Messages 2002

Faith continued.

January 15th, 2002

Received by H.

Cuenca, Ecuador.

May we return to the subject of faith? Very well, if you feel in condition for receiving the message, let’s try.

“Faith is that which when possessed in its real and true meaning makes the aspirations and longings of the soul a real, living existence; and one so certain and palpable that no doubt will arise as to its reality.”

With these words, Jesus defined faith. Or at least, Mr. Padgett received them so. But you can be assured that Jesus chose a moment of great lucidity on Mr. Padgett’s part for transmitting a Truth of such importance.

I am always happy when I can observe the sharpness with which the perceptions of our dear M___ work. He wrote to you:

“I have related faith to soul perception, and thus to truth. And so I reasoned that by understanding truth, I could relate faith to the different types of truth. Well, I feel I am either on to something, or really off about it.”

You are not off about it, my dear brother. Faith has to do with Truth. It is our perception of Truth, our window into the Real. When you speak of different truths, you mean that there are different levels, and also that each soul perceives its own truth in a different way. Also each soul’s faith, provided it has such, is different. Only one Truth exists, and only God knows it. But the increase in our faith implies that also our perception of Truth deepens and approaches perfection.

Take the example of a white flower. You look at it and see their snow-white petals, but you don’t see everything. The bee, when looking at this same flower, not only sees white petals, but also the most wonderful decorations of the most diverse “colors,” calling its attention. In addition, I put the word “color” between quotation marks, because actually it is the reflection of portions of light, which your eyes cannot perceive. These adornments do not exist for you, but for the bee, they do exist. So, in order to continue with this simple example, with the increase of faith, the range of perception of your vision is increased, and what seemed uniform or void before, takes on life and color.

The real, living existence that Jesus speaks of also shows you that faith is related to real experience.

My dear H___, when you found the Padgett messages some years ago, you were not so much fascinated by the doctrine of Divine Love, but rather by their historical information. You only little by little came to understand the heart of the messages in all their importance. But at the moment when you could accept the existence of Divine Love, this acceptance did not mean faith. Only with the experience of obtaining It, of feeling It, you finally obtained faith, this real, living encounter.

Each soul has once experienced God at its creation. Each soul experienced His Loving Kindness. However, when it does not repeat this experience, when it does not live this experience again, it degenerates and seemingly disappears, suffocated under the strong impressions of what you call real life. The soul shrinks, as the messages state, but faith does not disappear. It continues, but it needs effort and will to wake up again.

Active faith is the continuous, rejuvenated and enlarged experience. Faith is as sweet as honey. It is peace and happiness, and it awakes longings for more, longings of the soul, longings to be under God’s protection, at-one with Him, and partaker of His Love. And His Love comes, changing the very substance of our soul little by little, changing the quality and the range of our perceptions, and expanding our faith.

The difficult part is to start this process, but it is not a process which continues automatically. It requires our effort. But exactly at that moment when prayer stops being an obligation and becomes a desire, a wonderful experience, a moment of peace and happiness, at that moment the soul has won the battle.

M___’s question addressed specifically verse 1 of chapter 11 of the Letter to the Hebrews:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The word that causes problems is “substance,” or “hypostasis” in the original text. M___ explains correctly that the word means substance (the literal translation), or foundation, but also something which has substance or foundation, something real. In English, it is also possible to translate the two parts of the word “hypo-stasis” literally, as “under-standing.” However, is it true that faith bears understanding of the perceived things?

It is not necessarily so. Take for example the fact that you perceive God’s Love. You have lived It, you try to live It continuously because It is part of your faith. You have the perception and the experience. But, do you also understand It? Certainly not. Understanding is a function for which faith opens up the way. Of course, with the increase in our faith, our understanding also increases. But faith and understanding are not the same thing. Faith is greater. It opens up a field, a world, and we may explore it and study it. We have the certainty that this world is there, it exists, there is no doubt about it. That is the function of faith.

When people have faith in God and in His Loving Care, and when they know that with their body’s death their life does not end and that a new life in a new world awaits them, they may develop perceptions to feel the presence of spirits. It is the product of their faith, because their window of perceptions has been enlarged. And very probably they do not understand how spirits live, what they are doing, how this new world will be. But they know that it exists, not only because they believe, but because they experience It. It is a living and real knowledge.

Words fail me.

H.: You say that faith does not entail understanding. But don’t the messages teach the contrary? Don’t they tell us that whoever has received the Divine Love, is not only happy, but is way beyond the lower spirits in intellectual development and knowledge of the spiritual things of the Father?

Think it over meanwhile, but for now, I end my message. I have not covered everything, of course. However, I still have not finished. Next time, we will speak of faith and the soul’s mind. Then I will also answer your question.

With much love,

Your brother in the spirit,

Judas