Living Our Religion

The Epistle of James in the New Testament gives wonderful insights on ways that we can live our religion and follow Jesus Christ.  James 1:19 teaches us that we should be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. 

James 3 teaches us the following:

Things We Say That Are Offensive to God	Things We Say That Are Pleasing to God
Cursing men Speaking badly about others	Praises to God Blessings

James 4:1-12 teaches us about the effects of worldliness and how we can counter those effects through our faith and actions:

Symptoms of Being in the World	Prescription for Being out of the World
Wars Fighting Lusts Killing Covetousness Adultery	Submit yourself to God Resist the devil and temptations Draw closer to God Purify your heart Speak kindly about others Humble yourself

I’m so glad we have the scriptures as a reference and that we have Jesus Christ and his gospel to direct our lives.

Works of Righteousness

Paul concludes his epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 13 with some great teachings and counsel.  Some of the things he shares include answers to these questions:

How should we treat strangers and those “in bonds?”

We must love those around us, including strangers and those in bonds.  “Let brotherly love continue” and “be not forgetful to entertain strangers” because we may not be aware of who these strangers are.  (Verses 1-2)

How is marriage looked upon?

Marriage is honorable in all.  God will judge adulterers and whoremongers.  (Verse 4)

What warnings are given about covetousness?

We should avoid coveting others, but be content with what we have.  We must recognize that God will never leave or forsake us.  (Verse 5)

What is “the same yesterday, and to day, and forever?”

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.  We can always rely on him and his unchanging gospel. (Verse 8)

How are we sanctified?

We are sanctified through the blood and Atonement of Jesus Christ.  (Verse 12)

How do we respond to those who rule over us?

We must obey those that rule over us.  We should trust that they have our best interests at heart. (Verse 17)

Who did Paul ask the people to pray for?

We should pray for the leaders of the church. (Verse 18)

There are many more great principles and teachings found in this chapter.  I’m so grateful for the scriptures and the guidance and strength they give me.

Jesus Christ is Greater than Angels

Paul taught of Christ’s greatness in the Epistle to the Hebrews.  He taught:

• Jesus is the Creator, God’s son, and is in the exact image of God.
• Jesus Christ is greater than the angels.  His name is more excellent, as well as his inheritance and calling.  The angels serve Christ.
• The words of angels are important,  but the words of Christ are even greater.
• Jesus is greater than Moses.  Moses was a faithful prophet and servant of God, but Christ was a faithful son of God.

Paul taught many truths of Jesus Christ.  In Hebrews 1 he states:

• Jesus Christ is the appointed heir of all things.
• Jesus Christ created all things.
• It’s through Christ that our sins can be purged.

Furthermore, the scriptures teach us why Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to experience mortality.  We needed a way to repent of our sins, and he made that possible through the Atonement.  He suffered every temptation, pain, and sickness we will ever experience.  Every emotion we will ever feel, he has felt it too.  Through this, we can rely on him for strength during difficult times, knowing we are never alone.  Because Christ was perfect, yet paid for our mistakes and sins, we can become perfect through him as we repent and strive to follow him.  I’m grateful for Jesus Christ and his love for each of us.

Find Solutions in the Scriptures to Life’s Challenges

Although the scriptures are from ancient times, we can still use them to find solutions to modern life challenges.  For example:

Example 1:  People sometimes argue and complain over petty matters in church meetings of throughout the week.

Solution:  Philippians 2 teaches us that we must be unified and love one another.  We shouldn’t let petty issues create strife or think that we are better than each other.  It says we should “do all things without murmurings and disputings.”

Example 2:  Many youth feel that their parents’ testimony is sufficient for them.  Since they have good parents, they rely on them for all their spiritual strength.

Solution:  Philippians 2 states that we must “work out your own salvation” and shine as a light to the world.  President David O. McKay shares additional insight on this topic:

“An outstanding doctrine of the Church is that each individual carries the responsibility to work out his own salvation, and salvation is a process of gradual development. The Church does not accept the doctrine that a mere murmured belief in Jesus Christ is all that is necessary. A man may say he believes, but if he does nothing to make that belief or faith a moving power to do, to accomplish, to produce soul growth, his professing will avail him nothing. ‘Work out your salvation’ is an exhortation to demonstrate by activity, by thoughtful, obedient effort the reality of faith. But this must be done with a consciousness that absolute dependence upon self may produce pride and weakness that will bring failure. With ‘fear and trembling’ we should seek the strength and grace of God for inspiration to obtain the final victory.
“To work out one’s salvation is not to sit idly by dreaming and yearning for God miraculously to thrust bounteous blessings into our laps. It is to perform daily, hourly, momentarily, if necessary, the immediate task or duty at hand, and to continue happily in such performance as the years come and go, leaving the fruits of such labors either for self or for others to be bestowed as a just and beneficent Father may determine.” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1957, p. 7.)

Example 3:  An investigator is considering joining the church, but his family will no longer associate with him if he does.

Solution:  The blessings of the gospel are incomparable with things we may lose to obtain it.  Philippians 3 discusses this and says “I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”  We “can do all things through Christ which” strengthens us.

The scriptures teach us that as we “feast upon the words of Christ” through study, we will know what to do.  This is true for any decision, situation, or challenge that we will ever face.  I’m grateful for the strength and wisdom that the scriptures provide and that we have them available to use as a resource in our lives.

Adorable Kitten!

Isn't this the most adorable kitten ever?!  I LOVE it!!!

The other day I found a picture of this sweet kitten while researching tips on keeping your cat healthy.  It's now my desktop background and I must share it with everyone!!  It's just the cutest thing ever!!!

Live as Saints Should Live

Paul gives wonderful counsel for us on how we can live Christ’s gospel and receive salvation.  In Romans 13:11, he stated that our salvation is nearer than we believed.  Ezekiel 3:20 and Doctrine & Covenants 14:7 both bring up that to receive salvation, we must continue in righteousness, follow God’s commandments, and endure to the end.

In Romans 12-13, Paul lists multiple things that we can do that leads us to salvation.  Here are a few of them:

Romans 12:1 – Sacrifice ourselves to the service of God.

Romans 12:2 – Not follow the ways of the world, but follow the ways of God.  Be transformed and renewed.

Romans 12:9 – Love without dissimulation.  Cleave to what is good and abhor that which is evil.

Romans 12:13 – Serve others, give to those in need, be hospitable.

Romans 12:16 – Don’t think you are better or wiser than others.  See others as your equals.

Romans 12:21 – Overcome evil with good.

Romans 13:1 – Rely on the power of God.

Romans 13:3 – Do what is good.

Romans 13:8 – Love one another.

Romans 13:9 – Keep the commandments.

He further cautions us about judging others in Romans 14:1-13 and 15:1-3.  We don’t need to judge others – everyone will eventually be judged at the judgment seat of Christ.  People may have different opinions and practices than ourselves, but it’s important to remember that everyone is a child of God.  It’s the intent of their hearts, their faith in God, and the spirit in which they act that is more important than their different opinions or beliefs.

Doctrine & Covenants 38:25-27 gives further insight by saying we must esteem each other as ourselves.  We must be united.

Paul frequently used the term “saints” to refer to the members of the church in his day.  By following his counsel and striving to live Christ’s gospel, we truly can live a saint-like life.

Baptism

Romans 6 in the New Testament has excellent teachings on baptism.

It teaches us that we need to change – we can’t continue sinning and assume that God’s grace makes it alright.  We need to start a new life, following the teachings of Jesus Christ and following Him.

It teaches us of the significance of baptism and it’s symbolism of Christ’s life.  Just as Christ died and was resurrected, we are “buried” in the water (symbolizing death) and are brought back up with newness of life.  Our old selves are gone and our new selves are alive in Christ and His teachings.

This symbolism of being buried in the water and coming out of the water “reborn” lends itself well for full-immersion baptism.  Sprinkling does not have the same significance or meaning that is intended.

We can maintain the “newness of life” we experience at baptism by striving to follow Christ’s teachings, keep the commandments, overcome sin and temptations, and doing all we can to do God’s will.  As we fill our lives with righteousness and remember that it is through Christ that we can be redeemed, we will invite His Spirit into our lives and we will be strengthened.

Mosiah 3:19 in the Book of Mormon teaches us that the “natural man” is an enemy to God.  That part of us should die at baptism as we start anew and become more like Christ.

Romans 6 furthermore explains how we can know whose servant we are.  It is by identifying what we yield to – do we yield to sin or are free from sin?  What do we bring into our lives – corruptions or holiness?  Romans 6:23 states it very well:

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

It is through repentance and trying our very best to follow Christ that we are made free.  Sin imprisons us and we become captive to Satan.  But as we free ourselves from sin and its ugly consequences, we are made free and can ultimately enjoy eternal life through Jesus Christ.

L-R: Me and Brooke at our baptism in 1996.

Use the Spirit to Come to the Lord

2 Corinthians 3:6 teaches us that “the Spirit giveth life.”  Conversely, Romans 6:23 teaches us that "the wages of sin is death."  It is essential that we do our best to invite the Spirit into our lives, to avoid sin as much as possible, and to repent when we fall short.

2 Corinthians is full of information and teachings of the Spirit and how we can become closer to God.

2 Corinthians 4:6-10 - We must be hopeful as we face life by always having Christ in our hearts and minds.  God is our strength and will help us overcome everything.  

2 Corinthians 4:14-18 - Gratitude will strengthen us and bring us closer to God.

2 Corinthians 5:7-10 - We must walk by faith rather than sight.  This means putting our trust in God.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - We must be ambassadors of Christ, bear testimony and witness of Him.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 - We must strengthen each other, help each other, and be united in faith.

2 Corinthians 7:1, 9-10 - We must cleanse ourselves through sincere repentance and strive to always to better.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - We can face difficulties and trials with strength as we rely on Christ.

I know that as we strive to live with Christ's Spirit in our lives, we will be strengthened in our daily lives and feel the presence of God with us.  We are so blessed to have a God who loves and cares about us and will help us when we need Him.

Del Norte County, California
Photography by my mom :)

Being Influential for Good in the Lives of Others

Paul was an apostle and knew of his important role to preach the gospel.  1 Corinthians 9 tells of how dedicated he was to sharing the gospel.  He said in verse 16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

He writes of how he would connect with people of various backgrounds and lifestyles.  He was a Jew among the Jews, weak among the weak, showing that he would adjust to these different people in order to most effectively teach them.  

That is what we must do as well.  We must adjust to different people and their needs to best share the gospel with them.  If we strive to be on their level, they won’t feel that the gospel is foreign or strange, but will feel more comfortable and accepting.  We can do this with people of different cultures, regions, and lifestyles.  If we can effectively connect with them, we will be much more successful in sharing Christ’s gospel with them.

Missionaries Teaching the Gospel in Seattle, WA
(L-R: Elder Dymock & Michael)

Paul's Counsel for Members

Paul shares wonderful counsel and advice for believers of Christ in 1 Thessalonians. 3:12-13, 4:1-12, 5:1-22, and 2 Thessalonians 3:1-6, 11

There is a very lengthy list of things that he counseled the members to work on, which are all things that we can improve and work on today!  I chose 3 attributes that he shared that I want to improve on.  They are:

Love One Another

This is one of Christ’s great commandments – to love God and to love your neighbor.  I want to work on loving those around me by seeing them as children of God – my brothers and sisters.  I can do this at work, church, and at home by looking for ways to serve those around me and express my love for them in simple, meaningful ways.  I know that even a smile, or a friendly “hello” can make a difference and life someone’s day.

Comfort & Edify One Another

This one goes along with love one another, but I want to work on this as well.  I want to look for ways to edify others and one thing I want to do is to just share simple, conversational testimony.  Sharing my blessings with others, acknowledging God’s hand in my life.  I can also be attentive and give comfort or encouragement to others.  I can do this by sharing my testimony and telling of all the blessings I receive from God each day, which will help them think of their own many blessings and feel better.

Pray Without Ceasing

It’s easy for me to get into a prayer routine, but the Bible encourages us to pray always.  To pray without ceasing.  I can and should pray about anything and everything.  So this is something I will work on – I want to pray about my daily situations, give thanks for daily blessings, and just have my mind and heart centered on Jesus Christ.

I know that I can improve on these things as I turn to the Lord for help.  I know that I will be blessed for my efforts as I strive to follow the counsels of His servants.