June 15th, 1915.
Received by James Padgett.
Washington D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
I want to tell you tonight that you are much better in your spiritual condition and I desire to write a message, and have you take it, if you feel that you are in condition.
Well, I desire to write on the subject of, "Why men should believe that I, who write to you, am the true Jesus of the Bible, and why I write to you."
When I lived on earth men did not believe that I was a God, or that I was anything more than a teacher of God's truths, possessed of wonderful powers, not then so well understood as they are now since men have comprehended to a limited extent the possibility of the spirit forms operating through the material world - that is, the spirits of men and the mortals of the other - have the power to communicate with one another, and that the powers possessed by the spirits, which are almost unlimited, may to a certain extent be conferred upon and exercised by men. This intercommunication and possession of powers and the conferring thereof on men, was not so well understood when I was on earth as they are now.
I, by reason of my soul development and my knowledge of spiritual things, was able to exercise these powers to an extent that made the people of my time suppose that I was the only Son of God, possessed of many of His powers and attributes; and as a matter of fact I was possessed of these powers and attributes. But I was only a mortal when on earth and only a spirit after I passed from the earth to the spiritual life.
Of course, my development of the soul qualities were such as to enable me to do many things on earth which no other mortal could do, and after I became a spirit to obtain a position in the spirit world that no other spirit had obtained. Yet I am only a spirit, a highly developed one, possessing more knowledge of God's truths and having more soul development than any other spirit.
If I were God or a part of God, I would be something more than the mere spirit that I am, and my position would be such that I could not or would not communicate with you in the manner that I do. But I am only a spirit, having the same form and means of communicating with the mortals of earth that other spirits have, only to a greater degree. I am not doing that which should be surprising to mankind. My home, of course, is in a sphere far above that of the earth sphere, and my condition of development is far greater than that of any other spirit, and I am not of the earth in any particular, yet my powers are correspondingly great and my ability to communicate is in accordance with my powers and knowledge.
If I were God I would not resort to the means of communication that I do now, and it would not be surprising that men would not believe that I would so communicate. But as I said, not being God there is no reason that I should not communicate through you or any other qualified medium the great truths of my Father and the plan provided by Him for man's salvation.
So men should not think that because I am the Jesus of the Bible, and have for so many years been accepted and worshipped by so large a part of the human race as God, or rather a part of Him, that, therefore, it must not he believed that I, as a spirit, have not the qualifications and powers of other spirits, and because I do so communicate, that I do that which, as God, I should not do.
Well, I must not write more as you are not just in condition. But I will finish the next time you write, as I very much want men to understand my position with reference to them and to the spirit world.
I am not so much in rapport with you tonight as usual, and you are not in condition to take my meaning. We will try again, soon. I want you to pray more to the father and have more faith. I will come again soon. I will say good night.
Your friend and brother, Jesus