Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 6:13-14

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 6:13-14
"And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us."

I wondered if Stephen spoke of the law of Moses being fulfilled with Jesus Christ and done away with? Maybe that is the customs they speak of and are upset about. I did find something that points to that.

"Stephen and his defense, it appears that his opponents were angered by his teachings that the coming of Jesus Christ had redefined basic Jewish concepts regarding the land of Israel, the law of Moses, and the temple of Jerusalem. Stephen’s opponents “suborned men”, meaning that they persuaded men to commit perjury."
(New Testament Student Manual, "Chapter 30: Act 3-7")

Day 4148

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 5:38-39

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 5:38-39
"And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God."

When you think upon all the followers of Christ throughout the centuries it answers the question Gamaliel put forth. If it was of man it would come to nought, if of God it could not be overthrown. The same has happened with the restoration of the gospel in our day. There are over 17 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world.

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
Matthew 7:20)

Day 4147

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 4:32, 34

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 4:32, 34
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,"

The early saints lived a law of consecration and had all things in common. At the same time the saint in the America's did the same after the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to them. So did the early saints of the restoration live a United Order and the law of consecration.

“And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift."
(4 Nephi 1:2-3)

I have often wondered how it would feel to live like that? I've often thought that if it was instituted today we would see the sifting of the wheat and tares among us. The law of consecration is still among us. All that we have should be used for the building up of the kingdom of God on the earth. In some ways that is a harder law to live when no one is looking. I thought of a very simple example. My son had the calling of the ward bulletin each week. With it he needed to go to the chapel Sunday morning to print and prepare it for distribution. He decided he would consecrate the use of his printer, and I helped with toner and paper as a contribution to the ward. No one knew, no one ever asked why he wasn't at the chapel printing the bulletin from there. The bulletin just showed up. He never missed having the bulletin ready, even when we were sick we were able to leave it on the porch for someone else to pickup and take for us. That is a very simple way to take what we have and use it to build up the kingdom.

Day 4146

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"

I thought Peter was so bold and bore a powerful testimony. I totally missed that he didn't tell them to repent and be baptized. Instead he told them to repent and be converted that their sins would be blotted out during the millennium, which is the time of refreshing. These were the people that crucified Christ.

"The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) referred to Acts 3:17–19 and said that Peter was addressing those who had crucified Jesus. “[Peter] did not say to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, for the remission of your sins;’ but he said, ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.’ [Acts 3:19.] … They could not be baptized for the remission of sins for they had shed innocent blood” (in History of the Church, 6:253)."

Day 4145