The Words of Christ

John 3:19-21 In verse 21, the Savior observes "But he that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that he deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." I am focused on the phrase "He that doeth truth " and there are footnotes on the last two words. Doeth - TG, Good Works 2 Chronicles 15:7 - Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. Alma 9:27-28 - if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; Titus 3:8 - ...that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. Truth - TG, Truth Continue this study, on the point of truth. Truth is not what we think it is, reality through human perception, but rather the reality of things as they really are in the presence by God, whose knowledge, understanding, perception, and love are perfect. There is a difference between eternal truth and perceived fact. ...

John 5 Christ is found at Jerusalem during an important time of the year according to Jewish tradition. He conducts himself to a place where a great number of the sick are found, and address a man who had been in that place for many years now (38 years). The question that he asks is soul stirring for it has multiple layers of meaning: "Wilt thou be made whole?" ( vs. 6 ) Jesus heals the man and then commands him to pick up his bed and carry it away from that place. It so happened to be the Jewish sabbath, and the act of carrying a bed was considered to be a violation of the sabbath. When questioned why he was carrying his bed, the healed man responded, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk" Later, Jesus finds the man in the temple and admonishes him, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." ( vs. 14 ) The man that was healed, perhaps not fully understanding the malicious intent ...

3 Nephi 11:21-40 Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.( vs. 23 ) The Savior, in this introductory instruction to the Nephite disciples, clearly and simply lays out the doctrines of his gospel: faith unto repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. Stepping back to verse 21 , the significance of this verse is eternal. Christ gives to Nephi the power to perform the ordinance of baptism, which is both recognized on earth and in heaven. Outside the ordinances of the priesthood, there is none other covenant nor pact nor agreement that can be made on earth and that is recognized in the eternal realms. Throughout these verses, the Savior iterates that with this instruction on baptism there should be no disputations, contention, nor disunity among them. He emphasizes this point by ex...

Matthew 6:19-21 ; 7:1-27 Reviewing this block of fundamental teachings of the Savior's, I realize that I am perhaps not as familiar with these teachings as I ought to be. The first group of verses addresses "treasures in heaven" wherein those who make such their prerogative are found to be possessed of that which is eternal, that which cannot be corrupted with time and which will not be allowed to be stolen or taken from us. One of those treasures is family. Another is who we are becoming. I appreciate the simple fail-safe test found in 6:21,"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Moving on to chapter 7, the Savior states "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged." I have recently asked myself  is it better to be optimistically hopeful, and to hope for the best in everyone. This is to some considered to be naivety. However, in truer light, I find myself coming to terms with ...

Matthew 6:1-13 There is a very powerful Spirit that testifies of the truthfulness of what the Savior teaches in these verses. Even the angels in heaven shout glorious praises to the great King Emmanuel when they are brought to consider such doctrines as these. There is an indescribable portal or connection between this world and the next. The reality of this connection cannot be disputed or contested. It is so perfectly veiled in faith as to not be discernible to any of the human senses, save it be our spirits which are in us. Yet, those who have experienced its power know that at the other end of the line is our Father in Heaven, who stands ready to listen and give instruction as we turn to Him. 

John 8:31-32 How often I have heard this scripture used out of context. I believe I've even heard it used by atheists. The full context of the scripture reveals the true power of this statement. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ( verses 31-32 )  There is an even broader context for this discussion which starts at the beginning of the chapter. Jesus is found in the temple, teaching. For Latter-day Saint context, a temple is place where those who have prepared themselves for sacred instruction and to perform ordinances of eternal significance. It is a holy place on all counts where one should prepare both spiritually and physically to enter therein. A major facet of that preparation is the cleansing of sin that one must undertake. Scriptures such as are found in Psalms 79:1 , or maybe even 1 Corinthians 3:17 , help to illustrate the ...

Mark 4:26-34 Following the Savior's instructions on how to receive the words of God, our Lord offers just a couple of short parables describing how the kingdom of God will appear seemingly out of nowhere or suddenly. I need to move on for the morning, but there is such a sweet spirit around my review of the scriptures this morning, and the service that we can render to others. (Next day) I've now resumed this study trying to connect the pieces of the impression that I have felt and made record of yesterday with the original parable. It seems to me that what the Savior may be trying to say in these verses is that there is much work that happens in the kingdom of God which goes unnoticed, so much so that it seems like the fruit appears suddenly. With a sudden harvest as what happens in the first parable, there is not even much time to enjoy the fruit of our labors, for it passes quickly. The second parable points out though how the kingdom of God will become a great place...