Post #  237 -- Walk With Christ -- DAY FOUR

Dear Family and Friends

I am so glad to hear that our chapels will be opening up July 16.
As much as i would love to go back to church I felt prompted
that I should wait a bit longer given my medical condition.

When you have cancer of any kind or any prolonged illness you
should stay at home until this COVID -19 wears off a bit more
so that it is safer for everyone.

At least until it gets to a point, where i will have less of a
chance of contacting any one who may have been exposed to
this nasty virus. I have been careful all along and extremely
careful in the beginning. I didn't even do any shopping myself
so I would not be around any carriers of the virus. As long as
the doctors continue to have us wearing our masks I will wear mine.

I will continue to be careful until our prophet confirms that it is
finally safe enough to put our masks away and that the virus is no
longer a threat. Remember he has our Heavenly Father giving him
his directions and what to say to His children here on this earth.
How can you ever go wrong in listening to the mouthpiece of God? 

Our post today takes us to the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus
walked during His earthly or mortal ministry. How much do you
know about the Sea of Galilee? Personally I know very little so
you are most likely ahead of me if you know anything in the least
little bit about it:) If you are like me and know very little, then i
guess we will learn a little bit about it today. 

Our Walk With Christ today tasks us to DAY FOUR. if you have
already come to this point in your own personal walk, please feel
free to tag along with the rest of us if you would like:) Maybe
you will pick up a thing or two that you missed during your first walk this way. If you don't want to take this walk again, I get it.
Is everyone ready? Here we go, to the Sea of Galilee!

MATTHEW 4:18-22

Sea of Galilee

THE SETTING

When Jesus was traveling along the coast of the Sea of Galilee, He saw fishermen
casting their nets offshore. Jesus called out to them and invited them to join Him and become fishers of men. The men left their nets behind and joined Jesus Christ.

THE INVITATION

From digital devices to less-than-uplifting entertainment choices, what’s something you could leave behind for the day to help you spend more time on the things that truly matter,
like family, friends, and faith?

Have any of you ever tried to go back to old school just for a day or two? You might be surprised at how creative and inventive you can become when it is necessary. It is also very good practice for when it will be necessary. No TV, No Cell Phones, No cooking stoves, no,
soda pop, no electricity. No electronics at all!! Can you do it?

What would you do? How would you spend good quality time with
your family members and friends? Can you go back to the bare
basics to survive and enjoy your time? What challenges do you
think that you would encounter in doing this with your family
members and friends? For a day? For two days? What about a
weekend? Can you go a whole week?

Sea of Galilee

Matthew 4:18–22

When Jesus was traveling along the coast of the Sea of Galilee, He saw fishermen
casting their nets offshore. He called out to them and invited them to join Him and
become fishers of men. It was an incredible challenge, with an equally incredible
response. The men left their nets behind and joined Jesus Christ. The world may have
seen Peter, James, John, and Andrew as simple fishermen, but when Jesus Christ
looked at them, He saw what they could become as His Apostles.

The Invitation

Remove distractions, renew focus

We are also invited to follow Jesus Christ. But to do so, we must often be willing
to sacrifice distracting parts of our life and leave them behind. That doesn’t mean
we have to leave our careers behind like Christ’s early Apostles. But we can
remove the little daily distractions that get in the way of what really matters. From
digital devices to less-than-uplifting entertainment choices, what’s something you
could leave behind today to help you spend more time on the things that truly
matter, like family, friends, and faith?

Questions to Ponder

What’s something you’re doing every day that may not be a good use of
your time? For me, I get hung up on pinterest sometimes.
I am looking for activities for my classroom, or great
quotes from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I can
also get lost in doing my genealogy or indexing, but at
least that is the better of the two things to be doing.
How about you?

What’s an inspiring activity that you could fill that time with instead? For
me it would be the indexing and genealogy work. How
about you? What is something inspiring and uplifting that
you could do instead?

Think of a time in your life when you sacrificed something to serve others.
What did you learn about the Lord through that experience? I don't
know if this counts as a sacrifice, but i used to drive over
to the next town every Saturday to help a friend by
folding her laundry.

To me it was not much of a sacrifice because it was
good to have an adult to talk with once a week that i
didn't have before and i loved her children.

 

Scriptures about priorities

Remember the gifts of God

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift
of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and
of a sound mind." —2 TIMOTHY 1:6–7

Invite positive things into our thoughts

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of
good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things." —PHILIPPIANS 4:8

Focus on the things of God

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
—COLOSSIANS 3:2

The following are some videos for you to watch to help you
better understand your Walk With Christ.

Follow Me Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James,
and John to follow Him. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-10-
0060-follow-me-and-i-will-make-you-fishers-of-men?lang=eng

Jesus Heals a Woman of Faith Jesus
heals a woman's illness when she, in faith, touches His clothing.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-10-0031-jesus-heals-a-
woman-of-faith?lang=eng

Whosoever Will Lose His Life for My Sake
Shall Find It Jesus foretells of His death and resurrection. After He comes in the
glory of His Father, every man shall be rewarded according to their works.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-10-0050-whosoever-will-
lose-his-life-for-my-sake-shall-find-it?lang=eng

Seek Ye the Kingdom of God
Jesus teaches not to lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
but rather to lay up treasures in heaven.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-10-
0061-seek-ye-the-kingdom-of-god?lang=eng

Maps and Depictions

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1HhJGGA3dqlWLwLaHSIW0w
Fptz1xaIe0l&ll=32.790028388803066%2C35.438426499999984&z=11

I found this talk titled “Follow Me” by Elder Wirthlin that i
thought it would fit right in with today’s Walk With Christ. I
thought you might enjoy reading it through together with your
family members and friends. It may even be a good article to
study for a Family Home Evening or two, you can decide this
for yourself.

“Follow Me”

Joseph B. Wirthlin

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Those who, in faith, leave their nets and follow the Savior will
experience happiness beyond their ability to comprehend.

They were fishermen before they heard the call. Casting their nets into the
Sea of Galilee, Peter and Andrew stopped as Jesus of Nazareth approached,
looked into their eyes, and spoke the simple words, “Follow me.” Matthew
writes that the two fishermen “straightway left their nets, and followed him.”

Then the Son of Man approached two other fishermen who were in a ship
with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called to them, “and
[James and John] immediately left the ship and their father, and followed
[the Lord].”1

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to have lived in
the days of the Savior? If you had been there, would you have heeded His
call “Follow me”?

Perhaps a more realistic question might be, “If the Savior were to call you
today, would you be just as willing to leave your nets and follow Him?” I am
confident that many would.

But for some, it may not be such an easy decision. Some have discovered
that nets, by their very nature, are sometimes not so easy to leave.

Nets come in many sizes and shapes. The nets that Peter, Andrew, James,
and John left were tangible objects—tools that helped them earn a living.

We sometimes think of these four men as modest fishermen who did not
sacrifice much when they left their nets to follow the Savior. To the contrary,
as Elder James E. Talmage, in Jesus the Christ, points out, Peter, Andrew,
James, and John were partners in a prosperous business. They “owned their
boats and gave employment to other men.” According to Elder Talmage,
Simon Peter “was well to do in a material way; and when he once spoke of
having left all to follow Jesus, the Lord did not deny that Peter’s sacrifice of
temporal possessions was … great.”2

Later, the net of wealth entrapped a rich young man who claimed that he
had obeyed all the commandments from his youth. When he asked the
Savior what else he should do to have eternal life, the Master said, “If
thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and
thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” When the
young man heard that, “he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”3

Nets are generally defined as devices for capturing something. In a more
narrow but more important sense, we might define a net as anything that
entices or prevents us from following the call of Jesus Christ, the Son of
the living God.

Nets in this context can be our work, our hobbies, our pleasures, and,
above all else, our temptations and sins. In short, a net can be anything
that pulls us away from our relationship with our Heavenly Father or
\ from His restored Church.

Let me give you a modern example. A computer can be a useful and
indispensable tool. But if we allow it to devour our time with vain,
unproductive, and sometimes destructive pursuits, it becomes an
entangling net.

Many of us enjoy watching athletic contests, but if we can recite the statistics of our favorite players and at the same time forget birthdays or
anniversaries, neglect our families, or ignore the opportunity to render acts
of Christlike service, then athletics may also be an entangling net.

Since the days of Adam, mankind has, by the sweat of his brow, earned his
daily bread. But when our work consumes us to the point where the spiritual
dimensions of life are neglected, work can also be an entangling net.

Some have been ensnared in the net of excessive debt. The net of interest
holds them fast, requiring them to sell their time and energies to meet the
demands of creditors. They surrender their freedom, becoming slaves to their
own extravagance.

It is impossible to list the many nets that can ensnare us and keep us from
following the Savior. But if we are sincere in our desire to follow Him, we
must straightway leave the world’s entangling nets and follow Him.

I do not know of another period in the history of the world that has been so
filled with such a variety of entangling nets. Our lives are so easily filled
with appointments, meetings, and tasks. It is so easy to get caught in a
multitude of nets that sometimes even a suggestion of breaking free of
them can be threatening and even frightening to us.

Sometimes we feel that the busier we are, the more important we are
—as though our busyness defines our worth. Brothers and sisters, we
can spend a lifetime whirling about at a feverish pace, checking off list
after list of things that in the end really don’t matter.

That we do a lot may not be so important. That we focus the energy of
our minds, our hearts, and our souls on those things of eternal
significance—that is essential.

As the clatter and clamor of life bustle about us, we hear shouting to
]“come here” and to “go there.” In the midst of the noise and seductive
voices that compete for our time and interest, a solitary figure stands on
the shores of the Sea of Galilee, calling quietly to us, “Follow me.”

We can easily get our lives out of balance. I remember a few years that were
particularly challenging for me. Our family had grown to seven children. I had
served as a counselor in the bishopric and was then given the sacred call as
bishop of our ward. I was striving to manage our business that required long
hours each day. I pay tribute to my wonderful wife, who always made it possible
for me to serve the Lord.

There was simply too much to do in the time available. Instead of sacrificing
things of significance, I decided I’d get up earlier, take care of my business, then
spend the time required to be a good father and husband and a faithful member
of the Church. It wasn’t easy. There were mornings when the alarm clock went
off that I cracked open an eyelid and glared at it, daring it to keep ringing.

Nevertheless, the Lord was merciful and helped me to find the energy and time
to do all I had committed to do. Although it was difficult, I have never regretted
making the choice to heed the Savior’s call and follow Him.

Think of the debt we owe to Him. Jesus is “the resurrection, and the life: he
that believeth in [Him], though he were dead, yet shall he live.”4 There are
those who have great wealth, yet they would give their all to add just a few
additional years, months, or even days to their mortal lives. What should we be
willing to give for eternal life?

There are those who would give all they have to experience peace. “Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” the Savior taught, “and I will give
\you rest.”5 But it is not merely peace that the Savior promises to those who
keep His commandments and endure to the end, but eternal life, “which gift is
the greatest of all the gifts of God.”6

Because of the Savior, we will live forever. Immortality means that we will
never die. But eternal life means to live forever in exalted spheres in
companionship with those we cherish, encompassed about by profound love,
exquisite joy, and glory.

No amount of money can purchase this exalted state. Eternal life is a gift from
a loving Heavenly Father, offered freely and liberally to all who heed the call
of the Man of Galilee.

Unfortunately, many are too entangled in their nets to heed the call. The Savior
explained that, “Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. … My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”7

How do we follow the Savior? By exercising faith. By believing in Him.
By believing in our Heavenly Father. By believing that God speaks to man
on earth today.

We follow the Savior by repenting of our sins—by experiencing sorrow
because of them and forsaking them.

We follow the Savior by entering the waters of baptism and receiving a
remission of our sins, by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and allowing
that influence to inspire, instruct, guide, and comfort us.

How do we follow the Savior? By obeying Him. He and our Heavenly Father
have given us commandments—not to punish or torment us, but to help us come
to a fulness of joy, both in this life and for the eternities to come, worlds
without end.

In contrast, when we cling to our sins, our pleasures, and sometimes even our
perceived obligations; resist the influence of the Holy Ghost; and put aside the
words of the prophets; we then stand at the shore of our own Galilee, nets tightly
entangling us. We find ourselves unable to leave them behind and follow
the living Christ.

But the Shepherd calls to each of us today. Will we recognize the voice
of the Son of God? Will we follow Him?

May I extend a word of caution? There are those who feel that if we follow
the Savior, our lives will be free from worry, pain, and fear. This is not so!
The Savior Himself was described as a man of sorrows.8 Those early disciples
who followed the Christ experienced great persecution and trials. The Prophet
Joseph Smith was no exception. Nor were the other early Saints of this last
dispensation. And it is no different today.

I have had the opportunity to speak with a woman who heard the call of the
Savior when she was 18. Her father, who was a high official in another church,
became angry with her and forbade her from being baptized. He let her know
that if she became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
she would be ostracized from the family.

Even though the sacrifice was great, this young woman heeded the call of the

Savior and entered the waters of baptism.

Her father could not accept her decision, however, and tried to force her into
abandoning her new faith. He and his wife reviled her for her decision to
become a member of the Church and demanded that she recant and forsake her
new religion.

Even through the rage, the bitterness, and the indignity, her faith remained
strong. She endured the verbal and emotional abuse, knowing she had
heard the call of the Savior and she would follow Him, whatever the
consequence.

Eventually this young woman managed to find a safe haven, a place of
refuge with a kind member family far away from the threats and unkindness
of her father.

She met a faithful young man, and the two of them were married in the temple,
receiving the choice blessings that accompany a temple marriage.

Today she stands among the multitude of those who have sacrificed so much
to follow the call of the Savior.

Yes, I do not suggest that the road will be easy. But I will give you my witness
that those who, in faith, leave their nets and follow the Savior will experience
happiness beyond their ability to comprehend.

As I meet the wonderful members of this Church—both young and old—I am
encouraged and filled with gratitude for the faithfulness of those who have heard
the call of the Savior and have followed Him.

For example, a steelworker follows the Savior. Day after day, over a period of
more than three decades, he pulled out his scriptures to read during lunch break
as his coworkers chided him. The 70-year-old widow confined to her wheelchair
—who, to everyone who visits, cheers their spirits and never fails to tell them of
how fortunate she is—follows the Savior. The child who seeks through prayer to
commune with the Master of the universe follows the Savior. The wealthy
member who gives so generously to the Church and his fellowmen follows
the Savior.

As Jesus the Christ stood on the shores of the Sea of Galilee 2,000 years ago,
so stands He today, issuing the same call He gave to those faithful fishermen
and now to all who will hear His voice: “Follow me!”

We have nets that must be tended and nets that must be mended. But when the/
Master of ocean, earth, and sky calls to us, “Follow me,” we should leave the entangling, worldly nets behind and follow His footsteps.

My brothers and sisters, I proclaim with joyful voice that the gospel is restored
once again! The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and he saw and
conversed with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Under divine direction and tutelage from celestial beings, eternal truths are restored once
again to man!

In our day another great prophet lives, who daily adds his witness to these
hallowed truths. President Gordon B. Hinckley stands in his sacred office as
the mouthpiece of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At his side stand his noble
counselors. In addition, he has the sustaining support of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, the Quorums of the Seventy, and the millions of members
throughout the world who assist him, each adding his voice to proclaim the
glorious Restoration of the gospel that is once again restored unto man!

Jesus the Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life: no [one] cometh unto the
Father, but by [Him].”9 As a special witness of Him, I testify to you this day
that the time will come when every man, woman, and child will look into the
Savior’s loving eyes. On that day, we will know with a surety the worth of
our decision to straightway follow Him.

That each of us may hear the call of the Master and straightway leave our
entangling nets and joyfully follow Him is my earnest prayer in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.

Wow! Reading through this talk again, is so informative and
reassuring to me. I hope that it has been uplifting and inspiring
to you and your family members and friends as well. I found it
interesting how he used the net to describe what we should leave
behind. Those things which are entangling us to where we don't
make our best choices.

U pray that you and your family members and friends are all
healthy and doing well. That you are remembering who you truly
are. That you are enjoying studying the Book of Mormon with me
and our cyber study buddies out there in cyberspace. I know that
this new normal for each of us is hard but we can get through
it together.

Well, here we are at the end of Day Four in our Walk With Christ.
What did you think of our walk today? Did you learn a few new
things on your walk? I pray that you will continue our Walk With
Christ in another post. I hope that I am not the only one that is
learning new things here?

Please continue to day your prayers every day morning and night.
As my little grandson says to me every night 'Grandma, will you
say a prayer with me?” i say to you will you say a prayer with your
little ones and / or other family members. Remember too, that
\the family that prays together stays together.

Even my little students remember that we need to say prayer
before we eat our lunch each day. Even those who have never
said prayer before, they remind me if I forget to help them
with prayer before lunch. If it can become a habit for them
\it can become a habit for you, right? Until my next post,
\please stay safe and healthy.