LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 2, 2025

 

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 2, 2025

 

Greetings: As Peter says in 2 Peter 1-4 “To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and Jesus our Lord, According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, and besides this, …“ You can finish the chapter on your own, especially verses 5-11.

 

Peter goes on to list a number of things that might be described as “qualities for living in the Kingdom of God.” You can find these qualities in several other scriptures such as Doctrine and Covenants 4. A young man was told in his Patriarchal Blessing, to study D&C 4. Many times we want to hear thunder, see lightning, or angels, but what more could God have said to him that would have greater meaning, not only in this life, but eternally. Verse 1b “therefore,…..that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day;” and verse 1d, “but bringeth salvation to his soul.”

 

We have everything we need, right now, to be living a life that is fit for the Kingdom. If we are honest with ourselves we know that we cannot live a worldly life up to the point of our death and expect to be ushered into Paradise. The time to prepare is NOW, because we do not know if there will be a tomorrow for us.

 

We have many scriptures that remind us of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. I’m sure most every Latter Day Saint and maybe even every Christian has heard sermons, classes, discussions about that parable, BUT do we understand that it is very applicable to us today? Maybe more so for us than any dispensation gone before us.

 

Doctrine and Covenants 32 was given in October of 1830 to two men, but God says quite often that what He says to one, He says to all. Read DC 32 and put your name in place of the two men. You will notice that we are told “It is the eleventh hour, and for, the last time…” This section ends with a direct reference to the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

 

If we believe God is reaching out to us again, let us prove it by our obedience, for if not we will prove it through our disobedience. We are told to trim our lamps and have the supply of oil needed before and when the Bridegroom makes His appearance. The oil is spiritual preparation which no one else can give us even in any emergency. It is preparation we each must make for ourselves. That is why, in the parable, the Wise could not give of their oil to the foolish.

 

October 1 and 2 is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement when the High Priest goes into the Holy of Holies to offer prayer for the sins of Israel. They have had ten days to prepare. This is the day they expect the Messiah to return. We know Jesus is coming back. ARE YE READY! We cannot let our shield of faith down for it may be the next minute, hour, week, month, year or whatever. We must be vigilant like Gideon’s 300 and endure to the end like those listed in Hebrew 11 and Ether 5 plus the millions of others not named on paper, but as referred in Isaiah 49:16. Let us also remember that this Sunday is another opportunity for us to “Come clean” before the Lord as we share in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

 

God be with you

Paul Gage