"The Light of Life - GOD in the Midst of Thee"


The Word of GOD Revealed

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. St. John l6:l3

Father Divine's Words From The Notebook of John Lamb

 

Installment 50

Father Divine's Sermon Given at Union Temple Baptist Church
l32nd Street, New York City, N.Y., Tuesday Eve., May 24, l932 A.D.F.D.

 

Father Divine's Last Sermon Before the Verdict

 

FATHER DIVINE

Picture of FATHER DIVINE

It was Tuesday evening, May 24, and the Union Temple Baptist Church was packed to capacity. Great was the demonstration of joy when their Beloved Redeemer arose to address them. Thus, this Immortal, never to be forgotten Sermon of all sermons, was unpremeditatedly delivered to the world.

FATHER speaks as follows:

PEACE: It is Wonderful! I know you all are happy. It is Wonderful.! I was glad to hear the wonderful music that the gentleman played who thinks he is blind or that some of you think is blind. Some of you think he is blind too, but I know that GOD is his sight. That is the great significance of the Omniscience and Omnipresence of GOD to be that One and be their All, in all. It is Wonderful! For one to realize that actually and truly GOD is their five physical senses, when you are foolish enough to believe that, then according to your faith, so be it unto you.

Men have believed such seemingly radical, unbelievable things, and to them it has been made real and brought into expression. But I can prove to you conclusively, if I just had a little time to do so, that it is true.



GOD - Your Five Physical Senses

I will not endeavor to go into the full aspects of it tonight, as I have something else to do just now. It is Wonderful!. It is Wonderful! But, however, I will say to you that GOD is your sight: your five physical senses! GOD is actually each one of them expressing through the members that are called your nose, your eyes, your ears, your mouth and your body. GOD is your five physical senses for the physical man, and teaches you what HE wants you to know by some or all of these five physical senses; and when you realize that GOD is in reality all of these five physical senses, why then you will come back to your right mind.

It is wonderful to know that GOD has come, and after GOD has come, you cannot have bad sight. When you know that GOD is your five physical senses, then you cannot have bad sight. It is Wonderful! But you can have sight that is good, because GOD is good. You can have a taste that is good, and always a good taste in your mouth, for GOD is good. You can always have a good feeling, if you know it, because GOD is good. In the recognition of GOD being both it and them your hearing and all of your five physical senses and applying that thought to your mind, why, you can see even also as I can. It is CHRIST in you and CHRIST in ME, will make you what you ought to be, and from every limitation set you free, if you only live the Life. But you must cast out of your system, by casting it out of your consciousness and out of all of your mentality, all prejudices, bigotry, resentment, anger, envy, malice and strife; all doubts and all fears, all divisions and distinctions, races, creeds and colors and denominations of every kind, and recognizing your at-one-ment with your fellow men that you might be one with GOD. It is Wonderful! I just wish to bring those few points before your consideration and show you how and where, and here and now is the time that you can apply GOD to all of your five physical senses or the members of your five physical senses that represent them, and be the direct manifesto of the perfect, invisible GOD, working through your system. It is Wonderful!



Christ All, in All

You can rid yourself of every negative condition by your recognition of GOD within, and GOD without, for there is no other, for the GOD that has ever been and ever will be, is within and without, and is walking and talking in you if you only know it. It is Wonderful! And in that, you can see that the Truth of GOD is verified, as recorded by one of the apostles, saying that 'CHRIST is all, in all.' CHRIST is in every joint, every sinew, every limb, every bone, every vein and fibre, every cell and every atom of your bodily form. It is Wonderful! And I AM talking about the GOD that created the heaven and the earth and all things that in HIM are. The same One is walking and talking in you tonight. And that same One is dwelling in your midst, and that same One is in your eyes. That same One is in your ears and that same One is in every muscle, every nerve and every cell of your bodily form. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful!

'To whom GOD would make known what is the riches of the mystery of the glory among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST in you, the hope of Glory.'

It is Wonderful!

'CHRIST in you, the hope of glory: HIM we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in CHRIST JESUS.'

You cannot be perfect unless you are made perfect by the recognition of GOD, your FATHER. GOD is the only One that can make you perfect. It is Wonderful! You can be presented perfect before GOD, for it is written:

'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your FATHER which is in heaven is perfect.'

And that is your privilege, to put off all of the mortal mind and all of your mortal tendencies, fancies and pleasures. It is Wonderful! Put them all out of you and let GOD rise and reign in you; then you will know even as I know that there is no other. You will know that there is no other GOD that lives and moves, saving the One that lives and moves in your being. It is Wonderful! And in HIM you live, move and have your being, and in you, HE lives, moves, and has HIS Being. Now aren't you glad to realize that, Dear Ones? It will eliminate every harsh condition, every undesirable condition, and it will adjust every adverse or undesirable matter satisfactorily when you realize that it is GOD within you that is working

'both to will and to do of his own good pleasure.'

Now aren't you glad! Aren't you glad, I say! ('So glad, GOD ALMIGHTY!' came the joyful response) It is Wonderful!

Aren't you glad because you know not only that CHRIST has risen nineteen hundred years ago, but you realize that HE is risen now! HE is risen in your soul! Risen in your being, your joints and your sinews, your veins and your bones! And that is why you know that CHRIST has risen and that is why you know that CHRIST has risen and that is why you know that CHRIST has come. It is wonderful!



An Eye that is Single

If any man believes, if any man knows anything about GOD, you must know it is by faith. 'Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with GOD.' After that, you realize that you know GOD, because you have peace with GOD. Having peace with GOD you begin to believe, and believe more and more until you are endowed with power from on high. Where this power comes from is higher than you are, and it will give you the inspiration of Truth, for,

'...when HE the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth...and teach you all things whatsoever I have said unto you.'

It is Wonderful! Again to lead you and guide you into the paths of righteousness for HIS Great Name's sake, and then and there, and here and now, you begin to have an eye that is single that you can see GOD with. Why can you see GOD when your eye is single? Because it says,

'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see GOD.'

If you have a pure heart it will anoint your eyes with the eye- salve of salvation, and then you can see GOD here and now, and walking and talking in HIS bodies as tabernacles as temples and in the children of men. It is Wonderful! We rejoice because we know that HE dwelleth with you, as said the apostle of CHRIST in St. John 14:17,

'He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.'

HE has always been with you.

'HE was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew HIM not.'

But by your recognition of HIM,

'...to them gave HE power to become the sons of GOD.'

It is Wonderful! That is your privilege to have the same identical power of JESUS CHRIST and be just like HIM and not another. It is written:

'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD.'
'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld HIS glory....as of the only begotten of the FATHER,) full of grace and of truth.'

It is Wonderful!

We beheld HIS Glory HIS Glo-ray the rays of HIS Glory and that glow so bright. We beheld the rays of HIS Glo-ray and the glow of HIS rays that lightest up your souls, for,

'In HIM was life; and that life was the light of men...that lightest every man that cometh into the world.'

Aren't you glad! Lighteth every man every one of them that cometh into the world!



The Light of Life

Then I heard I say, I heard the answer of the prophecy of Isaiah in actuality, not only in words, but actions speak louder than words. Then and there and here and now, I heard the answer to the prophecy and to the request of Isaiah, saying,

'Rise and shine for thy light has come...'

MOTHER DIVINE

Picture of MOTHER DIVINE

Do you not see the Glory of the rays of GOD and the glow of HIS rays? It is Wonderful! Therefore, it is a mighty mental glow, and it is a mighty mental ray! Your heart's all aglow! It is all aglow, I say, because you have made contact with the Infinite One, and by your recognition of the Infinite One without, you found that the same One is within, and that is what is lighting up your dark pathway. As HE said,

'In HIM was life; and that life was the light of life...that lightest every man that cometh into the world.'

It is Wonderful! When you realize this Truth and begin to live and walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, it is Wonderful! This light lightest every man, I say, that cometh into the world, and this Light and Life is Love. This Light and Life is GOD. It is Wonderful!

Now you all are rejoicing because you saw the Light, did you not? Did you not see the Light of Glory? You saw the Light as though it was from the heaven come down, lighting up your dark pathway of misunderstanding and making your gloomy ways bright as noonday, and turning your darkness into Light. It is Wonderful!

I know you are compelled to be glad you have lighted your candle. It is Wonderful! I did not mean to say I do not mean to say, 'Give me a light for my cigar or cigarette,' but, if I have no light, light my candle. I came to light you candles; and some will give another man a light with a cigar or a cigarette. It is Wonderful! I will make the wrath of man praise Thee. It is written:

'The wrath of man shall praise thee'

And I say that abominable habits of men shall be for MY defense. It is Wonderful! Aren't you glad!

When you take your cigar and give another man a light that should ave been taking your heart and your understanding and giving another man a light to light up his understanding. It is Wonderful! That is just what it should have been, but you have taken it for a mortal habit, a worldly pleasure, and you went around and said, 'Say, give me a light.' I want you to go to someone that has been lighted up with the fire of the Holy Ghost and tell him to give you a Light. It is Wonderful! Tell him to give you a Light, for

'In HIM is light . . . and that light is the light of men that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.'

Aren't you glad?



The Glo-rays of GOD

Therefore, I say unto you, let your light so shine now since you have seen the Light and since you have risen, for the Light has come and the Glory of GOD is risen upon you. The Glo-rays of GOD are risen upon you. It is Wonderful! And through the mighty Glo-rays of GOD, why, it has glorified HIS great Name in the earth and manifested the CHRIST to the souls of the children of men. Aren't you glad? It is Wonderful! And the Glo-rays have made you a lump of radium. Aren't you glad! Because the Light has lighted you up.

'In HIM was life; and the life was the light of men...that lightest every man that cometh into the world.'

Aren't you glad that you are now lumps of radium? I say you are now lumps of radium! You are to be hung on the electric bulb on the electric cord. It is Wonderful! HE came the Life and the Light that giveth light to every man that cometh into the world. I say, you will be as the light of radium, to light the way to the Light that turns darkness into day and the darkness into Light. Aren't you glad!

Every one of you can rise and shine now, for the Light has truly come and the Glo-ray of GOD has rayed HIS glows upon you.

It is Wonderful! I say the glow, the glows of GOD have rayed their rays on you. The rays of the Light of the sunlight of Life have rayed on you. It is Wonderful!

You know, when you put your radium in the electric light for a while, it is more bright after it has stayed in the light a little while, than it is when it is in the dark. You can verify this by going to the five-and-ten cent store and you can get one of those little things that hang up there so you can see how to get your electric light at night. I say you are lumps of radium! Bits and balls of radium, for the glow of rays and the rays of the glow have radiated you, and you are now radiating the Glo-rays of GOD. Now I think I had better stop. It is Wonderful!

Out in the field alone with GOD. It is Wonderful! For of the people there were none to help! I AM so glad that GOD in one man is a majority. And,

'He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove, The Glo-rays of HIS righteousness, And the wonders of HIS Love.'

You have never seen such a Glow Ray. You have never seen such a ray of Love before in all of your life, Dear Ones. You have never seen such a Glow in all your life! I didn't mean to say so much. ('Talk on!' Pleaded the thousands present.)



GOD in the Midst of Thee

I hope those of you that think that you are sick or afflicted or ill or lame or maimed or blind in any way will take this message in. I hope that you will adhere to MY instructions within yourselves, and for your own selves' sake, for

'GOD is in the midst of thee, child of Infinite Spirit and Love Divine.'

There is nought to make you tremble; there is nought to make you fear. Aren't you glad! That is so wonderful to realize that this can be verified in actuality here and now.

'Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you,'

if you have not been delivered some of you. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! Some of you have been delivered, have you not? Have you not found rest for the weary! Have you not found rest for your souls!

'Over on this side of Jordan.'

Right here, in the sweet fields of Eden,

'Here is a tree of life a-blooming. Here is rest for your soul. Here is rest for you.'

Here is rest, I say. It is Wonderful! And that is the great significance of this Truth, because it brings the Kingdom of GOD within your hands' reach, and you can declare unto all the world that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! That is the great significance of this Truth, that the Presence of GOD will be here in your midst, here and now, and here and there, and everywhere wheresoever you are in hands' reach for HE said, 'Rejoice in the LORD always; and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be made known all men. The LORD is at hand.' Isn't it Wonderful? That is your great consolation and that is your great battle-axe in the time of conflicts and combatments, when you are tempted and when you are tried. It is Wonderful! Know that GOD is your refuge. GOD is your strength. GOD is your power and GOD is your Light, here and now, and GOD is not a GOD afar off; HE is a GOD at hand. Aren't you glad? Here and now! An ever present help in every need! Therefore, there is nothing to falter and there is nothing to fear, for the LORD your GOD is with thee, and will help thee wheresoever thou art.



Clean Heart and Upright Spirit

It is a great consolation to realize these truths and to rise and walk in the newness of life, and know ye your GOD! I say, know ye your GOD! It is Wonderful! For GOD has always been here with you, here and there, and here and now, and everywhere, but you just did not have faith to behold HIM. GOD had to create within you a clean heart and an upright spirit before you could see HIM. You cannot see HIM with an unclean heart and an unrighteous spirit, but you can see HIM with a clean heart and an upright spirit, for the Word says,

'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD.'

It is Wonderful! Aren't you glad that something came along and cleaned you up? Cleaned your heart and cleaned your mind, cleaned your soul and cleaned your body. It is Wonderful! And now you can see HIM as HE IS, and you can tell the story, 'Saved by grace.' Aren't you glad?

Now there are many things that I could say, but the time is well expired and I must go. I have something to do and I must go apparently, yet I AM here and I AM there and I AM everywhere. It is Wonderful! The apostle said,

'When I am absent in body, I am present in spirit.'

And you can always recognize MY Ever Presence whether you see ME with your physical eye or not. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! I did not come to establish, or try to establish MY Physical or Visible Self in your presence, but I came and I have established this Impersonal Life that is incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth not away. Now aren't you glad? Aren't you glad because you can partake of this Life? It is Wonderful! The Glo-rays of GOD! HE has rayed HIS glows and glowed HIS rays on you, and it has made you a radium. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful!



Living Radiums

I know you didn't think I was going to talk about that tonight, because I didn't think about it MYSELF. I didn't have to think about it. But I know that the glows and the rays of GOD have rayed you, and the glows and the rays have glowed you, and the glows have rayed you: therefore you became living radiums. It is wonderful! Living radiums! It is Wonderful! And then and there, and here and now, you are living radiums; therefore, you are the light of the world.; therefore, you.

'A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.'

It is Wonderful! For you are the light of the world. You are the light of the world! It is Wonderful! You are the light of the world! All you must needs do is to let these glow rays and this mighty glow let the rays of GOD glow you, and let the glows of GOD ray you, and you are living radiums. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad? The Glo-rays I say!

'In him was life; and that life was the light of men...and it lighteth every man that cometh into the world.'

It didn't say it lightest some men, but it lightest every man. Aren't you glad! Aren't you glad! Aren't you glad! It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! IT IS W O N D E R F U L! I say the glows, they are lighting up the hearts and souls of men. It is Wonderful! Aren't you glad! These mighty glows! These mighty rays lightest every man that cometh into the world and we will have no more causes to say, 'Give me a light for my cigarette.' It is Wonderful! But I will give you Light: I will light up your pathway. I will light up your pathway, for as I AM, so are you, if you only know it; for this Light lightest every man that cometh into the world, and,

'As many as received him, to them gave HE power to become the sons of GOD, even to them that believe on HIS name...

'And of all of his fullness have all we received, grace for grace; not part of it, but everybody; free for one, free for all. And all of HIS fullness,' every last one has received, 'grace for grace,' whether you are conscious of it or not

Now take these thoughts in, Dear Ones, and let this Life light you up; light up your dark pathway, light up your misunderstanding, light up your way, light up your dark worlds of sorrows and worries, and turn your darkness into light. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! I know you are glad! I know you are glad, because these Glo-rays the flow has glowed on you, and the rays of HIS glows have rayed on you, and have lighted up your heart and lighted up your mind, and from henceforth you will not have to say, 'Brother,' or 'Mister, give me a light for my cigar.' It is Wonderful! I don't have to tell you not to smoke, but when you get this Light that I AM talking about, you will not want to light up a cigar; you will not want to light up a cigarette; you will not want a light; neither will you ask your fellow brother to give you a light. I don't have to tell you not to smoke all I tell you to do is to get this Light this Light that lightest every man that cometh into the world It is free for one; it is free for all. Now aren't you glad?



GOD, No Respecter of Persons

Now, Dear Ones, the reason the majority of the people marvel about this because it is expressed in this Body is because those that marvel, they have not lived the life of the CHRIST. They have not died the death of the righteous or the death of a sinner. They have not put off the old man with all of his deeds. They have not died fully and cast out of their system all prejudice, bigotry, envy, jealousy, malice, all covetousness, all deceit, all denominations, races, creeds and colors, distinction and divisions of every kind; for if they had done that, then the CHRIST would have risen in them as well as ME, for GOD is no respecter of persons, and GOD has no respect unto persons. It is Wonderful!

And I will light every man that cometh into the world. HE lights you all up and you have a right to be the Light the same as I. Yes, I AM the Light of the world! It is Wonderful! YES! I AM the Light of the World! It is Wonderful! And I want you to know that did not apply to ME as an individual. I want you to know that it is written in your Bible here, in the Gospel and this is Evangelical; the Words that I speak unto you, they are all Evangelical. It is Wonderful! It is written:

'Ye are the light of the world.' For, 'A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.'

And CHRIST said:

'Ye are the light!

And you have as much right to be the Light as I have. If you claim it, then live it and be it, and not go around drunken with the spirit of the world. Don't go around drunken with the spirit of the mysterious Babylon that is fallen, that is fallen! Don't go around with her that has made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication, but

'let your light shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your FATHER which is in heaven'

and then and there and here and now you will be the manifested Light on earth among men; for as I say, you are ordinarily a radium.

I hope that you will take that thought in of the glow that GOD has rayed on you, and that it influxed the radium of HIS Light in you, and therefore, you are radiums, and therefore, you are the Light of the world.

'A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.'


For Your Sakes

MOTHER DIVINE,Sayville Dining Room
with Miss Yvette Calm and Miss Edna Mae Claybrooke

MOTHER DIVINE, Sayville Dining Room

Now, as I before said, the time is well spent that I must seemingly depart for the time being, but I want you all to realize the Gospel of Truth that I speak unto you, and whatsoever you hear about ME, MY prosecutions and persecutions, know that it is for your sakes that I AM going through these things. It is Wonderful! Realize that it is for your sake! Even MY so-called opponents, or so-called persecutors, they bear witness that they have nothing against ME have not even heard of ME disturbing the peace, but it is those that follow ME getting so happy. Now, don't you see what I AM and could be suffering for your sake and for the Name's sake of GOD if it were not for the protection of GOD that I have around about ME? It is Wonderful. So whatsoever you see and whatsoever you hear, whatsoever happens and whatsoever does not happen, know that I have borne it for righteousness' sake, and I AM not ashamed of the Gospel of CHRIST. That is what gives ME so much pleasure, because it is the Gospel, and it is the Power of GOD unto salvation, to every one that believeth, and I thank you so much.

Now let Love and the blessing of the Spirit the blessing of the Spirit of the sweet communion of GOD's Infinite Love be with you; and as I heard the testimonies of that lady and gentleman know how happy their homes are now. It is Wonderful!

It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! To think about how GOD has changed you! I have changed your hearts and changed your minds and that s the great testimony to stand before the world. It is Wonderful! It is Wonderful! And causes you to be even law-abiding citizens, doesn't it? (YES, LORD!' affirmed the thousands.) You don't want to violate the laws and carry guns any more, do you, by fighting and murdering, or doing anything like that any more, do you?

(NO, GOD ALMIGHTY!' shouted the vast multitude.) Take these thoughts in and you will be made well, healthy and happy, for the CHRIST in you, the hope of glory. I thank you. (Thunderous applause and cheers burst from the adoring thousands.)



Sacrifice of the Blood It is Written:

'He shall gather the good wheat in his garner, but the chaff he shall bun up with unquenchable fire.'

And it is so, wheresoever I AM, and I don't care whether you want to be self-denied or not, I will burn up that which would cause you not to be self-denied. It is Wonderful! For the chaff shall burn up with unquenchable fire. Some may not want to be self-denied, but I will burn up the chaff anyway! It is Wonderful! (Loud applause resounds.) These and those of you know MY limitless blessings came through blood. The abundance of you here and there and everywhere, with all of the fullness of the attributes of GOD came through the blood; came through the shedding of the blood. For this cause I can rejoice that the blood was sacrificed in this Body as well as in others for bringing into actuality of the reality of the Love of GOD to mankind. And this that has been brought into expression in New York City and State, is but the reflection of a percent of a percent of a percent of the outer condition of the mind within. It is but the outpicturing of a sketch of a reflection of a percent of a percent of a percent of a percent of the limitless blessings that I have in storehouse for the souls of children of men.

So I do not regret anything that has seemingly been endured. I do not regret, as Counselor Thomas said today, the seeming persecution in Sayville that have answered your request that you have so often sung and said, 'Go spread the tidings round. Go spread the tidings round, Wherever man is found.'

And because of criticism, persecutions, prosecution, etc., it has spread the tidings round, and it is being and it is being spread wherever man is found. Those who think they are MY enemies, they are MY friends.

Every knock is a boost, every criticism is a praise and every stumbling block is a stepping stone; it is a blessing. It is Wonderful.

 

*****************