I am not ashamed of Christ

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that beliveth." (Paul. Romans 1:16)

I am ready to die

“And Paul earnestly beholding the council, said’ I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day?’”

Before this many people warned Paul not to go up to Jerusalem, “Then Paul answered, 'What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’”

Sometimes we are asked to do hard things in our journey here on earth, but death is easier sometimes that some of the things we are asked to bear. Paul had suffered much in his life and now he was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of him even unto death. I think that sometimes we go to extremes to stay alive. I know of a situation where a man’s wife had a stroke and would have died, but he having money said to the doctors, “Do whatever you have to do the keep her alive.” They did and she, trapped in a body she could no longer care for and would no longer move in the manner she was accustomed to lived out her life in anger and hate making everyone else miserable.

Another example is my father who had a massive heart attack. My sister seeking to save his life had him flown to a hospital some distance away. Dad was angry they were trying to save him and fought them.  Which made her angry that he didn’t appreciate what she was doing for him. I tried to tell her later that he was ready to die.

Like Paul, had lived in all good conscience before God. He was not a perfect man, but neither was Paul as he persecuted the Christians.  Paul’s works we know, but Dad, just a poor, humble farmer no more feared dying than did Paul. Why because he was an honest and good man who loved and forgave quickly the wrongs of others. I try to do the same.

Nothing can keep God from loving us

“I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us form the love of God, which is Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:38-39)    

Actions speak louder than words

“If any man among you seems to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:26-27)

“And when the priest left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labor to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors.  And the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearer, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner, and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength. And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted, and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely. And thus they did establish the affairs of the church, and they began to have continual peace again, notwithstanding all their persecutions.”  (Alma1:26-28)

That our children may know

“We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26)

If you want to know, read it, test it.

“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17)

“Now we will compare the word unto a seed… if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if you do not cast it out by your unbelief…it will begin to swell…ye will begin to say within yourselves---it must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28)