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Francis Harper Message for 5/18/18
Dear Ones,
We certainly do not want to be numbered with those who draw near to God with their lips, but their hearts are far from him! We need to turn away from those who “teach for doctrine the commandments of men, having a form of godliness; but they deny the power thereof” (History of the Church, pp 9 -10).
The power of God has never been, nor will it ever be, attenuated! He is the same unchanging God who rolled back the waters of the Red Sea, providing a way of escape for the children of Israel, nearly 3,500 years ago. We better believe it!
When the pilgrims were facing almost certain death in a storm on the North Sea, this prayer was offered: “O Lord, we know that even now, [an impossible situation] you can save us,” and he did! Whenever we are faced with a seemingly impossible situation, we can pray with confidence: “ O Lord, we know that even now, you can save us.” We need to remember that nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 17:20).
Sarah laughed when she heard an angel tell her husband, Abraham, she was going to have a son: The angel asked, “Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18).
Our God is a God of miracles. Moroni asked, “My beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. For behold they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind, in every form of godliness. And the office of their ministry is, to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him; And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof . . . And now my beloved brethren . . . has the day of miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as the world shall last . . .? If these things have ceased, woe be unto the children of men, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man . . . if ye have not faith in him [Christ], then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church” (Moroni 7:29-44). Who can say it more clearly than Moroni?
A few years ago, a young man who was a member of the church, was hired to work on a project at Offutt Air Force Base, near Omaha, Nebraska. One day, a fellow worker accused him of damaging his dinner pail. Even after insisting he was not guilty of the offense for which he was being accused, the offended man continued to accuse him. The dispute almost reached the boiling point! The church member felt the matter might have to be settled with his fists!
Later, after the heat of battle had subsided, the church man decided to give his accuser
a dinner pail he no longer used. The next day he presented the “peace offering” to the offended man. This was “going the extra mile,” as Jesus suggested. Eventually, they became friends, and in conversation it was revealed the owner of the broken lunch pail was a “golden gloves” boxer!
Only by the grace and power of God can we become the men and women we were created to be; even in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1).
My love to all,
Francis Harper
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“Ye shall receive power”
Being filled with the Spirit should be our highest priority at all times. Before we meet the issues of each new day, we need to be fortified by the Holy Spirit. Without the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17) we are spiritually weak and vulnerable. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; For the weapons of our warfare [against the flesh and the devil] are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” [within us and without] (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Every evil thought must be subdued and brought into captivity. Evil thoughts often lead to evil deeds. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart [and mind] be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord . . .” (Psalm 19:14). “For the Lord can not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (Alma 21:18).
Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation . . .” (Romans 1:16). In another place he said, “Our gospel came not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance . . .” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
Jesus told Nicodemus: “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). In other words, without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit abiding in us we cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He promised, “Ye shall receive power, after . . . the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto [of] me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
About a hundred and twenty followers of Jesus met in an upper room for a period of about ten days: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come . . . suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house . . . And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:1,3).
Peter preached of Jesus: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2: 37-39).
The promise of the gift and power of the Holy Ghost has been extended even to us who are “afar off,” nearly two thousand years after the words of Peter were first spoken. The Lord is waiting for another people who “through faith will obtain the promises” (Hebrews 11:35). “Ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto [of] me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
We live in an age of power; solar power, nuclear power, water power . . . but we often overlook our great need for spiritual power. It is the greatest source of power in the universe; the almighty power of God! “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great [a] salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). Jesus was speaking of our day when he said, “They . . . having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof . . .” [they deny the power of the gospel]. (History of the Church, pp 9-10). See also 2 Timothy 3:5. Paul added, “From such, turn away!”
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