December 24, 1918
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Helen.
Well dear, I see that you are quite happy just now and appreciate the difference in influence given you by the messages that you have read and the book that you were reading that took up so much of your time before you commenced to read our writings. The information that you obtain from the book is quite valuable in an historical point of view, and by contrast may show you how utterly ignorant the writers of the articles or rather the actors in the history were of the real truths of Christianity and of the true way to salvation.
I would not advise you to read these articles, and I do know that it is best for you to give less time and thought to what you may learn from them. Thinking of these things to some extent interferes with your thinking of the truths, and also affects your condition for rapport, so that the spirits cannot communicate as freely and successfully as they desire to do and as important as it is to be done.
Well, tonight is Christmas eve and you are all alone and have thought, as I saw, of the times when you had us with you on Christmas eve and enjoyed the anticipation of the happiness of our children on the morrow. It is true that we had some happy days under such surroundings and that we were so absorbed in our dear ones that nothing disturbed our joys. But yet, it is not helpful to think of these days, for they are passed and can never return, although you may before you come over have the opportunity to enjoy days in which your grandchildren may furnish you a similar happiness. But I will not be with you as you may think - without really thinking - and you may wish that I might without realizing the fact that I will surely be with you and write in your happiness. As I have told you, I will not leave you in your loneliness, or when you may long for me; as long as you shall remain on earth.
Tomorrow, when you visit Harry, I will be there, and so will Baby (Nita), and will enter into your feelings of joy and try to impress you to realize my presence. No, my dear sweetheart, I will never forsake you, but will always love you with a greater love than ever I had on earth, and which is growing deeper and purer all the time. I know that all of you will have a happy Christmas, and if you could only realize the presence of the spirits who will be with you, you would find a greatly increased happiness. Baby says that she will be there and love you and Harry and Hazel with all her love and will try to help them feel that her love is with them, and will enjoy the occasion more than if she were with you in the body. You had better go to bed now and get up early.
Well dear, they are waiting only for you to get in condition, and when you do there will be no delay in communicating the truths. The Master has been with you a number of nights desiring to write, but for reasons that you know of, he could not, but he is patient and thinks that you will soon realize the importance of the work so that you will do that which is necessary to bring about the condition. He is not here tonight, nor in the lower spheres, because, as I have told you before, the great amount of worship of him that is taking place now and will continue tomorrow, is distasteful to him, and he has gone to his Celestial Sphere and will not probably come back to you until after the objectionable worship has ceased.
No, not tonight. He is with you every night as he promised, and prays with you and tries to help you, and when you earnestly pray to the Father, he is pleased and gives thanks. So you, knowing this, must try to pray more earnestly and with more faith. He will soon come again, and I am so glad to hear you say that you believe he is with you as he promised. Keep up your faith and hope, and you will not be disappointed, for the love will come into your soul in more abundance and you will become in better condition to do the work.
Yes, we all hope so. But you must make the effort for so much depends upon you. You will have the help of your friend who advises, and he is very anxious to do his part of the work. He is not here now, for when he was last here, he said he would not come until he had reason to advise you differently from what he last advised. But he will not fail you. So, dear, love us with all your heart and believe that we love you. Give me a kiss and say good night.
Your own true and loving,
Helen
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Francis Bacon Writes About the Power of Spirits to Bring About Physical as well as Soul Healings
November 20, 1918
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Francis Bacon.
I have been with you tonight as you have read, and was somewhat interested in, what James Hyslop had to say in his article on Christianity and Spiritualism, and many things that he puts forth are true and explain very satisfactorily why many of the miracles, so-called, of the Bible may be believed.
As he says, they are not different in the nature of their operations, or in the exercise of the law that produced them, from the physical phenomena which are manifesting themselves at this time among the investigators of Spiritualism; and, if today, the same law in its force that was brought into operation by Jesus and the disciples could be called into operation, the same or similar phenomena would be produced. Of course, a great deal depends upon the medium and the amount of rapport that may be created by the communicating, or rather, operating spirit, for it must be understood that all the supposed miracles were the results of the work of spirits, who by reason of the harmony existing between themselves and the mortals, were able to call into operation the laws, which were necessary to produce the results called miracles.
At the present time, there may not be persons who have sufficient development of these psychic powers, which were possessed by Jesus and the others, to produce such phenomena as they produced; but there have been many mortals since his time sufficiently gifted with these powers to cause manifestations very similar to those of the primitive Christian times, especially as regards healing and the like; and today much healing is being performed by mortals, and which is attributed to various causes, such as mental healing and faith cures, but which is really due to the exercise of spirit powers by spirits whose duties are to perform that kind of work.
Mortals, of themselves, cannot bring into operation any of these laws, either of mind or soul, but are dependent upon the cooperation of spirits who use some of the properties possessed by these mortals to bring into exercise the laws, which only can produce the healing.
And here I desire to state, that it is not necessary that the mortal be of a highly spiritual development in order that the powers of the spirit world may effect and change the conditions of the material of earth for the laws which control the material are sufficient, ordinarily, to bring about the healing of the physical or mental diseases of men and, therefore, you will find many mediums, and others not recognized as mediums, having this power of healing.
The healing of the body and the healing of the soul require the workings of different laws, and while spirits not having very much soul development, may successfully cooperate with mortals in like condition, in healing bodily ills, yet such spirits are impotent to heal the diseased soul or the purely spiritual condition of men. But spirits who have the power to produce the latter healing, may also heal the body. And this you must know that no spirit who is not what may be called, physically whole or sound, can cause the healing of a physically diseased mortal, for power of this kind can be possessed by and proceed from only those spirits who in their material nature are perfectly healthy and sound. These spirits, while they have cast off the gross, physical material of the mortal, yet are still material so far as the spirit body and form, as the properties which compose the same are concerned.
The material of the universe is not confined to or entirely comprised in what mortals may suppose to be the only material, that is that which may be sensed by their five senses or some of them. What is of itself material is always material no matter what form it may assume, whether visible or invisible to mortals; and the larger portion of the material of the universe is in the invisible world, though subject to transformation into the visible, and re-transformation into the invisible, and the laws governing and controlling the material are the same, whether that material be to men visible and knowable or not.
This material has its quality of persistence after supposed death or destruction, although the form of its manifestation be changed; and from this you will see that he who is known as the materialist, with his supposed want of belief in immortality or the continuity of existence, is in error even as to the material world of which he assumes to have special knowledge, and being in error as to this, how can he claim to be right when he asserts that the purely spiritual has no possibility of continuity of existence or, as some understand, immortality.
Well, I have written enough, and feel that you will pardon my intrusion; but I also feel somewhat justified in writing as I have done. With best wishes. I am,
Your friend,
Francis Bacon
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Francis Bacon.
I have been with you tonight as you have read, and was somewhat interested in, what James Hyslop had to say in his article on Christianity and Spiritualism, and many things that he puts forth are true and explain very satisfactorily why many of the miracles, so-called, of the Bible may be believed.
As he says, they are not different in the nature of their operations, or in the exercise of the law that produced them, from the physical phenomena which are manifesting themselves at this time among the investigators of Spiritualism; and, if today, the same law in its force that was brought into operation by Jesus and the disciples could be called into operation, the same or similar phenomena would be produced. Of course, a great deal depends upon the medium and the amount of rapport that may be created by the communicating, or rather, operating spirit, for it must be understood that all the supposed miracles were the results of the work of spirits, who by reason of the harmony existing between themselves and the mortals, were able to call into operation the laws, which were necessary to produce the results called miracles.
At the present time, there may not be persons who have sufficient development of these psychic powers, which were possessed by Jesus and the others, to produce such phenomena as they produced; but there have been many mortals since his time sufficiently gifted with these powers to cause manifestations very similar to those of the primitive Christian times, especially as regards healing and the like; and today much healing is being performed by mortals, and which is attributed to various causes, such as mental healing and faith cures, but which is really due to the exercise of spirit powers by spirits whose duties are to perform that kind of work.
Mortals, of themselves, cannot bring into operation any of these laws, either of mind or soul, but are dependent upon the cooperation of spirits who use some of the properties possessed by these mortals to bring into exercise the laws, which only can produce the healing.
And here I desire to state, that it is not necessary that the mortal be of a highly spiritual development in order that the powers of the spirit world may effect and change the conditions of the material of earth for the laws which control the material are sufficient, ordinarily, to bring about the healing of the physical or mental diseases of men and, therefore, you will find many mediums, and others not recognized as mediums, having this power of healing.
The healing of the body and the healing of the soul require the workings of different laws, and while spirits not having very much soul development, may successfully cooperate with mortals in like condition, in healing bodily ills, yet such spirits are impotent to heal the diseased soul or the purely spiritual condition of men. But spirits who have the power to produce the latter healing, may also heal the body. And this you must know that no spirit who is not what may be called, physically whole or sound, can cause the healing of a physically diseased mortal, for power of this kind can be possessed by and proceed from only those spirits who in their material nature are perfectly healthy and sound. These spirits, while they have cast off the gross, physical material of the mortal, yet are still material so far as the spirit body and form, as the properties which compose the same are concerned.
The material of the universe is not confined to or entirely comprised in what mortals may suppose to be the only material, that is that which may be sensed by their five senses or some of them. What is of itself material is always material no matter what form it may assume, whether visible or invisible to mortals; and the larger portion of the material of the universe is in the invisible world, though subject to transformation into the visible, and re-transformation into the invisible, and the laws governing and controlling the material are the same, whether that material be to men visible and knowable or not.
This material has its quality of persistence after supposed death or destruction, although the form of its manifestation be changed; and from this you will see that he who is known as the materialist, with his supposed want of belief in immortality or the continuity of existence, is in error even as to the material world of which he assumes to have special knowledge, and being in error as to this, how can he claim to be right when he asserts that the purely spiritual has no possibility of continuity of existence or, as some understand, immortality.
Well, I have written enough, and feel that you will pardon my intrusion; but I also feel somewhat justified in writing as I have done. With best wishes. I am,
Your friend,
Francis Bacon
Monday, June 30, 2014
Jesus Writes the Reasons Why He Selected James E. Padgett to do the Work of Receiving the Messages
October 25, 1918
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
Well, my dear brother, time is passing and the necessity for the revealing is very apparent, as men are longing and waiting for that which will satisfy the natural cravings of their souls, and which the present religion called Christianity has not in it the qualities to satisfy.
I am pleased that you are in so much better condition, and that your Love is again becoming active and awakened and operating upon the qualities of your brain so that a rapport can be made, as recently explained to you by John in his message. And here I desire to impress upon you the necessity and desirability of your understanding thoroughly the truths set forth in that message, and of meditating upon the same and making a personal application of what is therein written.
I would like very much to deliver a message dealing with spiritual truth tonight, but do not think that your condition is such as will enable me to take possession of your brain and control the same that the qualities and truths of my message demands, and so I will not attempt to write the message, but, instead, will advise you somewhat upon the way in which you must think and act in order to perfect the condition which you must possess that the rapport may be made.
John has told you to pray often to the Father so that the Love may become more abundant and your soul become permeated with it, and to think thoughts of spiritual things, until by such thinking your brain may become, as it were, infused with these thoughts and thereby receive those qualities that will make its conditions similar to the conditions of the minds of the spirits who may wish to form a union with your brain and convey through it the truths that are waiting to be delivered.
And I confirm what John has written and, in addition, say that your praying must be more frequent so that the soul may be freed from the condition that the existence in it, of thoughts not spiritual, be established. You need not wait for occasions or opportunities to formally pray but all during the day and evening let your longings for the Love ascend to the Father. A long prayer, or even one formulated into words, is not necessary, as in order to have the longing it is not necessary that words should be used to give it form. The longing may be rapid as unformed thought, and as effective for the Father to catch, as I may say, the longing is quicker than the thought, and the answer to the same will come with as much certainty and Love as if you were to put the longing into the most exact form.
Prayers of this kind ascend to the Father and are heard and answered and, by a law of your relationship to the Father, affect the qualities of the brain in the way of preparing it for the union with the spiritual thoughts of the spirits who desire to write, as I have stated. Your thoughts of spiritual things or of the truths of the spirit world, as they have already been revealed to you, and especially those which pertain to the love and mercy of the Father, and to His will, in their passing and operating, also affect the qualities of the brain so as to produce the condition which is so necessary for our rapport.
It may be surprising to you that this condition is required in the brain of a human and also the development of the soul, which really produces the condition, in order that a rapport may be made so that the spiritual truths may be delivered; and, also, surprising that you have been selected from all the men on earth in whom this condition and development shall be made. And it may be more surprising to know that it is true.
There are certain qualities in your constitution, both spiritual and material, that render you susceptible to the influence of our powers and to the use by us for the purpose of our design and work, which determines one to choose you for the work in the way in which I and the other high spirits have heretofore used you, and it may seem strange to you that in all the long ages preceding, I have not found one human with the qualification to fit him for the work.
I have used others before, but they have failed to submit their minds and souls and beliefs and forethoughts to our influence and directions as you have so far done. Many humans have the qualified conditions of spiritual and material make up to perform our wishes and work, but as they all have free wills, which we cannot compel, and as circumstances and environments and education and beliefs are elements which affect and determine the possibility of our finding an instrument suitable for our purposes, we have not been able to find a medium who was qualified to be used for our work.
You, of course, understand that you were not selected because of any special goodness or freedom from sin, or because you were more beloved by the Father, or naturally, and I mean according to your course of living, by reason of any spiritual condition that you were in, for there were many superior to you in goodness and more in at-onement with the will of the Father, and whose love and the results therefrom, were more perfect than yours. So you will realize that you were not selected because of any special spiritual merits possessed by you.
As you have been told, all things in the spirit world, as well as on earth, are controlled by immutable laws, and all spirits as well as mortals are subject to those laws. The Law of Rapport and Communication must be complied with spirits, no matter how much elevated, and also by humans, and no spirit, by reason of the possession of any supposed power can set aside this law. But while spirits have not this power, yet they may have such knowledge of conditions that they can discern what qualities in the condition of a human are susceptible to the influence, and molding by the spirits, so that as a result thereof, the law may be brought into operation.
And this briefly will explain to you why I selected you as my medium and mouthpiece. For know this, that for a long time I have been endeavoring to influence and mold your mind and beliefs, so that your soul might become developed in such a way that conditions might be formed that would enable us to make a rapport that would permit of our controlling your brain to convey these messages of truth. You were naturally a medium and, for ordinary purposes, it was not difficult for the spirits to control and communicate through you the truths of the spirit world, which are not of a nature such as I and others have communicated in reference to the soul spheres and the relationship of God to man in the higher spiritual sense. As you read John's message you will the better understand what I intend to explain at this point.
There is another phase to all this, more personal to you, and this is that while we have been developing you for the purpose of doing our work and helping make effective our mission, your soul, as you, has been developed in its spiritual nature and you have become in closer union with the Father and have partaken to a large extent of His Love and, to a degree, been transformed into his essence, so that you have become a very different entity from what you were when your development for our purpose commenced; and, as a consequence, you will derive all the benefits that flow from an experience such as you have had.
You are now one of us in the progress towards the fountainhead of the Father's Love and have taken on a part of his immortality, and it depends only upon yourself how rapid your progress shall be towards a complete transformation such as spirits who are inhabitants of the Celestial Spheres possess. You need not wait until you come to the spirit world in order to make a rapid progression, although it will be more difficult for you to progress while in the flesh, as you understand, but wonderful progress may be made while in the flesh, and you have been told the secret of this progress.
And I will further say that you have a closer association with spirits that are nearer the Father and more possessed of His Essence and substance than have any humans of earth at this time. To you this may seem extravagant and improbable, but I declare to you that it is as true that I and many spirits who come to you and write are in the Celestial Spheres of God's immortality.
Well, I have written a long time and you are somewhat tired. Remember my advice and pray often and earnestly, if but for a moment, and the condition will be yours and we will come and continue our revealments.
With my love and blessing, I am, your brother and friend,
Jesus
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
Well, my dear brother, time is passing and the necessity for the revealing is very apparent, as men are longing and waiting for that which will satisfy the natural cravings of their souls, and which the present religion called Christianity has not in it the qualities to satisfy.
I am pleased that you are in so much better condition, and that your Love is again becoming active and awakened and operating upon the qualities of your brain so that a rapport can be made, as recently explained to you by John in his message. And here I desire to impress upon you the necessity and desirability of your understanding thoroughly the truths set forth in that message, and of meditating upon the same and making a personal application of what is therein written.
I would like very much to deliver a message dealing with spiritual truth tonight, but do not think that your condition is such as will enable me to take possession of your brain and control the same that the qualities and truths of my message demands, and so I will not attempt to write the message, but, instead, will advise you somewhat upon the way in which you must think and act in order to perfect the condition which you must possess that the rapport may be made.
John has told you to pray often to the Father so that the Love may become more abundant and your soul become permeated with it, and to think thoughts of spiritual things, until by such thinking your brain may become, as it were, infused with these thoughts and thereby receive those qualities that will make its conditions similar to the conditions of the minds of the spirits who may wish to form a union with your brain and convey through it the truths that are waiting to be delivered.
And I confirm what John has written and, in addition, say that your praying must be more frequent so that the soul may be freed from the condition that the existence in it, of thoughts not spiritual, be established. You need not wait for occasions or opportunities to formally pray but all during the day and evening let your longings for the Love ascend to the Father. A long prayer, or even one formulated into words, is not necessary, as in order to have the longing it is not necessary that words should be used to give it form. The longing may be rapid as unformed thought, and as effective for the Father to catch, as I may say, the longing is quicker than the thought, and the answer to the same will come with as much certainty and Love as if you were to put the longing into the most exact form.
Prayers of this kind ascend to the Father and are heard and answered and, by a law of your relationship to the Father, affect the qualities of the brain in the way of preparing it for the union with the spiritual thoughts of the spirits who desire to write, as I have stated. Your thoughts of spiritual things or of the truths of the spirit world, as they have already been revealed to you, and especially those which pertain to the love and mercy of the Father, and to His will, in their passing and operating, also affect the qualities of the brain so as to produce the condition which is so necessary for our rapport.
It may be surprising to you that this condition is required in the brain of a human and also the development of the soul, which really produces the condition, in order that a rapport may be made so that the spiritual truths may be delivered; and, also, surprising that you have been selected from all the men on earth in whom this condition and development shall be made. And it may be more surprising to know that it is true.
There are certain qualities in your constitution, both spiritual and material, that render you susceptible to the influence of our powers and to the use by us for the purpose of our design and work, which determines one to choose you for the work in the way in which I and the other high spirits have heretofore used you, and it may seem strange to you that in all the long ages preceding, I have not found one human with the qualification to fit him for the work.
I have used others before, but they have failed to submit their minds and souls and beliefs and forethoughts to our influence and directions as you have so far done. Many humans have the qualified conditions of spiritual and material make up to perform our wishes and work, but as they all have free wills, which we cannot compel, and as circumstances and environments and education and beliefs are elements which affect and determine the possibility of our finding an instrument suitable for our purposes, we have not been able to find a medium who was qualified to be used for our work.
You, of course, understand that you were not selected because of any special goodness or freedom from sin, or because you were more beloved by the Father, or naturally, and I mean according to your course of living, by reason of any spiritual condition that you were in, for there were many superior to you in goodness and more in at-onement with the will of the Father, and whose love and the results therefrom, were more perfect than yours. So you will realize that you were not selected because of any special spiritual merits possessed by you.
As you have been told, all things in the spirit world, as well as on earth, are controlled by immutable laws, and all spirits as well as mortals are subject to those laws. The Law of Rapport and Communication must be complied with spirits, no matter how much elevated, and also by humans, and no spirit, by reason of the possession of any supposed power can set aside this law. But while spirits have not this power, yet they may have such knowledge of conditions that they can discern what qualities in the condition of a human are susceptible to the influence, and molding by the spirits, so that as a result thereof, the law may be brought into operation.
And this briefly will explain to you why I selected you as my medium and mouthpiece. For know this, that for a long time I have been endeavoring to influence and mold your mind and beliefs, so that your soul might become developed in such a way that conditions might be formed that would enable us to make a rapport that would permit of our controlling your brain to convey these messages of truth. You were naturally a medium and, for ordinary purposes, it was not difficult for the spirits to control and communicate through you the truths of the spirit world, which are not of a nature such as I and others have communicated in reference to the soul spheres and the relationship of God to man in the higher spiritual sense. As you read John's message you will the better understand what I intend to explain at this point.
There is another phase to all this, more personal to you, and this is that while we have been developing you for the purpose of doing our work and helping make effective our mission, your soul, as you, has been developed in its spiritual nature and you have become in closer union with the Father and have partaken to a large extent of His Love and, to a degree, been transformed into his essence, so that you have become a very different entity from what you were when your development for our purpose commenced; and, as a consequence, you will derive all the benefits that flow from an experience such as you have had.
You are now one of us in the progress towards the fountainhead of the Father's Love and have taken on a part of his immortality, and it depends only upon yourself how rapid your progress shall be towards a complete transformation such as spirits who are inhabitants of the Celestial Spheres possess. You need not wait until you come to the spirit world in order to make a rapid progression, although it will be more difficult for you to progress while in the flesh, as you understand, but wonderful progress may be made while in the flesh, and you have been told the secret of this progress.
And I will further say that you have a closer association with spirits that are nearer the Father and more possessed of His Essence and substance than have any humans of earth at this time. To you this may seem extravagant and improbable, but I declare to you that it is as true that I and many spirits who come to you and write are in the Celestial Spheres of God's immortality.
Well, I have written a long time and you are somewhat tired. Remember my advice and pray often and earnestly, if but for a moment, and the condition will be yours and we will come and continue our revealments.
With my love and blessing, I am, your brother and friend,
Jesus
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Paul Writes About Spiritualism and the Importance of Embracing the Truth of the Way to Salvation
May 20, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Paul.
Well, my dear brother, I have not written for a long time, and I now will embrace the opportunity to say a few words. I do not intend to write a formal message, though I should like to do so, but conditions are not just right to enable me to write as I desire.
I have been present quite often when you were receiving messages from the other spirits and used my influence to make conditions favorable to your receiving these messages, and also to cause you to feel that there was surrounding you an atmosphere of Love and harmony that enabled you to enjoy not only the messages but the feelings of Love and benevolent influences that came to you.
While I have been listening tonight to your friend read extracts from the book and the comments that both made on the same, there was suggested to me a text upon which I will write, and that is the spirit and the spirit body as to their nature and creation. I know that you have received writings dealing more or less with this subject, but I desire to enter more into detail in order to show that the writer of the book is all wrong in his conception of these things. Of course, you will remember Jesus' message on "The Soul," and it will not be necessary for me to say anything about the soul; but you can read my message in connection with that message.
As Mark has just written you, it is a great pity that a man in the position of a teacher of spiritualism should not know more of the truth so that he may disclose it to those who may listen to him and have confidence in his knowledge. And it may be that at some time, you will have the opportunity to read both messages to him, and the result may be he will seek for the truth in the way that shall be pointed out and, when he does so in earnestness, he will find it and make his find a blessing to many with whom he may come in contact.
It is very unfortunate that a leader of this great truth of spiritualism - and it is a truth and one that will ultimately supersede the old religions whenever it comes into contact or association with people who think for themselves - should have such little knowledge of what a true understanding of it would enable them to teach. We spirits have for a long time endeavored to enlighten these leaders and at times have been able to impress upon them some of the vital truths; but these efforts have not been very successful until now, when we are to deliver our messages through your writings. But this endeavor will become more and more earnest or successful in the future, and many of these people who are anxious to learn the true religion and are waiting only for some authoritative source will learn, and among them will be many leaders of what is now called Spiritualism.
The work is one that must become world-wide in its results, for the soul of every man on earth, no matter where he may be, is worthy to be saved; and, as you know, if the start towards regeneration can be made on earth, the progression in the spirit world will be so much more rapid. I know that the spread of the truth will take much time, but when the commencement is made the progress will become more rapid.
I do not think that I should write more tonight and will only add that the evangelization must start very soon, and those who work to start the truth on its way to the knowledge of men must put all their energies and love into the work. You know that now there are very few - only three (James E. Padgett, Dr. Leslie R. Stone and Eugene Morgan) who have any conception of the truth and what the plan is for the making known of these truths to the world. Yet Christianity was started by only one besides the Master, I mean John the Baptist, and he, as I must tell you, did not have the knowledge of the truth as you three have this day, and did not have behind him the power of the Celestial Heavens, as you have. His mission was performed and Christianity would have been a success if its truths had not become lost and perished by the acts of men who did not have in their souls the Love that has been given to you. The truths perished, and men perished as far as their souls' salvation was concerned, to a large extent.
But now these truths will not perish because they will be presented in living type, and no copying or recopying will be needed, and no addition will be made to, or anything taken away from the writings of the spirits who are now engaged in formulating these truths. It will not be a failure this time, and the way to the Kingdom of God in the Celestial Heavens will be made plain and no man will have an excuse for not walking therein. And those who do not will have a greater penalty to pay than was required of the Jews and pagans who lived in the time of Jesus, or who have lived since that time; for with increased opportunity to learn the truth will come increased obligations, and the one who neglects will have that lost opportunity as a part of his consciousness, and this may be even after he becomes the perfect man, for I tell you here that the memory of man lasts even when the highest perfection is reached, as to those things which it is not necessary for him to lose in order for him to become the perfect man.
Well, you are tired, and I will not write more. So, with my love to yourself and your friend, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Paul.
Well, my dear brother, I have not written for a long time, and I now will embrace the opportunity to say a few words. I do not intend to write a formal message, though I should like to do so, but conditions are not just right to enable me to write as I desire.
I have been present quite often when you were receiving messages from the other spirits and used my influence to make conditions favorable to your receiving these messages, and also to cause you to feel that there was surrounding you an atmosphere of Love and harmony that enabled you to enjoy not only the messages but the feelings of Love and benevolent influences that came to you.
While I have been listening tonight to your friend read extracts from the book and the comments that both made on the same, there was suggested to me a text upon which I will write, and that is the spirit and the spirit body as to their nature and creation. I know that you have received writings dealing more or less with this subject, but I desire to enter more into detail in order to show that the writer of the book is all wrong in his conception of these things. Of course, you will remember Jesus' message on "The Soul," and it will not be necessary for me to say anything about the soul; but you can read my message in connection with that message.
As Mark has just written you, it is a great pity that a man in the position of a teacher of spiritualism should not know more of the truth so that he may disclose it to those who may listen to him and have confidence in his knowledge. And it may be that at some time, you will have the opportunity to read both messages to him, and the result may be he will seek for the truth in the way that shall be pointed out and, when he does so in earnestness, he will find it and make his find a blessing to many with whom he may come in contact.
It is very unfortunate that a leader of this great truth of spiritualism - and it is a truth and one that will ultimately supersede the old religions whenever it comes into contact or association with people who think for themselves - should have such little knowledge of what a true understanding of it would enable them to teach. We spirits have for a long time endeavored to enlighten these leaders and at times have been able to impress upon them some of the vital truths; but these efforts have not been very successful until now, when we are to deliver our messages through your writings. But this endeavor will become more and more earnest or successful in the future, and many of these people who are anxious to learn the true religion and are waiting only for some authoritative source will learn, and among them will be many leaders of what is now called Spiritualism.
The work is one that must become world-wide in its results, for the soul of every man on earth, no matter where he may be, is worthy to be saved; and, as you know, if the start towards regeneration can be made on earth, the progression in the spirit world will be so much more rapid. I know that the spread of the truth will take much time, but when the commencement is made the progress will become more rapid.
I do not think that I should write more tonight and will only add that the evangelization must start very soon, and those who work to start the truth on its way to the knowledge of men must put all their energies and love into the work. You know that now there are very few - only three (James E. Padgett, Dr. Leslie R. Stone and Eugene Morgan) who have any conception of the truth and what the plan is for the making known of these truths to the world. Yet Christianity was started by only one besides the Master, I mean John the Baptist, and he, as I must tell you, did not have the knowledge of the truth as you three have this day, and did not have behind him the power of the Celestial Heavens, as you have. His mission was performed and Christianity would have been a success if its truths had not become lost and perished by the acts of men who did not have in their souls the Love that has been given to you. The truths perished, and men perished as far as their souls' salvation was concerned, to a large extent.
But now these truths will not perish because they will be presented in living type, and no copying or recopying will be needed, and no addition will be made to, or anything taken away from the writings of the spirits who are now engaged in formulating these truths. It will not be a failure this time, and the way to the Kingdom of God in the Celestial Heavens will be made plain and no man will have an excuse for not walking therein. And those who do not will have a greater penalty to pay than was required of the Jews and pagans who lived in the time of Jesus, or who have lived since that time; for with increased opportunity to learn the truth will come increased obligations, and the one who neglects will have that lost opportunity as a part of his consciousness, and this may be even after he becomes the perfect man, for I tell you here that the memory of man lasts even when the highest perfection is reached, as to those things which it is not necessary for him to lose in order for him to become the perfect man.
Well, you are tired, and I will not write more. So, with my love to yourself and your friend, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
Monday, July 15, 2013
Robert G. Ingersoll Writes That He Has Progressed to the Third Sphere
April 24, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll.
I come tonight to tell you of my progress since last I wrote you. You will remember that I had declared to you my conversion to Christianity - I mean the true Christianity of Jesus and to the faith in the Divine Love of the Father. Since then I have been praying and seeking for this love and the faith that comes with it, and now I have progressed so that I am in the Third Sphere, where I find such beauty and happiness as I never conceived of on earth or since coming to the spirit world.
Now I know what was meant by Jesus when he said, "In my Father's house are many mansions," for I have one that is very beautiful and grand, filled with everything to make me happy and to satisfy my heart's longings. Of books, I have so many that I cannot find time to read them; and all the appointments of my home are so very beautiful and satisfying to the eye, as well as comfortable for its occupancy; but above and beyond all, is the happiness that comes from the possession of this Divine Love of the Father, which to me is the most wonderful revelation and reality in all my experience, either on earth or in the spirit world.
I now think with regret of my years of erroneous teachings on earth, and of my failure to seek for and know, at least partly, the great truths of a continuous life and the existence of God; and when I contrast my beliefs then and my knowledge now, my happiness then and my happiness now, I realize that as a mortal I was very ignorant and very unhappy. I know that Jesus is the way to immortality and life everlasting and to the true and always increasing happiness, and that the followers of his teachings of the Father's truths will never be disappointed in their expectations.
My work now is to help those mortals, and spirits as well, who read and believe my books, and as a consequence lose the opportunity for learning the truths and the way to the Father's Love; and very many of my followers live on earth and many have become spirits. I search for them, and when I find them I tell them of my great mistakes and try to turn their thoughts to the true way to become redeemed children of God. My work is continuous, and sometimes disappointing, for when I come to some spirits and attempt to tell them of my new beliefs and knowledge of myself being mistaken, they wonder why may it not be that I am equally mistaken in my new beliefs; and the result is that I find it difficult to convince some of them of the truths that I attempt to teach them.
But as I sowed the seeds of the pernicious and false beliefs when a mortal, now I am bound to root up these seeds and plant in their places the seeds of truth. And I can't tell you how much happiness I experience when one of these deluded followers of mine discards the old beliefs and accepts my new teachings, and how unhappy I am when they tell me that, as they believed what I taught them on earth and were satisfied, so now in the spirit, they prefer the same belief and are satisfied. And as they stay in this condition of belief, they remain in darkness and unhappiness and, I, knowing that I am the cause of their darkness and unhappiness, am also unhappy and always in search of some one of these who will accept my teachings of truth. And thus I fully realize the meaning of "What a man sows that shall he also reap."
But this is my work, and you must know that it is self-imposed, for I see that until I have removed the evils by me taught and engendered, I cannot be so happy and progress as rapidly as I desire. And I want further to say that when I succeed in convincing any of my followers of the truth, I enlist them in my cause of correction and they work with me, for no spirit so well understands the meaning of error as he who once indulged in that same error, as I most assuredly did.
I will not write longer tonight, except to say to all who have heard of me and have read my books and imbibed my beliefs, that I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus the Christ, and a believer, with knowledge, in the Divine Love of the Father. Yes, when I told you that, I actually believed what I said, and really felt sorry for your ignorance; but I want now to assure you with gratitude that that conversation was the means of starting me in the progress to a knowledge of the truth and the gaining of this Divine Love. Oh, I was very ignorant, and with it I now realize there was much pride in my own opinion, for I thought that my reasoning powers and my research in things of the religious past had given me a knowledge that could not be gainsaid or overcome. So my brother, you now see that truth is truth, and that no matter whether mortals learn it or understand it, or not, it is still the truth and never changes. Thanking you for your kindness, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
R. G. Ingersoll
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll.
I come tonight to tell you of my progress since last I wrote you. You will remember that I had declared to you my conversion to Christianity - I mean the true Christianity of Jesus and to the faith in the Divine Love of the Father. Since then I have been praying and seeking for this love and the faith that comes with it, and now I have progressed so that I am in the Third Sphere, where I find such beauty and happiness as I never conceived of on earth or since coming to the spirit world.
Now I know what was meant by Jesus when he said, "In my Father's house are many mansions," for I have one that is very beautiful and grand, filled with everything to make me happy and to satisfy my heart's longings. Of books, I have so many that I cannot find time to read them; and all the appointments of my home are so very beautiful and satisfying to the eye, as well as comfortable for its occupancy; but above and beyond all, is the happiness that comes from the possession of this Divine Love of the Father, which to me is the most wonderful revelation and reality in all my experience, either on earth or in the spirit world.
I now think with regret of my years of erroneous teachings on earth, and of my failure to seek for and know, at least partly, the great truths of a continuous life and the existence of God; and when I contrast my beliefs then and my knowledge now, my happiness then and my happiness now, I realize that as a mortal I was very ignorant and very unhappy. I know that Jesus is the way to immortality and life everlasting and to the true and always increasing happiness, and that the followers of his teachings of the Father's truths will never be disappointed in their expectations.
My work now is to help those mortals, and spirits as well, who read and believe my books, and as a consequence lose the opportunity for learning the truths and the way to the Father's Love; and very many of my followers live on earth and many have become spirits. I search for them, and when I find them I tell them of my great mistakes and try to turn their thoughts to the true way to become redeemed children of God. My work is continuous, and sometimes disappointing, for when I come to some spirits and attempt to tell them of my new beliefs and knowledge of myself being mistaken, they wonder why may it not be that I am equally mistaken in my new beliefs; and the result is that I find it difficult to convince some of them of the truths that I attempt to teach them.
But as I sowed the seeds of the pernicious and false beliefs when a mortal, now I am bound to root up these seeds and plant in their places the seeds of truth. And I can't tell you how much happiness I experience when one of these deluded followers of mine discards the old beliefs and accepts my new teachings, and how unhappy I am when they tell me that, as they believed what I taught them on earth and were satisfied, so now in the spirit, they prefer the same belief and are satisfied. And as they stay in this condition of belief, they remain in darkness and unhappiness and, I, knowing that I am the cause of their darkness and unhappiness, am also unhappy and always in search of some one of these who will accept my teachings of truth. And thus I fully realize the meaning of "What a man sows that shall he also reap."
But this is my work, and you must know that it is self-imposed, for I see that until I have removed the evils by me taught and engendered, I cannot be so happy and progress as rapidly as I desire. And I want further to say that when I succeed in convincing any of my followers of the truth, I enlist them in my cause of correction and they work with me, for no spirit so well understands the meaning of error as he who once indulged in that same error, as I most assuredly did.
I will not write longer tonight, except to say to all who have heard of me and have read my books and imbibed my beliefs, that I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus the Christ, and a believer, with knowledge, in the Divine Love of the Father. Yes, when I told you that, I actually believed what I said, and really felt sorry for your ignorance; but I want now to assure you with gratitude that that conversation was the means of starting me in the progress to a knowledge of the truth and the gaining of this Divine Love. Oh, I was very ignorant, and with it I now realize there was much pride in my own opinion, for I thought that my reasoning powers and my research in things of the religious past had given me a knowledge that could not be gainsaid or overcome. So my brother, you now see that truth is truth, and that no matter whether mortals learn it or understand it, or not, it is still the truth and never changes. Thanking you for your kindness, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
R. G. Ingersoll
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
John Yorking Writes About His Knowledge of the True Teachings of Jesus When on Earth
February 19, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, the spirit of one who died a great many years ago in a far distant country, and when the truths of Christianity were known and practiced by the followers of the Master in the purity in which he taught them. I was a disciple of his but I am not known to history and like a great many others who lived in those days, I worked in a humble way among the poor and simple of the earth. My work was mostly in the country outlying, but close to Palestine, and I was one who received from the spirit world the communications of those spirits who had lived on earth as Christians; and these communications were received in our public worship and interpreted or made plain to the common people by those teachers who had the gift of interpretation.
It was such communications as these that John referred to when he advised us to try the spirits to learn whether they were of God; or in other words, to learn whether they were spirits who had a knowledge of the Christ doctrines, and who came to teach us the truths as they saw them to exist in the spirit world, and who were followers of the Master.
I know that Jesus taught the New Birth and the Divine Love, and the re-bestowal of the great gift which had been forfeited by our first parents at the time of their disobedience.
I also know that he never taught us to look upon him as God, or that any death that he might die would save us from our sins or bring us in at-onement with the Father, or that the Father demanded any sacrifice in order to satisfy his wrath or pay any debt that man might owe to Him. No, the things last mentioned were not embraced in our faith or understanding of what the truths of the Master's teachings were.
We also had the wonderful powers which Jesus possessed in the way of healing, casting out evil spirits, etc., and we never looked upon them as miracles, but as the result of the exercise of the powers which came to us when we received the Divine Love and had the faith which made this Love and all that accompanied it, things of real existence.
Jesus was always the man of love and mercy and benevolence, and never tired of his great work of doing good to the mortal; but these works were merely subordinate to the other great mission that he performed.
Above everything else, he was a teacher of the Father's Love, and the necessity of man's receiving this Love in order to become at-one with the Father, and an accepted child, whose inheritance was immortality and Heaven. So you can readily see what a departure there has been from our teachings and faith and practices, and the lives of simple followers of the Master.
Now I see that belief in the dogmas of the church and mysticisms of God are what constitutes the Christian, and soul development is little preached, or really understood, either by preacher or people; and the real secret of man's salvation has been lost to the world.
I am now in the high Celestial Spheres, where the Love of the Father is most abundant, and the spirits of men live in eternal happiness with the knowledge that immortality is theirs.
I will not write more tonight, as it is late and you are tired. But before I stop, permit me to say, that you are receiving the revelation of the true religion of Jesus, as well as truths which pertain to the condition and existence of the spiritual world and the Celestial Heavens.
So with my love and blessings I am,
Your brother in Christ,
John, the lowly follower of the Master
John Yorking (I was a Jew.)
**********
Helen Comments on the Preceding Spirit.
I am here, your true Helen.
I will write only a line, as it is very late. I never saw him before, but he was from the Celestial Spheres, for he was a wonderfully bright and developed spirit, and had the Love shining forth from his countenance to a wonderful degree. I have no doubt that he is whom he represented himself to be. Good night.
Your own true and loving
Helen
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, the spirit of one who died a great many years ago in a far distant country, and when the truths of Christianity were known and practiced by the followers of the Master in the purity in which he taught them. I was a disciple of his but I am not known to history and like a great many others who lived in those days, I worked in a humble way among the poor and simple of the earth. My work was mostly in the country outlying, but close to Palestine, and I was one who received from the spirit world the communications of those spirits who had lived on earth as Christians; and these communications were received in our public worship and interpreted or made plain to the common people by those teachers who had the gift of interpretation.
It was such communications as these that John referred to when he advised us to try the spirits to learn whether they were of God; or in other words, to learn whether they were spirits who had a knowledge of the Christ doctrines, and who came to teach us the truths as they saw them to exist in the spirit world, and who were followers of the Master.
I know that Jesus taught the New Birth and the Divine Love, and the re-bestowal of the great gift which had been forfeited by our first parents at the time of their disobedience.
I also know that he never taught us to look upon him as God, or that any death that he might die would save us from our sins or bring us in at-onement with the Father, or that the Father demanded any sacrifice in order to satisfy his wrath or pay any debt that man might owe to Him. No, the things last mentioned were not embraced in our faith or understanding of what the truths of the Master's teachings were.
We also had the wonderful powers which Jesus possessed in the way of healing, casting out evil spirits, etc., and we never looked upon them as miracles, but as the result of the exercise of the powers which came to us when we received the Divine Love and had the faith which made this Love and all that accompanied it, things of real existence.
Jesus was always the man of love and mercy and benevolence, and never tired of his great work of doing good to the mortal; but these works were merely subordinate to the other great mission that he performed.
Above everything else, he was a teacher of the Father's Love, and the necessity of man's receiving this Love in order to become at-one with the Father, and an accepted child, whose inheritance was immortality and Heaven. So you can readily see what a departure there has been from our teachings and faith and practices, and the lives of simple followers of the Master.
Now I see that belief in the dogmas of the church and mysticisms of God are what constitutes the Christian, and soul development is little preached, or really understood, either by preacher or people; and the real secret of man's salvation has been lost to the world.
I am now in the high Celestial Spheres, where the Love of the Father is most abundant, and the spirits of men live in eternal happiness with the knowledge that immortality is theirs.
I will not write more tonight, as it is late and you are tired. But before I stop, permit me to say, that you are receiving the revelation of the true religion of Jesus, as well as truths which pertain to the condition and existence of the spiritual world and the Celestial Heavens.
So with my love and blessings I am,
Your brother in Christ,
John, the lowly follower of the Master
John Yorking (I was a Jew.)
**********
Helen Comments on the Preceding Spirit.
I am here, your true Helen.
I will write only a line, as it is very late. I never saw him before, but he was from the Celestial Spheres, for he was a wonderfully bright and developed spirit, and had the Love shining forth from his countenance to a wonderful degree. I have no doubt that he is whom he represented himself to be. Good night.
Your own true and loving
Helen
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Robert G. Ingersoll Writes About His Progress Since Obtaining the Divine Love of the Father
February 18, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll.
Well, my friend, I come tonight to say a few words, for I have been very anxious to take advantage of your kindness and communicate a few thoughts that have come as the result of my progress here in matters spiritual. As I told you in my last communication, I am a thoroughly convinced spirit as to the truths of Christianity as taught by the Master - not as set forth in the Bible, but as I have been instructed by him and your grandmother,* and other bright spirits, since I have had my understanding and soul opened to these great truths.
I have progressed very much since I last wrote you and have received into my soul a wonderful abundance of this Divine Love of the Father, which you first called to my attention when I thought that you were a foolish and deceived man. But I now know that you were not foolish, nor deceived, for this Divine Love is a real, existing thing, and is obtainable by all God's children, whether on earth or in the spirit world, who may seek for it in the way that the Master teachers.
My mind, as well as my soul, has opened up to the truth of these teachings, and I now realize that I was in great darkness on earth in my own beliefs and teachings, and that man is not of himself sufficient to bring about his own salvation, but must seek for and believe that his salvation is dependent very largely upon the help that will come to him from the spirit world. I mean, that such help is necessary whether he seeks the Divine Love of the Father or only the purification of his natural love and the happiness that will arise therefrom.
Of course, man's own will and desires are important factors in obtaining this salvation, and he may go on for his whole mortal life, and for a long time after he comes into the spirit world, and never obtain this salvation unless he realizes the fact that he needs this outside help and that it is ready and open to him for the seeking.
I know that many may be astonished and refuse to believe that I am now in this condition of belief; but as I when on earth sought only for the truth, so when I came to the spirit world, I sought for the truth, and when I found it, as I have, I believed and accepted it and made it a part of my faith with the result that I am now convinced beyond all doubt that I am the possessor of a knowledge that has its foundation in truth which never changes.
I am in the earth plane yet, but in a very bright and beautiful location and free from the darkness and sufferings that I first endured when I came to the spirit world.
Life is a thing that is lived on earth only for a short time, and man is given the opportunity to make of it the great means of his salvation and progress to the higher spheres of light and happiness and immortality that those bright spirits tell me of; and when men fail to make the most of the opportunity which the mortal life affords, then they lose that which, when they become spirits, would help them beyond all conception to progress to the higher realms. I know that in the case of many thinking men, as in my own case, it is impossible for them to believe the teachings and dogmas of the churches and the interpretations and even many of the precepts of the Bible and, as a consequence, men turn entirely away from these things, though there are many truths in the Bible, and become seekers of knowledge which science and their own reasoning powers afford them.
But the trouble here is that science does not teach things spiritual and their reasoning powers must be based very largely upon what their senses tell them to be true; and these senses can only learn what naturally comes to them, which necessarily is of the material. As a consequence, men discard entirely all things spiritual which they cannot understand and thus render impossible any development of their soul qualities, except that they do realize the great qualities of their natural love and, in many cases, develop it and in that way gain a progress that does help them in their condition of light and happiness both on earth and here.
Well, as you suggest that you are tired, I will stop, but will soon come and finish my communication. Yes, and I am glad that you feel that way about it. You have many spirits here who desire to write and some of them are such elevated and wise spirits that I feel that their writings will benefit you more than mine.
Yes, I am with her quite often, and she is a wonderful spirit in love and wisdom and has such deep and wondrous knowledge of God and His Love. I almost adore her and feel that if I had not met her, I probably would not be where I now am. I tell you, I am thankful that I came to you that night.
Yes, I see your wife quite frequently and she is a wonderfully beautiful and happy spirit, and makes so many other spirits happy by her goodness and help. She is a very positive spirit as well and she lets nothing stand in the way of her work and mission.
So, my dear friend, I will say good night and God bless you.
R.G. Ingersoll
*Ann Rollins
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll. Well, my friend, I come tonight to say a few words, for I have been very anxious to take advantage of your kindness and communicate a few thoughts that have come as the result of my progress here in matters spiritual. As I told you in my last communication, I am a thoroughly convinced spirit as to the truths of Christianity as taught by the Master - not as set forth in the Bible, but as I have been instructed by him and your grandmother,* and other bright spirits, since I have had my understanding and soul opened to these great truths.
I have progressed very much since I last wrote you and have received into my soul a wonderful abundance of this Divine Love of the Father, which you first called to my attention when I thought that you were a foolish and deceived man. But I now know that you were not foolish, nor deceived, for this Divine Love is a real, existing thing, and is obtainable by all God's children, whether on earth or in the spirit world, who may seek for it in the way that the Master teachers.
My mind, as well as my soul, has opened up to the truth of these teachings, and I now realize that I was in great darkness on earth in my own beliefs and teachings, and that man is not of himself sufficient to bring about his own salvation, but must seek for and believe that his salvation is dependent very largely upon the help that will come to him from the spirit world. I mean, that such help is necessary whether he seeks the Divine Love of the Father or only the purification of his natural love and the happiness that will arise therefrom.
Of course, man's own will and desires are important factors in obtaining this salvation, and he may go on for his whole mortal life, and for a long time after he comes into the spirit world, and never obtain this salvation unless he realizes the fact that he needs this outside help and that it is ready and open to him for the seeking.
I know that many may be astonished and refuse to believe that I am now in this condition of belief; but as I when on earth sought only for the truth, so when I came to the spirit world, I sought for the truth, and when I found it, as I have, I believed and accepted it and made it a part of my faith with the result that I am now convinced beyond all doubt that I am the possessor of a knowledge that has its foundation in truth which never changes.
I am in the earth plane yet, but in a very bright and beautiful location and free from the darkness and sufferings that I first endured when I came to the spirit world.
Life is a thing that is lived on earth only for a short time, and man is given the opportunity to make of it the great means of his salvation and progress to the higher spheres of light and happiness and immortality that those bright spirits tell me of; and when men fail to make the most of the opportunity which the mortal life affords, then they lose that which, when they become spirits, would help them beyond all conception to progress to the higher realms. I know that in the case of many thinking men, as in my own case, it is impossible for them to believe the teachings and dogmas of the churches and the interpretations and even many of the precepts of the Bible and, as a consequence, men turn entirely away from these things, though there are many truths in the Bible, and become seekers of knowledge which science and their own reasoning powers afford them.
But the trouble here is that science does not teach things spiritual and their reasoning powers must be based very largely upon what their senses tell them to be true; and these senses can only learn what naturally comes to them, which necessarily is of the material. As a consequence, men discard entirely all things spiritual which they cannot understand and thus render impossible any development of their soul qualities, except that they do realize the great qualities of their natural love and, in many cases, develop it and in that way gain a progress that does help them in their condition of light and happiness both on earth and here.
Well, as you suggest that you are tired, I will stop, but will soon come and finish my communication. Yes, and I am glad that you feel that way about it. You have many spirits here who desire to write and some of them are such elevated and wise spirits that I feel that their writings will benefit you more than mine.
Yes, I am with her quite often, and she is a wonderful spirit in love and wisdom and has such deep and wondrous knowledge of God and His Love. I almost adore her and feel that if I had not met her, I probably would not be where I now am. I tell you, I am thankful that I came to you that night.
Yes, I see your wife quite frequently and she is a wonderfully beautiful and happy spirit, and makes so many other spirits happy by her goodness and help. She is a very positive spirit as well and she lets nothing stand in the way of her work and mission.
So, my dear friend, I will say good night and God bless you.
R.G. Ingersoll
*Ann Rollins
Saturday, May 11, 2013
St. Paul Writes Further About the Truth of the Resurrection that Jesus Taught
February 8, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Paul, of the New Testament.
I desire to continue my message tonight. As I said in closing my last writing, there is a resurrection that is vital to the salvation of men, which Jesus taught and which, after the death of his followers and believers of the early centuries, the knowledge of was lost to the world and to those who assumed to teach the doctrines of the resurrection that he came to declare and teach.
You and all mankind must know that the resurrection which is the foundation stone of Christianity is a resurrection from the dead and not from the mere existence of a man as a spirit in the physical body on earth, and not as a resurrection of the soul from its environments and limitations that the earth life placed upon it.
Then what is the resurrection that Jesus referred to when he said: "I am the resurrection and the life"?
Now in order to understand this resurrection, it is necessary to understand what is meant by the death of man, that is the real man - the ego, - that part of him in which the breath of life exists, no matter whether he is of the physical or the spiritual.
As has been explained to you elsewhere when man was created, his creation was of the physical body, the spiritual body and the soul and, in addition, the most important part of his creation - the potentiality of becoming so at-one with the Father in His nature and certain of His attributes that he, man, would become so possessed of some of the Divine Essence of the Father and a portion of His Divinity that would cause him to be immortal, so that death could never deprive him of his existence; and not only that, but he would realize the consciousness of his immortality.
This potentiality then was a part of his creation and, as we have explained elsewhere, the only part of his creation that died as the result of his disobedience; for it is very apparent from the mere knowledge that man has, or may have, from the ordinary investigation of the qualities of his being, and from the truths of psychical research of modern days, as well as from the understanding of the many instances related in the Bible of the appearance of departed spirits on earth and the manifestations of their existence, and also from the many occurrences of the appearances of spirits related in what is called secular history, that the soul and spirit body of man never died, and that his physical body lived for many years after the day on which the sentence, because of his disobedience, announced that he should die. And as I have said, this mortal body - not man - but merely the vesture of covering for the real man.
This potentiality then being the only part of the created man that died, and as Jesus' mission was to teach the resurrection of man from the dead, it necessarily follows that the only thing that was intended to be resurrected was this potentiality of becoming a part of God's Divinity. This is the only real and true resurrection, and upon this resurrection must rest the faith and truth of Christianity - and by Christianity, I mean religion which is based upon the true teachings of Jesus the Christ.
There are contained in the Bible some things which, if properly understood, would show to man that no resurrection of the body was intended as the thing which Jesus came to earth to declare and teach.
When he said, "I am the resurrection and the life," he did not say or mean, wait until I die and then I will become the resurrection; or when you see me ascend to Heaven, then will I become the resurrection and you will know it; but his declarations, not only in the instance mentioned but at all times, were that he was the resurrection while living. And these declarations did not refer to the man Jesus, or to any disposition that he might make of his body, either physical or spiritual, or to any apparent ascension of his physical body, which never took place, or to any ascension of his spiritual body which did occur. In these particulars, he was essentially no more or different from other men that had died or should die.
But the meaning of his saying and his mission were that, as by man's disobedience, there had occurred the death of the possibility of his becoming at-one with the Father and partaking of his Divine Nature, and as that possibility had never been restored to man in all the intervening years, and man had remained in this condition of death during all the long centuries, if man would only believe in him as the true Christ and in his teachings as to the re-bestowal of this great privilege of again becoming at-one with the Father and of obtaining immortality and would follow his advice as to the way in which man could realize the benefits of this great privilege, then he would become conscious that Jesus was the resurrection from the dead. Not Jesus the man or teacher or the chosen and anointed one of the Father, but Jesus the impersonation of the truths which he proclaimed as to the re-bestowal of the great gift. Only in this way was Jesus the resurrection and the life.
He, himself, had received the great gift and realized his at-onement and the consciousness of his immortality and the possession of the Divine Nature and knew that he had been lifted from death into life and, therefore, if men would believe his teachings as to the resurrection these teachings, and not the man Jesus or even the fact that he had been resurrected, would draw all men unto him, that is, into the condition of life and consciousness that he possessed.
Then the resurrection that Jesus promised to man was the resurrection of this great potentiality which he had lost at the time of the first disobedience and which had never been restored until the coming of Jesus.
Now let it not be misunderstood as to what was meant by this resurrection. As I have said, after men were deprived of this potentiality they were in a condition of death and it was not possible for them to get out of this condition. They were possessed of only what is called their natural love without any possibility of obtaining the Divine Love, which was necessary in order to give them any portion of the Divine Nature and a consciousness of immortality. When the great potentiality, which was as to them as if it had never existed, was re-bestowed, then men were again placed in the position of the first man before his fall and were no longer actually dead, but were possessed of this potentiality to become that which had been forfeited by the first parents.
But as we have told you, the gift of this potentiality was not of itself the bestowal upon man of those qualities which such potentiality merely made it possible for them to acquire by aspiration and effort. Before this re-bestowal, men could not by any aspirations or efforts on their part obtain the conditions and qualities which this potentiality made possible, no matter how great the effort might be; as to them men were simply and absolutely dead. After the re-bestowal, the impossibility - which this death had imposed - was removed, and then men received, not the full fruition of what was possible to obtain because of such re-bestowal, but the privilege of arising from death to life of the resurrection from death to the glories of immortal life.
And while this privilege had become a part of man's possession, yet, if he had remained without consciousness of that fact, he would, in effect, have remained in his condition of death and have never received the benefit of the re-bestowal of the great gift. So to reveal to man the vital truth, Jesus taught and demonstrated in his own life the possession of those qualities that became his because of the existence of the gift.
And he also taught while men had the privilege spoken of, yet, unless they sought for and prayed to the Father in sincerity for the gift of His Divine Love the potentiality, which had been bestowed upon them, would not bring to them the resurrection from the dead, and they would continue in their lives as mortals and as inhabitants of the spirit world, as if they were still under the doom of death.
I may here state that this potentiality, which was lost by the disobedience of the first parents and was re-bestowed by the Father and revealed by Jesus to mankind, was the privilege of receiving and possessing the Divine Love of the Father which, when possessed, would give to man certain qualities of divinity and immortality.
So the resurrection from the dead, that the master taught and which is the one foundation of the Christian faith, arise from the fact that God re-bestowed upon mankind the privilege of seeking for and receiving His Divine Love which would make the mortal one with Him and Immortal; and upon the further fact that man must, in order to obtain the resurrection, seek and find this Divine Love and thereby become a child of the true resurrection - a resurrection that was never known to prophet or seer or reformer or teachers of faiths, no matter how excellent their moral teachings and private lives may have been before the coming of Jesus.
Truly he was the Resurrection and the Life and I, Paul, who am the recipient of this resurrection and know whereof I speak and have knowledge of the fact that those inhabitants of the spirit world who have never received this resurrection are still in a condition of death so far as obtaining the Divine Love of the Father and the consciousness of immortality are concerned, and so I declare unto you what I have attempted to describe as the resurrection from the dead is the True Resurrection.
I will stop, as I have written a long time. So my dear brother, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Paul, of the New Testament.
I desire to continue my message tonight. As I said in closing my last writing, there is a resurrection that is vital to the salvation of men, which Jesus taught and which, after the death of his followers and believers of the early centuries, the knowledge of was lost to the world and to those who assumed to teach the doctrines of the resurrection that he came to declare and teach.
You and all mankind must know that the resurrection which is the foundation stone of Christianity is a resurrection from the dead and not from the mere existence of a man as a spirit in the physical body on earth, and not as a resurrection of the soul from its environments and limitations that the earth life placed upon it.
Then what is the resurrection that Jesus referred to when he said: "I am the resurrection and the life"?
Now in order to understand this resurrection, it is necessary to understand what is meant by the death of man, that is the real man - the ego, - that part of him in which the breath of life exists, no matter whether he is of the physical or the spiritual.
As has been explained to you elsewhere when man was created, his creation was of the physical body, the spiritual body and the soul and, in addition, the most important part of his creation - the potentiality of becoming so at-one with the Father in His nature and certain of His attributes that he, man, would become so possessed of some of the Divine Essence of the Father and a portion of His Divinity that would cause him to be immortal, so that death could never deprive him of his existence; and not only that, but he would realize the consciousness of his immortality.
This potentiality then was a part of his creation and, as we have explained elsewhere, the only part of his creation that died as the result of his disobedience; for it is very apparent from the mere knowledge that man has, or may have, from the ordinary investigation of the qualities of his being, and from the truths of psychical research of modern days, as well as from the understanding of the many instances related in the Bible of the appearance of departed spirits on earth and the manifestations of their existence, and also from the many occurrences of the appearances of spirits related in what is called secular history, that the soul and spirit body of man never died, and that his physical body lived for many years after the day on which the sentence, because of his disobedience, announced that he should die. And as I have said, this mortal body - not man - but merely the vesture of covering for the real man.
This potentiality then being the only part of the created man that died, and as Jesus' mission was to teach the resurrection of man from the dead, it necessarily follows that the only thing that was intended to be resurrected was this potentiality of becoming a part of God's Divinity. This is the only real and true resurrection, and upon this resurrection must rest the faith and truth of Christianity - and by Christianity, I mean religion which is based upon the true teachings of Jesus the Christ.
There are contained in the Bible some things which, if properly understood, would show to man that no resurrection of the body was intended as the thing which Jesus came to earth to declare and teach.
When he said, "I am the resurrection and the life," he did not say or mean, wait until I die and then I will become the resurrection; or when you see me ascend to Heaven, then will I become the resurrection and you will know it; but his declarations, not only in the instance mentioned but at all times, were that he was the resurrection while living. And these declarations did not refer to the man Jesus, or to any disposition that he might make of his body, either physical or spiritual, or to any apparent ascension of his physical body, which never took place, or to any ascension of his spiritual body which did occur. In these particulars, he was essentially no more or different from other men that had died or should die.
But the meaning of his saying and his mission were that, as by man's disobedience, there had occurred the death of the possibility of his becoming at-one with the Father and partaking of his Divine Nature, and as that possibility had never been restored to man in all the intervening years, and man had remained in this condition of death during all the long centuries, if man would only believe in him as the true Christ and in his teachings as to the re-bestowal of this great privilege of again becoming at-one with the Father and of obtaining immortality and would follow his advice as to the way in which man could realize the benefits of this great privilege, then he would become conscious that Jesus was the resurrection from the dead. Not Jesus the man or teacher or the chosen and anointed one of the Father, but Jesus the impersonation of the truths which he proclaimed as to the re-bestowal of the great gift. Only in this way was Jesus the resurrection and the life.
He, himself, had received the great gift and realized his at-onement and the consciousness of his immortality and the possession of the Divine Nature and knew that he had been lifted from death into life and, therefore, if men would believe his teachings as to the resurrection these teachings, and not the man Jesus or even the fact that he had been resurrected, would draw all men unto him, that is, into the condition of life and consciousness that he possessed.
Then the resurrection that Jesus promised to man was the resurrection of this great potentiality which he had lost at the time of the first disobedience and which had never been restored until the coming of Jesus.
Now let it not be misunderstood as to what was meant by this resurrection. As I have said, after men were deprived of this potentiality they were in a condition of death and it was not possible for them to get out of this condition. They were possessed of only what is called their natural love without any possibility of obtaining the Divine Love, which was necessary in order to give them any portion of the Divine Nature and a consciousness of immortality. When the great potentiality, which was as to them as if it had never existed, was re-bestowed, then men were again placed in the position of the first man before his fall and were no longer actually dead, but were possessed of this potentiality to become that which had been forfeited by the first parents.
But as we have told you, the gift of this potentiality was not of itself the bestowal upon man of those qualities which such potentiality merely made it possible for them to acquire by aspiration and effort. Before this re-bestowal, men could not by any aspirations or efforts on their part obtain the conditions and qualities which this potentiality made possible, no matter how great the effort might be; as to them men were simply and absolutely dead. After the re-bestowal, the impossibility - which this death had imposed - was removed, and then men received, not the full fruition of what was possible to obtain because of such re-bestowal, but the privilege of arising from death to life of the resurrection from death to the glories of immortal life.
And while this privilege had become a part of man's possession, yet, if he had remained without consciousness of that fact, he would, in effect, have remained in his condition of death and have never received the benefit of the re-bestowal of the great gift. So to reveal to man the vital truth, Jesus taught and demonstrated in his own life the possession of those qualities that became his because of the existence of the gift.
And he also taught while men had the privilege spoken of, yet, unless they sought for and prayed to the Father in sincerity for the gift of His Divine Love the potentiality, which had been bestowed upon them, would not bring to them the resurrection from the dead, and they would continue in their lives as mortals and as inhabitants of the spirit world, as if they were still under the doom of death.
I may here state that this potentiality, which was lost by the disobedience of the first parents and was re-bestowed by the Father and revealed by Jesus to mankind, was the privilege of receiving and possessing the Divine Love of the Father which, when possessed, would give to man certain qualities of divinity and immortality.
So the resurrection from the dead, that the master taught and which is the one foundation of the Christian faith, arise from the fact that God re-bestowed upon mankind the privilege of seeking for and receiving His Divine Love which would make the mortal one with Him and Immortal; and upon the further fact that man must, in order to obtain the resurrection, seek and find this Divine Love and thereby become a child of the true resurrection - a resurrection that was never known to prophet or seer or reformer or teachers of faiths, no matter how excellent their moral teachings and private lives may have been before the coming of Jesus.
Truly he was the Resurrection and the Life and I, Paul, who am the recipient of this resurrection and know whereof I speak and have knowledge of the fact that those inhabitants of the spirit world who have never received this resurrection are still in a condition of death so far as obtaining the Divine Love of the Father and the consciousness of immortality are concerned, and so I declare unto you what I have attempted to describe as the resurrection from the dead is the True Resurrection.
I will stop, as I have written a long time. So my dear brother, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
St. Paul Writes About the Truth of the Resurrection
January 16, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Paul, of the New Testament.
I come tonight to tell you of a truth that is important for men to know and which you must place in your Book of Truths. I have written you before on my alleged writings as they are contained in the Bible and which, as I have said, were not written by me as they there appear.
I desire tonight to write for a short time on the subject of the "Resurrection," because, as I see, the church doctrine of the resurrection is founded more on what is ascribed to me than on the writings of the Gospels, though the latter also contain a basis for the doctrine.
I never said there would be a resurrection of the physical body nor of the individual clothed in any body of flesh, but my teachings were that man at death would rise in a spiritual body, and that not a new one made for the special occasion of his departure from the material body, but one that had been with him through life and that came into an individualized form when he first became a living being.
This spirit body is necessary to man's existence and is that part of him which contains his senses and is the seat of his reasoning powers. Of course, the organs of the physical are necessary for the utilization of these senses and without these organs, there could be no manifestations of the senses, which are inherent in the spirit body. Even if a man should lose the perfect workings of his physical organs of sight, yet the power of seeing would still exist in him, although he might not be able to realize that fact; and this same principle applies to the hearing and the other senses.
So when man loses his physical organs, which are necessary for him to see with, he is dead as to sight, just as dead as he ever becomes with reference to all the other organs of sense when the whole physical body dies; and were it possible to restore these physical organs that are necessary to enable him to see or hear, he would be able to see and hear just as he was before their loss. The restoration of these organs does not, of itself, bring him the power to see and hear, but merely enables the faculties of sight and hearing to again use the organs for the purpose of manifesting the powers, which are in and a part of the spirit body.
When the whole physical body dies, the spirit body at the very time of death becomes resurrected and with all these faculties of which I have spoken and thereafter continues to live free and unencumbered from the material body, which these organs being destroyed can no longer perform the objects of its creation. It becomes dead, and thereafter never has any resurrection as such material body, although its elements or parts do not die, but in the workings of God's laws enter upon other and new functionings, though never that of reuniting and forming again the body that has died.
So the resurrection of the body, as taught by me, is the resurrection of the spiritual body, not from death, for it never dies, but from its envelopment in the material form which had been visible as a thing of apparent life.
There is a law controlling the uniting of the two bodies and the functioning of the powers and faculties of the spirit body through the organs of the physical body that limits the extent of the operations of these faculties to those things that are wholly material - or which have the appearance of the material - and when I say material I mean that which is grosser or more compact than the spirit body. Thus, these faculties of sight of the spirit body can, through the organs of the material body, see what are called ghosts or apparitions as well as the more material things, but never, in this way, see things of pure spirit. And when it is said that men or women see clairvoyantly, which they do, it is not meant or is it a fact, that they see through the organs of the physical eyes; but on the contrary, this sight is one purely spiritual, and its workings are entirely independent of the material organs.
Now when this body - the material - dies, the spirit body becomes resurrected, as it is said, and free from all the limitations which its incarnation in the flesh has imposed, and it is then able to use all its faculties without the limitations or help of the physical organs and, as regards the sight, everything in nature, both material and spiritual, becomes the object of its vision; and that which the limitations of the material organs prevented its seeing and which to men is the unreal and non-existent becomes the real and truly existing.
This, in short, is what I meant by the resurrection of the body; and from this you will realize that the resurrection is not to take place at some unknown day in the future, but at the very moment when the physical body dies and, as the Bible says, in the twinkling of an eye. This saying of the Bible attributed to me, I did write and teach. This resurrection applies to all mankind, for all who have ever lived and died have been resurrected and all who shall live hereafter and die will be resurrected.
But this resurrection is not the "Great Resurrection" upon which, in my teachings, I declared the great truth of Christianity to be founded. This is not the resurrection of Jesus that I declared "without which is our faith as Christians vain." This is the common resurrection, applicable to all mankind of every nation and race, whether they have a knowledge of Jesus or not. And many times in many nations has it been demonstrated before the coming of Jesus, that men had died and appeared again as living spirits in the form of angels and men, and were recognized by mortal men as spirits who had a previous earth existence.
So I say, this is the resurrection common to all men; and the coming and death and resurrection of Jesus, as taught by the churches, did not bring the Great Resurrection to the knowledge or comfort of men and did not furnish the true foundation upon which the true Christian belief and faith rest.
Many of the infidels, agnostics and spiritualists assert and claim and truly that the resurrection of Jesus, as above referred to, was not a new thing and did not prove to humanity a future life any more convincingly than had been proved before his time by the experiences and observations of men and followers of other sects and faith, and of no faiths at all.
The great weakness of the church today is that they claim and teach as the foundation of their faith and existence this resurrection of Jesus as set forth above; and the result is, as is plainly and painfully apparent to the churches themselves, that as men think for themselves, and they are doing more than ever in the history of the world, they refuse to believe in this resurrection as sufficient to show the superiority of Jesus' coming and mission and teachings over those of other reformers and teachers who had preceded him in the world's history of faiths and religions. And as a further result, the churches are losing their adherents and believers. Christianity is waning and rapidly, and agnosticism is increasing and manifesting itself in the forms of free thought societies and secularism, etc.
Hence, you will see the necessity of making known again to mankind the true foundationstone of the real Christianity that the Master came to teach and which he did teach, but which was lost as his early followers disappeared from the scene of earthly action and practice and men of less spiritual insight and more material desires, with their ambition for power and dominion, became the rulers and guides and interpreters of the church.
There is a Resurrection, though, that the Master taught, and his apostles when they came into a knowledge of taught, and which I as a humble follower taught, which is vital to man's salvation and which is the true foundation of true Christianity; and which no other man, angel or reformer ever before taught or has since taught.
It is too late tonight to explain this Resurrection, but I will come again very soon and try to make it plain to you and to the world. I will now say good night and God bless you and keep you in His care.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
* * * * * * * * * *
Jesus Confirms St. Paul's Message on the Resurrection
I am here, Jesus.
I am pleased that Paul was able to write you so successfully as he did upon the two subjects, which I know will prove to be interesting to you and the one that Paul wrote about is very vital to the beliefs of man, for upon the question of the resurrection is founded the doctrine of what is called Christianity, and I must say that that foundation as explained by the orthodox churches and the commentators on the Bible is a very weak foundation and very vulnerable to the assaults of those who are not satisfied with the authority of the Bible or the explanations of its teachings as they now exist. Paul will finish this most important message, and let me impress upon you to make the effort to get in the best condition for receiving it correctly.
Well, I will not write more tonight, but only further say that I am with you in my love and influence and trying to help you in the ways of which we have written you. With all my love and blessings, I will say good night.
Your brother and friend,
Jesus
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, St. Paul, of the New Testament.
I come tonight to tell you of a truth that is important for men to know and which you must place in your Book of Truths. I have written you before on my alleged writings as they are contained in the Bible and which, as I have said, were not written by me as they there appear.
I desire tonight to write for a short time on the subject of the "Resurrection," because, as I see, the church doctrine of the resurrection is founded more on what is ascribed to me than on the writings of the Gospels, though the latter also contain a basis for the doctrine.
I never said there would be a resurrection of the physical body nor of the individual clothed in any body of flesh, but my teachings were that man at death would rise in a spiritual body, and that not a new one made for the special occasion of his departure from the material body, but one that had been with him through life and that came into an individualized form when he first became a living being.
This spirit body is necessary to man's existence and is that part of him which contains his senses and is the seat of his reasoning powers. Of course, the organs of the physical are necessary for the utilization of these senses and without these organs, there could be no manifestations of the senses, which are inherent in the spirit body. Even if a man should lose the perfect workings of his physical organs of sight, yet the power of seeing would still exist in him, although he might not be able to realize that fact; and this same principle applies to the hearing and the other senses.
So when man loses his physical organs, which are necessary for him to see with, he is dead as to sight, just as dead as he ever becomes with reference to all the other organs of sense when the whole physical body dies; and were it possible to restore these physical organs that are necessary to enable him to see or hear, he would be able to see and hear just as he was before their loss. The restoration of these organs does not, of itself, bring him the power to see and hear, but merely enables the faculties of sight and hearing to again use the organs for the purpose of manifesting the powers, which are in and a part of the spirit body.
When the whole physical body dies, the spirit body at the very time of death becomes resurrected and with all these faculties of which I have spoken and thereafter continues to live free and unencumbered from the material body, which these organs being destroyed can no longer perform the objects of its creation. It becomes dead, and thereafter never has any resurrection as such material body, although its elements or parts do not die, but in the workings of God's laws enter upon other and new functionings, though never that of reuniting and forming again the body that has died.
So the resurrection of the body, as taught by me, is the resurrection of the spiritual body, not from death, for it never dies, but from its envelopment in the material form which had been visible as a thing of apparent life.
There is a law controlling the uniting of the two bodies and the functioning of the powers and faculties of the spirit body through the organs of the physical body that limits the extent of the operations of these faculties to those things that are wholly material - or which have the appearance of the material - and when I say material I mean that which is grosser or more compact than the spirit body. Thus, these faculties of sight of the spirit body can, through the organs of the material body, see what are called ghosts or apparitions as well as the more material things, but never, in this way, see things of pure spirit. And when it is said that men or women see clairvoyantly, which they do, it is not meant or is it a fact, that they see through the organs of the physical eyes; but on the contrary, this sight is one purely spiritual, and its workings are entirely independent of the material organs.
Now when this body - the material - dies, the spirit body becomes resurrected, as it is said, and free from all the limitations which its incarnation in the flesh has imposed, and it is then able to use all its faculties without the limitations or help of the physical organs and, as regards the sight, everything in nature, both material and spiritual, becomes the object of its vision; and that which the limitations of the material organs prevented its seeing and which to men is the unreal and non-existent becomes the real and truly existing.
This, in short, is what I meant by the resurrection of the body; and from this you will realize that the resurrection is not to take place at some unknown day in the future, but at the very moment when the physical body dies and, as the Bible says, in the twinkling of an eye. This saying of the Bible attributed to me, I did write and teach. This resurrection applies to all mankind, for all who have ever lived and died have been resurrected and all who shall live hereafter and die will be resurrected.
But this resurrection is not the "Great Resurrection" upon which, in my teachings, I declared the great truth of Christianity to be founded. This is not the resurrection of Jesus that I declared "without which is our faith as Christians vain." This is the common resurrection, applicable to all mankind of every nation and race, whether they have a knowledge of Jesus or not. And many times in many nations has it been demonstrated before the coming of Jesus, that men had died and appeared again as living spirits in the form of angels and men, and were recognized by mortal men as spirits who had a previous earth existence.
So I say, this is the resurrection common to all men; and the coming and death and resurrection of Jesus, as taught by the churches, did not bring the Great Resurrection to the knowledge or comfort of men and did not furnish the true foundation upon which the true Christian belief and faith rest.
Many of the infidels, agnostics and spiritualists assert and claim and truly that the resurrection of Jesus, as above referred to, was not a new thing and did not prove to humanity a future life any more convincingly than had been proved before his time by the experiences and observations of men and followers of other sects and faith, and of no faiths at all.
The great weakness of the church today is that they claim and teach as the foundation of their faith and existence this resurrection of Jesus as set forth above; and the result is, as is plainly and painfully apparent to the churches themselves, that as men think for themselves, and they are doing more than ever in the history of the world, they refuse to believe in this resurrection as sufficient to show the superiority of Jesus' coming and mission and teachings over those of other reformers and teachers who had preceded him in the world's history of faiths and religions. And as a further result, the churches are losing their adherents and believers. Christianity is waning and rapidly, and agnosticism is increasing and manifesting itself in the forms of free thought societies and secularism, etc.
Hence, you will see the necessity of making known again to mankind the true foundationstone of the real Christianity that the Master came to teach and which he did teach, but which was lost as his early followers disappeared from the scene of earthly action and practice and men of less spiritual insight and more material desires, with their ambition for power and dominion, became the rulers and guides and interpreters of the church.
There is a Resurrection, though, that the Master taught, and his apostles when they came into a knowledge of taught, and which I as a humble follower taught, which is vital to man's salvation and which is the true foundation of true Christianity; and which no other man, angel or reformer ever before taught or has since taught.
It is too late tonight to explain this Resurrection, but I will come again very soon and try to make it plain to you and to the world. I will now say good night and God bless you and keep you in His care.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
* * * * * * * * * *
Jesus Confirms St. Paul's Message on the Resurrection
I am here, Jesus.
I am pleased that Paul was able to write you so successfully as he did upon the two subjects, which I know will prove to be interesting to you and the one that Paul wrote about is very vital to the beliefs of man, for upon the question of the resurrection is founded the doctrine of what is called Christianity, and I must say that that foundation as explained by the orthodox churches and the commentators on the Bible is a very weak foundation and very vulnerable to the assaults of those who are not satisfied with the authority of the Bible or the explanations of its teachings as they now exist. Paul will finish this most important message, and let me impress upon you to make the effort to get in the best condition for receiving it correctly.
Well, I will not write more tonight, but only further say that I am with you in my love and influence and trying to help you in the ways of which we have written you. With all my love and blessings, I will say good night.
Your brother and friend,
Jesus
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Robert G. Ingersoll, a Former Lawyer and Agnostic, Was in Awe of Jesus and Now Knows the Truths of God
October 1, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll.
I came to tell you that I am the Ingersoll, who when on earth was a fool in my beliefs, and who now knows the truths of God as far as the way to salvation is concerned, and the wonderful Gift which he has in store for all who may believe what the Master says as to the way to obtain it. I have not yet recovered from the wonderful experience, which I had on the night when Jesus displayed his wonderful glory and power and made me feel that I was of such little importance in my beliefs and opinions as I entertained them on earth and as I brought them with me to the spirit world.
I must have been a poor soul all my life to have gone on in a way that kept me out of the happiness which a belief in the Father's Love would have given me. But the reason was that the truth was not taught, and what the preachers have proclaimed in their pulpits as to the way that a man could be saved from sin was so repulsive to reason that I could not for a moment tolerate it and, consequently, I did not seek to learn any other way.
I now know that even the Bible taught another and true way to salvation, but that way was not taught by the preachers and I never thought of any other way than that which I heard from the preachers or from the writings of the orthodox. But if I had only known that even in that book, I might have found the true plan of salvation what good I might have done on earth instead of the harm, which I now see my books are doing. For while some who read them understand what is really intended to be taught, yet, a greater number who give them a mere casual reading and grasp and enjoy some of my catchwords really are led to believe that there is no God and no future life; and all this makes me unhappy now and causes me to wish that I could return to earth and teach these people the truth and show them that my writings in many particulars are not beneficial to them. But I realize that I cannot do this and I only hope that sometime you will give me the opportunity to write through you my corrections of many of the things contained in my books.
I never before realized what Jesus is and, until the other night when he showed his great power and beauty, I never supposed that he could be much different in appearance than a spirit like unto many others.
I will not write more tonight, except to say that a spirit comes to me and tells me that you invited him here and advised him to ask me to tell him of my conversion to Christianity as he needed help and light. Well, as you sent him, and as he was my friend on earth, I shall take great interest in telling him of the wonderful power and magnificent love of Jesus. So I will take him with me now and try to show him the way to salvation and to surcease from his sufferings. He will come to you and tell you of the result of our interview and how he then thinks of what I will tell him of salvation.
So thanking you, I will say goodnight.
Your brother in Christ,
R.G. Ingersoll
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Robert G. Ingersoll.
I must have been a poor soul all my life to have gone on in a way that kept me out of the happiness which a belief in the Father's Love would have given me. But the reason was that the truth was not taught, and what the preachers have proclaimed in their pulpits as to the way that a man could be saved from sin was so repulsive to reason that I could not for a moment tolerate it and, consequently, I did not seek to learn any other way.
I now know that even the Bible taught another and true way to salvation, but that way was not taught by the preachers and I never thought of any other way than that which I heard from the preachers or from the writings of the orthodox. But if I had only known that even in that book, I might have found the true plan of salvation what good I might have done on earth instead of the harm, which I now see my books are doing. For while some who read them understand what is really intended to be taught, yet, a greater number who give them a mere casual reading and grasp and enjoy some of my catchwords really are led to believe that there is no God and no future life; and all this makes me unhappy now and causes me to wish that I could return to earth and teach these people the truth and show them that my writings in many particulars are not beneficial to them. But I realize that I cannot do this and I only hope that sometime you will give me the opportunity to write through you my corrections of many of the things contained in my books.
I never before realized what Jesus is and, until the other night when he showed his great power and beauty, I never supposed that he could be much different in appearance than a spirit like unto many others.
I will not write more tonight, except to say that a spirit comes to me and tells me that you invited him here and advised him to ask me to tell him of my conversion to Christianity as he needed help and light. Well, as you sent him, and as he was my friend on earth, I shall take great interest in telling him of the wonderful power and magnificent love of Jesus. So I will take him with me now and try to show him the way to salvation and to surcease from his sufferings. He will come to you and tell you of the result of our interview and how he then thinks of what I will tell him of salvation.
So thanking you, I will say goodnight.
Your brother in Christ,
R.G. Ingersoll
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