Francis Harper Message for 9/7/2018

------ Forwarded message -----
From: Francis Harper
wbfrmsup@iowatelecom.net


Francis Harper Message for 9/7/2018

Dear Ones,

Shortly before leaving on the Nepal/India Mission of 2009, I was given a spiritual dream or vision. I saw a beautiful young mother, holding a small child. They had white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. They were surrounded by the Himalayan people with their distinctive light brown skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. The contrast of complexions caused me to ask the mother; “What are you doing here?” She smiled, but did not answer my question.

Next I saw a young man whose colors matched those of the mother and child, I had just seen. I suspected that he was the husband and father of the family. I asked him the same question and he responded with the question I had asked, “What are you doing here?”

I awoke with this question being repeated in my mind again and again. I knew the Lord wanted me to consider and understand why he was sending me to visit his people on the other side of our planet. I needed to be prepared to clearly explain the reason for coming to visit them year after year.

As I visited the Restoration Branches in the faraway places of Nepal and India, I shared with them the question I had been asked. I told them I had not come as a tourist or to climb Mount Everest. I did not travel 12,000 miles to buy souvenirs or to bring them money. I emphasized everywhere I went that I had come as their fellow servant, to bear a testimony of Jesus Christ and to preach the everlasting gospel which has been restored to earth again in these latter days, even as it was prophesied by John and is recorded in Revelation 14:6. “And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people . . .”

The thought provoking question; “What are you doing here?” should be answered by every child of God in this world, every day of their lives. Our response to this question will determine our eternal destiny.

Each time Elijah was asked, “What are you doing here?” he gave excuses for not continuing as a faithful servant of the Lord. He was discouraged and depressed by the spiritual condition of the covenant people of God. When he said to the Lord, “I even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away,” the Lord responded with “. . . yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal.” And the Lord said, “go, return . . . so he departed thence and found Elisha” (1 Kings 20:13-19). Elijah resumed his labor as a prophet of God.

As servants of the Lord today, we must watch lest we become discouraged and depressed as Elijah. We will likely face great oppositions as the day of the Lord’s coming draws near. Remember his promises: “I tell you that he will come, and when he does come, he will avenge his saints speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8).

It will be as it has been said; “. . . they have all gone astray, save it be a few who are the humble followers of Christ . . .” (2 Nephi 12:16). Let us pray that we will be among the faithful followers of Jesus!


My Love to All,

Francis Harper

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


“What Are You Doing Here?”



​ What are you doing here? This is a thought provoking question we all need to answer. Elijah was the recipient of many great blessings. The hand of the Lord was with him. He had been fed by the ravens. He raised a widow’s son from death to life. He “was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain . . .” (James 5:1).

Perhaps the greatest proof that Elijah was a prophet of God was given when he challenged the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to call upon their gods to consume their sacrifice with fire from heaven and it was not done. Then Elijah had four barrels of water poured on his sacrifice, three times! Then he prayed: “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and thou mayest turn their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water . . .” (1 Kings 19:37-38).

You would think after being associated with God in these mighty miracles, Elijah would have been fearless. But when Queen Jezebel threatened to take his life for slaying the prophets of Baal, he ran for his life. He “went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat under a Juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die . . . And as he lay and slept under a Juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat” (1 Kings 19:4-5).

After being fed by the angel, Elijah went in the strength of that nourishment on a forty day and night journey “unto Horeb [Sinai] the Mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, ‘What doest thou here, Elijah?’ And he said, I have been very jealous [zealous] for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:8-10).

And the Lord instructed Elijah to go forth and stand upon the mount, and he witnessed a great wind, an earthquake and fire, “and after the fire, a still voice spoke. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 20:11-13).

Elijah answered again with the same sob story. “And I, even I am the only one left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:14). The Lord was not impressed with his excuse for being so discouraged and depressed. He was told to return to the wilderness of Damascus and anoint two kings and a prophet. “I have . . . seven thousand . . . which have not bowed the knee to Baal” (1 Kings 19:18).

Is the Lord asking us; “What are you doing here _______?” We must continue with his work in spite of the discouraging and depressing oppositions we may face!