Ebenezer: Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I am very familiar with persistence. When I made my petition to your Head Office, I continued to make it as an act of persistence until I became weary. I knew that if I were to do that, your Commander would hear and would eventually answer me.
MICHAEL: (Laughter)
Ebenezer: That is persistence; am I right?
PRINCE: Yes! You are absolutely right!
MICHAEL: No, you are absolutely wrong. And I am glad we are having this discussion. Remember what I tell you now, as many people misunderstand petition and how it relates to persistence. Whenever a request is received at the Head Office, I told you that it would be received if it echoes the words that my Commander has already set forth into law. Correct?
Ebenezer: Correct.
MICHAEL: Now, once that request is received and processed and it is assigned to the appropriate angel, then there are occasions where the delivery of the request may take some time. Remember, the word that my Commander has spoken is pure, undiluted, and as powerful today as it was yesterday or at any other point in history. But your belief, when you petition, must be such that it is in line with what you are petitioning for. This is the next step in the process of petitioning: The angel assigned to deliver that request must ensure that the belief of the individual is not wavering counter to the request. There are certain hindrances to petitioning that each angel must ensure are absent. These hindrances include the hindrance of wishful thinking, the hindrance of mental assent, the hindrance of fear, the hindrance of inferiority, and the hindrance of motives. Each of these hindrances is a product of my adversary, and they are the reasons for which a petition approved in the Head Office remains unanswered.
Ebenezer: I know many people who are waiting on answers to their fervent petitions. Please speak on each one in greater detail so I might know the truth and pass it along to others as well.
MICHAEL: That is precisely what I would like for you to do and one of the primary reasons for this meeting. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to see people who really need help having their petitions put on hold due to the fact that they are operating under such hindrances. So, by all means, please pass this information along. Let’s begin with the hindrance of wishful thinking. The hindrance of wishful thinking is a petition not based on a conviction, but one based on doubt and uncertainty. I am sure you have heard many humans say things like, “I hope this happens,” or “I hope that works.” These people are bound by the hindrance of wishful thinking, and their petitions will be put on hold. Do you follow?
Ebenezer: Yes, I follow. Please proceed.
MICHAEL: The second hindrance is that of mental assent. This hindrance involves petitions made by those who intellectually accept my Commander’s law but have not allowed that law to move from mental assent to action. When this person encounters sensory information that radically opposes the answer to his petition, it becomes an obstacle; he is unable to see beyond what his senses tell him.
(Pause)
MICHAEL: Still following?
Ebenezer: Still tracking.
MICHAEL: Perfect. The third hindrance is that of fear. The hindrance of fear is very simple—it is believing what my adversary is telling you through your thoughts, other people, and various mediums more than what my Commander has already established through His law. Your past mistakes should not be a hindrance to your petition, but for many people, they are.
Ebenezer: My past has no bearing on whether my petition is answered or not?
MICHAEL: It shouldn’t, as long as you are correctly aligned with His government and not my adversary’s. This is a critical point to remember.
Ebenezer: Noted. And the fourth hindrance?
MICHAEL: I feel the need to say that again. Remember, your past should have no bearing on whether your petition is answered or not, as long as you are correctly aligned with His government and not my adversary’s.
Ebenezer: Doubly noted.
MICHAEL: Very well. Now the fourth hindrance is that of inferiority. I have seen this do a great deal of damage to even the most capable of people. Feelings of shame and low self-worth can prevent your petitions from being answered. Remember that my adversary uses this as a weapon to hold you Earth Dwellers back from your ultimate release from the grasp of his fingers. If you hate yourself or you lack respect for who you are, then it’s a sure sign that you don’t even believe you deserve an answer!
Ebenezer: So, self-respect and self-love are both of paramount importance. You are really laying it out plainly for me here. I find it interesting how both the third and fourth hindrances are corollaries—similar in nature.
MICHAEL: I hope so! And yes, one must be kind to and care for himself. It is true that you Earthlings were created in the image of my Commander, and therefore, the mistreatment of yourself is actually the mistreatment of the apex of His creation. The apple of His eye...
Ebenezer: The icing on His cake... the sauce on His spaghetti... the ketchup on His chips... the paint on His brush…
(Silence)
Ebenezer: The peach within His reach…
MICHAEL: (Laughs) Yes. All of those… you’ve caught the idea.
PRINCE: The itch on His back that can never be scratched…
Ebenezer: Nice try, Mr. Prince. But yes, I have heard this before, Michael, and we each have been endowed by your Commander with certain rights that cannot be taken, or even given, by any man.
MICHAEL: That is correct. Let us move to the last, but certainly not the least, hindrance. That is the hindrance of motives. We have discussed this at some length already; however, I will reiterate once again that it is not your selfish motives or your personal ambitions that move my men and me to act on your behalf, but my Commander’s word. Your heart must be positioned so that this is true in action and not merely reflected in your words… which brings me back to the overarching principle of persistence. This is simply describing the process of internalizing the Commander’s laws so that they become a part of your inner mind. Getting something into your inner mind takes a dedicated persistence. As you have heard from my adversary, he is also at work, being persistent as well in his attempt to thwart any attempt at my Boss’s law entering your inner mind. If he fails in his attempts, your hindrances will be lifted, and your petitions will be carried out swiftly. True persistence is guarding all areas of your life—your friendships, acquaintances, what you look at, and what you hear, so that only what should be deposited into your inner mind is, in fact, deposited. Without this constant persistence, the conviction needed to bring about the answer to your request cannot be birthed.
PRINCE: May I interject? Thank you. All of this talk about hindrances… Ebenezer, can you really trust this guy? Remember, you depend on us, and us only, to give you the truth. The real truth. Anything less is a threat to your freedom. And you want freedom, don’t you? Besides, look at your past; do you really think my Adversary will listen to your petitions even if He could answer them? I came here on my own because I wanted to give you the truth.
Ebenezer: Well, yes, I want freedom. But I don’t know how much I can trust you, Mr. Prince. At first, you stated you came at the request of your Adversary, and now you state that you came on your own accord. Do you usually vacillate like this between your statements? Nevertheless, you’ve both given me a lot of information—information that directly conflicts with each other. I see why you both are at war.
PRINCE: It’s clear, isn’t it? So, whose information will you accept? Perhaps I can sweeten my end of the deal just a bit more. Remember that car and new house and job you wanted? I could have those to you within a week, next Friday at the latest. All you have to do is accept my principles and ignore what my Adversary has told you. Remember how you’ve been asking for a wife? I can help with that, too. Just name the type of woman you want, and I will ensure that it happens. It’ll be a relationship that will be the envy of all your friends and family. You don’t want to be single the rest of your life, do you? Go to the grav
e all alone? What a shame that would be. To avoid that, all you have to do is listen and obey all of the wonderful principles I tell you.
Ebenezer: Is that all I have to do?
PRINCE: Yes, and ignore my Adversary and all of His words. Simple, isn’t it?
Ebenezer: All of that intrigues me, indeed; however, according to your Adversary, again, you are not to be trusted to even the slightest degree. But regardless, I still have a few more questions… I’d like to hear more about what you have to say, Michael. Please continue on regarding the other remaining principles you mentioned.
MICHAEL: Thank you, Ebenezer. And yes, he is a crafty fellow who cannot and should not be trusted! The next two principles are uniquely intertwined in their own way and cannot be ignored if you are to be effective in outmaneuvering my adversary. They are the principles of power and purity. The principle of power is simply this: Every man or woman, when in proper alignment with my Commander, possesses the potency within him that will enable him to accomplish the purpose for which he was placed on Earth to do. Authentic power depends entirely on the Earth Dweller truly knowing himself and becoming familiar with that potency that resides deep within him. That power within him guides the focus of his life and is the enabler that strengthens him to accomplish what he was created to accomplish in the amount of time he was given to do it. Everything on this Earth is dependent upon something else for it to prosper, function, and succeed. This is the power I refer to as it relates to the enabler within you. This power provides the ability to function in a manner directly in line with your purpose. This power is also a wonderful communicator and will act as the navigational system of your life, alerting you as to when you are off or on course in terms of the direction of your life. It’s the best map for living any Earth being can have at his disposal.
Ebenezer: Tantalizing. I believe I have, in fact, heard of this power, though I may not have appropriated it to its full extent. For the sake of our conversation, while I have you here with me, please speak and confirm where this power originates from. This power that resides within us.
MICHAEL: Where does the power for this recorder come from? From the one who manufactured it, of course! Remember, a proper relationship with my Commander is the key.
Ebenezer: That makes logical sense. The one that created the product is also the source of its power. Or perhaps it could direct you to the source of power, correct?
MICHAEL: Correct! Not perhaps, but certainly. All manufacturers designate a source of power for their products as well as how that power can be attained.
Ebenezer: How does one go about attaining this power?
MICHAEL: Alignment, alignment, alignment. The source of dynamite within you is given by my Commander. In all reality, it’s actually His very nature that He makes available to you. That is the authentic source of power that has been appropriated to you Earth...
PRINCE: I’m really sorry to interrupt, but, uh, to say my Adversary’s power is the only one available is not factual in the least. I have appropriated power as well for all those who request it that will exponentially expand their ability to bring about my purposes in the world. With my power, I can promise you more and more things. The house, the cars, the marriage. All of it, remember.
MICHAEL: I would be very careful in whose power you take hold and possession of, for power, as you know, can either bring about good, or it can catastrophically corrupt one entirely. The provincial immature see the end justifying the means under any circumstance, even as it relates to power. To covet material wealth and other vices at the expense of authentic power is a grave mistake that will cripple and stifle your ability for good and turn you over to this weaselly little devil. Remember, it is only by authentic power that one possesses the ability to create new strategies when met with temporary failure on the road toward accomplishing one’s purpose. Have you ever met a man who turns away upon facing defeat after defeat in accomplishing his purpose? It is likely that man has not yet connected to the true power that gives him the ability to overcome even the direst of obstacles. Perhaps this man has connected to some other, illegitimate source of power.
Ebenezer: How many sources of power are there? Thousands? Millions?
MICHAEL: The truth is, there are only two sources of power: the one given by my Commander and the one distributed illegitimately by my adversary! One power is authentic; the other power is not. One power leads to more life; the other leads ultimately to death. One power helps and uplifts others around you, while the other tears them down. Power can come in many variations but can be narrowed down to these two primary sources.
Ebenezer: I think hardly any people would be thrilled to know that they only have two options for the source of power that will allow them to carry out their plans and achieve their purpose. In our culture, as you may know, we are used to having many choices. It is our way of life. To only have two to choose from is against our fundamental principles.
MICHAEL: Oh yes, I am very aware of this, but this is the truth. Since the beginning of time, there have only been two choices, the two that I have spoken of today. Every man must decide his allegiance to which power he will accept and operate under.
Ebenezer: As I look over the landscape of the world, I am not sure I can differentiate between which power is at work within whom. Is there a surefire, foolproof way of knowing which power is at work within us Earth Dwellers, as you call us?
MICHAEL: Of course there is. Power only expands and furthers principles, allowing for greater impact on a larger scale. Think of power as the fertilizer that allows for more growth and ultimately healthier fruit from the seed in a garden. The fertilizer doesn’t change the type of seed; it only allows it to grow in size. Power doesn’t change principles; it only allows for the fruit of those principles to be proliferated and furthered to a greater proportion. Good fertilizer can only be applied to good seeds, and bad fertilizer can only be applied to bad seeds. The power given by my Commander will only further expand His principles; my adversary’s, his own. If you are aware of what principles underlie those you see throughout your society, you can see which power is at work on either a large or small scale.
Ebenezer: I am not one familiar with fertilizer and its impact on seeds; however, if there are only two sources of power, I guess I long to be on the side of the power in which you possess. For it is through your power that the prince was required to show himself here today, correct?
MICHAEL: That is correct. But there is another aspect to power that you must be aware of also, and it acts as the other side of the same coin. It is the last principle you must give your efforts to, and it acts as the glue that binds everything I have said together. It is the principle of purity. Remember this statement: The source of power, or the potency that is within you, can be subverted and pushed down if you fail to recognize and operate under the principle of purity.
Ebenezer: Even if it is legitimate power, as you have just discussed? If so, I would say that this, by far, is the glue that binds all that you’ve said together. I am eager to hear more.
MICHAEL: As you should be. And yes, even if it is legitimate power. You see, your mind receives information from your senses, and the information from your senses that goes into the mind is deposited into your soul. The soul is made up of your will and your emotions. Your soul then takes that information from your senses and deposits it into your spirit, which is the source of the power that I just discussed with you earlier. Your spirit, your body, and your soul are all interrelated. The soul receives from the spirit and discerns whether what it has received is right or not. This is where the power under which you find yourself influenced becomes of paramount importance. If what you are receiving from your senses is corrupt, meaning the principles are incorrect, then your soul will be damaged, and even if your spirit does not agree, it will be subject to your soul and the information that has been downloaded into it. So, the principle of purity is ensuring that what is received by the soul, body, and spirit are all aligned as one,
integrated fully with the intentions of the one in whose allegiance you follow.
Ebenezer: This seems like the technical explanation for the principles you and your adversary have discussed over and over again that you are seeking to gain control over. The principles for which you find yourselves at war.
MICHAEL: Once again, your assessment is correct. From a practical standpoint, your purity depends entirely on what you allow to enter through your senses: what you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. Eventually, all of that will be deposited into your soul and will cripple even the power of your spirit if it’s not integrated into one.
Ebenezer: I’m glad I’m on the right track. How, then, can one walk in complete purity?
MICHAEL: The irony of all of this is that you alone have the power to decide whether you do so or not. It is on you to decide how much or how little you regulate the information being deposited into your soul. You alone are the one who decides what ultimately will amplify or subvert the spirit within you.
Ebenezer: I see. So, what you are saying is that I have the power to decide the fate of the next decade? Is it really up to me?
Light of Darkness Page 8