LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AUGUST 17,
2023
Greetings to all God’s people
from Doctrine and Covenants 4,
“1a Now behold, a
marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men;
1b therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him
with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, that ye may stand blameless
before God at the last day;
1c therefore, if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work; for
behold, the field is white, already to harvest; 1d and lo, he that thrusteth in
his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perish not
but bringeth salvation to his soul; 1e and faith, hope,
charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualifies
him for the work.
2a Remember: faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly
kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. 2b Ask and ye shall receive;
knock and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.”
If all these characteristics
are essential for living with Jesus in Zion then they must be essential for us
living in the kingdom of God now, each and every day. Remember, we are in a
state of preparation prior to the return of Jesus Christ. We can’t be a
“foolish virgin” and wait until midnight to enhance these qualities. When Jesus
appears in His Glory, we must be ready. Ready through living a daily life in
obedience to God’s commandments and counsel.
A young man, age 18, was told
in his Patriarchal Blessing to study DC 4. Why, of all the scriptures was he
told DC 4? God only can answer that question, but when we carefully read this
very short scripture, it tells us what we must do to bring salvation to our
souls so we are qualified for the work.
What work? The work of
seeking first to build up the kingdom of God and to establish His
righteousness.
Do people see these qualities
at work in us? Of course, at times, we all slip in our efforts to live in the
kingdom. Thus we have DC 3:16-18, “16a Behold, this is my doctrine: Whosoever
repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church; 6b whosoever declareth
more or less than this, the same is not of me but is against me; therefore, he
is not of my church. 17 And now behold, whosoever is of my church and endureth
of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my Rock, and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against him. 18 And now, remember the words of him who
is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord, and your God.
Amen.”
When we fail to exhibit
kingdom qualities, it separates us from God and from each other. Thus the need
to repent and come back into the presence of God. Someone said we should live
in a constant state of repentance or keep our repentance fresh. I read a
testimony from a “Daily Bread” in which the question was asked, “What is sin?”
The question aroused in a person’s conscience a bitterness they had carried in
their heart for thirty years. The missionary answered the question. Sin is
anything that comes between man and God. How did that bitterness affect the
life and service of that person for thirty years? Again, only God knows.
Why are we told in Ephesians
4:26 “Can ye be angry, and not sin? Let not the sun go down upon your
wrath.”
Because we are told in Alma
16:229-235: 229 “And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many
witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of
your repentance until the end; 230 For after this day of life, which is given
us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this
life, then cometh the night of darkness, wherein there can be no labor
performed. 231 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I
will repent, that I will return to my God. 232 Nay, ye cannot say this; for
that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of
this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that
eternal world. 233 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your
repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of
the devil, and he doth seal you his; 234 Therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath
withdrawn from you and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over
you; and this is the final state of the wicked. 235 And this I know because the
Lord has said he dwelleth not in unholy temples; but in the hearts of the
righteous doth he dwell;”
The biggest barriers and
hindrances to Zion seem to be the problems that arise within our own families
and Branches. Mainly because we refuse to follow God’s commandments and resolve
our differences the way the scriptures instruct us. See why DC 4 is so
important to our salvation and being in God’s coming Kingdom?
The Lord bless you and keep
you,
Paul Gage
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