“He” is our Normal
Too many people are asking for a “New normal”. There as not been any change in this lifetime that requires this “New Normal” that everyone is calling for. The New Normal is what it has always been, Christ!
Let’s stick with the one consistence Normal we have had forever in life, “The Lord Jesus Christ.” He is our Normal. From the beginning of creation until today, Christ has said, “Come Follow Me”. This is the normal we should all be seeking. How did our world get so off course?
It’s easy to see: It is either Faith or Rebellion!
Enoch Translated
Noah’s Flood
Tower of Babel
Destruction at Ramah
Destruction at Cumorah
Wars, pestilence, and world wide trauma
It all comes down to “DISOBEDIENCE OF THE LORD” If we don’t return to our normal in Him, it’s over. I don’t mean this life is over, I mean our Spiritual Death is here. Death is not the worst thing in life, Spiritual Death is! If we repent daily and find others to join us we can be Normal again, in Him!
By and By
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, COVID and cancer, doubt and dismay, financial trouble and family trials — when will these burdens be lifted? The answer is “by and by.” He also said, “While we work and wait together for the answers to some of our prayers, I offer you my apostolic promise that they are heard and they are answered, though perhaps not at the time or in the way we wanted.” Oct 2020 Conference.
President Russell M. Nelson said,
“We live in a glorious age, foreseen by prophets for centuries. This is the dispensation when no spiritual blessing will be withheld from the righteous.1 Despite the world’s commotion,2 the Lord would have us look forward to the future “with joyful anticipation.”3 Let us not spin our wheels in the memories of yesterday. The gathering of Israel moves forward. The Lord Jesus Christ directs the affairs of His Church, and it will achieve its divine objectives.
The challenge for you and me is to make certain that each of us will achieve his or her divine potential. Today we often hear about “a new normal.” If you really want to embrace a new normal, I invite you to turn your heart, mind, and soul increasingly to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Let that be your new normal.
Embrace your new normal by repenting daily. Seek to be increasingly pure in thought, word, and deed. Minister to others. Keep an eternal perspective. Magnify your callings. And whatever your challenges, my dear brothers and sisters, live each day so that you are more prepared to meet your Maker.4” A New Normal By President Russell M. Nelson President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
God is at the helm
“While serving as a General Authority Seventy, I had one of those unexpected teaching moments that life presents to us. This was when the financial crash was in full swing and our country was experiencing the most drastic drop in the economy since the Great Depression. Every day there were new announcements. The stock market crash. The collapse of the housing market. Major banks, mortgage companies, retirement funds, and investment houses were failing. There was talk of massive government bailouts. Unemployment was skyrocketing. A dark cloud had settled over the country and was spreading to other nations. In the fall of 2007, my assignment as a General Authority Seventy was in Salt Lake City, working in the Church Office Building.
One day I went down to a small cafeteria in the basement of the Church Administration Building that is reserved for General Authorities. After getting my food, I saw that four of my colleagues in the Seventy were seated at a table for six, just starting to eat. They invited me to join them. We spoke briefly about our various assignments, but soon the talk turned to the current financial crisis. It didn’t take long for our conversation to become quite bleak in tone. One of the brethren had a grandchild who had recently graduated with an MBA but was having no luck in finding employment. Another reported that a grandchild was unsure about wanting to get married and bring children into the world. About that time, as this cloud of gloom settled over our lunch table, Russell M. Nelson, then Elder Nelson of the Twelve, came into the lunchroom with a tray of food. Seeing that we had a vacant spot at our table, he joined us. He ate quietly for a time as our conversation went right on in that same sense of discouragement. Finally, one of the brethren said, “They’re talking about the possibility of the whole government of the United States failing. Then what shall we do?” Elder Nelson, who hadn’t said much since sitting down, laid down his fork and looked at us directly. His expression was very sober as he spoke quietly, saying something like this: “Brethren, the Lord chose the United States of America as the place for the Restoration of the gospel in our dispensation. He did that so we would have a base of religious freedom that would sustain the work of the Restoration. Also, the financial affluence and the political stability of the United States makes it possible for our Church to take the gospel to the world. That is a task that is not yet finished. Brethren, the Lord is at the helm. He will not let this work fail.” That was more than ten years ago, but I still vividly remember two things. First, how sheepish we felt for letting ourselves become so negative. And the second was the lesson taught: God is in control. Why then do we fear? It was a profound teaching moment, and I have reminded myself of that day often when I have found myself growing discouraged and pessimistic. God is at the helm! From Gerald Lund’s new book. “The Second Coming of the Lord” Shared with me from Jonathan Neville.
Book Description
Do we recognize the signs of the Savior’s Second Coming that are happening today?
Originally published in 1971, The Coming of the Lord, by Gerald N. Lund, became an instant bestseller and has remained continuously in print for nearly fifty years. Now this trusted resource has been fully updated and rewritten to reflect the latest prophetic teachings and a growing sense of urgency as the Lord hastens His work.
As Elder Lund explains, “God has spoken, is speaking, and will continue to speak to us through the Spirit and through His servants the prophets. This is a gift of inestimable worth to those who live in the last days. Though the title this book carries is The Second Coming of the Lord, it is much more than a book that focuses only on the actual return of Jesus Christ. It is an examination of the prophecies about the Second Coming and the events leading up to it.”
