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Francis Harper Message for 2/23/2018
Dear Ones,
The life of the church of Jesus Christ and our own spiritual life also, depends upon our testimony of Jesus, and our continued communication with him.
Jesus asked “…whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona (Son of John); for flesh and blood (man) hath not revealed this (testimony of Jesus) unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say also unto thee (and to us), That thou art Peter; and upon this rock (revelation from heaven) I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:17-19 IV; 16:15-18 KJV).
History has proven that whenever any man, or church, is built upon the precepts of men, the spiritual life of that man, or church, has always failed to become what God has intended. Continued divine revelation; day by day, year by year, is indispensable. Without the light and inspiration of heaven the gates of hell will prevail against us and his church.
As if to emphasize our need for heaven’s light, as I was writing this message, before the light of day, our electricity was suddenly shut off! The darkness was complete. I could not find my way even to locate a flashlight. I became disoriented and lost within our own home. I was reminded of the words of Isaiah; “We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men” (Isaiah 59:10). When the lights came on, I discovered I was completely off course to reach my intended destination. This was a confirmation of my message; we are indeed lost without the light and inspiration of heaven.
“The means by which revelation is given to man may be said to be infinite” (Joseph Smith III and the Restoration. Page 597). I will enumerate some of the more common ways the Lord communicates with us.
God speaks to us through his word; the Scriptures. Most of us have received light and guidance from the word of God. My Bible opened immediately to the first Psalm one evening when I was being tempted to follow the counsel of men. When I read, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…”(Psalm 1:1), I knew this scripture was a message sent from God to help me at that critical moment in my life.
The Lord, by his Holy Spirit, gives us inspired thoughts, words and phrases; often speaking them again and again for added emphasis. Bakht Singh wrote; “I felt some divine power engulf me and I uttered the words; Lord Jesus, I know and I believe thou art the living Christ. I kept repeating the words again and again. A day came when I began to hear his voice every day” (Bakht Singh of India. Page 86). I too have been taught by the Holy Spirit in this way. Words that have been repeated to me over and over again most recently were “I send you forth to testify and warn the people.”
Other ways and means God uses to communicate with us are: 1) dreams and visions, 2) through other people, 3) precise timings, 4) divine appointments, 5) double witnesses. The Lord is very creative in the ways he uses to communicate his will. If he has a message for you, he will find a way to deliver it. “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith…” (Revelation 3:13).
Two thousand five hundred souls “heard a voice, as if it came out of heaven…it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice…(even though it was) a small voice…it did pierce them to the very soul… and it said to them, Behold, my beloved Son, in whom I have glorified my name, hear ye him” (3 Nephi 5:5-8).
Love to All,
Francis Harper
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God Still Speaks To Us
On a recent television show (February 2018), it was reported that Vice President Pence not only talks to God; God also talks to him. It was suggested the Vice President may have mental health problems if he really believes God is speaking to him. On another show an opinion was expressed that Vice President Pence was owed an apology. I believe God is owed an apology!
Our Scriptures are filled with evidences of God speaking to man in the past. He still speaks. He most often speaks to persons who are listening and seeking for his divine wisdom and counsel. Nevertheless, if he chooses, he is fully capable of speaking and making his voice heard by anyone of us.
Bakht Singh, India’s foremost evangelist and church planter of the twentieth century said, “Once we learn the secret of hearing the voice of God, all our questions, no matter how difficult they are, are answered, and our problems, however complicated, are solved. When I started reading Genesis in January 1930, I came across these words… ‘God said, God spoke.’ It is repeated 558 times in the first five books of the Bible. I said to myself, if God is speaking, then I must listen. And as I read, I prayed, ‘Oh God, my loving God, speak to me and help me now.’ God does speak, and he wants us to hear his voice and listen to him.” (Brother Bakht Singh of India. T. E. Koshy. Page 406).
Joseph Smith, Jr., a true latter day prophet, at the age of 14, saw God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, his son, in a vision and they spoke to him. This was in the early spring of 1820. Joseph’s experience was similar to that of Stephen, the first Christian martyr who testified: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). Joseph Smith, Jr., was also martyred.
Joseph, the martyr, wrote: “Some few days after I had this vision I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers who was very active in the before-mentioned religious excitement, and conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the Devil; that there was no such thing as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there never would be any more of them: (History of the Church. Volume 1. Page 10). We should not be surprised that the vast majority of the people in our nation today, even pastors, believe our Father in heaven is dumb; and no longer speaks.
Saul of Tarsus, a Jew, a persecutor of Christians, “…as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven; and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, “Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus…” (Acts 9:3-5).
Peter wrote of the Mount of Transfiguration experience when Jesus was introduced; “For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount (2 Peter 1:17-18).
God still speaks. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). It is written in Malachi, “For I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:17). We should be grateful we have a Vice President who does not hesitate to say God still speaks to men on earth.
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