Support for Christianity
[1] THE Pharisees: “Lord and Master. We have heard now from Your divine mouth of the difficulties in obtaining the inner life perfection, but also of the endless advantages of it. The difficulties did not discourage us to do whatever You may prescribe us to do. Even if we physically have to mutilate ourselves under the greatest pain, then in full earnest we are prepared for it.” [2] I said: “Oh that would be the greatest foolishness, because whoever wants truly to conquer an enemy must line up himself in the open field in front of him, and should not hide behind all kinds of defensive works. Because when the enemy will see the entrenchment, he will indeed desist for a certain time from an open attack because he realizes that with his power he is not a match for the well-defended opponent. But he surrounds the well-defended opponent, and then he will call for fortifications from all sides. After that, when the enemy feels strong enough, he attacks the still well-defended opponent and overpowers him without difficulty. [3] I consider the case when the enemy was not able to do anything against the well-defended opponent as long as he stayed behind his entrenchment. But the opponent can out of fear for the stronger enemy not stay forever behind his strong entrenchment. He will have to leave it once and will have to come in the open field. How will he then fare when the enemy, who secretly is lying in wait somewhere, will attack him? I tell you: this second open battle will then be much more difficult for him than if he had attacked the enemy immediately in the open the first time. [4] Man can indeed withdraw himself completely from the world like the hermits of the Carmel and Zion, who do not look at a woman and whose scanty food consists of roots and all kinds of berries, wild honey and carob beans. Also they castrate themselves for the sake of the Kingdom of God, because in this way they cannot fall into temptation to transgress against a law of Moses. Therefore, they do not have any possessions, no parents, no wives and no children, even no manhood. They life in wild canyons, so that they would not be tempted by the beauty of the luxuriant fields of the Earth. They do not talk with one another to prevent that someone would say something that would offend him or his neighbors. [5] Under such foolish life conditions, by which they are disconnecting themselves from the reality and protect themselves against the possibility to sin, they surely are keeping the laws of Moses, but for whose benefit? I am telling you: that does not help them in the least, nor other people. Because God did not give man different powers, abilities and talents to let them slumber as a hermit in a little hut or cave, but to, according to God’s revealed will, be active, and thereby be of benefit for himself as well as for his fellowman. [6] That is why God has never said to man: ‘Mutilate and castrate yourself, so that your body will not be tempted by the body of a woman and will abstain from harlotry and adultery’. But when God gave the woman to Adam He only said: ‘Go, multiply and replenish the Earth’. And with Moses it is stated: ‘You shall not commit fornication and harlotry, you shall not covet the woman of your fellowman and not commit adultery.’ [7] So man should be active in the world and voluntarily resist the temptations of the world. In this way, his soul will become strong and the power of God’s Spirit will penetrate him. But by going through life as a sluggard no one will ever come to the true eternal life, because this requires the greatest possible full activity on the countless levels and spheres of life. [8] It is true that such people are sinning as little as a stone, but is that perhaps a merit for the stone? One day the soul will however have to leave his mutilated body, then what will he do in the beyond in his complete weakness and total inactivity? [9] There, all kinds of trials will be coming upon him that must urge him to true activity. And these trials will for the soul – with his talents that he already possessed here on Earth – be precisely the same as here. However, they will be for the soul surely much stronger than here, because whatever a soul thinks and wills on the other side, will also be as a reality. [10] Here he is only confronted with his invisible thoughts and ideas that he can easily fight and of which he also can easily get rid of, but there, where thoughts and ideas are becoming a visible reality, do tell Me, how will the weak soul fight against his self-created world? If for instance already here someone is filled with burning passion by the thought of the beautiful young woman of the neighbor, how will he then fare when his thought will, according to his wish and will, stand completely as a – although apparent – reality before him? [11] Therefore, the temptations on the other side are much stronger than here. And what will the soul be able to do to free himself from the hard imprisonment of his own evil passions? There he will have to work much more on his own to free himself from the confusion of his own thoughts, ideas and imaginations. Because if he will not start to work himself, he will not be helped immediately by the mercy of God or any other spirit, just like that is already for the greater part the case here on Earth. [12] Because, whoever does not seek God seriously, but only pursues the lusts of the world, is losing God, and God will give him no sign from which he could perceive how deep and how far he already went astray from God. Only when he will start again to seek God out of his own effort and necessity, will God then again draw nearer to him and will let Himself be found by the seeker in the same measure as it has become truly serious for the seeker to find God and to know Him. [13] Therefore, the pious laziness is good for nothing, because it has no value of life for Me.” (Book 17, chap. 75 ) 76. TRUE REPENTANCE AND PENANCE WHOEVER says to Me: ‘Lord, Lord’, is still far away from the true Kingdom of God. However, the one who believes in Me and does what I have taught him to do, will achieve what has been promised and shown to him. And only by the action he will perceive within himself that the words I have spoken are not words of a man but truly divine words, because My words are in itself love, light, power and life. My words are telling you clearly what My will is. Whoever accepts My will within him and acts according to it, will have eternal life within him and will continue to live, even if he has – if that would be possible – died physically many hundreds of times. [2] If you are then so serious about reaching at least to the first degree of inner life perfection, then go home, distribute your superfluous great treasures among the many poor, and then come here and follow Me. Then you will shorten your still very long way to God’s Kingdom a great deal. If you will follow Me, you should however be dressed as simple as you can see with Me and My true disciples. You do not need a stick and no pockets in your skirt and cloak. But all you need is a willing and open heart. For all the rest the Father in Heaven will take care.” [3] Upon this advice the two Pharisees and also the two Levites began to look noticeably sour, and the one Pharisee said: “Lord and Master, I can clearly see that You have spoken correctly and truly, but bear in mind that we have a wife and children for whom we first have to make some arrangement and have to give the highest necessities. As soon as we have done that as fast as possible, we will distribute our abundance among the poor and then we will follow You with a joyful heart.” [4] I said: “Are your wives and children then better than all the widows and orphans from who you have taken away all their belongings and thrown them into the greatest need and misery? Now, if these have to work hard every day to earn their meager bread while your wives and children are bathing into the unrighteous received wealth, and moreover out of pride not knowing what to do, and are spitting in a despising way in the direction of a poor widow who with her half-naked and by hunger starving children has to work for a scanty salary and whose possessions were taken into property by you in the most unrighteous and loveless way, then it surely will not be unrighteous if your proud, arrogant wives and children would some time also suffer hunger, and in this way come to realize – what would be very beneficial for their souls – how pleasant it really was for the poor widows and orphans, but at whom they have so often spat, and who they have called ragged rabble for who it was hardly worth to let the sun shine on them. [5] But I do not want that you in one way or the other would feel obliged to do that, because your will is as free as Mine, but because you have asked Me for advice to know what you should do in order to reach your inner life perfection more speedily, I have given you also a completely correct and true advice. [6] I already told you beforehand that it is much easier to give a promise than keeping it. And moreover I add to this: ‘whoever is not able to leave house, field, wife and child for the sake of My name, is by far still not worthy of Me. And whoever will put his hands to the plow of God’s Kingdom but thereby still looks back to the things of the world, is by far still not fit for the Kingdom of God.’ This you do know now, do whatever you want.” [7] The Pharisee said: “But Lord and Master, look now at Lazarus who is a real friend of You and also Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, they surely are still much richer people than we. Why do You not ask from them what You are demanding from us?” [8] I said: “Between their and your possessions is a great and sky high difference. Their goods are a complete righteous possession. They are the righteous possessions of their family. And the truly, royal great treasures that they are containing are the result of true and still very unselfish diligence and blessing from Heaven. Likewise, the three named men are now as good as the only supporters of the many thousands who have become poor and miserable by your ungodly actions and attitudes. So they are still the real executives of God on Earth over the entrusted earthly goods, and they also consider their goods not differently than what they really are, a gift from above that they have to manage and arrange for the care of the many poor. [9] Is this perhaps also the case with your robbed goods? Such men should possess even much more, and that would also be possible for God in a most just and pleasing way, if you would not have taken away more than half of it with all kinds of tricks and deceit and also with force. You have fattened yourselves with it and because of this, they had to distribute less to many poor people. Was that perhaps also an action from you that was pleasing to God, and could God ever bless your possessions? Yes, the blessing of Hell is resting upon it, but certainly not God’s blessing, because if God’s blessing would be resting upon it, then I surely could tell you this. [10] Then do not compare yourselves with these three and also not with these highly ranked Romans there, who are also very rich, but their riches are justified. And also they are benefactors to the many thousands, and they have an abundance of blessing from above, although they are gentiles, but they are immensely closer to God than you as Jews. [11] Concerning such worldly rich men like you are, I say in My full divine power and might the same as I have said to a rich man who very much was like you: ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for such a rich man to enter God’s Kingdom’. Did you hear this now?” [12] Then the Pharisees said: “O Lord and Master, we realize now all too well the truth of Your words, and out of ourselves we have already decided to follow Your advice precisely, but we are asking You to give us the necessary strength and the true courage. Because only now we are beginning to fully realize how difficult it is for a soul who once has been caught by the power of Hell to free itself out of its might. If You, o almighty Lord and Master, do not help a prisoner, then he will stay imprisoned forever.” [13] I said: “Yes, sure, that you have well said, that is why you should refund every penny to the one you have cheated. Because if you do not do that, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, and just like you, also no one else can. [14] But because you impossibly can no more refund the inflicted damage to a lot of them whom you have cheated, you can distribute all that you are possessing, with a good will and a good heart, among the poor. And by that, be not afraid of the world. Then many of your sins will be forgiven, and then you may come and follow Me. Where I will be, you easily will be able to know, if ever you are serious to follow Me. Of course, it will take you a lot of fighting, but whoever is fighting justly and cleverly, will also surely overcome, and a sure victory is still always worth the fight. [15] Now I have told you all you have to do and you can never excuse yourselves by saying that you did not know it. From now on it will depend on your will and your wisdom.” 77. ABOUT THE RIGHT WISDOM AND CAREFULNESS [1] PHARISEE said: “Lord and Master, so according to what You said, by the distribution of our treasures among the poor we may use the right wisdom and carefulness?” [2] I said: “Once I have said something, it has been said for eternity, because this whole visible sky and this Earth will pass away, but My words will not in all eternity. [3] Even if somebody would do something extraordinary good, but in a foolish way, then this deed has no value because thereby the good has not been achieved. If someone wants to do something good for his fellowman he must not make it known and must not let him be glorified and be praised but he must keep it secret in such a way that practically his right hand does not know what his left is doing. Then God, who also sees the most secret things, will reward that work with His blessing. [4] Would it be wise if you would give your treasures to the temple to be distributed among the poor? The temple would indeed praise you openly before everyone but that would not help the poor. [5] But find a righteous middleman. That is for you the best way. Your names will remain unknown, you will avoid the praise and honor of the world, and the poor are helped in the best way. For it is better to arrange with a righteous middleman a provision for many poor people, for the right purpose, in the right measure and for the right necessity, than to give in the hands of a poor person in one time a lot of money. Because that would make the poor person, who already became very humble, very easily proud and would spoil his patient and to God consecrated soul. [6] You can find such a middleman very easily. I can even name here five of them. Take for instance Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea, or friend Lazarus, or the innkeeper from the valley of Lower-Bethany, or standing next to him, the innkeeper of the large inn at the highway near Bethlehem. [7] And so, I also have shown you this way. If your family should be in need, then it is also best to find with them a necessary and a to Me pleasing shelter for body and soul.” [8] The Pharisees said: “Lord and Master, we thank You that You have also given us this advice. Partly already today, but for sure on the first day after the Sabbath it will be done. Oh, by this advice from You, a heavy stone has been taken away from our chest. Yes, now it is not difficult for us to carry out everything. [9] What do You think, Lord and Master, if we give to each of the named friends a part of our treasures, so that one person would not be too heavily loaded with the work for the poor?” [10] I said: “This depends now on you. One is as good as the other.” [11] With this, both of the now completely converted Pharisees, were very satisfied, they went to the five named men and were discussing with them. [12] Then also the two Levites came to Me and said: “Lord and Master, what shall we do? Our wealth is still small, and what we are possessing we have inherited, and in this way it is our rightful property. But if we may follow You, then we also wish to do what the two chiefs are doing.” [13] I said: “You are free to do so. But look at these first disciples of Mine. They also have a rightful possession at home and they have wife and children. For the sake of God’s Kingdom, they have left everything and followed Me. This you also can do. [14] But I tell you also: the birds have their nests, and the foxes have their holes, but I, who am also on this Earth bodily a Son of Man, do not have so much in my possession that I could lay My head on it.” {Matt 8:20} [15] The two Levites said: “And still, Heaven is Your throne and this Earth is the footstool under Your feet.” [16] I said: “This was not inspired by your flesh, but by your inner spirit. Remain in this knowledge and be patient. Then you will easily reach the inner life perfection. Thus you also can go and discuss with Lazarus.” [17] The two Levites followed this advice at once and they went to Lazarus. (GGJ Book 17) [2] I said: “These are quite as unnecessary as it was unnecessary from your side to ask Me about this, since I have already told you clearly wherein the true and for Me valuable penance of a sinner consists. What kind of sanctification can a sack and ashes offer man for his soul? A sack and ashes were instituted by the elders as symbolic images under which the right penance has to be understood, because the sack stands for the outer humility and the ashes for the true inner humility of the soul. But only the carrying of a sack and the strewing of ashes on the head has given man quite as less sanctification as fasting and castigating. Like a soldier who creeps away in a safe hole out of fright and fear for the enemy instead of courageously accepting the fight against him, will most probably not be crowned with a crown of victory. [3] For this reason: away with sack and ashes, away with castigating and fasting, and away with the sacrificing of goats, and away with all the other temple sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins, for those do not have the least of value for life for Me. However, instead of this, one should display a firm and inflexible will for a true inner improvement of life, as well as a living love for God and fellowman, and the full faith in God and His incarnation in Me, for only this sanctifies man and makes the soul strong, giving him to live entirely in My Spirit that prevails in him. [4] Remain with this, and teach it also to all other nations, then you will save Me from sending the threatened judgment over all the heathens in later times. However, you should not shudder and tremble before the people, but with a good and courageous will you should proclaim to them openly the full godly seriousness of the truth. And even if you should not be able to oppose effectively and successfully all the heathens in a short time, the pure truth will very well be able to do that in future times. Because the great judgment over the kingdom of the lie that I have announced, consists in the victory of the truth. And that will not be a different truth than what I am proclaiming to you now. [5] During that time, I will again awaken men and even virgins who will be transmitting this truth out of My mouth as pure and as clear into their heart as I am proclaiming it to you now with My physical mouth, and that truth will be the mighty and relentless judge over all the blind heathens. [6] Thus, no more sack and ashes, but the full truth in everything and a firm will. [7] And so, My disciples and friends, I have spoken to you now fully clearly and not in images, and so you should also clearly understand and grasp it, more precisely through action, for knowledge alone is of little or no use at all for the soul. But whoever offers a real sacrifice through the action of the truth, will receive eternal life. [8] And now, tell Me once more if there is still a dark foolish thing bothering you, and if in full truth you have understood these clear words of Mine. However, I do not ask you this as if I should not know how and if all of you have understood all this, but I am only asking you this so that you also should ask in your heart how the truth is formed in you, because only this belongs to your own life. And now you can speak again.” (GGJ Book 18, chap. 90)
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