Our True Ancestry
What great destiny could this little patch
Of Cariboo earth hold,
These few tumbledown buildings
Gently moldering away on a lonely roadIn a lonely land
Far from the pulse of cities
And the wealth and power of England?
No destiny here,
Common sense would have said
As it surveyed the forlorn scene
Other than the age-old fate
Etched deep in the human heart
—To labor, to dream, and to die.
But he beat the system,
This man I knew as Martin.
He did not allow himself to get away with things.
He did not allow himself to quit.
He kept his integrity.
And as he held fast to that golden cord
The sweet voice of spirit spoke from the stillness
And reminded him of a different ancestry
A different home
Greater than the proud name of England
Or the proud halls of Burghley.
He remembered his place in the serene orderOf the stars,
And in the sunlit courtyards of eternity.
He remembered that he was not just of the earth
Even though he lived here for the moment;
He carried the light of the sun in his eyes.
He was a prince
From the realm of light
And he had come to remind others
— Trapped in bonds of forgetfulness and despair —
That they too were of light
And together their work was to return the planet
To a place of beauty and love.
Chris Foster
The Magnitude of One Man’s Life
from
A Ninth Anniversary Tribute to Martin Exeter
January 12, 1997 Martin Exeter Hall 100 Mile House BC
Lillian Cecil — The 12th of January, 1997. Where do the years go? I haven’t shared
my spoken word much in the last nine years, although those of you in the 100
Mile House unit know I put my two-cents worth in every so often. But today I
feel quite honoured to speak before you—speak with you. So much has been said
about Martin and his glorious spirit that was offered to everyone; his steadfastness;
his love of the truth. There are so many things that could be said, from my
standpoint. I did bring the book, his biography, One Heart, One Way, by Chris Foster, The Life and Legacy of Martin Exeter. We all have lives and we all
have legacies to leave, every one of us.
I appreciate what’s been said
already, because it depends upon me, and you.
Many times I would say to Martin, “I love your spirit.” And he would
say, “I love yours.” We all have
spirits, and if they blend and can be worked together, that’s it! And sometimes I’d say to him, when I’d had a
low day, “I am sorry to add to your load.” He would say, “I have no load. It
has been lifted up in spirit, to the true spirit.” I thought, isn’t that
wonderful. Am I going to get to that moment, where all my burdens, so called,
where all the loads of life are not there? They might duck in one door and out
the other, but they are dealt with, if you want to use that word—I don’t like
that word—they are encompassed, they are enfolded with my spirit of love and
understanding, of tolerance, whatever it might be in that moment. Uranda’s and
Martin’s lives absolutely inspired me, to the ‘nth degree, in my life. That was
all that was important, and that is all that is important! That is why we are
on earth—the truth of being on earth—to again let that be expressed on earth.
Some things that were said in this
book relate to the fact that the world doesn’t seem very happy; it doesn’t seem
very nice to live in any more. And yet there is a way for that to change, and
we are here to see that it does, in whatever way we do it through ourselves,
individually. When we do it individually we find that we have friends. I count
you my friends, and many others. A few days ago I got a phone call (and every
so often I get a phone call or a letter like this): “Lillian, how are you? How
are you doing? I said, “I am fine. How are you?” And the person said, “Well, do
you remember me: I am so-and-so.” “Well, of course I remember you,” I said,
“friends don’t forget friends.”
To put it into angelic terms: the
angels have descended upon this planet, and they are all over the earth. They
aren’t just in one spot. That was part of our purpose, as Martin and Uranda
often said; to cover the earth as a mustard seed, with angels; and I thought
last Sundays service was lovely (and the one earlier in the year), where spontaneous combustion happened—and
where we were all on the line together. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed that,
because we suddenly realized that our friends cover the earth. My friends cover
the earth, which I deeply appreciate. It is more than that! It is my whole life
saying, “Thank you Uranda; thank you Martin; because without you two there
would have been nothing! Thank you for what you gave me and for what I could
offer back.” I trust I have always offered something back to each individual.
It might not have been the greatest dessert in the world but at least it was
part of the meal! So angels, thank
you very much for this special time with you. Thank you.
Anne Blaney
— I want to thank each of the speakers for what you have offered, and note that
what you offered was yourself, and your wonderful experience. That is very
touching and I am sure it moved the heart of each person who is here. So thank
you for doing that. And now, I’d like to inject a little surprise at the end of
our time together. From out of Martin’s biography, One Heart, One Way, I am reading:
“Playing an essential part in all
this was Ross Marks, a young man with a ready grin and thick swatch of auburn
hair, who came out to assist Martin during his summer holidays in 1948—and
never did return home. While Ross Marks’ youth sometimes ran into
over-exuberance, Martin found his steadiness and sense of fun a most helpful
influence in all that was happening.”
Ross, I would ask you to come
up and share a devotion to close our commemoration service this morning.
Ross Marks
— Perhaps we might share just a few moments together in conclusion, honouring
the spirit of the man that we are recognizing this morning. We could bow our heads.
It is with a sense of profound
thanksgiving and love that we have shared this time together, letting the
magnification of the particular spirit that is with us this morning rise, providing
increased understanding and appreciation. We are thankful for the individual
stories that we, each one, know and could tell if given the opportunity, all of
which are part of the legacy of our friend. It seems appropriate that we have
taken the time this morning to acknowledge him and to express our appreciation
in our own way, through our individual spirits that are present on earth as
part of the one larger spirit that we know. For this, we are profoundly
thankful and we look forward to the continuing opportunity that is ours, as
individuals and collectively, to let that reality find appropriate forms of
expression. We rejoice in that and lift our hearts together in saying, “Thank
you for this.”
I suppose much more could be said,
but I feel that we’ve had a remarkably balanced and broad expression this
morning {through many speakers], which has come from the heart and hearts of us
all. I can’t really think of a quality that Martin exemplified that hasn’t been
touched upon, yet there probably are others, because he exemplified so much.
And these qualities find particular resting places in our hearts—that is what
is so magnificent and beautiful—the diversity of their ongoing individual and
collective expression. We are the living legacy of this man, and we continue to
be that regardless of what we may do or where we may be.
Apparently someone in town asked the question:
“Where are the Emissaries? I am not sure what happened to them.” Well I’m not
quite sure what happened either, but in a sense it doesn’t really matter
because the spirit of friendship and the reality of divine expression has not
been diminished. We are exactly where we need to be, and we cover the earth.
That has always been the name of the game, it seems to me. We will
continue to cover the earth and, with our friends near and far, known and
unknown, the legacy of Martin Cecil works its magic and weaves itself through
the heart of mankind. All that continues and I am proud to play my part, as you
play yours, in this continuing unfoldment in these exciting days. Thank you
all.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
The Vibratory Modes of Love
Martin Cecil October 3, 1982 a.m.
Are we conscious this morning of being assembled in heaven on
earth? We are aware of this to the extent that our love is offered freely,
openly and fully to the Supreme One in heaven. We rightly have a sense of
reverence, humility and awe that we may share His radiant love in the
expression of the Word in heaven. His Word is truth. Truth is the design of the controlled vibratory
mode of love. This vibratory mode in its design is of great variety. As we
share the speaking of this Word, the Law is fulfilled in heaven. Usually we
have thought of the Law as operating between heaven and earth. It does operate
between heaven and earth, but we should be in position to know the reality of
its operation in heaven.
Thinking of it from the standpoint of heaven and earth, we recall
the wording of the first great commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God”
with all the available earthly facilities. So here is responsive love being
raised out of the earth toward the radiant love which is present in the heaven.
As long as the fulfilment of the Law is merely looked at in this fashion there
is a sense of separation. The true state of man is impossible as long as that
separation exists. However, obviously this is the starting point available to all
people. It was described in terms of the factual radiation of God's love and response
thereto in the earthly sense, inducing attraction and finally union, which
makes possible unified radiation. The unified radiation occurs from heaven.
Here is the restoration of man to his true position in heaven.
You may recall the story of Creation, which describes what
occurred in earthly terms during the first six days. On the sixth day, amongst
other things, it is said that man was created; but then a little later, that he
was formed of the dust of the ground. This, I think, is looked upon as a
flashback to the sixth day. But actually man was created in the heaven. We are
aware that this is the proper sequence. The heaven comes first, we say, and so
man in the heaven came first. The vibratory mode for man was established in the
heaven. This vibratory mode was of considerable variety. We are aware of that
now in the earth. We have a physical form of a very intricate and marvelous nature
composed of what we call physical substance, but there is also the vibratory
mode beyond that again which allows for the experience of consciousness in that
physical form. There are various vibratory modes of truth which permit the
various levels of mental and emotional capacity to be present.
There are sundry experiments which human beings may carry out
utilizing vibratory modes of sound to cause various substances to take
particular forms. According to the substance which is being acted upon, the form
will appear—the substance is raised up into the form. This is rather a coarse
example of what actually occurs from the standpoint of the radiation of the
vibratory modes that are established in the heaven. Substance stands up in
various forms as long as that vibration is present. Actually there is always
vibration present. The earth itself gives evidence of this; it stands up in the
form of a globe. Of course there is more to the earth than solid substance. We
are quite aware that there is a good deal of liquid substance around, as well
as gaseous substance. Here are three particular evidences of radiated vibratory
modes. Substance stands up in these modes, or because of the vibration. This
presumably happens regardless of whether human beings are present on earth or
not. All that is to be made manifest in form in the earthly sense originates in
the heaven on the basis of the Word, the truth, the design of controlled
vibratory modes, for the manifestation of love. Love is the power. Love
determines the vibratory modes through the truth. If there is no interference,
then the substance which is acted upon by these vibrations stands up in forms
according to the design established in the vibratory modes.
In a general sense this occurs cosmologically, regardless of man,
but man is designed to provide a focus for specific vibratory modes so that
substance might stand up in these designs of form. As long as man's dwelling
place is heaven he shares the expression of God's love in the fulfilment of the
commandment. It isn't really a commandment in heaven—it is the state of affairs
in heaven. Nobody has to be commanded to love; it is the natural state of
affairs. But there is the working of the Law in heaven. There is the positive
and negative aspect which makes the working of the Law possible. There is
radiation and response in heaven; there is male and female in heaven. But the
total heavenly state is certainly the positive aspect of the working of the Law
as it relates to the whole of heaven and earth, and the earth is the negative
aspect.
But then again, in the negative aspect, the positive and the
negative are in operation. There is response and radiation in the earthly
sense; there is male and female. The point of origination for man, however, is
in the heaven. The restoration may be said to be the return of man to a
conscious awareness of his positioning in the heaven. Presently his conscious
awareness convinces him that his positioning is in the earth. We know why that
is so, because there has been a reversal of polarity, so that the earth has
become the controlling element in the experience of human beings. Because of
this the consciousness of being in heaven is lost and the consciousness of
being in the earth is virtually all that remains.
I can speak of these things to you because my words are confirmed
in your own experience, and I would emphasize this matter of experience. I can speak the words to
you because they confirm your theory, but that has no value except possibly as
a sort of kindergarten beginning. Experience is an important matter. As long as
we operate on the foundation of experience in the heavenly sense we are secure.
If we try to operate merely from the standpoint of theory we find ourselves to
be very unstable. So I have suggested this morning that we are assembled in
heaven in experience—not merely in theory. I'm sure all could wisely nod their
heads that we are assembled in heaven in theory, but how many are in position
to confirm the fact in experience? I trust that all of you are, in certain
measure at least, and that I am not standing here theorizing with you.
You may find the confirmation as to the truth that is being
expressed in your experience. For many years I have been under the necessity of
theorizing with you because the matter of theory was predominant in your own
consciousness. The experience was minimal to start with, but I
trust that over the years the percentage of experience has been gaining on the
reducing percentage of theory, so that at some point there might be a
crossover, where experience would become dominant and theory fading. I wouldn't
judge in the matter as to the collective percentage that is involved this
morning, but our time together only has some real purpose to the extent that we
are sharing the experience of being in heaven together.
It is natural in the heaven to have a sense of humility, reverence
and awe, because there is One present in the heaven who is Supreme to us. All
our love is offered to Him because we are in heaven, not because we are somehow
merely in the earth and scrambling up to heaven by offering some sort of
earthly love to an imaginary figure. It is no longer merely imagination to us,
because we have a certain experience of the working of the Law in heaven. This
might be described as angel-to-angel experience. The angel-to-angel experience
comes when earthly compulsions have receded into the background. They are
certainly no longer dominant. They may be present but they are incidental. When we gather in the earthly sense on a Sunday morning, for
instance, the invitation is to assemble in heaven. We have a convenient earthly
place to accommodate us while we participate in this experience, and we are
aware of the working of the Law in the heavenly sense. Here is the origination
of all the essential vibratory modes that are needed to allow the various
levels of substance in the earthly sense to stand up, revealing the forms that
are so established. This requires that we administer the creative cycle without imposing upon it any human opinions as to what
should be appearing.
We have noted before that there is always the necessity of moving
out of one state into another state, and there is consequently a period of
transition when the experience is neither quite one thing nor the other. During
this interim, while the true experience was becoming more vivid, there seemed
to be the necessity for a certain amount of manipulation. It seemed as though
safety and security required a certain amount of manipulation of external
events. This only seems to be so because there is as yet inadequate experience
of administering the creative cycle, which allows for these vibratory modes to
be purely expressed into the realm of available substance. This requires a pure
heart of course, and most of you, I am sure, are a little unsure as to the
extent of your own purity of heart. This is reasonable, because the heart
hasn't been all that pure. The amount of impurity that was present has
inhibited trust in the creative cycle, in the operation of these vibratory
modes which are already present in the heaven, and so it was felt wise to
adjust them a little here and a little there to make sure that it would work
out the way one had imagined that it should. And we are still involved in this
way of operating. Obviously we need to become clear of it so that these
vibratory modes established in the expression of love may have a clear shot
into the available substance, that this substance may stand up consequently in
the forms established by the vibratory modes.
We may think of our own physical bodies in this regard. Here is a
bunch of the dust of the ground standing up in a form. What made it stand up in
that form? Human beings have looked at these things simply from the earthly
standpoint and have examined the substance to try to find out why it stands up
the way it does. Well the reason isn't in the earthly substance, so they never
find out. They may discover certain mechanisms that are present in the earthly
substance and operative in the earthly substance, but why they are present and
operative nobody knows. Everything that is observable in the earthly sense is
merely the evidence of the working of particular vibratory modes, and the
substance has no choice but to conform with that working. If these vibratory
modes had a clear shot into the substance, what appeared in form would be the
true operating design. It isn't now, because of the interference of human
manipulation based in human desire that forms should be thus and so, regardless
of what the vibratory mode would produce.
So there has been interference. And the interference eventually
becomes so complete in human experience that the substance of their own bodies
will no longer stand up in the rather restricted and distorted vibratory mode
that has been getting through. And eventually the vibration isn't there and so
it collapses. Of course it is still part of another vibratory mode. The
vibratory mode of the mineral kingdom, for instance, may be perhaps included in
the vibratory mode of the kingdom of vegetation, and even, then, in the animal
kingdom—oh, and once again, into the vibratory mode of human bodies! Only those
who are capable of being in heaven are capable of administering the creative
cycle so that it may cross over into the earth purely, according to the design.
This emphasizes the reason why, when we assemble here, we should be assembled
in heaven. If we are not assembled in heaven we are not of any great value to
allow the transformation to occur in the forms which substance occupies on
earth.
We may see that this occurs in the general sense throughout the
whole of the cosmos. There are multitudes of forms containing substance, all
consequent upon the vibratory modes that have been established in the heaven; but
a particular expression of vibratory modes was needful on earth. At the moment
it would be unwise to try to figure out why it was needful. We can see certain
elements involved; we should see them quite clearly if we are in heaven.
Something is to be accomplished, obviously—the creation is not present for no
reason—something is to be achieved. In order for that achievement to be
possible there was the need for the operational design of substance in form to
be present. This substance in form is produced by the vibratory modes in the
heaven. The design is established there. It springs out of the radiation of
love. That radiation of love is modified into these various vibratory modes so
as to allow what should appear in form on earth to do so. Well that's one
thing. Here we have the facility available, operational, but for what?
Clearly, then, there is something else involved here that goes
beyond the mere production of operating forms. There is no sense to having a
bunch of operating forms on the face of the earth with no purpose to them.
Whatever the purpose is, it properly comes to focus in whatever man is. Man
polarized in the earth knows nothing of this. He may sense that there should be
a purpose, and so he tries to make a purpose, devising it according to his own
desires. This has been going on for a long time. It has become a habit, a habit
so strong that no other possibility is usually seen. We are aware of the truth
in this regard however, the heavenly truth, the fact of the vibratory modes
which may allow for the production of the essential form. The form is a whole,
but with immense detail, and all this is put together for a purpose. The
production of this form according to the true vibratory modes relates to the
subconscious levels of human experience, the subconscious levels of man, the
operating facility for the achievement of what that facility is there to
achieve. That aspect of it relates to the conscious aspect of mind.
A car is an operating instrument which may be started by somebody,
so that it is known as potentially operable at least, but it requires a driver
to be operated. We see the same principle present with respect to man and his
facilities of action. The physical form, with mind and heart present, provide
the facility of action. But what should the action be? Well first of all
something needs to be transformed in the facility to make it really operable,
to make it so that it is responsive to the driver. One can put a car in gear, I
suppose, and set it off down the road with nobody at the wheel. That is
courting disaster insofar as the car is concerned. If the person who should be
at the wheel isn't at the wheel there is no disaster beyond the car. So also in
man. And we do not know man except we abide in heaven.
We have the opportunity of paying attention to heavenly things, to
the nature of the true design, the real vibratory modes that are present during
an hour such as this, so that there may be an increased feel for it, an
increased awareness in experience which may continue to abide with us when we
are not all present in a setting such as this; because it is in the daily
operation of our physical forms, minds and hearts that the creative cycle is
administered. There are two elements here. One is the restoration of the
instrument of action to the true design, which comes because there is a correct
administration of the creative cycle so as to clear the way for the vibrational
modes without distortion. That is what brings healing. But there is no purpose
to healing unless at the same time there is someone present who can allow these
vibrational modes to permit the achievement of what the instrument is present
for.
The vibrational modes of restoration for the instrument, which
ultimately is mankind, is primarily a subconscious operation. The vibrational
mode for the operation of that instrument is a conscious operation. We can
trust the vibrational modes that are available to recreate and restore mankind.
We can also trust what becomes apparent consciously as this restoration
proceeds. Obviously we cannot accomplish the purpose for the presence of man
until man is present; so the restoration of the presence of man is,
fundamentally, the first order of business, and that is a subconscious
operation. To the extent that it occurs, to that extent, then something can be
done consciously to achieve what is needful by reason of the presence of man.
But as long as man isn't present, nothing can be done by reason of the presence
of man. That should be obvious enough.
So there is a sensing in this hour of being present in heaven,
where such matters may be comprehensible and where we may associate ourselves
with the creative cycle already at work and with the vibrational modes already
established. We may be absolutely sure that as these vibrational modes are
allowed to emerge by reason of our presence, substance will stand up in the
forms that are necessary. The forms are living forms, so they change. There is
in this sense an observation possible of true evolution. Something is
unfolding, as we say. It isn't static. We don't just stand at the gate
administering the creative cycle and substance stands up in crystallized forms.
It doesn't; it stands up in living forms. And who can tell what the nature of
that living form should be at any particular moment in the unfoldment of the
creative cycle? We let it be what it needs to be.
As the administrators of the creative cycle have increasingly pure
minds and hearts through which to operate, the nature of that creative cycle
becomes more and more consciously evident. We already have some conscious
awareness of the nature of it. We do not yet see adequately as to what
is really happening in this regard in our own immediate worlds and in the
larger world which encompasses the whole earth. But the happening is there, and
as there are those who are trustworthy in heaven there is the fulfilment of the
words, “Behold, I come quickly.” I come quickly—can you speak that word for
yourself truly?
© Emissaries of Divine Light
Sanctification By The Truth
Martin Cecil January 10, 1982
I call to your remembrance certain
words—through you I call these same words to the awareness of all people. These
particular words are recorded in that great prayer of intercession—the words of
Jesus, translated into English: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word
is truth." Sanctification comes by the truth. The truth comes because the
Word of God is spoken. Purification comes by love. Truth is symbolized by water,
and love by fire. The water of truth sanctifies—the fire of love purifies and
transforms.
Sanctification comes first. The
Word of God in expression in living comes first. The water of truth may be
poured forth upon those who are open and willing to receive it. You yourselves
have had varying numbers of years of conditioning in this regard, but
sanctification only comes when the expression of the Word comes forth through
oneself. One may be inspired, provided with an example, by someone else through
whom the Word is spoken, but even if this someone else is Jesus it does not
bring sanctification; it does not cause a person to be holy unto the Lord until
that person expresses the Word in his or her own living. Then there is
sanctification, because the person is consequently holy unto the Lord. That
word holy can be spelled two ways. Life becomes
sacred, and the individual living is completely unto the Lord. No longer is
anything held out for the benefit of the human ego, for the nourishment of the
human ego.
There is baptism by water. Some
have wondered at times why baptism seemingly has not been particularly stressed
in the Emissary ministry. Oh but it has factually, not merely symbolically.
Water has certainly been poured out abundantly; that is baptism by water, a
conditioning process. But the sanctification comes not because of that sort of
baptism, although it may be necessary to bring a person to the point of
sanctification. It comes because the individual himself or herself is the Word
in expression. Then there is sanctification, and the fire of purification and
transformation may come forth.
Love in expression is always
characterized by truth. Fire requires water, a seeming contradiction in the
human view but the one way from the divine standpoint. And so water in
abundance is provided to allow for the conditioning to occur through example
and inspiration from someone else, but finally sanctification is essential if
the fire is to be known. There is also, of course, baptism by fire in the sense
of an enfoldment in love. This, as you know, has always been available, offered
freely, but purification does not come merely by that. The truth of love must
come forth in the glory of life if purification is to be known—if
transformation is to occur. There is an evident sequence here which cannot be
ignored successfully if the requirement of transformation is to be experienced—step
by step we might say; and yet, of course, one step blends into another. The
opportunity is being offered to human beings everywhere to be baptized. This is
so if those who have the experience of sanctification pour forth the water,
provide what is necessary for the conditioning of human consciousness. To
whatever extent, this has been going on and we have some awareness of the
effect of it. The effect has come mostly through inspiration at a subconscious
level.
If there are those who are
sanctified because the Word is finding expression in their own living, then the
water is available to be poured forth—in fact it pours forth; you can't withhold
it. So a conditioning process occurs in the world around us with human beings
everywhere, and we have taken note of some of the evidences of what has been
happening. It may be said that some people, at least, are awakening. This has
been and is our particular responsibility, making possible the coming of the Comforter,
the spirit of truth. As we have noted before, this occurs primarily at a
subconscious level. Because something occurs at a subconscious level the
conscious minds of human beings begin to be affected, because, as we have
noted, it has been customary for people to be compelled by whatever it is that
is present at the subconscious level. Having been so compelled, they may
explain it consciously — rationalization — but the compulsion was subconscious. So
we may utilize this fact from the standpoint of what we are calling now baptism
by water. Let the conditioning process be a reality in the mass consciousness
because there are those, ourselves included perhaps, who have some water to get
the job done. We well know, however,
that this has not been enough in our own experience, and it is not enough for
others either. The Word of God revealed and expressed on earth, individually
speaking, is what allows the reality of sanctification to occur, to occur in
our own experience and to occur in the experience of anyone anywhere.
So there has been, for us
certainly, baptism by water, and also baptism by fire. Truth and love have been
available for all who open their hearts and minds to the experience. By reason
of this baptism some conditioning has occurred for us and consequently for
others also, and love has been present to be shared. The conditioning of truth
and the presence of love are simply the baptism. Only if that baptism initiates
a living experience in the individual, so that the Word of truth is
consequently spoken in living, has the baptism by water had any meaning. And so
also with fire. We are primarily concerned with the truth, sanctification, so
that we ourselves may be sanctified and be in position to offer the conditioning
baptism to others. As I have said, this offering to others is for the most part
at an unconscious level, unconscious to other people as to what it is that is
happening, and yet consciousness is being conditioned.
We ourselves have found ourselves
with the truth present, love present, abundant baptism in this regard. It has
certainly brought conditioning of consciousness to us. The question is: How
much sanctification actually has occurred? Sanctification means to make sacred,
to make holy. How much awareness do we have as individuals that the whole of
our living, every department of it, is sacred, is holy, so that we would never
in our own expression allow defilement or abomination to enter in? Everything
is sacred. No matter what we do, it is holy (wholly) unto the Lord, completely
unto the Lord. How clear is our consciousness in this regard? Only as there is
a clarity could it be said that we have been sanctified, so that we could never
allow a thought to continue, or a feeling to continue, or a word to continue,
or an action to continue, that was not holy (wholly) unto the Lord.
To what extent has sanctification
been received? The answer to that question is that it has been received in
exact proportion to the quality of our living, the extent to which our living
is a revelation of the Word of God. That is what produces sanctification, and
we are aware of that sanctification because all that we feel, think, say and do
is recognized as being sacred. If there are dark or shady areas in our daily
experience, we know that sanctification has not occurred, at least with respect
to those areas. Sanctification reveals itself, because if for a moment some
destructive thought or word or action or feeling puts in an appearance,
immediately we are aware of it, and the word I suppose is, "Get thee
hence, satan. What have I to do with thee? Nothing!" Here we begin to see how individually
responsible we are. It has nothing to do with anybody else, does it? Someone
else may hear the word we spoke possibly, if we spoke a word, but if we didn't
speak a word, just had a feeling or a thought, then probably the other person
is not too much aware of that. All these things are our own business. There is
really no difference between the feeling and the thought and the word and the
action. All of them are our personal responsibility individually speaking, to
let them be sacred, holy (wholly) unto the Lord.
Because the baptism of water and
the baptism of fire have been present we have all become aware of these things.
We have become accustomed to our association with many, many friends; we can
hardly go anywhere on the face of the earth without meeting them. Obviously,
there is a closeness, regardless of such crosscurrents as may put in an
appearance once in a while. There is a closeness, which has not always been
appreciated as it should have been. We are surrounded by friends. This is true in
a very close sense; but it is also true in the whole—we find friends all over
the place. Love—here is an enfoldment, a caring—love. And we are, when the ego
isn't too prominent, like-minded. We have a mutual understanding of the nature of
truth and how it is that life tells all.
Do we not share a marvelous
setting for our lives? Can we really think of anything that is comparable in
the same depth anywhere on earth? Yet how often it seems that appreciation of
it is lacking. Petty things come up and feelings are affected, thinking moves
into wrong channels, wrong actions may appear, and wrong words. We have been
provided with something so marvellous—marvellous one might say beyond human
belief. If there is so much, and yet as individuals we do not find a stable
consistency in our words, deeds, thoughts and feelings, what else in the way of
a setting would make this possible, do you think? Of course this setting is
there because of what has been contributed by all who are present in it, but why
build with the right hand and tear down with the left? This marvellous provision has put
in an appearance because of baptism by water and baptism by fire. We have had
the easiest possible opportunity to reach a point as individuals where there is
an absolute stability and consistency in the expression of the Word. If we are
unable to reveal this in this most glorious setting, how would we do it if we
found ourselves to be completely alone in the external sense? And yet, doing it
when completely alone in that sense is sanctification. If there were no other people on
the face of the earth whom we could count as friends, as individuals would we
be capable of maintaining that absoluteness? This is what is required. We have
been depending so much upon the setting where we are, while all too often
complaining about it and thinking it should be adjusted someway. Why? To make
it more pleasing to me, to oneself?
Whether it's pleasing or not, one still has the responsibility of being right,
of standing for oneself without requiring anything from anybody else.
The demand attitude which is rife
in the world of human beings everywhere is an evidence of the fact that those
concerned are not living within their means; it's proof positive. If anyone
ever has a demand attitude, he is demanding something more—therefore the
compulsion to demand something more is based in the fact that he doesn't think
he has enough of whatever it is in whatever field. And if it is imagined that
he doesn't have enough he clearly is not capable of living effectively within
his means, the means that are actually there. You may have discovered that if
you live within your means in fact
whatever is needed for your greater service, your greater expression of living
on earth, will be available. If you don't think it's there you are not living
within your means. I am not just speaking about money, although that's an
aspect of it because that is very prominent in human consciousness, isn't it?
Spiritual means also is the primary factor. The money aspect, all the other
aspects, will take care of themselves when one lives within one's spiritual
means. Too many have great expectations which are way beyond the spiritual
reality of their expression. Then they try to fulfil those great expectations
and fall on their faces.
So any attitude of demand which
you find putting in an appearance within yourself proves to you immediately that
if you give any place to that, you are revealing that you are living beyond
your means. There is no need to demand anything if you are living within your
means; nothing else is required. That's right, isn't it? And if that is the
fact in your own experience, immediately you will find that your field of
living expands and whatever is necessary for that field of living will be
present. But if you try to make it be present you have an uphill struggle, to
say the least—it will all end in failure. We have the opportunity of living
within our spiritual means, in which case there is no need to demand anything. "I
shall not want." That was a precept that was offered a long time ago, wasn't
it? But how many have really taken it seriously?—no demand, no attitude of
demand, no feeling of demand. The attitude, the feeling of demand, vanishes
away immediately one is living within one's means.
We do not demand friendship. We do
not demand anything from anyone. We do not demand love, certainly. Love doesn't
come on demand anyway. We do not demand appreciation. Appreciation may be
something to be naturally expressed by one who speaks the Word but it can
become a snare to those who try to live off the appreciation that is so
expressed, so that they would die if it wasn't expressed. Perhaps that's taking
it to an ultimate extreme but that is what the fact is. If you require to be
appreciated to be right, you're wrong. Children require a certain amount of
encouragement, and appreciation is properly expressed to children; but
somewhere along the way the offer of appreciation begins to come back a bit.
The individual growing up must do the right thing because it is the right
thing, not because he's going to be paid for it. The payment may be appreciation
expressed by somebody else. That should never be a controlling factor. We may
smile and say "Thank you," but we remain unchanged inside ourselves.
Over the years I have received a
certain amount of appreciation—almost to the point of
adulation. All that is like water off a duck's back insofar as I am concerned,
because I am me, and nothing anyone can do or say will change that fact. We all need to become aware of that. We are who we are. Someone expressing
appreciation is not going to make us more so; someone expressing the opposite
is not going to make us any less either. If we can be bolstered by appreciation
we can also be torn down by criticism—they go together. We don't need it for
ourselves; we make no demands for it; we do not want it. If it's offered we
know how to receive it. Certainly it makes for an easy atmosphere if
appreciation is there. Maybe then two or three can be gathered together in one
place, and there is the truth in the midst of them, individually in expression
through each. That truth is not dependent upon anyone else for it to be
expressed by oneself.
Are we capable of standing alone?
We prove this out by revealing our capacity to stand alone in this beautiful
setting. There would then never be a flicker of complaint or criticism or
anything else. Oh that we should be so privileged to have all this and to be
able to stand alone as well—not to be required to stand alone, being the only
one. And yet we must in fact be capable of that. If we are not capable of that
we are a pretty weak brother or sister. We can hide behind the love that is
present, the baptism by fire that is here; we can wash ourselves a bit, I
suppose, in the baptism by water—but we remain impotent, powerless, futile,
meaningless, until there is the reality of sanctification: sanctification
first, purification and transformation in season. Sanctification comes by the
Word: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." It is the
only way sanctification can be known, the only way by which we may be holy unto
the Lord. Let us acknowledge that way. Let us eschew evil, so that we may
stand, each one, as an individual, incorruptible.
We have often said that we are and
have been richly blessed. As we begin to emerge into a clear space within
ourselves we become increasingly amazed at the magnificence of what has been
provided. If we take it for granted and think of it as a little thing we have
no vision. You know what happens to those who have no vision. But when we
really begin to open our eyes and see, we are dwelling in heaven; it's a fact,
and there is nothing anywhere that we could bring ourselves to complain about,
to criticize, because everything to us is sacred, everything. And we make very
sure that we keep it so from the standpoint of our own momentary living, that
no one associated with us may ever be caused to feel, by our own actions,
words, thoughts, expression of feeling, whatever, that where we are is not a
holy place.
You know the truth which would be
contained in the words, "Where I am, it is holy." Is that the truth
in your own experience? If it isn't, then who are you? No one, evidently. Where
I am, it is always holy; it is always a sacred place into which nothing that
defiles or works abomination or makes a lie can possibly enter in. Let it be
so, that we may associate ourselves with this prayer of intercession, or this
particular portion of it: "Sanctify them through thy truth"—"them"
includes everybody—"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth,
spoken, revealed, expressed, consistently by me."
© Emissaries of Divine Light
