Repose Peace Serenity
Be Still And Know
YouTube Audio
Uranda March 27, 1954 p.m.
As we gather here at the close of another week, Saturday evening, March 27, 1954, we thank God for the privilege of another hour of meditation. Let us begin with a moment of devotion: Our Gracious LORD, we thank Thee for the privilege of centering in that which centers Thee, for Thy Centering is the Center of all that is. And as we share Thy Centering we share with thee that which Center is, that here on earth Almighty God may act through the working of the Spirit in man; for we would let Thy Word be translated into the sounds which may be heard here on earth, and we would let the acts that find their beginnings in the Most High extend out through us in action here on earth. As a stone dropped in the center of a pond causes the rippling waves which shall reach to every part of the shore line, so does Thy action in the Center of the Universe cause those waves of action which reach this shoreline of the Cosmos, and we would let those waves of action appear because we live, centered in Thee, sharing Thy Centering, and sharing Center with Thee; “For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever.” Aum-en.
In our meditations we have recognized the vital importance of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, or the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, in relationship to ourselves in this day and time, not that we may attain blessings unto ourselves, but that we may receive the Power necessary to the manifestation of God's Blessings to others, the extension of Divine action into the earth through man. We know that man was created in the image and likeness of God, not to the end that man might imitate God, but that, in very fact, man might permit the extension into the earth of Divine action in thought, in word and in deed. Man's consciousness has been slow to comprehend the significant difference between trying to be God-like, and letting the likeness of God appear. As long as man feels it incumbent upon himself to try to think as he thinks God would think, to try to act as he thinks God would act, to try to speak as he thinks God would speak, we must of necessity have among the earnest and sincere ones a vast amount of confusion; for each, then, must interpret the concept of Divine action according to his own vision and belief. But when there are those among the earnest and sincere ones who are willing to let that which God thinks extend through the capacities of their minds into the earth, those who will let the Divine word appear as it originates in the Father, those who will let the action of the Almighty extend through themselves in deeds on earth, we begin to have a condition on earth wherein it is possible to follow our LORD and KING.
The human mind imagines that it must know so much, comprehend so much, and judge so many things. But the learning essential to the mind is this: that it may learn to be still, not producing its own waves; that it may receive the waves which God produces. When man is so busy splashing upon the surface of his own consciousness that he produces waves which seem good to himself, he is not capable of distinguishing therein the waves which come from the Mind of God. This process by which the things of God come down out of Heaven into the earth seems to man to be complex and difficult; it seems to man to require more of him than he feels capable of accomplishing. Nevertheless, there are some who make the effort according to their concepts. Yet, the true accomplishment depends upon something which extends from God to man and through man, that there may be an uninterrupted means by which that which originates in the Most High may come into form in this level of creation.
Tonight I drew your attention to the principle as illustrated by the waves upon the surface of a pond. Suppose the air is still, in the sense of the wave-producing wind, and suppose some children are playing upon the shore of the little lake, heedlessly splashing one another. But, suppose some force invisible to the children agitates the water in the center of the pond and the rippling waves begin to flow from center outward toward the shore. The children, making waves, are not likely to see or know the waves which were so made. This principle was illustrated at the time of the Master by the Pool of Bethesda, for the story goes that at a certain time an angel agitated, or troubled, the waters in the pool, whereupon the first to enter the pool would be healed. And there was a certain man who had long sought to enter the pool when it was agitated, but because he was incapable of prompt movement someone else always got there ahead of him. But the Master, by His Spirit, agitated the pool within the man himself, and he entered that pool, not holding back but accepting the waves from Center into his own body and mind and heart; for there is a Pool of Bethesda within each one, a means by which the movement established by the Angel of God may extend into the realm of physical form.
We have recently come face to face with the realization that it is not necessary to delay longer, that no further special preparations are necessary, at least not from the standpoint of God's provision. Since all is in readiness from God's standpoint, all that remains is for man to receive that which is in readiness. We have recognized that trust, as one of the aspects of Love, must be present before there can be that repose, or peace, or serenity which will permit the Divinely established waves to reach the surface of man's consciousness in a manner which will let man perceive them. These waves do reach us, but they are so inter- mingled with waves of man's own making that man does not perceive them. In order to reach a state where man may perceive them, and thereby be in position to respond to them, man must cease trying to produce the waves which he conceives to be good imitations of the waves which he imagines to be from God.
Man imagines that God makes certain waves which extend from the Throne of God to the borderline between Heaven and earth, but that these waves from God are becoming very, very tiny with hardly any strength left in them, when they reach this borderline between Heaven and earth. Here, man must strain himself to see such waves as there may be, and, with his own strength and in his own understanding, he must intensify the waves from God that they may reach into the earth, for God's waves cannot come into the earth unless man makes them do so. Perhaps man does not reason in just so many words, but he acts according to this concept. Man, having his attention centered upon external things, and the necessity of his own efforts within the range of those things, feels that he must do that which will permit God to act on earth. In one sense this is true, but man's interpretation of that which must be done has for so long been at fault, for man must come to the point of serenity, of repose, where the surface of his own consciousness is not being self-actively agitated.
Human beings say, “I try, yet I have this resentment, I have that fear. If I do not hold to such and such an idea, someone is likely to impose upon me, some are likely to do some- thing I do not want them to do. So much might happen if I do not keep control and impose my will with all my might upon those round about me. I do not dare to become completely still, for someone would surely take advantage of me, and then it would be too bad.” And while you work to keep someone from taking advantage of you, you likewise prevent God from taking advantage of your capacities, for until you come to rest at the table which He prepares in the presence of your enemies you cannot receive that which He provides.
These things have for so long prevented the manifestation of accord, agreement, oneness. In some respects you do not quite trust one another, so you must remain alert lest those around you take advantage of you, even though you know that such action keeps God from taking advantage of you, of the fact that you live on earth. Actually, we are here to let God take advantage of the fact that we are here. I find my greatest joy in letting God take advantage of me, take advantage of the fact that my body and my mind and my heart are here in the realm where you are. If it were not so, I could not convey to you the current of the Spirit of Truth by which you may be sanctified.
The one place where you must be with one accord is in consciousness—no movement produced by self-active heart or mind, so that, to the depths of your being, the mirror-smoothness of serenity may appear, no blowing of self-active winds, that He may lead you beside the still waters, for it is when you are led by the still waters that He restoreth your soul. Whom do you distrust? Of whom are you suspicious? Toward whom must you remain on guard? Down through the ages, when quietness begins to so appear that one may hear, there come the simple words, “Be still, and know that I am God.” “Be still and know.” But human beings say, ‘I cannot be still. I have to move and agitate, or I would be nothing. I have to protect myself. I must do this, I must do that. When the conditions are changed so that it is safe for me to be still, then I will be still.” But how shall the Power manifest to make conditions safe if you are not first still, regardless of the conditions? If we would be with one accord in one place, there must be a new acceptance of personal responsibility in relationship to the matter of being still.
Now, perchance, someone, somewhere, receives the impulse of the Spirit through these words and says to himself, “This is the teaching which I like. Spring fever is upon me and I would cease action. I would indeed be still.” The first time you truly become still you let the waves from God reach you without your having interfered with their nature, and the moment you are still you will find that the surface of consciousness is not still. Your stillness does not make you still. When you are still from the self-activity of heart and mind you are, in that moment, open to the activity of God and His Spirit. If you say, “But I have tried to be still, to enter the silence, to do all kinds of things so that I might know what comes from God, and it does not work,” if you think it does not work it is only because you have not yet become still.
“Be still and know.” Nowhere in all creation is there absolute stillness except at the Center of all Being, and yet there is a stillness which is not stillness. If I had come before you tonight incapable of letting mind and heart be still I could not have spoken to you in the current of the Spirit.
Did you ever take a little child outdoors where birds were building a nest and, in some more or less hidden place, say to the little one, “Now be still and watch?” And the little one tried so hard to be still, and tried so hard to see, and tried so hard to listen, and wiggled and squirmed because he was trying hard to be still. If, in such a moment, the child stopped trying to see and just watched to see what could be seen, soon the actions of the birds would let him see. But if he tried to see, he would frighten them away and not see what he could have seen.
So it is with human beings. They say, “I would be still so that I can see what is coming from God.” Where are you going to see what is coming from God? Where are you going to stop it, so that you may see it? Are you going to let it come into the silences of your inner soul and hold it there, accumulated, so that you may see it? It will not come in such fashion. You may think it does but it will not be what you think it is. Where will you see that which comes from God? You will see it after it has taken form in the physical realm of being, not somewhere inside of you, but after the word is spoken you will hear it; after the action has taken form you will see it. Where do you expect to see it? In some realm before it has formed? If you are looking there, you will look in vain. Be still, and let it come into the realm of form, and you will perceive it after it is in form.
Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that we may safely trust Thee with the working of Thy Spirit in the invisible realms, for Thou hast given us perception that we may see and comprehend the working of Thy Spirit in the visible realms, and we would Serve Thee in that place and manner ordained of Thee, letting that which is of Thee appear on earth, “For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever.” Aum-en.
© emissaries of divine light
Sign Of The Son Of Man In Heaven
Martin Exeter January 26, 1986 p.m.
How could we describe what it is that needs emphasis? I think there are some words that are familiar to us out of the Bible, namely: “The sign of the Son of Man in heaven.” This was something that was prognosticated should occur—the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. What would this sign of the Son of Man in heaven be if not Lucifer restored? Here is where the emphasis needs to be laid. It is not going to be laid there by the press, I don't think. Well, who is going to do it then? Presumably those who are aware of and understand the necessity for this sign to be present. We, I am sure, are willing in this moment to let Lucifer be restored to heaven. There could be no sense in failing to allow this to happen. We may be able to see it, understand it and accept it more easily when we are gathered as we are now and directly bringing these things to focus, but of course it only becomes emphasized when what is needful is done. It doesn't become emphasized because we think about it, talk about it, nod our heads in agreement possibly, but because the sign of the Son of Man is in heaven on earth. So we have become, I am sure, keenly aware of our own responsibility in this matter.
We have been considering something of the emerging design in heaven on earth. This morning we particularly emphasized the matter of the elders, [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-elders-martin-exeter-26-1986-i-am.html] because special reference was made to this in what we have recognized as something of a blueprint for the restoration. It was indicated there were four and twenty elders. The number is of interest perhaps, because it is twice twelve. One could look at that in various ways. One could deem that it related to the number of people, or one could deem that it related to the quality and characteristics that are required of the people concerned. Numbers may have a significance as symbols of what may be necessary in the accomplishment of the particular purposes, in this case of the four and twenty elders who are situated round about the throne of God in heaven—the throne which was set in heaven, upon which someone sat. That throne in heaven doesn't have much connection with the earth unless a provision is made so that there may be that connection. At least partly, the provision is portrayed in this number of elders round about the throne.
In considering such things it is not for the purpose of developing some satisfactory emissary concepts—this has been done already and I think we could leave them behind—but for the purpose of opening a door to understanding, as the understanding is necessary in one's own experience. There is a design and there are those who properly play their parts in that design. This design relates to the creative process, and we are responsible for letting this creative process be brought out of heaven into the earth. We can't do that if we are not aware of what the design of that creative process is as it relates to ourselves individually. The concepts that people develop relate usually to some sort of collective viewpoint, as though one could stand back and observe this design in heaven and consequently assume an attitude of know-it-all. But it doesn't work that way. Nobody knows what the design is unless the individual concerned is participating in the process by which this design emerges. And it is for each one to become aware of what the design is as it relates to him-or herself. There are those who have, in times past at least, expected someone else to appoint them to some particular position. There are those who have looked to me to indicate who was what in the design, but that is not particularly my business. What is my business is to know where my own point of expression belongs in the design; I can know that myself. But then the same thing is necessary for all others, if they are going to participate in the design. They don't participate in it because someone tells them that they should be there or here or somewhere else, but because this emerges into their own experience.
In order to facilitate this emergence we may consider something of the design the way we have as it relates to the elders, for instance, because here obviously is a portrayal of something which is stable, trustworthy, consistent, always in place, and presumably wise. This is some sort of definition of an elder, providing a setting for the throne of authority in heaven and the focus of spirit which may then emerge into action. Speaking of elders, we saw that this necessarily related to earthly age, because we couldn't quite determine what angelic age is. There are no restrictions of that sort in that field, but there are certainly in human experience as it presently is known, and so it does relate to something which necessarily, or rightly, emerges on earth, because heaven is on earth. And the characteristics that one would deem to be fitting for elders would relate to what I have just said, something trustworthy, something consistent.
We can think of this in particular with respect to those older folk—I suppose I'm included amongst these—who have been associated with the truth as it has been brought to focus by reason of the Emissary ministry. There are quite a number of older people who have been associated in this way over many, many years. There are certainly some who have been associated longer consciously than I have, and they are still around. They can still be depended upon to be there. It is possible that some have reached a level of understanding where they have been inclined to stay. Everybody has the opportunity to decide if there is to be such a level of understanding beyond which one is not all that interested to go—that is quite all right. As I say, there may be some such in the elders as are present with respect to what has occurred in the unfoldment of this Body, but they are still around, they are still there. They are still consequently classifiable as trustworthy. Because they function at a certain level of understanding, they are not in position to see beyond the level where they function. This is true of anyone. It is not only older people who sometimes stop off at some particular chosen level, but anyone can do—and anyone has done it!—which is quite all right if there is an awareness that this is what has happened, so that one does not judge or interfere with something which is beyond that level. Obviously, if one has stopped off at some level, somebody has to go beyond it. We have to allow the fulfilment of what we are here to do. Somebody has to allow it to happen.
There is a certain choice on the part of the mind and the heart as to how far they are going to go, but if they go so far and they find a more or less satisfactory level within the larger Body, that is quite permissible. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2019/03/rhythm-of-seasons-of-god-from-price-of.html] I would trust that there are those who are going to go beyond, because we would never get anything done if they didn't. But if there is that, then those who function at such a level, whether they are elders or anybody else, need to be honest enough to recognize that there is more beyond their experience than they know. I don't think it is difficult for that to be admitted by anyone at any level. There is more to be experienced—so the majority, I trust, are not slowing down and getting comfortable and putting their feet up. And I don't really feel that it is necessary for the elders to do this either.
If there is a recognition of a certain level, whether one is going to settle down at that level or whether one is going to continue on, then what is beyond that level of experience and understanding should not be denied by an attitude of judgment which doesn't really understand what it is that is happening beyond that level. So that is a factor for anyone, which needs to be taken into account in one's attitude toward what is going on. Judgments tend to enter in, don't they? And there is speculation, perhaps even gossip, about things which are not within the range of understanding yet. Why would it not be possible just to leave those things absolutely alone, so that whatever needs to happen can do so without any interference from an ignorant person, a person who is at a certain level and in no position to participate in what is happening, other than to let it happen? Presumably most are interested in allowing this emergence to continue to take place, so that there is a movement from level to level to level, and we may come to an understanding. The more we understand, the less we are concerned about trying to pin things down, the less we are concerned with wondering after the beast, wondering, “What is it that so-and-so is going to do, and what is going to happen? Oh, there is something else happening over there, and it is a little bit scary; we don't know quite what is going to occur.” Why couldn't one just do a little trusting and allow the unfoldment to take place? We are dealing with this creative cycle, the creative process, universal creative process. Is it so hard to trust that? It's done pretty well in the universe! Might it possibly be able to do pretty well in our rather minuscule affairs if we would let it?
So there is the necessity of being honest with oneself as to the level of one's understanding and not trying to go beyond what one understands, concerning oneself with things that are none of one's business. I suppose you could say that as a part of the Body it is all one's business, but not in the sense that one has to know all the details of everything that is going on. I certainly am not interested in knowing all the details of everything that is going on. There are people with rather peculiar states of mind and heart who indulge in this sort of thing, but it is so much easier and freer and happier and delightful to let it all work out the way it is working out. If we need to know something we will know it; and if we don't know something, maybe it is because we don't need to know it. I suppose one of the reactions that appears every now and again is: “Why wasn't I told?” Well, I come upon things in my own experience, things that are happening, that nobody told me about. “Oh, I should make a case out of that; I should have been informed!” Well, the point was: I wasn't, but now I know. Okay. Can't we all cast ourselves in that sort of role and experience.
There is something coming down from God out of heaven when there is room enough to receive it. In order that there may be room enough to receive, the sign of the Son of Man must be in heaven, Lucifer must be in heaven and not fiddling and fussing around with all the eruptions out of the subconscious hereditary mind. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2021/06/lucifer-in-heaven.html] It requires a deliberate relinquishment of those things which introduce such fussing, because as long as the conscious mind can be caused to fuss about such things it is trapped; it is held in the earth where it doesn't belong. It has been in the earth so long, historically speaking, that it deems all the things that it is concerned about in the earth to be the reason for its presence in the earth. Well, it is the reason why it is held in the earth, but its presence doesn't belong in the earth. And as soon as these weights are relinquished, whish! up it goes into heaven where it belongs, and from that perspective what needs to be seen can be seen, and there is a far larger understanding in consequence.
There is so much that is available to be received. What was it the Master said long ago? “I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” He said that to His disciples. What can we bear? How are we going to handle sacred things if they come into our hands? Well, we have lots of practice day by day in this, but what is your record in this matter? One has to see it for oneself. Don't expect me or somebody else to say, “You have got a very poor record.” That is something you need to know if that is the way it is; something can be done about it then.
Let the conscious mind ascend into heaven because it no longer will let itself be trapped by the subconscious mind in the earth; and that trapping relates to the way things are seen. If they are seen in a judgmental way, if it is imagined that consciously one understands all these things, the trap is already sprung. If there has been a suggestion that we should admit that we don't know how things should be or what should happen and who should behave how, it is for the purpose of relinquishing subjection to the subconscious mind, which is well structured and will dictate, to any conscious mind that will listen, as to the way things should be, how everybody else should behave, and as to all the things they have done wrong. You could really go to town on Colonel Khadafy! [Vladimir Putin, these days] There is a safe one, because he's way out there somewhere.
Discord is the evidence of conscious subjection to the subconscious mind, and discord leads in the way of dying, to the finality of death. Accord leads to life, and the evidence of accord is the experience of love. Why should the conscious mind be so interested in finding things of discord?—and justifying discord, mind you! Would it not be possible just to let it go? There is a basis for accord in heaven, so that is where the conscious mind needs to be, the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. As I say, the news of this will not be provided by the media, for a while anyway, so it is provided when it is the fact, whether anyone yet acknowledges it as the fact or not. It must be the fact; then the sign of the Son of Man is in heaven and it would be found to be impossible to avoid seeing it. How widespread that seeing becomes is dependent upon how bright that sign is and how high in the heavens it goes. If it goes high enough it is available to be seen far and wide. If it is just starting up, then it is seen closer at hand, but it is seen anyway. We are not going to depend on the media to broadcast it somehow; they don't know what it is anyway; but we know. It is seen because the sign of the Son of Man is in heaven; that is, the conscious mind is in heaven, Lucifer restored. On that basis there is no shadow of turning, there is no necessity for judgment. Once the conscious mind is in heaven the true perspective is available, and I know that as you have let your conscious mind ascend somewhat into heaven you see a broader vision and you discover that there is no reason for judgment. Everything is the way it is, and actually the way it should be on the basis of all the factors involved. It won't stay that way if the sign of the Son of Man is restored to heaven.
Here is the way by which the good news is broadcast. Don't depend upon the subconscious mind to broadcast it; in other words, don't depend on the press or the other media. It's a personal responsibility, and it is a broadcast with which no one can interfere. Perhaps I should modify that statement. One can interfere with it oneself, but if the broadcast is present it becomes apparent. I think there has been a good deal of backpedaling in the Emissary ministry, so as to avoid allowing the sign of the Son of Man to become apparent to all concerned in the heaven on earth. I am not talking about imposing something on anyone, any more than when the sun rises in the morning it's an imposition. I suppose there are those who might translate it that way, interpret it that way, but it isn't really, is it? The sun isn't rising anyway; it's the earth turning, so it can't be an imposition. The sun is just there, that's all. And the earth turns this way and goes on around, and this is what human beings may do. But it is pretty hard when the sun rises to be unaware of it. So likewise with the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. It may have risen a little bit into the heaven, not very far, and some people are aware of it; but it is not sufficiently vivid and bright that they are—what should we say?—stunned by it.
Oh that wonderful sense of warmth that comes at the rising of the sun! Close your eyes and let the sun shine on your face in the early morning. That is wonderful; so likewise is the sign of the Son of Man. But it isn't up to anybody else, just to oneself, because none of us can take that sort of responsibility for somebody else. We can let it happen in our own experience individually speaking, and as we do, the sign of the Son of Man is restored to heaven, and very shortly mankind knows it. As I say, there are those who appreciate the rising of the sun, and maybe those who don't like it too well because they prefer the dark. So there are various reactions, weeping and wailing, as well as joy. We are not concerned so much about the reactions as about the output, the radiance of the Son of Man in heaven, because our conscious minds are there to accommodate it and to let it shine forth. When things are seen from heaven in that light there isn't anything that cannot be easily handled; there are no problems anymore. Oh, there may be things that we have to take care of here or there. That's fine, we will do it, but in no way will we behave in this fashion on earth so as to cause the fall of the conscious mind into the earth again. Let us be trustworthy. Let us provide this safe place in heaven on earth where the sign of the Son of Man is, that that may be there, the conscious mind in heaven consistently.
So we become aware of purpose, and we become aware of the One whose identity is made apparent by reason of the presence of Lucifer in heaven. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2021/06/lucifer-transparent-mind.html] The conscious mind accommodates the Son of God, and the Son of God is known. And that sign fills the heavens to the extent that it cannot be denied by anyone on the face of the earth. It may be welcomed by anyone, or it may be rejected by anyone, it may be a tribulation to anyone; but when it is in the heaven nobody can deny it, whatever the reaction might be. So we share something of a view of what we have spoken of as the restoration and of our own participation in it, and the awareness that comes as to why we are here, in a more specific sense. Not that we are merely here to let our light shine—we do that—but in the shining of the light there is specific identity and specific purpose and participation in that unified purpose, all one thing and all to the Glory of the One we love and know and represent increasingly in heaven on earth.
© emissaries of divine light
Easter Sanctification
Uranda March 24, 1954 p.m.
We have come to the hour of evening meditation on this 25th day of March, 1954, and as we are gathered here in the Chapel on Sunrise Ranch we are granted another opportunity to permit another step to be taken in the fulfilment of the Law.
Long ago there was a certain man—Jesus the Christ—who walked upon the earth, in and through whom the Christ Spirit was revealed in the Essence of Being, making manifest the nature, the wisdom and the power of the Father. He invited all who should follow after to share that revelation of the Christ Spirit, the Spirit of the Living God—and He made a statement in the expression of the Word of the Father, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” In concluding the pattern of His ordained Ministry on earth, He made the statement in prayer before the Father, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.” The work which the Father gave had been done. The work that was imposed upon Him by humanity had yet to be completed. The work which God had ordained had been completed. The work which humanity imposed upon Him was yet to be done.
In that concluding gesture of Ministry, in that great prayer, He said, “Neither pray I for these alone but for all those who shall believe on me through their words”—for all those who should believe on the revelation of the Father through the Christ Spirit, in any day or time, by reason of the testimony of those who shared the Walk of Life with Him. By reason of that testimony we are here gathered in this Chapel, presumably because we believe on His revelation of the Father through the Holy Spirit. Concluding His Divine Ministry, and facing that which was imposed by humanity, He prayed for us, that we might be sanctified by the Truth. To sanctify is to make sacred. We have recognized, in previous meditations, His statement, “And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” But, here we recognize, through words recorded in the Seventeenth Chapter of the Gospel according to John, that the work of the Truth, or the working of the Spirit of Truth through man, was the one and only means of obtaining sanctification. Our Master recognized that man in the fallen, self-active state had desecrated the temple of his own being. The body had been desecrated, the mind had been desecrated, and so also the heart, the emotional nature. He indicated that He Himself had been sanctified through the Word of God, and He made the added statement, “Thy word is Truth.” “Thy word is Truth.” Then the Truth is the Word of God. And the Word is not merely a written word, for the Master Himself said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” “Thy word is Truth.” The Truth, then, is the Word of God. So, it is by this Truth that man shall live. It is by this Truth that man is to be made free to live according to the Divine Design, and it is by this Truth that man is to be sanctified, or made sacred. We have recognized that this process of sanctification is needed in body and mind and heart.
The reality of our Master's sanctification on earth, sanctification through the Truth, the word of Truth which He revealed from the Father, is established and made evident by His life, by the words that He spoke and the things that He did. “By their fruits ye shall know them” He gave evidence of His sanctification. The fruit of His Life revealed it. The result of that sanctification, the process of being made sacred by the Truth, which is the Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, was that the Spirit of God, or the Christ Spirit, was allowed to be made manifest in His life. And in that life there are many evidences of Power. Man, having desecrated the temple of the living God, is characterized by weakness and futility. Man, under this condition, has sought in many ways down through the centuries to attain power unto himself, thinking to achieve that which he imagined he desired. However, these efforts have been in vain. Nevertheless, we are not left in darkness as to the means by which Power may be made manifest on earth. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
The Master stated, “For ye shall receive power after (not before) the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” The Holy Spirit can come upon man—mankind, any man, any woman—to the degree of sanctification, to the degree that that man or woman submits to the processes of being made sacred. We have noted in time past that the Spirit of God cannot act on earth in any real or adequate sense without man. The Spirit of God acts to some extent through the rest of creation, through the vegetable world, through the animal kingdom, etc, but the adequate expression of the Spirit of God depends upon man, and the Spirit of God cannot act upon earth except through form. We have acknowledged, intellectually, theoretically, that form, whether the body of a man, a woman, of any creature, or of anything on earth, can have meaning and value only in relationship to the Spirit of God. As the body is essential to the Spirit on earth, so is the Spirit essential to the body on earth. But if the Spirit is to be made manifest through the body it must first be made sacred.
With respect to the beginning of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit at the time that is ordinarily called the Day of Pentecost, it is stated that they were all together with one accord in one place. We, tonight, in the outer or physical sense, are together in one place. Mentally, emotionally, Spiritually, we are not necessarily together in one place. It is evident that before we can, in this absolute sense, be together in one place, we must be in accord. “For they were with one accord in one place.” With One Accord. This state of accord obviously depends upon sanctification, the necessity of being sanctified by the Truth, which is to say, the Word of God, the living Word of God, the Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. We realize here the need for Power. We realize that in the world as it is there is a need for Power.
Earlier in His Ministry the Master said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Many have thought of this process of entering the Kingdom of Heaven with respect to some invisible realm, or hereafter, but the Master did not qualify His statement after this manner, "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven after he is dead." He said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." And He had already stated that His Good News to the children of men was that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, within reach and available to us. If we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven at hand we must, then, be born again. And this process of Rebirth is the process of sanctification. Rebirth may be called Illumination, and the source of illumination is the Light of Truth, the Light of Truth which dispels the darkness in comprehension and permits man to begin to move in harmony, in unison with God, as an extension of the activity of God's Spirit on earth.
We can see, as we consider these things, which are brought to mind in this Easter Season, in relationship to the Resurrection, that this process of Rebirth or Resurrection, Illumination, is essential to us. In the world there is a need of Power. In our Ministry there is a need for Power. We know that if we attempt to accomplish that to which we are called without that Power we shall surely fail. Without that Power any efforts put forth by us, or by anyone anywhere, must come to nought. And the Master clearly stated, “And ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” If, then, there is an absence of Power, there is evidence that the Holy Spirit has not truly come upon us. If the Holy Spirit had fully come upon us, there would be the evidence of increased Power. It seems to me that, under the circumstance, any direct concern about the Power is out of order and ill advised. The concern should be that we might so function that the Holy Spirit may come upon us. We need not imagine that we must somehow persuade the Holy Spirit to come upon us, as if the Holy Spirit would hold back, or that God would prevent it.
As we consider the matter, realizing that God has been waiting nineteen centuries for someone, somewhere, at some time, to let the Holy Spirit come and to let the Power manifest, we need not assume that we will have to persuade God or the Holy Spirit in this matter. It is, rather, evident that our great need is to allow this process of sanctification to take place, not to get the Holy Spirit to come upon us but to make it possible for the Holy Spirit to come upon us. If we realize that God is not waiting because of a desire on His part, or because He would withhold, but because there has not been a provision of the means of manifestation, we can surely accept the responsibility which devolves upon us in the face of this vision, this realization.
The question is, then: How may we experience the required sanctification? The Master stated that sanctification comes through the Word of Truth, which is the Word of God. Have we, in this time and place, been denied access to that Word? If that Word is available to us, if we have access to the Word of God, which is the Truth, then surely we are without excuse. If we have not had access to that Word, or if we have not had awareness of that Word, let us by all means seek it and find it. But, once we find it, we come face to face with the question: “What is of primary importance to us?—the reality of sanctification, or those things which prevent or delay sanctification? How long should it properly take for a human being to experience sanctification?” It is not a question of: “How long will it take God to sanctify us?” The question is: “How long will it take us to reach a point where we will let God sanctify us? How long will it take?”
Theoretically, I think each one here, and in our Service as a whole, has accepted the idea that petty things, personal things, etc., should not be allowed to stand in the way of sanctification. In actual practice it is a different matter. How long should it take for this cycle of sanctification, or Rebirth and Resurrection, to work out? Apparently, most human beings are convinced that it takes quite a while. God is well able to bring it about in an hour, “in an hour when ye think not,” when the mind ceases trying to govern and maintain control. Whatever the period of time that has gone before us, I am inclined to think that it has been enough time so that it could have been done. I have been told in time past that I am inclined to expect too much of people. Perhaps so. According to certain viewpoints that may be so. And yet, I fail to comprehend how it is that I am expecting too much of you, or anyone anywhere, when I expect you to allow this process of sanctification to work out, not just somewhere in the far distant future, but here and now, so that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit may become a reality in our lives. How is it that this is too much to expect? What is the gain in delay? Of what value is the process of maintaining weakness and futility?
If it is expecting too much I ask, “Why?” What do you have to give up, to relinquish? What gain have you yet to attain before we have this blessing? Why is the day always postponed?—some time in the future. “And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come." Why do you suppose it came? Because God set a certain time, as He might say, “On the tenth day of August, 1954, I will grant you the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?” No. The day is now, tonight—as far as He is concerned, any day, this day. We do not even have to wait until Easter Day. The time is now.
How shall this process of sanctification be worked out? How shall it be experienced? I have wondered, on occasion, seeing how it is that you have in part followed my leadership, that you have trusted me, as one of your number put it not too long ago, “with your lives”, if we might reach a time when you might all, with one accord, feel justified in accepting and trusting my leadership without any reservation for as much as an hour or two. Perhaps it would be asking and expecting too much to make it a week, a whole seven days, but I wonder how it is that it is conceived to be a gamble, something too much to accept one hundred percent, for at least an hour or two. If sometime I could inspire you, or persuade you in some fashion, to accept my leadership without any reservation whatsoever, (of course I would like to have it for a week, or at least a day but if even for an hour or two) with the understanding that you could go back to the old pattern if it was not satisfactory after that hour or two if you wished to do so, if for some reason you felt that I was imposing on you in that period, I wonder what would happen? You see, in spite of all that I have presented, all that I have done, you follow only in part. You trust, but not wholly. You love, but not completely. You accept the Truth tentatively, theoretically, but not absolutely.
I have waited patiently, so that you might thoroughly convince yourselves that it would be safe, that it would be justified, that it would be all right to trust absolutely for at least an hour or two. Now, I can wait longer. My LORD and KING has been waiting nineteen centuries, and I can wait. But, the question arises, “Why?” If I should still wait and ask Him also to wait, I would like to know, “Why?” I cannot answer that question to my KING, I cannot give Him any reason why. If it is because I have failed in my function in Ministry, I do not know of it. If it is so, I would like to know of it, that I may rectify my lack and my failure. But there is this question, “Why?” that presses upon my consciousness, and I would like to be able to answer that question to my KING, for it is, as of the moment, something I cannot do. I do not know the answer. WHY?
The reason for my patience, for my continued Ministry, is to convince someone, somewhere, that it would be safe to actually trust completely, for at least an hour or two, or maybe a few hours, perhaps even a few days if we wait long enough. But this is the one thing for which I wait. The things that I do in this interval until that day shall arrive are done, not because I am required of my KING to do them but because the necessity is imposed by mankind. If my view is adequate, and if I am right, enough has been done so that some should begin to reach a point of being willing to fully trust, at least for a little while. And when that day comes we will have a day of sanctification, and following the sanctification there shall be the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us, and, following the coming of the Holy Spirit into such full expression in our lives, there shall be Power, and the Power shall be used according to the Wisdom of God in the accomplishment of the Will and the Plan of God on earth. So, tonight, out of the meditations of my heart I have sought to make clear to you the basis upon which I ask the question, “Why? Why must we delay still longer? For what do we wait? What gain is there in delay?” I seek the answer to the question, “Why?”
Our Gracious LORD and Holy KING, I thank Thee for Thy many blessings made manifest upon earth in and through all Thy children who respond and yield, to whatsoever degree, to the working of Thy Spirit. And I thank Thee for Thy provision whereby Thy Power may be made manifest on earth in accordance with the needs of this time in world history, “For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever.” Aum-en.
© emissaries of divine light
