New Birth Commentary
VOL. IX. No. 1
WINTER 2014
Please Join Us at our 100th Anniversary Retreat!
Elizabeth Morana, Trustee
I hope you will join us at our 100th Anniversary Retreat (Sept. 10-14, 2014, 4HCC in Chevy Chase, MD, U.S.A) in celebrating the beautiful messages that came through James Padgett a century ago—messages from Jesus and Celestials that told us again and again: God’s Divine Love is freely available to each of us for the asking.
For those familiar with the Padgett messages, there is something in these messages that has truly touched them; something that has actually changed their lives.
And for those among us who have not yet read the Padgett messages—but who do know about the possibility of praying for Divine Love—they, too, are moved and affected in ways hard to describe.
Regardless of how we learned of Divine Love, we each yearn to feel its immediacy—during our private prayers, in our relationships, and in the ordinary moments of our lives. We want to feel it here and now, loud-and-clear.
Again and again, we find ourselves distracted by stress or conflict—for moments, hours, even for long stretches. Then we turn back to prayer, and seek that immediate, newly-fresh sense of the Love, here, with us.
And, with our Father’s ever-present Love for us, we somehow find our way back to the Love.
And we find—over and over—that life’s daily challenges give us many opportunities to recommit and to find a deeper and deeper connection to Divine Love.
Coming to pray together and to listen in a heartfelt way to other seekers of Divine Love is one way we seek to strengthen our commitment, and to feel a greater immediacy of that Love.
I welcome you to join us for this precious time together, supporting one another as we turn more fervently to our Father, as we create a safe and sacred space in which we can seek an ever greater opening of our souls and an ever greater abundance of His great Love into our souls.
Note: For those who have attended other Divine Love Retreats in the past, you know it’s a common practice for contemporary mediums to receive messages from spirit during such gatherings.
The practice of receiving new messages will not be a part of this retreat. This gathering will focus solely those truths that came through James Padgett.
If you are familiar with the Padgett messages, we invite you to bring a copy of your ‘favorite’ message, or excerpt of one, to reflect upon during our conversations.
If you do not have the Padgett messages and would like to request a complimentary copy, please contact us at newbirth@divinelove.org.
But familiarity with the Padgett messages is not expected or required. All who feel drawn to praying for Divine Love are welcome at this gathering, as are those who are simply curious.
Part 2: Details of the Retreat
For five days, from Wednesday afternoon until Sunday late morning (Sept 10-14, 2014) we will spend our days in twice-daily silent prayer circle, and we will take opportunities in small group settings to speak thoughtfully with one another about what drew us to seeking Divine Love, about what moves us to pray, and how seeking the Divine Love has changed us. You will be invited to speak about what it is in the writings that has touched you so deeply. What is it about these messages—written so many years ago—that makes them so alive for you today? If you have a ‘favorite’ message from the Padgett collection, please bring it.
We’re planning on having two presenters share their research on Padgett’s life and work; both researchers are deeply dedicated to the truths revealed in the Padgett messages.
We will also provide opportunities for music and Qi Gong (a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness, uniquely combined with our soul’s yearnings for Divine Love) during evenings. We invite our musically-inclined participants to bring along their instruments and music.
Please write us beforehand with your suggestions of other activities and please consider sharing your gifts and talents with all of us.
Meals and rooms are available on site at the 4H Conference Center (http://www.4hcenter.org) where our meetings will take place. This will allow you to streamline your travel plans, and reduce time spent moving from hotel, to restaurant, to conference setting.
You may register by returning the completed registration form inserted in this newsletter with your check, or you may register on line at our website, www.divinelove.org and utilize PayPal or pay by personal check.
There are a limited number of rooms available with two double beds and there are also many rooms with two sets of bunk beds. You may reserve for one, two, three, or four registrants (see registration form insert in this newsletter). We’ve reserved 20 of the 32 available ‘hotel-like’ rooms that have two double beds. Once those rooms are taken, registrants may be assigned to rooms having two sets of bunk beds, even if you are staying alone or with one other person.
The 4H Conference Center (4HCC) is near public transportation, about a half hour metro ride from Washington DC, where James Padgett lived, worked, and dedicated his evenings to receiving messages from Jesus and Celestials over a nine-year period, from 1914 to 1923.
The Reagan National Airport is the closest airport to the 4HCC. More detailed transportation information will be sent to you after you register.
We strongly encourage you to register by April 30, 2014 to ensure you secure the room of your choice. We ask for full payment at the time of registration.
Part 3: FCNB - What it is.
The main mission of the Foundation Church of the New Birth is to preserve and disseminate the messages from Jesus and Celestials that came through Mr. James Padgett and Dr. Daniel Samuels.
The literature flowing from the work of these two men is the only material disseminated by FCNB.
We love and respect fellow seekers of Divine Love and support them in our prayers and fellowship.
At the core of the Padgett messages lies the truth that our Heavenly Father desires to have each of us absorb His Divine Love and, thus, become one with Him in Love. We also know that we can receive His Love only when we yearn for it from our souls.
This is the one great truth that changes everything in one’s life when one begins to sincerely seek this Love.
Our board is acutely aware of the fact that Jesus’ central message was lost over the centuries through the rewriting of the gospels. Many erroneous beliefs about his life were later added to the written record, leading to great misunderstandings as well as an almost complete loss of his teachings about Divine Love.
Therefore, the FCNB preserves the original messages for posterity and also continues to make the four volumes of True Gospel Revealed Anew by Jesus available, to keep the True Gospel true, undiluted, and alive.
I warmly welcome all who wish to pray together for our Father’s great Divine Love during this commemorative week!
Announcements
The trustees of the Foundation Church of the New Birth wish to offer volumes 1, 2, and 4 of True Gospel Revealed Anew by Jesus for free for all those who wish to read them or share them with others.
For those who wish to distribute the volumes, FCNB will happily send out, free of charge, boxes containing 28 books of volumes 1, 2 or 4. These boxes weigh about 42 pounds each. The US Post office offers “media rate” for books sent within the U.S. Postage for international mailings are costly, with fee dependent on destination. While we send these free of charge, we would happily accept donations to contribute to the cost of postage.
The Foundation Church of the New Birth is an interdenominational “church without walls.” It is a through-the-mail and via-the-internet non-profit church with no paid employees, incorporated in January, 1958 in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. for the sole purpose of disseminating the vital truths of the Divine Love of God, our Heavenly Father—this Love being the greatest attribute of His Divine, Immortal Soul and the only Substance in the universe that can bestow immortality upon the souls of mankind.
We have no church buildings where congregations assemble to worship. Instead, we advocate small groups of ten or less meeting in private homes to study and to pray together—to pray to our Heavenly Father, to seek His Divine Love, and to study the divine truths contained in the messages received by James Padgett and Dr. Daniel Samuels.
Letters to the Editor
Hope you all have grace-filling substantial heart-glowing momentous encounters receiving Father’s Soul Love . . . feeling deeply grateful for the magical golden dust of Father’s soul that’s been sprinkled amongst us . . . from T. Mc. and family
May the season bring you many Blessings and, above all, more of the Father’s Love, that will give you the greatest Joy! With love, G.C.
Just wanted to thank you. Received the books I requested last week . . . Good luck on the revising of your web site. I'm sure it involves a lot of hard work. It looks great. Thank you again. A.W.
I have been away from faith for many years and have decided to return. I have been exploring your website and felt inspired to write to you . . . I was wondering if I could be sent a copy of the True Gospel Revealed Anew By Jesus Volumes I-IV. I know that these items will greatly aide my faith . . . Peace, M.H.
For the past few years, I've participated in Divine Love prayer circles with [many friends]. Meeting and praying with so many people who are on the Divine Love path is a wonderful experience. In June 2013, several long-time followers of Jesus' teachings met in Windsor, CA for a Divine Love Retreat, which was very uplifting with two prayer circles each day. When I learned from Elizabeth Morana that the Foundation Church of the New Birth will be sponsoring the 100th Anniversary Divine Love Retreat in Chevy Chase, Maryland from September 10-14, 2014, I was thrilled and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Thank you to all the Trustees of FCNB for honoring Jesus, James E. Padgett and Dr. Leslie R. Stone with this historic event. Love and blessings, J.W.
Thank you so much for the two books, and other materials you sent me. You don’t know what it means to me to read Jesus’ TRUE teachings . . . I will keep praying the Prayer for more Divine Love. I do feel that I have a little, as when I first accepted it was the truth, and prayed the Prayer Jesus gave, I had a three-day spiritual high. I was so happy and content and felt so close to the Father. I shall continue to read the books . . . if you have any more spare books, I would be grateful. I was going to give these two to my sisters to pass around—also, I thought I could maybe put two volumes in the library . . . I am really grateful. By the way, our hearts are warmed by reading the books. In His Love, yours sincerely, D.S.
Come Down, O Love Divine
(19th century hymn translation
of a 15th century text)
Come down, O Love Divine,
seek Thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with Thine own
ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear
and kindle it, Thy holy flame
bestowing.
O let it freely burn,
‘til earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat
consuming;
and let Thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight
and clothe me round, the
while my path illuming.
And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the power of
human telling;
for none can guess its grace,
‘til he became the place
wherein the Holy Spirit
makes its dwelling.
The Prayer for Divine Love
Our Father, who art in heaven, we recognize that Thou art all Holy and loving and merciful, and that we are Thy children, and not the subservient, sinful and depraved creatures that our false teachers would have us believe. That we are the greatest of Thy creation, and the most wonderful of all Thy handiworks, and the objects of Thy great soul's love and tenderest care.
That Thy will is, that we become at one with Thee, and partake of Thy great love which Thou hast bestowed upon us through Thy mercy and desire that we become, in truth, Thy children, through love, and not through the sacrifice and death of any one of Thy creatures. We pray that Thou will open up our souls to the inflowing of Thy love, and that then may come Thy Holy Spirit to bring into our souls this, Thy love in great abundance, until our souls shall be transformed into the very essence of Thyself; and that there may come to us faith--such faith as will cause us to realize that we are truly Thy children and one with Thee in very substance and not in image only.
Let us have such faith as will cause us to know that Thou art our Father, and the bestower of every good and perfect gift, and that only we, ourselves, can prevent Thy love changing us from the mortal to the immortal.
Let us never cease to realize that Thy love is waiting for each and all of us, and that when we come to Thee, in faith and earnest aspiration, Thy love will never be with-holden from us.
Keep us in the shadow of Thy love every hour and moment of our lives, and help us to overcome all temptations of the flesh, and the influence of the powers of the evil ones, which so constantly surround us and endeavor to turn our thoughts away from Thee to the pleasures and allurements of this world.
We thank Thee for Thy love and the privilege of receiving it, and we believe that Thou art our Father--the loving Father who smiles upon us in our weakness, and is always ready to help us and take us to Thy arms of love.
We pray thus with all the earnestness and longings of our souls, and trusting in Thy love, give Thee all the glory and honor and love that our finite souls can give.
The Prayer Given to Us by Jesus
Spanish Translation
We’re delighted to present a Spanish Translation of “The Prayer:”
LA ORACIÓN
Padre NUESTRO, QUE ESTÁIS EN EL CIELO, NOSOTROS RECONOCEMOS QUE VOS SOIS TODO Santo, CARIÑOSO Y MISERICORDIOSO, Y QUE NOSOTROS SOMOS VUESTROS HIJOS, Y NO LAS CRIATURAS SERVILES, PECADORAS Y DEPRAVADAS, QUE NUESTROS FALSOS MAESTROS DESEAN HACERNOS CREER.
QUE SOMOS LO MÁS GRANDE DE VUESTRA CREACIÓN, Y LA MÁS MARAVILLOSA DE TODAS VUESTRAS OBRAS, Y LOS OBJETOS DEL AMOR DE VUESTRA GRAN ALMA Y MÁS TIERNO CUIDADO.
QUE VUESTRA VOLUNTAD ES, QUE SEAMOS UNO CO VOS Y PARTICIPEMOS DEL GRAN AMOR QUE NOS HABÉIS OTORGADO, MEDIANTE VUESTRA MISERICORDIA Y DESEO QUE SEAMOS , EN VERDAD, VUESTROS HIJOS, A TRAVÉS DEL AMOR, Y NO POR EL SACRIFICIO Y MUERTE DE NINGUNA DE VUESTRAS CRIATURAS.
ORAMOS A VOS, PARA QUE ABRÁIS NUESTRAS ALMAS AL INFLUJO DE VUESTRO AMOR, Y QUE, ENTONCES VENGA, VUESTRO ESPÍRITU SANTO PARA TRAER A NUESTRAS ALMAS ÉSTE, VUESTRO AMOR DIVINO, EN GRAN ABUNDANCIA, HASTA QUE NUESTRAS ALMAS SEAN TRANSFORMADAS EN VUESTRA ESENCIA MISMA; Y QUE A NOSOTROS VENGA LA FE -- TAL FE, QUE NOS HAGA COMPRENDER QUE SOMOS, EN VERDAD, VUESTROS HIJOS Y UNO CON VOS, EN SUBSTANCIA MISMA Y NO SÓLO EN IMAGEN.
DADNOS TAL FE, QUE NOS HAGA SABER QUE VOS SOIS NUESTRO PADRE, Y EL OTORGADOR DE TODO DON BUENO Y PERFECTO, Y QUE SÓLO NOSOTROS, MISMOS, PODEMOS IMPEDIR QUE VUESTRO AMOR NOS TRANSFORME DE LO MORTAL A LO INMORTAL.
AYUDADNOS A NO OLVIDAR, JAMÁS, QUE VUESTRO AMOR NOS ESPERA A TODOS Y A CADA UNO DE NOSOTROS, Y QUE CUANDO ACUDAMOS A VOS CON FE Y SINCERA ASPIRACIÓN, VUESTRO AMOR JAMÁS NOS SERÁ NEGADO.
GUARDADNOS EN LA SOMBRA DE VUESTRO AMOR A TODA HORA Y MOMENTO DE NUESTRAS VIDAS, Y AYUDADNOS A VENCER TODA TENTACIÓN CARNAL Y LA INFLUENCIA DE LOS PODERES DE LOS MALVADOS, QUIENES TAN CONSTANTAMENTE NOS RODEAN, Y TRATAN DE DESVIAR NUESTROS PENSAMIENTOS EN TÍ, HACIA LOS PLACERES Y ATRACCIONES DE ESTE MUNDO.
OS DAMOS GRACIAS POR VUESTRO AMOR, Y EL PRIVILEGIO DE RECIBIRLO, Y NOSOTROS CREEMOS QUE VOS SOIS NUESTRO PADRE -- EL PADRE BONDADOSO QUIEN NOS SONRÍE EN NUESTRAS DEBILIDADES, Y SIEMPRE DISPUESTO A AYUDAR Y RECIBIRNOS EN VUESTROS BRAZOS DE AMOR.
ORAMOS, ASÍ, CON TODA SINCERIDAD Y ANHELOS DE NUESTRAS ALMAS, Y, CONFIANDO EN VUESTRO AMOR, OS DAMOS TODA LA GLORIA Y HONOR Y AMOR, QUE NUESTRAS ALMAS FINITAS PUEDEN DAR.
As Our Souls Progress, Our Destinies Change
Rev. Nancy Burrell
Although I have been reading the Messages for more than 25 years, I always find concepts which have new meaning for me. Perhaps it is because my own soul is progressing that I notice things I overlooked or took for granted before, but it might also be because I am a poor student and don’t read as regularly or as deeply as I should! In any case, when I come across something that strikes me, I write it down and think about it for a few days, asking God to help me understand its significance. I add it to my limited understanding of all the incredible information included in the Messages, and wait for it to sink into my soul.
The most recent concept I’ve come across (Vol. I, p.107, The Soul – What it is and what it is not) is the idea that as our souls progress—which is dependent upon our wills—our destinies change. This concept is at once complicated and simple.
As Jesus says:
“The soul is subject to the will of man, which is the greatest of all endowments that were bestowed upon him by his Maker at his creation, and is the certain index of the workings of that will either in thought or action, and in the souls, qualities of love and affection and appetites and passions are influenced by the power of the will, either for good or evil. It may be dormant and stagnate, or it may be active and progress. And so its energies may be ruled by the will for good or evil.” (p.111-112).
… “And finally, the soul or its condition decides the destiny of man, as he continues in his existence in the spirit world; not a final destiny, because the condition of the soul is never fixed, and as this condition changes, man's destiny changes, for destiny is the thing of the moment, and finality is not known to the progress of the soul, until it becomes the perfect man and is then satisfied and seek no higher progress. (p. 112. Italics added).
But:
“True it is that the soul of man is of a higher order of creation than any other created things, and is the only creature made in the image of God, and was made the perfect man, yet man—the soul—can never become anything different or greater than the
perfect man, unless he receives and possesses the Divine Essence and qualities of the Father, which he did not possess at his creation, although, most wonderful gift, with his creation, God bestowed upon him the privilege of receiving this Great Substance of the Divine nature, and thereby become Divine himself. The perfectly created man could become the Divine Angel, if he, the man, so willed it and obeyed the commands of the Father, and pursued the way provided by the Father for obtaining and possessing that Divinity. (p. 109. Italics added).
In this message, Jesus calls himself “a progressive spirit.” As he “grew in love and knowledge and wisdom when on earth,” he says, he is “still growing in these qualities, and the love and mercy of the Father come to me with the assurance that never in all eternity will I cease to progress towards the very fountain head of these attributes of Him, the only God, the All in All.”
Jesus exemplifies to us the humility of knowing we can always grow in the Divine Love. As we do, our souls change, and as our souls change, we change in what we can contribute and affect, in our capacity for love and service and goodness.
Unpublished Message from Helen Padgett
(We are happy to offer you a previously unpublished message from Helen Padgett, received on Feb. 13, 1918. –Ed.)
I am here. Your own true and loving Helen.
Well dear, I see that you have had an enjoyable evening and I have listened with interest to your conversation in reference to the Colburns and can assure you that what you said as to his beliefs and his probable future is correct. It is deplorable that he has such beliefs and they are the principal causes of your and the spirits not being able to reach him in the way of convincing him of the truth. I was at the office this afternoon and heard the conversation and was so sorry that he has such an absurd and wholly unjustifiable beliefs. His mother was present also and it distressed her very much when she heard him express his ideas as to God and good and evil and thereby display a total want of knowledge or experience of the Love. Of course she knows what his beliefs or rather want of beliefs were and was hoping that in some way he might be convinced of his errors but she had never heard his beliefs put in such concrete form.
Sometime I will write you in reference to him and his beliefs and the great struggle that he will have sooner or later in getting rid of these erroneous beliefs and in getting into the way of the Kingdom. I fear that he will have to suffer much before he makes the progress and one reason among others will be that he believes that these very struggles will be necessary to give him strength and enable him to enjoy the good when he shall have obtained it. How very little he knows of the Father’s Love and what that Love provides in the way of relieving the soul from suffering and how it can strengthen the soul and give it capacity to enjoy the good. Evil is a curse and in no sense can it be considered a blessing in disguise or otherwise.
Well, I heard what the Dr.’s father and sister wrote and he must heed their advice for the Dr.’s condition must be as they told him else they would not have written as they did.
Dr. Campbell will examine him and come to you and prescribe what which will do the Dr. good.
I see that your cold is troubling you tonight and I will not write longer. Go to bed and get your sleep.
Love me and pray to the Father and believe all things that we have told you and you will not be disappointed.
Good night my own dear husband. Your own true and loving, Helen.
How We Pray
By Rev. Joan Warden
As to my prayer ritual, I pray at night in a meditative position lying down on the bed with my arms over my chest anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours. Often I'll listen to spiritual music playing softly in the background. I discovered that as soon as I get into this position, the Divine Love immediately flows into my soul without my having to say anything. Many times, I'll reach out to God with my thoughts to give Him a greeting and while meditating with my eyes closed, I may see a variety of spiritual visions.
Even though it's not essential for me to read the Divine Love Prayer or say other kinds of formal prayers, Divine Love flows into my soul very often when I'm reading any one of the many enlightened messages received by James E. Padgett.
