Sermon given at the Holy Communion Table of the Circle Mission Church, Home and Training School
764-772 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA., Monday Morning, Sept. 22, 1952 A.D.F.D., Time — 4:50 A.M.
PEACE EVERYONE! Many years ago I said, I will preach CHRIST in Words, but more so in deeds and in actions!” I often said, hereafter I shall preach more explicitly in deeds and in actions than what I have preached and AM preaching in Words.
Just a little while ago, when that Message was being read from the pages of The Light as published in August 7, 1934, I thought of how marvelous it was, yes, how marvelous it is the Message that was given then can remain and it shall remain over and above every opposition of men, for GOD is Greater, Bigger and Better than all of the opposing forces, both of the visible and invisible world.
I thought how marvelous it was at it is, even though we do not think or commit to memory these soul-stirring, yea, soul-redeeming Messages; at times you lose complete sight of those things that I have said, yet when you read back and see what I said at that time, more than eighteen years ago, it is enough said in those Words to redeem the world!
Many may ignore this Truth, but the only hope of your redemption and the redemption of all of those who may even so much as desire to ignore it, the only hope and the only Salvation is the recognition of what I AM telling them! It says, “The Light”. This is a bound volume of “The Light” and “The Divine Light” combined. “The Light” in its original name, it gives light to the world! As it is, so it was; “The Divine Light”, as published by My Spirit and My Presence, bearing witness of what I have been and still AM telling you: GOD is a Free Gift to the world! Both “The Light”, and also as it was, so it is for free distribution!
As I explained,
“GOD so loved the world, HE gave His only begotten Son!”
You cannot lose by giving freely, for so freely as you receive, so freely you should give; and on the other hand, so freely as you give, so freely shall you receive. As these periodicals were for free distribution and not for the purpose of profiteering or for the purpose of any monetary returns for what we were doing, yet a good many may say, “FATHER DIVINE is extremely wealthy and has unlimited resources.” They speak of the material and monetary expressions of what they can see around, not knowing that in this particular Message as I gave it, if you believe it, it is worth your city’s weight in gold. It is the Key to all of the hidden treasures of the universe! It will unlock every barred and shut door! Aren’t you glad!
By this, if you adhere to these words as spoken and propounded, you will have the victory over every difficulty, over all trials, over all tribulations and will master all situations and will solve all of your problems! It is a place to be in consciousness where you will be protected from all hurts, from all harm and from all danger, but it causes ME to stressfully depict and point out at times the disasters that follow the erroneousness of carnality manifested in matter.
Thousands of people are going down daily, as so to speak, even tough many of them you may not even hear of, but all because they will not adhere to the Word of GOD and live accordingly!
Some time ago I gave an Office Talk of how your thoughts can be just out of line and you can bring a disaster to yourself and all others with whom you are concerned; but on the other hand, as David declared:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
It may sound fanatical and radical, but if you are not in the Secret Place with ME — of this Most High, if you do not abide under the Shadow, the Protection of the Almighty anything can destroy you! But vice-versalate such an experience and such an expression: naught can hurt you nor harm you if you abide in the Secret Place of the Most High and under the Shadow of the Almighty.
I stress these points of view for your consideration, for if there is one thought of act or deed or thought of what you think, hear or see in concealment, that thought takes you out from under the Shadow of the Almighty! Selfishness, graft and racketeering and greed will destroy you off of the face of the earth before you would have died before you knew ME!
How to Abide in Secret Place of Most High
There are many things I could say along this line, but I do not wish to conglomerate what I have said and what I have here in print on record to be reprinted again. I do not wish to get away from the point of view that has been so explicitly depicted, demonstrated and plainly shown — what you can do and what you will do and what can and will become of you! You should never have an occasion to stump your foot if you are in ME! Abide in ME and dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High; you will be and should abide under the Shadow of the Almighty; by interpretation, under the Protection of the Almighty!
The great trees and many other things that give shadows for protection — when you are in the shadow and under the shadow of a great tree you may be protected, in one sense of the word, from the storm and from the wind and rain; but truthfully and definitely I can say:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
If there was not another Message on record that I have given, this in itself would be sufficient! It is sufficient to place you under the Shadow of the Almighty wheresoever you may be! On the firing line or any place you may be, if you dwell in the Secret Place, in that place of secrecy of the Almighty — have all things in secrecy and yet in common with the Almighty — he that dwelleth in the Secret Place; that place of thought, that place of deed, that place of words, that place of action, that place of emotion, that place of expression of any of your five physical senses — that place where any of your five physical senses can express, as well as where any of your five mental and spiritual senses can express — they should be in the Secret Place of the Most High, in Secrecy with your GOD! Not a thought, not a word withheld!
Then if this is done, with HIM you are One. There is no division! As you are One with HIM that is the secret keeper, and HE in you is kept in all confidence; yea, confidentially, and you in HIM are kept confidentially — your thoughts, your words, your actions and all things as an open book to GOD, and you are One with HIM and do not withhold any thought, word, deed or action or transaction; do not withhold anything; you are coming to that place in consciousness where you will be protected once and forever; free from all hurt, free from all harm and all danger — you are abiding under the Shadow of the Almighty!
Faith Personified
You all have heard ME say, years ago when I used to drive My Own car Personally, I would not carry a spare, and if could lose anything by so doing, I AM willing to sacrifice it for the faith I have in ME — as in HIM! Your faith should be more than pure gold that is tried by the fire! It should be more precious and more protected than pure gold that is tried by the fire! Your faith should be more valuable than pure gold just about the size of New York City! A lump of pure gold about the size of New York City! Your faith should be worth just as much and just as valuable in your consciousness and in the consciousness of those with whom you have to do!
When this is done, you need not fear an accident! You need not fear having a disappointment! You need not fear having a failure, for all things are protected with HIM Who liveth forever, when you dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High, and abide under the Shadow of the Almighty.
I know it is foolishness — foolishness to those who do not know. But with all of the critics and accusers and slanderers and falsifiers, according to their own statement — as I saw an article tonight that was on My desk, someone said, “HE came out about the year nineteen hundred” and he said, “HE is about seventy-six.” Well now, isn’t that wonderful! If they can get people to live to be seventy-six and be youthful as I AM — Physically, Mentally and Spiritually — then you know they would consider that they had found something that satisfies. Aren’t you glad! I do not even bear record where that clipping came from. I have no natural record of it, where it came from, but it mentioned on the City Line, something of that sort; mentioned a whole lot of false rumors and false reports of the past and of the present.
But whether or not, if you can find someone at that age, it is a wonderful blessing for all of the people — to find one person at that age; if it was such a thing as age in the consideration; such as that is not in My World! GOD is without the beginning of days and without the end of life! One writer declared, I AM made, or made Myself, whichever, after the order of Melchisedec, being without the beginning of days and without the end of life, having no descendants — no ancestors, and no beginning an no end!
I thank you!
Father Divine