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TODAY'S THEME:
- A PREVIEW:
- A FUTURE EVENT (AS RECORDED IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN IN THE HOLY BIBLE); FORETOLD BY JESUS CHRIST TO HIS TWELVE APOSTLES IN PALESTINE NOT LONG BEFORE HIS MORTALITY ENDED AND BECAME AN ACCOMPLISHED EVENT NOT LONG AFTERWARDS, WHEN HE, AS A RESURRECTED PERSONAGE, ASCENDED UP FROM HIS TWELVE APOSTLES INTO THE SKY IN PALESTINE- AND THEN SOON AFTERWARDS, (AS RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF MORMON, ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST) APPEARED TO ANOTHER SET OF HIS TWELVE APOSTLES WHO LIVED FAR ACROSS THE WORLD IN A LAND SOMEWHERE NEAR WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS CENTRAL AMERICA.
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Go Ye Therefore And Teach All Nations. -by Harry Anderson |
Acts Chapter 1: 1 THE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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| The Ascension -by Harry Anderson |
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (emphasis added)
John 10: 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (emphasis added by Neil Birch)Now in order to assist you to learn about those other sheep Jesus has that he must bring, or rescue, and to make them an official part of "his fold", we turn to a record of the Resurrected Jesus Christ's post Ascension into Heaven visit to a nation of Israelites whose ancestors had left Jerusalem 600 years previously under the direction of God.
For those of you blog readers who may not yet know, back in 600 B.C. After a very difficult journey which began from the suburbs of Jerusalem which was being threatened by King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon, a righteous man named, Lehi, a prophet of God who is not mentioned in the Bible, along with his family and selected relatives and friends began a very long and arduous journey.
First they traveled through the deserts of Arabia which took about about eleven years; and then, with God's special guidance that prophet and his people built a ship and were guided by God to a land located somewhere near modern day Central America where they settled down and prospered, with the more righteous among them looking forward steadfastly to the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ about whom their scriptures they brought with them clearly informed them as did the prophets who were among them.
They knew the birth of the Savior of the World would take place in about 600 years from the time of their arrival in their promised land, the general location of which was mentioned just above.
Their prophets taught them that the Son of God, the Savior Jesus Christ, would visit them soon after His Atonement, Crucifixion, and Resurrection from the dead that would take place in Jerusalem! They were also promised that specific signs would appear in the Heavens when he was born as a baby into the World.
From their sacred record, the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ (which had been translated from ancient golden plates by the power of God into the English language by a modern-day Prophet of God, Joseph Smith, in 1830 A.D.) I quote sacred words spoken by The Resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ who personally appeared among that people, the Nephites, in A.D. 34.; which were spoken to His disciples (apostles) whom He had chosen from among that people:
3 Nephi 15: 12 Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph.
13 And behold, this is the land of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you.
14 And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem.
15 Neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land (Palestine).
16 This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them:
17 That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
18 And now, because of stiffneckedness and unbelief they (His apostles and other disciples in Palestine) understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them.
19 But, verily, I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you.
20 And verily, I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them.
21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
22 And they (his apostles and disciples in Palestine) understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching.
23 And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost.
24 But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me. (clarification and emphasis added by J. Neil Birch)Sometime soon after ascending into Heaven in Palestine we learn from that other set of Sacred Scriptures, from which I just quoted, one of the Book of Mormon's "sub" books: "Third Nephi", that He, Jesus Christ, appeared to these Nephites whose ancestors 600 years before were led from Jerusalem by the Hand of the Lord where they had been told by the prophet, Lehi, who lived and served among them, that their Savior, Jesus Christ would appear among them after His Resurrection. They were living in Ancient America, most likely not far from, or in modern day Central America. I quote a relatively small portion of that record which gives us an insight into His purposes in visiting this Israelitish nation (His, Jesus') Other Sheep:
The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ:
Jesus commands them to call the Church in his name—His mission and atoning sacrifice constitute his gospel—Men are commanded to repent and be baptized that they may be sanctified by the Holy Ghost—They are to be even as Jesus is. About A.D. 34–35
3 Nephi 27:1 AND it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting.
2 And Jesus again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you?
3 And they said unto him: Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the name whereby we shall call this church; for there are disputations among the people concerning this matter.
4 And the Lord said unto them: Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing?
5 Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day;
6 And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.
7 Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake.
8 And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.
9 Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;
10 And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.
11 But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.
12 For their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn down; therefore remember the things that I have told you.
13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—(Blog readers, when you view the upcoming video you should review the brief notes you might want to make right now on a note pad reminding you of those words of our Savior which I just now highlighted and underlined in this verse and in the next two verses!)
15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.
16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.
17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.
18 And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.
19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;
22 Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
23 Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden.
24 Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been.
25 For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.
26 And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged.
27 And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.
28 And now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you. (That's quite a promise!)
29 Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
30 And now, behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost.
31 Behold, I would that ye should understand; for I mean them who are now alive of this generation; and none of them are lost; and in them I have fulness of joy.
32 But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition (Judas Iscariot, one of his twelve apostles in Palestine who actually betrayed Jesus by assisting those who sought to kill him); for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads.
33 And it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings he said unto his disciples: Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work.After having viewed this blog post to this point you must question why such critics whose opinions you will hear in the upcoming You Tube video actually say what you will hear them say about the beliefs of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Now, here is the You Tube Video I promised to provide! I don't believe it was produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I do believe that very faithful and knowledgeable and skillfully talented members of that church produced it.
Defending the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
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DISCLAIMER
This Blog is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.
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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.
If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.
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Neil Birch
