Weeks are flying by like in a jet, someone turn on autopilot.
The Labubu And The Last Hour
Imagine arriving unknowingly to a surprise birthday party empty-handed. That’s exactly what happened to us last Friday. Feeling somewhat like one of the 5 foolish virgins who forgot oil, my comp and I bolted for the door saying we’d come back in a minute and to wait on cutting the cake.
So at 8:30 pm we were running, trying to find a store that sold anything in the middle of the night (all the stores close at 8 pm). Remembering a man who we had stopped teaching a week before, because he was always working at his store and couldn’t go to church, we ran there and sure enough he was there, and perfectly, he had a little Labubu doll for sale and even had wrapping.
Just like that we walked back in feeling prepared, calmly entering, to the astonishment of everyone with a perfectly wrapped present 5 minutes later. I have yet to see little baby Alice without the Labubu in her hands.
You’re Getting Baptized. (The Authority Of The Calling)
Sometimes people have a fear of doing what’s right. A wise man recently told me that there should be no reason for a person of faith in Jesus Christ to reject baptism because of a lack of knowledge, lack of “confirmation,” or lack of overwhelming feeling they should. He explained it like this.
When you do something bad, do you ask God? Do you wait in prayer and fasting, waiting for His response, hoping for Him to confirm your decision He’s already said was wrong? Or do you just do it, knowing it’s wrong?
I’ve yet to hear one person say they do.
John 3:5
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
So why are we waiting for some sort of crazy confirmation, some miracle, some sort of heart-touching moment to confirm what Jesus already said was necessary? If He said you need to do it and you have faith in Him, you’ll just do it. That’s the literal definition of faith.
So recently we’ve been testing people’s faith. This story is about Nicole. The second day we met her, we told her baptism would be in three weeks. She was currently living with her boyfriend, dad to her daughter, and was uncertain about getting married. We explained that to get baptized, God expects that we respect certain commandments, one of these being that they would have to get married or stop living together.
When we explained this, my thoughts went to the challenge we were asking of her so soon, and I wanted to lessen the requirements, but immediately the words came to my mind, “These aren’t your standards, these are Mine.” While I had the authority to call people to repentance, the requirements of God’s law were not for me to change.
But here’s the thing, God qualifies those He calls. With sacrifice He makes a way, and with a step of faith He’ll move mountains. That’s exactly what happened with Nicole and her boyfriend Lucas. They moved out, and almost immediately God provided. Lucas, who had lost his job a couple weeks before and had been unable to get a new one, got a job. They are preparing to get married and Lucas went from smoking 20 cigarettes a day to now we’re down to 1 and is getting ready for his baptism.
So what’s the moral of the story? When we told Nicole what Jesus required, she got her life in order and worked it out. All she needed was the call, “You’re getting baptized in 3 weeks.” And maybe it was bold. Maybe she could have waited and waited for the right day when she felt 100% ready, but the Lord had called her on her day.
Isaiah 55:7-8
“7 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.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
P.S. If you’re wanting to listen to some real inspiration listen to this: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland/cast-not-away-therefore-your-confidence/
Love Ya’ll. Choose The Right
-Elder Gist