Galveston, Texas Flood, and Tar on Rockaway Beach on Long Island, NY

"God Fights Your Battle for You." FATHER DIVINE

The Word of GOD Revealed
'Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...' St. John 16:13

FATHER DIVINE'S Words from the Notebook of John Lamb

72 Macon Ave., Sayville, L. I., N. Y.,
Back yard

Installment 12

Retribution Follows Persecution

In discussing newspaper reports of the recent court case and the attitude of some of the people, FATHER said that the people had sowed the seed idea of a flood in Sayville by calling out the fire department and preparing to lay hose lines to flood us out in case the police were unsuccessful in getting us out. In continuing along these lines FATHER told about one town in the South, said to be Galveston, Texas, by one of the old students, where public opinion had opposed HIM, and as a result a terrific storm came which flooded the whole place, did $100,000 damage to the electric light company alone, carried away all the churches and drowned thirty-seven people. HE said it was not an ordinary storm as there was terrific thunder but no lightning, and the rain was more than boiling water, it burned the leaves off the trees. The flood went up to the second stories of the houses and the whole town was in fear. After that HE said, the citizens said, 'Let HIM alone.' In discussing this later, FATHER said, 'It is just the picture of what is in the mind within, (meaning the mind of the people) and nature reflects and pictures just what is in the mind of man.'

After a few moments pause, FATHER told about another incident that happened at Rockaway Beach here on Long Island. HE said HE went one day to hire a bathhouse on the beach for HIMSELF and Mother and they would not rent one to HIM on account of what they thought was HIS color. HE said: 'Well, if I can't swim no one else will either.' They paid no attention to HIM, but within that week large quantities of something came in on the water, 'b----er than I AM,' and they could not guess what it was. It appeared to be tar and they looked for some tar ship which might have been wrecked but they never found out what it was, and that year there was no bathing at that beach. Some went into the water at the first, but they got all stuck up with tar and it wouldn't come off. So HE said in planting that seed idea about HIS color that never would have come off in the water, they got something that did come off.

GOD Through the Cosmics Will Avenge You

Continuing along these lines FATHER said: 'So it is a terrible thing to send out destructive thoughts, for they go into the cosmic forces and destroy you if they are not absorbed by the object of your thoughts. When you take the destructive thoughts of another right into your own self they will not rebound as they would if allowed to go on by. The Bible says,

'The wicked shall slay the wicked.
'Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.'

What you do not receive will return, and if you do not take it in to revenge your enemies, the cosmic forces of nature take it, and it rebounds to them through nature and not through man. That is why it says in the Bible,

'God fights your battle for you,'

and it was the same with Moses and all the others. Every destructive thought that goes out from a person against you, if you will not consciously accept it and revenge your adversary, it strikes the cosmics and it must return. That is a seed idea they have sown and it must return. That is the law and it cannot be avoided.'

At this point someone inquired why so many churches are destroyed in storms. FATHER replied: 'So often the church is protected from legal attack and when the church attacks anyone in a way that they cannot, individuals cannot, even if they desire revenge, because the church is under cover with the government and protected from any legal attack; when the revenge returns, it goes to the cosmics because through legal steps the public cannot revenge itself. You go on church property and raise a disturbance and you are arrested because it is protected, and many times the church has wronged somebody and they cannot get revenge. Therefore, it goes back through the cosmics and the cosmics have no more respect for churches than for anything else. So if GOD be for you, who can be against you? And that verifies the fact, 'Stand ye still and I will fight your battles,' and every stone anyone throws to you I will rebound that stone to them and you will not have to do a thing.

So as I say to you about Sayville, the thoughts that they have sent out, some day, somehow, and in some way they must return, because I have not in any way tried to revenge MY enemies. There has been enough hate-thoughts to destroy the village. Last summer when someone came here and said, 'We will close you up if you continue this disturbance,' I said, Yes, and I will close up Suffolk County. And there is a way. Different disasters have happened sometimes when they closed up whole counties and let no one in or out of the place, and the Spirit spoke it and it may be that the actuality of that will be brought into expression. What they have thought concerning ME or said concerning ME, or both, they have thought and said concerning themselves.'

At this point someone asked if this was the explanation of the different plagues spoken of in the Bible and FATHER replied: 'Yes, those plagues were their thoughts taking form after their own nature. If you do not fight your battles, it is just like the Bible says, 'I will fight them for you.' Hold your peace. And that is the mystery of the way the battle comes out and what causes it. That is a wonderful thought, that whatsoever others do unto you they do unto themselves, for they must reap what they sow.

How CHRIST Will Come to Fruition In You

Today I thanked FATHER for a song which had been ringing in me, 'Nothing, nothing, nothing--nothing but FATHER; Oh, to be nothing but HIM;' and also for a verse from the Bible given me from memory, 'If I bear record of myself, my record is not true, but if I bear record of Him that sent me, my record is true.' Another student said something about a revelation in regard to the verse, 'He that conquereth his own will is greater than he that taketh a city,' and FATHER gave a wonderful talk along the lines of

'Not my will, but Thine be done.'

HE said when we came to that point the CHRIST would come through into full fruition and we would reach beyond the veil of tears and beyond our highest affirmations to the fields of endless joys beyond degree, where all is peace and harmony and security and perfection, and where 'the Spirit of the Consciousness of the Presence of GOD is the Source of all Supply and will satisfy every good desire.' HE said this was to be attained through absolute consecration, complete relaxation, then concentration on HIS Impersonal Life, and finally, complete sacrifice of every conceivable thing, and self-denial first on the personal plane. HE said: 'But your conscious mentality must be the originator so far as you are concerned, in saying 'Not my will,' etc., and then the subconscious will be the duplicator of the CHRIST in you and CHRIST will come to fruition in you.'

GOD Takes Care of Thoughts'

'Be careful what you think, for thoughts are things. I will not think negative thoughts; I think only positive thoughts. I will not visualize anything negative; I will visualize only the positive. I will not see anything negative; I will see only the positive, etc. You have to account for every thought--for every spiritual thought that you let fall to the ground of materiality. Remember, the sparrow shall not fall, etc. Not one thought shall fall to the ground beneath MY notice. Therefore, how careful ought we to live with such conviction. We must give an account of every sparrow. You must give an account of every element of your understanding if one falls to materialism, if one falls to the ground in the light of your understanding. Every thought that flies in the spiritual atmosphere, if one should fall to the ground, it will not fall to the ground beneath MY notice, for GOD takes care of thoughts.

'Take no thought for yourself, what you shall eat, drink, or be clothed. Consider the thoughts. Thoughts do not reap, neither do they toil, then why should you take thought with your body? The thoughts do not reap, neither do they toil. Are ye not much more than one little thought? But I say unto you, not one thought shall fall to the ground beneath MY notice for I say indeed, you will find the hairs of your head are numbered. Again, I may give you another version, for thoughts may be interpreted in another way. Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Your thoughts proceed forth and come from the mind and so your hairs come from the head. Now by taking thought, you cannot make one thought white or black. So it is Wonderful!'

'The Word says,

'In the Kingdom, there is neither marrying, nor giving in marriage,'

because the Bible says the married will be as though they were not married and they that are not married will be as though they were married, for they will not be in the human state of consciousness. That is the great significance of this transformation that will take place in you as you learn of GOD and go on in GOD as you put on the characteristics, the nature of GOD. It is Wonderful! How can you think about, (just as you are here now) how can you think about self, and how avenge any action? How beautiful are the lights that shine so bright, the peace, the happiness, the pleasure of being in such a wholesome atmosphere with thoughts that are pure, thoughts that are angelic, thoughts that are always above materialism, matter, personalities and mortality, thoughts that are actually Divine and honorable; having these thoughts you put off the old man and put on the new man and you live in the CHRIST Life as was in the body called Jesus. That is the great work of the CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS, to change your vile bodies and fashion them like unto His glorious Body. It reads that way.

Put Off Mortal and Christ Will Be Seen In You

'So in all of thy getting, get understanding. In all that you say or do, say or do it with understanding. It is not a matter of material combatments. It is not a matter of mortal versions of body, but it is a principle of life to live and to advocate; living by the standard of the CHRIST Mind and letting this Mind also be in you that was in CHRIST JESUS. This Mind that was also in CHRIST JESUS will produce the same characteristics in you and you will follow Him whithersoever He goeth; and following Him whithersoever He goeth you will also escape all the corruptions of the world. You will partake of His Divine nature, you will become one with Him in ways and in actions. You will be the first fruits. Not the second fruits but the first fruits, the same as when you grade anything, the first quality of your potatoes, not the second. He said, 'You will be the first fruits unto GOD and unto the Lamb.' You find that in Revelation 14. Denying yourself, putting on the immortal state of consciousness by putting on the immortal or Divine idea of whatsoever opinion or subject it may be, you will put off the mortal and put on immortality. You are putting on the very nature and disposition and characteristics of the CHRIST, and you are becoming to be a partaker of His nature. With His Mind you live and move and have your being with Him, and in your being He will reign. By so doing you will be redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto GOD and the Lamb.

'As Mrs. Divine declares, she has not seen any man in ME and in MY life and activities. Why? Because she put off the mortal, and put on the immortal state of consciousness. You put off all of your mortal fancies, your pleasures, and deny yourself until the CHRIST rises in you, and the CHRIST will be seen in your life and you will follow the CHRIST whithersoever He goeth, and you will not be governed any more by the mortal concept of things, for CHRIST will be the head of your house. In whatsoever may come up in your mind, you will consider with the right consideration, what would Jesus do about this or that. If you think before you speak or act then you will think and act in CHRIST's Mind and in CHRIST's stead. First consider, would Jesus do this?

'In My Nature You Can Do All Things'

'Now whatsoever she believed that the body called Jesus would do, Mother Divine made up her mind to do . . . Whatsoever you sincerely believe the Body called Jesus did do, or would do, then that you do, if you are a man, and whatsoever you believe that Mary did do before Jesus was born, then you do that, if you are a woman. As it reads in Revelation 14,

'These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, for they are redeemed from among men. They are not defiled with women for they are virgins.'

You see, it catches the most noted characteristic of Mary. That characteristic was more expressed than any other characteristic in her and that was conveyed on many occasions. Why does so much healing go on here? Because that special characteristic that Mary was so noted for, it was and it is uppermost in the quality and expression of Jesus, and when the woman touched the hem of Jesus' garment, that most important characteristic was reflected from Jesus and that was what healed the woman through her faith. Jesus said,

'Thy faith hath made thee whole,'

but there was something went out from Jesus that was the most important characteristic of Mary and that was the healing balm that healed the woman.

'You have never heard of such healing work going on in the world as is going on here, and that that went out from Jesus goes out from us and from our words, and the spirit that went out from Jesus will heal any disease. Deny yourselves and your worldly fancies and pleasures and inclinations etc., and that will be established in you and will flow out from you in the same quality that went out from Jesus and you too, will be able to multiply and replenish things and to heal, for you will be the nature of GOD. You see in MY nature you shall cast out d-v-ls, in MY nature you can do all things, but if you are in the mortal nature there is limitation. But get in the nature of the CHRIST, get into the CHRIST Characteristics and it will be possible for you to do all things, for it will not be you, but it will be the CHRIST that dwelleth in you.'

Better To Fail Financially Than Fail Spiritually

This afternoon FATHER said a good deal about money and depression and its effect upon people. HE said it was a good thing that many were without money at times as it brought them nearer to GOD. HE claimed that a great majority of us in the Kingdom would not be here if a shortage of money or some undesirable condition had not driven us to HIM. If we had had all the money we could use out in the world, and did not have to work for it, we would not have turned to HIM; and HE went so far as to say that if many of us were given all the money we could use right now we would go right back into mortality and depend upon the money for happiness and support rather than GOD. And this would be so until we actually learned to depend upon GOD alone. HE said HE was just sure enough of it to go into a store to buy apples and put HIS hand in HIS pocket and expect to find the money there in HIS pocket.

There were many in the world who were successful, HE said, and made money, and HE mentioned several cases where people had prospered after contacting HIM because they asked for financial success; particularly one case where the people did not have enough money to buy food when they came in contact with HIM, who in a very short time were making a thousand dollars per day, but HE said they were not happy or as happy with a thousand dollars per day as they had been with three dollars per day. HE said it was much better to be a failure in a financial way and a success in the Spirit than to be a success in a financial way and a failure in the Spirit.

GOD Gives Man Capacity According To His Calling

HE continued as follows: 'If it were made plain to ME that I could be of more service working in the garden or picking cement on the street than I can Personally be as I AM, I would choose that way that I can be of more service. The man that sat here the other night, Mr. Van, I have often spoken of him, and more so when he was working in the coal yard. He worked for the same man for about thirty-five years, but he was with him twenty-eight years when I first came here. He proved himself faithful with this man though he did not physically or officially advance from his apparently low calling. He was a coal driver up until his boss had an accident and got killed. Now I often used to say Mr. Van worked hard apparently, yet he was healthy. He never was sick until after he stopped work after the man got killed and he lost his job. And yet people used to say he was foolish to work all those years for little or nothing; and it was plainly understood and verified distinctly that you will reap what you sow, for when the boss died the paper stated that he was left $300 cash and the income on $6,000 as long as he lived, and that he would have the home as long as he lived and as long as his wife lived, and that is better than if he had bought it and paid for it because he has no taxes and no upkeep to pay; then the interest on the $6,000 as long as he lived.

'Well now, as I say, that was better, though Mr. Van would work all day apparently, he would run and jump and play baseball nights and would be just as useful as if he had nothing to do, because GOD gives man capacity according to his special occupation or calling; and I could be just as happy doing anything that a professional person thinks is a disgrace to do, and feel just as good. I could do any kind of useful manual labor. Then I would draw in the strength of a man if I didn't have it, if I had a man's work to do. So too, according to your special calling, all ability will come to meet the emergency, and you will feel just as happy and just as healthy if you do with your might what your hands find to do. So it is a great consolation to know that.

'As I so often say, you can go down to the stevedores' docks and see the man working down in the ships in the heat of summertime when it is so hot that people are falling down in the restaurants under the fans and drinking cool drinks and trying to keep cool, and sometimes on the yachts and supposed to be in the breeze, they are jumping overboard from the heat. But those men down in the hold, they have no other way to earn their bread and they work down there digging out sulphur, sometimes twenty feet from the hatch hole where not a breath of air could get to them, and they are shoveling that sulphur and pig iron, etc., under pressure, with the boss up there shouting at them to hurry, and you hardly ever hear of one of them dying from the heat in such a place as that. If anyone happens to die on the docks, as a rule it is from some accident or something like that and not from the heat. But the rich people, living easy as you might term it to be, die from the heat and those men down in the ships, (I have been there and looked at it) they must dig out that sulphur and fill those tubs up, and they have to go at it too, and then they live.

The Great Significance of GOD

'Now I AM just showing you that GOD will take care of you. I AM showing you the significance of GOD and that you have nothing to fear. And what can be against you, not only who can be against you, but what can be against you if GOD be for you! I AM showing to you the great significance of GOD and the Omnipotence and Omnipresence of GOD and that Infinite Love that goes beyond degrees, far beyond degrees into infinitude. It is Wonderful! GOD is with you wheresoever you be. There is naught to make you tremble, naught to fear. With the understanding of this Infinite Love and the Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Omniscience of GOD and yet this Infinite Love to you-ward, you have nothing to fear. If you were going to the penitentiary for a lifetime, GOD would be right there, GOD would be there as HE is here and you could be just as happy. Times and places, etc., have nothing to do with GOD. HE has nothing to do with places and times. GOD could make a way in the beds of the sea and unravel there HIS mysteries and give to you right there, joy beyond degrees. What do you care about conditions and times and such as that when you know your GOD! It is Wonderful! There is no condition, no imaginable condition could in any wise disturb you when you know your GOD.

These Words Have Paved Out the Way for You

'Fear not, it is your FATHER's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, and there is naught to make you tremble and naught to fear, for the Abundance of the Fullness of the Consciousness of Good, no space is vacant of the fullness thereof. You will find that you will be in the fullness of the abundance of it wheresoever you be. Rejoice in the abundance of good. Isn't it Wonderful? This quotation fills the whole universe and has made the way possible for you in the depths of the sea, yea, in the depths of the seas in the wonderful and miraculous mysteries.

'These words that I have spoken have paved out the way for you. I have gone into all states in this quotation and paved out the way, and the great forces and power of Omnipotency is there in its great Infinite Love and compassion beyond degrees. It is Wonderful! Now there is no place that you can go, there is no condition or circumstance can arise that these remarks have not paved out the way and made it comfortable, and you will build on the firm foundation that you will have nothing to fear.'

'What You and GOD Cannot Do, It Cannot Be Done.'

This evening one of the students testified that she was so glad to realize that she could be happy and peaceful and contented without anything of an external nature and that conditions on the outside did not disturb her peace. FATHER got up and confirmed her testimony and said, 'With or without a body, with the expression of good or without it, with the expression of evil or without it, you can have this great joy. GOD is the master of the situation in every case and in every phase of life and will meet you in every emergency. What you and GOD cannot do, it cannot be done. When you have done all that you can do, then GOD can and will do the rest. So what you and GOD cannot do, it cannot be done. Therefore, since you have been beseeched and requested to still your conscious mentality, your personality, your individuality, yourself, in all the fullness of your impersonal self and know that I AM GOD, then what GOD cannot do, there is nothing left to be done.'

You Do Not Lose Anything By Denying Yourself

'It is a blessing to be willing to live a self-denied life and by denying yourself you do not lose anything, and as I say, now think of living not in materialism, in mortality, but living in the immortal state of consciousness, in the CHRIST Consciousness. Think of denying every mortal version of yourself according to the flesh. If you take it from a lineage standpoint of view when you deny yourself from a family standpoint of view, why think of all the kin that I have, such a beautiful family of all families. Think of what denying means, denying yourself from a national standpoint of view. Think of all nationalities responding to MY self-denial, and they cannot help it. The spirit that dwelleth within them responds with obedience to the great command of GOD within and without, and therefore they respond to the great command of GOD within this Body and without this Body. So one does not lose anything by self-denial if you take it from a racial standpoint of view. Think of bringing five races into two races, then into one race, and then canceling the one race and creating the angelic race, and here we stand. And that will make one happy to know that they belong to this infinite angelic race.'

It Is 'Wonderfuler' Than It Ever Was

'It is impossible to lose anything by self-denial, consecration and sacrifice. It is absolutely impossible. It is Wonderful! Just think about it. So that is why I AM so happy, because from a material, from a mental, from a social, from a financial, or from any standpoint of view, I have gained one hundred times as much as I could possibly have gained in mortal consciousness, from a mortal standpoint of view So I do not regret anything that I have gone through or AM going through for the Great Cause. So it is Wonderful! We have all things to rejoice for, all limitless blessings for the remembrance of the recent composed motto, but often rehearsed, 'The Spirit of the Consciousness of the Presence of GOD is the Source of all Supply and will satisfy every good desire.' I believe most of the people realize that you all are conscious of GOD's Presence and I believe that the majority of you realize that the Spirit of the Consciousness of the Presence of GOD has worked miracles in your lives and in the midst of you by supplying your wants. So we can really see that it is wonderful, and not only wonderful, but it is 'wonderfuler',' and not only 'wonderfuler',' but it is the 'wonderfulerest.' So we can rejoice with joy unspeakable for the abundance of the fullness of the consciousness of Good, and you all begin to realize that fullness that should be the material expression of the abundance of the fullness

'So I set before you always an open door, and because of the fullness of the abundance of the fullness of Good, I set before you the abundance of the fullness of a demonstration of the material supply right here for mankind, to let you realize that there is reality in the true and living GOD, humanity as a whole is talking about. They have talked about GOD, and do GOD's Work to a certain extent. They have advocated to a certain extent what we are demonstrating, but we mean to bring into demonstration and into materialization all of the Truth that has been advocated by all of the Christian world, and prove to the world that 'it is more blessed to give than to receive,' and that which we sow we must also reap. Even with the desire to do good, you do not lose anything by it. You gain an hundredfold more in this present world, and in the world to come, life everlasting, so I AM so glad. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! I do not have to ask, isn't it wonderful? I can say it is Wonderful! And it is 'wonderfuler' than it ever was before.

'Through persecutions, criticisms, and all of those things they are indeed establishing the Truth. Every knock is a boost, every criticism is a blessing, every stumbling block is a steppingstone, and all men will realize finally that there is reality in GOD. The way that it has been taught by the average religious person, they teach GOD and then they tell you to pray for spiritual blessings and even material blessings, as well as spiritual blessings, and when you demonstrate, or GOD demonstrates the answer to your prayers, then they marvel at it and at the very things they told you to pray for.

GOD Has Given Us This Day

'You know your mothers and fathers told you years ago to pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' Now GOD gives us our daily bread here, so your prayer has been answered to the extent that we realize 'Our Father which art in heaven.' We realize that HIS Name is Holy, right here on earth and we realize that it is just as sacred in your consciousness as it was before you realized the Presence of GOD. And because of your recognition of the Presence of GOD and because of your keeping HIS Name Holy, right here in this home as it was heretofore in your consciousness concerning 'Our Father which art in heaven,' because of that it is brought into your lives, and unto you the conscious realization and materialization of the Glory of GOD and we are now enjoying it, for

'The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we are beholding His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.'

And it is not spirit either, for what you visualize you tend to produce in your own self. You tend to bring into materialization whatsoever you visualize, so we behold HIS Glory as of the only begotten of the FATHER, full of grace and truth, and then after we have observed it

'for all of His fullness have all we received, grace for grace,'

is that not a wonderful blessing? And it is 'wonderfuler' to come to that conscious realization that that is, and because GOD is, you are. So we have something to rejoice for and to be exceeding glad for, for great is your reward here on earth and in heaven.

'Now then, the Kingdom has truly come as the Name has been kept Holy and they adored the Name of the FATHER and they idealized the Name and kept the Name Holy and recognized it as the most sacred of the sacred; and by so doing the Kingdom did come and the Will began to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Then you began to realize that GOD was giving you this day, day by day, and giving us our daily bread, and that is where we get all of our blessings from. We get our blessings eternally from GOD because of your insistence and to the Christian and religious world, they have taught you to pray,

'Give us this day our daily bread.'

Then why marvel at these facts and figures that are too stout to be denied? So this is our day, for GOD has given us this day.

'You know when you are working or in business or anything of that kind, if you get a day off, if your boss gives you a day off, why then that is your day, isn't it? Now every day you have been taught to pray that prayer, then why is it you have never had that day? Now the mortal mind wonders why we have that day. I read in the paper the other day that I had never done a day's labor for the purpose of earning money. Then if you pray, 'Give us this day,' etc., if GOD gives you that day why then you have every day too. But so much for that.

'I AM Of More Practical Service Than Any One Man'

'I AM glad to say that when the mortal mind thinks I AM idle, I AM more active than when I AM Personally active. I know that MY spiritual and mental activities are worth more than MY physical Body can be. The physical Body is not capable of doing the work the Impersonal Life is capable of doing. The Impersonal Life, the mentality and the spirit is a true principle which all men can rely upon. You do not have to think one time that your personal body is capable of supplying your every need, but we know that the Impersonal Living Spirit, the Impersonal Divine Mind is sufficient to meet every emergency and to supply your every need in practical service, even after the manner of man.

'Think of the number I would board if I were running a boardinghouse. That would mean a good living, wouldn't it? Who can be a chef, a steward, a head cook, and a head waiter, like I do? No one has to take a thought, no one has to order anything or to plan a menu. GOD is the one that supplies all these things and HE condescended to supply it through this Body. Therefore, if a man would be a head waiter, a head cook, a chef, a steward, etc., and then be a proprietor as I AM, he would be getting a pretty good salary. I don't think he would have much time to do a day's work, besides hundreds of correspondents I have daily from a literary standpoint of view all over the world, besides over the telephone, telegrams, etc. So any good person can realize that I AM of more practical service than any one man from a physical standpoint of view. But whether the public knows it or not, I know I can meet every emergency and I do supply every need. The I AM in ME and in you is supplying every need of mankind and will meet every emergency and none can lack in GOD's abundance. Even in the time of supposed depression, because mortal mind found it could not depress ME, they thought they would rise up and oppress ME, but depression could not hurt nor harm and neither can oppression harm ME. The Spirit of the Presence of GOD will lift you above the bounds and barriers and limits of man.

'So you need not fear, nothing can come to ME but the Love of GOD and according to HIS purpose. So it is a wonderful blessing to realize that you all have contact something that is above mortal limitations and you will be able to transcend all mortal limitations even also as I do. So you can rejoice and say that the Kingdom has come and the Will is being done and GOD has given us this day our daily bread, and you can candidly say that GOD leadeth us not into temptation.

The Lord's Prayer Has Been Answered

'You know that when you are here no one comes to you and says, 'Will you take a drink?' The strongest thing is coffee and, of course, if you don't want coffee you can take hot water as I do. And if you want something a little stronger you can take tea or postum or cocoa. Therefore, as far as being tempted in that way, GOD leads you not into temptation here, and HE delivers you from what is known in the religious world and the moral world as evil, for HE delivers you from the point of temptation, and therefore you can realize that what you call the Lord's Prayer has been materialized here and brought into actuality in your present day. I believe all of you here realize that as really true. Now if anyone believes it not, they can say so, and if anyone believes it is true, they can say so.'

FATHER Has NEVER Taken Up a Collection

After the above talk much discussion arose in one way and another among the students as to the manner in which a large center, which is being established in New York City, should be supported financially. There have been about four centers holding weekly meetings in New York recently, but all have been overflowed by the crowd eager to hear FATHER's Message, and arrangements were made by a group to get a large hall holding a thousand people. At the regular weekly meeting of one of the larger centers a collection was taken up from those present in order to secure a guarantee of the first month's rent of the new hall . . .

One or two of FATHER's immediate family or older students got up in the meeting and so thoroughly condemned the collection business that the money was given back after some discussion. The student who talked most against it, returned home today and FATHER, having heard of the proceedings said: 'If Miss Komartha had not been there the other night perhaps MY Standard would have been allowed to fall . . .' HE continued as follows:

'Now I want everyone to realize that GOD is a free gift to mankind and in any books or anything that is written concerning ME or MY activities at MY consent, I say it must be an absolutely free gift. Of course, public newspapers and magazines, etc., they may write about ME, they may do that because that is the public press, but anyone that wants to write about ME in the way of books, pamphlets, etc., it must be a free gift. I have never taken up a collection and have never been connected with anyone who did. I received a telephone call this morning from someone in Brooklyn, in which they said someone was going around impersonating ME and offering to heal people for a certain sum of money and people were flocking to him thinking him to be FATHER DIVINE. Now someone is going to get arrested taking MY Name in vain and trying to forge on MY Name, because I have never taken up a collection, and as I told this lady, any time you see anyone taking a penny, unless it is for material services, why then they are not of ME if they claim to be doing anything from a spiritual standpoint of view. It is legitimate if you are employed from a material standpoint of view or in a professional way, but as far as preaching the Gospel or healing the sick in MY Name they had better be careful.

'That is the very reason why so many people disapprove of the Truth. Of course, there must be a counterfeit, but I have sacrificed MY Life for this Truth and it still stands in a way under the hammer of the wrath of man. If I were speculating or something like that why probably there would be nothing said or they would say, 'Get a license and go ahead and do it.' But I AM so glad that I have never taken up a collection and never have been connected with anyone that did. Even from MY immediate co-workers I have never asked for a penny. And with all of the centers that are opened up in My Name I don't want a collection taken up at one of them. My Work is not going into speculation and prayer. I will go without anyone first. MY Work is a free gift to mankind. If I thought I would have to make money any way I would rather go off and be a chauffeur. You see I AM a good chauffeur. If it were necessary I could go and pick on the street before I would take up a collection. I have never even said that they could keep a contribution box at the end of the church. Nothing like that will exist in any of MY centers. And if anyone is interested enough to establish one, if they are sincere enough to earn the means to put into it without any solicitations, without any graft or anything like that, they can do it, for I AM a free gift . . .

'If you cannot open up a place without soliciting from the public, why just know it is not time for you to do it . . .

'. . . If the people have had to take thought all week about rent bills, light bills, food bills, gas bills, and the like, and then go to church and have to think about the rent bill, the light bill, or a suit for the pastor, or something like that, they have no rest, they have no refuge. I AM a free gift to mankind. I know it is a little odd, Dear Ones, but you will see after awhile that MY Way is best if you will obey.'

FATHER spoke today about the passage of the Jim Crow Law in the South and HE said: 'I jumped up in the house and said I will present MY Body a living sacrifice and go South to break down the walls and partitions of race, creed, bigotry, prejudice, etc., and I did it.'

'Out of the insignificance of nothing, came the significance of something.'