The Design in Heaven
Don Hynes, John Gray and Lord Exeter May 25, 1986 Pacific Council
Don Hynes — Holy is the Lord of Hosts, and the earth is full with His glory. This morning we had the experience of that glory, for those here who were willing and able to receive what was offered. We were carried to, carried up to, the mountaintop of vision. I looked later this day into the story in the seventeenth chapter of Matthew and I noted in the beginning of it that it was said that the Lord took the three men and He brought them up to the mountaintop, and I felt in my own heart a real stirring for the truth of that as we had experienced it this morning, and as it really is experienced in every moment.
It is the Lord that's doing the carrying, the taking and the bringing; it isn’t the smart mind with the clever plans. I felt the beauty this morning of our being carried up in oneness with the true Focus of Spirit on earth in this day. This is the only way any going up is going to take place. I thought how beautiful to share in the rhythm and the spirit of this One and to let the essence of that vision permeate all, all that we are responsible for individually and collectively.
Martin referred this morning to a certain complaint in regard to repentance, certain things being brought up; and I thought, what a weak thing, weak and stupid, really. You could see a picture of this haggard pilgrim staggering along someplace, not even one step up this mount but probably walking around it and around it, going nowhere and complaining because the Lord was willing to, kind enough to, just point out the fact that he was going nowhere and doing nothing. Then he has the nerve to complain! Ugh! Stupid would be a compliment!
I thought of the more intelligent mountaineers. They’re a few steps up on the mountain and they have all the right equipment, all of the right thoughts and feelings and techniques for mountaineering, throwing their ropes up and their—whatever they use—these little spikes, somehow trying to scale the heights, never acknowledging the simple fact and truth that it is not done in that way. It’s done because one receives the focus of spirit. And I don’t know if there is all this trudging up the mountain or if we’re simply there. We are carried there on the wings of spirit in a single moment. It didn’t take twenty-four hours this morning, or twenty thousand years; it just took a moment in the spirit to be on the mountaintop. Recently we have had several days here together with many members of our Emissary body gathered together in a Pacific Council. Much was said about letting a larger vision come, letting something be seen that was of greater perspective. Well there is nowhere that can be seen except on the mountaintop. I thought of this in terms of our service this morning, because here is something that has been offered, has been offered many times to human beings, to come into this place of vision where something large and expansive can be seen. And that vision needs to be received. I thought of the ones that were referred to this morning that fell asleep. Actually before they fell asleep they wanted to start building something. It was Peter’s idea: Let me fashion my little box—tabernacle he called it—but it was probably just a box out of his own consciousness, while right in that moment the vision of the Lord was there to be received.
In this day I feel very strongly that we're not looking any longer at a historical story; we're not portraying analogies. This morning I know we were carried to the mountaintop, and our responsibility is to let that vision be fulfilled, this expanded vision that we looked at during Pacific Council this week. One could say, “Well I’ve received the vision and hmm ... well... let’s see what works out, let’s see what happens”—a kind of limp thing that doesn’t have any life in it. The Lord’s vision is coming to us! There are all of these drunks staggering around at the base of the mountain, having no idea of what’s going on, and here we are in the mount of the Lord with this vision. And we toy around with it as if it was here to be, well... to take it or leave it. This is a precious gift, the gift of life, the gift of the Spirit of Life.
We have so many simple things in our hands to really energize and to let come forth into the earth. We looked at As Of A Trumpet, we looked at our literature and public events, opportunities to let the Word be spoken in the earth; and all of these things need life because of us. There is a wide and expansive vision in this that can be fulfilled. If I have to think about it as if, "Well I’m going to do it, I’m somehow going to struggle along with my pack and I will take care of this vision and live it out somehow, myself; I'll do it, I’ll struggle with it and ...": this is the vision from the bottom of the mount.
From the top of the mount there is a Body and there is a Design that’s already present, and everything in the earth, whatever it is, is longing to come into oneness with this Design. Well what’s the struggle then? Why be afraid or hesitate in regard to what it is that we have in our hands? So it’s a big world. Well there’s a lot of room then, a lot of room to work, to let this vision come forth and fill the earth because I am present, because we are all present in this beautiful Body, with thankfulness for the Focus of Spirit that is present on earth, and repentance for all of the life force that’s gone into that which is not and which is a waste. How beautiful to let our vision be from the mountaintop, to take and receive that which is being given to us, and simply let God have His way. And all is right there, just waiting to come and to be in this one holy place where spirit is.
John Gray — I also have thought some more about the story of the transfiguration. This change in outer appearance took place, insofar as John, James and Peter were concerned, in their own consciousness. The Lord was there all the time; their vision changed. That speaks quite plainly to me and to all of us I’m sure: drop the baggage, and open hearts and eyes to what the Lord has already provided, now. See what’s really here, the marvel that is present in the earth today. If we don’t, how much chance is there for others?
I thought of the mountain, or at least the top of it, as being the expanded focus point. Don spoke of the Design. Well here is a way of seeing this, spoken of elsewhere in the Bible as the hill of the Lord. I recall at least a couple of the requirements necessary to ascend into that hill; clean hands, pure heart. My own eyes began to open to what is present already, to what the Lord has provided, some years ago when I first began visiting Sunrise Ranch. I felt, back then, very warmly received by two men in particular, Roger de Winton and Jim Wellemeyer. I had very little understanding, as no doubt was the case for all of us at first, but I felt welcomed by these men and I came back and came back, and came back—I couldn’t stay away! And I began to love them and to love the experience I was having. Somewhat later I met Michael Burghley for the first time and felt the same welcome. Without realizing it as such at the time, I began to experience the congruence of the living Design: You cannot love someone without loving what they love; you cannot connect with someone without connecting with what they are connected with. So an awareness of the pattern of Design right to the Point of Focus clarifies.
Now this isn't just my personal experience. It is something that we each no doubt could relate in our own unique ways. The living Design, the holy mountain, is ascended into this way. The provision that is actually here present becomes apparent and the transfiguration known in the consciousness of the one who is willing to be led up by the Lord to the point of Apex. This is what we participate in. It is the way in which what is described as the mountain, or the visible Design, takes form and the voice of the King from the mount, from the Apex, is given greater amplitude. The Body in place invites all the world in turn to come and see, and there are those who do.
This is the fulfilling outworking in which we each play essential, vital parts now. This story of the transfiguration doesn’t relate merely to something long ago; it is the present occurrence in which we share.
Martin Exeter — The three disciples who ascended the high mountain with the Master became aware of something going on that they didn't yet really understand. And when there was the endeavor, particularly on the part of Peter, to articulate some sort of an understanding, the vision receded and was replaced by a cloud, a bright cloud, but the specifics were obscured. However, out of the cloud came a voice saying, "This is my beloved Son … hear ye him.'' These words are spoken out of the cloud; we have heard them.
This body, in which individually we play a part, plays that part because of these words. First, "This is my beloved Son,'' and then the part which is played extends the invitation to all who will receive it, "Hear ye him.'' The expression of character, the words spoken by reason of the presence of the Son of God, offer the way home to all mankind. This is not to say that all mankind will necessarily hear the voice and come home but there are those who do and will, but only when the character of the Son of God is in evidence and the Word is spoken. We know that this is a natural experience for all those who compose the body, the mind, the heart, of the Son of God on earth.
The hill of the Lord, the mountain itself, may be seen not so much as something up which we are supposed to scramble but, as John emphasized, the evidence of the design into which each one finds a natural place to be. This would indicate that there are different levels of understanding and scopes of vision insofar as those who compose this design in form are concerned. We're not all at the same level. This fact is not reason for self- or mutual condemnation. If those who begin to find themselves in this design remain self-centered they look inward. And because the design is comparable to a mountain there are those who are unseen because they are the other side of the mountain, unseen in the sense of the design but visible in the sense of the form. We are acquainted with one another. There are varying degrees of closeness in that acquaintanceship, various levels of friendship, but insofar as the design is concerned we do not necessarily see what someone else is responsible for or where that someone else is in the design. They may be invisible in that sense because they are the other side of the design, so to speak, out of the range of our awareness in that regard.
If we see how this could be so, regardless of our association in form, then the foolishness and the uselessness of judgment becomes very plain: we're judging something that is totally invisible to us. This is likely to be the case with the majority of those of whom we have become aware as participating in the form of the mountain. We are all part of the same body but we are not aware necessarily, insofar as most others are concerned, where exactly they are and what exactly they are doing in the design. So again this reemphasizes the futility of judgment. How can you judge something you can't see? Judge not by the appearance; judge not by the outer form of manifestation. Just give thanks that there is a design and that all those who are participating in giving form to that design are a part of it. They don't need our opinions, for or against. We need natural space, each one, to fulfil the purpose of our presence in the design, without being harassed by the judgments of others. If we see that with respect to others, who might judge us as individuals, then we can also understand the reverse aspect of this situation, so that we are no longer interested in forming opinions about anyone.
The design is in heaven. We become aware of the nature of that design when we are at the Apex of our individual point of focus of spirit; then we fit into the design. There is no necessity, as I say, to judge one another, to wonder about each other, to gossip about each other, because it is all fantasy. We do become aware of those who participate in the design of heaven close to us, and where they are close to us there is a basis of understanding—not that we need then to form opinions or make judgments but we become aware of the nature of the association. There are vastly more people present in this design than are the few who are close to us in the design. This does not make them any less a part of the design, and we are always most thankful that each one is present, but we never take an arrogant stance which assumes that it understands or knows what somebody else should be doing or where they should be in the design.
The positioning in the design is not established on the basis of the form of things; it is established in the heaven. And until we rise up sufficiently in identity to the Apex Point of our individual focus of spirit we cannot possibly comprehend the design in heaven. We are well versed presumably in the fact that our attitudes should not be judgmental with respect to form: Judge not by the appearance. If we begin to become aware of the design in heaven, there could be no judgment there because the only way we can become aware of the design in heaven is to be at the point of Apex of the Focus of Spirit, so that the heaven is visible to us; and it is visible only through the eyes of the one who is at the Apex. Our awareness then of the design is that of the King. He doesn't judge it; it's His design after all! One begins to share that outlook with the absolute knowing that it all fits together the way it should. It was designed to fit together.
When we assume the position where we belong, at the focus of spirit from the individual standpoint, then we begin to be able to discern what it is that is present in the heaven. The design emerges into the heaven first, and because we are where we belong we are quite content with the design which is emerging because it is our own. It isn't something that somebody is imposing upon us; it is something that is extending, because we are present, into the heaven to establish what is properly present in the heaven thereafter to be reflected in the earth. "Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?'' To know the ordinances of heaven one must be at the point of the focus of spirit in one's own experience. The Master Himself when He was on earth said something about that: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you''—there's plenty of room—"I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.''
This is the focus point of spirit with respect to each one. That focus point is not separate from the Supreme One. It all turns out to be the same focus point. You only discover that when you're in it. The human mind would like to speculate about it, try to figure it out, try to make it reasonable to itself. Get thee hence, satan! so that there may be a willingness to let the experience come of the way things are. It's futile to try to make them some other way. It could never be done, as witness the fact that human beings generation after generation for thousands of years have been trying to do it and never succeeded in changing anything. It still remains the way it is.
We have had a certain willingness to let the way it is be unveiled in our own experience, and that has happened to the extent that we had relinquished our own designs, our own self-determinations. So there began to be a little room for heaven to come. As this has happened we haven't really seen what the heaven is, but we have been able to see with a new perspective what the earth is, simply because we have come out of the earth to that extent. One can only comprehend something when one is at a level above it. Involved in it, you can't understand it. And in spite of all the cleverness of human minds they have never been able to understand it, as witness the fact that everything is only explainable theoretically. Nobody knows. And, very conveniently, one can have one's own theory if one is sufficiently individualistic. Most people don't have their own theories; they accept somebody else's; but it's all nonsense.
So there is this change of perspective. It comes not because of our brilliance of mind, certainly, not by reason of any technique that we have undertaken, not by reason of any human effort whatsoever, but because we have been taken up, taken up by spirit. And we have been taken up just to the extent that we were willing to go up. Of course, as we have noted, if we held onto the weights of human nature we didn't go up much; but relinquishing those, as it might be put, the Lord takes us into a high mountain. We find ourselves in the high mountain; we find ourselves in the spiritual design, the heavenly design. But the ascension continues if we are willing to let it be so.
We come again to the place that is prepared and to the knowing that where I am, I am also! That seems a natural state of affairs. As that outlook from the Apex Point is sustained we begin to know the ordinances of heaven and there's no great shakes in setting the dominion thereof in the earth. It is the natural creative process. But it only happens within the range of human experience to the extent that the ordinances of heaven are known. One can't figure out the ordinances of heaven by any mental effort whatsoever or as long as we're simply involved in the heaven. We rise up together because spirit carries us up.
Someone was indicating that when you're learning the responsibilities of mountaineering you're told never to look down. The same thing is true here: you start looking down again, and down you go. Look at what is happening now where you are; deal with that. The mountain will take care of itself. And while the view may be spectacular it is wise to refrain from looking at it, which is looking down, until you are accustomed to the acceptance of responsibility with respect to what is happening right where you are, right next to you.
A passage from Isaiah was used this morning, and in it it says the Lord will be merciful to those who receive Him, and God will abundantly pardon. That is an indication that forgiveness may be received, and forgiveness of course is defined as the kingdom of heaven. To receive this because one is in one's right place and right mind is to receive forgiveness. A consciousness in this regard causes the experience of an awareness of the ordinances of heaven.
We abide together in the design at the Apex Point of our particular focus of spirit. That is a part of the design, and we see how that design emerges into the heaven, coming down into the earth, coming down out of heaven from God—it might be said, coming down from God through the heaven into the earth. But the place where we belong is the place of God: above the heaven, above the earth. We are learning to come to that place and, coming to it, to abide there. As I say, to abide there it's important not to look down, not to stop to admire the scenery, but to attend to one's own business exactly where one is and in the character and the authority of the Supreme One.
I delight to be able to speak of these things in this particular setting this evening because of the available substance which is present. Because you attend to business wherever you may be in any moment you maintain the substance. And the creative process which is at work continues to accomplish whatever is needful with respect to each one and by reason of each one. I thank God that there are those whose presence finds Focus at the Apex Point of the individual expression of the spirit of the living God continuously.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
