Obadiah 1:17 "But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions."
We know that the Lord will gather his people. Often we think of this as a very literal gathering and in part it will be but the Lord talked of all of his people. Every man, women, and child from every corner of the globe that has ever lived is a child of God. The simple fact is that almost all of them will have died long before the second coming of Christ. Many of them have never even heard the gospel or not really given a chance to accept it. What of these people, are they doomed because of their circumstances?
God did not say the faithful and extraordinarily lucky, he just said the faithful and those that come unto him and believe on his word. In the LDS church we believe that God has given us a solution to this problem. The temples where we perform work for the living and for those who have passed on. We believe it is up to them to accept it but we believe we have been commanded to give them the opportunity. God commanded that we all be baptized so we do baptisms for the dead by proxy. This way those who have passed on but wish to follow the Lord will be able to do so.
To some this may seem peculiar, but the house of the Lord is a house of order. To gather the living we use missionaries, to gather the dead we use temples. Temples serve a wonderful purpose, couples and families can attend the temple and be sealed for eternity not just for life. Once we have completed our own work we can return to the temple to seal our ancestors both to themselves and to us. It is a wonderful feeling knowing you can help reunite families and couples. This may sound strange but God loves his children and he will always have a way to provide for them. I know the spirit I feel in the temple, I know how strong that spirit is when I am performing work for those have passed. It is a wonderful truth and that is what makes it so special.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O bgrave, where is thy victory?The sting of adeath is sin; and the bstrength of sin is the law.But athanks be to God, which giveth us the bvictory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Friday, March 28, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
Daniel, King Darius, and the Lord (and yes of course the Lions) Daniel 6
Daniel was preferred by Darius above all others because "an excellent spirit was with him". As we know Darius was tricked by those presidents and priests who Daniel was preferred over to make a decree that would sentence Daniel to the lion's den. Despite his best efforts Darius was legally bound to carry out this decree. He showed faith in the Lord when he told Daniel that his God would deliver him. King Darius continued to fast and pray for Daniel all night as he remained captive in the Lion's den.
Daniel was of course spared through the night and Darius was able to take him out of the Lion's den. Those who schemed up the decree in the first place were sentenced and killed in the Lions den as were their families, which on a side note seems like a bit much but as was the times.
Darius later made a decree in which he referred to Daniel's God as the living God, as a God who delivereth, rescueth and worketh the wonders of the earth.
Having faith in the Lord does not go unnoticed. The Lord has demonstrated that he will provide for the faithful. It's not always in this manner but he always provides for those who are faithful and loyal.
Daniel Chapter 6
Daniel was of course spared through the night and Darius was able to take him out of the Lion's den. Those who schemed up the decree in the first place were sentenced and killed in the Lions den as were their families, which on a side note seems like a bit much but as was the times.
Darius later made a decree in which he referred to Daniel's God as the living God, as a God who delivereth, rescueth and worketh the wonders of the earth.
Having faith in the Lord does not go unnoticed. The Lord has demonstrated that he will provide for the faithful. It's not always in this manner but he always provides for those who are faithful and loyal.
Daniel Chapter 6
Saturday, March 15, 2014
What will happen to the Lost Tribes?
We are often told that the Lost Tribes of Israel will be gathered. What does that mean? What else is in store for those that have been scattered to the far reaches of the Earth?
"O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity;" - Jeremiah 46:27
We know that they will be gathered and we also know that they will be saved from their captivity. In this day in age very few know who they are and are completely captive to their ignorance. God will save them from this and he will do much more.
"17 ¶Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath abroken his bones.
18 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.
19 And I will abring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20 In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will apardon them whom I reserve." -Jeremiah 50:17-20
As we can see these lost sheep have been through a lot. They have been beaten and broken but the Lord has not forgotten them. He will seek justice for their persecutors and he will pardon and reward those who have suffered.
Christ will plead their case just as he pleads for the souls of all men whom he died on the cross for. Salvation will be sought for the lost tribes. Those who have held them captive will be forced to let them go and the Lord will gather them just as he has promised.
"O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity;" - Jeremiah 46:27
We know that they will be gathered and we also know that they will be saved from their captivity. In this day in age very few know who they are and are completely captive to their ignorance. God will save them from this and he will do much more.
"17 ¶Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath abroken his bones.
18 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.
19 And I will abring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20 In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will apardon them whom I reserve." -Jeremiah 50:17-20
As we can see these lost sheep have been through a lot. They have been beaten and broken but the Lord has not forgotten them. He will seek justice for their persecutors and he will pardon and reward those who have suffered.
Christ will plead their case just as he pleads for the souls of all men whom he died on the cross for. Salvation will be sought for the lost tribes. Those who have held them captive will be forced to let them go and the Lord will gather them just as he has promised.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Hope For Those in Sin Jeremiah 29-30
It is hard to forgive ourselves, and it is difficult to ask the Lord for forgiveness when we are so ashamed of our actions. The first thing to remember is that the Lord already knows our mistakes and loves us in spight of them. In Jeremiah 29 the Lord promises that he will carry us from captivity (of sin) and back to where we were before we were driven away by the Lord because of our wickedness. When we sin we cannot be in his presence (spiritually and physically) and as a result we feel deep sorry and confusion.
All we have to do is change our ways and search for him. He will find us and he will save us.
We live in an imperfect world. Our world must be managed by the rulers of man in order to keep order and peace. As we all know men can only rule men so well, especially when men cannot seem to rule themselves. Because of our own imperfections mortal rulers are necessary to rule mortal affairs.
Our true King is Jesus Christ who will stand for truth for eternity. When we fall into sin, or we are tempted to go down the road of the world we must remember that Jesus Christ is the one we will ultimately have to face. He has shown us the path and only he can deliver us from death. We may think our mistakes are too big, we may feel the temptations of the world are too great but they are temporary. Christ will rule in benevolence forever and has already saved us from our sins if we will just follow him.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Stop It! Isaiah 58
As you may know The Old Testament blog that I write each week is part of an assignment in a college course which I am currently taking. The blog posts are written by me but structured around a specific prompt. This week is a little bit different. The LDS Church just released a ten minute video against bullying and it is probably the most powerful message on the subject that I have ever heard. I will still be completing my assignment as usual but I felt it was important that I tie this weeks blog into this very important topic.
If you haven't been bullied as you watch the video think about how you would feel if you were in the girl's shoes. For those who feel trapped by bullying try to see how foolish the bully's really are. See past the fear and understand that there are people who love you and that the Lord will always love you.
"Then shall thy light break forth as the morning," Isaiah 58:8 Is a promise to those who follow the Lord. It is easy to feel alone when you are the subject of bullying and it is difficult to see the other side. The Lord promises that when you call he will answer. The Lord is always there for those who need him.
What about those who are not bullied themselves but have the courage to stand up for those who are, those who choose not to participate, those who stand on the right side regardless of the social consequences? In verse ten they are promised this.
"And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and they darkness be as the noonday:"
Again we see that the Lord will be with you too.
The Lord speaks to the bully's as well
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Corinthians 2:14
The Spirit of God is not with those who find cheap entertainment at the expense of another. These are God's children. Only he truly knows them, he knows their potential and you (the bully) know nothing. Not only are you destroying your own value as a person and a child of God but you are attempting to do the same to someone else.
I was fairly blessed during high school. I had a great group of friends and tried my best to stay on the right path. We protected each other and I feel like I had a pretty good experience. There were a few ugly incidences though, like the time I returned from my freshmen gym class to find that someone had jammed my backpack into a school toilet.
It was much worse before high school. I was made fun of, I had stuff stolen, and constantly given ugly looks just to see how I would react. I was too skinny, my grades were too good and I was an easy target. As I've grown up I have been able to overcome a lot of that and have found that maturity allows people to appreciate those who don't play football.(i.e. fit in with the popular crowd) Looking back, I pity those people. Those that bullied me turned out to not really be that cool in the adult world. I wish them well. They are children of God too and to be honest who hasn't been a bully to somebody. I think it is important to not only stop bullying for the sake of the bullied but also for the sake of the bully.
If you haven't been bullied as you watch the video think about how you would feel if you were in the girl's shoes. For those who feel trapped by bullying try to see how foolish the bully's really are. See past the fear and understand that there are people who love you and that the Lord will always love you.
"Then shall thy light break forth as the morning," Isaiah 58:8 Is a promise to those who follow the Lord. It is easy to feel alone when you are the subject of bullying and it is difficult to see the other side. The Lord promises that when you call he will answer. The Lord is always there for those who need him.
What about those who are not bullied themselves but have the courage to stand up for those who are, those who choose not to participate, those who stand on the right side regardless of the social consequences? In verse ten they are promised this.
"And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and they darkness be as the noonday:"
Again we see that the Lord will be with you too.
The Lord speaks to the bully's as well
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Corinthians 2:14
The Spirit of God is not with those who find cheap entertainment at the expense of another. These are God's children. Only he truly knows them, he knows their potential and you (the bully) know nothing. Not only are you destroying your own value as a person and a child of God but you are attempting to do the same to someone else.
I was fairly blessed during high school. I had a great group of friends and tried my best to stay on the right path. We protected each other and I feel like I had a pretty good experience. There were a few ugly incidences though, like the time I returned from my freshmen gym class to find that someone had jammed my backpack into a school toilet.
It was much worse before high school. I was made fun of, I had stuff stolen, and constantly given ugly looks just to see how I would react. I was too skinny, my grades were too good and I was an easy target. As I've grown up I have been able to overcome a lot of that and have found that maturity allows people to appreciate those who don't play football.(i.e. fit in with the popular crowd) Looking back, I pity those people. Those that bullied me turned out to not really be that cool in the adult world. I wish them well. They are children of God too and to be honest who hasn't been a bully to somebody. I think it is important to not only stop bullying for the sake of the bullied but also for the sake of the bully.
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