Visiting Teaching Message February 2018

28 February

In Christ Alone

“In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live…

Each month the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publishes a section on their website for their Visiting Teachers. Until recently, one could find a lesson plan to follow and share with those whom they’re assigned to visit. At first glance the new format looks pretty harmless, but don’t let looks fool you!

Now they’re wanting the Visiting Teachers to basically ‘wing it’ when they go out on their monthly visits. Instead of providing a format for teachers to follow, they’re instructed to ‘pray and seek inspiration’  for what they should share with the one they’re visiting.

While the women will know something about the other person they’re visiting, how is praying and seeking inspiration going to help them?

Can you just imagine what it’d be like running your own life like this? Where would your inspiration come from? Isn’t this how all people live before coming to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus and Him crucified?

If we’re left to our own devices of seeking inspiration to bestow upon others, what might it look like? For me personally today, the only inspiration I’d have is what I read on my vet’s website about my Rottweiler’s upset tummy. Hardly anything worthy of inspiring.

Here’s part of what the Church counseled their Visiting Teachers to do in this month’s lesson, Liahona, ‘Get to Know Her and Her Family,’ February 2018 –

‘Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, expressed her feelings in 1842 about how Latter-day Saint sisters in the newly established Relief Society should feel about one another. She said, “We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together.” …

Rather than provide a specific message, this page will feature a different principle each month to help us minister more effectively to each other.

As you pray and seek inspiration, you will know the spiritual message and service each sister needs.’

The last sentence is the key to the entire message for this month.This ‘guidance’ is nothing more than a lesson on hocus-pocus, and I don’t use that term lightly.

Joe Smith’s mother had aligned herself with practicing witchcraft. Her own diary tells us her inspiration came from anywhere but the Bible, as she relied upon ‘Abrac’ which is abracadabra, aka, witchcraft. Those are the spiritual tools she brought to the table, which is what the Church in no uncertain terms, is guiding members today to follow.

The Visiting Teachers this month would be much better off by opening God’s word to find out what He’d want for them to do, and what to share with others. The Bible is very clear beloved, we’re given specific counsel to not participate with anyone who practices evil things like Lucy Mack Smith did in her lifetime!

Leviticus 19:31 –

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.”

As the lyrics from the hymn noted above says, we should be getting our inspiration and guidance from Christ alone. Nothing else in this world works! And if you’re a Christian, why wouldn’t  you find help in Him alone?

If you’re LDS, know that we’re praying you’ll open God’s word to find the truth. Relying upon your own inspiration is dangerous, and leads you away from God, not to Him!

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor 1:18

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