Elias, Known as Elijah of the Old Testament, Writes an Encouraging Note for Mr. Padgett to Not Doubt the Work of Receiving the Truths

February 7, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Elias.

I want also to encourage you in the belief that you have the great work to do, and that you must not falter or delay the coming of the messages, for if you will only think for a moment, you will realize that there is no other way in which these truths can at this time be conveyed to mankind.

You must not doubt, or cause yourself to hesitate for a moment to believe that the work has been imposed upon you as one not fitted to receive these truths. I know that sometime it is hard for you to believe that you have been selected to do this great work or that you are fitted to receive these great spiritual truths that are to be given to the world, but you must not let such thoughts linger in your mind, for it is a fact that you have been selected to do the work, and you must not shirk it, for if you do, mankind may remain a long time in ignorance of what the truth is, and the way in which it can take on the Essence of the Father, and become His true children, and partakers of His nature, so that the very Essence and Divinity of the Father may become a part of the people.

The work must be done by you and you must not doubt, but have a firm conviction of its truth and try your best to receive the messages. I merely wanted to say this much, as I am much interested in the work. Yes, there are a great number present, and you have around you a wonderful spiritual influence, which should cause you to believe that these spirits are present trying to help you.

I was Elijah of the Old Testament, and I actually lived and was a prophet among the Jews, and was not John the Baptist, nor was he a reincarnation of me as some of earth teachers claim. John was himself alone. He was in the flesh only once and was not a reincarnation of me or any one else.

I will not write more now, so good night.

Your brother in Christ
Elias

Saul Writes that God is a God of the Individual and not of any Race or Nation

January 31, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Saul.

I have not written you for some time and I would like to say only a few words and these are that never in all the battles with the Amalekites did God help me or bring to me victory, as is set forth in the Old Testament. Although some of the prophets, like Samuel, at the time might have thought, yet as I now know, it was not true. God was not the partial and particular patron of the Jews, and to Him is was just as sinful for the Jews to commit murder and the other horrible crimes that are mentioned in the book in connection with my life as King, as it would have been for the Pagans to have done the same thing.

God is not the God of any race, but He is the God of every individual child who comes to Him in true supplication and prayer, seeking His Love and help in his spiritual nature. God will respond and the individual surely will be helped. But should that individual come to Him seeking power and assistance to murder his fellow man, no matter how great an enemy he might be, God would not help him or approve of his desires, and this being so, you can readily see that He would not help any nation to commit such acts and gain the victory.

And I want to tell you here, that God is not a God of nations, but of individuals only, and only as the individuals that compose the nations can He be said to be a God of nations. He wants not the praise of men or of nations because of victory that they might acquire through bloodshed and cruelties ascribed to His help, but he wants the praise of men only because their souls may have been awakened to His Love and have acquired victory over sin and evil. Nations rise and fall and disappear from the face of the earth, but the individuals who compose these nations never die, even though the physical bodies die, and God is a God only of those things that never die, and He is interested in having the individual become victor over sin and the appetites of the flesh.

Of course, the individuals make the nation and give it its character and qualities and, hence, the nation will become sinful and cruel as the individuals that compose it become sinful and cruel. He does not deal with nations as such, but only with the small, but important, units that make the nation. Hence, for a nation to say that God is our God, or that God will help us to victory over our enemies, is all wrong. When the individual gains the victory over his greatest enemy, himself, then he can claim that God is his God and give Him the praise, and when all the individuals of a nation have gained that victory then that nation can proclaim that God is its God and render to Him praise for the victory. But only in such event is any nation justified in saying, "God is our God."

And here let me say that no Christian nation so called has yet, as individuals, attained to that condition of righteousness and victory over sin, that it can claim to be God's chosen nation. And so I say that I, Saul the King, before my alleged fall from the grace of God, was no more helped by God, than I was after that supposed event, for the reason that while outwardly I may have appeared to seek God's directions and listened to the advice of His prophets, yet inwardly, I was no more in accord with Him or reconciled to Him than I was after the momentous event.

God never helped the Jews, as a nation, to any greater extent than He did any other nation for they, as individuals, were no more in attunement with Him than were many individuals of what were called the Pagan nations.

When I went to Samuel in my despair, as the Bible portrays, and felt the burden of the sins of my life, I became nearer to God than I had ever been before, and He was more my God than ever, though I did not realize it. I merely write this to show men that they must not believe and rely on the statement that because I was said to have observed God's Will and obeyed His commands before the time that I realized defeat was certain to be mine, that God was any more my God then, directing and assisting me to overcome my enemies, than he was after that event.

I have written enough and will now stop. So with all my love, and the assurance that God is a God of the individual and not of the nation, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,
Saul

John Writes About the Glories of the Third Heaven (Third Sphere)

December 8, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. John, Apostle of Jesus.

I desire to finish my comments on the preacher's (Dr. Ratcliff) sermon on Heaven.

As I said, these apocalyptic writings (Book of Revelation) were made for the purpose of encouraging the people of those days to believe that God would intervene in their behalf and save them from their sufferings and persecutions, and in the one case establish a Messiah's kingdom on earth that would cause the Jews to become the ruling nation of the universe and, in the other, to establish a Kingdom in Heaven where the Christians would find rest and happiness in becoming inhabitants of that Kingdom and children of the Father, and participants in the glories of Christ's reign as king and priest. Well, as the subject of the sermon was that Kingdom or Heaven and the preacher endeavored to tell his people what that Heaven is, I will consider that subject.

In the first place, as I have said, that Heaven is not one universal place where all the Christians, irrespective of their soul development go, but in that Heaven are many Heavens or spheres in which the spirit of mortals will find homes and also happiness according to their soul development or their spiritual development. And in order that there may be no misunderstanding, I must say that the soul development comes only through and by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual development involves only the result of the correct workings of the moral faculties of a man and the purification of his natural love which, of course, comprehends the development of his soul so far as the same may be developed by this purifying process. The results of each operation is very different and lead to a perfection and relationship to the Father, which is in harmony with the laws controlling the respective Heavens - for the place of final habitation of each may be called Heaven.

But my object tonight is to describe to you the appearance and condition of one of these Heavens, and as mortals have heard more about the "Third Heaven," which we in our information to you have called the "Third Sphere," than of any of the other Heavens, I will confine my description to that place.

Well, it is occupied by the spirits of mortals who have received considerable of the Divine Love, as well as by those who have progressed to a great extent in the purification of their Natural Love and the expansion of their minds and intellects, though the latter do not remain very long in this Heaven, but progress to the Fourth where there are more opportunities and more instructions in those things which have to do with the mind's advancement. While those who have made progress in the soul development and those in the intellectual are all in the Third Heavens, yet they occupy different and distinct planes in that Heaven, for those things that attract the one class do not attract the other, and there is very little intermingling of these spirits except that those who know that the Divine Love is real sometimes attempt to show those who do not the desirability of obtaining it and the happiness that it brings to spirits.

As we have already told you, the condition of the soul - not of the mind - to a large degree makes the Heaven of the spirit, and in the providence of the Father, He has made the surroundings and the appearances of the environment suitable to the condition of the soul and fitted to increase the happiness of those spirits who may, because of their soul progress, be attracted to the particular places in which they find themselves - their homes.

The appearance of this Heaven to those who have this Divine Love in their souls is far excelling the capacity of your mortal language to explain, even if I had the ability to describe the same. But in one general statement I may say that for these spirits there is everything to make them happy to the extent of their capacity to receive and enjoy. There are trees and flowers, and hills and dales, and rivers and lakes, and beautiful landscapes, and above all the wonderful atmosphere, as I may express it that is created by this wonderful Love of the Father, and a glorious light that illuminates and gives life to all who live in it, which comes from this Love of the Father. It is the sun, moon and stars, and sunrise and sunset, and summer clouds, and evening shadows and morning glories. Your material sun and moon and stars do not appear in this Heaven for the effulgence of the light from the Father's Love eclipses and eliminates the light of these material creations of the mortal world.

And then there are homes of the grandest splendor and beauty suited to the conditions of the various spirits, which have in them everything that will tend to cause happiness and joy to their occupants and visiting friends: musical instruments and books, and paintings, and furniture of every kind fitted to bring to the spirits contentment and joy, and a realization of peace and rest from the cares that you mortals have with you all through your earth life. And above and more important than all, a wonderful atmosphere of Love which makes all these spirits realize that they are the children of the Father and brothers of one another and lovers of all humanity.

And, in addition, the social life is beyond all conception. The spirits have their times of visiting as well as those of staying in their homes; and many pleasures as well as of work and helping spirits and mortals; of singing and music and laughter as of prayer and contemplation of deep spiritual truths. Yes, in the lighter social pleasures as well as in the solitary meditations and aspirations of the soul's progress, there is happiness and enjoyment and freedom from those things which defile or make inharmonious the thoughts and heart's desire of these spirits. All is gladness and there are none who have solemn downcast countenances, that many of earth imagine portrays the truly righteous and redeemed of mortals. No, Love knows no sadness, and as the soul speaks, its condition by the appearance of the spirit body's countenance, the soul being so full of gladness and joy, the countenance can express only those emotions of the soul. This is the result of the law which declares nothing can be hidden, and every spirit must show forth the truth of its condition.

There are no walled cities or streets of gold or pearly gates or other of the material things, which the book ascribes to me sets forth, so that man can get some conception of what Heaven is. These things in Heaven would not be gold or pearls or diamonds or jasper, for when they are compared to the real beauties of the things which it contains, they are as the faint light of the candle compared to the light of your noon day sun. Truly the mind of man cannot conceive of the glories that await the lovelit soul when it comes to its Heavenly home.

There is another misconception that the preacher had following the teachings of Revelation, and that is that the Kingdom of Heaven is a walled city, the New Jerusalem, in which all the spirits of the redeemed live, singing their loud hosannas to God. There are cities of which your earth cities may be called correspondences, but there are also villages and hamlets and homes in the country, as you would say, surrounded by green fields and shady vales through which run rivers and streams of silvery hue and clear as crystal, and also placid lakes, which afford the pleasures of boating and sailing and other amusements. For each spirit is provided the place that is most attractive to him and it is optional with him where his home shall be. But all love and worship the Father and endeavor to make their neighbors happy and help the development of the soul towards a progression to the Heavens, which are higher yet. All spirits are controlled by law, but that law is the Law of Love, and that love is the Love Divine: the essence of the Father's Divinity.

I have written enough for tonight, and I hope from what I have said that you may catch some faint conception of what the glories of this Third Heaven is for those who have found, to some extent, this Love and possess it; and then, when as you must know there are many Heavens above this, each successively possessing increased glories and happiness and beauties of place as well as beauty of spirit, you may imagine what the Master meant when he said, "In my Father's house are many mansions."

I know that my attempted description may be unsatisfactory to some mortals, but it is the best that I can do, because mortal words cannot convey and mortal thoughts cannot conceive the realities; and man in his imaginings may better get a spiritual view of these things. I will not write more tonight.

I am with you quite often, throwing around you the influence of my love, and endeavoring to help and encourage you. Let your faith in us and in our communications increase, and believe above all that the Master wrote you the prayer, which you received a few nights ago. Study it deeply and grasp its spiritual meaning, and let your longings and aspirations go out to the Father as suggested by the prayer, and you will find a wonderful and satisfactory response to them. We are praying for you and your friends, and you must believe that the Love is coming into your souls. So with my love and blessings, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,
John

Esau, Son of Isaac, Writes on the Beliefs of Some Ancient Jews in the Spirit World Haven't Changed Since Their Earth Lives

December 4, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Esau, son of Isaac.

I was the son of Isaac and the brother of Jacob, and the one whom the Jews regarded as having sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, but I was misrepresented in this regard, as I did only that which necessity compelled me to do. But all that is long past, and now I am an inhabitant of the Celestial Heavens, for in the world of spirits all things are made right, and I became a possessor of the Divine Love after I had received knowledge of its rebestowal at the coming of Jesus.

Many of the characters of the Old Testament have never yet realized this great transformation, because in their conception of self righteousness are contented in that conception and worship God as they did on earth, although they have ceased to offer sacrifices of animals, because they have none in spirit life to offer, yet they still have the belief that sacrifice is necessary, and in their imaginations, they offer what to them is symbolical of the offerings that they made in the earth life.

Yes, that is quite a natural supposition, but you must know that mind and the beliefs of mortals continue with them when they become spirits and who will not permit themselves to be convinced of the errors of their conceptions of Deity, and many of these spirits of old are in that condition now. They refuse to believe or even listen to the truths of existence and their relationship to God, as they did when on earth. They have eyes but they see not and ears but they hear not, and enveloped in the darkness of their beliefs, they decline to let in the light, or to permit the truths that are so apparent to others to illuminate their souls. A mind that is shut in by bigotry and intolerance is just as persistent after the mortal becomes a spirit even though a change in its surroundings in what you might call its physical existence and in its possibilities for learning the truth, yet many of these spirits absolutely refuse to recognize any change, or possibility of change, in their spiritual condition.

It is not surprising that you may not understand how it is possible that these spirits of the kind mentioned could live all this great period of years, as you estimate time, in this condition, surrounded by spirits who have found the truth and display that possession in their appearances and happiness, and especially by some of their old associates who have entered into the light and not be influenced by these appearances and the experiences of these associates but, nevertheless, it is true, and the difficulty of converting these bigoted spirits seems to grow the greater as they advance in their progression of mind and natural love. They are happy in a relative sense and in their beliefs they can conceive of no other belief or cause of progress that could bring to them greater happiness and, besides, they are firmly convinced that they are doing the will of God in their manner of worship and in their symbolical sacrifices.

These ancient spirits, as you call them, but who are young as compared to many in the spirit spheres, have their synagogues and temples of worship, and their priests and servants and worshipers according to their old beliefs. And the ceremonies attending their gatherings for worship are very little different from what they were on earth. They have all their vestments and attire and other accompaniments that on earth distinguished them from the common people, and they say their prayers in public and delight in appearing as holy spirits, the specially chosen of God, just as they did on earth, and as they are developing more and more in their natural love and taking on the condition of perfection, so far as the perfection of the first parents as they existed before the fall, they may remain in this condition of belief as to their relationship to God and as to their proper and only way to worship Him throughout all eternity.

They decline to receive the knowledge of the truth of the New Birth, and as that is a thing that is optional with them and its rejection does not prevent them from becoming the "perfect man," as you have had explained to you, there is no absolute necessity as they think they should be Born Again in order to enable a restoration of the harmony of that condition and relationship that they may have to the Father.

Of course, until the day of the consummation of the Kingdom of the Celestial Spheres, they will have the opportunity to become recipients of the Divine Love and the transformation into Angels redeemed, but it is doubtful if very many of them will ever elect to accept this great privilege.

I am glad that I could write to you tonight, as it is a new experience with me, but one that gives me great satisfaction, and I will come again, if agreeable to you, and write further.

I wish to say in closing that I know the difference between the spirit who has in his soul the Divine Love, and one who has not, and that the mere time of a spirit's existence in the spirit world does not necessarily indicate that the spirit possesses the Divine Love. As Jesus said when on earth: "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first." And I may add that some will never be first or last, but only the reminders of what might have been. I will not write more.

Your brother in Christ
Esau

Judas Writes About "the Greatest Sin"

October 21, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Judas.

I come tonight to write a short message for I have been interested in what you and your friends have said regarding "the greatest sin."

Now, to me, for a long time, the greatest sin in all the universe of God was my sin in betraying Jesus to the Jews, and it was a real, living, blasting sin, and so enormous that I could not endure my life and face the recollection of that awful tragedy; but since I have been forgiven of that sin and become a redeemed child of the Father and an inhabitant of the Celestial Heavens and a possessor of immortality, I realize and know that my sin was not the greatest, even though I suffered for long years after I became a spirit.

As sin may be committed by neglect as well as by affirmative action, and my betraying the beloved Master was a heinous one, but yet, even in my case and as applicable to me, my greater sin was not seeking for the Divine Love of the Father. We were not ignorant of this, for the Master had taught us that this Love was open to and waiting for us to seek and obtain, and I had not sought for it in the right way and, of course, had not obtained it; and in such neglect, I was not the only one of the disciples that was guilty of that sin.

No, even we who had been with the Master for so long a time did not fully understand the importance of obtaining this Great Love, as we were more interested in his establishing his kingdom on earth and, as we thought, a material kingdom to be controlled by spiritual powers manifested in him and in us as his disciples. And the material, in our minds, was of more importance than the spiritual and our expectations were that this great power would come and that the Master would become our king.

As I say, he had taught us that this Divine Love was open to us, and that by prayer and earnest seeking we could receive it, but to us there were so many important things to be done, connected, as I say, more immediately with our earth lives, that we neglected the Great Gift that was ours for its seeking and, as a consequence, in my case, I had to suffer for a long time before I awakened to the fact that it was not too late, even for me, to receive it. My sin of betrayal had been forgiven me in that I realized that the recollections of it were leaving me and that I was progressing in the way of purifying my soul in its natural love and that as the spirit of the onetime murderer, I was coming into happiness and light.

And then I had memories of what the Master had said to me about this Great Love, and after awhile I had sufficient awakening to cause me to make the effort to obtain this Love, and as that awakening came to me, my old-time associates, who had progressed to the higher spheres came to me, and in their great beauty and transcendent love, helped me to progress and to pray until at last this Love came to me, and I realized that not only had my sin of murder been wholly forgiven, but that the greater sin of rejecting and neglecting to seek for the Divine Love had also been forgiven me.

The sin of the murderer or of any violator of God's laws, other than that of rejecting the inflowing of this Love, may and will be forgiven a man and he will become pure and happy in his natural love, but such forgiveness will not make him an inhabitant of the Divine Heavens or an inheritor of immortality, while the forgiveness of the sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit will not only take away from him the recollections and taints of all other sins, but will open up to him the very portals of the Celestial Heavens and give him a home in the Father's Kingdom.

And, thus, you see every sin except that of sinning against the Holy Spirit, may be forgiven a man, with the result that he will become the perfect man, but the forgiveness of all these sins many times over, if it could so happen, would not make him the Divine Angel.

And I need not explain to you, for you can readily see from what I have written, that the greatest sin in all the world is the sin against the Holy Spirit; the sin of neglecting or refusing to let the Holy Spirit bring in and to the soul of man the Great Divine Love of the Father. And not only is this sin the greatest because of the results that flow from it, but because it will continue to be the unpardonable sin so long as man refuses to permit its forgiveness.

When the sin of murder and such kindred sins are committed, the sin then ends and only its consequences must be suffered and the penalty paid; but the sin against the Holy Spirit is a continuing sin, committed every day and hour and minute and never having an end until the mortal seeks and receives the inflowing of this Divine Love. As has been written you many times, yes, the large majority of men and spirits will continue forever and ever to commit this sin, and in the effects to follow, to them, it will become and is the unpardonable sin.

As we are much interested in you, and have determined that you shall not go astray to these Divine truths, my brother spirits of the Celestial Spheres thought it fitting as the world considers that I committed the greatest sin in all the history of the world, that I should write you on this subject and explain that the greatest sin in all the world is the sin against the Holy Ghost. We all know this, and while I write, you must believe, for it is true, that all of us and the Master, too, declare that the sin I name is the greatest sin.

And now to be a little more personal for your gratification and comfort, I desire to tell you that you three will not be found guilty of having committed this great sin, for you have in your hearts and souls much of this Divine Love, and the Holy Spirit is with you quite often in answer to your prayers and in answer to ours, also, for we all pray for you, causing this Love of the Father to possess your souls, even as the leaven wrought in the batch of dough.

I have written longer than I expected and will now stop. But be assured that you have our love and the blessings of the Father.

Your brother in Christ,
Judas

**********

Helen Confirms Judas' Message

I am here, your own true and loving Helen.

Well, I am pleased that you received the message from Judas and it is a wonderful message filled with truths that you will perceive with more force and newness the more you read it. It was actually Judas writing, and as he said, he was chosen by the others to deliver the same for many of them were present while he was doing so. And I was here also and heard what was said and know that what I tell you is true.

How blessed you and Mr. (Eugene) Morgan and the Dr. (Leslie R. Stone) should feel to know that of all the wonderful spirits of the Celestial Spheres, the most wonderful and the highest come to you and communicate with you, and not only that, but they bring with them an atmosphere of love that has a most beneficial effect upon the conditions of your souls. I am so happy that I can tell you this and I know that you will believe me, for my love for you would not permit me to deceive you, no matter what the occasion might be.

Yes, my dear, these high spirits are your friends and brothers. What more can I say to cause you to realize the greatness of the experience that you are having? I do not know. Well, as you were much drawn on by the message of Judas, I do not think it best to write more tonight and I will stop.

Your own true and loving,
Helen

St. John Writes About the Belief in the Efficacy of the Vicarious Atonement of Jesus by His Death and Crucifixion

March 18, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. John, Apostle of Jesus.

I wish to write tonight on a subject that is of importance to the members of the orthodox churches as to the belief in the efficacy of the atonement of Jesus by his death and crucifixion.

All the orthodox believe, and their preachers and evangelists teach in their sermons and addresses, and the teachers of Bible classes instruct their students, that the blood of Jesus and his death on the cross were the two factors in his career on earth that save men from their sins and satisfy the great penalty of death which overhangs them, because of man's first disobedience and the sins that followed therefrom.

Well, this doctrine has prevailed in the beliefs and teachings of the church ever since the church became established by the convention that met in pursuance of the orders of Constantine, when the books that now constitute the Bible were given the sanction of the church as canonical. Before this time some of the early fathers believed in the doctrine of the atonement as above stated, and the controversies between them and others who did not subscribe to this doctrine were very bitter, and at times, very un-Christian according to the Christianity that prevailed among the early followers of the Master, or according to his teachings.

From that time until the present, although the great Roman church has been seceded from and reforms have been made by churches founded on such reforms, this doctrine has been incorporated in and believed by most of the churches, no matter what name they may have adopted and what form of government they may have prescribed. This doctrine constitutes the foundation principles of these various bodies of church entity, and to-day, these principles are as much a part of faith and teachings of the churches as they ever were in all the centuries that have passed.

Of course, with this cardinal doctrine there have also become incorporated in these faiths and teachings certain other principles, which apply more to the individual members of the church than to the church itself as a body. I mean belief in the truth that there is a close relationship between God and the individual which may be established by prayer and the longings of the soul for the inflowing of God's Love and the regeneration of the nature of man by the influence of this Love by the Father.

But in these latter days, this truth has been known to and its workings experienced by a comparatively few of those who call themselves orthodox Christians. The large majority has depended upon the belief in the doctrine that Jesus, by his sacrifice and death, paid the debt which man owed to God; and when the members of the church in an intellectual belief assert that they believe in and accept Jesus as their Saviour because he paid the debt, and by the shedding of his blood washed away their sins and made them at-one with the Father, and thereby became saved from the wrath of the Father, and in a moment become the truly redeemed and accepted children of God, and that as long as they maintain that belief and attend to their duties as such members and observe the regulations of the church, they are safe and fitted for the enjoyment of Heaven and the presence of the Father.

They also believe that unless a man accepts Jesus as his Saviour, in the way I have mentioned, that man will be eternally lost, and in the beliefs and teachings of some of these members, will be sent to hell to be eternally damned and punished.

Well, one view of this doctrine is just as true as the other, or rather just as untrue, because both of these phases of belief have no foundation in fact, and are not in accord with the teachings of the Master, or with the fact as I know it to be, not from any mere belief but from personal experience and observation.

Oh, how the pure teachings of the Master have been distorted and made the means of preventing so many human souls from reaching the Heaven of happiness that they wished for, and that they thought would be theirs when they should give up their mortal lives.

This doctrine, so long believed, has worked the damnation of many a man, as regards his soul development and his becoming at-one with the Father and reaching the Heavens that are prepared for those who obtain that soul union with the Father.

I know it may seem surprising to some who are really true believers in this doctrine and, as they think, in the truths of God and the teachings of Jesus, which are believed to be infallibly contained in the Bible, that I announce the falsity of these beliefs and their utter ineffectiveness in enabling these sincere people to obtain that which they so earnestly desire.

But such is truth, and truth never changes, never compromises with untruth, and never permits the erroneous beliefs of a really sincere mortal to swerve in one iota from the results and consequences of that false belief. And the great injury that this false doctrine has done to humanity, and is now doing, will continue in the world to come, until the belief in truth shall supercede the belief in that which is false. And, thus, not everyone who shall say "Lord, Lord," will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

These false beliefs have operated in two ways to injure man and render him unfit for an entrance into the Kingdom. First, by the belief that brings about the injury that results from the positive operation of error, which is great; and next by the want of belief in the truth, which prevents progress in the acquirement of those qualities which belong to and are necessary parts of that truth.

When men believe in the doctrine that I have stated they become satisfied and, knowingly or not, remain in a state of false security, not attempting to develop the soul qualities, which are the only ones that are in relationship with God. Their mental beliefs are strong and may increase in strength, but their soul communions with the Father and their growth and expansion in the soul development, becomes stagnant and, as it were, dead.

This is the great injury that these false beliefs do to the man and to the spirit. I mean in his individual capacity, for it must be known as a truth, that the salvation of man or his soul progress towards an at-onement with the Father is an individual matter solely, and men as aggregations or in church communities are not redeemed from sin, nor as such, can they have any relationship with the Father or receive His Divine Love, which is the only salvation.

There is only one possible way in which man can come in unison and at-onement with the Father, and thereby fitted to enjoy or inhabit the mansions in His Kingdom, which Jesus spoke of when on earth, and that is the way that will make the soul of man like the soul of the Father, and a partaker of his Divine Qualities of Love and Life. No belief that will not bring about this uniting and commingling, as it were, can possibly make the soul of man a partaker of these qualities that are a part of the soul of God.

Then let man consider for a moment what possible connection there can be between these Soul Qualities of God and the death and blood of Jesus. God is the creator of life and death, and also of blood and flesh, and He can destroy as well as create. Had the sins of man called for the sacrifice of that which was mere flesh and blood, or the extinguishment of a life that God had created in order to pay the penalty of that sin, then a God who demanded such a payment - and this implies of course, that such a God was wrathful and could only be appeased by something that He could not of and by Himself obtain - would not possibly be satisfied with that which He had created and over which He still had absolute control, and which He could destroy and make non-existent at any time He pleased. Jesus' life was already a possession of God, and when he surrendered that life, he did not give to God anything that he did not already own and could not have taken. And when his blood flowed on the cross, it was not that which God could not have made flow at any time and in any manner.

So the absurdity of such a doctrine is too apparent for serious consideration. For its logical meaning is that God was demanding a debt that had long been unpaid, all wrathful and insatiable, and would be satisfied only with the death of a living being and the flowing of his blood; and that death and that flow of blood in one way or manner only, namely, on the cross. And yet with all this demand that has been sounding down the ages for centuries, relentlessly and unpityingly, He became satisfied and His wrath assuaged by seeing His own creature die - and that creature His best beloved son - and by hearing the trickling of the blood of that creature from a wooden cross; by all which, the life and the blood being already His to let live or destroy as He might see fit, man became at-one with Him.

The simple reduction of such a proposition is that God, in order to pay a debt that was owing to Him, accepted in payment thereof that which was already His, and which no power or being in all His universe could have taken from Him.

Now, I say all this reverently as your preachers say, but the fact is, that the mere assertion of such a doctrine, as I have been dealing with, is so blasphemous that no treatment of it, showing its falsity, could be irreverent.

And again, the absurdity of believing that God demanded that Jesus should die on the cross as one of the necessary accompaniments of his death, in order to carry out God's plan for this death and make the payment satisfactory, is so apparent and absurd, that I and all of us spirits in the Kingdom of the Father wonder that mortals can believe such an unreasonable dogma.

To follow this absurd proposition to its logical conclusion, it was necessary not only, in order that the debt might be paid, that Jesus should die on the cross, but that Judas should become the traitor, that the Jews should clamor for his death and that Pilate should pronounce the sentence. These were all necessary means to the satisfaction of the debt, and being so, why is it then that Judas and Pilate and the Jews are not saviors of mankind also, even if you say in a secondary sense. Jesus could not have clamored for his own death, or erected his own cross or nailed himself thereto, or pierced his side with a spear in order that the blood might flow, for if he had done this he would have been a suicide; but it may be, there would have been more of the elements of the payment of a debt in that method of dying than in the way in which his death was brought about.

No, I tell you, I, John, who loved the Master more than all the others and who was closer to him, who was with him when he was nailed to the cruel cross, which I think of with horror, and who was among the first to take his body from the tree and first felt his blood upon my hands - tell you that the death of Jesus on the cross did not pay any debt that man owed to God, nor did his blood wash away the sins of any man. And oh, the pity of it all is that mortals for all these long years have believed that they were saved by his sacrifice and blood, and by such belief have never come any nearer to the Master or in at-onement with the Father.

As I and others have written you, the only way in which man can be saved from his sins and become in at-onement with the Father, is by the New Birth, which the Master has described to you as being the result of the flowing into the soul of a man of the Divine Love of the Father, and the disappearing of everything that tends to sin and error. As this Love flows into a man's soul it permeates that soul as does leaven the batch of dough, and that soul partakes of this Divine Love and thereby becomes like the Father in His Divine Nature, and fitted to inhabit His Kingdom.

Now, you can readily see that there can be no possible relationship existing between the death of Jesus on the cross and his blood, and the giving to the soul of a man those Divine Qualities that belong to the Father's Nature. These Qualities are not imparted to man by death and blood, but by life and love and faith which comes with that Love - and here when I say faith, I do not mean the mere intellectual belief of which I have spoken.

As we have before written, when the first parents were created, they were not given this Divine Love, but the mere possibility of obtaining it upon their seeking for it in the Way that God had provided. It was not forced upon them, but it was optional with them whether they would receive it and become fitted to inhabit the Kingdom of Heaven. When they committed their act of disobedience, they forfeited this privilege and, as to it, died and were left without a mediator between themselves and God. And here I don't mean any mediator in the way of paying a debt, for they owed no debt to God - they were merely, as you mortals might say, disinherited children; and the only mediator that man needed after that time was one through whom might come the Glorious Tidings that the Father had changed His Will, or forgiven the disobedience to the extent of restoring his original state, which is the re-bestowal of the privilege of obtaining into their souls His Divine Love.

And, in this sense, never was there any mediator between God and man until the coming of Jesus and his announcing to man that the Father had changed His Will and had restored to mankind the great privilege of partaking of His Divine Nature and Immortality. And thus, as in the first man, Adam, all men died, so in the man Jesus, were all men made alive. And Jesus was the mediator not only in declaring to man the re-bestowal of this Great Gift of the Divine Love and Immortality but, also, in showing the Way by which men could and must seek for that Gift in order to possess It.

The Great Gift of God to man was not Jesus, but the potentiality of obtaining the Divine Love of the Father and thus becoming Divine and fitted to reside in the mansions of the Kingdom of Heaven.

And thus Jesus became the Resurrection and the Life and brought Immortality to light. How much greater a saviour than by paying a supposed debt by his death and blood.

No, he is the saviour of man by his living and his teachings, for he was the first to receive this Divine Love and to become Divine himself, and the first fruits of the resurrection. We have explained to you before in detail, some of the truths that I have declared in this message, and it is not necessary to further explain them here.

In closing, I wish to declare with all the emphasis that I possess, arising from a knowledge based upon the teachings of the Master and my personal experience as a possessor of this Divine Love and a partaker of the Father's Divine Nature, that no vicarious atonement of Jesus, nor the shedding of his blood, saves any man from sin or makes him a redeemed child of the Father, or fits him for a home in the mansions of the Celestial Spheres.

With a love that can come only from a redeemed and Divine Nature, I love all mankind and am working to help them find the way to life and immortality and happiness beyond the conception of mortals or spirits who have not received this New Birth of the Divine Love of the Father.

I have written enough for tonight and you are tired. So my dear brother with all my love and the blessings of a heart filled with the Love of the Father, I am

Your brother in Christ,
John

John D. Parker and Josephus Write Short Notes to Confirm that James E. Padgett is Receiving Messages from the Higher Spirits

March 14, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, John D. Parker.

Let me say a word, for I am interested in you and your work to a very large extent. I have not written you before and I want merely to say that you are receiving these messages from the higher spirits, and you must believe that you are.

I am a spirit who once lived in a country far away from where you live and was not a Christian man in an orthodox sense, but was a believer in God, though not in the God of the Bible, as I never thought that a loving God could be the wrathful and vindictive God that the Jews believed Him to be.

I have been in the spirit world for many years and am a follower of Jesus in his truths and teachings and am an inhabitant of the Seventh Sphere where only the followers of him live.

I will not write more tonight as I see that you are tired, and others want to write a little. So with all my brotherly love, I will subscribe myself

Your brother in Christ,
John D. Parker of Liverpool, England

**********

Josephus assures Mr. Padgett that he is receiving communications from spirits living in the Celestial Spheres.

I am here, Josephus.

I am Josephus. Yes, Josephus, the Jewish Historian who has written you before.

I merely want to say that I am interested in your work and that you are receiving messages from the high spirits whose homes are in the Celestial Spheres, and you must believe what they write you, for they write only the truth.

I see that you are sleepy tonight and that I must not write more, though, I would like to write you a long letter at this time; but I will come again and give you my views on certain matters in which you are interested.

Your brother in Christ,
Josephus

St. John Writes the Truth About the Book of Revelation and Reveals There are Two Heavens

March 12, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. John - Apostle of Jesus.

I was with you tonight and heard the sermon of the preacher on Heaven and what it is and, as his text was founded on some expressions in a book of the Bible ascribed to me and which I did write, though not just as is contained in the Bible, I thought that I should come and write you as to the truth of the sermon, and as to the value of the book as descriptive or suggestive of what Heaven is and what its appearances are, and what the spirits of the redeemed are doing in what the preacher designated as service.

Well, I first want to say that while I did write a book of the nature of the one in the Bible named Revelation, yet this one does not contain my writings to any great extent, nor are my ideas set forth or followed in this book of Revelation. As you may now know, in my time, and for a long time previous, the Jewish writers, because of the great troubles and persecutions their nation was undergoing, were accustomed to write books in the nature of the one contained in the Bible, and called Revelations, for the purpose of encouraging their people to believe that all the wrongs that they were suffering would be avenged by God, and their enemies made to suffer and become destroyed, and that in the end their nation would be rescued from its condition of servitude and sufferings and become the ruling nation of the earth; and these writings were accepted by the Jews as having the authority of divine inspiration and conveying to their nation the truths of God and the same promises of His intervening in their behalf. The writings were always ascribed to some prophet, seer, or man of God who had the special privilege of coming in contact with God or some of His angels through the mysterious and sacred means of visions.

Of course, these writings were merely intended to encourage the Jews to establish their faith in God and in the belief that He would send them a Messiah who would have the power to redeem them from the punishments and thralldom that they were undergoing under the tyranny and strength of their heathen captors and persecutors.

Always were these writings prophetic and held forth the promises for the future, without ever attempting to fix a time for their fulfillment, or the ending of the nation's woes and the coming of its deliverer, so that time went on and the promises were not fulfilled, hope continued to exist and the belief of the Jews was not lessened, and non-fulfillment was explained by the further belief that the time for the consummation of their eagerly wished for expectations had not yet arrived; that God was all knowing as well as all powerful and careful for their race and that He and He alone understood just when the proper and fitting time should arrive.

This hope upon hope was a wonderful force in keeping up the beliefs and expectations of the Jews, and so effective was it that to this day they remain a nation or rather a race in belief and expectation of this coming Messiah. But, alas, as they did not recognize and accept him when he did appear, they will never again see his appearance, for he will never come as their Messiah as expected of old, but only as the great teacher and redeemer, not only of their race, but of all the peoples of the earth. He has already come as such a redeemer, and is working now to lead men to the true and only way to life and happiness and immortality. But never will any Messiah come to the Jews to establish them on earth as a great and chosen nation, as nearly all of them believe and still look for.

Thus, as I say, many books or manuscripts were written by the claimed Jewish prophets holding forth to the Jews the results of visions claimed to have been experienced by these writers. But as the prophecies, in the sense that the Jews understood them, have never been fulfilled, neither will they be fulfilled in the future, and their value has no reality.

This custom as I may call it, continued from these early times down to the time in which I lived and wrote, and my book of prophecy was written by me, not with the purpose of establishing the Jews as a nation on earth, or causing them to believe that their hopes or longings would be fulfilled, but for the purpose of encouraging the Christians to believe that notwithstanding their persecution and sufferings and martyrdom they would in the future life, when they should meet the Master and the saints, find joy and peace and heaven. But in my writings nothing was said about the wrath of God being visited upon the persecutors of the Christians or of their having to go into a hell of fire and brimstone, so that from that fact the happiness of the redeemed would be increased.

My writings have been added to and all kinds of grotesque imagery interpolated so that the whole design and purpose of my writings were changed and destroyed and the present Book of Revelation is only a mere allegory of some one or more writers who were gifted with some knowledge of the Christian teachings and unusually oriented imaginations. This book is of no value, but on the contrary is doing much harm to the cause of the truth as taught by the Master; as we who are in the Celestial Heavens and have knowledge of things heavenly as well as things earthly know to be the fact.

It should not be accepted as a truth of the revelation of truths, and not be believed in for any purpose. It has lead many good men and honest and earnest seekers after the truth astray, and caused them to believe and teach false doctrines that have resulted in much darkness and stagnation in the development of human souls in their longings for the truth. So, I say, let men entirely discard its teachings, and any and all lessons that the preachers or others, who think that they can understand its meaning, attempt to teach.

The writings that I gave to my people, of the kind mentioned, have long ago served their purpose, and the writings called the Revelations contain in it no truth that will help mankind to the Heavenly Kingdom or to their eternal happiness and at-onement with the Father. Let it die the death of a falsehood, born out of time.

I also was interested in the struggle of the preacher to explain what Heaven is, and what his people who may consider themselves redeemed children of God, will find when they become inhabitants of that Heaven.

Well, he spoke truly when he said Heaven is a place as well as a condition, for it is inconceivable that any condition of the spirit of a mortal could exist unless there be a place where that spirit could find a habitation. All space in the universe of God is a place, or contains places where things of existence must find localities. There is no such thing as a vacuum in God's economy, and all parts of space are fitted with something having substance, either material or spiritual, and wherever such substance is, there is a place for its abiding.

Yes, Heaven is a place, or a number of places, for the preacher is far from having the true conception of Heaven when he supposes it is one large place, where all believers go after death, irrespective of their condition of soul and moral perfections. As I say, there are many Heavens and many places, all as real and substantial as are the different stories and rooms in your home of earth. And the partitions, if I may so speak, between these different places are just as impassable for spirits that have not the proper qualifications to pass through as are the partition walls between the various rooms in your earth homes for you mortals to pass through. These places are distinctive, and the many mansions that the preacher referred to, are situated in many Heavens, or more correctly many spheres of the Heavens.

Strictly speaking, there are two Heavens in God's spirit universe, namely, the Heavens of the redeemed and transformed soul by the Divine Love called the Celestial Heavens, and the Heavens of the restored perfect man, called the Spiritual Heavens, each and all of them being places of real perfection and substance.

As one star differs from another star in glory, so these several Heavens within Heavens differ from one another in glory and appearance and in those things which help to make the mansions of their inhabitants beautiful and attractive and glorious.

It would take too long for me to attempt to describe any of these Heavens, for they each and all excel any conception that the mortal is capable of having; but I will say this, that there are no streets of gold or pearly gates, or suns or stars in any of them; only the light of God's Love and mercy illuminates them.

I will postpone my further writing, but will come very soon and complete what I intended to say about the sermon of the preacher, and attempt to show the real appearance of some of the Heavens, and what service the redeemed children of God render when they come to the spirit world.

So my dear brother, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,
John

Jesus Writes That the Great Gift of the Re-Bestowal of Divine Love Was Not Known or Ever Dreamed of by the Jews

January 11, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Jesus.

I will continue my discourse of last night.

I was saying that the Jews and the teachers of the church that became established - or rather controlled - after the death of my followers, and those who understood the true teachings of my disciples, taught the conduct of men towards their fellowmen, and the observance of certain ceremonies and feasts were the important things for men to learn and practice in order to gain salvation, rather than the truths which made man a child of the Father and at-one with Him through the operations of the New Birth.

Of course, before my coming, the Jews could not have taught the truth of the New Birth, because the Great Gift of the re-bestowal of the Divine Love had not been made, and it was not possible for that Great Truth, which was necessary for Immortality and the possibility of man's partaking of God's Divine Love to be known to the Jews and, hence, they could not teach it; and their teachings were limited and confined to the things which would make them purer in their natural love and in the relation of that love to the Father.

God, at that time, while He never gave them the privilege of becoming at-one with Him in the Divine Love, or even of becoming such beings in their character and spiritual qualities as were Adam and Eve, commonly supposed to be our first parents, yet did require of them obedience to His laws which would develop in them their natural love to such a degree as would cause it to become in harmony with His laws that controlled and governed their natural love.

If you will study the Ten Commandments, you will see that these commandments deal only with the natural love and by their observance would tend to make men better in that natural love and in their conduct with one another and in their relationship to God, so far as that love brought them in communion with Him. This natural love, as I have said, was possessed by men, just as the first parents possessed it, and was never taken from them and in its purity was in perfect harmony with God's creation and the workings of His universe; but not withstanding these great qualities, men were mere men and had in them no part of the divinity of the Father.

And this being so, the Jews, while they were supposed to be more in contact with God through the prophets and seers than were any of the other races or sects of God's children, yet, never looked for a Messiah that would come with any other or greater power than that which would enable them to become the great ruling nation of the earth to whom all other peoples would be subordinated and subjected and powerless to ever again conquer or subject their nation to bondage. In a way, this Messiah was to be a kind of supernatural being having power, which no other man ever had and a kind of god to be worshiped and served in their earthly lives.

Many of the Jews, notwithstanding what may be said to the contrary and the teachings of the prophets, believed in other gods than the one which Moses declared, as is evidenced in their histories both sacred and secular, for whenever their God, that is, the God of Moses, did not treat them just as they thought He should, they would create and worship other gods - even the golden calf. So I say they never expected a Messiah who would be other than a most powerful ruler on earth.

Their ideas and beliefs of the life after death were very hazy, and even that part of them known as the Pharisees, who believed in a kind of resurrection, never conceived that when they should drop the mortal life, they would be anything different in their qualities and characters from what they were as mortals, minus the physical bodies, and the great increased happiness which would come to them as such mortals, changed in their appearances.

This was the idea of the common people and also of the priests and scribes; and notwithstanding the many beautiful and spiritual psalms ascribed to David, the happiness or glory that they might expect was only that which would come to them as spiritualized mortals having only the natural love.

So you see, the GREAT GIFT of the Father that is the rebestowal of the Divine Love, was not known or even dreamed of by the Jews, nor conceived of nor taught by their scribes, nor even by their great prophets, or law-givers such as Moses and Elias and others.Their conception of God was that of an exalted personal being, all powerful and all knowing, and one whom they would be able to see face to face, as they might any king or ruler when they should come into the Heavens which he had prepared for them, and where he had his habitation.

I will defer the writing until later.

Jesus

St. Paul Writes on the "The Drama of St Paul" Sermon and Corrects the Inaccuracies

December 5, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. Paul.

Well, my brother, I was with you at the discourse on the "Drama of St. Paul," and was much interested in the subject matter, and also in the manner in which the speaker delivered his discourse. He was somewhat dramatic himself, and his elocution and intonation of the dialogues between several of the prominent personages in the drama and myself were very effective; but really they, the intonations, did not sound very familiar, because to me they possessed too much artificiality to represent correctly the real tones of voice and the feelings that possessed these persons and myself on those occasions. But, nevertheless, they were very effective and I have, no doubt, produced on the hearers the effect intended.

Some of the scenes depicted were very real, and some of them were not, for they never occurred. I well remember my experience on the way to Damascus, and the great change that it caused to my whole existence on earth. The brightness and the voice of Jesus were actualities, but the statement that I went blind is not true, for I was not blind but only affected for the time by the unusual light and, also, the shock that the voice of Jesus caused.

As Jesus said, my only blindness was that which covered my spiritual eyes at the time, and when I went into the town, the only blindness that I recovered from, in a way, was that which had kept my soul in darkness and caused me to persecute the followers of Jesus under the belief that I was doing the work which God had called me to do. So you see, that while the description as a whole of my life after my call was very interesting, yet it was not altogether correct.

Jesus has told you what my condition of soul development was and how I lacked the Love, which I afterwards, to some degree, possessed. And as he says, I was in my early ministry more of an intellectual Christian, than a Christian possessing the Great Divine Love of the Father; yet thanks to him, I continued to preach and believed as best I could until finally I became a redeemed child of God filled with His Love. I knew many things connected with and taught in the theology of the Jews, and especially of the Pharisees. I see now that in my writings, my conceptions of the truths of God, were flavored to a considerable extent by this knowledge which are of the Jewish theology.

While many things that I taught are true as I now see them, yet many things that the Bible says I wrote are not true, and I am not surprised that men will not accept them at this time. How I wish that I could review and rewrite the Epistles ascribed to me. How many seeming contradictions and unreasonable things would be made plain; but I cannot, except as I may through you declare the truth as I now see it, and I hope that the opportunities may come that I may do so.

Well, I will not write more tonight as you have written considerable, and others wish to write. I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,
Paul

Jesus Writes About the Speaker's Discourse on the "Drama of St. Paul"

December 5, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Jesus.

I was with you tonight and heard the speaker's discourse on the "Drama of St. Paul."

Well, it was very interesting and in some places impressive and should produce a great effect upon the hearers. Many things that the speaker recited were true and occurred substantially as he related them, but some were not matters of actual occurrence, and Paul never had all the experiences that he spoke of. But these were of minor importance and did not affect the truth of the narrative as a whole.

Of course, the whole discourse was taken from the Bible, and as I have told you before, there are many things in the Bible which are not true. His description of Paul's experience on the way to Damascus is partly true and partly not.

Well, I spoke to him, and when he was felled to the ground by the brightness of the great light that shone about him, Paul heard what I said and answered me, and went into the town; but he was not blind, nor did the prophet Ananias do anything to him in the way of curing any physical blindness; he only helped to open the spiritual blindness of Paul and show him the way to the Father's Love and Kingdom.

Paul, as you know, was a very learned man among the Jews and was a strict believer and follower of the Pharisees' doctrines; but as to knowing anything about the Divine Love, he had never experienced it, nor even did not know what it was intellectually. My summons to him was not only for the purpose of stopping the persecution of my people, but for the further purpose of enlisting him in my cause, as not many of my followers were educated or learned men, and I realized that my doctrines and truths must be preached among not only the learned Jews, but also among the gentile philosophers; and as the first requisite in such cases is to hold and, in a way, convince the intellect, I saw that I must have a disciple who would have the mental qualifications to present to these learned men, in a convincing way, my truths and be able to withstand the logic and reasoning of these gentile philosophers.

John was filled with Love, and wherever he could come in close communion with the common people, he could, by the great power and influence of that Love, persuade these people to embrace and receive my truths and, as a consequence, feel the inflowing of the Holy Spirit.

But Paul had not this Love to that degree as to be enabled by virtue of its power or influence to convince and compel his hearers to receive my truths and embrace that faith in my teachings as would cause them to seek the Love of the Father; and, hence, his mission was the more intended to be the teachings of my truths to the intellect and mental perceptions of a large number of persons of greater intellectual development than those with whom John and the other disciples would come in contact.

Of course, Paul acquired this Love to a very large degree, but not sufficiently to prevent him at times in his early ministry from doubting my calling him to do this work; and, as he has told you, this doubt was the "besetting sin," or "thorn in the flesh," from which he suffered. Had he had the fullness of the Love that John and some of the others had, he would never have had the doubts of which he speaks.

But, nevertheless, he became a wonderful power in spreading my truths and in convincing men that the Love of the Father was the one great possession to be obtained, and in causing them to believe in me as the son of the Father, and His messenger to declare to the world the great plan of man's salvation.

Paul finally became a man filled with this Love as far as his nature was capable of receiving it, and in his gospel will be found wonderful exhortations to his hearers to seek for it. But he was not the disciple of Love, but rather of the intellectual parts of my truths; and when he taught, his teachings were intended to appeal more to the mental perceptions than to the soul perceptions.

He never taught that I was God, nor did he believe that I was, and whenever it is set forth that he did say, or rather, what the Bible says on that subject is interpreted to mean that I am God, that interpretation is erroneous.

I will not write more on Paul tonight, but will tell you of some things of more importance to mankind.

I am now working as I did on earth, though in a little different way, to show men the way to God's Love and eternal life, and to assure them that the Great Divine Love of the Father is waiting for them to have it flow into their souls and make them at-one with Him.

Men are now in a condition that causes them to long for this great Love, and the peace and happiness which it brings, without knowing really what it is that they desire; and when my truths are placed before them, and they are told of the wonderful blessings that may be theirs by merely seeking for it in earnest and honest prayer, they will turn their thoughts and longings to God and His Love, and find the happiness and peace which they so much realize the want of.

I have many things to write you, and hope that we may soon have the rapport that will enable me to do so.

Well, I see how you feel, and I am so glad that you do; and I must tell you that the Father's Love is working in your soul, and will result in your becoming my true and earnest disciple. I will be with you in all my power and influence, so that nothing will prevent the doing of the great work which I have selected you to do. You must pray to the Father for His Love, and for faith, and they will come to you; for such prayers the Father desires to answer and grant.

And besides, as I pray to Him, and all my followers pray, we will ask the Father to give you this Great Love and faith and power to do the work, and to sustain you through all the years that may be yours on earth; for the work must be done.

You have written long tonight and I think it best that I stop. But before doing so let me say again, that you are the special object of my care and love, and I will be with you in all your worries and conflicts, and will help you to overcome them all, and to get in that position that will give you the freedom that is so desirous.

With all my love and blessings, and the love and blessings of the Father, I will say good night.

Your brother and friend,
Jesus

Leekesi, an Assyrian Official Who Believed in Many Gods, Writes His Testimony

November 4, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Leekesi.

I was a man who lived in the time of the destruction of Nineveh and was an Assyrian official; but I am not mentioned in history for my time was short, though in it occurred some of the most important acts of the whole history of that land.

I was not a believer in the God of the Hebrews, though in my time I had heard of that God, and many Jews lived in my domain; yet I would not let them worship that God or in any way teach my people the religion of the Jews.

Our gods were many and were worshiped by the inhabitants of the nation in accordance with what might be the desires of these people, and when the gods answered the prayers of the people, they were thought to be good and true, but when the answers did not come, the gods were false and new gods were made and worshiped according as they answered the people's prayers or not. So you see that our gods were the creatures of men and not men the creatures of the gods.

But notwithstanding this false idea, as I now see, of God, there were men of deep insight into the matters pertaining to the spiritual world, who did not make and worship the gods that I have spoken of, but who were able to look beyond these material things and discover that there was such a thing as a higher condition of the afterlife in which the souls of man could find happiness and knowledge of the existence of a real and mighty power that would bring them into a state of existence where men would realize the higher life of the soul's predominance.

These men were not numerous and did not associate with the inhabitants to any extent, but lived to themselves and evolved certain philosophies which satisfied them of truths which our common beliefs did not comprehend. These men also taught these truths, but not very generally, and only to those who might become their followers.

In my time, we had what you would call churches and priests and officials of high position in the religious organization and feasts and ceremonies and sacrifices, and these powerful ecclesiastics were very jealous and intolerant of anything which interfered with or in any manner controlled their religious teachings or the power which they exercised over the people and the government of the kingdom as well. And, consequently, these philosophers that I speak of were not permitted to disseminate their speculations or philosophies among the masses and were compelled to write their doctrines or teachings in a language which the common people could not understand.

This was the condition of the religious part of my kingdom at the time of its destruction, and many of my people who survived this destruction and who were scattered into other countries took with them these beliefs in the multiplicity of gods and worshiped as before their dispersion. In time these beliefs commenced to permeate the beliefs of the people among whom they lived until the belief in many gods became the general belief of many other nations. You will find in history that many nations which became great after the fall of my kingdom, such as Greece and Rome and others, continued the belief in a multiplicity of gods.

But not until the spreading and adoption of Christianity by them did the belief in the one true God become the established and universal belief of these nations and of the people thereof.

Man made the gods and worshiped them until the great Master came and proclaimed the truth of the one and only existing Father. Of course, an exception must be made in the statement in favor of the Jews, because they had only one God; but even they had different names for their God, which were applicable and used in accordance with the qualities that they ascribed to Him. It was only after Jesus came did that one God with many names of the Jews become our Father - the God of Love and Salvation.

From all of this you may suppose that I am a Christian. Well, I am, and I live in the Celestial Spheres; for I must tell you that I became converted to the truths of the teachings of Jesus many years ago and my progression in the development of my soul has been such that I am now in the Celestial Spheres.

I merely wanted to write this to show you that man has been a maker of gods for so many years that they cannot be numbered; and that it was only when the great truths came with the coming of Jesus that the real existing God and all His attributes were revealed to mankind.

Yes, I know, many of the people who lived in my time, and long since, have never learned the truth of the soul development and live in the happiness which has come to them with the progress of their intellects. But many of them have also been brought into the Light and Truth.

I will not write more, but will say good night,

Leekesi

Judas Writes a Short Note About His Betrayal of Jesus and Will Come Again to Tell His Story

August 23, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Judas Iscariot.

I came tonight because I want to tell you of just what my condition and expectations were when I betrayed Jesus, which resulted in his crucifixion.

I was a very enthusiastic lover of the Master and believed thoroughly in his teachings and his power and did not believe that the Roman soldiers could take him away from where we were, if we did not permit it to be done. As a consequence, I was anxious that Jesus should show his great power and demonstrate to the Jews that he was a true son of God with power over men and devils.

I never betrayed him for the money that I received for it was not sufficient to pay for one moment of happiness, which I have lost because of my act in betraying the greatest spirit in all God's Kingdom.

I see that you are too sleepy to write more tonight. I will come again and tell my story.

So goodnight,
Judas

St. John Writes About Judas and His Unintended Actions That Caused the Crucifixion of Jesus

August 15, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, St. John.

Well, there are some things in my gospel that do not seem to be very plain and, perhaps, are contradictory. But you must remember that many of these writings were not mine or written at my dictation. In the mutations of time, many things have been added to and subtracted from what I wrote and, as a consequence, the true and the untrue are mixed.

Well, it will be a very difficult task for you to make the distinction in simply reading or even studying the Bible, for the tenor of the writings is the same. The only way that you can separate the true - from that which is not - is to wait until Jesus gives you his messages. Of course, we can help also in that particular.

Well, that was not the word which he used, because he never taught that it was ordained by God that Judas should betray him. In fact, the death of Jesus was never a part of that which the Father considered as necessary to the performance of his mission. Of course, it was certain that Jesus would die, but the manner of his death was not foreordained, as my Gospel written in your Bible declares.

Judas was not a bad man as he is depicted to be and his betrayal, as it is called, of the Master, was not for the purpose of gratifying any avarice that he might be supposed to have or because of any jealousy or desire to revenge a wrong, but it was because he was impulsive, and a belief in Jesus' powers and ability to overcome the Jewish leaders in their fight to defeat the objects of Jesus' mission; and he thought he would be doing the Master and his cause a great benefit by having it demonstrated to these Jews that the Master could not be silenced or harmed by any act of theirs. It was really an act that grew out of his love for and belief in the greatness of the Master's powers.

Well, I tell you that Jesus never said any such thing. He never even told us that one of us should betray him, and I know because I was there. If Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, he did not tell any of us at that time, and we only knew it for the first time when Judas actually committed the act. I don't believe that Jesus knew it before that time; in fact, he has told me that he was surprised at Judas' betrayal of him. So you must not rely on the Bible statement as to what occurred at that time.

Judas was the youngest of the disciples and not so easily controlled in his impulses and acts, as he would have been were he older.

Yes, I know, but they are all based upon the same erroneous writings, for you must know that these gospels, as you have them, are not the originals written by those whose names they bear. Let not these things disturb your belief in the essential truths, which the Bible contains.

The trouble is that Jesus, as the individual, is given the prominence which should be given to his teachings. He is displeased very much because of this, and one of the great objects of his writing anew his truths is to correct that error and make the truths, which he received from the Father, the prominent things. As you progress in your writings, you will see that this is the great object of which he shall write.

Well, I will tell you that you are in the way to receive the Father's Love in very great abundance. In fact, so much so, that you will realize that you are one with the Father. I see, that you at present, have some difficulty in your way, but they will soon disappear and leave you free to do this great work. So my advice is to believe in the Master and pray to the Father and you will soon be a much happier man.

When on earth, I was a married man, and in my family the mother of Jesus lived until her death. She, Mary, lives near me. She is a beautiful spirit and filled with the Love of the Father. But you must not suppose that because she was the mother of Jesus she has any more exalted position than she otherwise would have had. Family ties do not determine anything in the higher spheres - the soul development is the criterion. Many spirits are living in higher spheres than Mary.

I will not write more now.

Your brother in Christ,
John

Samuel the Prophet Writes that Mankind Must Seek for Divine Love in Order to Obtain Supreme Bliss

August 5, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am Samuel the Prophet.

I want to tell you that I am in a condition to tell you of my existence here in the spirit world, and what I know about the truths of the doctrines of Jesus as I have learned them since I became possessed of the Divine Love, which he brought to earth and to the world of spirits.

I have lived a great many years in this spirit life, more than you may think from the account of my earth life as contained in the Old Testament, for that book does not state correctly the time when I lived as a mortal. Many thousand years have gone by since I lived and performed my work as prophet and teacher on the earth, and I have in all these long years learned many things about the spiritual world, and its conditions and laws.

In the first place, I am not a spirit who was given over to the evils that men are usually possessed of when they become spirits, because when I lived on earth I was very close to the Father in His thoughts and love. I mean the love which He gave to man at that time. This love, while not the Divine Love, yet, was a love that was sufficient to make men happy when they possessed it free from sin and error and tried to do the Will of the Father as they understood that Will. Many men thought that they understood this Will, when in reality they only knew that which the laws of Moses taught them to be right in the sight of God. But some men were given a deeper insight into the mind and love of the Father to bless and make men happy in their natural love and, consequently, were closer to Him and better understood His Will and what was pleasing to Him.

I have since my becoming a spirit learned many truths, which I did not understand on earth, and which are necessary to know in order to be able to enjoy this love in its fullness. I never, though, possessed this Divine Love until after Jesus came to earth and showed men and spirits what this Love meant and how necessary it was to obtain it in order to become a part of God's Divinity.

I do not now see that I was any more in favor of God, as I then possessed only this natural love, than were many others who had the privilege of receiving from His Angels the inspirations, which came to them at times, and which made them able to tell the inhabitants of earth what was the purpose of God to have them do. I was only a man in the sense that I was only possessed of this natural love and, hence, could get no higher in the spiritual world than this natural love would enable me to attain.

I am now in a Heaven, which this Divine Love has opened up to me, and which enables me to enjoy the great happiness which that Love causes all to have who possess it.

When I lived in the spirit world before obtaining this Divine Love, I was only possessed of that happiness which comes from the natural love, and I knew nothing of the happiness which I now possess. So you see, the spirit which has not this Divine Love can go no higher in the spiritual spheres than it is fitted to occupy by reason of this natural love, and the principal source of happiness is this natural love and the development of the mental faculties. On earth it is possible for a man to obtain this happiness and live in the Heaven of the perfect natural man, as I did prior to my obtaining this Divine Love.

I was a spirit in the highest of the spiritual spheres and was very happy, as I thought, but when I obtained this Divine Love, I realized that the happiness of my former condition was as nothing compared to that of my present condition and I, therefore, want to tell all mankind that they must seek for this higher Love if they wish to obtain a bliss that is supreme.

I know that this rambling talk may not seem very instructive, but I merely wish to emphasize the fact that I lived a mere man, though in the spirit form, before I obtained the Divine Love, and that only with the coming of that Love in my soul did I partake of the Divinity of the Father.

Well, they are still in the spiritual heavens because they have not yet embraced the Christ doctrine of Divine Love. They are living and teaching the doctrines that they taught on earth, only much improved.

I don't know, except that they have been satisfied with what they taught and the happiness that they live in. It may seem strange to you that they have not found this Love in all these years, but it is a fact, and they are not seeking for it. I feel that they have neglected a great opportunity and have lost very much by letting all these years go by without having sought the great truth.

The different teachers of the various religions which have come to earth are occupying planes in the spiritual heavens all to themselves. They, the Jews, still think that theirs is the only true religion, and that they are the chosen people of God, and that all others are mistaken in their doctrines.

Well, I must stop. So thanking you for your kindness, I will say goodnight.

Samuel

Professor Joseph Salyards Writes That He was Much Interested in Jesus' Message About His Life

June 8, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, your old Professor.

I am very happy and want to tell you that you are in much better condition to write than you have been since I commenced to write to you. I am so glad of it, for it indicates improvement in your physical as well as your mental condition.

I was much interested in the last message of the Master, because it sets forth facts which are not in accord with the Bible story, and with what I had been led to believe. Of course, he knows what the truth is, and when he tells us anything, we never for one moment doubt him, and neither must you. And when you come to analyze and consider the statements made by him, you will find them more in accord with reason than the story contained in the Bible.

In his statements there is nothing miraculous, or that calls for a belief that is beyond the reason to conceive of. Everything is so natural and in accord with the workings of nature, as has been observed in the case of the birth of every other human being. His statement, as to how and when there came to him the knowledge that he was the chosen one of God to bring to earth the glad tidings of the restoration of immortality and the Divine Love of the Father waiting for all mankind, is I believe very new and will be surprising to most men. But how reasonable this is.

Had he known from the time of his birth that he was the Christ, which had been promised to the Jews, is it possible that during all the thirty years in which he remained in obscurity, he would not have made his mission known and commenced the work of proclaiming to mankind the glad tidings which he afterwards proclaimed? It seems wholly incredible that he would not have done so. The years from twenty-five to thirty are very important years in the life of a man, and many great things have been accomplished by mere man during that period of life; and it is not reasonable that one who had the knowledge from his infancy that he was the special messenger of God, clothed with all the powers and knowledge of the truth, which Jesus displayed after he commenced his public ministry, would have remained in seclusion during the years that I have named, and not given the world the benefit of these great possessions. No, to me, his story is one in consonance with reason and I must believe it. At any rate, the fact that he say it is true is sufficient.

Well, I had hoped to resume my discourse on the laws of the spirit world before now, but your time has been so occupied that I could not intrude upon you; but very soon, if agreeable to you, we will continue.

With all my love, I will say goodnight.

Your old professor and teacher,
Joseph Salyards

Jesus Writes About His True Mission on Earth

May 24, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Jesus.

You are feeling better tonight, and l will try to write a little. I do not know that you are in condition to take a formal message, but I will tell you some things that will be of interest to you and mankind.

When I came to the world to teach the truths of my Father, the world was almost devoid of spiritual conception of the true relationship of God to man, and God was a being of power and wrath only. It was because of this conception of Him that the Jews were so devoid of the true knowledge of His nature and attributes. They only knew Him as a God who was interested in their material welfare and did not realize that He was a God who wanted them to know Him as their Spiritual Father and Saviour from the sins and evil natures that they possessed. And, consequently, when I came - they looked upon me, I mean those who accepted me as their Messiah, as one who would redeem them from the slavery which their Roman conquerors had placed them in and make them a great and independent nation more powerful than all the nations of the earth and fitted to rule the whole world.

They had no conception of my true mission on earth, and even my disciples, until shortly before my death, looked upon me merely as a saviour of them from the burdens which the Roman yoke had placed upon them. The only one of my disciples who had any approximate realization of what my coming to earth meant was John, and that was because of the great amount of love that seemed to be a part of his nature and being. To him, I explained my real mission and taught him the spiritual truths which I came to teach, and the only way in which mortals could receive that Love of the Father, which was necessary to make them one with the Father and enable them to partake of the Divinity of the Father.

Hence, only in John's Gospel is written the one necessary requirement to a full salvation and redemption of mankind. I mean the declaration that men must be Born Again in order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the only true way by which a man can become a true child of the Father and fitted to live in and enjoy the Father's Kingdom to the fullest.

The other disciples had more or less conception of this necessary truth, but not the full comprehension of what it involved. Peter was more possessed of this Love than were the other disciples, except John, and with it he also understood that I was the true son of my Father, but he never understood nor declared that I was God. He was a man filled with zeal and ambition, but his development of love was not sufficient to enable him to fully realize that my Kingdom was not to be an earthly one, until after my death, and then the conviction came to him in all its truth and fullness, and he became the most powerful and influential of all my disciples.

After the Pentecost, all of my disciples understood what my real mission was, and they went into the world and preached the true doctrines of my mission on earth, and the Love of the Father for His children, and the fact that that Love was waiting for all who should seek for it.

So you see that many of my disciples when on earth were not possessed of the true conception of my mission, and were not true followers of me in that inner meaning of what the Love of the Father meant, and what I tried to preach to them.

I have on earth now many mortals who understand my teachings better, and with a greater extent of soul knowledge, than did my disciples when journeying with me through Palestine.

But there are a great many men and women now living who do not understand my teachings, even though they think they understand the Bible and the interpretations of its discourses in accordance with the accepted doctrines of the learned and so-called teachers of its truths.

I don't feel that you can write more tonight and so will stop and say that you must continue to get stronger, spiritually and physically, so that we can continue our writings more rapidly and with greater satisfaction. So believe that I am Jesus and your true friend and brother who is with you very much trying to help you and make you happy and contented.

With my love and prayers, I am
Jesus