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Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1962
Christ Now Reigns!
Edna Lister outline, March 18, 1962, Buffalo, NY. 1 John 5:9-14.
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us.”–1 John 5:9-14.
Jesus will not be born again on earth, but he shall appear before the world. Ascension is like the conversion of physical mass into Light as energy. The conversion of ice into water and its sublimation into steam is a process of natural law. The mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms of evolution are all engaged in forms of ascension. Yet, God has given only man the power of free choice, freedom to choose, to accept or to repudiate. You may choose when you desire to ascend, today or tomorrow.
“I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”–John 12:32. How high can you lift others into the Light? Just as high as you can place them, according to your highest vision but no farther. To lift all men, to lift the world is easy. Lifting the little men,
your own mental and emotional creations is where most of us fail. On February 4, 1962, the sun, moon, and all the planets from Mercury to Saturn were clustered within a 17° area of the sky. Astronomers and astrologers called this the Great Configuration. It released the full Light-as-Power to open the new Christed Age, the reign of the Christ vibration to finish the Armageddon, the battle between good and evil.
The Christed Age really began in 1881, we reached the cusp of the ages and the Aquarian Age influence first began. The influence of the old Piscean Age ended October 20, 1961, although we will still feel its confusing effects for another 500 years. The great configuration released power for the next 2,000 years, and opened the reign of the Christ consciousness on earth. This is the new Messianic Message.
The story behind the great configuration of the planets is that earth, as well as mankind, has a fate line. When archeologists opened the King’s Chamber of the Pyramid and its mysteries, we reached the end of the fate line for earth. The Gates of Light opened wide for the first ascending life wave of the descended Elect creators to enter. Immediately the darkness and evil began to bubble up to be lifted from earth.
God began to conquer through His Elect, slowly raising earth cells to withstand the Light-as-Power for the new Messianic Message. He is using you to help finish that great work. The world is now undergoing transformation. As an embodied soul, you must undergo transfiguration also. Everyone is being exposed to higher vibrations than they have ever before experienced.
The degree of Power is magnificent! You must choose what you shall be, a vessel or an instrument of that Power. A vessel, once filled, can do noting but contain or hold some content. An instrument, musical or measurement, for example, registers or applifies a vibration—every gust of wind, every breath, every sound. If a vessel springs a leak it’s content quickly drains away; you spring a leak whenever you spew idle words. Like a ship with no pilot, you can run aground on the rocks of self-pity and resentment. Self-exaltation feels so good but, like a toadstool, it expands so swiftly that it rots overnight—you can lose your body through illness that way.
Both vessels and instruments react to every whisper as the wind of Spirit blows on the self. The instrument responds to God as it releases more Power and grows lighter in ascension; the contents of the gravity-bound vessel become stagnant over time. Being filled yourself is not good enough, for self crystallizes. You can achieve true repentance and contrition through devotion and love, and be transfigured as Christ was.
Giving overcomes the self and leads to a cosmic victory, so change your inaction into action, your indifference into burning soul desire, Ascend! Soul ascension is being transfigured by the Light of the Christ into the full stature of the Christ. This is what it means to reign with the Christ. In the Name of Jesus the Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, BE!
How Can I Know God Is?
Edna Lister outline, March 25, 1962, Buffalo, NY. Ephesians 3, Ephesians 1:9-11.
“Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will.”–Ephesians 1:9-11.
“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.” Amen.–Ephesians 3.
The Letter to Ephesians is the only Epistle in which Paul opens and holds forth on the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ for three chapters. These chapters should convince anyone that God is, and that a way to find contact with God exists. All seeking is for the purpose of finding your own identity. Without a Source, you have no identity beyond the self or the world. This is why the masses huddle together in fear and uncertainty. God and a Source sound so far away. Psychologically, you remain just a broken-off part unless you can find a contact point, a ladder on which to climb back to the Source.
To understand the soul’s predestination, redemption and forgiveness, you must examine the dispensation of the grace of God. As a soul, you grow in grace from blindly following to a fervent faith. You must be redeemed from everything in which you have invested your identity and soul substance. Redemption is possible because Light wipes out darkness. God has prepared all this for you from the beginning. The dispensation is God’s management plan for the world, a Divine Providence, a beneficent care of and for His creations. The grace of God is a state of charm that is pleasing in its quality. Grace is a state of consciousness caused by or including taking in, grasping as true and holding fast to God as truth. A state of grace grows from your comprehension of the love of God as your Source, and your expression of it as compassion toward your fellow man.
The first and third chapters of the Letter to Ephesians reveal two mysteries. The first is: “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will.”–Ephesians 1:9-11.
The first mystery establishes your individual identity with God as the Source, not as a tentative “I think,” but as a definite “I know.” Thus, you comprehend your divinity with God. Full comprehension is a compound of all the virtues, everything folded into the Christ as eternal Spirit. When you lift everything into the Light, you reach full comprehension. Beginning at the seventh verse, the second mystery is revealed: “I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”–Ephesians 3:7-14.
The “fellowship of the mystery” refers to your fellowship with all men, including the Gentiles. Paul writes that his mission is to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery.” The “unsearchable riches of Christ” are those spiritual truths that lie beyond any human or mental means of searching. While you cannot search the riches of Christ, you can find them if you accept them as truths of spiritual wisdom. The Elect and all its members are the church. The “principalities and powers in heavenly places” can be known by the Elect, here and now. God has expressed His eternal purpose for your redemption though Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. He sent His Son to redeem us through the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ is the Father’s agent of redemption “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Access means that you must accept in boldness, with confidence in the fullness of your faith, sustained by his faithfulness.
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”–Ephesians 3:14-19. God grants you any and all needed strength when you are “rooted and grounded in love,” which is the love of Christ. Being grounded in the love of Christ opens your faculty of soul comprehension. The love of Christ extends multiple dimensions, including breadth, length, depth and height. Breadth is width, which sometimes means a broad highway. Yet breadth also means comprehensiveness. When you travel the Via Christa with friends, it’s glorious. Sometimes, however, the breadth is a narrow, lonely path. If you step off, you may lose your faith and walk in the dark.
“I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”–Ephesians 3:13. Your tribulations endured on behalf of others are your glory. Pay all your debts. Take in debts to pay. When your brother is weak, take up his burden, the excess, and free him to finish his climb. The initiation is to do this silently, asking no credit. How much blame can you take before you rebel? The length of your love is measured in how quickly you cry, “How long, O Lord, how long?” How long can you carry another’s burdens without talking about it, or wanting credit? You answer must be, “One day longer than God.”
The depth of love, how deep is your love? How much battering can it take? The depth of your love reveals the quality of your love, gold or brass. When you feel that others demand the misuse of your time and effort, they scratch your surface. What do they reveal for the world to see, brass or gold? The height of your love, how high does it rise? How high is God? How great in quantity is your love? Your destiny and that of the Elect is to know “the principalities and powers in heavenly places.” Light as Wisdom, Love and Energy are emanations of God’s principalities and powers. Knowledge is an aspect of wisdom. For example, you know that a cubic foot of atomic power holds tens of thousands of tons of energy, yet wisdom teaches that God is the Source of this Light, the power He releases through you. Atomic energy, the Christ power, renews and recreates your body when the breadth of your love is wide enough to encompass world, when the length is long enough to make a pathway before you, when the depth is deep enough to uphold all your world, when the height is high enough.
“Take your hats off to the past, but take your coats off to the future.”
Christ Now Reigns!
Edna Lister outline, April 1, 1962, Cleveland, OH. John 1:1-17.
“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 shines 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 lights every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”–John 1:1-17.
Christ now reigns as Light! Do you know what it means to reign? Without the light of the sun, life could not have emerged on earth as it has. In turn, the seasons exist because of the way earth tilts on its axis.
People give little thought to the fact that spring comes, takes over, and “in quiet and confidence” produces growth throughout all nature. It is inevitable that the seasons come. All you can do to help is to plant a garden under the right conditions for growth. For instance, some varieties of grapes must grow on a hillside, others do best in sandy soil. Plants and trees can be unhappy if you plant them in the wrong places.
When you plant a garden properly, God does the perfect work. People also need the right conditions to grow. Collectively, our choice of government must furnish the right soil for various conditions. The restlessness of youths, as they seek a new identity, causes their need for constant change. They also are seeking, beyond the visible, for an identity with the Divine.
Today’s text contains four important points: First is Light as the Word. Second, the Word became flesh. Third, the life of the Word was the light of men. Fourth, John announced Jesus as the Word by saying, “This was he of whom I said, ’he who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.’” John came as a witness, “to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.”
John emphasized that he was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light, which was the true Light that gives light to everyone coming into the world. This is the Light by which you, who are a descended creator god, grow.
“As many as received him, to them he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”–John 1:12-13.
Why do only some people believe that Jesus is the Christ? Why is a certain man elected Governor or President? Why does another become a drunk? People are willing to receive the Light only in their varying degrees. No soul, just evolving from the animal kingdoms, can know that Jesus is the Christ without having done the hard work of ascension of consciousness and assuming full personal responsibility.
Earth’s societies still have castes, which some call classes, because earth societies contain every type of individual. Yet they have no economic equality. Only those who have ascended above the creature stage can enjoy the benefits you earn by hard work, by creating new brain cells, and by further developing those you have. Old age is like a tree dying out at the top, as the brain cells crystallize.
Those who believe on Jesus’ name learned it in past lives, but those who go back as reigning souls, are descended creator gods, the 12,000 from the twelve golden Cities of God. As ascending creator gods, we accept Jesus as the only Begotten Son, without question, and wear our faith in Christ as our insignia.
Confusion arises about the difference between the terms, “Christ” as a principle, “Christed ones” as individuals, “spirits” and “Spirit.” While half the Supreme God, who fills all space, takes on personality and form, such as Mind, Power and Substance, unconscious and conscious—the other half remains absolute principle as Wisdom, Love, and the Logos. This is an ancient teaching.
Spiritual substance, which is the form of all being, is faith. This is true, even of an insect or a fish. As creatures evolve, they gain instinctive intelligence, living by the basic life urges—eating, sleeping and mating—ruled by group souls. Then God endows them with Spirit or portions of living soul.
God does not require you to convince anyone that He exists, or that Jesus is His only Begotten Son. You can teach them, but you will not convince them if they do not want to believe it. You may say, “It’s your choice to believe or not.” Love them where they are, as a son or daughter of God, but do not seek to convert them.
Divine substance can expand into sparks of fire or condense into a solid state. God, who is all and can do all, thought a Source center into form, a form into which He drew enough Mind and Substance to create the universe.
Then God drew Mind and Substance together and condensed many individualized forms, as living souls. He gave them power to create from the Source, to act as His co-creators. This is how invisible spiritual substance unconsciously takes on a conscious form. Thus, the Word becomes flesh.
God designed and equipped the creator gods, who descended, to create consciously from unconscious substance. Like a computer, the brain is machine-like in its function, the crown of your glorious physical equipment.
Jesus said, “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.”–John 14:24. Jesus is the First Begotten Son, who came first. He holds the Scepter of Power, which his father gave him. “In my name” makes you a creator, of royal birth, as the Master is. You begin your inner education in the Royal College of Wisdom, where everyone who attends later becomes a teacher. The entrance fee is to accept full responsibility to be a coworker with the Master.
You may not take advantage of these privileges to serve the self, no saying, “I,” but “we.” You reveal the hallmark of your royalty when you use the majestic plural pronoun, “we,” which is impersonal. You can say, “The Power seems like this,” but to say, “I think,” demotes your status to less than a worm in the apple. You may never use force, but live by the law of responsibility to lift, to stand high so that you are a lifting power for others.
In Ephesians 3, which Paul wrote in praise of Jesus, he shows that you receive “the unsearchable riches of Christ” after you gain the identity of your royal birth. When you have established your identity with God, you need not search, but to accept, and declare, “This is good.” Peace is above understanding.
Ephesians 3:19 says, “to know love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with all fullness of God.” Being filled with the fullness of God is a necessity once you accept responsibility. Then you must hold to a steadfastness of purpose, never letting go, never seeing darkness, but to lift and declare it good. When you have royal birth, you live, move and have your being in your Oversoul, and you simply cannot afford to descend to weakness of self.
The world today is locked in the throes of revolution. Governments are toppling in Africa. Every revolution stirs up the mud in consciousness first! As a group, we have lifted force for years, saying, “Let this be lifted with as little destruction as possible.” God answers your prayers.
The world depends on activity. Yet too many people want to be free of outer responsibility, want to retire, take a vacation, to rest. As a coworker with Christ, you have no chance to rest. Declare, “I accept, I rejoice, I sing!” You do not need to search and seek now, but to say, “I accept. I act now!”
Active declarations move you into your sphere of right action. Step by step, God will put you into the right place, and every desire of your heart shall manifest. Declare, “I am as young as God. I am the strength of God. I am the Love of God. I am the Wisdom of God.”
Christ Now Reigns
Edna Lister transcript, April 1, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, scribes. John 1:1-17.
“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 shines 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 lights every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”–John 1:1-17.
Christ now reigns as Light! Do you know what it means to reign? Without the sun’s light, life could not have developed on earth in the way it has. In turn, the seasons exist because of the way earth tilts on its axis. The seasons arrive and leave inevitably. People give no thought to spring as it arrives and takes over, changing the way life expresses. It brings growth in all nature, in quiet and confidence.
In the beginning, God created a garden called Eden, and in it He planted man. To create a garden, all you can do is to provide the right conditions for a garden. For example, some kinds of grapes must grow on a hillside, others in sandy soil. Plants and trees will be unhappy if planted in the wrong place. They will fail to thrive. When planted right, God always does the perfect work.
Men and women, seeking to improve their climate for growth, planted a new Republic in the soil of America. It has grown into the mightiest nation on earth. Now, our government is furnishing the right soil for various new conditions of growth. Individuals, too, need the right conditions to grow. Restlessness, the need for constant change among the youth of any culture is caused by their endeavor to seek new identity. Man is seeking life also beyond the visible, in the invisible.
The opening of the Gospel of John contains four important points: First is the Word. “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.”–John 1:1-3.
Second, the Word became flesh. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”–John 1:14.
Third, the life of the Word was the Light of men. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”–John 1:4-5.
Fourth, John announced Jesus as the Word. “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”–John 15-17.
Of the descended creators, as many as received the Word as Christ, became the sons of God. Why do only some souls believe in Jesus as the Christ? Why is a certain man elected governor or president, but another becomes a drunk?
No matter the man-made laws to the contrary, all societies have castes that are social classes. The world is filled with every type of individual, all in varying degrees of development. People have no real equality beyond the right to breathe air and to improve themselves by conquering the self. Equality emerges only among those who have developed their souls to ascend. You get there by hard work, by creating and developing new brain cells. Old age is like a tree dying out at top. In man, the brain cells crystallize because the spul loses the desire to improve.
“As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”–John 1:12-13. Those who “believe on his name” have learned it in past lives. No creature coming up through evolution can know Jesus without much hard work. Knowledge of and devotion to Christ is the insignia of the Elect. We, who accept Jesus Christ as the only Begotten Son, are among the descended creator gods who will return as reigning souls.
Confusion abounds as to the terms “Christ” as a principle, “Christed ones” as individuals, “spirits,” and “Spirit.” The Supreme Being, who is all Light, fills all space with Light as universal Wisdom, Love, and the Word as principles. God then manifests half of Himself as personality and form—Mind, unconscious and conscious, Substance, visible and invisible and Power, potential and kinetic.
That Light is faith as the spiritual substance, which is the form of being, is an ancient teaching. This is true, even true of an insect, a fish or a rock. As creatures evolve, they develop instinctive intelligence, living by the three life urges of eating, sleeping and mating, and are ruled by great group souls. After sufficient development, God endows them with spirit, or the basis of soul.
Substance can expand into sparks of fire or condense into solids. God can form a creative center or a mold that holds Mind sufficient for Creation. When He has drawn together and condensed sufficient Mind and Substance, He later empowers the individual soul to create from the Source using this invisible spiritual substance in an unconsciously conscious form. Descended creators consciously create from unconscious substance. Thus, the Word becomes flesh.
Man’s brain is like a machine in its operation, and served as the model for the ENIAC and UNIVAC computers. Man’s soul operates this “equipment.” The Son came first, and holds the scepter of power. Thus, “In my name” makes man a creator. So you are of royal birth. You begin your inner education in the Royal College of Wisdom, where everyone who attends later becomes a teacher. The entrance fee is to accept full responsibility to be a coworker with the Master Jesus.
Do not take advantage of your royal birth to serve self. No saying, “I” or “my.” Use the majestic plural, the royal “we.” You demote your status to less than a worm when you say, “I think.” You can say, “It seems like this.” Never use force. Live by the law of complete personal responsibility to lift and stand high so you are a lifting power for others. You can teach, but God does not need you to try to convince anyone to believe that He is, or that Jesus is the only Begotten Son. When you do, you may say, “It is your choice to believe or not.” You may love, but do not seek to convince others.
In Ephesians, the third chapter, which Paul wrote in praise of Jesus, you find that after you have accepted your royal birth identity, you become heir to “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” When you have your identity, you need no longer search. You accept, declaring, “It is good.” Today, the whole world suffers in travail. Governments in Africa are toppling as a result of unrest and violence. Man’s desire to ascend in consciousness is a sign that Christed legions are working with the African tribal leaders on the inner. Every revolution stirs up the mud. The strongest archangels work over those African tribes, aided by the creator gods who are available. To the tribes of Africa, broadcast, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”–John 5:17.
After the great Aquarian configuration, so many were disappointed that the end of the world did not come. Yet so many notable events did occur. Violent winds battered the east coast in storms. Predictions made in 1936 said that the east and west coasts would be destroyed, yet prayer set them aside. Aquarius ushers in the Age of Air with Astronaut Colonel John Glenn,
The Elect have lifted force for years using prayer and declarations, such as, “Let this be lifted with as little destruction as possible.” Those prayers have been answered. Meteorologists did not know what caused the east coast storm. Our declarations lifted tremendous force with that storm. It was a miracle.
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”–Ephesians 3:14-19.
Dwelling in this peace that passes understanding is essential once you accept your personal responsibility. Hold to your steadfastness of purpose, never letting go, never seeing darkness but to lift and declare it good. To dwell in peace, you have to live, move and have your being in your higher soul consciousness. You may not descend to weakness of self when you have accepted your royal birth.
Too many want to be free of outer responsibility, want to retire, etc. Yet, you have no chance to rest. The world depends on your activity. Declare, “I accept. I rejoice. I sing.” You need not search and seek now, but to declare, “I accept and I act now.” Move into your sphere of right action. Step by step the Father will put you into the right places. Every desire of your heart shall manifest. Accept and declare, “I am as young as God!”
Honor Above All
Edna Lister outline, April 8, 1962, Cleveland, OH. 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 honor my Father, and ye do dishonor 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 honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honors 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.
What is honor? The world defines honor as “the feeling and the expression of admiration, respect, or esteem accorded to another as a right or as due.” Honor refers to virtue, purity, a keen sense of ethical conduct, and integrity. The main idea of the dictionary definition of honor is “to give respect to.” Yet there must be more than this to honor.
In 1926, I was given the message of truth that “Honor is above all things.” Thus, honor became the base of the Christed code of living. Honor originates at the center of the universe. The Emanations of Wisdom, Love and Honor, are the names of the Father, Mother and the Son.
Since the Son is the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost is the vibration of honor. Since the Son is all the action of Power, the action is honor. Honor is a combination of the Wisdom and Love principles in action. It is the balance wheel
The great Wheel of Life has twelve divisions. Each division has twelve initiations or twelve virtues to be followed, which are twelve laws you learn to obey. The only way to conquering is to stand at the center of the great Wheel of Life. Stand on the small balance wheel there and lift every ugly thing from each division as the great wheel turns. Pay your respects to God from your balance wheel of honor, which is the meaning of the command to “Honor thy Father.”
“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 honor my Father, and ye do dishonor 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.”–John 8:48-49.
Unless you keep his saying, “I honor my Father,” your venture to conquer self ends in failure and death. If you honor your Father, you “shall never see death.” When a vibration dies down too low, it becomes death. Paying respect to the Father determines your amount of life. How much life do you want and need? How much honor do you have? You have no life if you try to honor your self by taking credit. When you feed the self, you have nothing left of honor.
“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 8:56-59.
As if Jesus wanted to shock them from their self-satisfaction, he said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” Yet, when he said, “Before Abraham was, I am,” they couldn’t take anymore. They cast stones at him, so he became invisible.
How do you become invisible and reach the point of being untouchable by the world of low vibrations? Honor is a high sense of responsibility. Honor, as expressed through great personal responsibility, sets all the powers of God in motion. Faith without honor as works or action, is dead, a low vibration.
Your individual honor is in proportion to your respect for God, for man, and for laws. A great respect for God reveals a soul that is great in honor. No respect reveals a low point of honor or none at all. Under a low or dead vibration, substance stops moving. Love, compassion and beauty are all dead without honor.
Honor is your one greatest need when facing disagreeable people and facts. How does this work? When your respect for God reaches up to honor Him, the power of honor as Light cleanses your mind and heart. Then honor opens a high vibration of rejoicing in gratitude for the smallest thing in your life.
You may enjoy no high honor without gratitude. Base your prayers in gratitude. Praise for God is the highest form of honor. Your respect for God then becomes your greatest creative activity.
Honor Above All
Edna Lister transcript, April 8, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, Ross and Virginia Whitehead, scribes. 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.
What is your idea of honor? What certain combinations can produce, and how they can blow fuses, surprises even God! To understand the meaning of honor, you must place honor above all things. I have searched for decades to discover what honor is. The dictionary defines honor as “to give respect to, nobility of mind, probity, a code of integrity, principled uprightness of character, and personal integrity.” However, an ordinary dictionary gives no analysis of honor. You can truly understand honor only when you are caught up in the Spirit, kneel at the altar, at the Master’s feet, and are taken to the Source. Then you are not passing judgment, not using an earthly measuring rod on honor, but you know what it is. If you are caught up in consciousness through love, such things happen.
In the beginning was the Mind of God. In unutterable stillness, God planned and thought His Creation. During a Night of Rest and Assimilation, which is of the same duration as a Day of Manifestation, God assimilates all the previous Day’s experience and plans for the next Day. God saw the end from the beginning. He saw the Day finished, from the beginning, and laid His plans to circumvent evil. Thus, when the Day opened, God created the universe perfectly. The first Emanation was the Father God principle, Wisdom. The second was the Mother God principle, Love. The third Emanation combined Wisdom and Love as honor. Honor is the Christ principle of the Holy Spirit, the red ray of energy. Every spark of the invisible contains the essence of honor. No lesser messiah has equaled Jesus the Christ in honor, for he expressed the Holy Spirit, which is honor as the first vibration of the Christ principle. To express this vibration of honor, Jesus had to be both Love and Wisdom.
You cannot have a copletely vital life without the high vibration of honor, or you live in barrenness and desolation. Honor is the center of Light in your life, the hub of your balance-wheel
You express your virtue according to your personal new year, your birthday. Then you must adjust to the world’s new year, January 1. Unless you adjust to the disagreeable, you cannot live up to the twelve virtues of the Wheel of Life. Your greatest problem, the greatest action you can take, is to adjust to the disagreeable elements in your life. For example, some people must adjust to the wheel of the person next door. The whole balance of life is seeking adjustment to the wheel of virtues as others express them. Center your obedience to law by ascending, kneeling and honoring God. Honor is paying respect to God. When you pay proper respect to God, you will pay proper respect to every individual. In saying, “I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me,” Jesus held his scepter of Power aloft before the crowd. He was trying to give them the Father’s message. Unless they showed him respect, they were not honoring the Father.
“If a man keep my saying, he shall not know death.” Death is the lowering of the high vibration of the Emanations through the twelve divisions, laws, and virtues. The vibration of honor today has dwindled almost to nothing. If you move to the hub of the wheel and honor God, how can you dishonor anyone or any law? Honor contains all the laws and virtues. Go to God and give Him all the credit.
“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.”–John 8:56-58. What is self-pity, pride, or martyrdom other than giving the self credit and honoring the self? When you do so, the vibration dies to death. Psychologically, you must lance such inner boils of self. The cause of all illness is the same—self has dragged soul from the high place of honor. Jesus said, “Keep my saying,” by which he meant his previous statement, “I honor my Father.” At some point in life, you may think you have reached the ultimate in grief or despair, which tempts you to abandon divine principle. No matter the circumstance, you cannot bury honor in unhallowed ground or dismiss it with a dishonorable discharge.
“Before Abraham was, I AM,” Jesus said. This I AM is all honor, love, wisdom, integrity, and joy. Jesus could see that first vibration of integrity, loyalty, and honor because he was there. Spiritually, he was that old. He appeared to be a thirty-something young man, but in reality, the Son is older than the universe. The angry men started to stone Jesus, and he disappeared from view. He knew it was the right time to act as an adept and to disappear, especially to prove his teachings to the disciples. You become invisible to the stones and fiery darts of the world when you honor God with no thought of self. You cannot agree with God that “This is good,” unless you first ascend to Him in honor. For example, ponder Daniel in the lions’ den. Under a tirade or challenging trouble, stand with your arms folded, not to get the best of the other fellow, but to go up first in complete honor to God. Go to Him with a song of gratitude and praise in your heart and mind. Gratitude is the only action that will take you to God, to the heights of honor.
Gratitude is saying, “Thank You, Father, that Your divine hand is on the reins. I declare that this is changing the evil vibration for the whole world. Let other similar conditions be healed.” Declare this with no criticism of the person or situation that troubles you. “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”–John 21:22. Honor is above everything, and contains all things. My grandmother said, “Put on your front door voice when you pray.” This was her way of honoring God. Her front door was a place of gratitude and blessing, and she constantly reminded her family to honor God in that way.
Gratitude is an expression of honor. To attain the full heights of honor is to ascend in consciousness on gratitude from early morning to late at night, thanking God for all the small things and the great. You must be grateful for the little things, for the sun, the rain, flowers and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. All power of union with God is given under honor. Union with God, which is a state of grace, is honor.
Loyalty to God
Edna Lister Palm Sunday outline, April 15, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Matthew 21:1-22.
“And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”–Matthew 21:1-22.
In the previous chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples many things on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. He wished to remind them that he would fulfill prophecy. “Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”–Matthew 20:17-19. They did not understand him. He spoke of himself as the Son of man, because no person or power could or can condemn or crucify the Son of God part of him.
Later, the mother of Zebedees’ sons, James and John, asked that her sons be placed on the Master’s left and right hand in the kingdom to come. He refused her, saying that only the Father can place a soul. As he passed from Jericho, two blind men cried for mercy from him as the “son of David.” He restored their sight, then told his disciples, “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”–Matthew 20:26-28. When you follow the Master, you must be the willing servant of all.
“And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”–Matthew 21:1-9. Jesus knew that he had to leave a record of the prophecies he had fulfilled. Entering Jerusalem that day, he rode the colt of an ass, the humblest of animals. In doing so, he taught us how to accept praise with humility, with humbleness of heart.
Two events happened then that are greatly misunderstood. With the crowd’s joyous praise still ringing in his ears, he entered the Temple. He must have felt a special tenderness toward the people. He knew they would be puzzled and hurt when he was disgraced, and wanted to teach and comfort them while he could. Then he came upon the money changers, many of whom were so obviously greedy. They lent money at high interest, and casually took the poor people’s farms when they could not pay. They cheated by taking everything a man had in exchange for a tiny dove to sacrifice. He couldn’t bear it! He drove them out, whipping them with his sash of cords. While he showed firmness, determination and desire to have the Temple remain undefiled, no anger is legal, righteous or otherwise. He cleansed the Temple for the day, and made it a “house of prayer” for all people. He healed people all day, while the children sang.
That evening, Jesus went to Bethany, where he lodged with his good friend Lazarus. You can imagine his disciples and followers asking him about his anger in lashing the moneychangers and use of Power as force. On the way into Jerusalem the following day, he blasted the barren fig tree. He was teaching them how Power can destroy as well as heal. The fig tree made a good example because it was barren and would not be missed. “Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”–Matthew 21:21-22.
When you “doubt not,” you can do anything, solve any problem and cast any mountain into the sea of oblivion! Ask in prayer, believing to see, and “ye shall receive.” Believing is the keynote of loyalty, faithfulness to law, with no wavering, no doubt, no fear. Being faithful without a foundation of loyalty based on honor is impossible. When you honor God, your attitude toward Him is loyal and strong in its integrity. Any inability to reconcile your loyalties stems from the fact that you are only talking about reconciliation. Reconciling your loyalties is difficult unless you are first loyal to God. Jesus’ loyalty to his Father was outstanding. When you are loyal to God, all else follows.
Always enfold the best of the old into new when you make a choice. Each new choice is like a little death because you are always giving up something for the new thing you choose. Each new freedom you gain eventually becomes too tight a fit. Every vibration in life shrinks under grief, or disappointment. Then you must move on.
To reconcile your desire and will, look up in consciousness until your desire becomes a flame. You cannot kill it, but let your desire burn up to God. Earth is still whirling along in its orbit. The sun is still shining. The stars and planets are still there. When you are loyal to God, as was our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, you know His will for you is good. You are no longer happy in spite of, but happy because you love God. Loyal faith is bold and unconquerable. You are now joy invincible.
Loyalty to God
Edna Lister Palm Sunday transcript, April 15, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, Virginia Whitehead, scribes. Matthew 21:1-22.
“And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”–Matthew 21:1-22.
The story of Palm Sunday and Holy Week is never complete unless you have faithfully read about it in all four gospels. Matthew recorded one of the most significant speeches Jesus ever made to his disciples:
“Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”–Matthew 20:17-19.
No matter how important this speech was for the disciples, it rolled off their shoulders. They never dreamed that he would not release himself if arrested. They would have, had they been in his place. He had walked among them and disappeared when the crowd would have stoned him. They must have watched Jesus walk away many times, so they never thought he would submit to death on the cross.
In Matthew 20, Jesus describes how he would die by crucifixion in Jerusalem. Jesus, the descended creator god, spoke, and described how his Son of Man portion was to be sacrificed. They thought he was speaking symbolically. They came to Jerusalem and he sent for the colt of a donkey. He must have previously told this man what he planned so this colt would be ready for his use. Jesus also ordered the room for the last supper to be prepared ahead of time.
You must bring an imaginative quality to bear when you read the Bible. The disciples had spent only three and a half years with Jesus, yet they spent the remainder of their lives spreading his teachings. What have you done with the truth you have garnered? How much do you absorb in three years?
Jesus healed and preached to the common people in the daytime, but stayed with the disciples and taught them the mysteries privately at night. These mysteries are in The Aquarian Gospel,
Just reading and researching is boring, but it awakens brain cells. These texts are repetitive, yet here and there you find that Jesus taught truths that the later Christian church did not include in the New Testament. Jesus wanted to leave a record to prove that he had fulfilled the prophets’ prophecies with his words and deeds.
“Then the multitudes who went before and who followed, cried out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”–Matthew 21:9. Jesus taught us how to receive praise in this one outstanding Palm Sunday act. If you repudiate praise, you disobey law. Even if it is rank flattery, or to get something from you, accept praise as though it were coming from God Himself. God turns it into good when you accept words of praise and term them good.
He who praises must make it good at some future date. Do not relish flattery—heaven help those who believe all the compliments they receive—or deny the truth in the flattery. Of course, it may be a terrible exaggeration, but when you declare it good, the flatterer must make it good. God wants all His sons and daughters healed. If you want someone healed, look him in the eye, accept that he is a son of God, and is good after his degree and kind. Ascend words of praise to the Most High, as you would incense, even those that taste like ashes, and declare, “Let his life sparks be cleansed and returned to him purified.”
Jesus accepted the crowd’s acclamation and praise as he rode the colt, knowing many of them would turn on him by Friday, while the rest would scatter, confused. He could have gone to the cross without his acclamation, but accepted it to show us how to accept praise in our turn. Accepting praise gracefully is the best form of good manners. Though this can be a test and an initiation, lift it to the altar and declare that it belongs to God.
Jesus drove the money changers from the temple in apparent anger, and those who thought him a saint could not understand. He went to the temple dedicated, ready to ascend, and found the money changers, squeezing coins from the poor. He saw them as desecration in God’s house. The Power had never been stronger than that week, and he knew the temple must be pure enough to release that Power to open the Gates of Light at his Ascension. Yet their vibration prevented the needed Power from coming through as it should, nor could he heal or teach in that earthy vibration. Jesus loved God, showed bold determination, and paid no attention to what anyone would say.
After teaching in the temple all day, he went to Bethany, to lodge with his friend, Simon the leper. The disciples had fasted and were hungry, though Jesus, who could fast for forty days, was not. They credited him with withering the fig tree because he was fasting, and perhaps ill tempered after routing the money changers. They were hungry, but he wasn’t. Jesus blasted the fig tree to impress them while they were hungry. He told them that if he had been angry, he could have killed the money changers because the Power was great enough to kill or to heal. This chapter is tremendous in nuance. He must have wrestled with them all night to put the point across, the danger of mixing anger with Power. He explained Power’s dual creative and destructive nature, to bring it home to them that if you use killing words, you will kill.
Jesus’ Holy Week message is outstanding, “Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”–Matthew 21:21-22. Loyalty to God is the second great attitude you must assume. You must be faithful to the great new idea, backed with loyalty to God. People face many mountains of problems in life, and fail because they try to move mountains without loyalty based on faithfulness. Honor, loyalty, integrity as one is the role God assigned to us on the stage of life. Honor, loyalty and integrity to God first, then to man.
When you reconcile yourself, God can open a new Garden of Eden for you. It may be difficult, but it is new. If you are faithfully bold in your statements of truth, and believe, you can move mountains. Those who pray do release Power for God to work things together for good. Stand and declare a situation or person good without wavering. All you can do is to stand in loyalty to statements made under honor, and God does the work. The prophets of old knew this principle. They often ended their declarations with “It shall be so.” Stand in loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ. Most people make statements in honor, then speak disloyally two hours later. Stand in honor and loyalty despite people who say it cannot be done.
Do not pray in spite of, but because God hears prayer. Love God enough to stand in honor, believing that He can bring your prayers and statements to pass. Do not be disloyal to your own prayers. Can anything but good happen when Jesus is your high point, no matter how long it takes? To believe means to honor God. Love God enough and keep on declaring it in the name of Jesus the Christ, the only Begotten Son of God. To pray despite the world is not the right way, but like destroying the fig tree. This is Holy Week, testing your ability to accept. Accept with no weaknesses. Be courageous and strong. Stand. To believe is the unconquerable attitude of ascending creator gods.
If you speak in truth, then look back in doubt and fear, you are disloyal to God. Do not do right things “in spite of,” but because they are right. God’s Power can make anything right. You cannot be faithful to God when you are disloyal to the Master. Unless you can say, “This is good,” and remain loyal to your word, you cut your own lines of Light and responsibility. You really have no belief unless loyalty backs your honor and integrity. Honor, loyalty and integrity, are the Begotten Son of God in action as you. If you stand steadfastly, the Father justifies and glorifies Himself through you. Then you are invincible joy.
Integrity: Your Soul Anchor
Edna Lister Easter outline, April 22, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Matthew 28:1-10.
“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.
There is a special glory, a brightness about the thought of Easter. What is this glory? What causes it? To be in glory is to be in an exalted state of heart and mind. Easter creates this extra special state of a joyous exaltation of the soul. Just as the sun’s rays entice winter from its thousands of tiny deaths to put on green garments and jewels of flowers, so does the same power of nature’s brightness entice the soul from the tomb of winter into the Light and glory from above.
From Ash Wednesday to Ascension Day there is a tremendous upward drawing for more. Light and life Easter Power is the Light of illumination and illumination is ascension. There are forty days in Lent and forty days to the Ascension, but only one small week for Resurrection. Lent’s forty days of sacrifice make the Holy Week possible. It was the longest week in the world’s history. Jesus recapitulated his thirty-three years of life. From his Palm Sunday exaltation, through the seven Words he spoke from the cross, he made the principles for a completed Christed life available to us and workable for us.
Three outstanding events were responsible for making him the world Messiah, for opening the new Christed age vibration. First was Palm Sunday with its joint lessons of humility and exaltation. Second was the seven Words Jesus spoke while on the cross. Third was the sign Pontius Pilate posted on the cross. {INRI is an acronym for the Latin Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Iudaeorvm, or “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”} Profane history reports that the Temple priests rebelled because they wanted the sign to read that Jesus had claimed he was king. Yet Pilate was adamant, and opened the vibration of the greatest crusade of all ages. He inaugurated the real reign of Jesus as the head of Christianity with the sign, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” written in three languages, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Latin was the business language of the ancient world, the tongue of merchants. Greek was the mental-intellectual language. Hebrew was the language in all religious dealings, exclusively. The Roman soldiers spoke in Latin. The priests and social leaders were aligned with the Greek, the language of intellectuals and philosophers, because their religion was intellectual. The Hebrew sign, witnessed by disciples and followers of Jesus, was the only expression of devotional religion.
There is a mystical magical quality in three threes. To be binding, you apologize three times and promise three times. So Jesus established the three vibrations as he opened the Gates of Light. Imagine his followers’ gloom, and grief of Friday and Saturday. Imagine the glory of that Easter morn. Imagine their joy in finding the stone rolled away. From birth to death, you are always traveling the way of Ascension. True, you may have “seasons” until you are crucified and resurrected. Too often your love gets buried under someone’s old leaves or the falling branches of treachery and gossip. As Paul said, “I die daily.”
From grade school to college, from baby to adult, from being an assistant to being the manager, everyone works under ascension. Everyone practices going up and down and up again. Some go up more often than they go down. This is the difference, the choice of conviction. Some forever choose the lesser of two evils. Only one choice works for me, and that is up in ascension. When made, let your choice deepen into a strong conviction, a flaming burning glory. You make your own soul record, a golden mesh given to you at birth, all beautiful and shining. How it looks when you compare it with the Master’s at transition, the death of the body, depends upon your choices in life. They hang your mesh beside his at the crossroads of choice and separation, for you to see. Yours may be tarnished and black, sometimes ripped and torn. Your privilege is to weave it over again, into beauty.
You find there is only one right way to ascend from the crystallized tomb of your past. When you do, you cry, “Roll the stone away!” Each builds his own stone from hardness of heart and stubbornness, from doubts, fears, opinions and incessant “whys.” You must roll the stone away, then stand and stick it out to the end. You may choose either the self way or the soul way. Then you must defend your choice. Christ is risen. He wears a crown with wings of glory. Your soul’s destiny is to wear one, too.
Integrity: Your Great Anchor
Edna Lister Easter transcript, April 22, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, scribes. Matthew 28:1-10.
“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.
Condensing the beauty of the Resurrection is a difficult matter. One must choose the Scripture carefully, yet even then, none tell the story in full. There’s a special glory about Easter, and all outer signs remind us of this. People buy new clothes, which symbolize the inner bestowal of robes during the first three days of Holy Week. As above, so below. The sun entices us from winter and its many “little deaths” into life, the green robes of spring, jewels, flowers and fruits. Before Lent, people enjoy parties, and special music during Lent, despite initiations. Those who bear witness to the love of God know a special Power is coming through during Lent. The transports of joy during that season bring excitement and anticipation of boating, baseball and summer fun.
Jesus had performed so many miracles that his disciples didn’t believe he would allow the Romans to crucify him. When they crucified and entombed him Friday afternoon, it stunned the disciples. They were despairing and awake all night because they could not anoint his body on Saturday, the Sabbath.
“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.”–Matthew 28:5-7. According to the version in Matthew, the angel of the Lord came with an earthquake on Easter morn, rolled away the stone and overawed the three women who had come to anoint Jesus’ body. Yet they did not understand how he could have been resurrected.
Jesus expanded his great vibration to inflate his molecules and atoms to rise again. The simultaneous positive and negative manifestation of Power, his expansion and the angel’s arrival, rolled away the stone. To this day, you all live under this Power of Ascension. Something in your life is always moving up or down, ascending or descending. Most people don’t know how to strike a balance and walk upward calmly, but react when another spits on them. The Elect, who are descended creator gods, are still this stupid, and to go down in consciousness is unnecessary and unworthy.
So many people hibernate from Christmas to Ash Wednesday, which is pointless. Hibernation by a conscious being is descension. From Ash Wednesday to Ascension Thursday is a climbing period. Each of these periods lasts roughly forty days, and following them, nature regenerates with buds and foliage. Holy Week is a cleansing period, when the heavenly Father asks how much pressure can you take before Easter. Then, in new and higher ways, from Easter to Ascension Thursday, the Power redoubles, and He ask us again. How much pressure and tension can you take during this period? From Palm Sunday to the Resurrection, Jesus recapitulated his entire life. He taught parables and law. Matthew, chapters 22, 23 and 24 contain all his warnings for us, which he condensed during Holy Week.
Three catalysts during that week contribute to the keynote of your life: First, the vibration Jesus opened on Palm Sunday, second, the seven last words that Jesus spoke from the cross, and third, the sign, I.N.R.I., which Pontius Pilate had painted in three languages and posted on the cross. Jesus accepted humility by riding the white colt of a donkey on Palm Sunday. He did not ask God why his triumph must be lowly. He did not ask, “How could God honor me, then pull me down with a Crucifixion?” Jesus did none of this, but people do it often. You may never ask “why.” Kipling said that you must reach the point where neither praise nor blame affects you. What is your business? To be a living ensample of God, as was Jesus the Christ, to “be as perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect.” People say it can’t be done, yet you can do it!
Jesus spoke seven last Words from the cross, and each set a new vibration on earth for the coming 2,000-year Christed Age. Gold and silver trumpets were sounded each time he spoke to set a keynote from the cross. His last Words set seven world vibrations to ponder and learn. Each is a promise he made for us to fulfill, and an attitude to become. The lesson is that by assuming the attitudes of the Master, mastery exalts you into humility.
Pilate covered his debt by washing his hands, but he acknowledged that Jesus was King. The sign he had made—I.N.R.I. {the acronym for the Latin Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Iudaeorvm, or “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”}—proclaimed that Jesus is king of three worlds: the commercial (Latin), intellectual (Greek) and the religious (Hebrew). Within these three worlds were ordinary people, the priests and intellectuals, and devotional ones. Jesus came to live in the world to give and to add his love. Each individual, according to his or her attainment, sees this quality in Jesus. Jesus set the keynote and is still king of the commercial world, where they worship money. He is still king of the intellectual world, where they worship words. He is king of the devotional world, where you ascend in devotion. This is how Jesus has saved us. This statement wipes out earth’s evil. Stand on this truth.
Jesus taught several laws that warn against hypocrisy, and often called those of the religious establishment hypocrites. He taught where you can go wrong on law in the last chapters of Matthew, which perfectly integrates with his first teachings, the Sermon on the Mount. Christ ends his tribulation by reigning on high. Some think he will come again, but he has already come in many ways. In truth, he never left. The Spirit of Christ consciousness is within many today.
That Easter, the angel rolled the stone from his tomb. This Easter, the angels are rolling the stone from the world’s hardened heart. The stone of stubbornness that interferes with ascension also causes earthquakes and disasters in this world, then people get together to serve and help. You hear of promotions and demotions everywhere; all are initiations that stir up the dirt now in the world. The darkness spews from under the surface as the Light of God enters. The Easter Resurrection is no myth, but is practical.
You create your own soul records in the Hall of Records. Light shines on them under initiation, and you can see your past. The Father gave you a golden mesh when you first descended to earth. As you grow, you add to it, a thread here, a thread there. The Master himself wove a golden mesh of his life. When you go across, hanging next to Master’s perfect gold, you see yours, torn, perhaps spotted, blackened with tarnish.
The heavenly Council showed me these meshes to see what different souls had done in conquering. I told the Council how hard it would be to tell you of what I saw. I didn’t want to be guilty of criticism or blame. The Council asked, “Are you afraid to tell the truth? Are you afraid you will fill only small halls and be unpopular? No one can serve God unless he tells the truth of each one’s mesh, and is willing to tell the truth always.” If you are honorable in heart, mind and purpose, the Father will put the proper words on your lips. You hold people on your lines of and responsibility for millennia. You hold them with your arms of Light and save them from the brink.
You can weave a new mesh. You can create a new mesh, or repair the moth holes in the old. Choose to hold fast and go up in consciousness as never before! Serve the Father with a whole heart, mind, soul and forget the past. Praise God straightway for whatever comes your way. Straightway means “upward”: Straightway declare everything good for God to move in, especially your initiators, those who would bury the beauty and glory of your life.
From this hour through Ascension Day, release Power to heal in all ways. You, your loved ones and those you hold on your lines can have miracles. Someday the world will know these forty days of Ascension as days of miraculous healing. Roll away your stone once and for all, and the Power of God will touch your tongue when you speak. You cannot afford to fail in your releasing of the Power, and those near you need it. The Council rewards all your past service with soul substance, and as a winged crown of glory on the inner. Your integrity is your great anchor to the Source of the Living God, a lifeline to the trinity of Light as Mind, Substance, and Power.
Identity: Your Hope of Glory
Edna Lister outline, April 29, 1962, Cleveland, OH. John 21.
“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. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”–John 21.
The events of this chapter of the Gospel of John cover the three phases of all life, the physical-material, the mental-emotional, and the spiritual. The physical-material dimension of life is concerned with things and the body. Consciousness moves from nothing to abundance when you fish on the “right side of the boat.” John’s whisper, “It is the Lord,” and impulsive Peter, who immediately jumped into the water, illustrate the emotional-mental aspect of life. Yet they were afraid to say they knew him. When Jesus wiped out Peter’s three denials with his own three questions, he perfectly illustrated life’s spiritual facet. Peter did not understand why Jesus was questioning him. Later, Peter stuck his nose in John’s business and received another lesson. Then Jesus told them he would appear to John.
All Jesus’ teachings deal with your relationships, your identity, first with your own soul, then with others and finally, with God. You must be related to something to identify with it. All revelations deal with knowing, first the nature of God, second, the nature of man, and third, the nature of God’s relationship to man. To arrive at the answers of any of these questions, you first must ask, What is God’s nature? After centuries of observation and pondering, the religious have arrived at the answer, to love and to give. God sent His Son to show us the way to Him.
Man’s nature is to desire, to accept, to learn and to receive. When you inquire into the nature of God’s relationship to man, you find it exemplified in the first and only Begotten Son, Jesus. He said, “Our Father” to show us man’s relationship to God. Through Jesus, you witness God’s relationship to man in the words, “My Son.” God is always waiting for man to accept that life is a training school. To live now, to be well now, you must establish your Source through faith. The Word is your method of finding your Source. You know your Source in the revelation that the Word becomes flesh and “dwells among us.” You establish your Source through faith, and prove it through practice.
“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 Lord calls on you to “Prove me now,” not to disprove. You prove Him under faith when you go to Him, as He says, “Come and see.”
“Light is all being and is forever becomin all things.”
Light is all being and is forever becoming all things. Some people grow weaker and weaker. Some grow older and older. Once upon a time, an alchemist discovered the secret to eternal youth after many long years of searching. A rich old man, who had heard of his discovery, came and offered him much money for a young body. The alchemist’s secret was indeed able to change his tired old frame into a youth’s body, and he paid gladly and left happily. He returned in a year, unhappy that his young body had grown old, while the old alchemist remained young. The alchemist’s true secret was that he had established his identity with God and life, the other man with death.
The Word is your method: The only way of knowing who you are is to be born again. Then you bear witness to the truth by thanking God and praising Him for one small thing. Love enough. Stand solid, and firmly. Praise God for life itself. Praise Him for the life in you! Jesus said, “I am the Way.” From earth eyes through the mind’s eye, to the mystic eye of revelation, you learn your true identity. The glory of feeling immortal possesses you. Your praise is like using a pair of bellows to fan your faith into a flaming glory. Praise God until you feel like singing. A song of praise is a song of immortality now.
A woman once heard of a teacher who sold the secret of eternal life youth and beauty. She paid $1,000.00 for it, with one stipulation: She must take a long sea voyage and open the envelope on board the ship. She took the voyage and when at sea, opened the envelope. In it was a note that read, “God IS LOVE.” She was furious: God is love—indeed! The idea, God is love. She snorted, but kept saying it over and over in scorn, and in anger that she had been rooked. She kept thinking about what she would do to that teacher when she returned. Out on the middle of ocean, she stood at the ship’s rail, and said it aloud, “God is love.” A blinding flash of Light and God’s love flooded her. God is love! She cabled the man, thanking him.
Love is a way of life, a way of living. Love is a way of facing this hour, of meeting things, a way of Light, a way of holding your identity with your Source. Love opens your immortal vibration now. As a gunshot or shout can start an avalanche, so does a song of praise start an avalanche of good. Love is the only way you can hold your own identity. A new Christed Order is being born in the world. We are destined to follow the same ideals, to have the same goal of Christ consciousness, to be malleable, flexible, nonresistant, yet to sway with the glory of God. “I know who I AM. I follow my Lord. His love is my way. His Light is the glory forever!”
Identity: Your Hope of Glory
Edna Lister transcript, April 29, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Irene White, Virginia Whitehead, scribes. John 21.
“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. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”–John 21.
This chapter of John’s Gospel is a complete version of the Master’s teaching, touching lightly upon all areas. In it, he covers every outer relationship, mental, emotional, spiritual, the teaching of law, and the time coming after his Ascension.
This episode describes a gathering of seven of the disciples after the Crucifixion. Peter led them to go fishing on the Sea of Galilee. They had fished all night with no luck. When morning came, they saw a man standing on the shore. He told them to cast the net on the right side of the boat, which is a great law.
Often you want things, but are on the wrong side of the boat to get them. You ask, but tear down your lines of responsibility and Light by asking why, which nullifies your request. The laws of ascension are exact and never permit you to ask why it isn’t happening your way, the way you expected.
What your words declare returns to you under the law of action and reaction. To cast your net on the right side means on the right side of your thinking, imagination, and emotions combined. This is one of the greatest of the laws. After the Resurrection, when the disciples, who were of one mind, saw him on the beach, they all knew in their souls it was the Lord. At once they cast their nets on the right side of the boat as he advised.
Jesus had built a fire on the beach and had materialized bread and fish to feed them, to show them that they must take care of their physical body needs. Everything is more upsetting and irritating when you are hungry. Jesus, by taking care of their physical needs first, made sure they could listen.
When John whispered that it was Jesus, Peter swam to shore. Since he had denied Jesus three times, he regretted it and thought of it always. When he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had told Peter to stay away, but he had disobeyed and followed him. His disobedience, put him in a position to be questioned, which led to his three lies in denial.
This was the Lord’s third appearance after the Resurrection. The 153 fish in the net represent the individual who is free to approach perfection. This adds to nine, the number representing the individual free to teach, and symbolizing the brotherhood of man under God. When they finished eating, they all knew he was the Lord, but none dared to say it. They were speechless, in awe.
When he had asked Peter three times if he loved him, it grieved Peter, but spiritual law applies here. The question, “Do you love me?” set a vibration to wipe out Peter’s three denials, and covered his transgressions.
John lingered, Peter looked behind and asked what John was going to do. Jesus then taught a great ascension law, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.”–John 21:22. Live your law, but do not merely talk about it. Let your actions (doing) take care of what you are being.
Mary went with John to the Isle of Patmos, where the Revelation says that John was caught up in the Spirit. Yet, Mary was the mediator, who revealed the words to John, who wrote the Revelation. This is the background for knowing that you can commune with the saints. Communion is a different grade of substance, and you use it every day of your life. You have the equipment to look through space and see your own home. This is imagination, the ability to look through the outer physical substance and see the third through the fifth grades of substance.
Jesus teaches about relationships. First, man’s relationship to himself, second, man’s relationship to his fellow man and understanding other people. The third phase is even more important, your relationship to God and God’s to you.
All revelation is the unfolding of spiritual knowing. This is the unknown becoming the known. There is no time or space. Apply this to your life. To know your identity, you must know the nature of God, the nature of man and your relationship to each other and to the Divine.
God’s nature is to love, give and create perfection. Man’s nature is to desire, to accept and to receive. Your whole nature drives you in that direction. Jesus revealed his relationship to God—“my Father.” This is your relationship, too, so your relationship to God is as “my Son.” How does knowing that help you? God’s nature is to give all the time, and He is always waiting to give. Your nature is to seek and to receive. You must get into action two ways. First, you must understand your Source. Then you must know your Source and the method of reaching it. Your source is the Word.
Faith is the only way to have identity with the Source. Geometry is faith, all science is faith. The Word that has become flesh is also faith. You are the sum total of your own identity, what you put your faith in and what you practice. You need the faith of God, not mere faith in God. Then you must do something about it. You can fully hold consciousness of your identity to the Source when you practice this.
The two essential laws are to be reborn and to be a witness to this Rebirth. You must practice this rebirth in consciousness and witnessing of it in yourself and all others. Be a witness to this rebirth, and to the glory of God. Be happy, and lift any disappointment into the Light. When you grumble and complain, you are only witnessing your self. When you identify with God, you have something. The Source, and the method, praise, will enter the equation.
Grab one point of praise. Identify yourself with God every minute, then praise and praise and praise. See everything in your body as perfect, and your rate of vibration increases. Your vibration decreases if you only use worldly eyes. Move beyond the world’s way of viewing life. Look through the mystical eye. When you put your faith in the Source, you will go somewhere.
God is Light, the descent of love, the descent of power, rebirth, and illumination. These magic words take you to the Source. God is love. Love is the answer. God is love and only love can establish your identity in God and hold you there. God’s love is firm, founded in judgment and wisdom, the way, the truth and the life. Love is beginning to reign. Love is the Christed way of life, and you can know your identity only through being in love with the Source, God. God is always waiting. Hold to your identity and know that there is a Source of that Power. Hold fast to your Rebirth through love.
You could pout, say, “I don’t want to hold,” but you can hold. You can’t get away by denying or mouthing negatives. There is no such thing as “I can’t move up in consciousness.” Nobody has any right to say, “I can’t do it.” You’re really saying, “I won’t do it.”
Let love fan the flame of faith, your identity with God, in your heart. Receive from the Source of all Power, and let it use you now. You are established in the keynote of your Ascension. This is your own identity, the consciousness of an identity with the Source, fully, faithfully held to the Source. You must make the decision yourself. This is a joyous way of life, so use it.
What is Compassion?
Edna Lister outline, May 6, 1962. Ephesians 6:1-20.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”–Ephesians 6:1-20.
The dictionary defines compassion as “the sorrow or pity aroused when another is suffering.” You need to know the difference between sentimental sympathy and brisk lifting, loving compassion. Compassion can only come with and through understanding. Through your identity with God comes your compassion for men. Your compassion can never be greater than your comprehension of God. This chapter sums up four necessary laws for your obedience. The difficulty lies in the fact that you need to discipline yourself. Success comes through the soul training the self, by making yourself learn these laws and to remain vigilant until you obey them unconsciously. You must become these laws. You cannot do anything else.
An actor or performer trains for stage presence: You must command your breathing and focus your attention to create the perfect poise that fills the stage with your “presence.” That presence is an indefinable something that magnetizes the viewer and listener. First, honor the Father and Mother as personality and principle within yourself, and be obedient to them. Second, fathers and mothers ought not to provoke their children to wrath. Apply more discipline of soul to remain calm and confident. Walk softly and speak gently to follow Christ. Third, be obedient to overlords, masters and bosses. You are not asked to like your superiors, but to obey and follow instructions. These people are your teachers. Fourth, do not offer merely eye-service or lip-service as man-pleasers, but be a servant of Christ. Both master and servant are menial to God, of one substance, having one Master. Masters must do the same. Do not point out another’s mistakes, but let law pin back his ears.
As you obey these four necessary rules, you awaken fully in three steps, three prerequisites—desire, decision and action. They are the only way to learn to hold fast to law at all times. Paul gives it thus, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”–Ephesians 6:11-12. You may wrestle with the powers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places, but you must ignore it. You cannot afford to create more darkness by paying attention to it, which is like paying homage to it.
You can conquer by putting on the whole armor of God. First, gird your loins with truth. The loins cover the liver and spleen. Healing is knowing the truth. To acknowledge this means to live the truth, which is your cure. Second, put on the breastplate of righteousness, which focuses twelve rays of Light. Righteousness is the right use of high soul vision. Always keep your imagination turned upward to protect your lungs, heart and stomach. No vibration of evil from the world can penetrate your breastplate. Third, shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The feet represent understanding, which is your preparation to accept everyone and everything that comes to you as yours to lift. The gospel of peace permits no irritation, anger, revenge, etc.
Fourth, wear the shield of faith over your left arm. See darkness and discord to lift only. Ignore what is false or evil. Never repeat another’s idle words. Faith in God is your shield of protection from idle words. Fifth, put on the helmet of salvation. When you are “crowned with glory,” which is an aureole of light, it absorbs darkness. You are then untouchable, with opened lotus centers. The Greek-style helmet of Athena, with its prominent nose-piece, blinds the mystic eye. Thus, it closes out illumination with opinions and prejudices because it permits no contact with the Holy Spirit. Sixth, bear the sword of Spirit, which is two-edged in love and wisdom. The hilt is the Word of God, which is a vibration that goes forth on your declarations. Now your thinking, desire and imagination begin to act as one to function as your creative powers of soul. Desire is the source of your decisions and actions.
Desire becomes the tool of vision and mind. Your soul vision and the Christ mind in you must work together to make decisions. Desire begins to burn into a flame. Now you can choose. Whatever plan God has for you, you can decide with logic, reason, discretion, discrimination and discernment. This is how to remain in obedience to first four laws. Help God by using all your faculties, plus common sense. Sometimes one plan stands out brilliantly because your past love has already burned away all obstacles and interference.
Action is to do something. Your action is to read about it, think about it, talk about it, wonder about it, ponder over it. Then you get up and get busy. Any small action is good. If you have decided on the wrong plan, God acts by taking it away or He stops you. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Each person is a special servant of God’s will. Declare, “I am an ambassador in bonds. God is my bondsman.” He wants you and can use you if you are interested now. Hold to these four laws. Keep wearing your armor of Light. Fulfill your new covenant with God to be used. Desire more life and more confidence. Make your decision always to hold. Your action is to ascend in consciousness, to reach for the stars, to let faith possess you. When you are faith in action, you are unconquerable!
What Is Compassion?
Edna Lister transcript, May 6, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, Virginia Whitehead, scribes. Ephesians 6:1-20.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”–Ephesians 6:1-20.
This chapter of the Epistle to Ephesians describes the whole armor of God. Paul is our greatest ensample of a repentant sinner. Paul confessed his past errors and witnessed to the truth. He was prolific and frank in his writing. In his Letter to Philippians, he writes, “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.”–Philippians 120-23.
Paul desired to be with Christ, but knew he still had work to do here. In Ephesians, Paul boils it down to this: You could ascend, conquer everything earth can produce, if you obey the four most sacrificial of laws governing the greatest difficulties in your relationships. First, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”–Ephesians 6:1. Love and Wisdom are your divine parents, and you must obey them. Second, “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”–Ephesians 6:2-3. If you do not honor your parents, you have no honor. You are a combination of the Father of Wisdom and the Mother of Love. Unless you honor Wisdom and Love, you are not honoring your high spiritual Parents. If you honor God’s Love and Wisdom coming through you, you do not degrade them.
Third, “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”–Ephesians 6:4. If parents can discipline children without interjecting their own opinions, prejudices and horse and buggy emotions, they will not provoke their children. Further, parents anger their children when they do not live up to the ideals they preach. You have emotional and mental children, too, and your negativity provokes them to wrath. For instance, people degrade the Father-Mother principles when they dwell on political hatreds. Finally, Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”–Ephesians 6:5-8.
Serve your worldly masters as if you were serving Jesus. In turn, a worldly master should treat his employees as he would treat Jesus. The same law that governs servants and masters also covers all the menial tasks of life, like scrubbing floors. Where did the pail, brush and water come from? From the Word came immense energy, which humanity has misused to create relentless wars. Now, we are dusting and scrubbing for God. All the leftover residue, the dust and ashes, will be added to the reserve supply of life sparks. Give this redeemed substance to the Master, as a servant. Do each thing as if you were handing it to him, kneeling at his feet. Do not be just a man-pleaser, but be a God-pleaser.
The whole armor of God is your best protection. I could write an entire book on these metaphysical correspondences. To live completely in the Garden of Eden, you must cleanse and protect the Promised Land and the Land of Egypt. Gird your loins with truth and cover them with Light to protect the liver and the spleen. The red corpuscles formed in the bone marrow and the liver meet in the spleen, to keep you healthy. The breastplate of righteousness includes the right use of these four laws. The breastplate covers and protects the stomach, heart and lungs, and its twelve stones direct rays of repulsion to protect you from the fiery darts of the wicked. Look at their grim faces and laugh inside. Smile and pay them no attention. If someone calls you names, ascend above the barbs.
The feet represent understanding, metaphysically. To protect your understanding, you must put on the preparation of the gospel of peace. You cannot have peace unless you understand the peace of God and your identity with Him as your Source. If Love and Wisdom are your parents who rule you, then peace symbolizes the harmony among your phases of soul, creature, rational and Oversoul. When you have compassion for yourself, and your consciousness acts as one at all levels, you will know the gospel of peace and live it. Wear the shield of faith on your left arm, which represents the inner kingdom. You can move it, so you can cover your solar plexus when you need protection. The helmet of salvation protects the golden bowl. Your personal helmet of salvation is the awakened crown lotus center shining as your crown of glory and illumination.
Carry the sword of truth in your right hand. When you have become these six laws, you pick it up, and become as Jesus said, “Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”–Matthew 5:37. The sword awakens your creative faculties until imagination becomes vision, until desire burns with a flame of glory and gives birth to decision and action. Your face tells the world all about you. You leave yourself vulnerable if you misuse the sword of truth. When you are learning these things, you are sure to make more than one mistake in the world. Hold your sword flat side out, and negative people will remain quiet and go away.
As your Godlike faculties move into action, you can choose under logic, reason, discretion, discrimination and discernment. The Father will back any decisions that have burning desire behind them. He then adds Power to your Oversoul Star to remove the obstacles from your path. He protects you by stopping you when continuing is unsafe. It does no good to run around talking about your ideals and goals for the world to tear them down. Put your past ideals on a cloud of Light, but never relinquish them. Do something toward accomplishing your goals each day, if only thinking and praying about them. Just do one little thing along this path every day. God needs your creativity now.
I’ve had a College in mind for forty-two years. At first it was small, but now it is twenty miles square. I have put all the buildings on clouds of Light. One day this vision will come to pass. Never let go of your vision. Walk toward it. Don’t complain about people who block your way. Say, “You’re no obstacle, but part of the plan’s greatness. You’ve made it greater.” Act as if you have your glory now. Ignore the outer and see your vision.
The sword of truth and the shield of faith make you invisible before the world’s negativity. People may accuse you of being proud. You are, because you know that of yourself you are nothing, but the Father does the work, and He works everything together for good. “Father, we walk in Your Light. You are our illumination. Make us bold because we are ambassadors of Light to the masses, faithfully returning the bond to You.”
What is Illumination?
Edna Lister outline, Mother’s Day May 13, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Matthew 5:14-16, 6:22-23.
“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.
Illumination is defined as “the act of illuminating or the state of being illuminated; a source of light; spiritual or intellectual enlightenment; insight or understanding; the act of making understood; clarification.” God intended you to be an ambassador of Light, a candle on a hill, seen of men, not hidden under a bushel, not a martyr. Where do you see the Light? “The light of the body is the eye.”–Matthew 6:22. Your body will be full of Light if your focus, your eye is single on the Light.
“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 6:23. The Master is not speaking of an earthly light. Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the Law. When he came down, his face was too bright for the people to look upon. The purity of the Law brings such brightness of spiritual illumination. The glory shone on Moses’ face, and on Jesus Christ at the Mount of Transfiguration. The glory of God is an unearthly ecstasy beyond your dreams.
“The true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world.”–John 1:9. You brought that original Light with you when you descended to earth. How do you hold it? Three terms characterize your stance as you hold your original Light — receptive, flexible and balanced. Every soul ready to descend to earth is called before a Council that poses the question, How much Light do you want to take to earth with you? Many answer, “Enough to be a good wife and mother, or husband and father.” Others say, “Enough to be beautiful, to be handsome, to be wealthy.” A few say, “Enough to be a good minister.” A very few say, “Enough to be a great Light, to light the way for the world.”
Today is Mother’s day. Mother love is a way of life, a pacemaker and a peacemaker, the most sustaining, nourishing power on earth. Only love can be receptive enough to open the soul to greater acceptance. Mother love is outstandingly receptive, and always holds a listening attitude, ready to listen. A mother thinks, “I’d better listen or I’ll miss something.” Not to listen to God is discourteous. A mother is also always ready to give. Mothers specialize in giving love. If you feel that you cannot give love or that others reject your love, make more room on your cloud continent of Light, enlarge it and promote everyone to it. Expose others to receiving truth by living it. Your face will shine like the Master’s, too bright with glory and the love of God to be seen.
Flexibility is the ability to change instantly. Cultivate a brooding yearning selfless compassionate understanding, to bend under pressure, but not break. Each has a niche in God’s great tower reaching up to the Source. The tower is the structure of God’s plan. When one falls out of his niche, lift him, brush him off and paste him back in his niche with a compound of love. Unless your love is an epoxy compound of love, faith, trust and brooding yearning mixed well, no one you lift into their own degree of Light will stay there. The miracle depends on the holding power of your epoxy mixture. Sometimes you must hold them in your own niche, closely, until their own strength grows sufficient to move them into their place and hold them there. Angels have charge over you when you speak the Word expansively enough to become all you need.
Balance is the state of equilibrium between Love and Wisdom, but true Mother love, not sentimental mawkish love, not an unbalanced martyrdom. It takes little to end as an imposed upon worm, a doormat. When you feel put upon, you have been cheating yourself. Everyone needs and must learn to apply a balanced appraisal. For example, picture a family of five having cake for dessert. A martyrish mother will take none. She is not teaching her children unselfishness, but to expect others to sacrifice in their favor. Pure Mother love is always poised. When your poise meets God’s Power, your faculties of intuition and illumination establish the Oversoul’s Christed I AM consciousness, dwelling in the high place of consciousness.
God’s Powerhouse never suffers a breakdown because Light never dies. An illumined mother is a shining Light, a pacesetter, a peacemaker. You must be receptive to new truth, flexible to life, able to bend without breaking. Further, you must remain balanced in prayer and action. Measureless Light and timeless love, are yours. Today, you have it! What will you do with it? What will you make of it? What kind is your love, what size? Love is your investment in Eternal Life. “Let your Light so shine!”
What is Illumination?
Edna Lister transcript, Mother’s Day, May 13, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, scribes. Matthew 5:14-16, 6:22-23.
“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.
The electricity that powers a light bulb starts with rain and snow in the mountains. We must condense Light and energy before they are usable, which leads us back to the original fiat, “Let there be Light!” You can trace energy through every cell, molecule and atom back to the Source of Light. Light as Love and Wisdom are the two great Emanations of life itself. Love is the motivating power of life. Wisdom gives understanding. “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 declaration, “Ye are the light of the world,” epitomizes Mother love. Love must give its light, so what good is love if you hide it? To express love, unlock your heart, and practice the art of loving. Do not fear that those whom you love will ask for something you can’t give them. They will ask for more love and understanding than you have, so give them the love of God, which is firm and unselfish.
“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. You look into another’s eyes for love. Dull eyes show selfishness, a criticism of God because “I have prayed, but God isn’t coming through for me the way He should.” Such a soul holds onto his opinions and prejudices while self cuts off his contact with love. Your only “right” in regard to love is to give it, not to ask for it. Love reveals itself in the eyes, which tell the story of your life. You must understand the Mother Love of God for your eyes to be bright and single, focused on the Light.
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.”–Matthew 6:23. Cheating yourself encourages evil. Sublime superiority is to know triumphantly that others need and want of you. Yet this can lead to self-centeredness, inflating your ego. Your eyes will show it. Your expression will say, “Please pet me. Please understand me. God may love me but I need you, too. I’m sorry for my self.” Then, of course, people only love you “in spite of.” When joy lights your eyes, people love you “because.” Take joy only in being needed as an agent of the Father’s selfless love. Conquer where you are, and accept.
“If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”–Matthew 6:23. This calls for deep inner analysis and lifting. Accept the heavenly Light. Moses suffered great heartache after he led the children of Israel from Egypt. He went to the mountain to receive the Law, and after the miracle of talking with God, returned with the tablets. His face shone so brightly from being with God that they could not see his features. In fact, few of them saw him at all, so they continued worshiping the golden calf. They saw the Light, but paid no attention. Just so, when your Light is great enough, your family sees you as a mirror. They see their own negatives in your face, and may even indulge in calling you names.
Jesus took three disciples to the mount to witness his Transfiguration. His robes glistened with the Light shining from within, and the Mother ray, expressing as Love and Wisdom, fueled the glowing Light that shone from his face as the sun. When people or events tempt you to criticize, see that vision of the Light of Jesus’ countenance. See that Light in the eyes of the one you would criticize. It will pay dividends. It is the Shekinah glory beyond the silver-white sunset.
Those who want to shuffle off Hamlet’s mortal coil
Whether ‘tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
The Heart-ache, and the thousand Natural shocks
That Flesh is heir to? ‘Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream;
Aye, there’s the rub,
For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.
–William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1623, First Folio
When you accept responsibility, you go through the three stages of receptivity, flexibility and balance. The two necessary qualities in mothering love are listening and giving. A loving mother listens under receptivity. She sleeps with one eye open, and hears her child’s every sound. To pray only for your “I wants,” without listening to others’ needs, is discourteous to God. A listening attitude is essential, so listen to God first. Be alive, alert and on fire with the life of God! The Power using you is great, so make room for it in your consciousness and with declarations. Lift the needy person out of the dirt with mother love and put him on a cloud of Light. You will find the perfect words are placed on your lips at the right time. Give of your inner beauty and be receptive to others’ needs.
Under flexibility you learn that you need more of love’s brooding, yearning qualities, a desire to understand. Use the Socratic method and ask questions rather than saying, “You can’t do this,” or, “You are wrong.” Draw the person out; let him talk about his problem or desires. Through such agreeing and adjusting, he often discovers that he no longer wants what he thought he did. The brooding, yearning qualities of mother love are not martyrdom. Mothers who are martyrs are ignorant, with little or no love or wisdom. They come in two types, the young-looking ones and the hags. Since you have only one face, treating it gently and tenderly is a good idea.
Heaven is filled with great Orders of Archangels, Councilors and Protectors of Light. Every soul must appear before a Council before coming to earth. Each brings his or her own Light, yet they can give special Light to each soul there. Some expectant mothers say, “I just want to be a good mother,” so they take that much of the Light and no more. A woman may be a good mother, forget to be a good wife and so lose her husband. You might as well say, “I just want to get by.” All souls bring their measure of love with them. What are you doing with yours? Do you go back for more each night and fill your body in the morning? Few are so multiple-minded. Yet you can be, if you always go back for more Light. God is Light, so His abundance of Light is endless. Be receptive to new truth everywhere. If you don’t add something to yesterday’s idea, it becomes today’s opinion and prejudice.
You will receive enough kicks in life to keep you upright. Accept your need for flexibility and become balanced. Knowing that you stand in balance with the great ones upholding you is important. Melchizedek is walking earth again, and our Lord is with you. Just remember that you are riding an ascending escalator for illumination. Keep saying, “Let the Light of God possess me. Let the Wisdom and Love of God possess me.” Light then fills you because Light illumines Wisdom and Love. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do.”–John 14:13. Jesus said, “Ask in may name,” believing you have it, and you will. What is the quality of your faith? Is your faith filled with the Love of God? Keep on knowing that God cannot fail. God is under the solemn obligation to fulfill His promises when you love enough. Listen and give of your love freely and abundantly. Your eyes will be alight with joy and you will be in balance.
God as Personality and Principle
Edna Lister outline, May 20, 1962, Cleveland, OH. John 1:1-5, 15:1-11, 15:22-24.
“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.”–John 1:1-5.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”–John 15:1-11.
“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.”–John 15:22-24.
The first chapter of the Gospel of John establishes both principle and personality. Light as the Word is a vibration that became man. The Word is all that is in all, as all, through all as the great principles of Light as Mind, Substance, and Power. Principle is the undeviating absolute immutable unchangeable basic foundation of all universes. Man, as creator personality, makes all plans for his life, and performs all actions in his life under principle. What you feel about and see in a person, you call personality.
Three things happen to principle under man, as a creator — explosion through Power, expansion through Mind, and expression as Substance. Without Power, no explosion can occur. Without Mind, no expansion takes place. Without Substance, no expression can happen. All form, everything in form is substance. Even words are the substance of the Holy Spirit, condensed to a lower vibration. In the beginning, principle is absolute. Under man, principle becomes relative and concrete, everything seen and heard is solid. This is how people can form rigid opinions. The Mother of Earth becomes visible as explosion, expansion and expression. Ex- means “outside; out of; away from.” E represents the Mother as love, as substance in form. X symbolizes a crossing out.
Under man, as the creator, principle becomes relative as you modify it into lesser laws possible for human understanding, to suit your needs. Yet even when you modify it, you do not change principle. When man the creator makes a decree, he necessarily bases all his formulas in and on principle. When he speaks the Word, every attribute, quality and part of God, as absolute principle, moves into action. God has made you, the creator, in His own image and likeness. A creator plans his final creations as determined by original idea that he put into form in the plan. A creator plans under soul direction in the Light. The creature plans in under the dictates of self in the darkness. Creature nature is inadequate, a weak doormat, leading to failure. Creator consciousness is strong, vigorous and stands undaunted. The creature is always crawling from a ditch. Only praise will extend arms of Light to lift you.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus outlines personality, and calls himself the vine. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”–John 15:1-2. The Father is the vinedresser, who prunes even the good branches so they may bear more fruit. The Master then says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”–John 15:7. He gives us full directions for living. He always teaches us something.
Faith is an outstanding principle, and Jesus must have emphasized it. To abide in loving faith is to keep the commandments of love. The quality of love behind faith determines the speed of a miracle. The substance is waiting to be stamped with your name and number. Your spoken Word decree stamps it. Your love-as-faith prepares it as molds of form. Spirit does the work. You take three steps in a miracle, or in stamping substance with your number and name. First, the idea causes a Power explosion in your higher creative center, your head. Second, your use of Mind for your plan causes an expansion of faith. Third, your resulting expansion of faith releases more substance for expression. One step follows the other.
A miracle can die without sufficient nourishment. It can go to seed. You must feed it with your loving faith a thousand times an hour. Your decree can sink to “human nature,” the creature stage of a worm, weak, full of doubt and sorrow. A miracle of weakness is still a miracle. A creator stands strong in courage to garner, wealth, fame and health. And inner conflict weakens your faith and love. Inner agreement makes your love and faith strong and invincible.
“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.”–John 15:22-24. The people about whom Jesus was speaking felt perfect, as long as no one rebuked them. Once he revealed the truth, they had no cloak, so they hated and reviled him. The Light of principle, shining through personality, shows up all the dark places.
You, by the Power of your spoken Word, can decree a whirling sphere for explosion, expansion and expression. It goes before you, clearing your way, and burning away all barriers. “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, who call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”–Isaiah 45:2-3. If God be for us, what more can we ask? Stand still: Capture some of that inner joy. Feel that sense of inner beauty. Nourish it. Hold it. Be enthralled with life. Feel the explosion, the expansion of faith, your expression of unconquerable faith and unquenchable love.
God as Personality and Principle
Edna Lister transcript, May 20, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, scribes. John 1:1-5, 15:1-11, 15:22-24.
“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.”–John 1:1-5.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”–John 15:1-11.
“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.”–John 15:22-24.
Truth has three stages—first, you think about it, then you talk about it, finally you conquer and do something about it. Life is a step by step process of conquering, which a child does in each new thing he learns. Conquering is the keynote of learning. We have fundamental principles, which are unalterable and immutable, the undeviating foundation of all universes, or you could not conquer.
After God emanated the principles of Light as Wisdom, Love and the Logos, He became active in manifestation. He understood that He had done a great work in creating man as personality, which follows the Love principle, as finite mind, which follows the Wisdom principle, and with the power of the spoken Word, which follows the principle of the Logos. The brain is your physical instrument of understanding, which links you to God.
Principle is in all, through all, as all. God is your real foundation for both principle and personality, for you could not exist out here on the periphery had He not created you at the Source. The first chapter of John tells how principle became personality. As the vibration of Light was lowered, God thought of form and created it. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us through Mind, Substance and Power, the three great relative abstract principles.
As a personality, you have the right to make a decree. Principle is absolute and abstract, but when personality operates upon it, principle becomes relative and concrete. Principle becoming concrete is why some people become rigid in opinion. God as principle becomes form, but you need the means to bring the three principles into action in your life here. God gives you the equipment to do this.
God has given personality the power to speak the Word and create, yet as a creator, you must make your own plans and put them in operation. Power gives you the energy to begin, Mind directs you, and Substance provides your material expression, which you bring into form through the spoken Word, activated by the Holy Spirit. You use the Holy Spirit when you speak, so you must not use idle words.
It is always a miracle when anyone creates substance into form, even when someone misuses it. You stamp substance with your own name and number when you speak the Word to make a decree. Under your plan of operation, the Power moves out and becomes action according to the direction of Mind. Substance then expands into, or becomes form. Thus, Mind, Substance and Power make miracles.
The Master emphasizes faith in John 15. The apostles always said that faith came first, and taught from their foundation of faith, but the Master taught them that faith really is “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” Christianity has lasted 2,000 years. Anything that lasts that long must have some virtue. Television pictures that flash through space are modern proofs of Jesus’ unseen law of faith. Certain things you do must conform to man’s laws. For example, when you turn on the television, you still must tune the right channel to get the desired picture.
Hold yourself in a fluid state for new ideas. Jesus gives us the clue: “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away.”–John 15:2. God can take any pet idea of yours away, if it has cluttered your life and capacities until you become static and rigid under the law of concrete relative principle. Choosing to explode the concrete block of pet ideas is less disconcerting to get to the heart of new things that may be good. Under the laws of explosion, expansion and expression, your joy becomes full. You must empty the pitcher to put more in it. To comprehend Mind, Substance and Power, you must look up. You reach up and discover that under Power, you contact the concept in Mind, and as it fills your brain cells, an explosion of illumination comes.
Your desire—your expression of the Love principle—reaches out, and as it touches the concept in Mind, you experience illumination, a new idea, under the great principle of Power. That explosion causes your use of divine Mind. You think with Mind and, whenever you use Mind to think with through your faculties, you expand the principle of faith within your consciousness. You have an idea. Faith expands and pushes you into expression as Substance. Then Substance expresses as Love. Through the absolute principles of God, you precipitate Mind, Substance and Power, and so you create.
All Substance is waiting to be marked and stamped by your desire, backed by Love. The Master teaches that love is the only way that principle expresses in your life. You can modify principle to suit your daily needs, and to fit the intelligence of those to whom you speak. In other words, you can modify and dilute, but may never change principle. Speedy success depends upon how much love you put into making your decree. You can decree the weakness of evil and it happens, which is also a miracle. The more you love, the greater your expression of Substance.
God always welcomes you back, even when you kick against the pricks because you resent paying the bills you owe. Speak your decrees as a creator, with enough love of God to make them concrete, and visible. If your wishy-washy attitudes prevail when you decree, little worthwhile returns to you later. Often you pray, and nothing happens, even after much prayer. You see no results and half of you quits, saying, “God didn’t answer my prayer.” Now is the time to stand in faith, to hold fast to God, and to know the truth.
Seven sun centers of light connect your physical body to your fire body. Just one sun center may glow, but the fire body becomes brighter when it does. Feed your miracles a thousand times an hour to keep them nourished, vitalized and quickened. The faculties of faith and glory are in the head. Keep them turned up and they will express as miracles. Constantly tell the Father the miraculous words, “I love you!”
Remember to maintain a sphere of Light around your cars, your homes and offices. It’s time to picture the sphere of Light you decree. Call on the Father for the Power. Fill yourself with the idea of the beauty of God’s Mind, Substance and Power. You wouldn’t crawl around under your desk for the answers during an exam or test. You ascend in consciousness. Let the instrument of understanding, your brain cells, look up to divine Mind, see the divine record and draw nigh to all answers.
The Life Triumphant
Edna Lister transcript, May 27, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, Virginia Whitehead, scribes. Luke 15:11-32.
“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. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”–Luke 15:11-32.
History often repeats these outstanding brother figures, and most families have their equivalent. Worldly opinion would call the older son “good” and the prodigal son “bad,” but both lived according to self-consciousness. They were not alike, yet both did what they wanted. The older brother was penurious, couldn’t loosen up to love, had no warmth, and so was frozen. He loved his animals more than people. The younger son, who had probably been motherless from birth, was the happy one, the joy of his father, because he supplied the love for his father. A bright boy, who loved everyone in all walks of life, he spent money freely. The older son loved his possessions, and it wouldn’t have pleasured him to go out philandering. He wouldn’t have enjoyed it. Both sons were unbalanced. The elder son expressed Wisdom without Love, while the younger expressed Love without Wisdom. His father didn’t discipline him, but his older brother criticized him. So he left with his inheritance with no idea of the value of money. He didn’t think, he just spent and enjoyed himself.
The younger tried his wings, then realized what he was doing when he had nothing left. When he was broke, his so-called friends left him. He had no trade, so he sought work and ended up tending pigs. Yet in his heart he longed for his father because he loved him. When he was starving (many people never think until their stomachs are empty), he pictured his father’s farm and flocks and cattle and the good food they had. He realized his stupidity and decided to go home as a servant in his father’s house. He thought for the first time that now his father would let him work for him. He became aware of his selfishness and all he had neglected. He recognized his brother’s great ability as a worker, but he also knew that his brother would criticize him if he returned. His brother would make life rugged for him, but he didn’t care. He reached the point where he could go to his father and freely confess his sins. If he confessed what he had done, then he could stand up and ask a chance to become the person he could have been.
God is your Father, and when you return to Him, He is always there. You are sons and daughters of God. He is your Father. He doesn’t adopt you, for He created you. The father in this story had been watching for his son daily, hoping he would return, and ran to embrace him when he saw him. God does that for us. He ordered his servants to bring best robe, ring, shoes, and kill the fatted calf to be cooked. The robe, ring and shoes represent inner abundance, the Substance with which you fill your prayer molds, but the fatted calf represents outer substance. As you pray, God adds Power and glory to your molds to make them outwardly manifest. Sometimes you pray, but you can divide the substance of your answer and scatter it by your fear, doubt and resentment later. Your answer is delayed because you worry after praying, and others pick the substance of your answer. You must make new molds.
When the prodigal son decided to return, he didn’t give just one inch at time, or peek through gates. No, he went all the way. He said, “I will go to my father and declare my sins. I will accept the lowliest place because that is all I have earned, and I will not compare it with what others earn.” He surrendered completely to God, and went all-out on awareness, acceptance and surrender of self. His father took him in and clothed him beautifully. Most surrender is from the teeth out, but it must be from the toes up. You cannot fool God; He knows if you are completely sincere. God loves and understands us but He does not change law for us. You must earn your way back. If you have earned only a low place, that is what you get. The robe stands for purity of heart, mind and purpose, all together in one piece. The ring stands for the unity of the individual with his father. The feet are the symbol of understanding and when you put on sandals, you put on comprehension of everything you thought you knew. True freedom and a glorified life triumphant come only under comprehension.
The son finally realized that he was living in the land of Egypt, in the darkness of the world, from the sacrum plexus to the solar plexus. This is an emotional realm, the desire plane. When the prodigal son said, “I will go to my father,” he was going to the Promised Land, the place you gain by surrender of self. The Promised Land is the mental world of love (the heart), inspiration (the lungs), and assimilation (the stomach). When you give up doubt and fear, you ascend to the Promised Land. Your Garden of Eden is the golden bowl, the creative centers in the head. You can find your own Garden of Eden by saying, “I will go into my Father’s House. I will be humblest of all,” and meaning it. Here you give up self and do the things that you know are right before God. Some people fear the Garden of Eden. They peek through the gate and see only their own negatively created jungle of prejudice, opinions, judgment, fears. When you clear your jungle of self and enter the beauty and serenity of the Garden of Eden, you are where the father took his prodigal son in, with love and abundance.
The older brother came home from working and was angry about the celebration. He questioned his father about why he treated the wastrel brother with a feast and merriment. He was furious in his self-righteousness. The father had watched for the younger son daily, but the older son only thought about the farm. He always did his duty, but never loved enough. He told his father how good he’d been all this time, but since he only thought about money, his self-congratulatory crown fell into the mud. When he protested, “You never killed a kid for me,” he never considered that he had everything every day and had used his privileges, not to make merry, but to make projects.
You get not only what you earn, but what you envision. The law is that you get just what you vision, and love begets love. You receive no credit for doing your duty, and God cannot give credits to anyone who credits the self. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot boast and receive credits from God too. This is the law. Some people never get beyond asking for credits. Many “good people” are rigid and stiff, never touching the Garden of Eden because they are busy crediting themselves. Do not give yourself credit. The law is complete surrender to be used by all the Power. Crediting yourself misuses soul substance egotistically, which is debited as riotous living. You redeem your misspent credits when you give up self. You’ve heard the expression, “I’ll pocket my pride.” Why should you have excessive pride to pocket? When you ascend, contact God and see perfection, you can be merry, happy, and achieve joy consciousness.
The prodigal son surrendered self to enter the Garden of Eden, his father’s house. He returned to work there, having triumphed over self. This is the way to the Life Triumphant, and it makes you aware of the practicality of God’s Garden of Eden, and certain that it is a place you may go. The Life Triumphant gives you an awareness of the little self. Cut off the past and begin right here today. Just plant your feet in the place you have earned, then move on straight ahead from there. You cannot fail, because you are growing. Under this law of surrender, you will be completely happy in the place you have earned. The Power is free, limitless according to your faith. God-given silver-white wings will always carry you over life's hurdles and upward to glory. All of us have been prodigal sons or daughters. Let us give up those things that limit us. Put on the shoes of comprehension and the robe and purity of purpose. With your surrendering of self, let the Light move through to wipe out guilt, fear and doubt. Lord, keep us together in a Sphere of Light!
Christ Reigns!
Edna Lister International New Thought Alliance 47th Congress speech outline; July 9, 1962, Los Angeles, CA. James 1:17.
“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.
Today the whole earth is in great travail, giving birth to the new Christed Order, the brave new world of heaven on earth. We must bring this new Order into expression though the new Christed consciousness of humanity. Those already living by a Christed consciousness are the midwives assisting at the birth. During this birthing period, you must answer two great questions: Who am I? What is going to happen? Everyone is seeking identity and security, which are inseparable twins, one follows the other. Under the great configuration of the planets in Aquarius, February 5 to February 25, 1962, they made many predictions. Since it was the same configuration in Pisces, when Jesus was born, many said that a new Messiah would be born, or that Jesus would be reborn, and others said that the earth would be destroyed.
Great Power has been released; some say as much Power as was released when they crucified Jesus. Since we all agree that only one Power exists, the Power of The One, Christed Power must have been released. We are living in the time of the “greater works,” the time of miracle Power. We have established our identity: We are Christed ones, sons and daughters of God. All the security we need comes with this Christed consciousness. In it is “no variation or shadow of turning.” The Power is Light; the Light is Power. Einstein assured us that mass expands into energy, energy expands into Light, and James tell us that this Light comes from above. “In the beginning” God said, “Let there be Light.” The pure white Light of the Christ comes from above. The Christed consciousness comes from above, not through your feet.
The Christed Order is a very simple one. All it needs is every individual manifestation of God on earth to open Christed consciousness. It is as simple and as inevitable as the arrival of Spring. Spring always comes with no effort on your part. The Power is doing the work. You prepare the soul’s garden conditions for Spring by clearing out the accumulated rubbish of twigs and leaves. Just so do we prepare the world for Christed consciousness, by cleaning up old ideas, opinions and prejudices. By “letting your Light shine,” the Christed Power reigns in your life. To reign means to assume full responsibility, to hold firm in the Light with no wavering. Let the Christ Light transform your life, let it transfigure you. One day an office manager went for some coffee; he rounded the corner and stopped short, dismayed by the glum expressions on the people’s faces. He asked if they were happy, and they all said yes. He looked at them again, keenly and said, “Well then, please, tell your faces about it.”
As you plant seeds and watch the miracle of growth, so do you speak the Word and watch miracles of transformation. “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” “Not I, but the Power does the work.” Learn to view problems as a challenge to reach for more Light. As the Christ Light moves through, the Love of God takes over. When I am a Christed one, I fall in love with God. I am in the Light, the Power and the Joy of God. We are the new Christed Order of the Ages. The Christed Order shall prevail!
I Will Arise!
Edna Lister International New Thought Alliance 47th Congress Healing Meeting, July 11, 1962, Los Angeles, CA. Luke 15:18.
“I will arise and go to my Father.”–Luke 15:18.
The perfect prayer for the three steps in healing: I will arise and go into my Father’s House. I will stand under the Light in my own room in my Father’s House. I will wait upon the Lord while I work out my salvation here below.
The Reign of the Christ
Edna Lister outline; July 29, 1962, First Church of Religious Science, Seattle, WA. James 1:17.
“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.
The Christ reigns now. Since the beginning of time, the Christ Power has reigned as one Mind, Power, and substance to become all things. All teachings of the Old and New Testaments declare that Christ shall reign and overcome darkness and evil. We know that an unseen Power is always at work. Jesus said, “The Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.”–John 14:10, and “My Father worketh hitherto and I work.”–John 5:17. The Christ principle is forever active and working.
The whole world is seeking two things, identity and security. People want to know, Who am I? And, What is going to happen? Is your identity social, rooted in the world as fame or money? No, your identity with the Father of lights from above is rooted in your Christed consciousness.
The prodigal son said, “I will arise and go to my father.” As sons and daughters of God, you know that to “Know Thyself” is not enough. You must become aware of your Source. When you know God, your relationship to your fellow man follows in perfect order.
You can know no security without knowledge of your Source. Your faith of God is security. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”–Hebrews 11:1. Faith is substance. Faith is your evidence. How can you doubt this? Spring always comes. Spring is a miracle! You cannot force its arrival sooner, or delay its arrival. You can transform yourself when the conditions are favorable. Faith isn’t something you “try for.” Faith is something you become. Identity and security depend upon two things, transformation and transfiguration.
The Power of the new Christed Age is being released. This is Christ Power, which brings transformation for the whole earth and everyone on it. Einstein made understanding this process easy! Mass, accelerated into a high enough state of energy becomes Light. One day, using Light, science will transform and cure while ails life!
When you use your creative tools of imagination, thinking, and desire scientifically, the seed of life within your soul holds your identity with God in balance constantly. That life is Light, immortal now as you. Light lifts you into soul transfiguration, and you step up to where love warms you. When you fall in love with God, your every prayer brings a miracle! You need not look for the answers to your prayers when you love God enough, for the Light moving through your faith releases more love, which holds your answers!
Light cannot fail! Use spheres of Light at the doors of your office and home. Leave the Light in your chair when you leave the office. When you plan to be strong, love moves in as more than enough and with twelve baskets left over to share! Declare, “The love of God moves through me as rays of propulsion and protection. The love of God possesses me! The Christ Power reigns in my life. I am now immortal. My identity is complete in God! I am secure, for my Father does the work as I work!”
The Fiery Furnace
Edna Lister outline, November 11, 1962, Buffalo, NY. Matthew 13:24-36.
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?’ He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
“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. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.”–Matthew 13:24-36.
The Bible opens with a proclamation, “Let there be Light.” Throughout the Old Testament the prophets made “proclamations,” which are declarations of law. Someone must proclaim it to make a law, to announce it. You can make laws, but if no one knows about them, no action will result. The process requires the one who proclaims and the one who performs.
In the New Testament, Jesus makes proclamations of truth about our inheritance as the sons and daughters of God. He unfolded the truth in story form from simple affairs of daily life, from things they understood.
He unfolded the law behind the proclamation by teaching the necessity for law through parables such as the sower, the good seed, and the tares in the wheat. You cannot pull up the tares until wheat is ripe—they can be separated only when they no longer need their roots. The Word of God is the good seed. The word of self produces weeds and tares, enemies in the world.
Strength comes from standing strong through life’s tests, trials and temptations, the children of the kingdom of evil. People ask, “Why does God allow this evil to go on so long?” Rest assured that God cannot pull out the good while their roots are entangled with evil ones. He must wait until dry rot sets in and loosens evil roots. Today, evil is being separated from the good, establishing two camps. Even the communists are “good” because they are drawing so much evil into the open.
Today’s weed killers do not destroy grass seed. You also have creative tools that act as evil killers when you use them in honor, loyalty and integrity. To “kill” means to change form under love. Honor, loyalty and integrity will put evil to flight and recondition earth itself.
In the first wholesale conversion stories of the Old Testament, they “killed” all enemy families, which has been cited as an example of hate and soul debts. Yet, a far more accurate interpretation is that they changed their form by absorbing all evil from it. To kill the old is to convert it, to change its form.
You can change the outer forms of man, governments and civilization itself by your use of your creative tools. Groups of the Elect are doing so now. When your creative tools of desire thinking and imagination are developed greatly enough, the Love-Light of God flows through you and confounds any enemies of Light.
What is this “furnace of fire?” When you contact the pure love of God, you live to proclaim and perform as love. Nothing can withstand love’s burning power. Only one Mind, Substance and Power exist as life. Flaming life as Light burns out dross and consumes evil. The world is wailing and evil is gnashing its teeth. So what?
You need three ingredients in your attitude toward the world—to be receptive, to be flexible and to be poised in power. First, you must honor God, laws and principles enough to want to be obedient because you cannot bear to fail. Second, you must maintain loyalty to your vows, ideals and principles. Third, you need integrity of heart, mind and purpose. Tomorrow is yours! Today’s building determines what type of tomorrow you will have. The quality of today’s love will determine the quantity of today’s rejoicing. The one who proclaims the truth must become the one who performs the truth.
Are You Wise or Foolish?
Edna Lister outline, November 18, 1962, Buffalo, NY. Matthew 25:1-13.
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”–Matthew 25:1-13.
Down through the ages we have seen many avatars, messiahs and teachers—all of them “great.” Each had a different approach, but all taught the one God, the way of sacrifice, selflessness and forgiveness. Jesus was begotten as the head of all Messiahs. Two thousand years ago, he was born in a cave, never wrote a book, never owned a home or a camel. He had no credentials but his work and his Word. His friends ran away and left him deserted, to face death alone. The religious leaders and priests despised him, his enemies spat upon him. The Roman soldiers gambled over his robe, and they buried him in a borrowed grave. Yet today he is a central figure in the world’s civilizations. All else is nothing compared with his effect upon all life.
All parables point out some virtue. In the preceding chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was speaking of the coming of “Son of Man.” “He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”–Matthew 24:31. This is happening now. Think of the churches, groups, and centers now being cautioned to be ready to stand for the truth. The story of Noah mentions this. The flood caught the scoffers unaware, swept them away and they drowned.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins deals with preparedness. A virgin is one who knows the difference between good and evil. He has eaten of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and knows it leads to the Tree of Life. Ten is the number of perfected personality, or a spiritualized personality. You induct from the outside through your ten fingers. Hold up your left hand as you lift your right hand. The left hand holds the orders as the right hand executes the orders. The left hand represents five principles. The right hand represents the five senses.
Five wise virgins represent five principles of Light, number, color, tone and form, which is also the name principle. The five foolish virgins represent the senses of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting and smelling. The five wise virgins had oil in their vessels and their lamps. The vessel is the body vehicle. You can have no “oil” in your endocrine glands unless you mate desire and will in surrender to the Oversoul I AM consciousness. Unconsciously, using the subconscious mind, you induct impressions and sensory evidence from the world. So, you must draw in and lift the senses—seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting and smelling—combining them with principle. While doing this, you reach a drab place in consciousness, where it seems that you will never experience anything new or interesting again.
The five virgin principles always keep their lamps filled with the oil of Spirit. They are always ready to trim the lamp wick, which symbolizes opening your mind for the new. The bridegroom symbolizes the new ideas and new illuminations you experience as the five principles—Light, number, color, tone and form—are functioning through the endocrine glands in your head.
The five wise virgins represent five endocrine glands and structures in the head. You must fill the thalamus, the parathalamic structures, the pituitary gland and the pineal body with the oil of Spirit. You still use your right hand to induct from the world, but from above its level. You are in the world but not of it, not involved in it. The wise virgins follow the one great law of attention to details, which is essential in training and disciplining the self. You do not need to have the world pin your ears back when you watch the details and pin your own back. This is going forth to meet the bridegroom, planning to meet life’s experiences. According to the parable, both the wise and foolish virgins became weary and fell asleep. When life goes slowly, your enthusiasm goes stale and you are apt to forget your goal.
Midnight symbolizes a change in vibration from the sun’s lowest point of energy at midnight, when the sun begins to rise again. The increase in energy begins to accelerate your atomic body. Every teacher knows that greater Power moves through, starting at midnight of the night watch. The ten virgins awaken, the five principles become active and the five senses want to follow. Because the senses have no oil, they are too weak to function at the spiritual level. They ask for oil, but it is not enough to lift them. You cannot sublimate the five senses all at once. It is a step by step process over time. The foolish ones had taken a little bit off into a corner, like people who say, “I have some truth. I don’t need any more.” They find that the door has closed to prevent them from graduating with the rest of their class. You must trim your lamp of taints, opinions and prejudices. The five foolish virgins are free to swing around cyclically on the wheel of fate, falling into the same old ditches they dug with grief and blame. The bottom is thick with mud from their past tears.
Once you know law, you must acknowledge that you are guilty if you disobey. Once you know law, self has no place to hide. All foolish ones like to destroy the source of Light, which “rebukes” them. Do you know God is greater than your puny ideas, pains and opinions? Do you know that the stars still shine in the darkness? Get acquainted with God. Self is not your best friend. Starve the old demons of self, the hungry doubts and fears. Give idle words no nourishment. You draw on today’s deposit in God’s Bank tomorrow. What is today’s deposit? What will it be? You cannot withdraw today’s joy and courage BY using yesterday’s old passwords of fear and grief.
The bridegroom is the Christ Mind that changes your passwords when you make a marriage with the Lamb of God. It means stepping onto your path of destiny where the five principles reign. Then your five senses induct from the Christ Power. The Christ Mind is the bridegroom. It can announce its arrival at any time. A closed mind cannot hear it, for it has no “oil.” The Christ Mind can tell a friend from evil. It can speak the Word to awaken you when you slumber lightly. Make your inquiry of “that mind which was in Christ Jesus,” then listen after asking. Listen to Mind with your mind!
Many Pearls, Great Treasure< br>Edna Lister outline, November 25, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Matthew 13:44-50.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”–Matthew 13:44-50.
This Scripture contains three succinct parables—first, a treasure, second, a pearl and third, a net. The treasure is the truth. You hide it in the field of heart and soul, and do not talk about it. The treasure of truth is summed in the declaration, “I AM the Way.” To find the Way is to give up everything else in joy to own the whole field. The field is the soul, the mind, the heart, the body and its affairs. To buy the field, you must walk the way of surrender of self. The treasure is a way of life. The pearl is “I AM the truth.” Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Truth is a state of being, a quality of the soul. The soul is truth. Truth is the action of the soul as honor, loyalty and integrity. Truth is purity.
To gain the field and the pearl, you must sell something, or make an exchange. You cannot give away your assets, or you will have nothing left. To sell implies that you will receive full value. The net is different. It is an act, and this is a choice. Even after surrendering, something else remains for you to do. You must make a just appraisal. A just appraisal is in itself a constant choice. You must constantly choose to give up earth’s tinsel for the gold of Spirit. A net is “I AM the life.” The sea represents life and the world of men. You use a net to catch and to hold. You store your good catch in vessels, but cast away the bad. You do this under a just appraisal. You cast the wicked into fire to be purified. No one can just sit in a corner, for you must cast your net, meaning that you must go into the world.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”–John 14:6. I AM is your point of contact with God. You must accept your soul identity with God because He rules your life. “The way” refers to imagination. “The truth” is your thinking. “The life” is your desire. These are your creative tools, and you must use them as one. If your desires, thinking and imagination are in conflict, nothing ever comes together, no miracles are “added” to your life. You must sell all self for the way, and all little ideas for the large truth.
Cast your net into the sea to lift all good for nourishment, and cast the bad into fire. Discard opinions and old prejudices and patterns of thinking and emoting. Stop, look and listen to allow divine Mind a chance to act, to express each action with truth. How much truth do you need and want? Will you be satisfied with just a little, just enough to get by on? How much is enough? Lift all conflicts between self and soul into harmony. Your secret weapons are your creative tools—desires, thinking and imagination working together as one. Steadfast right thinking invokes limitless power. Vivid imagination builds a strong mold. Burning desire compresses substance into visibility.
Remain vigilant. Every time you add a new law, you start a self-conflict. You must own yourself. No one, nothing out there can own you unless you permit it. To allow any power outside to touch or to rule you is stupid and detrimental. You must give up the world to own yourself. Sell all you have to learn the way, the truth and the life. If you don’t own yourself how can you give yourself up? Become God’s Way. Express God’s Truth. Become invisible life, a triumph of strength and victory. Ascend in consciousness, into a higher octave on your proper chord of life. Stop crowding someone else. Stop straddling the abyss between self and soul!
Many Pearls, Great Treasure
Edna Lister transcript, November 25, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, scribes. Matthew 13:44-50.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”–Matthew 13:44-50.
I plan to write a book on parables. In the first parable, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, in the second parable, like a pearl, and in the third parable, like a net. When I chose to give these three parables after twenty years, I knew that a new era had begun. After every passage that says, “it shall come to pass,” it later says, “and it came to pass.” As a prophet gives a prophecy, so the Bible later records its verification. In analyzing what treasure is, I saw, “I AM the way, I AM the truth, I AM the life.” Jesus gave us the interpretation of each law, and life verifies that the connection is there.
The “treasure hidden in a field” is related to “I AM the Way,” as Jesus said. You’ve found your way of life, and follow that path of soul undeviatingly. The man who found the treasure hid it deeper. Advertising the treasure hampers you, and it’s what ails the world. You must hold a new truth within yourself, live it and become an ensample of it. It becomes the way of life that you choose. Some people cry about their nerves, anxiety, stress or tension, but God made all nerves to struggle and react the same way. What are you doing with them? You have an equal right to use this God-given substance, but you need the intestinal fortitude to do something about it. Those who suffer for years with nervous tension enjoy it. Those who devote themselves to truth admit no failures, only victories. Some are slower or lazier. A prayer for a miracle sends a line to Source, the returning Light touches you, and you have your victory. What you believe when you have found new way of life, a new truth, is up to you. Hide it in your field, which is your mind. Don’t talk about it, become it.
In the second parable, a man sold all his small pearls to buy a pearl of great price. This relates to Jesus saying, “I AM the Truth.” The one great Truth of God has many facets, all of which are perfect. When have you sold all the conscious and subconscious ideas you have gleaned from the world for one great truth? You must cast away any less-than-perfect ideas for the truth of soul. You cast your dragnet into the sea of life every day. Eventually, you learn to keep the good, and cast evil into the refiner’s fires for purging. This parable relates to “I AM the Life.” Being on earth forces you to be in the world of men with its continual cross-vibrations. This includes conquering of emotions, achieving Christed I AM consciousness, and being able to make just appraisals in life.
The first two parables deal with the soul and its inner workings, the third deals with the way you cast your net into the sea of life. You must live your life in contact with people. Keep the good you gain through experience and cast the bad into eternal fire, which means to give the darkness to the Father to be purged of evil in His fire of love and truth. This is the secret of life, your secret weapon for protection. Be aware and alert. Make a just appraisal. You must know what things in the world are evil and consciously cast them into fire of truth. Do this instead of criticizing, judging, or condemning.
That you “have treasure” means you’ve found the creators’ way of life. You have a pearl of great price, truth. I AM consciousness is your point of contact between these three creative tools, imagination, thinking, and desires, the way for Christed I AM to rule you through desire mated with will. I AM must rule the emotions before you can make a just appraisal. You can have a steadfast twenty-four-hour shift, controlled by the I AM Christ mind and you need a burning desire to use your creative tools.
The Bible says there will be wars and rumors and wars, but God would not destroy us. Where is the faith of those who fear God’s plan? These are the steps you take: You see, experience, make a just appraisal, cast out all that is superfluous, but keep the one pearl, the Truth of God. Stop, look, listen and let God turn on the Light switch of “the way” to see the kingdom of protection. This is the principle of protection. Thinking invokes the high Power, direct from God, the Source of all Power. You each have a direct communication line to God. Use it. Imagination turned up is vision, which creates molds stronger than steel. They even hold when you turn to look at darkness. Fathers hold Light around molds to protect them for a time, while you are faithful to Light.
Your emotional life is subject to one great Law. Can you sell something you do not own? It is time to begin to own yourself. You do not own yourself if you blame people, the government, nor if you give yourself to negativity, hurts, doubts, hatreds. God makes His enemies footstools to those who declare it good. There is one Power, the power of your own good, the power of your own soul. Declare, “Thank You, Father, because You cleanse this darkness, and please return Substance to him, to fill him with all good.” Let your Light so shine in dark places that they become Light. Yet the Light in your eyes is a rebuke, so others may resent you. It is only natural.
You can see the offertory ram in the bushes if you watch for it. Own yourself first so nothing on the outer can disturb you. Have compassion for the foolish ones. Move into a higher octave on your chord of life. Get back on your own chord and tone, and you’ll know that the glory of the Father possesses you. To be fully filled with Love of God is a creative thing. Love your fellow man, and praise God. As you express God’s likeness, you become as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Your imagination turns upward to soul vision. Your thinking climbs up to wisdom. Your emotions ascend to a burning desire to become, to walk in the way, to express the truth, to live the life.
Your Net of Light
Edna Lister outline, December 2, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Matthew 13:31-33, John 21:1-6.
“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 becomes 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.
“After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise showed 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.”–John 21:1-6.
The mustard seed represents the “pushing up” power of the Father of Wisdom, the aggressively masculine power of God. The leaven represents the spreading power of the Mother of Love “pushing out” to encompass, to include, to draw in, to draw together. Leaven symbolizes the pervasive, penetrating, permeating feminine power of love. The leaven and the mustard seed both represent the expansive power of increase. Mustard seed represents growth of the individual soul. Leaven represents the power of transforming the outer, of people and conditions into its own likeness. The mustard seed and leaven are gifts with which God endowed you. You brought them with you to earth. These two phases of Power must go into production before you can have results with your nets. Again, the sea represents water, and the outer world where you earn your living.
The combination of the sea and the net catching fish, or substance, represents the principle of action in the outer. The principle of action is always “working for” you when you declare it so. The net represents what you must earn by your use of Wisdom and Love. Seven of the disciples were together. They were still puzzled and wondering about what had happened to Jesus. They had doubts, a certain disillusionment. Surely they were pondering why Jesus had let himself be taken and crucified. They were staying together, holding onto each other, not going to God. They were hungry, and Peter, who represents the power of faith, said, “I go fishing!”
With their unfocused start, no wonder their result was nothing. They did not know what to do first, or where to go. They’d had no sleep. Although Jesus had done his best to prepare them, they were not ready. The events had been so sudden. They entertained a guilt complex because they had slept in Gethsemane while he prayed. They had no time to get organized and were too dazed with grief and shock. They couldn’t catch anything under such inner confusion. Which is the right side of the boat? Why, it is where the fish are now. A fisherman knows that depending on the tide, the fish feed in outer deep water, other times near the shore.
The disciples were weary and hungry, not using their mental faculties of logic, reason, discernment, discrimination, or discretion, on what they were doing. They needed direction and control to help them reorganize themselves. Even a stranger was good to and for them, someone to tell them what to do. Jesus told them to try the “other side.” They not only put their net on the side where the fish gathered, having someone give them a command reconditioned them mentally and emotionally. There were the fish!
Before you fish, you must do several things. You have to mend your net or the fish escape through the holes. You mend net with joyous expectancy so your miracles won’t fall through. It isn’t enough to mend the holes, to clean up old thoughts, emotions and imagination. You must make sure you are using the great principle of love to draw, to encompass, to enfold substance, to pervade the world with your absorbing leaven of love. If your net does not fill on one side (a delayed miracle), don’t stop. Don’t quit or think God doesn’t want you to have it. Thinking “It’s not for me” is silly! Keep your eyes up on God and the goal. Try the “other side” of the boat, the “right side.” Use another approach, but never stop joyously expecting results. Every time you drop your net, you invite soul growth, soul expansion upward and soul expression outward. The self side is always the wrong side. “My way is best” scatters your miracles in every direction. “I must do this my way” squeezes the miracle to death.
You cannot waste time—you only waste yourself. Time is. You hold this precious hour in your hands. How will you fill it? How will you breathe the Breath of Life into it? How will you make it pay you dividends for tomorrow? If you believe in an available God, if you grant a known God, if you accept His closeness as of now, if you decide to “live and move and have your being in Him,” then become interested enough to be expectant! You must be joyous enough to feel alive, strong, beautiful and triumphant!
Your Net of Light
Edna Lister transcript, December 2, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, scribes. Matthew 13:31-33 and John 21:1-6.
“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 becomes 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.
Why are these parables about mustard seed and leavening, placed so closely together? The Bible is the history of a great civilization, but is also a textbook, which had to correlate and bring together the events of 7,000 years. We are already in a new 7,000 years. John said that if all the sayings of Jesus were written, the world could not hold the books. Every 2,000 years a new Messiah, o’ershadowed by the Source, must give these revitalized truths.
The King James Version is the only translation still retaining even a hint of the mysteries, and some italicized words imply this. {Usually italicized words have been interjected to create a rational grammar.} Newer translations of the Bible appeal to the masses. When redactors (editors and translators) delete the mysteries, the Bible becomes more appealing to those who otherwise find the its size and mysticism daunting. Nevertheless, despite the diluted truths, God still o’ershadows them and endows them with increases in soul as they study His Word. Some Bible verses may use the same words to describe apparently conflicting points. In these cases both statements are true, but their meanings may differ.
The parable of the mustard seed compares the size of a tiny seed with a whole mustard tree. It represents aggressive pushing up, the kind of power that represents Wisdom. You must spread out and push up to illumination, which is the way to soul expansion. If every Christian pulled up the masculine magnetic current (the etheric current is feminine) through this Wisdom-power, the result of such soul expansion would cause great Light to encompass earth and destroy evil. Correspondingly, mustard seed represents the power of Wisdom in you. Conversely, leaven symbolizes the pervasive, penetrating, permeating power of Love. Leaven is substance,
The heart of every construct in Creation is rich with Light and the life of God. Your eyes are capacitated for inner vision as well as outer. Your desire to see spiritually, causes Light to strike the optic chiasm of the thalamus and to shine through form, not merely on it. {Light illumines the truth of every physical form.} Everything you touch must be permeated by Light, the leavening substance of the universal Mother Love. The vitality of your degree of leaven depends on the quality and quantity of your love, twenty-four hours a day, twelve months a year.
“After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise showed 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.”–John 21:1-6.
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. The sea represents universal life. Casting out the fishing net represents how and what you gather in from life. Casting the net represents individual soul-action after living up to law of nonresistance, the aggressive power of Wisdom. You are not aggressive, but the nature of Power itself is.
The leavened substance in bread is malleable. Leaven permeates and is malleable, as is love. When you say no, you punch a hole in your mold for substance. It is a painful labor to stand, and it takes intestinal fortitude. Stand and wait in Love and Wisdom, and the person who refused will later call and say yes. Tyrants and dictators use the same law in a negative way for brainwashing.
“Not I but my Father does the work.” God has given us two gifts: First, the power of leaning on His Wisdom, as in the mustard seed. Second, God has given us the power to make a person malleable through divine Love, as with the leaven.
When your love is great enough, the feminine power of leaven permeates and breaks up emotional and mental rigidity. The leavening Light only goes forth if you invoke it from above, which sends it through you. What can evil do with that Light it cannot extinguish? What it cannot conquer, it must join, so evil joins Light.
The net represents things for which you must work, and your actions in life. These seven strong men, the disciples, were disillusioned. They were hit in their faith. They knew Jesus could avoid Crucifixion, but he didn’t. They were without a leader, unprepared for the shock and dazed with grief. Jesus had told them, but they didn’t believe him. They had heavy guilt because they slept when Jesus was going through agony of preparation at Gethsemane.
Finally, Peter said, “I am going fishing,” which was action. He did what he knew how to do and they were hungry, so they, needing a leader, said they would go too. But they were dazed when they dropped the net on the left side of the boat. Right side, right hand, execution of power so this was execution, action so the fish would be on that right side.
You become responsible for the life sparks of whatever you eat, vegetables, fish or meat, to lift the soul substance. Fishing — Seven men unorganized because of shock after the Crucifixion. Jesus stood on shore and they began to organize through his vibration. They came back into their bodies. This took in every law of action.
The right side of the boat is to go to where you can make the right contacts for a specific need or situation. Leaven can dry up if it doesn’t work on the right side of the boat. Leaven can dry up if you give it nothing to absorb and expand. If you pray in the wrong way or act wrongly, you don’t waste God’s time. You just waste yourself. Any prayer is good.
You have God as all good things, even a hat. You cannot have God and anything, even money. You can have only God as, and when you act on that basis, everything smooths out.
Declare past time as that from which you gather up as it goes by. What are you extracting from this hour? Take your hunk of leaven and it will not be missed. What are you doing with each new shining hour? Nothing can return to you except what you send out. To say that you have wasted time is a sin.
If you believe God can create miracles, then stand up, act as if you were beauty, health, wealth. The whole world is ready to permeate and bake your bread. Live life triumphantly and gloriously!
Soul or Self, Wheat or Tares
Edna Lister outline, December 9, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Matthew 13:24-30, 13:49-50.
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”–Matthew 13:24-30.
“So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.“–Matthew 13:49-50.
The Bible opens with a proclamation, “In the beginning, God created.” Proclamation means “to make a law, to annunciate a law.” Law in itself is powerless. Someone must not only annunciate the law, but someone else must hear it, then obey it to make it effective. The Old Testament is full of proclamations, which the prophets announced by saying, “Thus saith the Lord.”
The New Testament records that Jesus came and 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. The prophets of old talked about law, but Jesus was the law, because he had become the law. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”–John 14:6. The Old Testament prophets followed every proclamation with a warning to “turn again,” or they would experience the results of disobedience. Instead of warnings, Jesus taught them beautiful explanations of the law, allegories and parables, simple stories fitted to times to unfold meaning of law. He taught them.
For every proclamation, he told a story about the need for law and how to obey law. He used the parable of the sower, and the parable of the good seed, the wheat and the tares. He explained why you cannot pull up tares at once, how their roots are entwined. They can be separated only when the wheat has ripened and no longer needs its roots. A man sowed good seed, which means he heard the “Word of God.” Then he slept, meaning he became complacent. People say, “Oh, I have it,” or “I do pray.” These are the “words of self” and the only enemy. Idle word seeds grow tares. “Ye are Sons of God!” is a proclamation that you are the children of the kingdom (wheat). Your strength comes from standing strong through tests, trials and temptations.
People ask, “Why does this evil one go on so long? Why does God allow it?” Rest assured that the roots of the “evil” one are tangled with the “good ones.” You cannot pull out the good, but must wait until dry rot sets in and loosens the “roots of evil.” Today evil is being separated from the good, creating two camps. The dry rot has set in already. For example, with the recent newspaper strikes, the union and management are blaming each other.
Today’s weed killers do not destroy the grass with the weeds. You have creative tools—desires, thinking and imagination, which can kill evil when you use them under love. Honor, loyalty and integrity put evil to flight. To kill means to change form, to recondition. In the Old Testament stories about the first wholesale conversion, the Lord told Joshua to kill the inhabitants of Canaan, every man and family. Beyond ending life, to kill means to absorb all hate, all soul debts, to change all thoughts and emotions through love. Love can change outer forms, men, government and civilization into itself.
The Elect are doing this now when their tools of desire, thinking and imagination are great enough in love and joy. When Light of God flows through you, it confounds any enemies of Light. “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”–Matthew 13:49-50. What is this “furnace of fire?” It is the pure love of God. Proclaim love and perform all your vows by love. Live your Life in the midst of the flaming furnace. It burns out dross, and consumes evil. Nothing can withstand the rays of love. Darkness is as nothing. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing but “wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
So what? To live by honor, loyalty and integrity, which are the three imperative virtues, requires you to be receptive, flexible and poised under the Power and Light. Honor God, be obedient to principles, to proclamations, loyal to your own vows, your ideals and your plan. You need integrity of heart, mind and purpose to be receptive, flexible and poised in the Power of Love if you are not to go to sleep and allow your only enemy creep in to fill your field with tares. Idle words are tares growing in your consciousness. When you have an open mind, nothing stands still. Listen to every word. Don’t push anything away until you are sure nothing is in it for you. Treat every word spoken to you as a precious gift from God to be lifted by your prayers, especially curses and the words that hurt.
To remodel a room, you would begin by moving the furniture out, and cleaning the ceiling and walls. Then you paint, leaving the woodwork for last, finally cleaning the floor. How far along is your remodeling in your room of Light? Have you splattered any paint? Have you cleaned up all the drips? Lack of faith is lack of confidence and no trust. When you have no little inspiration, you feel tired and discouraged before you begin.
Tomorrow is yours. It arrives unused, untarnished, just waiting to become. What? Today’s successful remodeling of consciousness depends on the quality and quantity of yesterday’s love. Today’s rejoicing determines tomorrow quantity and quality of love. You must proclaim your truth. Then you must become the truth by living the truth.
Soul or Self, Wheat or Tares
Edna Lister transcript, December 9, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Ruth Johnson, Irene White, scribes. Matthew 13:24-30, 13:49-50.
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”–Matthew 13:24-30.
“So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”–Matthew 13:49-50.
The Bible opens with the proclamation, “In the beginning, God created.” A proclamation is a public announcement of a law that you must obey, news of concern to many, meant to reach the minds and hearts of men. You can find dozens of proclamations throughout the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments.
Prophets proclaim law in two ways. In the Old Testament, the prophets first said, “Thus says the Lord,” because they were talking about law. When Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the light,” he might well have said, “I am the law.”
Those who proclaim, favor the proclamation, while those who hear it might not like it or obey. You must heed your own proclamations. If you speak from the teeth out only, you can forget your words. This is the problem with adept healers, who depend on persuasion and enticement.
Instant healing occurs when you lift the body’s vibration. The vibration of healing words can do this, if you speak on the fifth breath. You cannot sublimate ice into steam, for it must become water first. Healing can take place under the Power released by the healer’s faith. However, if the one healed was not touched in his heart and soul, the healing will not last.
Jesus could teach mystical truth in parables without giving offense. Jesus, in stories, allegories and parables, gave people the pathway to escape their maze of troubles. He never debited his truth or life in little drips and drabs, but gave people the full law. He gave them the reasons, which he explained in parables. They would have forgotten the law if he had not taught them this way.
The man had planted good seed, then his servant told him about the tares. You are like this. You plant good seeds. “While men slept” the enemy came and planted tares. When you say, “I have prayed,” or “I have all the truth I need,” you go to sleep and the tares come up. Your enemies are self-satisfaction and complacency. You never have “the last word.” Someone else can always add more.
The servants in this parable represent the servants of God. They asked the sower what he would do about the tares. He said, “I’ll have to wait until dry rot sets in the roots of the weeds, then tear them out.”
Thus you must dig out your faults, but you do so by ascending into Light, which dries up the roots of weeds, which are your taints. You often cannot root out the enemy because he has contaminated many others, whom you must help to see what the enemy called self is doing, and repent.
For instance, we cannot remove evil leaders until we have prayed for each. Cursing a leader only curses the good people who may follow him, for instance, those who follow Communism or dark union leaders. Someone must save these people.
You harvest the wheat, put it in the barn and burn the tares. God destroys only evil in the minds and hearts of man, and the use of evil.
Substitute “soul debt” for the “wrath of God” in the Bible. “God pours out wrath” means He pours darkened substance from the black clouds created by mankind’s misuse of His Power. Some faction of darkness is always doing its best to enslave the will of God’s creations. Now the evil ones are showing themselves. For example, evil often motivates union strikes or certain internationalists, who try to wreck a country’s economy. Yet some in every group stand up and object, separating the chaff from the wheat. Those who would destroy capitalism would enslave us, kill the goose that lays the golden egg. So the Elect are now separating wheat from tares.
If you interpret “kill” as changing form, you can better understand the full meaning of “killing” evil. God told the Israelites to destroy the cities and kill the heathen tribes in the Promised Land. Killing, metaphysically, is converting or changing people, cleaning up their minds and hearts. In the Bible, killing inhabitants means they were to change the people’s minds and hearts to cleanse and sanitize the cities.
Tares include every negative idea you have. You have negative tares in subconscious mind that grow with your wheat. How are you going to uproot your tares? You can liken the subconscious to a room you plan to refurbish. First you haul out the furniture and trash, saving the good. You tear off the dirty wall paper, fill cracks in the ceiling first, then clean the walls and woodwork. Then you paint and hang paper.
Last, you do the floor. If you see that someone has walked on the wet varnish, check the subconscious mess that you thought you had cleaned up. Chances are that those footprints are your own idle words or thoughts. Now you must go back and clean your room again.
The “end of the age” means the end of something that was detrimental. Uproot and bundle your life’s tares and others’, and burn them in the fiery furnace of God’s Love. The ceiling means inspiration. Some clean it last. When you say, “I’m discouraged,” or “I get nothing out of a religious service,” you are killing inspiration.
It takes millions of years to blaze a habit track for faith in the brain. When you say, “I can’t take it anymore,” you really get it. Most people clutter their own rooms of life. Sever the wicked and dross and throw it in the fiery furnace, your purifier and purger. Wailing, gnashing your teeth and biting your tongue is good because it is the way to start. Now is the end of the age of evil.
You can contact this illimitable Power that is ready to use you. This is your way to freedom. It is perfect, pure, undefiled. What are your plans for tomorrow? Keep your ceiling clean so that you can hear God’s Voice of inspiration. It takes a flat, smooth surface for the Voice of God to reach you.
The best thing you can learn is how not to do the wrong thing. Then you can warn others. Your answer might come from anywhere or anyone. Keep your ears open. Listening is always good discipline. The greatest flattery you can use is to listen to other fellow. Let him empty his heart, then perhaps you can get in the right word. When you use the word “kill” as meaning change, make your proclamations then listen and separate the tares from your wheat and cast them into the furnace of love.
Meet tomorrow in soul exaltation, with more love, joy, with receptive flexibility and poise. Be prepared to listen and gather in the vibration of truth. Be flexible without opinions and the floor you cleaned will stay that way. Don’t doubt this. Until you try loving enough, how do you know it will not work?
Be gracious toward all. You cannot be uppity, prideful and gracious. You are not a doormat, but must be receptive to the Power and Word of God that guides you in large and small ways. Have the integrity that goes with honor and loyalty. Light is winning, and the age of darkness is no more. Pray, proclaim yourself the way, truth and Light of God acting on earth.
Are You Wise or Foolish?
Edna Lister outline, December 16, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Matthew 25:1-13, 24.
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.–Matthew 25:1-13.
“Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed.”–Matthew 25:24.
Many avatars, many messiahs and teachers have come to earth down through the ages. All of them have been great. Each came with a different approach or angle, but all taught the “One God.” All taught three truths—sacrifice of self, selflessness and forgiveness. Of all these, Jesus the Christ was the greatest. He emphasized the need for forgiveness. All his parables highlight some virtue. It was his last thought, spoken on the cross.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus was speaking of the “coming of the Son of Man.” “He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”–Matthew 24:31. The Elect include many churches, groups and religious centers throughout the world.
Jesus mentioned how it was in the days of Noah. Many people mocked Jesus, saying there is no God, or He would have saved him. Others said that Jesus was only a good man. Yet as in the days of Noah’s time, the scoffers were caught in the flood.
The parable of ten virgins is outstanding in that it covers the five phases of life, the five categories of expression—psychology, metaphysics, science, philosophy and mysticism.
A virgin is one who has been exposed to truth and law, and understands the necessity for strict discipline and obedience. The parable of the ten virgins is so appropriate for today. The number ten represents a spiritualized individuality. It deals with Ascension. All ancient paintings of God’s avatars show them standing with the left hand up, receiving, and the right hand down, giving out. Both sets of fingers are inducting, the left from Spirit, the right giving it out into the world. The left hand raised represents receiving orders and the right hand pointing down symbolizes executing orders. The left hand represents five principles, and the right hand represents five senses.
The five wise virgins represent the principles of Light, number, color, tone and form. Yet the five foolish virgins represent the senses of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting and smelling.
The right hand is responsible for executing the orders that the Oversoul is supposed to be giving out from above. However, in this age, the five senses are “inducting” from outer, and drawing in from the world.
As a condensation of the Via Christa work, this parable deals with the lifting of the five senses until you synchronize them with five principles.
“Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” Matthew 25:3-4. So five endocrine glands and structures in the head are the vessels that the five wise virgins filled with oil—the optic thalamus, the two parathalamic bodies, the pineal body and the pituitary gland.
The lamp is desire mated with will to be come the I AM consciousness of Oversoul, the super-conscious mind. The endocrine glands symbolize the vessels that you must always keep filled with the “oil of Spirit,” not just once a day. You must always be ready to trim the double wick of intuition and illumination. Intuition represents the pituitary gland, and illumination symbolizes the pineal body.
The oil of Spirit is composed of the five principles of Light, color, tone, number and form. You cannot be filled with oil if you are inducting from the outside with your senses, symbolized by the right hand. Your head centers and endocrine glands must be open to induct, to receive “orders” from above.
The wise virgins are always watchful about attending to details in daily living. This takes rigid soul training to develop. You never need the world to “pin your ears back” when you do your own “pinning back.” Remember, all ten virgins slept—they were all asleep when the call came at midnight. The call to service always comes at an inopportune time as a challenge.
The wise and foolish virgins also refers to two classes, two types of people. Even the five wise grew bored, stale and weary. They forgot the goal and slept. You must always be ready to meet the bridegroom, to meet life’s experiences, to vigilantly watch the details of your life. At midnight comes a change of vibration. At the lowest ebb of energy, the sun begins to rise.
Energy begins to quicken your atomic body. Power moves through your endocrine glands to awaken the five principles. The five senses want to follow, but they have no oil in their “lamps,” so are too weak to make it. They beg the wise for oil, the wise soul cannot spare time or oil to go down when an illumination is waiting. “Wait for me” is always the cry of the one who has gone off in a corner to do it alone. The wise ones with oil cannot carry the foolish ones along.
Sublimation of the five senses is a step by step process. You must trim your lamp wicks, the pituitary gland and pineal body, to make them ready for the Christed I AM consciousness to use. You must free the self of opinions, prejudices, etc. Unless you rid the self of taints, your five foolish ones on the Wheel of Fate, you fall into the Same old ditches, cry the same old tears. Once you know the law, you know you must obey it. Self has no place to hide. From the beginning of time, all the foolish ones have liked to tear down the wise ones because they take the Light as a rebuke.
The bridegroom is the Christ mind, “that mind which was in Christ Jesus,” which is yours after you complete your marriages of the Lamb. Desire and will mate, to become the “I AM” consciousness. The five principles of Light, color, tone, number and form, use the left hand. Your five senses induct from above when you use the Christ mind as your mental power.
Jesus Christ is the only Begotten Son, the head of ascension, who opened “The Way” 2,000 years ago. He was born in a cave, never wrote a book, never owned a home or a camel. He has no credentials except his “work” and his “words.” His friends deserted him in his time of need. Religious leaders and priests despised him. His enemies spat upon him, gambled over his robe. Jesus Christ was even buried in a borrowed grave. Yet, he remains a central figure in world history. All civilization hates or loves him. All else is as nothing compared to his effect upon all life.
You always reach a drab place of nothingness just before the bridegroom calls you. Sacrifice of self, nonresistance and forgiveness are the only ways to prepare for the call. “Many are called, but few are chosen.”–Matthew 22:14. This is true because so few people choose to prepare.
Light will wash the ages of your past as white as snow, but you must do the scrubbing by sacrifice and forgiveness Remember God is always available. Make way for the bridegroom’s call at midnight by becoming available to God, day and night.
Ten Virgins, Wise and Foolish
Edna Lister transcript, December 16, 1962, Cleveland, OH. Irene White, Virginia Whitehead, scribes. Matthew 25:1-13, 24.
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”–Matthew 25:1-13.
“Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed.”–Matthew 25:24. This parable of the wise and foolish virgins is all about the last minute, and God as everything, not God and. Many avatars, messiahs and teachers have entered earth life in past ages, each consciously prepared to unfold their mission, to give one special approach to the truth.
All avatars have borne the message of the one God, but in different ways. All have agreed on three factors necessary to achieve oneness with the Divine on whatever level: The way of sacrifice, the way of selflessness, and the way of forgiveness. This runs through their teachings like a thread. Some emphasize one phase, some another. Jesus the Christ, the head of all messiahs and teachers, taught in parables. The great outstanding theme of his stories emphasized the high virtues, and love was the keynote. He emphasized forgiveness when he said, “Father, forgive them.”–Luke 23:34. His teachings of “I am the way, the truth and the life,.”–John 14:6, and the law of selflessness under the great universal law of nonresistance, have brought more people the greatest dividends than any other world teacher.
To bite your tongue on words you will regret, to remain silent at the right time and to speak at the right time is doing the greater works of discretion. As Jesus said, “What is that to thee? Follow me.”–John 21:22. When you hold your tongue and remain settled up in the Light, you are obedient to law. To unfold this parable of the wise and foolish virgins, requires some background. Reading the preceding chapter is essential, for it gives clues about why Jesus said certain things. The previous chapter of Matthew deals with the coming of the Son of Man. The disciples had asked him, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”–Matthew 24:3.
Jesus ends his description by saying, “He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”–Matthew 24:31. He is describing placing this chosen group of Elect above the mundane, and sets the keynote for the parable of the virgins, which he taught next, but placed it under Ascension to get us to ascend in consciousness.
If you could recollect that day 2,000-odd years ago, and you were there, you will see that someone in the group had objected to something Jesus had said or wanted extra information. Jesus used these parables to teach his disciples in the moment, publicly, something that he’d had no time to give them, to excite them to ask questions later, in private. So he taught a parable dealing with the final initiation of Ascension. This perfectly unfolds the five categories of life experience: Psychology, metaphysics, science, philosophy and mysticism, which deal with principle and personality in God and in man. It takes all five to unfold and interpret the Bible, or you can interpret only one small phase.
This outstanding allegory is among the greatest of the parables, but unless you use logic, reason, discernment, discrimination and discretion with extra information, you cannot begin to analyze it. Those who have profoundly studied wisdom’s mysteries know all the problem areas deal with the philosophical and pure mystical values of the numbers, which relate directly with the Source. A Mystic knows that it is possible to commune directly with God. This approach unfolds religion. It takes pondering days and months, in my case thirty years of pondering, to give you what is unfolding here. One great key is to apply everything you know to what you are doing.
The ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, have a mystical meaning. The first question to ask is why the Master used the term “virgins.” He could have used any metaphor, even animals. A figurative “virgin” is trained in law and reason, lives by faith and sacrifice, and forgiveness. A virgin may be masculine or feminine, but lives purely by integrity, and is ascending by choice, no matter what the personal cost. A virgin looks with horror over the cliffs and abysses he escaped by making wise choices. He stands at a high point on the path from which he can see many places where he could have decided wrongly. All martyrs have chosen this hard path, knowing it is better to lose the body than to damage one’s own soul by disloyalty to God and His Truth.
By using the term “virgin,” Jesus signaled that he was talking about the mystic values of his work and the trials to be faced in initiation with people as individuals and with groups of people. This is the mystical meaning. Why did the Master use ten, why not six or twenty? He must have had a good reason. Five were wise, but five were foolish. Review the symbolism you have learned. Bring everything you have seen and read, and listen for what would shed light.
Ten implies the hand of God, for in Hebrew yod (the number ten) means hand. Whenever he released the healing Power, the Master held his left hand up and his right hand down, and this is significant. You have two hands, and five fingers on each hand. This symbol gives you a base of ten, which symbolizes existence in this world, and pondering reveals its meaning. The Power comes through on the left side, and you release it through the right side, which symbolizes execution. You can fit the five wise virgins and five foolish virgins into this. Number, color, tone, and form are great principles of Light in action. Five wise virgins are reaching up to the Source for their instruction and the Power. The other five virgins’ earthly foolishness results from using the five senses as their guide.
You receive orders from the left, but the right hand represents the execution of those orders. So, to be wise on earth, you must give with the right hand. Evil, and all divisive or gloomy words use the five senses to absorb their own degree and kind, increasing the darkness. You are foolish to listen to nothing but the nonsense and garbled half-truths of earth, how everything is going wrong, no peace is to be found anywhere until you begin to believe the evil. Because they listened to the world, the foolish virgins did not reach up for or give out what they received, but were inducting from the world with the right hand.
On the Via Christa, we use the five senses of the world but lift them up to become one with the faculties of the Oversoul’s super-conscious mind. When you synthesize these five senses into apperception, desire moves up, mates with will, and opens the I AM consciousness. You must reach up up to God’s Wisdom, take from principle and give it out to the needy of this world. This is how you always have enough oil in your lamp of wisdom. The lamp is illuminated intuition or divine Wisdom and Love expressing. This holds you fast to the Source. The vessels are filled with the oil of principle. I AM staying there steadfast.
At midnight, a call came to meet the bridegroom. At midnight the earthy cross-vibrations have died down and the sun begins to rise. The Light comes through and the bridegroom opens the door. It says that the ten slept. They had all been exposed to the same truth, but some were not ready and refused to accept anything new. This type will argue with someone who is trying to climb, but those who have oil are a rebuke to those who must work. Put the books you read to use by applying everything good you read. You must study to awaken your forty-four soul faculties.
The wise virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. To trim a lamp, you clean off the soot and cut away the blackened wick. The wise virgins got rid of their taints of darkness, all opinions, prejudices, pride and resentment. They had to make certain that nothing would keep them from going through the Gates of Light. The bridegroom is the Christ mind, your oneness with the Almighty. Are you ready to meet and obey the Bridegroom? The wise virgins received their orders and carried them out. This is obedience.
It may seem cruel that the wise ones would not share their oil with the others, but it’s the application of wisdom. Wisdom includes an orderly procedure of cleaning out the old. How can you, having known the Light, sink down and try to get through the door? The foolish think they should go right through the Gates with the plodders who have dug out their taints.
Remember, anyone can go back to sleep, which means that even with the highest intuition in the world, having had the greatest illumination, you may still go lukewarm. If you have been obedient, you can go right back to that high point, but not unless you have trimmed your lamp. You may be washed clean in the Light, but you must declare your cleansing. Everyone has debts to pay, self to sacrifice and forgiveness to give. This is what you have, and using it will be enough.
Just before midnight, the bridegroom called. This call can come from anywhere and just before that, if you reach with all your five senses withdrawn, this is the desert just before the five outer senses. You have been inducted from the world, awakened and you wake up some morning and you are there. Don’t you think it is time under these conditions?
The five foolish virgins refused to prepare themselves, which reveals the meaning behind “Many are called but few are chosen.”–Matthew 24:15, because so many souls refuse to live under the laws of the sacrifice of self and forgiveness. You can have compassionate love for everyone, no matter what they do, if you love God enough and desire to ascend more than anything else. God is always available for us to call upon, but isn’t it time we became available to Him? God is always standing beside us, saying, “I am here,” yet He has too often found us unavailable. Hold both your hands up and induct from above, where all ten virgins become wise in the Light.
Jesus gave us all these parables with their great hidden meanings to unfold God as personality and principle. Jesus was born in a cave as a man on earth. He never wrote a book or owned a home. His friends deserted him, people spat on him, and disbelieved him. They gambled over his robe as he suffered and buried him in a borrowed grave. Yet today his Word, his name, and the record of his accomplishments on earth is greater than anyone in any civilization. How great is the glory, the ensample, the power he has left us! You’ve not recognized even half of what you can do or be!
.
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.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Balance wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com.
The Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary: 2 volumes. Oxford University Press, 1971.
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV).