John Writes About How to Solve the Problem of What is True and What is Not

April 7, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, John.

I desire to write a little to night upon a subject that may prove to be of interest to you and others who may read my message. I will not write a very long message, but will say what I desire in short sentences, so that the truth that I intend to convey may be understood at a glance.

• Well, when you are sure that you have discovered or have had revealed to you a truth, let it sink deep into your soul so that it will find such lodgment as will cause you to realize that this truth is a reality, and a thing that must not be forgotten or neglected in its application to your daily life on earth.

• When you have found that the truth fits some peculiar condition of your mind's experience, adopt it as a criterion for determining what your course of action shall be.

• When you have thus adopted it, let it always remain with you as a guide and monitor in determining what your belief as to the particular thing involved shall be.

• When you have, thus, received this belief of the mind, encourage and feed upon it until it becomes a thing of established faith; and when faith has become a part of your very being, you will find that the accompaniments of such faith, in the way of longings and aspirations, will become things of real existences, which will result in actual knowledge.

• When such knowledge becomes yours, then you have solved the problem of what is true and what is not. And when you have solved this, you will become a man who, when he utters his knowledge of truth, will speak as one having authority.

Such was the process by which Jesus became the possessor and authentic expositor of the great spiritual truths that had never before been known and declared by any man.

Of course, these various steps which lead to this great knowledge of truth, must be taken gradually and with increased confidence. In all this, the help and influence of the Father are necessary and such help and influence comes only in response to sincere, soul aspiring prayer.

Prayer must arise from the soul of man and the response must come from God. There is no other means by which this knowledge can be obtained. All knowledge of things spiritual, that men may think they possess, coming in any other way cannot be relied on, for there is only one source of such knowledge out of which the real spiritual truths of God emanate.

And Love is the great principle that enters into all knowledge of things spiritual, and without Love it is utterly impossible for man to rightfully conceive the truths of God and possess them.

I merely desired to give you this short lesson on truth and knowledge and love, so that in receiving and absorbing our messages of the great spiritual truths of the Father, you may realize the means of making them your own in a manner to satisfy your soul perceptions.

I will come soon and write you a message on some of these vital truths. Think of what I have above written, and you will find that your soul perceptions will be opened up to a clear and wonderful comprehension of the real meaning of what we desire to reveal.

I will not write more to night.

Your brother in Christ,
John