FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE
It is especially stressful, at this particular time, to not only read and hear what FATHER says in this dynamic Sermon about the election of General Eisenhower as President, but to also read and hear the General's Press Conference as quoted verbatim herein from the New York Times- under date of June 8th, 1952! Then you can see and know why he received the Nation-wide approval and, consequently, the victory that is his!
THANK YOU, FATHER DIVINE, GOD ALMIGHTY !
(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber, after which FATHER Speaks as follows:)
Peace everyone: good health, good will, a good appetite; good manners, good behavior, all success and all prosperity! Life, liberty and the reality of happiness! These and all other Blessings, I actually have them!- and to those who are willing to be a little meek and humble, I will give them a chance to enjoy some of the Blessings that are at MY Disposal! ("So glad, LORD!" came the instant response.)
Then I say, good will, good appetite, good manners, good behavior, all success and all prosperity, again and again! - and I say, peace on earth and good will toward men, for it is peace, it is wonderful! It is wonderful! It is wonderful!
After realizing the Message as you heard, of which you will hear again by reprint, no doubt, if you please- I will call your attention to it, to let you see it and know it: I AM the same today, yesterday and forever! ("So true, GOD ALMIGHTY" exclaimed the Assembly.)
You hear of the different ones in the higher brackets, among the higher ups, calling for Divine Guidance- and a good many of them are ashamed to call on GOD ALMIGHTY, FATHER DIVINE! You have seen and heard of many such similar elections as this one that just passed yesterday, and last night, but though they call for Divine guidance and desire GOD to bless them, but suppositionally, superstitiously, invisibly and non-reality, or not in reality. But GOD, in the midst of you, since you as well as MYSELF have declared This is GOD'S ADMINISTRATION and GOD ALONE SHALL REIGN- the time is not far distant and the time is truly at hand, everyone that desires a blessing, they must recognize FATHER DIVINE! (Loud applause fills the air.) They must recognize ME in Person, as a person and they had better not try to hide! The time is out for that! (Again the applause id deafening.) Aren't you glad! ("So glad, LORD!" came the joyous exclamation.) I have long since holden MY peace, but I will no longer hold it! Aren't you glad! ("Yes, so glad GOD ALMIGHTY" came the exclamation from the Assembly.)
GOD has paved out the way for you, and as I have said on so many different occasions, GOD has done more for this COUNTRY than all of the politicians combined!- for as it was in the days of Lot and in the days of Abraham, it would have been the same with this nation and this Country, on these borders, as it was with Sodom and Gomorrah, had it not been that I converted millions and MILLIONS unto RIGHTEOUSNESS and brought them into the Recognition of GOD's ACTUAL PRESENCE, and caused them to make up their minds in willingness, in the Day of MY Power, to serve HIM! Aren't you glad! ("So glad, LORD!" exclaimed the joyous Congregation.) And as it was, so it is!
It is written: "As it was in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot,
so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man!"
There have been many great and noble men, after the manner of men, elected according to this election of the people, but you find that they ignore GOD; and yet they desire to fill offices that are under the Jurisdiction of GOD over which I preside! ("So true" came the verification from the Assembly.) You may take it for many different ones! You have a wonderful and a great Mayor of this City! You have a great City Administration; I mean, the City of Philadelphia, as well as many other great cities, with the greatness of their administration, they may ignore ME and think they can continue to exist. I say, no (Loud applause ring out.)
You may retrace your thoughts back to the different groups and organizations and representatives, of great representatives, of whom you have considered great and marvelous in the pugilistic world- in the baseball fields, and all over. I recognized them and have spoken of them publicly honored them by name; and they have dishonored ME! While they have dishonored ME and disregarded- they disrespected ME- they are obliged to fail, just the same as the Administration! Aren't you glad! ("Oh yes, so glad!" came the instant reply, midst thunderous applause.)
Many men who have filled different official duties, I have highly honored and praised them from a Personal point of view, but they have ignored, criticized and ridiculed you and ME, until the time has truly come, now, I shall not be hid longer!
Every political officer or candidate, every religious leader and all of the socialites and representatives of every organization, in the sports world and everywhere, I say they must recognize ME and publicly call on ME or they shall be failures1 I have recognized them and they must call on ME and recognize ME publicly and declare MY Deity or they shall be failures all of those who are in office and all who are seeking office, all who are representing great issues in the political world and represent civil rights, and everything else that is good- unless they recognize the One who gave it to them, they shall be failures, and I will stay MY hand! Aren't you glad! ("So glad, GOD ALMIGHTY!" cause the thunderous declaration.) I said, I will stay MY Hand! (Again the applause is deafening.)
In this present Presidential election the majority of the people thought that the Democratic Party would win!- even though in this great City I gave them the Victory in the City or State Administration and in the Primaries elections for the Mayor- yet they ignored ME! Now they must recognize ME or they shall be failures! (Loud applause rings out.)
The time is out for ignoration! The time is out for criticism! The time is out for denying every citizen his right of franchise- many of whom have been denied their right of franchise because they believe in GOD! The time is out for that! (Thunderous applause and cheers fill the air.) Aren't you glad! ("Oh, so glad, GOD ALMIGHTY!" The joyous exclamation.)
Even in the past administration of the late President Roosevelt, in his administration, with all of MY Co-operation and Participation, yet it was an without an effort to co-operate with Democracy, Americanism, Christianity, Judaism and Brotherhood as synonymous!
Coming on down to this present Administration, they have received MY Blessings ("So true, LORD!" came the sanction.) They have been elected and considered as great men, and so they have been; great men among men!- great political and national leaders- but ignoring the ONE Who gave them that leadership, inspiration, and that guide to victory! That is what I am talking about! They have done it! If they did not do it, why is it they did not call MY Name even as I have called their names?- and not in the act of criticism or ridiculing- not in the act of lowration or distortion- but they had a right to call MY Name in the act of giving thanks and praises for the blessings I gave them! (Thunderous applause and cheers verify this.)
Then, I say, the time is out for such as has been- and everyone who desires to fill official duty, they had just as well to recognize MY Presence and MY official duty as the Ideal, and as the Wayshower to salvation for every nation!
I thought on that very deeply and very stressfully as that message was being read from back in thirty-three- almost twenty years ago! I am saying the same today- but in this, MY Administration, since this is GOD'S Administration and now GOD is Reigning- I am calling for all who desire to be elected or fill office hereafter, if they are elected, they had better immediately change their tactics and systems of ignoring some because of the lowliness of the one of whom they should accept and respect and give praise to!
A little while ago, in that Message, it so explicitly depicts the least among you! "They shall know ME from the least to the greatest!" The least has known ME, and I described it very explicitly, as I depicted, in showing you how they are the least that are among the nations - are the ones that know ME firstly and recognize MY Presence! ("So true!" came the reply.) The Message is explanatory in itself, though it is just on the eve- just on the eve of being Twenty years past since I gave that Message - how I said I would go out into- send them out into, the streets, the alleys and the courts and lanes and compel tem to come in; firstly, because those who were invited, they ignored MY invitation! ("So true, LORD!" verified the congregation.) And after the gathering in- of the most meek and the lowly- the least among the people- still there was room in MY House, and room to spare!
Then I sent them out in the hedges and the highways, among the higher-ups, and called for them to come in so that they might enjoy ME! That is what I am doing today! Aren't you glad! ("So glad, LORD!" came the joyous response, with applause.) But the least among the nations have been the ones firstly to receive ME! They did not have to go though all the seminaries and colleges and all of the books of learning to try to condemn ME- see if they could find something to condemn ME! Because they were least among the nations they had no objection. They came rushing and entered into the Kingdom! (Thunderous applause sanctioned this.)
Many of whom, of the higher-ups, have gone back- even sought the different schools of learning for higher education, in the act of condemnation to see if they could find some way to refute ME as GOD on earth among men. That is what they went back for- a good many of them! I declared Scripturally,
'Not many wise, not many great men; has not GOD chosen the dumb things of this world to confound the wise?'
And so I did! Therefore, the dumb things and insignificant and unlearned were
the ones that I gave a happy admittance in the Kingdom of GOD, and have been
found worthy to break bread with your Savior in GOD'S Heaven (Thunderous applause
rings out.)
Now, I say, those who are in the hedges and Schools of higher learning, in the highways, in the higher-ups' places, in the seminaries- and their teachers and professors and leaders and elders and doctors and rabbis and all of them must recognize MY Presence on earth among men, or else! (The applause and cheering was deafening.)
Then I say, it is a privilege! As that thought was stressfully depicted, right after the election of the President, many thought because I would not tell you that Mr. Stevenson would have been the one to be elected! But who was it paid the price? I have declared Scripturally, " If you are ashamed to own ME before men, I will be ashamed to own you before MY FATHER, which is in Heaven!"
I came to America that I might be called an American- and being right here on the American soil, in all simplicity and meekness, yet with love and mercy; yet with all omnipotence and omniscience i came!- yet they would try to ignore ME, right here on this soil, and want GOD'S support and protection from every angle expressible, and would not desire to be even considered as being in sympathy with ME! ("so true, god almighty!" sanctioned the assembly.)
A good many of you know most of the prize fighters; I might say, sports, in all of the sporting world; where has one recognized me and spoken of ME as I have spoken of them? Though I saved them, I blessed them and honored them and built them up, and yet they have persistently ignored ME! Instead of speaking courteously concerning ME, they have spoken discourteously and yet they think they can hold the crown? Not a prize fighter! If I speak it in the old plain language of the ring, not a prize fighter, - not one shall inherit a position as supreme and dis-recognize the supreme one! (Thunderous applause and cheers ensued, sanctioning this.) they must publicly, openly, and I might say, according to the press, declare me, even as they would declare one of whom they recognize as one of them! Unless they do it they shall lose! ("So true, LORD!" exclaimed the Assembly, midst thunderous applause.)
You have all read of the great world of sports and their representatives- how I have boosted them, how I have honored them in their carnal mortality;; human selfish bewilderment; and have given homage to them to whom it was not due. All of the glory belongs to GOD! As with the world of sports, on every phase of life and in every activity I have given homage to them in their respective places, and caused millions of others to do the same!- but they have ignored and even criticized MY Work and MY Mission and tried to ridicule it down into perdition- but they cannot do it!
Now I would like to say, all of the political parties, where can you find one that has stood out openly and publicly, without MY Connection and out of MY Presence, and recognized MY Work and Mission and declared it, as General Eisenhower did? Where have you seen one do it?
From the time of the emancipation of the slaves, here in America, all of the presidents and all those who have been raised in the political world and in the legal field, where have you seen and known them to stand out for this for which I stand, as President elect Eisenhower? (Loud applause rings out.) fret not yourselves, because MY Name carried him over! (The applause and cheering was deafening.)
It is not a party, it is not a racial abstraction nor a national origin, nor any such thing as that, but it is thru and by his recognition of MY Actual Presence, and by not being ashamed to declare ME!- where all of the others were ashamed, for they did not do it! (Again the applause is tumultuous.) we have no record of any of the others doing it- declaring ME from a Personal point of view! Therefore, "the arms of the flesh will fail you- you dare not trust your own!"
We have just something on record that he (EISENHOWER) said, that is going down to Miss Elisabeth; something that he said before he returned here- when they were saying about, "If you go back to America and start talking about"Peace, IT's Wonderful" you will never be elected!" I want to let you know what he said, according to the press! Aren't you glad! (Yes, yes! So glad, father dear!" came the joyous shout.) he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it was, similar to that of President Truman when he declared, "if every nation would be founded on the ten commandments and on the sermon on the mount, it would give them victory", or "it would take them through"! I have declared, it would give them the victory in every time of emergency, for Christ did fight through forty two different generations, B.J., better known as B.C., and never lost a battle. The same spirit is just as operative, the same spirit is just as expressive- and those who take MY Name in all simplicity, harmoniously, democratically and evangelically, I will give them the victory!- where others are failures who will not take it!
(Again the applause and cheering is tremendous.)
You have not read- if you read, you have not sent ME, any reports of the candidates, from paper and press, whom have recognized MY Name, Work, and MY Mission, and who have openly and publicly declared they are not ashamed of "Peace, it's Wonderful!" As one of the principals in one of our schools in New York said, "in the United States when you say "Peace, it's Wonderful" that means FATHER DIVINE!" ("so true, lord" came the emphatic sanction from the assembly, midst thunderous applause) they know it means ME!- and they know where and whensoever it is used persistently, conscientiously and sincerely, I will rule on the minds of them, even as I have been ruling on the mind of him who accepted of my message as I gave it- our present, President Harry S. Truman!
(Thunderous applause and cheers ring out!) The Message I gave him was the Gospel and the Sermon on the Mount, more definitely- and also I gave him the Tern Commandments by which he was to lead this nation!- and when I sent out this Message to him(President Truman) to cross all the borders of all the unconstitutional states and break every unconstitutional law, there and then he was volitionally inspired and endeavored to carry out MY Plan and Purpose of Civil Rights, the F.E.P.C., and Fair Deal in every way!
(The following is the Stamp to which FATHER refers:)
June 11, 1947 A.D.F.D.
To the President Of the United States of Today:
I Appeal to You and Every Representative and Senator in Accord- for the Salvation of Yourselves and Your Subjects Here and at Large, You Had Better Make Laws Immediately to Bring an End to Segregation and Discrimination and to Bring an End To the Rights of States That Are Unconstitutional to Have Their Sovereign Rights.
I Appeal to the Federal Government and its Representatives to Cross the Borders of All Sovereign States and Break Every State Law That Is Unconstitutional and That Will Endorse Murder, Vice and Crime Such as Those of Many of the States of the Union, the Time Is out for That!
REV. M. J. DIVINE, Ms. D.
(Better known as FATHER DIVINE)
(Again the applause is tumultuous.)
So then I say, now it has come to pass that as in president-elect Eisenhower, who was the one elected, I will reveal it just as he said, according to the press- and you may take the weight of it and see if you can find any of the others doing or saying anything to the press, in the press interview, the press conference, that would indicate they had faith in ME and in MY Work and Mission, and were not afraid or ashamed to own ME among this people! If anyone has anything that has been said, to the contrary - which is to say, anyone has said anything in reference to ME, in proclaiming ME, MY Work and MY Mission- MY Presence on earth among men- better than what General Eisenhower did- why, there and then and here and now, you bring it to ME and I will take cognizance of it! I thank you! Miss Elizabeth!
(At this point there was a burst of applause and cheering from all parts of the building, as father's sermon is carried throughout the building and adjoining building by means of the amplifying system. When the noise finally subsided, Miss Elizabeth, the secretary, spoke as follows:)
Peace FATHER Dear; Peace, MOTHER Dear; Peace, Everyone:
"The General (Eisenhower) opened his news conference yesterday by explaining that he wanted to say something that was expected of him and that he had discussed with his political advisers. It was the topic, "Peace, It's Wonderful! ", he said, "borrowing a phrase from the Rev Major J. (Father) Divine."
"I can't conceive of anything more important to the American People than the security and peace in this troubled world", he went on, "The lack of peace," he said "is responsible for many other ills, such as recurring deficits, inflation and the diversion of a large amount of productive capacity to produce war material."
(Miss Elizabeth then said:)
And the text of General Eisenhower's Interview with the Press is given verbatim here - a portion of which I will read to you. (She reads:)
"The text of General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower's press conference at the Commodore Hotel, yesterday, follows:" (General Eisenhower speaks):
"This morning I am going to take only a very few minutes of this time in my own right because I want to do something which is apparently absolutely expected of me.
"For some weeks past, both when I was abroad, on the way home and when I got here, I have been bombarded with a lot of advice about the very great disadvantage there would be for me if I should ever start talking about "Peace, It's Wonderful."
So, since that seems to be expected, as expressed at least in the fears of my friends, I am going to talk for a moment about "Peace, It's Wonderful"! ( at this point, Miss Elizabeth had to pause in the reading, because the applause and cheering was tumultuous! She then continues reading General Eisenhower's words verbatim as follows:)
" I cannot conceive in this day and time, of anything that is more important to any American citizen than the question of the secure peace in the world. We justifiably worry about such things as recurring deficits, vast expenditures by our Federal Government, a tremendous part of which goes into these sterile, negative formations we call military organizations.
" We worry about inflation and we are very right to worry about it, and what causes the intensity of the problem at home every time we think of income ? It is the very threat hanging over the world, the fact that the basic issue of our time is 'can we make a free system, such as we know, work?' carries the burden of defending and securing itself, does not have to succumb either to a threat from abroad or from the corollaries of the great difficulties that it places upon us here at home.
" So I merely want to say this: That if I knew any real panacea for this great tribulation through which the poor old world is going and which seems to threaten the great values on which we place so much value I would most certainly make a speech on which I would work for weeks.
" I am ready to do anything I know in this world, to help to develop a workable, decent satisfactory program for the promotion of the security and peace of the United States which I believe, of course, includes, necessarily, the peace and security of those nations with which we must trade in order to continue to exist. Those nations and areas from which we draw the raw materials that our economy demands, or whose strength and potential capacity, productive capacity, is such that if they fall in the hands of the Soviets, would place us in a very bad position.
" My conviction is, there is no easy road to this kind of peace and security. We are all going to have to work and we are going to have to sacrifice. But because of that very thing it becomes peculiarly important that each of us takes a lively, critical view of everything that is done, supposedly in our behalf; that we re-examine expenditures; that we try to find out the necessity of all these great programs that cost so much money. Where are we going ? What are we doing ? They are going to be solved only if we do it together!
Ladies and gentlemen, when once we get in the place that we say that we may now live in peace and tranquility and devote our substance and our productivity capacity to the things that our founding fathers thought we were going to be devoted to, the happiness and welfare of the whole nation, the raising of spiritual and material living standards, then we will have solved the great problems of our time."
(And the General goes on to say:"
" One reason that I am so terrifically interested in the young people of the world is because they are the ones who would have to carry the burden of any struggle; they are the ones who in any event, have a far greater stake in this business than I do. They have longer to live in this world, and I want to see them take hold right now, do their part, and contribute their brains, their ideas, and their imaginations and their courage to its solution. So I repeat: If ever I can get a new idea of developing and reaching the objective of 'Peace, it is Wonderful', I shall do it without apology. I think it would be the greatest service I could possibly contribute!"
(The applause is deafening; then Miss Elizabeth continues reading:)
" Ladies and gentlemen, I just wanted to get that off my chest because I am quite fed up with people making fun of peace! So now, with that, I am going to throw this over to questions, because I am sure in that way we will get on the subject of which you, rather than I myself, am interested."
As Miss Elizabeth concludes the reading, she says:
"And that terminated that part of his speech and he continued on then, with questions and answers from the press."
(Cheering and applause burst forth, as Miss Elizabeth concludes- and the huge Assembly enthusiastically sings:)
This is GOD"S Administration
This is the Day of the LORD
Sing HIS Praises, let the nations know
That HE has the Government secure upon HIS Shoulders!
FATHER DIVINE shall Reign Forever,
Herald HIS Mission on Earth; For this is GOD'S Administration,
It is Freedom under GOD on Earth!
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