Padgett's rapport

[BethM]

I've been going through Geoff's site recently looking for messages that talk about Padgett's condition (or lack thereof) in terms of rapport, in part because I'm curious that perhaps there's something to learn from them.

I've not finished a first pass of messages yet, but I found these two messages just by looking for the word 'condition' in the tablet index. I must admit to being really struck by the difference in the two messages given that they were received in the same month.

Here's part of the first, from Jesus on January 6, 1918:

Well my brother, I am glad to tell you that your communion with the Father tonight has been responded to. His love has inflowed into your soul in great abundance. His Holy Spirit has been bringing the Love in wonderful abundance and your soul is now filled with it, and the influence of this Great Love is working in your soul, and you realize its presence. ... Now you are in condition that makes my rapport with you complete, and I have that possession of your brain that enables me to write as I may desire, and I know that I could convey a message to you tonight in a most satisfactory way; but I will not do so, for I think it best to permit the rapport to become a little more intense, and thus enable me to write a long message without the probability of tiring you; for as you know these messages of deep truths such as the ones on the “Soul” and “God” necessarily cause me to draw very intensely on your brain power.

And here's a message from Elias on January 27, 1918, just three weeks later:

It has been a long time since you have received any formal messages from the high spirits, and this loss of time means more to the accomplishment of the design to inform the world of the spiritual truths that are so important to the people, than you probably realize. As has been told you more than once, this delay has been caused by your condition of apparent indifference and failure to place yourself in the condition of soul that is necessary to enable the spirits to make the required rapport.

You should think more seriously of what this means, and how much on you rests this great responsibility, and of the further fact that without your cooperation we cannot make the rapport, and, as a consequence, these messages cannot be delivered. I know that in a way, I may say intellectually, you are willing and ready, as you think, to receive these messages, and that if you are not in condition you don’t exactly understand the reason, and do not know how to remedy the difficulty. But in all this you are mistaken, for it is not merely a matter of having the inclination and intellectual assent to do the work, but, further, the proper condition of your soul’s longings is required, and this will not come to you by a mere acquiescence and willingness to do the work, but an active exercise of the soul’s longings is called for, and you must take the effort to obtain these longings, so that your soul may receive more of the Divine Love.

In messages, such as I speak of, the Divine Love in the soul is the important and vital factor in your condition. You must make greater efforts to get these longings and this Love, so that there will come to you the soul development that will enable the higher spirits to make the rapport. Well, there is only one way in which you can obtain this development and that is by turning your thoughts to the Father and His Love until they shall develop into deep, sincere longings of the soul, and with these longings you should pray with all the earnestness of your nature for the inflowing of this Love. If you will do this, the longings will come and also the Love, and then you will find that your desires will go out to the spirits for communication with them. This is the only way in which you can overcome the difficulties that now prevent the writings. I hope you will think of what I have written, and do as I advise.

I'm struck by two things. First is that clearly this rapport waxes and wanes based on whether or not we pursue "an active exercise of the soul's longings." This may be old news to most of you, and to some extent, it makes sense that our energies pursued in less-than-loving directions can create interference of sorts.

But the second thing that is curious to me is Padgett's challenges with doing this 'active exercise' as prompted. There's probably a lot of his bio that I'm not familiar enough with (I believe his insistence on helping dark spirits was an issue, right?), and perhaps some of it was some sense of ongoing challenges with belief in the truth of the messages/messengers. Padgett was a lawyer, so perhaps his intellectual mind was not always his friend?

Anyways, just curious to me. I'd like to think I'd be pretty compliant with these directions. But then again, who knows?

[Geoff]

Dear Beth,

Its very evident Padgett was what our angels call "wilful". If you "read" the raw index, where there are summaries of messages we don't have, you get a very clear indication of this. He enjoyed talking to dark spirits, of that there is no doubt. But his commitment certainly waned from somewhere about 1917 on. And so he was not keeping himself "in condition." He also kept on looking for something someone else had received that confirmed what he was getting. It pretty much did not exist at that time. The closest was the last volume of "The Gate of Heaven" by Robert James Lees, but that only arrived in 1931. The angels did tell him he was getting unique stuff but he would not put aside his desire to find something that was similar. And the stuff he read did not help his condition and fed his doubts. Being wilful can exact a heavy price.

I have some sympathy however. We have an enormous legacy to still our doubts. He worked nearly alone. Only a few close friends.

This is one such "raw" index where you get much more feedback of failed communications:

All The Padgett Messages In Date Order For 1918 both published and unpublished

Padgett was a lawyer, so perhaps his intellectual mind was not always his friend?

I have often thought that good lawyers have an ability to avoid prejudging an issue until they have all the facts, and wonder if that actually helped him to receive messages that you might have thought his mind would reject.

Hugs
Geoff

[BethM]

Thanks Geoff ... this is helpful. And I'm pretty sympathetic about the whole 'willful' issue ... and the desire to keep exploring outside for the 'answer' when it'd be far better to focus explorations internally through prayer.

I am encouraged by this message from John (emphasis mine):

But when the Divine Love enters into [the soul], and it becomes permeated, as it were, with the Divine Essence, then it takes on the Divine nature of the Father, and to the extent that it receives and possesses this Love it becomes at-one with God and ceases to be a mere image, and becomes transformed into the substance.

The soul in this condition is altogether a different entity from the soul in the condition in which it was created, and no longer is subject to the dominion of either the mind or of the animal appetites and desires, and, hence, the spirit possessing such a soul is, in essence, a part of the Father, or as Jesus said, is in the Father and the Father in it. ...

But when once the inflowing of the Love commences, it continues eternally. Although there may be times of stagnation and apparent loss of this Divine Essence, yet always is the transformation taking place, and at certain stages in its progress, the possession of this Divine Love will be so great that the original soul, or its original qualities will entirely disappear and leave only the new qualities which the Divine Love has implanted in it. The leaven when once deposited never ceases to work until the whole shall become leavened.

So it's our free will to choose to create better or worse conditions for that leaven. Time for more prayer.

[AlFike]

You are a very astute woman Beth. You've picked up on a very important nuance that many overlook despite this clear message from Jesus to Padgett. I believe that it took 35 years of prayer for Divine Love in order for me to be a qualified channel of Celestial messages because of this very impediment. There were times when my soul wasn't in the receptive and having a light filled condition necessary to make a close rapport with the Angels. Padgett, as most of us know, was not particularly developed within his soul but was chosen by Jesus to do this work despite this. I believe that he received a lot of spiritual support and dispensation so that the rapport could be made. I'm sure on a daily basis that it was hit and miss and the Angels could not over ride his free will. Interesting that this message talks about intellectual readiness but not so within the soul. The soul remains mostly a mystery to us but a good soul longing in prayer is usually recognized and readily felt . In past years I have gone for months not feeling that longing but still doing my daily prayers. And then there are spiritually rich periods where all is humming along in harmony. I think that there are numerous distractions and conditions in this world which make it hard to be consistent. Padgett had a good mind and used it for a living. I was blessed with a more intuitive, creative mind which lent itself to spiritual sensitivity. We're all different and so our experiences in receiving the Love and feeling our souls in the process vary greatly. Being a lawyer rather than working outdoors in gardens would have been very dissatisfying for me as my profession lent itself to praying and contemplating spiritual things while at work. Being retired now and having far more time for spiritual things also makes a huge difference. Padgett had to work until his dying days. I have to admire him for what he did accomplish despite all the drawbacks and impediments. I doubt if I would have been so strong and willing if I were in his shoes .God bless........Al

PS: maybe Geoff can provide a link to Padgett's story which came through me as a gift for the 100th anniversary in 2014. It's worth a read in order to get more insight into his life and perspectives. Sorry, can't seem to find it on my computer.

[BethM]

Al ... is this the message you're referring to?

Channeled history of James and Helen Padgett

The other day I was surprised to be asked by James Padgett to take dictation about his history leading to being the instrument to bring forth Jesus message about Divine Love. What was dictated over a period of 3 or 4 hours was a remarkable and very plausible story of how two human beings came together in marriage, struggled and eventually parted ways. It was not a fairy tale by anyone's reckoning but it is compelling to say the least. Helen followed the next day with her own version of events.

[AlFike]

Thanks Beth. Yes, that's it. I have not had many messages given by dictation but this one certainly stands out as what Geoff would say is a 'bottler'...Al

[Geoff]

It seems that Al has forgotten I chose to add those two to the TGRABJ volumes that I produced. Hence they are on my web site:

Details of James Padgett's Life

and

Details of Helen Padgett's Life

These are in this Volume: TGRABJ Volume 1 Fifth Edition 2014

And I just remembered last time I was in Gibsons I gave you a USB stick of all of your archive messages. Its certainly on there if you can actually find that USB? And it was a bottler of a different kind. Not a "spiritual bottler" but a "mind bottler" - the kind our angels seem disinclined to share these days. They now don't want "mind questions".

hugs
Geoff

[AlFike]

Yup, hard to keep track of everything as every day brings its demands and obligations. Thanks for reminding me of the treasures in my back pocket that I've forgotten about Geoff. God bless.......Al

[Geoff]

Hi Beth,

Christian - bless him - just found a wrongly linked message on my site and as a result of that research up popped this UNPUBLISHED message on rapport:

John gives advice as to how to obtain the most benefit from reading these messages

January 19th, 1917.

Received by James Padgett

Washington D.C.



I am here, John. I am here tonight to say a few words about your condition as to the spiritual side of your being and to show you that you must make an effort to get out of your indifference as to our writing. I know that you feel that you are not in condition to write and that being so you will not make the effort and success cannot come in the communications.

Well it is true that it is necessary for you to be in a certain receptive condition in order for us to get in proper rapport with you and thus be enabled to exercise our powers in controlling your brain as well as your hand in the performance of our work but many times when you think that you are not in this condition you deceive yourself and thus really bring about the condition that you imagine exists in you at the time.

Now we do not desire to impose upon you a burden that may become oppressive to you or make you uncomfortable and we are careful, more careful than you can possibly be yourself to prevent any condition of strain coming to you that might do you harm, or in any way be injurious to you. You are the one instrument that we have selected to do our work, and you can readily see how necessary it is that we keep that instrument in proper rapport and attunement with us.

But we also realize that you can from indifference or thought that you are not just in condition to do the work, prevent the communications from being received by you. You must overcome such feelings and thoughts and believe that you are of yourself sufficient to do the work.

There are many messages yet to be written on these great truths that we desire you to make know to the world and the time is short in which you must do the work and permit the communications to be given to you.

I think from what I have said that you will understand the importance of the necessity for throwing off the indifference or attitude that you have recently indulged in and to strive with all your powers to get into that belief and spiritual condition that will enable you to give more time to the work.

I notice that at times when you should be writing the desire comes to you to read some book on the nature of the one that you have been reading tonight and that you exercise such desire to the detriment of our cause. Such books do you no good for the truths that they contain will be revealed to you in our writings and the many untruths that they contain are only harmful. These books portray to you only the speculations of their authors and these speculations are so varied and contradictory that when you have finished your reading you are not in possession of any new truth and in fact it makes the question of what is truth harder to answer than before you commenced the reading. So my advice is to let these books alone and on things pertaining to the soul and the destiny of mankind learn only the truths that we may declare to you and assimilate and arrange them in such a manner as will enable you to fully realize what the truth really is. I do not think it necessary for me to say anything further on this subject tonight.

Well, your wife has explained to you just how and why that interference takes place and we are willing and so should you be that such interruptions come for the good that you do, you cannot conceive of. But you must believe what we say when you are informed that the things you do on such occasions are part of the work.

I will come soon and write you a letter upon an important subject and so will many others who are here anxious to write.

Yes, you do not grasp the full meaning of the truths or what you read at the time you do the reading. You skim over the writings and get a general idea and then in a little while the recollection of the same leaves you. I would advise that you read more slowly and think about what you read and cause it to find a lodgement in your mind. You had better consume a whole evening in reading one page and obtain full possession of its meaning than to read a dozen pages in the cursory way that I speak of. Your memory can be improved so that you will find no difficulty in recalling what you may have read. Try the plan that I speak of and in a short time you will realize the results. Get into the habit in all your reading to read slowly and grasp and digest what you read.

Well it has been a long time since we lived on earth and the matter is one that we have never thought of in all these centuries so that it is a little difficult to recall but my best recollection is that Judas was the youngest of all the apostles and the one who was most impulsive and found some impatience under restraint.

Well I will now stop and in doing so will say that I am with you quite often in my love trying to open your soul to a great inflowing of the Father’s love and to a realization that it is for you in all its abundance.

We all love you and try to help you and are so anxious that you shall have the surrounding that you so much desire in which to do the work. And you will have them before a great while as we have promised you.

No it would not interfere and at the proper time we will all advise you to get a companion. It is natural and necessary that you have such companionship and the only thing to consider is that in making a selection you choose one who may be in sympathy with you in these spiritual matters. That will be absolutely necessary to your happiness and the success of your work and we will give you our aid in making the choice.

I will say, good night. Your brother in Christ, John



Note This message is not in the published volumes. It was extracted from the archive by Geoff Cutler and prepared by Catherine Whiteside in May 2019.

Found here: John gives advice as to how to obtain the most benefit from reading these messages

hugs
Geoff

[DennisT]

Hello Beth, pleasure to meet you here.

Al and Geoff have provided you with excellent responses, and I wanted to add my two cents if you will. In 1918, Padgett was still a working attorney, so he had the worry of making a living to add to this new-found gift of receiving the most amazing messages from Spirit. Also, in the two messages you cited were in January 1918, and at that time James worried a great deal about their daughter, Helenita. There are several personal messages where Helen is giving advice to James on what he can do to help Nita (selling their apartment, moving, paying for her school.). And if that wasn't enough, there were messages that Padgett was very lonely and seeking a girlfriend, for lack of a better word. There's even an unpublished message where Helen is giving him advice in that regard as well.

From the second message you cited in your original post, it's clear Padgett had the intellect and awareness of his capability, having received incredible messages from Spirit since 1914. It was his "longing" that was lacking, and for the Celestials to obtain the type of control of Padgett's brain, they needed both. My gut feeling is that Padgett, the worry wort that he was, had so many things going on: law practice, young adult daughter, and possibly finding himself a female companion, and all this contributed to the lack of Padgett's "longing."

One final note, Padgett suffered a bit from depression, and there is even a message in 1920 where he worried he was "losing ground" in his soul's progress. And the spirits would remind him that he "should pray with a simple, sincere faith that he once had, and really is his now, but do not let other thoughts interfere and cloud his soul as to these thoughts and longings."

So I believe James Padgett had plenty of other thoughts that interfered and clouded his soul, causing his longing to slip here and there.

I hope this helps.

Love and hugs,
Dennis