Giving Thanks

This Autumn season brings with it cooler air and beautiful Fall colors for us to enjoy.  The sun is setting earlier each night and up in the Heavens, Sirius, Orion and the Pleiades have returned.  Early each morning Venus is brightly rising in the East, while Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are blessing the evening skies.  We were surprised this morning to find our yard covered in snow.

This harvest season is waning and soon the Christmas music will begin playing on the radio.  Over the next few months, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It's that time of year when people find it easier to share their kindness with fellow travelers to the grave.    

Am I charitable?  What's in it for me?  Why do people share of their abundance, with strangers?  What is the driving force that motivates people to serve the less fortunate at soup kitchens, food banks, and missions?  

The motivation comes from within and is commonly known as charity.  Whatever you call this action of providing loving service, we need more of it!  Jesus is a big proponent of charity.  He is big on the doing more, and saying less (not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written).

I think most of us are stuck in the "saying more and doing less" category.  We say our prayers and are very good at reciting our usual list of the many, many things that we are thankful for.  

What are we doing to show our thanks?  Are we truly "giving" thanks?  Who are we serving?  Where are the widows and the fatherless, the sick and afflicted, the prisoners and the homeless?  Let us prayerfully search them out.  They are here among us in abundance.  Who will we be serving this holiday season or any season?   

  And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.   from verse twenty:   https://scriptures.info/scriptures/tc/section/82   

Luke 17:  11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

John 6:  11 Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted

James 1:  27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

How do we keep ourselves unspotted from the world?  by serving the less fortunate, by being charitable, kind, loving, and patient.

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Jesus is the Way

Jesus is no respecter of persons!  This means that His love and acceptance is available to everyone.  Jesus loves the bad and the good.  He loves the wise and the less wise.  He loves all of the people living on this fallen planet of ours, even politicians.  Jesus loves you, no matter what you think of Him.  He loves you, even if you don't attend church.  He loves gay people and straight people and everyone in between.  He loves people of every size, color and station, rich and poor alike.  Jesus loves sinners, which description includes each of us, as we all fall short, we all miss the mark.  He loves you, even if you are unable to love yourself.

The mistakes we have made in the past don't really matter, as long as we turn to Him now.  His doctrine is simple, "Turn your life towards Me, learn of My ways, and live a life of devotion to Me".

Search His sermons, this is what He is saying: "Draw Near Unto Me", "Follow Me", "Get Baptized in My Name", and "Follow My Example".  "My Grace is Sufficient for You".  "Learn of Me and Listen to My Words".  "Live your Life, the way I Live: Patient, Kind, and Long Suffering".  "Be Charitable".  "Give Thanks", "Praise God".

In the tenth chapter of Acts, Peter learned of these truths to his astonishment: First, Jesus loves everyone.  Second, Jesus desires for all of His children to return to Him.  Third, Jesus will accept all of those who follow His invitation to "Draw near unto Him".    .  

In this scripture, a group of people, who were considered outsiders, were accepted of God, because of their faith in Him.  This group of believers received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, prior to their Baptism in water!  The Holy Ghost they received has been described as a Spiritual Baptism, and is also known as the "Baptism of Fire"  This Baptism of Fire, is the Gift that each of us want to receive!  It's also an important step along the path of becoming Holy and walking with God.

 

Acts chapter Ten:

And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a Tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.

Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

But in every nation he that feareth (reverence) Him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him.  

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Wine with the Savior

 A few years ago, I read the following scripture and realized that Jesus enjoys sharing the Sacrament, including wine, with those whom the Father hath given Him.  Who are these people that have been given to Jesus from the Father?  They are the true followers of Jesus, "those who, according to Lecture Sixth, found in the Lectures on Faith, have made a covenant with Him, by their sacrifice".  What did they sacrifice to Him?  They continually sacrifice their personal will to His, exactly the same process Jesus followed as He continually sacrificed his personal will to His spiritual Father.  I am very much looking forward to the day when I am able to receive the Sacrament directly from Jesus.

Often, I will bless the Sacrament at home for myself and I tried using red wine, but I don't enjoy the alcohol.  I started using red grape juice (new wine) instead of old wine and have been very pleased with the results.  Taking quiet moments at home to praise God, along with taking the Sacrament, using the fruit of the vine, elevates my personal Sacrament into a sacred worship of Jesus and His Father.  I always ask in prayer for His permission, before blessing my personal Sacrament.

At the wedding of Jesus and Miryam, before Jesus began His ministry, the first miracle Jesus performed, involved the miracle of the wine for His mother.  I believe using the juice from grapes, instead of water for our personal Sacrament will help us begin seeing spiritual miracles within our own lives.

https://scriptures.info/scriptures/tc/section/8  verse two:

"Behold, this is wisdom in me; wherefore, marvel not, for the hour comes that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with all those whom my Father has given me out of the world. Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and be faithful until I come. Even so, Amen."

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Our Decisions Determine our Destiny, Make yours a Glorious One

Pride and self aggrandizement has become quite popular these days, to the detriment of many.  With the invention of social media, participants are able elevate themselves endlessly via electronic posts about themselves. 

There is a vast contrast when considering the pride and self promotion that is accepted today and remembering the example provided by our Messiah.  When Jesus walked upon this Earth during His ministry, Jesus taught the importance of praising God, by His own example.  In the New Testament and in the Book of Mormon, while Jesus is teaching, He elevated not himself, but His Father in Heaven.  Jesus, the Father of this Earth and Creation, clearly taught the importance of being humble.  Jesus, the one who brought the message of salvation with Him.  Jesus, the one who condescended from his place in the High Heavens, to be here.  The only one able to save this creation, elevated not himself, but elevated the one who sent Him, His Father in Heaven.  Are we able to have a relationship with Him, while we are constantly elevating ourselves?

Jesus talked fondly of others, like John the Baptist, Isaiah, and some of His Disciples, but never exalted Himself.  I believe Jesus expects the same from us.  He expects us to remember and follow the many examples He provided while living His life here on this fallen planet.  He taught us how to love.  How to be patient, kind and long-suffering.  He taught the importance of charity and meekness.  Jesus taught us to speak with one another, even strangers with kind words.  Jesus taught the importance of judging righteously, first examining ourselves, before attempting to pick apart others.  He also taught the importance being clean and holy inside (thoughts and desires).

Jesus constantly honored His Father in Heaven by seeking to follow His Father's will.  Jesus let each of His actions honor His Father.  Shouldn't we be honoring our Father in Heaven, with our actions?  How do we expect to walk the path with Jesus, if our thoughts and actions are nothing like His? 

Do our actions and thoughts take us closer to the light or closer to darkness?  Hopefully, we are decreasing in worldliness, and increasing in glory.  Increasing in spiritual and decreasing in temporal, or physical.

In the book of Revelation, to John, Jesus described himself as the "bright and morning star".  Venus is the brightest heavenly object in our night sky, besides the moon.  Venus follows an interesting orbit around the sun, as viewed from our Earth, which seems to follow the Savior's life.  In astronomy, the terms scientists use to describe Venus include: Creation, Birth, Death and Resurrection.  There is a great Venus article, included below, thanks Brother Pratt! 

Jesus describes himself as Venus, which pales in glory when compared with the moon and sun.  There are a few scriptural references of people standing in the presence of God and witnessing a portion of His glory, Moses, Paul and Joseph Smith, to name a few.  By the time Saul learns of Jesus and his name is changed to Paul, Jesus had already completed his mission here on this Earth.  Jesus, offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for sin and was able to save this fallen creation.  Jesus also attained to the resurrection, and is able to redeem others from the fall.  I believe Jesus and his wife Mary, have ascended to the level of Father and Mother in Heaven.  They are the Gods of our Heaven and Earth.  They are full of Light and Glory and they sustain life here on Earth.

Saul on the road to Damascus, in Acts chapter 9, confirms the type of Glory that is possessed by our Savior and Redeemer.  Saul was so hard headed in his righteous zeal, and his unrighteous judgement of others, that it took a visit from our Glorious Lord, causing Saul three days of blindness, to finally convert Saul into becoming a Christian.  Joseph Smith was also reported to have described the Glory of God, to be "above the brightness of the sun at noonday".  

We worship a Glorious Father and Mother in Heaven.  In the King Follet Discourse, (page 115) which is the doctrine Joseph Smith was teaching months before his death, the bodies of our Heavenly Parents are described as "bodies of glory and everlasting burnings".  Hopefully our thoughts and actions are bringing us closer to their light and glory, each day.  

https://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2001/venus.html

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