Virtue and Vice, Naughty Yet Nice

Interviewer: Hello!
God: How are you? Been thinking?
Interviewer: Yes, I have. And as You can see, I’m here for another session.
God: Great! Shall we start?
Interviewer: You are very eager today.
God: I am always eager. When someone is ready to start listening to Me, I like to take advantage of it right away, because often he or she tires pretty quickly and I get left talking to Myself.
Interviewer: Must be very frustrating.
God: Extremely! It is a good thing I have patience.
Interviewer: I suppose that all the things we regard as virtues, such as patience, are part of Your nature.
God: At least all the ones that should be regarded as virtues.
Interviewer: And conversely do all the vices belong to the ugly fella?
God: You are going to really tee him off talking about him like that. So go for it! You are right in that he is the master of vice.
Interviewer: Did he come made with those vices originally or did he think them up all by himself?
God: Those vices are the opposites of the virtues. He saw the good and came up with the bad.
Interviewer: And then saddled us with those?
God: No, you have a choice! You choose whichever you want to yield to, whether virtue or vice. Human nature tends to gravitate toward the bad; it takes more effort to embrace the good. But people often do want to be good, so that gets them to see the need for Me, and having Jesus and the Holy Spirit in their lives. With Our power in them, the good is much more easily achieved.
Interviewer: So then we can all be goody-goodies, I imagine.
God: Good grief, man, goody-goodies are just selfrighteous. Letting Our power work through you won’t make you a goody-goody, but Our power will help you achieve good.
Interviewer: That is a bit confusing for me. What exactly is the difference?
God: Putting on a show of goodness and achieving good are two different things. If you are trying to achieve good for your fellow man, then oftentimes you may not look so good to some. Others may not like what you are doing, may misinterpret your actions, or may feel you are going too far, etc. Looking good is being concerned about yourself and how you appear to others-perfecting yourself, actually, or being in love with yourself. But doing good is being a help to others, being concerned about their needs and condition, and putting yourself at the bottom of the totem pole.
Interviewer: So what is the greatest virtue?
God: Why, love, of course. Because if you love others, that will motivate you to help them in every way, and it will supply you with the will and resources to practice all the other virtues such as patience, kindness, honesty, and so on.
Interviewer: And the greatest vice?
God: Self-righteousness.
Interviewer: I thought You would say hate.
God: The self-righteous “moral” man has wreaked untold damage on the world. Those who have been the greatest scourges of this century thought they were right and righteous. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others were so convinced of their rightness that they had no compunction in dispensing terror and bloodshed to achieve their “right” ends. And their confident self-righteousness convinced the masses that the horror they were perpetrating was for the greater good.
Self-righteousness causes man to think he is good without Me. Thus he has no need for Me, and he ends up straying far from Me. I have named some of the obvious culprits and there are many more that should spring to your mind, but if I named them, that could hit close to home and knock down some of your icons.
Interviewer: So I won’t pursue it. Somehow when the terms “virtue” and “vice” are mentioned, one subject that springs to mind is sex.
God: Why do you think that is?
Interviewer: Because they have become synonymous. When we say a woman is protecting her virtue, it means she is keeping her chastity. When one thinks of vice, you think of strip joints, hookers, or even a wild time with your girlfriend or spouse.
God: But sex is not a vice.
Interviewer: I think in many people’s minds it is naughty, yet nice.
God: Sex is supposed to be fun. So having a wild time, or a “naughty” time as you inferred, with your spouse should be looked on as getting pretty close to as good as it gets on earth.
Interviewer: Earlier You made some rather radical statements about sex, saying You don’t have to be married to enjoy it.
God: The world has made such an issue out of sex. Sex is supposed to be a wonderful part of marriage, really one of the most fun parts, but it doesn’t only have to be between husbands and wives. It shouldn’t be engaged in frivolously, and people need to be conscious that their actions don’t hurt others. But if it helps someone, hurts no one, and is not illegal, then there is no harm in it. In fact, there is a lot of good in it.
Interviewer: But there are consequences.
God: You mean children?
Interviewer: Yes, but not only children. I mean, sex can kill these days.
God: You mean AIDS and other diseases?
Interviewer: Yes.
God: That is why you shouldn’t have casual sex. There needs to be quite a bit of forethought by both parties.
Interviewer: So shouldn’t they wait till they are married?
God: Perhaps some should, but it is not essential. If you are going to have some sexual incompatibility, it would be good to know and get that sorted out before you get married, wouldn’t it?

To divorce or not?

Interviewer: Speaking of incompatibility, is it okay to get divorced?
God: My goodness, we were just talking about premarital sex and now you’ve jumped all the way to divorce. Don’t you want to dwell on the marriage for a while before ending it?
Interviewer: I mention this because You were saying that it is better to work out the incompatibility kinks before marriage. I was wondering about people finding out, once they are married, that things are not going so well. Do You consider divorce an option?
God: If you really try and it doesn’t work, rather than spending your lives in misery with each other, it is permissible to divorce, but this should be a last resort. Every effort should be made to save the marriage, and if children have been born to the marriage, then the parents should put the happiness and well-being of the kids before their own. If the home is like hell when the couple is together, then even for the kids’ sake it might be better to separate. But the parents should certainly be able to manage a level of decorum and civility even if they dislike each other, if it means their children can get the benefit of having two parents.
Interviewer: There are many single-parent households nowadays.
God: And this is a very sad state of affairs, because children are made to need two parents, both a mother and a father.
Interviewer: In a previous interview, You said that the key to relationships is humility.
God: Yes, and it is the key to a successful marriage too.
Interviewer: But in a marriage, which at least usually starts out as a romance, isn’t love the key?
God: If you truly love the other, then you will be humble. By “humble,” I mean that you will regard the other partner as more important than yourself. If both of the partners are doing that, then it is guaranteed to be a successful marriage.
Interviewer: Would it also mean that they should regard their children’s happiness as more important than their own?
God: Yes!
Interviewer: But won’t that result in the kids turning out to be spoiled brats?
God: I agreed when you said “more important.” I didn’t say to spoil them.
Interviewer: So what is the difference?
God: If you cater to their every whim and don’t instruct and train the children, but rather let them boss you around, then you will spoil them. But regarding them as more important is making sure that they are cared for and receive the training and guidance they need.
Interviewer: But many of us have careers we are pursuing and can’t devote that much time to our children.
God: When you have children, being a parent is the most important career you have. If your children suffer because you are pursuing your own goals to their neglect, you will live to regret it. The most important legacy anyone can leave behind is his or her children. Put your children above your own ambitions and you generally won’t go wrong. You won’t spend your old age lonely and regretting your selfishness. Even if your children are not able to be with you or care for you, your memory will still be rich with the multitude of marvelous times you spent together with them.
Interviewer: But many of us feel that we have to keep our job and its dictates in order to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
God: I think you would be surprised what you can do without and still maintain a reasonable standard of living. As the Bible states, “Beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Interviewer: I don’t think most people are really being greedy, or covetous, as You put it.
God: That is something that they will honestly have to assess for themselves.
Interviewer: Most of us are just trying to keep up the payments.
God: That is where all this “keeping up with the Joneses” has led. The things in your life now own you rather than you owning them. It’s best to stop and really consider whether you need all those things. Sometimes you are better off just cutting your losses and simplifying your lifestyle.
Interviewer: That is a frightening prospect.
God: Humanity’s essential physical needs are quite minimal-food, clothing, and shelter. Why waste your time on things you don’t really need and which aren’t making you happy? Life is too precious not to be enjoyed.
Interviewer: So You really want us to enjoy life.
God: Definitely! I want you to enjoy every moment of it, living life to the full-one full of love, loving Me, and loving others.
Interviewer: That sounds like a fitting way to finish this book. Would You like to say anything more?
God: Even though this is to be the end of your book, I hope this is not the end of our discussions and conversations, neither with you nor your readers. We have discussed and debated many topics, but there is still much more we can talk about. Whenever you want to, please stop by. I am more than happy to talk with you or any and everyone on any and every topic. Remember, you can call on Me at any time! I am right there with each of you-just a breath away. I love you!

Mayhem and Mammon

Interviewer: I’m back!
God: So am I.
Interviewer: Thank You for coming.
God: You’re welcome.
Interviewer: One thing I wonder is how You spare the time for these interviews. It seems that I should have to make an appointment, but I just sit down and ask and then You are here.
God: It is because I am omnipresent, so I am able to be everywhere at once.
Interviewer: So while You are talking to me, You can be attending to everything else that You need to do at the same time?
God: I can.
Interviewer: I find that I need to give my undivided attention to some project in order to do a good job at it.
God: Thank God you’re not God.
Interviewer: Ha! Isn’t that the understatement of the year!
God: Just to clarify things, though, it is not that I don’t give My full attention to things, it is that I am able to give My full attention to as many things as need it all at the same time.
Interviewer: What I would give for that ability. Tell me, do You like being God?
God: If I hadn’t wanted to, I would never have taken on the job. It can be pretty thankless at times, but the thanks that I get from those who genuinely appreciate Me makes it worth it.
Interviewer: You say You took on the job. Does that mean there is someone else up there who gave it to You?
God: By this I mean, if I hadn’t wanted to, I would never have created humanity. I would never have created a world. I would have just enjoyed being in Heaven with Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the angels. But I wanted to show all creation, all in the spirit world, that We, the Trinity, are all-powerful and that right will always win over wrong, through Our help.
Interviewer: So at a certain point, You created the world and all that was and is in it. What were You doing before that?
God: That will be something for you to find out when you get Here.
Interviewer: You were doing something; You weren’t just dormant?
God: (Laughs.) “Dormant” is an interesting word. No, lots was going on.
Interviewer: So before time started here, You were busy in Your dimension doing things?
God: “Dimensions” would be more accurate.
Interviewer: I can only barely conceive of what You mean by that. As far as I understand, we have the dimensions of length, breadth, and depth, and then the more abstract one of time. I suppose in Your spiritual world there must be more dimensions that my mind can’t come to grips with. Is that right?
God: Yes. It would be a decided brain strain for you to try to grasp these realities, and from your perspective it is really impossible to begin to understand except in a vaguely conceptual way.
Interviewer: So I shouldn’t bother?
God: Why not just look forward to the fact that “all will be revealed” in due time?
Interviewer: You have me feeling like a kid the day before Christmas. Guess I’ll just try to be patient. Meanwhile, back to what we were talking about: You were doing things before the creation of the world. Were You sort of experimenting for the big enchilada here, or are we perhaps just a further experiment?
God: You are no experiment. I created you to be My companions and earth is the testing ground, as part of your preparation for this.
Interviewer: A while back You were talking about Jesus’ sacrifice and You said it was necessary because there were certain inviolable rules in the spirit realm. Why is it that You are bound to these rules? It would seem that You, being God, would not have to be bound by any rules.
God: There were certain conditions put in place at the beginning. Because I put them in place, I am not able to change them until certain conditions are met. I will use the example of a game. This is not to say that I look at the world and what is happening there as a game, but it is a useful parallel.
In a game or in sports there are rules, and no matter who you are, you cannot change those rules, at least not unilaterally. And so it is with Me. I cannot change the rules because I bound Myself to them when I started all this.
Interviewer: I almost had the impression that the rules had been dictated by an entity even higher than Yourself.
God: No, there is no higher authority.
Interviewer: You have mentioned Your opponent as being Satan. Is he bound by these rules?
God: Of course, though he tries to break them constantly and is also constantly screaming at Me that I have to keep them.
Interviewer: He is really a nasty piece of work, isn’t he?
God: Unfortunately.
Interviewer: Was he always like that?
God: He started off all right, but because he had a choice, as all the angels do, in the end he chose to be bad.
Interviewer: And he led a rebellion?
God: Yes, he was pretty persuasive, and in the end a third of the angels went into rebellion with him.
Interviewer: Keeping two out of three is not bad. Any politician on earth winning two-thirds of the vote would call it a landslide.
God: I am not a politician, and it was certainly a discouragement to lose those who fell with him.
Interviewer: Since angels have free choice, are there still some who are choosing Satan over You?
God: The event when one-third of Heaven chose to follow Satan was a one-time thing. None of those who can see the degenerate state that the fallen angels have ended up in wants that to happen to them. My angelic forces see that they are obviously on the winning side. Besides, their loyalty was tested and they passed because they chose to remain loyal. That was a watershed moment, and they are not now tempted to defect.

So who came first, man or the angels?

Interviewer: So who came first, man or the angels?
God: Angels. The rebellion of Satan and his followers happened shortly after I created the physical world. That is why Satan was in the Garden of Eden tempting Adam and Eve. From almost the very beginning of your time, the battle between him and Me for the souls of humanity was on.
Interviewer: Round one went to the Devil?
God: You mean with the fall of Adam and Eve?
Interviewer: Yes.
God: He never won their souls; he just led them to sin. In a way it could be looked on as a victory for him, but it was allowed by Me and all part of the master plan.
Interviewer: Satan and all of his crowd were originally created by You, then?
God: Yes.
Interviewer: So ultimately it would be said that You created evil.
God: I allowed it as an alternative to good. As the old proverb states, light can only be appreciated against a background of darkness.
Interviewer: Do any of the fallen angels want to get back on to the good side?
God: Their minds are now hardened. They want to come out on top, so they exert every effort to win.
Interviewer: But they won’t repent?
God: As of now, they have no reason to, because they believe they can still win.
Interviewer: But isn’t their outcome already decided-that they will lose? Don’t they know this?
God: They refuse to believe it. Otherwise, why would they continue to fight if they knew in the long run they would lose?
Interviewer: I figured it was just bloody-mindedness.
God: No, they are under the delusion that they will win. Because they have rejected the truth, therefore they are doomed to believe a lie.
Interviewer: Including Satan himself?
God: I have allowed him to be aware that I know he will ultimately lose, but he is so hardened through pride that he thinks he can still prevail. Even if he can’t, he has settled for second best, and that is to cause mayhem and bring as many others down with him as he can.
Interviewer: That is so bizarre!
God: Is it? Have there not been many tyrants and others throughout your history who have known that they were doomed to destruction and yet pursued their ambitions in war and other ventures, leading many others over the cliff like lemmings?
Interviewer: Why were they like that?
God: Pride! Their pride would not let them back down, and so they sacrificed themselves and as many others as they could in the fires of their own ambitions.
Interviewer: Why are others duped?
God: They basically want to be.
Interviewer: But why?
God: As I explained earlier, having rejected truth, all that is left to believe in is lies. To acknowledge that one has been wrong is one of the hardest things for any being, whether angel or man, to do. And so rather than confess mistakes, the proud go on to their own destruction. Sometimes the basic instinct for self-preservation kicks in and stops them, but not every time.

If they smite you on one cheek, then what?

Interviewer: On another subject-confession.
God: Confessing mistakes and wrongs is a powerful liberation.
Interviewer: Yes, we have an expression, “confession is good for the soul.” Some even elevate it to the level of a sacrament. What is it about confession that has such a good effect?
God: Until people confess, they carry the weight of the wrongs they have done. Those wrongs weigh on the spirit of man in a very real way. Once they are confessed and forgiven, the weight is gone.
Interviewer: You have made references to being in a war with Satan, but while on earth, Jesus made several statements to the effect that those that follow Him were to be pacifists.
God: Such as?
Interviewer: Well, He said if they smite you on one cheek to turn the other also. Also, He said that those who take up the sword would perish by the sword.
God: When man takes up the sword it is often for unjust reasons, therefore it is by and large safer that you don’t.
Interviewer: Even in defense of home and family?
God: That is taking the idea to an extreme. You have a duty to protect your family.
Interviewer: So why did Jesus say those things?
God: He was saying that if they are smiting you on the cheek, the best thing to do is to turn the other rather than to start a big fight. Those who believe in Jesus are admonished to love and even do good to their enemies. The Christian’s weapon is love.
But you only have two cheeks to offer; after that…
Interviewer: So they strike out at number three?
God: Yes, you could say that. But under certain conditions you don’t even have to wait for that.
Interviewer: So it is okay to fight in the defense of one’s family?
God: Yes, of course. You are justified in using force in this type of situation and in defending the weak from harm. And don’t leave Me out of the picture. The bullies of the world have an angry God to answer to. You can bet your life that they are going to be sorry, and for a long time too.
Interviewer: Like the other fella with the horns?
God: He’s the worst bully of all.
Interviewer: Are we also participants in the spiritual war You mentioned?
God: Yes, but guns and swords have no place in that war. The spiritual warfare is fought with spiritual weapons. Your prayers augment the power of the guys with the white hats.
Interviewer: So that spiritual war spills over into this physical realm in the form of all these little bullies doing their dirty work?
God: Yes, the Devil and the black hats are out to stop the believers and will try to influence others on earth to persecute them. This is one reason why Jesus said for His followers to live a life that cannot be faulted, so that they can enjoy the protection of the civil law.
Interviewer: You mean the Devil may sic his cohorts on the believers, so the believers need to stay on the right side of the law so they will have the law on their side to help them out of any scrapes with the opposition?
God: Precisely.
Interviewer: But what happens when the law of the land forbids what You are asking believers to do? Those responsible for making sure citizens keep the law are supposed to guarantee religious freedom, but sometimes they are the ones who Christians have trouble with. That has been the case where free worship of You and telling others about You is banned.
God: If a law forbids you from practicing your belief in Me, then it is an unjust law.
Interviewer: But it’s still a law. Can it be disregarded in such a case?
God: Yes.
Interviewer: So You are saying that believers can break the law?
God: In this instance, on this issue. When a law forbids belief in Me and expressing that belief, you are not bound to keep that law.
Interviewer: Wow, that is pretty interesting! I have God on record that the law can be broken.
God: I have been pretty specific here, and it is only in this case.
Interviewer: Could there be others?
God: Why do you want to know? Do you want to break the law?
Interviewer: Well, if God says I can…
God: Hold your horses! That is not what I am saying. For your own sake, you’d better keep the law, or else you will find you will be answering to it, and that can be pretty costly for you.

Should a Christian fight in the military?

Interviewer: Speaking of fighting and all, should a Christian be in the military?
God: The primary job of a soldier is to fight wars. Why would a Christian want to fight wars?
Interviewer: I don’t know. Perhaps it is just a job. Or perhaps someone feels there is a genuine threat to his family and country so he joins up to defend them.
God: Putting the genuine need to defend your family aside, a soldier’s job is to be the muscle behind a country’s government. The governments of the world are largely just the instruments of vested interests, so why would a Christian want to go off and fight wars for unrighteous governments?
Interviewer: So You are saying no?
God: What is your conclusion?
Interviewer: Well, some of our governments certainly like to invoke Your name and tell people they are fighting for “God and country.”
God: I don’t recall them asking Me before they brought Me into their fights. Governments and leaders have always proclaimed that I was fighting on their side. That way they dupe the people into thinking that if I am on their side, for sure they are going to win. But I am not interested in governments and countries gaining more land and booty at the expense of others, which is basically what wars have always been fought over. Wars are for economic gain, and seldom has there ever been a righteous war. And some of the so-called religious wars have been the worst.
Interviewer: But getting back to the defense issue, didn’t even Saint Augustine9 say that war could be just if a war is fought for moral purposes and with moral means? He claimed the two basic just causes10 of war are self-defense against criminal attack and aiding the victim of such an attack.
God: Self-defense and coming to the aid of the weak is one thing. Yes, for goodness sake do that. But bear in mind that in many cases, who is to say which side is criminal and which side is not? From all I see, there are a lot of criminals on both sides. So why would a Christian want to get himself into the middle of all that?
Interviewer: So as a Christian, what duty do I owe my country’s government?
God: You are, as the Bible says, to live as peaceably as possible in your community, giving no offense so that you may not be reproached. Live according to the laws of the land.
Interviewer: So I am to be a good law-abiding citizen.
God: Claiming God said you didn’t have to obey the law hasn’t been very effective as a legal defense. Besides, I told you to live according to the laws of the land.
Interviewer: Jesus was executed as a criminal.
God: He was unjustly and falsely accused and sentenced by a kangaroo court.
Interviewer: But even in today’s legal system the common belief is that it doesn’t matter if you’re guilty or innocent. What matters is how good your lawyer is.
God: But you should avoid even ending up in court.
Interviewer: Well, a lot of Your people have ended up in court, and have gotten the raw end of “justice.”
God: That is true. If a Christian is dragged into court on trumped-up charges, that is another thing. But if he is guilty of real criminal offense, then he has to pay the price. The laws of the land are there for your protection. If you follow them, you can claim the law’s protection. If you don’t, then you are on shaky ground.

Taxes and more

Interviewer: What about taxes? Should I pay taxes to the government?
God: If you owe taxes, yes.
Interviewer: Even if it is one of these unrighteous governments that You were talking about?
God: If you want to avoid unnecessary trouble, pay your taxes.
Interviewer: Should a Christian be involved in law enforcement?
God: Those involved in police work, maintaining peace and order, are indirectly My instruments. I am grateful for their work, and because of their work those who believe in Me, along with the rest of the general populace, can live in safety. The Devil and his ilk love to try to commit all sorts of evil, and the police are My agents to prevent that from happening. However, I am speaking in general terms, and not every action by a policeman can be regarded as fulfilling My will. Some are malicious and corrupt.
Interviewer: So it comes down to individuals and their actions.
God: Precisely.
Interviewer: What about secular work in general?
God: What about it?
Interviewer: Should a Christian hold a secular job or should he rather be involved in some sort of religious vocation?
God: The primary job of all Christians is to share My love with others.
Interviewer: But not all can be preachers or missionaries, if that is what You are saying. Some just might not feel that they can do it, or they may have obligations that prevent them. I could do some sort of work for You and still hold down a secular job, right?
God: Yes, you can. What I mean by saying a Christian’s primary job is to share My love with others is that this should be more important to him than his secular job. I know that many cannot work for Me full time for a myriad of reasons, but there are those who can and there is a very big need for them to do so. For those who can’t, I encourage them to do what they can. Some cannot do much, but they do all they can. This is laudable, and I will reward each one according to how he spends his life, how he uses the talents I have given him.
Interviewer: So if someone gives more of his or her life to You, as You say, he or she will get a greater reward?
God: It is not necessarily how much one gives but rather how much one gives in proportion to what he or she is able. That is why you need to honestly assess your priorities in life. If your secular job is number one, then you have to be honest and say that is what you are serving and not Me.
Interviewer: The old choice between God and mammon.
God: Exactly. You can’t serve two masters, and it is difficult at times to reconcile your priorities. However, being an example of love is the most important thing, no matter what kind of job you have. There have been and still are a lot of people who can preach a good sermon, but words by themselves are hollow. And by an example I certainly don’t mean being a goody two-shoes. I mean someone who is enjoyable to be around, someone who is kind and thoughtful, someone who will go the extra mile for others, someone who is there for others when they need him or her.

One has to have money to survive, right?

Interviewer: Back to the issue of God and mammon. One has to have money to survive, right? If I don’t work, then I get no money.
God: If you work for Me, I will make sure you are okay.
Interviewer: So You are going to write out a check?
God: It could come to that, but working for Me has the best job security of any job on earth.
Interviewer: How so?
God: Guaranteed lifetime employment and a super retirement plan.
Interviewer: Retirement plan? Oh, I get it.
God: (Chuckles.)
Interviewer: But that still won’t put food on the table now.
God: How can you say that? I do put food on the table for all those who give their lives to My service.
Interviewer: That takes faith.
God: Is that so hard to have?
Interviewer: For many of us, yes.
God: You have faith in stoplights, don’t you?
Interviewer: Stoplights?
God: Yes, those little red, green, and yellow lights.
Interviewer: What has that got to do with it?
God: If you can believe that a little red light is going to stop that tractor-trailer coming along the crossroad from barreling into the side of your vehicle when you drive out into the intersection, why is it so hard to have faith in God?
Interviewer: But I can see the stoplight. It is visible to me. You, unfortunately, are not.
God: Granted, you can’t see Me. But are you saying you have more faith in a light bulb than you have in Me?
Interviewer: Sounds pathetic, doesn’t it?
God: You said it.
Interviewer: So if I work for You, You will supply what I need?
God: That’s the truth of it.
Interviewer: Well, that’s food for thought!
God: Hope so! And I assure you it will also put food on the table.
Interviewer: Thank You very much for coming. It is always a pleasure to hear Your views on these issues.
God: Thank you for giving me the opportunity.
Interviewer: Until next time.
God: Good-bye.

Education and New Revelations

Interviewer: Most people believe a good education is paramount to a successful life. Many focus large amounts of time, resources and energy toward getting an education for themselves, planning it for their children, or fretting about the abysmal state it apparently has descended to in many places. It is a big subject and worth soliciting Your opinion on.
God: It is a big subject. Care to be more specific about what you want My opinion on?
Interviewer: Well, I suppose the big question is, is it really that important?
God: It depends on the degree of education you’re talking about. It is important to learn things and not be unskilled and ignorant.
Interviewer: You are talking about a very basic education then.
God: Everyone has to start with the basics.
Interviewer: What about higher education?
God: Certain professions-such as being a surgeon, to cite one example-do require further years of study before one can safely practice on the job. But in most cases, you have to ask yourself what is the point of attending college for your “higher” education.
Interviewer: In most societies you need a higher education to land the better jobs.
God: And what does that mean, a “better” job?
Interviewer: The one that brings with it a better livelihood and quality of life.
God: Are you sure about the quality of life aspect?
Interviewer: Why do I feel that I am the one being interviewed here?
God: Because I am asking the questions. (Chuckles.) I am trying to get you to narrow down the question and clearly state where you are headed.
Interviewer: A higher education is understood to be the doorway to a successful life. Do You agree or disagree?
God: The reasoning for that is that most people won’t get a higher education, so that those who do will be able to move into positions where they will be over the people who don’t. But if everyone gets a higher education-which everyone seems to be admonished to do-then who will you end up being over? So the premise on which everyone is encouraged to get a higher education is basically flawed.
Interviewer: It is true that people go to college so they can get a degree, land a better and hopefully more fulfilling job and also make more money. But they want the money to provide a higher standard of living for themselves and their family and also, some I daresay, so they can give to good causes. What is wrong with that?
God: What you have just stated is probably the credo of most people in the world today. It is true that there are good aspects to that in that you want to be able to amply provide and care for those you love and also give to charity on the side. However, this also locks so many into a rat race to where the pursuit of money consumes their whole lives. The principle I laid down from the beginning was that if you give your lives trying to help and care for your fellow men, then I would take care of you. True, you may not end up with riches or great influence and power. but you will have an inner peace and well-being that those who have all those other things cannot buy at any price.
Interviewer: And yet the citizens of rich nations enjoy a better life than those of poor ones.
God: Poorer nations look to the Developed World and see people who look better off than themselves and attribute this to education. In part they are right, but the principal reason these others are “better off” is because they hog the world’s resources. The current way the world works is that for someone to be better off, someone else has to be worse off.
There is often an underlying selfish purpose in striving for a higher education. Most people are not attempting to get one to help humanity; they basically want to help themselves. I am not saying that there is not some more noble motivation with some people, but the dog-eat-dog world of your society, which includes the hallowed institutions of higher education, often stifles that.
Interviewer: Aren’t You being rather harsh?
God: I am showing My disappointment.
Interviewer: Why would it be so disappointing? I mean, here is humanity taking the knowledge that You have revealed to us and then expanding on it. One would think You would be proud of Your creation for not just being content with what we have, but going forward.
God: I think the “going forward” part can be disputed. Humanity has just concluded the most brutal, murderous, and barbaric century of its tenure on earth. I scarcely think that is going forward. Over 100 million people have died in wars in the last 100 years, and while at the beginning of the century most of those being killed were combatants, now it is mostly unarmed civilians, especially women and children. That is by anyone’s definition barbarism to a horrific degree. Man’s quest for knowledge has excelled in areas that can result in the total annihilation of life on earth. The amount of money spent on war and preparing for war is almost incomprehensible. The “best and the brightest” are sought out and recruited into the military-industrial complex, where they put their considerable skills into developing even more destructive weapons. No, I would say humanity’s “progress” has been anything but progress.
Interviewer: Aren’t You painting with a very broad brush here? There is a tremendous amount of research in the areas of medicine, agriculture, the environment, and many other areas, which are dedicated to humanity’s good.
God: That is the standard argument, and I agree that much good has been accomplished by those with true intentions to help others. But take the amount of money and other resources that go into the weapons industry and compare that to what is spent in these other areas and you will see that the comparison is really pathetic.
Interviewer: But even if there is a lot of money going into this, there are a lot of side benefits derived from this research.
God: Couldn’t those side benefits be derived from research directly into those fields?
Interviewer: Yes, I suppose You are right.
God: Human life is the most precious thing in this world, yet humanity spends the greatest amount of its resources and energy in finding ways to destroy it. Clearly you must understand that this is something that I cannot allow to go on much longer.
Interviewer: So You plan to intervene?
God: I have planned to intervene from the very beginning, but in some ways man has dictated the pace. If I don’t intervene soon, man will have left Me nothing to intervene for.
Interviewer: When will this be?
God: That is another subject.
Interviewer: Yes, of course, but You do realize that we have touched on a very interesting theme here, and one I will bring up later, if I may.
God: Absolutely.

What about evolution?

Interviewer: What about evolution? Much is made of the idea that mankind and all other creatures evolved from more primitive species. I suppose asking You this question may sound a bit silly, but what are Your feelings on the subject?
God: I am firmly in the camp of those who believe in Intelligent Design.
Interviewer: I sort of thought You would be. But did You use the evolutionary process to create the world?
God: There is no evolutionary process-one species evolving into another as people generally understand it-so it would be rather hard for Me to use it.
Interviewer: So You are saying that evolution is more or less a nonstarter.
God: It is an intriguing theory with no basis in fact. I say “intriguing” because man is intrigued by it, not Me. Actually, it is diabolical. It provided man a “scientific” reason-and I say scientific with My rather considerable tongue in My cheek-not to believe in Me. The greatest testimony to a creator is the creation. A masterpiece of a painting is a tribute to the artist who painted it. One acknowledges his genius because one has seen the results of it. Likewise, a remarkable invention is a tribute to its remarkable inventor. So you can imagine how I feel when My handiwork is attributed to the work of the handiwork itself. It really is an absurd concept when one looks at it with even the faintest degree of logic.
It strikes Me as the utmost in bigotry, too, that those who champion evolution’s authenticity refuse to allow the science of creationism to be taught as a counterbalance. The champions of evolution often portray themselves as the defenders of free thought, but in their hypocrisy they refuse to allow people, especially impressionable young students, to freely have access to information other than their own favored creed. It is not so much that someone came up with a bizarre and illogical theory that flies in the face of hard scientific evidence that bothers Me, rather it is that this is foisted on people as the fact of evolution when it is known that it is anything but factual. As you can tell, I tend to get fairly worked up over the subject.
Interviewer: So it is a hoax?
God: A perfect word for it.
Interviewer: But what about dinosaurs? Are they real?
God: They are not real now, but they were.
Interviewer: But don’t they give credence to the theory of evolution?
God: That a range of species that were once plentiful on the earth and are now extinct doesn’t give proof to the theory of evolution. There are species becoming extinct all the time.
Interviewer: But I have always had the impression that they are somewhere on the evolutionary ladder.
God: No. There were many kinds of dinosaurs, but they were all distinctly unique and didn’t evolve from anything; nor did they turn into anything.
Interviewer: Well, what happened to them?
God: The vast majority were killed in the great flood.
Interviewer: You mean Noah and the Ark and all that.
God: Yes.
Interviewer: You said the majority of them. Why not all of them?
God: Because two of each kind were on the Ark.
Interviewer: You mean that he had dinosaurs on the Ark?
God: Why not? I instructed him to take two of every kind of animal, male and female. Except for some species, which I told him to take seven pairs of.
Interviewer: Why haven’t they survived? The other animals did.
God: The climate of the earth after the flood was not so kind to the dinosaurs, just as it wasn’t to some other species. They were not able to adapt to their new environment, so they died off.

Why didn’t God throw in the towel at the very beginning?

Interviewer: Was the flood a real event and Noah a real person?
God: Definitely.
Interviewer: But a flood that covered the whole earth sounds preposterous. Where would all that water come from?
God: The conditions prevalent in the world and atmospheric heavens in those days were far different than what exists today. You can’t judge what was by what now is.
Interviewer: So the Genesis account of creation is completely factual?
God: The Genesis account is wholly factual, though it is admittedly very brief.
Interviewer: In retrospect, should You have made it longer?
God: That is an interesting thought. But no, it is enough. What more should I have said there?
Interviewer: Well, perhaps a little about the mechanisms You used. I mean, to say something like “the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters” seems to leave a fair bit of the picture out. What were You doing, what were You thinking?
God: I was doing one thing at a time. I had to create one thing at time in the right progression. As for what I was thinking, I was thinking about the beautiful place I was going to create.
Interviewer: You had foreknowledge about what was going to happen?
God: You mean the fall of Adam and Eve?
Interviewer: Yes, but not only that. I mean the wars and other things that were going to ravage the world in the centuries to come.
God: Yes, I did.
Interviewer: So why didn’t You throw in the towel at the very beginning? I mean, why bother, since it looks like things didn’t turn out as beautifully as You had planned?
God: This world can be very beautiful. And the reasons that much of it is not can usually be traced back to man. But one always has to realize that this world isn’t the final product. It is a testing ground and a giant demonstration. It is a testing ground for humankind and a demonstration to show humanity that when left to their own devices, they don’t do a terribly good job of things. Thus they will be grateful for My authority, presence, and guidance in the world to come.
Interviewer: I think we covered some of this ground before. I apologize for making You repeat Yourself.
God: Not a problem.
Interviewer: So, back to education. What would You like to see man educated in?
God: In those things that will help him live in peace and harmony with the rest of his kind.
Interviewer: Which would be…
God: The skills involved in communication, the skills involved in providing a sufficient livelihood for himself and his neighbors.
Interviewer: That’s it?
God: Basically, yes.
Interviewer: Basic is just about the right word for it.
God: There is a lot in those two categories.
Interviewer: I suppose there is, but I think You have just handed a lot of people in the field of education pink slips.
God: I don’t think that they need worry that much, because in this world they’ll keep their jobs. But in the world to come they may need to choose something along the lines I just talked about to be their field of educational expertise.
Interviewer: Surely in the next world there wouldn’t be a need for educators.
God: On the contrary, learning doesn’t cease once you cross over. In the world to come, there are limitless opportunities to learn. And those who learn will require teachers. So there is a role for educators.
Interviewer: Well, why would we bother? We’ll know everything we need to know once we get there, won’t we?
God: Goodness, no! There will be lots to learn in the world to come. This world is only a shadow of that one, so if you thought that there was a lot to learn here, then you are going to be surprised at how much there is to learn there. Man has an inquisitiveness that is part of human nature. That part of his nature will live on, and there are limitless opportunities to learn and experience new things.
Interviewer: I notice that whenever You talk about the next world You tend to wax lyrical about it.
God: It’s worth waxing lyrical about. I want to make it sound so tempting-which it is, and really I am hardly scratching the surface of all there is to tell-that everyone will want to go there.
Interviewer: It does sound inviting. Well, just a few more questions, if I may, sort of in the same vein. We discussed evolutionists trying to disprove intelligent creation, and by extension, a creator. Can science prove the reverse, that there is a creator, that You exist?
God: Scientists, if they honestly review the data, will always come back to the conclusion that there is an intelligent design behind the universe. Some who differ on this point may howl at this and say that I am accusing them of being charlatans, but sometimes it is a case of those hit that howl. I know that there are plenty of avenues that invite investigation and speculation, and I am not calling scientists dishonest if they sometimes make wrong postulations along the way. I am saying that once they review the data objectively, they will have to come to the conclusion that this all didn’t happen by accident. And so if it didn’t happen by accident, then it happened by design, so there has to be someone or ones who designed it. So although you can’t isolate Me in a test tube and say, “Aha, here He is,” one can with rational reasoning, even scientific reasoning, conclude that I exist.

Trinity-three persons in One

Interviewer: You said something in that last answer that made me think of another question. You said “someone or ones designed it.” Much is made of the Christian idea of the Godhead being a Trinity-three persons in one, yet at the same time distinct. Are You three?
God: It is a concept that countless theologians and learned men have struggled over. They perhaps would do better if they were like the young child who just takes it in stride and doesn’t worry about it. The Trinity is composed of Myself, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We are three distinct beings, while at the same time being united in every way in Our essence.
Interviewer: You have a hierarchy with Yourself at the top?
God: Yes, but that is a very simplistic way of seeing it. It really cannot be comprehended from your viewpoint. Things like this become more understandable once you pass to the spirit world.
Interviewer: You say more understandable. It sounds like we won’t really understand even then.
God: If you could understand everything fully, then you would be God.
Interviewer: What about the old question of “who created God?”
God: Because you are bound by time in your current state, you always try to understand things in a temporal way. In the realm to come you will not be trapped in time, so you will understand things better. I didn’t need a point in time to be created, as does everything in your world. In your minds the best way to think of it is that I have always existed and that I do not need a creator.
Interviewer: You mentioned the Holy Spirit a few answers before. What role does He play in all of this?
God: It would be more correct to say “She.” She is the feminine part of the Trinity.
Interviewer: Feminine?
God: Is that so shocking?
Interviewer: Well, not quite what I imagine everyone thought. But what role does She play?
God: She is the spirit of love that goes out into the world to bring peace and joy to people’s hearts. Just like people can receive Jesus into their lives, so they can receive the Holy Spirit, and She can fill them with joy, peace, happiness, faith, and much more. She is also the instrument by which various gifts and talents are distributed-gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, miracles, healing, prophecy, speaking in mysterious tongues, and the interpretation of such tongues.
Interviewer: Could You explain what these “tongues” are? I have heard Pentecostal Christians, and the noises they make sound very odd. In fact, it almost sounds as though they are just babbling away in gibberish.
God: They speak in languages understood to Me. It is a language of praise and prayer. Their spirits bypass their minds and pour out their joy and thanksgiving, as well as concerns and heartaches, to Me.
Interviewer: But couldn’t they just express those things in their own language?
God: They could and do, but praying in tongues propels the spirit of the person praying into the spiritual dimension, setting the spirit free from the fetters of the mind.
Interviewer: Is it that way all the time? Or do they just sometimes pretend?
God: You are a skeptic, aren’t you?
Interviewer: I apologize if it seems that way, but I think some people may question the way some work themselves up, or seem to be putting on a show when they are speaking in tongues or doing something else that seems odd. Are they doing this?
God: Well, some do put on at times. But I know who is whom and I gratefully receive the prayers and praise of all those who call on Me in sincerity.
Interviewer: Of other gifts You listed, among them is miracles. Do people who are filled with the Holy Spirit have the power to perform miracles?
God: They have the power because they have the power of God. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they will perform miracles on a regular basis, but sometimes they might. It doesn’t have to be a big thing to qualify as a miracle, just something that is beyond the power of man to perform at the time. Some people might put these kinds of things down to chance, but if My power has been invoked to perform a certain deed, then the performance of it can be classed as a miracle.
Interviewer: You listed prophecy-predicting future events.
God: Prophecy is not just predicting the future. It is a gift of hearing My voice. I speak to people and they hear My voice or that of Jesus or the Holy Spirit and they pass on what they hear. You could say that prophecy is what this interview is. You asked if anyone was there, and I was! I was waiting to talk with you, and I have allowed you to hear My voice, and as you do, you are recording what you hear. That is prophecy.
Interviewer: So how does one get these gifts of the Holy Spirit?
God: By asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As Jesus comes into your life and gives you the gift of salvation when you ask Him to, likewise the Holy Spirit will come in and fill you up with Her gifts when you ask Her to.
Interviewer: Does everyone who receives the Holy Spirit receive all of these gifts?
God: They could, but it works somewhat differently in that the gifts are not necessarily all active. But the Holy Spirit delights to give Her gifts to those who wisely use them.
Interviewer: And She is there giving people all these gifts.
God: She is or She is working, as I do, through the agency of helping spirits and angels.

Why three?

Interviewer: Why does it take the three of You, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? It seems that one could do it all, since You are God.
God: It is because there are three of Us.
Interviewer: So there have always been three of You?
God: In your way of conceiving it, yes.
Interviewer: What about in Your way of conceiving it?
God: As much as you would like to, it is impossible for you to conceive things from Our point of view until you cross over here. If all the mysteries were explained to you right now, then there would be none left there for you to investigate.
Interviewer: I wasn’t asking to understand them all, but maybe just…
God: You are persistent, but in the end it has to be no for now.
Interviewer: Would it be correct if I inferred that You are like a family? Since You are referred to as the Father and Jesus as the Son, would the Holy Spirit be both Wife and Mother?
God: You could say that.
Interviewer: But I know my Bible and I know that the Holy Spirit is referred to throughout as He. If She is really a “She,” then doesn’t that impinge on the credibility of the Bible, that this is a flaw?
God: No, it doesn’t. In Genesis I am quoted as saying “Let Us make man in Our image. Male and female created we them.”6 So, it was clearly inferred there-and in other scriptures-that there are both male and female characteristics in the Trinity. You know that I am male and so is Jesus. So that doesn’t leave many options as to who is the female part, does it?
Interviewer: But You chose not to make it clear.
God: This is something that I had chosen not to clearly reveal earlier. Divine revelation is not all confined to the Bible. You see, the books of the Bible were written under My guidance. Some was prophetic, but at least some of the authors, especially of the New Testament, did not necessarily realize that they were writing things that would later be regarded as incontrovertible. If they had, they would probably have been so worried they would not have written anything. They were writing to inform and teach.
Interviewer: So they didn’t know they were writing for posterity.
God: The fact that later their writings would be placed into the Old or New Testament and become the canon of Christian teaching did not occur to several of them. It did to Me, of course, but I never intended for all revelation and truth to be once and for all confined solely to the Bible. What I say today will not contradict the Bible, but it will amplify parts and speak on contemporary issues the Bible doesn’t cover. I planned to keep talking to believers and instructing them, showing them new things. However, when the Bible was “bound,” the Church became hidebound. That is why I kept calling out new movements of Christians, but almost all eventually cooled off or were eliminated by jealous rivals.
In these Last Days I am showing more and more truth to people if they choose to believe it.
Interviewer: You mentioned “Last Days.” By that do You mean the end of the world?
God: The world is just about due for a great big change. But that is an enormous subject in itself, which I will have to talk about another time. This is the second time this has come up, so if you would like to devote a whole interview to this point sometime soon I am sure your readers would appreciate it.
Interviewer: Yes, that would be very interesting. “The End is near” and all that. Speaking of the end, perhaps this is a good place to finish this particular interview if that is agreeable to You.
God: Yes, it is. Thank you!
Interviewer: I always feel rather odd with You saying thank you to me. You being God and me being just a little ol’ mortal, for You to talk to me like this is quite awesome, for want of a better word. And then for You to say thank you on top of it is… Well, I can’t really find the words for it. Thank You for putting up with me and my questioning, which I can’t help but think You must find rather wearisome.
God: Not at all. Actually, I like to answer questions.
Interviewer: I am certainly very grateful You do. I must admit I enjoy hearing Your answers.

The Quality of Life

Interviewer: It is an incredible privilege to be able to discuss issues with You.
God: I am delighted to have the opportunity.
Interviewer: This time I wondered if we could perhaps bring things down to earth a little more and talk about quality-of-life issues that the average person faces.
God: Sounds interesting.
Interviewer: I am happy You think so, as I was concerned that You wouldn’t want to get down to what You might regard as more prosaic things, but rather would like to concentrate on more high-minded issues.
God: No, not at all. I am interested in people and involved with the most minute details of their lives.
Interviewer: Really? The small things in our lives would seem so insignificant and inconsequential in the overall that I had the impression You would find involvement in those very tedious.
God: Goodness, no! Each person is special to Me. As I explained in the last session, I went to great lengths to ensure the well-being of each of you.
Interviewer: May I begin?
God: Please do.
Interviewer: What about the age-old question, “How can I be happy?” I think everyone wants to be happy, but often we are not. Shouldn’t happiness be the norm more often than the exception?
God: For some it is the norm, but-you are right-for most it isn’t. Basically it is because people have not found the missing ingredient, which is the purpose for life. That purpose is actually twofold: to love Me and to love their fellow man. If they don’t fulfill both of these, then the purpose of life is not discovered, fulfillment is not obtained, and the resulting emptiness and dissatisfaction leads to not being happy.
Interviewer: I think some will claim to be happy while neither loving You nor others.
God: The definition or expectations of happiness vary. Some might be content and even at times enjoy a good deal of transitory happiness, but I am talking about enduring happiness of mind and soul, which only comes from what I explained. I created man to want and need to love Me and love others to be truly fulfilled. It is part of the basic design. Although other things can satisfy in part, they cannot completely satisfy. Even to love one and not the other is not enough. Man is created to be truly happy only when he is fulfilling both these purposes.
Interviewer: In other words, being solely involved in the religious realm to the neglect of helping others is not enough either?
God: If I may, please let Me clarify one point. You have made the correlation between love of Me and being religious. Although there are many in religious life who love Me, this does not make loving Me a religious undertaking. There are many who love Me who never darken the doorway of a place of religion.
Interviewer: Are You distancing Yourself from organized religion?
God: I love everyone. I do not appreciate that some feel they have a corner on the market-Me being the product. I am not confined to buildings, ceremonies, or rituals. In fact, the truth be known, I do not inhabit those buildings, and the ceremonies do not express My essence. I am the Spirit of Love that pervades everything.
Interviewer: So You are in the flower, the tree, the sky, etc.
God: In a way, yes, but I can see where you are leading here, as that gets into the ludicrous notion that everything is God. “He’s God, you’re God, the dog in the yard is God, as well as the tree it pees against.” No, that is not the case. I’m God. (God laughs.) I created all those things, so there is in them a touch of the divine, but they are not divine in themselves.
Interviewer: The tree was an interesting addition. I hadn’t taken that line of thought that far before. But getting back to the previous question, You are not exclusive to a particular group?
God: No, certainly not. Suffice it to say that those who love Me and love their fellow man and let that love move them into compassionate action are fulfilling their purpose on earth.
Interviewer: So we have to do something?
God: Yes. Love is not actually love unless it moves you to do something beneficial for others.
Interviewer: And love gives rise to happiness?
God: Yes.
Interviewer: What about something like a good joke? It can get one smiling and laughing and the result is that you feel happy. Is this happiness coming through love?
God: That is an example of transitory happiness. When the joke is forgotten, the happiness is gone. Now I like a good joke, so there is nothing wrong with jokes. I like it when people laugh and enjoy themselves. But what I was referring to before is a state of happiness in the heart of man. A true and never-ending state of mind and heart. Something that is permanent.
Interviewer: Here’s the difficulty I am having with this concept: Isn’t it true that even some of those who have gone down in the annals of history as truly loving You and others have at times gone through huge periods of struggle, even doubt and depression? It would seem that they didn’t have that happiness that You talk about. Sometimes good people seem to have even more troubles than those who don’t believe.
God: Sometimes those who love Me can go through difficult times, but that does not mean they are no longer happy, that they no longer have that certain peaceful joy inside that only I can give them. In other cases, they can be temporarily robbed of its benefits.-That is true.
Interviewer: Robbed of it? But You were saying it was permanent.
God: It is permanent. Notice I said “benefits.” The deep joy I give will always be there. A peace, an assurance that I will take care of him is part of the blessing I give everyone who believes in Me. But sometimes this confidence can be shaken and the ability to access the happiness I give is impaired. It is being interfered with, or hindered.
Let Me explain: As we covered in an earlier interview, there is an opposition. The Devil’s plan is to try to get people to disregard My blessings and get their eyes on their problems. They can forget that I am able and willing to bring solutions. When they get in that state, their power to rise above their problems is sorely diminished. They lose the magic power of faith.
Interviewer: So we are back to the cosmic battle.
God: Well, if you want to use the term “cosmic,” that is all right, but it is more precisely a battle fought largely in the spiritual realm. The Devil is using doubt to hinder and harass. Doubts are terrible things that can completely engulf people and leave them powerless. But doubts can be overcome.

The solution to depression

Interviewer: We have touched on something that is fairly widespread-depression. Many people go through bouts of it, and some never seem to be able to shake it. Are You saying that the Devil causes depression? I don’t mean to be difficult here, but that almost sounds medieval.
God: Yes, modern mental sciences would label this superstition. Let Me just make one or two points here and then your readers will need to draw their own conclusions. First, I am real and the spiritual realm in which I dwell is real. I am trying to help mankind to find everlasting love, life, and happiness. Second, there is an inferior but still extremely powerful opposition led by the Devil. He tries his damnedest to frustrate mankind from achieving these goals either by offering alternatives that don’t really satisfy in the long run, or by trying to make people just plain miserable. Wouldn’t it seem that people suffering from depression are the sad targets of his designs?
Interviewer: The Devil and his demons and all-it seems a bit far-fetched. Aren’t there a lot of causes for depression that don’t have their roots in the spiritual realm? For instance, there could be bereavement or the loss of one’s job or a financial or medical calamity.
God: It is very true that these can trigger depression. I sympathize greatly that the loss of a loved one, receiving bad news about your health, or losing one’s financial stability are all difficult experiences that can deeply hurt and can make one very sad. However, there is a distinct difference between mourning, or receiving bad news, or grappling with personal difficulties, and depression. Sad things happen in life. That is part of the living experience, and from those things a great deal can be gained in the way of learning empathy and compassion. That is not a negative experience in the long run. But depression is when a person has given up hope. The Devil has taken a crisis and turned it into a disaster seemingly beyond repair.
Interviewer: You seem to be giving him a lot of credit.
God: Not credit, blame. Unfortunately, a lot of people like to stick Me with the blame for things that go wrong. I am enjoying an opportunity to lay the blame at the real culprit’s door.
Interviewer: Well, what can be done about it? Placing the blame is not necessarily a cure.
God: No, it is not a cure, but realizing the cause can go a long way toward achieving the cure. The Devil can be beaten.
Interviewer: How?
God: Through My power, which is available to each and every person.
Interviewer: I assume You are alluding to prayer here.
God: Prayer can activate My power and focus it on the target. I do answer prayer, as I explained in a previous conversation we had.
Interviewer: Yes, but medication can be beneficial for these people, can’t it? If the cause is spiritual, then why would medication work?
God: It is true that medication can sometimes help relieve the symptoms, but it doesn’t cure the cause.
Interviewer: What do You say to the research on this subject that has shown that some people are this way because of chemical causes?
God: In some cases, yes, there is an imbalance, but this is not the general trend. If there is a chemical or hormonal imbalance in the body, there can be a degree of emotional uneasiness, where Satan finds occasion to plant negative or disparaging thoughts in the mind. It helps vastly to realize that these thoughts, which in turn lead to depression, come from the enemy of one’s soul, who is seeking to discourage and drag you down. They are not reality.
So you see, the truth of the matter is that the root cause of deep depression is spiritual, even though the symptoms may be psychological or physical. If you treat the problem in the spiritual by prayer and getting the depressed person to understand Me and receive Jesus in his or her heart, then I guarantee there will be positive results. Let’s move on to something more positive.
Interviewer: Well, I will heed Your wishes and leave this subject, but I will add that there will undoubtedly be some who disagree with You.
God: Perhaps. But the fact remains that there is a solution to depression through faith in Me and My love.

Personal destiny

Interviewer: What about people who already have received Jesus into their hearts and yet at times feel depressed?
God: Again, I say that the best antidote is prayer. It is a tremendous help to those suffering from depression to realize that these negative and despairing thoughts come from the evil side of the spirit world. My truth, My love, My light is much stronger, and as soon as people let that in, it will start to wash out the darkness of the Devil’s despair. But it often will take time and considerable perseverance to see this whole process thro-ugh. That’s why prayer and reading My Word, and seeking advice from those who deeply believe in Me, all help to combat this.
Interviewer: To finish up on happiness, then, am I right in concluding that knowing and loving You and loving and helping others is the key to happiness?
God: That is well summed up.
Interviewer: The next subject on my list is “success.” I think most people want to be successful in life, even though their definitions of success vary. Lots of people would like to be rich or to achieve fame so that they are admired by others, perhaps even idolized. What do You regard as success?
God: To find and achieve your purpose for existence.
Interviewer: You have defined this earlier as loving You and loving others. Is that it?
God: If you do those two things, you will be a success. However, every individual has his own personal destiny which, if fulfilled, would make him even more successful.
Interviewer: That is interesting. We come preprogrammed to perform some great task, reach some great goal?
God: It depends on what you mean by “great.”
Interviewer: Becoming president or prime minister or something like that.
God: I pity anyone wanting to become a head of state. No, that is greatness in man’s eyes, which does not necessarily correspond with My idea of greatness.
Interviewer: Which is?
God: To be of great service to mankind.
Interviewer: But being a world or national leader would be of great service to mankind, wouldn’t it?
God: I think that most people tend to think that politicians are more likely to be of great service to themselves or to the political system. Even the most idealistic politician is soon forced into compromise, and some are even corrupted by the political system. I think everyone is more likely to agree that someone like Mother Teresa is truly great.
Interviewer: She was a saint in every sense of the word, but You don’t expect us all to attain that level of service and dedication, do You?
God: What a wonderful world it would be if everyone would, don’t you think?
Interviewer: So You would have us all be like that?
God: If all were like that, then there would be no need for all to be like that. I am not expecting such heroics of everyone, but it would be wonderful if more were like her.
Interviewer: So she is Your idea of success.
God: She succeeded in her calling. She would not be persuaded from it, but pursued it with every ounce of spiritual and physical vigor that she could muster. I know that all people will not and could not do what she did, but they can do something to make the world around them a better place for others. I have designed mankind so that the giving of themselves to help others is the most satisfying thing that people can do. It makes every other measure of success pale by comparison.
Interviewer: If that is the case, why aren’t more of us doing it?
God: Many do-a few in great ways, most in small ways. The thing that holds people back is selfishness.
Interviewer: But we are all selfish to some degree or another. It is human nature, the instinct for survival. If You intended us to be altruistic, which You have explained You would prefer, why did You program mankind with selfishness?
God: This world is a proving ground. Although there is selfishness inherent within man, there is also the ability to rise above it. Every individual has within him the potential to be a great force for good, if he only would.
Interviewer: Very interesting! Another area that most of us like to be successful in is in relationships. Relationships are myriad, of course, but is there a general rule for success?
God: Yes! Humility!
Interviewer: I thought You would say love.
God: Humility is love put into action. It regards the well-being and happiness of others as more important than one’s own. Therefore humility is the key.
Interviewer: By definition, the opposite of humility is pride. Does it then stand to reason that pride is what will cause a relationship to fail?
God: Exactly!
Interviewer: But a sense of pride is ingrained in us since birth.
God: Pride builds walls between people. Humility builds bridges. It reaches out to others.
Interviewer: But we are told of the importance of self-esteem.
God: Having an appreciation of self-worth is good. Low self-esteem can and does lead to problems. However, I ask you to go further than this and esteem others more than yourself. That doesn’t mean you should think less well of yourself.-That is a mouthful, isn’t it? It means you should regard others as having at least some attributes or talents that are better than your own. That is pretty hard to do if you are stuck on yourself, so you must make an effort to look for the good side of others.

Humility or pride?

Interviewer: I have heard some say that needing to believe in God is a crutch and a symptom of low self-esteem.
God: That really is rubbish. Believing in Me can actually boost your self-esteem. If you’d think about it, you would see that you must be pretty valuable for God Himself to have sent His Son to die for you.
Interviewer: Indeed! I suppose it is a matter of perspective. But shouldn’t we take pride in our achievements, abilities, and talents, etc.?
God: There is a fine line. You, of course, have a sense of satisfaction when you have done or made something worthwhile. But when people begin feeling that they are superior to others because of what they have done, then they are heading for disaster. Quite frankly, if you are hoping to be successful in a relationship, a swelled head is just about the last thing you need.
Interviewer: What do You see, then, as a successful relationship?
God: People in partnership with one or more others to achieve a greater good. People in partnership with others create synergy.
Interviewer: Synergy being defined as the combined effect of two or more being greater than the sum of their individual effects?
God: Yes. It is again part of the basic design. People working in combination with others can do more than they could have if they had all worked on their own. But in order for a relationship of any kind to truly prosper, there must be humility on the part of the participants.
Interviewer: I think I am not that clear on what You mean by humility.
God: Esteeming the other person better than yourself, as I mentioned earlier.
Interviewer: But what if the other person isn’t as accomplished at things as I am?
God: Then that takes more humility.
Interviewer: Hmmm… That is easy to say.
God: Let Me explain further. Humility causes you to not hold yourself up as the great almighty one who is there to always save the day. It causes you to make an effort to see what the other person is bringing to the situation which you yourself cannot. Every person is different, so look for what you can admire in someone, some way in which you can look well on him, some reason he is needed. Humility does not lift itself up, but lifts up others.
Interviewer: Well, this is something we are not accustomed to doing naturally, because many of us feel our opinions are the best, our methods are probably the best, and so forth.
God: It is never easy for man to be humble. Man’s tendency is to pride. But humility always pays off, whereas pride never will in the long run.
Interviewer: If this is hard for me to grasp, maybe it is because it just seems to me that You put all the wrong tendencies in man. Pride and selfishness are just two we have covered in this session. You still haven’t explained why.
God: So man would need Me. The world is a giant demonstration to show that even a being as clever as man needs Me to be truly successful.
Interviewer: But is that fair? Why would You create us and then hobble us with traits that guarantee our ultimate failure?
God: You are being rather hard on Me today. Or maybe you are just thinking it will be too hard for you! Remember that I said I would help you to do whatever I ask you to. I did not make you perfect; that is true. But I did create in you the ability to choose the way that would lead to what will be the most perfect existence that you could imagine. Man also was created with the freedom of choice-to choose to follow Me or not.
I have tried to make the bad effects and fruits of pride extremely obvious. Pride promotes love of self more than love of Me or others; thus it wars against choosing My way. I am demonstrating to everyone the rewards of following Me in humility, rather than following oneself in pride.
Interviewer: That is a lot to grasp.
God: Yes, but it is again a matter of faith. If you believe what I am saying and then do it, you will find success in relationships, as in other areas of life.

What is the secret to good health?

Interviewer: How about health? What is the secret to good health?
God: Generally it is to live right, eat right, exercise right, and have a positive attitude.
Interviewer: Sickness and accidents are the bane of man’s existence.
God: The human body was not created to be indestructible. It requires care and maintenance.
Interviewer: But why sickness and disease? Seems that they just make life miserable.
God: You are not sick the majority of the time, are you?
Interviewer: No. But why be sick at all?
God: Sickness is often a consequence of one’s own actions. People have to accept personal responsibility for those. But there are many reasons for sickness. A lot is learned through taking care of oneself or others. It will certainly help people to appreciate the glorified new bodies that they will eventually receive in Heaven. You can never appreciate good health until you are sick.
Interviewer: Well, I do appreciate good health, but it is cause for reflection that there could be benefits to sickness as well.
God: Sickness often results in people either coming to know Me, or if they already do, coming to know Me in a deeper way. Desperation causes people to reach out for divine help, and then I can step in and help. It also gives them more understanding of others and compassion for them.
Interviewer: You are talking about divine healing here.
God: I can and do heal people in answer to prayer.
Interviewer: Do You do this every time You are asked?-Heal them, I mean?
God: I answer prayer in every instance, but it might not necessarily be with healing, or the healing may not be immediate. There are many factors involved, and this is a rather complex subject. But please do understand that this world isn’t the be-all and end-all. It has been created to be but a transitory testing and learning ground for mortal man. One cannot judge Me only on what happens in this world. Mankind was created to eventually live with Me in Heaven. If you can keep your eyes on that goal, then it will make whatever pain and sickness you may endure in this life much more bearable.
Interviewer: I think the manufacturing industry calls that “planned obsolescence,” when things are made not to last long so that customers will come back in a few years to get the new model. It seems people would wonder why You didn’t make us according to the design that You apparently plan to upgrade us to.
God: Heaven and all that comes with it is to be looked forward to. Earth is the proving ground. The things learned in this life shape and define your character for eternity. Some things can only be fully appreciated and understood from the experiences of this life. Good health can only be appreciated when one has sickness to compare it to. Companionship can only be truly valued when one has known loneliness, mercy when one has suffered harsh justice. In the world that is to come, your past experiences on earth will give you depth and richness of character that would otherwise have been unattainable.
Interviewer: Well, I hope that any sickness I suffer has that effect. About divine or faith healing, why is it that some people apparently get miraculously healed while others don’t, and perhaps even die?
God: It all has to do with their purpose and destiny in life. For some it is simply time for them to come home to the spirit world. Heaven is infinitely better than this life. In a way, holding someone back could be regarded as not letting someone graduate from university. What is better? That the student get his degree or not? If you can look at it from that perspective, staying in this world is the worse of the two options. But I heal others in order for them to in turn use the rest of their lives to benefit others and as a testament to My power. It is proof that I am real.
Interviewer: That explains why people die, but what about those left gravely handicapped or with some sort of debilitating and long-term illness? It seems that rather than draw things out, it would be better to either heal them or take them “home,” as You put it.
God: Each case is different. The people are different and the circumstances are different, so I can’t give you a pat answer that covers everything. There can be all sorts of reasons, and in most cases many reasons are involved. But let Me ask you something: If you are so concerned, what are you doing about it? Some people criticize Me for allowing this bad thing and that bad thing, but are they doing anything to help alleviate whatever pain and suffering they are talking about? If people are sick in the hospital or shut-ins, are these critics of Mine visiting them to try to bring a little cheer into their lives? Perhaps the reason people are sick has something to do with them not having the friendship or companionship of other people.
Interviewer: You seem to enjoy tossing the ball back into our court. I feel there is not a lot that I or anyone as an individual can do.
God: But there is always something you can do. My proposal to you is: At least do what you can, and I can do the rest.
Interviewer: The old “God helps those who help themselves” aphorism.
God: In a way, yes, but it’s more than that. God helps those who help others. Man is not supposed to spend his time only looking out for himself, but he is supposed to be looking to help others. Won’t you help others in need? You may be praying, “God help this or that situation,” when in fact I might be trying to help that situation by sending you to be that help. You could be the answer to someone’s prayer!
Interviewer: Interesting thought and something to keep in mind should I find myself in some such situation. I have been giving You a bit of a rough go of things today. I apologize if I have sounded critical. Would You like to say anything in closing?
God: Apology accepted. I could preach a sermon, but the world has heard lots of those. What people want to see is sermons in action. Think about it: What can you do to make the world a better place? The power to be a force for good lies within everyone, even if it is only in little ways. Make your part of the world a bit more heavenly by bringing a touch of Heaven in the way of love and kindness to those around you. If you feel you haven’t the strength to be this way but would like to, call on Me to help. I will, I promise you.