"When You Do Your Alms, Conceal it and When Thou Prayest, Do The Same.
It is just as erroneous to do something that is good
so that you may be seen and heard by men . . . as it is to do wrong." ---FATHER DIVINE

Our FATHER'S Message Given whilst at the Righteous Government Meeting, Philadelphia Hotel
764-772 S. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA., Monday Night, May 11, 1942, A.D.F.D. Time 11:10 P.M.

FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE at the Holy Communion Table
at the Circle Mission Church, Philadelphia, PA.

It is not the will of your Heavenly FATHER that one of His little flock perish, therefore, HE so tenderly extends His tender mercy and warning and understanding to every individual, that every living creature might have the pure unadulterated Gospel from the Omniscient One.

The beauty of GOD is that HE gives every one a chance to grow in the Knowledge of His Truth by daily stressing the importance of moving volitionally according to the dictates of one's own conscience, and by stressing the Freedom of speech which is the essence of a True Democracy. For this cause, as HE does from time to time, FATHER read a portion of the sixth chapter of Saint Matthew, which if adhered to, will bring the desired results sought for through prayer.

Heavenly FATHER, we thank YOU for Your kind Mercy!

(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber, and the Message of our LORD follows.)

PEACE EVERYONE! Everybody happy? I would just like to say, it is good to be here; and I AM pleased to have our visiting friends from every walk of life, from every profession, labor and trade, and we want you to feel free to speak according to the dictates of your own conscience. Be governed by your own highest intuition and move volitionally if you wish to.

(At this point FATHER opens the Bible and continues:) I thought to read a few verses of a chapter. It does not make very much difference where we read from, when we read the Holy Bible. I do not especially take cognizance from what chapter I may consider as I open the Bible; especially in the New Testament at times, I read whatsoever I feel led to read as I turn to it. We are going to read a few verses of the sixth chapter of Saint Matthew for the consideration of our hearers and friends. It may be a message in these verses we read.

'Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them;
otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

'Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.
Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

'But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth;
'That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly

. "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.'

I think that is enough, as we all are very familiar with the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST as recorded by Saints John and Mark and Matthew, but especially this chapter of Matthew carrying the Sermon on the Mount, upon which the majority of most of the churches of the Christian world are founded. Therefore you can commit to memory the most of the Sermon on the Mount no doubt, because you have been taught it in your Sunday School, and you have learned it no doubt and committed it to memory as a memorial of your real conversion unto GOD through JESUS CHRIST. But I thought to read these few verses for your consideration to call your attention to the exact words of Jesus as recorded by St. Matthew, because there are a good many people, just as Jesus said, who do not do things for the good it may be for others to whom they might do good, but they do things that they might be seen and heard by men. That point there is well worth considering.

It is just as erroneous to do something that is good so that you may be seen and heard by men and for men to know what you are doing and have done as a good deed, as it is to do wrong otherwise. Do not do those things! For this cause we do not take up collections; we do not do any soliciting. But if I did, I would not want you to let your fellow brother or sister know what you are doing, because I know you would not get any reward. Can you not see the mystery?

When you do alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee. It is as wrong to do your alms to be seen and heard by men, as it is to pray aloud that you may be heard. So each of these two extreme reverses, but as an issue to be considered, they are well worth considering; for men do things so that they may be seen by men, and they pray to be heard by men. For this cause I have ushered the custom and the system of praying out of the audiences where I AM and by ushering in the custom of the Spirit of GOD, how you might pray so that you might not be seen and heard by men, but so that your prayers might be heard in secret, so that GOD might reward you openly, even as these are rewarded. Aren't you glad?

We can say blessings "galore"; infinite Blessings, Blessings flowing freely; but they are not prayed for openly so that you might hear the true believers pray. Can you not see the mystery? But GOD rewards them openly, with Health, with Happiness, with Success and with Prosperity, as the answer to the prayers they have prayed in secret.

Now some may consider it is wrong to not let everybody know what you do, but you heard what I read:

'Do not sound a trumpet before thee",

so that you might be heard by men, for you have your reward; but it is only a reward of them, which is such credit and criticism as they can give you for what you do. Can you not see the mystery? But when you do your alms and hide your hands as the little boy that throws the stone and hides his hand, your blessings are considered in the sight of GOD. They might not be considered in the sight of man, but they are considered in the sight of GOD whatsoever you do, to and for the Glory of GOD.

Now this does not mean doing anything for ME as a Person. I want you to get this distinctly, but whatsoever you do for the good of humanity, whatsoever you do for the good of any person, or persons, even for any living creature, do it in all sincerity, simplicity, meekness and obedience to GOD and do not sound a trumpet that you might be heard. If this is done, as with the giving, as with the praying in secret; you will get your reward openly, and naught will be able to criticize the reward you get for that which you have done in secret.

Even that little thought, beloved ones, is a thought by which you have been led erroneously. Some will tell you to come up and give so much and they will shout your name out in the audience, and tell how much you have given; and you rejoice in what you have given to be heard by men; but you have no reward in reality, for you have the reward you have from them. But oh, how glorious it is to be led by the way of the Cross! To be led by the way that Jesus led you and still leads you through the Bible, by the way of the New Testament:

When you do your alms, conceal it, and when thou prayest, do the same.

Do not allow anyone to know what you are praying for. That is the plain mystery, as it will tell you: enter into the secret closet and pray to the LORD in secret, and HE will reward you openly. Jesus could have very explicitly said, do not allow anyone to hear you pray. That is why you have not been getting answers to your prayers, lots of you. Get in your secret closet and pray to GOD in secret and in all simplicity and in all meekness and obedience to His great Command; your prayers will be heard and answered speedily, and you will not look for another.

I can show you the Truth of the mystery better than I can tell you. Look at those with whom I AM concerned, who live exactly according to My Teaching, and abide in My Spirit and in My Mind. Their prayers are heard and answered, and every desire is actually satisfied, because they have prayed according to the Will of GOD. I need not say more from that point for consideration. I believe it is enough said in that particular instance to give you a little more information. As you think on it, I will give you more information intuitively and by inspiration as you think on it and concentrate in this direction.

As I was telling a party of a very recent date: when I AM absent, then I AM Present; and whatsoever I would tell you Personally, if you are in perfect harmony with ME, I will reveal it intuitively; for the Truth by nature is impersonal. It is transmittable and reincarnatable, therefore it is transmitted to you just the same as if I would tell you Personally when you are in perfect harmony with ME. I speak more intuitively and inspirationally than I do Personally, but I start you thinking and thinking in some special direction, and through your thoughts being concentrated in that direction, the reaction of your thoughts will be awakened by the Spirit of the transmitted thoughts of your Savior.

I heard one sing, "I live with my mind stayed on FATHER!" If you live it and express it, and harmonize with it, be truthful in every deed and in every action, be honest, be competent and be true in all you think, or say, or do, GOD Himself will be with you, and your prayers will be heard and answered. And as I say, if you are true, if you are with ME, you are with ME mentally and spiritually and you need not be with ME Personally especially; if it happens to be, OK, so let it be.

But the great essential is to be with ME mentally and spiritually by harmonizing systematically, accurately and perfectly in thoughts, words, deeds and actions, in My Ideas and in My Opinions. You cannot be with ME if you are going around living a dishonest life; if you do not pay your honest debts, you are not with ME. For I have often said from time to time, even if working on a job and the proprietor would slightly question the truth of your parcel, or your suitcase, if you are going away, to ME, I would proudly and gladly open it up and let them see through it. You have nothing to hide if you are right. That is what I AM talking about.

I have known some to work on jobs and even have a falling-out with the one with whom they are employed, and want to go away without allowing them to see through the things they are taking away. If you are honest, go ahead and let them see through them. That would be the first thought I would want to do, and if you are with ME, why then, that is what you would want to do.

I AM speaking of the simple and practical things of life that make the way for Peace, Joy and Happiness and Success and Prosperity. They help you to prove your innocence, and your honesty and your competence. But if you try to hide, it shows definitely you must not be honest; for what do you have to hide that is rightfully and honestly yours? That is what I AM talking about. Hence, truly have I said:

'Your thoughts are not My Thoughts;
your ways are not My Ways, says the Lord.
As high as the heaven is above the earth,
even so high are My Ways above your ways
and My Thoughts above your thoughts.'

Nevertheless, I did say, "Come and let us reason together." The reasoning together is the essential until you get ME Spiritually and mentally. When you harmonize with ME effectively mentally you will be one with ME in conscience, and then you are one with ME in reality. But if you are not one with ME in conscience, and do those erroneous things in actions and in deeds, because you are not one with ME mentally, naturally you can not be one with ME in reality unless you are one with ME mentally; for the mental and spiritual unity is the reality, not merely the personality.

I thought to drop these thoughts for your consideration; for there may be some who may shout to the top of their voices in the proclamation and proclaiming ME and yet be far from My Mind and from My Ideas and from My Opinions.

But it is written,

'By their fruits ye shall know them.'

A true follower of Mine will not buy anything on the installment plan. A true follower of Mine will not buy anything on credit. True followers of Mine will pay cash, or C.O.D., and when they get anything done, if it must be paid for when the work is done, it is paid for immediately. They will not delay in paying their bills that are due their fellowmen. Then I say, by their fruits ye shall know them.

'For the tree is told by the fruit it bears.'

If you are telling others you are My followers and do not live according to My Mind, My Ideas and My Opinions, you are telling them I AM false and untrue in the actuated words of expression by the things that you are telling them and the things that you are doing. You can tell a person more explicitly in actions than you can tell them in words. Therefore, you may say all you choose, "Father Divine is GOD and I am one of His followers", but unless you prove yourself true and faithful in all you say and in all you do, you are telling them that I AM not GOD. I say the tree is told by the fruit it bears. Therefore to prove ME True as you say I AM, live My Life accurately, and express ME perfectly, and show to the world in deeds and in actions My Thoughts and My Mind and My Teachings I AM Living.

The tree is told by the fruit it bears,
I say, and the fruit is told by the tree that bears it.

Therefore, if you are My followers, you are the fruit of My Spirit and of My Mind, My Ideas and My Opinions, but if you are different, you are not Mine and I AM not yours. Take these thoughts to consideration; jot them down in your vocabulary and you will be able to judge the people with the Spirit of equity; for the saints shall judge the world.

In your talk, in your chaste conversation, in your reactions and even in the reflection of your countenance, you are telling people just who you are by the outer expression and by the mental and spiritual conception manifested. You manifest your inner conception, something that you have conceived; therefore, your physical body is the manifester of your mental and spiritual conception. Therefore you are telling ME in your actuated words of expression and in your emotions, words, deeds and actions just what you are mentally and spiritually, and what your mental and spiritual conceptions have been.

Take these thoughts to consideration, and harmonize with the fundamentals for Righteousness' sake, and purge yourself mentally and spiritually of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of GOD, and observe the Truth among you all. I need not say more; I thought to speak these few brief remarks to stir up your pure minds, to call your attention to the accurateness of the deeds and actions you are required to perform. In all of your deeds and in all of your actions, you should do that which is in keeping with the Gospel. When I speak of living an evangelical life, Evangelism is just not merely calling yourself a Christian and living under Christendom, but Evangelism means, or is pertaining to the Life and the Teachings of CHRIST. The Evangelical Life is the exact Life and Teaching of JESUS the CHRIST. When you live the Evangelical Life, you live exactly according to the Teaching of CHRIST as recorded in the Four Gospels. Now if you do anything contrary to what Jesus told you, contrary to what Jesus demonstrated, why then, you are not living evangelically accurately. You must be accurate in your Evangelical Living to rightfully express Him. I thank you.

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