What does the Average Humble Follower of Christ Experience?

I have read the Book of Mormon many times over many years.  I have come across numerous verses that spoke of signs, wonders and miracles following the believer.  Until recently I thought that this must be a very special person, perhaps the chosen few.  While I was reading 2 Nephi I came across one of these verses. Nephi tells us in 2 Nephi 26:13,

And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith.

And it came to me!  I have been having these kind of manifestations from God my whole life.  As my faith grows they have been more frequent.  I realize now these tender mercies keep me going along the gospel path.  Sometimes the miracles, signs and wonders are small and I am barely aware of them. And at other times the manifestations are more grand.

I then came across this verse in Jacob 4:6:

Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

I realized that Christian faith is evidence-based faith!  The only way for us to obtain a hope is to have spiritual witnesses.  These come to us as revelations and the spirit of prophecy.  Nephi called them signs, wonders and miracles.  So, the witnesses (evidences) cause us to gain a hope (in Christ) and this hope + witnesses causes our faith to become unshaken.

What do I do if I am not seeing signs, wonders and miracles in my life?  We work on getting closer to God.  How might I do this?  Perhaps we exercise faith unto repentance.  Perhaps we just begin to believe in Christ (Alma 33).  Perhaps we become very humble and submissive to God.  Ask God what you ought to be doing.  He will tell you through the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost. He knows you are a beginner and will give you small things to do.  Come and fear not (Alma 7:15).  God is good and loves you.  Once we exert ourselves to follow Christ something wonderful begins to happen.  We feel connected to God.  The Spirit starts to guide us.  The seed (Alma 32) begins to swell in our hearts.  This always happens.

What has happened is the great plan of redemption has immediately been brought about to you:

Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. (Alma 34:31)

What does immediate mean?  I believe it means that grace has entered your soul.  We are saved by grace!  As we continuously look for ways to deny ourselves all ungodliness and come unto Christ through repentance and loving service, we become perfect in Christ (Moroni 10:32).  We remain perfect in Christ as we continue to exert ourselves.  We fall from this when we get slothful.  But, what's wonderful is that as we continue forward God continues to bless us.  These evidences increase our faith.  Our love grows deeper for our Savior.  The gospel tastes delicious to us.

By grace we are saved after all we can do.  All we can do is exert ourselves to be better, to always remember Christ in all that we do, repenting when we make mistakes and believe.  We are constantly saved by grace if we are striving to do good!

Here’s the pattern to begin to receive assurances.

1.       Believe in Christ.  Humble yourself.  Put all your trust in Him.  Rely only on His merits.  Recognize your unworthiness at all times.

2.       Repent.  This is humbling yourself again casting off pride and fixing any of the basic commandments that you are deficient in.

3.       Worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by partaking of the Sacrament with real intent.  Ask for cleansing.

4.       Sincerely ask for the Holy Ghost.  Ask for the gifts of the Spirit that you need. 

This is the pattern.

The Deceitfulness of Riches

Jacob talks of the rich and learned that are proud in 2 Nephi 9:42.  I can't stop but wonder who Jacob's readership is.  It can only be Latter Day Saints and investigators.  That's all who read the Book of Mormon.  So, I conclude that this means that he is talking to Mormons.  I wonder what a Mormon who is rich or learned is thinking when he or she reads this passage:

And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

So, I am reading this passage.  I ask myself the question, have I passed through the gate?  Has Christ opened up to me?  I have two options - yes he has or no he hasn't.  If I answer yes, what evidence do I have that the Holy One of Israel has opened the gate?  Have I been baptized by fire?  Do I have the Holy Ghost as my constant companion?  Have I received Justification?  If I can't provide myself these evidences than the answer is no.  That doesn't mean that I am bad.  It just means that I haven't passed through this gate.

I might then ask myself if I could be considered puffed up by the Lord?  I am rich or I am learned or I am both?  Do I identify with my riches or my learnedness?  Do I believe who I am (my identity) is based on my riches or being learned?  If so, I am running under the natural man.  Egoic states possess my consciousness.  I want my riches and learnedness more than I want my God.

How I would I know if this is true?  Well, I definitely haven't cast off my riches. I still have them. Perhaps I can keep my riches, but be a good steward over them.  What would that look like?  Could it mean to give away my surplus riches?  Do I make a mock of my brothers and sisters by showing off my wealth by what I wear and drive?  Do I show off my riches in the house I choose to live in? Why might this be considered mocking my brethren?  Surely this can't be so!  My poor brothers and sisters should just be humble and admire my things.  They should learn not to covet and envy.  This is sin. You are exactly right, but what else does this blatant inequality do among believers?  Temporal equality is a tenet of gospel of Christ.  It brings a sense of unity, of common purpose for a Stake of Zion.  What example does having rich and poor in a Stakes of Zion give to everyone especially our youth? Perhaps, that we give lip service only - to the cause of Christ and Zion.

How would I know if I am puffed up and proud? I am grateful to God, (like a wicked Zoromite?), that he has blessed me more than others and I thank him (that I am better off than others).  I wear, drive and live in - expensive things.  If I am not proud then what am I?  Highly blessed by God above other people, has to be my answer.  Oh, the deceitfulness of riches!  I have to decide whether I am humble rich or proud rich.  Am I humble rich wearing, driving and living above everyone else?  Yes, that must be it!  The person writing this essay is an idiot.  All is well in Zion! Let's read this scripture:

And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. 2 Nephi 28:21-22)

 We rich Mormons might be deceived by our riches.  Read this:

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. 

For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? (Mormon 8:36-37, 39)

What can I do, if I am rich, to show my faith and love for my God?  How do I get through the eye of the needle and get to heaven?  How do I show my devotion to God and the cause of Zion?  I don't want to lift up my head with the wicked in hell?  See D&C 104:18:

Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.

This tells me to impart my portion. The more rich I am, the more generous I am to be.  Maybe, over time, I might even decide to live like the rest of human kind in a modest home, driving a modest car and wearing comely apparel.  But, for now, I think I will just give a lot to the poor.  When I gain that  hope in Christ I will even more compelled to do the following:

Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. (Jacob 2:17)

Now there's a principle to be followed!  But, it take time to extricate one's self from our wicked traditions.

But, I am a Mormon.  I have a hope in Christ! Look what a person with a hope in Christ does:

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. (Jacob 2:19)

My riches (and my ability to produce riches) are a gift like any other gift - to be used to give God glory - not for self-aggrandizement.  When I live this principle, considering myself a fool before God, then God will open the gate and permit me to pass through.

But, if not....

But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints. (2 Nephi 9:43)

That happiness of the saints will be hidden from me forever.

Shibon - The Good Son

Shibon was a never-do-it-oncer.  He was that classic young man raised in the church with obedience that comes naturally in a society filled with good role models.  Shiblon has been steady and faithful unto God (v.2); he commenced in his youth to look to the Lord.  On his mission to the Zoromites he has been faithful, diligent, patient and long suffering (v.3).  He has been raised well and had made good choices.

Alma, in verse 6, feels  to tell his son that he (Alma) has been born of God.  He tells his son that he had to cry unto the Lord for mercy, receive a remission of his sins and find peace to his soul.  He emphasizes the importance of Jesus Christ being at the center of Shiblon's faith (v.9), not extolling Christ as one of Shiblon's virtues but as counsel for Shiblon to learn wisdom (v.9)

It's as if Alma sees what Shiblon lacks and is gently persuading him to add the mercy (v.8), the saving power (v.9) and centrality of Christ - being the life, the light and the word of truth and righteousness - as new additions to his son's belief system.

Alma counsels Shiblon to be temperate (v.10), not be lifted up in pride (v.11), that he not boast in his own wisdom nor in his much strength (v.11).  It's almost as if Alma sees the direction a young man raised well will take if Christ doesn't become the center.  Strict observance can unwittingly become pride, the very thing that was to be avoided.  If this happens, the mark is missed and the whole of being raised in strict obedience is lost.

Alma counsels his son to take of stand for righteousness (boldness in v.12) but not overbearance; to bridle his passions, be filled with love and refrain from idleness.  He then tells Shibon what prayer isn't (v.13).  As Alma is speaking of the wickedness of the Zoromites, it's as if he sees something that needs correcting in his son.  Alma senses that Shiblon believes he is 'better' than others because he has done all the outward commandments since his youth (see v. 14).  Alma's counsel strikes to the heart of the matter that plagues all who have outwardly obeyed yet never felt mercy: judging oneself as better than others.  "Rather say, forgive thy unworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy" (v.14)

I can imagine seeing the obedient young person, like Shiblon, saying, "but, how can I be unworthy?  I have obeyed all the commandments from my youth!  I don't get it. This doesn't make sense."  Alma goes on and says, "acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times", re-enforcing the fact that Christ paid for all our sins and we will forever be unworthy creatures.  There's no changing this.  To believe otherwise denies that atonement and suggests that we work our way back to heaven.  Then why obey? Why do good works?

Embedded throughout Alma's counsel to his second born son is the need to live a Christ-centered life. We change and become better people because Christ paid for our sins in the first place.  He loved us first.  This should cause us great humility.  Alma was trying to teach his son, and all of us, that we choose to change and progress by and through the grace of God because we love Him and want to be like Him.  Any other motive breeds pride.  We know we are running on that other motive when we can't see or comprehend our own unworthiness.

Unworthiness, in a scriptural sense, is our acknowledgment to our Savior that he has paid the price so we can return.  Mercy has satisfied the demands of Justice.  This unworthiness produces an attitude of  humility, contriteness and a broken heart.  It is the foundation on which all other gospel virtues hinge.





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Posted By NelsonFamilyBlog to Scott's Life at 10/28/2013 07:37:00 AM

The Community Foundation of Jacob 2 - Part 1

As I studied the words of Jacob to his people, I realized that Jacob dictated (from God) two community principles upon which the Nephites were to build their civilization.  The foundation principles were temporal equality and gender equality.  These two principles are outgrowths of living or striving to live, the principles of the gospel.  Instead dispelling already embedded false traditions, Jacob, was not going let them get started. (Jacob 2:5).  Nephi's group had grown large enough by this time that the people weren't inherently acting as a cohesive family unit.  So, this first regulation was made.  Their society and their church were essential the same.

Jacob seeing that some men are now obtaining more wealth than other men, were beginning to walk in the pride of their hearts (Jacob 2:13).  Their wearing of fine apparel and their persecuting of their brethren are the evidences Jacob uses to show their pride.  Jacob tries to impress upon their minds the gravity of the matter by telling them that God could strike them down with a single glance (v.10,15).  Jacob later infers that their abundance is a gift from God (v.20) and temporal inequality is an abomination unto God (v. 21).  No wonder Jacob tells his brethren to "be free with their substance, that they may be rich like unto you"(v.17).  He explains in his way what Christ taught in his ministry in Palestine to seek first for the Kingdom of God and all things would be added unto them (Matthew 6:33).  The obvious outcome of first having a hope in Christ is to use your surplus riches to help others (v.18,19).

The Nephite prophets sought to uphold and maintain the foundation principles taught by their fathers.  Two of these were temporal equality and gender equality (to be discussed).  Their church was built on these principles. Falling away from these principles was consider wickedness and pride. I find it curious that we, the LDS people, continuously strive to arrive at a similar state (of mind and reality).  We are coming from a different direction, though.  To dispel our deep set traditions is not easy.  Our logic, and the natural man within us, easily dismisses the idea that temporal equality will work.  More progress has been made in the area of gender equality.

See other writings on the Book of Mormon at:
http://greenscootersimplelife.blogspot.com/

Jaredites Destroyed Four Times!

Jaredites Destroyed Four Times

Please indulge me on my latest research.  I always have wondered why Moroni put those chapters in Ether recounting the reign of kings and the intrigue associated with it, in the Book of Mormon.  So, here's my broad view analysis.  I learned a few things.  First, that it appears that the time period that each king reigns is longer in the first half of the Book of Ether than the second half.  Second, that the Jaredites were almost totally destroyed at least three times during the life of the kingdom.  And one last thing, the there seems to be a brief democratic rule by the people once in the history of the Jaredites.

The Jaredites arrive in the new world somewhere around 2200 B.C.  They are destroyed around 600 B.C.  So, we have about 1600 years to work with.

Ether 6/7/8

1. Orihah (righteous king, son of Jared, lived exceedingly long)
3. Kib (lived to be exceedingly old while in captivity)
4. Corihor (rebelled against father, Kib, and brought him into captivity)
5. Shule (righteous king, v.8, captivity, son of Kib, restored kingdom to Kib)
6. Noah (son of Corihor, rebelled, took kingdom)
7. Divided Kingdom (v. 20, Shule (righteous king) and Cohor, Nimrod, son of Cohor gives kingdom back to Shule, prophets rejected by people but protected by Shule, people repent)
8. Omer (righteous king)
9. Jared (Jared rebelled against his father, Omer, took kingdom, Esrom and Coriantumr (sons of Omer, return kingdom to Omer.  Jared very sad.))
10. Omer (until he is told to leave in a dream)
11, Jared (until he get decapitated by Akish)
12. Akish and his sons

These kings rule for a long time.  They live long lives.  Men were living well over 100 years - perhaps 200 years before they died.  I estimate that these first kings ruled about 80 years each (except for number 9 and 11: Jared).  This puts us at 640 years or 1560 B.C.

Destruction #1

The first destruction of the Jaredite civilization was after Akish became the king.  He never got to cut off Omer's head (King Omer was warned in a dream and left for a period of time), so he cut of the head of his co-conspirator, Jared and became king.

Akish starved his son to death causing the son's brother, Nimrah, to flee to Omer.  Akish begats other sons - who used a classical political move to draw away the more part of the people after them.  The people wanted gain (transfer payments in our day) and the sons of Akish wanted power (control of the kingdom).  This started a war between the sons of Akish and Akish.  It lasts for many years unto the destruction of everyone except thirty souls.  That is no small destruction.  King Omer returns and establishes a righteous kingdom once again.

Destruction #2

We go from Omer to Emer to Coriantum (who received the Second Comforter, Ether 9:22).  Corantum had no children until after he was over one hundred years old.  He begets Heth.  Heth was a bad boy and brought back the secret plans to destroy his father.  He dethrones and kills his father (v.27).  Prophets come into the land crying repentance.  Nobody believes the prophets.  They are cast out and killed according to the commandment of Heth.  A great dearth upon the land begins.  The drought and famine destroys the inhabitants exceedingly fast.  Poisonous serpents push the flocks and herds southward.  The Lord causes the serpents to create a hedge so the people can't pass to get to their flocks.  The people humble themselves sufficiently for the Lord to send rain again.  It sounds like the people were pretty much destroyed once again.  Using an average of 50 years per king, we have another 200 years since the first destruction.

1. Omer (good king)
2. Emer (good king)
3. Coriantum (very good king, sees the Son of God)
4. Heth (bad king, kills the prophets, dearth in the land)

Ether 10

Shez, a descendant of Heth, begins to build up a 'broken people'.  Shez is a righteous king.  His son, Shez dethrones him and is killed by a robber.

1. Shez (good king, builds up a broken people)
2. Shez (killed by robber)
3. Riplakish (bad, son of Shez 1, taxes and prison labor, reigned 42 years)
4. People rule (Riplakish killed, descendants driven out)
5. Morianton (Just king but bad morally, descendant of Riplakish, wars against the People and wins)
6. Brother of Morianton (rebels, puts Morianton into captivity)
7. Levi (good king, son or Morianton, 42 years in captivity, makes war and obtains kingdom)
8. Corom (son of Levi)
9. Lib (good king, destroyed poisonous serpents, very industrious, people blessed)
10. Hearthom (son of Lib, reigned 25 years, went into captivity)
11. Heth (son of Hearthom, lived in captivity)
12. Aaron (son of Heth, lived in captivity)
13. Amnigaddah (son of Aaron, dwelt in captivity)
14. Coraintom (son of Amnigaddah, dwelt in captivity)
15. Com (battled against King Amgid and won back the kingdom, fought unsuccessfully against robbers/secret combinations in the land)

Ether 11

The people reject the prophets and they flee to Com for protection.

16. Shiblom (Son of Com) and the brother of Shiblom (rebelled against Shiblom and started an exceedingly great war, caused all the prophets to be but to death; wicked combinations)

Destruction #3

During the reign of Shibom,  there are wars, contentions, famines and pestilences.  No one had ever known such great destruction.  We must remember that the last great destruction occurred over 16 kings back.  If we were to average a reign of a king at 35 years, that would be 560 years!  No wonder no one remembered the last great destruction.  During the estimated 560 years, there are five good kings interspersed. That amount of time is like us remembering the times of Columbus (1492)!  The people begin to repent.  Shiblom is slain.

17. Seth (son of Shiblon, dwelt in captivity)
18. Ahah (bad king, son of Seth, obtained kingdom, few were his days)
19. Ethem (bad king, descendant of Ahah, prophets prophecy utter destruction of the people)
20. Moron (bad king, rebellion, lost half of kingdom but gained it back, secret combinations)
21. Descendant of the Brother of Jared (apparently a bad guy, over throws Moron who dwells in captivity the rest of his days)
22. Coriantor (son of Moron, dwells in captivity all his days, prophets come again prophesying utter destruction.) Another people to possess the land, the word is rejected due to their secret society and wicked abominations.)
23. Ether (son of Coriantor, prophet of the Lord.)

Destruction #4 (the final destruction)

So, Ether would have been king if he hadn't dwelt in captivity.  From the time the people began to repent (Shiblon) to Ether, there are six kings (some rule and some live in captivity).  If we were to let each rule for 35 years, that 210 years!  To get perspective, that's like going back to the beginning of our nation!  It took that long for the Jaredites to ripen for their final destruction.

Notes:

80	8	640
50	4	200
35	16	560
35	6	210
		1610

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Author
Scott Nelson, creator of Greenscooter blog

Vengeance is Mine

Vengeance is Mine.

The year is 350 A.D.  The Nephites have just been through terrible battles with the Lamanites. They have been winning lately (not in the strength of the Lord, though), pushing the Lamanites back to the narrow neck of land.  A treaty is made that the Lamanites and Gadianton robbers get everything south and the Nephites get everthing north.  There isn't any more fighting for ten years.  During this time of relative peace, Mormon is told by God to begin preaching repentance unto the Nephites. He is also told to establish His church again among the Nephites.(Mormon 3:2)  The Nephites harden their hearts and reject Mormon's preaching.  They don't realize that the Lord has spared them and has granted them a chance to repent. (Mormon 3:3) The war with the Lamanites begins again and under Mormon's leadership they effectively defend themselves at the narrow neck of land.  But, instead of being humble, they boast in their own strength, are filled with revenge and want to annihilate the Lamanites.  They decide to cross a line.  They go on the offensive. (Mormon 3:9-10) Mormon utterly refuses to lead them.  The Nephites don't make the connection that God was helping Mormon to deliver them. (Mormon 3:11,13) The Lord tells Mormon, "Vengeance is mine and I will repay..." (Mormon 3:15)

This crossing the line or going on the offensive is so blurred in our day that it's hard to tell if we do the same thing at a  national level.  It's as difficult for many of us to determine when we cross the line in our own lives.  Our culture rejects the notion that there is a line to be crossed.  As a Latter-day Saint, I didn't realize that this precept is a basic tenet of the gospel.

The concept of "Vengeance is mine and I will repay" teaches me that I can, in faith, leave many matters in the Lord's capable hands rather than going on the offensive.

So, as soon as I take something into my own hands to take revenge on another, I lose the Lord's support in the matter.  Do you see how this ties into forgiveness and the giving evil acts of others to God?  Is our desire to fight back, seeking revenge in a way?  I guess if you are defending yourself, that's okay.  But, where is the line that one crosses when they've gone too far.  This is vengeance.

Vengeance is being so angry at what someone else just did - because what they did was terrible - that if you have the power, or if you had the power, you would go after them to punish them.  Instead of taking steps to defend yourself you go on the offensive (or dream about what you would do if you could).  By doing this you cross the line and don't stand blameless.  Since you would if you could you're 'as' guilty as the person doing it.  Your heart is not cleansed.  When I say 'as guilty' I only mean that your heart is not right and that you are not ready to meet God.  I don't mean that you have put those thoughts into action which is a far worse step in the wrong direction.  God is merciful by allowing us to repent of our thoughts rather than taking the sometimes irreversible action.

Perhaps this doctrine of vengeance being the Lord's is just an extension of other eternal laws contained in the gospel.  For example, Christ taught that when slapped on the cheek, to turn the other cheek.  This resisting not evil could be construed as letting the Lord take care of the matter in the way that He sees fit.  When we choose not to judge what another person did against us as bad, we put the problem in God's hands.  This casting of our burdens unto the Lord is an act of faith.  We are saying to ourselves, our God, and perhaps, to the offending party, God judge between me and thee and reward thee according to thy deeds (DC 64:9).  Since we have demonstrated an act of faith, rather than taking the matter into our own hands (which is a just thing to do in some instances), God becomes bound to take care of the matter.  Whatever the way the Lord takes care of the problem is His perogative.  There's a 101 ways to skin a cat.

As we forgive others instead of taking vengeance, we are exercising faith.  Faith always precedes the miracle.

Taking the Low Road

My faith becomes stronger by keeping my covenants.  

Covenants are tied to my state of being-

Which has everything to do with believing deeply.  

With humility and with hope, I begin to implement the covenant as part of who I am. 

Keeping the covenant with intention changes my perspective and my attitude.  

Instead of feeling used, I choose to sacrifice my time in the service of others.  

I willingly accept church callings knowing that I will be sacrificing.  

In faith, the sacrifice is made holy and moves me to a new level of spiritual growth.

I seek to obey the next covenant.  

The natural man kicks in and the covenant makes no sense, it even looks foolish.  

In faith, I believe that Christ is telling the truth and modeling the truth. 

I meekly submit even though I don't understand.  

The culture all around me tells me to do the opposite.

The gospel law teaches me something different.  

As I believe in Christ and his teachings, I realize that I cannot do it alone.  

At first it requires 'blind' faith.  

I struggle to do the right thing and fail over and over again.  

But I pray, pleading for Christ's grace to change my heart so that I can obey this covenant.  

I want the gospel way life to be part of my being.  

I want my nature to change. 

Little by little the change begins to occur.  

This requires faith that what I cannot see is really there and valuable to me.  

It requires faith that this apparent foolishness will bring me happiness and joy.  

I feel pressure from all sides.  

No one seems to believe that it is possible to keep this covenant.

As I walk in faith, my anger subsides and disappears. 

I know that it is a gift of grace from God.  

Virtue begins to garnish my thoughts. 

I realize that my faith is bringing forth fruit.  

Miracles are manifesting themselves in my life.  

It is a miracle to have a natural desire removed by an unseen power.  

I no longer revile back when confronted.  

Contentiousness departs.  

I begin to try to forgive all those that have offended me.  

I want mercy for all my wrong doings so I am merciful to others.  

I even forgive those that have no idea the pain they have caused-

Or don't care or continue to hurt others like they did me.  

I pray for my enemies.

I begin to realize that the way is easy for the spiritually minded.  

The natural man and its natural world created an illusion which I believed.  

The new man is struck by the contrast between the two men within- 

The one receding and the other becoming stronger.  

I still have bouts where the natural man takes over.  

But, I trust in my God.  

People mock me for not taking action, 

For not fighting back, 

For not taking matters into my own hands.  

If taking the matter into my own hands causes me to drop back to the natural man, 

I will not do it.  

This seems foolish to many.  

I cannot judge them.  

I was there 

And still am there much of the time.   

This is why we judge good to be evil and evil to be good.

Covenant making steers me in the right direction.  

Although keeping a covenant has to do with obedience and works, 

I believe it is much more than just doing.  

We can all do things grudgingly or minimally.  

This is not faith.  

Why are we surprised when no good thing comes?  

Hungering and thirsting after righteousness brings with it great humility.  

We become aware of our weakness.  

It is impossible to make the change on our own.  

When we have arrived at this place - 

Viewing our own nothingness - 

This is 'all that we can do'.  

Grace steps in and rescues us.  

We know in every fiber of our being that we have been snatched- 

Rescued from the grasp of awful monster of despair.   

We have become new creatures.  

For....'without faith it is impossible to please him: 

For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, 

And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him'.