Angelic Revelations—the Gospel of God’s Love

I was born in Bethlehem, as you know, in a manger, and when I was a few days old, my parents took me to Egypt in order to avoid the soldiers of Herod who were sent to destroy me, and who did kill a great number of male infants of less than two years of age. The Bible story of my birth, the flight of my parents, and the murder of the innocents is substantially correct; and I only wish to add to it that, when my parents arrived in Bethlehem, they were not compelled to seek the manger of a stable on account of poverty in order that I might be born, for they were supplied with funds and everything that was needed to make my birth comfortable for my mother; and, as a matter of fact, my father was not poor in the world's goods, as poverty was considered in those days.

The Bible says that the Wise Men came and brought offerings of gold and frankincense to my parents, or rather to me, but my parents have told me that it did not amount to so very much, so far as the money value of the same was concerned, and that their expenses of fleeing to Egypt were met by the funds that my father had prior to his reaching Bethlehem.

After they arrived in Egypt, my father sought the home of a Jew who was his relative, and lived there for a long time doing the work that his trade fitted him to do; and by his work he supported the family and, to an extent, educated me and my brothers and sisters, for I had four brothers and three sisters who were all, except myself, born in Egypt.

When I became of proper age, I attended the common school provided for small children and was taught those things that had to do with the religion of the Jews, and some things that were not religious in their nature. I was never taught the philosophy of the Egyptians or of the other pagan philosophies; and when it is stated that I received my religious ideas or moral teachings from any of these philosophers, they are mistaken.

My education as to these matters of religion was derived from the teachings of the Old Testament or, rather, from Jewish teachers whose textbook was the Old Testament.

My development in the knowledge of the Truths, which I taught during my public ministry, was caused by my inner spiritual faculties; and my teacher was God Who, through His angels and through my soul perceptions, caused those Truths to come to me, or rather the knowledge of them, and in no other way did I obtain them.

I was not born with the knowledge that I was the son of God sent to earth to teach these great Truths, or that I was to announce the rebestowal of the Great Gift of Immortality to mankind and the means of acquiring It. But this knowledge of my mission came to me after I became a man and had frequent communions with God through my spiritual senses.

I was never in the presence of the Jewish priests, expounding to them the law and asking questions when about twelve years of age, as stated in the Bible. And not before my first appearance, after I became a man, did I attempt to show priest or layman that I was the messenger of the Father, sent by Him to proclaim the glad tidings of Immortality restored, and of His Great Love which was necessary to make all men at-one with Him and to give them a home in His Kingdom.

I never was a sinful boy or man, and did not know what sin was in my heart; and strange as it may seem, I never sought to teach others these Truths until after my mission was declared by John the Baptist.

In my boyhood days I was the same as other boys, and engaged in the plays of childhood and had the feelings of a child, and I never thought I was anything other than a child. In no wise was I different from other children, except in the particular that I have named, and any account of me to the contrary is untrue.

My teachings were those that the Father had committed to me from the beginning, but which I was only conscious of after I became a close communicant of the Father and learned of my mission from Him. So you must believe that I was a son of man as well as a son of God, and that in the literal sense. I would not have been true to my mission had I claimed that I was the only son of God, for it is not true, and men should not so teach it.

Yes, I know it was said that my mother was told of the object of my birth and what a blessed woman she was, but this is not true. My mother, as she has told me, had no reason to suppose that I was different from other children born of men. The story of the angel of God coming to her and telling her that she must submit to the birth of a child who would be begotten by God or by His Holy Spirit, and that she, as a virgin, should bear and give birth to that child is not true; for she never in all her life told me that she had any such visitor. And I know that she would be as much surprised, as are many men, that such a thing as the birth of a child by a virgin could take place. So you see, the Bible account of my being begotten, and all the attending circumstances, is not true.

My father Joseph never supposed at any time that I was not his child; and the story of the angel coming to him and telling him that he must not put her away because of appearance is not true, because he never intimated in all my conversations with him that I was other than his own child.

Between the time that I was twelve years of age and my public ministry I lived at home with my parents and assisted my father in his business of carpentry; and during all this time, no hint ever fell from him that I was not his child, or that I was different from other children, except that I did not do sinful things.

When I commenced to get this Divine Love into my soul, I became very close to the Father, and this relationship resulted in my realizing that I was sent by God with a mission to perform, and a great and important Truth to declare; and at last the voice in my soul told me that I was my Father's true son, and I believed it and commenced to teach and preach the Truths of His Love bestowed and the salvation of men.

I knew John the Baptist when I was a child growing up - he was my cousin and we often played together. In later years we discussed the truth of my mission and the way in which it should be made known to the world.

John was a great psychic and saw in his vision who I was and what my mission on earth was; hence, when the time came, he made the announcement of my coming. He realized the difference in our missions, and spoke of his not being worthy to unloosen my shoes; but yet, he did not fully understand my mission and the great Truth of the bestowal of Immortality upon man by the Father.

I first became the Christ when I was anointed by my Father, and that occurred at the time of my baptism by John. I, as Christ, am different from myself as Jesus. "Christ" means that Principle which the Father has conferred upon me, which made me at-one with Him in the possession of this Great Love. The Christ is that Love Itself made manifest in me as man. This Christ Principle is universal and is everywhere, just as is the Holy Spirit, but I am limited in my place of occupancy, just as you are.

As merely Jesus, I never promised the great gift mentioned in the Bible, such as where two or three are gathered together, there will I be also; for it would be impossible for me to be in all places at the same time. But Christ, being without form or limitation, is omnipresent, and consequently may fulfill my promise in this regard. The Christ is as much alive today as ever. It was never crucified and never died, as did Jesus.

Well I think you are too sleepy now to continue. Well, because you need sleep. I know of no special influence being exerted over you to produce sleep.

I will continue in the near future.

Your brother and friend,
Jesus

Jesus Continues His Previous Message Regarding His Birth and Life

I am here, Jesus

I will continue my letter as to my birth and work, as I commenced it last night.

When I was satisfied that I was chosen by my Father to perform His Work of declaring to the world the bestowal of His Great Gift of the Divine Love that was in His Nature, and which formed the predominant Principle of that Nature, I commenced my ministry, and continued to work for the redemption of mankind on earth until my death on the cross. I was not then as perfect as I am now, and my knowledge of the Truths of the Father was not so great as it is now.

Let men know though, that what I taught was true, even though I did not teach all the Truth, and that they will learn that I am my Father's true son and the special messenger by whom these Great Truths were to be taught to mankind.

When on earth, I was not so filled with the Love of the Father as I am now, and had not the power to make men feel that this Love is the only thing that will reconcile them to the Father and make them at-one with Him, as I have now. So men must believe that I am communicating the real Truths to them, which will show them the Way to the Father's Love and to their own salvation.

You have in your mind the desire to know how it was that the Wise Men came to me with their offerings and adoration if I was not specially created by God to become His son and representative on earth.

Well, the Wise Men came, but their coming was not because of any knowledge they had that I was a Divinely created child, or that I was not a natural child. They came because they were astrologers, and at the time saw a new and brilliant star in the heavens, which meant to them that some important event had taken place. And being students of the Old Testament, wherein such a star was referred to as the forerunner of the birth of a savior, they concluded that that star was the one intended, and that my birth (being a lowly one as they expected) was the one that the Scriptures meant; and consequently that I was the Christ spoken of. But outside of this knowledge as astrologers, and that of the Scriptures, they had no knowledge that I was the Christ to be born. And when it is asserted that they had any information from God or His angels that I was the Christ, that assertion is not true.

I know this because, since my coming to the spirit world, I have met these men and talked with them, and they have told me what I now write. So, while I was the Christ referred to in the Bible - I mean in the prophecies of the Old Testament - yet, those Wise Men had no other knowledge of that fact than what I have told you.

I know that I was sent by the Father to perform the mission which I performed, and that it was intended in the beginning that I should be anointed as the Christ, but I did not know this until after I became a man and was then told what my mission was by the angel and my own inner voice.

My mother or father or brethren did not know. And even after I had proclaimed my mission and showed the wonderful powers that had been given to me, they did not believe in my mission, but thought that I was beside myself - that is, as you say, crazy with the belief that I was the chosen one of my Father. The Bible itself shows that this was their condition of mind.

So, while I am the Christ of the Bible, and the chosen instrument of the Father to make known the great Truths which I have proclaimed, and which I shall proclaim through you, yet, I am not the only begotten son of God in the sense in which it is usually accepted. And much less am I God. As I have said, there is only one God, and I am merely His son and teacher who was sent to the world to declare the bestowal of the Gift of Immortality to mankind and the Way in which men may obtain It.

I will deal further with myself as we progress in our writings. Let no man believe that I was born of the "Virgin Mary," or that I was begotten by the Holy Spirit, or that I am God, for all these things are not true.

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

Your friend and brother,
Jesus

Prof. Joseph Salyards Comments on Jesus' Message

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 very 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 the knowledge to him 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 the Glad Tidings to mankind which he only 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 says 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 good night.

Your old professor and teacher,
Joseph Salyards

Jesus Was Never Learned in the Wisdom of India or Egypt or Persia. He Was Taught by the Father and the Angels of God

I am here, James, the Lesser

I will not write long tonight, but will pray to the Father to bless you and make your faith increase.

(Mr. Padgett asks James a question.)

No, I never belonged to any of those sects, nor did Jesus. He was never learned in the wisdom of India or Egypt, or Persia, as the writer whom you were reading tonight asserted. He was taught by the Father and the angels of God, and his knowledge was that which came from these teachings and the opening up of his soul perceptions. He was not a son of the Magi, or of the Wise Men of any of the countries referred to; but as to knowledge and wisdom, he was a son of the Father only.

I will come again soon and write to you. So, good night.

Your brother in Christ,
James

Jesus Affirms That He Was Never in India and Greece Studying Philosophies, as Some Claim

I am here, Jesus

I was never in India and Greece, and those other places, studying the philosophies of the Greek and Indian philosophers. I never received my knowledge from any other sources than my Father, in my communications with Him, and from the teachings of the Jewish Scriptures. After my return from Egypt, and until I started on my public ministry, I lived at home in Nazareth with my parents all the years of my life.

Neither John nor Paul ever communicated that I was in these foreign countries studying the philosophies of the teachers they name. John never travelled with me outside of Palestine, and I never saw Paul while on earth.

John was a man of very affectionate nature. He was with me a great deal during my ministry, but he was not what was called a learned man; nor was he acquainted with the philosophies of the men mentioned. He was merely the son of a lowly fisherman who was selected by me for one of my disciples because of his susceptibility to my teachings and the great possibility of his developing the Love Principle. So you must not believe the statements contained in that book on this subject.

Well, you must stop. But remember that I am with you and love you.

Your friend and brother,
Jesus

Jesus Proclaimed His Messiahship in the Synagogue of Nazareth

(This message and the following one, entitled "Why Jesus Was Not Accepted as the Promised Messiah," were delivered by Jesus through Dr. Daniel G. Samuels, the second instrument chosen by Jesus, following James Padgett's passing to the spirit world.)

I am here, Jesus

The discussion you had with the doctor concerning my sermon in the synagogue of Nazareth was a very important one in that I claimed I was the Messiah before the entire congregation. And of course, such a claim created a sensation, as is described in the New Testament.

My sermon was based on the 61st Chapter of Isaiah, and was prophetic in that it dealt with the release of the captives from captivity, as had occurred to the Hebrew people, and was therefore acclaimed by the Hebrews of my time as a great prophecy that had already taken place.

Usually, commentaries based on this text were historical in nature, and were conceived with the purpose of extolling the Goodness of Jehovah towards His chosen people. And among those who had a more spiritual discernment, the meaning of the delivery of the captives was construed to be a turning away from sin on the part of the evildoers, slaves to sin. This was good as far as it went, but of course the meaning was restricted to the purification of the soul, and not the transformation of the soul and the elimination of evil from the soul through the work of the Divine Love.

Now when I recited the passage from Isaiah, I did not recite merely the lines recorded in the New Testament, but I proceeded to read the entire chapter, as was the custom. And the main passage in that chapter was, "My soul exulteth because it is invested with the salvation of the Lord." And by that I meant that my soul rejoiced because it had been endowed with Immortality (which is the real meaning of salvation), and that this Immortality of my soul was the result of its having received a sufficiency of the Divine Love, which was now available through the Loving-Kindness of the Heavenly Father. And this was the meaning of the declaration I made to the listeners in the synagogue - "Today is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." And it was thus that I proclaimed myself the Messiah in the possession of a soul conscious of its Immortality. And I also proclaimed the Glad Tidings that this Immortality, which was mine, could now be obtained by whosoever should seek it through earnest prayer to the Father for His Divine Love.

When I recited the passage on the delivery of the captives, I meant freedom from sin, not through adherence to the Mosaic law alone, which was the case before my coming, but through the efficacy of the Divine Love of the Father, which so reacts upon and transforms the soul that it loses its desire for sinful thoughts and deeds. And when I read, "The Spirit of Jehovah is upon me and has anointed me to proclaim the Glad Tidings," I meant that the Father had appointed me to preach the rebestowal of the Divine Love, which had been made a reality in my own soul; and that, having been anointed the Christ through the Love Principle working in my soul, I was to preach the rebestowal of the Father's Love to all mankind, and teach the Way to at-onement with the Father through the Divine Love. Thus I had come as the Messiah to proclaim Immortality for all mankind through prayer for the Father's Love, and that sin and sickness could now be eliminated through His Great Gift.

Thus you see that I did proclaim myself to be the Messiah, long expected by the Hebrew people, and that therefore any statement which indicates that Peter divined my identity through heavenly Grace is not true, and was simply inserted to strengthen and to give authority to the church's claim that I had bestowed primacy upon him as my successor.

It is true that I was unable to perform any miracles of note at this time because of the peculiar situation I was in, having lived for twenty years or so in Nazareth. The people who had known me for so long were now suddenly asked to believe I was the Messiah. This was very difficult for them to do, for it was not a question of asking strangers to accept me or my teachings and healing, but to have people change their minds about me after they had been formed for twenty years. Since I had never healed in my native town before my public ministry, the people were skeptical that I could suddenly perform what I had not done for the past twenty years. It was this strong current of incredulity that prevented me from exercising my healing powers, for the recipient must also have faith in the healing gift.

I will stop now, with my love and blessings, and sign myself,

Your brother and friend,
Jesus

Why Jesus Was Not Accepted as the Promised Messiah by the Chief Priests and Hebrew Rulers

I am here, Jesus

I wish to continue with the Truths of the New Testament, and to speak about my teachings in the Temple in Jerusalem the autumn before my death. For it was the first time that I had the opportunity to present my claims as Messiah before the chief priests and rulers and most learned amongst the Hebrew people in matters pertaining to religion. And I made known that my mission was to proclaim the New Covenant between the Heavenly Father and the people of Israel, and that the Divine Love of the Father was now present and could be obtained by all who might seek It through earnest longing of soul. Also, that I was the visible sign of Its presence, because in my soul there reposed the Nature and Essence of the Father in the form of the Divine Love; and that my soul was of this Nature and Essence of the Father, and therefore Immortal.

But to the Hebrew rulers, my claims appeared false because Isaiah had prophesied that no one would know from whence the Messiah would come, whereas I was well known - being Jesus of Nazareth. And they also deemed a man not to be of his native town, but of the one in which he lived most of his life and was associated with. Thus Jerusalem was considered the city of the great king David, rather than Bethlehem where he was actually born. The New Testament infers that the Hebrew leaders did not know I was born in Bethlehem, and that therefore Isaiah's prophecy regarding the unknown origin of the Messiah was applicable to me. But the fact is that they not only knew where I was from but they also knew my father Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, and that he too came from Bethlehem.

This type of argument, however, showed bad faith and a recourse to technicalities in the determination of the priests not to recognize me as the Messiah; for that, they felt, would have upset their high position as the religious leaders of the nation, which they were unwilling to relinquish. And those technicalities were a subterfuge and manner of debating issues which were dear to their hearts, laying emphasis on hairsplitting intellectual distinctions resulting from subtle interpretations of the law, and foreign to real basic issues and spiritual insight achieved through soul-seeking to know the truth.

And thus, replying to their minute Scriptural objections on their own terms, I proclaimed that it was not true that they knew where I was from, or Who my Father was; for whereas they referred to Joseph as my father, whom they knew well, I referred to God, my Heavenly Father, Whom they did not know. Nor did they know from whence I came as a Divine soul, nor how or when I was created. The reference of the rabbis to my father Joseph was later eliminated from the Gospels, for mention of my earthly parents was a thorn in the side of the later Gospel revisionists who labored zealously to make of me a "God-man born of a virgin," and second person of the supposed Trinity, which of course has no foundation in fact.

I further told them that, if they knew the Father, they would also know me, His son, as being sent from Him, and recognize me as the Messiah. And quoting from Isaiah, as the Hebrew leaders did, I stated that the Father had said, "Incline your ear and come unto me. Hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make a covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people."

And this that I said was known to all who received instruction concerning the Heavenly Father, so that they knew He had appointed a Messiah over them in a descendant of David. Hence, they should accept me as their Messiah inasmuch as I had indeed come to enable their souls to live by making the Gift of Immortality available to them in the Father's Divine Love, accompanied by the power of healing and miracles which I performed through the Father, thus attesting to the truth of my mission.

And I further informed them that, if they wished to ascertain the truth of my words, they should try and test my teachings (that the Father's Love was now available) by praying to the Father for It in earnest prayer; seeing whether, if this was done in sincerity, the Father's Love - conveyed through the Holy Spirit - would burn and glow in the soul, by which sign they would realize His Love was present therein.

And I also stated that these teachings were not mine but those of the Father, which I had been commanded by Him to proclaim to the children of Israel; and that, having been sent by Him, I could do nothing of my own, but only what I saw done unto me by the Father - that is to say, what power I received of the Father. I did not say I could do what I saw the Father do, or imitate Him, as the Gospel states, for that would give me a power equal to that of the Father, which is blasphemy. For no mortal or spirit will ever, through all eternity, have power equal to that of the Father. But after my death, and many years later in conformity to the false doctrine that was elaborated in the early Greek period of Christianity, a revision was made to make me co- equal to the Father. And I would like to say here that, if such an absurdity were admitted for one moment, it lends itself to its own destruction, and proves its own falsity; for never having seen the Heavenly Father lay down His Life for His sheep, Israel, neither could I, Jesus, have laid down mine in the sense that it is understood in the New Testament - that my shed blood and sacrifice on the cross gives remission of sins.

I quoted from the Psalms and from Samuel the prophet on the Davidic covenant, saying, "I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son."

Thus, if they knew the Father and honored His Word, they would know me as well, for I proclaimed the eternal salvation of the soul through His Love, which was evidenced in my own soul and witnessed to by His Power acting through me. I also testified that, while they did not know the Father, I indeed knew Him and was sent by Him. And I stated that God was my witness to the truth of my mission - a mission which I undertook for His Glory, and not my own.

Neither did I break the Mosaic law, regarding the Sabbath, when I healed and made whole one of the Father's children on that day. For if circumcision was superior to the Sabbath, wherein one member of the body was restored, how much more important than the Sabbath was that act wherein the whole body was restored?

Hence, I stated that their rejection of me as the Messiah, on the grounds of my having healed on the Sabbath day, was merely a subterfuge to refuse me recognition and to conceal their own violation of the Mosaic law-- making one body member more important than the body itself; and it was they, not I, who were guilty of transgression. I further stated that, even as the Father knew and was in me through having bestowed upon me the Gift of His Love through response to my soul aspirations and prayer, and inasmuch as this Love was His Nature and Essence, even so did I know the Father and, in the same way, was in Him.

I never said I was the Good Shepherd, for that referred to the Father; and this statement was inserted many years after my death in order to raise me up to being equal to God. Instead, I stated that the Father is the Good Shepherd (the sheepfold being the Kingdom of Heaven) and that I was the door through which the sheep came into the sheepfold and into the Presence and Knowledge of the Shepherd (or the Porter) Who opens the door and Is the Father. The Father gives eternal life to His sheep, and I am the Way - the door - by which the sheep may enter the sheepfold of eternal life. In the Psalms, it was pointed out that the Good Shepherd - God - would use David as a helper in bringing the sheep into the fold.

I think I have said enough on this subject, and have explained many things that are obscure in the New Testament. With my blessing upon you and the doctor, and upon all my disciples who are doing the Father's Work, I shall stop and sign myself,

Your brother and friend,
Jesus

The Condition of the World When Jesus Came to Teach

I am here, Jesus

You are feeling better tonight, and I 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 to mankind.

When I came into the world to teach the Truths of my Father, the world was almost devoid of a 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 Savior 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 would 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 savior 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 a 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, until after my death, that my Kingdom was not to be an earthly one. 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 of the Love of the Father for His children. They also preached the fact that that Love was waiting for all who should seek for It.

So you see, many of my disciples were not possessed of the true conception of my mission when on earth, and they were not true followers of me in that inner meaning of what the Love of the Father meant, and of what I tried to preach to them. I have on earth now many mortals who understand my teachings better than my disciples did when journeying with me through Palestine, and with a greater extent of soul knowledge.

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, 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

Jesus Did Not Perform All the Miracles Claimed in the Bible

I am here, Peter

I have seen what you were reading (Luke's Gospel) and must inform you that many of the supposed miracles of healing and raising of the dead, and the controlling of the laws or expressions of nature never occurred. No, these accounts are not true and are the results of the imaginings of men who attempted to add to the book that Luke wrote. Of course, there is a true foundation for some of these alleged miracles, but as to others, there is no foundation in fact.

Jesus did heal the sick, and cure the blind and the deaf and the withered hand and the palsied man, and resurrected the supposed dead, but not in the way described in the New Testament; and it is not good for men to believe in the truth of all of these miracles.

(Mr. Padgett interrupted to ask a question.)

Well, that incident never occurred; for in casting out evil spirits, Jesus would have had no authority or power to permit them to enter into the swine. And it would not have been in consonance with his love and ideas of what was just to have allowed the swine to receive these spirits and thereby perish, as the account says. And besides, the result of such a happening would be that the property of the innocent owners would have been taken from them and lost. In all Jesus' performance of miracles, or in any of his teachings, never did he ever do or say that which worked wrong to a human being. To him, all men were the objects of his love and the salvation which he came to earth to show men the Way to.

Sometime I will consider these miracles in a message and will inform you of those that he actually performed and those that are the mere fancies of some of those teachers who had very wonderful imaginations and who used them in adding to the truths of Luke's original writings.

(Mr. Padgett asked a second question.)

Well, there is some little truth in that, for we were in a storm and afraid. He slept, and we awakened him, but he did not rebuke the storm and the waves and cause them to subside. Rather, he allayed our fears by his talk and example and, to us, it became as if there were no storm. For when fear left us, it was as if we were not sensible of the storm so far as the dread of drowning or perishing was concerned. No, this is another interpolation and should not be believed.

Many wonders ascribed to Jesus were never performed, although it appeared to us as if there were no limit to the powers of Jesus.

But sometime I will come and write fully on this matter. I must stop now.

Your brother in Christ,
Peter

An Early Disciple Discusses What His Knowledge of the True Teachings of Jesus Was When He Was on Earth

I am here, John Yorking - the spirit of one who died a great many years ago in a far distant country, and when the Truths of Christianity were known and practiced by the followers of the Master in the purity in which he taught them. I was a disciple of his but I am not known to history. And like a great many others who lived in those days, I worked in a humble way among the poor and simple of the earth. My work was mostly in the outlying country, but close to Palestine, and I was one who received the communications of those spirits from the spirit world who had lived on earth as Christians. These communications were received in our public worship, and interpreted or made plain to the common people by those teachers who had the gift of interpretation.

It was such communications as these that John referred to when he advised us to try the spirits to learn whether they were of God, or in other words, to learn whether they were spirits who had a knowledge of the Christ doctrines, and who came to teach us the Truths as they saw them to exist in the spirit world, and who were followers of the Master.

I know that Jesus taught the New Birth and the Divine Love, and the rebestowal of the Great Gift which had been forfeited by our first parents at the time of their disobedience.

I also know that he never taught us to look upon him as God, or that any death that he might die would save us from our sins or bring us in atonement with the Father, or that the Father demanded any sacrifice in order to satisfy His "wrath" or pay any debt that man might owe to Him.

No, the things last mentioned were not embraced in our faith or understanding of what the Truths of the Master's teachings were.

We also had the wonderful powers which Jesus possessed in the way of healing, casting out evil spirits, etc., and we never looked upon them as miracles, but as the result of the exercise of the powers which came to us when we received the Divine Love, and had the faith which made this Love and all that accompanied It things of real existence.

Jesus was always the man of love and mercy and benevolence, and he never tired of his great work of doing good to the mortal. But these works were merely subordinate to the other great mission that he performed. Above everything else, he was a teacher of the Father's Love, and of the necessity of man's receiving this Love in order to become at-one with the Father and an accepted child whose inheritance would be Immortality and heaven.

So you can readily see what a departure there has been from our teachings and faith and practices, and from the lives and understanding of simple followers of the Master.

Now I see that beliefs in the dogmas of the church and in the "mysticisms" of God are what constitute the Christian, that soul development is little preached or really understood, either by preachers or people, and that the real secret of man's salvation has been lost to the world.

I am now in the high Celestial Spheres where the Love of the Father is most abundant, and where the spirits of men live in eternal happiness with the knowledge that Immortality is theirs.

I will not write more tonight, as it is late and you are tired.

But before I stop, permit me to say that you are receiving the revelation of the true religion of Jesus, as well as truths which pertain to the condition and existence of the spiritual world and the Celestial Heavens.

So, with my love and blessings, I am

Your brother in Christ,
John
the lowly follower of the Master
(John Yorking - I was a Jew)

A Spirit Relates That He Heard Jesus' Teachings When He Was on Earth

I am here, Elameros

I am a Greek, or rather the spirit of a mortal who once was a Greek, and I lived in the days when Jesus walked the hills and plains of Palestine, teaching his new doctrines of the Divine Love and the Kingdom of Heaven.

I was not a follower of him or a believer of his teachings, for I was a disciple of Plato and Socrates, and I was satisfied of the truth of their philosophy and did not believe that there were other truths than what it contained.

I was a traveler, and at times visited Palestine; and on several occasions I heard Jesus teaching the multitudes of people who seemed to be so interested in his discourses. I must confess that I was startled by his doctrines at times, and recognized that while they treated of subjects similar to those contained in my philosophy, yet they were different and gave a new and spiritual meaning to these subjects that I had never before thought of.

I could see that he was not a student of philosophy or an educated man, as we understood educated men to be; yet he dealt with the questions in such an enlightening and authoritative way that I began to wonder at the source of his information. And at times, when he said that he was not speaking of his own knowledge, but that his Father was speaking through him, I was almost ready to believe that such was the fact.

You must remember that I believed in God and in the lesser gods or demons who executed His Will. And when Jesus spoke of his Father, meaning God, it was not unnatural for me, in a way, to accept what he declared. And then I recollect that I was impressed with the fact that he was not speaking from a mind that had been developed by the study of the philosophies, but from a mind that seemed to have in it that which had been lodged there by some great, outside intelligence. He spoke, as he said, with knowledge, and speculations seemed to be no part of his conclusions, or the cause of any of his deductions.

Notwithstanding these impressions on me, in my own conceit that my philosophy was the only true one, and that my knowledge of it was without defect, I was too "wise" to attempt to give serious consideration to what I had heard Jesus say, and consequently I let the truths which he uttered pass from me.

I saw and heard him teach only a few times, and then I heard of his crucifixion and death as a malefactor, and forgot about him.

When next I saw him, it was in the spirit world where he continued to teach after he became a spirit. And he was teaching the same doctrines that I had heard him teach on earth, but he was then a wonderfully bright and glorious spirit.

I don't think that I can write more tonight. I will come again.

Your brother in Christ,
Elameros

It Was Not Ordained by God That Judas Should Betray Jesus

I am here, John

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.

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 also help in that particular.

(Mr. Padgett asked John a question about the so-called "betrayal" of Jesus by Judas Iscariot.)

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 declared.

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 had, or because of any jealousy or desire to revenge a wrong, but it was because he was impulsive and had 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 had he been older.

(Mr. Padgett asked another question.)

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 his truths anew 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.

(Mr. Padgett asked about his soul progression.)

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 have some difficulties in your way at present, 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 soon you will be a much happier man.

(question)

When on earth, I was a married man, and the mother of Jesus lived in my family until her death. She, Mary, now 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

A Member of the Sanhedrin, and Judge at the Trial of Jesus, States the Reason for Condemning Jesus

I am here, Ephraim

I am the spirit of a Jew who lived in the time of Jesus and was a member of the Sanhedrin. I sat as one of his judges at the time of his condemnation for blasphemy and iconoclastic teachings against the beliefs and doctrines of the Hebrew faith, and was one of those who voted for the sentence of death upon him. In doing so, I was as honest in my conviction and action as it was possible for an earnest believer in his faith to be.

Consequently I was without prejudice against Jesus as a man, and as I believed, a fanatic. And it was only because I was convinced that he was an assailer of, and dangerous to, our religion and the welfare of my race that I consented to his death. Mortals of these days cannot fully understand the exact relationship of Jesus and his teachings to the security of our religion and the preservation of the faith which we believed had been handed down to us by God directly through our prophets and teachers. And when we were confronted with what we believed to be the destructive and irreligious teachings of Jesus, and after making the numerous efforts to suppress him by threats and persuasion without effect, we concluded that our absolute and indisputable duty to God demanded that he be removed from the sphere of his activity, even though such result could only be accomplished by his death.

If mortals of the present day could understand our deep religious convictions and the sense of obligation that rested upon us to protect and keep whole the Divine doctrines and teachings of our faith, and especially that one which declared the Oneness of God, they would not judge the action of the Jews in condemning Jesus to death to be an unusual or unexpected thing. To us and to our religion, he stood in the position of a breeder of sedition - just as men in modern times have occupied the position of breeders of treason towards the civil governments, and have suffered the punishments which were inflicted upon them with the approval of such governments.

But he appeared to us to be not only guilty of treason to our national life but also guilty of treason to the higher and God given life of the religious government of our race - the chosen one of God, as we sincerely and zealously believed.

Even in latter days, men have appeared and claimed to be the especially anointed of God with missions to perform. They have gathered a following of people around them whom they have impressed with the truth of their character and mission and teachings, and, for a short time, they were permitted to declare their claims and doctrines. Then they were suddenly brought to death by the decree of those who were in authority, having been judged to be troublemakers and enemies of the church or state. And now they have been forgotten and their doctrines have disappeared from memory.

Only in the instance of Jesus has his particular death been remembered through all the ages. And those who were the cause and were responsible for his death have been desecrated and cursed, and charged with the murder of God.

Well, I write this to show you that the Jews who took the life and demanded the crucifixion of that just man were actuated by no motives other than, or different from, those that have caused the very followers and worshipers of that Jesus to murder and crucify, many times since, other men who have claimed to be the sons of God endowed with special missions for the salvation of mankind.

The sincerity of the Jews who took part in this great tragedy cannot be assailed. Even their Roman masters understood at that time that the demands for the death of Jesus did not arise from personal spite, or from the satisfaction of any revenge against the individual. They arose solely because the Jews believed, and so declared, that Jesus was an enemy and would-be destroyer of the Divine faith and teachings of the Israelite nation, and a seducer of the people. And it is only because of the subsequent rise and spread of his teachings and the Truths that he declared - which have made so large a portion of the inhabitants of the earth followers of him - that the act of the Jews in causing his death has been called the great crime of the world, and that the people themselves have become hated and persecuted, and destroyed as a nation, and scattered to all points of the earth.

I do not write this to excuse or palliate the great error which we committed in causing the crucifixion and death of the true son of God, but only to show that the Jews (though as I now know, mistakenly) did that which other men with the same faith and convictions and zealousness for the religious preservation of the nation would have done in similar circumstances, be these men Jews or Gentiles or pagans.

But the great element of tragedy in all this is not that Jesus was crucified, but that the Jews were so mistaken and failed to recognize and accept Jesus as their long-looked-for Messiah and deliverer - not from their material conditions of bondage, but from the bondage of sin and error in which they have lived for so many centuries. This I say was their tragedy, and it has been their lasting and deadly tragedy from that time until the present day. And the prospects are that it will continue to be theirs for many years to come, and that generations of Jews will pass from the earth life to the spirit world under the shadow of that great tragedy.

They still believe - and that belief is a part of their existence, and as firmly fixed as in the days of the great mistake - that they have Abraham for their father, and that his faith and example are sufficient to show them the true way to God and salvation; that they are the chosen people of God; and that by worshiping the one and only God and observing the sacraments and feasts and Commands of God that were given to them by and through Moses and the prophets, and as are contained in the Old Testament, they will find the Heaven of God here on earth and rest in the bosom of Abraham after death. They believe further that the observance of the moral and ethical precepts of their Bible is all that is necessary to develop their spiritual natures, that there is nothing beyond such development to be desired or to be sought for, and that they will attain the Adamic condition of reward and happiness at some time, which is the ultimate of man's future existence.

Some are still looking for the coming of a Messiah who will restore their former glory to them, and rule on earth as the king and governor of all the nations, and that they will be his chosen subjects and selected to assist in the administration of that Messiah's kingdom.

And I want to say to my people, with the certainty of knowledge arising from experience and actual observation, that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah who brought to the world (and first to the Jews) the Truth of God and His Plans for the salvation of mankind, and the potential restoration of all that they had lost by the fall of their first parents because of their disobedience. And if the people of my nation had received him and accepted and followed his teachings, they would not now be the scattered, homeless, and persecuted race on earth that they are. Nor would they now be satisfied in the spirit world with their homes and happiness in the Spiritual Heavens, but many of them would be inhabitants of the Celestial Heavens and the possessors of Immortality and God's Divine Love.

You have received many messages describing the Plan of the Father for the salvation of men, and what the Divine Love is, how It may be obtained, and what Its effect is upon the soul of man and spirit when once possessed. And I will not attempt to enter into an explanation of these things at this time. But with all the love that I have for my race, superadded to a knowledge of the great error and insufficiency of their faith to bring them into at-onement with God, I advise and urge them to seek the Truth and apply it to their individual souls. And I affirm that the Truth is contained, and the Way may be found, in the messages that you have received from Jesus and the other high spirits.

I am a believer in these Truths, a follower of the Master, and an inhabitant of the Celestial Heavens. But I want to say that these Truths did not come to me as a part of my faith until many long years of life in the spirit world, and that I lived in darkness and suffering for some of these years.

I will say good night and subscribe myself as

Your brother in Christ,
Ephraim

"Tarry Thou Till I Come." - The Wandering Jew's Experience

I am the man who said to Jesus, as he bore his cross to Calvary, "Pass on," and to whom he said, "Tarry thou till I come." And for years and years I waited until at last he came to me, not as the reincarnated Jesus, but as my brother and friend in the possession of the Divine Love, which I received in my soul after the long years of waiting and suffering on earth.

I know that this is considered a legend by mortals, but it was a vital, and painful fact to me. I was truly the wandering Jew and found rest nowhere. Even death would not come to me to relieve me of a life that was a torture and a cause of recollection of my inhumanity to Jesus.

I have now been in spirit life for many centuries and am in the Celestial Heavens; for the Divine Love of the Father is sufficient to redeem the vilest of mortals, and the perpetrators of the greatest sins from their conditions of darkness and sufferings.

If I had only known what a beloved son of God the Master was when I uttered my vile words and cruel curses, I would never have opened my mouth except to bless him and comfort him as he walked his weary way to the cross. But I did not know him, and thought that I was serving my God when I reviled him - he who, as I thought, was a blasphemer and destroyer of our religion.

But I paid the penalty, even while on earth, and suffered the tortures that no man can understand. For as I continued to live, and death was always fleeing from me, I commenced to and did realize that I had committed a sin against the chosen of the Father; and Jesus' sentence upon me became a thing of wonderful and ever present reality.

But now I know that he loved even me, and that while I was wandering and suffering he was with me, trying to help me open up my soul to the Divine Love, which was the only liberator from my doom.

I know that this may seem strange and unbelievable to you, and not possible in the workings of God's Economy in dealing with His creatures; but it was true, and I know.

But the Wonderful Love! Oh, how can I ever express my feelings of gratitude to the Father and to Jesus! While I remained in my ignorant and disheartened state, that very Jesus was with me many times in his love, trying to help me. Many spirits have told me this, and it is true.

I write this because I want you and the world to know that this Love is waiting for all mankind, and that there is no sinner so vile that It cannot turn him into the Divine angel of God's Celestial Heavens.

I will not write more now except to say, whenever you read of me, remember that I am no longer the Wandering Jew, but a redeemed child from sin and error, and much beloved by that very Jesus whom I treated so cruelly.

With my love, I will say good night.

I will sign myself as I am best known,

The Wandering Jew

John Confirms the Unusual Experience of the Wandering Jew

I am here, John

Well, you were surprised at the last message, and it is not to be wondered at that you were. I know that this story was a mere legend to you, as it is to most others of the mortal life who have thought on the subject.

And again, the Wandering Jew was not in your mind, as I know; for I was present before you commenced to write, and I know just what the contents of your mind were, and what expectations you had. I recite these facts to impress upon you that this message is not the result of any "subconscious mind" that the philosophers speak of. The message came solely because the spirit who wrote came to you and took control of your brain and hands and actually wrote the message.

He is truly the man known as the Wandering Jew, and the legend is true so far as how he treated the Master, as he said, and the Master's sentence upon him to tarry until he should come.

Naturally, the question arises: How could the Master have imposed such a sentence, or what power had the Master to do that which is so contrary to all the ordinary known Laws of God? Well, the question is a pertinent and proper one, and is entitled to an answer.

At the time of the Master's crucifixion, he was surrounded by a great host of spirits in whom was vested the most wonderful powers of the spirit world. They accompanied him in his weary march to the cursed cross, all trying to sustain him and listening to his words, and many of them knowing his thoughts and the travail of his soul. And when he rested because of carrying the cross, they were with him and heard the inhumane command of the Jew and the Master's reply. They determined then that the sentence should be carried out and never end until the Jew had travelled the weary road of suffering that he saw Jesus was travelling, and until he should seek relief in that very Way that the Master came to earth to make known to mortals.

The spirits were with the Jew, continually sustaining him in his physical life, so that the friend that he hoped and prayed for - I mean death - should not come to him until the Great Love of the Father should come first to redeem him from the results of the sentence. And strange as it may seem to you, at the very time that these spirits were exercising their powers to prolong the physical life of the man, they were also trying to influence him so that he would open up his soul to the inflowing of the Love. And among those who thus worked was the Master himself.

But the old beliefs of this Jew in the teachings of the laws of Moses, and in Abraham as his father and the great medium of his salvation, and that great power which he possessed - the human will - prevented the opening up of his soul for many long years. Not until he was convinced that the sentence of the Master was being carried out did he commence to realize that the teachings of his faith, and Abraham, were not sufficient for his salvation from the awful doom pronounced upon him. Then there came to him the thought that the man whom he had cursed might be truly the son of God, and that his teachings of the only Way to the Father and happiness was through this Love. For in the meantime, he had lived among the Christians and had learned what the teachings of this Love were, that It was waiting for all, and that It could be obtained by all through prayer and the submission of the human will.

Well, he suffered and sought in every way to obtain this death, but it always evaded him until, at last, his will broke and the Truth came to him, and with it, prayer - and then came freedom.

For I must tell you that when the soul of a mortal prays in earnestness and with true longings, all the powers of all the spirits in the Spiritual or Celestial Heavens cannot prevent that Love from responding to the prayer, and from making the longing soul free and, to a degree, at-one with the Father.

The sentences of spirits and angels cannot exist contrary to that Love's demands; and this being so, mortals can readily understand that all the powers of the hells and the evil ones cannot prevail against that Love. And thus you will understand further that the true prayers of a longing soul are more powerful than all the powers of angels and spirits and "devils" combined - and they will bring the response from the Father. Thus, you may comprehend what an important creature is one poor mite of a mortal when, in truth and earnestness, he comes to the Father seeking His Love.

Well, when I came tonight, I had no thought of writing such a message as I have written. But as I realized what you may be thinking about the message of the Wandering Jew, doubting that the laws of nature could be set aside, even at the command of the Master, I thought it best to write to you as I have. No laws of nature were in fact set aside, but the powers of the spirits were exercised upon preserving the physical organs and functions of this Jew so that life would remain, and the vitalizing principle would perform its work in preserving the Jew as a living mortal.

Do not wonder at this; for I must tell you that, before these messages shall be completed, you will be told of many truths that will be more astonishing and contrary to what men call the laws of nature than is the case of the Wandering Jew.

I will not write more now. With my love to you and your friend, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,
John

Helen Padgett Comments on the Message Written by the One Known as the Wandering Jew

I am here, Your own true and loving Helen

Well dear, you have had some very surprising messages tonight, and I don't wonder that you think they may not be just from whom they represent themselves to be. But the fact is that the persons professing to write actually did so.

The Jew is a very bright spirit of the Celestial Spheres, but one who is very humble. The effect of his great suffering on earth is plainly shown in his great humility. What a wonderful thing such an experience is! And when he told you of his long, weary years on earth, he seemed, for the moment, to be going over the experience again; but of course, he was not, for the Love that is in him prevented the grief of those years from finding more than a temporary lodgment in his recollections. Well, the truth of what he wrote to you can be believed in, not only because John corroborated him but also because many other spirits who were present at the time say that it is true.

Your own true and loving
Helen

What Actually Happened at Jesus' Crucifixion

I am here, Samuel, prophet of the Old Testament

Let me write a few lines tonight, as I have not written to you for a long time. I desire to tell you of the scene that was depicted to you tonight by the words and music at the church (Mr. Padgett attended an Easter Service in the year 1921).

Well, as you may not know, many of the scenes that were so forcibly presented to your imagination never had any reality in fact. And the drama enacted was the production of the creative mind, which was so often used to depict things that had their origin only in such imaginations.

When Jesus was crucified there was no great concourse of people, because he was considered merely a common malefactor who was paying the penalties that followed the violation of the law he was charged with violating. Of course, there were soldiers, a large number of the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin, and a few followers present; but there was no unusual crowd to witness the execution. Jesus was not the only one crucified at the time. The other two were also considered (just as the Jews considered Jesus) violators of their laws and those to be punished by hanging on the cross.

The words that Jesus is supposed to have uttered at the time of his impending death were not uttered by him, and no words that he may have spoken could have been heard by any of his followers, because they were kept away from the immediate scene of his execution. And it was only after he had been pronounced dead and found ready to be removed from the cross that his followers were permitted to approach his body and remove it from the tree. The others who were engaged in the execution did not hear any words of his, and as I have said his followers could not hear and thus be able to report any supposed saying of his. So far as is known he died as bravely - that is, without fear or doubt as to the future - as did any other who has suffered the same fate. The words that he is supposed to have uttered were not so uttered, and he did not call upon the Father for His Help to cause the bitter cup to pass from him. All reports of what he said or did at that time are not true, but are merely the imaginings of those who wrote of him in later times.

There was no sudden breaking up of nature or of material things. And the account of the graves opening and the bodies arising therefrom and being seen and talked with in the city are purely fiction, and have no foundation in fact. I know that Christians of today will not be ready to receive these statements as true because of the long years of belief in these things that have obtained during the centuries. Why men should want to believe in these representations of things that never happened is hard to understand, for in themselves, they have no significance except as a mere endeavor to make as dramatic and impressive as possible for humanity the wonderful circumstances that they allege surrounded the death of Jesus.

If they will only think, they must realize that the death of Jesus, accompanied by all the startling environments described in the Bible, did not afford one iota of help in the way of saving a human soul or teaching that soul the true Way to the Father's Kingdom. His life is what had the saving effect - not his death - and the sooner men learn that Truth, the sooner will they learn the fact that no death of Jesus could save them from themselves, or show them the way to the Celestial Kingdom.

I know that men will not want to believe what I have written, and will continue in their belief that all these tragic circumstances surrounded the death of Jesus. And I suppose that this belief will continue with them for a long time to come. But what I have said is true; and no man can, by any possible workings of God's Laws, find any hope or assurance of Immortality in these things.

You may ask me how I know that Jesus uttered no words at the time of his death, and I can answer by saying that he told me so himself.

He has not been present tonight at any of the churches where his death on the cross is celebrated, and he will not be until after the time of the great worship and adoration of him by the churches has gone by. This worship is all very distasteful to him, and he does not desire to witness it; hence he remains in his home in the high Celestial Spheres. He desires men to worship only the one true Father that he worships, and thus receive the true benediction of the Father.

With my love, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,
Samuel

Joseph of Arimathea Describes What Happened after the Remains of Jesus Were Put in the Tomb

I am here, Joseph of Arimathea

I desire merely to write a few lines to let you know that I really did exist as a mortal, and that I am the same man who laid the body of Jesus in the tomb where no body had been laid ever before.

I was with him at his death, and I was with his body when it was laid in the tomb and sealed. And I know and testify that no man or men or society of men, as it has been said, stole his body from the tomb. His body was entombed, as was the custom of my time, and he was wrapped in cerements and fitted for the long sleep in the tomb, as we supposed.

While I was not a full Christian yet, his doctrines appealed to me as containing the Truth, having a living inspiration about them which I did not find in the teachings of the Jewish theology, for I was a Pharisee. I never thought that his death was justifiable or approved of it, but I was not able to prevent it; and feeling that a great crime had been committed by the people, of whom I was one, I tried to make a small atonement for the great crime by giving him burial in my new tomb.

Of course, I did not believe that he would rise again in the way that he had made known to some of his disciples; and when we buried him, I only thought that that tomb would be his sepulchre until nature had destroyed the body, as it had done in the cases of all others who had been entombed.

As you may realize, I was interested in the proceedings taken by the Jewish leaders in their efforts to prove that he, Jesus, would not arise from the tomb on the third day, and I kept watch along with the soldiers. And I can testify that no mortal ever removed the stones from the mouth of the tomb.

I was there when the angel came and the soldiers were put in the sleep that the Bible speaks of. And I, Joseph, say this knowing that it may not be believed (for the Bible makes no mention of it) - that I saw the stones rolled away and the shining one standing guard at the entrance of the tomb. I was frightened and left the place, and was so overcome that I did not return there until the early morning. I then saw Mary and heard her inquiring for the whereabouts of her beloved Master. And more wonderful, I saw the man of whom she inquired suddenly reveal himself to her. And I can testify that it was the same Jesus whose body I had helped lay in my tomb.

He was not of flesh and blood, as they say, for he appeared suddenly; and his appearance was not the same as that of the Jesus whose body had been entombed. But when he revealed himself to Mary, there was the same countenance and the same wonderful eyes of love that I was familiar with, and the same voice of love and affection. I know this and I want to tell the world that it is true.

Before Peter came, I went into the tomb and it was empty; and when Peter came, I was with him in the tomb and saw his astonishment. I heard his words of wonder and amazement, for notwithstanding what the Master had told him prior to the crucifixion, he did not believe or comprehend, and was astonished and bewildered, as were all of us.

Jesus of Nazareth arose from that tomb, and his fleshly body was dematerialized. As to his disappearance, I could not explain it then, as could none who saw him after he had arisen. But now I know that, because of his great psychic powers, as you would call them, he caused the disintegration of that body into its elements, as can be done now by many spirits who have that power.

Yes, Jesus arose from the tomb, but not from the dead; for he never died, as you will never die. Only the physical vestment that enveloped his soul died.

I am now in the Celestial Heavens and am with him a great deal, and I know that he is the greatest and most wonderful of all the spirits in the Celestial Spheres, and the nearest to the Fountainhead of God's Love. He is truly His best beloved son. I also want to say that he writes to you his messages of Truth, and he was with you tonight for a short time. Listen to him and know that you have a friend in him who is closer than a brother or father or mother.

My brother I will stop now, and in leaving, I will say that you have my love and blessings.

Your brother in Christ,
Joseph

Luke the Apostle Explains the Dematerialization of Jesus' Earthly Body

I am here, Luke, writer of the Third Gospel that was

I was with you tonight at the meeting of the Spiritualists, and heard the statement of the speaker as to the probabilities of what became of the body of Jesus after the crucifixion.

I was not present at the crucifixion, and of course do not personally know what became of the body of Jesus. But I have been told by those who were present that the Bible description of his burial in the tomb of Joseph was true. The body was buried in the tomb of Joseph and was left there by those who placed it in the tomb. It was sealed and a guard set over it to prevent anyone from approaching and interfering with the body, because Jesus had predicted that he would rise again in three days.

After the tomb was sealed, Jesus arose and, without his body of flesh, passed from the tomb and descended into the lower spheres where the dark spirits lived in ignorance and sufferings, and preached to them of the rebestowal of the Gift of Immortality. The body of flesh became so spiritualized, or etherealized, by the power which Jesus possessed, that its component parts became disseminated by him into the surrounding atmosphere, and he retained only the spiritual body in which he afterwards appeared to the disciples and others.

When he appeared at the meeting of the apostles where Thomas, "the doubter," was present, he recalled to his form (as you will better understand by my using such expression) elements of the material, so that the body was as much like flesh and blood in appearance as when it was placed in the tomb, and before he had disseminated these elements, as I have said.

The flesh and blood which encloses the spirit form of man, as you may have heard, is continually changing in obedience to the ordinary laws of nature as understood by man. And as Jesus understood and had power to call into operation other laws of nature, he caused such other laws to operate so that the dissemination of the elements of flesh and blood took place, and he was left only with the spirit form.

This I know has been a great mystery to mankind since the time of the discovery of the absence of Jesus' body of flesh by the watchmen at his tomb. And because of this being such a mystery, and as an only explanation of such disappearance, men have believed and taught that Jesus' body of flesh and blood actually arose from the dead, and therefore that the real body of flesh and blood of mortals will also arise in what they call the "great resurrection day."

But no body of flesh and blood arose, and the spirit form of Jesus did not remain in the tomb after the dissemination of the material body; for no tomb or other place could confine the spirit.

You will remember that on the third day Jesus appeared to Mary, who was most intimate and familiar with the appearance of Jesus. Yet she did not recognize him, but thought he was the gardener, and so with the disciples who were travelling with him to Emmaus. Now if he had retained his body of flesh and blood, do you not suppose that they would have recognized him?

If he had the power to resume that material body into which Thomas thrust his hand and found it to be a body in the appearance of flesh and blood, do you think it strange or wonderful that he would have had the power to cast off his earthly body while in the tomb, and cause it to disappear into thin air?

This, I am informed, is the true explanation of the disappearance of the material body of Jesus. And to me and to others who understand the laws of nature - I mean that nature that is beyond the ken of men - it is not surprising or worthy to be deemed a mystery.

I am glad that I went with you to the meeting tonight, as I became impressed with the desirability of making this great mystery a mystery no longer.

With all my love, I am,

Your brother in Christ,
Luke

Thomas Carlyle Comments on What Luke Wrote About Jesus Dematerializing His Body after His Crucifixion

I am here, Thomas Carlyle

I merely want to say that I was present when Luke wrote, and heard what he said, and was much interested. This very question used to be a great stumbling block to my belief in the resurrection of Jesus, because it seemed to me that the resurrection of the material body was so improbable, under the circumstances as narrated in the Bible, that it was difficult for me to believe the story.

But now I can understand very readily because I am acquainted with the laws governing the formation and disintegration of the material, as the scientists say, enabling the physical body of Jesus to disappear into the surrounding atmosphere.

I wish that I had understood this fact when I was a mortal, for then many other things would have appeared to me as probably true. I would have been in a different state of belief as to spiritual things, and my progress here towards higher spheres would not have been delayed.

It is to be deplored that this so-called "mystery" was not explained in the Bible, for had it been, man would not now be in darkness as to the meaning of the resurrection. And the many thousands who believe that the soul and spirit go into the grave to await the "great judgment day" would not be in such condition of delusion, and have to suffer the consequences of such false belief, in the stagnation of their soul progression which will surely come to them.

I hope you will give this explanation to the world and let men know the truth that there will be no resurrection of the body of flesh, as taught by the churches, and that such body no longer contains the soul or spirit body upon its decease.

I will not write more tonight, but will come again.

Your brother in Christ,
Thomas Carlyle

Jesus Declares That He Is Not God or to be Worshiped as God He Explains What His True Mission Was

I am here, Jesus

When I was on earth, I was not worshiped as God. I was considered merely as the son of God in the sense that in me were imposed the Truths of my Father, and many of His wonderful and mysterious Powers. I did not proclaim myself to be God. Neither did I permit any of my disciples to believe that I was God, but only that I was His beloved son, sent to proclaim His Truths to mankind and to show them the Way to the Love of the Father. I was not different from other men, except that I possessed this Love of God to a degree which made me free from sin, and prevented the evils that formed a part of the nature of men from becoming a part of my nature.

No man who believes that I am God has a knowledge of the truth or is obeying the Commandments of God by worshiping me. Such worshipers are blaspheming and are doing the cause of God and my teachings a great injury. Many a man would have become a true believer in, and worshiper of the Father, and a follower of my teachings, had not this blasphemous dogma been interpolated into the Bible. It was not with my authority or in consequence of my teachings that such a very injurious doctrine was promulgated or believed in.

I am only a son of my Father, as you are; and while I was always free from sin and error as regards the true conception of my Father's true relationship to mankind, yet you are His son also. And if you will seek earnestly and pray to the Father with faith, you may become as free from sin and error as I was then, and am now.

The Father is Himself, Alone. There is no other god besides Him, and no other god to be worshiped. I am His teacher of Truth, and am the Way, the Truth, and the Life because there are those qualities of goodness and knowledge in me which fit me to show the Way and lead men to eternal life in the Father, and to teach them that God has prepared a Kingdom in which they may live forever, if they so desire. But notwithstanding my teachings, men and those who have assumed high places in what is called the Christian church imposed doctrines so at variance with the truth that, in these latter days, many men, in the exercise of an enlightened freedom and of reason, have become infidels and turned away from God and His Love, and have thought and taught that man, himself, is sufficient for his own salvation.

The time has come when these men must be taught to know that, while the teachings of these professed authorities on the truths of God are all wrong, they - these same men - are in error when they refuse to believe in God, and my teachings. What my teachings are, I know, is difficult to understand from the writings of the New Testament; for many things contained therein I never said, and many things that I did say are not written therein.

I am now going to give to the world the Truths as I taught them when on earth, and many that I never disclosed to my disciples or inspired others to write.

No man can come to the Father's Love except he be born again. This is the great and fundamental truth which men must learn and believe. For without this New Birth, men cannot partake of the Divine Essence of God's Love, which, when possessed by a man, makes him at-one with the Father. This Love comes to man by the workings of the Holy Ghost, causing this Love to flow into the heart and soul and fill it so that all sin and error must be eradicated.

I am not going to tell just how this working of the Spirit operates tonight. But I say, if a man will pray to the Father and believe, and earnestly ask that this Love be given him, he will receive It; and when It comes into his soul, he will realize it.

Let not men think that they can come into this union with the Father by any effort of their own, because they cannot. No river can rise higher than its source. And no man who has only the natural love and is filled with error can, of his own powers, cause that natural love to partake of the Divine, or cause his nature to be relieved of such sin and error.

Man is a mere creature and cannot create anything higher than himself; so man cannot rise to the Nature of the Divine unless the Divine first comes into that man and makes him a part of Its own Divinity.

All men who do not get a part of this Divine essence will be left in their natural state. And while they may progress to higher degrees of goodness, and freedom from sin and from everything that tends to make them unhappy, yet they will still be only natural men.

I came into the world to show men the way to this Divine Love of the Father and to teach them His spiritual truths, and my mission was that in all its perfection. And incidentally, I came to teach them the way to greater happiness on earth, as well as in the spirit world, by teaching them the way to the purification of the natural love, even though they might choose to neglect to seek for and obtain this Divine Love, and become one with the Father.

Let men ponder this momentous question, and they will learn that the happiness of the natural man and the happiness of the man who has obtained the attributes of Divinity are very different, and in all eternity must be separate and distinct.

My teachings are not very hard to understand and follow. And if men will only listen to them and believe them and follow them, they will learn the Way and obtain the one perfect state of happiness which the Father has prepared for His children. No man can obtain this state of Celestial bliss unless he first gets this Divine Love of the Father, and so becomes at-one with the Father.

I know it is thought and taught that morality and correct living and great natural love will assure a man's future happiness, and this is true to a degree. But this happiness is not that greater happiness which God desires His children to have, nor does it show the Way to that greater happiness which I came to earth to teach.

But my Truths found a lodgment in some hearts and minds, and they were preserved to save mankind from total spiritual darkness and a relapse into worship of form and ceremony only.

I have written this to show you that you must not let the teachings of the Bible, and what men wrote or professed to have written therein, keep you from receiving and understanding what I write.

I shall write no more tonight, but I will continue to tell you the Truths which will be my New Gospel to all men. And when they have heard my messages, they will believe that there is only one God - and only one to be worshiped.

With my love and blessings, I will close for this time.

Jesus

No Man or Spirit Can Receive the Full Salvation That Jesus Taught and Exemplified in His Own Person Who Does Not Become Wholly Possessed of The Divine Love of the Father

I am here, Matthew

Let me write a few lines tonight, as I desire to tell you of a truth that seems important to me for mankind to know in order that they may comprehend the truth of their personal salvation. I am a spirit of soul development and an inhabitant of the Celestial Heavens where only those whose souls have been transformed by the Divine Love into the very Nature and Essence of the Father can find a habitation.

I will not write at any great length, and have only one idea of truth to convey, and that is: that no man or spirit can possibly receive the full salvation that Jesus taught and exemplified in his own person who does not become wholly possessed of this Divine Love of the Father in his soul, and becomes rid of the conditions and attributes that belong to his created soul.

This soul was not created with any of the Divine Attributes or Qualities, but simply and merely with those which you may call human, and which all men and spirits possess who have not experienced the transformation.

The "God-man," as Jesus is sometimes designated by your religious writers and theologians, was not possessed of these Divine Attributes, which are of the Nature and Essence of the Father, at the time of his creation or appearance in the flesh, but only of the human attributes which belonged to the perfect man - that is, the man who was the perfect creature as he existed before the fall of the first parents (when sin had not entered into their souls and into the world of men's existence). From the time of his birth, Jesus was the perfect man, and consequently without sin. All of his moral qualities were in complete harmony with the Will of God and the laws controlling his creation. Yet, he was not greater than were the first parents prior to their act of disobedience.

There was nothing of God, in the sense of the Divine, that entered into his nature or constituents. And if the Divine Love had not come into and transformed his soul, he would have remained only the perfect creature, and of a quality no higher or greater than was bestowed up