FATHER DIVINE
Serving notice on the field of business that HE would interfere with its dishonest practices, FATHER delivered a mighty message at Jamaica, L. I., Friday evening, August 24th, and made this declaration:
'This day I have moved out on and in the Commercial World, to be a Competitor to the dishonest . . . The ways and means of graft and greed, dishonesty and robbery in a legal way, have been implanted in the hearts and minds of men, and I have come to root them up!'
Politics, Religion, and the many other fields of life, have felt the Governing Hand of FATHER DIVINE for some time, and less than a week before, HE had served an Ultimatum on the political world; but in this latest Message HE served notice that HE would function manifestedly in the commercial world and cause it to clean up also.
The Message was short and to the point, being delivered at a late hour before a great throng that filled the larger of the Jamaica Meeting places, and gathered outside doors and windows, leaning forward to catch every word; but it was not confined to that immediate audience, for it went forth as a command to more than fifteen million followers in all parts of the world. Neither was it confined to those that would receive the words personally, or literally; for it went forth as a contagion to countless thousands in the business world, with the germs of an epidemic that could not be prevented, carrying FATHER'S Words into action.
The first phases to fall under FATHER'S displeasure, were the installment business and the credit business, as the light was turned on their evil deeds. This issue was brought to consideration, when one in the meeting testified that he had been the owner of a house in Jamaica, but through crooked dealings upon the part of the credit company two years before, he had been taken advantage of and lost the property. However, he had contacted FATHER about it in the Spirit, and had taken FATHER as his lawyer, with the result that he had the house back and had a month's rent from it in his pocket that night.
At the conclusion of this Brother's testimony, FATHER arose Personally, singing and speaking as follows:
'If you walk in the Light as the Light is shining bright,
You will be happy, you will be glad.
If you walk in the Light as the Light is shining bright,
You will be happy and glad. Lacks and wants, they all will be gone,
They all will be gone, they all will be gone.
Christ, your Savior, came right here today;
So they all, they all will be gone, be gone.'
Good Success and Prosperity, Good Health and Happiness, Wisdom, Knowledge and Under- standing; all of these desirable expressions we are putting into actuality. Undesirableness is Gone! Lacks and wants and limitations and depressions all days of poverty have passed away. The days of abundance of the fullness of all good things have truly come. That is why, by inspiration came forth that little song to the Brother, as a Message for him and for others. If you live according to this Truth, you will have a-full and a-plenty, mentally, spiritually and otherwise; but remember, you must be governed by your Intutor and not be controlled and instructed by your "ex-tutors" so much. They will lead in the way of all the dead. They will lead in the way of lacks, wants and limitations on the material plane. If these are expressed on the material plane, it is a matter of impossibility for you to be happy eternally happy, mentally and spiritually. In lacks and wants and limitations you cannot find a perfect mind and you cannot find a perfect state of the mind. The mind cannot be completely satisfied as long as you are living in lacks and wants and limitations.
But CHRIST condescended to come on the material plane to bless you in material things, that you might be blessed so abundantly you might have all accommodation and all comfort; that you might have every desirable blessing for your physical body and for your convenience. For this cause we are rejoicing when you have health for the physical body, when you have peace, when you have happiness, when you have all comfort and convenience, and a-full and a-plenty of it. Therefore, as the speaker said, lacks and wants, they all are gone. When you live in this recognition, and do according to My Version, you will have a-full and a-plenty, the same as I do.
I AM just speaking this evening along the line of material things laying the foundation in your consciousness to build upon, whereby you will not have an occasion to fall. You will not have an occasion to be dependent, but you can express the independency of GOD. As the Independent and the Expresser of Independence I stand. As I said today, I will call My hearers' attention to the great significance of being independent. If you need anything apparently, you will have the money to pay for it that is, if you actually need it. If you APPARENTLY need something, you may not have the money to pay for it, but if you actually need anything that is necessary ANYTHING for your comfort and for your convenience, GOD has GIVEN you the money to pay for it. "Before they call, I WILL answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear."
You will be honest in your dealings, you will be competent in your occupation, and to all of your physical and personal duties and obligations you will be both true and you will be faithful. When you do this you are preaching the Gospel not so much in whooping and hollering, especially if you are not fulfilling the calling according to My Version; if you are living in lacks and wants and limitations and showing it to your debtors, telling them you have not the money to meet your demands. You are telling the people you are not a real Child of GOD. Truly might have one said,
'My Father is rich in houses and lands; He holdeth the wealth of the world in His Hand.'
The independency of GOD speaketh on thus wise, and will act it in words, deeds
and actions, it matters not what may oppose them.
These thoughts I am dropping for your consideration, that you might build upon a foundation wherein My Spirit can work through you automatically, and manifest My Infinite Presence. You cannot manifest the Presence of GOD so long as you are manifesting lacks and wants and limitations and poverty and dishonesty in words, deeds and actions. Take these thoughts to consideration. Jot them down in your vocabularies and live according to this Teaching, and you will find the mystery to the Keys of the Kingdom, through which you can enter. It is Wonderful!
As I was telling a business man today, I would and will convey My views concerning purchasing anything on installment plan, and also purchasing anything and paying a deposit on it before you are ready for it. Cut such out if you wish to, for it is a way to appease the mind of the dishonest merchant, to get your money at times, and will not return it. If you pay as you go it is sufficient. But suppose you wanted to purchase a dress or a suit and the man said, "Why, it is fifteen dollars", or twenty dollars, or twenty-five dollars, or thirty dollars, or whatsoever he may say the price is; and you say, "I haven't that much money in my pocket now; that is quite a lot and I don't care to pay that much," or whatsoever you might say in the way of conveying the thought that you did not wish to pay out so much at that particular time. He may say, "Well, all you have to do is to pay a deposit on it, and we will keep it for you." If he is going to keep it, you keep your money in your pocket. Anything! Anything in that line! If it is an automobile, if he is going to keep it, you keep your money in your pocket or in the bank or wheresoever you keep it, and when you get ready for it, why, you can go and get it and pay him and take it.
These thoughts are well worth considering. Paying deposits on anything before you get it, you are encouraging dishonesty. Therefore I will be "a moth in the garment", and a competitor of the dishonest. I will "competition" them and prohibit them from having your confidence, causing them to have your money before you get the goods. These are just some simple thoughts I thought I would drop. You may look at a beautiful dress, suit or pair of shoes, yea, even an automobile, and the man may say, "Why, if you like the automobile, just pay a hundred dollars down on it as a deposit, and come back and get it." You may go back to get it and some other man may be in the place of business and say, "The man that you gave the deposit to, is not here. He was not the right man anyway. This car" even if it is there, he may say it is worth a hundred dollars more than what you offered to pay him for it.
This day I have Moved out on and in the commercial world, to be a Competitor to the dishonest. It has long since been said, and it was not said in vain either, for it was and it still is evangelical
'Everything that is not planted by My Heavenly Father shall be rooted up.'
The ways and means of graft and greed, dishonesty and robbery in a legal way, have been implanted in the hearts and minds of men, and I have come to root them up. It is wonderful! Honesty is the keynote for the merchant and the purchaser. If each is honest, why should you worry? Take your money and buy it when you have the money. If they say it is worth fifty dollars, and if you are not willing to pay more than twenty-five dollars, offer it if you have it and pay it if you wish to. If they don't want to take that, why, you can tell them you can go elsewhere, and they may say, "Well if you haven't fifty dollars, just pay me the twenty-five dollars now, and pay the other any time, and we will keep the goods for you."
I AM showing you the way to always be independent. Independency financially, that is essential, that you might express the independency of your Creator. If you are not one hundred percent on every side, you are not a perfect figure. You may be lop-sided. It is indeed wonderful!
I will not go far along this line tonight. I just thought I would convey some practical thought; some thoughts for the foundation of your future independency, even as I am, and am expressing. I pay cash for everything and yet I do not pay deposits on things before I am ready to get them. It matters not how you may like it, if you cannot pay for it at that particular time, it will keep itself. If not, there will be another one. Another one will be just as good; you will like it just as well when the time comes. "Wear the world as a loose garment." The same as men say to Me at times, "Why, Father", if I do this or that, "it is a wonderful automobile, a wonderful bus", or anything of that kind. Even if I partially like it in a way, it is absolutely immaterial to Me if it does not come to Me readily and in harmony with My Spirit and My Mind. If for any cause there is a hang up on it, why, I say or they may say, "Well, You know You may not want to pay so much. You can pay so much down, and can pay the other at some other time." I say, "Well, no; it is all right". "Well, it may be sold!" "Well, if it is, it makes no difference to Me."
This thought is also evangelical, for CHRIST in the Person of Jesus did say, "Wear the world as a loose garment." If the City of New York and its connections, Brooklyn, and the surrounding suburban part of the City, would be offered for a special price tomorrow if they said, "You can have it for a special price", that which might be apparently almost nothing, and they said, "Well, if You don't get it today, maybe You won't get it tomorrow" if I did not feel justified in paying for it, I would say, "Why, it is all right" and wear New York City as a loose garment! If I could get it for a nickel tonight, and "Tomorrow", they said, "it may be millions and millions of dollars", why, if I did not care to pay for it tonight, I would wear it as a loose garment.
'Greater is He that is within you",
than everything else without.
'The earth is the Lord's and the Fullness thereof ";
Nevertheless, the earth with all of its fullness, is but a garment to be worn loosely. It is indeed Wonderful! All of the fullness of the earth, with all of its grandeur and splendor that is but a slight sketch and a reflection of a percent of a fraction of a grain of My Mentality. My Mind must be superior to each and every other visible expression; yea, even superior to that of the stars of the heavens and all of the planets in the solar system.
Express the Independence of GOD by wearing each and every expression as a loose garment, from a toothpick to a planet, the same as this small planet on which we are living. Wear them as a loose garment. Recognize the Allness of GOD and the nothingness of matter, or that which is visibly expressed. Consider GOD in you as greater than everything else.
I need not go further at this particular juncture, but I thought I would drop a few thoughts of practicality for your consideration, for such is but the outward expression of the true Evangelical Teaching when it is put into practice in reality. Oh, that you could but learn the great significance of the recognition of the Allness of GOD in you, and the nothingness of every other visible expression, other than that which is expressing the CHRIST! "Wear the world as a loose garment"; pay as you go and be absolutely independent. If you are expressing ME you will not go in debt; you will be independent by being honest and competent, reliable and true, and you will express the Independence of GOD, even also as I do. It is wonderful! Not one person on the face of the earth can rightfully and righteously and truthfully say that I owe them a penny.
Another thought I wish to convey: never obligate yourselves in any way, unless you are willing to be obligated in that particular way. I hear of some going to work at places and they do not stop to consider what they are supposed to receive. Why should you not expect a special price, and know what you are supposed to receive? Know your price you are asking and expect it by agreement. If it is not a written agreement, it should be an agreement made between you and the party. If you make an agreement stand to it, for your word is yourself. If your WORD fails you are a failure.
'In the beginning was the word, and the word was with GOD",
as a pre-evidence of the individual's word. Whatsoever your word is, that is
what you are. Did I not say,
'In the beginning was the word, and the word was with GOD, and the WORD WAS GOD?'
Your word is whatsoever you are. GOD'S Word is whatsoever HE Is. GOD is His Word, and so are you. You are made in the exact image and likeness of your Maker. Therefore, your words are you!
Take these thoughts to consideration. If you are untrue, then your WORDS are untrue and so are you! These are facts and figures too stout to be denied. You are the materialization, as a person, of your spoken words. Why is it your bodies are corrupt? Why are your minds so impure until your blood is impure? It is because of your impure thoughts and your impure words. They are taking form in your physical body, and you are the expressers of them. The physical body is the outward expression of the condition of the mind within. Your words that you are speaking from the thoughts of your mentality, are being materially manifested in your physical systems. Your organs are the mechanism of such expression, and therefore your physical body will express sickness or health and happiness.
I need not say more at this juncture. I say, as the woman of Samaria said, "The well is deep", and apparently is getting deeper. Therefore, I think I had better refrain from speaking, for the time has truly come, GOD has Glorified His Son. Just think of it! Your words are yourselves! If you are untrue and false, you will have false conceptions in your mentality and your physical systems and organs will express imperfection and falsity. But if you are honest, competent and true, in words, deeds and actions, you must needs produce it and bring it to fruition in your systems and your bodies will express peace, health, joy and happiness.
These are facts and figures too stout to be denied. Take for consideration the original quotation lastly given: "In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD", and you are made in the exact image of your Creator. Why is it mankind by the millions, are declaring that I AM GOD? It is because of the Truth that has been Bodily Formed. By the Truth being materially brought into expression, it is manifesting the Perfection of the Perfect, the Creator and the Maker and causing mankind to recognize it.
This you can also do by being obedient, honest, faithful and true, in words, deeds and actions. It matters not where you go, let your words be nothing less than true and "seasoned with Grace", and the very Spirit of My Presence will bring into outer expression and bring to fruition, this Truth in you as though it was you.
'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.'
Tell the Truth whatsoever you do, and the Truth will be made you and you will
be the Truth. That is the way to be true; and that is why you have victory over
adversities, by contacting the Fount of every blessing through the Truth that
I AM Establishing. I thank you!
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