Father Divine

International Peace Mission Movement

Archives for April 2010

Your faith in God is priceless! Your faith should be more valuable than pure gold just about the size of New York City!

Sermon given at the Holy Communion Table of the Circle Mission Church, Home and Training School
764-772 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA., Monday Morning, Sept. 22, 1952 A.D.F.D., Time — 4:50 A.M.

PEACE EVERYONE! Many years ago I said, I will preach CHRIST in Words, but more so in deeds and in actions!” I often said, hereafter I shall preach more explicitly in deeds and in actions than what I have preached and AM preaching in Words.

Just a little while ago, when that Message was being read from the pages of The Light as published in August 7, 1934, I thought of how marvelous it was, yes, how marvelous it is the Message that was given then can remain and it shall remain over and above every opposition of men, for GOD is Greater, Bigger and Better than all of the opposing forces, both of the visible and invisible world.

I thought how marvelous it was at it is, even though we do not think or commit to memory these soul-stirring, yea, soul-redeeming Messages; at times you lose complete sight of those things that I have said, yet when you read back and see what I said at that time, more than eighteen years ago, it is enough said in those Words to redeem the world!

Many may ignore this Truth, but the only hope of your redemption and the redemption of all of those who may even so much as desire to ignore it, the only hope and the only Salvation is the recognition of what I AM telling them! It says, “The Light”. This is a bound volume of “The Light” and “The Divine Light” combined. “The Light” in its original name, it gives light to the world! As it is, so it was; “The Divine Light”, as published by My Spirit and My Presence, bearing witness of what I have been and still AM telling you: GOD is a Free Gift to the world! Both “The Light”, and also as it was, so it is for free distribution!

As I explained,

“GOD so loved the world, HE gave His only begotten Son!”

You cannot lose by giving freely, for so freely as you receive, so freely you should give; and on the other hand, so freely as you give, so freely shall you receive. As these periodicals were for free distribution and not for the purpose of profiteering or for the purpose of any monetary returns for what we were doing, yet a good many may say, “FATHER DIVINE is extremely wealthy and has unlimited resources.” They speak of the material and monetary expressions of what they can see around, not knowing that in this particular Message as I gave it, if you believe it, it is worth your city’s weight in gold. It is the Key to all of the hidden treasures of the universe! It will unlock every barred and shut door! Aren’t you glad!

[Read more…]

The golden rule with arbitration will solve every problem

PEACE, EVERYONE!

Good health, good will and a good appetite so you can eat aplenty; good manners, good behavior, all success and all prosperity so you may be happy! All success, I say, and prosperity, so you may be happy continually!

At this particular instance I have arisen to say, it is good to be here in the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose! As you stand susceptive to that of which I AM expressing, you can see, reflect and manifest the reflection of it. It is an abstract expression of the Universal Brotherhood of Man and the Conscious Realization of the Fatherhood of GOD. For this cause you rejoice. You are filled with enthusiasm such as others are not.

In the great time of the crises and the conflicts with the nations of the world, with men and their respective neighbors and others living in confusion, malice and strife, those of you who adhere to MY Teaching, you are filled with enthusiasm, with joy and happiness and hospitality for everybody.

For this cause I AM here tonight, to further the advancement of this Righteous Government of which we represent, that shall eventually be universally established and internationally legalized–in other words, internationally recognized and established in the hearts and lives of the children of men as the Fundamental of Salvation, the Hope and the Redemption of them! [Read more…]

I have proved that it is more blessed to give than to receive

PEACE, EVERYONE!

At this instance I would like to say, as usual, we have visiting friends. We wish to extend to our visiting friends the privilege to speak if you desire to; speak or sing or pray or whatsoever you are led to do. We endorse the Freedom of Speech as a real democracy, but on the other hand do not feel as though you must necessarily speak because you are here with us; you are not obligated to do so. You are free and welcome to be here so long as it is agreeable, but you are not required by obligation to do so just because you are here. As I have often said–I would like to make this statement here for the benefit of MY friends–I have often said, I do not expect any special consideration because of what I may cause you to benefit or profit by MY Presence. I AM not seeking remuneration for that which I may benefit you.

As I have often said, when one can save whatsoever they can save on getting a hair trim–where you can get a hair trim for ten cents wheresoever they make a charge for the service– whatsoever you save on that barber work you have done, it is MY SPIRIT gave it to you, whatsoever it may be. And if you get a shave for five cents, and if you have to pay any more than five cents elsewhere, whatsoever you have saved on that shave, it is through MY SPIRIT. By the Presence of GOD, HE is giving it to you!

That is MY Work and Mission and that is MY Business, which I AM doing. I AM not working for compensation for MY Service to the children of men; I AM a Free gift to the world, gratis to mankind!

Before MY Followers purchased and owned and operated properties and business places, whatsoever I did for the people was absolutely gratis. And then they said. ‘Where does HE get so much money from?’ You have been taught from your early existence,

It is more blessed to give than to receive;

but the people do not believe it.

I have proven it! Any time you can give something for nothing, it is more a blessing than what the compensation would be, if you were receiving compensation for it. I recall telling several ministers, about twenty-two or three years ago, when I composed a song and I was offered fifty thousand dollars for the composition, and some, a good many of the ministers said,

YOU are foolish not to take it up!

I said CHRIST said,

No man has forsaken all of these things lest he gain an hundredfold more in this present time!

I will gain an HUNDRED DOLLARS for EVERY DOLLAR for RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE I sacrifice! I will gain a dollar, if after the manner of men I speak on terms of dollars and cents; I will gain the VALUE of a DOLLAR for every penny sacrificed for Righteousness’ sake, or denied for Righteousness’ sake, and ‘OF HIS Kingdom and of HIS Peace and of HIS Increase, there shall be no end!” I gain an hundred times as much as I could receive seeking compensation for whatsoever I give!

“It is more blessed to give than to receive!’ ‘Give to the world the BEST you have and the BEST will come back to you!”

Now I will make an amendment to that little statement:

“Give to the world all you have and all will come back to you!”

I thank you!

Father Divine

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When you vividly visualize God by realizing God you tend to produce and materialize God in your life even as you observe him in himself

Our Father’s Message given whilst at the Holy Communion Table, Circle Mission Church, 764-772 Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA., Friday Afternoon, March 5th, 1943 A.D.F.D., Time- 5:25 P.M.


(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber, after which FATHER Speaks as follows:)

Peace, Everyone!

A Sample and an Example has been demonstrated of the future America; in other words, the future religious world consisting of all religions, where the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose shall have been recognized and instituted in government, in business, in profession, in labor and in trade and in every activity, where all will stand as one man at Jerusalem; if we speak after the manner of our present democracy from a constitutional, yea, from a documental point of view, we can say, stand as E Pluribus Unum.

This is it of which I have depicted something that is bringing an abolition to slum conditions in your respective communities, bringing an abolition to vice and crime, sin and debauchery of every kind and bringing an abolition to depression, limitation, adverse and undesirable conditions from every angle of expression. The great crusade of Salvation is going on (Aren’t you glad!) renovating and rejuvenating the hearts and lives of the children of men and transforming them by the renewing of their minds! Aren’t you glad!

‘If you continue in My Words you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free; and he that the Son sets free is free indeed!’

Free from every angle expressible a real Universal Emancipation. Aren’t you glad ! And Abraham Lincoln caught the glimpse of the mystery as a national political official, speaking executively:

‘….;That this whole nation under GOD might have a New Birth of Freedom.’ [Read more…]

Crusaders Creeds

The Crusader’s Self Discipline

A True Crusader
Carries the Shield of Righteousness,
And wields the flaming Sword of Justice
And his Armor is Truth.

A True Crusader Is the Spirit of Youth;
For he knows no defeat or oppression.
Every seeming failure to him is a Victory won,
And his Work is his FATHER’s Mission.

– Father Divine

We Are The
C – Christians, the
R – Real Crusaders through True Brotherhood, of the
U – United
S – States of
A – America, for
D – Democracy,
E – Equity,
R – Righteousness, and
S – Salvation of Spirit, Body and Mind – For All!

Preamble

We, Father Divine’s Crusaders – Knowing that Father Divine is the One True and Living God, and Having a Conscious Conviction, Recognition and Realization of the FATHERHOOD of God and of the Universal Brotherhood of Man, Do hereby UNITE in our resolve to:

Build and maintain a Fraternal Brotherhood which is on record as an active, effective, integral member of Father Divine’s Inter-National, Inter-Racial, Inter-Denominational, Universal Peace Mission Movement, the Objectives of this Brotherhood being to:
1. Promote Unity among men throughout the world by achieving Perfect Unity among the Crusaders, through Evangelical Living and thinking together in the Fellowship of Spirit, Body and Mind;
2. Discover Abilities and Aptitudes in ourselves, and to stimulate, guide and use these Abilities and Aptitudes in the service of and for the benefit of all men, and to increase and extend these Abilities and Aptitudes to ever Higher Levels;
3. Formulate, in accord with FATHER’S Mind and Spirit, a Dynamic, Constructive Program of planned activities which, through Creation and Recreation, will consecrate and concentrate, during every moment of every day throughout Eternity, the Minds and Attention of all the Crusaders, their Love and Devotion, Ideas and Opinions, to and on the Fundamental – God, Father Divine;
4. Declare to the world through these activities, by Living accordingly as True Sons of God in every Thought, Word and Deed, the teaching of Father Divine – HIS Holiness, HIS Beauty, HIS Truth, Life and Love;

And do hereby establish this, THE CRUSADER’S SELF-DISCIPLINE, as the Code of Father Divine’s Crusaders.

The Crusader’s Declaration

Concerning God

1. I know deep down in my heart that Father Divine is God-that HE is the Personification of God in a Bodily Form.
2. I believe in and accept as Divinely inspired, the King James Version of the Old and the New Testaments of the Holy Bible, and I embrace it as my Rule Book of Life.
3. I believe that Father Divine fulfills the Scriptural Prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ for the Christian World and the Coming of the Messiah for the Jewish World. 4. I believe in the FATHERHOOD of God and in the Brotherhood of man.
5. I believe in the Sacred, Holy, Spiritual Marriage of Father Divine, Who is our Father-Mother-God, to HIS Spotless Virgin Bride, MOTHER DIVINE, Who before the World was, Was Predestined to be, and now is the Symbol of the Church without Spot or Wrinkle.
6. I believe that the Marriage of Father Divine to MOTHER DIVINE was predestined to be; that it is the Marriage of the LAMB and the BRIDE; and that it Symbolizes the Marriage of Christ to the Church, the Union of God and Man, and the Fusion of Heaven and Earth.
7. I believe that Father Divine is my Real FATHER and that MOTHER DIVINE is my Real MOTHER and that I never had another.
8. I believe in the Actual Ever Presence and Omni-Presence of God and also in HIS Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnilucence.
9. I believe that the Spirit of the Consciousness of the Presence of God is the Source of all Supply and that it always has and always will, as it does, Satisfy every Good Desire.
10. I believe that all things are possible with God and that HE will keep me in the Secret Place of the Most High if I TRUST him Wholeheartedly and make a Wide-Open Sacrifice.
11. I believe that I was with God before the World was; that I, in this physical body, will inherit Eternal Life; and that this physical body will never die if I live the Life of Christ and keep the Faith according to the Teachings of Father Divine.
12. I believe in the Life and Teachings of Jesus, the Christ, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and especially as set forth in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as given in the 5th, 6th and 7th Chapters of Matthew.

Concerning Country

13. I believe that America was Predestined to be the Birthplace of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
14. I believe in the official documents of the United States of America-the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with its Bill of Rights and Amendments-that they were Divinely inspired and that they take their places with the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible as instruments of the synonymous teachings of Democracy, Brotherhood, Americanism, Christianity and True Judaism.
15. I believe in the Flag of the United States of America and hereby Pledge my Allegiance to it and to the Republic for which it stands.
16. I believe that the Symbols of the Flag of the Free-Liberty, Unity, Freedom, Equity and Justice-shall be seen in every Land, as well as “Old Glory” itself, as concrete evidence of the True Significance of the Flag of the United States of America.

Concerning Man

17. I believe that all men are created by God and come before him equal to and independent of each other in HIS Sight.
18. I believe that all men are endowed by their Maker and Creator with not only equal, but the same inalienable Rights, such as the Rights to Life, Liberty and the Reality of Happiness and such as the Freedom of Religious Worship, the Freedom of expression, the Freedom to assemble peacefully, the Freedom from want and the Freedom from fear.
19. I believe, further, that every man has the Right to live where he chooses, work where he is qualified, attend the school of his own choice, ride on any train, bus, trolley, taxi, boat or airplane, and use any public facility, such as hotels, restaurants, depots, parks, playgrounds, gymnasiums, swimming pools, golf courses, concert halls, museums, cultural exhibits and lectures-without respect to his so-called race, creed, color or nationality.
20. I believe that every man has the Responsibility, not only to claim and use these above mentioned Rights and Freedoms for himself, but also the Responsibility to accord these Rights and Freedoms to his fellow man and to protect his fellow man from being denied of them.
21. I believe that every man has the Responsibility to be completely independent, to support himself, to owe no man, neither to give or take gifts, tips or bribes, or to accept anything which he has not earned or paid for.
22. I believe that every man has as his Birth-right the Freedom and Liberty to stand alone, to live his own Life, to think, speak and act according to his own Highest Intuition and Volition, to recognize no master other than his God as revealed to him from within and therefore, to be Free from all ties and bonds of personalities, including those of friends, so-called mother, father, sister, brother, so-called husband, wife, son, daughter and other so-called kin.
Therefore, We, the Inter-National, Inter-Racial, Inter-Denominational Youth of Father Divine’S Universal Peace Mission Movement- Believe that it is our Reasonable Service to our God, to our Country, to our Church, to our fellow man and to ourselves, by living to the letter Daily, Lives of Virtue, Purity, Virginity and Holiness to present our bodies as Living Sacrifices in fulfillment of our official Religious and Political Documents.

The Crusader’s Spirit, Mind, Aim And Purpose

Conscerning God

1. The True Crusader shall love the LORD Our God, Father Divine, with or without a Body, with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, and shall forever obey, cherish and respect him above all else.
2. The True Crusader shall read and study the HOLY BIBLE and THE NEW DAY regularly, conscientiously and persistently with reverence and understanding, so that he may know the Word of God.
3. The True Crusader, as stated by FATHER, shall live exactly according to the Rosebuds’ “Sweets’ Endeavors” and exactly according to the “Sweets’ Commandments,” and exactly according to the Lily-Buds’ Creeds.

Concerning Man

4. The True Crusader shall love his neighbor as himself, be courteous to him, meet him with a smile and greet him with a kind word.
5. The True Crusader shall not fight his neighbor for any cause, no matter what his so-called race, creed, color or nationality.
6. The True Crusader shall not ridicule, condemn, discriminate against or persecute his neighbor for any cause.
7. The True Crusader shall live an unselfish life of service to all his neighbors, a life of giving rather than getting. 8. The True Crusader shall unify himself in Spirit, Mind, Aim and Purpose with all his neighbors allover the world.

Concerning Himself

9. The True Crusader shall live a righteous, useful, consecrated Life which is devoted to Holiness, Purity, Honesty, Love, Faith and Humility through self-denial and Thanksgiving and Praise.
10. The True Crusader shall be truthful and honest down to the smallest detail.
11. The True Crusader shall possess sufficient knowledge and competence to fulfill, to the satisfaction of all concerned, his obligations to his employer, his neighbor, his Church, his Country, his God and himself. He will be ambitious, industrious, intelligent and persistent.
12. The True Crusader shall be temperate and self-controlled in all things.
13. The True Crusader shall not exalt himself or indulge his ego.
14. The True Crusader shall owe no man. He will pay all his debts; he will pay cash on the spot and will not purchase on credit or the installment plan.
15. The True Crusader shall neither give or take gifts, tips, or bribes for the slightest cause, no matter how insignificant the matter may seem.
16. The True Crusader shall be completely independent and shall support himself in every way. He will not beg, borrow or steal. He will not accept vacation pay, social security benefits, pensions, insurance benefits or legacies-or anything which he has not earned or paid for, value for value.
17. The True Crusader shall not tempt God by insuring his life, his friends or relatives or his possessions.
18. The True Crusader shall not mistrust God by using material remedies, such as medicines, preparations, artificial supports and medical or surgical treatment, except as provided in the Church Discipline.
19. The True Crusader shall never engage in unnecessary conversation or sit correspondingly with the opposite sex.
20. The True Crusader shall not smoke, he shall not express vulgarity, profanity, obscenity or blasphemy; he shall not imbibe intoxicating liquors or drugs; he shall not gamble, wager nor patronize lotteries; and he shall not indulge in any lustful, sensual appetite either with himself or with the opposite sex.
21. The True Crusader shall not indulge in vicious gossip, destructive criticism or Godless chatter, nor shall he waste time through idleness or unseemly behavior, that he may be pleasing and desirable in the sight of God.
22. The True Crusader shall not attend, indulge in or harmonize with any form of amusement, entertainment, recreation, contest, exhibit, concert or program which does not express and portray the Evangelical Life which Jesus set before us.

Concerning Church

23. The True Crusader shall attend Praise Meetings, Righteous Government Meetings and Holy Communion Banquets regularly, conscientiously and persistently and shall in every way uphold his church as his Higher Leading bids.

Concerning country

24. The True Crusader shall be a self-respecting, law-abiding citizen of his community, state, nation and world, and shall shoulder the responsibilities of citizenship so that he may earn the benefits of that citizenship.

Finally, Again Concerning God

25. The True Crusader shall be true to his Real Self by being one with his SAVIOR, God, Father Divine, Who is without the beginning of days and the end of Life, the Author and the Finisher-so that he shall be one with his neighbor and so that all the People will be One, whereby nothing good will be restrained from them.

The Crusader’s Pledge

Steps to Salvation –
What is required of me
If I am to work out my Salvation.

Concerning God

1. DESIRE. I must want Salvation. I must be willing and sincere.
2. REVERENCE. I must recognize and realize the Actual Ever Presence and Omni Presence of God in an Impersonal Form-and also recognize and realize HIS Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnilucence. I must have a Conscious Conviction of the FATHERHOOD of God to all peoples.
3. FAITH AND TRUST. I must have implicit Faith, unshaken Confidence and utter Trust in God-and this by hearing only, rather than by seeing.
4. THANKS AND PRAISE. I must continually give Thanks and offer Praise to our Father- Mother-God for all our Blessings.
5. VISION AND UNDERSTANDING. I must recognize and realize as a Truth/that the Word has been made Flesh. I must recognize and realize the Personified Presence of God in the Bodily Form of Father Divine.
6. WISDOM. I must seek Spiritual Discernment that I may know the right from the wrong – the good from the bad.

Concerning Man

7. LOVE. I must Love and forgive everyone on the earth. I must have a conviction of the Universal Brotherhood of Man-of our One World and our One World Wide Family. I must dedicate my Life to unselfish service of everyone in the world.
8. HONESTY AND JUSTICE. I must be absolutely honest and just with myself and with everyone, in thought, word and deed.
9. CONFESSION AND SELF-DENIAL. I must confess every act of wrong-doing, wrong- speaking and wrong-thinking. I must deny every mortal, sinful thought, word and deed of self in every detail. I must give up all and live in willing obedience and complete surrender of Spirit, Body and Mind to the will of God.
10. RELAXATION. I must relax my conscious mentality whenever it is negative, so that the Spirit can have a free access within to reveal to me the thoughts, words and deeds which will rightly solve all my problems automatically.
11. VIRGINITY AND PURITY. I must live so that every thought, word and deed is virgin pure in its righteousness.
12. HUMILITY. I must be humble, patient, meek and sweet in every thought, word and deed.
13. EXPECTANCY. I must possess a seeking attitude-forever watching, listening and praying. I must live in the inspiration of breathless expectancy.
14. WORK. I must labor, but with wisdom and competence. Not only must my heart and mind be occupied with my FATHER’S Business, but my hands, as well, must be full and devotedly serving.

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