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Book of Job we read about a man who underwent a divinely-sanctioned descent in which he lost his family, his property and his reputation. Yet through it all, he praised and blessed the Lord. And for that, everything was restored to him, and then some.</li><li>In the four gospels, we read how Yeshua was born in the lowliest of circumstances, walked among sinners, was despised, betrayed and ultimately killed. And in the hardest, toughest part of it, He walked the winepress of the atonement alone -- so much so, that He asked on the cross, “Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani?” which is Aramaic for "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me" (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ps/22.2?lang=eng#1">Psalm 22:2</a>)</li><li>In D&C 121, we feel the anguish in Brother Joseph’s words as he plead with the Lord for the suffering Saints. The section begins, ‘O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?”</li></ul></div><div>In all three examples, we read of a person undergoing what’s considered a “descent.” The Son of Man descended below all things (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/122.8?lang=eng&clang=eng#p6">D&C 122:8</a>) before He ascended above all things (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/eph/4.9,10?lang=eng&clang=eng#p9,10">Ephesians 4:9-10</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>This may be required of a few people today. They are in a “descent phase” which means (per God’s will) they are walking in low places prior to ascending to new spiritual heights:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Spiritual descent is necessary for spiritual ascent: When a man has to rise from one level to the next, prior to his ascent, he must first undergo a descent. The paradox is that the very purpose of the descent is the ascent. From this you can see how much strength is required in the service of God. Even when you fall or descend in any way, you must never allow yourself to be thrown off balance to the extent that you come to look down upon yourself or to hold yourself in contempt." (Rabbi Nachman, trans. Avraham Greenbaum, Likutey Moharan, "Restore My Soul" [Monsey & Jerusalem: Breslov Research Institute, 1980], p. 16-17; <a href="http://www.breslovbooks.com/pdf/english-pamphlet-the-light.pdf">here</a>; <a href="http://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2015/11/alignment-part-3-of-5-penetrate-veil.html">read more here</a>).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Therefore, let us not resent those tutoring experiences which can develop our own empathy further (see <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/7.11-12?lang=eng#10">Alma 7:11-12</a>). So being admitted fully to 'the fellowship of his sufferings' requires the full dues of discipleship (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/philip/3.10?lang=eng#9">Philip. 3:10</a>; see also <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-cor/1.9?lang=eng">1 Cor. 1:9</a>)." (<a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/04/plow-in-hope">Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Plow in Hope", April 2001 General Conference</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDVRU2oVNs3Ko59xIeS5P4eg6iE9aS3jR-PSDK5LXZMLXhbQwOHcxkW-lgfH8ePZ7a9mgF2SKp_Hq87G2P6XQ-_y2MrImHb4hZwsXycazihvCc6d8ZqNdkV9Y0ibrmhomRWAGmg9xS7Q1/s349/HR-suggestions.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDVRU2oVNs3Ko59xIeS5P4eg6iE9aS3jR-PSDK5LXZMLXhbQwOHcxkW-lgfH8ePZ7a9mgF2SKp_Hq87G2P6XQ-_y2MrImHb4hZwsXycazihvCc6d8ZqNdkV9Y0ibrmhomRWAGmg9xS7Q1/s320/HR-suggestions.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A Few Suggestions</h3><div><br /></div><div>In addition to <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/93.1?lang=eng">D&C 93:1</a> and <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50.24?lang=eng">D&C 50:24</a>, here are some other things you can explore to close the distance between you and God:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Increase your focus on God:</b> Eliminate the idols, the pride, Satan’s pick up lines, everything mentioned at the top of this post. </li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Therefore, sanctify yourselves that <b>your minds become single to God</b>, and the days will come that you shall see him; for <b>he will unveil his face unto you</b>, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88.68">D&C 88:68</a>; emphasis mine)</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Meditate:</b> As was stated in “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2012/12/meditation-part-1.html">Meditation, Part 1 - Evolving Beyond Pondering,</a>” </li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">“I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: one is spiritual communion rising from our own meditation; the other instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation. <b>Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.</b>" (Pres. David O. McKay, “Consciousness of God: Supreme Goal of Life,” Improvement Era, June 1967, pp. 80–82; emphasis mine).</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">So what is meditation? How does a latter-day saint do it? Click <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2012/12/meditation-part-1.html">Meditation, Part 1 - Evolving Beyond Pondering</a>” for the first post of a seven-part series on meditation.</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Ask “What Lackest I?”:</b> I really like Elder Larry Lawrence's October 2015 General Conference talk, "<a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng">What Lack I Yet?</a>" It's an appropriate question, and his analysis is chock full of references not about other men, but God, Christ and the Holy Ghost. Awesome. </li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"If spiritual growth is not a priority in our lives, if we are not on a course of steady improvement, we will miss out on the important experiences that God wants to give us. Years ago I read these words of President Spencer W. Kimball, which had a lasting impact on me. He said: "I have learned that where there is a prayerful heart, a hungering after righteousness, a forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God, the Lord pours out more and more light until there is finally power to pierce the heavenly veil. ... <b>A person of such righteousness has the priceless promise that one day he shall see the Lord's face and know that he is.</b>" (<a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng">https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng</a>; emphasis mine) </div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Persist in asking for your ascent:</b> In other words, don’t give up! If you fall down on your diapered bum, get back up.</li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/18.1-8?lang=eng#primary">Luke 18:1-8</a>'s story of the persistent widow is a lesson about persevering in prayer. Actually, most scriptural prayer stories are. How many times did it take Elijah to call down the promised rain? Not once, not twice, but eight rounds of all-of-your-heart-soul-mind-and-strength prayer. In <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/acts/12?lang=eng">Acts 12</a>, Herod seized James and executed him. He then arrested Peter and put him in jail. The outcome looked the same. But the story shifted with the phrase, “But the church was praying very earnestly for him” (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/acts/12.5?lang=eng">v. 5</a>). The Greek for “very earnestly” is the same description of Jesus' serious prayers in Gethsemane. The text also indicates that the church prayed for Peter all night long. It worked; Peter was rescued. Then we have Enos' prayer:</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/enos/1.4-5?lang=eng">Enos 1:4-5</a>)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">No wonder Joseph advised that we should "Come to God weary him until he blesses you" ([recorded in Willard Richards Pocket Companion, 78–79] cited in The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, comp. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [1980], 15; <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-50-ether-1-5?lang=eng">https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-50-ether-1-5?lang=eng</a>)</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Keep an eye out for the descent...and the ascent:</b> Get out of your own comfort zone or pity party and look for the blessings He's constantly sending you. It's like learning a new language. Maybe you've become so accustomed to hearing (or not hearing) God on a lower wavelength, that when He increases the wavelength to a higher one, you don't hear Him anymore. But the harder you look, the more you'll find those highs and lows, the peaks and valleys, of his increased frequency. Then before you know it, you're ON that higher wavelength.</li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Learning to hear the voice of the Lord is like learning a language, the language of revelation. <b>Learning any language takes time. It takes repetition and practice.</b> It takes an immersion in that language. And it takes learning the rules that govern the language. If we were learning Portuguese or Chinese, we would not only have to memorize vocabulary words but learn syntax and grammar as well. Similarly, as we set out to better learn the language of revelation, there are guidelines and rules to govern us." (Sherri Dew, "No Doubt About It"; emphasis mine)</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Sometimes you're going to find His responses in the Temple. Sometimes, it'll be in your bedroom or living room, or out in the middle of nowhere, away from Babylon. Sometimes it'll be in a dream, sometimes it'll be in the scriptures. Often, it’ll be at a time you didn’t expect. They may not come immediately...but they will come.</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Become the Gift:</b> Read the Four Gospels, Third Nephi and other books which examine Yeshua’s personality (which most people miss). <a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-best-books.html">A good suggestion: John Eldredge’s book, “Beautiful Outlaw.”</a> As you learn more about His personality, integrate that knowledge into your own personality.</li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Yeshua is God’s gift to mankind. As you become more like Him, you become a gift to Him -- one which will eventually be personally and directly received, with great appreciation, by Him:</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7.48?lang=eng">Moroni 7:48</a>)</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>"Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Latin, "Glory to God in the Highest" [<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/2.14?lang=eng">Luke 2:14</a>]): </b>Do as Yeshua did -- no matter what He was going through, good or bad, He gave ALL credit to the Father. You should do the same, for in so doing, you actually breathe new life into that blessing and try to extend it to others. </li></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">My friend, Vincent, is on a level of coolness that's really, really high. When people ask how he's doing, his response is both accurate and electrifying: "I am richly blessed."</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBDuzEOqAAS3olN5uLPy6mCKpsfBtN90EbuaII3izvEmv6dUbJSXHG6Tv4DPnRMsqgDnzHM64jwJ9pW2az6nfcQjBE5knN3SYC3rZf1e7oC2CeRx9KLwMXtTt7I63MULL0hPdZ_LDKKNS/s317/miracle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBDuzEOqAAS3olN5uLPy6mCKpsfBtN90EbuaII3izvEmv6dUbJSXHG6Tv4DPnRMsqgDnzHM64jwJ9pW2az6nfcQjBE5knN3SYC3rZf1e7oC2CeRx9KLwMXtTt7I63MULL0hPdZ_LDKKNS//" /></a></div>Exceed Even Your Own Expectations</h3><div><br /></div><div>In this blog's post "<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-lords-promise-to-you-of-his_22.html">The Promise of His Presence, Part 2: The Formula,</a>" I spotlighted the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Russian squad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nobody thought they had even the remotest chance of beating the Russians. </div><div><br /></div><div>But one man did: Herb Brooks, the team's coach.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>In one scene, before the Olympics, the US team played an exhibition match against a team in Europe. They didn't take the game seriously, and Coach Brooks knew it. So after losing the game, Brooks had his team go back onto the ice and had them run drills, skating a few yards, then back again, then skating further again, then back...for several hours. Brooks said:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"Red line, back. Blue line, back. Far blue line, back. Far red line, back. And you have 45 seconds to do it. Get used to this drill. You'll be doing it a lot. Why? Because the legs feed the wolf, gentlemen. I can't promise you we'll be the best team at Lake Placid next February. But we will be the best conditioned. That I can promise you."</div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><div>This fact may have been what inspired Brooks to tell his team, </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><font color="#d52c1f">"This cannot be a team of common men, </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font color="#d52c1f">because common men go nowhere."</font></div></h3><div><br /></div><div>When Team USA met the Soviet team in the Olympics semi-finals, the Americans proved to be extremely well-conditioned for the match-up. With the world watching, the team rose to the occasion, prompting broadcaster Al Michaels' now famous question to the millions viewing at home: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" The US college kids beat the Soviet hockey team, which had previously routed the NHL All-Stars 6–0 and consistently won Olympic gold for 26 years.</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe that seeking the fulfillment of <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/93.1?lang=eng">D&C 93:1</a> in our lives requires the same kind of dedication. Note the Lord's advice on this topic:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">“<b><u>Seek</u></b> <b><u>me</u></b> <b><u>diligently</u></b> and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88.63?lang=eng">D&C 88:63</a>; emphasis mine)</div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Seek.</div><div><br /></div><div>Me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Diligently.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although I can't be there with you every day, pushing you to reach your metaphorical spiritual red lines and blue lines, and even though you and I likely don't know each other personally, please know that I have specially prayed for every person (including you) who reads this post, and that with Yeshua's help, you will clear away any and all barriers in between you and Yeshua...and like the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, you will be blessed with results which far surpass even your wildest dreams.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylnx0NA9X4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiZ83jeAx8aJHaoFhVHrfKXKpUUGNiro-oAVn4Ufg0dNiNnWjIjz512mK6OKWciyTYOrtgarbi2OGnkYPJHGYO3GpxhJQkV_RFtGG6WT3_ajdVi4wwIWbMUFM-2HMJXjv_yFSDE_9aoeR/w640-h398/Plumb-Need+You+Now.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8985858969287915197.post-37102513980141507722020-06-22T20:57:00.001-06:002020-06-22T20:57:29.301-06:00The Best Friend You Never Knew Part 8: The Non-Judgmental Savior<div style="background-color: #c40000; border-radius: 10px; border: 4px solid maroon; font-size: 1.25em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px auto; padding: 5px 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
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<div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">It’s Tough to Hear, but You Still Need to Hear It</h3><div><br /></div><div>In the post “<a href="https://ldsperfectday.blogspot.com/2017/06/lectures-on-faith-5-part-1-prodigal.html" target="_blank">The Prodigal Mormon</a>,” I detailed how we consider and call ourselves "The Lord's Chosen People", "A Righteous Generation" with "Noble Birthright". "The Elect of God". Even "The Anointed".</div><div><br /></div><div>I mean, who doesn’t like hearing that you’re the bomb?! I think Sister Sheri Dew articulated that desired chosen status the best:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>“The simple fact is that our Father did not recommend Eve or Moses or Nephi or countless other magnificent exemplars for this dispensation—He recommended you and me. Do you think God would have left the last days to chance by sending men and women He couldn’t count on? A common theme of patriarchal blessings given to men and women your age is that you were sent now because our Father’s most trustworthy children would be needed in the final, decisive battle for righteousness. That is who you are, and it is who you have always been.</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>And we were born to lead. We were born for glory." (Sheri Dew, "You Were Born to Lead, You Were Born for Glory," speech given at BYU, Dec. 9, 2003)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>However -- and what boggles my mind -- is that I can’t find anything in the Standard Works that says we are so great, grand and glorious, let alone worthy of being mentioned alongside “Eve or Moses or Nephi.” Here’s what I have found:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"there is none that doeth good" (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ps/14.1?lang=eng#primary" target="_blank">Psalm 14:1</a>; <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ps/53.1-3?lang=eng#primary" target="_blank">53:1-3</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"It is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/rom/3.10-18?lang=eng#9" target="_blank">Romans 3:10-18</a>) </div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">“O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/12.7?lang=eng#5" target="_blank">Helaman 12:7</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/moses/1.10?lang=eng#p9" target="_blank">Moses 1:10</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, and the minute we begin considering our status as members of the tribe of Ephraim or Manasseh, it’s appropriate to remember Nephi’s thoughts to the Gentiles:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>"Hearken, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying:</div></div><div><div>Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel." (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/30.1-2?lang=eng#p1" target="_blank">3 Nephi 30:1-2</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>In referencing <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/morm/8.33-39?lang=eng#p33" target="_blank">Mormon 8:33–39</a>, Elder L. Tom Perry said:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"Moroni’s last words to the members of the Church are written as a voice of warning. He writes as one who sees the history of his people repeating itself in the future. [Elder Perry then read Mormon 8:34-38]]. I guess one of the greatest mysteries of mortality is why mankind fails to learn from history. Why do those who profess to be true followers of Christ so often become victims of the enticements of the world?" (<a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/10/behold-the-lord-hath-shown-unto-me-great-and-marvelous-things?lang=eng" target="_blank">October 1992 General Conference</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>I think we members grossly underestimate the degree of pride we carry with us on a daily basis. Not only pride, but also idolatry. In his June, 1976 First Presidency Message, "<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/1976/06/the-false-gods-we-worship?lang=eng" target="_blank">The False Gods We Worship</a>", Pres. Spencer W. Kimball addressed the Saints by saying:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"The Lord gave us a choice world and expects righteousness and obedience to his commandments in return. But when I review the performance of this people in comparison with what is expected, I am appalled and frightened. Iniquity seems to abound. The Destroyer seems to be taking full advantage of the time remaining to him in this, the great day of his power. Evil seems about to engulf us like a great wave, and we feel that truly we are living in conditions similar to those in the days of Noah before the Flood."</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>That was 44 years ago. Ten years ago, another church president said:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"None of us is perfect. I know of no one who would profess to be so. And yet for some reason, despite our own imperfections, we have a tendency to point out those of others. We make judgments concerning their actions or inactions. There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: ‘Judge not.’" (Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/10/charity-never-faileth?lang=eng" target="_blank">Charity Never Faileth</a>", October 2010 General Conference)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">“Inexcusable”</h3><div><br /></div><div>With those facts, what justification do you have to judge another? I mean, to any degree whatsoever?</div><div><br /></div><div>True, we may not outright judge another. Instead, many tend to re-word their judgments and “be concerned” or “be worried” about another. We “want them to be happy.” And in sharing that judgment with others, we may say that we are “only looking out for their best interests” or “trying to protect the good name of the church.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In my opinion, that’s all baloney (I have another word, but I’m trying to keep this a clean blog). They’re all self-justifications for judging others..And the only ones we are really fooling, and hurting, is ourselves.</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">"<b><font color="#d52c1f">If we exercise judgment without mercy, perhaps judgment without mercy may be meted to us.</font></b>" (John Taylor, "God the Source of All Good", JD 15:266)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>“We can so clearly and easily see the harmful results that come when others judge and hold grudges. And we certainly don’t like it when people judge us. </div></div><div><div>But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt. </div></div><div><div>The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said that <font color="#d52c1f"><b>those who pass judgment on others are “inexcusable.”</b></font> <font color="#d52c1f"><b>The moment we judge someone else, he explained, we condemn ourselves,</b></font> for none is without sin. Refusing to forgive is a grievous sin—one the Savior warned against. Jesus’s own disciples had “sought occasion against [each other] and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened.” (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “<a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng" target="_blank">The Merciful Obtain Mercy</a>”, April 2012 General Conference)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>We are very quick to jump from </div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>“Judge not, that ye be not judged.</div></div><div><div>For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.</div></div><div><div>And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?</div></div><div><div>Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?</div></div><div><div><font color="#d52c1f"><b>Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.</b></font>” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/7.1-5?lang=eng&clang=eng#p1" target="_blank">Matthew 7:1-5</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>to:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">“Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/jst/jst-matt/7.2?lang=eng&clang=eng#p2" target="_blank">Matthew 7:2 JST</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>However, "men cannot always judge righteous" (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/10.37?lang=eng" target="_blank">D&C 10:37</a>) This is likely because we do not have “the mind of Christ (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-cor/2.16?lang=eng" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 2:16</a>)” within us (Pres. Brigham Young, "Comprehensiveness of True Religion," A discourse delivered at Salt Lake City, December 5, 1853). And who among us wants to raise their hand and say that they have “the mind of Christ” at any given time? I certainly wouldn’t.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Looking Inside the Mind of Christ</h3><div><br /></div><div>So, the challenge is having “the mind of Christ.” </div><div><br /></div><div>Was Yeshua ever in situations where He should have judged another? Definitely, and often. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let’s see what He did in some clearly judgmental situations (<u>granted, these videos are dramatized, but in my opinion, they’re not too far deviated from what really happened</u>):</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Woman at the Well</b></div><div><br /></div><div>In <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/4.5-29?lang=eng&clang=eng#p6,11,12,14,17" target="_blank">John 4:5-29</a>, we read about Yeshua’s interaction with a woman who had five husbands; “and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband:”</div><div><br /></div><div>This woman went to where other women would go, only she would arrive once everyone had left. Today, she could be equated with a woman who attends church or went to the store when no one was around. And why?</div><div><br /></div><div>Scandalous! Five previous husbands, and she’s living with some guy? I know plenty of members who would not be caught talking with her at all. In fact, if she were a member, would she be called into the Bishop’s office? Is it likely that the sisters in Relief Society would avoid asking her to offer a prayer or comment in a class? Do you think she’d ever be offered a calling? </div><div><br /></div><div>But let’s see what Yeshua did. Did He avoid her? Judge her? Where in <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/4.5-29?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 4:5-29</a> did He even come close to treating her marital status with a molecule of negativity?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_UNAQFRhBY&t=1s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="568" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEAi2hNyEoAefggLDRZiEmbxbh8081us374sJlnaTbhKX576-iML7_CtdECrqh8RuA9gskNiTmrzKcFKOamK4yKv7B6emJIV5NtD7Ak__j7C_rYIlN_2QO3i8_Hr0yxHQxRZJknJpSUP5/w640-h366/ww.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Woman with an Issue of Blood</b></div><div><br /></div><div>In <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/9.20-22?lang=eng" target="_blank">Matthew 9:20–22</a>, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/mark/5.25-34?lang=eng" target="_blank">Mark 5:25–34</a>, <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/8.43-48?lang=eng" target="_blank">Luke 8:43–48</a>, we read about the woman with an issue of blood for 12 years. </div><div><br /></div><div>Many medical scholars believe this woman may have had menorrhagia, which is abnormally heavy and long menstruation that causes enough cramping and blood loss that it makes normal daily activities impossible. The scriptures are right in calling it a “hemorrhage” because the amount of blood lost is significant—enough to fill a maxi pad at least every hour for several weeks (not to mention 12 years!).</div><div><br /></div><div>Under Mosaic law, a woman with an issue of blood was considered unclean and was “put apart” for 7 days. During this time, anything she lay on or sat on was considered “unclean,” meaning that if anyone touched one of those things he would have to wash his clothes and bathe in water to become clean again.</div><div><br /></div><div>(In her case, we are told that she had “suffered many things of many physicians” and had spent “all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” That’s understandable because Today to treat or control menorrhagia, physicians prescribe hormone pills. In severe cases, hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or endometrial ablation or resection (which permanently destroys the entire lining of the uterus) are used to treat it). </div><div><br /></div><div>Today is no different. Anyone who has even potentially contracted a plague (like coronavirus) or has a fever is quarantined from society for a minimum of 14 days, and anything they have come into contact with is also considered unclean. The judgments unleashed on them are fast, harsh and quite possibly long-lasting.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I walk in public, I see people wearing masks giving sideways glances and dirty looks to those without masks. If that’s the case, imagine someone with coronavirus walking and moving their way through crowds of people, including you. Judgmentalism? 100% guaranteed!</div><div><br /></div><div>In most Judean towns, they were so small, everybody knew everybody. We don’t know if people knew that the woman had an issue of blood. I would assume that some did, and they would have been terrified to see her interacting in crowds. </div><div><br /></div><div>But what did Yeshua do when she touched Him, seeking healing? He didn’t judge her. He didn’t condemn her. He didn’t say, “Hey lady, what the heck are you doing?! Can’t you see you’re unclean? Thanks a lot lady, now I’m unclean, too!” Nope. Again, not one molecule of negativity. He simply said to her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/TyQidWHXy-A?t=286" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="570" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTY0m_vNV6ViMI0u37zTaC6aCHxqyTB54iwZpGUItn8AZ2rt1YU27xajV0-dbUqowyy9q3bXoxiqYoqxLmgjoZpx2BCwSTJj1VF196mE1tSEhM9NNQfHZR5-j8XKzoQWVQEYNeEJOBI9V/w640-h370/wblood.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Woman Caught in Adultery</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps no story better exemplifies the nonjudgmental nature of the Savior than this story, found in <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/7.53?lang=eng" target="_blank">John 7:53–8:11</a>. I’ll assume you know the story well.</div><div><br /></div><div>In this case, judgmentalism wasn’t just a choice, but also a doctrinal canonized requirement. <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/22.22-25?lang=eng" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 22:22–25</a> says that if a man is found lying with a married woman, then they shall both be put to death.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a rabbi, Jesus was obligated to espouse and promote the canonized judgment upon the woman. But that wasn’t to be.</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">“Jesus’ response both keeps the demands of justice and of mercy. He did not speak against the law by saying she should not be stoned, nor did he say she should be stoned. Instead, he put it back on the woman’s accusers, saying, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” With this, he forced the woman’s accusers to look inward at their own guilt in violating the very same law. St. Augustine puts it like this: ‘Hence, either let this woman go, or together with her receive the penalty of the law.’ He argues that the voice of justice says let the sinner be punished, but not by sinners. This ultimately causes all to depart, leaving only the woman and Jesus, the one without sin, the one who alone could cast the first stone. However, the woman receives mercy instead, with the admonition to sin no more.” (<a href="https://faithmag.com/lessons-mercy-woman-caught-adultery" target="_blank">https://faithmag.com/lessons-mercy-woman-caught-adultery</a>)</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>If the sinless Yeshua didn’t feel like this clearly adulterous woman deserved judgment, then in what cases do you feel justified in exacting judgment upon another?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1PkoPDbZJQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="569" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobAKubMJ0iYMpp75pHnORkxwAOrb5o4uw1oEu4zf_hg3Ljs5HQYLeeI5TbwRpiHP7-Hq0eICoDED_B91stMYFyxyaCPgIZ9Kh9QidjF-1sb4vqqzNua6zYAm4M1VMCCaclP_gbDR6rNKb/w640-h366/wadultery.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Drop Your Stones</h3><div><br /></div><div>I would someday love nothing more than to hear that you have knelt before Yeshua while in mortality. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some say it can’t be done. Such things don’t happen anymore.</div><div><br /></div><div>They. Are. Wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the rest of your life, it will be the one day of the year that has significance far and beyond any other day. It will be THE day, THE perfect day, because it was THE day that you were with THE One. Here’s one of MANY first-hand experiences:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00H_bIYlrrW38yiHHU2HSoqF5F0CFt9CyB8imtMmWkhVpa1NBNk04au0uYB6z-Z31brzv4Ff1LBrwNLUcI8CNejhvWKvdv_UqkrlVM8eKbUlJTPY5UFB_Cp_0I67Lra01-5wMz67FGptI/s430/Experience.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="407" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00H_bIYlrrW38yiHHU2HSoqF5F0CFt9CyB8imtMmWkhVpa1NBNk04au0uYB6z-Z31brzv4Ff1LBrwNLUcI8CNejhvWKvdv_UqkrlVM8eKbUlJTPY5UFB_Cp_0I67Lra01-5wMz67FGptI/w379-h400/Experience.JPG" width="379" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>To be honest, there are infinite possibilities how your audience with Him could go. Most assume that it will be a happy time. Yes, that’s one possibility. But I know others who wanted that meeting with Yeshua, and either they never had it, or they did, but it was not a particularly happy meeting. Nobody wants to be chastised by the Master.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><font color="#d52c1f">In my opinion, it won’t be a happy meeting -- or may not happen at all -- if you lack mercy and definitely not if you are a self-proclaimed judge over others, no matter how justified you consider yourself.</font></b></div><div><br /></div><div>We read in <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/23.23?lang=eng" target="_blank">Matthew 23:23</a> that Yeshua was quick to condemn those who were checking off the boxes of religious faithfulness (particularly the full tithe payers), but were omitting “the weightier matters of the law, <b>judgment, mercy</b>, and <b>faith</b>.” He said to them, “These ought ye to have done.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In my opinion, you are fooling yourself if you think just passing the temple recommend interviews qualifies you for an audience with Yeshua. As Yeshua demonstrated to that crowd of (presumably) men ready to throw their stones, <font color="#d52c1f"><b>nobody is qualified to judge another, no matter how right or correct they may think they are. </b></font></div><div><br /></div><div>All of us are prodigals. None of us is righteous, no, not one. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. We are nothingness. We are nothing, even less than the dust of the earth. We are equated with wicked ways, evil doings, lyings, deceivings, whoredoms, idolatries and more. </div><div><br /></div><div>I invite you to avoid the stones of judgment, especially those that have “I’m concerned,” “I’m worried,” “I just want you to be happy,” “I’m only looking out for you best interests” or “I’m only trying to protect the good name of the church.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Let us not examine or explore others’ sins, but look to their divinity. It is not ours to delve into others’ problems, but rather, to perceive the breadth of their goodness.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Just step away from the stones, and YOU won’t get hurt.</h3><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdjFyD2XkcFnG85RZgfQ4dr_yDPig8ZV4yQGnB_CA4g7n5WSK5Ct4cHUBwJEisK11l07CU01uRtmMQ5EOY5PdsPHlEsLpQ_ALHEHAMhGSK65gNu_8SAr8PwHyBAduTj-MmQc04dUky5dO/s904/Women.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdjFyD2XkcFnG85RZgfQ4dr_yDPig8ZV4yQGnB_CA4g7n5WSK5Ct4cHUBwJEisK11l07CU01uRtmMQ5EOY5PdsPHlEsLpQ_ALHEHAMhGSK65gNu_8SAr8PwHyBAduTj-MmQc04dUky5dO/d/Women.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div> (“<a href="https://www.facebook.com/InsideTheChosen/posts/women-in-jesus-day-werent-treated-well-understatement-they-had-few-choices-held-/427431321383426/">The Chosen</a>”)</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/KAjkRkF2yEs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="567" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSyhFNT3sZNvjxFdU68VKqOR59eEXcN2nfHq-juspzLYtOf-NmlFFtnhFvg3H26UyqNrHRxnQ4jSUxfda-FK-OkDRnPaasKw4r6dIjG3Fs-e19bBxxe-OAeXA9oD0wzkRhxcyJbx4Ni67/w640-h366/KCope.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/WdUu6ZsdVfM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="569" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mRn_3oQfJ8VhDhamtB7qqdS9HP_SE2eZRmWuQrtcBE2JjksRHkYdEPNRUiqcZWjK11H0ultQqP68lsB8bpsoGDHFLOcyEq9mu4K2W-akU5jwamKDLljgZMsNEnHRxsoOyq2zjItBKcYr/w640-h364/MWest.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1