Reflecting pool

This last weekend was tough. There was cause for a lot of reflection as I was let go from my old job of eight years. As I reflected on the experience there was tears and comfort from the Spirit. As I was praying on what I should do (panicking) I was told by the Spirit that I should be still and know that my Heavenly Father has got this and has had it from the foundation of man. He knew that this was coming and that the experience would be to my benefit. But... enough about me.

This week we got the chance to study Ezekiel and the experience that he had with the Saints of ancient days. There was one particular experience that he had where he was crying repentance to the people and they just would not listen. Famine, pestilence, war and death threatened them all because they were so casual with their faith and to familiar with strange gods (I know its the Nephite cycle). They were doomed to have the scattering prophecy occur sooner than they thought.

During this time there was one experience where the prophet was able to get the waters to rise just by constantly dipping into it. This caused the Saints of those days to reflect on what was going on and who was in change. This caused me to reflect. What do we do to reflect on the success and failure that we have done for our Father in keeping his commandments? Are we so relaxed with our faith that we fail to see the constant flax cords that attempt to pull us away from those things that would be deemed holy?

In some of the early days of the Saints, we were asked to keep a journal and that was supposed to be our reflection pool so that we could look at ourselves as we were and once was. When I turned over my company phone, I failed to realize that this was the way that I was keeping a journal (silly me) so now I find that those photos and words of reflection are gone and its time to start over. The chapter that I am starting is such that I don’t know where I am going but I look forward to where it will land. I have God before me and behind me; to my left and to my right. If anything this will be a short chapter and I will be back to my old self with a new perspective. I have to say that this has been the most invigorating experience that I can ever say that I have had (and I have had brain surgery... eight times). This is my second firing from a job and this time (unlike the first) will have the Lord as a companion to the experience. I will not be alone. I'm so excited.

Reflection Pool

This last weekend was tough. There was cause for a lot of reflection as I was let go from my old job of eight years. As I reflected on the experience there was tears and comfort from the Spirit. As I was praying on what I should do (panicking) I was told by the Spirit that I should be still and know that my Heavenly Father has got this and has had it from the foundation of man. He knew that this was coming and that the experience would be to my benefit. But... enough about me.

This week we got the chance to study Ezekiel and the experience that he had with the Saints of ancient days. There was one particular experience that he had where he was crying repentance to the people and they just would not listen. Famine, pestilence, war and death threatened them all because they were so casual with their faith and to familiar with strange gods (I know its the Nephite cycle). They were doomed to have the scattering prophecy occur sooner than they thought.

During this time there was one experience where the prophet was able to get the waters to rise just by constantly dipping into it. This caused the Saints of those days to reflect on what was going on and who was in change. This caused me to reflect. What do we do to reflect on the success and failure that we have done for our Father in keeping his commandments? Are we so relaxed with our faith that we fail to see the constant flax cords that attempt to pull us away from those things that would be deemed holy?

In some of the early days of the Saints, we were asked to keep a journal and that was supposed to be our reflection pool so that we could look at ourselves as we were and once was. When I turned over my company phone, I failed to realize that this was the way that I was keeping a journal (silly me) so now I find that those photos and words of reflection are gone and its time to start over. The chapter that I am starting is such that I don’t know where I am going but I look forward to where it will land. I have God before me and behind me; to my left and to my right. If anything this will be a short chapter and I will be back to my old self with a new perspective. I have to say that this has been the most invigorating experience that I can ever say that I have had (and I have had brain surgery... eight times). This is my second firing from a job and this time (unlike the first) will have the Lord as a companion to the experience. I will not be alone. I'm so excited.

P.S. For those accustom to me posting an image, I apologize. I was going to use the Lincoln Memorial reflection pool but the image would not come up. Image I wanted is here.

I want to be like Alma II

When I was a child I thought that being the translated Alma must have been awesome. Here this guy was that had converted thousands and seen angels and finally when his life was over was translated and given the chance to be with the Lord. I had forgotten that this man had been through his own Gethsemane. He had to go through a change that I cannot fathom.

Alma grew up under a father who was on the run from a tumultuous king who thrived on women wealth and perhaps the death of those that opposed him. When the government was openly attacked after his father had left with him and his family, the king’s priests through rape victims, gained the trust of the Lamanites. Some years later found Alma and his family and I supposed that the young Alma II who had only known the gospel and running was quite relieved of the chance to stop running. Satan had a good hold of those wicked priests and had taught them a thing or two about seducing children and Alma II bought into their narrative hook, line and sinker.

Some years later when they all escape the turmoil, Alma II hooks up with some roughnecks who are the king’s sons. Finally he thinks he has freedom.  I can’t blame him. For years he had been taught to pray in his heart for fear of death by Noah’s priests and their legion of dark bare skin warriors. He turned to the gods of the Lamanites over the God of his father. 

Today I had the opportunity to talk about Israel and the prophet Hosea. It seems that Israel is so easily seduced by the coolness when it offers relief from pain and suffering and as much as we hear our parents tell us no we fail to listen to their warning. We become like Gomer (Hosea’s wife) or Alma II and think that we are going to be ok because either we believe that God will not punish us because we are the chosen ones of Abraham or that beat us with only a few stripes and tell us to go on our way. Some of the saints here in Medford OR tell a different story. They remind us that God doesn’t change and that should you be drowning in your own gull of bitterness, it is you that needs to call out and reach out to the Lord because you have turned your back on Him and not the other way around. 

When Alma II went though his change he was like many other prophets that have that experience that asks them to be a man over a childish destroyer. Alma II was shown his own personal hell. The scriptures say that for days he was in that gull and it took three days before he either believed what he was calling out to or that he was eager finally to be something better. The sons of Mosiah didn’t need that but apparently he did. Jonah went through it when he was in the belly of the whale so I am not surprised when someone is in a coma for three days suffering his own guilt and anguish. 

I love the Living Scriptures depiction of what he went through after as he attempted to convert those that he had seduced away from the church. It was not enough to say that he had repented until he had attempted to restore the faith of those that he had convinced to turn from their God. He had to go through more pain of rejection and it didn’t end there because later in his life he would go with the sons of Mosiah and attempt to convert the Lamanites for the next fourteen years risking life and limb so that someone could hear the word of the Lord. 

Times like those I stop my envy of the prophet and reflect inward on the things that I have done in my life. Have I converted the righteous to wickedness through my actions or lack of action? Have I been a good husband and father to my family and attempted to bring them closer to God as Alma attempted for his son (and perhaps whole family). Have I hidden my sins? Have I gone through a Gethsemane as Jesus has so that I could progress to my next level? Am I ready for my cross? Could I die for my religion or convictions? 

I am not sure that I am ready for such commitment. Sure as Gomer hit rock bottom in her life, so have I (I think) but I am as young Alma II climbing back up so that I can come to God with clean hands and a smile on my face. I look forward to my Father saying that I have done well and that he is well pleased with what I have done. I hope that no man’s blood is on me because of what I neglected to do or from the things I showed a lack of remorse for. 

My time will come one day and I am glad that Heavenly Father continues to show his mercy and miracles to me so that I can testify that He lives and so does His Son. I may have never beheld their faces but I don’t have to, to know that they live.  I am a son of God the Eternal Father and have been reborn though Christ my Savior. Could I ask for anything more? That is the greatest knowledge I could ever know or share. My life, as hard as it is, is awesome.

Image comes from Living Scriptures

Morning Prayer

I am starting to get what prayer is about. For the longest time it was a Santa Clause thing for me. "Oh Lord this is hard please take it away. See ya! Amen." or "I want...uh... um.... blah blah blah. Thanks Santa er.... Lord."

Hopefully I have repented of that behavior enough that I realize that it's time to talk to my creator, my father; now days we discuss things. It takes a bit of time to get in that level of communication at first. I spent a long time on my knees because I heard nothing. So I listened at first for what seemed like tens of minutes, then minutes and now its seconds where I can hear His voice. Awesome! Now this doesn't stop him being my Father but its nice to hear his voice chastise or not. I like to hear his voice give me praise for my work and council for where I could improve.

I can see clearly why He wants us to take our souls serious and why he asks to talk to us in the morning and the evening. How else can he peal us away from our thoughts, the kids, our spouse, job, friends, debts etc.

You know sometimes He asks me "How you doing?" I am certain that an all knowing God knows but despite that he wants to hear it from you. You are important to Him. The more serious stuff he brings up occasionally but generally I bring it up when it is getting to me. I generally feel good but there are times where I as people in the past and in other places fear for the welfare of my soul. Times like that I need to talk to him and not just casually but seriously. Enos of the Book of Mormon went through that (perhaps a lot) and his experience teaches me to hang in there, listen, and do what he has told me to do since, well, forever.

God is no respecter of persons and that means that he has no favorites. While some would think that Jesus is his absolute favorite. I would disagree, He is His most obedient; that doesn't change how he feels about little ole me. I may not be THE Son of God but I am a son (though at times like the prodigal son I feel that I would be better off as a servant). I have the makings of greatness. It's not my genes that say that but the Man upstairs who says.Some of us at times squander the gifts that we are given like the prodigal son and we party here on earth (though it doesn't show much with all the day to day living) but we do not do what is needed to edify and glorify God and then we get on our knees and He says:"How was it?" We have no excuse we, like teenagers who have the keys to dad’s car can't (or will not) explain why it was not more fulfilling. Which reminds me of my earlier post about being immortal; what would we do without an accountability of what we did? That’s one of the key reasons why I pray; to say what I did with my life this day.

I know that most of us will not remember what I write but I put it out there for your consideration and thought. Pray often and be mindful of the Spirit. Have a blessed day.

Image is located at Grace University

Israel and Palestine

Like two brothers Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Ruben and Joseph, these two nations are forever going to be haters of each other. Not because they are related but they believe that they are right. But I digress, this discussion is not about the two bickering brothers; I am going to discuss a love story.

The story of Hosea and Gomer is a weird one. See the story goes Hosea is told by the Lord that he is to marry a hooker to make his personal life a similitude to what is going to happen to Israel. All the time that the story goes on we learn that the woman goes back to her old ways and old lovers and says that everything that Hosea has given her (or the world has given her) was always from the lovers and not from the Prophet or God who married her in the first place.

Over time the man has to leave is wife to her own devices and for the longest time she feels abandoned. Then when she is at her lowest, mind you she is still married, he pulls her out.

Now this is a reflection of what is going to happen to God's children, but it seems to me that this story has happened over and over and we have been left to a physical wilderness over and over. Each time we repented and returned to god. Now to tie this all back to the first paragraph. We have wondered from God in a lot of ways, I speak for Christians and Americans. Where is the wilderness now that we need it the most?

I read the story over and over. The prophet who represented God left his wife to her own devices. Our country has been turning to their false gods and strange lovers, claiming that they have given our wealth and power. The god of Israel is no longer part of our main stream but a secret underground movement. I just hope that we can turn around in time. Perhaps we need to lose the very thing that we love before we truly turn back. Time will tell if we will be like Gomer and lose everything before we turn back, becoming naked slaves embarrassed and ashamed like a dirty rotten whores before God.

Melchizedek and Benjamin

Today I just wanted to take some time to talk about the righteous prophet kings of Israel. For most the most part, being a prophet king has got to be taxing. Even Alma who came later then Benjamin, sure he was not a king but he was a government leader (a chief judge) and he had troubles leading the people and the church because of wickedness. Now I do not know of the condition of the Israelites during Melchizedek's reign but I have read Benjamin's account and you watch as he asks the people to step up and be men and women who love and embrace Christ.

If Benjamin's story was similar to Melchizedek's then to be known as the Prince of Peace meant that he had to really work on the people’s righteousness. There had to be meeting with the people on a daily basis and like Benjamin a lot of public speaking. It is no wonder that someone like Abraham and Mosiah came out of such kingdoms with the spirit burning in their souls and a strong desire to follow Christ that lasted for many generations.

I know that there has been other kings mentioned in the scriptures but they were not prophets (as far as my memory serves) and because of that may of got in some trouble because they were not the mouth piece of God. They had the prophet close but like the Holy Ghost drew close or away based on personal decisions. I know that you are all thinking about David and Salomon but I want to remind you that there were other kings and princes that are not mentioned or briefly mentioned in the scriptures that had access to the prophet and didn't take it.

There has been conquering governments that had Israel in it and they have succeeded because of the righteousness of the king, for example Egypt and Babylon had success because of a righteous people living in the land. The moment that the people left or more importantly righteousness left the government failed. The same is true in the Book of Mormon where people just fell from grace and turn their faces away from the Lord and war, pestilence and famine destroyed a once delight-some people.

Though we do not have a prophet king in our mist, let us look to the example of the children of Israel and be a righteous and delight-some people by doing the basics; praying, reading the scriptures, repenting and partaking of the sacrament.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lesson 4: Abraham

Abraham was a convert to the church or at least came from a partly active family. Really? Sure. Just look at the facts, his father worshiped other gods (nothing about mother) but some how his family was able to keep the faith. Others in his family were church members (Lot for example) so it goes to say that the link of the religion of Noah had kept something. I wonder how the church survived in that length of time. Certainly during that time there were prophets and possibly apostles, high priests, priests, teachers and deacons, but I believe that it was a hard time. King Melchizedek was lord of the land at the time and was known as the prince of peace and Abraham served him as a military leader and had money and power. So how does a man who has it all and could of followed in his father steps followed the lord. I am reminded of kings in the Book of Mormon who also had power and money followed the Lord as well. King Melchizedek followed possibly the example of Enoch who was king of a city also and that city went to heaven so to follow that example would be as awesome. What a legacy.
Now getting back to Abraham. Here was a man who followed the Lord and honored his king and obeyed the laws of God. Who married his wife (one of three wives that he would have in his life) and hoped for more children only to have one from his first and perhaps his most beloved wife Sarai (later called Sarah by the Lord for her righteousness). What a memorable man who would do anything to be obedient even risk the life of his only son Isaac for the Lord. The man went on some long journeys, married his wife's handmaiden and bore a son who also would become the father of many nations like Isaac, Ishmael.
The one thing that I want to know is what the prophet Abraham did as the prophet of God and what he taught the Hebrew people. Surely he was not a righteous man unto himself but had to teach and uplift the Hebrews to be the people of God. There are so many things that I would like to learn about him.

Noah and the Ark

There was a day in the past were my wife once made mention of a theory of multiple Arks. "After all", she said, "how else could there be so many animals in so many unique locations. Why would people be of different ethnicity across the world in different locations unless they were placed there?" Now she didn't have an explanation of Australia but she made sense. Then again Noah had no other children and if there were 4 arks (Noah and three sons) so he could have done Australia.

Noah was asked to do a hard thing. When we look at the city of Enoch and the people who left the earth leaving one man and his family behind, I am certain that there was moments where Noah was jealous of his cousin that got to take a city to heaven while he was left with the responsibility to save the world. He, who knew Christ, recognized that he was being a Messiah of the world by saving the creation of the Almighty. Noah understood the roll of the Savior when he fulfilled the roll and saved his sons and their wives. He also learned what it was like to be a Shepard of the creation of God and understood the roll that Adam of whom he had never seen.

I do not know if Noah had seen all the Earth or that the Arks were conjoined but I am certain that it was quite an adventure for such a man.

Now in Noah's moments of history he had a moment of weakness and got wasted with what the scriptures say was strong drink, got naked and who knows what he did. None the less his boys were looking out for their dad and got him to sober up and finish the task that God had asked him to do. I am certain that the roll of prophet is a tough one and that each man who as been asked to take the mantle of such a roll has had to find comfort in the Lord in one form or another. Countless stories in the scriptures show the persecution of the prophets such as Nephi and Jonah. Pore old Noah had to face the world teaching repentance while building a boat in your front yard. Now like I said if Noah made more than one boat then there would be 4 boats in his yard. Such a guy would not get much respect and perhaps would be mocked and attacked for teaching repentance. Who knows? At any rate, I wanted to honor Noah to day the earthy messiah.