FATHER DIVINE and John Lamb plus
The gift most highly priced by an individual will depend upon the world in which that person lives -- to a small boy it may be a toy space ship or even a pet mouse; to some it may be money; others might consider it to be good health. But to those who, in the words of the Sermon on the Mount, "hunger and thirst after righteousness", the Body of GOD, FATHER DIVINE, is the most Priceless Gift.
This is because GOD Himself is Personified in the Body of FATHER DIVINE, subjecting Himself to the limitations of men that they might become to be as HE is. HE offers Himself as a warm, living hand for men to hold that they might be led from a negative life of disease and death into a positive state of perpetual happiness.
The Law of the Spirit of Life that was in CHRIST Jesus has always existed to set men free from their problems, but man has not been able to live in harmony with that law. Theoretically the metaphysicians might see the living of such a life, as a man may hear a tune singing within him, yet none were able to produce it in reality.
Only GOD Himself could live the Divine CHRIST Life on the earth plane, breaking the barriers of human selfishness and ignorance; coming triumphantly through the brutality of thirty-two lynch mobs. Only GOD Himself could establish in the Peace Mission Movement a foundation for virtuous living that enables the CHRIST in everyone to be brought to fruition.
Jesus Himself, as the Son of GOD, prayed to the FATHER to keep men from the evil. It was necessary for the FATHER to be seen and known that the soul of man might be completely satisfied with the Divine way of life. As FATHER DIVINE Himself has said:
'All of the Disciples that had been with the CHRIST and had the witness that some of them did, who had seen the Transfiguration yet they were no satisfied; and Philip said: Show us the FATHER and it sufficeth us!' and that was a request for the whole of humanity. You have never seen a satisfied person that has not seen the FATHER. But when you will find one that has come to the FATHERHOOD of GOD and gained absolutely the FATHERHOOD of GOD, you will find one getting to that place of contentment and being satisfied . . . "You are being convinced now that GOD is your physical FATHER and always had been your physical FATHER. GOD put on a Body to appease the mortal state of the human mind that was functioning in bodies until that mind should have been brought out and see and realize that GOD is your FATHER and you never had another."(Message "Redemption", reprinted 6/16/51 A.D.F.D.)
Every man tends to react according to the thoughts of others concerning him,
whether they be good or evil. So when he comes in contact with FATHER DIVINE,
though he be a gangster or murderer, the buried good within him is released as
the Pure Eyes of GOD behold him without evil. Likewise those who may have been
highly respected and admired in the world realize the hypocrisy of reputation
and position as the chains of their bondage fall off and the naked soul regards
its Creator.
So when a man has relaxed from the ideas and opinions of the world in which he lives, and beholds GOD in the Body of FATHER DIVINE, there is a great peace and rest in his soul. He no longer strives, but he tries to follow where FATHER DIVINE has led.
FATHER DIVINE has walked in the simple, humble places of life, that no man need feel himself too lowly for GOD. That is way HE has come in the likeness of the under-privileged in this day and time as Jesus did in His Generation. FATHER DIVINE has said of Himself:
'I AM trying to make Myself as simple and as common in the looks and appearance as possible. That which you can behold with your physical eye is common to behold, and yet as I say, wheresoever I go, why is it they look at ME so? As far as the outward appearance is concerned, I attempt to and try to look the same as any other young man, but yet they watch ME wheresoever I AM. It is Something within." (Message given 8/19/38; reprinted 1/24/59.)
That Something has healed and lifted, fed and clothed the masses. That Something
is the Lost Chord of Life that satisfies the desire of a man's innermost being,
whether it be for Love, Knowledge, Success, Righteousness, or whatsoever it might
be. That Something is the Holy Ghost Personified in FATHER DIVINE; that Something
is the Law of the Spirit of Life; It is the Creator Himself.
'By the sacrifice of the Body in which I came," says FATHER DIVINE, "by the Body remaining as it remains, a Living Sacrifice, millions are conscious of GOD'S Actual Presence in the fulfillment of the Scripture: His Name shall be called EMMANUEL, being interpreted GOD is with us.'
'When you can raise your consciousness to contact the CHRIST Consciousness, to be conscious of GOD'S Actual Presence, you have won your way through trials and tribulations; you have gotten back to GOD, according to the religions; you have gotten Home where Jesus is . . .
'. . . you are actually at that place in consciousness where the earth came forth into visibility and where light did appear.'
It was impossible for man to reach that state of consciousness had not GOD Himself
condescended to put on a Body, using FATHER DIVINE'S Words again:
'. . . it was essential for GOD to come in a BODY, a TABERNACLE, that you might understand it as HE speaks in your actuated words of expression, your own physical, personal appearance-ic' language.
'He came in the flesh in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh.'
That was the purpose for coming in the flesh! For had I not come in the flesh,
the sin would have continued to be hid in the flesh and would not have been condemned
and would have continued to bring and re-bring death over and over again. "
FATHER goes on to declare:
'I AM VICTORY! I AM whatsoever you want to be! I AM whatsoever you desire to do! I AM that! I AM whatsoever may be desired by you! I AM That DESIRABLE! I AM IT, I say, and if you get IT at all, you will get ME! It you do not get ME, you shall not have IT!
'I AM the PERSONIFICATION of whatsoever you desire! You have heard ME say over and over again in the conclusion of My letters and you know it is not merely a saying -- it is not something merely to be devised by man nor re-iterated or rehearsed by man; but it came forth as a declaration of the Reality of GOD'S Actual Presence putting forth Himself in all of these diverse expressions and HE Is the PERSONIFICATION of them; therefore you cannot get one without getting the other.'
Strangers coming in contact with FATHER DIVINE'S Work for the first time may
be somewhat nonplussed by the adoration of FATHER DIVINE portrayed by His followers,
and His Own declaration that it is His Spirit which does the work and that His
Spirit is impersonal, as expressive in Australia or Africa as in America. But
all who come to FATHER DIVINE must worship Him in spirit and in truth and HE
leaves no ground for error.
'Detach yourselves from ME as a Person", HE says, "or from the personal standpoint of view, but attach yourselves to ME as the IMPERSONAL LIFE of you and the IMPERSONAL LIFE OF ALL MANKIND that has condescended to PERSONALIZE ITSELF IN ME to advocate to you the Highest Ideal of Truth . . .
'Detach yourselves from ME as a Person, and attach yourselves to the CHRIST in this BODY or out of this BODY, and you will find IT to be and IT is the Source of all Supply, and IT will satisfy every Good Desire.'
While it is true FATHER DIVINE never tells anyone it is necessary to come to
HIM Personally, yet it is the desire of every true believer to be in His Personal
Presence, and HE has said: ". . . it is good to be in the Presence of the
Body of GOD, to be around the Body of GOD; the Body of GOD that solves your problems
by concentration and actually gives you Victory mentally and spiritually, because
GOD'S Presence is Supernatural, Magnetic, and it is more than all magnetism and
all gravitation.
'The earth has a gravitation and it will draw things down to it, but GOD has a Magnetism and a Gravitation combined and a Supernatural One of both it and them, because GOD is the Creator of Magnetism, Creator of Gravitation, Creator of the thing that carries gravitation -- the earth, if you please. Therefore, GOD is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, giving all the power of magnetism and gravitation and all of the power and dominion of human nature!
'It is a privilege to live in such a Recognition to realize GOD'S Presence can and will adjust matters satisfactorily. Therefore, it is good to be around the Body of GOD!
'For this cause one writer declared,
'For this cause many are sickly among you and some sleep, not discerning the Body of CHRIST!'
'Can you not see the significance of having the Body in your view, so that you might discern the Body of CHRIST and concentrate on IT at all times? For many are sickly among you and some sleep, not discerning the Body of CHRIST!' See the mystery? You can plainly see the significance of the BODY of CHRIST, yea, the BODY of GOD, being with you so that you might look and BEHOLD!
'The Apostle said, Look on us!'; when the man could not be healed apparently. He had been down to the pool so many times; but the Disciples said, Look on us!' and when they looked they beheld and behold, they were made whole!
'So the Body of GOD! If you behold the Body of GOD aright, yea, even the Body of GOD, you would not be sickly; you would not be sick; and you would not sleep that sleep of death, because if you discern the Body of CHRIST vividly, conscientiously and sincerely, of all of His Fullness have all we, said he, received, Grace for Grace!" (Given 1/24-25/45. Reprinted 6/27/59)
As the Bible says: man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
Even at his birth he is doomed to die. For humanity, out of harmony with the
Principle of Life, consumes instead of regenerates the power within himself.
That is why a man must, to use Jesus' words, "be born again" -- born
of the spirit. So, FATHER DIVINE says,
'To deny your body and claim and proclaim GOD'S Body. My BODY", HE says, "is the substance of your life, though you cannot physically behold it, it is present everywhere!'
Again HE says,
'Do you know that when you glorify the Body of GOD you glorify MY BODY in you? MY BODY represents the substance of all Life, the essence of Spirit and Truth." (The New Day 7/18/53)
This is because FATHER DIVINE is the Holy Ghost Personified. HE says,
'Mary was overshadowed with the Holy Ghost! When you look on ME harmoniously and make the mental and spiritual contact you will be overshadowed with the Holy Ghost -- as you fasten your eyes upon ME. That is what it is all about! The very Holy Ghost, the very Holy Spirit for which all mankind has prayed from the early days of Christianity, will overshadow you if you look on ME. Look on ME with the Spirit of sincerity and with the Spirit of conscientiousness. The very spirit of the Holy Ghost will overshadow you and especially if I look at you . . . If your heart is right, if your mind is right, you are obliged to feel the Holy Ghost, for out of MY EYES goes forth the Holy Spirit.'
Because GOD is the Holy Ghost Personified, HE is always the Same, with or without
a Body. HE is the same One who, in the Words of Jesus, "took upon Himself
our infirmities and bare our diseases."
Therefore, says FATHER DIVINE,
'you should not have any (infirmities)! GOD is the only One Who should be sickly! GOD is the only One Who should be weakly or imperfect -- but not you . . .
'GOD is the only One Who should not be prosperous! If you know anything about the Almighty; if you know anything about GOD at all; if anyone should be in any of these conditions as impaired or imperfect among the people, GOD is the One, for HE is bearing your infirmities; GOD is bearing your diseases! GOD is bearing imperfection from every angle expressible; therefore you are the ones should be perfect, for I have declared, Here you all are and there I AM!' I have declared, There I sit and here you stand! There I go and here you come.'
'If the Words are True according to the Scripture, yea, and the Gospel combined, GOD is the One who has borne the infirmities of mankind. Then why should they bear theirs? Why should they bear them? Every living creature as a person believing in GOD or believing in Jesus from any angle expressible whatever, they are the ones who should be emancipated from every undesirable condition, and if there be any sense of affliction, imperfection or anything expressible that would be undesirable it is imposed upon the ONE upon Whom you are leaning, the ONE on Whom you depend.
'But over and above every mortal version, over and above every opposition, as GOD is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, GOD is victorious over all conditions, even though HE has taken them upon Himself, such as your infirmities and all of your diseases.
'Then, you should be the expresser of Perfection instead of imperfection, for GOD made Himself sin Who knew no sin; therefore you are not the ones to reflect the slightest reflection of sin -- especially since CHRIST Came." (Message given 11/30/38 Reprinted 12/5/53)
This is the supreme gift which GOD is giving humanity -- the Perfection which
is His very nature and substance. HE is doing it by presenting Himself as the
essence of meekness, for man's proud and stubborn will, as FATHER DIVINE says,
is not conquered by beholding "the Omnipotence of GOD", but HE tells
man to "behold the meekness of GOD, the lowliness of the Heart of GOD. The
Love of GOD and the Compassion of GOD and His Mercy and Truth endureth from generation
to generation." Furthermore HE says, "You can dial in on the spirit
of meekness -- the way to get the victory over every trial and every tribulation
for low is the way, and I AM Meek and Lowly in heart.
'If you would stop as a people, yea as the human race universally, and consider the great significance of conquering your own antagonistic and perplexible, conflicting and undesirable will -- how you can conquer your will by realizing GOD within is the Conqueror and can and actually will in your name, for you, cause your will to be conquered completely, and will give you the victory over every difficulty.
'When you shall have conquered your will, you have conquered all others on the earth plane, for, as one is conquered, all others in and on that same category, they are all conquered together by the conquering of one in that state of consciousness." (Message reprinted 7/8/50, p. 5)
That the human fancies and pleasures which a man seeks after so diligently may
be subjected to GOD'S Will, FATHER DIVINE says:
'Visualize the Body, Idolize the Body, GOD'S Body is incorruptible and undefiled and cannot fade away. Visualize It. It cannot fade away. Unless you recognize the Body of GOD you are dead now." (The New Day 1/21/50 A.D.F.D.)
For
'the Body of GOD is the highest manifestation of GOD ever manifested in material expression, the highest Ideal of Truth ever brought to your consideration." (The New Day 7/17/54)
And this Gift of the Body of GOD is free for everyone. FATHER DIVINE says:
'As the Gift of GOD is to you a free gift, you are the gift of GOD for the practical service of mankind, to be of practical, to be of mental service to both GOD and man, that you may be the expression of the plantings of the LORD, expressing GOD your FATHER, the Ideal, that others may visualize and materialize and bring into expression in their lives the manifested CHRIST produced and reproduced and manifested again!" (Reprinted 5/5/51)
Though this gift is firstly to the individual, it is finally to the nation and
to all civilization.
'I AM not only preaching a conversion of the person or of a person, but the conversion of our great civilization under which we personally are living! That is what I AM talking about! And as you look to this Recognition and the Realization of GOD'S Actual Presence by a great Renovation of the great Crusader of Salvation, why, you will have a civilization conversion! Civilization itself will be converted as I have converted capital and labor; I have converted the diverse systems of our civilization; now I AM converting even civilization itself. If I have not converted it and if I do not convert it I AM preaching the Salvation of the civilization to a dying and suffering civilization, yea to a suffering and dying civilization that is threatened with the destruction by inhuman warfare and debauchery of mortality from every angle!
'The debauchery of mortality from every angle has threatened our civilization under which we are now presently living, but I have preached to the bodies and the souls of the children of men and I have converted them in a great measure, and to the different systems of our civilization; but now it is a Message to civilization itself that civilization might be Converted unto GOD from whence it strayed away." (The New Day 3/14/53, p. 19)
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