LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AUGUST 21, 2025

 

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AUGUST 21, 2025

 

Blessings and Greetings to every Saint around the world,

 

One of the most recited scriptures is most likely, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, HE GAVE

 

___________________________________________________________ …” Finish the verse and write down where you can find it.

 

Based from that LOVE is the greatest commandment. “LOVE the Lord, Thy God with _____________

 

 __________________________________________________________ …

 

”Finish that verse and list one or all three places you find it in the New Testament. No use worrying about the second commandment or the Ten commandments or the six hundred plus Jewish “laws, UNTIL we comply with Number ONE.

 

This is not to suggest that we ever stop loving God. It rather suggests that when we are able to love God with our all, it carries through into every other aspect of our lives and is experienced or not experienced by everyone we come into contact with. This is a real crises in every life because we usually do not make a connection of temporal/physical with spiritual. But they must go hand in hand because the body and the spirit equal the Soul of a person. DC 85:4. This is just one of many precious truths that have been given to the Restoration.

 

Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s forefathers made the following statement.“Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have lies in this; when I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. My mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort that I have made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought.” PERVADED means to spread through and be perceived in every part of. This is our challenge with the Great Commandment. This is how we can truly love God with all we are. Plus it does not take away our love for others.

 

Mankind has fought this battle since the Garden and we each face it every moment of our lives. There was a camp song entitled, “How Much Do You Love My Jesus” Two responses are wider than the widest ocean, deeper than the deepest sea. Do such responses come close to loving God with our all? I, we need to be like Alexander Hamilton and study, fast and pray profoundly, day and night so that we might become pervaded with loving God with our all.

 

Arthur Oakman in his book, “The Endowment Series,” says, “Consequently, we are caught up in the feverish activity of an endless round of social activity in the Church. We miss the wonder, the beauty, and the glory which should be ours in the contemplation of the principles of the doctrine of Christ,” I would add, in also fulfilling the Great Commandment.

 

May we reme3mber the kingdom quality aspects mentioned in 2 Peter 1. Especially note verses 8-10 and 12.

 

God bless each one as we contemplate what it really means to be living IN the Kingdom of God.

 

Paul Gage