FATHER DIVINE'S in Ulster County, N. Y., The Promised Land
Prior to the purchase of the Circle Mission Church in Philadelphia, FATHER DIVINE was invited to Philadelphia by leading citizens for a three-day demonstration.
Upon returning to New York he continued to chip away at crime and corruption and fighting for the rights of every person. The very same rights, not only equal, but the identical SAME RIGHTS, in employment, housing, schools, the use of public transportation, parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, sports, etc. If you are going to live, you should live well, is FATHER DIVINE'S philosophy!
FATHER DIVINE returned to Philadelphia at the request of some of HIS Followers to bless their undertaking of a piece of property now known as the Circle Mission Church, Home and Training School, Inc. of Pa.
FATHER DIVINE and a number of HIS Staff and immediate Followers went to Washington, D.C. with petitions for adopting an Anti-lynching Bill. FATHER DIVINE Personally went through thirty-two lynch mobs HIMSELF and certainly was in a position to speak first-hand on the subject matter. HE endorsed that those participating in mob violence, all should pay the penalty for this heinous crime.
Announcement
The Saturday Evening Post of November 18th carrying an article with reference to ME has been sent to ME. Therefore it will be unnecessary to send any more. MY true followers will not buy nor read the Saturday Evening Post. - FATHER DIVINE
The New Day: November 23, 1939 A.D.F.D., Pg. 4
COMMENTARY
History repeats itself. Two Rosebuds came from Canada in 1945 to see FATHER DIVINE and the same type of harassment they met up with the Canadian and American immigration officials. FATHER DIVINE worked it out so they could come to America and remain with HIM as they desired to live an evangelical life.
(This dynamic Message which is herein recorded grew out of a testimony of a visitor from Vancouver, B.C. which is explained further on in the Lecture. FATHER DIVINE invited visiting guests to speak and Mr. V. P. Maun, civil engineer and writer from Albany was pleased with everything he saw.
Mr. L. S. Armento, Agricultural Expert also from Albany spoke as follows:)
"As we looked here tonight, we saw PEACE on everybody's face, and not only on your faces but in your souls. What we have learned has been this: that out of many tired bodies and tired minds and tired souls, the inspiration of GOD and the inspiration of PEACE has come to you and made life very easy and made life very beautiful.
"Not only has it done it for you, but as we went walking down YOUR lanes and down YOUR roads, as we went into YOUR homes and into YOUR houses and into YOUR lands, FATHER DIVINE, YOU have done one of the most wonderful pieces of work I have ever seen, by having brought into this land, this beautiful Hudson River Valley with its worn out land going the way of all flesh, YOU have brought joy again into the land, whereby it begins to produce more and more, to bring you greater happiness. PEACE!"
(The next to speak was a visitor from Vancouver, British Columbia. She told us of some of the experiences she had had to undergo in coming over here after she said, in answer in a question from the immigration officers in Canada as to where she was going and whom she was going to see, that she was coming to New York for the purpose of seeing FATHER DIVINE. Before this they had asked her nothing but the regular routine questions that are required by legality, but now they began to ask her all sorts of personal questions, she said, such as how much money did she have and where did she get it and asked to see her bank book and asked her about the value of her home and other personal questions concerning her home and children, etc.
As this is only one of the many cases of this kind, where visitors, not only from Canada but other countries, have been imposed upon unlawfully in this fashion by the various prejudicial immigration officials, FATHER at this time arose to speaks as follows:)
PEACE, EVERYONE: I would just like to say at this instance on the point of the moment and on the thought that is conveyed: the "other fellow" can tell the truth but he does it for a selfish purpose. The majority of you in all parts of this country, in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, and even over in New Zealand, in the furthest parts of Australia, know MY Teaching is that it is not necessary especially, as far as I AM concerned, for you to come where I AM Personally, neither for ME to go where you are Personally. I did not need to come here tonight especially--I AM here now!
I would like to say, as a Message which shall go to the immigration officers of Canada and the prejudiced officials in America: they do not want the people to come to ME, but they shall not go to their churches! I will assure you they may desire to go, but they shall not be able to go!
As I thought to say to the lady in reference to the little boy; it is not necessary for ME to go there Personally. Make your Mental and your Spiritual contact and have substantiated faith and unshaken confidence and I will reach your condition and the condition of the child, for I AM there now!
What said the Scripture concerning this mystery, as a prediction of this dispensation, of what I AM now doing?
'It is not by power nor by might but by MY Spirit, declares the LORD!'
MY Spirit, I say, will do it! Just the same as putting those unjust officials
out of business and completely out of commission. I Am not going to do it physically
and I AM not going to try to do it physically, but MY Spirit will do it effectively,
better than I can tell you. That is what I AM talking about!
Little did men think just a few years ago when I was on Long Island, that some of the judges of Long Island would be where they are today! GOD deals in the affairs of men and GOD has all dominion over them! HE does not have to be any place especially Personally, for it is not accomplished physically nor personally but it is accomplished MENTALLY and SPIRITUALLY--both of that which is termed the Blessing and also that which is termed the Cursing!
You believed on ME and have been BLESSED; others disbelieved ME and they have automatically been Cursed! I set before mankind universally, a BLESSING and a CURSING. BELIEVE ME and you are BLESSED and you live in harmony with MY Spirit and you are lifted! DISBELIEVE ME and you are CURSED, and live inharmoniously to ME and deny MY version and you are bound in misery and trouble and you will come to your destination!
Those officials who have interfered with the believers coming to see ME, I shall move them out of office and they shall be hindered and shall not go to MASS! .......
They need not fear or think I want your money,
'It is not by power nor by might but by MY Spirit,
declares the LORD!"
'The earth is the LORD'S and the Fullness thereof! The cattle on a thousand hills are MINE,'
said HE!
I AM Biblically speaking now. Although speaking from that angle, it was a
mystery. That is why they cannot understand the mystery of this Success and
this Prosperity! Aren't you glad! As far as I AM Personally concerned, I AM
not bothering about money, but I Came to lift up a Standard for this people;
and as the second to the last speaker said, the gentleman to MY right here,
I have lifted a Standard and all can see it! I have caused old run-down and
dilapidated buildings to be renovated! I have caused capital and labor to harmonize
together! I have caused the cooperative system to work systematically together
and put into practice the golden rule! I have caused thousands of people in
this country and in others to be emancipated from lacks and wants and limitations!
Not one of MY real Followers is on the welfare! Aren't you glad! Instead of becoming to be a liability, our respective county and state officials, especially in this county who see and know what GOD has actually done through HIS COOPERATIVE SYSTEM, can declare to all mankind, I AM an ASSET to the Community instead of a liability!
Now your respective officials of Canada and other representatives, must get this Message I AM giving, for when they try to stop you, even though it is a material concept concerning the mystery, to think you must see ME Personally, to be Blessed by ME, you have as much right to desire to see ME personally as they have to see their Priest and make their respective confessions!
Everybody has a right to their own respective religion, and under this Democracy you are privileged to serve GOD according to the dictates of your own conscience. And the time will come when I will break the barriers of limitation, and the countries of all civilization will be as free to deal with each other and as free to go from one country to the other as we are free to go from one State to the other in this Democracy!
We shall have ONE LANGUAGE and ONE FLAG and shall have ONE PEOPLE as was in the beginning of the creation! Can you not see the mystery?
In the beginning they were all of ONE LANGUAGE and of ONE SPEECH according to the Scripture, but sin and selfishness and division and self-exaltation brought about different nations or nationalities and different people. But we shall have ONE LANGUAGE and ONE FLAG and ONE SPEECH under this Democracy, for it is according to the Constitution and its Amendments to have it! I thank you. I thank you. I thank you!
The New Day: November 23, 1939 A.D.F.D.
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