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May God be with you, I give you greetings.My friends, within this earth plane today, we see so much dissension, so much warfare, brother fighting against brother.
There are among you upon earth, those who seek to bring light to earth, those who seek to awaken truth within the hearts of men. And you have begun at least, to understand the meaning of life, the purpose of your time upon earth, are numbered among those who'd seek to end this strife, and violence, and to bring about the peace which is the will of the God Spirit. In the time to come, man will become more aware of the truth of God; more obedient to the will and the laws which have been formed, not to restrict, but to encourage to assist man to five in peace upon this earth. Each of you can play your part in making manifest this, kingdom of the God Spirit. It may seem, as it often does, a hopeless thankless task, but we have told you time and again that you cannot measure the good your thoughts do. The thoughts of love and of light, the desire, the effort to keep peace within your own particular circle, can never be measured and can never be wasted.
Those who seek to perform the will of the God Spirit, those who seek to give without thought of self, are often by others of a material nature, ridiculed and thought to be foolish. They may not progress in a material way upon this earth plane, but the light that they build for themselves on our side of life is limitless. Remember, none of you are limited, for each of you has within yourselves the power of the God Spirit. You have the power to put forth your will; you cannot compel others, but you can keep on and on sending out thoughts of love, thoughts of peace. You can as it were batter away at their ego. You can send your influence; if it is not heeded, then the loss my friends is not yours but those who do not listen.
Spiritualism in itself has many factions, and this should not be. You must become united; you must learn to be tolerant of each others ideas, for it is impossible for each and every one to think and feel alike, but your knowledge and your faith should be the same. The certainty that life continues after the shedding of the mortal body; that is what is important. There is room within this movement for many ways of thought, remembering that all roads lead to the same knowledge, to the same proof, to the same understanding. It seems to many of us on this side of life that far from being a progression, the naming of Spiritualism as a religion was quite the reverse. You see, this truth, this knowledge is not bounded by religion, whether you believe or whether you do not believe, the certainty is that you will continue to exist. You may have been upon earth a follower of one of the orthodox religions, not necessarily Christian, not necessarily Jew, not necessarily Mohamedan or Hindu or Buddhist, but whatever your belief, you will find on arrival here, that whether you believed or did not, you are still alive, you are still an individual. You still have the power to think, to feel, to reason; to have the power, as you so desire, to return.
You see, what you believe is fact and whether upon earth you understand it or no, makes not one iota of difference; the fact that your life continues. The knowledge that you have is for all mankind, not for Spiritualists alone. It is something which you should speak of with pride; your belief, your certainty.
Never try to convert others, tell them only of your knowledge, and let them investigate further. But I tell you this, that it is only when all men come to the realization of this truth, that true peace will come upon this earth, for only then will the futility of warfare be realized, only then will men come to understand that this earth does not belong to them, but to the God Spirit.
That your time upon earth is but short, and for this reason and this alone, the waging of war is futile. That you cannot ever destroy another human being; you may destroy the physical body, but cannot destroy the reality, the essence which is spirit. And remember, that an those who have been sent here untimely will have to be met by those whose fault it was.
Men upon earth are as children fighting over that which is transient. Earth, the very earth upon which you tread, is but lent to you for the time that you will inhabit it. No nation owns earth, gradually man is beginning to realize that he cannot own; the territory is to be shared, as are an the bounteous gifts which God has given you upon this earth. Not to be snatched and hoarded, but to be shared with those less fortunate than yourselves. It is pitiful to see the greed which causes famine, the self abuse which causes disease; these things are not scourges sent by a vengeful God, but mostly are brought about through the greed and inhumanity of man himself.
Try each one of you to understand your fellow beings, but first as we have so many times told you, learn to understand yourselves. It was well said by the Greek philosopher 'Man, know thyself'. Know thyself and know thy motives for being as you are, for the words you speak, for the way you live. Look within yourself for that spark of life, which is God Itself; which must be nurtured and cared for and brought forth. For only thus shall you come into the light, and only thus find truth. The truth lies, not outside you, but within yourselves, within your inmost spirit, within that well of silence wherein is heard the voice of God. Make time then, each of you to hear this silence and to be at one with the world of spirit and with the voice of God Itself. All things then shall be made known to you, for they lie, not far away, but locked within your own inner consciousness. For there dwells peace, and therein is the true self of you.
Explaining to the Orthodox
Question: May I ask why it is so often difficult to explain Spiritualism to the adherents of the orthodox religions.
My brother, all you can do is to state your belief, state that which you know to be true. Many of the orthodox churches believe that only evil can come from - as they call it - dabbling with the occult, little realizing that many of their own rituals stem from what they would now term heathen religions, pagan religions, riddled with just that; with the occult. The ceremony of communion stems from very ancient times when the body and the blood were not as they are today, symbolic, but real. It was customary in many of the ancient religions to deify one particular person. They would make for themselves what they call a God King, but only for the space of one year, when they would be ritually slaughtered and the body and the blood consumed in order that the crops would flourish. It was also believed that by consuming the blood of a god, one took on some at least of his qualities. That is where communion stems from. The anointing too of your Kings and your Queens, came from the time when they were anointed, not with oil, but with the blood of sacrificial victims. How then can they say that we who come to you with love and with light, are creatures of the devil. Oh, they will say, but the devil takes on many forms in order to deceive you. Well, if we do indeed come from the devil, from the spirit, the powers of darkness; then why my brother do we seek always to bring light and healing and peace? The only way in which you can combat those who are , as you say, of the high church, is to ask them - not perhaps to come to a meeting with you - but merely to investigate for themselves. You see, very very few of such people, have ever had a first-hand experience, but at least if they speak of ghosts, they are admitting - although they may not wish to say so - that there is a life which continues. What are these so-called ghosts but spirits of those who have passed on. Many of them earthbound, in need of help; certainly not creatures to be feared, rather to be pitied.
As time goes on, you will find that there is more and more proof, not merely proof for individuals, but proof which is scientific and which cannot be disputed. In some of the other countries, the so-called ‘other world' is being investigated, not from a religious, but from a scientific angle. Many of those who have travelled through outer space, have become aware that there is life outside this planet, and have been moved because of this to investigate. Not only life upon other planets, but what really happens after the change of death; and they are not hidebound by religious scruples, because they to begin with had no belief. I would say to you however, do not seek to argue, but try to put the facts as you know them, very simply and clearly.
I will tell you a story of my own medium, who was involved with some very dear friends who were very high church, and she had known them some considerable time before; because of a lecture she was giving, she had to tell them. It was for the Greater World, and they wished to come. Now they became interested and asked if they could have a private sitting. The lady involved taught my medium singing, and her voice - her singing voice - is a very deep contralto. So we brought through a lady who sang, and sang in a very high coloratura soprano voice, which convinced the lady concerned, when she said 'I know you could not do this yourself'. The husband said he did not understand; he could not be fully convinced. Some time afterwards he passed into the world of spirit himself, and my medium was given a message by a clairvoyant, who knew nothing of her or of the people concerned, and this gentleman came through and gave his full name: 'I am Dr. Reginald Francis Price; will you please tell her, she was right and I was wrong, I apologize'. So you see, however biased, bigoted they may be, truth will come to them on this side, if not on yours.
Body and Blood
[Question: About the eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Christian religion].
But my brother, I can tell you this; Orthodox Christianity bears no relationship, or very very little, to what Jesus taught. Jesus was a being - is a being - filled with light, filled with love, filled with compassion, not only for mankind, but for all living creatures. Jesus taught men to love. Jesus taught men to care, not only for each other, but for all the creatures of the earth. This has been omitted, as have many of his sayings and teachings, from the gospels and from what is taught today.
What Jesus said at this feast of the Passover, was not what has been read into it. You see, many of the customs which have been brought in to Christianity, were brought in by followers, not the disciples who followed him immediately - for they knew his truth - but those who followed afterwards and sought to spread Christianity to gain converts. Now Christianity as Jesus taught it was simple. It was too simple for the later followers, because the religions with which they were. surrounded were full of rituals, or shall we say pomp and circumstance, and they had to be matched if they were going to filch converts; so they thought they gilded the lily, when in fact, they destroyed its essence, its truth, its love. What Jesus said in simple terms at his feast of the Passover, was not 'this is my blood, this is my body', but celebrate the Passover and remember me. Drink the wine as you drink it now, eat of the bread as you eat it now and when you do so, I will be with you, because you are my friends. Take my word out to the people, carry on with my work and know that when you call on me, I will be there. What Jesus taught was Spiritualism, it was life after death, it was not the resurrection of the body, but the rebirth of the spirit. But all this has been forgotten. Jesus tried to teach men to find this peace within themselves, open their inner ear, to open the eye with which they could see the reality; the reality which is spirit.
This body is only a shell, because the real you is inside, and this is what Jesus sought to tell, and this is one reason why Jesus had to be crucified. For once men begin to realize truth, they will realize that there is no need of priests, no need of a mediator, because you - each one of you - if you truly desire it, has the ability to commune with the mind of God Itself. You do not need go-betweens, but man has yet a lot to learn. This is what Jesus taught two thousand years ago, and, man still cannot accept it as truth. In those days they crucified his body, because it was expedient to do so. He was a threat to the priests, he was a threat to Israel, because the priests believed that his teaching, his followers, would cause an insurrection and they knew that if this happened, Rome had the power, not merely to crush a rebellion, but to destroy Israel as a nation. So, Jesus a symbol of truth, had to be destroyed, but in destroying his body they proved the truth of his teaching; that life goes on, that man is indeed immortal, that the soul - the spirit - can never ever die. Jesus taught nothing which conflicts with the truth of Spiritualism, and we teach nothing which conflicts with the truths that Jesus taught. Throughout every orthodox religion, there runs this thread of truth, but' all too often it becomes over-laden by the greed and the materialism of its followers. True Christianity, lies in loving; loving God and loving each other. That is the basis of what he taught. And my friends, very very few Christians follow that truth today.
The Arrest of Jesus
Question: Why did Jesus surrender and not flee from his pursuers.
He was prepared my brother, but because he knew, it was not a question of enough, of surrendering. There were two reasons: One, because he knew, that if he fled, there would indeed be the very uprising that the priests feared. He was a person who followed what he taught. He loved his fellow beings; he taught, as you well know, that the greatest love anyone could show for another fellow being, was to lay down his or her life for theirs. He sought to die himself, rather than to see the chaos that would follow a rebellion. [Two]. He also knew with certainty that death was not the end of life, but the beginning. He knew that once he passed to the world of spirit and made himself known to those he had left' behind, he would have proved the truth of his words. It was a fact that he prayed: if it was possible to be spared the humiliation and the pain of death upon the cross, but nevertheless made it very clear that he was prepared for this sacrifice, if there was no better way.
New Souls
Question: Where do new souls come from; those who have not been on this earth in a previous life.
Well, some come from other sources of life. Now this is something which I know has been in dispute, but there is life in some form, not necessarily human life on every other planet. Many of your scientists say that there are dead planets or fiery planets, on which it is impossible to support life. They speak only of life as' we upon earth know it. Do you understand? And there are other forms of life; other forms of beings of which man as yet is unaware. Now some of the new souls have progressed from planets such as these, but others are - shall we say sparks from the Cosmic Mind Itself. It is deemed to be a continuous cycle of life, but truly my friend, we do not know the end of life. Do you understand? There are many theories, many theories. I would say to you that taking into account what happens as the various forms of life evolve, the most likely eventuality is that we merge with the Cosmic Mind Itself or go on from this planet of earth to those who are yet more advanced.
The whole concept of the universe is so vast, that it defies almost our comprehension. For earth is but a part of the universe, and the universe a part of an even greater universe, and so it seems it goes on. New souls come in this way, new human souls come also from what you would term the lesser forms of life, who have progressed up through the evolutionary chain, until they come to find the power of reason, which distinguishes man from the so-called lesser members of the animal kingdom. But remember, there is not a separate animal kingdom, for man himself is part of it. The idea that man was formed in the image of God, comes not from God, but from man. God is a power, but a formless power. God is love; a power which sees all and knows all and which because we are as children, we refer to as Father. God indeed is without a gender; It is a great light, a great warmth, a great love. A love which encompasses every form of life, not only upon earth but everywhere. The souls to which you refer as old souls, are those who have travelled far and have learned much. You will find them among the great teachers upon earth; among those of humble origin, but always they are beings who are filled with understanding and with love. Those who seek, not only for themselves, but for the good of all creation, to find truth and understanding.
Earthbound Spirits
Question: You spoke of ghosts or earthbound spirits. Could you give us some example why these particular spirits remain earthbound, and if there is any way we can help them.
Most certainly my brother. We have encountered many in my medium's rescue circle, which sadly has for the time being to be postponed. Many of them refuse to admit that they are spirits. Do you understand? Often they have been steeped in orthodoxy, or they believe - not they believe - they have had no belief, and thought that death is final. Therefore because they can see and feel, and speak; they cannot be dead. They are not dead, but they will not accept that the mortal part of them is dead and that they still can live. Do you understand? Now, we can only help those who desire to be helped. I know this sounds difficult, but even help cannot be forced upon another being. It is just the same with those who have built for themselves upon this side. We cannot even suggest light to them unless they begin to desire it. Those who are earthbound, sometimes are held by those they have left behind, because grieving does not help the person - the spirit - to progress, and they become as it were attracted by the mourners, yet are unable because of the barrier grief creates, to make themselves known.
Those who haunt a particular building, often associate it with something which has occurred. As you know, many of the so-called famous ghosts are those who had violently come to this side of life. They have been executed, murdered; suicides. Some return to a place thinking what they seek is vengeance, not realizing that because on this side we do not measure time; those who harmed them upon earth are long moved over into the world of spirit themselves. It is necessary when thinking of helping these people, not as do the orthodox, driving them out; thinking of them as evil spirits to be exorcised. For even those who seek to harm people upon earth, have a motive, a reason for doing so. And it is essential when dealing with these, either who seek to harm or are earthbound, to ask them why, to find out the reason. Only then can you turn them back into the light.
We have dealt with many such cases, some of which are tragic. Others who are seeking to make themselves known because of something either done or undone before they left earth. Your prayers, your thoughts always help, but you must it is essential to - find out why. We cannot generalize and say all earthbound spirits are thus because, for each is an individual and each has an individual reason.
Only Begotten Son of God
[Question: About the Christian belief that Jesus is the son of God].
Jesus came to earth, not as a son of God, but as he himself referred to himself, as a son of man. He was on this side a very advanced spirit, a being of light with a great knowledge of the laws of the God Spirit and the laws of the universe. At the time of his birth, earth was passing through a violent and barbaric age. The nation where he chose to be born - Israel - was particularly oppressed. Jesus came to them to teach them the truth. To give them, not a military leader, but hope. The Jews were a people very god-fearing, and fear was a great part of their religion. Jesus sought to dispel that, to teach them that God was not a god of fear, but a god of love. He showed them how the power of God could override the physical fear and physical death; how it could be developed within each individual. He came not as God, but as man and showed by his selflessness, by his great patience in developing his mediumistic powers, by his self denial and his love for all beings, that man could with diligence and with courage develop as he had done.
He was not a god, but a man who raised himself to become, not God, but as God. Do you understand? Nothing which he did, is beyond the power of any one of you, should you choose to dedicate your lives to doing so. This is why Christianity has fallen short of truth, because they insist that Jesus is God, that he is the only begotten son of God, and to beget a son, God must have the form of a man, which is not so. And if Jesus was born a god, then it is impossible for any human being to emulate him. But he gave man a pathway, he gave you all an example, he gave you something - a goal - which is not impossible to achieve.
And I tell you, many of the early Christians did achieve it. They were able to heal, to become entranced, to bring materialization and the phenomena you know as direct voice, transfiguration; all the things which Jesus himself did, they also achieved, and they achieved also - many of them - the ability to overcome physical fear, and to allow themselves to be slaughtered, as was Jesus himself, rather than to deny what they knew to be true. It is a sorrow I know, to see what Christianity has become. How the various factions fight and kill each other in the name of Jesus, in the name of religion. He who taught love and compassion, and that alone. I tell you, any one being who kills in the name of Christ commits the ultimate blasphemy. Blasphemy against God Himself.
Epilogue
My friends, I give you my thanks for your questions and for your interest. I ask you - remember - love is the law of God. No matter what it costs, no matter if it is not returned, no matter if you are ridiculed, give that love and it shall be returned to you, not a hundred, not a thousand, but a million fold. And the light which you shall build upon this side of life, will guide you throughout eternity.
But now I will ask a moment to give you a closing prayer.
O Great Spirit of Light, You who sent to this earth teachers and guides to assist man in his journey, let the words of truth be engraved upon the hearts of these Your children, let them go forth giving love and light wherever it is needed, that peace may come upon this earth, that Thy will may be done and Thy kingdom made manifest, not only now, but for all times. May man come into a greater understanding, a greater knowledge, the meaning of life upon earth and its purpose; the purpose to perform Thy win now and always.
May God be with you all, may you journey safely and in peace. Good night my friends.
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