Hot as it was in the Banquet Hall, according to the thermometer, there was none the less enthusiasm at FATHER DIVINE'S Headquarters, Sunday evening, July 8th as thousands shouted, sang and danced their Praise and gladness in the Auditorium and in the closely packed Dining Room, while FATHER Personally served the Banquet Table.
At a time when millions in the City were flocking to beaches and resorts, and when Churches had discontinued their Sunday evening Services for lack of summer attendance, at this and other Meeting Places of FATHER DIVINE'S Peace Mission, there was not room to accommodate the thousands who sought to be in the midst of the GOD-Conscious, and under the Peaceful Jurisdiction of GOD Himself.
Especially great was the enthusiasm, and mighty were the demonstrations of emotion in FATHER'S Personal Presence however, notwithstanding the heat, as the throng shouted its Praise.
As the time for closing approached a song came forth by inspiration as follows, to which FATHER responded as herein recorded:
'FATHER will fix it for you, FATHER will fix it for you.
Whensoever you pray, let Him have His Way,
and FATHER will fix it for you.'
PEACE EVERYBODY! Are you all happy? ("Yes, FATHER!" came the mighty response.) So AM I! It is a good appetite expressed and a good Assembly and a heart full of merriness. All of these we are expressing in deeds and in actions. For this cause I AM rejoicing and you are glad. I heard you say,
'FATHER will fix it for you. Whensoever you pray, let Him have His Way and FATHER will fix it for you.'
If you believe it, to you it is true! If the prayer is anything, it is an expression
according to one's sincere belief.
'As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.'
For this cause your positive thoughts have brought many victories -- not merely
one victory but many victories. It has long since been said,
'Each victory will help you some other to win.'
The Victory you have won since you have overcome, this first Victory put forth
into expression by your conscious conviction and realization of GOD'S Presence,
has given you the victory over EVERY adversity. For this cause you can rejoice.
It has made you victorious and you will eventually be the conscious expressers
of the Victorious Conquering King.
It is such a privilege to live in this dispensation, when and where the Spirit of GOD'S Presence is having Dominion and where the Spirit of GOD'S Presence is manifested supremely. All mankind must eventually recognize it. Even through these fanatical emotions and expressions, through your sincere devotion, mankind must recognize it and they too, as well as you, must bow at this Command.
Just what it has brought to you, it will bring to all mankind; but remember, they cannot come into possession of these limitless Blessings unless they bring their bodies into subjection and be willing to be controlled whole-heartedly, physically, mentally and spiritually, by the Spirit of My Presence and the Presence of My Spirit. Jesus, the great Love Master, was the Wayshower for all of the children of men, to show them the way to get the victory over sickness, diseases, limitations and over all sin. He came as a man, yet speaking and acting as the Supreme, having Dominion and all Power in His Hand, yet speaking as a man, in meekness and in obedience to the great Command of the Almighty. He said,
'Not My will but Thy Will be done.'
This is something worth considering. The GOD of the earth and the GOD of the
Heaven, having condescended to take upon Himself a Body of flesh in the likeness
of sinful flesh, He came bearing the infirmities of men and speaking as being
one of them
'Not My will, but Thy Will be done.'
This, I say, was a Sample, and this was an Example. This was to show you, every
one of you must come to this place in consciousness before you can have the victory
over adversities; yea, even over the simplest adverse condition; for it is only
through the CHRIST Consciousness and the CHRIST recognition, you will have power
over adverse conditions. It is wonderful!
'Not My will but Thy Will be done.'
GOD in His Own Majesty, Dominion and Authority, coming a little lower than the
Angels, speaking and acting as the children of men, yet being nothing less than
CHRIST and nothing more than GOD. He said,
'Not My will but Thy Will be done.'
How can you expect to be successful, prosperous, healthy and happy, and have
the victory over adverse conditions, if you are not ready and willing for GOD'S
Will to be done in you?
'Thy Kingdom Come and Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven'
-- this was the request of CHRIST through you, and the request of the Truth He
has given you, to pray to
'Let Thy Kingdom Come and Thy Will be done.'
It was an open expression of CHRIST'S Version concerning the Kingdom of Heaven,
although He did stress it for you as a prayer, and to you He gave it to pray
it, that GOD might let His Kingdom come in YOU and on the earth plane, as it
was and still is in Heaven.
But remember, this can only be accomplished by you letting GOD'S Will be done, firstly in your consciousness -- doing away with your preconceived ideas, with your preconceived opinions, your human fancies, pleasures and all of their tendencies, and recognizing the Ever-Presence of Him that liveth within you, bringing your bodies into subjection whole-heartedly. As a living sacrifice you should present your bodies. By so doing GOD will take control of them and GOD will Rule and Reign in them and through them and over them. Wheresoever a king reigns, there is his kingdom.
Why is it mankind is not successful? Why is it they are not prosperous? Why is it they do not have dominion on the material plane, and on the psychic plane and on the spiritual plane? It is because they have not conquered their own wills.
'He that conquers his own will is greater than he that taketh a city.'
When you shall have denied yourselves whole-heartedly, you will relax your conscious
mentalities; you will bring your bodies whole-heartedly into subjection and you
will be willing and ready for GOD to have Dominion; you will be willing and ready
for GOD to control your physical bodies as HE Wills, and you would say as Jesus
the great Love Master said,
'Not My will but Thy Will be done.'
You cannot fool GOD. Unless you are willing to do it, you will find yourselves
in limitations, in lacks, in wants and in adverse and undesirable conditions;
for if you are not obedient to GOD and willingly obedient, GOD will not be obedient
to you. That is the mystery. But if you are obedient to GOD and willingly obedient,
GOD can and no doubt will, be obedient to you, as you are obedient to Him in
willingness. That is the great mystery of the reciprocation of the Spirit and
Presence of GOD, for GOD'S Love and Mercy is "reciprocatable"; it will
be reciprocated if individuals will bring their bodies into subjection whole-heartedly,
and will love GOD in reality.
'Not My will but Thy Will be done.'
Through the radicalness and fanaticism and ignorance of preaching are men saved.
Through these emotions, by the ignorance of the fanatics we are bringing into
outer expression through you sincere devotion, the limitless blessings we all
are enjoying. The blessings are coming limitlessly to and for each and every
one. They are coming through your sincere devotion. By your radical and ignorant
emotions GOD is giving birth to the limitless blessings, that others might come
into possession and be inheritors of these blessings.
I need not say more at this juncture, while in this dining room the temperature or heat could be termed to be about one hundred and twenty or one hundred and twenty-five above zero. Nevertheless, the willingness of you, through your sincere devotion, it has created an atmosphere that has quickened your emotions and caused you to express yourselves in the Spirit of enthusiasm, of singing and dancing and shouting, causing you to be as radical as that; yet these blessings, these emotions, these radical and fanatic expressions, are bringing into outer expression and into manifestation, the limitless blessings you all are seeking -- bringing into outer expression and into materialization, the blessings the Nations of the earth collectively have been seeking, and they mourned because they found them not. It was a matter of impossibility for them to receive this Peace and Good Will to man, saving by the insignificance and the radicalness and ignorance of preaching.
Through this, and through your sincere devotion, through your radical emotions, we are giving birth to the Spirit of Praises and the Spirit of Peace and Harmony among the people; and these blessings are contagious. They are just as contagious as any contagious disease. Truly might have the Apostle said on one occasion,
'Evil communications corrupt good morals; ill qualities are catching as well as diseases, and a man is known by the company he keeps.'
You are known by the company you keep. You are keeping Company with the LORD
of Lords and KING of Kings, and you are conscious of it. This is what it is all
about. The Spirit of the Consciousness of the Presence of GOD is the Source of
all Supply. It is supplying you with wealth; it is supplying you with health;
it is supplying you with Wisdom, with Knowledge and with Understanding; it is
supplying you with Peace and it is supplying you with Happiness, and best of
all, it is supplying you with Life Eternal in GOD. The great Multiplier, the
great Emphasizer, the great Advocator, and the great Demonstrator has truly come
and this is true -- if not to others, it is to you. Because of your ignorance
and your fanaticism, you have been quickened by the Spirit of such a conscious
Conviction. This conscious Conviction, quickening and awakening you, has caused
you to rise and walk in the Newness of Life, and live in the recognition of the
Presence of the CHRIST. It is indeed Wonderful! I think I had better stop! ("No,
FATHER!" came a great appeal from the Assembly.)
I have said enough. My Spirit and My Mind and the Presence of the Consciousness of My Spirit as you are conscious of it, has created such an atmosphere; all men under such an atmosphere must eventually believe. I say it is contagious. It is Wonderful! You come around ME -- you need not come as a critic -- I will change your criticism to Praises and to Thanksgiving beyond the measure of your fellow brothers'. I will turn your ignorance into an open expression of sincere devotion, through noticing and paying strict attention to that which you have been ignoring. I will turn your poisedness and quietness into enthusiasm; I will tune it with the Spirit of merriness and you will be filled and thrilled with the Spirit of merriness and your bodies will be healed of all of their afflictions. It is Wonderful!
Upon this Foundation you can rely and you can stand, for all power is given unto Him that liveth forever without and within.
'All Glory and Honor,'
I heard you say in your prayers,
'are Thine, now, henceforth and forever.'
Therefore, I will accept it. I will fulfill your heart's fondest desire and will
answer your simplest prayer; for CHRIST'S Prayer is heard and it is answered
according to the Prayer He prayed in the seventeenth chapter of St. John,
'Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.'
That is what we are doing, and who can prohibit it? It is wonderful!
'Joy is flowing like a river, since the Comforter has come.'
I heard you say and I heard you sing,
'He will abide with us forever and make each trusting heart His Home.'
These are facts and figures too stout to be denied, but you must live in this
recognition, and be substantiated in it, and unshaken in your confidence, until
others will realize, your prayer has been heard and the Scripture is now fulfilled.
I thank you.
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