Thursday, April 5, 2012

The Red Ball and Chocolate

I have been impressed by the spirit to write about sin. So let’s get to the meat of my thought.

Sin cannot be undone. There is no magical carpet that teleports you back to the point in history to stop a transgression or sin. The memory will always be there. It is like a red ball or the taste of chocolate. Everyone has seen a red ball and can recall its dimensions and texture from memory. Everyone salivates over the thought of a great piece of chocolate. These are good memories.

Sin is the same in that it can be vividly recalled if you let it. The events of it can play over and over in you mind if you let it. It cannot be undone but it can be forgotten. Some people talk about how the Lord when forgiving the sins of men remembers them no more. Such gift is extended to the repentant. Though the memory is still there somewhere deep in the brain, the Lord, because of his mercy has caused it to become cloudy and almost non-existent.

So how do we get there? There are some key thoughts on the subject.

Change your mind. The scripture says For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.. I might be paraphrasing. None the less, the Natural Man craves sin; an empty outward expression to fill the inside; bigger cars, depravity, immorality etc. They cannot get away from it because they have not changed their mind; their course in life. Their desire for chocolate or to see the red ball out weighs their desire to be good or do better and the course that God lays out for him disrupts his life and becomes uncomfortable.

So how do we fix it? If we are serious to change our course we need to set a new course. Like a captain of a ship, wishful thinking doesn't change the course. You need to look at what worked before and stick to it. If it was a compass and charts you would not hesitate to look at them or are you so seduced by the coolness that you cannot stay on course for long. I know that it is hard to stay the course sometimes because we have been on the path of destruction for so long that we forgot what the correct path even looks like but when you are stuck like that you need help. The lord works in mysterious ways; through his angels he visits us. Bishops, home teachers, and plain friends at church can change that course. Not only that but a written course helps us. The scriptures, pamphlets and talks by modern day prophets give us key words and thoughts to live by.

Some think that 'once you go down the path of the dark side, forever will it control your destiny' and that would be true if there was not repentance and a remission of sin/transgression. Satan would love to have you believe that. That the taste of chocolate will control what you do in the future but I am here to tell you that God is in charge and you can change the course that you are on with him at the helm. If you have a problem, change it with all the resources that God has put at your disposal. [You] can do all things through Christ which [strengthens you] (Philippians 4:13). Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance because you think that you automatically doomed to a life of sin, change it.

Satan will work dang hard to get you back but if you stay true to the course you can return back to him that gave you life.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


Image provided by backerella.com.

Test of Faith

Today I got a piece from Wisconsin via youtube from a brother who is a fan(?) of my rants. He wanted to share a great piece of cinema that his ward had put together concerning the Strength of Youth pamphlet that is quite common in our church. What a clever display of encouragement and great twist in the end. I would encourage those that want to see a great short for both entertainment and for encouragement to play this at home for young children (this would be a great FHE video for the family and a great teaching tool. Thank you Brother McKnight for sharing.