Via Christa: Via Christa Life: Sermons: Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1951

Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1951

Edna Lister outline;, January 21, 1951, October 2, 1955. Acts 12:1-17

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison." – Acts 12:1-17.

Like Peter, each person is bound by chain between two soldiers named World Ideas and World Economics. World ideas include such thoughts as, "I'm too old. It's too late. What will they think of me? What do they think of me?" So people are bound with chains to prejudices, opinions and their own pride on one side.

World economics includes beauty, happiness and devotion in chains, love on crutches, faith crucified and hope buried. If you do not believe this, witness the world today, held in bondage to war.

How do you break free from these chains, this constraint? An angel of the Lord always calls to you, saying, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." – Matthew 6:33. To seek first the kingdom is the way of the creator. Fight and struggle is the way of the creature degree of consciousness.

What do you get with "all these things added?" God the Father has enough and to spare for each of His sons and daughters. Some choose worldly wealth, fame and honors. Others are martyrs to invalidism and poverty. Yet all choose, consciously or unconsciously. Even indifference and lukewarmness are choices.

It is your choice. Wise souls choose God and the path of the soul, conquering and becoming. You are no longer in bondage to the world, no longer the servant of doubt and fear, no longer in chains, no longer the slave of lukewarmness and indifference.

Having cast away your crutches and being crucified no longer, hope is resurrected. How do you hold onto this point of ascension? Declare, "I am in love with God. I am in love with Light as life, strength, glory, and power. Light as life has become my challenge. Light as love has become my answer."

"I am intimate with God. I am in love with God. He is my upholding faith, my hope-filled foundation. He is the Source of my life, my creative substance."

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The Glory of Agreeing

Edna Lister outline, June 10, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio; June 24, 1951, Buffalo New York. Romans 8:28-39

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Romans 8:28-39.

"All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." – Romans 8:28.

The "called according to His purpose" are those souls who choose the way of Light. The declaration, "This is good and very good," marks the difference between the creature and creator consciousness, earth and heaven, darkness and Light.

Every square inch of your creature-like physical body pushes against 14.7 pounds of Earth's atmosphere. Emotions build even greater pressure from within, until you feel squeezed between the two.

The creator moves with the Light flowing from above as a river, splitting the atmosphere as Moses parted the Red Sea. Light forms a whirling sphere to carry you forward, cleansing, lifting and absorbing obstacles on your path. With Light, serving as wings to bear you aloft, you mount up to heaven as on the wings of an eagle.

“You attract huge resistance from your self and others
when you fear life's challenges to change.”

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." – Romans 8:29-30.

As the "called," you are "justified" by the Light moving through your works, not by self-justification. The Light from above then "glorifies" you.

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" – Romans 8:31. What do you say to all these things? Is God with you, or do your self-created enemies accompany you? God must be first.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?" – Romans 8:35. Who can separate you from God? The worst temper or criticism is always seeking to climb back into the nest. Do not be surprised to find a foot in your face if you try to push it out.

"As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." – Romans 8:36.

"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." – Matthew 6:34, and self must "die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31) to darkness or to Light. You cannot entertain darkness and Light, ice and steam simultaneously. You must choose between them.

By resenting the fellow who criticizes and condemns you, you push him from your nest. He rebels against being pushed out, and retaliates by trying to climb back in the nest. You attract huge resistance from your self and others when you fear life's challenges to change.

The Elect are the "called." God calls you from the creature stage of fight/flight consciousness. You choose daily, ice or steam. You must choose to put God first. As you choose and make vows to be a son or daughter of God, the Father justifies and glorifies you because you chose Him first.

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The Glory of Agreeing

Edna Lister transcript; June 10, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Margaret Pratt Doan, Ruth Johnson, scribes. Romans 8:28-39

You must seek the Light and ascend instantly when you slip. One prophecy says that if a leader walks in the Light, his followers can never slip. You can declare, "You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Today the Holy Spirit's wings touch you with the white Christ Light.

God places in your hands, in your charge and keeping, all the lines of Light and responsibility that go to wherever darkness exists in the world. These lines are invisible as atomic substance, yet one day science will prove their existence —

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." – Hebrews 11:1. Faith is the substance of Light, and when you become faith, you turn into a transforming power for good.

All souls stand as equals under eternal law. Each may ascend as far as he wants to make himself responsible, release Power, live in the "high place" of consciousness and use his equipment to see and hear spiritually.

How great is your burning desire? Everyone and everything that you experience comes to you as yours to act on and lift. When you realize this, you recognize that you must pray your way all the way through.

"What is that to thee? Follow thou me." – John 21:22. When you remove your mask of opinion and prejudice, sacrifice old, deep-seated reactions of disappointment and criticism, you loosen the desire body's physical moorings, which enables you to see and hear spiritually.

Soul ascension on sacrifices of self creates a vacuum that loosens you, the soul, in the body. For instance, when you travel, your gaze constantly shifts from one object to another, which keeps you "loose" in the body. You can become so "set" at home that you become tight in the body.

Asking, "Why did this happen," when you get a plop in the face, proves that you need to sacrifice resentment and other "worldly possessions." You cannot criticize or be hurt by criticism unless you "settle down" and become tense, tight in the body. The law of nonresistance establishes you loosely, flexibly in the body, and diffuses your consciousness.

Romans 8 holds eternal decrees, promises of abilities that God endowed you with to use in your life's expression. This text depicts your standing with God, and your rating under divine principle.

"All things work together for good" pricks you from the outside, saying that no matter your goal, high or low, you can and must look into the face of the greatest darkness or adversity and call it good, which is your greatest stumbling block.

When God declared His Creation good and very good seven times in Genesis 1, He set a clear line of demarcation between the creature and creator consciousness, irresponsibility and responsibility, egotism and compassion. The creature denies liability for his actions, while the creator is accountable for his creations. Yet some people attempt to straddle the fence, dodging responsibility.

“Real faith requires that you sacrifice self.”

You cannot create anything or progress without faith, but since the zeal to achieve is egocentric, faith often degenerates into being self-centered. If you cover your enthusiastic faith with false humility to prevent others thinking you are egotistical, it breeds egotism.

Yet you never need to hide your desire to achieve when you become faith. If you write "compassion" over "humility," you will not need to cover it with self-centered sympathy. Real faith requires that you sacrifice self. You slip from your ideals if you sympathize with self, which eventually leads you into humiliation.

It's never too late for anything, just too soon. The future so quickly becomes the past because you are not living your today but merely existing. The world wants the future now, but it takes time to coordinate self with soul, and it takes so long to reconcile the world's horrors with God's principles.

You endure repeated agonies to outgrow the creature urges, and some vacillate for years between creature and creator consciousness. Depending on another is the creature's answer. Lacking desire to be a strong pillar in the Temple of God, the creature hopes to ride into heaven on Jesus' coattails.

God designed you to live by your mental faculties of logic, reason, discernment, discrimination, and discretion, yet how often your plans crumble to dust when you rely on others. When you become a creator, you stop counting on others and bank on God. Declare, "Today my creations are good and very good." If they are good today, they can be good for a year, then it's still a good idea to call them good.

God cannot wait for you to become perfect, but uses you in the hour you ascend to see perfection in the apparently imperfect. God would never accomplish anything if He waited for you to ascend, conquer your interludes of self and be entirely good before He creates through you.

“God cannot wait for you to become perfect, but uses you in the hour
you ascend to see perfection in the apparently imperfect.”

God must do as much as possible in the moments while you stand steadfastly as a creator. If He can do such magnificent works in your ten minutes of burning desire, think what He could do if you stood at that white point of heat constantly. Each is a free agent, and he who believes, steps from the creature consciousness stage to become a creator, the servant of all Power who climbs straight up through faith, love and compassion.

"Whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." – Romans 8:30. God justifies and glorifies those who ascend and become Godlike.

God's glory covers all those for whom you speak the Word, to sheath them in Light, including their every hateful deed. You are also responsible for whatever you destroy: Some kill hopes and joys, for instance. God releases His glory despite your irresponsibility or indifference.

Our purpose, as the Elect on earth, is to step up from the creature stage of consciousness to live as full creator gods. You can portray a destructive or constructive kind of god, so the most ancient myths record. Yet God has predestined you to become a creator of life and glory, to travel on wings of Light eventually.

Scientists in the past disputed that Light could heal, but they are now proving Light's healing powers [consider lasers and uv light therapy]. Light from the heart of God could lift earth instantly, but most people think they must wait for scientists to prove it materially.

Early Christian sects thought they should give up wealth and outer adornment to fulfill God's purpose. He intended us to be radiant creators, not goodie-goodies. You glorify God by adorning yourself in beauty, for others see God in you. Your face will fade into glory and others will see only the Light in you when you glorify God completely.

God created you in His image and likeness, gave you His attributes and the equipment to apply His Power as a creator. You are a creator when you say, "Lift me, fill me with Thy energy. Use me. Fill me with Thy life, oh God."

Breathe deeply when life presents spiritual debts for payment, and appropriate the right living vibration for the moment of its purpose. You can pay debts only from a high point in consciousness, not from a mud puddle.

Gird up your loins and permit self to indulge no laziness. Do it yourself and conquer all resentment. God chooses you to stand for Him. God calls his best beloved to stand in trying places because there are trying places where someone must stand, and the careless and indifferent are not great enough for such service.

God chooses that all Creation ascend. He calls the creature, who squints at the truth and immediately wants family, friends and coworkers to justify him. Creators heed God's call to action.

The servant of Light as all Power stores his treasures in heaven while he regards others in faith, love and compassion, not opinion, prejudice or unrighteous judgment. The creator asks for results only, no outer credit.

What he is makes a man great, not what he tells others about himself. Look through the mask that each person wears to the Light and God's glory. Look up in consciousness, and thank the Father for the joyous comprehension of all that is. You need not tell others about it because you are it.

Creatures think the world owes them a living, and always find so much to fight about. It takes only half a brain cell to become angry — jellyfish get mad, but who wants to be such a creature?

A creator is too busy to waste time on anger, but says to darkness, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" He soothes and calms the angered one with Light. This doesn't mean all your problems will disappear overnight. When you cannot imagine Light working as you direct it to, watch to see how God will do it. After all, He established the laws, the answers and wrote the how-to-do-it manual.

Working under divine law produces never-failing glory because God always has the answer you need. Just declare it good and take the next step in unconquerable faith without demanding an answer first.

In the face of every challenge declare, "Be good according to God's purpose." Say, "Father, I know Thy answer shall be sufficient unto the day" to bring the answers from the invisible substance you breathe on that vibration. You simply collect the divine Light-substance you need, and continue on your way.

Doors to opportunity open and close as you climb the ladder of ascension into the higher Light. When a door closes, you know God has a bigger, better plan for you. Continue to ascend instead of wailing. Keep saying, "Father, thank You," and seven doors will open.

When a door closes, knock on seven more, knowing that the answer is there, close at hand. If seven doors close, forty-nine will open. Sacrifice the "joy" of expected disappointment and make those closed doors pay a dividend by praising God for the one that will open.

You can freeze water into ice or boil it into steam, but ice and steam cannot conjointly coexist. No one can serve God and self. You can expand or condense Light-substance, so remember that it contracts to a pinpoint under negative criticism and judgments, but expands through praise, love, and joy.

The creature consciousness of appetitive soul condenses Light-substance, but the creator consciousness of rational soul expands it. You either crystallize substance in form or release it into Light.

God justifies and glorifies those who step up to become Godlike, yet if you deviate from the family pattern, they'll call you screwy. The Father can turn any confusion or destruction into glory if you call it "good."

Some people try to ascend while pushing 14.7 pounds per square inch of grief in air pressure ahead of them. If grief weighs that much, how much do hatred and resentment breed from within?

Criticism is good for you, wonderful for your growth, and it cannot hurt when you know that God is all love. Thank Him and keep creating the good. Inner pressure builds when you feel hurt, so open the safety relief valve and step up to where no criticism can hurt you.

When you allow the little self to indulge hurt feelings, you are blaming another. Never charge a debt of blame against one who tries to hurt you, for if you push him away, he will forever try to climb back into the nest.

Breathe deeply, ascend to expand your consciousness, and tell God He is wonderful. Tell Him how marvelous your criticizer is, how you never noticed that particular flaw. Ascend in consciousness. The resistance vanishes, and you walk through. Glory heals your anger when you robe the other fellow in Light.

Who can separate you from God's love? Only the petty little self. "For Your sake we are killed all day long" means the death of your old consciousness and resurrection of the good. "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us." – Romans 8:37. Arise like a mythical phoenix from the ashes of self, cleansed in eternal fire.

No one on earth credits you with glory, yet as you are ascending, God endows you with all divine potentials, the real values in life. Soul ascension and conquering are your actions, and God's reaction is inevitable. God produces the miracle when you fulfill His promises and endowments.

The faith of God is unconquerable when you put Him first. Your lines of Light remain welded to the Source when you live, move and have your being in the Light. You drop your lines and sink into despair only when God is not in first place.

Ascend on your line of Light and faith. Declare, "I am listening, Father. Here I am. Please move over and let me in." God fills you with more than kinetic atomic energy, and pours out the degree of Power your living soul originally brought to earth.

Each day the Creator paints a new portrait of the glory of that mighty universe of Light and might, which is hidden to the creature but open to His creator sons and daughters. Fulfill your destiny and create.

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The First Days

Edna Lister outline, June 17, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio; July 1, 1951, Buffalo, New York. Matthew 5:21-26

"Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." – Matthew 5:21-26.

The Sermon on the Mount covers every angle of human relationships. This portion of the Sermon opens with "You shall not kill," and "whoever kills will be in danger of the judgment," as Jesus reminds them of the ancient Mosaic Law.

Yet he adds, "But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment," telling the crowd that you can kill hope with anger, slander, gossip and hate.

Then he warns them of the danger of calling another names in contempt: "Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." – Matthew 5:21.

"Hell fire" is a word-symbol loaded with meaning.

H symbolizes the ladder to heaven.
E represents the "mother of earth."
LL stands for the 33 Degrees of Ascension to Christing.

In the first ten degrees of ascension, the creature consciousness of appetitive soul, which has only a credulous belief in the law, is willing to kill without cause. In the second ten degrees, the son of man, who knows law, needs a cause to show his anger. At the third ten degrees, the son of God, the rational soul that comprehends law, knows that anger is dangerous to the soul.

The ascending creator, who is becoming law under the final three degrees (Master, Priest and Christos), knows that the first misstep softens morale and the moral stance, making the second mistake easier. Weakened moral fiber inevitably leads to nothing but selfish desires, until you cannot say yes or no.

If you even think a name, you set the law of action and reaction into operation. Like a boomerang, whatever you aim at another returns to strike you. So remember the law — "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison." – Matthew 5:25.

"I accept" is the first initiation of responsibility for the great degree of comprehension. Unless you accept, and agree with the adversary, you cannot comprehend. It's your choice. The "judge" is conscience, the "officer" is remorse, and the "prison" is regret. Integrate this with the four stages of comprehension: You hear about truth. You talk about it. You think about it, and finally, you do it.

When you first hear truth, the touch of your full living soul awakens conscience. When you believe it, you experience remorse, guilt, anguish and feel hopeless.

When you have fully awakened your conscience, you find yourself in the prison of regret, where you finally repent and desire to do something to make amends. However, you still waste time trying to forgive self. Instead, you must give love for self to redeem it.

To agree perfectly, you must lose all sense of being more perfect than someone else. "I accept" is the "I do" stage, which happens in the invisible fourth dimension. It's only one step up from doing as a son of God to the I AM stage of being a creator. You do it until you are it, the thing itself.

A degree above comprehending is becoming. When you can declare, "I accept all responsibility and I become law," with no holdouts of self, you art becoming the full truth of your own soul's being. How you step up is by offering your gift of the "little self" at the altar above. If you invest only your self in the world, you have nothing to sacrifice as a gift to God.

You mix your soul substance with that of all those with whom you have had contact. So you must seek your brother to redeem the soul substance life sparks you stamped on his back when you called him a name. Your gift of redeemed self is most precious to God. So take time to agree with every so-called adversary, and to become God's law.

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The First Days

Edna Lister transcript; June 17, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Margaret Pratt Doan, Ruth Johnson, scribes. Matthew 5:21-26

Love itself is a great mystery of life. The Light as love is the only magnet earth has. Pure love draws all to itself and turns everything into itself, even the most selfish degrees of love. Ultimately, the whole travail of life is to reach true love, to reach the point where all else is added, to step into the magnetic Source of Light as pure love, the second Emanation. To be possessed of pure love is the Christian Heaven, the Hindu Nirvana.

You cannot attain pure love by going off into a corner to live alone. You must add action to love to be love in action. We, the Elect, are working up to a new high point of ascension of consciousness. Higher initiations, greater than great, the greatest of any age, start today on the inner.

Your desire to be perfect is perfect, and it takes you to heaven, but only to visit. The Father advances you credits to release His Light as Power for lifting earth and all its inhabitants. You are always working on advanced credits that you have not yet earned.

To earn your credits, be like an atomic bomb of glory to explode as Light that lifts the darkness. You partake of the glory you release, for God wants all His sons and daughters home again.

Today you can cover everyone's transgressions, including those who practice outright wickedness. Reach with arms of Light to gather them, declare and see them on a cloud continent of Light, which will sustain everyone until all can gain their soul balance.

The Bible is a code of Light. No one can understand the Bible without first knowing and comprehending its code. Biblical revelation is a key to humanity's search for soul growth.

The Sermon on the Mount holds the mysteries of soul from the creature stage to the creator, but does not list them in consecutive order. If the steps were obvious as A, B, C, workers in darkness would have misused the Light of that Power long since.

The masters of mystery have made the code difficult to uncover. The heads of ancient schools veiled the mysteries because the world would have been lost if evil ones, who consorted with darkness, had known them, too. Therefore, they have made it hard to read the code of Light in the Bible.

First, you must work to discover the code, then to understand this code for comprehension and soul growth. You use logic, reason, discernment, discrimination and discretion to rearrange and unfold the steps to become a servant of Light as all Power. All biblical revelation is part of humanity's search for the key to soul growth.

The Sermon on the Mount covers every angle of human relationships and three stages of spiritual evolution, which covers the living soul's ascent from creature consciousness to that mind which was in Christ Jesus. These stages are three definite steps in soul development and ascension.

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill. Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment." – Matthew 5:21. The first step belongs to the creature only. He kills for the lust and love of destruction, which are his chief appetites.

If God did not judge us according to law in this stage, the destruction would continue wholesale. Having never been afraid is no credit or virtue. The appetitive soul must heartily fear retribution, so the judgment of law is harsh. When one judges another unjustly, he draws this harsh judgment to himself.

"Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council." – Matthew 5:22. In the second stage of development, the son or daughter of man must have a "just" or righteous cause for his anger and destruction.

Yet anger is a killer; it slashes the aura of its target and attacks the weakest physical point (as revealed by the astrological birth chart). An explosion occurs that forms a disease and the body may die. Anger reacts more than physically, it kills hope, love, the positive virtues, and is a perfect way of slowly destroying yourself.

"But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hellfire." – Matthew 5:22. In this stage, you use "righteous judgment," yet Jesus says that if you call your brother a fool, you are in danger of hellfire. This is a law.

Hebrew law unfolds the stated commandments. For instance, each verse of Psalm 119 unfolds a statute or law. The verses are arranged in twenty-two groups of eight. Each group begins with a different number-letter (Aleph, Beth, Gimel, etc.). You can use this code to unfold and analyze the word HELL:

"H" is the ladder of Light. It represents angels at your elbows, the crutches you use, the legs you stand on and the rungs of the ladder you climb.

"E" represents the Mother of earth, creative Mother Love, the nurturing Power of God expressing as you to nourish and sustain everything of earth.

"L" represents the Via Christa, the Way of Christ, the path you tread and initiations you take consciously or unconsciously.

"L" is the heavenly fire of glory and Light that descends as God's Power moves through you for ascension.

You suffer hellfire when the divine fire of God moves through you for your ascension. In this stage, you must know that you have a place to go.

You could never ascend the three necessary steps and emerge from the creature state of consciousness to being a creator without being burnt by hellfire. It is a long step from the creature to the son of God, from irresponsibility to realizing what happens every time you destroy. Cause and effect teaches you that you must eat your idle words and sacrifice selfish "little me."

The creature consciousness "believes in" and "tries" to do just enough to "get away with it." They try to love their enemies. They try to become law, but creature consciousness can't stand the heat in the kitchen.

The son or daughter of man consciousness is an intuitive knowing that does not depend on hindsight. Here you may not know everything, but you trust that God does.

These three steps integrate belief with knowing and comprehension. The son or daughter of God consciousness is comprehension. As a "do-er," the creator agrees with God and adjusts to man without arguing, for he does not need to argue.

To become a son of God, you must learn and obey the law of cause and effect. The son (or daughter) of God learns that what he sends out returns to him sevenfold. He realizes that he must sacrifice the little self, not just "believe" and "try."

What better gift can you lay on the altar? What else can you give but your little self of subconscious mind?

To ascend from belief to comprehension, you move through five stages: First, you hear about truth. Second, you talk about truth. Third, you think about truth. Fourth, you then begin to do all that truth requires. From doing, you finally become truth. You cannot become truth unless you take these five steps.

No one can be truth without doing truth. Most people say, "I'll try," which is the neophyte state between thinking about truth and being truth. Yet you must go through the interval of trying until you convince your self to just do it. You fumble through these stages blindly until you finally realize that this means you.

You move from trying to doing when you can ask, "Why doesn't law work for me?" Jesus said, "Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him; lest anytime the adversary deliver thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into prison." – Matthew 5:25. Who is this adversary? What is this judgment? Who is this officer? What is this prison?

Every time you raise your voice in criticism, anger or ridicule, you invest soul substance in that person or condition. You may not criticize or condemn yourself either. You can invest so much soul substance in condemnation and hatred that you have very little left. The doers of darkness use what you send out in hate. At last you realize that you have no adversary except your own little self.

Petty "little me" can use its soul substance investing negatively in others until it becomes the dweller on the threshold of consciousness, an aggregate of opinions and prejudices, all the evils the self creates through its own misuse of substance and law. When you descend in consciousness or lose your place by ignoring or misusing law, you must start over to ascend through the stages.

To say, "I'll try," means you are holding out on God. In this stage, you are merely "trying" to ascend, but are still holding onto some presumed "right" to use hate or anger. You still believe you hold the right to call others names until you learn the danger of hellfire in name-calling: You stamp your name in black on every ugly name you call another; thus, you create darkness.

Nothing lies between blessing and cursing; no difference separates a country and a man you curse — you invest your soul substance in both. You give soul substance to what you condemn.

People can lose the body because they invest the world's governments with their own soul substance life sparks as they criticize. Those whom they condemn live on the criticizer's soul substance. Some may give others a chunk of their soul, opinion by opinion, until they have nothing left.

What is this judgment? The creature lives by three urges — eating, sleeping and mating. The creature "kills" anything that gets in his way.

As the creature's conscience begins to roll over and yawn, he takes the first step. The development of good judgment means that the creature has reached the adequate degree of conscience where God can bestow the first portion of a living soul.

You cannot judge [discern] when this occurs. At the first moment the living soul touches and begins to hover, the creature does not yet know that it exists. When conscience begins to awaken the first inspiration, aspiration begins the long travail of ascension.

Who is the officer? Remorse. As the living soul descends, awakening brain cells, conscience arouses remorse and the "officer" of conscience delivers the soul to the prison, which is regret. You are imprisoned when you find yourself quiet and alone in regret. Remorse and grief make you sorry; that is the second step.

The desire to do something about your regret is the third step. The soul activates the awakened brain cells, the creature's rational soul takes charge and the "try" stage is born. To try is an act of growth here.

Until you hear about it, conscience cannot be born. The creature tries to do something and awakens into the remorse stage, where an albatross of guilt plagues him. One who rehashes his guilt is in the unconscious remorse stage. When he tires of chewing the cud, he enters the "doing" stage.

You move from belief to knowing. Since you take initiations along the way, you are always in danger of going off the deep end through pride. You pass three steps in trying to cross the great abyss between blind faith and knowing faith.

When you begin to live as a son or daughter of man, you also take three steps. To accept, you must become as perfect as your Father in heaven. Pretense is not good enough. The black magic of manipulation and deceit can give a soul something for nothing in the short term, apparently, but works in reverse over the long haul, exacting a terrible price.

When you try anything long enough, it becomes an act of faith. You must go through the action of trying between the stages of blind faith and belief. Finally, your knowing and faith become one.

In the struggle from belief to faith, from trying to doing, you face the initiations by which you cleanse selfish "little me." Looking down the nose at family is easy for creature consciousness. Any negative habit is a holdover from the creature state of consciousness.

In becoming a son of man, you also take three steps. You reach the point where you really accept that you must become perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect and continually strive for this perfection. Or you regress, possibly even to the creature stage. No matter how high you climb, you can slide down the greased pole of self.

The Master said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." – Matthew 6:33. The Father and the Heavenly Hierarchy are weary of you investing your soul substance in negativity: The time is now. You can no longer wait to be good someday.

You must ascend to become the fourth dimensional step, from the son of God to the creator stage. What gift have you to take to the altar but the little self? Give God your gift of self and cover the transgressions of others with Light. The time has come to forget to take advantage of others.

Begin to lift your enemies. Declare, "I accept that this has come into my life. Within it I find my own lost soul substance." As you lift it to a cloud continent of Light and declare it good and very good, God adds as much soul substance as you have redeemed for purification. He reinvests it as a gift — new soul substance returned with 100% interest. When you say, "I accept. I agree. I have no living adversary. At last I act with the Light as Power using me as its servant," you redeem your unwisely invested soul substance.

This is the creator state of comprehension, the fourth dimension of all Light, all Power, all Love. This is the place of becoming. Thus, you move from doing to becoming. The step into the creator stage is the step into the realm of the miraculous. You cannot bridge this abyss alone because it takes a high son of God as a leader to speak the Word.

Jesus spoke the Word for us when he said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." – John 14:12.

Healing is the descent of the living soul. Healing means that enough Light, as atomic energy, is directed into the dark place that spews it up to be cured. Though the healing may last only two days or two years, the recipient becomes conscious for a time and ascends. "Physician, heal thyself." – Luke 4:23.

The creature or the child of earth is too ignorant to ask for healing, so you may have to seek them to help them. God cannot heal anyone until his darkness comes to the surface. If you send enough atomic energy into a dark space (a building, an organization, a workplace, or park), it burns out the dross, both there and in you.

When you have returned all wrongly invested soul substance to the altar with your gift of self, pause to agree and adjust, to stand in the Light before you speak the Word. This is taking time to become a creator. So often you do not take time to ascend into the Light.

When you ascend to be a fourth dimensional creator, you reach the place from which you may speak the Word for healing, for you have learned and earned the glory of agreeing to be a creator.

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The Candle of Glory

Edna Lister transcript; June 24, 1951, Buffalo, New York. Edna Bender, scribe. Romans 8:28-39

"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Romans 8:28-39.

Romans 8 teaches you how to renew the candle of glory. When you fine-tune your concept of responsibility to God, your spoken Word returns to you more rapidly, bringing greater miracles. We are now in the year 2075. One hour equals 124. One idle word now equals a year's worth from before, so you can create more debt now.

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." – Isaiah 65:24 Your thoughts travel faster than light. God shortens time because of the Elect's prayer effort toward lifting earth's evil, which is nothing more than good inverted.

“Your thoughts travel faster than light.”

The Sermon on the Mount is your plan for life, by which all souls must live. It includes three stages in development — creature consciousness, the son of man and the son of God, the creator consciousness.

The creature lives by the law of the jungle, ignoring the command, "Thou shalt not kill." Life has little value to him. The son of man believes that he must have a "just" cause for his anger. Thus, his anger is invariably self-righteous.

The son of God knows the law of action and reaction, cause and effect, and that when you allow one self-indulgence, you more easily allow another. He knows that he shall meet with hellfire in initiation.

You dare not to point a finger at another, because when you point one finger, three others point back at you. As a son or daughter of God, you may hold no scorn or contempt for others or your will put yourself in danger of hellfire.

H symbolizes the ladder to heaven.
E represents the Mother of earth, the Queen of the South.
LL represents the Father's everlasting arms upholding earth to heaven.

The path from hell to heaven has three sets of 33 Degrees each. The creature believes instinctively in the law of the jungle, the law of self-defense and self-protection. The world's creatures in human form show fear instinctively. They believe in the laws of man and begin to learn the law of action and reaction.

Now the soul begins to comprehend real law. It knows that it is not good to disobey or ignore God's laws. The creator enters the invisible fourth dimension and lives by the Oversoul's laws, which brings greater health, wealth and security.

A soul consists of the same universal substance as a rose. The difference is in the degree of consciousness of the substance. How does a rose equal a soul? God gives universal substance a new, unique name and number as He bestows the living soul.

With the living soul's first touch, the creature aspires, breathes in the living soul and is inspired by it. Then Oversoul, the angelic portion, descends and lifts one into the creator state.

You learn, apply and practice obedience to law to agree with your adversary. It takes all this to stay on the path of law.

Who is the judge? Who is the officer? Where is this prison? As he learns, applies and practices, the creature begins to develop conscience, first of self-determination and self-responsibility. Conscience begins to teach him a better way to live.

As conscience develops, it awakens remorse for past deeds. Remorse is hopeless guilt and anguish. When regret enters, you start to do something about it, to cover past sins.

When you slip to the creature stage, the judge is your conscience. Conscience delivers you to the officer of remorse. He, in turn, sends you to the prison of regret where you repent. You cannot leave the prison until you assume full responsibility as a son or daughter of God. Although you may fall to the bottom, you must climb, you must ascend.

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I Agree in Time

Edna Lister outline; July 1, 1951, Buffalo, New York. Matthew 5:21-26

"Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." – Matthew 5:21-26.

The Sermon on the Mount covers every angle of human relationship and three stages of evolution. All stages of consciousness can understand the Sermon at some level.

The creature-state of consciousness understands "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill. Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment." – Matthew 5:21.

The son or daughter of man state of consciousness comprehends "Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council." – Matthew 5:22.

The son or daughter of God state of consciousness knows "But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hellfire." – Matthew 5:22.

The first step belongs to the creature only, the one who kills for the lust and love of destruction. In the second step of development, the son or daughter of man must have a just or righteous cause for his anger and destruction.

At the third step in development, the son or daughter of God learns the folly of calling names, and the difference between being judgmental and judging righteous judgment.

The creator knows that the first misstep softens morale and the moral stance. Each misstep weakens the moral fiber inevitably leading to the point where only selfish desires remain, until you cannot say "yes" or "no."

The creature consciousness "believes in" law. The son or daughter of man consciousness is "knowing" that law is. The son or daughter of God consciousness comprehends law. The creator becomes law in the fourth dimension of the invisible universe.

You gain fourth dimensional success by "agreeing with the adversary" or having the adversary take you to the judge, who hands you to the officer, who casts you in prison. Who is this adversary? Who is this judge? Who is this officer? Where is this prison?

Three other stages mark the living soul's descent. Creature consciousness gives way to the judge of conscience, who hands you to the officer of guilt, who casts you into the prison of regret.

Creature consciousness, awakening to the living soul, gives the first indication of a judge, his conscience. With more Light entering, the officer of remorse begins to make you conscious of guilt, which leads to anguish and feeling without hope. Thus, the self is cast into the prison of regret, and must repent to be set free.

The living soul descends, one degree at a time, from conscience to regret. This process integrates other states of consciousness as well:

Conscience hears about it, remorse talks about it, and regret thinks about it. From the first glimmering of conscience to regret, you begin to awaken a desire to do something about it.

Yet you waste time "trying" to forgive self and others. The son of man consciousness excuses, justifies and exalts the self, but is doing something, even if merely treading up and down on the same step.

The son of God must lay his gift of the little self on that altar and seek his brother, to redeem his own soul substance. Only then can he know freedom. You must recall all the soul substance you invested as you stamped your name all over those whom you have criticized and condemned.

From the son of God consciousness, it is only one step up to creator consciousness in the fourth dimension of invisible substance. From the doing stage, you reach the becoming stage.

Declare, "I accept that all my creations are now good. I accept all responsibility. Above all, I accept that comprehension is becoming law and giving my great gift of self to God, all in the fourth dimensional realm."

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I Agree in Time

Edna Lister transcript; July 1, 1951, Buffalo, New York. Edna Bender, scribe. Matthew 5:21-26

No one can understand the Bible without knowing and comprehending its code of Light. Biblical revelation is a key to humanity's search for soul growth. The Sermon on the Mount holds the soul mysteries, but the code is difficult to decipher.

We use logic, reason, discrimination, discernment and discretion to rearrange and unfold the steps, to learn how to become a servant of all Power. The ancient schools veiled the mysteries because if they were as obvious as A, B, C, those who consorted with darkness would have burst the universe asunder with their misuse of Power.

So, the ancients deliberately made it hard to read the Bible's code of Light. You must discover, then comprehend this code for soul growth.

The Sermon on the Mount is our textbook of life. It covers every angle of human relationship, and the living soul's ascent in three definite stages of development from creature to creator.

The world's creatures believe in the natural "law of the jungle," self-preservation and self-defense, and show fear instinctively. They ignore "you shall not murder," and kill for the lust of destruction.

The devastation would continue wholesale if divine law provided no repayment. Since the creature consciousness must learn a good hearty fear of retribution, law's reciprocal judgment is harsh. One who judges another unjustly draws harsh judgment to himself.

"But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." – Matthew 5:22. In the son of man stage, one believes he has a just cause for his anger, which he calls "righteous judgment." However, he is usually self-righteous.

Anger is a killer, which slashes the aura, attacks the weakest physical point of its target, creates the climate for disease, and the body may die. Anger kills positive virtues, such as hope and love, and is a perfect way of slowly destroying you.

“If you indulge self once, you will indulge self often.”

In the son of God stage, you know the higher law of action and reaction, of cause and effect: If you indulge self once, you will indulge self often, including slander, gossip and hate. You do not dare to point a finger, or hold scorn or contempt for others, knowing you will meet "hell fire" in initiations.

Hebrew law unfolds the stated commandments, and we can use this code to unfold and analyze the word "Hell":

H represents a ladder of Light that represents angels at your elbows, crutches you use, legs you stand on, and the rungs you climb.

E represents creative Mother Love on earth, God's nurturing Power expressing as you to nourish and sustain.

L represents the Via Christa, the Way of Christ, the path you tread and initiations you take consciously or unconsciously.

L is also the heavenly glory and Light of God's Power that descends and moves through you for Ascension.

Symbolically, "Hell fire" is God's divine fire moving through you for ascension, and what a comfort it is to know that you have a higher place to go. You can never ascend as a creator unless you burn away the little self.

What a long step you must take to become a son or daughter of God, from irresponsibility to realizing that what you send out returns sevenfold as cause and effect. You must sacrifice "little me" and eat your idle words.

The creature "believes" and "tries" just enough to "get away with it." He "tries" to love his enemies, "tries" to conquer self, but cannot stand the heat in the kitchen. The son of man's "knowing" comprehension never depends on hindsight. You may not know everything, but you trust that God does.

You integrate and ascend from belief to comprehension in five stages: — you hear about truth, talk about truth, think about truth, begin to do what truth requires, and from doing, you become truth. you cannot reach truth without these five steps, and no one can be truth without doing truth.

As a "do-er," the creator agrees with God and adjusts to man without arguing, because he does not need to. As a creator, you enter the invisible fourth dimension to live by the Oversoul's laws, which bring greater health, wealth and security.

Most people are still in the "I'll try" Neophyte state between thinking about truth and being truth. You "try" and fumble blindly until you realize that this means you. You begin "doing" when you ask "Why doesn't the law work for me?"

Jesus said, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." – Matthew 5:23-24.

What better gift can you lay on the altar than your little self? What else can you give? You must sacrifice the little self, not just "believe" and "try." Give God your gift of self while you cover others' transgressions with Light. You forget to take advantage of others, or of a situation. You begin to lift your enemies into the Light, saying, "I accept that this has come into my life. I find my lost soul substance within this."

God adds as much purified soul substance as you have redeemed, as you lift and declare it good and very good. He reinvests it in you as a gift with 100 percent interest.

"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." – Matthew 5:25-26. Who is this adversary, this judge, this officer? What is this prison?

You invest soul substance when you raise your voice in anger, criticize or ridicule yourself or others. The doers of darkness use your negative expressions.

At last you see that the petty little self is your only adversary, which can squander soul substance until it becomes a dweller on the threshold of consciousness, an aggregate of opinions, prejudices, the evils the self creates in its misuse of soul substance and law.

You lose your place by misuse and must start again to learn, apply and practice law to stay on the path. "I accept. I agree and have no living adversary. At last I act with Power using me as its servant."

"I'll try" holds out on God. You are "trying" to ascend, but still reserving the so-called right to hatred or anger until you learn the danger of hell fire in name-calling: You stamp your name in black with every ugly epithet you call another, and create darkness.

Nothing lies between blessing and cursing. Law recognizes no difference between cursing a country, or a man. You invest soul substance in what you condemn. In an extreme case, you could lose your body by criticizing your worst favorites, who can live on your soul substance. You give them a chunk of you, opinion by opinion, until you have nothing left.

The creature lives by urges, eating, sleeping and mating, and "kills" what gets in his way. Conscience is the "judge." The first step up is when conscience rolls over and yawns.

We cannot predict when conscience will awaken, for God judges when the creature has earned the first portion of a living soul, which consists of the same universal substance as a rose. God names and numbers the universal substance He used as He bestows the living soul.

The selfish creature aspires with the soul's first touch, breathes in the soul and is inspired by it. Conscience begins to stir with the first inspiration, and aspiration prompts the soul to begin the long travail of Ascension.

As the living soul descends to awaken dormant brain cells, the "officer" of soul conscience arouses remorse and delivers you to the prison of regret, which is repenting quietly and alone, after remorse and grief make "little me" sorry. The soul takes charge and begins "trying," which is an act of growth here.

When the creature hears about law, conscience awakens a sense of remorse, and an albatross of guilt plagues him. One who rehashes his guilt is unconsciously remorseful, and begins doing when he tires of chewing the cud.

The desire to do is the third step. You must accept that you will someday become as perfect as your Father in heaven, and pretense is not enough. Trickery may give you something for nothing temporarily, but works in reverse over the long haul.

Keep trying between the stages of blind faith and belief, and when you have tried long enough, it becomes an act of faith. Faith and knowing must become one.

You take many initiations to cleanse "little me" during the struggle from belief to faith, from trying to doing. The creature easily looks down the nose at family and the world.

The son of man must accept that he must strive continually to become perfect as his Father in heaven, or he regresses, even to the creature stage. No matter how high you climb, you can always slide down the greased pole of self.

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." – Matthew 6:33. God is drawing our planet to the heart-fires of His Love and you cannot "wait until later" to be good. Ascend to the fourth dimensional step and make room for your angelic Oversoul, which descends and lifts you into the creator state.

Creator comprehension is the fourth dimension of all Power and Love, where you move from doing into becoming. The creator bridges the abyss of self and enters the realm of the miraculous.

Healing is the descent of the living soul, which happens when you direct enough Light, as atomic energy, into the dross to burn out the dark place that spews it.

God cannot heal anyone until his darkness surfaces. He becomes conscious for a time and ascends, though the healing may last only temporarily, until he accepts that "Physician, heal thyself" – Luke 4:23, means him.

So often we fail to take time to ascend into the Light, which is taking time to become a creator. Creatures and the sons of man do not know how to ask for this, yet we, as creators-in-training, can seek people to help. When you ascend to the fourth dimension, you have learned the glory of agreeing to be a creator.

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Rewards for Service

Edna Lister outline, July 15, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio; July 8, 1951. Ephesians 6:13-20

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." – Ephesians 6:13-20.

This text says that we must put on the whole armor of God, not one-half, one-fourth or 90 percent, but all of it. You do so in six steps. The first step in protection is to "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." – Ephesians 6:14. You must gird your loins and surrender to be the servant of the full Power of God.

"And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." – Matthew 20:27. Your surrender must be complete as you stand still and know principle.

Your second step is to put on the breastplate of righteousness, which has twelve stones that refract twelve light rays. When you pray, white Light moves through the chromatic scale of the color rays, and the needed ray shines forth for healing.

To succeed, you must "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness." – Matthew 6:33.

The third step is having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. As a peacemaker, you become a pacemaker, setting the ascension pace.

"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him." – Matthew 5:25. To make peace, you must give, give, give of understanding, sympathy and compassion.

The fourth step is using the shield of truth. "What is that to thee? Follow thou me." – John 21:22. Recognize the darkness only to lift it, without making judgments. When you are judgmental, you put on a "robe of death."

The fifth step is wearing the helmet of salvation. The helmet protects your soul faculties of intuition and illumination.

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." – 1 Thessalonians 5:22. Avoid speaking even one word that could betray your soul, make your path dark, or break vows. You are not asked to call the garbage itself good, but to declare it good for gathering to burn and eliminate.

The sixth step is raising the sword of Spirit. You grasp the sword after hearing truth, after "girding up" your loins.

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." – Romans 13:10. As Jesus commanded, love your enemies and your neighbor as you love your self.

You wear no armor between the first and sixth steps, between girding your loins and lifting your sword. You cannot move sideways, forward or backward. You just ascend in consciousness, into that timeless, infinite place of now.

Now you are an ambassador in bonds, in the palace of love. Because you have sought the kingdom, "all things else are added."

As God's loving servant, you find it easy to agree, to love, and to mind your own business. Thus, you stand perfectly armored, in complete, surrendered, unconquerable faith.

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Rewards for Service

Edna Lister transcript, July 15, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Ruth Johnson, scribe. Ephesians 6:12-20

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." – Ephesians 6:12-20.

These verses tell you not to rest yourself to death. "Having done all" means 100 percent, not 90, 50 or 25 percent. Weep if you must, but weep up to God. Ascend to the "high place" in consciousness before you put on your armor, or you might fail to cover some part of you that needs healing.

You put on the protective armor of God in six creative steps. First, you gird your loins, which hold the sacrum, splenic and the navel centers, below the heart. The "land of Egypt," the place of "darkness for three days," is the body's heaviest portion, which is why you veil and cover it.

No entity can possess a person from the crown of the head, the soul's mode of ingress and egress, even God cannot. How you exercise your God-given gift of free choice determines what can possess you at the navel.

Three sets of groin muscles hold the abdomen in place. Gird your loins with truth, your protection, breathe deeply to uplift the muscles, and become an ascending creator walking earth in a godly way, as though you owned earth. Truth is Light, the Power and glory of the living God.

"And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." – Matthew 20:27. He who would be the greatest before God in Power, love, joy and wealth must surrender to become the servant of all Power. However, this does not mean you should be a doormat.

You wear the glorious breastplate of righteousness over the electronic fire body heart center, so its twelve stones protect you. Declare, "This is good" first, not the worldly retort, "I called it good after I remembered truth."

Light pours through the breastplate in twelve healing rays when you declare it good. You need not know which jewel flashes Light to heal, since the whole process is automatic once you declare it good.

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness." – Matthew 6:33, for God has a direct line of Light to you. No matter what happens, stand quietly and know that God's hand is on that line.

The feet represent understanding and you must protect them with soul virtues. "Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace" means that you live by the great law of peace, Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him. – Matthew 5:25.

A peacemaker is a pacemaker, who gives, gives, gives of understanding, compassion, graciousness, loveliness, tenderness, mercy, love, and all other virtues and soul glories.

You push against 14.7 pounds per square inch of air pressure with every step you take. Unconquerable faith, a shield of Light, goes on your left arm, the spiritual side, to meet all resistance, while you remember the law, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me." – John 21:22.

You can conquer self only through your soul's burning desire spontaneously welling up. If you use force once to meet resistance, you must use it again. Recognize darkness and negativity only to lift, without making unrighteous judgments. The head is your golden bowl. You can live without your arms or legs, but not without your head. The helmet of salvation protects your thoughts, the "high place" of the mysteries. God bestows your credits as intuition and illumination when you love Him and magnify His name.

The law is to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." – 1 Thessalonians 5:22, which includes avoiding idle words that would cause you to break your vows. No one asks you to call the garbage another spews good, but to gather and dispose of it. Call the other fellow "good," because his mess is good to lift.

"The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" is the sword of supreme love, for love fulfills the law. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." – Romans 13:10.

First, love your neighbor as you love yourself, which is living by graciousness, loveliness, tenderness, mercy and compassion to attain soul freedom. Then only can you love your enemy as you love your self.

Finally, your sword's brilliance is so great that you cannot see or even consider darkness since you have entered the dimension of love and Light that transcends time and space. Love moves through your ears, eyes, your whole being to pay the greatest dividends.

In reality, you only need to take steps one and six, girding your loins and picking up your sword of Light for the rest of your armor to fall into place. Yet to do so, you cannot move sideways, forward or back, but up into that timeless, limitless place in the now.

To surrender to the heavenly fire of faith unconquerable holds you as an "ambassador in bonds," and anchors you so closely to Light that glory floods your soul. You find it easy to forget self, to agree, to love, to see only beauty, to mind your own business, being "simple minded" to darkness. Dwell in love, fully armored, declaring the world and all in it "good" and "very good." Speak the Word to heal.

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Secrets of the Hidden Mother

Edna Lister outline; July 22, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Matthew 12:38-45, Matthew 13:31-33

"Another parable he put forth to them: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. Another parable he spoke to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." – Matthew 13:31-33.

During the Medieval era, women were held as chattel goods and believed to have no soul. The Bible contains no reference to the hidden mother, yet many manuscripts have gone missing and some are reported to have been burned. Roman Catholicism replaced the hidden Mother with Mary, the Mother of God.

The original Emanations of Light include the Mother. The Father represents Wisdom and the Godhead's masculine aspect. The Mother represents Love and the feminine aspect of God. The Holy Ghost, the Son, is the third Emanation of Light.

The three phases of life come from the Emanations: The Father of Wisdom thinks and plans all forms. The Mother of Love nourishes and sustains all Creation with substance. The Son, as the Holy Ghost is the vitalizing current of energy. You cannot grow spiritually unless you are filled with the Breath of God.

The parable of the mustard seed illustrates Wisdom's aggressive nature. It swells and fills space, as the masculine Mind aspect of God holds the ideas, and thinks the plans into form. Yet, without the nurturing Mother, it cannot grow.

The parable of the leaven illustrates the hidden Mother principle, which is pervasive, permeating and penetrating. Love works in silence to nourish and sustain all form. It needs more room for growth since it causes Wisdom to expand.

Love is always brooding and yearning toward the Source of All Life. Love causes an increase, as exemplified by a mother, who works tirelessly to provide for her children.

The original idea, plan and mold for the form determine all final creations. A rose is a rose, an onion is an onion.

A creature's plan tends to darkness, a creator's plan to Light. You must dare to do, but first, you must be. Take time to be gracious, lovely, tender and beautiful to use the now perfectly.

The quality of your effort will earn the mountaintop of soul victory. Zero effort will anchor you to the bottom. You gain the height by devoted effort, in stages, while keeping your eye single-focused. When you lay up your treasures in heaven, nothing can take them or destroy them. God then gives you all the "added things."

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Secrets of the Hidden Mother

Edna Lister transcript, July 22, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Ruth Johnson, scribe. Matthew 13:31-33

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." – Matthew 13:31-33.

Women were chattel goods in the ancient world, literally owned by their spouses or the men in their families. As late as the 15th Century, theology did not credit women with having souls. They remained hidden in the kitchen since men would not permit them to sit at the table, and they ate after men at meals. Other women ostracized those who were brazen enough to eat with men.

Getting the vote did not emancipate women, but inventions and appliances, such as sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers and dryers did.

Modern science was born in medieval alchemical laboratories. Science's parents were man's lust for power and wealth. Greed liberated women just as the industrial revolution's machinery, tractors, reapers and hay bailers liberated peasants: Automation freed the working poor. Thus, science and technology have emancipated the hidden Mother.

God created by Emanation, the act of breathing, inhaling and exhaling as an explosion. Everything in Creation was manifested from that first breath, which framed the foundation of principle as Wisdom, Love and the Logos.

The first Emanation was Wisdom, the Father principle of Mind, which contains the potential for cosmic consciousness. The second Emanation, Love, contains the hidden Mother's potential for creativity. Love is subjective within the Wisdom principle, objective when emanating as Love-Substance.

The third Emanation, the Logos, carries the first two Emanations hidden within it. As the Christ principle of the Son, God's Power objectively energizes the Word as glory. By the power of your Word, you create, gloriously or ingloriously.

"God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." – Genesis 1:27. The Androgynous Beings became male and female when the Watcher gods separated them. The memory of these Holy Pairs is the basis for the belief that you need a soul mate to return to heaven. You do not need anyone else to return to God, for you can express completion.

We all have Love and Wisdom, the Father and Mother, hidden within us. Intellect, which functions through the masculine pineal body, can conceal the Mother Love ray during an earth life, so that the individual expresses Wisdom as opinion and prejudice.

You must reconcile these terms when you breathe the Holy Breath, just as God differentiated them for Creation. God breathed from the macrocosm and emanated the Father, Mother and Son creative substance of the Holy Breath. Thus, the microcosm breathes the pure essence of God.

How do you exhale this pure essence to create? The breath you inhale is pure substance, but your outgoing breath and words are how you use that substance. Substance does not remain pure when you color it with negativity. Breathe and ascend to break a habit. Breathe deeply when you catch your self sighing, and lift.

This text contains the two shortest parables in just three verses, 31-33, which relate to initiations you take in the Temple of the Sun at night, the final steps of the 33 Degrees of consuming heat.

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." – Matthew 13:31-32.

Mustard is among the tiniest of seeds, yet mustard trees grow to six feet in the Middle East, which is huge for a desert climate. It epitomizes the most aggressive power in the universe that swells to accomplish the plan that the seed contains.

Wisdom thinks and plans form. A mustard seed grows into a tree because it has only one plan and one pattern for form. The plan for its path is clean cut, with no deviation. It can become only a mustard tree, not an onion or a rose. The analogy is clear: A plan-seed that falls on rock cannot develop into anything. Without the Mother's loving nourishment, it cannot grow.

"Another parable spake he unto them; the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." – Matthew 13:33.

Leaven illustrates the Love principle's permeating, penetrating power, which never stops pushing to complete itself. The self-will can accomplish nothing alone, so you must add the leaven of Love that permeates, penetrates, lightens and expands.

Unless Love, the hidden Mother, permeates your plan, you have dough without yeast, heavy, hard and useless. Leavening love nourishes and sustains like yeast in bread. You add physical, mental and spiritual measures of love to leaven your plan and life.

Love is the hidden principle behind all inventions. Every inventor must love his plan into manifestation. The Mother principle moves everything. Aggressive wisdom holds form, but creative love nourishes, sustains and brings it to fruition. Love is always behind wisdom's work.

The Mother is invisible, even in heaven, for the Father veils her in secrecy. Her mysteries contain the secrets of creation and permeation, which the mystics have hidden from the world; otherwise, evil would have continued unabated forever.

You conquer by absorbing all so-called enemies in love. Only love's power, hidden in the aroused creative fire, could make you love your enemies so much that you no longer consider them enemies.

You do not learn from those you love, but you can ascend on the enemy's opposition. Your mothering love reaches into the eternal Breath of God and sends it to him who considers himself your enemy.

A little leaven can permeate an entire barrel of meal. The leaven you breathe from the eternal Holy Breath permeates an enemy just as successfully as when God breathes at the Source.

When you breathe on the darkness, God rewards you by cleansing and filling the needy one with the original Holy Breath. He gathers all who have a similar illness and stamps them with Wisdom's name and number. The vibration circles the world, gathers substance and forms the mold Wisdom has planned.

Your every breath expands your aura with Light as potential divine Oversoul I AM consciousness, and you send it out, permeated with the mothering love ray, as an explosion from your aura. You step from creature to creator, and your spoken Word stands fast.

Your aura is dragging if nothing happens when you speak the Word. Why drag your aura along for others to stumble over when you need only to inhale and exhale consciously, remembering that the Mother's potential will cleanse as consuming fire? The Father's potential fills the world to overflowing, as the process of miracles.

The hidden Mother's Love permeates the Son's Selflessness, and carries his energy to enliven new creations. The Son causes the Father's plan to become visible by churning the Mother's Substance into visibility on your spoken Word, exactly as churning whole milk produces butter.

The creative Mother is visible as bread, ready to eat. Yet you must work for the leaven, the Light-as-cosmic rays, which is useless unless the Light as Wisdom, Love and Energy is present as your perfect miracle. The Light as the Emanations is present as inseparable Mind, Substance and Power when you breathe from all three rays consciously.

The hidden Mother must appear in this age. You must dare to do and to be Love's expression. Take time to be gracious, lovely, tender and beautiful, which is a perfect use of the now.

Let Wisdom express as determination of Mind to hold its original form. Let the Mother of Love nourish and sustain these creations with Substance, and hold them in their original molds. Let the Son of all Energy and Power vitalize and quicken them, bringing Mother Love into operation. The hidden Mother is the Creator in selfless action.

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The Flaming Sword

Edna Lister outline; July 29, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Genesis 3:24, Philippians 4:4-20, Hebrews 11:1-11, Hebrews 11:29-35

"He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the Tree of Life." – Genesis 3:24.

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonika ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." – Philippians 4:4-20.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away [translated] so that he did not see death; 'and was not found, because God had taken him': for before he was taken, he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a reader of those that diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he should receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised." – Hebrews 11:1-11.

"By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection." – Hebrews 11:29-35.

At the gate to every earthly paradise, you one day find an angel with a flaming sword barring your way. You cannot return to any former paradise because everything temporal is subject to change.

From Abel to the walls of Jericho, from Jesus changing water into wine to his Ascension, the stories all have the steadfastness of faith in common. The early stories dealt with physical survival. The stories surrounding Jesus all deal with soul ascension.

When you compare Jesus' miracles (after he changed water into wine, increased the bread and fishes, healed the woman who touched the hem of his garment, and Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead after three days) with the walls of Jericho, you see the results of an active faith. Nothing about unconquerable faith is passive.

Faith's activity is composed of seeking, searching for and finding a power that saves. Second, you must have faith in, devotion to and worship of this Power.

Faith's all-active Power causes growth of consciousness, expansion of horizons and ascension of soul. It returns all your lost paradises. You outgrow the things and people you love most, except when that person or thing grows with you.

Inevitably, an angel with a flaming sword stands behind you, barring the way. You cannot return to your former state. His sword's fire sears and burns your self-pity when you seek to reenter a lost paradise.

The old paradise was not wrong, but outworn, like a chick's cast off shell. It was good and served its purpose, but why weep because it is now inactive?

Each angel with a flaming sword means that more Power can move through you for greater creations. Passivity repels, but activity attracts substance.

Faith becomes an act of love under the principle of love. When faith is active, law moves to fulfill and uphold any decree of unconquerable faith, according to the quality of love behind it.

Ample untouched and unused substance is waiting for you to stamp it for your prayer molds. You need only to speak the Word.

When your faith is active, the nerve endings in your brain become tiny flames, fired from above. A halo is your antenna of contact that you open in activity, to seek, search and find a new paradise.

You give God our unconscious faith, devotion, praise and worship. Your flaming desire and vivid imagination work together, and your paradise grows and expands. Ascend and welcome the flaming sword that drives you upward and onward into God's glory.

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The Flaming Sword

Edna Lister transcript; July 29, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Ruth Johnson, scribe. Genesis 3:24, Philippians 4:4-20, Hebrews 11:1-11, Hebrews 11:29-35.

"He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the Tree of Life." – Genesis 3:24.

A thread of the steadfastness of faith runs through the Bible's miracle stories. Those who make decrees of faith and stand on them, have their miracles. The miracle's completeness conforms to the quality and steadfastness of your faith.

A miracle decreed thirty years ago can come to pass now as completely as one you decreed three days ago, but why wait thirty years for a miracle you can have today?

When you need a miracle, read Hebrews 11, which builds faith and forms the bulwark of faith's power behind anyone who seeks help. It has the same effect in your life as tuning your radio dial to a higher frequency station.

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled seven days." – Hebrews 11:30. Israel's simple objective was to obtain water in a desert land. Jericho's unscalable walls epitomize the outstanding common denominator of all miracles.

The Hebrews had no armament to use, but they had God and their trumpets. God told them to march around the walls once a day for six days, and on the seventh day to circle the wall seven times then blow their trumpets.

To get that many people working together for seven days without looking to the past once is a supreme miracle. We would have world peace if we talked of nothing but good and peace for seven days, but each who speaks must mean it.

Perhaps you would like to have miracles to fall into your lap by praying without acting, but faith is divine activity, not passivity. Steadfast God-consciousness and constant prayer are the activities that back a miracle.

You can combine steadfastness and unconquerable faith in a simple three-fold approach — to seek, to search and to find.

You must seek first the kingdom of God. You have experienced looking for an object that was right before your eyes. Yet it remains invisible if you wear the blinders of self, which delude vision.

See past the illusion of tragic appearances: For instance, declaring the divine justice of God can avert injustice in a legal case. Then you must search for truth, which can be intellectual or spiritual because God is both personality and principle.

A purely intellectual approach to God as Wisdom's principle, minus the Love of personality, is as cold as a dead fish. Yet the emotional type, who runs around spouting love, love, love, nauseates the intellectual type. You need a combined approach of both personality and principle if you are to put on the whole armor of God.

Finding the kingdom of truth involves growth of consciousness as you search, expand your horizons and ascend. What you find is God's beauty, and the angel with a flaming sword, who guards the gate of your lost paradise.

God gives each soul free choice: You must choose. Every chick must break its shell to live, and once broken, it cannot return to the shell. God has made it impossible to return to your lost paradise, filled with earthly things. Your old methods seem trite and worn when you outgrow them, yet you never lament that you have lost your interest in rag dolls and slingshots.

Your loved ones usually do not join you immediately as you enter your new paradise of I AM consciousness. Yet law permits no excuse for contempt or forcing them, for you may not push into high gear someone used to going on low.

When Jesus met the angel with the flaming sword, he said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." – John 12:32. Beware of thinking this a simple law, which betrays profound spiritual ignorance.

Unconquerable faith becomes the balance of divine Wisdom and Love that draws everything to it to lift. God can fulfill your declarations, and law will manifest whatever you decree, according to the quality of your love, pure or tainted by self.

"I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel." – Isaiah 45:3. God reveals the hidden riches of secret places and treasures of darkness according to your faith in His Light and glory.

Praise and worship God, who promises that you will reach your goal, if you stand in steadfast devotion to Oversoul I AM consciousness. Feed the flame that is burning under your heart's desire, and use imagination to portray your glorious goals twenty-four hours a day.

Finally, you stand regardless of circumstances. Stop blaming others for not coming with you, because if desire lifts you, those who are destined to come with you will arise at the right time.

You are facing the supreme glory, so be happy. As you act in conscious faith, your love of God impels the laws of the universe to back your decrees.

Some new paradise is always beckoning you on the Path of Ascension, so rejoice when you meet the angel with the flaming sword. He has the power to call forth the flame of desire that God has implanted in your living soul, which is as steady as an eagle's desire to soar.

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Secrets of the Hidden Mother

Edna Lister transcript; October 15, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Ruth Johnson, scribe. Matthew 13:31-33

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." – Matthew 13:31-33.

At the Creation, the first Emanation is Wisdom, the great foundation principle of reality, the masculine aspect of God as the Father. The second Emanation is the Mother, the feminine Love principle. Love, which contains all potentialities of God the Mother, became the objective principle emanating.

The third Emanation of the Christ principle, the Son, is the energizing Power of God. The Son is the red ray, which we call the Lamb of God. The Son became the objective glory of the Christ principle, encasing both the Father and Mother within itself.

The first two chapters of Genesis tell the story of the creation of humanity. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." – Genesis 1:27. You do not need anyone else to return to God, for you can express completion. Intellect will hide the Mother, who is concealed within the Love ray.

The pineal body functions through the masculine rate of vibration. All these terms refer to you when you draw in and send forth, as God did. God breathed, inhaled from the macrocosm and sent forth creative substance as the Father, Mother and Son, the substance of the Holy Ghost.

The microcosm breathes the pure essence of God. As a part of the microcosm, you inhale the Holy Breath. How do you exhale it to create? Your own negativity colors it, or it goes forth in purity.

The mustard seed, the tiniest of all seeds, epitomizes the universe's most aggressive power, which accomplishes the life plan and pattern the seed itself contains, without force. Wisdom thinks then plans the form within itself, making both plan and form. The mustard seed has only one plan and form; it can become only a mustard tree.

Leaven is permeating and penetrating, the aggressiveness of wisdom pushing to complete itself. You can use a plan without seeing results if you are using thinking and seeing without adding the leaven of love.

Love is the hidden mother, which operates in you through the pituitary gland. Unless love permeates your plan, it remains dough without yeast. Leavening is love that nourishes and sustains like yeast in bread. We have three measures: physical, mental and spiritual.

Always leaven your plans with love. An inventor loves his plan into manifestation. The Mother principle moves everything. Love is the secret contained only in the Mother, and it must be hidden from the world's misuse. You never see the Mother in heaven, for the Father veils her in secret.

Your so-called enemies can evoke the power of the hidden Mother, the creative fire, from within you. Only those who resist you can help you to ascend. You do not learn from those who love you, but from those who make themselves enemies. You conquer through absorbing these self-styled enemies in Love's Mother ray.

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Forgiveness: The Path of Glory

Edna Lister outline; October 21, 1951, Buffalo, New York, September 25, 1955. Luke 17:1-4, 2 Samuel, chapters 11-12

"Then he said to the disciples, It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him." – Luke 17:1-4.

Jesus says that offenses will come because people have dispositions, opinions and prejudices. Most people are unforgiving if you disagree with their "little me."

It is better that a millstone is hung around your neck than that you offend because you, as a member of the Elect, are supposed to surrender and sacrifice self to be the servant of all Power, not to exercise self.

Every time you offend, you pay a double debt. The debt is charged both ways. You pay for making the offense, for taking offense, and for pushing the other fellow down when you dare to rebuke him.

Law forgives you when you no longer offend, criticize, condemn, feel glad to rebuke or to catch another at fault. Your forgiveness is complete when you never charge a debt of blame to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

The story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11, 12) is one of law and pure justice. Nathan, the prophet, represents the rigor of law. David had grown up in love with all things. He saw his God everywhere.

As king, he wed, but was locked in a loveless marriage of state. He fell in love with Bathsheba instantly when he saw her. He completely surrendered to his love, and nothing else mattered.

Yet David's love had three phases. First, he had a boyish love for all nature, animals and living things. Second, he had mating love and gave everything for it. Third, he loved enough to give his life for another.

Offenses will come, but you pay no attention to them. You tie a millstone to your own neck when you push a brother down, and create a double debt to pay yourself.

If you rebuke your brother, do so with Light, not blame. You have no excuse for using anything but Light. Let the Light do your rebuking. A rebuke is a warning. To inform another of his offense teaches law, but you must assume all responsibility if you offend him.

Most important, you must forgive the offender and yourself. Forgive yourself for the resentment, anger or hatred you may feel and for any element of self in your tone of voice as you rebuke.

God forgives you always, so who are you to withhold in your turn? You must forgive seven times in a day and for as long as it takes for the adversary and you to be healed. You are healed when you have no more enemies, no more debts or darkness. When your triumphant soul is finally glorious and free, you stand tall. Life is wonderful and exciting.

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Forgiveness: The Path of Glory

Edna Lister transcript; October 21, 1951, Buffalo, New York. Edna Bender, scribe. Luke 17:1-4, 2 Samuel, chapters 11-12

If they took the Bible from us, these four verses contain the essence of soul ascension's four phases. Each is an immutable law.

"It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come." – Luke 17:1. Jesus says that offenses undoubtedly will come, and they do come every day through people, their dispositions, opinions and prejudices.

Since as many paths back to God exists as people on earth, everyone has an opinion about which is the right one. It's surprising how unforgiving people can be when you refuse to agree with their "little me."

Every member of a family is different in disposition, and desires for the self and of the soul. We are all alike in some basic ways, of course. We must breathe, eat, sleep and obey law. We all agree that love exists, and knowledge is something we can gain.

We do not differ on the basics, but in our interpretations and applications of what we believe. For example, most people want a car, a home, a family, but they may disagree on what model car to own, the neighborhood to live in.

Arguments about protocol have divided empires, and personal quarrels begin about small things, like what is selfish. Logically, you know that you cannot change anyone's disposition by force or by issuing orders. So you must face these facts and apply further logic, reason, discrimination, discretion and discernment.

Consider the pettiness of differences in opinion and prejudices, then remember that pure love cannot even see offenses. "If I am lifted into the Realm of Love, I draw all people after me. If I am lifted above offenses, I will lift all others with me."

People run out of ammunition when joy lifts you out of their firing range. You leave them wandering without a target when you lift in joy. Make yourself good, and God will make you happy.

"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." – Luke 17:2. The second law that Jesus taught is, do not offend another. Conquer your disposition, which is nothing more than letting yourself miss the mark emotionally. Disposition, under vows to obey such laws as "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." – Matthew 5:48, offends those whom you love most.

“A servant of Light cleans up all the darkness without quibbling
about whose responsibility it is.”

You hang a millstone around your neck when you make vows and pay them with more offensive mistakes, so lift, ascend, and be the surrendered servant of all Power. Most offenses charge double debts of mistake and blame, which are charged both ways. A servant of Light cleans up all the darkness without quibbling about whose responsibility it is.

A millstone is a great weight, used for grinding, and this sounds fearsome, destructive. Any misuse of Mind, Power or Substance causes a grinding between the "upper and nether millstones of the gods." The upper stone is principle or law, and the lower stone is the individual's subconscious misuse of knowledge. Woe unto the one who knows the truth and misuses the knowledge.

The "sea" illustrates the ocean of your own emotional condemnations. Offenses can spoil an entire life. At times, leaving your body is better than squandering your soul substance in offenses, or charging debts of blame that you must pay. Some people commit suicide to get a "fresh start," yet end with the whole debt payable now.

Any person who knows little or nothing about truth is a "little one," as is anyone whom you offend, then charge with a debt of blame because you fail to see the need to correct your offensive ways.

When you recognize that you are offensive on any account, you are supposed to give it up, to surrender your taint. Otherwise, you not only charge a debt of blame to your own account, but also push the "little one" down.

"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him." – Luke 17:3. The third law inferred in this text is, you become extremely offensive if you rebuke someone who offends you.

You may dare to rebuke another only when you no longer offend, criticize, condemn or are glad to rebuke, to catch the other fellow in the act, and never ever charge a debt of blame to anyone, anywhere, anytime. You must rebuke yourself and take no offense, even if another intended it. Taking offense to self puts up an umbrella to Light. Release greater love with the rebuke, if necessary until you do not even notice an offense.

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." – John 8:7. You must integrate all laws to see the truth clearly. The safe way to rebuke is to let Light do its own rebuking, if only to ensure that you will not need to eat your own words later.

Repentance means "I'm sorry," to reform, to promise to do better. "I'll try" always indicates that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The soul makes high vows, but the self is weak. Repentance really means to return to the high place of Oversoul.

"If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him." – Luke 17:4. The fourth law says that forgiveness is the supreme fulfillment of law, because it gives love for the offense. Jesus instructed Peter to forgive "seventy times seven times."

So, you must pour out love 490 times upon whomever or whatever has caused the problem, until love completely heals it, and you are strong enough to pay your soul vows. If someone offends or rebukes you, forgive him as often as necessary, without being asked.

"You owe me an apology" charges a debt of blame to the offender and offended. Make yourself good, choose the good, let go and let God. God pays no attention to the ugliness in peoples' minds, and nothing is too black for a soul to repent and return to God.

You must repent and forgive, placing no blame, not even upon yourself. Rebuke the offender by letting the Light shine. Repent by reforming your imagination, thinking and desires.

Forgive everything and everyone, yourself most of all, which leaves the soul triumphant, glorious and free to live a life that is then exciting, thrilling and wonderful. Lift everyone into glory, which is forgiveness, and forgiveness is the path of glory.

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Prove Me Now

Edna Lister outline; October 28, 1951, Buffalo, New York; November 18, 1951. Luke 8:40-56, Malachi 3:10

"And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him. And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done." – Luke 8:40-56

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." – Malachi 3:10.

On a crowded street of Capernaum, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue there, begged Jesus to heal his young daughter, who lay near death. In the midst of the crowd was a woman who had suffered an issue of blood for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but they had never been able to help her.

She came up behind him, touched his garment and was healed immediately. Jesus said, "Who touched me? I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." She confessed and he said, "Daughter, be of good comfort, your faith hath made you whole."

Then a servant came from Jarius' house, saying, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Master." Jesus said to him, "Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole."

When they arrived at Jairus' house, everyone was mourning. Jesus said, "Weep not; she is not dead, but sleeps." They laughed him to scorn because they knew better. He evicted the scoffers and took her by the hand, saying, "Maid arise!"

What did the woman in the crowd and Jesus have in common? They shared conscious, unconquerable faith. Everyone has unconscious faith, which is the "substance of things hoped for." The woman in the crowd had faith that she would be healed if she only touched Jesus' robe. She trusted the Power that she knew was flowing through him.

Jarius' faith was different. He knew Jesus could heal his daughter if he came to her bedside. He had faith in Jesus, the man. Jesus must have known the child was dead, but he loitered on the way, as he did with Lazarus. He used this opportunity as a proof of Power's ability to do anything, even to bring the lifeless back from the dead.

It matters not whether you are dealing with one cell or the trillions of cells that compose your body, you can speak the Word and release enough Power to heal them all, instantly. The price for this miraculous ability is standing in unconquerable, conscious faith.

You breathe atomic energy unconsciously. Atomic energy is matter in an unconscious state, static, indifferent, lukewarm matter that does nothing.

You add consciousness to cause divine activity. The "call" for the release of Power is to prove that Spirit is active, able and willing. Atomic energy burns out the dross until no weakness or lack of strength remains. Light as Power remakes each cell, vital and renewed.

Yet even this is not enough to heal a static state, it takes something more. For example, a boy went for a morning walk and saw a caterpillar, inching along. He asked, "Don't you get tired of walking so slowly?"

"No," replied the caterpillar, "I like to walk." The boy went on, still troubled about the caterpillar's slowness, because the caterpillar was so little.

The boy returned to the caterpillar and asked, "Are you happy?" The caterpillar replied, "Yes." Then the boy asked, "Where are you going?" The caterpillar said, "I am going to my wings." That caterpillar exemplifies steadfast and determined faith.

Another example is this — a little five-year-old girl was in the house when a visiting doctor told her parents that her baby brother was so ill that only a miracle could save him. They lived in a very poor district and could never afford the surgery.

The child emptied her bank and took her few coins to the drug store. She put her pennies, nickels and dimes on the counter, saying, "Please, I want to buy a miracle."

The druggist did not understand her request, but a man, who had come in asking for directions, was standing nearby. He leaned down and asked her why she needed a miracle. She told him all about her baby brother and what the doctor had said.

This man just happened to be a famous surgeon who was traveling through town. Intrigued, he investigated further, and a day later performed the operation that saved a little boy's life and answered a child's prayer.

The little girl who wanted to buy a miracle was too young to understand that you cannot buy a miracle with small change. The price of a miracle is unconquerable faith, the same kind of faith as woman in the crowd. The little girl is the modern example of love's faith for another, as Jairus had for his daughter.

Love's unconquerable faith evokes such responses as, "Maid, arise! Lazarus, come forth! Be thou healed!" Like the woman in the crowd who touched Jesus' garment, you need only to call on the name of Lord in conscious unconquerable faith. Light as Power, as atomic energy flows through and heals you.

"Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth." – Hebrews 12:6. Joyously accept that the fires of life are heated seven times hotter for your purification until the dross is burned away. Faith is unconquerable and forever all-glorious!

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Prove Me Now

Edna Lister transcript, October 28, 1951, Buffalo, New York. Edna Bender, scribe. Luke 8:41-56

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." – Malachi 3:10.

Jesus healed the woman as he was on his way to save the dead child. In her faith, the woman touched him and partook of his virtue, and in an instant she was healed while the crowd thronged around him. These two episodes show that it always the right time to treat, and never too late.

He knew someone had touched him because he felt the in-surging of new Power to replace the virtue that had gone forth at her touch. Jesus stopped long enough to speak to the woman and explain the incident to his disciples.

Of his entire house, only Jairus and his wife believed Jesus could heal their daughter. So Jesus sent the doubters away, keeping only his disciples and the child's parents in the room.

Records the world over are filled with stories of those who have been called back from the gates of death. If you call another back, you become responsible until he can pay his debts and must clothe him in Light morning and night.

Behind the outer appearance of illness and death was the reality of health and life. The woman with an issue of blood had spent all her money on doctors and gotten nowhere. Yet, she had more than enough faith to pay for her healing.

Jairus had enough faith for his daughter, but was ignorant of the laws that would heal her. Jesus comprehended all law and thus could heal.

Most people do not even comprehend what they think they know. A great difference lies between knowing something to be true and comprehending that reality.

The stories of Jairus and the woman reveal two different approaches to God, two different methods. If you comprehended the reality of health and healing, you would ascend to unconquerable faith and be a perfect ensample of Christed consciousness.

We all reach a stage where our unconquerable faith, like that of the woman and Jairus, comes to the fore. The child's unconscious unconquerable faith in her parents was a payable on demand draft on her parents and relatives to comply with her wish to be healed. When they were unable to save her, they partook of her faith.

Your unconquerable faith tells those who doubt that they can partake of your faith because it is there. This is the unquestioning devotional approach.

The other method is one of intellectual intelligence, of conscious knowledge of faith. This approach must have an intellectual reason and scientific basis for everything.

Why blame a teacher who fails our expectations? You cannot take a third grade teacher with you and expect her to give you all the answers during your life. God grades teachers just as He does everyone else.

Intellectuals argue between opinions and prejudices. They chain their souls to the mundane, and so cannot spread their wings and soar. Never bind yourself between the covers of a book.

From here you ascend to the stage of unconquerable faith. The true seeker will take the truth, even if it slays him. If your faith cannot reconcile that the truth lies on the right hand on earth but on the left in heaven, you will be drawn and quartered by intellect. Do not be a worm, crawling in the dark. Be a searcher after illumination.

Many cannot seem to reconcile the law of agreeing and adjusting, "agree with God, adjust to man and never argue." You can agree with an adversary without being a doormat. Just say, "You are right. I can see how that works for you."

Never say, "I won't do it," because then you must do it. You have spoken a challenge to bring the debt right down on your head.

One day, a child watched a caterpillar slowly inching its way along for hours. He asked the caterpillar, "Where are you going?" He said the caterpillar answered, "I am really a butterfly. I'm walking toward my wings."

The difference between a caterpillar and a son of God is this: A caterpillar has only one idea: "I shall make myself walk until I grow and fly." It never stops crawling until it spins a chrysalis to become a butterfly. Once it builds the chrysalis, it dwells in silence until it emerges a butterfly.

You, as a son or daughter of God, may have many ideas about what you desire to become, and these desires may be conflicting, all at war with one another. Since most people like to talk, they are rarely silent long enough to build a chrysalis within which they might gestate even one great desire.

Just remain silent for a time with family and friends. No one will miss your words because they will be quite happy to do all the talking themselves. Restrain yourself from talking about your goal to save yourself the annoyance of others' faultfinding and the effort of lifting their opinions about what you plan.

The secret of all success is to keep on working. Say, "God, move in and possess me" and push up through your formerly puny faith. Stop whining "poor little me."

Don't be one of the thousands of men and women in the business world who have quit at the brink of success because some detractor spoke a harsh word that demoralized them. Even knowledgeable metaphysicians admit "hurt feelings" because unbelievers have criticized them.

Do not kid yourself by being humble on the outside and hurt or angry inside. Humbleness is not humility, which is the essence of God's Love in action. Bite your tongue under trying circumstances. Look on the adversary with true, deep compassion and lift.

What does it mean that Jesus brought Jairus' daughter back to life? Resurrection must occur for every son and daughter of God. You must fill your body with radiant life sparks of Light, for it is subject to the laws of cosmic energy. Life sparks cannot refuse your call.

Breathe atomic energy — no one taxes it yet. Wise ones breathe deeply and fill their bodies at every worldly "explosion." Ninety percent of the world is resting itself to death. Look up and come up over darkness.

Jesus said, "Greater works than this shall you do." If you use atomic substance in all your work and service, you could be healthy, strong and able to avert cataclysms.

Beyond atomic substance is the white Christ Light. Your body is of this world, but not necessarily subject to the truth of appearances unless you let it be. Ascend into the life of reality where every cell is alight with energy and atomic substance, and the Holy Spirit will go with you.

Multiply your life, and do not divide it. Division separates you from the life of God. Why settle for a 10 percent miracle, or even 50 percent? Be satisfied with nothing short of 100 percent.

You can be the full living soul in our party, alive, alert and alight with the Christ Light. Surely you can have as much intestinal fortitude as the caterpillar that walks until it finds its wings — that takes only unconscious faith. Your faith can be consciously unconquerable.

Your body is amenable to eternal law. Power can enter to heal it, to make it strong. The body's atomic substance is your receptor of God's Power.

Until you have unconquerable faith in these absolute facts, you are not applying what you know to what you do. When you accept that faith is the substance of your healing, your wings of faith will lift you to the Source of Light.

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I AM THAT I AM

Edna Lister outline, November 4, 1951, Buffalo, New York; November 25, 1951, October 2, 1955. Philippians 3:8-17

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample." – Philippians 3:8-17

St. Paul outlines the four steps to apprehension in this text: First, do it now. Second, forget those things which are behind. Third, reach forward to those things which are ahead. Fourth, press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul desired to "apprehend" the mysteries of Christ. To know a mystery only partly brings dread and fear. Apprehension is still a mental process.

Paul was not yet far removed from his agnosticism as Saul, before his conversion. Yet the illumination of that vision on the road to Damascus was great enough to give him the key to all creations. To do, you must forget the past, and to reach the goal, you must press forward.

The several different earth personality types approach apprehension in various ways. The eager type obeys the law, the lukewarm type obeys sometimes, but the indifferent one never obeys. The fanatic forces his opinions with cursing and hate.

How can you avoid these negatives? Strive for comprehension, which is a broad grasping of facts to include everything, ever seeking the higher calling of God, to know the Power of the Resurrection.

Take full responsibility for a redeemed life and be willing to be or do anything God requires. Your motto then becomes, "No task is too hard or too long." Every log jam has one key log that holds it in place. In terms of consciousness, your key log is always "I AM," which holds your integrated consciousness together. You are part of the greater "I AM THAT I AM" of God.

Fearful apprehension must release you in the face of this pure knowledge of your identity with your Source of All Life. "I AM THAT I AM!" How dare you dither or follow darkness for even one moment?

All you need is to remember that "I AM sends me." Dwell in immunity, in the House of the Lord, the temple not built with hands. Your own emotions and thinking affect your desire body.

Declare, "My kingdom is Light!" I AM become Power because I comprehend. I include all "THAT" I AM. I send I AM THAT I AM to appetitive soul, to heal and to lift it. I AM that majestic, splendid, glorious life."

"I AM awake. I AM aware. I AM free. I do know. I do get-for (forget). I do reach for the stars. I do press on. My goal is the high calling of God. I AM redeemed."

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Prove Me Now

Edna Lister outline; November 18, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Luke 8:40-56

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." – Malachi 3:10.

Tell the story of the woman with an issue of blood, who was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus' garment. Explain how he was on his way to heal Jairus' daughter, who lay dying.

What did Jesus have in common with the woman, who was healed by touching him? They shared conscious unconquerable faith. The woman had faith that touching him would heal her. Jesus used faith to resurrect the dead child.

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." – Malachi 3:10.

It is always within your ability to "prove Me now" — all you must do is to climb from unconscious faith, a mere belief, to conscious, active faith. Climb from creature consciousness, using instinctive intelligence as faith, through the son of man's intellectual reasoning to the active, intuitive consciousness of the faith of God.

At every stage of consciousness, you use a degree of faith. Each type of faith is an approach, and God does not care what approach you use to reach Him. The first approach is to grasp, fight, struggle, make demands and protect self at any cost.

Another approach is comparing philosophies, pitting one against another, arguing from opinions or prejudice or both, bound forever between the covers of some book. This type argues about the method of approaching God, rather than making an approach.

The third approach is an upward look of the seeker, the searcher, the overcomer, the knower who takes time to listen and tries to understand. This type reaches knowing and continues into comprehension. To reach God, you must know where you are going, what the reward is for going.

One day, a child watched a caterpillar slowly inching its way along for hours. He asked the caterpillar, "Don't you get tired of walking so slowly?" The caterpillar replied, "No. I like to walk."

The boy continued on his way but turned back to ask, "Are you happy?" The caterpillar answered, "Yes." Intrigued, the child asked, "But where are you going?" He said the caterpillar answered, "I'm really a butterfly, walking to my wings."

The difference between unconscious faith weakness, and conscious faith strength lies in learning to give, to surrender, to more life. The Bible is filled with promises to those who learn this difference and work to become unconquerable faith.

A butterfly unconsciously knows its reward is to transform and to grow wings, and crawls toward them. Man can consciously know his reward of soul wings and that he need not crawl but conquer his way to them. He turns his back on the old life to transfigure himself through adding more life.

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Prove Me Now

Edna Lister transcript, November 18, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Ruth Johnson, scribe. Luke 8:40-56

The combined stories of the woman being healed by touching Jesus' robe and of him raising Jairus' daughter from dead illustrate that it is always the right time to heal and never too late. He healed the woman while he was going to revive the dying girl.

The woman's faith, combined with his, only took an instant to produce a miracle while the crowd thronged around him. His followers said anyone could have touched him, yet Jesus felt virtue go forth from him.

He knew someone had touched his garment from the new power surging through him. Then the woman came forth, confessed and he blessed her.

Of his entire house, only Jairus and his wife believed healing could occur for their daughter. So Jesus put out the rest of their family and friends, all those who disbelieved.

The historical records are full of stories about those who have called people back from the gates of death. If you do, you become responsible for their spiritual debts and must clothe them with Light morning and night.

Behind the veil of outer appearance lies reality. The first woman had used up all her money for doctors who did not help her. The widow had faith for herself. Jairus had faith for his daughter.

Yet Jesus comprehended all law, knowing that nothing limits faith except the individual's beliefs about faith. Most people do not comprehend what they know in their souls, which is a great difference.

The woman and Jairus represent different approaches to God, and different methods of healing. If you truly comprehended, you would ascend to conscious unconquerable faith and be a perfect ensample of Christ.

A stage comes where unconscious faith comes to fore. We see this in these stories about the child and the woman. The child's unconquerable faith in her parents wrote a payable on demand draft on her parents to comply with her desire to be healed.

The woman had spent a decade or more with doctors and found no relief. They had not saved her. Her unconquerable faith in her religion told her she could be healed if she merely touched the Master. She could partake of the healing power because it was there.

So many people have an intelligent conscious knowledge of faith. Yet they must have an intellectual and scientific reason for everything. They will blame the "authority" who fails them.

You cannot drag your third grade teacher with you through life. Teachers are graded like everyone else. Intellectuals argue between opinions and prejudices, remaining chained to both, and so cannot spread their soul wings. Never bind yourself between the covers of a book.

From intellect, you progress to unconquerable faith. This is the faith of the true seeker who will have the truth even if it slays him. If you cannot accept that what is on the right hand on earth is on the left in heaven, you will be drawn and quartered by your opinions. A worm inches along on it belly, never seeing the Light. Be a searcher for real soul illumination instead.

Agree with the person who would be an adversary, but never be a sap. Say, to the would-be adversary, "You are right to think (or do) that, for yourself." Never say, "I won't do it." If you bluntly oppose and resist the adversary, you will have to go against your own word, because you have spoken a challenge and brought spiritual debt down on your head.

One sunny morning, a boy was out walking when he saw a caterpillar. He asked, "Do you like to walk?" The caterpillar said yes. Then the boy asked, "Where are you going?" The caterpillar answered, "I'm walking toward my wings."

The difference between a caterpillar and a son of God seems obvious, but is more than what it appears to be. A caterpillar has only one idea, "I shall make myself work until I grow my wings." It never stops going, crawling until it forms a chrysalis then emerges as a butterfly. The chrysalis is the butterfly's golden silence.

You can just remain silent for a time with family or any group. They will forget to oppose you, and no one will miss your words. They'll be so happy to do all the talking themselves.

The secret of all success is to continue on and on until you reach the goal. Say, "God, please move in and possess me," and you push up and up. Stop whining "poor little me."

Thousands of potentially successful entrepreneurs have quit because someone criticized them harshly. Metaphysicians admit to having been hurt because of criticism.

Do not kid yourself by thinking that you can act humble on the outside while being angry on the inside. Humility is the essence of the love of God. Bite your tongue under trying circumstances. Look at the adversary in deep compassion, and lift.

Jairus' daughter returned to life because every son and daughter of God must eventually learn to resurrect the soul from bondage the self. You can fill your body with radiant atoms of Light. They are subject to the laws of cosmic energy, and cannot say no. Inhale atomic energy; it is not taxed.

Wise ones breathe deeply and fill their body after the explosion of Light that recreates their vitality. The trouble with 90 percent of the world is that it is resting itself to death. Look up, come up over the darkness that occupies your worldly field of view.

Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do." – John 14:12. If you would use atomic substance in all your work and service, you could be healthy, strong and avert cataclysms.

Above atomic substance is the white Light of Christ. The body, as it is, operates on the truth of appearances. Yet you can ascend in consciousness, into the truth of reality, where every cell is alight with energy and atomic substance. With you will go the Holy Spirit, the divine supremacy of God.

Why settle for a 10 percent miracle, or even a 50 percent miracle? Be satisfied only with 100%. Be the whole living soul in your party, alive, alert, alight with the substance of Christ. Have as much fortitude as the caterpillar who walks until he finds his wings, in unconquerable faith.

Your body is amenable to eternal atomic law. Power can move in to possess you. The atomic substance of the body is an instrument to bring through Power. Anything less than being an efficient power converter reveals that you are not applying what you know to what you do.

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I AM THAT I AM

Edna Lister outline; November 25, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Philippians 3:8-17

Apprehension means "perceiving law, knowing." When he wrote this Letter to Philippians, Paul was still struggling with traces of his past as Saul of Tarsus. He still operated on the remains of his former agnosticism.

His method was still mental, and he thought he could reach full apprehension through it. Instead, he was still entertaining doubt and the shadows of fear.

Despite his intellectualism, Paul provides a four-step approach. First, do it now, second, forget the past, "those things behind," and third, "reach for those things before," the future, while forth, pressing on.

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." – 1 Corinthians 13:12. Paul knew he saw "through a glass darkly" now. Yet he knew that in the future he would see Him face to face.

To do, you must forget the past. To reach your goal, you must press forward. This approach will gain you positive, vital progress somewhere. Where are you going? You are on your way to win "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Your second step must be comprehension, which includes everything, a broad gasping of all facts. You reach comprehension through the "power of resurrection." You must resurrect your dead past because what you have buried drags you back to an old lesser state of consciousness. To forget the past, you must be united to the present by love. The "high calling of God in Christ Jesus" is love.

“To forget the past, you must be united to the present by love.”

"I AM THAT I AM" is the full name of every living soul before it begins the long pilgrim from and back to the eternal Source of all Light. The first I AM represents the vital center at the throat. "THAT" symbolizes the mystical third eye of spiritual vision. The final "I" represents the pineal body of illumination, and the final "AM" represents the pituitary gland of intuition. Thus, the third eye — the pineal body and pituitary gland — is the form the mystical Mind, Substance and Power uses to operate through the embodied soul.

I AM sends you to stand on your Mount of Transfiguration. Declare, "I am unwavering Light. I am become transfigured. I reach for the stars. I am become as perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect. I am perfect as I stand on my Mount of Transfiguration. There I am unmoved in a world of outer change."

God's everlasting arms of Love uphold you. "Not I, but the Father does the work" as you stand upon unconquerable faith.

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I AM THAT I AM

Edna Lister transcript; November 25, 1951, Cleveland, Ohio. Ruth Johnson, scribe. Philippians 3:8-17

Paul's words are difficult to understand: "Let us, as many as are mature, have this mind, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you." God will show you when you are being indifferent, fanatical, proud, prejudiced or blasphemous. Your words are either blessings or curses, perfect or otherwise-minded.

Paul says, "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead," which establishes a mental-intellectual formula for how to apprehend law. Paul had not moved far from his agnosticism as Saul, yet he provides a key for stepping from creature to creator status.

First, forget the past, which always arises to trip you. You cannot relive the past to correct your errors, so you must seek further while you keep your plans for the future intact on a cloud continent of Light.

Strive to do better now. "I press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." You may be blind to the prize, but hold to your vision of Light and declare a miracle of God.

If you examine the Master's life, you find that love is the keynote of his teaching, to love your brother as you love yourself. You may not hate the self, which is still part of God, but you may dislike what you do.

God's love fulfills all law and plans. You will hold the miracle in your hands when you love enough. If the miracle is incomplete, you have short-changed God on love. You must ascend your selfish desires, and you may not lower God's will to the self. Desire, as love, must ascend to the crown center.

You must discipline the mind. Paul's formula helps you to achieve full apprehension of law, but does not preclude fears and doubts. Comprehension cleanses any otherwise-mindedness. It teaches how to apply what you know to what you do, to forget hindsight and earn the strength of foresight. You can attain "the prize of the high calling of God" only through comprehension, which is grasping all facts.

Many think this high calling means living a saintly life, but cloistered sainthood limits the fullness of life. You must know how to live the full life with your family, friends, religion and the world.

God did not create you to use law for yourself, but created you for the law to use, to surrender to become the servant of all Power. Wisdom planned the form of the universe through which the River of Life, containing that "mind that was in Christ Jesus," still flows.

Divine Mind plans for you when you let it, yet does not provide success. You must fill the mold with Love-Substance, and release Power through it to bring it into form.

Surrender to the high calling, ascend to God and say, "Father, please use me to bring this plan into expression." Use Christed stature as your ensample, not the heaviness of your past performance. The joy of Christ consciousness invokes God's Power to fill your body with strength and energy.

When Paul said, "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," he used an excuse the world has adopted wholesale, but which does not put on the armor of God. You would be perfect today if you wore your armor.

Jesus said, "Not I, but my Father does the work," which means that "Power moving through me does the work." When you understand this, you truly follow the Master's Path. For instance, you may lose business, but you cannot lose God. You can open a new business only when you have unconquerable faith, instead of insurmountable doubts.

Paul says that his righteousness is from the law in verse nine, but that the faith of Christ is the righteousness of God. Nine is the number representing humanity's universal brotherhood under the Father.

Nine salivary glands are arranged in a V-shape along below the chin at the throat center. As love ascends to the crown center, it may become "I-me-my" self-conscious, at the throat center. Any remaining self distorts your speech and chemically affects the food you eat through the salivary glands.

As you apprehend the "resurrection of the Lord," you see how you have buried self-pity, and condemnation of self and others. Love is the high calling of Christ Jesus, not sentimentality, but a firm rock on which to establish your life. Love forms a tunnel of Light to your Source, then moves through the person or situation you lift, changing all into itself to make everything perfect.

You make your first marriage of the Lamb when your surrender is honest. The power of your desire ascends to mate with will, opening the pineal body, pituitary gland and optic chiasm of the thalamus for vision. You receive a "new name" of the all-seeing God: "I AM THAT I AM."

The open pineal body is "I," representing the Father, and the open pituitary gland is "AM," the Mother. I AM stands for the unity of Father and Mother God descending to the throat center to melt, dissolve and absorb the remnants of self.

Light as love heals the dry rot created by the acid that formerly dripped from your tongue. Light must descend to absorb it and wipe the page clean, so you cleanse your Book of Life of past misuse and record your new life of love.

Declare your creations good. Fill heaven with gifts of praise, and God can return them as miracles. Once you have seen God face to face, you cannot return to your former life.

When you lift and ascend your "otherwise-mindedness," Light fills all past voids with love, levels the low places and past duties done grudgingly. Step up and stand for God.

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Edna Miriam Lister
1884 – 1971
The original Christian Pioneering Mystic,
Platonist philosopher, American Idealist, Founder, Society of the Universal Living Christ, minister, teacher, author, wife, and mother.

References

The Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 1971.

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 3rd ed. Springfield, Massachusetts, G. & C. Merriam Co., 1929.

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Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1951

“You attract huge resistance from your self and others when you fear life's challenges to change.”

“Real faith requires that you sacrifice self.”

“God cannot wait for you to become perfect, but uses you in the hour you ascend to see perfection in the apparently imperfect.”

“Your thoughts travel faster than light.”

“If you indulge self once, you will indulge self often.”

“A servant of Light cleans up all the darkness without quibbling about whose responsibility it is.”

“To forget the past, you must be united to the present by love.”

“You attract huge resistance from your self and others
when you fear life's challenges to change.”

“God cannot wait for you to become perfect, but uses you in the hour
you ascend to see perfection in the apparently imperfect.”

“A servant of Light cleans up all the darkness without quibbling
about whose responsibility it is.”