The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the region of Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 17 -
Raphael explains his power.
The group to which also our Ebal, Kisjona and Philopold still belonged, stayed almost until the morning at the table, together with Raphael who also stayed with them. My James the elder was the main speaker because he knew Me well, already since My birth, and he was the one who was most of all close by Me. And Raphael on his part explained what seemed to be mysterious to the others.
2
Close to the morning, the captain asked Raphael: "Now that we have heard so many splendid and great wonderful things from your mouth, maybe you would like to be so kind to explain a little for us 3 Romans as to what kind of being you actually are, and what kind of substance it was out of which you have formed the visible sky so beautifully with all those countless things that were on it."
3
Raphael said: "In the first place, I am in every respect a human being like you, but with the important difference that I can change this body that you can see now, into my pure spiritual being, and that I have lived and was active as a human being of flesh and blood on this Earth for many years in loyal dedication to God the Lord, already almost 4.000 years ago - even before the flood of Noah.
4
However, now I am a citizen of the Heavens of God, and His servant and helper forever. My power is God's power. That is why I can do everything what the Spirit in me wills. Now if you know this, you also will know out of which substance I have formed the visible sky before you.
5
There is no other substance in the whole of infinity than only the will of God. Everything you see, hear, feel or perceive by one of the sense organs, are the thoughts of God, and when He wills, they also exist at once.
6
What God as the original eternal Spirit can do in Himself and by Himself, the Spirit of God in man can do also. For God Himself is in Himself the purest Love. Thus in Himself He is also the purest fire of Life. Thus He is also the purest and brightest Light, and thus in Himself the highest Wisdom, and by that also the highest active Might and Power everywhere.
7
The perfectly wise order of this highest might and power is the eternal law to which all things have to conform. This law rules also over the body of man. However, to the soul of man a free will is given, and the law is revealed to him so that he would accept it and conform his will to it and would live and act accordingly in order to become in this way completely similar to God, which is his destiny.
8
However, in this world of development, only a very little part of the law of the divine order has been entrusted to the soul to observe. If he is loyal in that small part, he also will be set over great things, but not before he has come to such great skill in the small part of the law of order - which has been revealed to him - that it has become completely his own as if inborn. For otherwise he cannot attain in himself to the inner awareness of his free independence and can thus also not discern all the things that the divine will can do in him and through him.
9
I do not need to give you any further proof of what I, who am also a man, can achieve through the full power of the divine will. Once you will have come to a great skill to observe the divine will, which you fully came to know here, and also to deny yourself of all the lusts of the world that seduce you, then you also will be aware in yourself what kind of power your soul has received.
10
But only practice will make the master. If man practices too little, he will eternally remain a bungler and cannot be used for anything great or exceptional. Or would you as a Roman captain who are very well experienced in the art of war, entrust an important position to someone before you will have convinced yourself that he knows all that is required for that post?
11
God does not need to test man in all manners and put him to the proof to convince Himself if he is already capable for a great and important position, for He always knows very clearly how much progress a soul has made in his inner life's completion. But let the soul examine himself to know how far he has progressed in all self-denial for what concerns the enticements for the lusts of this world, how far he entirely has become one with the chosen and actively observed will of God and if he is still a bungler or maybe already a master, and then God the Lord will not hesitate to make the power of His will known in him.
12
Just look at several of the disciples of the Lord. If they would like to do something from the will of the Lord that already became very mighty in them, one or the other could also perform something which would certainly not seem less miraculous to you than what I have performed for you. But their real love for the Lord and their true humility before Him tell them: 'O, what are we still weak disciples compared to You'. And therefore they still wait until the Lord will tell them: 'Go now into the world, teach My will to everyone and perform works in My name.' Then they will, wherever it is necessary, also do the same signs that the Lord is doing now Himself, and which also I am doing from time to time by the will of the Lord in me.
13
However, the power of the divine will, will not be poured into man like for instance the milk with a child, but he should, with his own willpower, which is completely free in man, as it were draw it to himself with force.
14
That this is so and not any different, is obvious from the fact that the Lord Himself, for whom all things are possible, teaches His disciples, draws them to Himself and shows them what they should do to make His will the same as their own will, which will then be their possession forever.
15
What the disciples, who were chosen by the Lord Himself, should do in order to be completely like Him is what every other person should do if he wants to receive the power of the divine will in his soul.
16
I have very clearly shown you now out of which substance I have formed the things of the visible sky for you, but do take care now that in time you all will become what I am now. The 'how' I have shown you. And now you still can give your bodies some rest for a short time, for we will not have to wait long before the morning will come."
17
After these words of Raphael, the 3 Romans stood up, thanked Raphael for this lesson, and with full of good intentions they went home where they found everything in perfect order. But they all 3 rested little, for in the spirit of their natural reason they were still too busy, and they did not know how they could combine their worldly profession with My will, which they heard from Me and also from Raphael.
18
With much talking from each side, the morning was fully there, and the captain had to command his soldiers for that day. The soldiers were silently surprised that the captain, who was otherwise very strict, gave only very meek and friendly orders, and they thought that something very special must have happened. But of course they wisely did not show that they noticed the meekness of the captain, for they preferred of course an easy service than a hard one.