FATHER DIVINE holds the Bible
It was shortly after FATHER and MOTHER arrived that everyone entered the dining room so overjoyed at the Personal Presence of GOD Almighty, all expressing their love and devotion to HIM. After all the excitement had quieted down, FATHER picked up the Bible to read as follows:
'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." (St. Matthew, 6:1-2)
That little quotation there may not be looked upon so stressfully as the following: the following message is considered mostly apparently with you all the following demand made was:
'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." (St. Matthew, 6:5)
That is something that has been rooted out from among those of My following very
readily, very good; there are not very many who I don't believe that there are
hardly any like to go to the church and stand up and pray shouting to the top
of their voices as lots of people do in the other world. It is your privilege
to pray just as sincerely and as conscientiously and have the same faith to know
that your prayers would be heard and answered even though you prayed not so that
men may hear you when you pray. When you pray to GOD and pray to GOD in secret,
GOD Himself, Who seeth in secret, will reward you openly. But that first statement
there, and the foregoing request, "When you do your alms", if everybody
would take cognizance of that message as much as you seem to take cognizance
of the instruction, "Not to pray to be seen and heard of men", I believe
it would be a whole lot better for those who may get rewards mentally and spiritually
or in some way, whensoever they do their alms and do them according to the Will
of GOD.
But the majority of you, I believe, do that part which is according to the Will of GOD, not to stand in the streets, in the corners of the streets, and be praying and shouting to the top of their voices as some people do, but when you pray to the LORD in secret, HE that seeth in secret HIMSELF shall reward you openly. I believe the majority of My followers do that. There be some who do not do the other part, "When you do your alms", not to sound a trumpet, not to let anyone know anything about you doing good. Can you not the mystery? But let it be done in secret and HE that seeth in secret HIMSELF shall reward you openly. So, that is the mystery and that is the significance.
It is such a marvelous privilege to live these requests or commands made in the sixth chapter of St. Matthew. I do not see you all fasting like they say the hypocrites and sinners and Pharisees fast, put on a sad countenance, make a long face to appear unto men to be fasting. That I do not believe you all do, because I do not see nor hear of you doing that so much. But oh, how marvelous it would be, or it is with those who will do the very first command in this chapter when they take heed that they do not their alms to be seen of men, otherwise they have no reward of HIM Whom liveth forever. People may say, "Well, I do not do alms or do things to be seen of men", yet they may tell them what they have done and what they are doing; otherwise they have no reward of their FATHER which is in heaven or which is in secret; for HE that is in secret HIMSELF rewards you openly and lets your reward be made known if it is necessary.
So, those thoughts are to be considered; but when you do things to be seen and heard by men, you have no reward of your FATHER which is in heaven. I may Personally try to save you, heal you and to bless you if you have done the thing that will cause destruction, you have brought it upon yourself; but if you live exactly according to My Teaching and will not do anything to be seen and heard by men, neither let thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that makes it most definite and specific.
Someone may say, "Well, I did not do it to be seen and heard; I did not sound a trumpet and arouse everybody, let everybody know what I have done", but yet it said, "Do not let your left hand know what thy right hand doeth"; that was on the special request, in reference to when you do your alms, and of course when you pray, it is equivalently the same it should be in secret and your FATHER who seeth in secret, HIMSELF shall reward you openly. I AM rewarding you openly now in a way of speaking. When you are in this and these audiences according to My Mind and Spirit things work so much better for you because you are under My Mind and Spirit.
Now, sitting here at the table, as one big family, everything works more systematically, more harmoniously and more pleasantly. Therefore, I can more effectively bless you because all things are working systematically, harmoniously, sympathetically and more pleasantly. The Spirit cannot bring the blessings to you effectively when you are in conflicts or in confusion or when you fail to abide under My Mind and Spirit and be governed according to same. I thank you.
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