September 24th, 1916
Received by:James Padgett
Washington D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
I have been with you a great deal to-day, and know just what have been the workings of your mind, and tried to influence you as to some of your thoughts. I was with you at church in the morning and heard the minister's sermon and saw that he did not rightly comprehend the meaning of the words of the text. "Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also: and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." "If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it."
His explanation of what was meant by "greater works than I do," was not in accord with what I meant, or with the meaning that I intended to convey; for when I referred to works I meant those works which the world considered as miracles. I intended to assure my disciples that they would have power to do similar works or perform similar miracles to a greater extent than I had performed them. "Greater" referred to quantity and not to quality.
But this power or the successful exercise of it was not dependent upon belief in my name, but upon their faith in the Power of the Father and in the fact that He would confer upon them that Power. There was no virtue in my name or in me, as the individual, Jesus, but all virtue rested in the faith that they might have in the Father. I never performed any of the so-called miracles of my own self, but they were all performed by the Father, working through me; and just as He worked through me He would work through my disciples who should acquire the necessary faith.
As I have told you before, all acts that are apparently miracles are controlled by law just as are those things which you call the workings of nature, controlled by law, and when sufficient faith is acquired there comes to its possessor a knowledge of these laws; it may not be, as you would say, a knowledge, or consciousness that is perceptible to the ordinary senses of man, but perceptible to that inner sense, which is the one that enables men to comprehend the things of the spirit. And having this knowledge of the inner sense men may so control these laws that they will work those effects which seem to be contrary to the accustomed workings of the laws of nature. Until my disciples had acquired this faith that brought to their inner sense this knowledge, they could perform no miracle and do no work of phenomenon that other men could not do.
The Bible expression, that belief in my name is sufficient to cause the workings of miracles is all wrong, and I never said that such belief was what was required, neither did I say, "that whatsoever should be asked of the Father in my name would be given to men."
I was not a part of the Godhead and I had not of myself any power, and neither did my name have any miraculous influence with the Father. I was a man as other men are men, only I had become filled with the Divine Love of the Father, which made me at one with Him, and, consequently, had that knowledge of His Love and laws that enabled me to bring into operation those laws that would cause the desired effects to appear as realities.
But belief in my name caused no working of these laws, or the response of the Father to any supplications. Prayer must be made to the Father in the name of Truth, and to His Love and Mercy. Every individual is dear to Him, and He is ready to bestow this Love upon every one who asks in faith and pure desire. And in response to the earnest prayer will come Love, and with it knowledge of things spiritual, and with this, power that may be used for the good of mankind.
My name is not a mediator between God and man, and neither is belief in one, the Jesus, a means to reach the responsive Soul of the Father. If men will understand my teachings of truth, and when they ask in my name mean that they ask in the name of these truths, then such askings will have its results - but so few men, when they pray to the Father in my name, have such intention or understanding.
Only a knowledge of the Truth of the Plan for men's salvation will enable them to seek in the right way to obtain the Gift of the Father - and when I say knowledge of the Truth of the Plan, I do not mean that men shall understand all the minutiae of this Plan, and how one element or part of it may operate upon another, and what results may flow therefrom. But that knowledge must be sufficient in the beginning which shows to man that the Father is a God of Love, and that this Love may be obtained by man through earnest prayer for Its bestowal. This is all that is necessary, for the response that will follow will cause the New Birth, which when experienced by a man will place him in that unison with the Father, that will lead to a knowledge of the other Truths that form a part of the Plan of Salvation.
There is nothing else that will bring about this knowledge of that inner sense of which I write. A knowledge of the mind, except in conjunction with this inner knowledge can never bring about this necessary at-onement with the Father. It often exists that a man will have this inner knowledge and at the same time have a knowledge of the mind which is wholly at variance with the truths of the plan for his salvation. And the mind of man, being a thing of wonderful power, can for a time retard the growth of the knowledge of the inner sense, or, as I will say, the soul sense. But only for a time, for at some time the soul sense will progress to that knowledge of the truth, so that the erroneous mind knowledge, will entirely disappear, and man will possess only the truth.
Of this erroneous mind knowledge, or, perhaps rather, conviction, is the belief that in my name, that is supplications made in my name, will bring about the realization of the desires of the supplicant. Also that in my blood, or in the power of the cross, or in my alleged vicarious atonement, the salvation of men can be obtained. If any name must be used in man's supplication then use only the name of the Father, for His is a name high over all, and the only name in heaven or earth that can bring to man salvation and at-onement with His being.
And what I have said applies to many other declarations contained in the Bible, such as "he that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved." "There is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved" etc. This is the enunciation of a false doctrine and misleading to the great majority of mankind for they accept the declarations as literally true. Of course if it be interpreted as meaning that he that believeth on the truths that I teach, then the objection is not so great, but even then the declarations do not go far enough, for men may believe in these truths, and that belief may be a mere mental one, acquiesced in merely by the mind's faculties, without any exercise at all of the soul sense. If to all these declarations shall be added the vital Truth, that "except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven," and to this mental belief be added the soul's faith, then the doctrines will be truly stated and men will understand what is necessary to salvation.
Belief and faith are not the same; one is of the mind, the other of the soul - one can and does change as phenomena and apparent facts change, the other when truly possessed, never changes, for faith possessed by a soul causes all the longings and aspirations of that soul to become things of real existence - which like the house that is built upon the solid rock can never be shaken or destroyed.
I write thus to-night to show that the preacher in his sermon did not explain the true meaning of the text, and did not comprehend the truths that were intended to be conveyed of which the text was susceptible, though it did not set forth my expressions or in its literal interpretation declare the truth. I will not write more now except to say, that I love you with a great love, and pray to the Father to bless you. Believe in the Father and trust me for you will not be disappointed, and pray that this Divine Love of the Father shall come into your soul so that you shall know that you are an accepted son of the Father. Keep up your courage and have faith that whatsoever things you shall ask the Father in the name of His Love and Truth shall be given to you. I am with you in all my love and care and you will not be forsaken.
So my dear brother, rest assured that I am
Your brother and friend,
Jesus.