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