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A living prophet
It is incredible how God with simple means could obtain great performances.For the same principle it is enough simple wisdom to discover great truths. The Lord always used simple things to solve great (for mankind) problems. Liahona in the desert, little stone for the brother of Jared, or to wash in the Jordan river to heal from leprosy. All of this to represent that the power of God is not to be identified like mankind would like:powerful signs and powerful means. God act with simplicity because is power is the simplest power to use.What about the wisdom that God prefers? According to the scriptures 1 Corinthians 2:5-13
1 Corinthians 2:5
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:6
6 � Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this
world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1 Corinthians 2:7
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God
ordained before the world unto our glory:
1 Corinthians 2:8
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 2:9
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Corinthians 2:10
10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even
so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:12
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1 Corinthians 2:13
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1 Corinthians 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
According to the scriptures just the humble man and people able to be like babies can better understand the doctrines of Heaven, why? Simple because God prefer humble people, simple people because Jesus was Matthew 11:29
Matthew 11:29
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls.
And when Jesus was teaching the doctrine that the kingdom of God is for little children, was teaching this principle not only to tell us that the little children are redeemed by His atonement but also to teach us that people should be humble and obedient like them to be guided from the Holy Spirit. Only who is able to humble himself will be lift up and not who will sit at the first places will be allowed to lift up but just who will sit at the last place will be allowed to go at the first place. This introduction will allow me to clarify a point that, according to the other churches, seems very weak in our doctrine, instead when well understood is one of the strongest point to acknowledge indeed the true church. To show this, according to my introduction doesn't need to be a scientist or a great biblical student, it is just enough simplicity and just one scripture that I will put at the end just to write something to better build the topic.
A living prophet.
for the other churches, all without distinction, this is pure heresy. According to them prophesies are over after the death of Apostles and with them, like consequence, the prophets. The revelation is sealed and scriptures too.
If this, by chance, is not true, then this point become a great point for the Church of Jesus Christ lds, because is the ONLY ONE to maintain this doctrine.
What a blessing to be just the ONLY ONE TO support this idea. What a terrible thing to be on the other side.
All the discourses about doctrine could be throw in the wind, if you are able to clarify this point, make sense?
It is so simple that I can't help but laugh.
The scripture used to show that prophecy is sealed is 1 Corinthians 13:8-10
1 Corinthians 13:8
8 � Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether
[there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1 Corinthians 13:9
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1 Corinthians 13:10
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Some people maintain that perfection came when Jesus died and other when the apostles
died, in this case the first idea is surely wrong because Paul is speaking after the
Jesus' death and he is speaking about future times "when that which is perfect is
come, then that which is in part shall be done away. "
Other people maintain that when the Bible was completed with revelation the perfection came and they take the declaration in revelation is somebody add or take off from Revelation will be anathema.
They forget that John wrote two more letters after revelation and therefore even though revelation was put at the end of the Bible it doesn't mean that it was the last book to be written .Anyway we will talk about revelation at the end because this book will be the key witness for this topic. It would be interesting to clarify what was this "perfection" declared from Paul like the ultimate sign because prophecy should be over. According to Ephesians 4:11-13
Ephesians 4:11
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers;
Ephesians 4:12
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ:
Ephesians 4:13
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
Here Paul is speaking regarding Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, I don't want to say that Paul was referring to perfection like this :" unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:" But surely I could easily maintain that these characteristic should remain at least "Till we all come in the unity of the faith".
This is a simple thing that everybody could accept :churches, sect, denominations and so on are hundreds so this unity of faith has to come sometimes in the future so.......
It is very intriguing how Paul go ahead always in 1 Corinthians 14:1
1 Corinthians 14:1
1 � FOLLOW after charity, and desire spiritual [gifts], but rather that ye may prophesy.
Weird! a gift that it is supposed to be over in few years it is indicated to be desired, and why?
1 Corinthians 14:22-25
1 Corinthians 14:22
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe
not: but prophesying [serveth] not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
1 Corinthians 14:23
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with
tongues, and there come in [those that are] unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say
that ye are mad?
1 Corinthians 14:24
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or [one] unlearned, he
is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
1 Corinthians 14:25
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on [his] face
he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
It would be very strange that a gift so important, specially for the believer it would be take off very soon.
The church was based on prophets according 1 Corinthians 12:28-29
1 Corinthians 12:28
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues.
Ephesians 2:19-20
Ephesians 2:19
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the
saints, and of the household of God;
Ephesians 2:20
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner [stone];
So God would have built on something and after he takes off this foundation, will not the church crush? It seems pretty ridiculous.
Paul always in 1 Corinthians wrote
1 Corinthians 14:31
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
and
1 Corinthians 14:39
39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
What I find intriguing is the fact that many Protestant accept the gift of tongues but
no the prophecy, but in the scripture that they like to say that prophecy will cease
tongues are included, so..... 1 Corinthians 13:8
8 � Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether
[there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Is this serious?
According to them prophecy was a gift just for the first saints but let's go ahead
Romans 12:6
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether
prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith;
1 Corinthians 12:10
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of
spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1 Corinthians 12:11
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally
as he will.
These gifts were for ALL THE SAINTS for all the AGES, otherwise the Gospel would be handicapped
1 Timothy 4:14
1 Timothy 4:14
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying
on of the hands of the presbytery.
If these things were to be terminated in few moments, this suggestion would have been useless.
2 Peter 1:19
19 � We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed,
as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise
in your hearts:
Peter is encouraging the saints by the more sure word of prophecy, it doesn't seem that he is thinking that this gift would be over pretty soon.
Matthew 5:17
Matthew 5:17
17 � Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfill.
I know that here prophets means their writings, but still there is no warning from Jesus that prophecy will be over in the future or even better when Jesus prophesied that in the last days there will be false prophets He could say, there will be no prophet at all in the last days, instead the warning against the false prophets make a lot possible the true prophets.
Matthew 24:11
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
But now we have to close the discussions with the scriptures that clearly define the truth
because if it is true that
Amos 3:7
7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the
prophets.
Then it is very good to have prophets like mankind had in all the ages, God always warned mankind to them before of every great happening, before the flood He sent Noah, before of Jesus He sent John the Baptist and so on. It would be very strange that before of the second coming when mankind should be ready to be judged no one will come. Why God should miss His help at the last moment before of the great and dreadful day of the Lord? No God is not missing this point it is just mankind that it is blinded from Satan that it is indeed missing the whole message.
Malachi 4:5
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the LORD:
Malachi 4:6
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the
children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
See it is clear but no one is paying attention, the first coming was terrible just for Jesus, the second coming He will come to judge and mankind should fear His coming because this time He will come Revelation 19:15
Revelation 19:15
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and
he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation contains the key to discover this dilemma and how I wrote at the beginning the simplicity is unbelievable.
Revelation 22:10
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:
See? Seal not!!!! God would have continued to give instructions to lead His people because "for the time is at hand. "
Revelation 10:11
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and
tongues, and kings.
We don't have these prophecies and even better take a look.
Revelation 11:3
3 � And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two
hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 11:6
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and
have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as
often as they will.
Well it seems that at least 2 prophets, leaving aside John, should prophesy in the last days. But let me smile just a little bit here because if the next scriptures is not true I would like to ask who could be a Christian today.
Revelation 19:10
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am
thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
So the pretending Christians that are denying the spirit of prophecy are just saying :"We don't know anything about Jesus the Christ!"
It should make a lot of sense, but I am sure that for many people will not.
I thank God for my leaving prophet and for the rest mentioned in the Bible in the first days, and specially for me in the last days.
P.S.
After I wrote this, just by chance I found a very old book, writtenn by Carl H. Jacob "Superbombs, saints and scriptures" Published by deseret book in 1960. pag 37
This is laid out so clearly in the Bible that it's strange the religionist who have rejected God's latter day work can't see it. John the revelator described the Judgment of God that would come upon the earth prior the second coming of Jesus, and in the middle of the description he gives the reason (Revelation 16)
"And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shall be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the BLOOD OF SAINTS AND PROPHETS, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
This is a powerful passage, and missionaries ought to use it against those that reject the latter day prophets. Clearly the Lord is talking about what will happen in the days prior to Christ's Second coming. There will be terrible judgments upon the earth because people will have "shed the blood of saints and prophets".
Surely the professed believers in the Bible don't think God would send judgments upon the people of the earth in the last days because other people of two thousend to six thousend years ago (i.e. Biblical time) killed saints and prophets. The only logical answer, then, is that in the latter days there are to be saints and true PROPHETS in the Biblical sense. And the only people who claim to have living prophets and who claim to be saints while they are still alive and have blood to be shed are the latter day saints!
But, lest the religious rejector of latter day revelation still wriggle out of this one with:"Oh, I believe there will be saints and prophets, again some day before Christ's Second coming, but I don't believe Joseph Smith was a prophet nor that the Mormons are saints," let's double check John's judgement and see what he was talking about. Perhaps we can pin them down as to time. Let us go back to the beginning of Chapter 16 of Revelation
Could this be referring to something that could happen to us today? We are almost tempted to replay:"You bet your boots it could," but formality forbids.
What if an all-out thermonuclear war should break out today? What about the "noisome and grievous sore" of verse two? Can you imagine a more "noisome" and a more "grievous" sore than that which would come from the explosion of hundreds upon hundreds of atom and Hydrogen bombs with their cancerous radioactivity? Or what about the bacteriological and chemical warfare that very probably would be used along with them? What about the epidemics and the dread "nerve gas" that men would be victim of?
The verse three: The sea is to become "as a blood of a dead man" This could mean that, like the blood of a dead man, it will not support life, and so"every living soul" in the sea is to die. What if our Navy, with its great carrier force, becomes locked in battle over the seven seas with the Soviet fleets with their many submarines ? We have depth charges, torpedoes, artillery warheads, and missiles, all atomic and all operational, and so do they. What if literally thousends of these weapons are discharged in the sea ( the writer maybe didn't think about the gas dispersed by great ships in the sea) How long will it take for the sea water to become so "hot" from radioactivity that, like the blood of a dead man, it will not support life, and every living soul in the sea (i.e. sea life) will die? Salt water takes on and passes on radioactivity very rapidly. Verse four is perhaps a little garbled, but it probably has the same significance as verse three- that is, the "rivers and fountains of water" would become contaminated.
In verse 8 and 9 we are really getting to something that smacks of our superbombs.
Our point is that all these destructions John the revelator said he saw would come upon
the earth in the last days could come in our time. We have the power NOW to bring upon
ourselves the worst that John ever saw. If, then, this calamity can come in our day, the
modern rejectors of latter day revelation had better take another look at the only church
in the world that claims to have live saints and prophets, because JOHN says the
destruction will come BECAUSE SOME OF THESE ARE SLAIN.
Then to the person who might still object," oh, I don't think these destrctions will be man made at all, I believe God will send them directly in the form of fire out of heaven," we would present these three points:
1. A corollary to Abraham Lincoln's, "God helps those who help themselves," could be, " God will not do anything for men which men can do for themselves-even destruction." If there is to be scorching in the last days and if men can do that scorcing themselves, we might rightly lose faith in the efficiency of God if He would let all those man made bombs go to waste only to turn around and rain fire down from heaven upon them.
2. God has often talked in terms of :" I will destroy," when He means men will do it themselves- or other nations will do it. As we mentioned before (pag 28), clear cut examples of this are found in Leviticus 26 the Lord sests forth promised blessings for obedience and consequential cursings for disobedience to His laws. If His people persisted in their perverseness, He warned:
The Lord did not personally come down and lay waste the Israelitish cities and scatter the children of Jacob. It was done by various nations, namely the Assyrians in 721 B.C., the Babylonians around 586 B.C., and the Romans in 70A.D.
Cyrus was raised from God and He called him, His anointed Isaiah 45:1
Of course the Lord had control over these wicked nations that scattered His chosen people, and it can be said that He allowed and even brought them against the Israelites. Moses told these Hebrews Deut 28
3. The third point we would make for the person who is looking for God to rain fire out of heaven or send His angels with torches to destroy people in fulfillment of Revelation 16 is that the whole tenor of the scriptures is otherwise. The fact that it says, "the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun and power was given unto him to scorch men with great heat", may indicate somewhat the behind the scenes activity of angels in this things ( the writer at that time didn't know anything about the hole of ozone in the sky).
We can see, then, that these could be wars of our day, and they will bring unheard-of destruction. Further, if these are our wars, then according to revelation 16:6 they have come and will come because someone has :"shed the blood of saints and prophets." and wew repeat: the only people of modern time who claim to be saints and have prophets today are the members of the church of Jesus Christ lds. In the cruel martyrdom of the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum and in the slaying and driving of the latter days saints in the persecutions of Missouri and Illinois in 1830's and 1840's, surely we have at least the partial fulfillment of the conditions of Revelation 16:6
Yet another objection comes to mind. We have said surely God would not visit destruction upon people today for the slaying of prophets and saints of biblical times. But what about Joseph, Hyrum and the saints who lost thei lives in the Missouri-Illinois persecutions of the 1830's and 1840's; would God's wrath be poured out today for the slaying of His prophets and saints of a hundred years ago? This is an interesting question; and we could surely answer, no, not if there were repentance and restitution. But since there has not been, God Himself has given the answer, and who are we to judge His justice? When the Lord gave the Ten commandments to Moses, he commented (deut 5:9)
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