God's Words Are Not Perishable

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." ~Matthew 24:35 NKJV

I have often heard, throughout the last five years or so, that modern revelation trumps ancient revelation. That, in the case of contradiction, current leaders' words carry a greater weight of God's authority. A phrase commonly taken out of context to support that teaching is from Doctrine and Covenants 1:38: 

". .  . whether by my own voice, or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." 

That fragment has long since passed the point of cliché in its use to imbue men's words with God's power.

The verse in Matthew gives us an important key: God's words are not perishable. They have no expiration date. 

The commonly-omitted bulk of D&C 1:38 agrees:

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

In this verse God refers to what He has already spoken; what His servants had already proclaimed which the early saints had in scripture. The Lord's words not only won't expire--a date after which they suddenly are no longer good, after which we are no longer required to obey them, after which they are no longer Truth--but they "shall all be fulfilled". ALL. 

The declarations of the Living God are eternal--and we must handle them with care, for our very salvation hangs upon them. 

"And if he says something that contradicts what is found in the standard works (I think that is why we call them "standard"—it is the standard measure of all that men teach), you may know by that same token that it is false; regardless of the position of the man who says it."

(Apostle Harold B. Lee, "The Place of the Living Prophet, Seer, and Revelator," Address to Seminary and Institute of Religion Faculty, BYU, 8 July 1964)

Up until five years ago, that is what I was taught. That is one of the recurring themes of the Old Testament, as well. 

I have heard some jaw-dropping interpretations of scripture offered in order to wrest from them agreement to modern statements. I'm not a silver-headed gospel scholar, but I most certainly can read, and have read, the scriptures for myself, and am capable of understanding what they say in plain language. English has been my study for more than two decades now, and the interpretations currently presented simply do not have the grammatical support of the language in which they are written. 

"Nevertheless, through you [Joseph Smith] shall the oracles [scriptures] be given to another, yea, even unto the church.

And all they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow, and the rains descend, and beat upon their house." ~D&C 90:4-5

Today is the day of descendant storm. The wind howls, rain beats, and the violence thereof has made itself amply manifest in my life. Our God is not a God of storms, but of shelter. He is the God Who Hears, and the God Who Heals. It is not He who sends the tempest, but the enemy of our souls. And it is in agreement with the Word of the Living God that we find rest. That I have found rest, when the words of men--earnest and well-intentioned though they were--failed me.

Don't repeat my damning mistake. Take God at His Word. 

His unchanging, eternal, and sure-foundationed Word. 

Father in Heaven, thank You. Thank You for Your constancy, Your faithfulness, Your patience and Your unending mercy, grace, and forgiving love. I rejoice in Your unchanging nature, and that You look upon all flesh equally--that every one of Your children have the same opportunity to approach You, to receive the bounty You offer ALL who come unto You in repentant humility. God, You are WONDERFUL! And I will rest my soul in the shelter of Your Truth, and stand unshaken upon Your Rock. In Jesus' name, amen!

Feeling Worn?

I can't tell you the number of times I've listened to people talk about the ideas and thoughts that pop into their heads, and that are wonderful things, or beautiful promises, that apply directly to their circumstance, to their recent prayers . . . but they dismiss it as their own thoughts, even while their hearts are breaking because they don't feel they ever hear God.

That is unbelief.

I lived there for a long, long time (like two decades), so I feel like I can speak with some authority. ;o)

If it's GOOD, it is of God. Jesus said so (through Mormon), and I believe Him.

Moroni, recording what his father Mormon preached, wrote:

Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. ~Moroni 7:12-13

This song came on Spotify today as I was listening, and it became my prayer . . . it was my heart's cry yesterday, and today, as I took these words for my own and sent them heavenward, Jesus answered. With an outpouring of love and warmth and the familiar wonder of His presence, I heard in my mind and heart, infused with the unmistakable feel of His smile: "That's what I'm for, beloved. That's why I AM."

Here am I, Lord.

Reading something tonight about the last days opened my mind to be taught something really profound. All of these things could happen without great fanfare. We can be working on being diligent and receiving more light and knowledge, and go on to receive the Comforters . . . and even after all of that, we'll still feel like ourselves. We'll still have weaknesses, these thorns in the flesh, and Jesus will take the willingness of our hearts, the sacrifices we've made, and our repentant hearts that beat within these fleshy, marred veils, and use us to do service for Him beyond anything we could ever imagine.

Lord, I am so imperfect. So flawed. But . . . I love You.

Here am I.

Send me.

He Will Strengthen and Bless

"In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation." ~1 Peter 5:10 NLT

This pattern has held true in my life . . . and let me just say: the restoration, support, strength and surety He gives absolutely dwarfs into insignificance any suffering I have ever done. 

He is faithful. Always!

Nourish It a Little Longer

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." ~2 Peter 3:9 NASB

"But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a little longer. And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard." ~The Allegory of the Olive Tree, Jacob 5:50-51

He is faithful, and merciful. And I'm so, so glad for the time offered to us to repent and seek Him, and to love one another. He is long-suffering . . . NEVER giving up on any of us. 

Father, thank You for Your patience with the human family, born of Your incredible love for us. Fill us all with Your love and Your patience so we might learn more of Your ways, and offer grace to those around us, freely and joyously. In Jesus' name, amen. :-)

In *This* There Is Safety and Peace

"Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]." ~James 5:16 AMP

Communal safety that allows each member the freedom to learn from their mistakes, rather than be shunned for them. Honesty that allows the human mind to understand and gain experience. Righteous prayer, offered for one another, that calls down tremendous power from Heaven to work miracles. 

Oh, how we ALL need these things. As long as we fear, we are bound and gagged, damned by our utter lack of faith. As long as we condemn each other, we damn ourselves. 

Sin should not shock us. It should rouse our compassion, our heartbreak. But it should not frighten us away. Our God is mighty to save, and when we walk with Him, we walk in the assurance He is with us and can (and will!) fill us with His love so hurts can be healed, sins remitted, lives changed, souls saved.

Father, teach me to be ever more aware of Your presence, and always inviting Your input. Teach me more and more to pray, and increase my knowledge and my faith so I might be an instrument to bless, an agent to heal, and a voice to praise You always. :-) In Your name, Amen!

Keep me humble, Lord.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." ~Psalms 139:23-24 KJV

When I first posted this passage a couple days ago, I was coming from a place of wanting, more than anything, to know my own weaknesses. I no longer want to live in that comfortable place of thinking everyone's Sunday Best is their everyday life, and that I'm doing just fine. I no longer want to be blind to my own shortcomings . . . I want to see as I am seen, to know more than the life I live inside my own head, but to understand the experiences of others, too. 

God heard. And answered. I wish I could explain it, because it's beautiful. All I can do is urge you to do the same: to plead with our Lord to teach and guide you to what you need to know so you can serve Him better. :-)

Lord, I love you so much!!! Thank You for the amazing things You keep doing in my life, and I thank You for the miracle worker and rich blesser You are. I will praise and bless Your holy name forever. Amen!!!

Perfect Love

"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." ~1 John 4:18 NLT

When we truly do receive the outpouring of the Love of Jesus Christ, fear loses its grip, its power over us. Because we know. We know who He is, and we KNOW we can trust Him. Totally. 

If you still operate in fear . . . if fear holds sway in your decisions, relationships, or anywhere else in your life, seek this Jesus. Seek Him and He will be found. Of this I testify. 

He will be found. 

And you will know. 

And you will learn, all at once and then incrementally*, how to walk in faith. 

(*That sounds like a contradiction, but it's not. You'll see. ;-) ) 

Love Heals

"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." ~Luke 6:27

Yes, Lord! This is my prayer: that You will fill my heart with love for all of Your children, regardless of who they are or what they have done . . . to me or anyone else. Show me what You would have me do, what You would have me say, so Your love can be felt. For You are Jehovah Rapha . . . the God Our Healer. And I rejoice in Your Name! :-)

Yahweh: My God

"O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.

Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely."

 ~Psalms 63:1, 3-5, 7, 8 NLT

I love King David's praises. He sings to Yahweh as one who is familiar with Him, as well as one who worships and serves Him. 

The love of God for us is such a full, rich, many-faceted thing. It is splendid, glorious, fiery, comforting, cleansing, world-changing and beautiful beyond description. 

When you have known the overwhelming love of God, the Psalms make perfect sense, and your soul sings. 

Lord of Lords, King of Kings, You are MY King, and I not only will proclaim Your name, but gladly and joyfully claim it as well. I love You, because You first loved me . . . You taught me what love actually is, and showed me the power of what it does. Pour Your love out upon Your people, wherever they are. Pour Your love out upon their friends, family and associates. Make waves of Your love to wash into and over us all, that we can once again know You, and chose to seek the Lamb before You come again in judgement as the Lion. Thank You, Lord. Thank You.