Return on Archangelic Investment
John Gray and David Barnes
September 16, 2018
David Barnes — Even in the midst of the noisy and troublesome events occurring in the world there are joyful events occurring as well, and this is one of them. It is a particular joy for me to be teamed up with John Gray and to have this opportunity to speak with all of you. We speak together; we’ve learned how to do this over the years. Perhaps, like me, over the last few days you have been able to feel the quiet intensity building as we move toward the balance point in the seasonal cycle. We also move toward the balance point in the cosmic cycles which bring about a rebalancing of the whole earth, sometime in the days to come. We don't know the day or the hour, but we’re ready.
This is the rhythm of the Word in motion. The spirit of the Archangel moving in the vast creative processes—coming to focus right now. In the midst of everything, this morning we have another golden opportunity to say, together: Here I am, Lord, present to speak the Word of truth. By the Word all things are made. The Word is with God and the Word is God. The Archangel is the Word and the angels who compose His Body are His Words made flesh. This is us, and many others. He is the Supreme One, the Master of the Temple of the Archangelic Body.
We know that we are not here for our own personal satisfaction as mere human beings, although we relish being here as human beings, awake or awakening, and expressing all these things. We know that we are His Words in expression, representing the spirit of the Master of the Temple. He is the One who sent each of us into the world to express His spirit, His Word differentiated in unique and fitting ways through each angel incarnate, and to sustain that expression through everything we do each day. This is uppermost in consciousness always. Except the Lord build the Body Temple, they labor in vain that build it.
Last June 18th John Gray spoke these words: “From a high place we may know that a really big wedding is taking place, taking form now.” ‘And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.’ The event of truly cosmic import is the marriage of the Prince of Peace with his body of many members on earth.” The Prince of Peace, the Supreme One, the Archangel and His Body of many members—these names and images are hallowed to us, representing what is most sacred and joyous—filling our consciousness with grace, and with a quiet but burning and passionate enthusiasm, with ease, and a calm assurance that is natural when we live in His presence. And we are always, whether consciously aware of it or not, we are always in His presence. We may increasingly be conscious of that fact.
Recently, in Oregon, Anne and I had a creative conversation with John Gray and a few other friends, including Don Hynes and Jonathan Shanker. Jonathan used the phrase, “the Upper Room,” suggesting to us all that there is something significant here that we might well pay attention to. Here are some words by the Master from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 22. “And He said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ... the goodman of the house ... shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.” These words are related to past events, but they also refer to this Age and this time. We have met the man bearing the pitcher of water, and we have followed him into the House. And the goodman of the House has shown us the furnished Upper Room and instructed us on the preparations necessary.
And so, this is a joyous day, realizing these things. This is the anniversary of the announcement that was made by the man bearing the pitcher of water—this 87th anniversary of the vibrational proclamation that was made on September 16, 1932 announcing the proceedings which would lead to the consummation of this Cosmic Marriage, that John Gray referred to. And today we mark the outer announcement of that inner engagement that was long ago confirmed, leading in the creative process to the full incarnation of the Archangel in His Body on earth. Looking back just a few years ago, who would have thought that we would be among the ones here to acknowledge what is emerging, taking responsibility for our part in it now, as movement toward this Cosmic Marriage proceeds with absolute assurance, as the Archangel comes forth through His Body. Behold, I come quickly—and in a cosmic sense it is quickly—and My coming changes everything, continually. And nothing on earth can stop this Archangelic action. This is a joyous day for those who are aligned with what is happening.
The Archangelic Body is composed of many working parts—just as in the individual human body—and each part has its place and its function. But a consciousness of what is occurring in the life of the Body first dawns in the head. Being conscious we play our part in the head pattern of the Archangelic Body, a specific part analogous to a Vibrational Gateway in the head of the Body. Other angels play other parts in the whole Body—we know this. But we enter the earth and the world through this particular Vibrational Gateway—part of the whole Body—this Upper Room, through this Vibrational Gateway. We know the implications of this through our experience in attunement. Through this Vibrational Gateway, by reason of this Upper Room, we are here to allow a greater outpouring of radiation now, and in the days to come. Within the spirit and the substance of this radiation are the essences of the blueprint for the formation of the Body in this cycle now. In every phase of development there is considerable flexibility—there must be—in the implementation of the blueprint, under the Law. And there are also patterns that are fixed.
Considering this 87th anniversary that opened this new year, ours is a joyous cosmology and this is a joyous day—as we enter this 3rd year of the 13th seven-year cycle since that announcement made on September 16, 1932. This 3rd year is on an earth vibration. This current seven-year cycle, which began in 2016, is characterized by water, the spirit and substance of truth, wherein the design for this specific part of the Archangelic Body, this Vibrational Gateway, is being re-focalized under the hand of the Master—as must occur with every generational change if spiritual continuity is to be sustained by the angels incarnate at the moment of every change. Human beings take so long to wake up, if they ever do; and they die so young, really; and it all needs to be re-focalized frequently as the cycle proceeds. This is such a time of change. So, very close to us we have a water-earth field—within a much vaster cosmic pneumaplasmic field—but emphasizing new and delicate patterns emerging now.
So, this is a joyous day, when we rightly acknowledge and quietly celebrate the Victory Pattern of the Ages—the continuum of victory that is with us. The yoke is easy and the burden is light, when we have no personal ambitions as human beings that we inject into this very clear pattern and precisely orchestrated creative cycle. How vital that we remain in vibrant, openhearted love-union, responsive to the Word of the Master of the Temple of the Archangelic Body. Such open and mature angelic response to Him provides assurance, a calming factor within the whole awakening Body—assurance that we are present and active within this cycle of the Great Marriage. And that we can be absolutely counted upon as His instruments, always available for the radiation of His coming forth.
A large Upper Room furnished: there make ready—prepare the space of accord. Let there be no discords in the atmosphere of this Upper Room: no ill spirits expressed, no harshness of tone, no striving, no off-key vibrations, no judgments one of another, no jockeying, no power struggles, no competitions. All of these elements lead to failure and sorrow. We could have examined a litany of such failures today—we can face such facts too, as necessary. But today we acknowledge and celebrate the Victory Pattern, an unbroken continuum. Let there be a sea of glass clear as crystal in hearts yielded and open to Him, and to one another, that there may be a substantial Upper Room, a sanctuary made ready, a setting sustained for the cycles of outpouring that are essential to the fulfillment which comes at His appointed times.
I am very thankful for all who have held this focus clear over the past many years, bringing us to this point now. And with this, John—over to you, with thanksgiving for the Word that you are, a good friend of us all, and a man after God's own heart.
John Gray — The upper room you spoke of, David, has been established forever. It's been lost to human experience for the most part, but it is nevertheless present. In moments like this we sense the atmosphere of this upper room and the power that moves through it as the Word finds expression. Indeed, this is a joyous time, and there's big stuff happening! We don't try to have it all figured out in our heads, but just accept it in our hearts.
Life is God's gift to every human being. Many, many people would nod in general agreement with that statement, perhaps with little or no examination into what it really means. The fact is, a person is alive only because there is an individual, personal source of that life present. This means the giver of the gift is right here, present, now. Contrary to what some believe, human beings neither make nor own their own lives. The animating life energy is a gift constantly emerging and emanating from the divine being, the angel, incarnate in each human body, mind and heart. Though freely and liberally bestowed, the gift of life is not intended to be used for self-serving purposes. It is a gift, yes, but also an investment.
In the original Latin invest means “to clothe”. A human being is invisible spirit clothed in human flesh. The verb incarnate literally means “to make flesh.” From the human perspective it's true to say that God is invested in you and me and everyone, and all of us together. In everyday usage investment usually refers to something financial, as in the acquisition of property with the expectation that its value will go up over time. A dictionary definition reads “to put money to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.” That's the first definition I found in an online dictionary, but there were several others with it: “To use give or devote (as time, talent etc.) for a purpose or to achieve something;” “To furnish or endow with power and authority;” “To endow with a quality or virtue;” “To infuse or belong to.”
When I read the word investment so defined, I was still for some minutes, letting these meanings flow through my mind and heart. Then I wrote these words: “I, this incarnate angel, am invested in this man called John. I give him light and life, and I devote my loving presence to the purpose of manifesting on earth through him. To this end I endow him with power and authority in my name, infusing him with the qualities of my spirit. He belongs to me and we are one.”
In the human world, investing involves some risk. From the angelic perspective this is so as well. What are the chances that a given human mind and heart will awaken at all to the presence of the incarnating angel? Beyond that, what is the probability that the awakening consciousness will become responsive and yielded enough to orient in and to the Lord within? And further yet, will that heart and mind become so centered in, so receptive to, so filled with spirit, that angelic identity is accepted and known? From the angelic viewpoint, incarnating on earth is a risky investment.
You probably know that the origin of the English word angel is the Greek angelos meaning “messenger, envoy, one that announces.” Those who start to hear the divine message perceive it at first to be coming from a source external, from someone else. But that voice of another gradually finds such resonance in our own hearts that we turn to see the inner voice that is announcing his or her presence, and come face-to-face with the one I Am.
In poetic language from the Old Testament of the Bible, “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.” We see this applies to the personal “earth”—each physical body with its mind and heart—as well as to planet Earth, our solar system, and all of creation. From the individual angel to the greatest Archangel of Archangels, everything is His.
In the human world of finance, the term return on investment is one way of relating profits to capital invested. Without getting overly technical about it, return on investment is a performance measure used by businesses to identify the efficiency of an investment. The measurement is in terms of money, often expressed as a percentage or rate of return.
God invests in human flesh. What is the return on this angelic investment? It's not money, but a different substance altogether, the coin of another realm. Many of us call it spiritual substance, the substance that connects invisible spirit and visible material form. It is heavenly substance. This extensive range of substance is generated or spiritualized from earthly substance, to the degree that the earthly substance is responsive to spirit in expression. The more that response is attuned to spirit, the more heavenly substance is generated and the more completely the incarnate angel manifests.
The problem here on earth is that this small piece of the Father's business has been performing poorly, indeed failing. Without an acceptable return on investment, human investors tend to pull their money out of an underperforming business and move it into something more promising. Well, the Lord could pull the plug on the humanity venture any time, but hasn’t. What patience and divine grace!
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise [we might substitute investment for promise] but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9) To repent is to turn—to turn in the direction of response away from the material world and to the incarnate angel. In the world the way it is, money is the means of manipulating material things, of influencing people, of making things happen. It serves as a substitute for spiritual substance. The world that is thus produced is a substitute also—it's not the real one. Socially, economically, ecologically, politically, you name it, the man-made world is very tenuous and fragile.
And here we are, in it but not of it, and loving it all regardless. Our vestments, the clothing of our beings, change over time—our bodies age, our minds mature, our hearts are cleansed. External activities shift into new phases of life. All the while, the changeless one I Am remains. In this consciousness of identity, we meet and live in the upper room.
© johncgray@aol.com
