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