LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD JUNE 26, 2025

 LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD JUNE 26, 2025

 

Hello Dear Saints,

 

We have officially passed the first day of summer (In the USA) and are nearly half finished with 2025. I hope and pray that each of you is doing very well in you daily living in God’s Kingdom. Certainly, we all know and experience those daily “struggles,’ as we endeavor to “live in the Kingdom,..” Those “little” things that seek to disrupt our daily walk with the Lord. They are nothing new, as each one from the Garden has had to deal with that daily struggle. Adam had to go out and work by the sweat of his brow. Noah preached 120 years and only eight were saved. Have you ever thought about how Noah and Mrs. Noah must have felt when God closed the door of the Ark? They had children or at least relatives that were on the outside.

 

There is a general overall concern among the Saints for our children and the youth of the church. Why? Because of the daily obstacles that seem to get in our path and try to detour us way from or even out of the Kingdom. We are told in Mosiah 3:11-13 “There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God, that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. 12 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ. 13 And now, it shall come to pass that whosoever shall not take upon them the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.” This leads to logical questions: Have I, we, taken upon us the Name of Christ? If so, how is it, or is it, “showing itself” in our interaction with others, especially within our families and the household of faith? Have we lost people because they don’t see us practicing what we “Preach?” Preaching does not have to be confined to the pulpit. No activity whether it be a reunion, camp, retreat, Sunday services or Wednesday prayer services will accomplish much if we go home and stay in our own “kingdom.”

 

No one enters a race to lose. Rather, they practice and go through all kinds of preparation in order to win. We are hoping to be in the reality of God’s Kingdom someday, but are we practicing (living) those things that will ensure the victory? It has been said that “Practice makes perfect,” but this is not true. It is “Perfect practice” that makes perfect. A famous musician one said that if he went one day without practice, he noticed it. If he went two days, his critics noticed it and if he went three days without practicing, EVERYBODY noticed it. What do people see in us as we go forth into our activities each day? In Doctrine and Covenants 38:5c and 46:9b we are told to practice some things daily. Check out those two scriptures and see what you, I, we, are to practice daily.

 

Philippians 4:4-9 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be afflicted for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 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. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you”.

 

Remember that God goes before, behind, and all around us.

 

God bless,

Paul Gage