Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 119 -
MARTIN IS BEING FORWARD. "WHOSOEVER WILL BE CHIEF AMONG YOU, LET HIM BE THE SERVANT OF ALL."
Some of the others, too, have noticed Gella's behavior, also Chanchah's reaction. So they are asking each other who I might be, for although Martin was supposed to be the host here, I am acting as if I were the real host and Martin and Borem only My devoted servants.
2
(Noticing this querying among the guests, Martin walks up to them and says): "Listen, dear brothers and sisters, think of the Word of God. Has not the Lord Himself said: 'Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be the servant of all'? Do you think there would be a different order here in heaven than the one the Lord Himself taught and revealed on earth?
3
On the contrary, I assure you that here in this world the Lord's order is adhered to in every detail. Therefore, do not keep wondering who this one might be, or why that is so, but eat and drink, each one according to his needs. And then thank only Jesus, the Lord, for everything. In due course, you will find out all that you have to know."
4
(Say the guests): "Friend, although your words just now were wise enough, thank God we are quite aware of these facts, and you have not helped us with your advice at all. We are also aware that we are allowed to eat of this blessed food as much as we want, and you could have saved yourself the trouble of encouraging us to go on eating. We are convinced that also here in the Kingdom of God, every spirit has his stomach which ought to know how much it can take. Therefore, you could have saved yourself your superfluous zeal!
5
We do know now that in the Kingdom of God the servant of all is the greatest. To be the 'servant of all,' on the other hand, must represent also the highest attainment in love, wisdom, and might. For where there is not enough love, there cannot be enough thirst for action, which would be the main characteristic of a 'servant of all.' Secondly, such a person must be full of the highest wisdom or otherwise he might not be too successful in his service to all. And finally, we are convinced that such a person must be most powerful and mighty.
6
Do you, friend, really imagine yourself to be such a most-humble servant of all? If that were the case, we would be very sorry for you. Of one thing all of us are quite positive, and that is that the Lord alone is capable of such service to all. What do you think about it?"
7
Martin is thunderstruck at these words and quite at a loss what to reply to the wise speakers. One of them, seeing his embarrassment, says to him :
8
(One of the speakers): "Brother, do not worry, but return to your previous place and rely on the one who - to all of us - seems to be a true servant of all. Then you will never be embarrassed again. However, if sometimes you like to take matters into your own hands, thinking that you can manage them on your own, you might find to your embarrassment that your strength is no greater than that of a fly, compared with the colossal strength of a horse. Therefore, return to that strong one. With Him you can achieve great things; without Him, nothing!"
9
(Martin hurriedly returns to Me, saying). "But Lord, what a lesson they have taught me! Nobody has ever silenced me that promptly! There is nothing I could have replied to them. Unfortunately, they are right."
10
(Say I): "Just take an example of Borem. He never does anything without My approval and, consequently, does not hit any opposition, whilst you sometimes like to be prominent, and this gets you into trouble. Yes, My dear Martin, in this world, guests cannot be treated as on earth, for it can happen that those whom one wants to teach, are vastly superior in their wisdom. How many more times will you get yourself embarrassed before you become wise?"
11
(Says Martin): "Oh, Lord, the saying goes that an ass will walk onto ice but once and after that keep off it. I must combine the souls of many asses, each of which has to slip once, or I should be much wiser by now, for the sake of Your most holy name."
12
(Say I): "Well, everything is all right again, but do watch out for My will and you will never be embarrassed. But refresh yourself again with bread and wine to strengthen yourself for the task of dragging that guest over here, together with Borem."
- Chapter 119 -
THE LORD'S DIALOGUE WITH SATAN. SATAN'S MALICIOUS DEFIANCE. THE LORD'S PARABLE OF THE FOUNDER. SATAN'S ADHERENTS ARE SAVED.
1
(Now I turn to the dragon with the following words): "Satan, how much longer will you keep tempting God, your Lord? How much longer will you abide by your boundless arrogance? What do you hope to achieve against My infinite might which could destroy you at any time? And if it does not wish to do that, it can punish you severely everlastingly.
2
You are aware that this is the final time allowed to you; during this time you can still raise yourself - or fall forever. What do you intend to do? My will is only too well known to you. If it were not, you would be without sin. And since My will is known to you as well as the reward and punishment, say, what are you going to do?
3
Behold, everything is rising against you! All the mountains will be flattened and the valleys filled. All the crowns and thrones on earth which were erected by you, shall be cast in the fiery lake. What will you do? You will not ever be able to defy My might. You will no longer be free to do anything at all! So speak: What are you going to do? Will you raise yourself or will you fall?
4
Below you is the eternal abyss; and here am I - a Father to all who love Me, and here is My table! Choose - and make it quick! So be it!"
5
(Says Satan): "Lord, I know You and I know Your might and my terrible impotence compared with Your boundless, everlasting might. But being aware of this fact, and feeling my impotence deep within my being, I consider it a triumph for my pride to be able to defy You - yes, defy You everlastingly! And I also realize that all Your might has no means of breaking my defiance and conquering my will - except by my complete annihilation which, however, You could never look upon as a victory over me. For a spiritual victory of life could never be gained by total annihilation of the weaker opponent but only by wise persuasion with the fundamental condition of full freedom for both parties.
6
The basis for such a persuasion, however, must be the unrestricted right to turn to the opposite, if so desired. I am this opposite, and I shall never agree with Your will, justified as it may be. Even if I understand Your will, I shall never adhere to it because I want to demonstrate to You that there is another will opposed to Yours which Your omnipotence shall never bend as long as You allow me to exist.
7
It is easy enough to be free within Your will. However, to defy, in greatest torment, You, the Almighty Spirit, well aware of Your everlasting omnipotence, Your wrath and one's own helplessness - that is greater than anything that Your all-seeing eye will ever be able to see!
8
That is also the reason of my first disobedience to You. In it I see the greatest triumph of my impotence against Your omnipotence, for in my impotence I remain forever a victor over Your omnipotence, love and wisdom, as well as Your wrath, and You are unable to bend me, notwithstanding all Your might, strength, love, wisdom, judgment and wrath!
9
It is easy enough to be a Michael, a Gabriel, an Uriel; a celestial pastime to be a seraph or cherub. But it is quite a different thing to be a Lucifer, the greatest primordial spirit after You, knowing what infinite bliss Your boundless love offers and, at the same time, knowing what growing torment Your judgment and wrath offer! And, still scorning all beatitude and eternal torment, to offer unwavering defiance forever, well aware of one's impotence, without the least hope of ever gaining anything and knowing that one can only eternally lose - such helpless greatness of a creature's will is endlessly greater than the greatness of Your Deity! And this knowledge brings me greater bliss in all my torment than You and all Your spirits and angels could ever experience! Therefore, do not ever ask me how much longer I shall defy You! My answer shall always be the same: Forever! Forever! God will never bend me!"
10
(Say I): "Oh, you blind, ignorant spirit, how profound your death is that you could imagine to be able to defy Me! You have a pleasure in your folly and do not realize that every true or illusory freedom - like the one you imagine to be your own - in the end must be subject to My will. Who has ever counselled with Me or grasped My ways? Are you so sure that it could not be My hidden will that you must be as you are? Do you know whether I did not perhaps destine you to your fall from the very beginning? Can the work ever direct its Creator how and what for he should create it?
11
A founder makes his big crucibles out of fireproof material. They are placed in a furnace and the metal melts in them until it is quite liquid, whereupon it is poured into various molds. When the molds are filled, they are cooled down and not submitted to any more heat. The crucible, however, remains in the fire so that more metal may be melted in it. It is not allowed to cool down until it has become useless, in which case it is discarded forever as useless, burnt-out matter.
12
Am not I a Master-Founder of all works? If so, and if I procure for Myself the tools I want, say, can you defy Me at all? Or can you call it defiance if you are the way you are and cannot be any different from what I want you to be?
13
However, I am not a hard master, but a loving one, even prepared to remove My crucibles from their permanent heat if they so desire and are willing to adapt themselves to the order of My free works. If they are not willing and prefer to remain forever My crucibles, it suits Me all right, for it saves Me getting new ones. But if they remain crucibles, they are what they have to be and never what they want to be. For a tool cannot be any different from the way I want it and shape it.
14
Thus, your would-be defiance, which gives you pleasure, is nothing more than an illusion originating in your great blindness. For just as a pot cannot say to the potter, 'I am as I want to be,' considering that the potter turns and shapes it as he wants it - you cannot tell Me that you are the way you want to be since you have to be as J want it! But I, as Eternal Love itself, allow you in your judgment sufficient freedom to enable you to feel and understand your state of torment so that you can change it if you so desire. If not, you must remain how and what you are, not because you want it this way, but because it is My will!
15
If, however, you wish to improve your lot, I shall put another tool in your place to serve Me as you have done. Say now whatever you like, it does not make any difference to Me whether you remain what you are or whether I replace you by another tool!"
16
At this Satan is quite startled and at a loss what to say.
17
(His numerous adherents, however, cry): "Oh, Lord, if this is the position, deliver us from our long-endured torment and replace us by new, useful tools. We have had enough suffering and have become quite brittle in the fire. Therefore, have mercy upon us and reform us, o Lord, according to Your kindness and love!"
18
(Hearing this from his adherents, Satan roars and howls in a rage): "Don't you want to participate in my greatness? Well, then I shall not remain what God wants, but what I myself shall wish to be! Agree with me!"
19
(Cry his adherents): "Fool, could you ever will anything that is not God's will? Is not your would-be free will God's will? Whatever you will, you cannot do it out of yourself but it will, at all times, be God's will within you, your forever unconquerable judge! You may remain under compulsion of the Lord's judgment, but we have been seized by His mercy, which is holding us and we shall follow the better path."
20
(Say I): "Then arise, you wretched beings, and be released! But you, the one, please yourself and stay what you are. Whatever you will now want to do will not be your will but My Divine will - and your will within you shall be forever My judgment within you!
21
However, in addition to this thorough enlightenment, I allow you a short respite to enable you to ponder on the position and state in which you find yourself. If you do want to improve your lot, it will be done. If not, you will stay what you are until the last prisoner in the present period of creation has arisen from the path of the flesh. What will happen to you after that, I alone know in all infinity."
22
At these words, Satan utters a loud cry and rushes out the door, whilst his adherents throw away their dragon armor and stand there as a thousand completely naked souls of very wretched appearance, asking to be healed and relieved of their considerable pains.
23
I once more summon Martin, Borem, and also Chorel, and tell them to lead these wretched beings to the refreshing bath. The three immediately do as told, and the thousand wretches find relief in their bath.