The affairs of God are much more related to the actual orbit of the earth around the sun and to the particular points of significance in that orbit than they are to the human calendar. We have taken note of the basic substance which fills what human beings think of as space—very tenuous substance, according to the human view. This has on occasion been referred to as the ether. As the earth orbits around the sun it passes through what might be called the solar ether; but then we are aware that there is another movement of the solar system relative to the galaxy, so the solar system is passing through the galactic ether. Besides this, the galaxy itself is in motion and could therefore be said to be passing through the universal ether. These terms describe something, but something which is not, certainly, understood by human minds, even if there is a recognition that such patterns or states of ether exist.
Another way of describing these various levels of ether would be to refer to them as atmospheres—a solar atmosphere, a galactic atmosphere, and a universal atmosphere. All these various levels of atmosphere permeate and bathe this little earth, which would include our little earthly bodies. As long as we exist, physically speaking, we cannot step out of these atmospheres. They are there, exerting influence, whether we like it or not. Obviously such things are not controllable by human beings. They have to be accepted for whatever they are. This fact could be seen as helping to cut human beings down to size, because there is a very deceitful imagination in human minds that human beings can somehow control not only their own affairs in the human sense but everything that's going on on earth. Human beings have this peculiar quirk of consciousness of long standing, to imagine that they can do much as they please on earth without any particular expectation of reaping the consequences; but of course the consequences are constantly being reaped and then the complaints proliferate.
We have some awareness of these things, and that it is very foolish and futile to ignore factors which are scarcely recognized at present, and only include in human calculations those things which are recognized. If we were to compare the things that are recognized with the things that are not recognized, we would find a vast majority in the things that are not recognized, so that virtually everything human beings do is based in a false view of things. If this is so, it would not be surprising if confusion should result, and we certainly observe chaotic conditions in human affairs, spilling over into other affairs beyond them, all based in the fact of a fundamental denial of anything higher than man. Lip service is paid to God, or Allah, or whoever, but this has very little effect upon human behavior. It is modified in minor ways, but scratch the surface of civilized man so-called and it is discovered that he is very little different from his remote ancestors. He has a bigger head, is more conceited, he thinks he knows more, he thinks he’s more capable; but all this view is in fact false and human beings find themselves endeavoring to govern their affairs, individually and collectively, on the basis of their mental views; occasionally, with some, bringing the mental view of God into the picture. Mental views of God are religious beliefs; but a mental view of God does not acquaint anyone with God, merely with the particular idea that the individual has, and that as a rule is not very original. It is mostly of a hereditary nature, perhaps modified a little generation by generation.
Seeing that the mental view actually takes scarcely any of all the vast array of factors that are actually present into consideration, then chaos and confusion are inevitable. It shouldn’t be expected that there would be anything else. When these things occur, as they are occurring, on a large scale and on a small scale, no one should be surprised; for such things are inevitable as long as a mental approach is made, as though the mind could, if not immediately but eventually, understand everything. Here is a false view which leads to destruction, because there are those things going on which are totally beyond the comprehension of the human mind, and what the human mind decides to do does not take such things into account but proceeds to act on a basis which it considers will be beneficial to itself. This is placing human beings at the supreme point, as though everything was designed to be of benefit to human beings. This particularly refers to the so-called resources of this earth but would include much more, to the extent that human beings are able to get hold of much more—maybe the moon could be useful, or Mars, or Jupiter, or something else.
If human beings are here on earth they should have some purpose, which would relate to the overall picture and be included in the universe; therefore the function of man is important in the overall picture, however not for man’s sake but for the sake of the overall picture. The earth was not created for man, but man for the earth. There is a difference! Because human beings are intent upon following out the dictates of their own desires and their own minds, what is actually happening from the standpoint of the fact that the earth is a part of the whole universal picture is being ignored and human actions simply cut across whatever it is that is actually happening. This actual happening is unknown insofar as human beings are concerned because they have been so intent upon the little thimbleful of understanding that they have with respect to what would be beneficial to themselves. So the state which is known on earth is a false state, and rightly that false state should pass away.
Things are not the way they seem to the human mind at all. The human view of the universe is based upon certain assumptions, some of which are now being found to be invalid. So the universe is not at all the way it has seemed. Of course this is something that has occurred periodically during human history: the view that is held at one point is discarded and something else is taken on and this modern view is surely the correct one. Then a little further along it doesn’t stay as modern as it was and it turns into something that is discarded also. In any case, the human mind all on its own cannot possibly encompass what is present. Its comprehension is very restricted, rightly so; the human mind, after all, is only a part of this creation—it is not the Creator. It was indicated in the Book of Revelation that all the world was deceived. It certainly is! The whole outlook of the mental apparatus of human beings in general is askew—based in what may be described as self-centeredness, the whole outlook is false.
We have noted before how the attitude of most people is that we live in a hostile world: everything is agin us, everyone is agin us. We have to be constantly on the defensive; otherwise we will inevitably be overwhelmed. The very attitude of fighting for everything is indication of the sort of outlook that human beings have. As long as we are involved in hassles we will have no sensitivity to what is actually occurring, and the involvement in the hassles comes because of our emotions, doesn’t it? “Things are so unfair!” Well who made them unfair? Oh we can find the devil almost anywhere, but always over there, always somebody else, as though one had no responsibility oneself. Every individual on the face of the earth has responsibility for himself, or herself, and if the world is the way it is, it is because this responsibility hasn’t been handled correctly. Let us not assume that it is somebody else who did it. As long as each individual has that attitude, nobody else did it, according to the human view at least, because it’s always over there. But to find someone who has what it takes to accept personal responsibility, that, generally speaking, is conspicuous by its absence. If there is an acceptance of a personal responsibility it’s usually to associate oneself with a group of people who see the devil over there. We have some remarkable examples of this on the international scene in these days, but it’s not much different from the way it’s always been: the devil is somewhere else, someone else, and one is so lily-white oneself! Who is interested in the truth of the matter? We have presented ourselves before the Lord this morning because we have some interest in the truth of the matter, and some interest in letting that truth be the base for our own living. When it begins to be the base for our own living then our outlook changes. You have discovered that this is so. You see the world in a different way. What I have been considering this morning offers an awareness of the way things are—up to a point at least—which is not exactly in harmony with the way most people presently see things.
We have noted that by reason of this continuing movement through these various levels of atmosphere, and what is present in these levels of atmosphere, there are some changes taking place in the experience of human beings, changes which may be either constructive or destructive. The old state, the old outlook to which human beings have clung for millennia, is in the process of being dissolved. It can’t continue to exist in the changing states of atmosphere. The way human beings should be, the way they were created to be, described as in the image and likeness of God, is in the process of reemerging. Something is coming forth through human beings and in some ways it is driving them crazy, or more crazy than they were before. In another way it is bringing a new experience in living which allows for a new outlook, mentally speaking amongst other things, so that the world is not seen the way it was seen before. But this change in awareness is consequent upon a change in living, a change in actual experience, an emergence out of the imaginary condition into the factual condition.
To the extent that there has been a willingness to let this happen so that there actually has been some change, primarily in attitude, then there has been a clarification in awareness. In one sense nothing is changing. Things have always been the way they’ve always been, but the way human beings have seen things is changing. Now, there are those who continue to manipulate in the ways to which they have been accustomed in the past without apparently any great recognition as yet that they are living in a world that is not the same as it was—the same brash human nature manipulations going on as though the world was still in the state where it could be manipulated. All the manipulation does now is to bring increased destruction, increased disintegration, not only with respect to the particular geographical place where the manipulation comes to focus, but for everything and for everyone. That was described as the dragon being cast into the earth, where he has great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time. He’d better get his manipulation done quick, because he sees the days are numbered, perhaps not as clearly as all that yet.
But there is this which is coming forth through human beings everywhere on the face of the earth, describable as the spirit of God, the Christ, coming forth into manifestation, into expression, and pushing aside what is not in harmony with that expression. This should alert human beings, if they begin to see it, to make sure that they are in harmony with that expression—otherwise, for sure they’ll be pushed aside, and there is nobody on the face of the earth, including all of us, who is exempt. It’s happening whether anybody likes it or not, whether anybody recognizes it or not. The Christian world has long been looking for the second coming of Christ. Here it is! But it requires that all the structures that have been created in the human mind should be dissolved, so that there is no attempt made anymore to try to live according to those structures. That is inevitably fatal. “Behold, I make all things new”—there is the Word, very descriptive, very factual, and there isn’t anyone anywhere who doesn’t sense something of the sort. But human beings cling to their structures, cultures they are sometimes called—cults is what they are.
But the passing of such things is not merely at hand—it’s here, and the intensity of that passing increases. Human beings try to live the way they’ve always lived. There are certain differences in human nature in this part of the world and that part of the world, but it’s all human nature. They try to follow out their ideas, whether they be religious or political or economic, or whatever, all based in this coarse realm in which human beings have existed for so long, losing their sensitivity to the spirit of God. But because human beings lose their sensitivity to the spirit of God, and therefore have little awareness of it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there, and it doesn’t mean that it is not coming forth, and in its coming forth bringing all kinds of things that human beings don’t like, clearing out the rubbish.
Let there be those on earth who rejoice in that coming forth, who rejoice to let their own lives be transformed by reason of a transformation of consciousness, so that there may be present on earth the evidence of what it is that is happening. If everybody resists that coming forth, gets into a battle with it because it’s uncomfortable, then there is no evidence in form of what it is that is coming forth. Nobody knows, and people find themselves in this mishmash of experience, going down to destruction. Let there be those who allow the clarity of the spirit of God to take form in their own living, and then there it is. It becomes evident, both in a direct sense for those that are on hand nearby to see, but also in an indirect sense, because one cannot do anything without having an effect on everything. If the spirit of God is coming forth and finding expression in form on earth because there are those who are willing to let it, that has an effect for all people.
It was said of the birth of Jesus long ago that here was something “to all people.” Well here it is, to all people—this is what it is. We have the opportunity to prove it out, not merely try to believe something. “Oh, Martin said so. It must be so.” Really? I have never asked anyone to believe something merely because I say so. My concern has been to offer something that can be proven out in the individual’s own living, and it is up to each person. The kingdom comes forth in the expression of living through the individual, and when it comes forth through a number of individuals they find that it is something in which they are sharing. They are in agreement with the coming forth collectively then. They begin to know what it is and they begin to be able to see what is happening in the world. What is happening in the world is not at all describable by discussions in the United Nations, or even by observing the events that are going on. Such things are far-out evidence of the fact that there is something pushing forth, but what it is that is pushing forth is only known when there are those who are participating in harmony with what is pushing forth, and are therefore revealing it in their own living. Then there it is! And when it is there in the world then there is a means by which all who will may awaken to the fact, instead of slumbering on in the dream world of imagination. There is a point where people can never wake up.
So we share in an increasing awareness, by reason of our own experience in living, of what is occurring immediately around us, and therefore we may intelligently handle it in whatever way it should be handled. We can handle these things that are next to us. We can’t handle anything out there, but in handling what is next to us our right handling of that extends an impact and an influence so that particularly those who are honorable people, and are hungering and are thirsting after the experience of rightness on earth, may be touched. And there are these in all nations everywhere. It has nothing to do with politics. It has very little to do with religion, incidentally, too. All these things that have been customary in the human nature world are passing away. Let them go, and rejoice in the coming, the coming which is actually one’s own experience, not the coming of some belief or other but the coming of actual experience which, if one had a belief before, will likely be very different to what one believed, because beliefs have all been a part of the human state of consciousness which is passing away. It’s a dream state. “Behold, I make all things new … these words are true and faithful.” Let us abide in this state of wholesomeness, holiness. Glory to God in the highest.
