FATHER DIVINE, The LAMB of GOD
This race for Life Eternal is not to the swiftest, but to him that endureth forever. Likewise it is not always the person that has been personally acquainted with the Holy Tabernacle of GOD, FATHER DIVINE, the longest, who has the most understanding of the great Fundamental of Life as exemplified and personified by our Savior. Therefore, be not impressed or misled by those who claim to have been blessed beyond all others, for this is the mortal mind, the spirit of self, seeking to rob GOD of the glory and praises due HIM.
FATHER'S beautiful Message, of which this is but a very brief synopsis, explains this thought in detail, that all may recognize and shun this spirit when it presents itself.
THANK YOU, HOLY FATHER!
(The foregoing statement is that of the transcriber, and following is FATHER'S Message.)
FATHER DIVINE:
Peace, Everyone! Good Health, Good Will and a Good Appetite for each and everyone, both of the mental, spiritual and the material food, for the children of this Kingdom!
I thought just before the rising off the last speaker to speak; it is a privilege to realize praise and thanksgiving must be instituted in your daily activities; in all of your conversation; in all of your deeds and in all of your actions. But there are those who unconsciously are led erroneously because of self-conceitness and self-bewilderment. You can unconsciously attempt and continue such attempts to praise yourself, instead of praising GOD. Consciously or unconsciously there are those with whom you come in contact, even those who believe in ME apparently, or those who believe in ME allegedly, they are at times, a good many of them, impressed with the thought and somewhat inclined to give themselves praise and thanksgiving ail of the time, instead of giving GOD praise and all of the praises; for the Glory to GOD belongs.
Praising Self
I mention this to you because you may be inclined to speak especially of what I have done for you. It is an open expression that you yourself as an individual are not fully converted into the recognition of the Allness of GOD and the nothingness of matter, when you are inclined to and will attempt to give praise only for yourself as an individual, when you attempt to tell others what I have done for you and how you, especially you, stressing yourself, what you have done and how much faith you have in ME and how I converted you, how I bless you especially, and do not tell what GOD has done collectively and universally for all humanity.
I mention this because there are those who have even spoken in this auditorium and this dining room privately to individuals, "You know what FATHER has done for me! Why, you know HE did not just do this for me, or that for me—HE did so much for me!" They are trying to impress others as if though they are better. Such an individual, pay them no mind. "You know, FATHER did not just do 'so much' for me—HE did 'so much' and 'so much' more for me. Now look at me and who I am! Believe me and follow me," they could say, "and do what I say! They are saying words to that effect.
Giving GOD the Glory
Therefore I say, pay them no mind! Do not pay them any attention, for the Glory and the Honor belong bo GOD! Daily you will come in contact with individuals who are representing some space of time or something that does not amount to anything. "I have been knowing FATHER 'so many' and 'so many' years", they will say. What is the difference if you have just been made? When you do not know ME, when you have just been made, at that time you are nearer ME and nearer the Nature of your GOD at times —I mean to say it does not mean to say that you must necessarily get away from the nearness of ME as you grow older mentally and spiritually, but the average individual is closer in the spirit of sincerity and consciousness in whatsoever he or she says, in whatsoever he or she does, when he or she is newly born, for you are inspired and formed out of all of the Nature of GOD.
As the little infant in the man kingdom. a little child that is just born, before he taken on so much of the nature and the qualities and the characteristics and the disposition of others, that little infant is nearer and more like his parent, the nature and the characteristics of his parent, then he will be as he grows older, for unless he is substantiated in his characteristics, he will take on more of the environment yet as he lives in it than he had in him when he was first born.
Influence Of Environment
Environment has a whole lot to do with it! You may have the characteristics and the nature of your parent. You may have the nature and the characteristics and the disposition of your ancestors transmitted. The innate characteristics of them may be imposed upon you, but through your environment, you can express more effectively at times by training the characteristics and the nature of the environment with which you are connected.
You are born in sin, humanly speaking. You are shaped up in iniquity! You take on the nature and the characteristics of that with which you are connected; therefore you are the outward expression of that with which you are associated. Hence,
"Evil communications corrupt good morals; ill qualities are catching as well as diseases, and a man is known by the company he keeps."
Permit ME to show you conclusively in this that I have said, that when the child is first born as a babe, before he is shaped up in his environment and in the atmosphere in which he lives, he is nearer by nature and characteristics to his parents than he will be as he grows up, unless he remains in the nature, in the environment and in the atmosphere of the parent.
If the characteristics, if the environment, if the qualities and if the disposition of your parent is even transmitted, if these expressions of your parent are transmitted and you still remain in them, naturally the environment in which you will be living or live, will be the same as though you were living right in the environment and under the jurisdiction of your parents.
For this cause, the average person has been taught when the child is christened, to have the child christened under some special religion. They endeavor to train the child up in such an environment as the religion of the parent, that the environment religiously and socially might be that of the parent, even though the parent be taken away from the child.
This is the way you develop in the actual expression and the characteristics and nature of your parents; but if you are taken away from the surroundings of which reflect the parents' characteristics, the nature and disposition, your characteristics through prenatally inculcated may not be as expressive in a different environment as they would be in the environment of the parent and in and under the jurisdiction of their respective teaching.
Live Accurately
Then I say, it is essential to observe the mystery and realize you are nearer at times when you are just born than you are after you grow up and travel on a while. Then your boast of having known ME so long profiteth nothing unless you have lived accurately, perfectly, in every deed, every action and in every emotion. If all of these have been perfectly expressed, and if you have stayed in the same environment and in the same atmosphere, by creating such an atmosphere or following such an atmosphere or such an environment, naturally such an environment would be your portion; hence, you could express your parents', your ancestors' characteristics and nature and disposition more accurately. But if you are not brought up in the environment of your parents, you will stray away from the characteristics and the disposition and the understanding of those things with which you were born.
Then I say, when one comes to you and tells you, "Well, you know I have been with FATHER so long. You know I am so deep in the Truth, for FATHER has done so much for me more than what HE has done for you," such a person, do not pay any attention to, for they are exalting themselves if they be many, and if there is only one, he or she is exalting himself or herself, that they might be looked upon, that they might have praise, thanksgiving and honor for what they themselves have done.
But what said the Spirit just a little ago? "All of the Praise belongs to GOD! All of the Honor belongs to GOD!" Therefore, bring your bodies into subjection by the recognition of GOD'S actual Presence and by stilling yourselves as individuals, and give GOD all of the Praise and all of the Praises from every angle expressible, and all of the Thanksgiving. "You know FATHER did not just touch me, HE blessed me wonderfully—HE lifted me above the most of them. I have been deeply converted, myself; I have been deeply blessed!"
Such a domineering spirit and mind shall be put down! It is detrimental to the one who expresses it and it is detrimental to the individual who comes in contact with it; especially if such individuals will subjugate themselves to any thought concerning it and refuse to give GOD all of the Praise, yea,, all of the Praises, Thanksgiving and Honor!
Transcend Personalities
Unconsciously you will do those things, if you look upon individuals, if you look upon personalities. Beloved ones, I have stressed the significance of transcending all personalities of which merely represent the psychics, so long as you are psychically inclined to observe personalities and individualities who may be represented in your mind concerning spiritual things. You must transcend them, for if you do not transcend them you will still function an the psychic plane, controlled by the versions, ideas and opinions of men, which is the mortal personalities and individualities of them, as they bring about a presentment of themselves in the psychics that you might see them.
Consciously or unconsciously when you observe personalities you are not observing the reality of the unadulterated concept of your Savior, Personalities will hinder! Get even the Personality of GOD out of your consideration and out of your memory and recognize GOD'S actual Presence as infinite, Omnipotent and Omnipresent, even without a Person. Men would not desire you to do such, for they know they profiteth nothing if they themselves and their personalities and individualities are discarded, but I AM glad to discard all personalities, individualities and all presentiments of the personalities of all objects and observations of the visible person or persons of all creation, that you might observe the Allness of GOD and the nothingness of matter with or without a personality.
Mortals Without Personality Have No Existence
I can afford to do it, for all of the Glory and the Honor, as well as the Praise and the Thanksgiving, to GOD belong, without a Person. But those who are living in mortal consciousness, they know without a personality, without their person and without their individuality and without an individual as themselves as a person, they have no longer an existence. Therefore, they will teach you through the spiritualists and others to observe persons and personalities, to observe individuals and individualities, for they know they are coming to their destination; yea, coming to their end completely if all personalities are dispelled once and forever among you.
How glorious it is to live impersonally and to live un-individuated in the recognition of the Allness of GOD and the nothingness of matter yet in expression and in characteristics quite reincarnatable, quite reproducible and quite repersonifiable. With this you can present yourself with or without a body! You will give all of the Glory and the Honor to the Almighty! That is the mystery!
Then, you will give thanks, you will give praise! You will give Praise to GOD continually and refuse to indulge in the versions and the self exaltation and the ideas and opinions of those who are represented among you in the act of trying to get you to give them praise and thanksgiving for what GOD has done for them.
I mention this because it is quite pertinent and it is quite expressive; even at times it comes to ME through and by individuals desiring ME to consider them as a person quite considered; what they have done and what I have done for them! Let these things be complexly dispelled from your memory and be converted unto and into the Infinite, that GOD alone might receive the Honor and the Praises and Thanksgiving that are due HIM.
How glorious it is to live in such a recognition! If this is established once in your memory and you are cancellated completely, no longer to be represented, GOD alone will be represented. There and then you will give GOD all of the Praises and the Thanksgiving and you will be blessed automatically by doing justice and giving all of the Praises to your loving SAVIOR!
The Tree That is Not Moved
Build upon this foundation. You cannot be moved if you do, for this is a foundation that cannot be shaken, neither can it be moved. Just as a tree that is planted by the water, it shall not be moved. For what said the Psalmic prediction of David concerning the mystery?
"Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, hut his delight is in the Law of God and in the Law does he meditate day and night. He shall be as a tree that is planted by the river of water that bringeth forth its fruits in its season, and its leaves shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth, he shall prosper."
These are the Words of the Almighty by the Psalmic prediction of David- standing by the river of water as a tree that cannot wither in her leaves, as an outward expression of the offspring of her branches. Even those things cannot wither.
Then I say, plant and build yourselves up in the Most Holy Faith, a place that cannot be shaken by walking in the counsel of the ungodly. Remember, your mentality, your thoughts will counsel you! Your thoughts wi11 give you information and will make to you suggestions that you might stop and consider them and tell them to others. Those are the counsels of the ungodly, for they are many.
The Mortal Mind Will Counsel
Your mortal mind will tell you many things, for if the mortal mind, as being termed the "other fellow", could tell Jesus something, you know it can tell you. The mortal mind in Jesus, as being termed the "other fellow" came to Him, tempting Him saying,
"If Thou are the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread."
The mortal mind in Jesus, speaking to Him that He might obey the mortal version, rather than obeying the Voice of GOD within. Can you not see the mystery?
Then I say, you will be counseled continually, if you will allow yourself to be, by the mortal mind and the mortal ideas and opinions in you. They are your counselors and they will counsel you, if you will allow them to. They are ungodly, too! They are unlike GOD, for they want personalities! They want individualities! They want persons and they want individuals! When they cannot get the individual they want to present, through the presentment of the mortal version of the individual, the personality, or the individuality whichever, to you, that you might observe the person by observing the individuality; in other words that you might observe the individual instead of observing the un-individuated presence of such an understanding as being GOD without a Person.
Then I say, those mortal concepts of things within will counsel you, if they can, being ungodly, the mystery of which I was speaking in the Psalmic prediction:
"Blessed is that man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly."
He will not take the counsel of the ungodly as his statutes to go by, but he delights in the Law, yea, the Laws of GOD, and in the Law does he meditate day and night. Can you not see plainly and most distinctly by the second clause of the message there, he who delights himself in the Laws of GOD and in the Law does he meditate day and night, it is plain to see that the counsel of the ungodly is an expression of an audience that counsels you that you might obey the statutes of some counselor, the mortal mind in you, which has created for you some laws or statutes to go by. But you delight yourself in the Laws of GOD and in the Law should you meditate day and night
When this is done, you will be as a tree that is planted by the river of water that bringeth forth its fruits in its season and its leaves shall not wither, and whatsoever you do will prosper. That is the mystery.
Then I say, get personalities out of your vision and out of your consideration completely. Get individualities out of your vision and out of your observation and consideration completely. Observe the Ever Presence of the Infinite. Dispel once and forever all of the personalities of yourself and of others, and recognize GOD'S Ever and Eternal Presence. I thank you.