I apologize for the lengthy time I have been apart. I have never once stopped thinking of the fast, but because of my life experiences, I have been able to lend a much more textured and colorful picture to share with you. Please be patient. I love a good rabbit trail
I have been combing the scriptures looking for things that have to do with fasting and with food, eating, nourishment, being satisfied, meat and milk, teeth (which of course would chew up the food), and preparation for the food. I have found words such as famine and feasting, all different kinds of food which indicate certain kinds of kosher edibles as well as dietary restrictions galore. Grapes and wine, foods that are sweet and delicious, fruits in their season, as well as having the tools to masticate meat, or simply drink that which is a simple product, like milk.
Leviticus is lengthy and tedious in this right. In fact, any food code, adhered to because you are studying the practice of eating certain foods, or not eating certain foods is Mosaic at best. It is tiresome and boring. It is rules, rules, rules. There is something so much greater about food than what NOT to eat. The key is what IS given us to eat.
Probably the easiest food code for what is good for the body to consume is succinctly laid out in D&C 89. But not the entire list of foods, just those to eat with thanksgiving and prudence. They are fruits and vegetables in their season. This is not a diatribe on what veggies to eat in your green smoothie. Far from it. Actually, what I learned that caught my eye was more about how food is compared to a seed, and how everything that grows (that can create life) comes from a seed. Immediately reminded me of the first commandment given to Adam and Eve. Multiply and fill the earth. Certainly that is what a seed does when it is planted.
All the food that was given to Daniel to eat, which was called pulse, is regenerative. All of it possessed seeds that could be planted in the soil and food could be grown from it. The correspondence of GMO foods which are proven to cause sterility on the third generation (all have been altered by the hand of man) show that when man tampers with that which grows, it has been proven to become sterile, unyielding, and also unhealthy. How much do we really need someone to interpret our understanding of a seedling putting up its first leaves? Could it be that there is so much tampering with the original seed, or in this case, the word, that we aren't getting the intended nutrition any longer? Have we been eating so much 'food' from the hands of wicked and conspiring men that we no longer feel the stimulation of the delicious taste of the pure word of God?
What if we really decided to take advantage of a fasting situation and turn it into a feasting situation, with a more clear understanding of how pure doctrine -- scripture and the word of the Lord -- would turn into a feast of such magnitude that it would be impossible to measure the greatness. We wouldn't have arms to hold all the blessings; certainly not plates to hold all the food.
Alma said that he wanted to compare the 'word' to a seed. That word, which was untampered with, pure and unadulterated, is something that is alive, and has the capacity to grow into a living faith in Jesus Christ. We are taught that by their fruits, ye shall know them. If the truth is in us, it is alive and we are alive because of it. We will manifest life, multiplying and filling the world with the light of Christ in our countenances.
We learn that fasting and prayer, or in other words "rejoicing and prayer" is evidently not a starvation situation, but that of a feast. Think of a feast. You would have at least several people in attendance and they would be having a great time.
If I am to feast upon the words of Christ, that they will tell me all things that I should do, that they will literally lead me to his presence, I could think of nothing I would want on my plate more than a feast of words that testify of His perfect and enduring love for me and the effect of these words upon my heart. Like Joseph Smith stated, they would be sweet to me. Oh, how I love my sugar.
I decided from my little study on the famine of the word that went out to the world, recognizing that the famine was NOT having the word, the truth of the Lord. The fast could bring that to us if we decided that everyday we would make a very concerted effort to find that food, even the word of God, and make sure we have supped well at that table. Through continued effort to set that table and and let the Lord provide for our unquenchable desire to drink of living water and partake of the feast only the Savior can serve up, we can understand the need and desire to fast from the things of this world. We make room for all that is real, that is lovely, that is of good report.
Read the 23rd Psalm and find out what a feast the Lord will prepare for us if we will but ask Him to be our chef, our host, our friend. He will provide such a blessing for us. Yes, fasting is indescribably delicious--and equally powerful.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Famous Fasts
I get a constant flood of
emails telling me about how wicked Obama is, his latest and most deviousness
coming to light. Today I read
about the travesty of the Boy Scouts and his rejection of them. You can see his blatant dislike for our
great flag that represents untold numbers of valiant men and women who gave
their lives to secure our freedom.
Once again we are groaning under the heavy hand of oppression by a
wicked ruler, and there is very little sign of it giving way. So much evil has already been but into
play by this man, who stands as the outside of powerful machinations
orchestrated by the very author of evil himself. My concern about changing this
is ever with me.
Many people are
complaining; The level of participation from registered voters to take
responsibility to right this problem is appalling. But even if people were all to go to the polls and vote for
a man who would try to lead us out of harm’s way, we are still dealing with the
frailties of human flesh. Man is
so capable of being led astray. I
was looking for someone to come and deliver me with supreme power and
authority. I want Christ to come and be my King.
Personal example and the
power of suggestion are incredibly powerful tools. It was because of my extreme concern over my land of promise
that I began to study the fast. I
was looking for something I could do to make a difference. I have compiled some
historic information regarding famous fasts. The most recent one was in 1863, called by President Abraham
Lincoln. Another was in an equally
difficult time in history for the Jews. It is told in the book of Esther in the
Old Testament, which takes place around 600 BC. The last example takes place in the Book of Mormon, which
was in this very United States of American around the year 45 BC .
Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan,
and fast ye for me, and
neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast
likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther
had commanded him. Esther 4:16-17
By the President of the United States of America. A
Proclamation.
Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly
recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all
the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the
President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their
dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and
transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance
will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in
the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed
whose God is the Lord. And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law,
nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this
world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now
desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our
presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole
People?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties
of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity.
We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved
us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have
vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings
were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with
unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of
redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It
behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our
national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and
fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation,
designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of
national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the
People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to
unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in
keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the
religious duties proper to that solemn occasion. All this being done, in
sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the
Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and
answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the
restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy
condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and
caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of
Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the
eighty seventh.
By the President: Abraham
Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer
and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and
consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts
unto God. Heleman 3:35 Book of Mormon
Not only were they blessed
and protected by the fast, but their hearts were changed. Something great happened
to this entire people. They had
joy. They were consoled. They were
sanctified.
What would happen if we
were to fast, to show our love and obedience to the commandments of God, to
prove to Him that He is our lawgiver, our leader, our very Savior and Redeemer? Can one person make any
difference? If we shared this with
those we loved who love this great nation, could something great and powerful
happen like the exposing of a wicked man in office, a nation at war with
itself? A people oppressed?
It is my humble prayer
that such a thing will happen, that those who are a small number can make a
very large difference, if we are united in a cause as great as this.
Monday, July 9, 2012
What's in a name
It has only been in the last century that science
is recognizing the impact that words have on water. I thought I would
offer up two diametrically opposed examples to show you the power of words upon
water. The first is powerful to the negative and teaches a great lesson.
In 1956, in Southeast Asia, a meeting was held in a
secret military lab to develop and produce weapons of mass destruction.
Word had been underway here for several years on a powerful new generation of
bacteriological weapon. The scientists were discussing what properties
this weapon should have at one of these protracted secret meetings.
Suddenly the session broke off. All the
participants were taken to the hospital with symptoms of severe food poisoning.
An investigation into what happened quickly hit a
dead end. The scientists had consumed nothing except water from the
carafes on the table. The water was tested. No harmful additives
were found. It’s chemical composition was H2O. And that’s what the report
said, “Poisoning caused by ordinary water.”[1]
If the structure of water can change because of the
evil designs of wicked men, think of the tremendous alteration that takes place
on the bread and water prayed over for the sacrament by the priest each week.
Looking at
the feast of the Sacrament under this light, understanding that the blessing of
the water can perform an actual and literal change to us, to sanctify our
bodies, to put the very name of Jesus Christ into our cells, yea, even down to
the very imprint upon our DNA; to say it is a humbling thing to learn is a
great understatement. We take upon
us the name of Christ at our baptism.
Each and every time we partake of the Sacrament, we get a greater and
greater portion of Him into our lives.
The other
example show the power of His word upon one of the emblems of the sacrament.
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the
mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the
marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They
have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine
hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith
unto you, do it.
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the
manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up
to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor
of the feast. And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew
not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor
of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the
beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that
which is worse: but thou hast
kept the good wine until now. (John 2:1-10)
Now I would like to explain a little
bit about the water in the waterpots of stone that was after the manner of the purifying of the Jews. This water was used to wash the Jews in
a ceremonial setting. It took not
only the surface soil, but all that was attached to it. Even after the water had been emptied,
there would have been the memory imbedded into the stone of the DNA of every
person who had been washed. We live in a day of forensics where we have seen
that a little bit of hair, or dead skin, or even a few drops of body fluid can
tell an incredible story; so much is contained therein.
The reason that water is purified as
it rolls over the rocks and stones in a stream or river is because the rocks,
with their inherent magnetism, will attract the information from the water and
leave the water clean. New water
in old pots is not a good idea. That new water will still possess the old
memories that comes from the stone.
Just as the water in the conference
in 1956 picked up the intention of the words from those conspiring men and held
it in the memory, so the water in these pots held all the memories of all the
people who had been ceremonial cleansed; it sat all together. With the words pronounced upon that
water by the Savior, that water lost all of the memories of the sins and
illness and pain of those people and became, as it were, the best wine of the
feast. It now had his imprint upon
it. It held His name.
That is what that feast of the
sacrament can do for us. That is
what we feast on every week, if we will, when we partake of the sacred
emblems. They can remove the old
memories of poor choices, generational curses and genetic issues. We invite the Savior in to take the
place of all these worldly, miserable issues. Fasting from the world and
partaking of that feast prepares us for a greater and greater portion of the
Savior, if that is our true desire.
We have taken his name upon us at baptism, and now we continue to take
on more and more of his qualities, which are tied into every name that He is
called. These names, (some have
identified over 400 of them. I cannot believe there is a limit, since there is
no limit to His greatness and perfection) are all laden with possibilities for
us to become more and more like Him.
Do I want to sit at the table next to
the Savior and let some of his greatness rub off on me? Indeed I do.
[1] Voice Entertainment, Water, The Great
Mystery, DVD, 2008,
In remembrance
It has only been in the last century that science
is recognizing the impact that words have on water. I thought I would
offer up two diametrically opposed examples to show you the power of words upon
water. The first is powerful to the negative and teaches a great lesson.
In 1956, in Southeast Asia, a meeting was held in a
secret military lab to develop and produce weapons of mass destruction.
Word had been underway here for several years on a powerful new generation of
bacteriological weapon. The scientists were discussing what properties
this weapon should have at one of these protracted secret meetings.
Suddenly the session broke off. All the
participants were taken to the hospital with symptoms of severe food poisoning.
An investigation into what happened quickly hit a
dead end. The scientists had consumed nothing except water from the
carafes on the table. The water was tested. No harmful additives
were found. It’s chemical composition was H2O. And that’s what the report
said, “Poisoning caused by ordinary water.”[1]
If the structure of water can change because of the
evil designs of wicked men, think of the tremendous alteration that takes place
on the bread and water prayed over for the sacrament by the priest each week.
Looking at
the feast of the Sacrament under this light, understanding that the blessing of
the water can perform an actual and literal change to us, to sanctify our
bodies, to put the very name of Jesus Christ into our cells, yea, even down to
the very imprint upon our DNA; to say it is a humbling thing to learn is a
great understatement. We take upon
us the name of Christ at our baptism.
Each and every time we partake of the Sacrament, we get a greater and
greater portion of Him into our lives.
The other
example show the power of His word upon one of the emblems of the sacrament.
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the
mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the
marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They
have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine
hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith
unto you, do it.
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the
manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up
to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor
of the feast. And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew
not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor
of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the
beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that
which is worse: but thou hast
kept the good wine until now. (John 2:1-10)
Now I would like to explain a little
bit about the water in the waterpots of stone that was after the manner of the purifying of the Jews. This water was used to wash the Jews in
a ceremonial setting. It took not
only the surface soil, but all that was attached to it. Even after the water had been emptied,
there would have been the memory imbedded into the stone of the DNA of every
person who had been washed. We live in a day of forensics where we have seen
that a little bit of hair, or dead skin, or even a few drops of body fluid can
tell an incredible story; so much is contained therein.
The reason that water is purified as
it rolls over the rocks and stones in a stream or river is because the rocks,
with their inherent magnetism, will attract the information from the water and
leave the water clean. New water
in old pots is not a good idea. That new water will still possess the old
memories that comes from the stone.
Just as the water in the conference
in 1956 picked up the intention of the words from those conspiring men and held
it in the memory, so the water in these pots held all the memories of all the
people who had been ceremonial cleansed; it sat all together. With the words pronounced upon that
water by the Savior, that water lost all of the memories of the sins and
illness and pain of those people and became, as it were, the best wine of the
feast. It now had his imprint upon
it. It held His name.
That is what that feast of the
sacrament can do for us. That is
what we feast on every week, if we will, when we partake of the sacred
emblems. They can remove the old
memories of poor choices, generational curses and genetic issues. We invite the Savior in to take the
place of all these worldly, miserable issues. Fasting from the world and
partaking of that feast prepares us for a greater and greater portion of the
Savior, if that is our true desire.
We have taken his name upon us at baptism, and now we continue to take
on more and more of his qualities, which are tied into every name that He is
called. These names, (some have
identified over 400 of them. I cannot believe there is a limit, since there is no
limit to His greatness and perfection) are all laden with possibilities for us
to become more and more like Him.
Do I want to sit at the table next to
the Savior and let some of his greatness rub off on me? Indeed I do.
[1] Voice Entertainment, Water, The Great
Mystery, DVD, 2008,
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Only once a week?
I look forward
to the Sabbath day all week long.
Many people look forward to Sunday because they can go golfing, or rest
from their regular work a day week, but for me it is an opportunity to
participate in the greatest meal served each week. I go to take the sacrament at my Sunday service.
Many churches
have disbanded the sacrament, aside from the Catholics and Episcopalians,
through their Eucharist. The Latter-day Saints offer this precious meal to the
parishioners that come to church. But
it isn’t just the ritual practice of partaking of bread and wine, or in my case
bread and water, that brings me to this holy ordinance. It is much, much more.
I love Jesus
Christ as my Beloved. He was the
only begotten son of the Father, and he was beloved by the greatest that has
ever existed. How can I not love
Him as much?!
When I partake
of the sacred emblems, I know they are symbolic of the flesh and blood that was
sacrificed for me. I cannot begin
to comprehend what the Savior felt when he knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane
and experienced the pain and grief and sin of every living soul that had lived
or would ever live on this earth.
I am having a hard enough time getting from day to day at my age. To think that I have been loved so
perfectly that even a God would consent to descend to this earthly plane so
that I could get the necessary help to be lifted back up to the presence of my
Father in Heaven is incomprehensible to me. I wouldn’t do it.
In fact, I couldn’t do it. I haven’t got the capacity or physical
strength to lift luggage, let alone even my smallest, youngest child.
Could I show up
to a meal that has been given in His honor once a week to recognize that act in
my behalf? Absolutely. Do I recognize that each time I partake
of this meal I am fasting from the world while I quietly ponder the simple, yet
powerful words of the prayer in my behalf? I certainly hope that I do. I pray most fervently that
Christ will show up to this feast in His honor.
I have spent
many long hours studying certain physical properties in the Gospel that have
such great and powerful symbolisms behind them. One of the most astounding one was water.
Many people have
shown how water will take on a particular quality if exposed to certain
beautiful music, and especially how words affect the ability for the water to
form gorgeous crystals that demonstrate spectacular hexagonal crystals; an art
form only known to God.[1]
Christ is
constantly teaching us about miracles and physics through his simple
teachings. He tells us so much in
his ‘I Am’ statements, as well as the gifts that he gives us. He taught about ‘living water’ and that
he was the giver of such a gift.
He also called himself ‘the bread of life’. Why would he say such a thing, and present those items as the
sacred symbolic elements for the most regular feast we are invited to on a
weekly basis? Just to teach
us? I don’t think so, though that
might be the plane of comprehension we are on for a very long time.
As I look back,
I have had such little reverence for the sacrament as a youth and even most of
my adult life. I loved the ritual,
as well as the beautiful hymns prepared to be sung by inspired, loving men and
women specifically for this event, but I didn’t grasp the greater part of this
feast set out in my behalf. And to
think that it is only a small piece of bread and a sip of water that makes this
the feast what it is.
This is a feast
that reminds me of an action I chose to participate in as a little child of
only 8 years of age. I do not
remember much about that day. I do
remember sitting on a cold, hard, folding chair looking at the baptismal
font. I was sitting in a row with
other young children, giggling and swinging their legs under their chair,
waiting their turn to go into the font with their fathers. But other than the white jumpsuit I
wore, I cannot remember much else about the event. Had I known at that young age the power of this small meal I
could feast on each week, I doubt that I would have given it any more thought. But as I studied the power of words on
water, and the power of the name of Christ on all matter, my experience in
partaking of the holy emblems of the sacrament feast have altered not only my
reverence for the ceremonial ritual, but have forever changed my relationship
with Christ.
What
does it mean to take upon us a name?
When I was born,
I was given a name; A first and last name, which reflected my heritage. Genetically
speaking I looked very much like my father’s side of the family. In later years I was to take another
name when I married. My husband is
a great man; he is kind and generous and caring. When we married, I took his name as an identifying title. I
am very grateful for his name.
When I got
baptized, I took on a new name also, one that I was asked to take because it
would help me to pattern my life, and provide me with the ability to put on the
qualities of God. It would provide
a path for me to follow, without any question of what I should do or whom I
should follow. What a blessing to
have that direction. I have not always
followed that direction. I have
grieved for my loss of direction greatly when I veered from this path.
Since the
pronouncement of words have such a profound effect upon the water they are
spoken upon, I began to understand the power of this weekly feast much better. I
have altered the words of this pronouncement slightly only to demonstrate the
personal and singleness of the sacrament for me.
Oh God, my Eternal Father, I ask thee in
the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to my soul as
I partake of it; that I may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and
witness unto Thee, o God, my Eternal Father, that I am willing to take upon me
the name of Thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which
he hath given unto me, that I may always have his spirit to be with me. Amen.
What does it
mean to sanctify something? How
does eating a small piece of bread and a sip of water or wine keep us in
remembrance? How can I witness
that I have done this thing? How do I show that I am willing? How do I show that I have indeed taken
His name upon me? How it is
manifest that His spirit is always with me?
[1] For more
information on this, you may want to study the works of Masuru Emoto, the author
of The Hidden Messages in Water.
[1] For more
information on this, you may want to study the works of Masuru Emoto, the author
of The Hidden Messages in Water.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Fasting and the Second great commandment
I have spent a few years of my life with my obsession of finding the Lord in a book. I have learned a great deal. One book I read, Yearning for the Living God, by Enzio Busche, was a book that frequently brought me to my knees. It gave me great pause to contemplate my position with the Lord. This book is his personal experience of trials, conversion, and unbelievable experiences of coming to know the Lord and his power. I was more than moved by the experience from the reading of it.
Other books have moved me with great force. Certainly the most powerful of them are the holy writ. Never do I go there to sup with the Lord that His table is not spread with the greatest feast, the most delicious delicacies. I never leave hungry, well, not exactly. I leave anticipating the next time we will meet again and I will be filled up with his love, his wisdom, his peace.
Still, as I pursue these sacred books and experiences of other people who have come to know the Lord on a personal level, it only makes me that more desperate for the real thing. I think that is what it means to mature in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to have a third party intervening and sharing with you. No matter how much effort a Sunday School teacher makes to give a great lesson, or someone who prepares a sermon, it is still a third party. As wonderful as the account of any prophet is to testify that he has not only seen Jesus and been ministered to by Him, it is still a third party invitation. Enough is enough. Standing outside the stadium, outside, the garden, outside of the realm where I can touch and feel and know for myself becomes almost more painful than I can bear.
One of the things that I have been taught as I have pursued my journey is that the key to all this is not the attainment of the audience of Christ alone. Many people have seen Christ and never recognized him. Think of all the people that walked the streets with him. They were thrilled that he was offering them a free lunch, but they did not recognize who He really was. I walk the streets of my neighborhood and miss the signature of his handiwork continually. I have found the secret to knowing him is to pray for the ability to have his love, both for me and for all his children.
Moses was given a set of plates the first time he went to see the Lord on the mount. He returned with them. The people weren't ready for the message from God. It wasn't a PhD. thesis paper. It was obviously very simple. It was the first 2 great commandments. Why is it so much easier to starve ourselves and go without food for hours, or days, or even weeks, than it is to reach out and love each other?
I have met some really remarkable people on the path to seeking the face of Christ. They are determined and resolute. They read everything, know their scriptures, theology, history, even some are famous scientists and musicians. One thing that I am seeing very clearly is that we can all fit into the category of the rich young man who wanted to get into the kingdom, but grieved when he learned he had to give it all up and take care of the poor. He loved his riches and went away sad.
We hold so tightly onto the riches of the world. They might not look like riches in a monetary fashion, but anything that you hold dear to your heart that isn't the love of God and of all men will keep you from having the greatest blessing in the world.
You can seek for Christ through the fast until you starve yourself to death. If you do not seek to love more than anything else in life, if your wife or husband and children do not know of your dedication to loving them and your willingness to submit yourself to the Lord for instruction and chastisement so that you can be totally filled with His love, you will miss out on the joy of the journey.
Isn't this the second great commandment? . . Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isaiah 58:7)
If we do this great thing, if we reach out in love to all those around us, losing ourselves in his work, we will find ourselves, as sure as shooting. Here is the promise -- Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, (Isaiah 58:8).
Our light will break forth as the morning. We will be filled with light, with understanding, with glory, with the armor of God, with knowledge, with intelligence. What a profound blessing to receive by keeping this ordinance! How incredible it will be for us to seek the Lord through the fast and be taught love.
Love is the greatest and strongest power on earth. It is not just a sweet phrase, it is not a trite phrase. It is a power that overcomes and conquers evil, the evil that is in us and all around us. It gives us peace and joy and a place on the right side of God.
Oh, what a blessing it is to fast and come to know God.
Other books have moved me with great force. Certainly the most powerful of them are the holy writ. Never do I go there to sup with the Lord that His table is not spread with the greatest feast, the most delicious delicacies. I never leave hungry, well, not exactly. I leave anticipating the next time we will meet again and I will be filled up with his love, his wisdom, his peace.
Still, as I pursue these sacred books and experiences of other people who have come to know the Lord on a personal level, it only makes me that more desperate for the real thing. I think that is what it means to mature in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to have a third party intervening and sharing with you. No matter how much effort a Sunday School teacher makes to give a great lesson, or someone who prepares a sermon, it is still a third party. As wonderful as the account of any prophet is to testify that he has not only seen Jesus and been ministered to by Him, it is still a third party invitation. Enough is enough. Standing outside the stadium, outside, the garden, outside of the realm where I can touch and feel and know for myself becomes almost more painful than I can bear.
One of the things that I have been taught as I have pursued my journey is that the key to all this is not the attainment of the audience of Christ alone. Many people have seen Christ and never recognized him. Think of all the people that walked the streets with him. They were thrilled that he was offering them a free lunch, but they did not recognize who He really was. I walk the streets of my neighborhood and miss the signature of his handiwork continually. I have found the secret to knowing him is to pray for the ability to have his love, both for me and for all his children.
Moses was given a set of plates the first time he went to see the Lord on the mount. He returned with them. The people weren't ready for the message from God. It wasn't a PhD. thesis paper. It was obviously very simple. It was the first 2 great commandments. Why is it so much easier to starve ourselves and go without food for hours, or days, or even weeks, than it is to reach out and love each other?
I have met some really remarkable people on the path to seeking the face of Christ. They are determined and resolute. They read everything, know their scriptures, theology, history, even some are famous scientists and musicians. One thing that I am seeing very clearly is that we can all fit into the category of the rich young man who wanted to get into the kingdom, but grieved when he learned he had to give it all up and take care of the poor. He loved his riches and went away sad.
We hold so tightly onto the riches of the world. They might not look like riches in a monetary fashion, but anything that you hold dear to your heart that isn't the love of God and of all men will keep you from having the greatest blessing in the world.
You can seek for Christ through the fast until you starve yourself to death. If you do not seek to love more than anything else in life, if your wife or husband and children do not know of your dedication to loving them and your willingness to submit yourself to the Lord for instruction and chastisement so that you can be totally filled with His love, you will miss out on the joy of the journey.
Isn't this the second great commandment? . . Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isaiah 58:7)
If we do this great thing, if we reach out in love to all those around us, losing ourselves in his work, we will find ourselves, as sure as shooting. Here is the promise -- Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, (Isaiah 58:8).
Our light will break forth as the morning. We will be filled with light, with understanding, with glory, with the armor of God, with knowledge, with intelligence. What a profound blessing to receive by keeping this ordinance! How incredible it will be for us to seek the Lord through the fast and be taught love.
Love is the greatest and strongest power on earth. It is not just a sweet phrase, it is not a trite phrase. It is a power that overcomes and conquers evil, the evil that is in us and all around us. It gives us peace and joy and a place on the right side of God.
Oh, what a blessing it is to fast and come to know God.
Oh, My Soul Hungered
Oh, my soul hungered
I have spent a great
deal of time studying salt. I
cannot even begin to explain the amazing things I have learned about the
properties of salt, let alone the historical ramifications that salt has played
throughout the ages. But one thing
that has really been interesting to learn is how processed salt changes the
flavor of our food.
If you have ever eaten
salted peanuts, you know what it is like to feel the need to eat more and
more. It’s not the peanut that you
crave; it is the salt on the peanut.
Your body is seeking to have more water that can go through the cell,
and processed salt builds a wall that will not allow the water to flow. That doesn’t sound so good. Don’t we need water? Don’t we want the Living Water?
Today doctors say salt
is bad for you. They are half
correct. Processed salt is very bad
for you. It is literally
poison. And all processed food,
unless otherwise labeled, is processed with salt that has lost its savor. It has lost the ability to give the
flavors in the food. The necessary
electrical signals that are provided by natural salt to the brain have been
hampered with. They cannot tell you that this food is profitable. In fact, the most you will get is a
small amount of satisfaction.
Do this little experiment.
If you take processed salt, the darling little Morton girl type will suffice,
and you put it next to a sample of Himalayan or other natural rock salt, and sample
them, you can get a much better idea how the one is actually quite delightful,
while the processed salt is bitter.
Now, what does any of
this have to do with fasting?
When you eat processed
food, it may fill up the cavity in your stomach, but it will not give you the
joy and delight of eating fruits in their season or the deliciousness of food
that has not been processed. Think about the tomatoes you grow in your summer
garden. They are delicious and sweet.
Then think about those hydroponic tomatoes at the grocery store. They
are light years away from tasting like real tomatoes. That is because they are missing several critical
ingredients: The sweetness of the Sun
and the natural salts or the minerals of the earth.
When we desire to
commune directly with God, we cease to settle for those things that are
processed. We want all, and only
all, the Savior can offer. When I realized that all I wanted was the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, I realized that I could receive this
through fasting. I would fast from
the world and worldly philosophy. I would feast upon the word, which will give
me the meat and even the mysteries.
There is ample
information everywhere that demonstrates that processed food is inadequate to
fill your body with nourishment.
Starvation of some kind sets in which shows up as illness. The same may be said about believing
that partaking of processed information will be sufficient to fill you with the
Spirit. It won’t. It never can and
it never will. It leaves you
wanting for more.
Feasting upon the
spirit, calling out to the Lord through a fast, whether we decide to dispense
with the eating of food entirely or eat with a mind set to keep Him foremost in
our thoughts and in our heart, will provide an experience the likes of which
you will find has and will never be equaled.
Let your soul
cry out to the Lord. Cry unto the
Lord for everything, Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he
is mighty to save. Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry
unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in
your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against
the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of
your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields,
that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in
your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in
prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around
you. (Alma 36:18-27).
Seek the Lord early and often through
your fast. You will find yourself
feasting at a table the likes of which you had not imagined.
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