Accuracy in Mediumship
While the Padgett messages represent perhaps the most successful attempt by Jesus thus far to re-deliver his teachings to mankind, James Padgett certainly wasn't the first person to be utilized this way; nor will he be the last. The New Testament Book of Acts hints at ongoing communications between Jesus and his followers after Jesus’ death; and, to our understanding, Jesus’ desire to communicate with his followers on earth hasn't flagged in the ensuing centuries. We see the Padgett messages as a major breakthrough in these communications, but we certainly don't consider them to be the finality of Jesus’ efforts. The messages themselves emphasize the need for many competent "celestial mediums" here on earth, to better enable the higher spirits to communicate their love and truths to mortal humankind.
As explained in the messages, the accuracy of any spirit-mortal communication depends upon a number of factors, most important of which is the soul development of the psychic instrument. We understand that because of these various factors, Padgett was a reasonably transparent channel for these celestial communications. We’ve learned from experience, though, that even the most gifted mediums will have "blind spots," where their mind isn’t able to accurately transmit the spirit’s thoughts. So, we consider it a given that there will be errors and inaccurate statements in any channeled message.
One of the definitions of the word gospel is “something accepted as infallible truth.” Using this definition, we most emphatically aren't trying to promote the Padgett messages as a "replacement gospel" for the Gospels of the Bible. We think that the messages themselves make it clear that the only source of "infallible truth" is God Himself. And while there's probably not a soul alive who hasn't wished for a book that contained "all the answers," it seems that humankind has done itself a major disservice, over the centuries, trying to endow man-made books with a quality possessed only by God.
In short, the only “gospel” we're promoting here is the gospel (good news) of God's love. We don't consider the Padgett messages as infallible, and we sincerely hope you won't either. We see the messages simply as a sign post along the road -- pointing out the path of soul transformation through the divine love. If you've read the sign and understand where it's pointing, then we rejoice.
Many of the teachings put forth in these messages are, scientifically speaking, unprovable. We can accept them at as true, if our "inner sense" tells us that they are; or we can take them with a grain of salt, perhaps filing them under the heading "more data needed"; or we can discard them as "unplausible." But we urge you to resist the temptation of rendering judgment on the entire body of messages with a simple yay or nay. Whatever your decision on this collection of purported truths, we hope you'll allow yourself the time to consider them one at a time.
There are various "provable" errors in the Padgett messages (such as an erroneous reference to a Bible passage). The original manuscripts were also filled with grammatical errors. These obvious errors serve as a reminder that the angels had to work within the limitations of Padgett’s mind, as well as the laws governing spirit communication, while delivering these writings, and alert us to the fact that Padgett's mediumship was not infallible.
That being said, there's a reason why we've made the Padgett messages the centerpiece of this web site, and of the offerings from the New Heart Press. We think the Padgett messages are “pretty darn close enough.” They're logical and internally consistent. They find an amazing amount of corroboration in the New Testament (especially if one goes back to the early Greek manuscripts). And most importantly, they've found corroboration in our personal experiences -- as they can in yours, if you're willing to conduct the “great experiment.” We are great believers in "healthy skepticism," but when the skeptic finally finds something that passes all the tests, then he has good reason to shout his discovery from the rooftops.
But why, you may ask, don't the spirits themselves correct these errors and inaccuracies in their channeled messages? It’s apparently not easy for a spirit-author to correct a single word or thought during a mediumship session, since such "real-time editing" would tend to interrupt the flow of writing and perhaps break the rapport – and since, of course, the error was most likely due to a block in the mortal's mind to begin with. The “verification process” for these teachings, then, will be an ongoing work involving the efforts of many individuals –prayerful practicing mediums who've developed their spiritual perceptions to the point where they can contribute to this body of knowledge. And in the angels' own words, we on earth now possess but a "smattering" of what in the universe remains to be learned…
In a sense, one main purpose of these messages may simply be to “open up” the lines of communication between the angelic realm and mortal humankind. So, while Jesus and the other spirit-authors would no doubt prefer that all their messages be free of error, they don't seem to be perfectionist about this. Perhaps their more immediate desire (after almost 2000 years) is for the reestablishment of an ongoing conscious channel of communication with their brothers and sisters in the flesh.
A prayerful reading of any channeled message will always help one to identify the pearls of truth contained therein. And if, in your reading, you encounter a statement that doesn’t strike you as truth, perhaps it’s not. You’re encouraged to voice your concerns in these matters, because it’s through such discussion that we're able to pool our collective soul's perceptions to better separate the false from the true.
And as time goes on, we trust that many more soul-developed mediums will join in in the work of expanding and refining humankind's understanding of spiritual truth. In a sense, the era of conscious verbal communication between the celestial heavens and mortal earth has only just begun, and patience will be necessary as this new “field of research” becomes adequately staffed with gifted, prayerful mediums.
Ultimately, though, it must be remembered that we’re each capable of – and responsible for – developing our own spiritual discernment. The good news is that this development comes as an inevitable "side effect" of our own growth in the divine love...
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