October 20, the Initiatory New Year

October 20 marks the start of the initiatory year, the time for the symbolic separation of the sheep from the goats. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”—Matthew 25:31-33.
  The period between August 10 and October 20 is dedicated to the recapitulation of all lessons on law. Then, November 1 opens the Season of Joy in preparation for the Christmas miracles. From October 20 to Christmas, new prophecies are given, old prophecies explained and new Power is released according to how well you passed your initiations during the period of temptation, since August 10.

Edna Lister on October 20

Steadfastness is the required virtue for all coming Christmas Initiations. Also, greater Surrender in Selfless Sacrificial Service. The keywords for your full expression for these weeks shall be: Harmony, glory of soul, peace of heart, tranquility of mind and divine energy, quickening and vitalizing everything you do. These five shall give you freedom from self and an open door into full soul expression.
  This period holds feast days, initiation days and days of atonement, or reaching your own cosmic “tone” or “chord” of harmony. The Father has placed limitless Power, Substance, Life and Light at your command for use and application. According to your faithfulness it will go forth and return to you as your own.
  How then shall substance, life and Light return to me?
  What have I sent forth?
  How have I impressed this substance?
  How have I established it?
  What form have I decreed for it?
  What is my pleasure in these gifts?
  What is my joy for this year?
  How wise in use am I, and how much glory shall I achieve?
—Edna Lister, Commentary and Joy Questionnaire, October 25, 1938.

Where do I stand? Of the Light, in the Light, and as the Light?
  Is my heart lukewarm or does it radiate a golden glow of Power?
  Is my mind stayed upon fulfillment of those miracle vibrations now opened and started?
  Do I still ask “why?” (Every time you do, you delay your return to full Light.)
  When will I be ready to learn all old lessons and move forward on my Path of Destiny, foreordained by my past service rendered under vows I made unto God?
  How long have I held myself back by weak vows, so filled with self that my Father cannot record them fully?
  When shall my Father be able to record my vows eternally?
—Edna Lister, Questionnaire, October 20, 1939.

When shall you be ready to learn all old lessons and move forward on the Path of Destiny, foreordained by your past service rendered under vows you made unto God? When shall the Father be able to record your vows eternally? How long will you hold yourself back by vows so weak, so filled with self that your Father cannot record them fully?
  Are you ready to use Holy Breath only as Holy Breath? Are you ready to cover the earth in the fullness of the Holy Breath's glory?
  Are you ready to give up the self? To crucify the puny, weak self upon the crossbar of each hour's making? You use your soul substance to fashion self, crossbar, nails and also nail yourself upon it. Why?
  Is it rather not better to use all your soul substance as glory, to glorify your Father which is in Heaven? To make your kingdom one of Light and glory? To remake yourself after your Father's divine pattern, given in His high mount?
—Edna Lister, Questionnaire, October 26, 1939.

Enter a state of grace tonight, preparing for the Holy Nativity. It is a time of retreat in the Heavenly Realms, followed with a burst of joy. The greater your Novitiate's sacrifice of self and surrender to be used by all Power, the greater an instrument you can become. How great is yours to determine.
  Now is the time for true penitence, sacrifice and remission of darkness through complete repentance. Go to your penthouse sanctuary and assume your mission as sons and daughters of God. Consecrate yourself anew to the Father's full service. Read the Master's Parable of the Ten Virgins. Hold vigil, pray and praise in joy.
  Share the Father's joy in service; give it in understanding. Carry it to all His children. It will do much for you. It will lighten your heart, and you will become happy. With a light heart, you will look forward and never back—always forward toward the goal you are attaining—perfection. To become perfect takes a long time. Many of the Master's children are still attaining after perfection.
  Watch at all hours for enemies of self. Watch and pray in the fullness of joy. Prayers of joy rise higher, are stronger to release power of life, of Light, of substance than are those made in grief or with tears of loneliness.–Edna Lister, Joy Instruction, November 14, 1939.

Has my desire cooled? Or am I ready to follow in surrender to all Power? Go over all past vows of self, in retreat, alone. Remake vows according to present capacities. Make a full new surrender. Decide what is worthwhile in this life and what is not. Eliminate that which is an anchor, a burden, bondage.
  Make clear the way and open a place for new strength, new ideas, a new design of life for the Christed Age opening December 21, midnight. Start a cleansing— a change of mind, heart and purpose — a body cleansing for making a fitting habitation for the indwelling God.
—Edna Lister, Attaining a State of Grace, December 11, 1939.

Use these keywords to raise your vibration through the Season of Joy, and the weeks of Rebirth: Resurrect, Vitalize and Quicken. Take advantage of this season's release of Power. Resurrect all old darkness during the next two weeks, then prepare to vitalize and quicken all your affairs with joy.
  Walk softly before God. Speak gently before men. Keep your golden silence of high things. Make wise speech under need to defend truth, not self.
  Hearken unto God's Orders, impressions or Voice. Heed all commands, laws. Follow the Master under all circumstances. Obey all laws of Wisdom, Love, and Selflessness.
  Give sacrificial service. Be sweet in all Light. Be firm in all principle. Be final in lifting all darkness. These will fulfill the law of love in your life.
—Edna Lister, Instruction, November 8, 1940.

This questionnaire is for initiation work until Christmas morning: Read and ponder the questions at least twice each day.
  Am I now in continuous joy?
  Has joy been my constant and ever-ready companion at all times?
  Have I used only joy since Easter?
  How am I using the fullness of the joy vibration of the only Son of God?
  Have I committed any darkness with the joy vibration during the summer?
  Have I allowed joy to possess me fully, mind, heart, body and soul?
  Am I surrendered only unto joy?
  Does joy only possess me to the closing out of all else?
  Does joy express as me under all conditions, every hour, every day?
  Have I covered all my transgressions and all others' with the joy released through me as love unquenchable?
  Has joy become my only consideration?
  Does my joy ascend to the Father at all times?
  Does it turn all tears into praise?
  Does it cause me greater faith of God? Is joy my only gift to God and man?
– Edna Lister, Joy Questionnaire, October 20, 1941.

Joy is that quality that sings in your heart and throbs through you. Ask yourself:
  Would I rather have the world's sympathy than always live in joy or always be the joy-full one?
  Have I surrendered completely to be possessed by joy?
  Am I eager to be possessed by joy?
  Am I lukewarm to joy? Am I mostly indifferent to joy?
  Have I reached my own ideal of joy?
  Am I satisfied with the present amount of joy using me?
  Have I waited for joy to come to me as my own from the outside world of people and conditions?
  Have I used enough joy for the past hour, day, week, month?
  Do I know what the spirit of joy truly is and how to contact it?
  Do I consider it my duty to live by joy alone?
  Is joy and its fullness my ultimate goal?
  Have I given enough joy to the Father as my only gift I have worth giving Him?
  Is joy my own precious Pearl of Great Price?
  What have I within the self that I may dig out and give up to make room for the full outpouring of joy?
  Is anything of earth worth aught in comparison to the Master's bestowal of the gift of joy?
—Edna Lister, Joy Questionnaire, December 30, 1946.

You compare your current performance with your past during the Twelfth Night soul inventory. On Ash Wednesday you begin to make the sacrifices of taints that keep the soul from expanding. If you succeed in totally giving up what hinders you, the Councils of Law grant you amnesty, and you receive double credits for your initiatory work between October 20 and January 12.
—Edna Lister, November 15, 1964.

From October 20 until Twelfth Night, you prepare for and then take the Master's personal joy initiations. Twelfth Night is the first great feast day at the beginning of the initiatory year. What you do during next two months determines your status next year. Each month you take 144 steps of twelve virtues. You live by your own virtues. During November, you live through the virtues you have earned in the past. So you are in preparatory work. It is your privilege to make up your credits, not punishment.
—Edna Lister, November 3, 1970.

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