Vertical Expansion

Vertical  Expansion

Uranda   December 4, 1947

Gabilan Ranch, Salinas, California

Speaking of cycles in the individual life where self-activity shuts the door to fulfilment, we see that the same thing holds true in the world as a whole. From the standpoint of the rise and fall of nations, there is something that is revealed in history which, as far as I know, has never been recognized by anyone outside the Third Sacred School. The phenomena that accompany the decline and disintegration of a nation or an empire, has always included what has been generally classified as immorality. Apparently the direct causes of this situation are unknown as far as the world at large is concerned. A brief review of the basic steps of the rise and fall of any nation in history is sufficient to our immediate purpose.

In one way or another, pioneering—the acquiring of lands and the conquering of peoples—has been involved in the establishment of any great nation, kingdom or empire. As long as the national energies were directed toward such pioneering and expansion, the specific standards which were to hold sway in the nation were so obscure that, from the standpoint of the national expression, there was not a very strong line of demarcation between right and wrong, and many things were tolerated which, at a later time in the national history, would have been considered extremely evil. Gradually with the boundaries established and the development of the nation or empire the primary concern, national standards of what constituted right and wrong became established. Those who fostered the standards given national recognition were convinced that they knew exactly what was right and what was wrong and the war against evil was forthwith under way. Gradually the outlines of expansion for the masses became dim, the modes of life began to be fixed and crystallized, horizons at higher scientific levels were recognized by a certain few, but for the masses the boundaries permitting immediate hope of improvement of conditions became to a high degree fixed.

Various methods have been used at various times in various nations to keep the masses from becoming too unsettled and dissatisfied with their lot, but generally these methods have hinged around warfare in some manner. However, as class distinctions grew and the upper classes and the wealthy began to be self-satisfied and arrogant, giving little heed to the lower classes, the true Creative Urge of the masses became stifled; but by this time the standards of right and wrong which were accepted by the founders of the nation had become more or less fixed nationally in the consciousness of the people and in the laws of the land. Because of the inflexibility of the concepts and the laws concerning right and wrong, and because of the tendencies of such national conditions to smother true creative expression, hypocrisy and evil activities of various kinds always began to flourish under a cloak of self-righteousness.

Such activities have invariably begun to breed an attitude of contempt for law in the minds of the masses so that, to a high degree, the mass mind has been convinced that its only possibilities of true fulfilment and progress were in a range of activity which to some degree violated the fixed laws of the land. Because of this conviction, coupled with the inflexibility of the laws, the rigidity of social standards and concepts, and the widespread hypocrisy of the self-righteous, a certain false halo began to evolve around questionable activities, and since true creative expression was hindered and stultified the mass of individuals began to find their only range of personal satisfactions in pleasure-seeking.

Gradually, with true creative expression denied or made virtually impossible by circumstances, the two illegitimate channels of expression opening before the individual functioning on the basis of the mass consciousness have been liquor and sex; the demoralizing influence of liquor reducing sexual expression to a level of vileness and lust, even when confined between husband and wife. Recognizing the evils of wrong sexual expression, some have tried to combat the situation by denouncing sex itself as being evil. Others have tried to control the situation by more vigorous enforcement of more rigid laws which, in turn, tended to establish a confining, constricting influence upon the inherent urges of self-expression in the masses, so that the ill conditions have only been aggravated and not corrected.

In our own land at the present time some of these principles have been recognized, and some efforts are being made to encourage self-expression in the young through craftsmanship, etc—however, the range of such activities is totally inadequate to the need and falls short of providing a final solution to the problem. The tremendous increase in the use of intoxicating liquors is simply an evidence that the mass of human beings has failed to find adequate self-expression and fulfilment in life. Seeking to combat liquor as if it were in itself the primary evil is and will be futile. The only solution is to open the way, for those who have any self-respect remaining, to begin to find individual and collective fulfilment in self-expression. In order to experience such fulfilment in self-expression the Creative Urges of human beings cannot be ignored.

At this point we might well pose a question. Why has a widespread eruption of sexual demoralization always accompanied the decline of every great empire in the past? A complete answer to this question is impossible within the scope of our present consideration. Briefly it is this: When the boundaries of the empire or nation have been established, and when the progressive steps already outlined have led to a state of crystallization in the conditions of the masses, the main current of creative expression inherent in human beings has not found an adequate channel for release within the scope of the laws, social standards and conditions of the time. When this pent-up urge for creative expression reaches a certain point of pressure through the passage of time it is bound to erupt with destructive results if it is not given a constructive channel of expression. The very fact that this same cycle has worked out so many times in past history should prove to the skeptical that this very eruption of sexual demoralization provides the key to release from the vicious cycles that have, in time past, brought oblivion to every great empire, kingdom or nation.

Instead of trying to repress and control by strict law and regulation, according to outmoded standards and laws, the Creative Urge inherent in the masses, natural adjustments in viewpoint and attitude toward a higher level of life should be opened up in spite of prejudice and selfish interests, so that this force, which has in the past destroyed, might be utilized on a constructive, creative basis to lift the mass to a higher level of life, so that the constricting boundaries in the horizontal sense might not appear to establish limitations in the vertical sense. The mass urges which have heretofore brought destruction could provide the energy necessary to lift the mass to a state of living and consciousness which has heretofore been unknown in the whole scope of recorded history.

Instead of decrying the presence of these energies which tend to find expression in spite of the crystallizations of concept, attitude and law, there should be a recognition that herein lies man’s greatest possibility of fulfilment, providing the leaders of the people are willing to see the truth of the matter and catch the current on the crest of the wave, before it is dashed to pieces on the rocks of the shores of time. It is not movement expanding beyond present boundaries that is needed so much as it is movement upward into the unknown levels of life which are open to those who are willing to recognize the true possibilities and opportunities which are afforded in the circumstances which confront the human family at the present time.

International disturbances are primarily focalized in the greed of selfish interests which play upon the mass desire for fulfilment. As long as human beings imagine that the expansion must take place horizontally, conflicts over boundaries will continue; but once the great Creative Urges of the masses are directed to movement upward, within the boundaries reasonably established, the possibilities for fulfilment are absolutely unlimited. Within the scope of such a program the opportunities afforded every man, woman and child on the face of the earth are greater than any human being can possibly imagine. Is it too much to hope that there are enough people in the world who are willing to relinquish prejudice and crystallization of viewpoint and attitude to a point where the Creative Urges of the masses may be allowed to move upward to a level of life expression and fulfilment impossible on the basis of any materialistic plan or program?

Martin Cecil — The part which impressed me was the possibilities with respect to vertical expansion. Once the vision is taken away from consideration merely of horizontal expansion, the vertical is fundamentally the change of outlook that is required. The solution lies in that direction alone. Nearly every activity from the world standpoint is directed to a consideration of release by some means of horizontal expansion. A teaching or a service which emphasizes the possibilities of release through an expansion in the vertical direction should stand out very vividly and clearly from every other world teaching or service of any kind. That is something that I feel should be taken with respect to our Expansion Program.

Uranda — I like your outline very much, Martin. The problem rests in getting people to look high enough to see the possibilities of vertical expansion. The problem, as it is posed there, is with respect to conditions in the world as a whole now, and with respect to those who are recognized as world leaders, who are virtually without any answer, without solution. We know from the standpoint of past history that human beings, on any scale large enough to be of primary influence in world affairs now, are not going to “lift up their eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh their help.” So as far as world application is concerned, I know of no way of evolving any plan or program or method by which the principles could become effective under a social order or world condition such as we have. The problem is there.

The principles involved in finding a solution are outlined—but a solution in the horizontal sense, getting it started now under these conditions, is highly improbable, to say the least. So what it takes, as you suggest, is recognition from the standpoint of our Expansion Program, which factors we have to take into consideration. But it appears, I think quite rightly, hopeless for us to expect any action with regard to these things, to any degree at least, in any activity older than this that has its goal in the manifestation of the Christ Kingdom. Gradually, as we prove that a vertical expansion is possible, there will be those who will be drawn into it; but from the standpoint of any immediate application on the basis of present world problems, I see no way by which action can be taken.

I was thinking of it in this sense. I was looking at the decline of our own nation. There are a lot of people who do not see that there is a decline here in this country; a lot of people who are pointing to wonderful utopian periods ahead; but the evidences of decay are on every hand and there is a decline. A recognition of these principles on a national scale, with widespread acceptance, could conceivably stop that trend of decline and carry the thing back up. The insoluble part of it, as far as any immediate application of it is concerned, rests in the fact that there is not any way by which you could get a national acceptance that would check the present decline. Therefore, from the standpoint of the outworking historically in the past, the only thing that can be done is to let the decline continue, and continue to establish a focalization that is working on the vertical basis. But after the decline, after things have changed and the decay has worked out to a still greater extent, it may reach a point where those who remain are willing to see the fundamental principles involved and begin to move upward.

I was undertaking to analyze the factors that are at work in the decline of our own country and outline something of the principles that would have to be recognized if that decline were by some means to be checked. We see the same thing at work in the British Empire. From one standpoint it would seem that the United States should not be declining this soon. But the British Empire was working out an expansion of boundaries for a much longer time, over the period of history, than the United States was. The United States came to the end of its boundary expansion much sooner than the British Empire did. Well, the British Empire has found that it could not carry its own load and it is gradually receding, gradually folding back on itself now. The situation here in the United States is different, yet the decline is here and the decay is at work. In both cases the principles are virtually identical. The things that would have to be recognized to stop that decline are indicated here, but how get a sufficient recognition of those principles so that the decline could be checked and movement headed upward?

From our standpoint, on the basis of the recognition of the fulfilment of the Cosmic Plan, we would not be interested in achieving that unless it could be carried far enough upward to begin to open out into the actual expression of the Christ Kingdom principles. But as citizens of the world in an outer sense, because we are living here, we look at the matter and see what might be done if it could be done, to check this decline and cause it to be from this point onward a true evolution into that field of Reality. Again we come to the point that we recognized in the past, that there is no way by which the world as a whole can be caused to move upward far enough to allow the fulfilment of the Cosmic Plan without the destructive processes which the world itself engenders. While we wish we could do something about it in that sense, an analysis of it shows that there is precious little that could be done.

If we became a group of missionaries and went out and tried to drive the thing home, we might get a few hundred thousand people converted to a doctrine, an idea, start a party or something, and it would be comparatively easy, but you would not get far enough to ever stop the decline and make it effective in movement upward. Therefore, there is not any basis evident at the present time that would warrant any action on the basis of outer world procedures. If we could devise some way to utilize outer world procedures in recognition of these principles, so that we might effectively check this decline, hold it and cause it to move upward on the vertical expansion, within the range of the principles of Reality, we would do it. That would be a proposition whereby we would be avoiding all of these cataclysmic, destructive results and causing it to move easily and naturally for the world mass into the better state. I challenge anybody, any of you here or anyone else, to find a means by which, within the range of outer world procedures, we could do anything that would give hope of accomplishing the purpose.

The only thing we can do is to let the outer world go on through its processes of decay as they are at work, and keep on building this from the standpoint of Reality in the world; and then trust that at the proper time there will be enough response in the world to catch the thing before it hits complete bottom—before the annihilation of the human race in other words—and carry it up from that low point. It would be a much more wonderful thing if we could catch it here, without letting it go down, and help raise the whole thing to a higher level. But how can it be done? From the standpoint of past history, from the standpoint of the tendencies of human beings, of all the procedures that are at work in the world, I cannot see any way by which it can be done. We come right back to a centering in the Program as we have been carrying it out.

I felt that it was absolutely essential to examine into the field to see if there might be any way by which action could be taken on an outer basis to check that decline and help it move upward. Here are the principles involved, the causes of the decline, but we are without any method of applying it within the scope of world procedure on a basis that would be effective for the whole. We see these cycles working out in the world—the same principles exactly working out in relationship to the world that we have been considering from the standpoint of ourselves individually and as a Unit. Either the cycles that are constructive and moving upward on the vertical expansion, or cycles initiated that move into realms of decay, disintegration and downward movement. They are one way or the other. We have been becoming more attuned into the upward moving cycles, learning how to function within them, but here we see the cycles as they are working in the world as a whole, and the factors involved in the basic sense. It is not a question of so-called democracy or so-called communism or something else. These are basic things that get down underneath, and unless these basic things can be dealt with within the scope of outer world procedures we have no means of accomplishing anything from the standpoint of the whole at the present time.

John Oshanek — It appears that the best way we can do something for the world is to turn all our energies to the focalization we are working in, and the sooner we give all our response to the focalization of what you are doing now, the sooner we will catch up those who are coming down.

Uranda — We can, perhaps, catch some of them who are coming down. But it is that we will be ready—that when the thing hits bottom and everything cracks, we do not crack. From the outer world standpoint those structures that are of the world are going to crack when they hit bottom. Unless we have something that is so based in Reality that it does not crack under those pressures we are not going to be in one whit better position than anybody else to help carry the thing up from bottom. Apparently there is no way of lifting it from the present point. We have to keep doing what we are doing and then undertake to lift it from bottom. We have to let it go down before we can bring it back up.

Richard Thompson — I remember one of your Summer Session services in which you talked about the pyramid structure in the world, where at a certain point the larger pyramid would disintegrate into smaller pyramids. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2021/01/two-pyramids.html] So with regard to what you said about our standing steady and letting our focalization be so firm that it cannot break, it would then follow that these pyramids, when they come to disintegrate, would have to go through that period in order that we can come to a point where the upward movement can be initiated on a basis according to Reality.

Uranda — Well, above all things then, this emphasizes something that is very important to us. It is interesting to look at the factors that are involved from a world standpoint. It is not much good speculating about things over which we have no control; but it does emphasize the extreme importance of our functioning effectively in the field where we can function now, so that we will be ready to do something when the time comes when we can do something. The mere fact that we cannot do anything from the standpoint of the masses at the present time should not cause us to get sluggish in our function and to become careless in our procedures. Rather, it should encourage us to bend every effort to the point of being ready to do something when the time comes when we can do something. So that is the net result of my primary purpose in bringing this before you, because it relates what we’re doing, to the world, and the conditions and the things that are working out—things that are bound to come—unless we can hold steady ourselves and cause this that we are working in to be stronger than anything else, so that it is constantly moving in the vertical point of expansion regardless of the limitations around us.

You see, we have to prove that. We cannot just expand out horizontally. Regardless of limitations, we have got to prove the principle of expansion vertically. Then if we carry that out properly so that it is something real in the world, the time will come when we can do something. So let us be ready to do something at the point where we can do something in the larger sense. We can do something for a few, all that we can reach now—and we have an Expansion Program in mind. But here is the thing as I see it in relationship to that expansion: all we can hope to do is to keep this focalization growing and developing and becoming stronger until the day when we will be in position to do something effective from the standpoint of the whole.

Martin Cecil — That relates to the necessities of carrying through on the cycles that are set up now in order that we may move forward to the point where, when the time comes, there will be that cycle in perfection ready, because we will have reached that point by carrying through on these intermediate cycles to that point.

Uranda — That is right. Well now, has this helped you to a better basic understanding of our fundamental problems in relationship to the world, and the necessities of our unified endeavor? If we can devise some means of reaching those who recognize that spiritual help must come from somewhere, and begin to give them something to have faith in, a field to move and work in, then we will be doing something. It would be a wonderful thing if some means could be worked out to do that, in order to check this decline quickly enough to keep it from crashing. But looking back at history, there are a lot of people who are genuinely responding and who are genuinely convinced that it must be from spiritual help, but how far are they willing to go in letting spiritual help become a reality? They have got to let their own lives change. They have got to let themselves be moved out of their ruts. While theoretically, and to some degree in fact, they accept that point, when you come to the point of expecting them to really do something about it, it is another thing.

Kathy Meeker — With the Body at the state of development that it is now, even if all the mass of humanity grabbed on for help, I wonder if the Body has reached the maturation point of carrying the momentum.

Uranda — It is a good question. It will come on gradually I think, within a certain range. But there is going to be a certain point somewhere along the line where that load is going to come on suddenly. At the moment I have no means of telling how soon that is going to be. But I do know that unless we are strong by reason of right function according to the principles of Reality, when that load does come, we will give way under it—and then where will we be? We have got to be ready to take the load when it comes, and meanwhile reach out. It is through those who are becoming convinced that spiritual help offers the only hope that we are going to begin to take hold of the situation now, but they will be drawing out of that mass vibration rather than catching it as a mass.

Kathy Meeker — It shows that we must all let individual and collective changes be made in our own lives.

Uranda — So that the focalization in Reality is a truly factual thing on earth. That is the only hope. We have to forget self-interest in the development of the whole, so that we can be a true channel of giving out into the world to those who are ready, to those whom we can reach. I am conscious virtually all the time, in one way or another, of the fact that there are tens of thousands of people in the world who are just as good, just as sincere, just as responsive as those who happen to be emissaries; and if there was some way of reaching them they would pitch in and help do the job. The mere fact that we are conscious of it does not mean that we are the only ones in the world who are ready. It is that problem of contacting them that we have to work out now, and that is the real purpose of our Expansion Program. There are those tens of thousands whose capacity and sincerity and earnestness and longing is equal to anything any of us have ever experienced back along the line. Those are the ones we do not want to keep waiting. Let us not keep them waiting over-long.

© emissaries of divine light

Two Pyramids

Two  Pyramids

The  Nature  of  the  Real  is  to  Grow — The  Nature  of  the  Unreal  is  to  Decay

Uranda   July 23, 1946

You are beginning to realize the value of what I have talked about as “focalizations”. You are beginning to actually experience a specific focalizatlon of reality in the earth. Focalizatlon—the key to all things is to be found in their focalizations. Is it not so? With that—and I will go back and pick up the thread again in a few moments—I would read to you from Ephesians 6-12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

It is true that rulers could not have become rulers had not those ruled contained within themselves that which corresponds to the qualities of the unreal—but even so, we find that focalizations established in the world begin, sooner or later, if they be maintained, to overlap each other. There may be in a certain place ten thousand people who, by reason of the unreal in them and the situations that cause them to function in the outer, have a focalization of the unreal for some specific purpose, and the focalization exists according to the concepts of needs or the uses of power. As long as those ten thousand people are left alone, anyone looking at them will see little beyond that focalization of the unreal. But when we come along in the spirit and power of the One Christ Body and begin to set up a focalization in that same place, or cause a focalization to overlap into that same place, we find that there are those among the ten thousand who have in them that which responds to our focalization. Then, for a little time, two pyramids stand on the same ground at the same time. Is that not true? Such a situation introduces interesting possibilities.

There is a saying that two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time. So we recognize that the pyramid that we establish in the same place that is already occupied is primarily vibratory—it is not filling all the space as yet, so there is some space for the pyramid of the unreal. But the strange thing is that the unreal, while it can be added to, never grows. You can add to it, but it never grows, does it? It decays. The interesting characteristic about the unreal is that it continually decays. If it were not for the additions all the time, decay would soon wipe evil from the face of the earth. If that which is good, of the Life Current, was not continually added to the form of evil, it would not take very many years for evil to just simply decay; it cannot grow; it cannot add to itself; it would decay and be no more. Is that not right?

Evil is absolutely powerless to grow. Had you ever thought about that? All we can do is to keep taking something good and adding it to the form, so that as fast as the form decays we keep building around it with that which is of the good. Generally speaking, the way it works in this world is that, as the form decays in the center—in the altar of Baal—the young people in whom the natural essence of life and goodness is to be found, are just pushed into it at the center—which is decaying. That is the only way that the altar of Baal can be maintained—that is, as the good in which life is, is added to it. The world is sacrificing its sons and daughters unto Baal. The interesting point to me, is that that which is of Reality cannot decay—it always grows. Interesting facts, are they not?

When we have these pyramids, not actually occupying the same space at the same time, but having their foundations overlapping—then, the nature of the unreal is to decay; the nature of the real is to grow. If the focalization is maintained, the base cannot be moved. That is true of both pyramids, isn't it? But in the case of the unreal pyramid the focalization is maintained by pushing that which still has life in at the bottom and forcing it up, so that a pinnacle is maintained arbitrarily, regardless of decay. The focalization of the real does not stand on something forced into it and under it, or something that is forced to stay there until it decays—it is of the current of Life, and through the creative power of Love it draws unto itself its own, and by its nature it grows.

Let us suppose that this is an equal contest—now, there isn't anything of equality in this contest at all—but we might suppose for a minute a condition where it might seem to be somewhat equal, and the focalization of the real is simply maintained. The nature of the real is to grow, and as it grows it finds space around it that was previously occupied by the unreal, but the unreal decays pretty soon, and the space is occupied by that which grows—and there is no space for the unreal. Just that simple process alone, maintained, would in a comparatively short time cleanse the earth of all unrighteousness, would it not? Do you see what I mean?

Even if we had to meet the situation on what we might call equal ground, we should have a sure thing against a certainty of losing on the other side. There is no equality. But we are not limited to that. We have a focalization and when it is maintained the focalization is not concerned about all the good people who are going bad in order to maintain the pyramid of the unreal. We are not concerned about them at all, for the moment at least. We are concerned about that which is at the point of focalization of that pyramid of the unreal, that which is at the point of control. So, if we have a point of control and if we have a pyramid that has an Apex—not just flat on top—then the point of the Apex can begin to deal with that which is at the apex of the pyramids of the unreal.

The most difficult thing in the world for human beings is to find people who can be satisfactory points of apex in their pyramids of the unreal. Isn't that true? Leadership according to world concepts is comparatively rare. There have been times in the past when, by reason of some great leadership, there was a great pyramid. When that leadership goes, and this pyramid settles down and spreads out, it becomes half a pyramid with many points of apex. Then, if they cannot find leaders to maintain it at this level, this gradually settles down, and we get more and more little pyramids—lots of them, not because they are multiplying, but because they are decaying.

In the world as it is today, you do not find very many really big pyramids, do you? To the outer mind, that makes it seem to be a difficult problem. I rather think that it makes the job easier. The fact is that their points of apex are not very solid, and when we deal with these points, one by one, step by step—or maybe getting a lot of them together once in a while—then what happens to the pyramid? So-called leaders may scramble around and find someone whom they can push up to the top and make it hold, but generally the pyramid squashes down. They may manage to make a few little pyramids, but they do not amount to much. The main thing is that, as those points of control of the unreal are removed, as the strength of these pyramid apexes is reduced, and this thing gets scattered out, then the people who were absolutely bound about by the structure of the great pyramid can get out—they can peek out of the little ones and see the daylight. It is turning them loose. We could go out there and hammer against the base of the big pyramid—we might kill out ten thousand from the outside of the pyramid; try to keep them from going to oblivion; just send them to oblivion first—but it would not do any good. So we simply let the thing crumble of its own weight. It is a very simple matter.

The Lord always figures out the easy way to do things. We just let it crumble of its own weight, and then those people who have been bound with bars of iron and gates of brass will have a chance to get out. When they have that chance we want to be sure that they have every opportunity to see that there is a reason for them to come out. We must be sure that they have an opportunity to hear the call: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sin.” If they are given the correct opportunity, many of them will come out.

We are not so interested in just eliminating all of the evil from the face of the earth. Suppose right now, by some Act of God, I were given power to wipe all evil from the face of the earth immediately. I wonder how many of you would be left. Do you suppose that there would be enough of the unreal left in you that you would be partly destroyed at least. Just wiping evil from the face of the earth would be wiping humanity from the face of the earth, destroying the good with the bad. So that is the reason for letting this work out in the way that it has done, so that every individual on the face of the earth will be given every possible opportunity to obey the call: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sin.”

When we have so functioned that the Gospel of this Kingdom has been preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and all who will have come and responded and been drawn into the Way, the Truth and the Life, then the residue will constitute no great problem. When they see the manifestation of the real in the earth, their natural reaction will be to feel that the people who have served God are the cause of all of their difficulties. The point is that those who refuse to obey God always have troubles, and they always blame someone else, never themselves, so they jump to the conclusion that the people of God are the cause of their difficulties. That is bound to come as the focalization of the things of God begin to actually appear on the earth—not because we want it so, but we know in advance that that is what is going to happen, and there isn't anything under the sun that will keep it from happening except to eliminate the people of God from the earth. That is, to stop being people of God. That would deny God and put us in a spot that I would not like to share. Since we have a real focalization, it will continue to be so as long as we abide in the Lord and let Him do the works.

Having that focalization of Reality in the earth, the simplest process of all will be taking care of those who undertake to fight against God. The difficult and delicate operation, after the manifestation of the Body, and it is trained to truly function, is to be certain that we have given every one ample opportunity to turn and know the Way. During that time, points of opposition will appear, and we just let it come—not that we wish it—we are not fighting against them; but we just let it come, because a peculiar fact about the Fire is that it will flash out just as easily on a vibration of opposition as it will on a vibration of response. The only thing that does not make it flash is that which is absolutely passive and neutral. Do you see what I mean?

My function previously has been as an individual working to draw together the members who will permit themselves to be the One Christ Body. With the manifestation of the Body in actual function, our job is to Let Love Radiate, and remember that it is the Head, or the properly authorized Member, who deals with the adversary, because the Head may find that there are occasions where the adversary can be dealt with, with the right hand in proper position. On the other hand, various members, under various conditions, might be utilized. But always, if it is going to be effective, the Head has to direct the action.

The first great realization for the members of the Body is to remember that they need not be concerned about meeting these things of the opposition, of the unreal, or things of that nature. Understanding in that realm will come, true enough, but remember that segregated action on the part of a member, self-actively, for no matter how good a purpose, will create division and prevent the function of the Body. In other words, a member might just want so much to double up his fist and sock, but that fist had just better stay put, no matter how much it wants to move, until the Head says to let go. As long as we function as a Unit under the control of a single point of focalization, we are absolutely invincible, but the very moment that the members of the Body try to work out these things according to what they think would be a good idea for the good of the Lord's Service, it is going to lead to trouble and they will probably be the ones to catch it first. If something like that ever does happen, I am going to be sure that you are without excuse.

If we are to function properly, the purpose of function is to Let Love Radiate to all alike—regarding no one as enemy. We must radiate all of the time, as the sun shines, not being concerned about focalizations of evil. If you start looking for them, you will think you find them everywhere; you will start imagining things. The thing to do is to remember that the Body has one job, and that is to Let Love Radiate, and when, on the basis of correct function, under the direction of the Head, we do meet opposition—that is, deal with it—it will be on the basis of Love, because it is the only basis upon which we can act. Most of this might not appear to the human concept as real at the moment but that is beside the point.

Since there is a Christ Body and there is a radiation of the Fire of the Christ Love, those within the scope of our radiation have, automatically, the opportunity to know, and if it were not for that radiation there would not develop a focalization of opposition—therefore, when the focalization of opposition appears, it has already had its opportunity. It would not take form on the basis of opposition unless it had had that opportunity; therefore we deal with it on the basis of its own judgment of itself. That is the Principle involved. So, except as it may be brought out for consideration by the Head, the members of the Body are not to concern themselves about dealing with the dark forces, or opposition, or evil, because if you start thinking about it, meditating upon it, or trying to figure it out, you are going to cease to be a member of the One Christ Body. It can happen awful fast, and I mean awful—full of awe.

Remember always that the basic principles that you have learned all the way through still hold, and except as we give attention to the things of reality we cannot possibly hope to carry through. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” That should mean more to you today than it ever has in the past. That is why I have been emphasizing the spheres of responsibility here. As members of the One Christ Body, unless we are obedient to that Word, it will be as nothing. And that has to be done in really living the Christ Life—not seething inside with resentment. Not just by saying, “I am looking for good things to think about”—and isn't that just about as sensible as the human being is sometimes? 

It has to be real. Remember folks, I always know the difference between the real and the counterfeit, whether I make the test right in front of you and show it up or not. And remember that I am not interested in anything that is counterfeit—it does not impress me; it does not help; it is utterly valueless; and sooner or later I will see that it is tossed out into the garbage.

Remember that there is just one type of thing that can be used, and that is the genuine article. Unless it is genuine, it cannot be used very well, and whatever is counterfeit has to be removed. We shall remove it ever so gently and be sure that it is filled with the real if you will let me perform the operation the way I want to do it, but if you insist on trying to work it out according to some concept of yours, you are liable to find on one bright day that with one clean sweep the Sword is likely to lay it right apart, and you can take it or leave it. Unless it is genuine, it is absolutely no good at any time. I tolerate some counterfeit, so that we may not be under the necessity of making spectacles of things, so that we can let these things change gradually and as painlessly as possible, but, sooner or later, that Sword will operate if you insist on trying to do it your way—and that is that.

In my function I actually have drawn the lovely out of each one of you. Everything that is fine and real in you I have been drawing out as rapidly as I could, so that it might be on top, but when there is something unreal inside—and even though you may try to hide it from me, I may let you think you are getting by with it a little while—but you will learn sooner or later that when I look I am not looking with human vision that can be easily deluded. I think you know that already. I have proven it too many times. That does not mean that I am going to arbitrarily reach inside of your heart and yank this or that out. No. I have consistently worked to draw from within you that which is lovely, fine, true, real and noble, that it may manifest effectively. But in that process you find that, willingly or unwillingly, as long as you stay within the range of my responsibility and authority, sooner or later, I insist that the unlovely corners be opened up and that you take a look at them. You may think that you have something tucked away so far and so deep that I shall not know that it is there, or that I cannot find it. I think a few of you could testify that there is no such place to be found.

I have accepted this One Christ Body, in which I have the fullest of love, faith and trust, on the level of its function. I have unified with it as its Head, and I do not think that my love or my faith could be made manifest any more than it has been—but that One Body has a lot of growing to do, and those members who are in it will have to be, sooner or later, fully purified. Any walls that remain will have to be broken down; anything hidden in the depths will have to be brought to the light. It can be done in the light between you and me before God, without the others looking on, if you will let it be so. But if you do not, one bright day I will rip it off where everybody can take a look at it—and I don't mean maybe.

I cannot make you do anything. I am not interested in making you do anything. The only thing that is any good in this One Christ Body is Love Response and what you do in Love Response of your own volition, because you want to do that more than anything else in the world. Anything that you do under a feeling of compulsion, or because you think I require it, is counterfeit. Many times I have seemed to accept it for the time, because I wanted to give you every opportunity to grow, but anything that is counterfeit is utterly no good. Only what you do that is right for the pure joy of doing right, without compulsion, because it is what you want to do more than anything else in the world—only that done in Love Response is any good.

There is one sure thing. Remember this. This Body of which I am a member is made up of many members. I will not let any member jeopardize the whole. Our responsibility is not just for the members of this Body, but for the world body of responding ones, and as the One Christ Body—while there is a training period, and while I deal with every matter with all the Love that I can, and you know it—there is that which requires that we follow the groove, that we hew to the line, that we let the work be performed according to the Plan—the Blueprint, if you please—and it will be done that way by this Body as long as I am its Head. You know that. But with respect to the necessities of outworking in this Body, it is necessary that I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, so that you function in that realization. “Behold, I make all things new”—inside and out, up and down and all around, every whit whole.

These are considerations with respect to the work to which we are called, and things with respect to our function in the doing of that work. It is the greatest work on earth. It is the most important thing in all the world. Millions of lives depend on it. I have not seen any sign that anyone else was too seriously considering doing the job. To depend on someone else would be the sheerest folly. I am not taking the attitude that there are not any other people in the world who could do the work if they would. Do you see what I mean? We are not the only good people in the world, not by a long shot. I suspect that if we looked around we might find a group of people who might be called even better, who never heard of the Third Sacred School. We do not have any cause for self-righteousness, nor human pride—and pride goeth before a fall. We do not like falls. We had one thousands of years ago, a pretty big tumble—and there have been several since. There have been so many of them that it seems to me that we ought somehow to stop making them. The world is cluttered up with them; the world needs something else; the world needs something that it has not got. So instead of making another fall we would rather have that open Gateway that lets Heaven come down from God into the earth, that all things may truly for all people be made new.

I should like to read a few words from Revelation 21: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Have you heard that Voice? The Tabernacle of God is the One Christ Body on earth, in which He dwells, lives, moves and has His Being, and functions to the degree that we let it be purified and made every whit whole. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” That is the description in Revelation 21:3—the double three, by the way—of the manifestation of the One Christ Body on earth.

© emissaries of divine light

Radiant Light — The Transforming Power

Radiant  Light

The  Transforming  Power

Martin Exeter   December 13, 1987 pm

It's good to see your smiling faces.  All is well!  Let your light so shine.  I am the light of the world.

While it is not so prominent in these days, it wasn't long ago when there was a recognition of a battle for the minds of men—and women too, presumably. This was usually seen in ideological terms of some kind. Human beings are taken up with this battle, both being attacked and attacking. I'm sure somebody wants your vote; he has to grab hold of your mind to get it. Somebody wants to sell you his wares; he has to grab hold of your mind to do that. So we see a battle raging constantly. This battle might be seen symbolically as occurring between the heads of the dragon. They are all vying for first place. There is another battle which is described in the Book of Revelation: “There was war in heaven.” Well these battles I have been describing are occurring in the first heaven. That, after all, is where the dragon with his heads resides.

We may see it in terms of the human mind. What is it that shall characterize that facility? We are well aware that the prince of darkness has occupied this mental capacity in the world the way it is. His occupation involves a continuing battle. We have a recognition that this mental capacity should be filled with the light rather than the darkness. It is the same mental capacity whether it is occupied by the light or the darkness. In the first heaven it is occupied by the darkness; in the new heaven it is occupied by the light; but it is the same mental capacity in either case. Obviously it is not a matter of shucking off our minds, because then you would be left without any capacity at all. We have this rather remarkable mental capacity, which heretofore has apparently chosen darkness but which also is quite capable of choosing light. Here we see another war in the first heaven—the first heaven is full of war anyway. But there is something that can happen in the first heaven which may transform that facility into the new heaven.

I think sometimes in considering this matter of the first heaven and the new heaven there is the idea that somehow or other it's another person involved in the matter. It's the same person. It's the same capacity, which is either filled with darkness or filled with light. It has been so customary to be filled with darkness that the idea of being filled with light strikes terror in many hearts. Everything would then be exposed. Are we still somewhat afraid of what might be seen if we were factually filled with light? There would be no hiding place—to be completely exposed. It seems that the original condition was one of nakedness, indicative of complete exposure. That was natural because the radiance of light was natural and there was nothing to hide from. In allowing our minds to be restored from the state of satan to the state of Lucifer it is a matter of participating in the radiance of light. After all, Lucifer is the light-bearer. We could not have the experience of Lucifer without bearing the light.

So there is in this heavenly capacity the possibility of either maintaining what has always been known in human experience since the fall, or allowing the door to be opened so that the radiance of light may put in an appearance. This is what is being described by “war in heaven.” It's war in the first heaven. That's the only starting point anyone has. If the new heaven was already a fact in human experience there would be no problem. But the fact is the first heaven, the heaven of darkness; so the light needs to permeate that darkness. We ourselves have been willing, up to a point at least, to accept the responsibility of letting the darkness be banished. Our main effort in this regard was not so much to let the light shine as to get rid of the darkness, but you can't get rid of the darkness without letting the light shine. We don't align ourselves with the idea of the institutional inmate who sought to bail the darkness of night out of his room with a bucket. It is simply a matter of letting the light shine. The shining of the light banishes the darkness.

It is the fact that the darkness does not comprehend the light. How could it? It's dark! But the darkness vanishes when the light shines. The idea has been that there is some great struggle to go on, a great battle, an endless battle apparently, between the light and the darkness. But there is no battle between the light and the darkness. When the light goes on, the darkness is gone. Can you imagine some situation where the light is having a hard time getting rid of the darkness? It is simply a matter of letting the light shine. If one is identified with the darkness, the darkness comprehends not the light. We have much evidence of that fact all around us and we have much experience of that fact within us. When it is dark it is very, very dark. But when it is light there's no darkness. What a very simple thing this is.

The shining of the light prevails when it is present. The prince of darkness does not prevail and is cast out of the heaven. When the prince of darkness is actually cast out of that first heaven, which he has occupied for so long, there is the new heaven. It wasn't something other than it was before. The place is the same, the space is the same, but it's now occupied by light and not by darkness. There is no question as to the outcome of the battle, or the war, as long as the light is allowed to shine. Defeat comes and has been maintained because there is a struggling within the darkness. We have noted how the heads of the dragon contend with each other. They are vying for the minds of men. That's the sort of battle we can do without.

We see people everywhere involved in this war. The war has come to focus recently in the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the U.S. which is shortly to be signed, whatever that means; but the battle lines are drawn. Some say it's good, some say it's bad. What say you? That's the battle zone—we don't belong there. This bothers people who are involved in the battle. “Why are you so weak and puny that you don't pick up the cause?” It might be said by each of us, “I am so strong that I don't need to.” That battle is of no concern whatsoever; it doesn't matter—IDM! Whatever is done it will have an unfortunate effect. It doesn't matter which way it goes, it will have an unfortunate effect, because here is the prince of darkness getting everybody well confused so that he may maintain his position, which is that of governing human minds. I don't care to have my mind governed by the prince of darkness. How about you? One of his heads will tell you you should go this way and another head will tell you you should go that way. What difference does it make? I don't intend to go either way!

There is just one way, and that is the way of light. And when light is allowed to shine in the realm where the prince of darkness has held sway heretofore, there is what might be described as war. I am sure all of you have had some experience in this regard. I am not talking about this superficial war that constantly goes on in the advertising world, or in the world of politics, or in the world of religion, or in any of the human worlds—I am not talking about that. But when the light begins to shine because you let it shine, all sorts of dark things erupt—there is war in this way. But darkness has no power over light. Why is it that so easily there is a fearful attitude toward the darkness? “It's going to prevail. Oh dear me! It's going to overwhelm me. This darkness is building up all around!” What about letting the light shine, and where did the darkness go? It is the constant radiation of the light that dispels the darkness. It's rather magical, isn't it? Even in a room like this, if you put out all the lights it's dark. Darkness appears to have triumphed. But put on the lights, where did it go? It wasn't anything in the first place.

Let your light so shine. We are reaching a point where we begin to understand what that means: no more fear of the darkness. Many children are afraid of the dark. We have all been children. The easiest way to dispel that fear is to turn on the light. Let your light so shine. I am the light of the world, of my world in particular. If my light shines in my world it's not dark anymore to me. It may be dark to the creatures of darkness round about, but to me, no. This shining of the light comes, as we know, individually speaking. One must let it happen, for oneself. But there begins to be a collective shining of the light in consequence. And the darkness is in the process of being dispelled. Keep the light coming.

What fearful creatures human beings are—I suppose in a way, naturally so; they have been creatures of the dark. We've all been that way and we have suffered so in that darkness: plagues, famine, earthquakes. All these things appear in the darkness. When such things put in an appearance in our own experience, even in our own flesh, what do we do? “Oh dear, this is the darkness! I must go to somebody who will manipulate this darkness so it isn't dark anymore.” That's rather ridiculous, isn't it? Let the light shine—the only thing to be done! But one must do it for oneself. There is a tendency to rush around, find other people who are going to switch on the light somehow for us. No they're not! They may provide momentary alleviation of something to give us the opportunity to let the light shine.

If any of us have moved through difficulties of any kind—environmental difficulties, circumstantial difficulties, difficulties in our own bodies, difficulties of whatever kind—and someone has helped to alleviate whatever they were, one may give thanks for that because one is still on hand to let the light shine. Otherwise any help we receive went for nothing. What happens when these things put in an appearance around us? Do we revert into the old state? Or is there a recognition that the shining of the light is the only way by which wholeness can be restored? The wholeness of our own physical flesh depends upon whether the light shines or not, not upon whether you took your vitamins today. While you are meditating upon the advisability of letting your light shine, the vitamins may be useful. But don't meditate too long!

Let your light so shine. And, as I say, this is an individual matter initially. As the responsibility is taken individually and the light does shine individually, there is no more fear of the darkness. Then there begins to be a collective situation, which we know something about, don't we? As was indicated this morning [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2015/08/names-from-martinexeter-december-13.html] the multiplication of the shining of the light is exponential in consequence, but it can't happen if we let the light shine a little and then decide to duck back into the darkness. If we have this on-again, off-again situation, the multiplication collectively can't take place—very much at least.

The shining of the light brings forth an awareness of one's own angelic identity, which is the light. The light is present because one still lives, the angelic identity is present. As Lucifer is restored there is the transparency for the revelation on earth of that angelic identity. It comes with the light. I am the light of the world. I am the light of the world because I have a physical form in the world, and through that physical form the light shines. But it reaches the physical form through my mind, through the potential new heaven. As the light shines, the darkness is cast out and there begins to be a new heaven on earth within the body of mankind, a safe place consistently maintained by the shining of the light.

It is the shining of the light that permits creation to occur. Perhaps we would think of that in terms of re-creation, but it's creation. And as there is the clear shining of the light through a unified body, the prince of darkness is cast into the earth. There is no heaven for him anymore, and all power is given to this new heaven present on earth by which the creation occurs. Magic! Magic to the human view. It's been happening all along in a way—as we noted, a very sluggish way—but when Lucifer is in place and the light is borne, behold I come quickly!

The light shines and creation occurs. The light shines in our individual worlds. Whatever your world is, that is available for the shining of the light. It doesn't matter what it is. The foolish idea has been so firmly held by some that they should be somewhere else doing something else. Well in a way I suppose that's true, because they are not doing what they should be doing where they are. The only world anyone has is the world where he is now. It doesn't matter what it is, that's the world; that's where the light needs to shine. It has nothing to do with the seeming circumstances; it doesn't matter how the world may look. If the light isn't shining one doesn't see it anyway. But when the light does shine in that world it will be found to be something entirely different to what one thought it was.

One doesn't need to move anywhere. Let your light so shine exactly where you are! Where else could you let it shine? To say “I will let it shine if I go over there” is a cop-out. If you can't let it shine here you certainly can't let it shine where you are not. Let the light shine exactly where one is. One is there to let the light shine. That's why one is where one is. And when the light shines creation occurs. The light will not shine if one is fussing about where one is, if one is imagining that one should be somewhere else, or doing something else, or that “the folk who are around me in my world are not treating me the way I should be treated,” or whatever it is. All that is beside the point. That is what is seen in the dark. Let the light shine and it's transformed immediately! “Well I'll think about it. Maybe it'll be better tomorrow. I'll be feeling better tomorrow and I'll be able to let the light shine.” Well what will make you feel better, do you think? Staying in the dark? Let your light so shine now. That is always the natural thing to occur. And when it does, all things are made new.

The light is stable. It's always present—sometimes more intense, sometimes less so, but it's always present. There is always that point of orientation. It's obviously there when the sun shines but it's also there when the morning star is present. It provides a point of orientation. The yoke is easy and the burden light. We saw the burden this morning, relating it to the physical form which is somewhat burdensome. That burden, the form of Man, is light. That is the nature and quality of the form of Man. It's fallen quite a ways from that experience. But the light is the creative power; by Him all things were made that are made. There is no problem from the standpoint of the light. The problem has been in the space which has been occupied by satan, but to which Lucifer now returns so that the light is borne.

How quickly the creation occurs as that steadfast light is maintained individually and consequently together. It is maintained individually in spite of pockets of darkness. I don't really know what they would be if the light is shining. The sole concern is to let the light shine. We may have had to be convinced heretofore that we were in the dark. Most people don't imagine that they are in the dark when they are. So one has to be convinced on that point; otherwise it would seem as though there was no need for the light—“Oh I have it already. I see, I know, I have my opinions.” That's the usual attitude: the person insisting that he is in the light when he is in the dark. Well as long as one is in that condition there is no hope. One must come to an awareness that one is in the dark. Then there is the recognition that the light must shine and there is consequently—one would suppose, if there is any intelligence around—a willingness to let the light shine. And behold the darkness vanishes away.

So in every circumstance, in every moment of our living, let your light so shine.

© emissaries of divine light

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