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Prophets Aren't Here to Make Us Comfortable — Jeremiah (Part 2) · ToddTalks--Spirit By Design: Your Weekly Survival Guide

• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Friends, before we get into today's episode, I need to be honest with you.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm doing everything backwards for this launch.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: You're supposed to build the buzz first, get your launch team ready, then publish the book.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: I did it the other way around.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: The book is already out, and now I'm telling you about it.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: So here it is.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Backwards and all, my new fantasy novel, Crossing the Horizon, Escape to Destiny, is published and available now on Kindle and Paperback.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Freddy is a swordsman running from grief and a darkness that threatens to pull him under.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: On the plane to a remote island in the middle of the ocean, he meets Alice, an empath who eases his pain.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Little do they know that island is the epicenter of an ancient darkness awakening.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: A fallen angel trapped in a prison for millennia is trying to escape.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Gods are playing chess with men as their chess pieces, and Freddy and Alice may have been led there by fate for exactly that moment.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you love the battle between darkness and light that we talk about on this show every week, I wrote this story for you.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: You'll find it on my Amazon author page.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: The link is in the show notes.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Grab your copy, and if you read it, an honest review means the world, especially this early in publication.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, thank you for letting me do that backwards.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's get into today's episode.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: In this second part two of the Jeremiah Saga, I want to bring together the warnings of Jeremiah into a practical framework.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is a Todd Talk's teaching framework drawn from the pattern in Jeremiah's prophecies, not a seven-stage formula Jeremiah explicitly gave.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: But I find this is very important.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: As always, this is Talk Talk, Spirit by Design, where I help you design your spirit life in order to help you prepare for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: You see, this seven-stage framework is useful because spiritual decline rarely happens overnight.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: It happens incrementally.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: The seven stages are distraction.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: From Jeremiah 2.13.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: We slowly move our attention away from God and toward worldly priorities.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: 2.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Compromise.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Take from Jeremiah 5, 1 through 9.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: We begin making exceptions to commandments we once considered sacred.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: 3.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Rationalization.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah 6 through 6 verse 10.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: We explain away our choices rather than repent of them.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: 4.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Normalization.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah 5, verses 30 and 31.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Behaviors that once troubled our conscience become acceptable.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: 5.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: False security.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah 7, 3 through 11.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: We assume that religious identity or outward activity guarantees spiritual safety.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: 6.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Resistance to correction.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah 23, verse 16 and 17.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: We reject counsel that challengers our preferred direction.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: And number seven, spiritual captivity, Jeremiah 17, verses 5 and 6.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: We discover that the choices we thought were giving us freedom have begun controlling us.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the important part.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: This progression can be interrupted.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to continue down the path.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: We have free will.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing is ever set in stone.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: You can always change.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Repentance changes direction.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Prayer restores communication.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Reading scriptures restores your perspective.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Covenants restore our spiritual priorities.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: The Holy Ghost helps us recognize danger before it becomes disaster.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: And Jesus Christ is the one, the rock upon which we are built, that makes transformation possible.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: So let's bring this back to something I understand as a pilot.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine you're flying through mountains terrain.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: I've done this a lot.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: The weather is deteriorating, visibility is decreasing, you could become disoriented, your navigation system begins giving you warnings, the terrain is rising, your aircraft is approaching danger.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: You have two choices.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: You can become irritated with the warning system and silence the alarm.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Or you can convince yourself that everything is fine.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: Or you can recognize that the warning exists for a reason and take corrective action.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Recognize, confirm, recover.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: What if the warning system is the very thing that saves your life?
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: That is what prophets do.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: They warn, they correct, they call us to repentance, they remind us of the destination and point out the dangers that can take us away from it.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah understood this assignment wasn't to make people comfortable.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: His assignment was to deliver the Lord's message.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes the Lord's message is uncomfortable to the people listening to it because the course we're flying is dangerous.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make as disciples is confusing a comfortable message with a true message.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: So think about it.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: If you listen to any of the talks during conference, there are some very specific warnings given to us, especially about gambling, right?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: And if you took that as a hard saying, maybe you need to look inwardly.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: So five questions we should all ask.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Don't listen to Jeremiah and immediately start identifying everyone else who needs to hear his warnings.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Start with yourself.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: The most important question is not whether our society needs repentance.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Of course it does.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: The question is whether I need repentance.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I would encourage every listener to consider these questions.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: What broken cisterns have I built?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Am I seeking happiness in things that cannot give lasting spiritual nourishment?
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Where have I compromised?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Other commandments or covenants I've begun treating casually?
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Whose voice am I listening to?
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Am I listening to people who tell me what I want to hear or to people who help me become more like Christ?
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Have I become resistant to correction?
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: When the Holy Ghost or a prophet challenges me, do I listen or immediately defend myself?
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: And what am I passing to the next generation?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: What example am I setting?
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Am I teaching my children to pursue the world's approval or to seek the approval of God?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: These are not questions designed to condemn us, they're questions designed to awaken us.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: So there's something deeply moving about Jeremiah.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: He knew the people would reject his message.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: He knew he would be criticized.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: He knew that seeking truth would cost him friendships, influence, comfort, and eventually his freedom.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: He knew it.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yet he continued.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Because he understood that the message was bigger than the messenger.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: He wasn't trying to win a popularity contest.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: He was trying to save a people.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that is something we desperately need to understand today.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: We don't need more people who simply repeat what everyone else is saying.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: We need people who are willing to stand for truth.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: We need fathers and mothers who will teach their children to love God.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: We need men and women who will honor their covenants when nobody is watching.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: We need disciples who understand that freedom without responsibility eventually becomes bondage.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: We need people who will defend righteousness without becoming self-righteous.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: We have too many of those in the world.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: And most importantly, we need people who are willing to examine their own hearts before pointing out the failures of everyone else.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to leave you with one thought.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: Jeremiah's generation had a temple.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: They had scriptures, they had their religious heritage, they had prophets, but many refused to listen.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: We have an extraordinary blessing in the respoke gospel of Jesus Christ.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: We have the Book of Mormon, the Bible, living prophets, and apostles, temple covenants, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: The question is not whether God has provided direction.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, we are told that many more scriptures are going to be brought out.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: Are we ready and willing to follow it?
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know everything that lies ahead for our families, our communities, or our nation.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: Seems like a lot of chaos is going on and a lot of bad choices are being made.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: But I do know this.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to participate in the spiritual decline around us.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: We can choose a different direction.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: You and I can build homes centered on Jesus Christ.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: You and I can raise children who understand covenants.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: We can stand for truth when it isn't popular.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: We can rent rent?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: No, not rent.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: We can repent when we recognize we made mistakes, and we all have.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: I have, you have, we all have.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: We can become people who are spiritually prepared regardless of what happens around us.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Don't resent the warning.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: Don't hate the play, I hate the game, right?
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Don't resent the warning.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Be grateful that God loves you enough to provide one.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: The objective isn't simply to survive the storms of the last days.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's to become the kind of disciple who remains faithful throughout them.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so in conclusion, I'm going to give you seven days to strengthen your spiritual foundation, a seven-day action plan.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Day one, identify a broken cistern in your life.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: Replace it with something that brings you closer to Christ.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Day two, read Jeremiah 2 and examine where your priorities have shifted.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: Day 3.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Study Jeremiah 7.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Identify one area where your outward behavior needs to match your covenants.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Day four, read Jeremiah 23.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Evaluate the voices and influences shaping your beliefs.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Day 5.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Read Jeremiah 17, 5 through 8.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Strengthen your daily connection with God.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: Day 6.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: Have a meaningful spiritual conversation with your spouse or children.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: And day 7, read Jeremiah 31, verse 33 1 to 34.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Write down one change you want Christ to make in your heart.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: So as we conclude, let us help us recognize the warnings that God has given us through his prophets.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Help us identify the broken cisterns in our lives, the distractions that pull us away from God, and the compromises that weaken our covenants.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, we ask that you give us courage to stand for truth without becoming prideful and give us humility to accept correction.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Help us raise our families with faith, integrity, discipline, and the love for Jesus Christ.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: When the world becomes confusing, help us recognize your voice, Lord.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: When the storms come, help us remain anchored to the Savior.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's fairly simple and difficult at the same time.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Basically, look inward before you look outward.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: As the Savior said, look at the beam that is in your own eye before you try to pull out the moat from your brother's eye.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Think about these things, pray on them, meditate on them.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you buy my book, leave an honest review.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: Hope you enjoy it.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: And as always, have a blessed day.