FATHER DIVINE
Saturday, which is really but one of the Sundays of the Seven Sundays of each and every week, was a glorious day in the Kingdom. Truly might have one declared that Heaven is a place of Righteousness, where GOD Supremely reigns, where Congregations ne'er break up and Sabbaths have no end. There is joy, joy, joy in Heaven here with the Angels, there is Peace, Love and Life Eternally multiplied. There is calm for your anguish, here in GOD'S Holy Kingdom, for herein dwells the Comforter, forever to abide. The Words of GOD are as music ringing in our ears, and they soothe our troubled souls.
There was a calm in every breast after hearing the beautiful Words of Life which were imparted by our FATHER.
FATHER first sang for consideration:
"More abundantly, more abundantly,
Christ will give you Life and more abundantly,
More abundantly, more abundantly,
Christ will give you Life and more abundantly."
FATHER then Spoke as follows:
Good Health, Good Will and Good Appetite — the same I always bring, even if I do not say it or sing it. It is indeed Wonderful! I was thinking when one of the speakers was testifying of being born again, I thought of coming out of the old state of consciousness, the mystery of living in the new and how a man being born again, it should be as it was when he was born the first time. You did not or do not remember anything about the different scenes and experiences of life before you were born. It is indeed Wonderful! And that is why the Word says, "You must be born again." One must be born out of that Adamic state of consciousness. He must be no longer conscious of the things of life that pertain unto the former days. In Revelation, GOD revealed through John the Revelator, of how things would be changed — the first Heaven and the first earth would pass away. There would be no more sea, no more sorrow, no more pain and no more death, for the former things have passed away — things of your past life, your past experiences, your preconceived ideas and opinions of all your mortal versions wherein you were born — you are out of that state of consciousness and consideration. You are born again in the new and living way. You become to be a new creature, through this recognition. Then I say, it is Wonderful!
You cannot expect to be born again, living in your old mortal state of consciousness, the same world that you lived in, the same state that you always claimed everything in. You cannot be born again and live any longer therein. It is indeed Wonderful! Truly might have Isaiah, the Prophet, said:
"He came treading the wine press all alone, and of the people there were none to help."
Why? For they all like sheep had gone astray, one in his way and another in his, but each and all of them had gone astray from the leading and the Teaching of the Fundamental, the True and the Living Way.
For this cause I call your attention to the great significance of the relaxation of your conscious mentalities. By so doing you are relinquishing your preconceived ideas and opinions therein, and all of your human fancies, pleasures and other tendencies, for through such, you are born again.
I did not arise at this particular juncture to go into the detail but I arose to convey a thought concerning the mystery of being born again — being born out of your old world in which you did live, being in a new state of consciousness in reality — the state of consciousness where GOD is. Where there is no time nor season in this Great Resurrection, and in this recognition, there is no limitation, neither is there any destination. It is indeed Wonderful! GOD'S Spirit and Mind is Infinite on the earth plane. It is Universal in its scope and Infinite in its character or characteristics whichever, and the Spirit of GOD'S Presence can function through each and every individual who will relax his conscious mentality. It is indeed Wonderful!
That is the great mystery of the operativeness of the Spirit of GOD'S Presence. It is like electricity. It can function in almost any place or places wheresoever you direct it, that is if you have an instrument qualified or suitable to be attached to it according to the current that has gone out from it. It is indeed Wonderful! We are living in this day of the recognition of the actual Presence of GOD, wherein if you really recognize and realize GOD'S Presence you have to become to be unconscious or conscious less of the presence of your mortal state of existence and live in the New and Living Way, for the old things have passed away. Your families, your races, your creeds, your colors and every mortal versionated point of view for consideration, you must relinquish those claims in your consciousness and accept and elect the CHRIST within — taking the Mind of CHRIST as the Sample and as the Example.
For this cause He came in the Body called Jesus as a Person, expressing and manifesting Himself to the people. It is indeed Wonderful! Through the Life and the Teaching of Christ in Jesus He brought out many mysteries, but the first and the great significance was to observe the mystery of self-denial. GOD is in you and in each and every individual, but HE cannot put forth Himself into expression until you as individuals, through and by your preconceived ideas and opinions, cease to function. It is indeed Wonderful! That is the great mystery of GOD working in the midst of HIS people to lift them to a higher level. GOD in the midst of you is MIGHTY to SAVE, but remember, you must LET GO and be born again.
GOD is willing and ready at any time and at all times to lift you above the preconceived ideas and opinions of yours, that you might live in a new state of consciousness altogether and become to be a new creature. Calling your attention once again to the great significance of entering into another country, of getting your citizenship papers, becoming to be a citizen of that or this special country. It is indeed Wonderful! You are protected more humanly speaking, by the government of the country when you are supposed to be a subject of it.
To become to be an American citizen, you must swear out the old country from whence you came and be sworn in this Country in which you are now living. Then and there, you become to be an American citizen. That is the mystery. To become to be a Citizen of the Kingdom of GOD one must swear out of that old Adamic state of consciousness, humanly speaking, and enter into this recognition by relinquishing all claims on the mortal and on that which they have been claiming heretofore, that they might enter into this New and Living Way that is here and now for you. Therefore, to be born again, you are denying the old man with all his deeds. The old man consists of your old self, your old versions, your old fancies, tendencies and pleasures, matters not what they may be; it consists of denying them and recognizing HIM that liveth forever and forever. It is indeed Wonderful!
Through this recognition, you will enter into your rightful inheritance, by becoming to be adopted into the Royal Family; becoming to be an Heir and a joint Heir with CHRIST, both by birth and by rightful inheritance. It is indeed Wonderful! The legal proceedings that you must needs go through, are essential, and so it is in this great mystery of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. The mental and spiritual legal proceedings, these must needs to be brought to your consideration — how you must deny the old for the new, to be born out of the old and be rebirthed into the new; then and there, as the Apostle said on one occasion: "forgetting the things that are behind me."
It is a hard saying but yet it is true. It is exactly what each and everyone must do. I have had some to say in reference to ME: "There is but one FATHER, DIVINE." It is indeed Wonderful! They say it at times because they do not desire to cease to graft and to speculate and seek financial gain for selfish purposes. They are not willing to relinquish their preconceived ideas and opinions, their old ways and means to get money. It is indeed Wonderful. But remember, whether you be a"FATHER DIVINE or a "Mr. Tom," the Spirit of GOD'S Presence, as electricity is operative, so is the Spirit of GOD'S Presence equivalently the same. It is operative for you as it is for ME — just as much as it is for ME. It is indeed Wonderful!
Electricity is not confined nor bound to an individual, neither to an individual land or country. It is just as operative here in this Country as it is in Europe or Asia or Africa. It is indeed Wonderful! And it is, or would be just as operative in the heathen lands as it would be in this Country or any other civilized country, if the understanding was there to put it forth into operation, for it is just as operative. It does not necessarily need understanding for this, but it does need FAITH and WILLINGNESS to consecrate, to sacrifice, to deny yourself, that the CHRIST might work through you. It is indeed Wonderful!
I recall once upon a time, if after the manner of men I would speak, especially to them or those who would desire to criticize others who would take a stand to live according to MY Teaching — I recall a time when I would not touch a penny of money not for a million dollars. Then I say, it was a Sample and an Example for those of you who may think you have not the ways and means of meeting your demands, saving by graft and greed and speculation on the Word of GOD. It is indeed Wonderful!
I AM calling your attention to the fact that when I did not touch a penny of money, I still had a full and a plenty to eat and to drink and to wear, because I would not touch a cent of money humanly speaking. I now speak after the manner of men ... As a Sample and as an Example, I become to be One with them, coming and having the KEYS to all of the underground treasures. GOD desires a man, even as a man to be Master of his own mind and will, and especially such as graft and greed. It is indeed Wonderful! Those undesirable characteristics of men, if the CHRIST in you cannot conquer them, you have not come to this place where you are qualified to fill an Office for the Kingdom of GOD. If through graft and greed you can be led, you can be tempted then, and you can be tried, and through by your temptations though graft and greed, if you have not overcome them, you can be bribed; "He that seeks to save his life shall lose it, but he that will lose his life for my sake, shall preserve it "
The willingness to sacrifice all financial means and ways in getting finances, the willingness thereof, has been the way you come to the mystery of entering into the hidden treasures of the earth that you might help yourself. It is indeed Wonderful!
Take these thoughts to consideration. Live in this recognition, denying yourselves wholeheartedly by living Evangelically; the very Spirit of MY Presence, and the Presence of MY Spirit, will be with you and it will give you the victory over graft and over greed, and you as individuals will learn, and will have the Keys to the hidden treasures of the earth just the same as I MYSELF. It is indeed Wonderful! Then it is a death to die:"In that you die, you die unto sin, and in that you live, you live unto God." You die unto all of the mortal versionated points of view or consideration of men, and you live unto your Lord and your King. Put off the old man with all of his deeds and put on the new man, in whom you now live, move and have your being; yea, He of Whom lives in you and moves and has His being. It is vice versa. It is indeed Wonderful! As in Him, it has been said, "as in him we live, move and have our being, even so in you, he lives, moves and has his being."
That is the mystery the metaphysicians had not seen until I revealed it to. them. They believed in the spiritualization of Christ but not the actual materialization of Him. It is indeed Wonderful! Therefore, it is well worth considering, what the Spirit of GOD'S Presence can do for you — how HE can spiritualize you, by living and moving in you, as well as you can materialize HIM, by living and moving in HIM. Then I say, this promise must be accomplished or brought to fruition by the individual and individuals being born again — putting aside every preconceived idea and opinion, living in this Recognition continually, even against every opposition. The Spirit will sponsor this Cause, and eventually it will give you the Victory! Do not be dismayed nor discouraged, but be thou true and faithful and determined to accomplish according to your resolve; the Spirit of GOD'S Presence will sponsor your Cause, and will give you the Victory over all adversities, matters not what they may be. I thank you!
*****************************
HEART'S CONVICTION
We thank YOU for this chance to Praise YOU,
We thank YOU for this day of joy,
We thank YOU for our heart's conviction —
"I know YOU Are GOD"