Comfort To The Awakening Ones

Comfort  To  The  Awakening  Ones

Martin Cecil   February 8, 1981  p.m.

As we come together into the holy place, letting the light shine, we can see and understand what we need to see and understand. When we are together in the Chapel there may be a collective light shining. What is seen and understood may consequently include more. But it is well to consider how much as an individual one sees and understands in the particular circumstance of the moment during the course of a day, a day when you cannot, certainly, depend upon the collective light, as is possible when we are together in the Chapel. In daily living we discover how much our seeing is dependent upon somebody else’s light and how much is our own. Do the circumstances of the moment obscure your spiritual vision and perspective? Does it seem as though the world builds a board fence around you so that the greater vision, the real balance, is blotted out? What sort of momentary circumstance does it take for us to lose our vision and understanding?

We only participate as a valuable part of the assembled body in the Chapel when we bring the brightness of our shining into this particular setting. The brightness of our shining must be evident in all other settings if it is, in fact, evident in this setting. If it isn’t evident in other settings then that light cannot be brought into this setting, because it was darkness. If that is so and in this setting you begin to see with clearer vision and to understand, you are using somebody else's light and to that extent you are detracting from the light which shines forth in what should be a unified radiation. We become, in such case, light absorbers rather than light enhancers. There has indeed been a certain amount of this, thereby rendering less valuable our time of service together. You are the only one in your own experience to know how far your vision goes in the momentary circumstances of your day. If you are honest you will undertake to make very sure that the importance of the shining of your light, and therefore of your vision and understanding, is paramount. What a delight to come together in a setting such as this, with each individual who is present shining brightly. Then we really have something. We are all light enhancers—after all, that is our business.

At some of our services, particularly the morning services on Sunday, there are others present who may be blessed by sharing vision and understanding, an increase in this, because of the light that is shining. Such will be light absorbers, one might say. That is all right for them, but for us it isn’t. One might ask the question as to how long one might be associated with the opportunity to see and understand and to let the light shine before it is too long, if one’s own light isn’t shining yet as it should. I speak of these things not to denigrate anyone—because I am not going to look you over and point the finger; that is not my business—but so that I might encourage honesty.

There is a light shining because there are those who are letting it blaze forth in some measure, so that this shining of the light comes within the range of awareness of many human beings on earth. Distance is no object. They say light travels pretty fast. So because of that light shining there are those who, we have noted, are stirring in their slumbers, some beginning to awaken, many who sense that there is something at hand. I think that is quite an accurate way of putting it: people are sensing that there is something at hand. That sensing may engender a sinking feeling, some disaster at hand; and in one sense that might be called an accurate sensing. But others are sensing that there is something rather wonderful at hand. They can’t put their finger on it exactly yet and they are quick to interpret it this way or that maybe.

We need to see beyond these interpretations, understanding what it is that is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is at hand and there are those who sense it. Some of the duller consciousnesses on earth are not aware of anything very much except their own tribulations. I have always sensed the Master’s amazement, when He was talking to Nicodemus and Nicodemus didn’t understand what He was talking about, that one in the position which this man occupied as a leader in the community in Israel could be so dumb. If such a man, with his worldly knowledge and position, was so ignorant, how could the masses of human beings round about be expected to understand anything? And for the most part of course they don’t. They are just as dumb, and just as determined to remain dumb. We see these things, and we also recognize the tragic consequences of this foolish insistence, but at the same time we have a certain awareness that there are those who are at various levels of awakening. That awakening relates to a sensing of something at hand. Some are sensing a lightness at hand; others sense a heaviness at hand; and of course these sensings sometimes change places in the individual’s experience. But in either case it is a sensing of something at hand. When it is thought of as lightness, interpreted that way, it is closer to the real truth than if it is merely thought of as a heaviness and the expectation of some sort of doom; not that that is a wrong expectation for whatever it is that is doomed, but it is not the expectation that should be carried by man, male or female.

The kingdom of heaven is at hand. This is made known, awakening this sensing in others, to the extent that Shekinah has arisen in the experience of those who have been provided with the special opportunity for this to occur. This is certainly true of all those who have been associated with the Emissary ministry. It is equally sure that not all have taken advantage of it. I am thankful that there are some and that therefore there is some light shining and that therefore there is an increased sensing of whatever it is that is at hand for people, the sensing on the part of those people. Those who have awakened sufficiently in the holy place, to be the light which shines there, may observe what I have been describing as happening with respect to people—the sensing of something at hand. For those who fluctuate between the light and the dark in this sensing, there would seem to be immediate possibilities. Sometimes of course, in the initial stages, someone will see everything in terms of light, but usually it doesn’t last all that long. The darkness creeps in again, and while there is a recognition that there really must be something right going to happen, the gut feeling is of something wrong going to happen. Those who are awake sufficiently to stand in the holy place and see what the situation is may provide comfort to the fluctuating ones. In a way it is like a child waking up in the night from a nightmare perhaps, and a parent offering comfort to the child in a recognition of what it is. The child is afraid and unhappy. It doesn’t know what was happening, but the parent knows, or should know, and can provide comfort: “It’s all right; it’s just a dream.” The expectation of disaster is just a dream—perhaps it is not quite morning yet for this person. They are moving in that direction. It may be all right for them to quieten down again, with the assurance that the morning is at hand and awakening to the day will then come. We are in position rightly to extend such an assurance. Everything is all right. It is all under control. Human consciousness has not been under control—at least not under the right control, that’s true—and consequently there are these nightmares going on which seem to the person who is having them to be very real at the time.

In this hour, to the extent that the light is shining, to the extent that we are in the holy place for ourselves, enhancing the collective unified radiation, we offer comfort to people everywhere, that everything is really all right; they don’t need to become so frantic. The morning is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. We are here to provide assurance, comfort, a sense of security, safety, while the individual finally finishes his or her night’s sleep. It is that that comforts the child, isn’t it?—to know that the parent is there. He’ll go happily to sleep again, with the assurance of awakening in season to a new morning. We extend this in this hour because we have this understanding, we have this vision, we have this experience ourselves. The truth is true and all is well, unconquerable life prevails. The dawn is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is at hand for people everywhere, but not just at hand insofar as we are concerned. We make our dwelling there, in the holy place. And in our daily affairs we have this vision still. We understand what is going on. Perhaps our responsibilities require something of us that is not the same as it is here in the Chapel, for instance, but that rightly does not obliterate our awareness of the truth, the truth which we ourselves are.

So there is always that comfort offered in our momentary affairs. It is there for sure, regardless of any of the bad dreams that may be occurring around us. We don’t put much stock in those. We are not fooled into becoming involved in other people’s dreams. We open the door for the awakening in its proper season, and we don’t expect everybody to wake up now. It probably wouldn’t be fitting for most. They need to wake up in the morning. So we are not so all-fired anxious to get everybody out of bed immediately. Let them alone. But whenever there is an awakening on the part of anyone, a sensing either of light or darkness, we take note of it. We should be able to discern something of these things without someone necessarily having to tell us about it. If the light is shining we can see. Of course if it isn’t we don’t see, we don’t know what is going on with respect to anyone, and we lapse into self-centeredness ourselves.

All this has something to do with what was spoken of as the coming of the Comforter. The Comforter is not merely an unknown spirit of some kind—the Paraclete that comes alongside. I don’t know about you but I never found a spirit coming alongside! It seems foolishness to me. But there have been angels who have ministered unto me in various ways. It could be said of them that they came alongside I suppose. The coming of the Comforter is not something separate from human beings. If there is a Comforter available it is because there is yielded human flesh to let it be so. We are to extend that comfort to those who are potential awakeners. We don’t have to judge who these are; we just take people as they come. And people come. We don’t look them over and say, “Well this one shouldn’t have come.” The fact is that that one did come. That is all that is important, and there was some reason for that coming; it would not have happened otherwise. When we learn to stand in the holy place the people who come are those who certainly should come to be blessed in whatever way, not to be cursed: “You shouldn’t have come. I don’t like you; stay away.” I suppose we could have someone come who looks as though he was dangerous. The usual human reaction is, “You, you stay away from me,” and pull out the gun. Well if we are not in the holy place maybe we should pull out the gun; but I don’t think there would be any need for one in the holy place. It is said of the Master that many times they sought to lay hands on Him but He passed through the midst and nobody could. Magic! Well it is a sort of magic.

Sometimes people drive wrecks rather than cars and they fall apart, sometimes creating dangerous situations. The individual may come out of such a situation unscathed even though the wreck was totaled. Ah, the protecting hand of the Lord! Then someone else drives a car that has been looked after and imbued with his own spiritual substance and he gets safely to his journey’s end without any trouble. Wasn’t the hand of the Lord there too? Wouldn’t it be better to be in that sort of situation than to have to be saved from one’s own foolishness? We are supposed to be caretakers, stewards. We take care of everything that comes to us, even our automobiles. In one way or another we take care of all the things we rightly should. We don’t really have to do it alone. I wouldn’t like to be entirely responsible for taking care of my car alone, because I am not an automobile mechanic, but I know enough to watch for signs and then if there is something that needs fixing I find someone who might be able to do it. Then someone has the opportunity of sharing in the care, in my care. We don’t reject others who offer what they may, particularly in areas where they may have expertise and we do not. But we are stewards, caretakers, comforters. It could be said we have a number of roles in that sense, and we know very well that we are capable of handling these roles.

Sometimes you may be called upon to do something that you don’t know how to do. Are you sure that you don’t know how? Maybe if you assumed responsibility you would discover that you knew how. You may have had the experience of thinking that you didn’t know how to handle something and calling someone else in; then you discovered that if you had taken care of it you would have taken care of it a lot better than the person you called in. Don’t be too quick to play down your own abilities. I think that we will very frequently be asked to handle things of which in a human sense we might say, “Well I don’t know how to do it. I don’t have any experience in that particular way.” Who is going to handle it, an experienced human being? This is the way most things are handled in the human world. We don’t see too well-running a machine, do we? The world is in a mess in spite of all the people who think they know how to take care of it. We take care of it from the holy place, in the power and strength of Shekinah. The light shines, we see, we look carefully at what is thereby revealed. We have far more ability to do things than we imagine, when the action springs from the true source. Then we find that there is all kinds of material in our consciousness that we had forgotten about long ago, but the action of spirit revives our memories. In other words when we get started, "Oh yes, I see”; and we didn’t think we could see. But seeing, we can do, handle our stewardship without backing away. It is the same thing that I mentioned with respect to Moses, isn’t it? He had all kinds of excuses. He did not think he could do what was required of him. He had no experience of it at all. Of course not, because it was something new. Well the same is true of us, isn’t it? Something new! Finally he let himself be persuaded and went to work, and he proved himself to be one of the greatest leaders of all time. What’s wrong with us? It is not so much what is wrong with us that is of concern; we need to discover what is right with us. And we discover that when we stand in the holy place, let the light shine, are assured within ourselves that all is well, the truth is true, unconquerable life prevails. I prevail; I am alive, after all. Here is unconquerable life. Let it prevail.

Standing where we belong we discover that we can do vastly more than we thought we could. There is machinery here which was designed to be activated by spirit, controlled by spirit, and when we let it happen then the machinery is used and we find that we have an immense amount of material available in the vaults of memory, shall we say. Most of this material we have been completely unconscious of. We not only have our own store from the experience of our lives thus far but the spirit has access to far more than that. There is, after all, what might be called a mass memory and our subconscious minds are not separate from that. The spirit is quite capable of picking out a little piece here, a little piece there, and putting it together in the right way. There is great ingenuity in the spirit to build marvelous things, the living reality. Then we know! If the mind gets a little bit out from under the leash of spirit, so to speak, it may say, “Oh I didn’t know that.” No the mind didn’t know it, but now it knows it. That is the point. The mind is not God. It does not have to know everything. All it needs to know is what is needful in the moment, and there is no problem in that regard once the spirit is in control. The spirit is in control when we stand in the holy place revealing Shekinah, which is the evidence of the Presence of the Source. Insofar as we are concerned it is evidence of our Presence. We are the source for our world; there isn’t any other.

How much is in your world? I am sure it goes beyond the confines of 100 Mile House, doesn’t it? Certainly it does. How much territory does it take in? Nowadays, with all the information we get over the TV and radio, it takes in pretty well the whole planet, doesn’t it?—little bits and pieces of information anyway. We are very much aware of people everywhere, all of them in our worlds. Human beings are inclined to say, if they are religiously inclined, “God will take care of them.” But who is God? Where is He? How is He going to do it? Is there a God in one’s world separate from oneself and separate from that world? God is present in our worlds because we are present in our worlds, or God is withdrawn. For the most part He has been withdrawn. But here in the holy place we see with balance and perspective, and we include our whole world, all that we are conscious of and also the rest of it of which we are unconscious. It is our world. There we are at the center of it. It is all around us. Who else is at the center of it? God? Yes, but not as another entity, as though one could step out of the center of one’s world and leave God there. If you are at the center of your world and God is at the center of your world, that is oneness, isn’t it? Awaken to oneness. Awaken to the truth. This is the word which we speak on earth. We can only speak it with authority if we know it, and we only know it if we are it. How much power does God have? Human beings say, “Oh, God has a lot of power; He is almighty; but I don’t have much.” Ah, separation. Who are you? Who is “I”? In the holy place there is just one. I am that One. My word is the reason for all things in my world. Human beings try to escape from that by calling it blasphemy, rather than accept the responsibility of it and prove it out. Presumably, if it is blasphemy, that will be proved out too; otherwise a person never knows.

So, we share this hour together in offering comfort to our worlds. It is one world insofar as we are concerned, because we all stand in the same place, at the center of it. And the blessing is offered. The blessing is real, because we offer it in each succeeding moment to the immediate circumstance at hand, to those people and things that are brought to us. We just do it. And if we do it it is done. “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” were supposedly the words of the Master at the age of twelve. The same words apply to us, regardless of age. The only way we can handle that business is from the holy place, that there may be what we have called restoration, others have called salvation. Who knows what that is? Our minds do not need to know now; it is not important now. What is important is the knowing that is needful in the now of each succeeding moment. If we can stay there we have it made. If we wander into the future or into the past we are lost.

So together we may stand in the holy place now in this moment, also henceforth and forever, not still in this particular setting but wherever we are. We still belong in the holy place. We only come into this setting for some particular purpose. The purpose this evening would seem to be to extend comfort, to increase our awareness of responsibility in this field so that we may provide it in all our ways. Then we no longer are reacting all over the place: “Isn’t this terrible? Isn’t it awful?” How easily human beings get trapped into that sort of thing. In all things give thanks. Praise the Lord, wonderful! Isn’t that beautiful? It is tremendous! The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Awaken to it. Sense it. Know it. Offer it. And the magic of creation works. To find those who will let it work seems to have taken, what? twenty thousand years of countless generations of human beings leading to this very hour. And how many are there who will stand in the holy place now to let the kingdom come? We will prove it out one way or another, and we will discover whether our sensing of light is true or our sensing of darkness is true, and that applies to every human being on the face of the earth. It proves itself out in either case. We do not need really to sense the light anymore, do we?—not if we are the light. What is there to sense? It is offered freely, that others may sense and come to the point of sharing those beautiful, fulfilling responsibilities of the holy place. How good to have shared this hour of unified radiation in blessing to all that has been brought to us, namely our worlds.

© emissaries of divine light

Jeju Council 2020

Jeju  Council  2020

May 18 - 19 Korea time   May 17 - 18  NA time

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At the Threshold of a Transforming Period for Humanity

When we initiated the development of Jeju Council 2020 last year, we emphasized that we live in a time when the energies of a spiritual whirlwind are gathering momentum, drawing human beings toward a critical juncture, and that the old ways of functioning cannot continue very much longer. Since last January, our sense of urgency has been confirmed and experienced by everyone in the world, coming much faster than many of us might have expected, and we naturally accept this situation in sensible and matter of fact ways. However, the whole world is addressing the unexpected and challenging situation brought by the Corvid 19 pandemic, and it leaves many people bewildered about how to handle the situation personally. Everyday life no longer moves along as usual—social distancing changes all our conventional routines, and economic shock and social transformation are inescapable. The world is not the same as it was just four months ago. In light of this immediate, world-wide transformation, what would be the purpose, the meaning, and the role of Jeju Council 2020 in the midst of this situation? 

A few months ago we suggested that humanity seems to be approaching the edge of a cliff, a point of no return, where we have two options: either take flight or fall off a cliff. We emphasized a choice: whether we will move together in a whirlwind of ascension, or choose a downward spiral? Human beings are now facing the fact that we cannot go on, existing within the old paradigm. New options are available in this situation, and we see the likelihood of even greater challenges and changes in days to come? Creative opportunities are hidden within all crises that arise—so, we will explore how the current crisis provides an opportunity for human beings to let go of the old and move in new creative and innovative ways?

From the still point at the heart of Being the invitation is extended—even in this critical moment—and we may share a heightened awareness that it is now or never. So, let us come together in one spirit, with one heart and one mind, as one body of people gathered in the calm center. There is a great need for the development of a mature vibrational body, and a space of love and safety, contained and sustained by people who gather in a communion of friendship, in humility, free from self-centered ego attachments—learning from each other and extending the spirits of love and light and forgiveness into the troubled dreamtime of sleeping humanity. Who will be drawn into the eye of the whirlwind, to help initiate new ways of living, letting spiritual wings open wide and soar high in the rising currents, listening together, and letting Spirit speak at this critical juncture?

Jeju Council—the I that is We—is drawn into formation to creatively engage this current challenging situation, with the awareness that even greater transformations lie ahead of us. Since we cannot gather in person we will come together in cyber space, drawing those are moving together in the rising currents of a spiritual whirlwind, to address many questions and explore what it means to provide some of the answers, and be the answers in daily living.

Jeju Council 2020 will draw together about 25 spiritual leaders from around the world. We will gather on-line, using Skype and Zoom and other teleconference technologies, to share two days together, in order to:

— deepen friendship among spiritual leaders, and those who are close with them; learning to function and create together in a new cycle of opportunity that now opens for humanity, preparing the way for a transformed future;

— share transformed and illumined consciousness, letting divine wisdom be revealed through deep listening, attunement, prayer, meditation, and open-hearted dialogue, communing-with and learning-from each other;

— have one day open sessions with public;

— document our collective wisdom, creating an electronic and hard-copy library that reveals our consciousness of One World, One Heart, One Mind, One Humanity—shared in the form of transcribed words, audio and video materials, and other formats;

— consider Jeju Council as an annual event, bringing together a balanced spectrum of world spiritual leaders, in person when world circumstances allow us to travel and be together directly, and on-line through teleconferencing whenever necessary.

Jae Hyoung Lee  and  Duk Hee Kang

Jeju Island, South Korea

The Privilege of Serving the Lord of Love

The  Privilege  of  Serving  the  Lord  of  Love

from  The Love That God Is

Uranda   October 1, 1951  100 Mile House, BC

There is the opportunity, from the standpoint of God, of sharing the ever-newness which provides the never-ending thrill of eternity. The human mind tends to make things grow old on the basis of old translations, the old patterns, and they become distorted and outdated, and they do not fit the immediate circumstances. They are not adequate to the present state of development and progress. So we let them go, release them, and we remember that in each evolving moment of eternity the spirit of God's expression contains within itself the patterns for its own fulfilments for this moment. And if we see these patterns with fresh vision, not contaminated by the old, we can begin to know what it means to live in eternity here and now. The future here depends upon us. To the degree that you can meet each moment in newness instead of in some old pattern, which because of the unfolding expression of life moment by moment causes every moment to be jammed in the old pattern, you will be adequate to that which God would reveal in life here and now. Here is the key to living in eternity. We must face the fact that until our minds are trained to let this process take place we cannot truly let the spirit find expression through our words. We cannot allow the new visions of truth to take form in the realm of thought until the mind is conditioned to this process. If you let your minds relax, let the past be past, let the future rest in the hands of God, let this moment, untarnished, free of all human patterns and forms and thoughts and translations, reveal what it will in the current of the spirit of God, we can turn to that subject which is old in the sense that it is eternal in the past and it will be eternal in the future, but in each unfolding moment it will be eternally new.

Let us meditate tonight on love—God's love, or the love that God is; for God is love. We recognize that this is essential, because it is only by reason of love that we can maintain the correct polarity in harmony with the One Law. We recognize that truth can shape and mold our lives according to the patterns of eternal beauty only as love holds us centered while the operation is performed. Truth contains the patterns, it contains the elements necessary to shaping and molding and bringing forth that which is God's will, in God's design. But that operation is impossible except as the individual is held in position while it takes place. Only as we let love be the controlling factor, the means by which we center, can we be held securely in position while the changes take place. The moment the patterns of truth begin to reshape life, the individual who is not centered, truly, starts to hedge. He moves this way and that way; he sets up barriers against the truth; he tends to make reservations within himself. And he says, in fact, “Lord, you can make this beautiful over there, and I would be so happy if you would just correct that ugly thing over here, and correct this in someone over there. That would be lovely, Lord, but let me alone.” Until we are bound by the cords of love, in absolute slavery, we cannot be held steady long enough for the patterns of truth to be meaningful as God seeks to make all things new in us.

We have for a long time found great joy in the idea of freedom. We belong to free nations, where people are free to worship God, where they are free to speak and to do. Lands of freedom! And we thank God for the freedom we have enjoyed and the freedom we enjoy now. But this freedom can become the barrier between us and the heaven that is at hand—the human concept of freedom which resists the process by which we become the servants of God. We must become servants in the absolute sense before we can become friends. Until the former things have passed away and all things have been made new in us, we cannot be accepted as sons and daughters of God in the absolute sense—because we would be attempting to take distortions and limitations and ugliness into the kingdom. We would be trying to inject into the kingdom on earth those things that have made hell in the world that man now knows.

How can this change work out? In one way only. Regardless of human whims and fancies, desires or concepts, there is only one way: only when we have responded so in love to God that we let the cords of love draw us near and bind us so that we may be servants. In such a state we do not say, “Lord, I will be a servant for two or three weeks, with the understanding that at the end of that time I will be a son or a daughter with the full privileges of heaven.” Is that being a servant in a true sense? No. We cannot bargain with God with respect to servitude. It has to be so real with us that we do not care if it will last for eternity. To be a servant itself is enough. And we find it is in that servitude that we find our freedom. Why? What is it that makes it possible for me to have certain freedom in the divine sense, from the standpoint of that leadership that is offered to you, assisting you, directing you, working out the problems along the way? From any outer standpoint I have to answer to no one on the face of the earth. You say this is freedom. Yes, freedom. But why do I have that freedom? For one reason only: because there is a point where I am not interested in freedom; because there is One to whom I give my absolute, unwavering devotion; because there is one point where my greatest satisfaction is in being a servant, a servant who has no thought of questioning his Lord's command, who never thinks of offering excuses, whose one desire, one purpose in life, is to obey. It is because of that fact—and I speak to you from an inner standpoint on this.

There has been the idea, the concept, that all God Beings are equal. Yes and no. Principally no, because the structure of the body of God, made up of God Beings, is on the basis of absolute laws and principles that are never violated under any circumstance, something that is absolutely dependable in structure, never a break or wavering under any circumstance. And what is position? Human minds are inclined to think that position is so important. There is only one position that is important to you, and your outer mind does not need to know even what that is, the one position that you have from the inner standpoint of the body of God. When the outer part of your body and mind conforms with that, you have the ultimate satisfaction, the absolute joy and peace. There is no cause to aspire, according to human concepts of ambition, to something else, because that is where you fit in the divine scheme of things. Now whatever that place or part may be, the same is true of all God Beings, because in their places all are equally happy, all are equally satisfied, all are equally filled, according to their capacities, with the glory of God. There may not be equal capacities, but is equalness of capacity such an important thing? A washtub will hold much more than a teacup, but must we all be washtubs? I have seen some beautiful teacups. The Pacific Ocean has a tremendous capacity, but who wants to be the Pacific Ocean? There are so many things that the human mind by its wrong interpretations discolors, distorts, until the truth doesn't get through; because the mind wants to get everything pigeonholed, indexed. Yes, the mind hears this—“That's how I heard it; let's stick it here.” I have had people come to my services or lectures and at the end they would say, “Yes, this is just like I heard so-and-so say it.” It wasn't. They had simply translated everything I said into their old concept and had not learned a single thing. A number of years ago, maybe seventeen years or so, anyway a lady came to three or four of my lectures. It was a little group of ladies, and they had a leader, a spokesman. They came to three or four lectures and then they decided to go somewhere else. And this spokesman of the group was heard to say, “We know now everything he has to offer. We have heard everything and we are going over there now.” Well you know how foolish she was, but she didn't know. Those extremes illustrate the point.

We reach the point of being a slave, and love that slavery; we would not exchange it for anything else in heaven or earth! I am not interested in exchanging my position in relationship to this little world for some supposedly higher position in the universe or cosmos somewhere. There are all kinds of positions that are higher, up and down, and greater and more far-reaching. Is it because I have no ambition, no desire for any of those positions?—and I speak from an inner standpoint, not from the human form. No desire whatever. I am not interested in changing my position. Why? Because from the standpoint of the God Being, I am perfectly content to be the slave of my Lord and King, His servant.

In the outworking of the cycles of time as they have appeared in the past, the faithfulness of that servitude has been emphasized over and over again. And as a result, I know what it is for Him to call me friend. In the world if someone is a slave to some domineering human being, the result is supposedly degradation. One is walked upon, one's rights and privileges are destroyed, etc. Because of that, human beings have translated all ideas of servitude to God into the old human patterns, and they have assumed that God would treat a slave the same as a human degenerate would treat a slave, and they have rebelled against the idea of becoming a slave to God. Is it not rather blasphemous and sacrilegious to say that God would be governed by the same lack of ethics as degenerate human beings? And yet, when you stop to think of it, even tonight, could one of you say you did not have at least one little twinge of response to the idea of becoming a slave, a servant, in the absolute sense? Giving up freedom? It is the only way to reach the point where you know what freedom is. When my Lord and Master bids me go and do something, He gives me a command. Do you think He should stop to tell me every little detail of what I should say, or what I should do, or what I should think? And do you think I should go running to Him, asking how to do this and that? “Do that.” That is all there is to it. From there on it is my responsibility, and I do not have to go to Him, asking Him to solve anything. As far as my responsibility is concerned, it is my decision. He asked me to obtain a certain result. True, there is a plan, a blueprint, that was included in the instruction. But in the scope of that pattern I have absolute freedom. Various people have tried to challenge that freedom, but I have absolute freedom to do it this way or that way, according to my best judgment, and I have to answer to no man.

I am talking about this as I am, to help you to understand your own opportunities; and perhaps it will help you to understand me a little better too, and help you to understand God's principles and laws, and the outworking of His will. So, having that commission—the general pattern, blueprint, yes—but that which evolves when the work is done is mine. I have received the whole from my Lord and King, with the ultimate purpose of turning the whole back to Him. But in the interval, while it is in my commission, it is all mine in the absolute sense. “For he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you”; in other words, that which is, is within the scope of that commission which is mine. He knows it is His, and He will receive it back in season, after certain things have been accomplished. Meanwhile it is mine. When it is done it will be mine to give to Him. It will be my creation, but it will not be mine in the sense of one individual or something. That which provides the focus has to take the lead, but actually, in that it is mine it is ours, to the degree you will receive and share in the responsibility and accomplishment, the share of privileges, the privilege of sharing in God's creative work here on earth. It is ours. You could not, by any means whatever, obtain a share in that except through me. No one on the face of the earth can give it to you. But you can have a share of it, and so can anyone else on the face of the earth who is willing to do so. Because it is mine it is available to all. So we can build something wonderful and beautiful and glorious, and in season present it to our Lord and King. But in the interval, if I seem to be dictatorial or something of that nature, as according to the human mind I seem to be, in the final analysis it is my responsibility. I cannot say, “He or she wanted to change the plan a little, and so, Lord, I thought it would be all right.” Oh no, not me. It is not that I am dictatorial; there is a purpose, and it has to conform to certain laws and principles, regardless. There is a pattern; there are laws that cannot be safely violated.

What is it that is going to hold us centered while this takes place, while the patterns of truth are allowed to appear in the realm of form? There is one thing only—love. Together we serve the Lord of Love. There are no words by which the privilege can be adequately described. Why do you think there is that written in the Book here, that there was a certain disciple who was spoken of as the one whom Jesus loved? Why did Jesus love him? Favoritism? Oh no, no! Do not ever accuse my Lord and King of favoritism, at least not when I am around. No, because he loved our Lord and King with absolute devotion that did not consider anything else. He had no other purpose than to fulfil that devotion.

The Lord of Love. When we pause to consider it we can recognize that whatever there is in the world of man, even as it now is—to say nothing of heaven, heaven here on earth, heaven that is at hand—whatever there is on earth that has any meaning or value, that meaning or value comes from love. You can take the grandest castles or mansions that have ever been built on earth, remove all traces of love from them and from those who live in those halls, and what do you have? Something beautiful? No. What is it that makes a mansion out of the most humble cottage on earth? It is love. For what purpose does a man or woman work? If there is no love, no one who cares, who trusts—because there cannot be care or trust without love—what does it avail? Name me one thing in life worthwhile that is in the world, even as the world knows it, without love. You cannot do it. Not one thing. The meaningfulness of whatever we do anywhere, under any circumstance, depends upon love. It is first and foremost and in all things absolute. And we have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love. What is it that distinguishes heaven from the world that man knows? What is it that provides the atmosphere of heaven that makes it heaven? Love. Take love out of the most glorious place God ever made, the most wonderful setting that God ever made, and it becomes meaningless, valueless, until love returns. And we have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love!

When we begin to realize what a glorious privilege that is, we do not find it difficult to love Him. Who ever thought it was something hard to do, to try loving the Lord of Love? Isn't that a rather foolish idea, “trying” to love the Lord of Love? If one is alive and awake to the realities of life and love, how could one help but love Him? How can you keep from loving Him? That is the question. We do not have to try to do it. I don't know how a human being could keep from loving Him! And any idea otherwise is so foolish, so idiotic, that it is not even rational. It is insensible. It shows such an immaturity of concept it cannot even be given consideration. We have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love and loving Him with body, mind, heart and soul, loving Him with all that we are all the time, loving Him with such uttermost devotion that we don't care whether we are called slaves or servants or anything else. Of course, there is a special thrill when He calls us friend, but we know that thrill is so wonderful that we would not care if it would take ten thousand times ten thousand years in eternity waiting for the day when He would call us friend! It would still be worthwhile. Until we have shown ourselves to be servants, slaves if you please, how can we be trusted as friends? If we allowed the human concept of friend to enter in here we would say, "Well if I am His friend I have a right to change this around; I can change this around to suit myself. I don't have to pay attention, I can ignore this. I am His friend and I can fix it this way. I am His friend and I can do it this way to please myself." There the old translation would be revealing itself, the human idea of what it means to be a friend.

What is a friend of a great King? Would we find any joy or satisfaction in trying to suit ourselves? trying in our own minds, or the minds of others, to be equal with Him? I have no desire to be equal with Him—not the slightest desire. He is my King. What good would that do me or anyone else? I have no interest in any such thing. Equal with Him? What would that mean? It doesn't mean anything. He is my King, my Lord, my Master. To try to set myself up with Him, that would destroy everything that is worthwhile to me. It would destroy my relationship to Him whom I love. It would destroy my position in the cosmos. It would destroy my opportunity of being of any service to you. I would have nothing.

What is a friend of the King, a true King, a King such as ours, the Lord of Love? A friend. A friend is one who is true to his King, faithful. He never does the things that betray. He is not guilty of betraying the trust to the traitor. Traitors, especially in times of war, traitors in the outer sense, are generally shot. When we are traitors in the outer, worldly sense in relationship to the things of heaven, to our King, when human beings are, are they shot? No. Sometimes they destroy themselves if they go far enough, but the Lord of Love is always ready to forgive. If the individual has not destroyed himself and turns and asks forgiveness, he will have it. That is the kind of a King we have. But it is not safe to be a traitor. It does not bring satisfaction. It does not help to build anything, whether it be a little betrayal or a big one.

We have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love. What is love? As we pointed out in one of our earlier considerations, it can be defined as that something which provides a sense of oneness-with. It is the cohesive element in God. It is the cohesive element that holds the body of God together, that makes God dependable and eternal. And God has said: “If you will share this love, this cohesiveness, I will receive you unto Myself, that you may be a part of the body of God.” And human beings take the attitude, “Who does God think He is, to demand I should love Him?” Are we going to give something to God that He cannot have on any other basis? No, these commands are established so that God can share something with you. The Lord of Love says: “Follow Me. Follow Me and you can be the branches of the vine, members of the body of God on earth, through whom the works can be done, through whom My love can show forth to all who will receive.”

That something that provides the solidity, the unity, the oneness of the body of God, is offered by the Lord of Love to all human beings. And if they have love enough in the heart to respond, so that they can receive that love which is offered by God, they will be drawn into that oneness, they will be drawn to that point where they will be held secure, so that whatever it is that is wrong can be caused to slough away and that which is right be caused to appear. “Behold, I make all things new in and through and for those that have become centered in Me, who have become slaves to the Lord of Love. Until you are centered in Me you cannot hold still and steady long enough for truth to make any impression on you.” That is what the Lord says. You will be wavering this way and that way, bobbing all over the place, because you have no anchor, nothing to establish you, until you love. And when you love God more than anything else, more than anyone else, more than yourself, more than any relative or friend, then you have centering, then you can no longer be pulled and pushed this way and that way. You are held in position while the patterns of truth can work and take form in you and give you the opportunity to live. And then you find a strange and curious thing. You had thought that if you loved God more than a friend or relative, you thought that if you were not true to that friend or relative, that somehow you would be untrue to that love. Untrue? Then you can be of service and value, you can be meaningful. But if you allow yourself to be pushed around by what you think is love out here, then the things you do are not meaningful; it prevents you from finding your true centering in God, and all your efforts become meaningless. It is not that God would deny you the pleasure of companionship of the loved ones. God is not denying us the choice of love. He is offering us the privilege of knowing the joys of love and life still more, of knowing such companionship that we have never dreamed possible, of doing such things for the loved ones that could not be done in human strength.

When we become slaves bound with the irresistible cords of love, centered to a point, a foundation, there is no moving this way and that, no turning aside. We are God-centered. The old things that have no meaning slough away. They are cut off with the sword of truth. The new pattern takes hold and we begin to live, and the beauty of truth is revealed and we are able to serve others, our loved ones. But who are our loved ones? Our loved ones are those that love God. Oh I know what it is to have loved ones turn away. They were not ready to serve God first, last and always, and they wanted me to violate the laws and principles of being for their sakes. And they put it up to me, “If you really loved me, you would ignore these laws and principles of God and do what I want you to do.” If I really loved them? If I really loved them, would I do that? I know what it is to have loved ones turn aside. You can't tell me anything about it. But I do not, and never have, loved any human being enough to deny my love for my Lord and King! And when any man or woman, no matter how close he or she may be, denies my King, he ceases to have meaning in my life, regardless, period. I don't care how close, how wonderful according to any standard whatever, I don't care what relative or friend or wife or child, the moment it comes to that point there is no question. My devotion is one-pointed, and those that work with me must have that same one-pointed devotion. For anyone who denies that point to which I am devoted has no meaning to me, absolutely none! No matter what happens, no matter how much they suffer, no matter what happens, in any way, shape or form, it doesn't faze me one iota! They have been offered the privilege of serving the Lord of Love, and anyone who turns that down means nothing to me—and should mean nothing to you; that is my point.

Until you love the Lord of Love with that kind of love you can't know what it means to be centered and let the pattern of truth really shape and mold your life and environment, and provide the means of releasing blessing to your loved ones and others. “Who is my mother, my brethren, my sisters?” That is what the Master asked. And He answered, “He that doeth the will of my Father in heaven.” That is absolute—absolute! "He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven"; he who loves God and lets God's love have meaning in his life. Love—what a wonderful thing it is! It is that something that makes the body of God eternally new, eternally young, eternally glorious. Love is that something from which the glory of life springs. How can we glorify God on earth? By letting God's glory find expression through us on earth, so that it will appear in places where it has not appeared. We cannot increase God's glory, in the sense of the invisible realms, by giving glory to Him. You cannot add to Him, you cannot detract from Him in the inner sense, actually; but you can let that glory of the Lord appear through your life and shine in your environment and bless others. You can let that glory of the Lord fill the temple and shine round about, as it is put in the Bible.

From whence does that glory spring? From truth. Truth, if you can separate it from love—it is something you can't do—but if you could, it would be such a cold and meaningless thing. The beauty of truth has scintillating meaning and glory because of Love—the love that makes everything worthwhile, the love that gives meaning to life in all the things that are. And we have the privilege, the sacred privilege, of acknowledging and serving the Lord of Love. That is the invitation I bring to you and offer to all who respond to it: the privilege of serving the Lord of Love.

© emissaries of divine light