May 25, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
You are better tonight in your spiritual condition and I will write a formal message. I desire to write on the subject of, "The real truth of the life on earth, and what it means to mortals."
When men come to the knowledge that they are children of the Father and under His care and protection, they will see that they must lead such lives as will fit them to become in union with the Father and be able to partake of His Love which makes them, as it were, a part of Himself. I mean that there is in all men the potentiality of becoming a part of the Divine Essence. But in order for them to partake of this Divinity, they must let the Love of the Father, in its highest nature, enter into their souls and make them at-one with Him.
No mere love that they had bestowed upon them as creatures of the Father's handiwork will enable them to attain to this exalted condition.The natural love, of itself, is not sufficient, because when that love was bestowed upon them it was merely intended to enable them to live in a good and harmonious way with their fellowmen. It was not the Real Love that formed a part of the Divine nature of the Father, and was not intended to make men a part of that nature. So, in order for men to receive this Higher Love, they must do the Will of the Father while on earth, or they will have a more difficult work after they become spirits in receiving the wonderful inflowing of this Divine Love.
The earth is the great plane of probation, and the development of the souls of men depends upon their correct living in accordance with those principles, which the Father has established as the means whereby they may receive this condition of Love, which alone can make them at-one with Him.
Merely good deeds are not sufficient. Back of all deeds must be the soul's development, which results only from the possession of this Love. I do not mean by this that deeds do not form a part of this development, for they do; but deeds without the possession of this Love will never make a man the possessor of the one thing needful to ensure his entrance into the Heavenly Kingdom.
Men must love one another and must, of course, "do unto each other as they would be done by." If this rule of conduct was observed, men would be much happier on earth, even if they do not possess the Divine Love that I speak of.
No man can of himself become filled with this Love, for in only one way will it come into his soul and that is: by prayer to the Father for its inflowing and faith that He will give it to him who asks earnestly and humbly. I know that some men think that prayer is nothing more than an appeal to their own better selves, but I tell you that this is a wrong belief; and when they realize the truth that prayer ascends to the Father, and is heard by Him and answered, they will understand the great mission and benefit of prayer.
Let men live the most exemplary lives and, yet, they will not necessarily become partners of this Great Love and have the qualities that are necessary to enable them to receive the great gift of unison with the Father. I urge all men to live a good moral life, because it has its own reward in the spirit world, and makes them happier as spirit beings in a condition of mere natural love, and will fit them for a life in the spirit world, which will bring to them happiness; but not the happiness of those who fit themselves for a greater happiness in the Celestial Kingdom.
I will not discourage men from seeking the life of a moralist, or of one who tries to follow the truths of conduct which the golden rule imposes, but on the contrary, emphasize the necessity for such a life. A good man approaches nearer to the image of the Father than any other being can possibly attain to, and his reward in the future life will be that which comes only from living the life of such a man. So I say, the more a man lives in accordance with these moral precepts, the nearer he will approach the image in which he was created.
But why should men be satisfied with the image when the Real Substance may be theirs by obeying the invitation of the Father? The image may satisfy some who are content with small things, but the aspiring soul wants the Real Substance, which the Father offers freely to those who will accept His invitation.
No man can really live a good moral life unless he has as his guide the Love that I have mentioned. I do not believe that any man who knows the difference between the image and the Substance will be satisfied with the former for, if so, he is rejecting the greatest happiness that even the Father can bestow upon him.
So let not men be content with trying to live good moral lives, but seek with all their hearts the Love that makes them truly Angels of God; and such Angels as can feel and realize (by reason of the Divinity which such Love brings to them) the certainty that they are immortal.
Immortality is only of God, and anything less than God, or His Divine Essence, which makes the creature a part of that Divinity, is not immortal.
Adam and Eve (as they are called) were mortals, free from sin and obedient to the Father, and thought that they were immortal; but when the temptation came and they yielded, they realized to their great sorrow that they were not immortal. And so will every spirit of mortal be in the future life where the Divine Love of the Father has not become a part of its existence.
Life on earth is an important part of the great eternity of living, and men should realize this to its fullest meaning, and not think the earth a mere stopping place where the spirit is enfolded in flesh only for the pleasures and gratification of its carnal appetites. This earth life is a fleeting shadow of the spirit life, but an important shadow to the happiness which man may enjoy in the future. It is the most important period of man's whole existence, and the way that such life is lived may determine the whole future life of the man. I don't mean that there is no redemption beyond the grave, for the mercy of the Father continues into the spirit life; but when man fails to accept this mercy - I mean the way in which he may become a Divine child of the Father while in the earth life, he may never accept it in the spirit life.
So many spirits are contented to remain in the happiness of their natural love, and refuse to be convinced that there is a greater Love and happiness awaiting them in the Father's Kingdom, which may be theirs if they will only believe and seek. This I say from my knowledge of the real condition of spirits in the spirit world, and the difficulty, which the redeemed spirits have found in their endeavors to convince these spirits who are enjoying the happiness of their natural love, that there is a happier and better sphere in which they may live, if they will seek for the Divine Love of the Father.
As I said when on earth, "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leads to life eternal and few there be who enter therein."* And this saying applies to the spirit world as well as to the material world. So let me urge upon all men to seek the strait and narrow way, for only by it can men come to the full enjoyment of what the Father has provided for them.
I will now stop, but in closing will say, with all the love and knowledge which I possess: Let men seek this great Divine Love, and in faith they will find it, and forever be one with the Father - immortal as He is immortal and happy beyond all conception.
So I will say with all my love and blessings, and the blessings of the Father, "Seek and ye shall find."
Goodnight. Your loving brother and friend,
Jesus
________________________________
* Matthew 7:14
Showing posts with label probation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label probation. Show all posts
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Ann Rollins Writes About Seeking the Love of God on Earth; Meeting Jesus; Describes His Appearance; and Discusses Probation
May 13, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, your Grandmother.
I am happier than I can tell you. I am living in my home of which I told you a few nights ago, and it is a beautiful home beyond the possibility of description. Tonight, I want to tell you of my experience in seeking the Love of God, and in realizing that He is my Father, who loves me with a Love that knows no shadow of wavering or cessation.
I was not always filled with faith, or believed so implicitly in prayer, but in my early married life, I received the conviction that if I would be happy in life and fitted to receive the blessings which the Bible promised to those who should seek the Lord and his Love, I must see the necessity of seeking; and I, with all the earnestness of my nature, commenced seeking for the Father's Love, and as a result I found it and with it a great happiness and peace.
You know what my spiritual condition was in my later years on earth, and how my faith was such that, although I was nearly deaf and blind, yet, I was happy and joyful. Well, when I came to the spirit world, I brought that faith and love with me, and I found that it was just as real here as it had been on earth. Of course, in some of my beliefs I was mistaken, such as my belief that Jesus was God, and that his death and blood saved or could save me from sin and damnation; but notwithstanding my mistakes in these particulars, my love for the Father was not interfered with, and I continued to live in that love and was happy.
I had not been in the spirit world a great while before spirits of a higher order than myself came to me and told me many wonderful things of the Father's Kingdom, and that my progress to the higher spheres would depend upon my receiving more of this Divine Love in my soul and becoming more at-one with the Father.
The first time I saw Jesus was after I had been in the Third Sphere a short while, and when I met him he impressed me as being the most beautiful and loving spirit that I had ever seen; and when he told me that he was Jesus, I, of course, was somewhat surprised, because I had believed that he was sitting in the Heavens on the right hand of God, as I had been taught on earth to believe.
And when he saw my surprise, he looked on me with a wonderful love and said that I must not further believe that he was God, or even a part of Him, or that he was in the high Heavens accepting the worship of men, for he was only a spirit as I was and was still working among mortals as well as spirits to lead them into the light and the way to the Father's Love.
At first, I confess, it was difficult for me to believe this, and I had my doubts; but his manner of talking to me and the wonderful love that he displayed, not only for me but for all mankind, soon convinced me that he was the true Jesus and not an imposter. And afterwards, I met many spirits who knew him and had been his followers for many years, and they told me that he was the Jesus of the Bible, and I could not do anything else but believe. And now, after my long years of association with him and feeling his ministrations of love and the influence of his greatness, I know that he is the true Jesus, who by his teachings and overwhelming love saves men from their sins, by showing them the way to the Father's Kingdom. So my dear son, do not doubt what I tell you now in reference to this matter, or what I have already told you.
Well, it is somewhat difficult to describe his appearance, but I will try. He is of a commanding figure, as you say on earth. His features are regular, and his eyes are of a deep blue, almost a purple blue, with such depths of love in them that under its influence you almost forget to note the color of his eyes. The hair is a beautiful brown, worn long and parted in the middle so that it falls over his shoulders. His nose is straight and somewhat long, with nostrils very refined and showing the artistic elements in his nature. His other features are in keeping with those I have described. He wears a beard quite long and very silky and brown like his hair. His manner is grace itself and modesty personified and, yet, in him is the intensity of feeling which can show itself in just indignation when the occasion requires. And, yet, with all the great beauty of his person and the greater love of his soul showing itself, he is very humble - more so than any spirit I have seen.
I have given you a bare outline of his appearance, and you will never fully realize in your mind's eye just what his appearance is; and only when you come over and meet him will you fully understand the appearance of the most wonderful and beautiful and loving spirit in all God's universe.
Some day this will happen; and you will not have the doubts that I had, and your heart will go out to him from the first moment of your meeting. My dear son, it is a greater privilege than you can appreciate to be thus prepared to meet your friend and teacher; for he is your friend to a degree that is beyond what I thought he would ever be while you are on earth.
So you see, my experience was a somewhat exceptional one, and one secret of its being so is that I received very great faith and the Love of my Father while on earth.
While the teachings of many preachers are that the earth is the only place of probation, and that teaching is not correct; yet, if it were believed more, and mankind should prepare their future in view of that belief, many a man, when he becomes a spirit, would avoid experiences that are very unpleasant and retard his progress in the spirit world. Of course, such a belief (that the earth is the only place of probation) when the mortal fails to make the preparation, will work him great injury after he becomes a spirit; because such a belief is difficult to get rid of, and as long as it lasts the spirit is very apt to believe that his status is fixed forever and, hence, he will not progress until he accepts the truth.
So you see after all, the only good belief is a belief in the truth, which never changes.
Probation is not confined to the earth life but is with man and spirits alike. In fact it never ends, for each preceding condition of a spirit is nothing more than a probationary condition to what follows. But the great probationary condition, undoubtedly, is that which exists for the mortal while on earth; and if that probation is accepted and made the most of, the spirit of man gains an advantage which is beyond my ability to describe.
Sometimes men do not attempt to take all the advantage of this probation on earth, and come to the spirit world in all their material thoughts and sins, with their souls dead, as Jesus said, and find that in such condition, as spirits, they have a more difficult time to awaken from such condition and progress; and I am informed that some spirits have been in this world for many, many years and have not yet had an awakening. So you must see the importance of taking advantage of the earth probation.
Well dear son, I have written a great deal and must stop now, though I should like to write you a much longer time. So with all my love I will close, and sign myself,
Your loving Grandmother,
Ann Rollins
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, your Grandmother.
I am happier than I can tell you. I am living in my home of which I told you a few nights ago, and it is a beautiful home beyond the possibility of description. Tonight, I want to tell you of my experience in seeking the Love of God, and in realizing that He is my Father, who loves me with a Love that knows no shadow of wavering or cessation.
I was not always filled with faith, or believed so implicitly in prayer, but in my early married life, I received the conviction that if I would be happy in life and fitted to receive the blessings which the Bible promised to those who should seek the Lord and his Love, I must see the necessity of seeking; and I, with all the earnestness of my nature, commenced seeking for the Father's Love, and as a result I found it and with it a great happiness and peace.
You know what my spiritual condition was in my later years on earth, and how my faith was such that, although I was nearly deaf and blind, yet, I was happy and joyful. Well, when I came to the spirit world, I brought that faith and love with me, and I found that it was just as real here as it had been on earth. Of course, in some of my beliefs I was mistaken, such as my belief that Jesus was God, and that his death and blood saved or could save me from sin and damnation; but notwithstanding my mistakes in these particulars, my love for the Father was not interfered with, and I continued to live in that love and was happy.
I had not been in the spirit world a great while before spirits of a higher order than myself came to me and told me many wonderful things of the Father's Kingdom, and that my progress to the higher spheres would depend upon my receiving more of this Divine Love in my soul and becoming more at-one with the Father.
The first time I saw Jesus was after I had been in the Third Sphere a short while, and when I met him he impressed me as being the most beautiful and loving spirit that I had ever seen; and when he told me that he was Jesus, I, of course, was somewhat surprised, because I had believed that he was sitting in the Heavens on the right hand of God, as I had been taught on earth to believe.
And when he saw my surprise, he looked on me with a wonderful love and said that I must not further believe that he was God, or even a part of Him, or that he was in the high Heavens accepting the worship of men, for he was only a spirit as I was and was still working among mortals as well as spirits to lead them into the light and the way to the Father's Love.
At first, I confess, it was difficult for me to believe this, and I had my doubts; but his manner of talking to me and the wonderful love that he displayed, not only for me but for all mankind, soon convinced me that he was the true Jesus and not an imposter. And afterwards, I met many spirits who knew him and had been his followers for many years, and they told me that he was the Jesus of the Bible, and I could not do anything else but believe. And now, after my long years of association with him and feeling his ministrations of love and the influence of his greatness, I know that he is the true Jesus, who by his teachings and overwhelming love saves men from their sins, by showing them the way to the Father's Kingdom. So my dear son, do not doubt what I tell you now in reference to this matter, or what I have already told you.
Well, it is somewhat difficult to describe his appearance, but I will try. He is of a commanding figure, as you say on earth. His features are regular, and his eyes are of a deep blue, almost a purple blue, with such depths of love in them that under its influence you almost forget to note the color of his eyes. The hair is a beautiful brown, worn long and parted in the middle so that it falls over his shoulders. His nose is straight and somewhat long, with nostrils very refined and showing the artistic elements in his nature. His other features are in keeping with those I have described. He wears a beard quite long and very silky and brown like his hair. His manner is grace itself and modesty personified and, yet, in him is the intensity of feeling which can show itself in just indignation when the occasion requires. And, yet, with all the great beauty of his person and the greater love of his soul showing itself, he is very humble - more so than any spirit I have seen.
I have given you a bare outline of his appearance, and you will never fully realize in your mind's eye just what his appearance is; and only when you come over and meet him will you fully understand the appearance of the most wonderful and beautiful and loving spirit in all God's universe.
Some day this will happen; and you will not have the doubts that I had, and your heart will go out to him from the first moment of your meeting. My dear son, it is a greater privilege than you can appreciate to be thus prepared to meet your friend and teacher; for he is your friend to a degree that is beyond what I thought he would ever be while you are on earth.
So you see, my experience was a somewhat exceptional one, and one secret of its being so is that I received very great faith and the Love of my Father while on earth.
While the teachings of many preachers are that the earth is the only place of probation, and that teaching is not correct; yet, if it were believed more, and mankind should prepare their future in view of that belief, many a man, when he becomes a spirit, would avoid experiences that are very unpleasant and retard his progress in the spirit world. Of course, such a belief (that the earth is the only place of probation) when the mortal fails to make the preparation, will work him great injury after he becomes a spirit; because such a belief is difficult to get rid of, and as long as it lasts the spirit is very apt to believe that his status is fixed forever and, hence, he will not progress until he accepts the truth.
So you see after all, the only good belief is a belief in the truth, which never changes.
Probation is not confined to the earth life but is with man and spirits alike. In fact it never ends, for each preceding condition of a spirit is nothing more than a probationary condition to what follows. But the great probationary condition, undoubtedly, is that which exists for the mortal while on earth; and if that probation is accepted and made the most of, the spirit of man gains an advantage which is beyond my ability to describe.
Sometimes men do not attempt to take all the advantage of this probation on earth, and come to the spirit world in all their material thoughts and sins, with their souls dead, as Jesus said, and find that in such condition, as spirits, they have a more difficult time to awaken from such condition and progress; and I am informed that some spirits have been in this world for many, many years and have not yet had an awakening. So you must see the importance of taking advantage of the earth probation.
Well dear son, I have written a great deal and must stop now, though I should like to write you a much longer time. So with all my love I will close, and sign myself,
Your loving Grandmother,
Ann Rollins
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