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The kingdom and self-esteem
'Kingdom believers should have an implicit faith, a whole souled belief in the certain triumph of righteousness. They must increasingly learn to step aside from the harassments of material existence while they refresh the soul, inspire the mind, and renew the spirit by worshipful communion.'
'In advancing the cause of the kingdom, make your appeals directly to the divine spirit that dwells within the mind.'
'In bringing others into the kingdom, do not lesson or destroy their self-respect. It is the purpose of this gospel to restore self-esteem to those who have lost it and to restrain it in those who have it.'
'Do not make the mistake of only condemning the wrongs in peoples' lives. Accord generous recognition for the most praiseworthy things in their lives. Forget not that I will stop at nothing to restore self-esteem to those who have lost it and who really desire to regain it.'
'Idleness is destructive to self-esteem; therefore encourage your brethren to ever keep busy at their chosen tasks.'
'God's children die searching for the very same God who dwells within them.'
'The believer has only one battle and that is against doubt--unbelief. In preaching the gospel you are simply teaching friendship with God.'
Casting your lot
'If you dare to believe in me and wholeheartedly follow me, you shall most certainly, by so doing, enter upon a sure pathway to trouble. I do not promise to deliver you from the waters of adversity, but I do promise to go with you through all of them.'
'Never forget, the Father does not limit the revelation of truth to any one generation or to any one people.'
'Fear not those who are able to kill the body but after that have no more power over you. I admonish you to fear no one, neither in heaven nor on Earth but rejoice in the knowledge of him who has power to deliver you from all unrighteousness and to present you blameless before the judgment seat.'
'The Father never compels anyone to enter the kingdom. Though the door to life may be narrow, it is wide enough to admit all those who sincerely seek to find him.'
'I am the new and living way. Whosoever wills may enter to embark upon the endless truth-search for eternal life. All too long have your fathers believed that prosperity was the token of divine approval, that adversity was the proof of God's displeasure. Such beliefs are superstitions.'
Jesus on prayer: 'All true prayers are addressed to spiritual beings, and all such petitions must be answered in spiritual terms and consist in spiritual realities. Spirit beings cannot bestow material answers to the spirit petitions of material beings.'
More on the kingdom
'In this world, the kingdom is the supreme desire to do the will of God, the unselfish love of your fellow man which yields the good fruits of improved ethical and moral conduct.'
'In heaven, the kingdom is the goal of mortal believers wherein their love of God is perfected.'
Jesus taught that we enter the kingdom by faith. Two things only are essential, firstly to come with the faith-sincerity of a little child to receive our entry as a gift while submitting to the Father's will unconditionally, and secondly, truth hunger, the thirst for righteousness--the acquirement of the motive to find God and to be like him.
The receipt of God's forgiveness involves a four step process:
God's forgiveness is actually made available and is personally experienced just in so far as we have forgiven our neighbor.
We will not truly forgive our neighbors unless we love them as ourselves.
To thus love our neighbor is the highest ethics.
Moral conduct, true righteousness, becomes then, the natural result of such love.
'The righteousness of any act must be measured by the motive.'
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