FATHER DIVINE
This glorious and profound Sermon given by our Savior on this occasion is a priceless Gem of Wisdom that could only come from GOD -- from the Fount of His Omniscience, for it is a great Foundation Stone upon which every true follower, that is endeavoring to live exactly to the Four Gospels, must build, for these are the Words of Almighty GOD!
These beautiful Words given in all love and compassion are simple Gospel truths -- and in plain language so that the most illiterate could understand and not even a child could err, for GOD our FATHER is a heart Specialist and knows the innermost thoughts and secrets of the hearts of the children of men and what it takes to purify them; thus, HE speaks what is uppermost within them -- yea, HE speaks the drooping hearts to cheer and gives consolation to the disconsolate that they might take heed to His Counsel and make the necessary adjustment to gain the strength and courage to seek higher heights and deeper depths in the knowledge of HIM, their Saviour, Redeemer and Emancipator, GOD Almighty.
For Thy Words of purification to cleanse the children of men, Almighty GOD, we humbly thank THEE!
(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber, and the following is the inspirational composition sung just before FATHER arose to speak:)
'See that we love YOU more, Sweet FATHER, see that we love YOU more;
See that we love YOU more and more, see that we love YOU more!'
(FATHER Speaks as follows:)
PEACE EVERYONE! That little composition as an appeal from the reiterated and rehearsed Words of Mine, "See that you love ME more," is worth considering, for that little composition in the melody thereof, it is coming directly from the Heart of GOD.
But I thought a little ago, the Message that was being read, though it has been many years past sine the Message was given, in nineteen thirty-eight -- around twelve years ago, the Same Spirit is speaking today for the benefit and the salvation of humanity universally. At times we have Messages given volitionally and instantaneously, but at times we have messages read as a reiteration of what I have said; but if you will but take cognizance of the Message, you will find to you it will be a blessing!
See that you love ME more! Love is the Keynote of Salvation! It will solve your every problem and will adjust matters satisfactorily for you; but to have access for expression in this great Universal Mind Substance, you must let go, as so to speak, and let GOD have access within; the Spirit of the Consciousness of GOD'S Presence from the within will move intuitively and inspirationally and will guide you and direct you! Aren't you glad! ("So glad, Almighty GOD!" came the eager response.)
For this cause we do rejoice and we are happy to say, the reiteration of those Words I spoke at that time, they are very appropriate for this very moment. The great essential is to be watchful; watch that you enter not into temptation! If you can and will be watchful and not give in unthoughtfully, you will not enter into temptation. Even though you may not be called a saint at times, before you do become to be a saint, if you are watchful, you will have the privilege and the chance to express saintly and refuse to enter into temptation! If you are tempted and refuse to yield to the temptation, there is no condemnation, but if you are tempted and yield to the temptation, as one of our original compositions declared:
'Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin,'
truly you will sin if you yield to the temptation, but if you are persistent
in your ambition and refuse to yield to the temptation, there is no condemnation
and there is no sin!
This thought I desire to convey to you, for there be many among you of whom have been tempted mentally and spiritually and have been tempted intuitively, and inspirationally, tempted to do things that are detrimental; not only detrimental, but actually a crime! But if you are watchful and yield not to temptation, knowing that yielding is sin, each victory will help you some other to win!
The tempter will come at times and tempt you even in your dreams or unthoughtfully when it catches you unawares -- causes you to think something antagonistically, conflictingly and undesirable, but if you are watchful to enter not into the temptation, there is no condemnation, for it is written as it still remains, "Christ was tempted in all points like unto us," one of the writers said, "yet without sin," for He did not yield to the temptation, for He knew the yielding was the sin!
You cannot help from being tempted, but you can prevent yourself from yielding to the temptation and giving in to those tendencies even though they are prenateled within you, for greater is HE in persistence within in opposition to them, than all they or those that are within or without that can be against you!
Then I say, live in this recognition and rest in blessed peace and assurance, knowing this, that GOD is your Refuge and your Strength and you cannot sin if you do not yield to temptation, for there is no condemnation without giving in to that which is a sin! See the Mystery? ("Yes, FATHER!" exclaimed the masses.)
Many have come to ME confessing thoughts! I have often said, thoughts are as birds and as airplanes they fly in the air; but because you have a flying thought that is antagonistic, negative or erroneous from any manner of expression and to any degree, it does not say that you are obliged to give in to that thought of temptation, for as airplanes fly over your city, they are not permitted to come and alight on the roof of your house! Birds may fly over your head, but you do not have to let them build their nests in your hair!
Take these thoughts to consideration and free yourself by these Words from the thought of condemnation because of thoughts flying through your minds at times. How much more happy you could be, a good many of you, if you would only look in the positive instead of the negative and refuse to give in, for such thoughts as those that will come and try to condemn. I mention it because as afore said, there are many who have been tempted in dreams and in visions; many of whom have been tempted in just thinking. Retrace your thoughts back to the way CHRIST in the Sonship Degree was tempted when the "other fellow" said to Him:
'Command these stones to be made bread that Thou mayest eat.'
It was the same as someone or something would tell you to do contrary to what
you should do! The same thought of the temptation on the pinnacle of the temple,
the tempter came to Him and said:
'If Thou be the Son of GOD, cast Thyself down, for GOD will give His angels charge concerning Thee, lest Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.'
That was a thought that came to Jesus. It was a very wicked thought; the Bible
says, the "other fellow." In other words, you know what we call the "other
fellow." And when he came to Him in that way, He refused to obey the suggestions
of the "other fellow's" because it would have been sin for Him to yield
to the temptation of self- exaltation, to let the people see that He could get
upon the pinnacle of the temple! You may call it the City Hall; you may call
it getting upon the steeple of the church and jump down!
For you to attempt to do such as that, it would be equivalently the same and it would be the same temptation that Jesus had, but He refused to yield to that temptation of jumping down in the presence of the people to let them see and know that GOD would hold Him up!
The same like manner, when those thoughts carried Him up to the exceeding high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of this world; apparently it was a thought conveyed there as though it was all of the kingdoms of this world and said,
'All of these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me!'
CHRIST refused to obey the suggestions of those minds, in other words, that wicked
mind that came to Him to exalt Him, for He knew that His Kingdom was greater
than all of the kingdoms of the earth at that time! So then He refused to obey
the suggestions of the tempter and the temptation, and the Holy Angel came and
ministered unto Him!
When you are tempted in ways, the tempter will try his best to get you to fall into subjection to him, but if you are persistent in your ambition and refuse to obey, you may be tempted in all points like unto Jesus was, in other words, as He was, you will not be condemned for your temptations and you will not be condemned for your trials and tribulations, for the trials will but help you some Victory to win!
Then I say live in this recognition. Be watchful that you enter not into temptation. If a thought would come to you to do anything for the purpose of exalting yourself, humanly speaking, as in the experience of Jesus, your temptation would be none the less temptable and condemnable -- than that of Jesus' when they tempted Him in the Wilderness and on the Mountain and on the Pinnacle of the temple!
So these thoughts are well worth considering. I just thought to drop a few thoughts from that angle of expression at the time of some of your temptation. Of course, I know you have a right to make a confession. Confess your sins of your thoughts and of your deeds and of your actions, even of every antagonistic or sinful emotion or vibration that may permeate or penetrate your system, but you are not condemned if you are not yielding to those temptations and vibrations and emotions and expressions if you are persistent in your ambition!
I believe that will answer a good many of your questions, as this is the day that has been set apart, I mean, the Fourth day of July beginning shortly, the day that has been set apart to celebrate our American Independence. Your Independence and your freedom both lie in living Soberly, Righteously and Godly and be not again entangled with the yoke of bondage!
To have such an independence individually is to Know GOD Aright and to free yourselves from such condemnation as the tempter of your soul would or will try to bring you into subjection to! It is marvelous to realize, each Victory will help you some other to win; but perchance, if you have been unfortunate and have had some failures in life, even if you have a failure now, unthoughtfully, let that failure help you some Victory to Win! Therefore, you can use a failure as constructive as a Victory! See the Mystery? But you must have the recognition of GOD'S Presence in you to help you, to change your weakness into strength, your failures into success and know how to lean on GOD, the Arms of HIM for Help, THE ONE WHO LIVETH FOREVER AND FOREVER!
I thought also a while ago of the song that you have heard:
'Return, O Holy Dove, return, Sweet Messenger of Rest,
I hate that sin that made me mourn and drove Thee from my breast.'
If you would take cognizance of that thought even, and consider, the Holy Dove
of Peace and of Rest will return if you will but make the rightful contact and
trust in HIM WHO LIVETH FOREVER AND FOREVER, the Holy Dove of Peace and of Rest
will return and will give you VICTORY once and forever! I thank you.
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