Via Christa: Via Christa Life: Sermons: Edna Lister’s Sermons 1956.

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Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1956

The Light of the World
Edna Lister outline, January 1, 1956, Tacoma, WA, John 8:12-16, Matthew 5:14-16

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”–John 8:12-16.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:14-16.
“Ye are the light of the world.” This means us, all of us. We are destined to become the light of the world.
The Father is the Thinker and Planner of Life. Every life, to be successful, must have a goal, and a plan for attaining that goal. The embodied soul’s great objective of life on earth is to become the Light of the world. Jesus said you are the light of the world. The challenge now is, how bright a Light can you be?
The Master said that you can both have the Light and be the Light. You can know where you came from and where you are going. You can judge true judgment, and not according to appearances. Finally, you can always know that you are never alone. How do you manage to do all this? It takes a burning desire, a vivid imagination, and flaming expectancy. A burning desire for what? To be that light on the hill.

“The embodied soul’s great objective of life on earth is to become the Light of the world.”–Edna Lister

What you see, what you pay attention to is what you’re getting in life. To fulfill your life, you need a day plan, a year plan, and a life plan. “I can’t” is a debit on your life’s bank account. It tears down the body’s atomic substance. A lack of joy today brings a flop tomorrow, because when you step up to the teller to make a withdrawal, you find you have overdrawn your account. Do you know that God is stronger than you? Do you know that the years are beautiful? Do you know that the stars are always shining above you?
What you deposit today, you draw on tomorrow. Be generous with God. Redouble your prayer efforts if your dream does not come true. “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”–Proverbs 18:16. No power on earth can stop you from praying. Do not stop planning or quit on God.
Vivid imagination is the greatest part of the plan, because what you see is what you get in life. You have heard people say, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”–Job 3:25. Your fears do come upon you.
Clearly focus what you visualize now, with no double exposures. Create a clean negative, and make your active imagination pay a dividend. Picture your accounts, wallet or purse full, for a new home, new everything. A key to success is to use everything you already have, and prepare for more beauty everywhere. Stop the inner conflict between selfish “little me” and Oversoul I AM consciousness.
All seeds possess flaming expectancy before they grow into plants. Let nothing stand in the way of your flaming expectancy. You cannot deposit grief, resentment or darkness in your account today and withdraw joy tomorrow. Be strong enough, love enough, and act as if “I and the Father are one.” All Light comes from above. So stop challenging every iota of Light that shines through you, which causes any potential inner conflict to surface.
Two thousand years ago, the Master gave us today. Jesus was born in a cave, lived in a humble cottage, but walked in beauty. He was only a carpenter, yet his ministry kept him on the run. He never wrote a book or owned a home. He had no credentials but his works. The local religious leaders despised him and conspired against him. His friends ran away when he needed them. His enemies arrested him, reviled him, spat on him, flogged and ridiculed him. Soldiers gambled for his clothes while they crucified him. Finally, a friend buried him in a borrowed grave. Yet Jesus set the keynote for civilization now. He rules as King today. Nineteen centuries have passed and today he is the central religious figure of more than half the human race, a leader of civilization and progress. All else is nothing compared with his effect on life.
“Ye are the light of the world.” Today is a time of challenge to truth. How much love do you want to send forth? Declare, “Prove me now. Let the divine fire from above move in and fill me. Let it express as love, protection and understanding to all who so need.” Hold a burning desire, vivid imagination, flaming expectancy and dare to capture a sense of joy and beauty to hold, to feed on, to nourish yourself. Dare to be joy, beauty and Light. Shout, “I am the light of the world, a living challenge to life because I know where I came from and where I go, to earn my Christed wings.” You can now become the Light of the world to lift it.

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The Light of the World
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, May Wilder, scribes, January 1, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 5:14-16, John 8:12-16

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:14.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”–John 8:12-16.
“Ye are the light of the world.” This means us, all of us. We are destined to become the light of the world.
“I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”–John 8:15. The Father is the Thinker and Planner of Life. Every life, to be successful, must have a goal, and a plan for attaining that goal. The great objective of life on earth is to become the Light of the world. “Ye are the light of the world.”
The challenge now is, how bright a Light can you be? How do you manage this? It takes three qualities: a burning desire, a vivid imagination and a flaming expectancy. A burning desire for what, you ask? To be that light on the hill. To fulfill your life, you need a day plan, a year plan and a life plan. Whining, “I can’t,” is a debit on your life’s bank account that eventyually tears down the atomic substance of the body. A lack of joy today brings a flop tomorrow because when you step up to make a withdrawal, you find that your account is overdrawn.
Confession is good for the soul. Do you know that God is stronger than you? Do you know that the years are beautiful? Do you know that the stars are always shining above you? What you deposit today, you draw on tomorrow. Be generous with God. If your dream does not come true, redouble your prayer efforts. No power on earth can stop you from praying. “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.”–Proverbs 18:16. Do not quit God on planning. Vivid imagination is the greatest part of the plan. Whatyou pay attention to is what you’re getting in life.

“What you pay attention to is what you’re getting in life.”–Edna Lister

“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”–Job 3:25. Your fears come upon you. What you visualize now must always be clearly and sharply focused, with no blurring. Take the time to create a clean picture in imagination. See your wallet full of large denomination bills. See a new home, new car, new everything. Use what you already have, and use it well. Prepare for more beauty everywhere. Use your imagination in ways that pay you dividends. Stop the inner conflict between the self’s “little me” self-centeredness and Oversoul’s I AM consciousness. Let nothing stand in the way of your flaming expectancy. Seeds possess flaming expectancy before they grow into plants. Be strong enough, love enough. Act as if “I and the Father are one.”
All Light comes from above. Stop challenging every bit of Light that comes through you; this causes inner conflict. You cannot deposit grief, resentment and darkness in your account today and withdraw joy tomorrow. Two thousand years ago, Jesus gave us today. Jesus was born in a cave, lived in a humble cottage and walked in beauty. He was only a carpenter, yet his ministry kept him on the run. He never wrote a book or owned a home; he had no credentials but his works. All the local religious leaders despised him and conspired against him. His friends ran away when he needed them. His enemies arrested him, reviled him, spat on him, flogged and ridiculed him. Soldiers gambled over his clothes while they crucified him. Finally, a friend buried him hastily in a borrowed grave. Yet Jesus set the keynote for civilization today. He rules as King today. Nineteen centuries have passed, yet today he is the central figure of more than half the human race, a leader of civilization and progress. All else is nothing compared with his effect on life.
“Ye are the light of the world.”–Matthew 5:14. This whole year is a challenge to truth. How much love do you want to send forth? Declare, “Prove me now. Let the fire from above move in and fill me. Let it express as love, protection and understanding to all who so need.” Hold a burning desire, vivid imagination and flaming expectancy. Dare to capture a sense of joy and beauty to hold, to feed on, to nourish yourself. Dare to be joy, beauty and Light. Declare, “I am the light of the world and I express as a challenge to the new year. I am the light of the world because I know whence I came. I know where I go, to earn my Christed wings.” You now become the light of the world to lift it.

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Let Go and Let God!
Edna Lister outline, January 8, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Philippians 3:8-17

“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.
This text holds two outstanding ideas. First, “Be found in [Christ], not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that is from God.” Paul is not seeking to understand through law, but through the faith of God, which expresses high vision in action. Then Paul says that he wants to “know him and the power of his resurrection.” He hastens to add that he has not already attained this knowing, and is not yet perfect. “Apprehend” is a word poorly understood. To apprehend means “to grasp or to lay hold on,” but also means to “know and to understand.”
Apprehension in this case is the ability to distinguish between what you let the Light consume and what you must resurrect. Paul seeks to apprehend the power of faith and the power of resurrection, not that they exist, but to understand the full Power behind them. He wants to know. To attain this, he says, “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind.” How do you forget the past? By burying it, or not thinking of it anymore? No. To forget is to forgive, and forgiving is true forgetting. No other way works.

“To forget is to forgive, and forgiving is true forgetting. No other way works.”–Edna Lister

“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.”–Philippians 3:12. To resurrect the buried past, put it on a cloud of consuming fire in your heaven to burn out all dross. Only the fires of love can do this. If you leave the past buried on earth, the subconscious will never be free of it. Put it where you must look up to see it. The fire hides it as it consumes it. You then resurrect the glory of spiritual lessons you have learned. Evil feeds on un-forgive-ness and un-forget-ness, the “un” in both being soul blindness, and “ness” being a state of consciousness. To think you have forgotten is not enough. Forgiving and forgetting are inseparable twins.
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”–Philippians 3:14. You must let go of the past, but how? Are you satisfied with last year’s effort and diligence? You cannot discount last year’s losses until you take inventory. Have you already used this year’s days, or have they just drifted by? Have you wasted them in indifference or self-indulgence?
Let go of the past. Let God’s “cosmic urge” move in and possess you. God planted the same cosmic urge toward all good in every soul—to conquer, to succeed, to love enough, to praise enough to finish cleansing all evil. Are you wasting time giving any thought to your weakest hour, your most self-indulgent day? Use your strongest hour as your pattern.
Build your pattern from the hour of your highest illumination—that’s your goal. “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 3:16-17. An ensample is a pattern.
You can do anything you believe you can do. You fashion your tomorrow from today’s thinking and planning. Forget yesterday and press on. Build according to your comprehension of the Power in faith and let the Power use you to resurrect all the good from your past. When did you last unload the old cargo from your ship of dreams? You’ll find much of it is spoiled, useless and unwanted, worn out, moth-eaten, old-fashioned rusty dreams. Give it an annual cleaning, and reload only the good. Burn the discards—hurts, grief, opinions, prejudices, rebellion, and “enemy” ideas—in love’s fires.
Resurrect the past good and add glory. Refit your ship with new streamlined jet-propelled engines, everything you want in the visible—credits, rewards and abundance. Let God become the divine tempter, an enticing power in your life. Devote an hour a day to resurrecting the old, and invest in the faith of God, in all new things. Let go of the old! Let God use you!

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God Is My Wealth
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, January 8, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Malachi 3:10

Your credit with God’s Bank is always good. No matter what comes, you can always declare, “I am my Father’s richest child.” Money is crystallized energy or vitality. You release it into right action when you put it into circulation. You can trust in God’s all-powerful riches, through which He expresses His love for you. All the money you need is right where you are.
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and 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.
The kingdom of expansion is in you. The more you give, the more you receive. You give of the little sums, the large sums and the scattered sums. As you give, so shall you receive. If you have empty days, you’ve filled them with empty hours. For great success, tithe to God of your love, graciousness, joy, liveliness, talents, hobbies, and more than an hour or two to your spiritual life.
To have bodily strength, you need to share what you have, to gain more. Make dynamic statements for family, friends, and interests. Offer love of God and prayers for these important things. Declare, “Every nerve in this body is a divine wire of omnipotence, plugged into Your Light and Power forever. Move in, Father, and fill me now. Thank You.”

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Your Treasures
Edna Lister outline, January 15, 1956, Tacoma, WA. Matthew 6:19-23, 7:16-20

“Your state of consciousness is something you build for yourself, or what you allow others to force on you. However, what you accept is your choice.”–Edna Lister

Your building tools are imagination, thinking, and emotional desires. Your treasures in heaven are joy, faith, love, expectancy, devotion, compassion, understanding, and all the soul qualities that the world calls character. Your outer worldly treasures are your material possessions, your reputation, place, and position. Unfortunately, your possessions can include possessing a loved one to the death of hope or ambitions.
Reputation is the impression you give, what others think of you from “reading” your outer form—your physical appearance—clothes, speech, and actions. Your reputation may be true or untrue, accurate or inaccurate. The “thieves” in this context do not steal your clothes or possessions, but include anything you do to “show off” your soul qualities “to be seen by men.” So the adage “By their works you shall know them” refers to a person’s soul qualities. Some possess only pride, envy, jealousy and self-righteousness, which compares itself to the detriment and tearing down of another’s reputation.
“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”–Matthew 7:16-20.
Where your treasures are is where your heart is. The “heart” of your life will revolve around your “treasure.” For example, all your words follow the meditation of your heart. If you devote yourself to possessing a child, husband or wife, or concentrate your life of soul on them, nothing is left if they are taken from your life. How can you achieve this ideal state of consciousness that the Master describes? You must apply a threefold effort to hold this perfect state of consciousness—acceptance, surrender, and obedience.
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”–Matthew 6:22. What do you accept? The “single eye.” Conquer your double-mindedness, double picture-building, good and bad, double thought, hope and doubt, double emotions, love and hate. If your mental, emotional and imaginative eye is single, Christed atomic power will fill your whole body.
You must surrender self in order to be possessed and used by the full Power of God. Surrender self to make room for God. Bridge the gap between between learning it and talking about it, between thinking it and doing it, and between knowing it and becoming it. You must love God enough to purify your thinking and your choices of action. In short, you must hold a perfect desire to know God.
When you bridge these gaps through surrender to the Light, to be used by the Light, then obedience becomes the greatest joy you feel. Your obedience to God’s law is your expression of joy, which demands perfect pictures of imagination. The soul asks greatly of the heart, mind, and purpose. You must obey to become the law of love because you cannot bear any darkness in mind, heart, body, or affairs.
You can transcend all outer conditions, interference, challenges, and experiences when the joyful spirit of obedience to God’slaw possesses you. Then you can conquer lions, while remaining unharmed and untouched. You can wring dividends from defeat and delay, turning them into stepping stones to huge gains, spiritual and material.
Yet your eye may not be dark or you will be unable to see anything. You no longer waste time criticizing what people do because your single eye sees what they are. The single eye sees what they are. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"–Matthew 6:22-23.
This law of Light is the law of the Christ, transcendent, triumphant and victorious. Only one Way, one Path, one Light, one glory of the Lord Jesus triumphant exists.

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Your Treasure
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, January 15, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 6:19-23, 7:16-20

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break in and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"–Matthew 6:19-23.
This text poses two questions: Where is heaven? What are your treasures? Heaven is a state of consciousness, and your dwelling place in the now and the hereafter. Heaven is still your dwelling place, even when you go completely wrong. Therefore, your treasure must be in two places, either in the outer world, or in the state of your soul consciousness. The greatest treasure of soul is Oversoul’s I AM consciousness, and finding it is the main objective of your life.
Your life plan then must not only be for the “added things” promised for seeking the kingdom, but for soul expansion as well. Thus, you are also constantly choosing between two life plans, one for the body and the other for the soul. Your plans for heaven are as important as your plans for a budget. You do not have God and your body temple, but God as your body temple. All your difficulties, misunderstandings, delays, and negligence come from a belief in God and.
When you live in full consciousness of God as all things, you are living by I AM consciousness. Collectively, this places the Elect in New Jerusalem, in heaven while on earth. When we gather together here in service, we are God as service, and we can go anywhere we choose. This is how God, as Mind, uses us to clean up the ugliness of earth’s people. We are His staff, loyal servant whom He can depend upon to do the work, and He does work through us.
Heaven, your ideas about it, and the state of your consciousness are matters of your personal choice. This is it. The Christ consciousness is perfect, no matter where it dwells. One person, standing in the Light, can find himself amid a pride of lions and still manage to close their mouths as Daniel did! What has been done before can be done now and more.
Joy, faith, compassion, love, devotion and understanding are all qualities of your character. It’s your choice to apply these traits to gain things or to nurture relationships. Character is quite different from reputation. Your reputation is what people think about you, how you are known on the outside, in the world. Character is the quality of your soul’s expression. The thieves that break in and steal include self-righteousness, jealousy, envy and pride. Pride pushes you to make a show, a pretense to build up your reputation. Many people pretend to have more than they do, to be more than they are, all for show. A pretense of soul qualities leads to the self-righteousness that tears down another to build up the self.
Jesus said of the righteous and the self-righteous, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”–Matthew 7:16-20.
How do you expand the soul by trimming the self? You build strong character by constantly applying three steps up in consciousness—acceptance, surrender and obedience. Accept what life hands you, surrender the self to God, and obey His law. First, accept that your eye must be single, which means that you choose the qualities of soul first, not self. It’s your choice how you use your tools of thinking, imagination, and the emotional life of desires. You cannot be double-minded or give your heart, mind, soul and being to both light and to darkness.
Not being able to have it both ways shows up in so many areas in life. You cannot have God as love and God as guilt simultaneously, not can you have God as joy and God as war at the same time. You may not make your family and God the center of your life, for only one can occupy that space. Yet you can have God as your family. All you have to do is to love enough, and love is unquenchable, as joy is invincible. Everyone else must change their minds in the face of such love and joy. You cannot be doubly emotional either. Accept your singleness of eye and surrender the double-minded emotionalism. You cannot serve God as love while you hold hate in your heart.

“You cannot serve God as love while you hold hate in your heart.”–Edna Lister

When you say, “I am right,” you are likely saying the other fellow is wrong. When you boast, “I know the truth,” are you calling him a liar? To claim, “I’m only human,” is a miserable alibi to acquit the self. Surrender and accept that God rules everyone, regardless of anyone’s opinion or prejudices. Then you create the atmosphere in which love fulfills the law.
Learning and talking about it is the first stage in changing, but you must bridge the gap to the second stage, which is thinking about it and trying to do it, hit or miss. Knowing and becoming are the final stages in changing. When your eye is single and your whole body is full of Light, everyone who stands in front of you can see you, and you can see yourself in them. And when both of you see, you meet om the Light, which creates an atomic explosion of joy.
The high joy of I AM consciousness wipes out any desire to live aside from Christ. You couldn’t bear to hurt anyone else, only to see the Christ Light in him. Joy can frighten any lions, and when your joy is constant, it can turn any defeat into success in any place or condition, especially for those whom you love. The Light of the eye is the Light of the body. Anything that is not love is tending toward hatred or indifference, which courts illness. If you do not see in Light, then all is in darkness. The Christ Light transcends and transmutes anything that life can produce.
“Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”–Isaiah 30:20-21.

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Soul Inventory
Edna Lister outline, January 22, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Romans 12:1-5, 12:19-21

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”–Romans 12:1-5.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”–Romans 12:19-21.
An inventory is a detailed, itemized list, especially a periodic business survey of all goods and materials in stock in a warehouse. A business uses such a list to measure the quantity of goods, materials and stock on hand, and to evaluate abilities, assets, or resources. From an inventory you learn what sells, what is worthless, what is a block to business.
Annually, we devote the time from New Year’s Day to Ash Wednesday to an inventory of our spiritual assets, covering the same ground as in the world of commerce. You inventory your cupboards each time you make a grocery list or begin housecleaning, to check on your supplies. You inventory your household goods for insurance, and check for moth holes in your woolen clothes every autumn.
What stock do you have on your shelves? What has moved during the year? Business owners put the old stock on sale to make room for the new orders. If you do not take stock, how can you know what has become stale, shopworn, or how many moths have been nibbling? Procrastination, dawdling, putting-off, laziness, indifference, lukewarmness, opinions, prejudices, resentment, rebellion, all nibble tiny holes in your fabric of life, right in front, where the world can see them. Above all, how will you know how many dividends the past year has paid? You might ask, “What’s the use? if no one else is doing it? I like myself pretty well as I am. I’ll put off facing myself.” And time drifts by as moth-eaten hours.
Where do you begin taking a spiritual inventory? First, look over last year’s plan, and cross off all accomplishments. This is a new plan for your subconscious mind, or you will get no cooperation from it. Compare last year’s undone ideas with this year’s ideas and ideals. Decide their order of importance in your new plan. Since you must get your stock moving, plan to use all you have. People save dresses, suits, gloves, hats, shoes and coats for “good,” so they will not “wear them out.” Do not use to destroy, use them to enjoy. Make room for more, or your new stock will stagnate on the shelves with the old.
Second, review your dreams. Do you accept all things as possible, or give up before you start? You can grow old and into failure, or young and successful. It’s your choice. Do you remain silent when words might aid, afraid of being disliked or laughed at? That’s just as unbalanced as offering too much advice. Start toward attaining your dream by reading and studying about it. They laughed at the Wright brothers. The man who designed and made blueprints of the “streamlined” trains was scorned and kicked out of the first office he visited. Someone will design appliances that run on atomic power. You cannot? In the last few years, at least five people have described to me new gadgets they’ve dreamed about, and a year or so later found them on counters—a wall-mounted can opener, and a screwdriver whose handle holds several smaller ones, to name two.
The third and most important step in taking inventory involves imagination, thinking and emotions. “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”–Romans 12:2. You share that “mind that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

“Give to love the place that anger now fills. Instead of imagining revenge, surrender to healing.”–Edna Lister

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”–Romans 12:1. This describes surrender. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”–Romans 12:20. Subconscious mind is so “enemy conscious,” mostly self-created with negative thoughts, pictures and emotions or “feelings.” Say to the subconscious, “Darling, I love you. You’re wonderful.” Say to your unruly tongue, “Darling, you’re wonderful. I love you.” Say to pain, “Darling, you’re wonderful. I love you.” It will work, because “I love you” heaps “coals of fire” on the pain.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”–Romans 12:19 means to give to love the place that anger now fills. Instead of imagining revenge, surrender to healing. “Father, this is Your body. Move in and fill it, every cell and organ. I make of it a living sacrifice to You. This is my reasonable service now. My thinking is transformed. I have a new stock of pictures in imagination, and I surrender all emotional stock to Thee. Let Thy Light renew me. Heal Thou me. Amen.”

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Miracles Abound
Edna Lister outline, January 29, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 13:44-46

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”–Matthew 13:44-46.
We are surprised at the past fifty years of progress—from railroad mail to airmail, transatlantic phone lines to radio phones from air, radios with earphones to hi-fidelity stereo, palm leaf fans to air conditioning, red flannel underwear to nylon undies, television, sun lamps, zippers, and wristwatches. We are surprised that Halley’s comet returns every seventy-six years. 1 We will be surprised at spaceships, and man-made stations that orbit earth. 2

1 Halley’s comet appeared in 1910, 1986, and will next appear in 2061.

2 The International Space Station was launched in November 1998.

Facilities to gather the sun’s energy for fuel, foods that we cook by electronic impulses [microwave ovens], and medical miracles that will lengthen and strengthen our lives will amaze us. People in offices and laboratories everywhere are planning all these and much more. We have seen all this, but still doubt God’s miracles, still stand around wondering, putting it off. Where are we?—spiritually, we are still in the horse and buggy dimension.
You accept jet planes, but refuse to sell all that you have for the treasure you buried in your super-conscious field of divine Mind before you came to earth. Super-conscious mind is the mind of Christ, the I AM consciousness of Oneness with God—not just thinking about it, not just hoping for it, but actually becoming God consciousness day and night. People barter their souls for the idea of “God and my life” instead of “God as my life.” I AM consciousness opens all the worlds of the seven dimensions, within and above. It’s well worth it to sell your neglect, lukewarmness, doubts, and fears to attain this treasure.
Do you dare to declare now to everything that comes, “This is good. I love it. I need it.” Do you dare to say to the adversary, “You’re right,” without stopping to consider emotional hurts, right or wrong? You can declare, “This is good! You’re right! I am joy! God is my all!” These declarations unlock the doors and set I AM free now. The mind that was in Christ Jesus is the pearl of great price. It opens all doors above to release the same Power that fuels the sun. You run on the same energy that science seeks to harness for future progress.

“The mind that was in Christ Jesus is the pearl of great price.”–Edna Lister

Each dimension of Reality is a treasure chest of glories. Each dimension is added illumination, which you can enter only through I AM. You open the first four doors to new dimensions with “This is good. You are right.” Yet the last three dimensions open only to joy. Go upstairs to your tower room and put the key of joy into the lock. Why hesitate? Why hold back? It’s only one step up in consciousness to freedom. Then, instead of being a go-getter, you become a go-giver of love, compassion and understanding. Jesus knew what heaven is like. He outlined how to live in it now. “For joy over it” is the key—two words, “joy over,” are your jet engines. Declare, “This is good! You are right! I AM joy! God is all!”

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The Greater You
Edna Lister outline, February 5, 1956, Tacoma, WA. 1 John 3:1-3, John 1:1-9, 10:34

“Nothing has happened, nothing is happening, nothing ever will happen without hard work.”–Edna Lister

How can you be God’s sons and daughters but not inherit His Kingdom? How can you not be able to appropriate what you need of His limitless Mind, Substance and Power? Every spring and summer the grass, flowers, bushes, trees, crops and fields appropriate all the life energy they need. Anyone can call on all this potential Light-as-Power and Substance of life. Even a head of cabbage knows enough appropriate life from the invisible. You have that much sense, do you not?
How do you know that you are a portion of God? How do you know you have Light? “When he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”–1 John 3:2. Will he appear in the flesh? No. He will appear in your heart and mind. Declare, “Father, You are great, and I am part of YOU. I am now a son/daughter of God. I draw on my divine inheritance for all my needs and for those on my ship. Father, possess me.”

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Let Me Keep Lent
Edna Lister outline, February 12, 1956, Tacoma, WA, 1 Corinthians 13

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 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. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”–1 Corinthians 13.
The immortal words of 1 Corinthians 13 thrill us. The old translations use “charity,” yet for years I have read this chapter as “love.” Finally, I realized that the Master wanted Paul to set a keynote for love as compassion, to teach us to practice loving more. All Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount to his Ascension teach one great theme, man’s responsibility to God for the brotherhood of man. This chapter outlines The Elect’s responsibility to live in such a way as to establish peace on earth.

Let me keep Lent,
let me not kneel and pray,
Forego some trifle every day.
Fast…and take Sacrament…
And then
Lend tongue to slander, hold ancient grudge,
Deny the very Lord whom I would glorify.

Let me keep Lent,
Let my heart grow in grace,
Let Thy light shine till my illumined face
Will be a testament
Read by all men
That hate is buried, self-crucified—new-born
The spirit that shall rise on Easter morn.
–Elizabeth Badley Read

Lent is a period designed to help you take time to think, to become peaceful within, to strip away self, to find your own soul. After enough self is stripped away, you find yourself to be in a state of expectancy. You wait expectantly, but expectant of what? Enough life! Everyone is seeking enough life.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for,” the substance of all form, your body, and creations. Yet faith also takes the form of your imagination, thinking, and feelings. You can see the results of faith, though faith itself is fourth dimensional and invisible. Hope is an expression of the soul, and your determination to do springs from the quality of your hope. A spider spins her web with deathless determination. She never stops to ask, “Does God want me to have it?” What have you to do with obstacles? If you keep your mind on your needs, your needs will multiply.
You’re the artist in charge of portraying your life as you desire it to be. What you paint reveals your perspective on your experiences. Stroke by stroke you may reveal a dark history of sorrow and grief. An area painted too cloudy shows a lesson not learned, an ugly period of grief, resentment or blame. When you lie to yourself, you paint with a sugar-coating that lacks depth. If your brush barely touches the surface, the result is insipid, characterless, or honey-sweet and cloying. Instead, paint your soul conquering in light, bright strokes strokes creating a true representation.

“Use the brush of God’s love, and the full spectrum of charity and compassion to cover others’ transgressions.”–Edna Lister

Use the brush of God’s love, and the full spectrum of charity and compassion to cover others’ transgressions. The quality and quantity of your faith, hope and charity determine the difference between being faithful or faithless, hopeful or hopeless, and lovely or loveless. Your life’s expression and practice are founded on your soul’s hope. Life is a challenge, and love as charity is the best answer. Declare, “I am intimate with God. I have fallen deeply in love with life, and base the form of my body and my life in faith. My life’s expression is founded in hope. I base my hope in God. I practice the love of my life as charity. Now I ‘see face to face.’ I love the Light! I know others as God knows me, through faith in the Good. Lent is my aid in living in peace.”

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Let Me Keep Lent
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, February 12, 1956, Tacoma, WA, 1 Corinthians 13

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 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. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”–1 Corinthians 13.
All Jesus’ teachings throughout the New Testament have one great theme, responsibility to God and the love of God that produces love for your fellow man. People are making progress in their practice of love of God and responsibility to God and for man in the teachings of Christianity. Most Christians say, “I am trying.” Everyone must be free in his choice of approach to practicing his faith. Each must be free to seek God his own way. So many find their way to God, then crack down on everyone else to follow and do it their way.
“The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”–John 5:22. God gave no one but His Son a measuring rod to judge other souls. Each man’s highest thought is his prayer. How can you measure this? “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”–Matthew 7:1-2. “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”–John 7:24. Righteous judgment is high soul vision in action.

“God gave no one but His Son a measuring rod to judge other souls.”–Edna Lister

The whole of the teachings of Jesus points to a personal responsibility to love God enough. 1 Corinthians 13 is among the immortal words given to Paul. The message holds two points. First, charity refers to the brotherhood of man. Second, you must love God enough and first. Law credits you with your devotion to God and your charity toward your brother, not by what you do or the success you achieve in the outer. Do you “suffer” to be good?
“Love does not envy.” The roots of envy grow when you blame someone else for doing what you should have done while on duty. You are then suffering from a sense of guilt. Do not run away from the responsibility yourself while you judge another for doing it his way. Be too happy and too in love with God to cause offense or to be “caught out” by the law. Let nothing remain within you to react to the outer world. Love rejoices in the truth.
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”–1 Corinthians 13:11. You finally put away the childish things because your soul is always urging you to take on your full responsibility to God. Acknowledge your mistakes and admit that you do not know everything. Finally, admit that you never could know all that God knows.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”–1 Corinthians 13:13. You cannot create a chart of “How to Do It” unless you know how not to do it. You must know and understand what has caused your past failures before you can outline you plan for success and how to do it. Faith is the substance of all form, all bodies, all matter. All expressed creations are built on and of faith. You cannot leave faith in the fourth dimension when you create. Everything visible is faith. Since the body you wear is the substance of faith, you must care for it. All bodies are faith, made into flesh and blood.
Hope is an expression of soul and you can’t get very far without it. Hope is that combination of idealism and action that pours forth as deathless determination, and puts it into outer expression. The world needs life and enough hope as determination to achieve everything, including outer success and loving God more day by day. Charity is your love for God moving forth as compassion. Your experiences give you your background, the depths and shadows, the difficulties the suffering, the overcoming. You paint your picture with the brush of charity. Charity is covering others’ transgressions. You have charity when you have forgiven yourself for failing, and love God enough.
The Father says, “Come, child. Now is the right time to enter My kingdom.” Declare, “This one thing I do, forgetting all those things which are behind, in the last year, the last hour. I forget this past.” Charity forgets the grudge. Love your so-called enemies; pour compassion on the frailties of others. Hope is born of your expression of faith, and faith in form is all form. When you fall in love with God, you fall in love with life. Then you know where and when to draw on all faith for life.

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The Three Temptations
Edna Lister outline, February 19, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 4:1-11

“Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”–Matthew 4:1-11.
“Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”–Matthew 4:1. In the past, theologians, in their argument whether the subconscious self or outer devils tempted him, have lost sight of humanity’s relationship to these temptations. Wasting time on such intellectual wrangling is silly. It makes no difference whether he was tempted by a devil within himself or “the devil,” personified in the form of a fallen angel. We are interested in the fact that he was tempted, even as we are, sometimes from the self, other times from the world. Every soul born into the world is tempted. What we do know is that Jesus’ answers to the three temptations will carry us onward in ascension.
“When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.”–Matthew 4:2. Jesus was at his weakest point, so of course he would be tempted on hunger. Your weakest points of temptation and greatest tests always come at your highest point of illumination because you feel so confident and powerful. You may read of these temptations to misuse Light as Substance, Mind and Power, and say, “Oh, I’d never do that!” No? Jesus was hungry when he was tempted to turn stones into bread. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The law to cover this is “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”–Matthew 6:33.
Is the Way too rigid, too hard? You can stand strong through the drab, monotonous, dreary gray days of loneliness and heartache only by holding fast to an abiding, unalterable, conquering faith. The first temptation is where you fail yourself and quit, or stand as a pillar of Light and add to your faith. Family demands that you “prove” your faith and power, if you have it. Or you desire (hunger) to “show them” how you can heal.
St. Paul said that faith is substance. Then it follows that substance is faith. Further, any misuse of faith as doubt or fear, is misuse of substance, and you have failed your test as you fail an examination. Yet when you let, God adds “all things” and “love fulfills the law” for you. You rise from a faltering, wavering belief in God to a sometimes “blind” faith, a sometimes clear baby-faith that still totters before it falls down. While you do begin to understand faith, you must still strive for full faith.
The second temptation is to throw yourself down from a great height, or endanger yourself without fear because Guardian Angels will protect you. This deals with the misuse of Mind, and “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God,” is your right response. The real temptation and sin is to know a person’s weakness and to use and manipulate it, to prey on another’s weakness for gain. Criminals and spiritual vampires do this [so do sociopaths]. The temptation to misuse Mind also includes tempting another to show off, or seek self aggrandizement or exaltation, to puff up another’s ego for your personal benefit, to use Mind for personal gains and ends. “Try it. It can’t hurt you. Just try it once.”

“Law never fails you, though you may fail the law.”–Edna Lister

“Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”–Matthew 4:7. Never hesitate to use this law to protect yourself or others. Even in the midst of disobedience, you can call on God’s laws. Repent and “sin no more,” or you reduce yourself to such a tiny channel for Light that law cannot use you. You will not have enough love left to do the work. Law never fails you, though you may fail the law. Here you climb from a blind faith into a new-found, thrilling, unfaltering faith in God. You know, with no more fear, no more doubt, that His angels bear you up. Eventually, you are taken up to a high mountain, and shown “the glory of the kingdoms of the world.” You are tempted to misuse Power.
Jesus’ answer, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve,” is perfect for the occasion. He does not tell us to worship the little self, intellect, human nature or the I AM consciousness, which are all parts of the whole of God. You may not take shortcuts to the Power, be greedy, walk over broken hearts or dead bodies to God. You may not worship worldly power, adulation, ease or comfort. You may not forget God. You may not get tired and whine, “I’m trying.” Law is something you hear, accept and become, or you are worshiping in the world.
I’m tired. You’re tired. Maybe God is tired of waiting. When, oh, when can He count on you? A tired desire looks on while questioning. Choice either moves on, or gets so tired it quits. The mind of Christ in you lives on in tireless energy. How can you do this? Why does it work? Because you ascend in consciousness from faith in God to become the unconquerable faith of God.

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The Three Temptations
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, February 19, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 4:1-11

“Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”–Matthew 4:1-11.
Good is the name of God on earth. When people call Jesus “a good man,” they are calling him God. Arguments have been made about whether Jesus was tempted by his own spirit within or by a devil outside. When you take the “d” from devil, you have evil. Everyone born to earth must be tempted. Our most evident link to Jesus is temptation.
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry. Now when the tempter came to him, he said, “You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But he answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”–Matthew 4:1-4.
The first temptation was to turn the stones into bread. The first need after fasting is food. “How is it,” we ask, “that when I have the highest illumination, I get knocked down.” God sent you here with everything to protect yourself, always. You face temptations to learn this. The truth seeker’s family often says, “All right, if you know truth, why don’t you do this?” In Jesus’ case, the challenge was, “If you are the Son of God, why don’t you command that these stones become bread?”
Jesus answered, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We know that we must seek the kingdom of law, which is the right way, and all shall be fulfilled. Too many of the Elect put the need on the altar, then take it back. If you say, “I know this is happening, and I know it will come to pass,” then in two or three days, look to see if it is happening yet, you’ve pulled it off the altar.
St. Paul said, “Faith is the substance.” We say, “The substance is faith.” Everything can come to pass, except for you waver about, like flipping the light switch on and off. A seeking faith believes that God must exist. A blind faith lets doubt and fear creep in, and misuses substance. Such faith is a “sometimes” thing and the blindly faithful soul too often wonders, “Where has God gone?”
“Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge over you,’ and ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”–Matthew 4:5-7. The “holy city” is the higher creative center within the golden bowl, the glands and vital centers in the brain. Jesus showed us the way 2,000 years ago and set the ascension pace for us.
The second temptation is on the Mind of God. You cannot tempt law, which is the Spirit of the Lord that goes before you and through you. When your channels are clogged, your're just “trying law on for size” as you bumble along. You may always call on the law of protection to help you when something arrives unexpectedly, but you must call in a loud voice. When you entertain a guilt complex, you become clogged and speak oh so lightly, nonchalontly, “Oh, Lord, I’ve sinned. Please take care of this for me.” Yet your “request” can’t leave the room, since it has no power behind it.
If you are a prodigal son or daughter you must act like one in repentance. Give it all up to God! If you do not, if you cannot, you are hiding something from God, which is, in the final analysis, impossible. You misuse Mind when you tempt the law you are attempting to become. If you believe you are only thirty-five and can do it, who can gainsay you?
Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.–Matthew 4:1-11.
the Elect do not worship self or any lesser intelligence in this universe. We worship God. As we live by the Overoul’s “I AM” consciousness, as a Christed one, we move up in ascension of consciousness and live by and in the faith of God. Challenges may shake a puny faith in God, but our faith of God is unconquerable and immovable. We cannot share our ecstacy of soul with anyone. By our works we shall be known, and through those works others may witness the ecstasy, although we cannot give it to them. We can move up in consciousness and share to the greatest of our ability, not paying attention to those who bumble or are just one step from believing. We must move up and into that place where the faith of God does the works.

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Miracles Along the Way
Edna Lister outline, February 26, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Luke 8:41-56,

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 8:41-56.
In these verses hold two stories, one nested within the other. Jesus and his disciples were returning to Galilee where he was well known and loved by many. As word spread, a large crowd began to gather. Then Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, fell at his feet in supplication. His only child, a twelve-year-old daughter lay dying, and he begged Jesus to come and heal her. A great crowd surrounded them; among the throng was a woman, ill for twelve years, who had spent all her money on physicians who had never healed her. She reached out and touched the hem of his robe and was healed at once, as Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”
Jesus healing the woman while on his way to heal Jairus’ daughter is the story within a story. A miracle is an acceleration of perfect law. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”–Matthew 5:17. No one can set law aside, but you can hasten its fulfillment with no delay. It takes flaming desire and the heat of fervency to accelerate a law this way. Jesus astonished his disciples by asking who had touched him when such a multitude surrounded them. He explained, “Somebody has touched me, for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.” The woman then confessed that it was she, and he told her, “Your faith has made you whole.”
So far, two elements stand out: First, the interruption. You know when you have to “do the next thing next,” yet sometimes it’s burdensome to leave one task for another, or to disrupt your plans and deal with delays. Yet, what gifts have you to offer before God? Not too many if you can’t throw money at the problem! You can handle the interruption graciously and make it a great gift of service to the Father.
The second element is Jesus' assertion that “virtue is gone out of me,” which serves as our basis of proof that Power, which is a soul virtue, does use you. When you speak the Word, something does happen. Sometimes you pray, and nothing happens. You may doubt that God has heard you. An old erroneous idea was that a healer had to give his own strength for healing, and was afterward depleted. Yet, you can and must work on the right idea that when you as, Power does move through you, and the healing begins within the person at once.
Jairus had waited at Jesus’ side throughout this interruption while the crowd increased and pushed from every side. Then a servant came and said, “Your daughter has died. Do not trouble the Master.” Overhearing this, Jesus said, “Fear not. Believe only, and she shall be made whole.” The story does not say that the ruler doubted. Jesus had figuratively reached out and held the little girl in his arms of Light from the moment her father had asked him to heal her. Jesus proceeded calmly, doubting nothing, fearing nothing.
When he entered the house, the mourners were wailing and he said, “Weep not. She is not dead, but sleeping,” and they laughed and scorned him. Yet he never wavered. The mourners and the rest of the disciples all blamed him for not rushing. So, he had everyone leave the room, keeping only the parents, Peter, James and John with him. He said, “Little girl, arise,” and her spirit returned, which is the secret of calling anyone back from the gates of death. Anyone, who believes, can do this. He told her parents to feed her, but to tell no one, for if they did, others would disbelieve, question, mock the miracle, and deny God. Faith too ofen fails in the face of mockery.
What did Jairus, the woman, and Jesus all have in common? Each had a conscious faith—not a half-faith or unconscious faith—but a whole faith. With conscious faith, all you need is to call on the Power to do the work. Jesus’ “call” proves that Spirit is always active, willing, and able to heal. The woman worked her way to Jesus through the crowd, disregarding insults to her pride or the crowd's resistance. How do you “buy” a miracle? You must “sell” enough self to make room for healing and to “buy” a miracle of unconquerable faith. Nothing is impossible to unconquerable faith and the love of God overall!

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Desire, Choice, Action
Edna Lister outline, March 4, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Luke 15:11-24

A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.–Luke 15:11-24.
You must understand the nature of the elder brother to get the picture in the parable of the prodigal son. The oldest son was good, and incapable of being anything else. He was fixed on increasing his wealth, had no time for fun, no sense of hunger for adventure, but was serious. He loved to work, to see the increase. This was his joy, his pleasure, and it satisfied him. He received no credits for his hard work because he made no sacrifice.
How do we know this? Because he objected so strenuously to his father's joy, saying, “You’ve never given me a feast,” when his younger brother returned. He had not wanted a feast, but he was angry because his father did not love him specially. His father might have answered, “You’ve always been good. It’s easy for you, since you love your work. It’s been no sacrifice because you’ve done it for yourself. Your brother has had suffering, loneliness and sorrow as his teachers, which taught him to love. You hold your self as precious. Your brother gave his self up to God. You must learn to love more greatly.”
The younger son had a sunny, carefree nature. He must have been the image of his mother, and he loved his father with smiles, as she had. In turn, his father loved him too much to firmly discipline him, but he never meant to ruin the boy. He must have deeply repented of his selfish love, and we can guess this because of the way he acted when the boy returned.
The prodigal son had learned the lesson of false friends who desert you when the chips are down. He was a “good friend” until his money ran out; then they left him alone. None of those on whom he had spent all his money cared if he starved. He was reduced to eating husks with the swine, which is as near to nothing as anyone can get. Finally, he took stock, an accounting for his successes and failures. He had nowhere to go but up, so he looked up in consciousness. He thought, “Even my father’s servants have enough bread.”
Can you see the vivid picture this story paints of the boy saying, “I will arise”? First, he repented. Then he decided, and third, he gathered courage. His repentance was deep and complete, because he not only prayed aloud, but meant it. He did something about it, and put his repentance into action. His decision to tell his father was also a public acknowledgment of his mistakes, and he was willing to become his father’s hired servant. “I will arise” and confess that “I have sinned.” Finally, he gathered the courage to face his smug “I-told-you-so” brother. He knew he would face his brother’s scorn and gloating: “See me. I increased my inheritance. You failed!”
His father’s love was so great—he met his son a “great way off,” kissed him and reclaimed him as his son. He forgave his son’s debt, as the boy had forgiven his older brother. Repentance, which is the decision to give up self and the courage to face ridicule, is the price of surrender. Repentance earns the robe of purity, the ring of unity, and the shoes of understanding. As you forgive, you open a channel of abundance as large as your ability to forgive. God washes the pages as clean as the “soap and water” of your forgiveness reaches.

“As you forgive, you open a channel of abundance as large as your ability to forgive.”–Edna Lister

The profligate son gave up all, and all was cleansed. His father gave him a feast of love and a “fatted calf,” symbolic of the outpouring enfolding Light to feed the soul. But remember, he received no more money. The father represents “I AM” consciousness. His ever-loving father could not set aside principle or law to make his son rich again. All he could do was to give his son the opportunity to earn his way honorably.
The younger son had misused his soul substance, and the elder son misused his materially-oriented intellect. God cannot set aside law to please you, to make you happy. He bathes you, robes you, and puts shoes on your feet, but you must redeem and earn back all the Mind, Substance and Power you have misused. “Because I am a son/daughter of God, because Oversoul ‘I AM’ consciousness now rules my life, because I am become a living sacrifice, I am a joint heir with Christ.”

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Miracles of Increase
Edna Lister outline, March 11, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Mark 8:1-9, John 6:1-13

In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.–Mark 8:1-9.
Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.–John 6:1-13.
From the Old Testament prophets to Jesus, from Jesus’ time until today, history has recorded miracle upon miracle. People have as many miracles today as there were then, and even more. Miracles are frequent and common. A miracle is an acceleration of law in action. All miracles have something in common, running through them like a golden thread—an active, producing faith, with no negative, passive indifference or lukewarmness, a soul’s faith acting upon substance, never substance acting on the soul.
From seeking ways of personal survival to ascension of soul, you have only one basis, one foundation, steadfastness of purpose, positive and dynamic. By his knowledge of law, Jesus shortcut the process from seed to bread into an act of increase from five loaves to enough to feed 5,000 souls. I can use what is available, but I may not selfishly turn stones into bread for myself only so long as others are also in need. I do not hesitate to apply the law of increase of substance for others.
In Mark’s version of the story, Jesus had them sit in companies of fifty. In the symbolism of numbers, fifty represents spiritual freedom (five) in unity (zero). Five barley loaves, and two small fish equals seven, the number of the Priest. You can speak the Word and have a miracle only when you act as the Priest, who serves and gives to others. Then the “impossible” of man becomes the “possible” of God. The Gospels record many other types of miracles, but only two duplicate the seemingly “impossible” miracle of the increase of physical substance. Mark records the miracle of increase that followed three days of other miracles, while John tells about the one after Herod beheaded John the Baptist.
When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.–John 6:5-6. Thus, he tested his disciples’ faith. Jesus spent his whole ministry training a few people to live by unconquerable faith. Step by step, they established their faith in law and grew in the soul stature they would need.

“Jesus spent his whole ministry training a few people to live by unconquerable faith.”–Edna Lister

You need firm, unshakable faith in the Power of God to do the work after you have spoken the Word. You become a Priest who speaks the Word for miracles in three stages. First, you seek, search and find the Power to act, to do for you and through you. Second, you step onto the newly opened path and reach up in stature to grasp this Power. Finally, you receive the reward in growth of consciousness and expansion of your horizons, which leads to extended soul vision to see around corners.
As you gain in steadfastness of purpose, you become “inner minded” instead of “outer minded,” thinking of heaven, not the world. You move up into a new paradise of the soul. As soon as you enter this lovely place, you begin to settle down to enjoy your newly gained peace. Immediately, Light jolts you up and out of self-satisfaction. Law doesn’t allow you to settle down once you start walking the path of soul ascension.
You outgrow last year’s ideals, and last year’s soul robes burst at the seams. You may even outgrow the people, places and things you have loved the most. Yet, you cannot return to or squeeze yourself into the narrow, confining quarters. Growth in consciousness and expansion of the soul’s horizons is good, now and always. The old is not bad, but less good. What does it matter if family and friends refuse to share your vision? You have no time for weeping, no time for self-pity because you are so alone.
To help you accept a new horizon as a goal, you receive an endowment of heavenly, loving compassion to trade in for old personal affection. Compassion is better, gives more freedom for all, and has no “me” or “mine” in it. No one ever misses your old ways of love. You cannot return to the past. An “angel with a flaming sword” stands at the gate of each lost paradise. Each new paradise beyond has another angel beckoning. Each angel and flaming sword means a fulfillment of the soul, not a wall to limit your access to Power. Never allow your ideals to become your jailor. Nor do you allow them to become moth-eaten crystallized opinions, decrepit on crutches and canes. Move on. Look forward to greater glories.
Suddenly, an angel stands before you, pointing his flaming sword to a new Star, the gate to a new paradise. Finding the pathway of Power, following it, receiving the rewards you earn on it is glory. Here is God-Power as faith, perfect to do, the Source of all miracles. And your answer? “Well, I’ll try. I’m trying to pray.” Waste no time concentrating on trying, just bless, bless, bless what you have, and use the visible for increase now. This lesson is outstanding. You must use what you have. Bless the visible. Give in spiritual freedom from fear or doubt. Always gather up the fragments, the twelve baskets to use again.

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Before Abraham Was, I AM
Edna Lister outline, March 18, 1956, Tacoma, WA, John 8:48-59

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.–John 8:48-59.
John 8 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. It contains everything. Jesus taught the continuity of life and spoke intimately about life “beyond the veil.” He said, “Where I am, there ye may be also,” and “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” He taught that the Father had sent him, and “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” He explained, “I am from above. You are from beneath. You are of this world. I am not of this world,” and “I and the Father are one.”
Jesus used his whole ministry to give us a true understanding and awareness of the Father. Jesus was never alone. He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.–John 8:29. Jesus paints such a picture of intimacy, closeness and oneness with God.
First, accept your responsibility to please the Father, which you do by releasing His Light in the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”–John 8:12. Second, Light makes you aware of your oneness with God, your responsibility and faithfulness to that oneness with the Father. Third, be faithful in you relationship of oneness with the Father.
Jesus said, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.”–John 8:14. He also said, “Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God.”–John 8:54. These declarations strike a delicate balance between boasting, bragging and exalting self, and speaking about God to entice and persuade others to follow law and seek the Father through impersonal service, as an instrument.
Jesus told everyone that he came from the Father, and was returning to the Father. Faithfulness is not a part-time job, but works a twenty-four-hour shift. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.–John 8:31-32. The faithful soul transcends all outer conditions, limitations and events in life, and nothing can touch or harm him. If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.–John 8:51. The soul draws the “last” breath of an incarnation in the body, and leaves on the exhalation, arriving in heaven with no loss of consciousness. The real death is loss of consciousness of God as your Father.
This whole chapter is about the continuity between existence on earth and eternal life in heaven. Jesus said to the scoffers, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad.” Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.–John 8:57-58.This was a clear reference to the doctrine of many lives, reincarnation. Since Jesus had been Abraham, Abraham could “know ahead” that Jesus had to come and ascend. It was all part of the Plan. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.–John 8:59. Jesus practiced “invisibility,” for he had the power to hide. He walked through them untouched, unharmed, undaunted.

“Let love, as you, win all victories!”–Edna Lister

One man or woman can sweep the world. British sociologist Benjamin Kidd said that the women of the world could wipe out all darkness in one generation. We could do it in one year of continuity of knowing, standing, and praising the Father. “Come,” says the Father to the foolish and wise, the hard and soft, the indifferent and the zealots. “Bring all My children into My House now.” Be a creator god, walking as beauty. Be alive and radiant. Speak as love. Let love, as you, win all victories!

1 Benjamin Kidd (1858-1916) was a British sociologist who viewed Christianity as the major civilizing and creative factor in Western culture. He held that religion is essential to societal and cultural survival.

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The Lord Hath Need of Thee
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, March 25, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Luke 19:28-40, 22:7-13

“And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”–Luke 19:28-40.
“Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.”–Luke 22:7-13.
The disciples never believed that Jesus would give himself up to be crucified or they would never have fallen asleep in the garden of Gethsemane. They believed that he would perform the greatest miracle of all on Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem, he would heal the priesthood of its hatred, or he would disappear again. Jesus always proceeded logically and with complete preparation beforehand. He told his disciples where to find the colt for his ride into the city, and exactly how to find the man from whom they would rent the room for the Last Supper.
His main purpose was to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah. Yet he also had his eye on the best introduction to his final week’s service in Jerusalem. He rode in on a small colt, and was thus no higher than the people’s eye level. The Pharisees scorned him for it, which kept him out of prison. So his flamboyant entry was subtle also. As the Son of God, the Messiah, he said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”–John 14:9. He sat and smiled as he accepted the praise, adulation and honor shown him by the masses which fulfilled the prophecies. He was teaching them the lesson of balanced selflessness.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
–Rudyard Kipling, If

Jesus was unafraid to hear criticism or praise. A fear of praise covers an immature egocentric complex, and displaying it before the world. When your work is well done, then is praised, think instantly, “Thank You, Father. This praise is Yours. It belongs to You. Thank You, Father. Your Power is on display.” Then praise the giver of praise, saying something nice about him. When another blames you, look him in the eye and say, “Thank you for taking the time to think this of me. I am so grateful.” In being a servant of the Power, you cannot help that it shows. Accept the praise or the blame and forget it. Return to the beginning and start all over again.
A minister’s brother gave him a new car, all shiny with lots of chrome. He drove into a slum district to make calls on the sick. When he returned to his new car, a small boy was admiring it, and asked, “Where did you get it?” The minister answered, “My brother gave it to me.” The child said, “Gee, I wish I could be a brother like that.”
Jesus touched the common man with his selflessness and the simplicity of his teachings. By the customs of religious orthodoxy, people expect to be able to ride into heaven by hanging onto Jesus’ coat tails. In the metaphysical world, many do not accept their responsibility to obey and become law. They just want to sit on the sidelines and wait for the kingdom to come. Dynamic religionists, on the other hand, make many demand statements, such as, “It must come now!” Law can only know what you want when you know what you want and decree it by your spoken Word. Then stand unwaveringly until your spoken Word draws on the Power “out there” to bring it to pass.

“The greater your capacity for devotion and love, the greater the Light and Power God can release through you.”–Edna Lister

God is not a fool. He created us in His inner image and likeness, not on the outer only. You must have devotion to Him. It does not matter how you worship Him, so long as you do worship Him. The greater your capacity for devotion and love, the greater the Light and Power God can release through you. Love does the work, and it must be love enough.
A palm is a symbol of victory. Jesus went forth and from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he went to the temple and drove out the money changers. Afterward he went on his way for the week. During that week, our Lord had to conquer on every law he had taught. He was tested and tempted, but he conquered self and the world. Everything he did was a victory.
Jesus showed the world how to be dynamically, positively, powerfully selfless. To this day Jesus Christ teaches personal responsibility. The Lord says, “I have need of thee.” Declare, “The law hath need of my steadfast courage.”

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Roll Away the Stone
Edna Lister outline, April 1, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 28:1-10, 28:16-20

“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”–Matthew 28:1-10.
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”–Matthew 28:16-20.
Dawn! After Friday’s tremendous uproar, upheaval, emotional upsets and shock, the first Easter morning! Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary,” Joseph’s sister, had spent the night in grief, talking and praying, before they came to the tomb. The women had prepared ointments and costly spices to anoint Jesus’ body after the Crucifixion, but the Sabbath had come too quickly Friday evening. They had rested on the Sabbath, according to law, before they went to the tomb.
Then, another earthquake. Imagine the two Marys standing speechless before the angel who had descended right before their eyes. His “countenance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.” The guards were shaken and fell unconscious, as if dead. he angel said, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”–Matthew 28:5-7. He answered all their unspoken questions.

“Those who must wait to see before believing are not free. To accept and to believe is essential.”–Edna Lister

Matthew mentioned the two Marys, saying the “other Mary” was James’ mother. Mark added Joanna, and Luke said, “other women.” But the two Marys arrived first, and ran to tell the rest. The eleven disciples went to Galilee to rendezvous with Jesus, “but some doubted.” Jesus’ ministry emphasized the need to believe to see. Those who must wait to see before believing are not free. To accept and to believe is essential. We all have trouble with this. As the father of the demon-possessed child cried, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!”–Mark 9:24.
Let us say, “Roll the stone away from my heart. Let the earthquake of Power and glory melt and dissolve opinion, prejudice, selfishness and self-exaltation. Lord Jesus Christ, teach me to believe to see all my dream-desires come true.”

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Roll Away the Stone
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, April 1, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 28:1-10, 28:16-20

“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”–Matthew 28:1-10.
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”–Matthew 28:16-20.
Easter Sunday is the end of the period we call Lent, a time during which we inventory the soul. We offer up the self we find still besmirching the soul. Matthew mentions the two Marys, Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary,” who was James’ mother. Mark adds Joanna to the two Marys. Joanna was the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod Antipas’ house. Luke says all the women prepared spices and went to the tomb.
Matthew wrote that the two Marys came first and witnessed the earthquake. They also saw an angel of the Lord, whose face shone like lightning. He rolled away the stone, announced Jesus’ Resurrection and answered all their unspoken questions. The women immediately ran to tell the disciples what they had seen. On their way, they met Jesus himself. Mark wrote that Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices to anoint Jesus’ body. When they arrived, the stone had already been rolled away and a young man dressed in white was sitting inside the tomb. He made the annunciation of Jesus’ Resurrection. Luke, in his account, wrote that the women arrived to find the stone rolled away, and two young men who were standing nearby, told them the good news.
Jesus’ Crucifixion had been a most painful experience for his loved ones. When pain comes, people often pet it, pamper it and put it to bed with them to get up with it in the morning. Inch by inch, most people drag themselves back up to God instead of lifting their hands and declaring the pain is gone. You can say to pain, “Get out!” and let in the Light that does the greater works through you. To do this, you must roll away the stone from your crystallized heart and mind. Only then can you shout, “Now I am free!"
You have to get closer to God now to gather the strength to do the greater works later. Declare, “Let there be an earthquake come to strike away this stone so that I AM free!” Get closer to God for His glory to use you. Because our Lord rose, we, who believe in him, know that we shall rise also. Then we shall know freedom from sin, which is the only real freedom that exists.

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I Ascend!
Edna Lister outline, April 8, 1956, Tacoma, WA, John 20:1-9, 21:1-14

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulcher. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.”-John 20:1-9.
After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.-John 21:1-14.
Jesus appeared to his disciples some seventeen times between his Crucifixion and the record of his Ascension, before they knew “the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” This reading is peculiar: They had not yet written the scripture. Jesus had told them he would arise and ascend, but they had only half-believed him. The stories about his death by Crucifixion, his Resurrection and the Ascension are easier to believe when you read about them. The human mind usually finds it difficult to encompass the miraculous, preferring the mundane rationalization, which describes agnosticism.
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, who had lingered at the tomb, weeping, after Peter and John had left. Mary believed what the first angel had said, that Jesus had risen from the dead. When she turned from the tomb, she saw Jesus, but thought he was a gardener. He said, “Woman, why are you weeping. Whom do you seek?” Yet she never recognized his voice until he spoke her name. We all recognize a friend, mostly by the sound and tonal quality of their voice.
Jesus appeared the second time on that same day, in the evening. Thomas was not with them, and when they told him they had seen the Lord, he said, “I will not believe” unless I see the marks of the nails, and touch his wounds. The others had not thought to look for the marks first, but were just glad to see him alive.
On the eighth day, Jesus appeared to them in the same room, and this time, Thomas was present. Jesus invited Thomas to touch the wounds in his hands and side, and said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Then Jesus appeared to Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John, and two others at the Sea of Galilee. They had fished all night and caught nothing. the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but they did not know him—interesting. He told them to cast their fishing net on the “right side,” and when they pulled it up, overflowing, they knew it was Jesus, for it was a miracle.
Impulsive Peter swam to shore, while the others brought the boat and catch. They saw fish and bread, baking on a fire of coals, which must have been burning a long time. Jesus had materialized the fish and bread to “prove” himself, but only enough fish for one. He told them to bring some of the fish they had just caught. None of the disciples dared asked him who he was, for they knew in their hearts he was Jesus. They must have been consumed by awe and curiosity.
What is this act that we call Ascension? How can you attain it and remain in the world, balanced and functioning? Ascension is, to the student of truth, who is seeking inner causes to account for outer effects in his life, exactly what atomic research is to the physicist. Seekers in the past have tried many methods to accomplish this Ascension. They have sought it through suffering and flagellation of the body, through starving the body, living on fruit, eating no meat, fish or fowl, by withdrawing from the world, never speaking or using their voices, living alone in a hut or in the desert.
None of these methods will ever work. All they do is to weaken, damage, or destroy the body vehicle. Unless any method will work for the whole world, then it is not founded in principle, the Master’s teachings, or divine law. Law, to be universal when followed, must work for everything in manifestation alike. Observe: Many sects are based on personal interpretations of law, founded on individual peculiarities, opinions or prejudices.
Ascension and atomic research are both refining processes—positive, moving inward, getting behind or beyond the visible material world. Atomic research is focused on substance. Ascension is devoted to soul as essence. The inner substance of soul is forever held in a protective sheath. You cannot see the finer grade of substance released from the atom, but you can see the effects and results of its liberation.
You cannot see the soul, but can feel its power when released, and when unleashed you do see its effects in the transformed life of the physical body. Soul ascension is a mental penetration through the outer sheaths of substance into the realm of the unseen. How do you ascend the body today? Ascension is so utterly commonplace—a moving up from outer self-confidence into that realm of soul-consciousness and soul-confidence, which is all-inclusive in its nature, which partakes of God.
Self-confidence is intermittent. Self-expression builds itself an outer reputation, but soul-expression shows character, which you feel as an emanation from the soul. Self-confidence has no followers, while soul-confidence inspires the world. Self-confidence dulls the personality, but soul-confidence makes it shine. Self-confidence is based on outer intellect, while soul-confidence places trust in God’s principles, which cannot fail. Self-confidence fishes all night with no results. Soul-confidence hears the Voice saying, “Put the net on the right side,” which is the up side, and the net will be filled.
You have one fish on the fire and one loaf of bread. Start with what you have, pray, and use all that you have right now, where you are. The soul is already a part of God. Your job is to ascend the self that you have fused with your soul to this point.
Exchange self-confidence for soul-confidence. Grow from seeing to believe through ascension into believing to see. It’s a sloooooow growth as you take one step at a time to ascend in consciousness slowly and safely. Going slowly is essential, for the force of atomic power can destroy cells if you ascend too fast. Full Christ consciousness, which bestows soul-confidence, is of the ninth dimension world of power. Christ consciousness is soul-sustaining and renewing, and burns out all dross to heal the body. Nothing on earth can resist its upward flowing movement.
Follow the findings of science and apply them to your spiritual life. You know finer grades of substance exist, which you do not see with the physical eye. Yet, you must believe to see beyond the outer sheath that enfolds all Spirit on the outer. It changes everything and everyone that it touches, and transforms your life.
The right side is the up side. Ascend in consciousness. Declare, “I arise. I ascend. I stand in the heart of the fire, the white Light of the Christ. I am free. I reach for the stars. Power uses me for its own glory.”

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Love’s Three Phases
Edna Lister outline, April 15, 1956, Tacoma, WA. Mark 12:28-34.

“One of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”–Mark 12:28-34.
Love has three phases—love of God, love for your neighbor, and love of self. You have traveled a long path of life coming forth, made a long pilgrimage away from God into the idea of being separated and alone, which creates a defensive attitude.
The watch-words of selfish love are the self-centered pronouns “me, my” and “mine.” Selfish love’s keynote is love of my material things, love of my family, love of my life. Self-preservation defends “me” and “mine,” and is as primitive as cave men huddling together in fear. Self has prompted every lie ever told.

“Self has prompted every lie ever told.”–Edna Lister

Love for your neighbor was born in ancient communities bound together for self preservation, yet is the first step up toward love for God. You love your life, your possessions, your families, and begin cooperating, living together and helping each other. Love for your neighbor defends the whole clan or tribe, and from it is born the love of your nation. Love’s “one Lord, one God” phase teaches you to use and love God’s things, God’s family. You are learning to love God, to let God’s life use “little me.”
While he was still a shepherd boy, David held an innocent love of his parents, family, nature, and his father’s flocks. He grew up in love with all things, and saw his God everywhere. He loved unconsciously because nothing ever tempted him. He was no more than Jesse’s youngest son until Samuel anointed him to be king over Israel. When King Saul brought David to his court and made him his armor bearer, David found it strange and confusing. Slowly, over the years, he experienced much human treachery and learned how defend himself against more than wild animals.
Trapped in a loveless marriage of state, King David began living the second phase of love, love for his neighbor, when he saw Bathsheba. She was lovely and innocent at first. Her husband Uriah had never loved her, but was so devoted to war that he had vowed to win, single-handed. David fell in love with Bathsheba so completely that he surrendered to his love; nothing else mattered to him. He sent Uriah to the forefront of battle, where he was killed. David married Bathsheba, which displeased the Lord, who sent His prophet, Nathan, who represents pure law, to sentence him for breaking the commandments. David endured all kinds of family deaths, tragedies, and endless war.
God tempted David to number the people for self-defense. David did so and immediately knew he had failed the initiation. Then God asked David to choose the payment for the debt: Seven years of famine, to flee from his enemies three months, or three days’ pestilence in the land. David chose to fall into God’s hand, and God smote Israel with pestilence. David repented when he saw the angel of death, and entered the third phase of love when he prayed that God would let the punishment fall on him and his house, rather than on the blameless people. Finally, he was ready to give up his life for others.
David remembered his youthful love of God, and compared it with Nathan’s God of pure justice under rigid law, showing no mercy. David walked up to God, held up his hands, and opened the doors to Light and love. So David, even in sinning, opened the great vibration of love for Jesus to teach later. Like the prodigal son, he surrendered self completely, paid his debts and saved the people. God found his sacrifice acceptable. Selfishness forms the bars on the door into the full love of God. The lock is self, which opens only to selflessness. Only the love of God gives you the courage to choose the right way, instead of wandering in darkness, wasting time, paying debts.
You cannot jump up to the goal, but must take step by courageous step. Today’s sacrifice forms your next step toward the goal. You need an inner conviction of right and be willing to stand for it. You must know what goal you want to reach before you can succeed. What you truly want, you desire to do. So, you must want it enough to “die daily” for it. You must be willing to suffer, to sacrifice, to face death of the little self every hour. This opens wide the doors of life. Finally, you muster the courage—all heart, all soul, all mind, all strength—to enter and place your hands on the Ark of the Covenant of law, which is love. Surrender self to gain the triumph of your soul.

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The Greater You
Edna Lister outline, April 15, 1956, Tacoma, WA, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Deuteronomy 30:11-14

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”–1 Corinthians 3:16.
“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”–Deuteronomy 30:11-14.
Everyone asks, “Who am I?” or, “Just what is my self?” One in a thousand answers, “I am great!” Most people say, “I’m an attorney,” or a doctor, musician, painter, actor, statesman, financier, judge, singer or dancer, which tells you what I does for a living, not what I is. Who is the I who is doing all these things? What is the greater you? “There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding.”–Job 32:8. Man is Spirit. John said the Word was made flesh, and we are also part of that incarnate Word.
Many say, “I’m weak. I’m dumb. I’m tired. I’m ill.” Others say, “I am strong. I am free. I am joyous. I am healed!” Some say, “I’ve lost heart. My eyes are shot. My ears don’t work. My memory’s gone,” until they are all gone. Others declare, “My heart is strong! I can do anything! I have a wonderful memory!” So, the question is not whether you have a “greater you,” but What shall you do with your “greater you?” You are free to say, do think and imagine what you want, but what do you want? Freedom is the personal liberty to determine you life for yourself, but which kind of self? You are free to express, to pour forth, to push forth, to produce what? Which self do you express, the lower weak self or the higher strong soul?
“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”–Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Are you afraid to say, “I’m free. I’m strong. I’m healthy. I am healed! I am wealthy!”? Ascend in consciousness and use what you have!

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Daring to Do
Edna Lister outline, April 22, 1956, Tacoma, WA, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-23, 2 Samuel 23:20, Hebrews 11:32-40

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”–1 Thessalonians 5:14-23.
“Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.”–2 Samuel 23:20.
“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: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”–Hebrews 11:32-40.
Hebrews 11 is filled with a recapitulation of the brave and daring ones of the Old Testament. They dared to step out on nothing visible, having nothing to see. The invisible contains all things. Nothing of God can be left out. Nothing of God can be withheld. God is everywhere evenly present and available, so all of God is right here, right now. All the visible substance is on top, like the meringue on a lemon pie.
Even science now backs up our knowledge of truth and law. When a scientist sets out to prove something, he must “believe to see,” for he cannot yet see what he knows must be there. So, he searches. A student of truth knows that faith must be there to fill his molds, and the love must be there to fulfill the law. You may be thinking, “I’ve heard all that. I know all that. Why talk about it?"
Two questions concern us. How do you gain this protected place of assurance and Light? Once gained, how do you hold fast to it? “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.”–1 Thessalonians 5:15. Evil is any darkness, misuse of soul substance in gossip, slander, doubt, blame or suspicion. Lift it, and cross it out if you hear it. You cannot stop, or get inside anyone to change them, so to stop evil means to be watchful, to reach out to speak the Word for anything tainted that you see or hear, to neutralize it right now.
How do you hold fast to this protected place of assurance and Power? “Rejoice evermore!”–1 Thessalonians 5:16. Evermore refers to the length of time, which is quantity. However, you rejoice “ever more,” never less, which refers to quality. “Pray without ceasing.”–1 Thessalonians 5:17. Prayer can be a petition, statement or invocation, asking Power to do the work. Loving God enough covers all answers to prayer. Unceasing prayer is as regular as the planets in orbit, the seasons, the flowing of rivers, and tides of the ocean.
“Prove all things.”–1 Thessalonians 5:21. You prove all things by holding fast to the good until you do see what you have created. “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”–1 Thessalonians 5:22. Avoid anything that puts you in a false position. Use no idle words. True prayer is invoking Light as the power to open a vibration now, not a petition or query. Light as power is ever present as potential—it works, but you must invoke it. Like a spring-action faucet, the Power shuts off if you let go of your high state of consciousness. Keep the Light flowing as power.
The greatest of all statements of truth is, “This is good!” spoken a thousand times a day. Yet you must add another ingredient, the courage to dare. “Benaiah, the son of a valiant man…slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day.”–2 Samuel 23:20. A pit, what a terrifying place and position. Benaiah was not yet perfect. He was the “son of a valiant man,” but it does not say that he was valiant when he started. Benaiah became courageous by daring to do the impossible. You build character on strength that dares to exceed itself each time life calls on you to do something unusual.
A lion is a formidable beast. Benaiah could not afford to be afraid. A lion in a pit on a snowy day—can you imagine anything worse to face? The “pit” is the subconscious mind of the appetitive soul. From the courage to act, which is daring, fearlessness grows. Courageous souls desire to conquer all slothfulness, lukewarmness and indifference. Those who do nothing are afraid of losing their place, yet they lose it by default. Their vibration slows to nothing. You climb as high as your active daring and doing vibration takes you. Fearlessness, your heritage from the Father, who rules over all, belongs to all. How does fearlessness cause you to act?
Snow starts falling softly, its action gentle and irresistible, yet it ties up traffic in great cities. The warming temperatures of spring cause the ice to break up. Slowly, irresistibly, the heat just works until the ice thaws. The same irresistible Power gently pushes grass, flowers, bushes and trees into new life, not in a fury, but in the gentleness of love. Courage and valiance are born of the same quiet irresistible Power of the faith of God.
Declare, “God is with me. Whom shall I fear? I acknowledge my responsibility now to dare to do when confronted with anything. God, the One, is doing the work. I am never alone.” The most fearless expression of all is “I am healed.” You can confidently declare, “I am the wealthiest woman in the world,” because “not I, but the Father must do the work.” Declare, “I rejoice ever more. I pray without ceasing. In the gentle, fearless and irresistible love of God, I dare to be and do.”

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Rose-Colored Glasses
Edna Lister outline, April 22, 1956, Tacoma, WA, 1 Corinthians 13:12, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

“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.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18.
“La Vie en Rose,” or “looking at life through rose-colored glasses,” has come to mean that you see someone as perfect, which is part of the law of good, declaring, “This is good! Let there be Light!” People and situations are good, as far as they have come, then you declare them perfect until they become so. Declaring the good is a tough law to follow, so you analyze three steps to comprehend it—desire, decision, and action.
Desire for what? must be your choice, and a right choice, a good choice, not seeing through a glass, darkly. See with an open face, with no hidden taints of self in the way, no opinions or prejudices. Making a comprehensive overall choice is best. To choose more life will cover everything you could ever need or be. Your desire to possess more life must burn and flame. Life must become an adventure.
First, you may not be gullible or soft, but must equip yourself to make the proper appraisals of everything—individuals, land, houses, cars, business. Your ability to make a just appraisal is even more important in your relationships with others. You cannot put trust in another, whose discretion is a leaky sieve, nor can you burden others with confidences past their ability to hold them private.
After you choose, you must decide “when, where, what and how” you will apply the flame of creative fire to your every hour of rest, work and study, to mold your life to become all powerful and all successful. You must always choose now what picture you hold in imagination: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:18.
The third step is action, yet how hard it is to move, to get going if self sits glued to the chair. Some people cannot seem to get going until noon. Once soul chooses, you may make no more demands of self, but assertions, such as, “I am success. I am strong. I am powerful. I am free.”
You cannot live your life by just thinking about it, but must live your choice. Your Word must “become flesh.” Put all you comprehend of God into action as understanding for your fellow man, or you will confuse your relationship to life. Some put off action until money or their family situation permits. No power exists in money. Love what you can do with God as money, and focus your action on the reality behind money.
When you are “changed into the same image from glory to glory,” money will come. Your money will stretch, and whatever you need will be a bargain. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” to ascend, to be powerful, to do anything.

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Your Royal Birthright
Edna Lister outline, April 29, 1956, Tacoma, WA, 1 John 3:1-3, John 14:10-14

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The Path of Faith
Edna Lister outline, May 6, 1956, Tacoma, WA. James 1:5-8, 1:17, 2:14-18, 2:26

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”–James 1:5-8.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”–James 1:17.
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”–James 2:14-18.
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”–James 2:26. Only two things can happen if you fill a vessel and leave it. It either stagnates or dries up and crystallizes. Now, what is this thing we call faith? The Letter to Hebrews says that faith is both a substance and evidence. Substance can be solid or liquid, or air, invisible to the eye. You use substance to create or make something. Clay is a substance, and to be used, it must be malleable and pliable. Substance is open to change, and you can change it.
Evidence is proof. “Faith is the evidence of things not seen” is still difficult to understand. You cannot see the principles of mathematics, but you know they work. The principle of faith operates the same way. Faith is its own proof, yet each must prove faith for himself. The author of Hebrews was talking about the spiritual substance of faith, which is also its evidence. Therefore, you base your whole life on a universal fact—the form of substance can be changed. This fact is the foundation for your confidence in God. Change is one thing you can forever count on, so your faith ought not to be rigid, but always must be firm and able to grow.
To prove your faith as an active Power, you must do certain things. You ask of God, and He gives liberally. But how do you ask? Without wavering, or unstable as a wave on the sea, driven and tossed by the wind? You may not be double-minded, making up your mind tonight and changing it in the morning. So often people ask, “Is this right? Does God want me to have it? Does God want me to do it?” This is not the place to change. You want to change conditions, not your mind.
Every great accomplishment on earth has been based in faith. Faith underwrites every miracle and every desire. You can have no enthusiasm or incentive without faith. Faith is the motive power of all action. Faith is the Power of God in action. Where does faith come from? “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”–James 1:17. Faith works because you make contact with God, “for every good and every perfect gift is from above.”
How do you get undiluted faith? “No variableness, neither shadow of turning” exists in God. God never casts a shadow, but you see one if you stand with your back to the Light. Turn again to God and face the Light. How long this takes will depend on the quantity of your steadfastness, and the quality of your doing. You hear, talk, think, act and you must ascend in consciousness.
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?”–James 2:14. “Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”–James 2:18. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”–James 2:26. The results of your faith, miracles or delays, do depend on both the quality and quantity of your faith. If you let your thinking, imagination, and emotional life dilute and adulterate your approach to God, your faith will be weak and ineffective in its results. If your approach is undiluted by self, and your efforts steadfast, the greatness of your faith will show in your works. If the quality of your approach and the quantity of your effort is perfect, the quality and quantity of your action and doing will show miracles.
By your devotion and love, you show quality. By your steadfastness of effort and of purpose, you show your quantity of works. Then desire becomes a “bellows,” blowing will into a flaming determination of effort to act. You must have burning desire, flaming imagination, and let the Power do the work. Do not seek to conquer faith, but let faith conquer as you!

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I’m a Millionaire!
Edna Lister outline, May 6, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Philippians 4:11-13, 4:19

“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: every where 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.”–Philippians 4:11-13.
“God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”–Philippians 4:19. Do you believe that God is wealthy? Limitlessly so? Do you dare to proclaim, “I’m the wealthiest person in the world"? If you have no desire to say, “I’m a millionaire,” then why?
First are those who say, “I would not know what to do with that much money.” Others think, “Perhaps it’s not meant for me. I might misuse it, do harm with it or spoil someone.” Some pray, “Do not let me have it, God, if it is wrong for me,” which is tantamount to saying, “I can’t trust myself.” God always trusts you. The real question is, “When can I trust myself?”
Do you feel like a millionaire? The “sponge” type sops up the idea and lets it ooze out. Some will answer, “Well, I don’t know what being a millionaire feels like.” They have little imagination, and where dreams fail, vision perishes. The “Why should I?” kind says, “It’s so much trouble to have that much money. It’s too much hard work, too much effort. The hours are too long.” By being lukewarm and indifferent, you can rest yourself to death. Without action, you have no point of contact between applying what you know to what you do.
The “What would I do?” type says, “What would I do with that much money? It just seems to be a huge burden that I don’t need. I don’t want more responsibility.” Yet you must give up self, and what self wants to do. The “wisher” type says, “Yes, I wish I had money, but only if I did not need to change or work harder. I’d wish I were a millionaire if someone would just give me the income and take care of managing the principal.” The “off in a corner” type says, “Why would I want to be a millionaire? I’d rather have a hut on a mountainside. I want to be alone. Groups disturb me. I like to study alone, at home. I get more out of it that way.” Are you afraid of new ideas? Do you like the new or the old ways best?
Why think only of money when you say, “I am a millionaire"? Wealth also means “plenty” or “lots.” Anyone can be a millionaire in joy, love, understanding, compassion, tenderness, sweetness, loveliness and graciousness. You can withdraw all the qualities and virtues from God’s Bank that you possibly can pour out on your world. Form a larger vocabulary to fit your expansion of new ideas, new thinking, new pictures, new emotions. Declare, “I am the wealthiest man/woman in the world. I am. I can. I do move onward and upward. “My new name is wealth.”

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Nourishing Love
Edna Lister outline, May 13, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 5:43-48, 13:31-33

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”–Matthew 5:43-48.
“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.
Mother’s Day is the one day if the year when the love given is perfect. It is a way of commemorating that we have spent one year together in brooding, yearning mothering love. It has been the most fulfilling year of my life. Thank you. Mother love is a way of life, a keynote, a pacemaker and pacesetter, nourishing and sustaining. When it is unselfish, mother love is the love of God expressed in all its purity, balanced.
We see three types of love in expression: A purely sentimental love, self-love, and devotional love of God. Sentimental love is overly indulgent and overly demanding, weak, thin, watery and diluted. It says, “I’ve given the best years of my life for you.” Sentimental love always thinks of itself first, and asks, “What will this do to me? How will this affect me?"
An emotional self-love always reaches, grabs and snatches what “I want.” When no one meets its demands, it sits and waits, but never serenely, always with resentment and blame for someone. It controls your life, and in it, you find no freedom. Devotional love’s first thought is always of God. Dwelling in the love of God, I give up my own way. I give to others freely, and give others their freedom.CDevotional mother love asks “How will this affect my family? How will this affect my service?"—and declares, “This is good. You are right. I am joy. All is God.” Devotional love of God is a loving love, both persuasive and aggressive. Its keynote is expansive, and you never find it while sitting and waiting. It waits while serving, while working out its own salvation.
Some women fear the advantages of devotional love, because wisdom does not balance their love. Such a mother, for example, when dividing dessert among a family of five will cut only four pieces, leaving herself out. Her imbalance is not the family’s fault. She is cheating herself and damaging her family, especially the children, for she sends the message, “You can expect me to give up my fair share for no good reason.” A mother must count herself as one of the family, otherwise, she is weak. Emotional-sentimental love misuses soul substance, saying, “I want, so I take.” Mental-intellectual love makes demands, saying, “I will oppose” or “I won’t challenge.” The spiritual Mother Love principle in balance, says, “I give up. I look up. I come up. I sacrifice the little self to give as love.”
The parable of the leaven illustrates the persuasive power of mother love: “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. Mother love loves and leavens the whole family. Someday soon mother love will leaven the whole world into peace. Mother love spreads its arms of love to take in more, catching everything. Love never cuts out or sends away, but lifts, heals and loves. It never loves in spite of, but because. Nothing can stop its flow above or below, for love must win. Mother love is understanding, selfless, yearning, brooding, generous, sustaining, a pillar of strength. It croons, “I know,” as it reaches to comfort the one in need. Mother love covers others’ transgressions, loves its enemies, does good when despitefully used, and strives to be perfect as its Father in heaven is perfect. Mother love, balanced by wisdom, knows what is best.
Solomon had the wisdom to recognize the true mother of the child claimed by another. The selfish, grasping woman agreed to have the babe cut in two, but the babe’s real mother was willing to give it up to assure its life. We can still see such love and wisdom in action. Last month, a magazine story told of a dying mother who interviewed dozens of families before choosing those to whom she gave her children.
The parable of the mustard seed illustrates the aggressive power of Mother love: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”–Matthew 13:31-32.
Mother love, backed by the Father’s wisdom is balanced. Its aggressive action is always pushing up, asking up, seeking up and knocking on heaven’s door. Mother love is always timeless, measureless and limitless in its devotion. When possessed by it, you become unconquerable. Divine Mother love is never sentimental or weak, but the strongest power in the universe, gossamer and light, easy to carry, no burden at all.
A self-centered love is the heaviest burden in the world. It rides the soul with a whip and spurs, until it finally collapses of its own weight, which some call a “nervous breakdown.” A selfish love is always too busy, too tired, too hurried, too self-satisfied. Its chief hallmark, self-pity, is nothing more than a sentimental love for self.
Love is an all-the-time affair. Love is a mistress whom you must serve twenty-four hours a day. It is the key to all prayer. Love is an investment in an eternal youth annuity, which considers, contemplates and expresses only love. Wherever it goes, love concerns itself only with love, creating only love and beauty, converting all it meets into love. The time to love is now. The love of God as Mother love, pure and undefiled, is God’s universal timing.

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Nourishing Love
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, May 13, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 5:43-48, 13:31-33

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”–Matthew 5:43-48.
“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.
A yearning, brooding mother love is a way of life. After we have conquered the physical frontiers, we find time for mental interests. Men become involved in the stock market, for instance. Many women become involved in organizations. A woman can do anything, for if a challenge to action confronts her, she acts. You must grasp a keener, more conscious sense of what you express. Mother love is a nurturing love, pure and undefiled. Love comes in several grades, sentimental love, self-love, and devotional love.
Sentimental love is overly indulgent and excessively demanding for the self, which makes it weak, watery, thin and diluted. Such mothers are greedy and demanding. A child is an individual in his or her own right. Children are your teachers, your trainers, for you are forced upward into divine Mind for the answers in teaching and training them. In marital relations, sentimental love says, “I’ve given you the best years of my life.” A self-centered love sits and waits for its prayers to be answered, then looks around for someone else on whom to park the blame. Such people are always using someone else as the scapegoat.
True mother love accepts all the blame and never seeks to escape full responsibility. The self-lover is always thinking, “How will this affect me?” They are self-indulgent. "It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!”–Luke 17:1. You cannot change anyone else at any time. A self-love and escaping the expression of a selfless love grows so heavy a burden on the back that it falls and the person has a “nervous breakdown.” They make excuses such as “I’m not able. I haven’t had” this or that. They have sore throats, headaches, aching backs, sniffle because they’re snivelers. They go to bed, but still do not rest.
Many women are afraid of mother love fearing that others would take advantage of them, and they will if you let them. The mother is the worker of the family. Yet when the full power of love, the River of Life is flowing through you, you will brood and yearn over others. Send a constant torrent of love over the “bear” of the family, and let it wipe out any sadistic desire to hurt.
The day has passed when a minister can stand behind a pulpit and expect to be taken care of financially. He must release mother love to lift, wipe out, heal and bind up all wounds, to give and be ready to give more. When another reviles you, he gives you a gift to give the Father: When it strikes, go up in consciousness to your tower room, get out of sight, up there, and let love flow forth to wipe out the block, transgression or blow.
Love is a miracle. It is the timeless, measureless, limitless quality of your life. Love cannot understand anything but love. It converts everything into itself and lifts. Love is a choice, every hour. Ask yourself, “How am I mothering this hour?” Every hour, as it approaches, is a beautiful, golden time. Brood over it, live it and appreciate it to fill it with God’s love. Surrender to the Light and power of pure mother love. Sentimental selfish love has no added wisdom. Mother love is balanced by the Father’s wisdom. Through mother love, women are leavening the whole world with peace. Today, mother love is building this peace.
Do not put a heavy load on one who cannot bear more. Timing is necessary for everything. Living, music, art, the world all is based on timing, and the mother love of God is the tool you have with which to work out the timing. Mother love brings harmony. This mothering love of the universe holds all in place. Yearning, brooding and giving for love of giving is mother love. Mother love is the universal timing. Pray with mother love in your heart. It is harmony. It is perfect timing. Love keeps you alert and alive. Tune into universal timing and then think of how to give more.

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Promises Fulfilled
Edna Lister outline, May 13, 1956, Tacoma, WA, December 16, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Luke 24:44-49

“He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”–Luke 24:44-49.
In Jesus’ last meeting with his disciples, as recorded by Luke, he charged them to preach the gospel of repentance and remission of sins in his name. “Repent” refers to your “penthouse,” moving up into the city of Jerusalem, the high place, our fortress in the higher creative center, your head. "Remission” means to turn all the way around, to return to the original place from where you descended, as a Christed one. To do so, you must “tarry in the city of Jerusalem,” the city of peace. Remember your principles of action, expression and execution to do this.
Action refers to what you are doing. Your expression is how you appear while you are doing it. Execution refers to how you are doing it. A spider has only one idea for action, to spin her web in the place of her choosing to get the best results. You choose your place. You choose your goal. You choose God. You either stick to this action with deathless determination or act in an intermittent way, lacking continuity. Some even stop and let go. If the world tears your construction down, rebuild with more determination than ever. For what you fulfill in life is what you choose to have fulfilled by standing undismayed, and knowing that God’s plan for you is unchangeable perfection.
Your expression includes your approach to life. How do you face life? Every glance, smile, frown and gesture tells the story of your approach to God and to life. If you center your life on needs, the needs multiply. If you hate life, it will provide more to hate. A life centered on promises fulfilled will multiply the miracles. Some peoples’ execution is blah, like a painting without a background. Others paint a background as sweet as honey, until they are invisible. You cannot leave the place you occupy, or send your family back as damaged goods. Beauty stands revealed in the contrasts between light and shadow. Use the dark strokes that come to make life’s highlights stand out. Then you stand out by seeking to create more beauty.
By your action, expression and execution, you fulfill the promise. “God is the upholding faith of my life. He is the hope, the foundation of my life. He is the love, which fills my creations, because I am in the city of Jerusalem.”

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God Gets There First
Edna Lister outline, May 20, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 6:28-34

“Why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”–Matthew 6:28-34.
This text contains five outstanding points: “Consider the lilies, seek first the kingdom of God, His righteousness, all things shall be added,” and “sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” These are all in one place and we must integrate them, but how? You must commit yourself.
Today is glorious. The Power is surging through every part of you. To say, “I am weak from the Power” means that you are fighting inside to keep it out. A negative physical reaction to the Power means that self is banging at the door, “little me” is dictating.
By your works, others will know you. So what impressions are you creating? The gentle Power of life that draws the lily upward cannot cause confusion, weakness or any lack. When you claim otherwise, you are announcing to the world that you are closing out the Power, that you do not comprehend anything; you are a pretender to the throne. The all-conquering path upward from creature to creator moves through knowing into full comprehension of divine principle. No separation is possible under comprehension. No room exists for separation.
As seasons divide the lily’s life, so distinct phases of explosion, expansion and expression mark your way of conquering. The life of the lily perfectly illustrates this trinity of activity. The lily bulb’s explosion gives up its existence in darkness for life. The bulb must literally burst and let its shoot reach for light. The lily bulb’s growth is its expansion. It appropriates the life around it to fuel its work of growth. The bulb’s expression is its flower. Finally, it blossoms into beauty to fulfill its one idea, its mission in life. The lily does not turn back into its stem to seek sunshine, but turns upward toward the Father of all Lights from above. The flower’s praise sends sweet incense upward.
An explosion always starts the use of divine energy for something. It is energy moving. The lily bulb gives up its dull inertia in exchange for life. An explosion of soul begins to give, to love, or within the self, to take or to hate. The lily takes no thought for tomorrow, and never asks how to get to the light. It never asks where its supply for growth will come from, but just uses the energy it already has to move out and up.
During the expansion phase, you cannot will the power to do anything or make it do anything. Either approach is the use of force and results in a black out or block out. The lily does not pray and sit, but reaches out at once. It uses everything within reach of its appropriating power. In truth, you can only make way for Power to work. Use all you have now, nothing doubting, with either a conscious or unconscious knowing. The secret of success is to use what you have every minute, and never to stop working.
Your expression is to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.”–Matthew 6:33. This means no dragging feet or anchors of self, no coddling or cuddling of the little self. Some carry “little me” piggyback from birth to the grave. Reach around and grab “me” off your own back as your firstborn sacrifice. You will always find a “ram in the bushes,” just as Abraham did on Mount Moriah.
A little five-year-old girl in a poor district eavesdropped on a visiting doctor, who said, “Only a miracle can save him” about her sick brother. Hearing him speak of the need for a miracle, she emptied her piggybank and took her few coins to the corner store to buy one. She put her pennies, nickels and dimes on the counter and told the clerk, “Please, I want to buy a miracle.”
The store owner could not understand her request, but a man who had been browsing leaned down and asked her what she had said. She repeated her request, and they asked why she wanted one. So she told them about her brother. The man just happened to be a great surgeon who was traveling through town. He performed the operation and saved the boy’s life.
Every obstacle fills the bill of “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Life presents you with a bill for your past due debts every hour, by the clock. You always have sufficient energy and strength to use as pennies to buy a miracle. All you need to do is to look around, reach out and appropriate new ideas, new methods and new strengths. God can and will get there first. God got to that little girl’s brother first, and saved him.
God gets there first whenever you declare that you will arise and go to your Father’s house, when you agree with your adversary, when you smile instead of frowning. And God always has the best and the most waiting for you. After you seek first the kingdom, we are assured that “all things shall be added.” These “things” include explosions of Light in your body, expansion of substance for your body or affairs, and expression of love enough to fulfill your mission.
Lilies love to use the energy available to them. It is not toil to make life an adventure, to seek and reach out to appropriate. Righteousness is high vision in action, to appropriate everything in sight. To blossom is to do the greater works and gather “all things,” including opportunities, new ideas and new lives for old. You will always have sufficient energy, ideas and love to meet your debts, because God gets there first.

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God Gets There First
Edna Lister sermon transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, May 20, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 6:28-34

“Why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”–Matthew 6:28-34.
The text from the Gospel of Matthew outlines three steps: First, consider the lilies. Second, seek first the kingdom of God. Third, seek His righteousness and all things will be added. In the main, we lack a relationship among all ideas and life. Thus, we do not know how to draw everything together in spiritual oneness. We do not know how to synthesize all these disparate elements into the great integration called comprehension.
The one path of life from creature to creator is a grasp of all principles as one principle. Your approach to principle cannot be as a scattered series of statements or you will achieve no solid results. All principles must mesh into one whole.
Study the lily to comprehend the principles of explosion, expansion and expression. To explode, the lily bulb must break open. The lily must give up its former life in dull darkness. Give up all the old opinions and prejudices that have sealed you into your body. In its expansion phase, the lily grows. It appropriates all the materials it needs from whatever it finds nearest. The lily sends a shoot to the surface, seeking light for photosynthesis, and the Light, which is the Source of all life. To grow, the lily lets Light coax it to expand.
These lily lessons are critical to understand. The lily does not sit, or pray for help in doing what it is fully equipped to do. The lily never asks why it must work so hard, it just works and pushes into the Light. Finally, the lily is ready for its full expression and blossoms into beauty. This is how it fulfills its life’s mission, by letting Light work on it and through it. The lily faces the sun, its source of life and vitality. It never turns its face down into the darkness. It faces God.
In an explosion, energy starts moving. Let Power burst the bonds of opinions and prejudices, taking no thought to the self. If you do consider or pander to the self, the Power creates a blackout or blockage and you cannot remember what you wanted to do. An explosion describes a new idea. Will you put it into action or let it lie fallow? The lily has only that one idea of growth and never ignores it. The lily’s expansion never leaves a hole in the ground or in the air around it.
From earth to heaven, from birth to the grave, you let “little me” ride on your back. You listen to its suggestions of all limitations, what doctors say, and so on, when any minute you could grab it by the nape of the neck and fling it up onto a cloud of Light, saying, “You be gone! This is finished!"
Obstacles come to challenge you to increase your use of energy. Raise your hands, fingers up, as the lily pushes its shoots to the light. These are your “works,” and by your works, you are known. Smile instead of frowning at God. When you cut your finger, put it up in the Light first, declaring, “Spiritual substance cannot be cut, hurt or separated.” It takes only two second to think this to God. His answer returns faster than the possible pain when you give Him a chance.
The lily toils not, neither does it spin, but it loves its work. It’s fun, not work, and it works day and night. You will be like the lily when your service becomes the greatest thing in your life and you let God be first. Let Him get through first and do the work.
Righteousness is your highest soul vision in action. Righteousness is the timely appropriation of everything you need. Every idea sends forth the energy and substance needed for its growth and expression. Do not lose a second of energy or the added things: Life strength and substance.

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God is Triumphant
Edna Lister outline, May 27, 1956, Tacoma, WA, June 17, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Philippians 2:5-11

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”–Philippians 2:5-11.
This scripture is the greatest tribute ever written of a man: He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no reputation, had the form of a bond-servant, humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. Jesus died an ignominious death, though he was a way-shower, a mediator who gave law and lived law until he became law. To give law is so easy. To live law until you become that law is something else.
You take five steps from our first giving of the law (talking about it) to ascending in consciousness to become law: Awareness, recognition, acceptance, surrender, and obedience. When you become a law, something within you forbids you, will not let you break it. To be equal with God is to be perfect before God.
Awareness begins with being aware that God is, to first know that God really created you in His image and likeness, and you are a joint heir to the kingdom of God, a part of God. It is not robbery to know this; therefore, I AM. You have layers on layers of brain cells in the convolutions of your brain, each of which you awaken through experiencing many teachers and books, until you suddenly say, “I see.” No one can awaken these cells by force, only though the Light from above. At the right moment, the unfolding comes for the individual and he knows that God is. This is the first consciousness of God.
The second step to your place is the recognition that you must do something about it. You really begin to understand what you need to do to make this yours. To succeed, you must “become of no reputation,” taking no credit on the outer. You can never possess or own, only to let God’s Power use you. Let, with no I, me, my or mine.
The third step is acceptance, in which you humble yourself, yet in full responsibility to become perfect. You must both be and do, comprehending these declarations—"I and my Father are one.”–John 10:30. “The Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.”–John 14:10. “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”–John 5:30.
The fourth step is surrender of self to God, to make room to be possessed of the Light as Power. Thus, you “take the form of a bond-servant,” to become the servant of all Power, love, glory and joy. You assume the form of faith, in the likeness of a man, yet expressing as a god.
The fifth step is obedience, the death of the old through being “obedient unto death.” This perfection of self discipline paves your way to obedience to the laws of the Christian, the Spirit, the Christos or Christ consciousness.
The laws of the Christian involve thinking about it and planning to become. The laws of the Spirit are to pray, to lift and to give. The Christos laws all lead you to become unselfish. Being stuck in the ruts of opinions, prejudices and crystallized ideas stops you from attaining the full stature of the Christ. When you lift your life’s vitality into the strength of God, you can change your body, emotions, mind, thoughts and disposition. It is not robbery to ascend to that creative point of Power in which you find the stillness of love, poise, glory and radiance.

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Joyous Laughter
Edna Lister outline, May 27, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 6:19-21

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”–Matthew 6:19-21.
Wherever you fix your center of attention, there your life will be used. It matters not whether it is soul attention, self attention, need attention, or abundant supply attention. You have and do exercise either soul confidence or self confidence. Self confidence turns its head away under stress and in meeting obstacles. Soul confidence moves up in consciousness showing faith unconquerable under stress and delay.
Self-centered attention grows grim-looking when thwarted, and pushes away love. It seeks the world’s darkness, saying, “That’s not mine. Nobody loves me.” The Master’s new name is Joy. The key to open the joy vibration is praise. Praise creates. Praise fuels the law of increase. No one who is able to belly laugh ever has ulcers. Ulcers are made from gloomy frowns of dissatisfaction and blame.
Grimness is a handicap because it closes the door. Grimness squeezes the life from an individual, family, office or group. When a dour face walks into the room, everyone then feels guilty for laughing. A dreary attitude closes off the vibrations of health and wealth until the vibration dies. Everything cycles in a circle. What you send out must return to you because it is yours, and you are always sending some vibration into the world.
Gloominess and frowns are big nothings, blanks in vibration. When you send nothing out, nothing returns. Your vibration dies. Praise creates joy, Praise is the magnet that draws your own to you. Praise opens the door to life from above, and to life’s outer expression.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
–Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1

Do you weep grimly? You must have burning desire to achieve, flaming imagination, and constancy in your use of the now.I AM now ready to receive! Are you? Are you ready to receive a new position, new salary, new life, new health, new friends, new supply, new love?

1 Solitude
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow it’s mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life’s gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.
–Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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Soul Aspiration
Edna Lister outline, June 17, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Philippians 2:5-11

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”–Philippians 2:5-11.
God is still doing business at the same old stand. We know that God is always there, yet we aspire because we live under a triumphant God. We could not aspire toward a God who limps. Our work has two phases of expression: We teach God as principle and personality. God speaks as personality through personality to personality.
How can anyone read this chapter of the Letter to the Philippians and not recognize the Christ? Paul paid tribute to Jesus, whom he had never known, and made these admonitions 2,000 years ago, which we need again now. Jesus epitomized four qualities: He had no reputation, he was a servant, he humbled himself, and he was obedient to the point of death. These qualities describe a soul who walks the Via Christa, the Way of Christ.
Holy Week had to happen. Jesus had to overcome the world, and live up to everything he had revealed through his teachings. Nothing about him was weak. He was triumphant over death. We, in turn, must apply five states of being to walk the Via Christa: Awareness, recognition, acceptance, surrender, and obedience.
First, be aware that you are God’s sons and daughters, which is the first Christed consciousness, not robbery to be equal with God. You must become as perfect as your heavenly Father, if you declare equal rights with Him. Yet pride is the greatest danger you face. You are not equal with God when you use His Light as Power, but merely exalt your squinched-up self.
You may not use the law, which is robbing God. Jesus robbed God of nothing, for the Light of God flowed forth as Power, and used him. Jesus stood as perfectly as his Father in heaven. You fail to recognize God if you do nothing about becoming perfect. So you must recognize your path of life, ways to cooperate with God, and take on your responsibility to become perfect.
To have no reputation does not mean you must lose your reputation, but to seek none in this world. The perfect servant says, “I take no credit.” You may not use the Power, though Power is free. You are the instrument on which Power plays its symphonies when you declare and live in perfection in all ways, in all your affairs. God gives and gives. He always says yes, even when you say, “I’m weak.” Do you apply discernment, discrimination, and discretion to compare a new law with every other law when you study? You are not really studying unless you correlate all these laws into an orderly working whole.
The third step is acceptance. Jesus humbled himself when he said, “my Father works,” which means that the Power does the work and God gets the credit. You may be the mouthpiece of the Power, but you never use it; you release it. “I think” sounds nothing like the Master. Say, “I think” to the heavenly Councils and they say, “Thou hast said.” Every human is a step-down transformer for Power. Your nerves are like the wiring that connects every cell in God’s Creation. You shut off the Power if you cut off the master switch to God’s powerhouse, and your nerves act up when you break the circuit. Turn off the power generating plant and no one must tell the town that the power is off.
Some people are proud of their so-called nervous sensitivity. They hover without persevering, and suffer their way back to the Source. A “nervous breakdown” is hovering on the brink of disaster, but few people lose their bodies from it. Honesty admits you are too lazy to ascend to the mercy seat when you are nervous.
Jesus surrendered and took upon himself the form of a servant of all Power, which led him to greater glory. The magnitude of your surrender sets the capacity of your equipment, and equals your Power station’s potential. What do you choose? Is it so inhibiting to credit the Love of God for operating your Power generator? God, who made you in His image and likeness, says, “Come.” He is not delaying you.
Jesus was obedient unto death. Who on the outside, doctors or professionals, can heal your body unless you live up to God’s laws and believe God can heal you of anything? Man created doctors and their pills, so if you use them, you ought to remember that God created them and you. Aspiration will take you to their Creator and you will have a miracle.

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But names will never hurt me.
–Mrs. George Cupples

You can use that nursery rhyme to be equal with God, to be as perfect as His Love, Power and Light. God can never be hurt. Nothing can stop Him. You are going home, whether you want to or not, no matter how. Grab yesterday’s lines of responsibility and hold them across the abyss to unveil tomorrow’s glory. Stand and declare that as far as you recognize your responsibility to become and to know, you are the servant of all Power.
The “mind that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) will flow through you when nothing can make you say, “I,” only “we” or “God is the One.” You will enter that glory and speak the Word, knowing. Anything is possible to one who believes and loves enough.

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Soul Aspiration
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, June 17, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Philippians 2:5-11

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”–Philippians 2:5-11.
God is still doing business at His same old stand. God is always there. Nevertheless, because we live under a triumphant God, we aspire. Yet, we cannot aspire toward a limping God. So, we have two phases to our work: we teach God as both principle and as personality.
How can one read the second chapter of Philippians and not recognize Christ? Paul gave the admonitions of this Scripture two thousand years ago and we need them again now. Paul paid tribute to Jesus, whom he had never known.
This is the Via Christa, the Way of Christ. Jesus epitomized these four character traits: He had no reputation, he was a servant, he humbled himself and he was obedient unto death. Holy Week had to happen. He had to overcome all he had revealed through his teachings. Nothing about him was weak. He was triumphant, even over death. To walk the Via Christa you apply five states of being—awareness, recognition, acceptance, surrender and obedience.
The first awareness of Christ consciousness is becoming aware that you are the son or daughter of God, not robbing to be equal with God. Yet, pride is the greatest danger you face. Eventually, you must become as perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. You can give the law to others, but not for selfish reasons, for that is robbing God. Jesus robbed God of nothing. The Light of God flowed through and used him while he stood as perfectly as his Father in Heaven was perfect.
If you declare equal rights with God, you must become perfect as He is perfect. When you use Power, you are not equal with God, but merely display your squinched-up self. You do not recognize God when you do nothing about becoming perfect. So, learn to recognize ways to cooperate with God. Recognize your path of life and take on your responsibility to become perfect.
To have no reputation does not mean you must lose your reputation. When you study a law, you must consider it with discrimination, discretion and discernment, and with every other law. You are not truly studying unless you relate all the laws you have learned. Make your byline, “I take no credit.” You cannot use the Power. Power is free. You are the instrument upon which Power plays its symphonies when you declare and live in perfection. Then you are perfect in all ways, in all your affairs. God gives and gives. He always says yes. He says yes, too, when you say, “I’m weak.”
The third step is acceptance. Jesus humbled himself when he said, “My Father worketh hitherto.” The Power does the work and God gets the credit. You are the mouthpiece of the Power, but you may not use it. Anytime you say, “I think,” you do not sound like the Master. Approach the Councils saying, “I think,” and they will respond, “Thou hast said.”
Nerves are the wires that connect each cell to God’s creation. A nervous breakdown is hovering on the brink of being disconnected. If you turn off the master switch, the Power is shut off. It is just like shutting down the power a generating plant produces. No one needs to tell the town that the power is off. Nerves act up when you turn off the master switch to God’s powerhouse. Some people are proud of their nervous sensitivity. Yet very few lose their bodies through a nervous breakdown. Those who aspire hover, but do not persevere—thus they suffer their way back to the Source. When you are nervous, admit you are too lazy to ascend to the Mercy Seat.
Jesus surrendered and took upon himself the form of a servant of all the Power. This led him to greater glory. The size of your surrender is the size of your equipment, which equals the capacity of your Power station. What is your choice? God says, “Come.” He is not delaying you. God made you in His image and likeness. Is it so inhibiting to give the love of God the credit for your operation? Jesus was obedient unto death. Who on the outside, doctors or professionals, can tell you what you can do with your body if you live up to the laws of God and believe God can heal you of anything?

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But names will never hurt me.
– Mrs. George Cupples

You can use a nursery rhyme to be equal with God, to be as perfect as His Power, Love and Light. God can never be hurt. Nothing can stop Him. You are going home, whether you want to or not, no matter how. Grab yesterday’s lines of responsibility and hold them across the abyss for tomorrow’s glory. Stand and declare that as far as you recognize your responsibility to become and to know, you are the servant of all Power.
With self gone, nothing can make you say, “I.” When you say, “we,” or “God is the One,” the mind that was in Christ Jesus will flow through you. Enter that glory and speak the Word, knowing the truth of it. Then you need not ask the doctor. Man created doctors and their pills. If you use these things, recognize that God created both the doctors and the drugs. Aspiration will take you to their Creator and you will have your miracle. Anything is possible to one who believes and loves God enough.

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Soul Inspiration
Edna Lister outline, June 24, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Matthew 6:28-33

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Soul Inspiration
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, June 24, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Matthew 6:28-33

“Why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”–Matthew 6:28-33.
All Creation aspires to ascend from the lower kingdoms to God. To inspire is to breathe, ascend, and appropriate the life of God, which is our work of soul ascension. As a soul, you have invested three phases of subconscious mind in three grades of substance—the cellular physical body with its appetites, the emotional life of desires, and imagination, the mental life. You move from inspiration to full knowing comprehension as you ascend from creature to creator consciousness, yet you cannot comprehend unless Wisdom and Love are in balance.
You reach comprehension when you break through the barrier of intellectual knowing to do, apply and become law. Once you comprehend law, you realize that you simply cannot use words that create darkness. Many metaphysical movements have labored under the misconception that they must deny evil. God never denies, but always says yes. Nothing is separate from the life of God, and the soul should appropriate life from God totally, minus the selectivity of self.
You will see no separation when you comprehend, and say, “This is good,” no matter what. If you splash in a pool of darkness, declare it a good, beautiful pool to cleanse self from soul, and it becomes perfect. The law of growth encompasses three great phases of the love of God—explosion, expansion and expression. Jesus asks us to consider the life of a lily to understand how the law of growth operates.
You may credit the lily only for waiting, but it operates under the law of explosion, comprehends what it must become, gives up its life and lets God express through it as it. Letting is one of the highest, most divine activities in the universe, the heart of the law of nonresistance, which continually flows through everything as the River of Life. The lily has just that one idea, to become a perfect lily under the law of explosion. Yet who wants to live by only one idea? To expand is to grow, but you do not want to expand in the wrong form, outside the image and likeness of God. First you comprehend the original idea of God that is in you, then you express it. To comprehend is to want to be as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.
The lily bulb appropriates all the life of God available to it. It does not complain because its place is dark, but expands until it grows a flower that expresses its lily soul. The lily thinks nothing of its clothing, but works like heck to produce it. You must work this way, too. For instance, people are crying for peace, but must strive to overcome the small minority that is against peace.
The Source is more powerful as you draw near it. A rebirth, under the law of explosion, is ascending from the creature to the creator god class, and signifies becoming. For instance, how much atomic radiation, which is composed of the white Christ Light, do you want to breathe for ascension? You raise the vibration in the electrons, atoms, molecules and cells when you breathe atomic power. You cannot escape it or ignore it. Denial is not growth, but expansion is.
You, as the Elect, must apply what you have learned about the fallout from atomic bombs to raise the vibration of earth cells, and the minds and hearts of men. Medicine is using radiation to kill tumors and germs, giving doctors the chance to make new medications, especially to cure leprosy and skin diseases. We are bringing the prophecies in the Book of Revelation to pass through science and technology.
Why coddle or carry the “little me” piggyback so it can push you into what it wants you to do? Take it by the nape of the neck and put it in the fire of purification to become your perfect servant. Putting God first is seeking the kingdom of heaven first. Agree with your adversary quickly. Accept whatever comes instantly as yours to lift, no matter what. Don’t take it into yourself before you lift it.
Some people say that their spine feels “shattered” when Light as Power descends. If you think you are weak, you feel guilty, which makes you weak. God’s Light cannot weaken you—His Power makes you strong. Others say their spine tingles when they pray, so they quit and consign themselves to the frozen class. If you just continue ascending, you’ll feel the first explosion of the mental body lotus centers opening.
Decide what kind of God you are worshiping. Suffer up, on a cloud of Light, if you want to suffer. You have free choice. Power strengthens you. Declare, “I am the glory of God made manifest this hour. I am the finished, fulfilled, completed miracle now.” Ask for Power to increase when you awaken in the morning. The Power hurts only when it moves through a frozen sacrum plexus. Each cell, molecule, atom and electron becomes more beautiful. The explosion of Light originates in the fire body, causing the electrons to zing, inviting greater atomic power. The molecules and cells must make room for this new and greater power to operate. When you no longer feel the Power physically, you have become that Power.
As we close out the Armageddon, God permits the Elect no new false creations, and each is still responsible for the old. Grab yesterday’s lines of Light, take them to tomorrow, and rejoice. The great guardian angels may not allow any soul to live by uncontrolled self any longer. Those on your lines of Light and responsibility cannot ascend if you continue to create new messes. The Guards gather your negativity and work to hold you. Never drop your lines of Light to the world. Lift them. Each of the Elect has a Great Guard, who coils his charge’s sagging lines around the soul’s Oversoul star. When you lift the lines, the person is drawn up to his star, and the Father returns his Oversoul substance purified.
Your worst favorites shine brightest when you comprehend God with no sense of separation. As you ascend, becoming the Power of God expressing, you see only good. Say, “Come forth!” to the Light within the embodied soul to confound any evil thinking. The explosion of life in the lily’s bulb, which transmutes its form into the image and likeness of God, is a simile for you. Never believe that you have ascended high enough. You cannot avoid expanding as Light transforms your atoms, but it can and will transmute you into glory supreme. We, as God’s Elect, are flowing home together in the River of Life.

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An Ambassador of Love
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, July 8, 1956, Cleveland, Ohio, scribe, Matthew 16:19, Romans 8:31-39

“I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”–Matthew 16:19.
“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 8:31-39.
An ambassador is a person whom you send in your stead. Ambassadors represent a nation or a ruler, and may carry a message of peace and good will, or pride and hate. As the Elect, we are the Father’s representatives on earth, and as ambassadors of His love, we represent what we are within our own soul. We must envision the keys of the kingdom, which God has given us. We find as many keys of the kingdom as laws in the Bible, and as many paths to God as schools of truth. You can use your key to open the kingdom of love, or to lock the door. Any personal philosophy of the Christ life will open this kingdom of love.
The first consideration in ascension is usually, “How am I affecting the world?” The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,” is a law of forgiveness that applies to the greatest and smallest of life’s affairs. We would have no more war if nations applied the Golden Rule. Imagine how pleasant the rush hour would become if we applied it in traffic.
Those at the creature level of consciousness only may disobey the Golden Rule, for at all other levels, to forgive means to give love for—to forget is to get love for. So, your mandate as an ambassador is to get love from God, and give it to the world. When offenses come, so many people say, “I forgive him, but he’d better never do it again,” which reflects only a thimbleful of love. Until you recognize that something out there needs forgiving, you cannot discern the same need in yourself. Later, you see that you may not blame anyone else either. As an ambassador, you must become the law of forgiveness.
Consider, for example, stealing: You never steal if you have become the law on honesty, yet you do not brag about your virtue, or accuse another. You never boast when you have become a law, for you are that law. Like a puzzle, God combines many small elements to make the big picture of law.
The second step in forgiveness is, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” which is the first true ascension of soul, the first overcoming of the gravitational pull of the world mind that draws you into negativity. Yet, when you continue to recognize that the other fellow is wrong, you break this protective barrier and fix your eye on the cross of crucifixion. Those who saw Jesus on the cross, even those who hated him, could never erase the image from their consciousness.
If you cannot bring yourself to forgive an offender against your sensibilities, you can at least lift him high on a cloud of Light so you will not stumble over him. When forgiveness becomes a habit, you begin to say, “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.
The third step is, “Father, forgive me for having caused my brother to stumble.” Here you understand the true meaning of “You have forgiven my debts as I have forgiven my debtors.” Perhaps you know a truly evil one, a person so foul you cannot even consider forgiving or forgetting what he’s done. By persisting, you hide him in your mental corners, feed him your suspicion and distrust, and he can work to do great harm in the darkness. Declare him good, promote him into the Light to open his soul to Light, and he ascends. You can overcome all chicanery this way.
God cannot promote you until you declare the enemy’s promotion. Believe this—know that God knows what your would-be enemy’s promotion should be. Your promotion depends on your faith and how much you love God. Love wins when you comprehend that God’s unconquerable faith moves through your healing prayer. As an ambassador of God’s love, you must forgive and forget until nothing but love remains. Apply the law of forgiveness to ascend to the Kingdom of Love. Love God enough.

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Nor Shadow of Turning
Edna Lister outline, July 15, 1956, Cleveland, OH, James 1:5-8, 1:17

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Nor Shadow of Turning
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, July 15, 1956, Cleveland, OH, James 1:5-8, 1:17

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”–James 1:5-8.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”–James 1:17.
James’ insight on stability and steadfastness gives a complete picture of our rock solid foundation in God when we ask in faith, with no wavering. These verses paint the portrait of an understanding God. Having sent us forth with free will, He considered what we must conquer, but admonishes us to use our faith without wavering.
Mind must have us as a vehicle to use. We are the vehicles for the expression of God’s life. “Ye are gods,” and your body is the temple of the living God. Love is both the substance of your vehicle, and the art of being agreeable. Many begin to agree with God and adjust to others because they cannot stand disharmony, which is not a selfish expression, but love as firm, unalterable principle. Love knows the Godly art of saying nothing but yes. You must cooperate, too.
You cannot reach unalterable unconquerable faith by following old teachings, so you will need to add great new love-factors to lift your rebellious subconscious inhibitions. Apply righteousness, redemption and sanctification to infiltrate self, renew your heavenly responsibility, and reach unconquerable faith.
Righteousness is vision in action as love. Redemption is transmutation through love. Sanctification is the infiltration of love. When you bring righteousness, redemption and sanctification into your present, they carry you into the future. Righteousness means “the state of becoming right,” with God, family, income and everything in your world. Righteousness is a state of perfection, a process of making your cells, nerves and the subconscious work in harmony.
You cannot maintain rightness with God in a raging inferno of inner conflict. So, cooperate with love to lift and align everything in your life into righteousness. For instance, how do you break a habit? Not by using force. The world is becoming conscious that we must curtail smoking, and reports about lung cancer frightened many people from the smoking habit. When you make a dynamic vow such as, “I won’t do this anymore,” you create a potentially devastating chain reaction in every cell and nerve of the body and in the subconscious mind. You may think you’re conquering, but the subconscious push of appetitive soul makes you awaken daily with the same habit.
Loving is the art of agreeing and cooperating, so cooperate with a habit you want to change. Let I AM consciousness light the cigarette and say, “Here’s your pacifier, baby. I’m going home! Enjoy it while you can, because soon I’ll remove your diaper and cut off your curls.” Be dynamic, but cooperate with self without forcing it. You can conquer self-pity the same way. Go weep alone while you must, but do not bother others.
You can help God two ways: Carry your torch into dark places to shatter darkness, which is sanctification, and lift situations into a state of righteousness with God and yourself, which is redemption. The early Puritans wore long faces in church, and some dressed poorly to appear moth-eaten so others would call them sanctified. To sanctify means to make pure, and permeated by the River of Life. So permeate your loved ones with love. We have each experienced being swatted repeatedly by the same lesson, often by the same person, several times a year. You see this in family gatherings at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the holidays. Some people dramatize the latest negative event in their lives, reliving it until they build a new monster vibration worse than the first. The self-righteous believe they are so right with God that they forget to lift a situation that upsets them. Yet, the subconscious, full of self-pity, recreates the negative and creates a new inner conflict. You have no good reason to entertain inner conflicts. It behooves you to lay your double-mindedness and instability on the altar lest you forget what God desires for you—perfection.
You cannot remain an empty vessel and sanctify your life. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, or shadow of turning.”–James 1:17. Unlimited wisdom, power, love, joy, acceptance, surrender, and cooperation are yours when you seek first His kingdom of righteousness. All answers are available, if you listen.
Redemption is the transmutation of negatives. Mutations are changes of form, emotion and thought. To redeem is to pick up, pay back or make payment for something. An inner conflict cannot pay you dividends or cover spiritual debts. You redeem a negative emotion, habit or debt when you decide you have had enough of it. For instance, make a declaration of perfection for your eyes, but continue loving your glasses.
Your work is your service, and you ascend on agreement and righteousness. Start earning your love dividends right now. Agree with God, stand in Light so that Power can permeate you, and release more Light on your debts. Trust God to cover today’s needs while you lift yesterday’s darkness. You are a joint heir in God’s kingdom, but must pay your spiritual debts to redeem your inheritance. What is your approach to God’s gifts? “According to your faith let it be to you” is a law. Your faith is weak and ineffectual if your technique is stingy and selfish. Hold steadfastly and firmly, with no wavering under the limitless Power of God’s gifts.
You may not condemn or force yourself or others. Whether you have taken Light into dark places while pursuing sanctification and redemption, or failed a test, put the situation on a cloud continent of Light, lift it and love it into God’s perfection. Remember the good things, not the negatives. Dramatize the good, talk about only the funny, the joyous, and you so infiltrate family and friends with Light so that they forget to do what they did before. Ascend into the glory of God and soul freedom. Let unconquerable faith hold you stable and unwavering as a rock, while Oversoul Christ consciousness asks in faith, without wavering. Let there be no shadow of turning from God in your consciousness as your unconquerable faith knows that “Today is my day of finished, fulfilled, completed miracles.”

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Go Preach the Gospel
Edna Lister outline, July 22, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Luke 24:45-49, Ephesians 4:1-13

“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”–Luke 24:45-49.
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”–Ephesians 4:1-13.
We are all prisoners of the Lord because we cannot escape from God or His Law. Some may still deny that Jesus is the only Begotten Son of God, yet the whole world knows, admits and declares that he was a good man, whose exemplary life is a standard to follow.
Being a minister is not just stepping into the pulpit with smooth words and a pleasing manner. A minister is supposed to have dedicated and consecrated the innermost recesses of his soul to be used by the full Light of God. Ministers live with the spotlight on their truth, honor and loyalty every hour of the day, striving to avoid the slightest taint of the appearance of evil, as they “minister unto” others. A minister’s attitude must be one of lowliness, meekness, long-suffering and forbearing in love. Lowliness is the inability to force your will, opinions or prejudices on another ever. “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silent before Him.”–Habakkuk 2:20.
Meekness is the inability ever to hurt or make anyone uncomfortable. Long-suffering is not being an old-fashioned martyr, but enduring in silence while overlooking and overcoming unto all forgiveness. Forbearing in love is bearing for love. Grant that the other fellow’s burden is the heaviest and go on. Love is the art of being agreeable as love.
“There is one body, and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”–Ephesians 4:4. One Lord as personality opens law, which you honor by the power of your faith in the one baptism of the Holy Breath, each time you breathe. These are our beliefs, the one God is the Father of all, above all, through all and in you all—omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.
You cannot be exactly like another, nor can another be a carbon copy of you. Everyone is “given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” The gifts include the ability to be prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. The Christed gifts are given for a reason, to aid in the “perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” These terms describe who we are and what our attitudes must be as ministers, but what shall we preach?
“Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”–Luke 24:46-47. Repentance implies something left undone, something that might become an anchor. Pick up your lost hours and lines of Light and ascend in consciousness to your penthouse of Light. Remission of sins requires that you empty out the old and resurrect all good from your past experience. To do this, you must remember all your valuable experience-lessons and leave the husks behind.
From your penthouse of Oversoul Christed consciousness as Light, you can see in all directions at once. Thus, you rediscover your original mission of love. This is the “remission of sins,” being re-missioned. What you fulfill in your life is your choice. You may hide from self and live in self-delusion, or lead captivity captive by lifting your appetitive soul. When you are captive only to love, not to self, you walk the glory way of greatness. Your goal is not the full measure or the full stature, but the fullness of the Christ. Aim to be so full of the Christ Spirit of strength and glory that no room remains for anything else.

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Go Preach the Gospel
Edna Lister transcript, Edna Bender, Ruth Johnson, May Wilder, scribes, July 22, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Luke 24:45-49, Ephesians 4:1-13

“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”–Luke 24:45-49.
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”–Ephesians 4:1-13.
“To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” portrays the life of a minister. Paul wrote these words for all who follow God to the Source. They are mighty words, but just to say a few words, and desire to fulfill them is not enough. A true minister serves from the soul, day and night, with a lifted self and compassion flowing from the heart. You are mistaken if you think that you have lived thousands of lives without collecting a variety of soul taints. The subconscious holds living records of every word uttered, of all that has happened to you throughout those many incarnations. Even another’s curse can appear on your record because you heard it and allowed it to impress your day’s record, which replays itself all night. You must cleanse your subconscious and soul records.
You may have gone to bed on your knees before God in repentance, then awaken with a guilt complex, perhaps not knowing why. You may be very irritable, or even go as far as to deny your Christed vows. You are bound to use cross or critical words if you say, “I never criticize.” Boasting, “I never feel self-pity,” invites a bout of feeling sorry for me. “I’ve never thought of taking revenge” opens the door to all past anger.
“I beseech you that ye walk worthily of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.”–Ephesians 4:1-2. Lowliness is the ability to speak the Word to wipe out force, the ability to stand without negative opinions and prejudices, and to agree with the other fellow, though he says only he knows best. No one can get inside another’s heart, mind or soul to see his worst or his best. We all must face tough lessons because we come to earth to learn how to agree with God and adjust to man.
Love is the art of being agreeable, which includes meekness and long-suffering. Meekness is not weakness, but the inability ever to make another feel uncomfortable. Some people can feel tall only by toppling another. Let them. Lift them to a cloud continent of Light, and ignore the provocation. Long-suffering is the ability to overcome and overlook, and it means you let nothing nick the surface of your love. Leave the martyrs in their mud puddles with their scratchy long underwear. Have compassion for them, but do not cater to a martyr.
A glorious soul, true in nature, can show in each of God’s children. As a minister, you see everyone as in the image and likeness of God, stepping onto the trail of glory, walking toward their destiny, and never see anything else. Even if they only try, they are turning their backs on the night and facing the light of day. God needs only one person to stand, one minister to care for those who come, to endure long in the vision of glory that God has given each soul. “Forbearing” means bearing before, to lift up burdens in love. You can only do your very best every hour and declare it good.
We have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” under the unity of the Spirit. The “one” is the white Christ Light, which is the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost and Holy Breath as One, the Source of the River of Life, the atomic Substance and Power in which we “live, move and have our being.” You walk this Path of Light and glory whether you are aware or unaware. We have “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” God’s infinite glory fills the River of Life, which permeates every atomic “cell” of the universe. “In you all” can be pea-sized or limitless, the difference is in how you accept. You must allow more than just a trickle of life and Power to flow through. How big is your idea of God’s All? God alone knows your conception of His All, and what you get is according to your belief. The floodgates can open and the fullness of River of Life can flow, if you hold to a universal idea of the quality and quantity of God’s totality. It’s never too late to broaden your goals.
“Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ…When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”–Ephesians 4:7-8. An apostle of Light must stand like a rock, immovable, without too much pontificating. Some are prophets who speak of the Lord, some are ministers who serve in love, and some are evangelists. Every soul is a pastor to his flock. A pastor must stick with his mission, whether in family, business or counseling. Teachers are supposed to know law and live according to its outline, but they do not make the law. They just teach its importance and that law cannot be set aside. God cannot change law to suit anyone. A student may say, “God understands that I want to do this,” and the teacher says, “But God cannot change law to suit you.”

“A minister must live by absolute truth, honor, and loyalty
under obedience to God.”–Edna Lister

God modifies absolute laws into lesser, relative chunks to suit the intelligence of the ascending soul. Yet a minister must live by absolute honor, loyalty and truth, under obedience to God. What is an untruth? You are dishonorable toward God and on the skids if you can be untruthful to cover up some selfish flaw. You may not speak an untruth, but you can remain still. You can just remain silent. If you must act, say, “My ideal is honor above all things to God, loyalty and truth” and stand on that truth, a simple stance that confounds your enemies. Stand on principle: “This is what religion means to me. I cannot change my principles.”
Jesus led captivity captive. The world demands that people always be captive to opinions, prejudices, criticism, and condemnation. Too many people are the sums of those four activities. How often in a year have you said: “I don’t like this. I hate that. That’s awful. I know this is the way it must be.” You are the sum of what you express. This is law. God can satisfy you, if you walk in greatness with Him. You can afford the sacrifice of self, and now is the time to choose.
Face the Light and say, “The River of Life is flowing through me until I walk in glory, whole and complete.” Let in the healing Source of the River of Life. Stop leaving room for merely a trickle through the dam of self. The greater your capacity for thinking you can help God, the greater will be the Power that works through you.
Subconscious mind spews so many idle words. Many are self-hypnotized into nothingness, spewing self-pity and prejudice. Christ wove lines of Light around his disciples to free them of earth. You, too, can lead captivity captive until you completely lift desire, until you live in the full Christed stature. It’s a wonderful life! Declare, “My desire is healed. My desire is lifted up to soul. I live by Oversoul’s glory. I AM made anew in the full stature of Christ!”

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Living Waters
Edna Lister outline, July 31, 1955, Cleveland, OH, John 4:5-14

1 An artesian well is one in which water rises under its own pressure, without pumping. If the pressure is great enough, the water will rise all the way to the surface and flow freely from the well. The name artesian is derived from Artois, France, where such wells were sunk as early as 1126.

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Living Waters
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe July 31, 1955, Cleveland, OH, John 4:5-14

Then cometh he [Jesus] to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.–John 4:5-14.
Jesus met this Samaritan woman in the sixth hour of the Mother for a mystical reason. The orthodox Jews scorned the Samaritan Jews because they had married non-Jews, and were ritually unclean according to Hebrew Law. Jesus was unconventional. He broke many traditional barriers because he knew that Light had to win over darkness, and condemning others does not help Light win.
“Living water” is Christ consciousness born of inner Light, and you are reborn every time you look up toward the Source. The pure Light of life functions through the endocrine system, so lift your hands and head when you pray. Light descends the spine to the sacrum plexus center, and becomes a bubbling well of life within you. The creative fire floods upward gloriously when Light touches those nerves. Yet you constrict your thyroid if you look down or drop your head while reading or praying.
Soul ascension is the secret of all success, inner or outer, which unfolds just as an acorn becomes an oak tree. An acorn is no better than any other seed; it can sprout shoots that die, but eventually an oak grows from some of those shoots. People are like seeds. They sprout a shoot when a new teacher comes to town, but their shoot dries out and dies when the teacher leaves. They continue to sprout shoots, teacher after teacher. You can see the dried up shoots as lines in their faces. Those who sprout vital shoots drink deeply of spiritual waters, and their vitality is then visible.
“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”–John 4:13-14. Drink of the bubbling well-spring of eternal life, which is the source of enthusiasm, to water your Tree of Life. Ascend in surrender, love, acceptance and sacrifice in the love of God.
You die a little each time you fail to finish a project, or to fulfill your vows or promises. The mental body atoms collapse and cause stiffness, mental fuzziness, depression and paralysis in body or affairs. Jesus taught the Samaritan woman these truths that day. You subject yourself to the idea of outer enemies, but you are your greatest enemy, and each must conquer the enemy called self. You create the adversary who rides you with a whip and spurs. No power on earth can be an enemy if you refuse to accept the enemy-idea or give it form and substance. Another may tell you that you have an enemy, but you create it.
Your heart’s desires set your keynote of life. Evil is impotent until someone names it My. Just saying, “I am a metaphysician,” or, “I follow truth work,” takes you nowhere. Most people have buried so much in the subconscious mind that their misused soul substance acts as an anchor, which they must lift and repay. The son of a possessive mother spent his life in bitterness because his subconscious promoted the idea of “I’ve been cheated.” He constantly sought worldly power, not God, and his arrogance regularly offended others. Tell your subconscious that you’re through with its nonsense. Never visualize yourself in a position of authority to aggrandize the self. If you are happy, tell your face about it!
Picture a great pipe organ being played: The world hears the underlying bass, which is the subconscious rumbling. Clean it up or subconscious negativity will arise to drown the high tones and bar success at the psychologically critical moment. Stay in your room of Light in the Lord’s house, and maintain your contact with the living waters. Your subconscious is running you if you pay attention to negative words instead of lifting, and you are in the basement coal bin when you criticize another. Turn your imagination up to lift your consciousness from the basement. “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”–John 21:22. Keep your nose out of other people’s business.
If your vision is high and you have surrendered, your bubbling well-spring waters your shoots into growth. As evil intentions leave the other fellow’s mind, Light absorbs darkness and brings peace. Picture a high altar, a throne, a beneficent Father. When you are there, declare, “I am the child of a wealthy King. I am wealthy before you, Father.” Power and glory will move through you to do the work when you see only Light.

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Courage Through Faith
Edna Lister outline, August 12, 1956, Tacoma, WA, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23

“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”–1 Thessalonians 5:16-23.
Courage requires a balance of Wisdom and Love, with no emotion or sentiment, but with a heart that is strong. Courage bestows the ability to smile in the face of adversity, obstacles and trouble. Paul’s formula for courage is that quality of mind which meets danger with firmness, calmness, boldness and gallantry.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for” to the author of the Letter to the Hebrews. Yet to us, faith is the absolute possession of all things hoped for, since Jesus said, “Believe that you have it and you shall.” First, you must accept this, and second, you can never let it go. These are choices. You must know what you want. God’s law cannot change. You must develop the courage to dare and to do. Most folks have good ideas, but rationalize them away until they have nothing left. You need righteousness, redemption and sanctification.
Righteousness is soul vision in action as love. Redemption is transmutation of your life through love. Sanctification is the infiltration of love until the cells of your body vibrate to love. Love is the art of being agreeable, and this takes active cooperation, tact, diplomacy and putting the other fellow first. Righteousness is a state of getting right with God, and with self. The results will depend on the individual’s degree of self-interest or soul-interest.
Redemption means “to redeem, to pick up, to bring back, to recover by payment.” You, as a “joint heir with Christ,” are responsible for redeeming your heritage. The payment you offer is to transmute all dross into Light. You must redeem or buy back your heritage as a child of God. You are responsible for loving God enough to transmute all your dross of self into Light.
Sanctification is to “rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, holding fast the good.” Peace will sanctify your body when you seethe with atoms whirling in harmony. To sanctify is “to permeate, to heal, to bless, to pervade,” to penetrate with the substance of faith.Dare you let go of the past? Dare you accept faith as the absolute possession of what you envision? Do you dare to be righteous, to get right on your path in your life? Do you dare to love God enough? Your answers to these questions sum up your balance of the Love and Wisdom principles as the faith of God. You already possess everything you need to bring them forth from within.

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The Comforter
Edna Lister outline, August 19, 1956, Tacoma, WA, John 15:18-27, 16:1-2

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”–John 15:18-27.
“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”–John 16:1-2.
Rome ruled Judea with a closed fist, and the priests ruled the people through fear. Graft was rampant, pride was a virtue, and some prayed on street corners to be heard, and admired as they paraded to the temple with lavish gifts. Jesus came in the midst of this atmosphere with his message of love. “Love God with all your soul, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your body. Love your enemies. Love your neighbor. Love one another. Love is the fulfilling of the law.” And then, “I will send a Comforter.”
Imagine, Jerusalem’s pseudo-sophisticated population was so materially-minded that they could think of or imagine only a person as a Comforter. The idea of change generated fear in their hearts, just as today the thought of losing any present “way of doing things” causes people to fight for their “rights.” So, Jesus said, “the world loves its own,” because the world hates change, and Light surely changes and transforms. “If I had not come to point out their sin, they would not be in sin.” They felt perfect, as long as no one shouted “sin” at them. Ignorance does not recognize its sin, which is why they “had no sin.” Self always regards itself as perfect, as always right. Once the Light is turned on, the veil hiding their ignorance falls away, revealing their underlying indifference.
Once you are told of a law, you cannot hide from it. Teaching the law is “doing the works among them.” Before the law is revealed, you have no sin. Once you know how the law works, you feel guilty if you neglect it, and self must destroy the thing that makes self feel guilty. You carry a torch in dark places. Your torch of truth is a Light in dark places. So you cannot be offended when others criticize, find fault or hate you. The other fellow does “not know Him who sent me,” he does not know the Source of your love.
You need a simple faith, to make your way easy and open for others to do the same and to follow. You have tried to use God’s Light as Power long enough to learn the difference between making it do something and letting God’s Power do the work. Letting is the present task. You have played at using life. Now, let His Light use you. Invite life in and use all the life you can appropriate and send forth. The only limit to your appropriation of limitless, inexhaustible life is your ideas of limitation, your desire for life, joy love, praise, faith and courage. Everyone needs more life.
The Light, as Power, can do anything, if it has enough life as energy to do the work. A man inherited a book shop, and in ignorance overstocked and expanded until his money was gone. His creditors put his store up for auction and claimed the proceeds. He was left with nothing but many old and damaged secondhand books. He took his unwanted book stock, built a shack beside a well-traveled road, and specialized in used books. In three seasons he made his money back and plenty to spare. From this you can learn at least one thing: Start easy with what you have, where you are.
“Let the Light so shine,” even if others hate you for it, or you remain a constant rebuke to family and friends. A defeat is not a failure. You can change even a dozen defeats into experience. Spirit is the Comforter, to console and encourage you. The Spirit of life bestows the courage to endure until you reap profits from defeat, until you change defeat into success, until you find the pot of gold, your faith unconquerable.

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Rest for Your Soul
Edna Lister outline, August 19, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Matthew 11:28-30

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”–Matthew 11:28-30.
Everyone is seeking something, and far too many are seeking rest. They are too weary to eat dinner, too tired to rest after going to bed. They feel worse in the morning because they have held up the bed all night. If this is your problem, what can you do about it? “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”–Matthew 11:28. First, everything depends on “where” you seek the Master, which is where you seek rest.
Second, your quality of life depends on your idea of the kind of rest you need and why you need it. An undernourished soul is always “tired” and “aches all over.” If you are too unselfish, too imposed on, work too hard for hours, then think, “No one cares. They’ll be sorry. I must have more rest,” then you are looking downward and outward into the world. You cannot find the Master there.
“Take my yoke upon you…and you will find rest for your souls.”–Matthew 11:29-30. The Master’s yoke is love. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. When you look down, you become depleted, but when you look up, you are filled. All Light as power, joy, love, substance and nourishment comes from above.
Knowing that you can give lavishly and never fear lack is a joy. You leave nothing out. You find your strength above. Declare, “I am now resting in the Light, and my body is filled with Power.”

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The Silence
Edna Lister outline, August 26, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Acts 12:1-16

“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.”–Acts 12:1-16.
At first reading, some points of this story stand out. They had assigned sixteen soldiers to guard just one man. When the angel awoke him, Peter thought he was dreaming. Even those gathered at the house of John Mark’s mother, praying for him, thought he must be dead. This story illustrates the power of “prayer without ceasing” in the golden silence. Prayer has three phases. First you pray to gain confidence, soul assurance. You praise God to persuade yourself that your words are truth, and to erase the world from your mind.
Then you pray to give treatments for others and the world. Pray to lift others into the Light. Glance at darkness only to lift it, and make the proper decrees for all these things. Praise to thank God that you have already received, until you have no more words and see no more needs. Stand in the Light, conscious of only the Light. Finally, having done all this, the miracle appears from the silence.

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Lazarus, Come Forth!
Edna Lister outline, September 2, 1956, Tacoma, WA, November 18, 1956, Buffalo, NY, December 2, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 11:20-46

“Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.”–John 11:20-46.
Jesus was well into his ministry before the events described in this text. He had ample time to build up a mighty faith among his followers. Lazarus was beloved of Jesus and his sisters were both dear to him. When word of Lazarus’ illness came, Jesus said that it was not a sickness unto death, but for the glory of God. He loved his friends and would not do anything to hurt them, yet he waited two more days. You cannot always act as your loved ones would demand of you. For example the parents of a family may not act to please only one member, but must act for the good of all in the family as well as the individual members.
Jesus knew from afar when Lazarus had died. He told his disciples that Lazarus slept. They did not understand him, so he spoke plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”–John 11:14-15. The eye-minded disciples had to see beyond appearances, to believe before they could have a miracle. Martha listened to Jesus teaching while she worked at housekeeping and gained greater faith. Mary sat and listened to Jesus’ every word, but her lack of faith proves that hearing without listening isn’t enough. Tiu must apply what you know to what you do. As you act on your faith and put it into action, you build your faith’s quality and quantity.
Martha went to meet Jesus while he was still on the road, saying, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”–John 11:21-22. Jesus told her that he would rise again, and Martha admitted her faith that her brother would “rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Then Jesus proclaimed, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”–John 11:25-26.
Martha illustrates that God registers your vows as high as your present ability to practice your faith. Making high vows opens the way for Power to move through you when you pray. While your vows may register no higher than your ceiling, you are responsible for living by high laws. The credits you receive for the greatness of your vows are always greater than your strength to practice them. The main idea in this chapter is what Jesus was telling Martha. Life is the resurrection. Enough life is to live in him, in Christed consciousness, to believe in him as the Oversoul’s super-conscious mind—never to die, never to regress or lose soul consciousness. Following this climactic passage comes the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” They must have known the importance of this, because his tears impressed both John and the Jews who were attending Mary in her bereavement.
Why did Jesus weep? Was it because he had to teach them the lesson of faith? Was it because he had delayed for two days? Or like his tears at Jerusalem, was he sorry that they had learned so little? He had counted on Mary, but she had lost faith and fell in consciousness—she had failed him. Did he weep because his love for Lazarus and the others was so great that his heart swelled and burst in overwhelming compassion and joy that he could surprise them with the gift of life?
“Jesus said, Take ye away the stone.”–John 11:39. With this command, Light restored Lazarus’ physical body to be resurrected. He returned to the flesh. Take away the stone of ignorance, greed, hatred, whining and self-pity from your heart and resurrect the good. Only this will bring the soul back into the body. Lazarus represents the physical and emotional dimensions of humanity. Jesus symbolizes the mental and spiritual aspects of humankind.
You must roll away two stones. First, as at Lazarus’ tomb, you remove the stone of the emotional life until it is caught up and you achieve Resurrection. Then, as at Jesus’ tomb, you roll away and lift your mental blocks to reach Ascension. Only then can you enter our Oversoul “I AM” consciousness. Your desires, mated with will, become the intuition and illumination of the “I AM” of Christed consciousness. Then you stop asking, “Is God really there? Am I on the right path?”
“Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me.”–John 11:41-42. Lazarus had been dead four days, which is the symbolic time it takes to awaken “I AM” consciousness and let the full Light shine in. You need four days of mystical service to step from Resurrection to Ascension. Pay no attention to the whining little self as soul declares the truth.
“He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”–John 11:43. Jesus cried out loudly to start the life vibration flowing through Lazarus strongly. He had to pull him back into his body fully by using a loud voice. Sometimes people drift too far from the Light. This is common after an accident or in the crisis during an illness. They then can hear only a loud voice of complete love.
“And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”–John 11:44. Never try to hold onto a miracle or talk about it. To hold onto a miracle creates a bondage and you cannot then make room for another miracle. Instead, praise the miracle and love it. Love God and let your miracle go free. You loose everything and everyone as you love God enough. Hold onto nothing, knowing that you are free to use all that the Father has.
When you approach your Christed “let” state of consciousness, all your prayers will be, “Father, I love You!” As you grow stronger in the Light, you will stop being like the little boy, who prayed, “Father, please send me cake and ice cream instead of castor oil and spinach.” You simply must lift your load onto a cloud of Light. When you ascend in ascension of consciousness, you can stand in the midst of any situation and watch it dissolve and disappear. Nothing can withstand your soul’s decree once you loose it and let it go to soar on wings of love. Life is the abundant miracle. You are God’s miracle of creation. Priceless glorious life is yours when you tune in the miracle station of limitless life.

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Lazarus, Come Forth!
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Collord, scribe, September 2, 1956, Tacoma, WA, John 11:20-46

“Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.”–John 11:20-46.
Metaphysicians often speak of resurrection, but seldom about ascension. Jesus was well into his ministry and well known in the orthodox world when the events in this text occurred. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he spoke to his disciples directly with these words: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”–John 11:4. Jesus was building forward and down through the ages. And he saw who he was and where he was going.
He loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus next to James and John. He has talking to his disciples and he told them what was coming. “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”–John 11:11-14.
Jesus had deliberately waited until Lazarus had died before he went to Bethany. Mary was hurt and disappointed, and remained in the house grieving and sulking when he came. She flopped her test. Martha heard Jesus while she was on the fly, always working, but rushed to meet him on the road. She said, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”–John 11:21-22.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”–John 11:25-26. Faithful Martha answered, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”–John 11:27. Martha had applied what Jesus taught, and used it.
You must build your faith in quality and in quantity. Sitting at the feet of the one you love, gazing with adoring eyes, just listening is not enough. Mary came to him, weeping and accusing him, saying, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” All her friends were weeping with her, but Jesus “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” None of them believed. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.”
Have you poured your love on another, then, when you needed their aid, they had not faith enough? We have all had a loved one fail us as Mary failed Jesus. He had poured so much on her—he wept. Jesus wept in compassion, in anguish, in joy of the glory of the gift he had for them, the gift of life. His heart was overwhelming him as he said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” To stand hard and stiff and say, “This is principle,” is not enough. Tears of joy must accompany such great soul ecstasy.
“Jesus said, Take ye away the stone.”–John 11:39. Before resurrection, you must roll away the rock of your stone age ignorance and darkness, where comparison enters to cause misunderstanding. The angel rolled away the stone after Jesus’ Resurrection. A mystical phoenix, which symbolizes eternal life, resides inside every soul.
Jesus had spoken a prayer that evoked life on the wave of joy. He prayed aloud because all those listening needed to know what he was doing. “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”–John 11:42.
Then Jesus commanded, in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus had not gone far because Jesus had held him in arms of love. Love words create a vacuum and protective wall around the “sleeping” soul. A commanding voice of complete love of God can call forth a soul. The soul hears and comes forth if the voice of love and compassion ignites a “green light.”
Then Jesus commanded them to “Loose him, and let him go.” Miracles are of the soul. Instantaneous miracles arrive when you are up high in consciousness. If you have a miracle, “Loose it and let it go.” All opinions and prejudices must go. “Father, I know you hear me. This is the high time, now.” You think of the future and what must happen, but, you do not talk about your miracle. Let it build future miracles.
A legend says that the devil called his highest councilors together, saying, “I want you to advise me where to hide man’s soul, where he will never find it again.” They pondered and recommended hiding it in the deeps of the sea. “No,” said the devil. “Man will build undersea ships and find it. Then they recommended hiding man’s soul in the depths of the earth. The devil refused, saying, “Man will dig deep in his greed, and find it.” Finally, the devil decided to hide man’s soul within man himself. Yet man’s soul can never be hidden so far within or behind that he cannot find it.
Every “let” prayer uncovers your soul. Say, “Lazarus, come forth” to the past to bring all remaining good together to lift. You must be “loosed” in soul to lift wherever your feet have trod, to give this gift of enough life to all and to resurrect the dead as you go.

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Prove Thy Works
Edna Lister outline, September 16, 1956, Tacoma, WA, Galatians 5:22-26, 6:1-9

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”–Galatians 5:22-26.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”–Galatians 6:1-9.
The “fruits of the Spirit” are qualities of God expressing as us. Paul clarifies how we can let these qualities express: “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”–Galatians 5:24.
This is pure psychology and psychiatry. He is not describing the physical body, as it has been interpreted, but means that you must crucify the will, imagination and desires. To give up self, to surrender to be possessed by Spirit, requires the cleansing of self. All cleansing of the soul comes under aspiration. The soul calls, you aspire, and ascend in consciousness.
We have moved up the scale from bronze to iron to steel to stainless to ceramics and plastics. We have moved from wood to coal to water and gas to supply electricity. These steps in progress describe the ascension of substance. Both metals and bodies are subject to refining. Ascension of consciousness requires the refinement of desires, thinking, and imagination.
Three points highlight the climb from heavy earth to the City of Forgiveness, New Jerusalem, where all darkness is wiped away. Forgiveness means “to give for”—to give Light for darkness, good for evil, and love for hatred.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”–Galatians 6:1. This verse is all about the law of compassion. If you dare to search for some fault in another, give up your own burden of self and take it to the altar.

“Consider yourself first when you notice a fault in another, and lift it as you name it Good.”–Edna Lister

The Master warned not to pluck the mote from another’s eye, but to look to the beam in your own. The beam in your eye is looking to see darkness, to recognize it in speech, which creates more darkness. So, consider yourself first when you notice a fault in another, and lift it as you name it Good. If you can see it in another, it stands a good chance of being in you. The law is, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,” not “Seek first another’s flaws to judge them.”
“For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”–Galatians 6:3-4. You never can deceive God, and can fool the world for only a short time.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap…Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”–Galatians 6:7, 9. Live in the Spirit, walk in Spirit, and ascend as Spirit. This describes ascension under forgiveness of your self and of others as you start your climb upward on the path of soul.
To grow, to express the “fruit of the Spirit,” you first cross the “burning sands of the desert,” which you must cross alone, parched and starved until you reach an oasis of truth. You are delighted to find the cool forest, until you realize that you cannot see for the truth trees.
Finally, your path leads onto a grassy plateau, scattered with small trees, crossed by cool streams. In the distance you see the glorious city. When you have crossed this, you decide to live by Christ consciousness, forsaking self-will and free will for God’s will and pure wisdom. At last you are free to enter the Beautiful City.

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The Way, Your Path
Edna Lister outline, October 14, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 15:18-27, 16:1-2

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The Way, Your Path
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, October 14, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 15:18-27, 16:1-2

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”–John 15:18-27.
“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”–John 16:1-2.
Pride and greed ruled the priestly administrators of the Temple in Jerusalem, who engaged in an economic slave trade in Jesus’ day. Then he taught, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” which struck at the heart of their whole religious structure. He said, “love one another as I have loved you” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” The priests, who inherited their offices and felt they were a cut above the common people, had no thought of doing that. Then Jesus crowned his teaching with “I will send you the Comforter,” and this caused them to fear losing something. The “Comforter” sounded as if he intended to take their positions, wealth, and security, so they fought to keep what they had. They had to fight the person to fight Jesus’ teaching.
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”–John 15:18-19. What does this mean? Jesus wanted his disciples to know that hate can be expressed only through and by personality.
Light as substance has no power of its own and so is unable to act of itself. It takes Light as power to make matter become or change form, and that power moves on your spoken Word. Only a personality can express hatred. You can store endless worldly possessions, and they collect dust. The Master has called and chosen you “out of the world,” which is right here. The possessive pronouns, “his,” “hers,” “yours” and “mine,” refer to your special bosses, family and many who may hate you. Why?
“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”–John 15:22. One who has no knowledge of law has no sin. A small child may set fire to a house, but knows no law, so does not sin. However, an adult does know the law against arson, and sins if he fires a house.
Any person who grasps a higher law seems to secede from his group, but the group, or family, still considers itself perfect. Everything is good according to its degree and kind, but the world persecutes and blames you when you live by higher law. They hate what they believe is your interference with their use of free will.
God’s free will is pure Light, but self-will brings darkness. The Light shows up what is in the dark places. You take Light into your own group or family and they hate the Light that causes change and gives them a guilt complex. They cannot hide from the Light, so they fight you.
The group, friend or family is fighting for its life, resisting change, and can free themselves only by blaming you. Yet, you cover their soul with your darkness if you blame them. You could destroy the other fellow if you throw blame back and forth. When others blame you, remember “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.”–John 16:1.
This chapter illustrates why you fall into messes. Law’s reaction is inevitable. You are never in the wrong place, but if you need a lesson, only one door opens—the one that leads to learning that lesson. Jesus taught us to live under the honor of God, to be too proud to admit darkness, to be so loyal to the Prince of God that we can speak only love, too joyous of mind and soul to bother with darkness. Abraham sought one soul to stand with him. You can be that one.
A parable tells of how God called a conclave of angels and put to them the question: “I have decided that I will hide the soul of man, or we shall lose it. Man’s soul must be hidden where he cannot find it.” One proposed hiding it in the depths of the sea. God said man will build a boat to find it. Another suggested hiding it in the depths of the earth. God said man’s greed will make him dig and he will find it. Then God said, “I will plant his soul in the depths of him, which is the last place he will look for it.”
You stand free on your own cloud when you find your soul, yet you cannot find your soul unless you are a torch bearer and carry the flaming Light of the love of God. You do not care about blame, but cry, “Father, let Thy Power move forth and do the work.”
Direct Power to the right place, and Light does the work. Sometimes it takes Power a long time to permeate, melt and dissolve a soul’s crystallization. Yet glory always results when you stand under the Light of God that illumines your path.

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Truth, Your Plan
Edna Lister outline, October 21, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 14:6, Acts 16:25-34

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”–John 14:6.
“At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”–Acts 16:25-34.
Paul and Silas had been staying with Lydia, a wealthy woman, in Thyatira, the fourth city mentioned in the Book of the Revelation. Jezebel had seduced the men there into misuse of the creative fire. Lydia, their hostess, was a “seller of purple,” the expensive dye used to create royal purple in Rome. She symbolizes the creative fire, raised from sensation to devotion.
A young slave woman “possessed with a spirit of divination,” who was telling fortunes and making a fortune for her owners, began following Paul and Silas around the city, saying that they had the “way of salvation.” Paul exorcized her of the possessing entity. However, since she was no longer able to make money for her masters, they became very angry. They carried their case before the city magistrates, and accused Paul and Silas of “unlawful teaching.”
The hot-tempered crowd demanded action, the magistrates tore off Paul and Silas’ robes and ordered them beaten with rods, a very painful experience. Then they jailed them with their feet in stocks. What a fine situation for a couple of preachers to find themselves in! Why should this happen to them when they were doing everything right? They had every reason to blame God and man, yet they blamed no one.

“Man himself is the truth when he expresses it.”–Edna Lister

A big difference lies between knowing a truth and knowing the truth. A truth can heal only partially, but the truth makes you whole. A truth may last only temporarily, but the truth is a miracle. Paul and Silas knew the truth that man himself is the truth when he expresses it. Truth is God in action as principle using man. God as man knows that God is invincible, unchangeable, and always working. Paul and Silas knew this, so they set into action the most powerful vibration in the universe: They prayed, they praised, and they sang, a trinity of unbeatable Power expressing.
This is the basis for all miracles: “Lift up your eyes and thank God.” The so-powerful vibration created an earthquake, which shook the doors down, burst the locks, and all the prisoners’ chains. Yet no one left the jail since the Light was so bright that no one could leave. The Light restrained evil and freed the good. The jailer was about to kill himself in fear of reprisal from the vindictive city leaders, but Paul stopped him. The greatness of that Light saved the jailer and his whole household. The magistrates “feared” when they received word to “free these men” who in truth were Roman citizens. The magistrates came in person to set them free.
Truth is faith. Faith is truth. You need a plan for the truth that is in you, or the truth as you know it remains just an idea about truth. What is your plan? What shall it be? First choose, then follow through with action until you achieve the results you desire. So you start, follow through, and obtain results. Choice is something you face hourly. If you make no new choices, you become stagnant. Man, as the knower, must forever know more. The divine Light as power that we find in the very world around us proclaims that God is.

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Truth, Your Plan
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, October 21, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 14:6, Acts 16:25-34

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”–John 14:6.
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”–Acts 16:25-34.
Paul and Silas’ story is marvelous. They had traveled to stay with Lydia, a wealthy convert who lived in Thyatira, a city filled with crime and prostitution. Lydia represents devotion to God in the midst of the Jezebels.
They went to the temple to pray and met a slave woman who practiced divination. She ran away from her masters, followed Paul and Silas, and declared they were men of God. Paul and Silas did not appreciate this coming from a medium, so Paul exorcized the possessing spirit. Since she was then no longer a medium, she could not make money for her masters, who were angry. They had Paul and Silas beaten with rods and thrown into prison. The prison keeper, who was responsible for them, lived there with his family.
Paul and Silas had their feet in stocks, an ignominious position from which they could have blamed God or asked why this was happening to them. Yet they knew the truth that God is invincible when you act in an invincible way. Paul and Silas knew what to do while they sat fettered in great discomfort for five or six hours: They complied with the trinity of laws and principles that invoke miracles. They prayed, sang and released such Power that it broke their chains and opened doors. The Power released such Light and glory that no one could see to escape, so they converted the jailer’s family and prisoners.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” What a great difference lies between a way and the Way, a truth and the truth, a life and the life of God. Truth is God in action. Truth is principle. Principle motivates man as personality, and divine principle dictates that you cannot leave anything out of the truth, though thousands build their lives on a tiny portion of the truth of God.
You challenge God when you say, “I have the truth,” and Light shows you up unless you live up to your declaration. You can have the truth only when you have surrendered all self. Crucifixion happens when you forget to surrender self. The floodgates to the miracles your Father has prepared for you open when you have paid your debts.

“Man, as a knower, must forever learn more—this is a law of becoming.”–Edna Lister

Man, as a knower, must forever learn more—this is a law of becoming. He knows some truth today and learns more tomorrow. Paul and Silas knew the truth. The vibration of the living God is now moving through man. A tiny bit of truth streamed through the atomic bomb. The whole truth that God is lies within the atom itself. Truth, to Paul and Silas, was to invoke Power consistently and continuously until it worked. They followed the plan of truth for a miracle, which has three steps: You start, you follow through, and you have the result.
How do you follow the plan? Fix your attention on God for twenty-four hours consistently and continuously. Most people usually do not follow through until they can see the results, so they just have an idea of a plan. You need intestinal fortitude. Do not start until you have made a definite choice.
Do you want all truth operating in your life? People are afraid of the whole truth of the living God, for it is overwhelming. Yet a tiny truth that makes you quit in the middle can ruin your life. When you grow lukewarm, you ask, “Where is God?” God is following through, right where He has always been. Prayer grabs God by the coattails and hangs on. Say, “This too shall pass away under the power of God’s Almighty love,” when the world overwhelms you until you cannot think.
Truth is faith. Believe in God’s invincibility. How much truth you express is how much God you put in action. The power of love is more powerful today. The Master’s promise, “Greater works than this will you do” is truth in action through you as personality.
Nothing is ever lost. You may flop on the test, but God still credits you for making the effort. The result of your effort is your miracle’s fulfillment, so follow through, for you produce no results if you stop halfway. Love God enough. Just continue to build strength in one small effort after another. Gird your loins and take the next step until you achieve greatly. You never fail really, because God always promotes you. He encourages you to travel an upward spiral, and whispers that success awaits you on another path if you meet failure on this one.
Do not squinch your hopes or say, “I’m through. I’m old.” I shall just begin at eighty. Time cannot grow old. Live in time the right way, as the eternal now, and you will not grow old. Time is filled with the greatest of ideas. You still have time to write the great book, paint the great picture, to manifest greater works. The sun, moon and stars do not age, nor does God.
When you see nothing on the outer, the Father is blinding you for illumination. Wait on the Lord until locks and doors burst open. Your plan is your choice. Stand and see the whole truth. Praise, sing and release Power in the darkness. Enjoy time, one day after another, and reach fulfillment as you add truth, joy and love to your plan. You carry the essence of all you have been and all you are to become. Love’s glory must become your familiar habit. Soul ascension is your truth and your plan.

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Life, Your Practice
Edna Lister outline, October 28, 1956, Cleveland, OH, November 25, 1956, Buffalo, NY, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Hebrews 1:1-7

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”–1 Peter 4:10-11.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”–Hebrews 1:1-7.
God’s ministers a flame of fire—this describes you and me. This is your life, yet to comprehend, you must ask two questions: First, Where did I get this life? Second, Who runs my life? These questions may seem cockeyed, but they are important, and each soul must answer them. You cannot go anywhere or make any plan until you have these answers. You must decide them emphatically and for all time. Otherwise, you have no true, unfailing personal identity.
The rebellious souls say, “I didn’t ask to come here.” Others say, “My family won’t let me do that.” Face the facts. You are here now and you can’t change your family. Who sent you here, who invited you, who tries to run your life for you is unimportant. The fact you are here is critical. The first set of questions leads to a second set: Can I get away from life? How can I change my life? Trying to escape life is self-destructive. Your alternatives are to continue running away your whole life, or to change your life. You are always creating your life as you live it, and you take your creations with you, no matter where you go. Since you really cannot escape life, consider how to change its course if needed.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”–1 Peter 4:10-11. These verses paint the picture of a perfect life—as you receive the gift, so you minister to others. Thus, the first law to obey is to give. You may complain, “But I still have so any personal disadvantages. This is too hard. How can I move onward and upward to my practice of life as a ministering angel when I do not know how to do it? Why should I give to others? No one gives to me!”
The first step is to get off the old wrecking crew, and join the new construction gang. Martyrs generally have wrecked their own lives. Your words reveal your true purpose and attitude, and tell the other fellow how noble you feel you have been. So, your second step is to let go of all idle words. Stop creating more grief, sorrow and enemies. Every thought strikes the person about whom you are thinking, and every spoken word can knock him down. To repeat what anyone has said or done empowers them to do more of the same. Redeem every thought and every word you utter, plus every similar thought and word-vibration that yours have collected on the way. You must eat your words: “I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”–Revelation 10:9.
The third step is to censor every thought and word with these questions: Am I going to like this when life dishes it up for me to eat? Will it taste as sweet as honey or bitter as gall? The fourth step in your new life has four parts: First, what future resources can I count on? Second, what are my present assets? Third, what will my production be? Fourth, what about my distribution problem?
Your future resources include these—“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, “And let all the angels of God worship him.” And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.”–Hebrews 1:1-7.
God has made us greater than the angels. We are His ministers of flame and fire. The first Begotten has told us, “He that believes 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. As Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote, “Speak to Him thou for He hears, and Spirit with Spirit can meet—Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.”
What do your present assets include? It could be as simple as a great sense of humor. Once upon a time, two women, both very ill, shared a hospital room. The doctors could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong with the first woman, everything it seemed. She had a keen sense of humor though. The second woman never smiled, but lay silently, day after day in deep melancholia and self-pity. The first woman said and did everything she could think of to cheer her up. Finally, she got out of bed and stood on her head in the corner. The other woman laughed long and hard. Immediately, she began to get well.
A great law of life is “I must use whatever I am and have.” One of your first choices is to whine or to live by Oversoul Christed consciousness. Your production depends on your power tools of desire (emotion), thinking and imagination. Right here, your answers to previous questions pay you the greatest dividends. Let go of your old life and using idle words. Practice your new life of give, give, give. All your giving fine-tunes your precision instruments of intuition and spiritual illumination. Using these, you can perfectly refine your use of your power tools, desire, thinking and imagination.
Your distribution plan is all about doing. Where will you distribute? Right where you are. What have you to distribute? You have all the potential qualities and virtues of God. You are His minister of flame and fire. God is your banker and you will collect from Him. What you collect depends on both your production and distribution.
You can carry yesterday along with you as a weight, or use the energy in the Christ Light. Every cubic foot of atomic power contains 10,000 tons of energy, they say. All this is yours to contact and use in your life practice. The etheric currents are a vast sea of this energy. A line of Light is a highway that runs through it from the Source to you. Life can be a series of petty problems or a grand adventure, depending on whom you let run your life. Christ consciousness creates an exciting, glorious life, a life triumphant. The little self runs away from life, while Oversoul runs toward life. Choose the life of “greater works” through giving.

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Life, Your Practice
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, October 28, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Hebrews 1:1-7, 1 Peter 4:10-11

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”–Hebrews 1:1-7.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”–1 Peter 4:10-11.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This is your life. Where did you get this life? Who is running your life? These are the most important questions you can ask. Without these answers, you have no individual identity, no plan for life. Too many ask, “Why am I here?”—and answer themselves with, “I didn’t ask to come.” Who is running your life? Family? You say, “They couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t stand for it.” The important point is, you are here now, and what will you do about it? Running away is escapist. Hospitals are filled with those who are seeking escape from the cold, hard fact that they are here.
Suicide is no escape, for the suicide dangles by his silver cord above the body until he reaches his fate line, when he would have passed to the other side legally. Seeking to escape puts you on the road to self-destruction and the loss of physical equipment. You cannot destroy the mental life, but you can destroy your mental equipment. Choose the other road. Ascend, let Oversoul’s I AM consciousness take charge, and run your own life. Life becomes a new life when you change your attitudes, offering no self-protective excuses, no hiding behind a boss or family. Having chosen the new, you live your own inner life, but still agree and adjust on the outer.
The keynote of ministering is, “as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God,” which means that you quit the old wrecking gang and join the new construction crew. You wreck yourself with idle words, gossip and thoughts that hit the mark. You can ruin a loved one’s day with words. Each word attracts its own kind as it goes forth, and you take the blow of force when it returns, wondering why. Watch every word you speak as an oracle of God. Say, “You are wonderful,” to a nagger, then witness for God. Only self stops you when you think the offender would believe you were crazy if he heard you praise him.
Entrepreneurs ask, “What resources do I have that will help me in this new business? What are my assets? What kind of production results can I report? What kind of distribution program do I have?” God is your banker. You collect from Him according to your production and distribution figures. This is your business of life, and you must back your business with adequate resources.
Jesus said we were joint heirs in the kingdom, and create our own world. He gave us the responsibility here, and said that we, as cosigners on the note, might ask anything in his name believing, and he will do it. God claims us as sons and daughters, as ministers of flame and fire. He is our source of supply. It’s up to you to let the Power work and use the ability God gave you. Do you feel God is your Father?
Have you tabulated your God-given resources? Illumination and intuition are your precision instruments, your production tools. Thinking, imagination and desire, your emotional life, are your Power tools. Your production line is your output. When you recreate with idle words about how hard life is at home or in business, you merely display how noble you believe self is.
“I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”–Revelation 10:9. Ask yourself, before speaking, “Will I like this when it returns, as honey or gall?”
To say someone is “off the beam,” implies the need for lifting, but any added comment recreates the negative. This is the law: Instantly lift the person or situation for a miracle. Prepare an offertory chalice to receive any recreated gossip or negative words, but not saying them is best.
Distribution depends first on what you give. You cannot make any headway in life unless you are on the giving end. What you get from life in production and distribution is your measure of lifting and becoming free of the little self. You minister when you give the gifts that you have. Everyone has at least a smile to give.
Each looks at life and its challenges in a positive or negative way. Each maintains his creations, animate or inanimate. Do you criticize, or love God and use your Power tools to cover all mistakes and debts of blame? No cross-vibration can enter when you ascend and use your precision instruments of intuition and illumination. Thank God for everything you see. Every cell is important. Each can be perfect if you love God, and give everyone and everything that comes to you a caressing look or smile.

“Thank God for everything you see.”–Edna Lister

The great etheric sea of life contains your path direct to the Source. Look up, and the glory of God showers you with refreshing life. Close that umbrella! Why run, hide in a corner or study alone to escape? Rather than pondering darkness, become fascinated with the mysteries of the universes and your path back to God. Ascend and give your love of God lavishly. You are His wealthy sons and daughters. Your life practice then becomes a triumph of harmony as you do your Father’s “greater works” by giving.

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The Light You Express
Edna Lister outline, November 4, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 1:1-9, Matthew 5:16, 6:22-23

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”–John 1:1-9.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:1.
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”–Matthew 6:22-23.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.”–Genesis 1:1-4.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”–John 1:1-9.
Genesis 1 describes God speaking Light into being. John 1 speaks of the Word expressing as the Light. John, the beloved disciple, in writing this introduction to his Gospel, integrated the three principle-vibrations of the universe, the Word, the life and the Light. The Word is God as Mind. Life is God as action. Light is God as Substance.
On earth, these are the key words of your lives, and each must personally integrate them as follows: The Word, as Mind, is sacrifice. The life, as action, is service. The Light, as Substance, is your expression. The first rate of vibration is God as all that is, the Light, the Word and the expression of the Word. Second, God is principle in action. The third rate of vibration is God as man. This is the triple trinity of all life. How does this work out for you as an individual? Your mind works in three phases of consciousness, the subconscious, the rational consciousness and as the super-conscious mind.
When you ask where else you can go wrong, you begin to see that the struggle is between the subconscious and the super-conscious phases of mind, between the creature soul and the Oversoul. The rational consciousness, as the embodied soul, stands in the middle, torn by the conflict between the higher and lower levels. You cannot stop or avoid the conflict, no matter how you try. Yet you can sublimate the conflicts by letting Mind speak the Word as you and sacrificing the self that stands in the way. Most people are hazy on the idea of sacrifice and what it means. Sacrifice is the giving up of one thing for something that attracts you more. For example, you give up your personal need to hurry and drive fast, and sacrifice that expression of self will in favor of obeying traffic lights. You do so because the safety resulting from your obedience attracts you more than speed. You have a personal interest and stake in safety for yourself and your loved ones.

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The Light You Express
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, November 4, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 1:1-9, Matthew 5:14-16, 6:22-23

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.”–John 1:1-9.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:14-16.
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”–Matthew 6:22-23.
“In the beginning, God created” is the opening vibration of all that becomes. God said, “Let there be Light,” and from that Light, God as all, created all and became all. The Gospel of John opens with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men…That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
Genesis and the Gospel of John hold the foundation principles of all Creation. God as Light is ready to become form in Genesis. In John, the Light is already in man, ready to express. The “Word” means God as Mind. Life means God as action. Light is God as substance.
Mind, action and substance are primary principles, which creators must modify to the right level of consciousness for the world. You are Mind, personalized in subconscious, conscious and super-conscious levels. The subconscious is the world mind, and conscious mind stands between it and Oversoul’s super-conscious mind. Thus, the conflict is between self and Oversoul. We modify the Word to suit the mind of man, and personalize it as sacrifice, which means giving up what we have for what attracts us to a greater degree. For instance, people obey traffic lights because self-interest attracts them to obey.
What must you sacrifice? Convince your self that following the Light will pay greater dividends than selfishness. Then convince self to let soul and Oversoul direct and control your life for greater glory than the subconscious can produce. You need burning soul-desire to conquer the world. The process is one of convincing selfishness to give itself up for soulishness.
Light is modified Substance, which you use for creation and personalize as your expression. Jesus’ prescription for moving up to express from the higher creative center is—“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:14-16.
Never hide your Light, but set it high on a hill. ascend in consciousness to express from the higher creative center. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”–Matthew 6:22. The single eye means singleness of purpose. A grain of wheat that produces the whole plant illustrates “your whole body will be full of light.”
God created you to express Light through intuition and illumination. The Light becomes man, who must then express as Light. “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”–Matthew 6:23. Darkness is an absence of Light. Any upset to emotions or thinking is an absence of Light. Fear pays no dividends. Any fear touches the organ in the body affected by that type of fear, despite the person’s goodness. To reassure the subconscious that it has nothing to fear, say, “God is all courage and strength.”

“Your service in life is what you give to the world as your idea of God in action.”–Edna Lister

You modify the lives of those around you through your actions, which is how you personalize your service to God. Your service in life is what you give to the world as your idea of God in action. Get up, give up indifference, and ascend in consciousness to convince the subconscious that life is one great adventure. Act from divine Mind to release life into the body. A metaphysical statement works here, convincing the subconscious that the goal is great, that life is becoming Light. Light, which is Substance, becomes your expression.
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.”–Matthew 6:23. How can the eye be evil? To see darkness and believe in it, to say, “He’ll never succeed” or, “She will never get well,” is wallowing in it.
The cure is to let your light so shine before men. When you believe that all is good, others will see your good works and glorify the Father. Glorify the Father in your acts and works. Entice everyone to come up to God, letting His Light express through and as you. To do this, you need a triple trinity: Mind attuned to sacrifice, action in service and substance to use in expression.
Love asks nothing and gives all. Give the world love as your expression and service. Sacrifice is not looking gloomy and long-faced, but renouncing darkness for Light, bad for good, and sorrow for joy. Enter your room of golden silence if your family or the world objects to what you are doing. They need not know what you are doing, but everyone will gain.
Everything you need is at your command, so make the declarations. Pay your own freight by speaking the Word to lift. You never have a free ride, least of all back into the heart of God. How can you put more Light into a full container? Fill your mental life with joy and glory until it overflows to the world.
Too many people have filled their basements with the dirt of centuries. Garbage trucks go to a dump, and so pitch your old past rubbish up on a cloud of Light. Take all your negatives to the consuming fire, draw in your friends and families’ trash and watch them react. Fill them with Light, love and the glory of God until He cleanses them all.
This lifting vibration circles earth and returns to you as glorified auric substance. For instance, insincerity causes liver trouble. As God heals someone’s liver, He returns the cleansed soul substance as perfected liver tissue.
Your body is a vehicle for God to use. Walk upward as a creator god, look at the Light, and God’s image and likeness shines as you. As you sacrifice the old to be filled with the new, you look younger, more beautiful, glowing with compassion and love. Never indulge love’s only negative expression, which is pity. Grab negative people, put them on a cloud continent of Light to consume the darkness and wash them clean.
The Light, mind and life that were in Christ Jesus become your Light, mind and life when you tune into God’s broadcasting station of the life unlimited. You will be up in consciousness to hear God. As you live the glory of life unlimited, Light will be your soul’s expression.

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Glorious Ascension
Edna Lister outline, November 11, 1956, Cleveland, OH, 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, 3:17-18

“If the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”–2 Corinthians 3:7-11. NKJV
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18. NKJV
What is ascension? To arise; to go up in consciousness, never down, to climb, to ascend. Our ascension is to move from a static condition into a higher position, not climbing stairs or mountains, but moving up in consciousness.
These verses have such a peculiar wording—“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious…how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? –2 Corinthians 3:7-8.
To minister means “to render aid and helpful service, to contribute, furnish and supply.” Ministration is “the act of ministering, the act of being helpful, aiding, serving.” To serve death sounds worse than ever. Yet, to what death does this refer? How are we to understand this?
The Ten Commandments are the first steps up from the bottom, the “eye for an eye” stage of “If you do it to me, I’ll do it back to you.” Using them, you begin to climb from plain old revenge to open the vibration of selflessness. You are getting ready for Jesus’ message to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
“If the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.”–2 Corinthians 3:7-11.
Moses’ countenance shone with a glory too bright to bear, and that glory was passing away. Spirit lasts forever, so it is more glorious as it continues to grow. The glory of Moses’ face, as he descended from Mount Horeb, resulted from the exaltation in having been given the new law. The effect on him of just its writing was too glorious for the people to stand.
Earthly glory is dim when compared with the glory of God, which is an ecstasy beyond words. The glory shining from Moses’ face marked God’s first gift of glory to the people of Israel. Yet, it would be “done away” as it faded from their hearts and minds for a time.
Three keywords help you to hold your original glory when you first hear the truth—receptive, flexible and balanced. Receptive describes that listening attitude you hold when you know that everything that comes to you is a gift for you. Listen carefully or you could miss it. Receptivity accompanies a giving nature. Always seek to give something to everyone. Give that which they are not showing you. You can put everyone in a new grade, just by silently suggesting that they have the right to advance. Everyone has been exposed to the Bible, opinions about it and prejudices against it. Inoculate them against falsehoods with your new truth vaccine. When you serve your fellow man this way, your face shines brightly with the glory of God.
You may ask, but do you listen long enough to hear the answer? If you have purchased a new gas range, piano, or bed, you make sure that you can remove the old to make way for the new. When you ask, make room for the answer. Some people continually ask and mutter to themselves. Perhaps they think God is deaf or inattentive. “Have I asked the right way? Did I say the right thing? Why doesn’t God answer me? What have I done wrong.” If you did this on earth, you would be thought discourteous, and it is a sin toward God. Listen for the answer after you ask.
Flexible is the second characteristic that aids in clinging to your original glory. Flexibility cultivates being open to change. Flexible people can grow and expand through their ability to adjust instantly. You do this by declaring, “This is good,” to give God a chance to change the situation. Each has a niche in the structure of God’s plan, which is a pillar towering into the heavens. It goes on and on, up and up. Once you have finally found your own niche and occupy it, you can pick others up and paste them into their niche with love-glue. If they fall out or down, you mix a stronger glue, but love will work to hold them.
Balance is the third trait that buffs the shine on your glory. Balance is the ability to lift your desires up to Oversoul I AM consciousness until you are established above in poise. When you are poised in Christed consciousness under intuition and illumination, you are dwelling in the high place. You achieve balance through and by steadfast prayer, profligate praise, a lavish desire to know God and a flaming glory of imagination to see Him.
Unless you turn these master switches on, your lights are off. If the bulb burns out, you still have power but you have no light. Just so, keep the right wattage going in your body, great enough for Power to use. Give your Father a good instrument to use. This is the ultimate in giving. God’s powerhouse never has a breakdown, and when you mend your lines, the Light goes on. Earth glory is never lasting, but God’s glory is everlasting. The transition from earth to ascension glory is as great as from God and to God as. I climb best by pulling out my own porcupine quills.
You cannot create yesterday or tomorrow today. You have only today as your creative window. What are you doing with it? You must live it because you cannot avoid it. Will you choose to be up or down in consciousness, smiling gloriously and lavishly or frowning in lukewarm indifference? Let’s live it up! The first giving of the Law brought the glory of Moses in the ministration of death. Yet it lives on and lingers as a smoldering ember ready to be lighted into flame by love to become a new glory.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18. You will be changed into the image and likeness of your liberty in God. Your freedom is now, as ascension becomes your liberty and new glory!

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Glorious Ascension
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, November 11, 1956, Cleveland, OH, 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, 3:17-18

“If the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”–2 Corinthians 3:7-11. NKJV
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18. Paul refers to the glory of soul ascension in this text. Ascension means “to climb, to move to a higher position,” and is a state of consciousness. Ascension enables you to rise above the ice stage and “walk on water.”
As you ascend in comprehension, you begin to accept greater responsibilities. Responsibility has been a gruesome word to many, and most people pray for freedom from responsibility. Yet the Master said, “Only my own can come to me,” which means that you must receive again everything you have created, like a boomerang returns.
To minister means “to aid, to be helpful, to serve.” The “ministry of death” is being helpful to God and serving unto death. The world was ready for only “an eye for an eye” revenge law when Moses received the ten Commandments, yet the laws he brought through served as the foundation for selflessness.
Humanity is still writing laws on tablets of stone, but we must write Christ’s commandments in the hearts and minds of all humanity at the mental level. The spiritual glory that shone from Moses’ face inspired all who followed him, and proves that he was preparing the way for Jesus’ laws of love.
By accepting and declaring everything good, as love, you aid the Light, which melts, dissolves and lifts all darkness from earth. When a city condemns an old house, it grants a permit to tear it down and build the new. This describes “the ministry of condemnation.” The condemned house was gloriously beautiful once, but now the glory lies in its destruction. This law works in other ways also. To change an organization or a city is a glory, even if you must pay a debt of force.
“What is passing away” refers to sin. The “glory that excels” is the new, which is coming into being. The “ministry of righteousness” exceeds the glory of destruction, which produces only dirt and rubbish. Every great teacher who has ever destroyed some old interpretation of truth has paid a debt of force, though he receives credit for his faith and motive of unveiling new glory. Destruction is glory because it teaches lessons, but passes away.
Yet you need not use force when you act with only glory shining from your face. You can be radiant as you receive gifts of glory along your Path of Ascension. Love does all the work as you draw closer to the Source of Power and glory.
You hold the three precious keys to unlock the Power—receptivity, flexibility and balance. To be receptive, you must be still, and may not have a preconceived picture of the result. Receptivity is an open mind, a listening attitude that stills all outer world vibrations so you will not miss the glory you seek. Do you listen after you ask God? Do you use the same statements as “vain repetition,” or mutter in your beard, complaining about the slowness of the answer? A listening attitude is a giving attitude.
Move the old out and make way for the new. To replace the old mentally, promote everyone you know and wash them from your hair. Tell everyone who hinders your listening attitude how wonderful they are. Rename them, saying, “You are a son of God.” See abundance for them, and ascend them into the high place of consciousness. Seeing others as perfect clears your mental clutter to listen to God’s Voice.
Flexibility adjusts quickly to what comes, joy or grief, beauty or ugliness. Everything is a gift, so love it, even if it is not what you wanted. You must earn the place to stand and declare, “This is good.” Everyone has a niche in the structure of God’s plan. Love enough to fasten everyone into their niches. “This is good” makes thick glue, not a thin wash that does not hold.
Ascend in consciousness on your rod of Power for balance, plug your line of Light into the live wire of omnipotence, and cultivate a formal, complete poise, which is true dignity. If your flexible line does not reach the plug, stand in balance on your tiptoes to plug into the live wire. Love God enough.
Balance has four master switches, prayer, praise, desire and imagination. Be steadfast and unceasing in prayer. Be profligate in praise. Squander praise like a millionaire. Be lavish in your desire to know and to comprehend. Be vivid in imagination to see as God sees. Imagination is where you usually lose your balance and come to grief. You see what you want, not what God sees.
Does your burned out light bulb interrupt the electric company’s power grid? Of course not. Nothing can interfere with God’s Power grid, either. If your master switch does not work, replace the burned out bulb. Get a new Light bulb, switch from God and to God as. You do not know the ever-present God if you believe in God and.
We all have days when we feel crabby, unsociable, or do not know what to do. If you make your face a glory, you will not need to talk, but just have a good day. Think of God as you. You see the expression you are wearing on the other fellow’s face, because self’s periscope looks right into his mirror. Crawl on your knees before the Father’s throne to erase your wrong.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18. You cannot even see other fellow’s negativity when you extend your periscope to view the glory of God, who is your liberty.

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You, the Miracle!
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, December 2, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 11:20-46

“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, Let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone you, and are you going there again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walk in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. These things he said, and after that he said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go, that I may wake him up. Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well. However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him. Then Thomas, who is called Didymus [Twin], said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. So when Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near to Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary was sitting in the house. Now said Martha to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know, that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world. And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, The Teacher has come, and is calling for you. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met him. The Jews then who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, She goes to the tomb to weep there. Then when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her weeping, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, See how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying? Then Jesus, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard me. And I know that You always hear me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You have sent me. Now when he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! And he who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him.”–John 11:1-45.
The episode of raising Lazarus from the dead, which was well along in Jesus’ ministry, was unlike anything he had done before. When you live together as Jesus and his followers did, the constant action is so magnificent that you often may not understand what has happened until well after the event.
Jesus had told them how they would crucify him, but his disciples were used to him escaping danger. He used Lazarus’ illness to prepare them for his own Crucifixion and death. He had healed others, but raising Lazarus from the dead was how he built the foundation for his own Resurrection and Ascension.
Lazarus, Martha and Mary were among Jesus’ most beloved friends. You do not deliberately hurt those you love, yet Jesus intentionally delayed going to Lazarus, who was so ill. Two days of delay signify the time you must remain quiet when loved ones want you to do something you know you should not do. In two days’ time they will forget what they wanted.
Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.” Live by the law of love to glorify God. They could not understand why Jesus waited, but two thousand years ago, he showed us that we must wait under law when it means freedom for everyone in the end.
They did not understand when he said, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.” He meant to build their firm foundation in faith as part of his long-range plan of sacrifice to bring God’s ascension glory to fruition.
Mary was like a loving child, but Martha was the woman of the house. Martha had listened, and put Jesus’ every word into action. Mary adored Jesus without really hearing him. Not having listened, she berated and blamed him for not coming sooner.
Martha recognized his Power and accepted his rebuke for being a self-righteous martyr, and he rewarded her, telling her he was the resurrection and the life. Mary loved self more than she loved Jesus. Martha did not blame, but Mary did. Then Jesus wept. It does not say why he wept. It could have been in compassion for the mourners’ lack of understanding. He could have wept about Mary. He may have wept in exultation and the joy of soul knowing that he would raise Lazarus, and his heart burst with the joy of it.
Lazarus was four days in the tomb, the number representing service, illumination, death and resurrection. Jesus wanted them to understand that the soul does not die when you go from earth to heaven at transition. You die every day that you live by self, which is crucifixion of the soul. When Jesus went to that tomb, he created a vivid memory for everyone to recall when he was gone. He said, “Take away the stone.” You may have a stone of doubt, fear, willfulness, rebellion or self-pity in your heart that you must roll away before you can resurrect self into soul. Soul cannot rule when self drags it to the cellar of rebellion.
“Ye are gods,” so be creators. Act like creators, and make life an adventure instead of a deadly bore. This is the miracle of life from the inside out, the resurrection of self added to the soul qualities. Exalt the self into holding, move it up where it will do you the most good. Truth is not something you try to obtain, but what you accept and become.
“Take away the stone” means to remove the blocks in your imagination. Resurrection lifts your self-created blocks. Jesus prayed aloud so they would know how he did it. He was always “prayed up” and ready. He took no credit but gave all the credit to God, the Power that does all the work. “He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth!” It takes a loud, high love-filled tone to change a low earth vibration.

“Live each day as if you expect a miracle!”–Edna Lister

Jesus said, “Loose him and let him go.” Loose your loved ones from the faults you find in them. See them perfect on a cloud before God, knowing the inner man is perfect. Perfection finally surfaces to become “flesh and blood” when you coax it. Substance has the power to become, so free all your miracles. Never put yourself in bondage, even to a miracle.
Live each day as if you expect a miracle! You are your own miracle. Your Power tools are imagination, thinking and desires, and your precision instruments are intuition and illumination. Imagine God’s glory pouring through you, and make it bold enough to pay dividends. Declare, “I am a miracle!” Roll away the stony mental block of self.

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Your Attitudes
Edna Lister outline, December 9, 1956, Cleveland, OH, 1 John 3:1-3, 14:10-14

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”–1 John 3:1-3.
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 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. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”–John 14:10-14.
Who is this person with an attitude toward man? Just what is my self—an attorney, a doctor, a poet a musician, a writer, a financier, a statesman, a singer? All these labels tell us what I does, not what I is. So who is this I who is doing all these things? “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”–Job 32:8.
Christ is the Incarnate Word, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Now are we the sons of God.–1 John 3:2 tells us that we are the children of a royal birthright. As royalty, you have an inheritance, a kingdom and heritage that you must live up to. To claim your position of wealth and honor, you have to accept your burden of personal responsibility.
You must earn and hold people’s respect. To do so, you must hold a permanent conscious attitude honor and uphold the crown that symbolizes our Heavenly Ruler. You cannot waste time in pleasuring the self, but must consciously express the qualities that make a king or a queen. You must hear this, accept it and believe it. Do you need to be born of an earthly king or queen to become a prince or princess? No, and the story of Esther illustrates this perfectly. Esther was a beautiful Jewish maiden whom King Ahasuerus had selected as his queen to replace Vashti, whom he had divorced.
Haman was named to the position of grand vizier over all the princes of Persia, and quickly showed his enmity toward the Jews, seeking to destroy them. Esther learned of the plot from her wise uncle Mordecai, who told her to inform the king. Esther was afraid to do so, but Mordecai answered her: “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”–Esther 4:1-14.
Just as Esther found herself in the right place at the right time, God has sent each of His sons and daughters to a kingdom were they may best serve Him. As you consider your royal heritage, examine two ideas, preparation and renunciation. Your preparation for ruling includes years of schooling, self-discipline and sacrificing self in favor of soul growth. From the time you accept your heritage, you no longer belong to the self. You now belong to the Crown of God and follow His orders and obey the Crown Laws.
You renounce the darkness of self, the world, and all idle words as you become the servant of all Power. Then comes your crowning, which we call the Christing. Keep moving, never settling down on one step because the crowds behind continually push you forward. Therefore, you must ascend and make room. Until you receive your Christed crown, you are unable to comprehend the full meaning of “I and the Father are one.”–John 10:30.
“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 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 14:11-12. The greater works that Jesus proclaimed we shall do automatically require of us a greater responsibility to become the law. How are you equipped to do this?
You can always open yourself to the River of Life, which holds all vitality, power and joy, every good and perfect thing. Your formerly desert land of Egypt becomes a fertile land of miracles. Light runs the body with perfect economy, constantly rebuilding a new body-sheath, just as the business world continually rebuilds our economic infrastructure. The River of Life flowing through you holds the body in renewed form.
All time becomes the “high time” of glory. Love becomes your common denominator of life. The rate of vibration between heaven and earth uses you in beauty and glory. Love’s expression creates forgetfulness of self. Your attitude toward men becomes compassionate, and you desire to give and to do according to love’s life. Self love tortures soul love. Love is the key to the greater works, not whining, “My heart is weak. My memory is shot. My eyes are failing. My hearing is going.” When will you declare, “My heart is strong. My memory is vital and perfect. I have beautiful, wonderful memory.” This is the “I” of you. This is what “I” is. Declare, “I AM of royal birth. I am ready to push forth and to press onward. I prepare to produce.” Declare, “I shall put on my beautiful crown of glory and, like Esther, touch my Father’s scepter of Power!”

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Your Attitudes
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, December 9, 1956, Cleveland, OH, 1 John 3:1-3, John 14:10-14

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”–1 John 3:1-3.
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 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. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”–John 14:10-14.
The greatest question that any soul can ask is “Who is this ‘I’ that I am?” The children of earth live as infants who are learning to identify themselves: “This is my finger, these are my toes.” Some children are born with a sense of “I,” but many adults are still feeling their toes with no conscious sense of identity.
We identify ourselves by occupation, which does not identify “I,” only what “I” is doing. We must question “I” if we are to become enlightened. Job said, “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”–Job 32:8. The body is your physical vehicle. Spirit directs, controls the body and gives you God’s inspiration. You cannot distance yourself by believing that you are not part of it.
The Gospel of John records how Jesus clearly explained our “I” relationship to God: I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The Father who dwells in me does the works. I, who believe in the Master will do the works that he did, and greater works than these. And whatever I ask in his name, that he will do. If I ask anything in his name, he will do it.
We are the sons and daughters of God, children of royal birth. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”–1 John 3:1. This text mentions only our Father God because the ancients hid the mysteries of the Mother God to guard against their misuse. Yet the Mother’s Light that nourishes and sustains us, carries us out of darkness. You hear the truth, accept the truth, then become the truth of God’s inspiration. As long as you play among the flesh pots of Egypt, you torture your soul until Light entices you upward again.
No one knows of your prayers to overcome self. If your family gave you a crown, it would probably be of brass, since they love you despite your faults. So, you are heir to the royal kingdom of beauty and glory, yet you must do something about your great heritage of inner wealth, Wisdom, Love and Power. Honor it in all ways and respect it.
“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”–1 John 3:3. Live up to a code of honor that’s as great as your acceptance of the kingdom and Christ, despite outer conditions. Love, durable enough to stand the test of time, is the world’s common denominator.
Esther was the daughter of a captive Jew, yet her uncle Mordecai raised her as a princess born to royalty. Queen Vashti let the power of her position go to her head and was dethroned. Haman, who had no wisdom, hated Mordecai, who was wise. Beautiful Esther was gracious, trained in the way of sacrificing self, and had a mission to fulfill for her people. Mordecai had instructed Esther that she had come to earth for this mission. He told her to break man’s law and seek an audience with the king, knowing that it meant death if he refused to accept her. Esther prepared for three days and was so ready for a miracle that the king held out his scepter for her to touch. Esther was not born to royal heritage, but her acceptance, preparation and renunciation promoted her to it and Ahasuerus made her his queen. Esther adorned her position and crown, but they did not enhance her.
Acceptance amplifies your equipment and attunes you to receive great new ideas from the River of Life. The difference between soul rapture and indifference lies in your equipment, your brain cells. Love of God sets your equipment in action.
Preparation means to feel a proper respect for your birthright. Do you respect your crown? Do you respect yourself as a son or daughter of God? Most people do not. Act as if you were royal, which is not egotism or poor advice from books, but inner wisdom. The royal I AM consciousness is your Oversoul contact with all the Power that is.
Renounce your idle words before they go forth and create. Every letter has its own vibration that accumulates after its degree and kind. Send love to absorb the darkness of all idle words. The healing Power of the universe is accessible to anyone who believes he is a son of God. You begin to open your brain cell equipment and forty-four soul faculties when you accept this and ascend. The number of brain cells you have awakened to register inspiration depends on how much you love God. How much Power do you want to draw on?
You can do no “greater works” until you are Christed and crowned. Christing means accepting responsibility to honor your crown and its Source. Crowning means to accept your royal birth. Egypt’s darkness becomes Light when you rise to your Eden. Your kingdom is wherever you are, and the lower nature follows the higher as you ascend. No one else may rule your soul’s kingdom, so you may not blame another for spoiling it. When you clean up your subconscious, the other fellow’s mirror will not reflect your self. Lift him, name him good, and you call his inner soul Light to the fore.

“Make your self good and the other fellow happy.”–Edna Lister

A woman said she wanted to leave her husband because he disarranged the throw rugs when he walked through a room. Love that resents picking up after another is not love. Make your self good and the other fellow happy. Loving another “in spite of” puts a smug look on your face, and a prim, virtuous smile that just begs another to wipe it from your face. Too many spouses do not want to heal their mates, or they would have nothing left to complain about. Never try to love people “in spite of.” You love as a son or daughter of God, because you wish to include everyone in your kingdom. Declare your kingdom is perfect today. Plan glorious positives every day, not negatives. Draw on the wealth of the universe for everything.
You cannot comprehend love until you accept your royal birth, Christing and crowning. Complaints about your physical equipment are idle words that create illness and aging. For instance, if you have trouble recalling, say, “I have the most beautiful, wonderful memory in this world.” Put a poor memory on a cloud of Light to lift and absorb it. A good memory is a glory. Do you want to be the strongest person in the world? You’ll carry a heavy load. Love, but not foolishly. Do not be gullible or used. Love is not soft, but sweet as honey, strong as steel. Life has been your preparation for “three days.” Now approach the King and touch His scepter of Power.

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Your Devotion
Edna Lister outline, December 16, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Acts 17:22-31

“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead.”–Acts 17:22-31.
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.”–Acts 17:22-23.
Half the world pays its devotion to some unknown god, worshiping in blind faith. Some worship gods of silver and gods of gold. Others take the Scriptures too literally and become rigid, dictatorial or downright cruel. Still others believe in an opposite way, that religious stories are all mythical and all teachings are allegories.
What is the truth? What is devotion? Is it divine worship, Spirit rejoicing, prayer, high thoughts? God has winked at times of such ignorance. He does not punish man for ignorance, but for doing downright evil acts. Yet, now what? Jesus had been crucified, declared dead, was resurrected and ascended.
“There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”–Job 32:8. The urge within man always sends him upward. We have traversed the long journey from tearing meat from bones with our hands and teeth to dining from beautifully appointed place settings of porcelain and silver.
From clubs, bows and arrows, spears, cannons to atomic bombs in our destructive capacities. We have progressed from heavy cast iron ranges to enamel on steel, and we cook with stainless steel, aluminum and plastic. Home heating has moved from firewood to coal to gas and electric power. This has been an ascension of substance through the process of refining. So it has been with the individual who has progressed from creature to son of man to son of God and to creator—consciousness has been refined.
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”–Acts 17:24-27.
Your devotion can only follow your interest. Where is your interest? If you grant a Known God, if you accept His closeness, if you decide to “live, move and have our being in Him,” then it’s time to become interested enough to feel alive, strong and beautiful. For beauty is a feeling of glory within, composed of faith, devotion and joyous effort.
So many things in life are your choice: You can choose your place, your goal, your own kind of God, the one you want to be like. Is this blasphemy? No. Why shouldn’t you choose everything you can think of to follow, to become? No one can have a fulfillment in his life that he cannot feel or that he has not chosen. If you choose a deathless and abiding faith, a comprehending devotion to do everything in joy, you will have no room in your life for discouragement, disappointment or disease. When the walls begin to fall in on you, it is your sign that you have expanded to fulfill your vision. You need to choose a new goal, farther out in front. When you fall flat on your face, it is your sign that you are allowing the wheel of life to swing you around, like a carnival ride. You do not need to remain on the wheel of fate.
When you reach the top, you can step off and up onto the path of destiny. You never fall off when you remain at the center-point of poise. When you are bored with the choice you’ve made, you want to rest. You want a place of quiet to write, to study, to meditate. Yet, you always take your self along to fill the same old twenty-four hours, doing the same old things, getting dressed and undressed and dressed again. When you do not reach your goals, you have taken too much time out to rest, been too slow, taken too long.
Now is the time, here is the place, and you are the right person filling both. Only your own can come to you. Yet, most importantly, how shall you know your own when it comes? Many simply quit at this point because the task ahead looks too hard to do. Others fear that it will take too long and they give way to impatience instead. When you choose the Known God of the Bible, when your devotion expands into full honor and loyalty to Him, then you cannot have any graven images or false gods of silver, gold or stone. You cannot be tricked or fooled. How interesting it is to realize that all stubbornness is nothing more than honor and loyalty in reverse. Get in gear and travel forward not in reverse.
To walk in devotion to God becomes pure joy. Pure joy is devotion. To be interested in God and devoted to Him in joy is the only liberty of the soul. You will become enthralled with life, enraptured with love, because “in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” God is your very own Star of Bethlehem.

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Your Devotion
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, December 16, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Acts 17:22-31

“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead.”–Acts 17:22-31.
We have worked our way up from stone images to unseen spiritual substance, from the heaviest materials, bricks, iron and steel to transparent ovens through which we can watch our dinner roast. We have graduated from eating with our fingers to using silverware, from clubs and spears to cannons and atomic bombs. We have progressed from creatures to the creator stage. Once we were savages who worshiped nature, rocks and trees, and now we are sons and daughters who worship God as personality and principle. We have come so far through mutation, combinations of substance, and have worked our way up to the Unknown God through metaphysics, psychology, science, philosophy and mysticism.
The background of Acts 17 is fascinating to those who prize soul ascension. Paul and Silas had been in Thessalonika, where the local devout Jews complained about them to the Roman authorities and had their host, Jason, arrested. They escaped to Berea, where Paul taught until the Thessalonika Jews arrived to complain about him again. Paul fled to Athens, where Silas and Timothy soon joined him. Athens was a commercial and intellectual metropolis of the ancient world, filled with pagan temples and philosophical sects. The devotional types maintained dozens of temples, while the intellectuals listened to Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. Half the Athenians were devoted to superstition, eagerly accepting every new god who arrived, while the remainder intellectually argued. The vibration was completely muddled.
Paul preached about Jesus and the Resurrection, so the philosophers brought him to the Areopagus, Athens’ supreme judicial council, who asked him to explain his teachings. Paul said that he had seen an altar inscribed To the Unknown God. The Athenians worshiped gods of stone, gold and silver. If the gods they already worshiped were not good enough, they were not taking any chances. Paul knew what they were doing, so he praised their devotion and told them that they had been ignorantly worshiping the God about whom he preached.
He said, “God…has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.”–Acts 17:26. Though the United Nations proclaimed Israel’s statehood, its boundaries were a foreordained fact. All nations will eventually have their place. Paul presents God here as our Father, the personality that exists within the Source. I love that God can create in His image and likeness. I worship Him as all beauty of form and formlessness, “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” How can you worship a God in whom you have no interest? You cannot devote yourself to a blah “nothing” concept of God that does not merit worship.
Honor and loyalty are your first requisites in devotion to God. The world’s stubborn agnosticism is an inverted form of honor and loyalty. If you managed to convince a resolute agnostic about God, he later will be just as determined in his loyalty to God. Most people have an altar to the Unknown God. Some have been cruel to others based on loyalty to Bible verses taken out of context, but they do not really know God. Many fear that the Hell that ministers and priests preach does exist.
If you grant the existence of an unknown God, why not make it pay you dividends of life, love, joy and beauty? Why not exert your faith, devotion and effort toward the known God? You must choose a goal, and the God you want to worship. He must be all wisdom, beauty and glory, and nothing is impossible to Him. Beauty is formless, yet you recognize what is beautiful. Your response to beauty is an expression of joy, and your effort to increase joy expands beauty.
God does not force anyone to worship Him, but takes the time to awaken every human being. The capacity of your brain cells must unfold to invite illumination, so God does not rush. The world steps up, according to degree and kind, in stages, from idolizing a stone to worshiping the known God.
Every idea in every book originated in the divine Mind of God, the source of all ideas. You get nothing for nothing under God’s invariable laws, but you can step up in consciousness according to your degree of growth. A man may think of God as a wrathful or vengeful old man, and be satisfied with that idea for a time. Yet, finally, he becomes enthralled with the true known God.
The glorious place God has prepared for you will become yours when you tire of the lesser place you have created with your petty curses. Why not choose your true place? You earn your place by fulfilling your vision of devotion to the unknown God. Anyone can pay the price, which is surrender of self for the pearl of great price.
Lazy souls do not want to visualize the goal, but to escape making the effort, because becoming something is just too much trouble. Failure is quitting before you arrive. Failure results from mental, emotional and physical laziness. Subconscious mind is the ally of laziness, but it cannot set aside what the conscious mind chooses.
Each time you envision a new place, you draw an invisible magnetic circle that squeezes when you have reached its limits. Then you know you need more room, a new place. Many people fall on their faces because they hug the old pain without attempting to gain the new place. Your only freedom is to expand your soul into a higher state of consciousness. Step up to Christed consciousness, which protects you from outer detriments so fate cannot “throw” you.
Stand in your room of Light within the Lord’s house forever. Live securely in the kingdom of heaven, above fear and emotions. Stand on the path of destiny, where joy becomes devotion and liberty. Liberation from the little self is the greatest gift you can receive.
The world now lives in the “days of judgment.” Stand in undaunted, courageous faith without disappointment, and be on time for your appointment with God. If you are disappointed, you are near your appointed place, but bumping along on self’s rocky road. Discouraged means that you are fresh out of courage.
Ascend in consciousness, joyfully knowing the known God. Keep your interest so high that you will live in that new place of radiance, beauty and liberty. Recognize and accept your place, even if it looks hard. You can liberate it by standing in Light. Declare, “I know this is my true place. I am in the right place at the right time.” Follow the Master, who said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is the Light of Wisdom, Love and Power.”

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The Way, Your Path
Edna Lister outline, October 14, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 15:18-27, 16:1-2

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The Way, Your Path
Edna Lister transcript,, October 14, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 15:18-27, 16:1-2

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”–John 15:18-27.
“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”–John 16:1-2.
Pride and greed ruled the priestly administrators of the Temple in Jerusalem, who engaged in an economic slave trade in Jesus’ day. Then he taught, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” which struck at the heart of their whole religious structure. He said, “love one another as I have loved you” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” The priests, who inherited their offices and felt they were a cut above the common people, had no thought of doing that.
Then Jesus crowned his teaching with “I will send you the Comforter,” and this caused them to fear losing something. The “Comforter” sounded as if he intended to take their jobs, so they fought to keep what they had. They had to fight the person to fight Jesus’ teaching.
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”–John 15:18-19. What does this mean? Jesus wanted his disciples to know that hate can be expressed only through and by personality.
Light as substance has no power of its own and so is unable to act of itself. It takes Light as power to make matter become or change form, and that power moves on your spoken Word. Only a personality can express hatred. You can store endless worldly possessions, and they collect dust. The Master has called and chosen you “out of the world,” which is right here. The possessive pronouns, “his,” “hers,” “yours” and “mine,” refer to your special bosses, family and many who may hate you. Why?
“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”–John 15:22. One who has no knowledge of law has no sin. A small child may set fire to a house, but knows no law, so does not sin. However, an adult does know the law against arson, and sins if he fires a house.
Any person who grasps a higher law seems to secede from his group, but the group, or family, still considers itself perfect. Everything is good according to its degree and kind, but the world persecutes and blames you when you live by higher law. They hate what they believe is your interference with their use of free will.
God’s free will is pure Light, but self-will brings darkness. The Light shows up what is in the dark places. You take Light into your own group or family and they hate the Light that causes change and gives them a guilt complex. They cannot hide from the Light, so they fight you.
The group, friend or family is fighting for its life, resisting change, and can free themselves only by blaming you. Yet, you cover their soul with your darkness if you blame them. You could destroy the other fellow if you throw blame back and forth. When others blame you, remember “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.”–John 16:1.
This chapter illustrates why you fall into messes. Law’s reaction is inevitable. You are never in the wrong place, but if you need a lesson, only one door opens—the one that leads to learning that lesson. Jesus taught us to live under the honor of God, to be too proud to admit darkness, to be so loyal to the Prince of God that we can speak only love, too joyous of mind and soul to bother with darkness. Abraham sought one soul to stand with him. You can be that one.
A parable tells of how God called a conclave of angels and put to them the question: “I have decided that I will hide the soul of man, or we shall lose it. Man’s soul must be hidden where he cannot find it.” One proposed hiding it in the depths of the sea. God said man will build a boat to find it. Another suggested hiding it in the depths of the earth. God said man’s greed will make him dig and he will find it. Then God said, “I will plant his soul in the depths of him, which is the last place he will look for it.”
You stand free on your own cloud when you find your soul, yet you cannot find your soul unless you are a torch bearer and carry the flaming Light of the love of God. You do not care about blame, but cry, “Father, let Thy Power move forth and do the work.” Direct Power to the right place, and Light does the work. Sometimes it takes Power a long time to permeate, melt and dissolve a soul’s crystallization. Yet glory always results when you stand under the Light of God that illumines your path.

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The Truth, Your Plan
Edna Lister outline, October 21, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 14:6, Acts 16:25-34

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”–John 14:6.
“At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”–Acts 16:25-34.
Paul and Silas had been staying with Lydia, a wealthy woman, who lived in Thyatira, the fourth city mentioned in the Book of the Revelation. Jezebel had seduced the men there into misuse of the creative fire. Lydia, their hostess, was a “seller of purple,” the expensive dye used to create royal purple in Rome. She symbolizes the creative fire, raised from sensation to devotion.
A young slave woman “possessed with a spirit of divination,” was telling fortunes and making a fortune for her owners. She began following Paul and Silas around the city, saying they had the “way of salvation.” Paul exorcized her of the possessing entity. However, since she was no longer able to make money for her masters, they became very angry. They carried their case before the city magistrates, and accused Paul and Silas of “unlawful teaching.”
The hot-tempered crowd demanded action, the magistrates tore off Paul and Silas’ robes and ordered them beaten with rods, a very painful experience. Then they jailed them with their feet in stocks. What a fine situation for a couple of preachers to find themselves in! Why should this happen to them when they were doing everything right? They had every reason to blame God and man. Yet they did not blame anyone.

“Truth is God in action as principle using man.”–Edna Lister

A big difference lies between knowing a truth and knowing the truth. A truth can heal only partially, but the truth makes you whole. A truth lasts temporarily, but the truth is a miracle. Paul and Silas knew the truth that man himself is the truth when he expresses it. Truth is God in action as principle using man. God as man knows that God is invincible, unchangeable, and always working. Paul and Silas knew this, so they set into action the most powerful vibration in the universe: They prayed, they praised, and they sang, a trinity of unbeatable Power expressing.
This is the basis for all miracles: “Lift up your eyes and thank God.” The so-powerful vibration created an earthquake, which shook the doors down, burst the locks, and all the prisoners’ chains. Yet no one left the jail since the Light was so bright that no one could leave. The Light restrained evil and freed the good. The jailer was about to kill himself in fear of reprisal from the vindictive city leaders, but Paul stopped him. The greatness of that Light saved the jailer and his whole household. The magistrates “feared” when they received word to “free these men” who in truth were Roman citizens. The magistrates came in person to set them free.
Truth is faith. Faith is truth. You need a plan for the truth that is in you, or the truth as you know it remains just an idea about truth. What is your plan? What shall it be? First choose, then follow through with action until you achieve the results you desire. So you start, follow through, and obtain results. Choice is something you face hourly. If you make no new choices, you become stagnant. Man, as the knower, must forever know more. The divine Light as power that we find in the very world around us proclaims that God is.

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Truth, Your Plan
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, October 21, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 14:6, Acts 16:25-34

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”–John 14:6.
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”–Acts 16:25-34.
Paul and Silas’ story is marvelous. They had traveled to stay with Lydia, a wealthy convert who lived in Thyatira, a city filled with crime and prostitution. Lydia represents devotion to God in the midst of the Jezebels. They went to the temple to pray and met a slave woman who practiced divination. She ran away from her masters, followed Paul and Silas, and declared they were men of God. Paul and Silas did not appreciate this coming from a medium, so Paul exorcized the possessing spirit. Since she was then no longer a medium, she could not make money for her masters, who were angry. They had Paul and Silas beaten with rods and thrown into prison. The prison keeper, who was responsible for them, lived there with his family.
Paul and Silas had their feet in stocks, an ignominious position from which they could have blamed God or asked why this was happening to them. Yet they knew the truth that God is invincible when you act in an invincible way. Paul and Silas knew what to do while they sat fettered in great discomfort for five or six hours: They complied with the trinity of laws and principles that invoke miracles. They prayed, sang and released such Power that it broke their chains and opened doors. The Power released such Light and glory that no one could see to escape, so they converted the jailer’s family and prisoners.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” What a great difference lies between a way and the Way, a truth and the truth, a life and the life of God. Truth is God in action. Truth is principle. Principle motivates man as personality, and divine principle dictates that you cannot leave anything out of the truth, though thousands build their lives on a tiny portion of the truth of God.
You challenge God when you say, “I have the truth,” and Light shows the truth of you unless you live up to your declaration. You can have the truth only when you have surrendered all self. Crucifixion happens when you forget to surrender self. The floodgates to the miracles your Father has prepared for you open when you have paid your debts. Man, as a knower, must forever know more, that is the law. He knows some truth today and learns more tomorrow. Paul and Silas knew the truth. The vibration of the living God is now moving through man. A tiny bit of truth streamed through the atomic bomb. The whole truth that God is lies within the atom itself.

“Crucifixion happens when you forget to surrender self.”–Edna Lister

Truth, to Paul and Silas, was to invoke Power consistently and continuously until it worked. They followed the plan of truth for a miracle, which has three steps: You start, you follow through, and you have the result. How do you follow the plan? Fix your attention on God for twenty-four hours consistently and continuously. Most people usually do not follow through until they can see the results, so they just have an idea of a plan. You need intestinal fortitude. Do not start until you have made a definite choice.
Do you want all truth operating in your life? People are afraid of the whole truth of the living God, for it is overwhelming. Yet a tiny truth that makes you quit in the middle can ruin your life. When you grow lukewarm, you ask, “Where is God?” God is following through, right where He has always been. Prayer grabs God by the coattails and hangs on. Say, “This too shall pass away under the power of God’s Almighty love,” when the world overwhelms you until you cannot think.
Truth is faith. Believe in God’s invincibility. How much truth you express is how much God you put in action. The power of love is more powerful today. The Master’s promise, “Greater works than this will you do” is truth in action through you as personality. Nothing is ever lost. You may flop on the test, but God still credits you for making the effort. The result of your effort is your miracle’s fulfillment, so follow through, for you produce no results if you stop halfway.
Love God enough. Just continue to build strength in one small effort after another. Gird your loins and take the next step until you achieve greatly. You never fail really, because God always promotes you. He encourages you to travel an upward spiral, and whispers that success awaits you on another path if you meet failure on this one.
Do not squinch your hopes or say, “I’m through. I’m old.” I shall just begin at eighty. Time cannot grow old. Live in time the right way, as the eternal now, and you will not grow old. The River of Life, which flows through time, is filled with the greatest of ideas. You still have time to write the great book, paint the great picture, to manifest greater works. The sun, moon and stars do not age, nor does God.
When you see nothing of your good on the outer, the Father is blinding you for illumination. Wait on the Lord until locks and doors burst open. Your plan is your choice. Stand and see the whole truth. Praise, sing and release Power in the darkness. Enjoy time, one day after another, and reach fulfillment as you add truth, joy and love to your plan.
You carry the essence of all you have been and all you are to become. Love’s glory must become your familiar habit. Soul ascension is your truth and your plan.

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Your Life Practice
Edna Lister outline, October 28, 1956, Cleveland, OH, November 25, 1956, Buffalo, NY, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Hebrews 1:1-7

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”–1 Peter 4:10-11.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”–Hebrews 1:1-7.
God’s ministers a flame of fire—this describes you and me. This is your life, yet to comprehend, you must ask two questions: First, Where did I get this life? Second, Who runs my life? These questions may seem cockeyed, but they are important, and each soul must answer them. You cannot go anywhere or make any plan until you have these answers. You must decide them emphatically and for all time. Otherwise, you have no true personal identity.
The rebellious souls say, “I did not ask to come here.” Others say, “My family won’t let me do that.” Face the facts. You are here now and you cannot change your family. Who sent you here, who invited you, who tries to run your life for you is unimportant. The fact you are here is critical.
The first set of questions leads to a second set: Can I get away from life? How can I change my life? Trying to escape life is self-destructive. Your alternatives are to continue running away your whole life, or to change your life. You are always creating your life as you live it, and you take your creations with you, no matter where you go. Since you really cannot escape life, consider how to change its course if needed.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”–1 Peter 4:10-11.
These verses paint the picture of a perfect life—as you receive the gift, so you minister to others. Thus, the first law to obey is to give. You may complain, “But I still have so any personal disadvantages. This is too hard. How can I move onward and upward to my practice of life as a ministering angel when I do not know how to do it? Why should I give to others? No one gives to me!”
The first step is to get off the old wrecking crew, and join the new construction gang. Martyrs generally have wrecked their own lives. Your words reveal your true purpose and attitude, and tell the other fellow how noble you feel you have been. So, your second step is to let go of all idle words. Stop creating more grief, sorrow and enemies. Every thought strikes the person about whom you are thinking, and every spoken word can knock him down. To repeat what anyone has said or done empowers them to do more of the same.
Redeem every thought and every word you utter, plus every similar thought and word-vibration that yours have collected on the way. You must eat your words: “I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”–Revelation 10:9.
The third step is to censor every thought and word with these questions: Am I going to like this when life dishes it up for me to eat? Will it taste as sweet as honey or bitter as gall?
The fourth step in your new life has four parts: First, what future resources can I count on? Second, what are my present assets? Third, what will my production be? Fourth, what about my distribution problem?
Your future resources include these—“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, “And let all the angels of God worship him.” And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.”–Hebrews 1:1-7.
God has made us greater than the angels. We are His ministers of flame and fire. The first Begotten has told us, “He that believes 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. As Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote,

Speak to Him thou for He hears, and Spirit with Spirit can meet—
Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.

What do your present assets include? It could be as simple as a great sense of humor. Once upon a time, two women, both very ill, shared a hospital room. The doctors could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong with the first woman, everything it seemed. She had a keen sense of humor though. The second woman never smiled, but lay silently, day after day in deep melancholia and self-pity. The first woman said and did everything she could think of to cheer her up. Finally, she got out of bed and stood on her head in the corner. The other woman laughed long and hard. Immediately, she began to get well.
A great law of life is “I must use whatever I am and have.” One of your first choices is to whine or to live by Oversoul Christed consciousness. Your production depends on your power tools of desire (emotion), thinking and imagination. Right here, your answers to previous questions pay you the greatest dividends. Let go of your old life and using idle words. Practice your new life of give, give, give. All your giving fine-tunes your precision instruments of intuition and spiritual illumination. Using these, you can perfectly refine your use of your power tools, desire, thinking and imagination.
Your distribution plan is all about doing. Where will you distribute? Right where you are. What have you to distribute? You have all the potential qualities and virtues of God. You are His minister of flame and fire. God is your banker and you will collect from Him. What you collect depends on both your production and distribution.
You can carry yesterday along with you as a weight, or use the energy in the Christ Light. Every cubic foot of atomic power contains 10,000 tons of energy, they say. All this is yours to contact and use in your life practice. The etheric currents are a vast sea of this energy. A line of Light is a highway that runs through it from the Source to you. Life can be a series of petty problems or a grand adventure, depending on whom you let run your life. Christ consciousness creates an exciting, glorious life, a life triumphant. The little self runs away from life, while Oversoul runs toward life. Choose the life of “greater works” through giving.

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The Life, Your Practice
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, October 28, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Hebrews 1:1-7, 1 Peter 4:10-11

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”–Hebrews 1:1-7.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”–1 Peter 4:10-11.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This is your life. Where did you get this life? Who is running your life? These are the most important questions you can ask. Without these answers, you have no individual identity, no plan for life. Too many ask, “Why am I here?”—and answer themselves with, “I didn’t ask to come.”
Who is running your life? Family? You say, “They couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t stand for it.” The important point is, you are here now, and what will you do about it? Running away is escapist. Hospitals are filled with those who are seeking escape from the cold, hard fact that they are here.
Suicide is no escape, for the suicide dangles by his silver cord above the body until he reaches his fate line, when he would have passed to the other side legally. Seeking to escape puts you on the road to self-destruction and the loss of physical equipment. You cannot destroy the mental life, but you can destroy your mental equipment.
Choose the other road. Ascend, let Oversoul’s I AM consciousness take charge, and run your own life. Life becomes a new life when you change your attitudes, offering no self-protective excuses, no hiding behind a boss or family. Having chosen the new, you live your own inner life, but still agree and adjust on the outer.
The keynote of ministering is, “as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God,” which means that you quit the old wrecking gang and join the new construction crew. You wreck yourself with idle words, gossip and thoughts that hit the mark. You can ruin a loved one’s day with words. Each word attracts its own kind as it goes forth, and you take the blow of force when it returns, wondering why. Watch every word you speak as an oracle of God. Say, “You are wonderful,” to a nagger, then witness for God. Only self stops you when you think the offender would believe you were crazy if he heard you praise him.
Entrepreneurs ask, “What resources do I have that will help me in this new business? What are my assets? What kind of production results can I report? What kind of distribution program do I have?” God is your banker. You collect from Him according to your production and distribution figures. This is your business of life, and you must back your business with adequate resources.
Jesus said we were joint heirs in the kingdom, and create our own world. He gave us the responsibility here, and said that we, as cosigners on the note, might ask anything in his name believing, and he will do it. God claims us as sons and daughters, as ministers of flame and fire. He is our source of supply. It’s up to you to let the Power work and use the ability God gave you. Do you feel God is your Father?
Have you tabulated your God-given resources? Illumination and intuition are your precision instruments, your production tools. Thinking, imagination and desire, your emotional life, are your Power tools. Your production line is your output. When you recreate with idle words about how hard life is at home or in business, you merely display how noble you believe self is.
“I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”–Revelation 10:9. Ask yourself, before speaking, “Will I like this when it returns, as honey or gall?”
To say someone is “off the beam,” implies the need for lifting, but any added comment may recreate the negative. This is the law: Instantly lift the person or situation for a miracle. Prepare an offertory chalice to receive any recreated gossip or negative words, but not saying them is best.
Distribution depends first on what you give. You cannot make any headway in life unless you are on the giving end. What you get from life in production and distribution is your measure of lifting and becoming free of the little self. You minister when you give the gifts that you have. Everyone has at least a smile to give.

“Thank God for everything you see.”–Edna Lister

Each looks at life and its challenges in a positive or negative way. Each maintains his creations, animate or inanimate. Do you criticize, or love God and use your Power tools to cover all mistakes and debts of blame? No cross-vibration can enter when you ascend and use your precision instruments of intuition and illumination.
Thank God for everything you see. Every cell is important. Each can be perfect if you love God, and give everyone and everything that comes to you a caressing look or smile. The great etheric sea of life contains your path direct to the Source. Look up, and the glory of God showers you with refreshing life. Close that umbrella!
Why run, hide in a corner or study alone to escape? Rather than pondering darkness, become fascinated with the mysteries of the universes and your path back to God. Ascend and give your love of God lavishly. You are His wealthy sons and daughters. Your life practice then becomes a triumph of harmony as you do your Father’s “greater works” by giving.

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The Light You Express
Edna Lister outline, November 4, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 1:1-9, Matthew 5:16, 6:22-23

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”–John 1:1-9.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:1.
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”–Matthew 6:22-23.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.”–Genesis 1:1-4.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”–John 1:1-9.
Genesis 1 describes God speaking Light into being. John 1 speaks of the Word expressing as the Light. John, the beloved disciple, in writing this introduction to his Gospel, integrated the three principle-vibrations of the universe, the Word, the life and the Light. The Word is God as Mind. Life is God as action. Light is God as Substance.
On earth, these are the key words of your lives, and each must personally integrate them as follows: The Word, as Mind, is sacrifice. The life, as action, is service. The Light, as Substance, is your expression.
The first rate of vibration is God as all that is, the Light, the Word and the expression of the Word. Second, God is principle in action. The third rate of vibration is God as man. This is the triple trinity of all life.
How does this work out for you as an individual? Your mind works in three phases of consciousness, the subconscious, the rational consciousness and as the super-conscious mind.
When you ask where else you can go wrong, you begin to see that the struggle is between the subconscious and the super-conscious phases of mind, between the creature soul and the Oversoul. The rational consciousness, as the embodied soul, stands in the middle, torn by the conflict between the higher and lower levels.
You cannot stop or avoid the conflict, no matter how you try. Yet you can sublimate the conflicts by letting Mind speak the Word as you and sacrificing the self that stands in the way.
Most people are hazy on the idea of sacrifice and what it means. Sacrifice is the giving up of one thing for something that attracts you more. For example, you give up your personal need to hurry and drive fast, and sacrifice that expression of self will in favor of obeying traffic lights. You do so because the safety resulting from your obedience attracts you more than speed. You have a personal interest and stake in safety for yourself and your loved ones.

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The Light You Express
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, November 4, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 1:1-9, Matthew 5:14-16, 6:22-23

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.”–John 1:1-9.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:14-16.
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”–Matthew 6:22-23.
“In the beginning, God created” is the opening vibration of all that becomes. God said, “Let there be Light,” and from that Light, God as all, created all and became all. The Gospel of John opens with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men…That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
Genesis and the Gospel of John hold the foundation principles of all Creation. God as Light is ready to become form in Genesis. In John, the Light is already in man, ready to express. The “Word” means God as Mind. Life means God as action. Light is God as substance.
Mind, action and substance are primary principles, which creators must modify to the right level of consciousness for the world. You are Mind, personalized in subconscious, conscious and super-conscious levels. The subconscious is the world mind, and conscious mind stands between it and Oversoul’s super-conscious mind. Thus, the conflict is between self and Oversoul.
We modify the Word to suit the mind of man, and personalize it as sacrifice, which means giving up what we have for what attracts us to a greater degree. For instance, people obey traffic lights because self-interest attracts them to obey.
What must you sacrifice? Convince your self that following the Light will pay greater dividends than selfishness. Then convince self to let soul and Oversoul direct and control your life for greater glory than the subconscious can produce. You need burning soul-desire to conquer the world. The process is one of convincing selfishness to give itself up for soulishness.
Light is modified Substance, which you use for creation and personalize as your expression. Jesus’ prescription for moving up to express from the higher creative center is—“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:14-16.
Never hide your Light, but set it high on a hill. ascend in consciousness to express from the higher creative center. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”–Matthew 6:22. The single eye means singleness of purpose. A grain of wheat that produces the whole plant illustrates “your whole body will be full of light.”
God created you to express Light through intuition and illumination. The Light becomes man, who must then express as Light. “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”–Matthew 6:23. Darkness is an absence of Light. Any upset to emotions or thinking is an absence of Light.
Fear pays no dividends. Any fear touches the organ in the body affected by that type of fear, despite the person’s goodness. To reassure the subconscious that it has nothing to fear, say, “God is all courage and strength.”
You modify “life” as action, which you then personalize as service. Your service in life is what you give to the world as action. Get up, give up indifference, and ascend in consciousness to convince the subconscious that life is one great adventure. Act from divine Mind to release life into the body. A metaphysical statement works here, convincing the subconscious that the goal is great, that life is becoming Light. Light, which is Substance, becomes your expression.
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.”–Matthew 6:23. How can the eye be evil? To see darkness and believe in it, to say, “He’ll never succeed” or, “She will never get well,” is wallowing in it. The cure is to let your light so shine before men. When you believe that all is good, others will see your good works and glorify the Father. Glorify the Father in your acts and works. Entice everyone to come up to God, letting His Light express through and as you. To do this, you need a triple trinity: Mind attuned to sacrifice, action in service and substance to use in expression.

“Love asks nothing and gives all.”–Edna Lister

Love asks nothing and gives all. Give the world love as your expression and service. Sacrifice is not looking gloomy and long-faced, but renouncing darkness for Light, bad for good, and sorrow for joy. Enter your room of golden silence if your family or the world objects to what you are doing. They need not know what you are doing, but everyone will gain.
Everything you need is at your command, so make the declarations. Pay your own freight by speaking the Word to lift. You never have a free ride, least of all back into the heart of God. How can you put more Light into a full container? Fill your mental life with joy and glory until it overflows to the world.
Too many people have filled their basements with the dirt of centuries. Garbage trucks go to a dump, and so pitch your old past rubbish up on a cloud of Light. Take all your negatives to the consuming fire, draw in your friends and families’ trash and watch them react. Fill them with Light, love and the glory of God until He cleanses them all. This lifting vibration circles earth and returns to you as glorified auric substance. For instance, insincerity causes liver trouble. As God heals someone’s liver, He returns the cleansed soul substance as perfected liver tissue.
Your body is a vehicle for God to use. Walk upward as a creator god, look at the Light, and God’s image and likeness shines as you. As you sacrifice the old to be filled with the new, you look younger, more beautiful, glowing with compassion and love. Never indulge love’s only negative expression, which is pity. Grab negative people, put them on a cloud continent of Light to consume the darkness and wash them clean.
The Light, mind and life that were in Christ Jesus become your Light, mind and life when you tune into God’s broadcasting station of the life unlimited. You will be up in consciousness to hear God. As you live the glory of life unlimited, Light will be your soul’s expression.

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Glorious Ascension
Edna Lister outline, November 11, 1956, Cleveland, OH, 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, 3:17-18

“If the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”–2 Corinthians 3:7-11. NKJV
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18. NKJV
What is ascension? It is to arise; to go up in consciousness, never down, to climb, to ascend. Our ascension is to move from a static condition into a higher position, not climbing stairs or mountains, but moving up in consciousness. These verses have such a peculiar wording—“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious…how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?”–2 Corinthians 3:7-8.
To minister means “to render aid and helpful service, to contribute, furnish and supply.” Ministration is “the act of ministering, the act of being helpful, aiding, serving.” To serve death sounds worse than ever. Yet, to what death does this refer? How are we to understand this? The Ten Commandments are the first steps up from the bottom, the “eye for an eye” stage of “If you do it to me, I’ll do it back to you.” Using them, you begin to climb from plain old revenge to open the vibration of selflessness. You are getting ready for Jesus’ message to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
“If the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.”–2 Corinthians 3:7-11.
Moses’ countenance shone with a glory too bright to bear, and that glory was passing away. Spirit lasts forever, so it is more glorious as it continues to grow. The glory of Moses’ face, as he descended from Mount Horeb, resulted from the exaltation in having been given the new law. The effect on him of just its writing was too glorious for the people to stand. Earthly glory is dim when compared with the glory of God, which is an ecstasy beyond words. The glory shining from Moses’ face marked God’s first gift of glory to the people of Israel. Yet, it would be “done away” as it faded from their hearts and minds for a time.
Three keywords help you to hold your original glory when you first hear the truth—receptive, flexible and balanced. Receptive describes that listening attitude you hold when you know that everything that comes to you is a gift for you. Listen carefully or you could miss it. Receptivity accompanies a giving nature. Always seek to give something to everyone. Give that which they are not showing you. You can put everyone in a new grade, just by silently suggesting that they have the right to advance.
Everyone has been exposed to the Bible, opinions about it and prejudices against it. Inoculate them against falsehoods with your new truth vaccine. When you serve your fellow man this way, your face shines brightly with the glory of God. You may ask, but do you listen long enough to hear the answer? If you have purchased a new gas range, piano, or bed, you make sure that you can remove the old to make way for the new. When you ask, make room for the answer.
Some people continually ask and mutter to themselves. Perhaps they think God is deaf or inattentive. “Have I asked the right way? Did I say the right thing? Why doesn’t God answer me? What have I done wrong.” If you did this on earth, you would be thought discourteous, and it is a sin toward God. Listen for the answer after you ask.
Flexible is the second characteristic that aids in clinging to your original glory. Flexibility cultivates being open to change. Flexible people can grow and expand through their ability to adjust instantly. You do this by declaring, “This is good,” to give God a chance to change the situation. Each has a niche in the structure of God’s plan, which is a pillar towering into the heavens. It goes on and on, up and up. Once you have finally found your own niche and occupy it, you can pick others up and paste them into their niche with love-glue. If they fall out or down, you mix a stronger glue, but love will work to hold them.
Balance is the third trait that buffs the shine on your glory. Balance is the ability to lift your desires up to Oversoul I AM consciousness until you are established above in poise. When you are poised in Christed consciousness under intuition and illumination, you are dwelling in the high place. You achieve balance through and by steadfast prayer, profligate praise, a lavish desire to know God and a flaming glory of imagination to see Him.
Unless you turn these master switches on, your lights are off. If the bulb burns out, you still have power but you have no light. Just so, keep the right wattage going in your body, great enough for Power to use. Give your Father a good instrument to use. This is the ultimate in giving. God’s powerhouse never has a breakdown, and when you mend your lines, the Light goes on.
Earth glory is never lasting, but God’s glory is everlasting. The transition from earth to ascension glory is as great as from God and to God as. I climb best by pulling out my own porcupine quills. You cannot create yesterday or tomorrow today. You have only today as your creative window. What are you doing with it? You must live it because you cannot avoid it. Will you choose to be up or down in consciousness, smiling gloriously and lavishly or frowning in lukewarm indifference? Let’s live it up! The first giving of the Law brought the glory of Moses in the ministration of death. Yet it lives on and lingers as a smoldering ember ready to be lighted into flame by love to become a new glory.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18. You will be changed into the image and likeness of your liberty in God. Your freedom is now, as ascension becomes your liberty and new glory!

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Glorious Ascension
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, November 11, 1956, Cleveland, OH, 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, 3:17-18

“If the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”–2 Corinthians 3:7-11. NKJV
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18.
Paul refers to the glory of soul ascension in this text. Ascension means “to climb, to move to a higher position,” and is a state of consciousness. Ascension enables you to rise above the ice stage and “walk on water.” As you ascend in comprehension, you begin to accept greater responsibilities. Responsibility has been a gruesome word to many, and most people pray for freedom from responsibility. Yet the Master said, “Only my own can come to me,” which means that you must receive again everything you have created, like a boomerang returns.
To minister means “to aid, to be helpful, to serve.” The “ministry of death” is being helpful to God and serving unto death. The world was ready for only “an eye for an eye” revenge law when Moses received the ten Commandments, yet the laws he brought through served as the foundation for selflessness. Humanity is still writing laws on tablets of stone, but we must write Christ’s commandments in the hearts and minds of all humanity at the mental level. The spiritual glory that shone from Moses’ face inspired all who followed him, and proves that he was preparing the way for Jesus’ laws of love.
By accepting and declaring everything good, as love, you aid the Light, which melts, dissolves and lifts all darkness from earth. When a city condemns an old house, it grants a permit to tear it down and build the new. This describes “the ministry of condemnation.” The condemned house was gloriously beautiful once, but now the glory lies in its destruction. This law works in other ways also. To change an organization or a city is a glory, even if you must pay a debt of force.
“What is passing away” refers to sin. The “glory that excels” is the new, which is coming into being. The “ministry of righteousness” exceeds the glory of destruction, which produces only dirt and rubbish. Every great teacher who has ever destroyed some old interpretation of truth has paid a debt of force, though he receives credit for his faith and motive of unveiling new glory. Destruction is glory because it teaches lessons, but passes away.
Yet you need not use force when you act with only glory shining from your face. You can be radiant as you receive gifts of glory along your Path of Ascension. Love does all the work as you draw closer to the Source of Power and glory. You hold the three precious keys of glory—receptivity, flexibility and balance. To be receptive, you must be still, and may not have a preconceived picture of the result. Receptivity is an open mind, a listening attitude that stills all outer world vibrations so you will not miss the glory you seek.
Do you listen after you ask God? Do you use the same statements as “vain repetition,” or mutter in your beard, complaining about the slowness of the answer? A listening attitude is a giving attitude. Move the old out and make way for the new. To replace the old mentally, promote everyone you know and wash them from your hair. Tell everyone who hinders your listening attitude how wonderful they are. Rename them, saying, “You are a son of God.” See abundance for them, and ascend them into the high place of consciousness. Seeing others as perfect clears your mental clutter to listen to God’s Voice.
Flexibility adjusts quickly to what comes, joy or grief, beauty or ugliness. Everything is a gift, so love it, even if it is not what you wanted. You must earn the place to stand and declare, “This is good.” Everyone has a niche in the structure of God’s plan. Love enough to fasten everyone into their niches. “This is good” makes thick glue, not a thin wash that does not hold.
Ascend in consciousness on your rod of Power for balance, plug your line of Light into the live wire of omnipotence, and cultivate a formal, complete poise, which is true dignity. If your flexible line does not reach the plug, stand in balance on your tiptoes to plug into the live wire. Love God enough!
Balance has four master switches, prayer, praise, desire and imagination. Be steadfast and unceasing in prayer. Be profligate in praise. Squander praise like a millionaire. Be lavish in your desire to know and to comprehend. Be vivid in imagination to see as God sees. Imagination is where you usually lose your balance and come to grief. You see what you want, not what God sees.
Does your burned-out light bulb interrupt the electric company’s power grid? Of course not; nothing short of war or some natural disaster. Nothing at all can interfere with God’s Power grid unless some individualized consciousness cuts the cirrent to its own line. If your master switch doesn’t work, replace the burned out bulb. Get a new Light bulb, switch from God and to God as. You do not know the ever-present God if you believe in God and.
We all have days when we feel crabby, unsociable, or do not know what to do. If you make your face a glory, you will not need to talk, but just have a good day. Think of God as you. You see the expression you are wearing on the other fellow’s face, because self’s periscope looks right into his mirror. Kneel before the Father’s throne to erase your wrong.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”–2 Corinthians 3:17-18. You cannot even see other fellow’s negativity when you extend your periscope to view the glory of God, who is your liberty.

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You, the Miracle!
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, December 2, 1956, Cleveland, OH, John 11:20-46

“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, Let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone you, and are you going there again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walk in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. These things he said, and after that he said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go, that I may wake him up. Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well. However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him. Then Thomas, who is called Didymus [Twin], said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. So when Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near to Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary was sitting in the house. Now said Martha to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know, that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world. And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, The Teacher has come, and is calling for you. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met him. The Jews then who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, She goes to the tomb to weep there. Then when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her weeping, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, See how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying? Then Jesus, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard me. And I know that You always hear me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You have sent me. Now when he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! And he who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him.”–John 11:1-45.
The episode of raising Lazarus from the dead, which was well along in Jesus’ ministry, was unlike anything he had done before. When you live together as Jesus and his followers did, the constant action is so magnificent that you often may not understand what has happened until well after the event.
Jesus had told them how the authorities would crucify him, but his disciples were used to him escaping danger. He used Lazarus’ illness to prepare them for his own Crucifixion and death. He had healed others, but raising Lazarus from the dead was how he built the foundation for his own Resurrection and Ascension.
Lazarus, Martha and Mary were among Jesus’ most beloved friends. You do not deliberately hurt those you love, yet Jesus intentionally delayed going to Lazarus, who was so ill. Two days of delay signify the time you must remain quiet when loved ones want you to do something you know you should not do. In two days’ time they will forget what they wanted.
Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.” Live by the law of love to glorify God. They could not understand why Jesus waited, but two thousand years ago, he showed us that we must wait under law when it means freedom for everyone in the end. They did not understand when he said, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.” He meant to build their firm foundation in faith as part of his long-range plan of sacrifice to bring God’s ascension glory to fruition.
Mary was like a loving child, but Martha was the woman of the house. Martha had listened, and put Jesus’ every word into action. Mary adored Jesus without really hearing him. Not having listened, she berated and blamed him for not coming sooner. Martha recognized his Power and accepted his rebuke for being a self-righteous martyr, and he rewarded her, telling her he was the resurrection and the life. Mary loved self more than she loved Jesus. Martha did not blame, but Mary did. Then Jesus wept. It does not say why he wept. It could have been in compassion for the mourners’ lack of understanding. He could have wept about Mary. He may have wept in exultation and the joy of soul knowing that he would raise Lazarus, and his heart burst with the joy of it.
Lazarus was four days in the tomb, the number representing service, illumination, death and resurrection. Jesus wanted them to understand that the soul does not die when you go from earth to heaven at transition. You die every day that you live by self, which is crucifixion of the soul. When Jesus went to that tomb, he created a vivid memory for everyone to recall when he was gone. He said, “Take away the stone.” You may have a stone of doubt, fear, willfulness, rebellion or self-pity in your heart that you must roll away before you can resurrect self into soul. Soul cannot rule when self drags it to the cellar of rebellion.
“Ye are gods,” so be creators. Act like creators, and make life an adventure instead of a deadly bore. This is the miracle of life from the inside out, the resurrection of self added to the soul qualities. Exalt the self into holding, move it up where it will do you the most good. Truth is not something you try to obtain, but what you accept and become. “Take away the stone” means to remove the blocks in your imagination. Resurrection lifts your self-created blocks. Jesus prayed aloud so they would know how he did it. He was always “prayed up” and ready. He took no credit but gave all the credit to God, the Power that does all the work. “He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth!” It takes a loud, high love-filled tone to change a low earth vibration.

“Live each day as if you expect a miracle.”–Edna Lister

Jesus said, “Loose him and let him go.” Loose your loved ones from the faults you find in them. See them perfect on a cloud before God, knowing the inner man is perfect. Perfection finally surfaces to become “flesh and blood” when you coax it. Substance has the power to become, so free all your miracles. Never put yourself in bondage, even to a miracle.
Live each day as if you expect a miracle. You are your own miracle. Your Power tools are imagination, thinking and desires, and your precision instruments are intuition and illumination. Imagine God’s glory pouring through you, and make it bold enough to pay dividends. Declare, “I am a miracle!” Roll away the stony mental block of self!

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Your Attitudes
Edna Lister outline, December 9, 1956, Cleveland, OH, 1 John 3:1-3, John 14:10-14

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”–1 John 3:1-3.
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 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. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”–John 14:10-14.
Who is this person with such a generous and compassionate attitude toward man? Just what is my self—am I an attorney, a doctor, a poet a musician, a writer, a financier, a statesman, a singer? All these labels tell us what I does, not what I is. So who is this I who is doing all these things? “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”–Job 32:8.
Christ is the Incarnate Word, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Now are we the sons of God.–1 John 3:2 tells us that we are the children of a royal birthright. As royalty, you have an inheritance, a kingdom and heritage that you must live up to. To claim your position of wealth and honor, you have to accept your burden of personal responsibility. You must earn and hold people’s respect. To do so, you must hold a permanent conscious attitude honor and uphold the crown that symbolizes our Heavenly Ruler. You cannot waste time in pleasuring the self, but must consciously express the qualities that make a king or a queen. You must hear this, accept it and believe it.
Do you need to be born of an earthly king or queen to become a prince or princess? No, and the story of Esther illustrates this perfectly. Esther was a beautiful Jewish maiden whom King Ahasuerus had selected as his queen to replace Vashti, whom he had divorced. Haman was named to the position of grand vizier over all the princes of Persia, and quickly showed his enmity toward the Jews, seeking to destroy them. Esther learned of the plot from her wise uncle Mordecai, who told her to inform the king. Esther was afraid to do so, but Mordecai answered her thus:
“Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”–Esther 4:1-14. Just as Esther found herself in the right place at the right time, God has sent each of His sons and daughters to a kingdom were they may best serve Him. As you consider your royal heritage, examine two ideas, preparation and renunciation.
Your preparation for ruling includes years of schooling, self-discipline and sacrificing self in favor of soul growth. From the time you accept your heritage, you no longer belong to the self. You now belong to the Crown of God and follow His orders and obey the Crown Laws. You renounce the darkness of self, the world, and all idle words as you become the servant of all Power. Then comes your crowning, which we call the Christing. Keep moving, never settling down on one step because the crowds behind continually push you forward. Therefore, you must ascend and make room. Until you receive your Christed crown, you are unable to comprehend the full meaning of “I and the Father are one.”–John 10:30.
“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 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 14:11-12. The greater works that Jesus proclaimed we shall do automatically require of us a greater responsibility to become the law. How are you equipped to do this?
You can always open yourself to the River of Life, which holds all vitality, power and joy, every good and perfect thing. Your formerly desert land of Egypt becomes a fertile land of miracles. Light runs the body with perfect economy, constantly rebuilding a new body-sheath, just as the business world continually rebuilds our economic infrastructure. The River of Life flowing through you holds the body in renewed form.
All time becomes the “high time” of glory. Love becomes your common denominator of life. As the rate of vibration between heaven and earth, love uses you in beauty and glory. Love’s expression creates forgetfulness of self. Your attitude toward men becomes compassionate, and you desire to give and to do according to love’s life. Self love tortures soul love. Love is the key to the greater works, not whining, “My heart is weak. My memory is shot. My eyes are failing. My hearing is going.” When will you declare, “My heart is strong. My memory is vital and perfect. I have beautiful, wonderful memory.”
This is the “I” of you. This is what “I” is. Declare, “I AM of royal birth. I am ready to push forth and to press onward. I prepare to produce.” Declare, “I shall put on my beautiful crown of glory and, like Esther, touch my Father’s scepter of Power.”

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Your Attitudes
Edna Lister transcript, December 9, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Ruth Johnson, scribe, 1 John 3:1-3, John 14:10-14

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”–1 John 3:1-3.
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 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. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”–John 14:10-14.
The greatest soul-illuminating question any soul can ask is “Who is this ‘I’ that I am?” The children of earth live as infants who are learning to identify themselves: “This is my finger, these are my toes.” Some children are born with a sense of the “I” in I AM, but many adults are still feeling their toes with no conscious sense of identity.
We identify ourselves by occupation, which does not identify “I,” only what “I” is doing. We must question “I” if we are to become enlightened. Job said, “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”–Job 32:8. The body is your physical vehicle. Spirit directs, controls the body and gives you God’s inspiration. You cannot distance yourself by believing that you are not part of it.
The Gospel of John records how Jesus clearly explained our “I”vrelationship to God: I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The Father who dwells in me does the works. I, who believe in the Master will do the works that he did, and greater works than these. And whatever I ask in his name, that he will do. If I ask anything in his name, he will do it.
We are the sons and daughters of God, children of royal birth. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”–1 John 3:1. This text mentions only our Father God because the ancients hid the mysteries of the Mother God to guard against their misuse. Yet the Mother’s Light that nourishes and sustains us, carries us out of darkness.
You hear the truth, accept the truth, then become the truth of God’s inspiration. As long as you play among the flesh pots of Egypt, you torture your soul until Light entices you upward again. No one knows of the prayers you’ve made to overcome self. If your family gave you a crown, it would probably be of brass, since they love you despite your faults. So, you are heir to the royal kingdom of beauty and glory, yet you must do something about your great heritage of inner wealth, Wisdom, Love and Power. Honor it in all ways and respect it.
“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”–1 John 3:3. Live up to a code of honor that’s as great as your acceptance of the kingdom and Christ, despite outer conditions. Love, durable enough to stand the test of time, is the world’s common denominator.
Esther was the daughter of a captive Jew, yet her uncle Mordecai raised her as a princess born to royalty. Queen Vashti let the power of her position go to her head and was dethroned. Haman, who had no wisdom, hated Mordecai, who was wise.
Beautiful Esther was lovely and gracious, trained in the way of sacrificing self, and had a mission to fulfill for her people. Mordecai had instructed Esther that she had come to earth for this mission. He told her to break man’s law and seek an audience with the king, knowing that it meant death if he refused to accept her.
Esther prepared for three days and was so ready for a miracle that the king held out his scepter for her to touch. Esther was not born to royal heritage, but her acceptance, preparation and renunciation promoted her to it and Ahasuerus made her his queen. Esther adorned her position and crown, but they did not enhance her.
Acceptance amplifies your equipment and attunes you to receive great new ideas from the River of Life. The difference between soul rapture and indifference lies in your equipment, your brain cells. Love of God sets your equipment in action.
Preparation means to feel a proper respect for your birthright. Do you respect your crown? Do you respect yourself as a son or daughter of God? Most people do not. Act as if you were royal, which is not egotism or poor advice from books, but inner wisdom. The royal I AM consciousness is your Oversoul contact with all the Power that is. Renounce your idle words before they go forth and create. Every letter has its own vibration that accumulates after its degree and kind. Send love to absorb the darkness of all idle words.
The healing Power of the universe is accessible to anyone who believes he is a son of God. You begin to open your brain cell equipment and forty-four soul faculties when you accept this and ascend. The number of brain cells you have awakened to register inspiration depends on how much you love God. How much Power do you want to draw on? You can do no “greater works” until you are Christed and crowned. Christing means accepting responsibility to honor your crown and its Source. Crowning means to accept your royal birth.
Egypt’s darkness becomes Light when you rise to your Eden. Your kingdom is wherever you are, and the lower nature follows the higher as you ascend. No one else may rule your soul’s kingdom, so you may not blame another for spoiling it. When you clean up your subconscious, the other fellow’s mirror will not reflect your self. Lift him, name him good, and you call his inner soul Light to the fore.
A woman said she wanted to leave her husband because he disarranged the throw rugs when he walked through a room. Love that resents picking up after another is not love. Make our self good and the other fellow happy. Loving another “in spite of”vputs a smug look on your face, and a prim, virtuous smile just begs another to wipe it from your face.
Too many spouses do not want to heal their mates, or they would have nothing left to complain about. Never try to love people “in spite of.” You love as a son or daughter of God, because you wish to include everyone in your kingdom. Declare your kingdom is perfect today. Plan glorious positives every day, not negatives. Draw on the wealth of the universe for everything.
You can’t comprehend love until you accept your royal birth, Christing, and crowning. Complaints about your physical equipment are idle words that create illness and aging. For instance, if you have trouble recalling, say, “I have the most beautiful, wonderful memory in this world.” Put a poor memory on a cloud of Light to lift and absorb it. A good memory is a glory.
Do you want to be the strongest person in the world? You’ll carry a heavy load. Be the strongest you can be. Love, but not foolishly. Do not be gullible or easily used. Love is not soft, but sweet as honey and strong as steel. Life has been your preparation for “three days.” Now approach the King and touch His scepter of Power!

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Devotion to God
Edna Lister outline, December 16, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Acts 17:22-31

“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead.”–Acts 17:22-31.
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.”–Acts 17:22-23.
Half the world pays its devotion to some unknown god, worshiping in blind faith. Some worship gods of silver and gods of gold. Others take the Scriptures too literally and become rigid, dictatorial or downright cruel. Still others believe in an opposite way, that religious stories are all mythical and all teachings are allegories.
What is the truth? What is devotion? Is it divine worship, Spirit rejoicing, prayer, high thoughts? God has winked at times of such ignorance. He does not punish man for ignorance, but for doing downright evil acts. Yet, now what? Jesus had been crucified, declared dead, was resurrected and ascended.
“There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”–Job 32:8. The urge within man always sends him upward. We’ve traversed the long journey from tearing meat from bones with our hands and teeth to dining from beautifully appointed place settings of porcelain and silver. From clubs, bows and arrows, spears, and cannons to atomic bombs in our destructive capacities. We’ve progressed from heavy cast iron ranges to enamel on steel, and we cook with stainless steel, aluminum and plastic. Home heating has moved from firewood to coal to gas, and electric power. This has been an ascension of substance through the process of refining. So it has been with the consciousness of the soul who has progressed from creature to son of man to son of God and to creator—soul conquering of self has refined consciousness to the mind that was in Christ Jesus.
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”–Acts 17:24-27.
Your devotion can only follow your interest. Where is your interest? If you grant a Known God, if you accept His closeness, if you decide to “live, move and have our being in Him,” then it’s time to become interested enough to feel alive, strong and beautiful. For beauty is a feeling of glory within, composed of faith, devotion and joyous effort. So many things in life are your choice: You can choose your place, your goal, your own kind of God, the one you want to be like. Is this blasphemy? No. Why shouldn’t you choose everything you can think of to follow, to become?
No one can have a fulfillment in his life that he cannot feel or that he has not chosen. If you choose a deathless faith, a comprehending devotion to do everything in joy, you will have no room in your life for discouragement, disappointment or disease. When the walls begin to fall in on you, it is your sign that you have expanded to fulfill your vision. You need to choose a new goal, farther out in front. When you fall flat on your face, it is your sign that you are allowing the wheel of life to swing you around, like a carnival ride. You do not need to remain on the wheel of fate.
When you reach the top, you can step off and up onto the path of destiny. You never fall off when you remain at the center-point of poise. When you are bored with the choice you’ve made, you want to rest. You want a place of quiet to write, to study, to meditate. Yet, you always take your self along to fill the same old twenty-four hours, doing the same old things, getting dressed, undressed and dressed again. When you don’t reach your goals, you’ve taken too much time out to rest, been too slow, taken too long. Now is the time, here is the place, and you are the right person filling both. Only your own can come to you. Yet, most importantly, how shall you know your own when it comes? Many simply quit at this point because the task ahead looks too hard to do. Others fear that it will take too long so they give way to impatience instead.
When you choose the Known God of the Bible, when your devotion expands into full honor and loyalty to Him, then you cannot have any graven images or false gods of silver, gold or stone. You cannot be tricked or fooled. How interesting it is to realize that all stubbornness is nothing more than honor and loyalty in reverse. Get in gear and travel forward not in reverse. To walk in devotion to God becomes pure joy. Pure joy is devotion. To be interested in God and devoted to Him in joy is the only liberty of the soul. You will become enthralled with life, enraptured with love, because “in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” God is your very own Star of Bethlehem.

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Your Devotion to God
Edna Lister transcript, Ruth Johnson, scribe, December 16, 1956, Cleveland, OH, Acts 17:22-31

“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead.”–Acts 17:22-31.
We have worked our way up from stone images to unseen spiritual substance, from the heaviest materials, bricks, iron and steel to transparent ovens through which we can watch our dinner roast. We have graduated from eating with our fingers to using silverware, from clubs and spears to cannons and atomic bombs.
We have progressed from creatures to the creator stage. Once we were savages who worshiped nature, rocks and trees, and now we are sons and daughters who worship God as personality and principle. We have come so far through mutation, combinations of substance, and have worked our way up to the Unknown God through metaphysics, psychology, science, philosophy and mysticism.
The background of Acts 17 is fascinating to those who prize soul ascension. Paul and Silas had been in Thessalonika, where the local devout Jews complained about them to the Roman authorities and had their host, Jason, arrested. They escaped to Berea, where Paul taught until the Thessalonika Jews arrived to complain about him again. Paul fled to Athens, where Silas and Timothy soon joined him.
Athens was a commercial and intellectual metropolis of the ancient world, filled with pagan temples and philosophical sects. The devotional types maintained dozens of temples, while the intellectuals listened to Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. Half the Athenians were devoted to superstition, eagerly accepting every new god who arrived, while the remainder intellectually argued. The vibration was completely muddled.
Paul preached about Jesus and the Resurrection, so the philosophers brought him to the Areopagus, Athens’ supreme judicial council, who asked him to explain his teachings. Paul said that he had seen an altar inscribed To the Unknown God.
The Athenians worshiped gods of stone, gold and silver. If the gods they already worshiped were not good enough, they were not taking any chances. Paul knew what they were doing, so he praised their devotion and told them that they had been ignorantly worshiping the God about whom he preached.
He said, “God…has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.”Acts 17:26. Though the United Nations proclaimed Israel’s statehood, its boundaries were a foreordained fact. All nations will eventually have their place.
Paul presents God here as our Father, the personality that exists within the Source. I love that God can create in His image and likeness. I worship Him as all beauty of form and formlessness, “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” How can you worship a God in whom you have no interest? You cannot devote yourself to a blah “nothing” concept of God that does not merit worship.
Honor and loyalty are your first requisites in devotion to God. The world’s stubborn agnosticism is an inverted form of honor and loyalty. If you managed to convince a resolute agnostic about God, he later will be just as determined in his loyalty to God.
Most people have an altar to the Unknown God. Some have been cruel to others based on loyalty to Bible verses taken out of context, but they do not really know God. Many fear that the Hell that ministers and priests preach does exist.
If you grant the existence of an unknown God, why not make it pay you dividends of life, love, joy and beauty? Why not exert your faith, devotion and effort toward the known God? You must choose a goal, and the God you want to worship. He must be all wisdom, beauty and glory, and nothing is impossible to Him. Beauty is formless, yet you recognize what is beautiful. Your response to beauty is an expression of joy, and your effort to increase joy expands beauty.
God does not force anyone to worship Him, but takes the time to awaken every human being. The capacity of your brain cells must unfold to invite illumination, so God does not rush. The world steps up, according to degree and kind, in stages, from idolizing a stone to worshiping the known God.
Every idea in every book originated in the divine Mind of God, the source of all ideas. You get nothing for nothing under God’s invariable laws, but you can step up in consciousness according to your degree of growth. A man may think of God as a wrathful or vengeful old man, and be satisfied with that idea for a time. Yet, finally, he becomes enthralled with the true known God.
The glorious place God has prepared for you will become yours when you tire of the lesser place you have created with your petty curses. Why not choose your true place? You earn your place by fulfilling your vision of devotion to the unknown God. Anyone can pay the price, which is surrender of self for the pearl of great price.
Lazy souls do not want to visualize the goal, but to escape making the effort, because becoming something is just too much trouble. Failure is quitting before you arrive. Failure results from mental, emotional and physical laziness. Subconscious mind is the ally of laziness, but it cannot set aside what the conscious mind chooses.
As you envision a new place, you draw an invisible magnetic circle that squeezes when you have reached its limits. Then you realize you need more room, a new place. Many people fall on their faces because they hug the old pain of loss without attempting to gain the new place of greater good. Your only freedom is to expand your soul into a higher state of consciousness. Step up to Christed consciousness, which protects you from outer detriments so fate cannot “throw” you.
Stand in your room of Light within the Lord’s house forever. Live securely in the kingdom of heaven, above fear and emotions. Stand on the path of destiny, where joy becomes devotion and liberty. Liberation from the little self is the greatest gift you can receive.
The world now lives in the “days of judgment.” Stand in undaunted, courageous faith without disappointment, and be on time for your appointment with God. If you are disappointed, you are near your appointed place, but bumping along like a flat tire on self’s rocky road. Discouraged means that you are fresh out of courage.
Ascend in consciousness, joyfully knowing the known God. Keep your interest so high that you will live in that new place of radiance, beauty and liberty. Recognize and accept your place, even if it looks hard. You can liberate it by standing in Light. Declare, “I know this is my true place. I am in the right place at the right time.” Follow the Master, who said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is the Power of love.”

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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 Oxford English Dictionary: Compact Edition, 2 vols. Oxford University Press, 1971.

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

The Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, Unity School of Christianity, Unity Village, MO.

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

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Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1956

1 Halley’s comet appeared in 1910, 1986, and will next appear in 2061.

2 The International Space Station was launched in November 1998.

1 Benjamin Kidd (1858-1916) was a British sociologist who viewed Christianity as the major civilizing and creative factor in Western culture. He held that religion is essential to societal and cultural survival.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone. –Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1

Sticks and stones may break my bones But names will never hurt me. –Mrs. George Cupples

1 An artesian well is one in which water rises under its own pressure, without pumping. If the pressure is great enough, the water will rise all the way to the surface and flow freely from the well. The name artesian is derived from Artois, France, where such wells were sunk as early as 1126.

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Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
–Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But names will never hurt me.
–Mrs. George Cupples