FASTING PRAYING STUDYING AND LIVING FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD JULY 30, 2021

 

From: ​​Paul Gage

pauljg_64055@yahoo.com

FASTING PRAYING STUDYING AND LIVING FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD

JULY 30, 2021

 ​​

God's blessings and love to the Saints around the world,

 Many of the Saints have been able to attend a camp, retreat, or reunion so far this year. Most of us have had these experiences over the course of time and have greatly benefitted from  them. I had the opportunity to attend the Great Lakes Reunion at Vassar, Michigan July 19-26, 2021. It was truly a marvelous time of fellowship and worship. The theme was: Charity, the Pure Love of Christ, Moroni 7:52 and surrounding scriptures as well as I Corinthians 13.

 Read these scriptures, along with Doctrine and Covenants 85:36-38 and see if they have any connections to fasting, praying, studying, and living for the Kingdom. As you know, there are many other scriptures that support the ones I have listed.

 We firmly believe that Charity is indeed the Pure Love of Christ. In his book, "The Greatest Thing in the World," Henry Drummond, a Scottish evangelist, (1851-1897,  asks, What is the summum bonum-The Supreme Good? Drummond, of course, agrees with the apostle Paul in I Corinthian 13:13, The greatest of these is charity." In many translations, the word is love, but in the King James and of course, the Inspired Version, it is Charity. Moroni basically tells us that Charity is the highest form of love, known in Greek as Agape.

 Drummond takes charity/love, as found in I Corinthians 13 and Contrasts it, Analyzes it  and Defends it. In analyzing charity, he asks some very searching questions about doing things without love for all people. Similar to what Paul says, that we can do many things, but if we do not have love, it amounts to nothing.

 We can fast forty days and forty nights, but if there is no love, we have just gone without eating. If we pray all day and all night, but do not have love, it is for the most part, wasted time. If we studying most diligently day in and day out, but do not have love, we have just learned a lot of facts or information. Even if we strive to live for the Kingdom, but do so without love, we just go through the motions, and Jesus might call us  hypocrite. After all, our righteousness is to exceed that of the Scribes, Pharisees, Lawyers, Elders, etc.

 The following song was sung at the Great Lakes Reunion and pretty well describes the situation of many Christians and the world.

 

"You Don't Love God If You Don't Love Your Neighbor"

There are many people Who will say they're Christians
And they live like Christians on the Sabbath day

But come Monday morning, till the coming Sunday
They will fight their neighbor all along the way

Oh you don't love God, if you don't love your neighbor
If you gossip about him, if you never have mercy
If he gets into trouble, and you don't try to help him
Then you don't love your neighbor, and you don't love God

In the Holy Bible, in the Book of Matthew
Read the 18th chapter in the 21st verse
Jesus plainly tells us that we must have mercy
There's a special warning in the 35th verse (IV 34)

There's a God almighty, and you've got to love him
If you want salvation and a home on high

If you say you love him and have ought against your neighbor
Then you don't have religion, you just told a lie

Oh you don't love God, if you don't love your neighbor
If you gossip about him, if you never have mercy
If he gets into trouble, and you don't try to help him
Then you don't love your neighbor, and you don't love God

Then you don't love your neighbor, and you don't love God

 

May we, then love as God loves us remembering John 3:16-17. "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD..." We are responsible for helping every person we have contact with to enter God's Kingdom.

 God bless each one in our efforts to live for the Kingdom of God.

 Paul Gage

Vacation Church School at Oak Grove is Cancelled

 From: Debra Norman

denorman8165@gmail.com

Vacation Church School at Oak Grove is Cancelled

 

I'm really sorry to announce that because of circumstances beyond our
control, Vacation Church School at Oak Grove, which was planned for
August 16-20, will be Cancelled.

I hope many of you will be able to join us for VCS next summer!

Sincerely,
Debbie Norman

Yamaha Piano Keyboard For Sale

 From:  Julie Schroder

Yamaha Piano Keyboard For Sale

Portable Keyboard

Model DGX500

with stand

$800 New

Make an Offer

Call Julie and leave a message at:

816-252-4070

​​2014 Cub Cadet LTX1040 Riding Mower For Sale

 ​From: Blake Hall

blake.hall@sbcglobal.net

​​2014 Cub Cadet LTX1040 Riding Mower For Sale

​

​​2014 Cub Cadet LTX1040 riding mower for sale. It has a Kohler 19 HP motor and has 260 hours on it. Asking $350.  

If interested, please give Blake Hall a call or text at: 

816-694-1010

Need Chimney Cleaning Recommendations

​From: Ivan Bird

b1rdsi@yahoo.com

Need Chimney Cleaning Recommendations

Just wondering if anybody has a recommendation for a chimney cleaning service.

Our house has 2 fireplaces both with inserts.

Don't know who to call for service.

Thank you,

Ivan Bird

b1rdsi@yahoo.com

Spiritually Won Knowledge #10

 From: B S TURNER Owner

bturner12@centurylink.net

Spiritually Won Knowledge #10

 

Ignorance of the things of God is prevalent among men (inside the Church and out) because of sin. The same sin which causes men to destroy each other in the world keeps men in the church divided. That sin is the sin of apostasy… (Arthur Oakman, The call of Christ in an Age of Dilemma)

Have we become so satisfied with where we are that we have fallen into apostasy? Some may have heard the word but not understand the meaning. Apostasy is defined as “the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.”

But, you would say, we have not abandoned our religious beliefs, as a matter of fact we have separated ourselves from the very organization that abandoned the truth many years ago. True statement, but when you look at where we are today what do you see? 

3 Nephi 1:39 Insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen, imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men, and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people;

Group after group appearing on the horizon, each with their version of spiritual and worldly organization. And members who are as dedicated to the group they are in as they were to the original organization. Are you beginning to see the problem? 

Ether 1:111 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you;

Again it is mentioned about the veil of unbelief…

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

How timely is this scripture today written so many years ago? We are told that the god of this world is blinding us. Both in and out of the church we are “wresting the scriptures” to prove points of doctrine and structure. But I am not sure that we see what is really happening. The body is being ripped apart, eaten within by the very people that claim to have insight.   

Oakman goes on to say “Foreknowledge, insight, and vision go inseparably with righteousness. Blindness of mind accompanies perversion of spirit.” Can we test this comment scripturally? 

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

I am not sure that we really understand what Oakman is talking about here. There are three gifts that we can obtain so that we all can see past the veil. Foreknowledge, insight, and vision are not man made or man taught gifts, these can only be recognized as they are manifested to us by the Holy Spirit. And these gifts are not for a select few – they are for you and me. 

All are given equally when it comes to spiritual things. The question is do you want others to determine your spiritual path? This is exactly what you are doing if you are not reading and trying to understand what the fruits of the Spirit will bring to every man woman and child if we were to cling, no, feast upon the word of God. 

Here is a verse from 1 Nephi that enlightens us to the promise if we were to pray at this level for the people…

1 Nephi 1:4-7

Wherefore it came to pass that my father Lehi, as he went forth, prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.

And it came to pass, as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard, he did quake and tremble exceedingly.

And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen;

And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.

Not to many years past we were given this insight by Earl Curry as he sat in the Temple. 

You lack wisdom and foresight in these matters, and you scarcely try to find the wisdom that your loving Father would give to you were you to cease trusting so much in your own selves, and were a faithful body of men, deeply concerned about this lack of progress, to come together asking for their eyes to be opened that they might see how to do these things, even under the difficulties of this present hour.  Moreover, more than one hundred years ago you were commanded to lift a warning voice to the world, setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination of these last days.  This has not been and is not being done with the strength, the intelligence, the prophetic insight and foresight, or even as with a loud voice, which these days of increasing commotion demand.   Very few see deeply concerning this warning.  Very few understood that which the Lord has caused to be written concerning the last days.  Very few even ask to be shown what lies ahead.  And so, the warning voice that you lift is feeble indeed. You are fearful of wild and extreme interpretations. You seem to have lost confidence that your Lord and your God knew what He was talking about when He inspired His prophets to place His warning word in the scriptures.  All this can rapidly change when you will come together and ask to see truly that which was in the heart of your Lord when He caused His words concerning these last days to shine forth.   This you ought to do.  This you must do if you would discharge the responsibility that has been placed on you.

Such great insight in the passage out of Nephi and the message from the book “The Endowment”…The Apostle Paul also had foreknowledge, insight, and vision. He tells us that in 2 Corinthians 4: 18 and 5: 7

2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Cor. 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight;

We too have that same promise, can you see it? 

Brian 

Round Roast Beef

 From: Von Brotherton

vonb53@gmail.com

Round Roast Beef

I have 10 cases of round roast beef, 40 lbs per case roughly. I will sell less than a case. They are between 6 and 7 and a half lbs individually wrapped. $1.50 a pound frozen.

Please call Von Brotherton @
816-808-5065
Thank you