November 28, 2010

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

Rom 1:16

As I walk back from the mailbox these days I’m reminded that the world is ready for its annual observance of the birth of the Savior.  Sadly, this remembrance has become an occasion to encourage us to spend money for things we might not otherwise consider purchasing.  But it’s also an opportunity for the believer to boldly proclaim his faith. A common theme of the season is, “we’ve forgotten the real meaning of Christmas.”  This tells me that Christ not been forgotten, and that in the world there are sincere people who hunger for the Gospel.

We are told that it is not “politically correct” to mention Jesus except in church or among close friends.  But we know that there will come a time, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” This is not a time to be ashamed to speak his name, but rather to be bold in offering that precious gift of eternal salvation.

Your servant,

Dan

November 21, 2010

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

Psa 118:1.

This phrase is repeated eleven times throughout the scriptures with only minor variation.  It tells me that all the blessings that I’ve received throughout my life are a result of God’s infinite mercy toward His children.  Giving thanks to our Heavenly Father is an expression of humility, acknowledging that all that we are and all that we have are undeserved gifts.

How can we adequately express our gratitude to His infinite being? In his Colossian letter, Paul states, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Our words and deeds are a testimony to mankind of our thanksgiving for the blessings we’re received from God’s merciful hand.

Your servant,
Dan

November 14, 2010

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Matthew 6:9

With these words begin perhaps the best known and most loved verses in all of scripture, Jesus’ example of the manner in which we should pray.  He first addresses His Father by name and then declares that name to be holy.  There was great importance placed on names in the Old Testament tradition.  Places were named after miraculous events, person’s names were often prophetic, God’s name was considered so sacred that it was never spoken and written only in abbreviation.

In placing His name above all other names we are expressing praise toward our Heavenly Father.  Nephi declared, “O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel!... Oh how great the holiness of our God!” The psalmist David admonished us to, “…praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.”  The Savior ended his prayer as he began, praising the Father, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”  Our prayers should reflect not only our needs, but our praise, respect and devotion to our Father in heaven.

Your servant,
Dan

November 7, 2010

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Mat 7:13-14

When we travel in Yucatan, we frequently stay at a brother’s home in Yobain, where there is also a local congregation. They have no baptismal font, so on the occasion of a baptism we travel to the coastal village of Chabihau on the Gulf of Mexico. As we get closer to the coast the road narrows to slightly more than one lane. On either side are basins where sea water is trapped and allowed to evaporate, leaving behind the salt which is gathered and sold. All manner of sea life is also trapped and decays, producing an unpleasant odor and appearance. Along that stretch of road are signs posted saying CAMINO ANGOSTO which translates “narrow way.” If one were to lose concentration for just a moment he could leave that narrow way and become mired in the filthy salty sand with the stench of death all around.

Just as that camino angosto leads to the place of baptism, there is a narrow way that is prescribed by Jesus that leads to eternal life. His words are the signs along the way reminding us not to veer to the right or to the left, as on either side death awaits if we lose concentration. Let us heed the signs and stay on that narrow way that leads to life.

Your Servant,
Dan

October 31, 2010 - VOTE!

Therefore this shall ye observe, and make it your law to do your business by the voice of the people.  And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; Mosiah 13:36-37

This Tuesday we have the right and responsibility to go to the polls to do the business of our great nation “by the voice of the people.” The responsibility that we have is to make our decisions in a manner that chooses what is right and good in the eyes of our Maker, for if we don’t we invite condemnation upon the land.

This is a choice land, consecrated by the Lord, set apart from the world and promised liberty if its citizens will serve Him. It is that liberty that made possible the restoration of the Gospel in the latter days.  The freedom and prosperity that we enjoy facilitate the accomplishment of the Church’s duty to spread the gospel to “every kindred, nation, tongue and people.”

As we meet together this day in the Lord’s house, let us implore Him that He would inspire us as citizens of this great nation to make wise choices in the election of those who will govern.


Your servant,
Dan

October 24, 2010

And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed, This is the desire of our hearts.  Mosiah 9:42

After the martyrdom of Abinidi at the hands of the wicked King Noah, a young man by the name of Alma wrote all the words that Abinidi had spoken.  Knowing these words to be from God, Alma began to teach them to the people privately, and many believed that message of faith, repentance and baptism.  Fearing the king, they fled to the wilderness, unto the waters of Mormon where Alma invited them to make their covenant with the Lord.  And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed, This is the desire of our hearts.

These blessed people heard the call of the Lord and obeyed with joy.  We decide each day whether to comply with God’s commandments or fall to temptation.  We can have victory in Christ over sin and death, and in obedience to His will find abundant joy if we commit ourselves to Him and make this the desire of our hearts.

 Your servant,
Dan

October 17, 2010

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Proverbs 13:20

We had found the perfect camping spot at a Corps of Engineers park and set out for a morning of fishing below the dam.  Much to our disappointment all we seemed to do was snag our hooks on the rocks below the surface.  We decided to consult a fellow fisherman downstream, asking him how he kept from hooking the rocks.  “Simple,” he said. “Don’t fish where the rocks are.”

How surprised that old fisherman would be to know that he was paraphrasing Solomon’s advice to choose our companionship wisely.  God’s wisdom tells us that the church “did meet together oft… to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.” We all recognize the temptations that we are most subject to, so if we would be wise we would not visit the source of those stumbling blocks, whether they be physical locations, acquaintances, or dark thoughts within us.  What a wonderful blessing to have the companionship of the body of Christ to encourage each other not to “fish where the rocks are.”

Your servant Dan

October 10, 2010

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)

When Jacob gathered his sons for a blessing prior to his death, he called his son Reuben “unstable as water.” Just as water conforms to whatever container it’s placed in, this firstborn son was willing to conform to whatever situation he found himself in, often to his shame. Paul warns us not to conform to worldly ideas and activities or be swayed by public opinion. The solution is transformation, which involves radical and irreversible change just as the caterpillar enters the cocoon and is transformed into a butterfly, never to return to his previous state.

Jesus preached a radically different way of thinking in his sermon on the mount, a shift of attitude from self centered consequences to genuine loving concern for others. In order to make the transformation complete He required an irreversible spiritual change. The symbolic burial in the water of baptism signaled the birth of the new man and paved the way for the renewing of the mind by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Only then can the Christian understand God’s will and strive with determination for its fulfillment.
Your servant Dan

October 3, 2010

Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. (Luke 22:7-8)

Jesus’ words were obeyed and the annual feast was observed as it had been for nearly fifteen hundred years.  At first it seemed no different than the ceremony they had heard all their lives, but in an instant the Savior radically transformed this ritual observance with these words, “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.”  How astonished the disciples must have been, and even more so when Jesus, after the Passover meal took the cup and said, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”

This dramatic event ushered in the new covenant that Jesus sealed with His blood.  The Mosaic feasts and sacrifices were abolished forever, as Jesus commanded the Nephite people on this land, “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings; and ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” (3 Ne 4:49) As we remember Jesus’ sacrifice that delivered us from Satan and the bondage of sin, let us renew our covenant with him to offer a broken heart and contrite spirit.
Your servant Dan

September 26, 2010

For if ye would hearken unto the spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray: for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. 2 Ne 14:11

Having finished his discourse on the doctrine of Christ, Nephi was concerned that the people were not sufficiently humble to accept and practice what they had heard.  His desire was that they would become more spiritual but that simply hearing was not sufficient.  The fundamental nature of spirituality is heeding the correct spirit, the one “which teacheth a man to pray.” Nephi continues in the following verse to admonish his flock that if they will communicate with the Lord in this way that the manner in which they conduct their lives will be blessed with His direction.

We’re instructed in the fifth chapter of Galatians “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Being spiritual means not only feeling God’s Spirit but practicing what that Spirit teaches.  If we are to “walk in the Spirit”, we will allow that inspiration to permeate our thoughts and actions every hour of the day.  

September 19, 2010

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isa 40:8

God, in his infinite wisdom, has surrounded us with reminders that time continues to progress. Sunrise turns into sunset, the new moon becomes full, the apple tree blossoms, bears fruit and drops its leaves, one generation of man greets the next and says goodbye to the previous.

In the equation of life the one constant is God’s word. It stands as our unchanging guide and inspiration as we grow ever closer to our day of judgement. In it dwells the understanding of God’s will for each of us combined with the encouragement to seek and accomplish that divine calling. In a world of doubt, heartache and uncertainty we can cling daily to that compass that always points back to the Creator and forward to endless life and happiness.

Let us resolve to allow the Lord to enter our hearts and minds each morning with that word which “shall stand forever.”

Your servant Dan

September 12, 2010

In his first Corinthian letter the Apostle Paul makes the statement, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” The Temple Lot Local has had many pastors over the years; some served long years, others but a few. I am inspired by the examples of those who have served before me and each one has had an influence on the congregation. Each built on the foundation that was established by our Savior when he organized the Church, and each “watered” with his own ability, but it is always our God who “gave the increase.” When a servant of God strives to serve his congregation with an eye single to the will of the Lord, we see great increase. History shows much growth in our Local, not just in numbers but in the spiritual maturity of the body. I pray that we can continue that trend and to that end I would like to dedicate this year to an increased spiritual awareness and knowledge of God’s holy word.

I am humbled that you have chosen me as your pastor for the coming year and my only desire is to accomplish God’s will in this capacity. I would request your prayers and patience with me as I “water”, that God may give the “increase.”

Your servant Dan