(Pause)
MICHAEL: Take, for example, this recorder. This recorder has a purpose in the mind of the manufacturer. The manufacturer built this to fulfill the purpose of recording and transcribing audio for future playback. When the manufacturer desired a product to fulfill the purpose in his mind, he built this so it could fulfill that function. So, he put into it the potential to record and transcribe any and all sounds within a specified radius. So, this recorder inherently has the ability and the potential to record sound. He also inherently built into the purpose and the potential a principle by which this is to operate. So here, in this small recorder, we have a wealth of power and purpose, but we also need to obey the principles by which and under which it is supposed to operate. If those principles instituted by the manufacturer are violated or disregarded for how to operate this recorder, for whatever reason, then its potential and purpose become a curse, and it will not be fulfilled. One of the principles of this product is that it must operate on two AA batteries. In other words, it must be submitted to the principle of power and electricity. Another of the principles for this recorder is that the volume must not be set too high, or else the audio recording will spike and become distorted. A third principle is that this recorder cannot and should not be operated in or underwater. So, this recorder, as you see it here, is a very simple example of how both purpose and potential interact in relation to one another. No matter who you are, what you can do, or where you are from, you will not be successful without adherence, submission, and obedience to principles.
Ebenezer: Both you and your adversary have spoken of the importance of such principles, which leads me to believe with absolute certainty that they must not be avoided or cast aside if one is to win the battle in the coming decade. You speak of a recorder; however, it would be very beneficial if you could also use a human example so that I can better relate.
MICHAEL: Gravity. That is about as simple as a principle gets. If you jump off a ledge, even if you yell and scream for either my men or me to catch you, you will experience the effects of the law you have just violated. You will fall, and depending on how far you are falling, you may die, as you have violated a principle by your own choosing. Neither my Commander nor I ever even get involved because the law has already been given. But take the principle of the body as another example. Your body is not your own. Your body is to be treated as a vessel in which the spirit of my Commander dwells. If you fill your vessel with things that limit this potential, you are violating that principle, and you will face the consequences of that action. I have seen many men violate this principle and wonder why they can no longer accomplish their purpose. Then they ask my Commander for help, wanting Him to bail them out of situations where they have continued to violate His law foolishly. They forget that all reality hinges on moral foundations, and therefore, all reality has spiritual control.
Ebenezer: That is a tough pill to swallow, Michael, but I must readily admit it makes complete sense. Each man must be responsible, then, for learning and adhering to principles. You mentioned that if I were to jump from a ledge, because I have violated the principle of gravity, I would face the consequences for my actions. However, even if you were to attempt to save me, it doesn’t appear that you have any wings to do so. Where are your wings?
MICHAEL: You shouldn’t believe everything you hear! The idea that angels have wings is about as silly a fictitious story I have ever heard. We angels don’t have wings; we are spiritual beings who intervene in human affairs, not superhero characters that you encounter in your movies. Many of the times we encounter people, we appear as men. Why would we need wings? I like driving cars.
Ebenezer: You raise a good point. Perhaps we may need to rethink how we view you and your men.
MICHAEL: That may not be such a bad idea. If you ask me, I look better without wings, anyway. Would you answer the door if the man standing behind it had a large set of feather-like wings?
Ebenezer: Again, you raise another great point. My perception of you has changed. Perhaps there are many angels like you walking among us that we Earth Dwellers cannot see.
MICHAEL: Good. And yes, you, Ebenezer, have seen quite a few of us in your lifetime. Several have even been in your home.
Ebenezer: Really? I don’t recall any of these encounters.
MICHAEL: Yes, I know this to be fact. Any time one of us is sent to you or any other Earth Dweller, we must report back to the head office on everything that we encountered here on Earth. If the person we are visiting suspects that we are, in fact, a part of the heavenly forces, we make note of it, for it means that this individual is spiritually attuned and perceptive.
Ebenezer: I see.
MICHAEL: So perhaps, instead of picturing a large flock of angels fluttering through the sky with their magnificent, gigantic wings, it would be wiser and more practical to see an amalgam of differently complected men who reflect, in many ways, the commonality of Earth and the glory of the Heavenlies, my home country.
Ebenezer: Well said. Let’s pivot and shift gears. How powerful are you and your comrades?
MICHAEL: Thank you. We angels are POWERFUL. We are created beings, and we are sustained by our Chief. Our power is delegated, and boy, it is awesome, I must say. We have been called the might of our Commander. Just one of us is able to take out your entire city, or any other city, for that matter. We did it before, and we can do it again. Think about it. It took just one of us to roll a stone that it took 15 men to move. Just one of us killed hundreds of thousands of Pharaohs’ people overnight. Just one of us. Just one of us put to death 85,000 men in an Assyrian camp. Eighty-five thousand. I know you are familiar with those stories.
Ebenezer: Yes, I very much am. That is some potent force. On second thought, yes, you do appear to be a powerful group. Let us get back, however, to the discussion of the next decade and the practical steps needed to assure one remains immune from the influence of your adversary. I would like to learn more about these principles you speak of.
Chapter 6
The Heavenlies
—
December 31, 2019
As Mr. Bigsby walked with Netzach down the majestic streets of the Heavenlies, he noticed several angels carrying a set of tubes from a building and loading them onto some sort of a conveyor belt mechanism. They loaded thousands and thousands of tubes into a gigantic basket sitting on a conveyor belt that was being manned by several other seraphim. Inside the tubes, Mr. Bigsby noticed a substance, and each of the tubes had a label with a long stream combination of numbers and letters. Netzach, as if to have read Mr. Bigsby’s mind, began to explain what he was seeing.
“Those seraphim you see over there,” he said, pointing, “work in the lab within that building, the P & P Building, and each one of those tubes you see is filled with a unique set of coding that will be administered to every new Earth Dweller getting ready to be put into motion on the Earth. The Boss has each of these codes locked up deep within Him, and at the appropriate time, He sends word to these seraphim to string certain combinations of characteristics, plans, and purposes and to mix them into these test tubes. Once mixed, they are administered to each Earth Dweller at the point of conception. It’s an invisible, almost imperceptible process, but it happens.”
Netzach moved toward two of the seraphim standing outside the building who were loading up the basket. He greeted one of them as he plucked one of the tubes from the moving belt.
“You see? This one reads “ABM+E-G.” A rather shorter combination, I must say, but one, nonetheless.” Netzach handed over the tube to Mr. Bigsby, who at once began to look it over.
“I don’t understand. What do the letters mean?” he asked.
“Every combination is different. This particular one means that the Earth Dweller will be given a knack for athletics, business, media, and entertainment, and he will have the capacity to do it on a global scale.”
“Interesting,” Mr. Bigsby responded. “So, every human being comes to Earth with s
uch a code?”
“Yes, but you can’t see it. It’s deep within what you Earth Dwellers call the DNA, or makeup, of the individual, and it’s really just a piece of the direct image of my Commander. So, in essence, each Earth-dwelling spirit being in a dirt body has a piece of my Boss’s coding within them. It’s a very complicated thing, but I hope that makes sense,” he added.
Mr. Bigsby nodded. “It does.”
Right at that second, two powerful angels zipped right by them as if they had somewhere important to be. The gust of wind that followed caused the plants in the ground near them to bend so far forward that they nearly touched the ground. There was so much activity in the Heavenlies that even Netzach seemed to be getting spun around. He quickly placed the test tube back on the moving conveyor belt and turned his attention toward the path the two giant seraphim were on.
“Those two guys,” Netzach began, “are responsible for many of the bigger events you Earth Dwellers have experienced on Earth. Perhaps I’ll tell you about them sometime. Just know that when the Boss puts them to work down there, they work and get things done.” Before the angels stormed out of sight, Mr. Bigsby was able to read the backs of each seraph. On one was the word “Goodness” and on the other “Mercy,” both written in big, bold letters.
Mr. Bigsby nodded his head as he watched the two monstrous seraphim storm by, disappearing somewhere off into the distance. Despite the fact that Netzach was speaking, half of his mind was focused on other things, for at the moment he had entered the Heavenlies, he had begun to experience something very different. It was as if his emotional state had been altered. He wasn’t afraid, and he felt like he was right at home as he moved through the golden streets. Everywhere in the Heavenlies seemed so bright—yet, even with all its beauty and effervescence, it wasn’t so much what he saw as what he experienced. Everything just seemed so right, and nothing at all seemed wrong. The sidewalks, the temperature, the shrubs, the infrastructure—it all made him feel like he was finally home. It’s beyond peace, more like a deep and abiding peace, he thought. Everything he saw, all the things he perceived, were alive—there was no sign of death. Even more, all things to him seemed intelligent, as if they could both move and think. There is nothing like this on the face of the Earth.
“Netzach, is everywhere like this?” he asked.
“Like what?” the seraph replied.
“Like this. I feel an overwhelming combination of aliveness and peace.”
“Oh. Yes, I suppose. Whatever you’re feeling, yes, it’s always like this.”
Mr. Bigsby nodded as he continued moving along. “I spent my whole life searching for this feeling…” he whispered to himself.
Hearing him, Netzach took a few steps, stopped, and turned to Mr. Bigsby.
“What you’re experiencing is the love the Boss has for you. Here, you’ll feel like the Commander loves you and only you—no one else.” After saying this, Netzach turned his attention north, where a bright, beaming light could be seen way off into the distance, perched atop a hill. The seraph bowed his head for a moment as if listening to a whisper, and then after a few seconds, bowed even more, as if he were acknowledging that he heard a set of instructions. At once, he began moving along, Mr. Bigsby following right behind him.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“The Boss just sent some information. He wants me to take you to the Windows of Heaven before heading off to see Him,” he replied.
It doesn’t matter where I go, Mr. Bigsby thought to himself, if everywhere makes me feel as good as I did from the moment the bright lights of the Heavenlies hit me, and I walked through the big, pearly gates.
In that moment, he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Chapter 7
Earth
—
December 31, 2019
MICHAEL: So far, we have touched on both purpose and principles as they relate to fulfilling that purpose. The next principle is that of petition.
Ebenezer: Petition?
MICHAEL: Yes, petition. I mentioned it in passing earlier. The first thing you must remember about the principle of petition is that you are dealing directly with my Commander up in the Head Office. My Commander, by His own choice, does nothing on your Earth except that which is allowed by those with a spirit within a physical body. By His own law, the only one that can cast judgment on this Earth is one like you, who has both a spirit and a body. Petitioning is an Earth Dweller representing my Commander’s rights on Earth. Petition is necessary because His influence cannot come to Earth without it.
Ebenezer: Hmm. Petitioning. This sounds like something that would occur in the court of law.
MICHAEL: You’ve got it. That’s exactly what it is. Whatever you decide should happen on Earth, the Heavenly Office will allow; likewise, whatever you decide will not happen on Earth, the Heavenly Office will not allow. Make sense? My Commander does not invade Earth; He is only invited in. And you must give His government the invitation, just as you must give me and my battalion of men instruction.
Ebenezer: That seems too good to be true and too limiting to be true, all at the same time. Whatever I ask the Heavenly Office to do, it will do?
MICHAEL: Yes and no. The question you must ask yourself is this: Does my petition align with His law and His principles that He intends to govern the Earth? If your principles align with those of my adversary, then your law is out of harmony with my Commander’s law, and your petition will not be answered. My Commander only answers His word, because His word has already been established as law. One thing you must understand about me and my battalion of angels is that we heed the voice of our Commander’s word. When we hear His word, whether that be from you or the Earth Dweller down the street, we send dispatch and attend to it immediately.
Ebenezer: Immediately… I like the sound of that word. How quick is your response time since you have now clarified the fact that you do not have wings?
MICHAEL: Well, we aim for immediate response time once the petition has been processed and vetted by the Head Office. From there, it is communicated to the angels assigned to wait on the individual, and they then take the request from there.
Ebenezer: I find this very interesting, Michael. The request I made to the Head Office, as you speak of, seemed to have taken quite a bit longer than that. Am I wrong?
MICHAEL: Very wrong. We actually responded to your request immediately after the initial processing. As I mentioned to you before, there was a holdup by my adversary’s men in that they would not allow for the prince’s presence here initially. That is why I had to step in, handle some business, and bring him here myself.
Ebenezer: It sounds like physical force, then, was used to bring about the answer to my petition.
MICHAEL: I won’t go into detail on that. Just know that I, myself, have never engaged in combat and come out on the losing end. Though it may take some time, my job is to carry out my Commander’s…
PRINCE: Ha! No, no, no. I’ll tell you why it took so long. My Adversary simply grew tired of hearing your little measly appeals and wholeheartedly questioned whether a response to your invocation was even necessary. Why answer some little, scanty Earth Dweller who ignored Him for so long in his younger years? How many days did you go without a single word to Him? Guilty, guilty, guilty you are! There. Now you have the truth.
MICHAEL: Mr. Prince, did anyone ask for your opinion? You and I both know that what you’ve just stated is a bitter and detestable lie. Ebenezer, my Commander is always eager to hear from you, even if it has been a while.
Ebenezer: Well, I hope so. That is encouraging. Thank you. But I must ask, if everyone is assigned their own protectors, then how many have been assigned to me? To heed and act upon the words I speak that are directly in line with your Commander’s?
MICHAEL: I will show you. Come and see.
(Seats Shifting)
(Inaudibles)
(Door Opens)
…
…
…
…
…
(Door Closes)
(Seats Shifting)
Ebenezer: Wow. Those four big guys are waiting on me?
MICHAEL: Yes, those four, but you saw the two standing and the two sitting in the street, right?
Ebenezer: Yes, there were two patrolling on the driveway, and one was seated on the curb while the other was stationed atop the vehicle. Are they permitted to do that while on duty?
MICHAEL: Of course they are—if they don’t have anything to do!
Ebenezer: Well, why don’t they have anything to do?
MICHAEL: Because you haven’t given them anything to do. Remember, they are attending to the Commander’s word coming from your voice.
Ebenezer: Remarkable. I think many people would benefit if they had such enlightenment or if they could simply see what I just saw. Perhaps it might provide some with a greater sense of peace.
MICHAEL: You raise a very honest point in your assessment. One that adequately leads to the next principle—that of persistence. Do you know how persistence will act as one of the major principles to help you and many others thrive through the coming decade?
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