Words of Jesus

Yesterday I was pondering a situation I am in and the Lord brought these words to my mind:

“They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (John 16:2-3). 

This day these words are fulfilled again. 

It’s not a new thing for those preaching the word of God to be accused of unrighteousness and pride. Paul, Abinadi and our Lord, Jesus Christ, were all accused of being mad, blasphemous and possessed of devils. Search the record and you will see that those in the chief seats of organizations have always struggled with those not in authority sharing the word of God with them.

In today’s language they call those sharing the word of God from the scriptures as being deceived and mentally unstable. Because one chooses to honor God’s word they call them prideful. They insist that all men should bow to their words instead of God’s word. They praise those who bow to their words as humble and call those that hold up the word of God as prideful. 

The day of the Lord’s wrath and vengeance is descending upon us. I pray for those that are so wrapped up in false traditions and false beliefs that they are unwilling to receive the word of God and His servant, Joseph Smith Jr. directly to them as pure intelligence. If they can humble themselves before the Lord, He will give them eyes to see and ears to hear and they will have the power to repent and be healed. He will give them a new heart and mind and they will be able to penetrate the veil of unbelief. 

Paul was once Saul. His words bring hope to me and others that have once persecuted the righteous among us. He said,

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:12-15).

Remember, Saul was dedicated to the law that had developed over time from the law of Moses. It had been safeguarded and correlated by the Pharisees and expanded into the Mishnah. The oral tradition had perverted the law and the whole meaning of the law. Saul was zealous in defending this perversion of the law, even to the point of killing those that followed Jesus Christ. But, for his heart, Jesus had mercy upon him. He was willing to change when the Lord showed him he was kicking against the pricks. He was fighting against the Messiah, the One he thought he was fighting for. 

I pray for those persecuting the saints of God. I am forgiving those that have judged me wrongfully. I hope that they are as Saul, ignorantly sinning but believing they are on the Lord’s side. Time will tell. Truth will prevail. 

Jesus gave us some keys to knowing who is deceived in the last days. The Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 24 has these keys. I invite you to ponder and pray over His words. He will guide you as you go directly to Him, the God of light and truth.

The Portrait of a Prophet

As I’ve pondered the warning by John in the Book of the Revelation of a false prophet who will deceive the people with miracles, I’ve pondered the portrait or pattern of what a true prophet looks like. I want to make sure I’m recognizing true messengers from the Lord to help me as these days we live in continue through the tribulations and into the plagues and destruction prophesied of in scripture. 

Here’s a list of questions I think are helpful to consider:

How is the prophet called? 

Who calls him to be a prophet?

Is he called a prophet by his peers? 

Does he prophesy?

What is his message?

Why does he share the message?

Is his message well received or rejected?

Is his message from the Lord or from himself?

Does he testify he has seen the Lord, Jesus Christ or God, the Father?

Does he testify he has heard the voice of the Lord, Jesus Christ or of God, the Father?

Is he popular with the church of his day?

Is he killed for his witness or how does his life end?

Does he testify openly of angels ministering to him?

Here is a list of some of the prophets and holy men in scripture we can study:

Lehi

Many prophets in Jerusalem with Lehi

Nephi

Jacob

Enos

King Benjamin

Abinadi

Alma

Alma the younger

Nephi

Mormon

Moroni

Enoch

Noah

Melchizedek 

Abraham

Isaac

Jacob

Moses

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

John the Baptist

Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and King but His call and the way the people receive Him is profitable to us as well. 

Peter

Paul

Joseph Smith

I started this exercise with Lehi:

How is the prophet called? 

I don’t see a formal call as a prophet. He is shown things and then shares them. 

He has a series of visions. He thinks he saw God sitting on His throne. He sees One descending out of the midst of heaven who is brighter than the sun. Jesus gives him a book and asks him to read it. 

Who calls him to be a prophet?

I don’t see a formal calling, more a series of events and then he shares what the Lord reveals to him. 

Is he called a prophet by his peers? 

The Jews mock him and seek to take away his life. 

Does he prophesy?

Yes, he saw many things in visions and dreams which he prophesied unto his children and the people. He told them of their wickedness, abominations, that Jerusalem would be destroyed, that many would perish by the sword or be carried away captive into Babylon. He prophesies of the coming of a Messiah. 

What is his message?

He goes forth among the people and prophesies and declares unto them concerning the things he had seen and heard concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. 

Why does he share the message?

Is his message well received or rejected?

Is his message from the Lord or from himself?

Does he testify he has seen the Lord, Jesus Christ or God, the Father?

Does he testify he has heard the voice of the Lord, Jesus Christ or of God, the Father?

Is he popular with the church of his day? The Jews try to kill him. They cast him out.

Is he killed for his witness or how does his life end? He leaves before they can kill him. 

O Wretched Man That I Am!

I just finished watching, “I Can Only Imagine.” If you haven’t seen it, I’d highly recommend it to you. 

For me it led me to the dust again. I felt more deeply how wretched I truly am and how I am absolutely nothing without Jesus, my Lord, my God and my Redeemer and friend. 

These words came to my mind. Oh how I feel these words in my broken heart!

“Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.

24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 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.

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen” (2 Nephi 4:17-35).

How is it that Jesus can forgive me, a wretch? I don’t know how it is done. As I ask this, these great verses come to mind from Enos, “I said: Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole” (Enos 1:7-8). 

I don’t know exactly how Jesus buys us back with His blood, pain, agony and tears. All I know is He does. I have felt it again and again. Tonight as my heart is broken, I feel Him reaching down to me again in my depths of pain and sorrow, telling me, “Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen...wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.” 

I will love and praise Him forever and ever. Blessed be the name of Jesus! Only in Him is there peace and wholeness.

Righteousness

“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7).

I was studying this morning and came across this verse. It hit me that men exercise faith in God and yet we live in a day where a man exercising faith in God can still be accused of unrighteousness and others will believe them. Just as Isaiah prophesied, evil will be made to look good and good will be made to look evil. Great counsel from John above.

By the grace of Jesus Christ we can exercise faith in Him unto repentance and we can become who we came here to become. No one can take that away from us. They killed the Son of God but they could not take away who He was.