Interviewer: Then it doesn’t seem fair to me that bad things happen to innocent people when You could make everything right, supposedly with the tip of Your finger.
God: Why do you assume that the “bad” is indeed bad?
Interviewer: Because it is obvious, or at least it seems obvious, that when innocent people are hurt, maimed, killed, made homeless, or see those close to them receive similar treatment, that it is bad. There seems no good to it at all.
God: That is caused largely by man’s inhumanity to man. That is not My doing.
Interviewer: Granted, but You could intervene and stop it.
God: But I have given man free choice. It wouldn’t be free if I intervened.
Interviewer: Perhaps this free choice wasn’t such a good idea, if because of it there is suffering.
God: Do you think it would be better if I had created man as an automaton, programmed to do exactly what I command?
Interviewer: Well, no, I guess not. You have a point there.
God: I wanted a free being who could choose to love Me and love his fellow man. It was important that man had total freedom to make his own choices, in order to have the ability to love Me and those I put in his path, to do good wholeheartedly and not as a machine. However, many misuse this freedom. They make the wrong choices, and much hurt results.
Interviewer: Are You saying You never interfere when You see people hurting other people?
God: In many cases I have stepped in, particularly in answer to prayers, and prevented more damage being done than would have been done otherwise. This is primarily done through My agents trying to get through to the hearts of the people involved, in order to persuade them to make the right choices that will undo the wrong or prevent it from happening in the first place. But if people refuse to listen, there’s not that much we up here can do. I don’t force people to do good, or again, it wouldn’t be free choice anymore.
Interviewer: Well, I still don’t understand why You can’t interfere more when You see extreme suffering. It seems that people would appreciate it.
God: I sympathize entirely with those who hold this misconception. I know it is very hard to understand. It has been the thing that people have cursed Me for from the beginning of time: “Why, God, why? If You are great and powerful, You could have done something.” But they feel this way because they are shortsighted.
I do try to influence people to do good-as I just explained-or things would be much worse than they are. But in other cases, people don’t understand that often by allowing difficulties and hardships I am working in their lives and the lives of all the others involved to bring about a greater good. Difficulties can shape your character for good in ways that nothing else can. Sometimes the good manifests itself right away; other times it’s something that may never be evident in your current life.
Interviewer: Current life? What do You mean by that?
God: This life is not the end. It is a very transient phase in your existence, but it is in this phase and only in this phase that certain things can be experienced and the benefits derived from them. If you look at the overall scheme of things, the big picture, including eternity, there is a long life after the one you are now in, and many accounts will be balanced later. The good will be rewarded. The unjust will be punished. All will be made right; all will be settled. It is a matter of trust. I ask you to trust Me that I know what I am doing and that the end result is worth it.
Interviewer: I can tell that this is an emotional issue with You as well.
God: A very emotional issue. I do have emotions and I am not beyond being hurt. Part of love is being vulnerable, and because I am love I am vulnerable to hurt. But the fact that I can be hurt does not mean I can be conquered. I remain invincible, and in the end, all that I have planned will come to pass. True justice and love will triumph; you will see.
Interviewer: So why? Why the hurt and suffering?
God: I just tried to explain but I see that you didn’t understand. Pain and suffering are indeed “bad” things and they will eventually be done away with. But at the same time there are certain aspects of the character of mankind that can only be shaped by seemingly negative things like this. Those who have known these things are “greater” than those that have not-not because they are necessarily better people but because they know what it is like to be on the receiving end of these things. I know I am making a sweeping statement here that might not seem to hold true in all cases, but nevertheless it does hold true. However, there are always many other factors involved that can affect what could be considered the desired outcome.
Interviewer: So You are saying that at the end of the day we have to trust You, even if it doesn’t seem that what is happening is right and good?
God: Yes, it comes down to that. Even when it is very hard to understand, please trust Me. Remember that life is not always so hard to bear. Sometimes things go well for you, don’t they?
Interviewer: Yes. But those are not the times that we feel we need Your help or an explanation.
God: So I get blamed for the bad, but not thanked for the good?
Interviewer: Unfortunately that seems to be the case, and I concede that is very unfair. I admire Your patience with us all.
God: Contrary to popular opinion, being God isn’t easy!
When bad things happen
Heaven's command structure
Interviewer: Are there different levels of authority in Heaven? A command structure, so to speak?
God: Yes, there are angels and over them are archangels. Then there are other angels who have specialized tasks, that have charge over My throne or over certain places.
Interviewer: Do these look different than the others?
God: Yes, but these are spiritual entities, so to describe them by describing physical characteristics is a bit futile. They can assume physical characteristics, but that is not their normal form.
Interviewer: We picture them as having wings and halos, but otherwise bodies similar to ours.
God: They do appear as having those things and they have been described accurately, for that is one form they manifest themselves in, to mankind. But they are not limited to those manifestations.
Interviewer: So why the wings? Do they signify anything?
God: Angels do not always appear with wings. When they do, some have two, some four, and some even six. The wings are manifestations of their powers, the abilities that they have to do things that man cannot. Man has always wanted to fly, and so to see these wonderful creatures that are not bound to the earth has inspired awe and wonder. I even inspired and instructed craftsmen and artists in the past to represent My angels as having wings.
Interviewer: Was that for a more primitive time?
God: “Primitive” is a misnomer. Less advanced in some fields of science and technology maybe, but I would say the horrors that man perpetrates today are more primitive and extreme in their barbarity than much that occurred during man’s earlier tenure on earth. But that is another subject.
Interviewer: Do angels have names?
God: Yes. Some of them you know from biblical and other accounts, such as Gabriel and Michael.
Interviewer: Are there other names we could be told?
God: Yes, but I would like to keep that for a little later if I may.
Interviewer: Of course, if You wish. I hope You don’t mind but there is one… Well, to be honest I feel a bit silly asking this question, but it is one of those questions that has come up about angels. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
God: You are right, silly question. But since you asked, the answer is none.
Interviewer: None?
God: Yes. None of them are silly enough to try dancing on pinheads.
Interviewer: Oh. I should have expected that. So tell me now about spirits. How does a departed human end up with the job of being a spirit?
God: All departed humans are spirits. The grave is not the end of a person’s life. Each person’s spirit continues to live after the body dies; it’s just that different ones live in different places. How they end up with various jobs in their spirit stage depends on a lot of things. First, it all depends on where you decide you want to end up-Heaven or Hell. In Hell there are not many openings for jobs-at least not if you want to work for Me.
Interviewer: I don’t think many of us would want a job there.
God: Yes, I assure you most people would rather not. As far as those in Heaven, their desires in the matter are a big determining factor.
Is Heaven the ultimate vacation destination?
Interviewer: I suppose some would look at Heaven as the ultimate vacation destination and wouldn’t be too interested in getting a “job,” but would rather just relax and kick up their heels.
God: (Chuckles.) Yes, most true! Some of them really don’t want to get down to any work for quite a while, and I can hardly blame them for that. But all play can be unfulfilling after a while, and then they want to get into doing something. Work is a lot more pleasurable in the heavenly realm and for most it is infinitely more rewarding than the drudgery many put up with on earth. Whatever they work at has eternal meaning and benefits. It is not as on earth, where much that you do one day has to be repeated the next to little avail.
Interviewer: So what kind of job openings would one find in the heavenly classifieds?
God: What kind of job would you like?
Interviewer: Something in an advisory capacity perhaps.
God: Perhaps we could find something for you in the “bad jokes” department. (Chuckles.) But seriously, there are innumerable opportunities. If you want to go into something advisory, how about working as a spirit helper to someone still on earth? That is a function of many spirits.
Interviewer: But I thought that each person had a guardian angel. Why would they need help from spirits too?
God: The spirits have more of a specialist instructor role. They are usually sent for some specific purpose, and that purpose can be long or shortterm. The guardian angel, though, is a permanent assignment.
Interviewer: Can You elaborate on what the “specialist instructor” does?
God: Well, say there is a specific task that someone has. Writing a book might be one. The assigned spirit would normally bring some expertise to the subject-perhaps an intimate knowledge of the subject of the book, or perhaps a talent for writing.
Interviewer: Would anybody who sat down to write a book get one of these helpers?
God: No, not necessarily. There would have to be a compelling reason for sending a spirit to help, and usually it would in some way be to serve My overall purpose for mankind.
Interviewer: Which is?
God: My goodness, didn’t we cover that? Why, to get as many people as possible to eventually come live in Heaven.
Interviewer: So in the case of the writer, these helping spirits would be trying in some way to get the writer to say something in his book like, “Want to go to Heaven?”
God: Not exactly, but they would at least be trying to help the writer say something that might get his readers thinking in some way about the reality of the spirit world, or of Me. Or even trying to get them at least to want to do some good in the world, help their fellow man, be a bit more-or a lot more-altruistic or kind or just or show more consideration to others. Things along these lines. These are all manifestations of love, which are manifestations of Me.
Interviewer: But knowing how difficult it seems for us here to stay attuned to the spiritual, it must be a very frustrating assignment to be a spiritual companion to someone on earth.
God: It can be, but when the person is in tune and everything goes as it should, it is one of the most rewarding experiences there can be. Oftentimes the spirits ask to be assigned to someone they have an affinity with-a descendant or relative, a friend, someone who has similar interests, even one’s spouse or children. Aside from deriving pleasure out of just plain helping someone they like and love, they in a sense also get to live their lives over and help that person succeed at something they didn’t or accomplish something that they had always wanted to.
Sometimes they can get a little too eager and some of their thoughts and memories of their lives on earth are transferred to their charge. It can seem to the one on the receiving end that he or she is getting a flashback of a former life.
Interviewer: Does this explain the theory of reincarnation then?
God: Yes, it does. Those people getting thoughts of another life are actually experiencing the memories of a previous lifetime as though they themselves have lived before. In reality, they are usually the memories of the spirit helping them.
Interviewer: Are the spirit guides out of line in projecting their thoughts like this?
God: Once in awhile, yes, but mostly it happens accidentally. The trouble is, once those thoughts are in the mind of the one on earth, they are there permanently. Although not in conscious mind all the time, these memories can be activated by things like hypnotism or some sort of trauma, or even by something positive emotionally. This can lead to some rather complicated situations.
Interviewer: And some rather mixed-up people through no fault of their own.
God: Well, you can’t draw such sweeping conclusions. Although there is some fault on the spirit’s side, a lot of people make the wrong assumption. A little more caution and level-headedness might cause them to consider the evidence more thoughtfully and not jump to conclusions.
Interviewer: Any last word about angels and spirits?
God: Are we drawing to a close already? Time flies. We who live in eternity are not constrained by time, but that is another subject too. Hopefully that will whet your appetite for more.
To close on angels and spirits, I would like to say that all the forces of Heaven are fighting for the right. Although it may at times look as though the other side is winning, My angels are much stronger and more numerous than the fallen ones, and My plan will not fail to come to pass. Good will triumph and the victory of My heavenly forces is assured. So you may in full confidence put your money on My side as being the one to win eventually. In fact, you can bet your life on it.
Interviewer: I am sure the readers will appreciate that hot tip. Thank You for coming again. Can we look forward to more of these tête-à-têtes?
God: Most assuredly.