0:00:00 - 0:00:31 So does anyone know what today is on the Jewish calendar? Yeah, that's right. It's Rosh Hashanah. Um This holiday has several meanings in the first one we're going to start with today. Today, there are three meetings and you can um three meetings for three meetings and you, these three meetings should 0:00:31 - 0:00:50 be considered one talk. They are, they're just chopped into thirds so that it's easier for more people to get there. Um But the first meaning we're gonna start on is that Rosh Hashanah is one of several holidays interpreted as the New Year. And that's a little confusing. We don't have to get into the 0:00:50 - 0:01:14 weeds. But one thing that is done on this holiday is that the shofar is blown. Have you heard of this before? It's a Ram's horn. It was really important for a lot of things and it's highly symbolic for a lot of things. But one of the meanings is that it's, it's a trumpet blast. So one of the things you 0:01:14 - 0:01:36 use a trumpet blast for which this is still used today in the military, they bugles, but same story is to muster a military unit, right? And to this day when the flag goes up, someone's playing a trumpet or they play a recording of a trumpet, right? Or a bugle. It's a bugle call. And if you heard it 0:01:36 - 0:01:58 , you might recognize it. So, in premo battles, the flag bearers, they were the command and control of a military unit. They didn't have walkie talkies back then you could see a flag from far away and without them, the soldiers wouldn't know what to do or what the state of the battle was. So the the 0:01:58 - 0:02:27 flags marked the position of units and also commands were issued through these flags. And so it was another means like the trumpet to send signals to the units. Do you know what another word for flag is and inside. And so so these flags, there were the link between the commanders and the troops and the 0:02:27 - 0:02:47 flag bearers were some of the most important troops. Do you know why? Because the command and control of the of the battle depended on them. The battle could not be won without them because without them, everyone was operating as an individual, only with them could the unit move cohesively. And there 0:02:47 - 0:03:17 are so many things that cannot be done as a single person or even as an individual, married person. It's a little pun joke. Sorry, it's too early for that. Ok. So another unique fact about the flag bearers of property is that they didn't carry a weapon. Why have you ever seen the patriot where he grabs 0:03:16 - 0:03:48 the flag and starts running. Right. Sometimes the most damage you can do as a soldier. The good kind of damage because the military destroys things, um, is not with a weapon, it's with a flag because with the flag, you can have 10, 101,000 people at your back. But it's just you with the weapon. These 0:03:47 - 0:04:11 soldiers are among the most courageous because they have to face a battle. They can't directly fight. Do you understand all the fighting they do is through the influence they have on other troops? Again, referring to that movie, the patriot. If you've seen it, he rallies these troops who are running 0:04:11 - 0:04:42 away. He rallies them to come back. He picks the flag up and he goes into battle a battle. He can't fight himself without weapons, but he can rally people behind him. Ok? They rely on the other people to put into practice the information. They provide one of the saddest scriptures that you may not have 0:04:42 - 0:05:05 ever noticed is John 1836 this is when Jesus is being interrogated by Pilate. Do you know why Pilate found him not guilty for insurrection? This is why this was the defense Jesus provided of himself. They got him off the hook with pilot, so to speak. Um obviously he was, he was still crucified, but it 0:05:05 - 0:05:27 was at the insistence of the Jews pilot said I find no fault in this man here's why Pilate asked him art thou a king. Then Jesus answered, my kingdom is not of this world. Anyone could claim that. What was the evidence? If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not 0:05:27 - 0:05:58 be delivered to the Jews? But now is my kingdom not from hence. Does your heart break? Did you hear that? Jesus said, I'm not a king. If I were a king, these people would fight for me. Where are my soldiers? I have none. I looked and there was no man. Did Jesus raise the flag? He did, he did. There are 0:05:58 - 0:06:20 many important scriptures to talk about him being raised up, literally raised up on a pole. Why? To demonstrate the father to us? He said to his disciples, he said, I'm going away. They said, but where are you going? We don't know the way he said, you do. I'm the way I've shown you the way live like 0:06:20 - 0:06:53 I live, eat my flesh, drink my blood and you'll come to where I am. He raised the flag, the flag was planted. But did it stay there? Is it still raised? Does anyone in this country on this planet? How many people have a clue as to how Jesus really is. Very, very few. My question to you today is, will 0:06:53 - 0:07:20 you fight for him? There's a hymn. Does anyone speak Spanish here? Ranger? I know you do. Oh, there's quite a few, there's a hymn in the L DS, the Spanish L DS hymn book called Oid to D Clarin. And uh I'm not gonna sing it to you. You're welcome. Um But I've translated the words and I'm just going to 0:07:20 - 0:07:47 read snippets of this hymn, Hark. The sound of the trumpet calls us to battle. The officers of Zion are beginning to march, their weapons are ready and so are their hearts. They search for worthy soldiers who will fight for Zion. I want to be a faithful soldier at the savior's side and fight for liberty 0:07:46 - 0:08:19 with strength and honor. Throw the cowards out of our ranks. We want courageous men with firm hearts to Mount Zion. Will Jesus the redeemer come to the brave. He will give crowns of honor. They will forever enjoy unparalleled happiness for me. How does that sound for an enlistment bonus? There are officers 0:08:18 - 0:08:44 in Zion. They are beginning to march. The trumpet is calling you to battle. Have you heard it? Have you answered it? Do you want to be a faithful soldier? Do you want to be by the savior's side? Because we go to him. That's how we find him. We go to him. Will you fight for liberty with strength and honor 0:08:43 - 0:09:10 or are you a coward? Is your heart firm? Now, there is a little known English hymn that might be related to this and it's quite old and it's not in any of the modern hymn books. Here's some snippets from that Hark. Listen to the trumpeters. They sound for volunteers on Zion's bright and flowery mount 0:09:10 - 0:09:34 . Behold the officers. I'm gonna make an edit to that. Zion's Mount is not bright and flowery. It's windswept and bare. There's a reason for that, but I'm just saying that uh by way of correctness, but you can read about it in Isaiah from the hymn mentioned before. We want no cowards in our bands. So 0:09:34 - 0:09:57 this is repeated in the modern one. We want no cowards in our bands who will our colors fly. So that colors is another word for a flag. You know that if you're in boy scouts, right, who's going to carry the flag? We call for valiant hearted men who are not afraid to die and I'll pause there if you enumerate 0:09:56 - 0:10:27 the fears. Well, there are two primary barriers to how we should be. One is dishonesty and I'm going to talk a lot more about that probably in the next book that comes out. The other is fear. Once you lose your fear of death, of loss, of being alone, the amount of power that can be unleashed in your 0:10:27 - 0:10:55 life is hard to describe. So all of that loss is swallowed up in Christ. When you're on the right path, continuing these verses, their horses white, their armor bright and both of those are symbolic with courage, bold, they stand enlisting soldiers for their king to march to Zion's land. They follow 0:10:54 - 0:11:26 their great general, the great eternal land, his garments stained in his own blood. King Jesus is his name. There is a time when these could be seen as symbolic statements and I stand before you today in literal fulfillment. Not that there's anything necessarily special about me in doing that. This cause 0:11:26 - 0:11:57 has always been open to all but few there be who answer that call. Let me ask you a question. The Levites were chosen as God's priests in ancient Israel, right? Do you know why the Scriptures tell us? It's there, it's there in the Old Testament, there are two verses to talk about this, but I'll share 0:11:57 - 0:12:25 with you one at least two. Exodus 3226. This is when the calf had been built and there was, there were problems coming from that. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me. Who answered that call? It says, and all the sons of Levi gathered themselves 0:12:24 - 0:12:50 together unto him. Do you realize how fundamentally different life was as a Levite versus anyone else in Israel? It's an open secret. It's not something commonly talked about, but they thought when they were in the wilderness that they were marching towards the promised land, what they had with Moses 0:12:49 - 0:13:12 was greater than what they had. After Moses, they crossed the Jordan into a lesser blessing. Did they have to work when they were in the wilderness. Nope, their work was limited to, to gathering manner that was provided for them every day. Did they have to make clothing? No. Says that their clothes didn't 0:13:12 - 0:13:37 wear out. Their sandals didn't wear out. Do you know how much time it takes to spend linen or wool into clothing as a full time job. Historically, people had one set of clothing, usually maybe two because it's so expensive to make time wise. If you've tried it, growing your own food, growing your own 0:13:36 - 0:14:00 grain, threshing your own grain, that's a full time job. Takes a lot of time. They were freed from all of that. Who among the Israelites continued to be freed from those things. The Levis, they were the only ones why they were given inheritances within the tribes of all the other, the inheritances of 0:14:00 - 0:14:19 all the other tribes, the tribes gave them everything they needed to survive. Essentially, there may have been some transacting in there, but they received portions from the sacrifices. They got their land for free, right? And they were able to do their thing. All they had to worry about. Quote unquote 0:14:19 - 0:14:48 was serving the Lord serving the people that was their full time job. Why, why did they get this disproportionate blessing because they answered the call and they continued to follow the flag. They marched, they did their work. I want to read from you Isaiah 13 1 through four because that call was not 0:14:47 - 0:15:14 just an ancient one time thing. The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah, the son of Amos did see lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain. A banner is another word for what a flag. If you look it up, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded 0:15:14 - 0:15:39 my sanctified ones. I've also called my mighty ones for mine, anger even them that rejoice in my highness, the noise of a multitude in the mountains like as of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together the Lord of hosts. Muste the host of the battle. What what, what 0:15:38 - 0:16:08 is a gate of a noble? A noble is someone who's a landholder in a kingdom, right? A lord in medieval times, right? They're gonna have a wall, they're gonna have a gate. Why would a noble come to the gate? They're the ones who decide who, who gets in right now. I know there's some understandings about 0:16:08 - 0:16:34 this verse that says he employee, no servant there. Um That's actually really easy to understand if you have the key. Do we follow men or women? Now we follow Christ. Well, how do you reconcile these things? Well, what about all the verses where Jesus says, how you react to his servants is how you react 0:16:33 - 0:17:09 to him. Well, what about one of his servants? Makes them a servant, their similitude to Christ So if you see something in someone that's similar to Jesus and you follow that, what happens when that person who has those qualities changes their minds and does something else? Well, you keep following Jesus 0:17:08 - 0:17:53 , that's the difference. There is no servant there. It's him. So what is the mustering call? What is the blast of the trumpet? It's the name of Christ. I'm gonna read to you this verse in 35 26 21. It's a short little sentence but there's so much in it. And they who were baptized in the name of Jesus 0:17:52 - 0:18:22 were called the church of Christ. I'm smiling because I'd like to say so much about this. But its church, a four letter word is a bad word. This, it literally says they were called the church of Christ. Why would God use that, that word? They who were baptized in the name of Jesus? Is there anything 0:18:21 - 0:18:43 in this sentence that says anything about being immersed in water? Uh Oh, yeah, I see some poop like danger will Robinson. So it turns out that a lot of our traditions and the things that we roll with, they're just sort of made up. I'm not saying baptism by water is made up just to be very plain. OK 0:18:43 - 0:19:07 ? But, but it's a case of, hey, I know a couple of words. So I'm gonna pin everything else onto these words. OK. What if I told you baptism by water and baptism? In the name of Christ can be two separate things. What if I told you you're not worthy to be baptized by water until you're baptized in the 0:19:07 - 0:19:35 name of Christ. If I told you baptism by water doesn't actually mean anything. In fact, it's mockery to God until you're baptized in his name. The name of Christ. Was it? What is the name of Christ? It's his character until you reconcile yourself to God. You live how you sincerely believe he would live 0:19:35 - 0:19:54 in your place? You're not baptized in his name? Some of you know Spanish. I bet there are people who know other word uh other languages. What's the best way to learn a language immersion? Does that mean someone's gonna dip you in a bathtub full of uh vocabulary? Index cards? Of course not. What does 0:19:54 - 0:20:19 it mean? You surround yourself with nothing but the language you read in it, you speak in it, you listen in it, you, you I said read in it. You think in it, you dream in it. What would it be like to not just talk about Jesus, but to immerse yourself in his character? To think like him, to desire like 0:20:19 - 0:20:58 him to dream like him? Is it possible? It is follow the flag Matthew 516. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven. If someone stands before you pretending to be a religious teacher and says, like you, I'm a sinner. There's nothing 0:20:57 - 0:21:31 special about me. I'm no more like Jesus than any of you. How do you square that with this verse? Conversely, if someone stands up and says, I love the Lord, I only do what he would do in my place. Is that person arrogant, maybe. Is that person full of themselves? Maybe. But you can only do, you can 0:21:31 - 0:22:00 only comply with what Jesus commanded by saying, I do what the Lord would do in my place. And maybe you find someone who does it better than you because they know Him better. But you are united in the spirit of love for God. Do you see that? Let's break this verse down though. What does it mean to glorify 0:21:59 - 0:22:27 , to glorify God? You can't add glory to Him. That's not gonna happen. What did Jesus mean when he said that what he did glorified the father. He prayed in John 17. He said, I'm about to glorify you referring to suffering and, and crucifixion and resurrection. It's to help other people better see the 0:22:27 - 0:23:00 goodness of God to see Him as better than they saw him before. It's us who changed not God to glorify Him is to help other people change to better value God. That's what it means. When the angels around God's th throne cry and sing glory, glory, glory. Who are they talking to? God already knows he's 0:23:00 - 0:23:26 glorious and he, by the way, it doesn't affect him at all to hear. People say it. He doesn't need that. He knows, trust me, he knows they're talking to us. Remember the four closest to him, they, they surround him like a shield, right? And they help us see what lies beyond our ability to see because 0:23:26 - 0:23:45 we can hear them a little better than they, than we would. The Lord. And it goes like that all the way down cascades, the visibility, it's easier to see, but less is transmitted and we need that. So let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is 0:23:45 - 0:24:15 in heaven, in plain English. One of the renderings of this is be so much like God that just by knowing you, people will better know God think of that. I was at a funeral earlier this week that man who passed away his whole family got up and had so many good things to say about this man. And he was such 0:24:15 - 0:24:43 a sincere loving person that every single person who met Him, I'm willing to wager got to know a little bit more about God's love, whether they believed in God or not, whether it ever came up in a conversation, being in that man's presence. You would feel the love of God more than you did before. That's 0:24:42 - 0:25:16 an amazing thing. This was a real man. Ok? We have a high and holy calling because Jesus was, he did come down and he was raised up. And all that time he spent here is an example for us to follow. And if you follow that example and to the extent that you do, you will help other people to see what God 0:25:16 - 0:25:54 is like. You are meant to so fully live how Jesus would that you serve as a demonstration of how he is to others. This is the flag that we raise. It's our example, primarily this. It also explains how you baptize others in the name of Christ and how you are baptized in the name of Christ. Are you connecting 0:25:53 - 0:26:22 the dots? Let your light so shine. So stand in that light and emit that light. So I'm gonna reread a passage that you've probably been through many times before. But I hope you hear something different in it. Now, this is from Alma 13. So bear with me because it's long uh starting in verse one and again 0:26:21 - 0:26:40 , my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his Children. And I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordains priests after his holy order, which was after the order of his son to teach these things unto the people. And those priests 0:26:40 - 0:27:03 were ordained after the order of his son in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his son for redemption And I'll pause here when you hear the word ordained, what do you think of hands laid on heads? Well, when was Alma Ordained in a way that thereby the people 0:27:02 - 0:27:32 might know in what manner to look forward to his son for redemption? You see, we've overlaid so much onto these verses that isn't there. And we've completely ignored. What is, how is one ordained after the order of the Sun? You shown what he was like and then you live that way. Isn't it funny how Alma 0:27:32 - 0:27:57 talks again and again about the holy order? And he never describes anyone laying hands on his head. He was appointed high priest by his father, but that's not what he's talking about. He describes that separately. Right? We've heard if you could gaze into heaven five minutes, you'd know more yada yada 0:27:57 - 0:28:22 . Right? Well, you take two people and one has had some guy lay hands on his head and the other actually knows Jesus, which of these two people would you bank has more power, more of God's power in his life. I don't know. I is what I'm saying. Hard to believe is this is this, it seems pretty straightforward 0:28:21 - 0:28:37 , right? And yet how much have we overlaid on this? I'm not saying there's not a place for laying on your hands there. Absolutely is, I'm not saying there's not a place for any of these other things, but what we've said is what we've made is that we've made the minor things into the major things and 0:28:37 - 0:28:56 just chopped the major things off and said, well, we don't know anybody like that. So let's just pretend it doesn't exist. Well, you claim to believe a book, that kind is all about these things, right? So you're gonna have to figure that out. Is there a plainer way of saying after his holy order, which 0:28:56 - 0:29:20 was after the order of his son, the Lord God taught more about himself. I'm, I'm giving you an alternate version of this verse. The Lord God taught more about himself to those who lived what they already knew. And through this, they became more like him than others and therefore, were better equipped 0:29:19 - 0:29:46 to teach the same to others. That's a lot plainer isn't, it can't have as much fun with, it can't set up churches and sell priesthood rights, right? But it's pretty plain and plainness is probably not even a double edged. It, it's probably a triple edged sword. If there could be such a thing, why, what 0:29:46 - 0:30:11 makes it easier to do the thing? It also raises the consequences of not doing the thing. And the third edge is it makes it easier to take it lightly. You're going to hear more about that later today. Mhm Continuing in Alma three with verse ex excuse me, Alma 13 with verse three. And then, and this is 0:30:11 - 0:30:31 the manner after which they were ordained being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the Foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works in the first place, being left to choose good or evil. Therefore, they having cho chosen good and exercising exceedingly 0:30:30 - 0:30:49 great faith are called with the holy calling. Yeah, with that holy calling, which was prepared with and according to a preparatory redemption for such, that's quite a mouthful, right? But he's trying to get all the details encoded into that verse. And thus, they have been called to this holy calling 0:30:49 - 0:31:06 on account of their faith. While others would reject the spirit of God, on account of the hardy, hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds. While if it had not been for this, they might have had as great privilege as their brethren or in fine, in the first place. They were on the same standing 0:31:05 - 0:31:24 with their brethren and thus being called by this holy calling and ordained unto the high priesthood of the Holy Order of God to teach His commandments unto the Children of men that they also might enter into his rest. Now, as I said, concerning the Holy Order or this high priesthood, there were many 0:31:24 - 0:31:40 who were ordained and became high priests of God. And it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance and their righteousness before God. They choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish. Therefore, they were called after this holy order and were sanctified and their garments 0:31:40 - 0:31:58 were washed white through the blood of the lamb. So, what's the difference between the high priesthood and the low priesthood? Do you have to actually know Jesus to have the low priesthood? No, someone can just give you the low priesthood and they don't even have to know God. Can you have the high priesthood 0:31:58 - 0:32:25 without knowing Him? No. No, because it is living knowledge of Him. It is to be like Him. That's why someone can't give it to you. It's without mother, father yadda, yadda yadda because you actually have to learn what Jesus is like and be like Him. You can't have it without it. And there's no difference 0:32:24 - 0:33:02 . That is what it is. The call is a unifying call. So increasingly in Christianity in general and also around these parts, the the call to Christ is replaced with a call to being nice or something like that, right? Some, some call to church inss and churchs is a four letter word. Church is not churchs 0:33:02 - 0:33:44 is OK. Can you be unified by niceness? What is niceness? Really? Tolerance? Yes. OK. At its root, it's about ignoring differences. Is that unity? No, it's tolerance. What's the problem? What are you not taking care of? Well, we'll get to it here. Ok. In a muster, a military muster when the Bugle is called 0:33:43 - 0:34:04 , everyone shows up and there are old timey songs about this from World War Two and you'll see it in Jimmy Stewart movies. You know, they are different ranks that show up, all different ranks show up and they know their place and they all line up. Right. The sergeants are where the sergeants go and the 0:34:04 - 0:34:26 sergeants have different ranks among them. Right. And officers are where the officers go and everybody else is in their place. There are differences but they are united in purpose and they know how to march. They know their place and they do their job, right? That's unity. There. There are differences 0:34:25 - 0:34:53 and they're united and the differences are actually strengths because without the private wouldn't work without that sergeant over there, it wouldn't work. It's even a place for the lieutenants, right? It is a shocker but there is the whole human family is being called and each person is as unique as 0:34:53 - 0:35:23 their fingerprints. But how we answer the call, it's always in his name. So how do the differences reflect there? And why is that a feature? Not a bug? We share full submission in our hearts, mights and minds. And yet we expect to differ in all three of those things were pointed to the same God, but 0:35:23 - 0:35:52 we understand him differently. The difference is not in our degree of submission that has to be 100%. It's non negotiable. We expect to differ in our capacities and to disagree on the particulars with our individual perceptions of him that's expected and it's ok and it's actually really necessary for 0:35:52 - 0:36:13 reasons I'll get into in a minute. And so the dividing line is not, I believe this and you believe that that's not the dividing line. That's OK. We shouldn't have problems with that. There are mechanisms for us being able to work together very well with that. The dividing line isn't whether you claim 0:36:13 - 0:36:36 to believe in him or not. We'd like to act like that is obviously those who don't believe in him are not answering the call. The dividing line isn't whether you serve him in this particular way or that particular way. That's OK. Somebody says, you know, I feel like I need to go serve the homeless. Awesome 0:36:35 - 0:36:54 . Go for it. If that's really what you think Jesus would do in your place, please go do it. Someone says, you know, I have an elderly relative, I wanna go help them. Awesome. Go do that. Someone says I need to go on the street corner and preach, ok, great. Someone says, you know, 25 people rely on me 0:36:54 - 0:37:27 at work and this is how I live out my call from Christ. Awesome. Hey, I'm a stay at home mom and these kids, they need me and they drive me crazy sometimes and that's my call. Yes, absolutely. Right. You see it's all the same army. What is the dividing line? Do you believe and live the same thing? Do 0:37:27 - 0:37:56 you live? What you say you believe when Moses says who is on the Lord's side, the Lord's side is those who live what they say, they believe. Do you see what I'm saying? You can believe different things than me. And we, we can still be on the same team if you look at something I said, and you said, well 0:37:55 - 0:38:17 , I can't be with that guy. That guy says this whatever. Well, guess what, like I might not like the way you cut your grass at your house and we could still be friends, right? We could still be brothers and sisters in Christ. Those differences are actually important. They're not bad but to have one heart 0:38:17 - 0:38:41 and one mind does not mean we believe the same things. It does not mean we're carbon copies. And if you don't get there by being nice, you don't get there by ignoring the differences, you get there by responding to the differences. That's very different. You can have a nice marriage, that's completely 0:38:40 - 0:39:01 sterile. Maybe that hits too close to home. Right. But it's the truth. You can have nice relationships with people that are completely meaningless. I've heard from so many people. I worked this job for 15 years. I thought these are all my friends. You know, we spent all this time together, not just at 0:39:01 - 0:39:26 work outside of work. Right. I knew their birthdays. I knew their kids' names and then I retired and I never heard from these people again. Yeah. You had a nice relationship. Not a deep one, they can't be the same to have one heart and one mind and I single to his glory, to be united. It's all to be 0:39:25 - 0:39:57 united in his purpose. That's what it means. You're aiming the same way. That's what it means. It means to learn all you can about the Lord, to live everything you learn and to do all you can to help others be the same. Think about that very carefully, etch it into your heart and your mind. A world of 0:39:57 - 0:40:24 differences are possible within that framework. And yet the framework itself as simple as it is present something that most people have to stretch to reach, meaning they're not there. OK. Unity can't happen without submission to Christ. But the details of what we're submitting to differ and they will 0:40:24 - 0:40:46 change. So if you say unity is I'm gonna write these things or a stone tablet and everyone that bows before this, we're all on the same team because we're in the same box. That's not unity. It has to be a process, something that's unending, right? If God is eternal, then the process might must go on 0:40:46 - 0:41:07 forever. And so if you can't describe a process that keeps going, which I just gave you a framework that does cause you just keep learning more about God. Let me read some scriptures now for where two or three are gathered together in my name there. Am I in the midst of them? Matthew 1820. Have you ever 0:41:07 - 0:00:00 understood this the way you do? Now, what happens when you have two people that are gathered in His name, that you've got two people pointing to God, right? And they will have differences because it's two fingerprints. This scripture can only be fulfilled if you respond to the differences correctly. 0:00:00 - 0:41:57 Now, I use this silly example of cutting grass. Let's run with that because it will illustrate a few things First off, does it matter? Does it matter if we cut our grass differently? What if I told you it? Did we both have reasons for why we're doing that, right? It's our definition of what's best if 0:41:57 - 0:42:23 we have differences. What does that mean? One of us is this is in the book of Abraham, one of us has a better way of doing it. So what do we do? Well, the world's way of doing this is let me bludgeon you in the head with what I do. No, you peacefully share why you do it. You try to persuade and you come 0:42:22 - 0:42:42 to the, the interaction with the assumption that you're the one that does it worse until proven. Otherwise, you're the fool until proven. Otherwise you start at the lower seats. You say, hey neighbor, you cut your grass different than me. Why do you do that? And you probably have a more tactful way of 0:42:42 - 0:43:00 saying this. And the neighbor says, you know, I've noticed yada, yada ya you know five minutes later, you're like, I've never thought about that before. I'm gonna do my grass a little bit more like you do yours, or you say? Well, that's nice. I've thought, I've spent 20 years studying the foundations 0:42:59 - 0:43:21 of lawn maintenance. Let me tell you what I've learned. Right. I went to the mountains of Tibet and this is what I brought back. Right. So, on the one hand, I'm saying the differences will be there and they're important and they can peacefully coexist and then on the other also, a whole bunch of them 0:43:20 - 0:43:45 should go away through time. Now, when do they not go away? And I don't want to get into the weeds on this, huh? Come on. We're talking about lawns. Jeez. Um, let's say, like I only have one leg and that's why I cut my grass the way I do. Right. And you have two legs. We're probably gonna come away from 0:43:45 - 0:44:11 that with differences. Right? Or whatever you say, like, you know, I, uh, I'm on the road six months out of the year helping orphans who don't know how to read. And that's why I cut my grass the way I do. Oh, ok. Right. Differences are maintained and it's all good. Those are obviously extreme things 0:44:11 - 0:00:00 . But you get the point, you can fill in the blanks. Why does it matter? Because if you maintain the difference and you ignore it, that's actually a form of dishonesty. You probably never thought about it that way and I don't want to get too much beard off into this. Every time you ignore something, 0:00:00 - 0:44:51 you reduce your ability to see something else. This is a hardcore rock principle. Every time you ignore something willfully you lose the ability to see something else and you can reverse out of this, but it takes time and effort and also you, you can't see what you can't see. Usually it takes the help 0:44:51 - 0:45:10 of someone else to come help. You see like, oh, did you know you do your long way different than your neighbor? I noticed that 20 years ago but then I forgot or you won't even remember that. See, I've never noticed that before. Oh, yes, you did one time you did and then you ignored it. It's usually money 0:45:10 - 0:45:30 too, like that person's making money on something and they wanna ignore it because then they would, they can't justify their behavior. So in other words, they're closing off that vision going further down the progression. They want something else that requires them to not see it. Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely 0:45:29 - 0:45:53 . Ok. So we're getting too far into that now. I actually said this years ago, the two or more gathered in my name. Ok. It's a huge point but you probably missed it, which is an example of this. So the point is you live up to all, you know, you seek out those who do the same and you learn from each other 0:45:53 - 0:46:21 . Now, I'm gonna read some scriptures again that you may not have thought about the way you can. Now. Ephesians 110 that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, which is now he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in on earth even in him. Can 0:46:20 - 0:46:36 you see in your head what this looks like? Have you ever seen this is kind of a technical chart and maybe someone in the audience can help me cause I don't remember what the name of this is but any chart where they're like mapping out magnetic fields or something like this has got a whole bunch of tiny 0:46:36 - 0:46:57 little arrows like the whole page is covered in arrows like wind patterns or something in the graph. It's got all these swirls on it where right. That's us. But just randomize where the arrows are pointing and each arrow is a person. The purpose of the end times is to orient all those arrows up up and 0:46:57 - 0:47:23 in. OK. So it looks like a big old triangle in many dimensions, but that's hard to think about. So just think of a regular triangle, right? That's the point. This will help you. Ephesians 44 to 16. There is one body in one spirit, even as you're called in one hope of your calling, there's one triangle 0:47:22 - 0:47:43 , one Lord, one faith, one baptism, there's actually two baptisms. So, but Paul didn't understand that one God and father of all who is above all and through all and in you all but unto every one of us is giving grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And he gave some apostles and some 0:47:43 - 0:48:00 prophets. I'm skipping verses just so you don't call me out later. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And the military's got ranks. God's 0:48:00 - 0:48:18 kingdom is more complicated than that because it's not just this person outranks that person. It's because life is much more rich than that, right? 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 0:48:18 - 0:48:38 Christ. What are we after to actually become more like him? That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning, craftiness whereby they lie in, wait to deceive. But speaking, the truth in love may grow up unto him in 0:48:38 - 0:48:58 all things, which is the head even Christ. Is that being nice? Speaking the truth in love that's criticizing, that's what that's called, isn't it? You say you're this way? Have you thought about being this way. Here's some good reasons. You're like, I'm so glad I'm not married to this guy. But if you 0:48:58 - 0:49:17 want to be married to Christ, that's, it'll be even worse than that. But that's better than that. Not worse. But you have to have your arrow pointing the right way to see it that way. Last verse from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, see each 0:49:17 - 0:49:38 person is vital according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Do you know what happens when the Kingdom of God is established, is organized and is running the way it should, you know what happens to all the benefit. It 0:49:38 - 0:50:01 concentrates as you go up in the world's way of doing this wealth concentrates, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about what is good. You know, even the lovely example of cutting grass differently, if some random person is cutting their grass better, that will percolate up to the top. And 0:50:01 - 0:50:18 as it goes up, it also goes down to everyone else because the person's like, here's this fantastic way of cutting the grass. Here's why everybody should do it this way. And these reasons are better than anything you've got. But if they're not, let's all do that instead and it goes back down, it's a network 0:50:17 - 0:50:42 . You see it's a network, there are many other verses and passages about this. You got a question. I also think there's no acceleration that happens. What happens is people um don't ignore the differences, don't ignore those things and they learn the skills of working that out. Yes. The spirit of the 0:50:42 - 0:51:00 Lord is able to get that change to happen faster. Yes. And so what ends up happening is things that took weeks and months before take moments. Thank you so much for your comment. I agree 100%. It's very important. So for the sake of recording, I'm gonna butcher it and try to paraphrase. So the comment 0:51:00 - 0:51:28 was as this happens, improvement accelerates because the changes can um can be noticed and uh implemented faster than they otherwise would I agree 100%. And that's actually really, really important. Yeah. Uh the scripture and let all men speak of all men, let all men speak that all men be edified. Fantastic 0:51:27 - 0:51:49 . So you'll see scriptures about this everywhere. But the problem is you have, you have this group thing and particularly Neil D you see it all the time where they're trying to, everyone's trying to slow down behind the huge semi of the leadership. OK. Fantastic. So to try to keep this as packaged as 0:51:49 - 0:52:09 we can, as brief as we can, but you've, you've hit on an enorm an enormous and very important vein. This is why meritocracy or what's best or what benefits the most. It's so important to understand and I'll, uh just to throw it out there, here's an application that's very related and helps us see, but 0:52:09 - 0:52:38 you probably haven't thought of it before, which is where does confidence come from for most people? It's the lack of challenge, right? When, when resistance goes away, I feel comfortable, secure and confident. And that's the opposite of what it should be in science. The most trusted theories are those 0:52:37 - 0:53:00 that have been tested the most vigorously. Do you see how that that's the opposite? You stress, test it and what stands after the greatest challenge is the best? That's how the Kingdom of God works. That's how truth works. Truth means that which cannot remain hidden. That's what it means in Greek, Alethia 0:52:59 - 0:53:21 that which can't remain hidden, reality reveals truth. That's what it's designed to do. Just takes a little while sometimes, right? And that we as humans are really good at making insulation. We put insulation around our hearts, put insulation around our, our minds, we even insulate our homes, right 0:53:21 - 0:53:38 ? That that kind is good. But you get my point, you gotta cut through that and to have a broken heart and contrite spirit, you'll see scripture after scripture about cutting through the fat surrounding vital organs. It's kind of weird gruesome imagery, but it's very valid even circumcision. It's the 0:53:38 - 0:54:02 same idea. You're you're exposing the most sensitive parts literally, right? You can't get any more sensitive than that. You're exposing the sensitive parts. And the point is to find greater value. Stress tested, some of the closest couples are people. Uh I'm talking about romantic couples now. So, so 0:54:02 - 0:54:21 marriage couples, they're people who have been through the most things together. Does that mean that, that they went through those things? Staying the people that they were on their first day of marriage. Absolutely not impossible because they didn't know about those things. How could they have incorporated 0:54:21 - 0:54:44 them? Life changes you when you're exposed to challenges, it changes you and it's a, it's like hitting the billiard ball, right? You won't be the same, but you get to choose whether to go up or down if you keep going up together. That's unity in Christ. You understand that that's real intimacy and, and 0:54:43 - 0:55:04 not just of the base or nature. This is intimacy that you can have as a group of friends or siblings or any, any group, the more you've been exposed to together and come out the other end better than you were the closer you are. Have you ever met a total stranger? Like we were talking about the military 0:55:04 - 0:55:23 before we hit record total stranger with similar experiences. You got instant rapport with them. You got a bond because you both know what that, what that's like. I have a friend who lost a child. He met another person who had lost a child, another father, they had a lot in common, even though they're 0:55:23 - 0:55:57 strangers. You know, you can have a lot of common in common with Jesus. If you trust him, he'll lead you that way. And it's the best thing that there is. Here's the last bit and it's the most important. My question to you again is, will you answer the call if I walk out of here and get hit by a bus one 0:55:56 - 0:56:19 , I've got some skill because I don't think there are any bus lines right outside. But if I just disappeared and you never saw me again, you have a flag to follow. It's in your scriptures, it's in the people. You know, it's in your job, it's in your family, it's in these trees that we can see out the 0:56:19 - 0:56:50 window. All things testify of Christ. Will you answer the call? Our job is to make it so that he can't say what he said to pilot again and we can do it to fight for him is not to take up guns or knives. Although again, whatever your specific situation may be, right? But it's more general than that. It's 0:56:49 - 0:57:17 to learn more about him to live everything you learn from Alma five versus 50 to 52. Yay. That oh we call this repentance. Sorry, that was the punch line. We call this repentance and I intentionally didn't use that word until now. Right? Ye thus sayeth the spirit repent all ye ends of the earth for the 0:57:17 - 0:57:37 kingdom of Heaven is soon at hand. Yeah. The son of God cometh in his glory in his might, majesty, power and Dominion and also the spirit sayeth unto me. Yeah, cry unto me with a mighty voice, saying go forth and say unto this people repent for except ye repent. You can in no wise inherit the kingdom 0:57:36 - 0:57:57 of heaven. And again, I say unto you, the spirit saith behold, the ax is laid at the root of the tree. Therefore, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. Yeah, a fire which cannot be consumed. Even an unquenchable fire behold. And remember the holy one 0:57:57 - 0:58:22 has spoken it, we briefly touched on some examples of things that pretend to be something that they're not. And one maybe the most important example of this is that you can pretend to be a Christian and most do. But what does it really mean? It means to be a disciple of Christ to know something about 0:58:22 - 0:58:46 what he's like and to live up to what you know, that's the common ground. Those are the people who answer the call because that's what it means. Those are the people who are following the flag because that's what it takes. Will you fulfill, will you fulfill the purpose of our time? Which is to prepare 0:58:45 - 0:59:13 to stand with Christ, it is coming. Do you know what it takes? You have to learn and live everything he's already revealed? That's not easy. But it is simple. You've probably never heard that before. That is the task that has been in play since he raised his flag by being raised on the cross. He gave 0:59:13 - 0:59:37 us his example and everything since then has just to be been to help us fulfill that example in our own lives and everything that will happen between now and when he comes again is the same. It's to help us live up to the example. He's already given the flag he already raised. And so now as Moses said 0:59:37 - 1:00:11 to Israel, I say to you, he was on the Lord's side, who's on the Lord's side, Joshua 2415. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day, whom you will serve, whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose 1:00:11 - 1:00:47 land ye dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I've answered the call. I signed a contract and I've paid the price and I did it gladly. But now it's time for other people to do it too. Isaiah 55 6 and seven. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near 1:00:46 - 1:01:12 , there is a time limit. And I'll talk more about that later today. But we've taken a lot of time, a lot of time. Five years ago, I made the first videos that are on my channel. I rewatched those recently, not particularly having to do with this and it broke my heart. How much was so plainly stated and 1:01:12 - 1:01:37 how little response there's been to that. There's one uh called the Gospel in 15 minutes, I think, or the gospel of Jesus Christ part one five years, five years ago. And I would ask how many people are closer to living up to what's given in those 15 minutes than they were five years ago. Verse seven 1:01:37 - 1:02:01 from Isaiah 55 let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man, his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly. Pardon? The good news. Gospel is the good news, right? The good news is we're all still kicking for now. At least 1:02:01 - 1:02:24 we're all still kicking. What does that mean? There's still time, there's still time to answer the call. It's kind of like an hourglass in some ways. The more sand that flows through, the less it's left, but we still have the time. There's only so much time, but we still have it. And so I encourage you 1:02:24 - 1:02:42 all to answer this call. It's obviously very personal. It's something you need to do in your personal life and the details of it will be very individual, but you have those things in your life that you can address that you've been reluctant to or maybe just you've tried, but you haven't been successful 1:02:41 - 1:03:04 and now is the time now is the time to get to the point where you can stand up and say, I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I do everything that I believe he would in my place all the time and I never do what I don't think he would do in my place. And you slay the natural man once and for all, and you pick 1:03:04 - 1:03:26 up the flag by picking up his cross. You know, you've all seen in the movies or maybe you've never seen a gospel movie before in your life. I don't know. But you've read in the book where the Lord stumbles as he's carrying the cross, there has to be someone to help him carry the cross in the gospels 1:03:25 - 1:03:47 . It says that the man was compelled. Will you wait until you're compelled to carry his cross by the things that are coming or will you voluntarily pick it up now, in the name of Jesus Christ? Amen? B?